HugsFromMexico.com

Real Estate in Mexico

One of the most frustrating things in Mexico is the real estate market.    Fortunately for me, I’m about finishing the building of my own house, but I’ve been renting during 10 years before…

First of all, a lot of the houses are between ugly and very ugly.  An architect is not a legal requirement to build a house, and to save money, the brick layer takes over the job of an architect.  The result is some really ugly constructions.  Secondly, Mexican do not have the culture of maintaining their stuff.  As a result, houses which are between 10 and 15 years old, seem much older.    Now, I’m not telling you there are no nice buildings/houses in Mexico.  Actually, Mexico has some world-famous architects, being Ricardo Legorreta one of them.  You can visit his site at http://www.legorretalegorreta.com

Renting a NICE house costs tons of money: for USD 2,000-3,000 you find a more or less acceptable middle class house or apartment in Mexico City.  But if you want go to upscale market, monthly rents of US 10,000 are not an exception.   For residents of New York, London ort Tokyo this might be cheap, but for Mexican standards, these are fortunes.  Other problem of renting a house is the relationship with the houselord: contracts are on a annual base, and a lot of house lords don’t take care about maintaining their property in a good shape. 

Buying a house is difficult too: a house of good quality is expensive, and with an interest rate between 9% and 16% for a mortgage, you end up paying after 20 years 3 times more for your house.  Even if we take into account the inflation, you will have paid 220% of the initial value of your house!

And my question is: will your property really have increased 220% in value after 20 years?  I doubt it: the quality of the houses in Mexico is poor and the maintenance Mexicans give to their houses and neighborhoods is poor too.  So you when finished paying your mortgage, you will have to pay again to restore your property…

So what is the alternative?  Build your own house with savings!  That’s why you see a lot of unfinished houses in Mexico.  Mexicans safe money, and when they have some money, they build a part the house.  One of my staff members started building her house 10 years ago.  And she believes she will need 5 more years to finish it!

Saludos,

Peter.  Study Spanish in Mexico at Anders Languages México: http://www.andersmexico.com !

Public schools

Yesterday, the government agreed a 8% salary increase for all the teachers of the public school system.  That’s more or less a real increase (after inflation) of 4%.  Although the wages of teachers are low, there are certainly not working very hard…  Besides their official holidays, they also “take” additional holidays:  for example, today it was “Teachers day”, a good reason according the teachers to take a day off.  But in order to have a nice long weekend, they also took vacations yesterday!   And we could also add all the days teachers go on strike (with pay): last year in Oaxaca they’ve been on strike more or less 6 months!  As you see, productivity is not a concern of the teachers here…

I really wonder WHAT teachers are doing in Mexico.  Mexican students rank far below average in comparison with students of other parts of the world.  Does that mean that Mexican kids are stupid?  Of course not, but if the teachers are worthless…

When will Mexico understand that education is the ONLY WAY out of poverty?  With this increase of wages without asking quality in return, the Mexican government once again delays the country’s progress…

Interesting detail:  The sub-secretary of education Mr. Fernando González Sánchez is the son in law of Mrs. Elba Esther Gordillo.  And that woman is the president of the Union who “negociated” the increase in wages!  Give me a break!

This said, I not telling you that all the teachers are bad…

Saludos,

Peter.  Study Spanish in Mexico at Anders Languages México: http://www.andersmexico.com !

The brain drain in Mexico

Mexico produces some outstanding intellectuals, scientists, artists,…  Problem is that that the mayority of these people leave Mexico attracted by foreign universities and investigation institutes which offer better salries and a lot of resources for investigation.

Some countries, such as Canada, openly promotes Canada as a better place for Mexican “brains”!

A recent example is Mr. Raúl Rojas, Mexican, working at Berlin’s university.  He created the "Spirit of Berlin", the first car which drives in normal traffic without a driver.  Another proof of Mexican creativity which is successful abroad.  By the way, did you know that the color TV was invented by Mexican?

Of course, I do not blame the Mexican brains who are seeking professional success abroad: in Mexico, the only things they receive are low salaries (average USD 20,000 year) and universities with no or limited resources enough for investigation… 

Saludos,

Peter.  Study Spanish in Mexico at Anders Languages México: http://www.andersmexico.com !

The lost war agains drugs traffic

Since the beginning of the year, 1007 people have been killed in crimes related to drugs traffic.  This has, without any doubt, to do with the Mexican government’s “war against drugs trafficking”.

However, the amount of people and money involved in drugs, the corruption in the police departments and the fact the biggest market for drugs is the USA, makes me believe that the government will loose that war…

When will the politicians open the discussion to legalize the use of drugs?  In my point of view, a society can only win with legalization of drugs:  governments can charge taxes on it, they can control the use of drugs and crime related to drugs will disappear…

The argument that drugs is addictive and kills people makes no sense.  Smoking, drinking, driving, overweight… also kills.  Governments shouldn’t ban drugs: they should control the use of it, and campaign against the use of it in the same way they campaign against smoking or excessive alcohol consumption.   By the way, are tobacco and alcohol not addictive and bad for public health?

