Still Going Strong

I am kind of surprised that our blog is still rolling along even though we have been back in the states now for 18 months. Lots of people still email me with questions asking for advice about how to transition, where they should look for housing, rental rates, schools for kids, starting a business.....things of that nature. All are very good questions and we try and take the time to answer them honestly as we receive them.

With that said, some things about Mexico will never change. Some things change rapidly. Some questions I can answer. Some I cannot (changes in visa laws as an example) as some things change quite often in Mexico. For the later I recommend getting on www.yolisto.com. I would advise you to make that forum your second home if you are looking for real time advice on some of the more dynamic things of life (visa requirements, current events, inland travel info, etc.....).

The purpose of our blog was to give a view to our friends and family back in the states of what it was like to live as a family in Mexico. But with that, I don't know everything that is happening south of the Border. Check out the above forum. I have no ties to them and have nothing to gain from the referral. I found it very helpful for me and my family a few years back. Not sure if it has maintained it's quality or not. I am assuming it has unless otherwise informed.

Saludos
J.E.

We are back in the States at this time and very happy you are all enjoying our blog. We love getting emails from you all. We do want to make you aware that someone is emailing companies with advertising proposals for our blog, claiming they own the blog. We just want to be clear that we do not email solicite advertising, if you wish to advertise, please go to the contact page of our site and do not respond to any email solicitation.

Driving Back

I'm am at the hotel, exhausted so I am not sure how this will come out. I just finished Day #2 of the 3 day drive back and this time I am taking the inland route through Queretero. Where to start?

Day one went well. Whether you take the inland or coastal route when driving back and forth to Merida you generall cover the same ground between Merida and Villahermosa. The roads are good in Yucatan. In Campeche the are under heavy construction right now and you shouldn't drive them in the dark at all. My truck was covered in dirt by the time I got to Tabasco. The roads are unpaved at this time in several stretches of HWY 180 in Campeche which makes for slower going.

I also missed the turn to get onto the Cuoto (toll Road) at Champoton because of the construction mess. The distraction was that they had us merging off of a road with oncoming traffic and they didn't have the cones and temporary guardrails up so it caused some distraction and I ended up on the Libre (Free) route. Big mistake. It winds through some coastal mountains which you have to shift down into 2nd gear for (very steep) and it leads you into areas that are confusing. Just take the cuota at all times and make sure you take out a small signature loan for all of your toll expenses before you hit them. I think I have spent close to $100 in tolls and I am not even out of Queretero yet.

Once I got to Villahermosa at around 2:30PM it was rush hour on Friday an the locals were cranky, cranky, cranky. I watched a semi truck back up into the lady in front of me and not even get out to look at the damage. He just took off. Unbelievable.

Stayed at teh Quality Inn behind VIPS like I have recommended before. That was fine. Villahermosa just seeemed different to me on this trip. I noticed the trees along HWY 180 had black trunks from all of the smog. Just not applealing. For dinner I stayed in my room and at crackers and apples. Big spender.

Day 2. I left Villahermosa at 5AM and I noticed my headlights were not working that well. I later got out and noticed that they were covered in dirt from all of the roads in Campeche. The sun came up at 6:30 but the roads were clear for a bit of driving in the dark. Not a problem. I didi miss the turn to Minititlan and ended up on 180 towards Coatzacoatal. Another mistake. Had to backtrack and get back on the main HWY. Then I took the road towards Mexico City, Hwy 150. I have to tell you, for toll roads, Hwy 180 in Tabasco and Hwy 150 heading towards Mexico City are very torn up. They need to do alot of repairs for much of that stretch.

I was pulled over twice, once by the military, once by Federal Police. The Feds tried to tell me that I have to reregister my car with Aduanas each year. I told them and showed them the written law where, as long as my visa is current, the sticker on my windshield is current. The officer told me I was wrong even while I pointed to the sheet that was given me by Aduanas, green highlights and all, to show I was legal. He let me go with a warning.

