There is an entire range of shopping experiences. You can get the same item in one place for $200 pesos and in another place for $20 pesos. BUT, the big BUT is you have to know where to go, when and how to buy. That takes training.
First there are the malls. If you are reading this blog then I am 100% sure you are familiar with the mall experience. It is the same here. There are department stores:
Liverpool - upper end choices, quality and prices
Suburbia - lower end but good quality
Sears - expensive for Mexico
Ok maybe there are others, but really, I don't go out of my way to look for them. In Mexico I have come to love WALMART. A place I stuck my nose up in the air to back home. Here it is like comfort food. It's like eating Kraft dinner. Walmart doesn't change that much country to country. What they do have here is great PAN. That's bread in Mexico. Walmart makes great bread here, lousy bread back home. The produce is still the shits though. Don't buy veggies here.
In the mall there are upper end clothing stores like Zara, Bebe, Pull & Bear, and all the rest of them that you are probably familiar with. I love Zara. I didn't go near the place back home, but here, it is one of my favourite options. These stores have the same prices as back home without all the mega sales. Back home I would only buy things on sale. If you paid $60 for a jean jacket back home you will pay the same in one of these stores. So it is acceptable, but expensive and unnecessary in Mexico. BUT it is predictable and low stress. Sometimes I will pay for low stress.
There are a lot more men's clothing stores here than back home. The men dress better here. You hardly ever see a guy wearing a baseball cap or a jersey. The god-help-me Calgary flames jersey. Thank God the season is over when I go home for a visit.
Then there are the street vendors. Haphazard looking stalls are erected all along the busy streets. There are 'groups' of them and many of the vendors sell the same thing. Its funny that way. My boyfriend, who is Mexican, has forbidden me from buying anything on the streets anymore because I don't know a bad deal from a good deal. Well, I'm learning actually. Today I bought lots of things in the street! One of the lessons I have learned:
I no longer say, 'Cuanto cuesto?' Instead, if there is no obvious price I just look at the item until a Mexican comes along and asks for the price. Then I know it is the real price and not the foreigner price.
Today I was walking around the Zocalo and there are a few streets that are lined with a spontaneous black market. I don't think everything is stolen, but definitely made with slave labour. Because it is soooo cheap. The Mexican people buy here all the time. They don't mind that their cousin is getting paid $20 pesos a day to make the shit. So I bought some presents here - I will cleanse them with some incense before I give them away. Or sleep with them under my pillow - oh no, I might get nightmares, never mind. Maybe just pray for forgiveness as I hold them between my legs... it's getting weird.
TIENGES only one word needed. They look like the farmer's markets back home except they are just steel pipes and tarps that magically go up and down everyday around the city. The big markets are on the weekend, but they can happen any day of the week. You can find everything here. This is where to buy the best produce and the best fruit. They also have very tasty taco stands. No one speaks English and you have to know how to shop. Prices and quality very from vendor to vendor, I don't know why. I love the tienges.
Then there are the little neighborhood shops. I have mentioned these in another entry - THE STREETS OF MEXICO. So go there for more details on the shops available. But basically, the small locally owned store is still alive and thriving in Mexico. In fact, it is where to get the best price and the best service. You can get to know your local shop owner just like it was back in the day. Only it is today here. You have to watch because prices again, vary greatly neighbourhood to neighbourhood and store to store.
MEXICAN CRAFTS - ok this is the stuff made by very talented and skilled Mexican people who have learned a craft that has been passed down from generation to generation. I am not talking about the Mexican looking doll made in China, the tequila shooter or the dancing chiwawa dog for your dashboard. I'm talking the rugs, ceramics, baskets and jewellery of super fine quality that are made in the Pueblos around the country. My message to the foreigners: DON'T BE SO CHEAP! Yes, fight for a bargain for your everyday goods, but don't barder when it comes to these fine crafts. Pay. Pay lots of money because it will last you. The question you might ask yourself, is 'how do I know I am looking at the real deal?'. Quality is evident. The fine materials and methods for making these crafts come through in the product.
