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Culture can be a funny thing. Americans do not tend to know their own culture, much less someone else's, so it is a bit difficult for Americans to come to grips with the fact that not all you encounter in Guanajuato, or any where else for that matter, is a sweet expression of a wonderfully kind and patient people.
The word "culture" is most commonly used in three basic senses:
* the set of shared attitudes, values, goals, and practices that characterizes an institution, organization or group.
* an integrated pattern of human knowledge, belief, and behavior that depends upon the capacity for symbolic thought and social learning
* excellence of taste in the fine arts and humanities, also known as high culture
Culture is something that should be embraced and shared with the rest of the world, in my view. However, depending on whose culture it is, there are things within the culture that should indeed be embraced and made timeless, treasure it!
There are also things within culture that a society should very seriously consider eradicating from the face of the earth and never to be thought of again.
Guanajuato is a trash-dumping-where-ever-they-please culture.
At the beginning of June 2009, was the nationally celebrated "Let's all pitch in and clean up Mexico" day. Dressed in their cute little green smocks and with their green hats, volunteers swarmed into the Guanajuato river (cesspool) to pickup their fellow Mexican's garbage.
Admittedly, the river looked pretty decent when they got done. This valiant effort, by the precious few Mexicans in this country who are ecologically minded, allegedly took place all over Mexico.
Today, June 18, 2009, were you to come to my neighborhood in Guanajuato you would see little of the cleaning effort that took place at the beginning of the month.
It is as filthy as ever. The only thing I was unable to see was the discarded tire that sat in the brown mucky water for the past year.
Plastic pop bottles, plastic grocery store bags, shoes, complete bags of households of trash, toys, plastic plates, and God only knows whatever else, is in the river as it was before. The stench turned my stomach.
It was as though the litter thugs thought, "We'll show those neat-nicks and their ecology activism a thing or two," and just re-trashed the river to get even.
And, mind you, it isn't just children who throw their trash into the river when there are trash dumpsters no more than a crossing of the street to take advantage of! Children learn it from their parents and we've seen plenty adults dumping loads of garbage into the river or just on the street itself.
If success of anything is based on results, it does not take a genius to see what the: "the set of shared attitudes, values, goals, and practices that characterizes an institution, organization or group" regarding trashing one's environment is in this city.
How Mexicans deal with their environment is a culture of dumping and it is a horror to the world.
It is grafted (infected) in their cultural mindset and does not look to be excised from their culture anytime soon.
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Guanajuato, Mexico: Two Price System
"Many Mexican shopkeepers and others along the border treat Americans like suckers who deserve to be taken. They try to get as much out of them as possible because they presume they will never come back." (There's a Word for It in Mexico The Complete Guide to Mexican Thought and Culture; NTC Publishing Group, Lincolnwood, Illinois; Boyé Lafayette De Mente; 1996; Page 298)
I haven't visited this subject in a while and thought I would again. I recently had lunch with a gringo visiting from the States and this was one of his question: "Is there really a two-price system in Mexico in general and in Guanajuato specifically."
My answer to him was, of course, yes.
There is a two-price system that affects everything. We discovered this long ago in our personal experience and from stories from other gringos as well as Mexicans in town.
Where we live, the Mexicans pay about 100 dollars less for their apartment rent than we do. Our landlady was upfront about this citing that Americans use more water and electricity than Mexicans.
When our Spanish began improving, this was one of the hot topics I wanted to ask Mexicans in the city about for various articles I've written.
Our retired friend, Roberto, born and bred in Guanajuato, was particularly enlightening about this subject. I asked him, "Why does the price for anything in this town automatically increase when a Guanajuantense sees the gringo face coming?"
Roberto didn't hesitate a bit: "Dollars. They see American dollars and they want to charge as much as they can get out of the Rich Americans."
It is a cultural expectation (false stereotype) that all Americans are rich and can afford to pay more for whatever it is the Mexican is selling.
I might add that never once have I gotten any other response from the Mexicans I've asked this question. Roberto's reply is the universal answer.
