Job Discussion Forums

TheLongWayHome · Joined: 07 Jun 2006 Posts: 1016 Location: San Luis Piojosi

For you, what are the most difficult things to find in Mexico?

For me:

1. Books
2. Intelligent conversation
3. Good t-bags

I think there's a link between 1 and 2.

Endie · Joined: 15 Nov 2005 Posts: 20 Location: Toronto/Monterrey

1. Definitely good books (in English)
2. Goldbond powder ( i can't for the life of me find one place that sells it)
3. Laundry anti-static sheets (are in some stores while unheard of in others)

M@tt · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Posts: 473 Location: here and there

affordable gym (that i would actually want to use)
affordable housing (that i would actually want to live in)
good skate spots

MixtecaMike · Joined: 19 Nov 2003 Posts: 643 Location: Guatebad

Money

delacosta · Joined: 14 Apr 2004 Posts: 325 Location: zipolte beach

Good peanut butter.
And tofu. I miss tofu.

sickbag · Joined: 10 Jan 2005 Posts: 155 Location: Blighty

Peace and quiet.
Rubbish (garbage) free zones.

lozwich · Joined: 25 May 2003 Posts: 1536

I'm with delacosta on the tofu front. You can get really nasty silken tofu in DF, but the chemical taste is a killer. Wonder if you could get soy beans and make it yourself?

I've just run out of vegemite, and without a visit home until Christmas, I'm not sure how I'm going to survive. Shocked

MELEE · Posted: Mon Jul 03, 2006 3:42 pm Post subject:

Actually the list just keeps getting shorter and shorter...
More stuff is available, and I've learned to live, quiet happily without the rest.

As for books learn to read in Spanish! Or just make the right friends... (those with enormous private libraries)

In 2003 I discovered that I could get a lot of the stuff I've been importing at ANIMAL FEED STORES. Molases?, just pop down to the animal feed store. Wheat berries? animal feed store. Soy beans? animal feed store. Brown rice? animal feed store!

It used to be hard to find other kinds of cooking oil, Olive was hard, forget about anything else. Now you can get Seasame and Grape Seed oil as well as several kinds of olive oil.

mmmm, certain fruits and veggies that aren't suitable for this climate, like ground cherries(!), asperagus, and lilacs (okay that's neither or fruit nor a veg) among others.

There are only two things that I still have brought to me in bulk and that's rapid rise yeast for my bread machine and pure organic essential oils for my aromatherapy experiments.

corporatehuman · Joined: 09 Jan 2006 Posts: 198 Location: Mexico City

You really love that bread machine. My Uncle has one too and he mentions it in conversation like its a member of the family. And he's always really proud of his bread and he tells us everything inside.

I've only been in Mexico for 3 weeks but I cannot find Tom's o Maine deodorant original. I'm real paranoid about anti-perspirant because a few years ago my mom told me that anti-perspirant deods lead to alzheimers. I've downgraded to a Chiapian speed stick that I think is clean, but I can't read the ingredients to know what they are.

- Chris

MELEE · Posted: Mon Jul 03, 2006 5:05 pm Post subject:

I do love my bread machine! Way better invention than sliced bread! Cool

I think that whole deoderant-alzheimers link has been debuncked, but if you want to be safe you can use a "clear" deoderant it's the white ones that have alumninum which is the suspected culprit. There is a Body Shop in Mexico City where you can probably find some other natural stuff.

lozwich · Joined: 25 May 2003 Posts: 1536

In some health food shops you can also get a lump of what looks like quartz rock that is an aluminium free deodorant.

Cdaniels

For Deoderant try Gel Sanitizer- also in Mexico called alcohol desnaturalizado sanitizante. I got "Wetts" Rubbing Gel at Sanborns.
Dr Weil recommends splashing rubbing alcohol as a deoderant, but the newer alcohol gels are less messy. Generally its the bacteria in your armpits that cause odor, not the sweat itself.

Ben Round de Bloc · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Posts: 1946

sarliz · Joined: 22 Feb 2006 Posts: 198 Location: Jalisco

A little off-topic, but has anyone seen Tom's of Maine Toothpaste in Mexico? I started using it a few years ago and wrecked myself for anything else. I'll be in Guadalajara, too, in September.

MELEE · Posted: Tue Jul 04, 2006 5:14 pm Post subject:

If you want Tom's of Maine anything, bring you're own supply. Most the toothpaste, and other toiletries in Mexico are made in Mexico especially for the Latin American Market. Colgate-Palmalive is king of the market.

I always tell our new teachers, if you have to use a specific brand because of allergies or if you want to use green products, bring a supply from home.