Often it is one person in a booth who has brought all the goods from the one Puebla. So they are not the sole makers of the goods for sale. Or maybe you are shopping at a store in a fancy neighbourhood. You will pay a lot more in one of these stores, but they have done careful sourcing and are most likely paying the makers full price for their goods. There are a couple of markets in Coyocan that I really like. This is where a picture would say a thousand words. One of these markets in Coyocan is in a building with two floors. It has every craft and non-craft available. The prices are good and the artisans are often working at their own booth.
Ok - go out there and have fun shopping!!
Thursday, June 11, 2015
Teaching English in Mexico City
Native English teachers are a commodity in Mexico City. You can get paid very well as a teacher depending on what type of teaching experience you are looking for. I currently make between $150-240 pesos per hour teaching English to business students. There are a around a dozen small businesses offering English classes to business students and I am contracted by a couple of them. The companies line me up with the students, arrange the payments and the evaluations. I just show up and teach. Well, at least I try to teach. Business students often cancel. Everyone still gets paid or does the paying but no classes actually happen. It's weird. Most of these students are one-on-one, intermediate to advanced levels. Just me and the one student. I have one class of 6 and that is my favourite. I like the interaction that happens when there is more than one student. I also teach privately.
Private clients are paying out of their own pocket and if you have strict rules for cancellation, then you can generally count on their attendance. My goal is to move towards all private clients. I think the issue here is you may not find clients who can pay as much as the big businesses or they might decide after a couple of classes that they really can't afford it after all. The drop-off rate can be quick.
i have looked into the option of working at an English School. You teach at a school - so one location the whole time. You don't have to travel around and you are not tempted to shop all the time.:-). (SHOPPING - that will be my next entry.) They will most likely help you get your FM3 - which is the legal way to work in Mexico City. If you want to work full-time then you will have to do split shifts. Morning shift and late afternoon-evening shift plus Saturdays. That really turned me off, but as it turns out, I am doing split shifts anyway.
The one school I looked into also provided a month of training before you teach. This is their way to test you out as well. The pay there was $50 pesos per hour which is a BIG difference in pay from the business students. Maybe you will be teaching students who really want to learn. Maybe the teaching experience is much more rewarding. Or maybe not. I'm tempted to find out. Here is a website with the list of all the possible English Schools in Mexico. I couldn't recommend one over another: http://www.eslbase.com/schools/mexico
Another experience I tried was working at a private secondary school teaching English to 13-15yr olds. Wow - I wasn't ready for that. I had some big vision of going in there and making lots of friends with the teachers and the students. Hanging out, feeling like these are my homies. Nope. I felt generally quite alone and isolated. I had no support and the kids were holy terrors in the classroom. I had no idea how to get them to shut-up, sit down and learn. Other teachers yelled a lot. I'm just not interested in that sort of stress level. I love kids though. I think it would be really rewarding outside of school. Teaching a small group of kids could possibly be the ideal experience, but I have not figured out how to arrange something like this.
I did tutor one 8 year old two times per week. I brought my paints and paint brushes with me. We told stories, drew pictures, made flash cards and watched short learning english videos. It was great and she learned a lot! I need more of those types of students.
Learning a new language is difficult and it can get frustrating very quickly. As a teacher, I need to be patient, calm, cool and collected. I can't take it personally when people quit or cancel. It is just part of the job as a teacher here in Mexico.
Private clients are paying out of their own pocket and if you have strict rules for cancellation, then you can generally count on their attendance. My goal is to move towards all private clients. I think the issue here is you may not find clients who can pay as much as the big businesses or they might decide after a couple of classes that they really can't afford it after all. The drop-off rate can be quick.
i have looked into the option of working at an English School. You teach at a school - so one location the whole time. You don't have to travel around and you are not tempted to shop all the time.:-). (SHOPPING - that will be my next entry.) They will most likely help you get your FM3 - which is the legal way to work in Mexico City. If you want to work full-time then you will have to do split shifts. Morning shift and late afternoon-evening shift plus Saturdays. That really turned me off, but as it turns out, I am doing split shifts anyway.