Some Mexicans take offense at this notion that Americans are targeted. In fact a friend of ours said this regarding a forum post about this very subject:
I find that first statement really insulting to Mexicans. I have lots of "gringo" friends who live here in Mexico City and I don't think a single one of them has ever expressed this thought to me, or had this experience..........
This person is from Mexico City and perhaps the two-price system has faded into some kind of cultural obscurity. Who can say?
All one has to do, that is if you have Spanish fluency, is walk through a festival's food kiosks and listen to the vendors. My wife recently overheard a taco-selling woman talking with a lady friend sitting with her, telling her friend that she charged "that gabacho" three times more for the tacos than she did the Mexicans before him.
Mexicans here in Guanajuato, just like in the quote at the beginning of this blog, will assume you are a tourist, too stupid to know the difference, can't understand Spanish, and will never return. The same goes for just about any open market in this town. This makes it so hard for Spanish-speaking expats who live here and want to be treated on an equal playing field.
I have this taxi driver pal who told us that he charges English speaking gabachos twice the normal fare if they won't speak Spanish to him.
My poor wife would have to be on her toes constantly in the local markets to listen to what the vendor would charge the person ahead of her. When it came her turn, she would end up having to haggle with the vendor pointing out that he charged two to three times less to the Mexicans. He would, of course, deny this.
For this very reason we no longer shop at the Mercado Hidalgo. We go to the local markets in our barrio who know us and who do not rip us off. And, what we can't find in the barrio's markets, we go to the Super. It is sad, in my view.
I do not see this abating in the near future. What will happen is the more gringos who come for visiting or living, the higher and higher the prices will go. This is why you spend twice to four times more in San Miguel de Allende for a lunch than you would elsewhere. The Mexicans charge whatever the market will bear and the rich folks in San Miguel will gladly be taken for a ride, apparently, and pay more.
That's what's coming to Guanajuato.
###
My newest book: A WALK THROUGH MEXICO'S CROWN JEWEL
Monday, June 15, 2009
A Walk Through Mexico's Crown Jewel Review
Guanajuato Understood!, June 11, 2009By
S. Faulkner "ESLTeacher" (North Carolina, USA) -
If you have travel plans to Guanajuato, Mexico, are considering a visit to Guanajuato, or only dream of going there, this book is a must read. We recently completed a two week visit to Querétaro, Bernal, San Miguel de Allende, and Tlaquepaque/Guadalajara. Without a doubt, Guanajuato, while knock down gorgeous, was also the most intriguing stay on our trip. However, the city is, in my opinion, the most incredibly perplexing, confusing, and often frustrating destinations in all of Mexico. To make "sense" of Guanajuato, Mr. Bower's book is more than very handy; it is essential.
Before our visit, I read Mr. Bower's book twice. It's not that his writing is difficult to follow; in fact, his descriptions and organization are very straight forward. On the first read, I was so caught up with his wonderful, colorful descriptions and fall down laughing sense of humor, I failed to get my bearings for Guanajuato. On the second read, I concentrated on his very descriptive walking tour of the thirty something plazas/plazuelas of Guanajuato. (Guanajuato was not named a UNESCO World Heritage site by accident). By the way, Guanajuato has no "city block system". It is built on a dry river bed and creeps up the hills that surround it.
I'm now on my third read of Mr. Bower's book, comparing his vivid descriptions to the over 150 photos I shot in our four days in Guanajuato. Mr. Bower truly makes Guanajuato come alive!
Mr. Bower is an excellent, knowledgeable, and prolific author. I also highly recommend his other books about living and working in Mexico.
Finally, if you plan to visit Guanajuato, don't be part of the "deer in the headlights" crowd that "hang out " in the Jardín Unión. They are so confused about the city that they never venture far from this tourist spot. We saw many during our visit there. It was part very funny and, at the same time, kind of sad. Mr. Bower's book will give you step by step instructions to discover the true beauty and intrigue of Guanajuato.
