Job Discussion Forums

[fratton]

I'm looking at a job in a small market town (around 30,000). the job and conditions look great but im just a little worried that the town may be a little quiet. does anyone have any exprience of small town life in mexico or can anyone offer any insights. This town is around 2 hrs drive away from the state capital. any thoughts or advice would be great. thanks.

[hlamb]

I'm living in a small town about three hours from Veracruz. It's not for everyone, but I love it. There isn't much nightlife but what there is tends to be friendlier than you might find in a bigger city. Here there's a lot of natural attractions nearby, which I prefer to shopping. Also, most costs are lower, meaning you'll have more money for things you really want to do.

Good luck!

[MELEE]

If this small town happens to be in Oaxaca, we had this conversation with the person who, even after our comments, accepted the job, turned up, then ditched the place after a week because she couldn't hack it!

Actually there are two jobs, conditions the same, two hours from the state capital in opposite directions.

I'm 2.5 hours from the capital, in a small town that is much larger, the latest count is more than 100,000 but it easily feels like a town of much smaller.

I love living here, but if you're worried that is already a red flag. The director, the admin, the students, and even the town in general, probably needs a teacher who will first of all be happy there, and second of all stay for a while (2+ years). I don't know you so I can't tell you if you will like it. Ask yourself these questions.

--What do I like doing in my free time?
--What do I need to be able to do that (tools and facilities, for example if your an avid tennis player, you can take your racket easily, but what if there are no courts?)?
--Who, and how many people, do I usually socialize with?
--How would I feel if there were only two or three options when eating out?
--How would I feel if commercial goods were limited (ie do you consider olive oil a basic good, and how would you feel if it were a rare find?)
--What's my health condition, and how would I feel if "modern" care was two hours of hairpin curves away?
--Do I want to be totally immersed in local culture, or do I want to keep a foot in "western" culture (through food, movies, big box chain stores)?

[Guy Courchesne]

A few hours from the state capital (depending on the state) is not bad at all. Travel by bus in Mexico is easy, comfortable, and cheap if you don't have a car, so you can spend weekends in the city to pick up on culture, shopping, sports events, whatever your small town doesn't have.

Acapulco is not small, but it can feel like it sometimes for the simple lack of city services or culture you would get in GDL, DF, or other larger centers. I both liked and disliked the smallness of the place. Hard to be anonymous in a small town.

[lozwich]

I think Melee's questions are very pertinent, and agree with her that you should ask yourself these things.

I've lived in small towns all over the world, and living in a small town in Mexico has a lot in common with living in a small town in, say, Australia or Spain. If you're like me and have problems with the grass always being greener and feel the eternal pull for the "perfect town", you will probably find living in a small town without much variety in food, free time activities and social group a little limited.

That said, I love finding something unexpected in shops in small towns, or adapting what you can buy foodwise into something that resembles what you used to get back home. I live in a capital city now, and I can't get the yoghurt I used to get in my small town in Mexico!

Also, how many friends do you really need? In a town of 30,000 you'll probably find at least 10 people you like, and they will probably be quality relationships that far outweigh the lack of quantity.

Quiet? Small Mexican towns? No way! Your neighbours will be playing music all hours of the day and night, the constant dinging of church bells (in Oaxaca at least), regular fireworks and the varied sounds of street vendors (oh, and MARIMBA - urrrrghhh) will have your ear drums ringing in no time!