I also continued to be amazed at how bad the toll roads are. There were a few stretches that were well paved but probably 65% of them were not. At times it was real bad, the quality of the roads. The Arco Norte was another story. It is the Mexican version of the Autobahn. At the entry point they give you a plastic card to hold onto and you give it to the toll attendant at whatever point you exit. I road it the full distance to Hwy 57, Queretero exit. The cost, $275 MXP just for that stretch. HWY 57 north to Queretero is 6 lanes and is an American quality hwy...with tolls of course.

I am staying in the Hampton Inn in Queretero tonight. $1475 MXP. I tried to take up residence at at a park and "whateve" hotel but they told me my truck was too big. Queretero is a very beautiful city, very modern. Not sure where all the wealth comes from but it is nice.

All right friends. I am going to finish up and hit the ATM to make sure I have enought for any more cuotas manana.
Caio
Jay

Planned Pethood

Today we took our adopted labrador Missy to the vet to get her Certificado de Saludo. Planned Pethood is a popular veterenarian used by many expats here in Merida.

In order to bring a dog back into the U.S. you have to have their records up to date. This includes a rabies shot that is administered between the last 30 days and 12 months. What I am saying is that the shots need 30 days to settle into the animal's body and can not be more than 12 months since administered. Make sense? This is per U.S. Customs regulations.

A dog also has to have a Certificado de Salud (Health Certificate) that is not more than 10 days old at the time of your border crossing. That means if I get my CS/HC today, I have to cross the border by February 9th. Does that make sense?

The cost of the treatment: $450 MXP for rabis shot, $75MXP for 30mg Endogard tablet, $200MXP for a Certificate of Health. Total Cost : $725 MXP or $53 USD. Not bad at all.

Tenga Buen Dia
Jay

Last Day of School

Today was our boys last day of school at Calvary Christian Academy. The experience there has been a very good one. This was the hardest part of saying good-bye for us. My wife and I felt like we had attended a funeral of sorts. In many ways our hearts are very much with what is happening in the lives of these teachers and students at this school.

This is Joseph's 6th grade class. Their are two classes in each grade from K through 6th. Each year the school adds a grade. Each grade has two classes of 25 students each. The tuition is only $1,200 MXP per month, approximately $100 USD per month. This class is taking the Spanish block of courses in the morning and the English classes after lunch. The other 6th grade class is below. They are in the English block in the morning and the Spanish block after lunch.

This is Joseph with his two teachers, Teacher Mimi and Teacher Andreas. Andreas teaches the English block to both classes and Mimi takes the Spanish blocks. Both teachers are bilingual. Andreas lived in the U.S. for 22 years and is a dual citizen. Mimi has family in Texas.

All 50 students after a serving of chocolate cake. These kids are really really sweet.

All the ladies need a good-bye hug. Joseph was really really embarrased.



Now it's time for Joel's good-bye party to start at lunchtime. He is in first grade.

Pictured around Joel is Miss Vaness and Teacher Lily. Vanessa was Joel's "shadow". We hired her to help him with his homework and assist him into his transition in the Mexican school system. To the Right is Teacher Lily. She is a wonderful bilingual teacher. She loves Joel and visa versa.

Joel with Miss Vanessa. Saying Good-bye to her was very very hard. The good news is God promoted her to be a 5th grade teacher. "I will bless those who bless you....says the Lord." She was blessed for her faithful service to our family and to the school as a whole.

Teacher Lily.

Joel's Classmates. 5 beautiful Yucateca girls.

Good-bye Calvary Christian Academy. We will love you and always miss you. Maybe again someday if the Lord brings us back.

Saludos

Jay and family

Your Credit Score

Unfortunately that credit score doesn't mean anything here. Someone asked me if their credit standing in the states affects their ability to rent here. Answer: No it doesn't.

Enjoy your new start. Most people that buy a home here pay cash. Those that don't have to get foreign loans and from what I might imagine, the underwriting standards are doubled up and the interest rates are higher.