###
A WALK THROUGH MEXICO'S CROWN JEWEL...Click Here for More Info
Saturday, June 13, 2009
Guanajuato, Mexico - Clever Eating
Vegetarian Sloppy Joes
by
Cindi Bower
When I was growing up in Ohio, my mom served Sloppy Joes on a regular basis. On nights when she was late coming home from work or just didn't feel like making an elaborate meal, these were a quick, easy and filling choice. She usually added a packaged seasoning mix to tomato sauce and ground beef instead of making the mixture from scratch. When canned Sloppy Joe sauce came on the market, the meal was even easier…just brown ground beef, add the sauce, heat and serve. Quick, easy and delicious.
Making Sloppy Joes from scratch is not much more time-consuming than using a mix or canned sauce. To me, the sandwiches taste better made from scratch. Plus, you can modify the ingredients to suit your own family's tastes.
I used to make Sloppy Joes, usually from scratch, when we lived in the USA, but somehow never thought of making them here in Mexico until recently. I guess it was because it's such an American dish and not one you'd expect to find in Mexico.
Last week, I developed a craving for Sloppy Joes, but no longer remembered my favorite recipe. Though our local supermarkets carry some items imported from the USA, Sloppy Joe mix and canned Sloppy Joe sauce are not among them. Thanks to the Internet, I found a plethora of recipes. Some were very different from my tried-and-true recipe (though I want to try some of the more exotic-sounding variations), but I was able to approximate my old recipe.
Since we've modified our diet in the past months for health reasons, I substituted textured soy protein for the ground beef I used to use. My husband said he wouldn't have known he was eating soy if I hadn't told him. I think the soy protein has the texture and taste of ground meat, but does not have ground meat's greasiness.
We liked how this recipe turned out, but I'm going to play with it a bit and see if I can make some improvements. If I come up with a better version, I'll share it.
Recipe
Makes 8 sandwiches
14 ounces hot water
1 beef bouillon cube
2 cups textured soy protein
Cooking oil
3 – 4 cloves of garlic, diced
½ of a large onion, coarsely chopped
¼ of a green pepper, diced
1 cup tomato sauce
¼ cup catsup
Oregano, salt, and pepper to taste
8 hamburger buns
Dissolve the bouillon cube in the hot water; stir in the soy protein and set aside for about 5 minutes or until the water is absorbed.
Put a little oil in a skillet (I use just enough to coat the bottom…add more as you cook, if necessary) and put over medium heat. Sautee the garlic, onion and green pepper until soft. Add the rehydrated soy protein and cook until slightly browned. Add the tomato sauce, catsup and spices. Mix well and simmer over low heat for 10 minutes or until thickened.
Spoon the mixture into the buns. Serve with a tossed salad or raw vegetable sticks.
Enjoy!
###
A Walk Through Mexico's Crown Jewel: A Guanajuato Travelogue
by
Cindi Bower
When I was growing up in Ohio, my mom served Sloppy Joes on a regular basis. On nights when she was late coming home from work or just didn't feel like making an elaborate meal, these were a quick, easy and filling choice. She usually added a packaged seasoning mix to tomato sauce and ground beef instead of making the mixture from scratch. When canned Sloppy Joe sauce came on the market, the meal was even easier…just brown ground beef, add the sauce, heat and serve. Quick, easy and delicious.
Making Sloppy Joes from scratch is not much more time-consuming than using a mix or canned sauce. To me, the sandwiches taste better made from scratch. Plus, you can modify the ingredients to suit your own family's tastes.
I used to make Sloppy Joes, usually from scratch, when we lived in the USA, but somehow never thought of making them here in Mexico until recently. I guess it was because it's such an American dish and not one you'd expect to find in Mexico.
Last week, I developed a craving for Sloppy Joes, but no longer remembered my favorite recipe. Though our local supermarkets carry some items imported from the USA, Sloppy Joe mix and canned Sloppy Joe sauce are not among them. Thanks to the Internet, I found a plethora of recipes. Some were very different from my tried-and-true recipe (though I want to try some of the more exotic-sounding variations), but I was able to approximate my old recipe.
Since we've modified our diet in the past months for health reasons, I substituted textured soy protein for the ground beef I used to use. My husband said he wouldn't have known he was eating soy if I hadn't told him. I think the soy protein has the texture and taste of ground meat, but does not have ground meat's greasiness.
We liked how this recipe turned out, but I'm going to play with it a bit and see if I can make some improvements. If I come up with a better version, I'll share it.