The one school I looked into also provided a month of training before you teach. This is their way to test you out as well. The pay there was $50 pesos per hour which is a BIG difference in pay from the business students. Maybe you will be teaching students who really want to learn. Maybe the teaching experience is much more rewarding. Or maybe not. I'm tempted to find out. Here is a website with the list of all the possible English Schools in Mexico. I couldn't recommend one over another: http://www.eslbase.com/schools/mexico
Another experience I tried was working at a private secondary school teaching English to 13-15yr olds. Wow - I wasn't ready for that. I had some big vision of going in there and making lots of friends with the teachers and the students. Hanging out, feeling like these are my homies. Nope. I felt generally quite alone and isolated. I had no support and the kids were holy terrors in the classroom. I had no idea how to get them to shut-up, sit down and learn. Other teachers yelled a lot. I'm just not interested in that sort of stress level. I love kids though. I think it would be really rewarding outside of school. Teaching a small group of kids could possibly be the ideal experience, but I have not figured out how to arrange something like this.
I did tutor one 8 year old two times per week. I brought my paints and paint brushes with me. We told stories, drew pictures, made flash cards and watched short learning english videos. It was great and she learned a lot! I need more of those types of students.
Learning a new language is difficult and it can get frustrating very quickly. As a teacher, I need to be patient, calm, cool and collected. I can't take it personally when people quit or cancel. It is just part of the job as a teacher here in Mexico.
Sunday, May 24, 2015
The Art of Towel Ringing
He works at the local car wash where all the cars are washed by hand, as many things are done this way in Mexico and not every human job has been replaced with a machine. If you get a chance to just stand and watch any number of jobs being done, you will notice the artful way they go about their business.
He looked like he could have been 15, but maybe he was 19. He was not tall, he was slim and fit with boots and jeans. He held his towel in the left hand at the height of his shoulder, with the twist of his wrist, gave it a spin and then with his right and he forcefully grabbed the towel and leaned into it with his body to give it a good hard ring (squeeze) to release the water. Then again, raise the towel, quick spin and then grab and lean for a forceful ring. It looked like a dance. His entire body was involved and there was a rhythm to his actions. How many times a day did he do this dance, I can't begin to even imagine.
The day before I stopped at one of the shoe shine stations. They are every where business is located. I climbed up the ladder to sit in my seat below the square umbrella. Now my shoes are at the height of his chest and he can complete his shine without breaking his back. He used about 5 different products and 5 different pieces of cloth. He had a way of wrapping a skinny strip of cloth around the tops of his finger twice, swipping this cloth into the cream, hitting it smartly in his other palm twice and then swipping again. Is that to warm up the polish? I don't know, but I watched him do this on the client before me as well. It was an art. How to grab enough polish, rub the shoe, shine the shoe - each step had a very particular method and he had it down to an art.
The travelling vendors on the street each have their own song that they use to get your attention. It is a chant, or a horn or a bell - but each vendor's call is unique and it is important that he remains consistant each and every call, each and everyday. These vendors use sound to sell their product. Not emails or tv advertisements, or social media, or flyers or a store - just their call. It becomes an art form.
He looked like he could have been 15, but maybe he was 19. He was not tall, he was slim and fit with boots and jeans. He held his towel in the left hand at the height of his shoulder, with the twist of his wrist, gave it a spin and then with his right and he forcefully grabbed the towel and leaned into it with his body to give it a good hard ring (squeeze) to release the water. Then again, raise the towel, quick spin and then grab and lean for a forceful ring. It looked like a dance. His entire body was involved and there was a rhythm to his actions. How many times a day did he do this dance, I can't begin to even imagine.
The day before I stopped at one of the shoe shine stations. They are every where business is located. I climbed up the ladder to sit in my seat below the square umbrella. Now my shoes are at the height of his chest and he can complete his shine without breaking his back. He used about 5 different products and 5 different pieces of cloth. He had a way of wrapping a skinny strip of cloth around the tops of his finger twice, swipping this cloth into the cream, hitting it smartly in his other palm twice and then swipping again. Is that to warm up the polish? I don't know, but I watched him do this on the client before me as well. It was an art. How to grab enough polish, rub the shoe, shine the shoe - each step had a very particular method and he had it down to an art.
The travelling vendors on the street each have their own song that they use to get your attention. It is a chant, or a horn or a bell - but each vendor's call is unique and it is important that he remains consistant each and every call, each and everyday. These vendors use sound to sell their product. Not emails or tv advertisements, or social media, or flyers or a store - just their call. It becomes an art form.