In summary, your credit in the states can't be pulled from down here from what I understand. You have to understand that the Mexican system is about 20 years behind in some technological areas. This is one of them.

Saludos
Jay

Recommended Realtor and Attorney

Just a quick recommendation. I have mentioned him in previous posts but I just want to personally recommend Fransisco Guiterrez with http://www.yucatanrealestateparadise.com/.

His contact info is:

Francisco Gutierrez Cetina

Founding Partner

Attorney at Law

Certified Attorney of First American Title Insurance Company

francisco@yucatanparadise.com.mx

Cel: (999) 900-36-36

 

He helped me with my rental contract and my residency visas as well. He always did a good job for me so I would recommend him for all the services his company can provide from a real estate standpoint and from an attorney-at-law. Some of you are emailing me and asking me for a recommendation. Here is a very good one. Also, he is bilingual.

 

Saludos

Jay

Taking it Back

They say "facts tell but stories sell." So here goes:

Story #1: Back in 2010 we bought a water dispenser from Costco. It was one of those with hot and cold features for your 5 gallon jugs of drinking water. After about 8 weeks it sprang a leak inside and started gushing water. So I took it back to Costco to get a refund. I explained my situation to the guy behind the counter at the return desk.

He looked the water dispenser over, explained to me that they wouldn't take it back, got on the phone and dialed up a repair service, handed the phone to me and turned around and walked away. I stood there for oooohh....until I got tired of no one answering on the other line. I grabbed my broken water dispenser, walked to my car, called my wife, she got on the internet and looked up regional headquarters phone number....and the fight was on.

She contacted a regional English speaking person in authority with Cotco here in Mexico. She explained our situation and the lady she spoke with was very apologetic and explained that this was an ongoing problem with customer service in Costco in Mexico. She instructed my wife to call me immediately and have me go back into the store right away for a refund. By the time I got back to the service desk the appropriate managers had been contacted. I got an instore credit which was all I wanted in the first place and I went and purchased some groceries.

Now how hard was it to return the water dispenser....at Costco of all places?

Story #2: In August, 2011 I bought two of those freezable plastic ice packs with the funny blue gel inside of them at everyone's favorite store, Wal Mart. My wife wanted to use them as ice packs for her lower back. I bought one at first and it seemed to work well so I went back on another day and bought a second one. The cost for both together was about $90 MXPesos.....$7.50 USD.

After about a week the seams on the ice packs began to break apart and the frozen blue gel on the inside began to come out. Sooooo....I went with receipts in hand to get a refund on both. The lady at the return desk looked at my ice packs, looked at both of my receipts, and proceeded to tell me that because I had bought the ice packs on two seperate days that I could not get a refund at all, on either ice pack. Uuuuugh....What?

When she could see that I was not going to stop staring at her and walk away she called over her supervisor to explain the situation. Her supervisor looked at her like she was crazy and told her to give me a refund. She looked confused and perplexed as to why her original logic was being shot down by her co-worker. I stood there amazed as to why she couldn't understand what was happening.

Story #3: About 6 weeks before the past Christmas I went to Mega at Grand Plaza to buy some toys for Christmas for some of the local kids at our church. Long story short....it ended up not working out that the kids we purchased the toys for (Max Steele Action Figures) were able to receive the toys. So, after 5 weeks I went to get a refund at Mega or at least an instore credit to spend on other things before Christmas.

After having conversations with two different Mega associates and waiting at the return desk for over 30 minutes for a final decision from the Toy department manager, I was told I could not have any sort of refund. They informed me that there return policy is 15 days. Fair enough. But the return policy was not stated on my receipts nor was it stated on any signs hanging in the store that I could see. I was expected to know that on my own without any proactive effort on Mega's part.

So I finally left, feeling more concerned about their willingness to steal 30 minutes of my time on a 30 second issue more than the cost of the $20 USD in toys. We just gave them to the special ed department for our kids school instead. Not a big deal here. Just don't waste my time anymore than necessary.