Recipe
Makes 8 sandwiches
14 ounces hot water
1 beef bouillon cube
2 cups textured soy protein
Cooking oil
3 – 4 cloves of garlic, diced
½ of a large onion, coarsely chopped
¼ of a green pepper, diced
1 cup tomato sauce
¼ cup catsup
Oregano, salt, and pepper to taste
8 hamburger buns
Dissolve the bouillon cube in the hot water; stir in the soy protein and set aside for about 5 minutes or until the water is absorbed.
Put a little oil in a skillet (I use just enough to coat the bottom…add more as you cook, if necessary) and put over medium heat. Sautee the garlic, onion and green pepper until soft. Add the rehydrated soy protein and cook until slightly browned. Add the tomato sauce, catsup and spices. Mix well and simmer over low heat for 10 minutes or until thickened.
Spoon the mixture into the buns. Serve with a tossed salad or raw vegetable sticks.
Enjoy!
###
A Walk Through Mexico's Crown Jewel: A Guanajuato Travelogue
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Guanajuato, Mexico: Fact or Fiction
I've written about this previously but two recent events have motivated me to revisit this issue:
The most amazing phenomenon occurs when Gringos come to Guanajuato as tourist and especially as expats (Fakepats?). Any "street smarts" they have as the result of living in New York, Detroit, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, Houston, or any other city in the States where crime is an issue (and what city in the States isn't crime ridden?), is left at the border and they engage in risky behaviors they wouldn't dream of doing in American cities.
They will walk the streets of Guanajuato at all hours of the night expecting that-- Everything, no matter how objectionable, is "a beautiful native custom" and all Mexicans "are a beautiful people"...
This is one of the most perplexing things to me and I cannot begin to understand it.
It is as though Americans specifically will come here and suddenly act like they've been transported to a mythical place where God Himself dwells and all the locals are God's servants who would never dare try to make you a crime victims much less even think about it.
A few months ago we met with a potential expat over lunch who actually said,
"Crime in Mexico is nothing like that in America."
This belief had her walking the streets of Guanajuato at risky hours of the night and early morning -- ALONE!
A few months later another American couple marveled at how they can walk the streets in the middle of the night without anyone "bothering them."
What is this mindset? Where does the idea originate that you can come to Mexico and act like you have arrived in Nirvana or Heaven on Earth where nothing but goodness, perfection, and the total absence of evil dwells? Where is the Gringo's Vacation Street Smarts?
What I am saying is that "something" seems to happen to the minds of Americans who would not be caught dead going to an ATM machine in the middle of the night in their home cities and yet they will do that here and even more stupid things.
We are personally acquainted with Americans, both tourists and expats, who have engaged in mindlessly risky behavior and have ended up beaten so badly that a trip to the hospital was required. Two of these events were sexual assaults. And, what were these Americans doing? They were walking the streets of Guanajuato at risky hours and walking along risky streets and callejons (alleys).
If you are internet savvy enough to ferret out these blogs, forums, and websites you will find some of the most ill-informed information. My absolute favorite is the one in which it is actually written that "Mexicans know how to treat their fellow man better..." While it may be true that "some" Mexicans know how to treat their fellow man better, it cannot be said to be true of "all" Mexicans without exception. And yet, this is exactly the impression I get from face to face encounters with Americans who seem the believe Mexico is really HEAVEN ON EARTH.
Let me just say this: Those Gringos who live here and who have sent me death threats for writing the truth about living in Mexico, have had ulterior motives. They've objected vehemently to be suggesting anything other than Mexico is the Promised Land of Milk and Honey.
It isn't that they have such a love for language and culture that they feel they must defend Mexico's reputation that they think I have maligned.
What it is, is that they have a real estate business or some other undocumented business in this country from which they are hauling in truck loads of money and don't want me upsetting their money-machine applecart. For a third-party perspective on this issue, Click Here.
The Ivory Tower Writers are biased and that should be taken into consideration when listening to their sales pitch.
These money grubbers will tell you anything (and they know what you want to hear) to get you to buy what it is they are selling. They will do so at the expense of truth itself and never lose any sleep over it -- ever!
