We Could Talk About The Weather

[NQ6U]

Meanwhile, while Da Pope, El Ratón, Black Widder, Adam and I watch all the sunshine....we don't have to shovel jack shit!!!

Don't forget WB5YDK. They don't get a lot of snow down there in Guadalajara.

[XE1/N5AL]

Don't forget WB5YDK. They don't get a lot of snow down there in Guadalajara.

It last snowed here almost seventeen years ago, in Dec. 1997. The trees and cars were dusted with snow. Many streets are lined with trees, and the cold/snow caused their uppermost leaves to turn brown. It was the first snow in 116 years.

It's supposed to reach 78F/26C today, so throw away those Green Cards and move on down! :)

Matt

[N2NH]

It last snowed here almost seventeen years ago, in Dec. 1997. The trees and cars were dusted with snow. Many streets are lined with trees, and the cold/snow caused their uppermost leaves to turn brown. It was the first snow in 116 years.

It's supposed to reach 78F/26C today, so throw away those Green Cards and move on down! :)

Matt

I can't tell you how tempting that sounds after my enemy ice has decked me so many times. What's the crime like and how much Spanish do you need to know?

EDIT 1108AM EST: This is what it looks like half an hour ago. Just started. Got about 3-4" on the bannister outside right now.

P_20141126_100158_HDR_1.jpg

[XE1/N5AL]

I can't tell you how tempting that sounds after my enemy ice has decked me so many times. What's the crime like and how much Spanish do you need to know?

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

[N2NH]

I live in Guadalajara, which is the second largest Mexican city, with a population of around 4.5 million people. For the ordinary citizen...

Thank you Matt. I am seriously considering a change of scenery and looking into all the options. Nothing in the near future, but the way things are going, you can never tell. Being on disability, I'd have to live within a few hours of the US for now so that if necessary, I can be at a doctors office that they approve of. Otherwise, vaya con Dios.

I've had 3 years of High School Spanish (as well as some Latin and French). I have an excellent accent when I speak Spanish and have fooled spanish speakers who think I can speak it. My limitation is vocabulary right now. Presently I'm getting interested in Hebrew. But the romance languages have a lot in common, even French and Portugese, so if you can learn to hear CW, most languages shouldn't be a problem. Now to get off my lazy butt and do some real studying. ;)

[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.