Are you seeing patterns here?  Before I buy anything in Mexico I ask myself three questions:

1. Do I really, really need this? Or does someone I am buying it for really need this?
2. Do I know what the return policy is in this store I am shopping at and am I willing to stand up to the employees if they give me any pushback?
3. If I can't get a refund, do I have a Plan B? Am I ok with Plan B?

As I have noted in previous posts, I used to manage for both the Olive Garden and Sam's Club. Those are two companies noted for a "no questions asked...how can I make this right" mentality. So much so that it frustrates the managers, especially at the O.G.

You will not find the same mentality here, even with the American companies. When you buy something here it's pretty much yours unless you garage sale it or are willing to go through some of what I described above. Just be aware of what to expect and make sure when you pull the trigger on a purchase you are, most of the time,  "All-in" on it.

Saludos
Jay

Stevia

Many expats here have learned the importance of good nutrition. I always tell people, if the subject comes up, that Stevia sweetener is a better alternative than artificial sweeteners or processed sugar.

Per Wikipedia Stevia is a genus of about 240 species of herbs and shrubs in the sunflower family (Asteraceae), native to subtropical and tropical regions from western North America to South America. The species Stevia rebaudiana, commonly known as sweetleaf, sweet leaf, sugarleaf, or simply stevia, is widely grown for its sweet leaves. As a sweetener and sugar substitute, stevia's taste has a slower onset and longer duration than that of sugar, although some of its extracts may have a bitter or licorice-like aftertaste at high concentrations.
With its steviol glycoside extracts having up to 300 times the sweetness of sugar, stevia has garnered attention with the rise in demand for low-carbohydrate, low-sugar food alternatives. Because stevia has a negligible effect on blood glucose, it is attractive as a natural sweetener to people on carbohydrate-controlled diets.

As for where to get it, Costco sells it for a really good price. 300 packets for about 140 pesos ($10 USD). Health food shops sell it here as well but I think there prices are a little higher. Sam's sells a Stevia substitute, basically mixing it with artificial junk and rendering it's natural properties and benefits inefective.

FYI.

Jay

Smog

A few months ago I noticed that our floor fan had gotten very dirty so I went to take it apart and clean it. While doing so I noticed a black paste was building up on the blades. I had to use Bleach to get it to break apart and come clean. This wasn't your normal build-up of dust. This was a thick pasty black substance.

It was at that point that I realized how dirty the air can be inside the city in certain areas. We live on a street that has it's fair share of traffic, including about 75 to 100 municipal buses each day. One of the things you notice about most of these buses, along with many vehicles here, is how thick and black the exhaust is coming out of the tail pipes. Those emissions combined with the fact that there are so many unpaved roads in developing neighborhoods create some fairly dirty air here at times.

You also have people here that still burn their trash instead of paying for trash pickup. It is quite common for us to open our windows to get fresh air and smell burning trash. So you have smog, dirty roads and burning trash creating this thick soot that gets in the air and then on your window screens, in your air conditioning units, on your floor fans and unfortunately in your lungs.

The people who live at the beach don't experience as much of this but the people in Centro and other highly-trafficked areas can get barraged with poor air-quality.

Also, one more thing. Before you come down here you should have your fans in your laptops cleaned. And you also need to learn how to remove the keyboard and clean out your laptops on your own. We did have a fan in one of our laptops seize up and stop working. We thought it was broken and we couldn't find a laptop repair shop here who could get a replacement fan. I ended up taking the laptop back to the U.S. on a business trip and had a computer repair shop. The repair tech showed me that the fan was not broken but in fact clogged up with dust and other junk. 

Knowing how to do this will save you a few dollars in the future as you live and reside in Merida.

Saludos
Jay

Four Meridas

Did you watch Sesame Street when you were a kid? Do you remember the song, "One of these is not the same."? You were supposed to find which one was not like the others. I can still sing parts of the song and I am in my 40's. Below is an example.


.