Look, Mexico is a great place with serious problematic issues. It is like any other country on the face of the planet. It has some very excellent qualities and it has some problems. Some of these problems are more horrific than you can possibly imagine. For an example of the viciousness of Mexican crime, Click Here. It is fun place to vacation (and live) if, and only if, you take precautions and don't commit stupid acts of recklessness. Don't do in Mexico what you wouldn't do at home.
We are constantly getting emails asking how "safe it is" to vacation or live in Mexico. How can one begin to possibly answer that question? You need to be able to read Spanish and check out the online versions of their available news media. Don't listen to someone in a travel agency or a real estate money grubber who has a bias in trying to convince you it is Shangri-La.
Here are some resources. If you can't read Spanish then use one of the online translators to help you. Or, have a Spanish speaking friend translate for you!
Resources:
Guanajuato News
Guanajuato Television
It Happened in Mexico
CRIME IN GUANAJUATO
CRIME IN SAN MIGUEL DE ALLENDE
Have you ever wondered why so much of the screed on Life in Mexico is so Ivory Tower that you can't read it for the blinding brilliance? And why are Americans here so gullible they fail to see the culture’s defects. Everything, no matter how objectionable, is "a beautiful native custom" and all Mexicans "are a beautiful people".
The most amazing phenomenon occurs when Gringos come to Guanajuato as tourist and especially as expats (Fakepats?). Any "street smarts" they have as the result of living in New York, Detroit, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, Houston, or any other city in the States where crime is an issue (and what city in the States isn't crime ridden?), is left at the border and they engage in risky behaviors they wouldn't dream of doing in American cities.
They will walk the streets of Guanajuato at all hours of the night expecting that-- Everything, no matter how objectionable, is "a beautiful native custom" and all Mexicans "are a beautiful people"...
This is one of the most perplexing things to me and I cannot begin to understand it.
It is as though Americans specifically will come here and suddenly act like they've been transported to a mythical place where God Himself dwells and all the locals are God's servants who would never dare try to make you a crime victims much less even think about it.
A few months ago we met with a potential expat over lunch who actually said,
"Crime in Mexico is nothing like that in America."
This belief had her walking the streets of Guanajuato at risky hours of the night and early morning -- ALONE!
A few months later another American couple marveled at how they can walk the streets in the middle of the night without anyone "bothering them."
What is this mindset? Where does the idea originate that you can come to Mexico and act like you have arrived in Nirvana or Heaven on Earth where nothing but goodness, perfection, and the total absence of evil dwells? Where is the Gringo's Vacation Street Smarts?
What I am saying is that "something" seems to happen to the minds of Americans who would not be caught dead going to an ATM machine in the middle of the night in their home cities and yet they will do that here and even more stupid things.
We are personally acquainted with Americans, both tourists and expats, who have engaged in mindlessly risky behavior and have ended up beaten so badly that a trip to the hospital was required. Two of these events were sexual assaults. And, what were these Americans doing? They were walking the streets of Guanajuato at risky hours and walking along risky streets and callejons (alleys).
If you are internet savvy enough to ferret out these blogs, forums, and websites you will find some of the most ill-informed information. My absolute favorite is the one in which it is actually written that "Mexicans know how to treat their fellow man better..." While it may be true that "some" Mexicans know how to treat their fellow man better, it cannot be said to be true of "all" Mexicans without exception. And yet, this is exactly the impression I get from face to face encounters with Americans who seem the believe Mexico is really HEAVEN ON EARTH.
Let me just say this: Those Gringos who live here and who have sent me death threats for writing the truth about living in Mexico, have had ulterior motives. They've objected vehemently to be suggesting anything other than Mexico is the Promised Land of Milk and Honey.
It isn't that they have such a love for language and culture that they feel they must defend Mexico's reputation that they think I have maligned.
What it is, is that they have a real estate business or some other undocumented business in this country from which they are hauling in truck loads of money and don't want me upsetting their money-machine applecart. For a third-party perspective on this issue, Click Here.
The Ivory Tower Writers are biased and that should be taken into consideration when listening to their sales pitch.