Friday, May 22, 2015
The Streets of Mexico City
Buses, taxis, cars, parked cars, motorbikes, pedestrians, sellers, windshield washers and the odd bike rider all share the same narrow street here in Mexico City. Everyone has to be alert and ready to switch lanes, stop or speed up all in an instant. There are no speed limits, just what ever you set for yourself. Red lights are followed if cars are passing the other way. If the way looks clear than it is perfectly legal and acceptable to run a red light. There is no such thing as 'jay-walking' and you can't get silly tickets for crossing the street where ever you need to cross. I am always amazed to see the little old lady with her bags and her grandson crossing 6 or 8 lanes of traffic - dodging and weaving her way to the other side.
The sellers are waiting at most traffic lights. Usually with cheap things, easily packaged and sold food and of course, cigarettes. If you were trying to quit smoking it might be difficult here because you can buy one cigarette at a time almost any where. I asked if it was safe to eat the tamales, or empanadas or tacos sold at the side of the road and the answer is basically buyer beware. After treating myself with a case of saminela, I basically stay away from street food now-a-days. The point being, there are no health regulators going around checking your everyday street taco stand.
The sidewalks are sometimes good and useful, but often they are just there to seperate the posts from the streets. The business owners and building owners can do what they like with the streets in front of their establishments and there are often many obstacles to your regular sidewalk stroll. Many choose to walk on the road instead.
Mexico city has a lot of trees and their roots are strong. They are often the culprit to upheaveled sidewalks. The blow and sway in the wind and the rain and I think they are the best thing about Mexico City. If it weren't for the trees no one would be breathing - of course in general, but especially in here in DF. That is District Federal - how the locals refer to this city which is actually a state.
Along one or two blocks you can find a whole mixture of business. Cubby hole restaurants with plastic chairs and 35peso comida to large, elegant restaurants. There are taco stands, fruit stands, junk food stands, stolen goods stands. Ok, I'm not sure about the last one, but cheap stuff anyway. There are Pandarias - which must rival Paris in the selection of delicious baked goods that are for sale. Basically for under $2 Canadian dollars you can pigout on fresh, delicious bread.
Taqarillas are important. They sell all sorts of hardware needed for house repair. No need to make your way to a big box store. Laundaria (where they wash your clothes for you) is another important neighborhood establishment. Oh and the shoe repair store, the electronic repair store, the carpenteria - where you can get handmade furniture cheaper and far better quality than any IKEA. Oh and the Tiendita - little cubby hole stores filled from top to bottom in the junk food and other essentials like toliet paper and bottled water. The roasteria - roast chicken is a popular business. Butcher for fresh meet & torterilla for tortillas, flower shops - all essential. Liquor stores are not very popular. OXXO is everywhere - equivilant to the 7-11. That's where I buy my wine - when and if I bother to have a drink.
The smell is a big part of my experience here in Mexico City. I don't know if I am extra sensitive to it or if everyone experiences the smells like I do. They assult me almost every where. There are no really good smells here, rather it is nice when there is an absent of smells. Two of the most invasive smells are the sewer and the cleaning products. One can't really be avoided, the sewer smell. But the second one - the industrial strength curosive cleaners spilling onto the streets from every business is something that could be illimiated. People here don't seem to be sensitive to smells. Ladies have no problem painting their nails on a metro train where were are all closed in together. It gags me every time. Cleaners sometimes walk around with squirt bottles filled with some green nuclear cleaner and they will clean the entrance to a bus for a peso or two. It is the most vial smell that seezes up my lungs and sends me into a coughing fit. Thank God those guys are not around very often.
Then there is the exhaust from all the vehicles which sits on top of the city as a yellow haze hat. The smell of cooking meat should be good, but generally no. Rather it smells like something rancid. Like I said, I don't know if I'm crazy or if other people feel the same way about the smells of DF. If you read this post and you have an opinion about it, please share.
The sellers are waiting at most traffic lights. Usually with cheap things, easily packaged and sold food and of course, cigarettes. If you were trying to quit smoking it might be difficult here because you can buy one cigarette at a time almost any where. I asked if it was safe to eat the tamales, or empanadas or tacos sold at the side of the road and the answer is basically buyer beware. After treating myself with a case of saminela, I basically stay away from street food now-a-days. The point being, there are no health regulators going around checking your everyday street taco stand.