Saludos,

Peter.  Study Spanish in Mexico at Anders Languages México: http://www.andersmexico.com !

Spencer Tunick visits Mexico

Mexicans are supposed to be shy.   No nude beaches in Mexico, restrictions regarding nudity on TV,…

But when Spencer Tunick visits Mexico, more than 18,000 volunteers pose nude in Mexico City’s main Zocalo square!  His previous record was 7,000 people in Barcelona!

This fact surprised me and probably, the whole of Mexico.   The pictures where taken in Mexico City, which is known for being less conservative than the rest of Mexico, but anyway, nobody expected so many people…

Spencer Tunick arrival was at least polemic.  A lot of people where angry that a foreigner was coming to make “porn” in Mexico.  That’s typical Mexican: if something is bad, it comes from abroad!  But the most amusing comments where the ones of the archbishop of Mexico City, Noberto Rivera (the pics where taken in front of ‘his’ cathedral).  When asking Noberto Rivera his opinion after the event, he answered laconic: “I didn’t had time to see it, but nothing happened: the cathedral didn’t fall apart”.  Poor archbishop: he’s having a hard time…  First they legalized homosexual marriages in his city.  A few weeks later, abortion is legalized and only 2 weeks later, 18,000 people pose nude in front of his cathedral…  During the take of the pictures, participants where yelling “Noberto Rivera, tu pueblo se te encuera”  which can be translated into “Noberto Rivera, your people is stripping off they clothes”.  Of course, this was a funny reaction to Mr. Rivera comments, but it also reflects that the moral standards in Mexico are changing little by little.  And I think it is in the interest of the Roman Catholic Church to adapt themselves to these new standards.   Taking into account this, the Pope recent comments in Brazil that he would excommunicate Mexican politicians who support abortion is not helping maintaining Mexicans under the roman catholic umbrella.

Anyway, back to Tunick.  The organization of the event was typical Mexican.  Very professional in it’s preparation, but a big mess in it’s execution.    The event was planned to start at 6 am and people where asked to arrive 2 hours before.  How did the organizers expect to let in more than 72 people per minute trough one gate???  As a result, a lot of people couldn’t enter the Zocalo which of course caused a lot of anger.  But some of these “denied nude models” found a solution: they prompt striped their clothes off in front of the police causing a lot of attention of the press.  Mexicans shy?  But the lack of control on the gates, also has less positive consequences: cameras, drunk people, voyeurists also got in, precisely what the organizers didn’t want to happen...

Regardless if nude pictures of thousands of people is moral or not, for me, the most important issue to remember about this event is that Mexico is changing…

Pics about the event can be found here: http://ourdudeinmexico.typepad.com/photos/tunick_in_mexico

Saludos,

Peter.  Study Spanish in Mexico at Anders Languages México: http://www.andersmexico.com !

A blog about Mexico

It’s now 10 years I’m living in Mexico.  My business is here, my wife is Mexican and my son, well eh…, is also Mexican… 

I know some foreigners in Mexico who are completely “Mexicanized”.  That’s the case of George, an American who is a clone of Uncle Sam, but besides that, George is more Mexican than an enchilada…  Although George is a US citizen, he once requested a US visa with his Mexican passport… Of course, a visa to the US has been denied to him as he is a US citizen but anyway… 

Of course, that’s an extreme example, but I do know several other foreigners who have no or only a few links left with their home country.  But you also have foreigners –as me- who live here, who are 100% adapted, who probably will never return to their home countries, but do maintain strong links with their home countries.

Mexico is a quit amazing country.  A standard question Mexicans ask me when they know I’m a foreigner is “What is your opinion about our country?  Do you like it?”  And my answer is very standard and diplomatic: “As whatever country, Mexico has its pros and contras…”    Who can not like a country where the sun shines 300 days a year, where the nicest beaches of the world are only a few hours drive away, where the people makes you feel home, where people do not worry to much, where your Euros or Dollars buys double as much  as back home?  Everybody can.  At least I can :-)  But unfortunately, there is also a darker side on Mexico such as security issues, ignorance in large parts of the society (with all the consequences of it) and inefficiency both in government and private owned enterprise. 

With this blog I want share my thoughts about Mexico, maintain you up dated about what’s happening here and share with you some parts of my life in Mexico.  But I also hope that Mexicans read this blog, as I hope this blog becomes an interesting but funny source of information about Mexico seen from another angle.

Saludos,

Peter.  Study Spanish in Mexico at Anders Languages México: http://www.andersmexico.com !