Job Discussion Forums

[El Jefe]

Hello,

I still have quite a bit of planning to do here but I'd appreciate any input any of you may have to offer. I haven't booked anything yet but I'm planning to head to Mexico in about three weeks, coming from Seoul. I plan to take a little vacation and relax on the beach for a 2-3 weeks, but I've been considering maybe looking for some work and staying longer after that. I'll try to be concise, but here are my thoughts and questions.

1) I assume I'll be flying into Mexico City, obviously, but is there a not too expensive, relaxing city that isn't too big or touristy within a short bus ride that anyone here would recommend? I just want 2-3 weeks of relaxation and good food but in a decent sized city, and I think I'd like to scratch Acapulco off the list from the get go.

2) Money isn't a big issue, but I think I'd like to hang around for a while, and don't want to burn through my savings too fast. I'm from Texas so I could go home after a few weeks with relative ease, I assume; but say I want to stick around for a while... the new visa policy is clearly somewhat of a hindrance if I want to work in Mexico legally. I don't want to get flamed for saying this since I assume it's illegal, but I've read that a decent amount of people make ends meet by moving to a city and just doing private lessons. I definitely don't want to get deported, but would that be the most viable way for me to stick around and cut whatever financial losses I may incur? I expect to lose money, and I'm OK with that, but it would be nice to subsist for a while, and, from what I've read on here, they've been cracking down on schools, making people go back to their home country for a visa run, and I don't really want to do that. Am I running too big of a risk thinking I can show up and teach private lessons just to get by for six months or however long I end up staying. I understand that's a contentious issue and I don't intend to screw anyone over in the process, just curious.

3) My qualifications are nil beyond the little over two years experience I have here, I have no qualifications and I'm honestly not looking at this as a long term profession. Need a break and plan to go back to school next year, basically. I've taken Spanish since middle school and was pretty close to being fluent for a while in college, so I am actually looking forward to throwing myself back into it. Spent nearly three months in Spain but my Mexico experience is limited to Tijuana, Juarez, and Laredo, sadly... and I don't remember much about those visits, so it's going to be interesting. Take "question" #3 as a spout of anxiety more than anything.

Thanks for reading if you did. And, if you have any input, it would be much appreciated.

[BadBeagleBad]

Mexico City is a city of neighborhoods, with each one having their own flavor and being somewhat like a small town. Not too far from Mexico City is Puebla, the 4th largest city in Mexico, but is only has 5 million people, haha, so much smaller. Or you might like a smaller town, depends on what you are looking for. If you want to improve your Spanish a small town is ideal, as there won't be as many English speakers to distract you. As far as beaches go, yeah, I would totally cross Acapulco off the list, but maybe something in Oaxaca, Puerto Escondido or Puerto Angel would be good, beautiful and not too expensive. Generally, to get private classes you need to be in a decent sized city and it can take a while to get enough students. But if you have some saving a couple of students might be enough. It also depends on how long you want to stay. It is highly unlikely that you will get deported giving private classes. If you have a computer you might want to look into teaching online, then you could be anyway.

[El Jefe]

Thank you, BadBeagle, I've read your input here before and it has been very helpful. I come from a big city and have lived in central Seoul since arrival, so it's hard for me to imagine living in a smallish city. I do wish to improve my Spanish but I still often talk to myself in Spanish, very oddly, since I'm a white guy; so, the language aspect isn't something I'm too concerned about, outside of a little rust. Small cities just aren't for me and I feel like I'll get back into it quickly.

Anyway, Puerto Escondido looks great. Coming from this north eastern craphole, I think I've already made up my mind after googling a bit about it. Thanks for that recommendation, I think that will be the first stop.

I'm thinking about trying out the private teaching in Mexico City for a while after that. I'm honestly not really concerned about making a profit (though it would be nice), I'm just interested in the experience. And if there is little chance of being deported for sustaining myself in that way, I think I'll be happy. I have a decent amount of savings and I'll look into this online teaching thing, as well.

I also understand that there are multiple threads on the best neighborhoods to live in in MC, but if anyone wants to throw a few out there, please do. How competitive does it get, am I crossing the line asking about potentially stealing lessons from those who deserve the money more, as it is here, or is it a relatively open topic of discussion?

Last question, and I apologize for my own ignorance, but how does the rent situation there work out for a single male in, say, Mexico City? The scale. I have my own apartment here, but I had to put down a $5,000 deposit. I'm sure it's nothing near that, but can anyone give me a ballpark estimate? I know a lot of the posters here work at universities and are well beyond the situation I'm walking into, but could anyone here give a little advice on what to expect when looking for a place to hunker down in? Just a ballpark figure. It's not necessarily a money issue, more than it is a way to not waste my money issue... I'm really looking forward to the move.

Again, all advice appreciated. Thanks.