The sidewalks are sometimes good and useful, but often they are just there to seperate the posts from the streets. The business owners and building owners can do what they like with the streets in front of their establishments and there are often many obstacles to your regular sidewalk stroll. Many choose to walk on the road instead.
Mexico city has a lot of trees and their roots are strong. They are often the culprit to upheaveled sidewalks. The blow and sway in the wind and the rain and I think they are the best thing about Mexico City. If it weren't for the trees no one would be breathing - of course in general, but especially in here in DF. That is District Federal - how the locals refer to this city which is actually a state.
Along one or two blocks you can find a whole mixture of business. Cubby hole restaurants with plastic chairs and 35peso comida to large, elegant restaurants. There are taco stands, fruit stands, junk food stands, stolen goods stands. Ok, I'm not sure about the last one, but cheap stuff anyway. There are Pandarias - which must rival Paris in the selection of delicious baked goods that are for sale. Basically for under $2 Canadian dollars you can pigout on fresh, delicious bread.
Taqarillas are important. They sell all sorts of hardware needed for house repair. No need to make your way to a big box store. Laundaria (where they wash your clothes for you) is another important neighborhood establishment. Oh and the shoe repair store, the electronic repair store, the carpenteria - where you can get handmade furniture cheaper and far better quality than any IKEA. Oh and the Tiendita - little cubby hole stores filled from top to bottom in the junk food and other essentials like toliet paper and bottled water. The roasteria - roast chicken is a popular business. Butcher for fresh meet & torterilla for tortillas, flower shops - all essential. Liquor stores are not very popular. OXXO is everywhere - equivilant to the 7-11. That's where I buy my wine - when and if I bother to have a drink.
The smell is a big part of my experience here in Mexico City. I don't know if I am extra sensitive to it or if everyone experiences the smells like I do. They assult me almost every where. There are no really good smells here, rather it is nice when there is an absent of smells. Two of the most invasive smells are the sewer and the cleaning products. One can't really be avoided, the sewer smell. But the second one - the industrial strength curosive cleaners spilling onto the streets from every business is something that could be illimiated. People here don't seem to be sensitive to smells. Ladies have no problem painting their nails on a metro train where were are all closed in together. It gags me every time. Cleaners sometimes walk around with squirt bottles filled with some green nuclear cleaner and they will clean the entrance to a bus for a peso or two. It is the most vial smell that seezes up my lungs and sends me into a coughing fit. Thank God those guys are not around very often.
Then there is the exhaust from all the vehicles which sits on top of the city as a yellow haze hat. The smell of cooking meat should be good, but generally no. Rather it smells like something rancid. Like I said, I don't know if I'm crazy or if other people feel the same way about the smells of DF. If you read this post and you have an opinion about it, please share.
Friday, May 8, 2015
Riding Public Transit in Mexico City
Here it is called the 'Metro'. The subway, LRT, Train - basically a series of fast moving trains that escape the traffic by moving around underground. Once in a while a train comes up for a bit of air like a killer whale breaching the ocean surface. Decending to the core of Mexico City the temperature climbs and soon little beads of sweat are forming on your forhead and arms. I am peeling off the layers while some Mexicans are still wearing their coats and scarves. After some time my eyelids will start to droop, my heartrate slows down and I am searching for a place to sleep.
Another treat to the Metro is the MetroMall. Its like the skymall, but much cheaper. It is a constant revolving door of sellers and almost nothing costs over 10pesos. They need to make quick sales. I love the music sellers who come with boomboxes on their backs and play a million songs in 2 minutes. They sell CDs for 10pesos and the CDs have like 100+ songs on them.
After the sellers are the musicians and then the beggers. I always want to give to everyone and to buy everything. I am realizing that is impossible and if you are going to have enough coin for your next bus trip then you have to pick a number and stick to it. I try for one purchase or one gifting each day.
There is a culture here for bus riders to sit in the seat closest to the isle and if you want a seat and those are all taken you have to climb over the person sitting closest to the outside. This is a no-no in my city. It is considered terribly rude not to move over on a full bus so it is something I am still getting used to here. Also it is perfectly ok to sqeeze yourself past people in the isle just to find your own personal perfect location for standing. Even if this means pushing someone almost on the lap of the people in the seats. Mexicans don't mind getting in close to each other on transit so don't be shy.