I commend you if you could endure all 1:20 of that. The point being that one is not like the other three. Well in Merida, you could demographically divide this city and state into 4 groups of people. And none of them are like the others. All four are different. Here you have:

• Spaniards (Mexicans) - often referred to as whites by the Mayans. They could pass for whites with darker hair. They look and carry themselves like Americans until you hear them open their mouths and speak Yucatecan Spanish. They have sharp Spanish European features. They are often well educated, have children that are sometimes born with blond hair, and they rarely mix with others.
• Mayans - They are deeply Mayan and often are Asian in appearance. I would estimate that they compose at least 70% of the population of the state at this time. They are physically short and stocky people and most of them are blue collar in their occupations. Flip flops, shorts and t-shirts can be their normal attire. Some dress very nicely as they are coming into the 21st century culture. In many of the rural areas around the state they comprise probably 99% of the population in small towns and at times do not even speak Spanish. They speak Mayan or at least Mayan at home and Spanish when expected to in public. In Merida they all speak Spanish.
• Mexicans (from around Mexico). Even if they are rich Spanish heritage they are rarely accepted by Yucatecos (Spaniard whites or Mayans). I can not tell you the number of times I have been told over the past 2 years by Mexicans from other parts of the country that they are not accepted here by the locals. Yet their numbers are increasing dramatically and if the native Meridian population doesn't watch out they will one day be a majority of the people living in Merida. They are coming from every state in this country, escaping to Merida to flee the social instability that is growing around their nation (drug violence and corruption).
• Expats - If you read my previous post on The Number of Expats in Merida you know there are probably only around 5,000 Canadians and Americans that live here year round. You can probably estimate that their are another 10, 15 or 20 thousand people from other Latin American countries that live here. I am guessing on that one but expats are definitely a minority in this city. The expats from Canada and the U.S. are small but somewhat well organized. Yolisto is a good place to check out in case you have not already found it.

Their are very clear cut lines between most of these groups. Mayans rarely align with Spaniards even though they are both Mexicans. Spaniards and Mayans don't accept Mexicans from other parts of the country very often even though all of them are Mexicans. All of these groups, for the most part, are not accepting of expats any more than they have to be.

I am not implying that they hate expats, though some do. They are just not going to go out of their way to connect with you. If they do it can most often mean that they are looking for something...a job, financial help, ....something. They think all Americans are rich. You can tell them you are not but they don't believe it. By their standards you are. Otherwise why would you be here. That is their logic.

I have seen exceptions to what I just said. Some of the people I care about most in this world are Yucatecos living here. My wife and I love a number of people from here. Great people. Some of them are Mexicans from Mexico city or other parts of the country. I have met some incredibly intelligent and warm people of Mayan decent. Some of the expats living here are extremely giving, sacrificial and generous. It is just that, as a general rule, their are clear cut lines among these groups. They are all not the same. All are clearly different and the majority of some of the first two groups are extremely prejudiced towards everyone not of their kind.

It is almost like a Yucateco fraternity of sorts and the people most often on the short end of that stick are the Mexicans from other parts of Mexico, the expats, or those that don't have money. You need to be aware of that when coming here.

Saludos
J.E.

The Final Leg

Well, after an almost 2 year effort and journey it looks as if we are moving back to our home state of TX at the beginning of February. We started mulling over and praying about this at the beginning of October and came to the conclusion this was what we were being led to do.

We are scheduled to head out on February 3rd...My wife and the boys on an airplane and myself in the truck. With that said, I hope to have the time to write some departing posts about different areas of life here in Merida, Yucatan, Mexico.

It has been my observation that much of the feedback that comes from others comes with financial strings attached. My intention is to not be pessimistic or overly optimistic but to simply point out both the beauty and not so beautiful parts of life in this country that many of us expats have called home. Work, play, family, financial.....I will give some in's and out's of what I see as we move along here.

Please watch for more to come in the next two weeks as we finish up our journey here.


God Bless,

Jay and family

Feliz Ano Nuevo!

San Angelo 08

They are busy hoisting these things near the North side of the city.....

San Angelo 08 from San Angelo 08 on Vimeo.

Here is the official Link.