[notamiss]

There are nice neighbourhoods all around Mexico City, but mostly from the west and south sides to the centre. Not so much east or north. Your best bet is to stay in a place where a prolonged stay will be affordable – a hostel or apartment-hotel, near a metro station, for instance – and explore. Not to mention that the best deals in apartment rentals are generally found in person, not on the internet.

It seems weird to me that you think it’s odd for a white person to speak Spanish, given that there are whole countries, mostly white, where Spanish is the main language (viz. Spain, Argentina, etc.). What’s more, in Mexico, Mexicans – speaking Spanish – come in the full range of colours; it’s not so much like in the US where there are also many different colours, but they tend to be associated with distinct cultures and subcultures.

[BadBeagleBad]

[inotu-unotme]

I'm curious about the deposits in Mexico City...

The thing that threw me off the most when I got to Mexico is that the city I'm in demands what they call first and last months rent.
But, apartment managers also ask for what they mostly label as a deposit which basically comes out to an additional months rent that has to be put down.
And not everyone but quite a few ask for the renter to be to go to a lawyer to have him 'look over the contract.'

Sometimes giving a 'deposit' which equals 3 months rent can be a little expensive.
It would concern me in the since that I can only assume apartments in Mexico City are more expensive than where I'm located.

Do the apartment managers in the Mexico City area ask for this type of money to rent or for the renter to see a lawyer?

[El Jefe]

[BadBeagleBad]

[donato]

[BadBeagleBad]

Good point, Donato. To find inexpensive rent AND a cheap place you will have to go outside of trendy areas, centrally located areas, etc. I usually mention that when I mention rent prices, you won't find those prices in Condesa, Roma, etc. though if you like that area you might look in adjoining areas like Noche Buena, which are steps from those areas but a bit cheaper. 3000 is a steal and unlikely in trendy areas unless it is a dump and even then that is cheap. There are, however, some cheapish places right in downtown, but I wouldn't recommend those for a couple of reasons. Some areas can change drastically in terms of safety, in a matter of a few blocks, so if you are coming home late and get lost and make a wrong turn it can be bad. Also, they can be very noisy, pretty much 24/7.

[noble]

Seriously considering the Teacher's Diploma TEFL at the Panamericana in Mixcoac (thanks, Teresa). If they take me, I'll likely be staying w/a friend in Tlalpan. It looks like using the Metrobus - Ruta 1 to get back and forth is my best bet. What say the experts out there?

[Teacher Jack]

Queretaro doesn't have a beach. but I always enjoyed relaxing there. It's a short bus ride from Mexico City. In fact, you can take a bus directly from the airport to Queretaro. It's big enough of a city to find enough fun and relaxation but not the huge city that Mexico City is.

[El Jefe]

Thanks to Beagle, again, and the rest of you. I didn't get the response messages in my email and there was a long holiday here, so I apologize for my non-response time.

It would be nice to profit a little but I wouldn't be disappointed to simply break even after getting settled. I intend to do more research into the neighborhoods of Mexico City but I have yet to get my hands on a guide book. I'm still trying to reconcile things here and have a lot of money tied up that's delaying me from buying the ticket. I'm fully committed, though. The cheapest ticket I've found is a little under $1100, and from my searching, that seems pretty decent (tell me if I'm wrong).

Last real question. I'm pretty sure I'll be flying into Mexico City in a few weeks. It's going to be a hell of a flight since I have to fly to Japan, then LAX, the MEX... can someone please give a cheap hotel recommendation for a few days in Mexico City? I'm going to be messed up and just need a few days to relax. I just need a bed and a TV, so could one of you pass on a decent going rate?

I plan to head to Puerto Escondido for a few weeks after that, before coming back to MC and trying to get a little side work done for a bit. I apologize for sounding like a jackass since I'm asking such general questions here, but I'll be getting guide book soon. Precautionary posts.

When I head to MC looking to find a little work, I'll check back in, but thanks for responding.

[BadBeagleBad]

[El Jefe]

I don't know what to say, BadBeagle, concise information like that is more than I was ever expecting, so thank you very much. You've made my trip. Faja de Oro for a few days, then Puerto Escondido for a few weeks of vacation, back to MC to find an apartment in a neighborhood yet to be determined, try to get some private lessons to break even and hopefully make a little gain, and then just try to settle in for a while, I guess. I could always go back to Texas, though I don't feel ready to settle into a "real" job there; but I'm still kind of worried about the new laws, despite the fact that I don't intend to work at a language school. That's just not something I'd ever like to have on my record, deportation. Thanks for all of the help, BaldBeagle. I look forward to Pancho's tortas; $22 can't even buy you a decent sandwich here, so it's hard to explain how happy I am to be moving back west. Thanks again. You've been extremely helpful.