These money grubbers will tell you anything (and they know what you want to hear) to get you to buy what it is they are selling. They will do so at the expense of truth itself and never lose any sleep over it -- ever!
Look, Mexico is a great place with serious problematic issues. It is like any other country on the face of the planet. It has some very excellent qualities and it has some problems. Some of these problems are more horrific than you can possibly imagine. For an example of the viciousness of Mexican crime, Click Here. It is fun place to vacation (and live) if, and only if, you take precautions and don't commit stupid acts of recklessness. Don't do in Mexico what you wouldn't do at home.
We are constantly getting emails asking how "safe it is" to vacation or live in Mexico. How can one begin to possibly answer that question? You need to be able to read Spanish and check out the online versions of their available news media. Don't listen to someone in a travel agency or a real estate money grubber who has a bias in trying to convince you it is Shangri-La.
Here are some resources. If you can't read Spanish then use one of the online translators to help you. Or, have a Spanish speaking friend translate for you!
Resources:
Guanajuato News
Guanajuato Television
It Happened in Mexico
CRIME IN GUANAJUATO
CRIME IN SAN MIGUEL DE ALLENDE
###A Walk Through Mexico's Crown Jewel: A Guanajuato Travelogue
Friday, June 5, 2009
Guanajuato, Mexico Food: Chayote
Another vegetable with which we were unfamiliar upon our arrival in Guanajuato was the chayote (chah-YOH-teh). When we first saw it stacked at our local market, we thought it was a fruit because it looked like a green, wrinkled pear. The chayote belongs to the gourd family Cucurbitaceae, which includes squash, cucumber and melons. Interestingly, another name for the chayote is vegetable pear, so we weren't completely wrong when we thought at first it was a type of pear.
Most of the chayotes sold in Mexico are grown in the state of Veracruz, which exports them to the USA as well. Most of the rest of the world's chayotes come from Costa Rica.
Chayotes form a large part of the Central American diet and are quite popular in Mexico as well. They are about the size and shape of pear with a thin, wrinkled green peel, white flesh, and a single seed. Some people remove the peel and the seed before eating, but both are edible. The flesh is fairly bland and has a texture between that of potato and zucchini. It can be eaten raw or cooked.
Chayote is very versatile. In its raw form, it can be used in place of all or part of the potatoes in potato salad, added to tossed vegetable salads, or served alone with any dressing. It can be steamed, boiled, sautéed, or baked.
I use it in recipes that call for zucchini. Sometimes I use chayote instead of zucchini, but I often use a mixture of the two. I include chayote in salads, soups, stews, and meat dishes that include vegetables.
One of our favorite fish dishes calls for zucchini slices to be sautéed with onions, carrots, and tomatoes. The fish filets are placed on top of the sautéed vegetables, then covered with tomato sauce and cooked until the fish turns white and flakes easily with a fork. I usually add a diced chayote to the other vegetables. While chayote tastes similar to zucchini, it has a different, starchier texture that changes the dish a bit.
1 cup of chopped chayote has 25 calories, 2 grams of dietary fiber, and no fat. It also provides 17% of the RDA for Vitamin C and 31% of the RDA for folic acid (Vitamin B9). It is a good source of manganese, copper, and zinc.
###
A Walk Through Mexico's Crown Jewel: A Guanajuato Travelogue
Most of the chayotes sold in Mexico are grown in the state of Veracruz, which exports them to the USA as well. Most of the rest of the world's chayotes come from Costa Rica.
Chayotes form a large part of the Central American diet and are quite popular in Mexico as well. They are about the size and shape of pear with a thin, wrinkled green peel, white flesh, and a single seed. Some people remove the peel and the seed before eating, but both are edible. The flesh is fairly bland and has a texture between that of potato and zucchini. It can be eaten raw or cooked.
Chayote is very versatile. In its raw form, it can be used in place of all or part of the potatoes in potato salad, added to tossed vegetable salads, or served alone with any dressing. It can be steamed, boiled, sautéed, or baked.
I use it in recipes that call for zucchini. Sometimes I use chayote instead of zucchini, but I often use a mixture of the two. I include chayote in salads, soups, stews, and meat dishes that include vegetables.