Aesthetically speaking, I am sure there this place will be very beautiful once they finish it. My guess would be another 2 years to complete it out since they have been working on it for six months already and still are not done with the subterranean parking garage. But a few more things I might point out....

• As you can see from the American flag on the bottom of one of the website pages, they may be counting on expats to help sell this thing through.
• Mexicans keep different hours from Canadians and Americans, for the most part. Mexicans are extremely loud, on average, and do not respect their neighbors as readily, i.e. stereos, parties, anything that generates noise. What I am saying is that living in an adult living environment in MX is comensurate with dorm life for college kids at say UCLA or the University of Texas.
• This entire buildings will be made mostly of concrete and steel. Sound will reverberate through this entire structure like a tuning fork, unless they take the time to insulate the walls.
• I believe these will be the tallest buildings in Merida when completed. This will garner much attention, at least at first. 
• The views will be ?????. You are 19 miles from the coast and are overlooking brush covered fields around the Periferico Hwy. But hey, at least you can see Wal Mart from your living room. 
• Not sure how they are pricing them but I would be interested to see if they will be higher than they should be. That is what many real estate ventures in MX and the U.S these days. Las Fincas is an example. LF is now selling double lots for the price of one at that development. It is a sign that the developers overextended themselves. I know. I physically walked the development with Fransisco (my attorney) and saw them charging $350K for base models before upgrades or a pool. Just an example of the cycle these great development ideas run here. And Las Fincas was designed, in part, with the advisory of paid U.S. land developers to draw in American buyers and consumers. Apparently they are struggling with selling through on it now.

My advice, if you are dead set on moving here, is to come down and rent for at least six months to a year while you educate yourself on this real estate market. They don't have an MLS system here like the U.S. so prices in this market are floating all over the place. Come down and buy land and build to your specs and preferences or buy some huge run down structure, gut it and build it up with a great plan. That is what I would do.

JEB

The Number of Expats in Merida

INM in Merida on Avenida Colon

In October, while renewing our visas at INM (Immigration), I asked one of the ladies working there how many expats (Canadians, Americans, Cubans, ......) actually live here in Merida/Progresso. She couldn't tell me exactly but she did say that they handle 50 scheduled or walk-in appointments a day, 5 days a week, 50 weeks a year in the Merida immigration office. That comes out to 12,500 actual appointments a year.

Now, everyone goes in for at least 2 appointments during the application/renewal process on the visas. The first is to turn in your paperwork and application. The second is to actually receive your visa, usually about 2 to 3 weeks later. So that would cut the number of people in half to 6,250 going into the INM office twice a year. Are you with me?

Now there is an immigration (INM) office in Progresso to alleviate the pressure on the Merida office. However, they are very lightly staffed and you have to live in Progresso or neighboring beach towns to use that office. I have been in that office twice, once with my attorney Fransisco, and they usually only have one lady working the front desk. I can't imagine that they get around to handling more than 10 people a day, judging from the workload of 50 appointments a day in Merida. The Merida office always has at least 5 or 6 people processing apps at any one given time. With that said, I am assuming that Progresso processes about 50 appointments a week, 2,500 per year. That would cut in half the number of actual people to 1,250 since everyone processes in-and-out on two appointments set a few weeks apart.

National Flags of Latin American Countries

Most of the expats in Progresso are retirees from Canada or the United States. They probably make up 95% or more of the traffic in that office. But the INM office in Merida is another story. I have been in that office four times now. And of the expats that I have seen in there no more than 25% of them actually look to be Canadians or Americans. Most of the time they look to be, at least to me, Spanish speaking immigrants from Latin American Countries like Cuba, Puerto Rico or Columbia.

So let's say, rounding up, that 30% of the 6,250 applicants processed annually through the Merida office are Canadian and American. That comes out to around 2,000 people. Then you have somewhere around 1,500 people being processed through the Progresso office of which about 95% or more fly the CAD or USA flag.

