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SULLIVAN08
Joined: 06 Jul 2008
Posts: 10
Location: UK
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 Posted: Tue Aug 05, 2008 7:01 pm Post subject: TOP 20 TIPS FOR MEXICO |
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I am going to GUADALAJARA and Mexico City can in around 4 weeks time can you give me 20 Top tips please it would be greatly appreciated.  |
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ls650
Joined: 10 May 2003
Posts: 3484
Location: British Columbia
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| Posted: Tue Aug 05, 2008 7:05 pm Post subject: |
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No offence, but isn't that a bit much to ask for? If you're looking for twenty tips on Mexican travel/life, that sort of thing already exists on various travel sites.
If you have specific questions about specific topics, folks here will be glad to help, but if you're looking for 20 tips regarding teaching in general in Mexico, that's a rather wide-open and vague request. |
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Guy Courchesne
Joined: 10 Mar 2003
Posts: 9650
Location: Mexico City
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| Posted: Tue Aug 05, 2008 9:39 pm Post subject: |
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Yeah, a little more specific would be better. Nevertheless..
Tip 1. Forget everything you think you already know about Mexico. Start with a clean slate and enjoy it. |
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john_n_carolina
Joined: 26 Feb 2006
Posts: 700
Location: n. carolina
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| Posted: Wed Aug 06, 2008 2:47 am Post subject: |
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....learn how to keep yourself healthy. if i were to go tomorrow, i'd buy the Robert/Curtis Page paperback, MedToGo: Mexico Health and Safety Travel Guide, 2nd Edition 2007
here's the link from mexconnect.com
http://www.mexconnect.com/mex_/travel/jtipton/jtipton0907.html
...although, the book is 80% a directory....there are many other books on learning about healthy eating/living/well-being in foreign countries. along with immunizations... |
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El Gallo
Joined: 05 Feb 2007
Posts: 318
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| Posted: Wed Aug 06, 2008 12:59 pm Post subject: |
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relax and be patient.
Mexico will drive a Type A, impatient Anglo loco muy pronto. |
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FuzzX
Joined: 14 Oct 2004
Posts: 122
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| Posted: Wed Aug 06, 2008 8:12 pm Post subject: |
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2. Don't Drink the water
3. Don't brush your teeth with the water
4. Ask at the pharmacia for CHORO Medicina
5. Don't drink too much at higher altitudes
6. Don't drink Gatorade after alcohol poisoning
7. Bananas, Rice, Toast and Apple Sauce are the only safe foods for bouts of Choro
8. Don't leave food out and do get rid of smashed cockroaches right away
9. Don't throw your toilet paper into the toilet
10. Don't knock on doors in any special way (there is a certain tune that means dirty M*therf*cker... F*ck you in Spanish)
11. Don't dress like a Naco and try to teach Fresas also the rule applies Vice Versa. |
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deeb
Joined: 27 Jan 2008
Posts: 36
Location: Guadalajara
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| Posted: Wed Aug 06, 2008 8:30 pm Post subject: |
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| Quote: |
3. Don't brush your teeth with the water |
Actually, that's not necessary. Unless you are particularly sensitive and already know you will be more cautious than the average foreigner, you can brush your teeth with the water. |
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MO39
Joined: 28 Jan 2004
Posts: 1970
Location: El ombligo de la Rep�blica Mexicana
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| Posted: Wed Aug 06, 2008 10:43 pm Post subject: |
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| deeb wrote: |
| Quote: |
3. Don't brush your teeth with the water |
Actually, that's not necessary. Unless you are particularly sensitive and already know you will be more cautious than the average foreigner, you can brush your teeth with the water. |
I agree with deeb. I've been brushing my teeth with tap water for many, many years in Mexico and haven't gotten sick yet! |
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TheLongWayHome
Joined: 07 Jun 2006
Posts: 1016
Location: San Luis Piojosi
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| Posted: Thu Aug 07, 2008 2:01 pm Post subject: |
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Don't ever get yourself in the situation where you need to do something quickly - if you are in a hurry, Mexico is the most disorganised, dysfunctional place on earth.
Don't do the gringo dance down at migracion.