Each bus usually has its own personal driver so they tend to really personalize the inside space. Many buses have great sound systems and you can hear some salsa tunes while you ride. Almost all buses have some sort of altar hanging inside the front of the bus. This is an altar to either Jesus or Guadalupe - so don't worry, your safe. One bus I was on had black-lighting that strobed to the rhythm of the music he played. It was pretty cool.
Overall, I appreciate public transit in MC. It is fast considering just how big and spread out this city is. So far I have never experienced any harassement or rudeness. Except for the odd push and extended stare.
GOODLC
No sleeping at the station, you have to stay alert for your battle to enter the train. Its like a race with your tarps to the front of the festival space. Each to their own here. Rush hour is from 6:30am to 9am and again from 4pm to 8pm and if you ride in between, before or after these times then you can relax a little. Yes the metro can be very crowded and hot, but it is fast and generally very reliable. Back home trains were always getting delayed for one reason or another. Not here. They run fast and frequent. Also the metro is cheap. 5 pesos allows you to run all the lines the whole day if you don't pass through an exit. All the lines connect somehow and there are colourful pictures in every station to show you where you are and how the lines connect.
I will not bother going into a technical explaination here becuase I don't think it will make much sense to you without seeing the map. Now, go look at your Mexico City transit maps from this AboutMexico page which has lots of Metro info. If you have any other general questions - you can send it my way and I will do my best to provide an answer. No, I can't give you a trip itinerary.
Another treat to the Metro is the MetroMall. Its like the skymall, but much cheaper. It is a constant revolving door of sellers and almost nothing costs over 10pesos. They need to make quick sales. I love the music sellers who come with boomboxes on their backs and play a million songs in 2 minutes. They sell CDs for 10pesos and the CDs have like 100+ songs on them.
After the sellers are the musicians and then the beggers. I always want to give to everyone and to buy everything. I am realizing that is impossible and if you are going to have enough coin for your next bus trip then you have to pick a number and stick to it. I try for one purchase or one gifting each day.
Most of the time you will need to ride a bus at either end of the metro trip. The city is large and the streets run every where. Buses and taxis traverse the streets like ants bringing home food. Mexico city is the ant hill and the buses and taxis are the ants. The place is covered with 'em. They come in all colours and all levels of discomfort. Most ranging in the 0 to 2 for comfort with 10 being great. They are dirty, crowded, bumpy, jerky and slow. They drive as fast as they can and then slam on the brakes every block or so. For most routes, the bus stops are where ever you stand and put out your hand.
Again, the buses are cheap and frequent so once you understand your route and where to catch the bus you don't have to worry about times. Just go stand on the street and wave the correct bus down.
Understanding where the buses go is difficult. Unless you are completely clear on where you need to be and you can pronouce the name correctly, don't expect to get a helpful answer from a busdriver. AT least, it is rare.
Again, the buses are cheap and frequent so once you understand your route and where to catch the bus you don't have to worry about times. Just go stand on the street and wave the correct bus down.
Understanding where the buses go is difficult. Unless you are completely clear on where you need to be and you can pronouce the name correctly, don't expect to get a helpful answer from a busdriver. AT least, it is rare.
There is a culture here for bus riders to sit in the seat closest to the isle and if you want a seat and those are all taken you have to climb over the person sitting closest to the outside. This is a no-no in my city. It is considered terribly rude not to move over on a full bus so it is something I am still getting used to here. Also it is perfectly ok to sqeeze yourself past people in the isle just to find your own personal perfect location for standing. Even if this means pushing someone almost on the lap of the people in the seats. Mexicans don't mind getting in close to each other on transit so don't be shy.
Each bus usually has its own personal driver so they tend to really personalize the inside space. Many buses have great sound systems and you can hear some salsa tunes while you ride. Almost all buses have some sort of altar hanging inside the front of the bus. This is an altar to either Jesus or Guadalupe - so don't worry, your safe. One bus I was on had black-lighting that strobed to the rhythm of the music he played. It was pretty cool.
Overall, I appreciate public transit in MC. It is fast considering just how big and spread out this city is. So far I have never experienced any harassement or rudeness. Except for the odd push and extended stare.
GOODLC
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