Then you have to factor in those expats that have already attained Inmigrado status through Immigration and are no longer being processed on an annual basis. My best guess on that number.......Let's say 1,000 of those people in Merida. I have never met an American or Canadian with inmigrado status so I think 1,000 is awfully generous.

That's 2,000 in Merida plus 1,500 in Progresso/Chelem plus maybe another 1,000 seasoned-veteran Inmigrados. I get somewhere in the neighborhood of 4,500 Canadian and U.S. expats in Merida/Progresso/Chelem/Chixclub.......plus or minus 500.

The expat community here is not very large in comparison to the overall population which is well over 1 million. You are talking maybe less than one half of one one percent of the population. I have .4% of the population, an incredibly minuscule fraction of the people.

Even amongst foreign expats, Americans and Canadians are a minority within an extreme minority. And if you are going to be involved with people here on a broad basis then guess what you are going to want to be able to do?  That's right....Speak Spanish. It doesn't mean you won't meet people that speak English. You will. But it is not the majority of people.

Just an insider's view not based on a financial agenda.

JEB

Set It On The Curb

Since I have now seen this happen twice I will write about it. About two months ago I set out a partial roll of unused chicken wire fencing to be picked up by the sanitation department. I had used the wire fencing material in the design of our large bird cage (Click Here).

Within two hours the stuff was gone. Someone had picked it up off the curb to use it in spite of the fact that the metal was half-way rusted through. Yet someone was still willing to take it. 


This morning I set out a large bag of dog food that we had bought from Sam's Club. We had tried some new dog food with our beloved Missy but she didnt' take to it to well. So, I thought I would just set it out  on the curb and see if anyone would take it. Sure enough, the bag of already opened dog food was gone within about 30 minutes.

We know a Canadian couple that owns a bed and breakfast in Centro. When remodeling some time ago they had some old sheet metal from the property that they set on the curb for trash pickup. The neighbors came out by the droves to carry it all off and use it for themselves.

Imagine watching an ant colony kill and dissect a dead insect and then carry it off for consumption. That is about what I am talking about.

JEB 

Exchange Rate - November 2011

Saw this article on Yahoo today. It is in Spanish so if you have an automatic translator it will convert it over for you. Basically the exchange rate is continuing to move to new short term highs in favor of the U.S. Dollar. This is of great importance to expats living abroad, specifically here in Mexico.

How would you like to experience a 25% decrease in the cost of living over a six month period? Expats in Mexico have since May. The Peso/Dollar exchange rate has gone to $14.30 MXP to $1.00 USD today. Economists are expecting this trend to continue through Christmas with a move to 15/1 sometime before the end of the year.

FYI. Enjoy it while you can. I really think this has more to do with keeping Mexican manufacturing productive since 85% of all goods manufactured in MX are sent to the U.S.A. Those American imports are thus paid for in U.S. Dollars, keeping demand for dollars high, amongst other reasons.

Recuarda, "Hecho en Mexico."

Saludos
Jay

A Good Insurance Agent

I have posted in the past on car insurance for Mexico (Click Here). Let me make one modification to my recommendation. Use a local agent that will get you the same policy who is also available 24/7 and is accountable, accessible and understands your needs. I am not saying MexAdventure won't fulfill their responsiblities. I am just saying it is better to work through Locals if you can. This is one of the things I am learning.

I have a policy with HDI through MexAdventure but I don't have a local sale rep through whom I originated the policy. If I had it to do over again I would go the route of the local rep who hooks you up with the insurance agency. That way you have a local contact who will do everything in their power to take care of your needs.

This is the local agent I recommend, Julieta Morales Vera. This is her website. She gives excellent customer service, she is bilingual and she has a good reputation among the expats I have talked to. If/When I renew my policy I will start it over and use her. You need a good local rep on the ground who knows the city. For that I recommend Julieta. Here is her email and contact info:

US.phone: (786) 342-0569
Email: julieta.morales@segurosmerida.com
Telcel: 9991 63 35 61

Iusacel: 9999 49 31 32

Seguros Mérida - Oficina 

Calle 72A No. 489 x 17 Col. Garcia Gineres

C.P. 97070 Mérida, Yucatán, México

Email: contacto@segurosmerida.com

Oficina: (999) 285 72 82

I would highly recommend that you pay a few dollars more for full coverage. Contact her and she can explain the details. This is one of the areas that you definitely want to get right when living abroad.