Don't get sick, medication and doctors are too expensive.
Don't wait to be served ANYWHERE and don't queue, it's futility.
Don't let people take the p�ss because they will.
Ignore most of the tips in this thread and take Guy's advice and come here with an open mind and a positive attitude. |
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MO39
Joined: 28 Jan 2004
Posts: 1970
Location: El ombligo de la Rep�blica Mexicana
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| Posted: Thu Aug 07, 2008 2:18 pm Post subject: |
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| TheLongWayHome wrote: |
Don't do the gringo dance down at migracion.
Don't get sick, medication and doctors are too expensive.
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Also, don't do the gringo dance at the bank (a reminder to myself for my trip to Santander today to continue my search for a debit card!)
Apart from not getting sick  , I disagree with TLWH's medical advice. At least compared to the US, doctor's visits here are very reasonable (maybe 150 pesos compared to $100 US or more), and while medication is not as inexpensive as it was some years ago, it's still a lot less than it would be in the US, and you don't need a written prescription for most things. |
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Milenka
Joined: 30 Jun 2008
Posts: 113
Location: Mexico City
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| Posted: Thu Aug 07, 2008 2:35 pm Post subject: |
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| TheLongWayHome wrote: |
Ignore most of the tips in this thread and take Guy's advice and come here with an open mind and a positive attitude. |
The best piece of advice without a doubt for anyone interested in moving to a different country (or even city, for that matter). If I may add something: Mexicans won't take offense at any of these preconceptions (or bad experiences turned into generalizations), they'll just laugh if you bring them up... soooo commonplace stuff!
Take it from a Mexican woman who has never seen a cockroach in any of the homes she's lived in in Mexico... and who has brushed her teeth with tap water for... well, always.
Milenka |
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notamiss
Joined: 20 Jun 2007
Posts: 908
Location: El 5o pino del la CDMX
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| Posted: Thu Aug 07, 2008 2:37 pm Post subject: |
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Seconding what MO said about getting sick.
Minor medical matters are extremely affordable.
Throat infection: $150 for doctor's visit, $80 for medication. Total less than 300 pesos.
Removal of some moles and cysts by a top dematologist cost me only $1800/spot.
Re Fussx's #10, don't knock on the door in that certain rhythm, that's "shave and a haircut, two bits" and yes, don't do it, it does mean what Fussx said. Also never say "est�pido". Don't even say "stupid" in English when talking to a Mexican no matter how good their English is. It does mean "stupid" but it is 10 or 100 times stronger, more like "f*cking stupid" or worse. "Tonto" means what we think of as "stupid;" you can say that instead. |
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MO39
Joined: 28 Jan 2004
Posts: 1970
Location: El ombligo de la Rep�blica Mexicana
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| Posted: Thu Aug 07, 2008 2:45 pm Post subject: |
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| Milenka wrote: |
Take it from a Mexican woman who has never seen a cockroach in any of the homes she's lived in in Mexico... and who has brushed her teeth with tap water for... well, always.
Milenka |
Re Milenka's cucaracha comment - I wish I could say the same, but I have lots of them in my apartment, and nothing I spray or say (like curses I won't repeat here) gets rid of them!
By the way, Milenka, I like your icon! |
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corporatehuman
Joined: 09 Jan 2006
Posts: 198
Location: Mexico City
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| Posted: Thu Aug 07, 2008 3:13 pm Post subject: |
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| Can someone tell me what the gringo dance is? I want to know if I'm doing it or not. |
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MO39
Joined: 28 Jan 2004
Posts: 1970
Location: El ombligo de la Rep�blica Mexicana
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| Posted: Thu Aug 07, 2008 3:20 pm Post subject: |
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| corporatehuman wrote: |
| Can someone tell me what the gringo dance is? I want to know if I'm doing it or not. |
Here's my version: when something frustrating happens at a bank or government office, for instance, your face turns red, and you feel anger rising in you like an overdose of chile! Then you stand up and start hollering at whomev is the cause of your distress. In extreme cases, you begin to do a version of the "jarabe tapat�o", kind of like you were stamping out cucarachas in your kitchen. |
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