We Could Talk About The Weather

[VE7DCW]

Damn!! ........she got cold last night...... -10 C when I checked this morning...... I found out up Island it got to -17C .....looks like another cold one tonight.Nice thing though, when these Arctic highs set up over the interior of the province it clears out all moisture and gives us brilliant blue sunny skies.....a rarity for us in November!

We'll be lucky if we make it above the freezing mark today

[K7SGJ]

I live in Guadalajara, which is the second largest Mexican city, with a population of around 4.5 million people. For the ordinary citizen, I suspect that the crime level is comparable to a large city in the US. Much of the worst violence happens between opposing organized criminal groups. Also, some areas of the country are well-known to be more dangerous than others. The nightly US news probably leads many of its viewers into believing that the whole country is a hot bed of violence.

English is the most popular foreign language for school students and is commonly encountered with well-educated professionals, people working in the tourism/hospitality sectors and even some lesser-educated people who have resided in the US (possibly illegally) for extended periods of time. Still, the majority of the population only speaks Spanish. So, with a few exceptions, living in most Mexican locations would be difficult without at least a basic conversational level knowledge of the language.

The good thing is that Spanish isn't too difficult to learn. Unlike English, which has lots of pronunciation rules and has each vowel making several different sounds, Spanish pronunciation is more uniform. Spanish words are generally pronounced just like they are spelled. With a little Spanish school and cultural immersion, one would quickly obtain a basic proficiency in the language.

Aside from the towns bordering the US, there are some parts of the country where English is also frequently encountered. These are in the international tourist destinations along the coasts and in a handful of communities that are popular with foreign retirees.

In the international tourist destinations, the best jobs (wages/tips) go to those workers who speak English -- hence the motivation to learn the language. I have a few American/Canadian/British friends who live in Puerto Vallarta, along Mexico's Pacific coast. Some of them get by fine with very little Spanish, but living in an important coastal tourist location can be more expensive than other places.

About a forty-minute drive from Guadalajara, along the shores of Lake Chapala, is a town called Ajijic. Many retired American and Canadian expats reside there and take advantage of the area's very mild climate and lower cost of living to stretch their pension/Social Security dollars. There are expat communities in other parts of Mexico, as well. San Miguel de Allende and Cuernavaca are two popular destinations.

If anybody is seriously considering a such big change in lifestyle, whether it be a move to Mexico, or to any other country; the best advice I can give is to rent a furnished home there for six months before deciding to buy a house and deciding to move (or sell) all of your possessions. There is a difference between visiting a nice place (possibly during a short vacation) and actually trying to live there for an extended period of time. Some relish the change, while others just get homesick.

Matt

I'm curious what you do in XE land. Who do/did you work for and what is/was your area of expertise? Inquiring rats want to know.

[WX7P]

22 F and overcast.

Cats are pissed because it's too cold for them to go out.

Central Valley Wimps.

[n2ize]

Damn!! ........she got cold last night...... -10 C when I checked this morning...... I found out up Island it got to -17C .....looks like another cold one tonight.Nice thing though, when these Arctic highs set up over the interior of the province it clears out all moisture and gives us brilliant blue sunny skies.....a rarity for us in November!

We'll be lucky if we make it above the freezing mark today

Today will be 58 deg. Tomorrow only 37 but the day after back in the 50's followed by 30's and 40's the next few days with a possibility of some rain then snow then rain and then maybe a bit of frozen mix and then rain. Gotta love NYC weather. You never know what it's gonna throw your way. :) Could be 10 deg F and a blizzard today and 70 deg and like spring tomorrow,

[PA5COR]

Temps just went -1C here, daytime + 0.6 C cold easterly wind... first frost of this winter.

[N8GAV]

Got up to 62 here yesterday, today rain, sleet and snow mix high was 43 now down to 34. Thursday back into the 50's

[KG4CGC]

How are my Cali peeps holding up?

[NQ6U]

Albert "One-Hit Wonder" Hammond is a Brit who grew up in Gibraltar. What the fuck does he know about the climate of Southern California?

[KG4CGC]

Albert "One-Hit Wonder" Hammond is a Brit who grew up in Gibraltar. What the fuck does he know about the climate of Southern California?

That wasn't the question.

[NQ6U]

That wasn't the question.

Maybe not your question...

Only got about 0.1" here so far. I was hoping for more.