Saludos
JEB
jayblackshear@yahoo.com

Schooling for the Kids and Learning Spanish

My advice to you if you are moving here with school-aged children:

Don't wait until you get here before you start immersing them in a good language program. Do that now. Why? If/when you move here you are going to want to put your kids in school at some point, even if you homeschool the first year after you arrive. Our kids are now enrolled in a private school and are doing well socially. But one of our sons is going through a bigger adjustment academically than we thought would happen.

Por ejemplo (for example): He is doing the same level of math this year in his Spanish curriculum that he did in last years English home-school curriculum with a few things added in. But he is adjusting to some aspects of the this years course study more slowly because they are speaking on a more advanced level with regards to Spanish verbs in the command form. Now his teachers are telling me that his Spanish is improving. But when we are studying and doing his homework in History, Geography, Ethics and Civic Studies....whatever, it is taking longer for us to decipher the written text in those classes because much of the vocabulary and verb conjugation is new to both he and I. Mexican History, as an example is obviously going to be spoken almost exclusively in the past tense. That means the verbs fluctuate between preterite and co-pretertie with regards to all all five verb tenses of me, you, him/her, them and us.

Confused yet?

And both he and I have finished the first three and one-half levels of Spansh studies from http://www.learnables.com/. Even if your kids have taken some of these courses, which I strongly advise that you do in advance of moving here, there is still an adjustment period for them in the language and in their course study. Some nights I spend two hours translating text with my son just to get him to a point where he can read and decipher the content of his course studies. In doing so we utilize Google Translate quite extensively along with a good Spanish dictionary.

And on top of that, if your child's teachers are not understanding of the adjustments they are going through and they grade them like they should be fluent, well, let's just say not every teacher in the world understands the word "curve". Some here do and some don't. I have already had at least three sit downs with my son's teachers. We love them and are grateful for the opportunities God has given our children and they are learning and growing. Not everything comes easy with that and you just have to understand that this will involve you with their homework, preparation for upcoming tests and general levels of encouragement more than maybe if they were going to schools where everyone speaks your native tongue.

Get a good language program like The Learnables before you come down. Learn as much Spanish as you can before you arrive. You will be glad you did and so will your children. If you have questions email me. We are glad to help and give feedback.

Saludos

JEB
jayblackshear@yahoo.com.

P.S. Just because a school in Merida says they are bilingual doesn't mean they are really bilingual. The bulk of the course studies will be in Spanish more than likely. If the teacher teaching those courses speaks very little English and they are not understanding of your situation, you will be wishing your kids spoke more Spanish. Study Spanish now.

YES

We just got our visas renewed about two weeks ago. Overall it was about a three week process. While we are grateful that everything went smoothly and the process is over, I am not going to write in detail about it because Visa laws in Mexico have changed. The new laws are to go into effect as of January 1, 2012 from what I have been told. Because of this, much of what I might write on may not be applicable in the next 60 days or so.

I do want to point out that we did receive help from Yucatan Expatriate Services (YES). They offer a wide variety of immigration, legal and property management services for expats. Adriana and Betty are bilingual and do answer emails promptly which I appreciated. I even caught Betty about to leave for the day when we dropped in at the office. She offered to stay and help us out with an issue even though we offered to come back later. This was very curteous and helpful on her part and very much appreciated by my wife and I.

They helped me to get my required cover letters typed and filled out properly for my renewals. I had already done my forms on line which they do offer to do for you. Their visa renewal assistance fee is only $250 MXP per person if you retain them to handle all issues for you. That comes out to less than $20 per person. Good deal if you ask me.

If you need anything they are a good resource in not only my opinion but other expats as well.

Saludos
JEB