One of our favorite fish dishes calls for zucchini slices to be sautéed with onions, carrots, and tomatoes. The fish filets are placed on top of the sautéed vegetables, then covered with tomato sauce and cooked until the fish turns white and flakes easily with a fork. I usually add a diced chayote to the other vegetables. While chayote tastes similar to zucchini, it has a different, starchier texture that changes the dish a bit.
1 cup of chopped chayote has 25 calories, 2 grams of dietary fiber, and no fat. It also provides 17% of the RDA for Vitamin C and 31% of the RDA for folic acid (Vitamin B9). It is a good source of manganese, copper, and zinc.
###
A Walk Through Mexico's Crown Jewel: A Guanajuato Travelogue
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Guanajuato, Mexico - Cars, Blood Clots, Pollution
Studies in both humans and animals have shown that exposure to air pollution can affect heart rate, blood pressure, blood vessel function, blood clotting, and heart rate variability (a factor in developing heart rhythm disturbances), and speed the progression of atherosclerosis. -- Source
If you ask anyone, Mexican or Gabacho, what they think of the pollution problem in Guanajuato, a quick chuckle from the Mexican and a slap in the face from the Gabacho will likely be forthcoming.
To buttress their argument there will be a panoramic sweeping of their hand skyward and asking with a screech, "Do you see pollution in this lovely blue sky?"
Well, you won't see (not yet, but it's coming) an orange or brown haze floating over the city like you do in Leon or perhaps Mexico City.
What I am talking about are the dangerous particles from car exhaust that linger about waiting to infiltrate your children's lungs or your cardiovascular system to thicken your blood so that you develop massive blood clotting problems. Car exhaust will make your blood sticky causing clots!
The particles can drift for miles, and accumulate inside most buildings. Vehicles are the major source of the particles in urban air, particularly diesel engines.
During a period of high air pollution, people breathe in millions of these acidic particles which penetrate into the microscopic air sacs of the lungs. Scavenging white blood cells, known as macrophages, are "overwhelmed" by the particles. They release astream of chemicals that set off an inflammatory action in the lungs and increase the stickiness of the blood so it is more likely to clot.-- Source
To update you on my blood clots which were discovered in Feb. 2009, I ended up changing doctors. I wanted someone else with a more professional "feel" in helping me manage my blood clots and ongoing chronic health issues.
Speaking of the clots, they are fine and I am no longer in danger. They have dissolved. Good news, indeed.
However........and there is always a "however": The cause of the clots has been discovered by my new doctor. My blood, it would seem is too thick. It is thick like that of a heavy smoker. The doctor looked over the blood test results and the very first words that came out of her mouth was, "How much do you smoke?"
We had a hard time trying to convince her that not only have I never smoked, but that I was not breathing in Cindi's non-existent second hand smoke (She's never smoked). It must have taken the better part of about 15 minutes to convince her we don't smoke. And yet, the blood results show blood viscosity of someone who is a heavy smoker.
Why?
CAR EXHAUST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
One of the reasons we moved to Mexico was the chance to ditch the car and walk. I thought we would be healthier for it. GTO, when we moved here, was largely still a pedestrian town. Now, to our dismay, it seems car ownership has increased exponentially. Everyone drives and we are walking in the bluish-black clouds of exhaust their car belches forth like evil dragons.
In GTO only about 20% of the streets are accessible by car. And yet, more and more people are buying cars. I truly do not get why someone would want to engage in an activity which makes them fat, destroys their children's lungs by destroying the air, and is possibly one of the biggest contributors to the increase of obesity and heart attack.#
When we moved here the obesity rate was about 15% of the population. Now it is more than 50% ---- and this has been in a six year time period. (I got these stats from a doctor friend in Gto).
Because of the topography of this town, car exhaust does not escape very well at all. In fact, it remains at ground level for hours, soaks your clothing and hair, permeates your pet's fur, and can linger in houses and buildings for hours if not days. It is not the color of the exhaust that lingers, it is what you can't see--the particles...and that will kill you!
"In another study, Lung Chi Chen, of the New York University School of Medicine, reported research where he exposed one group of mice to second-hand cigarette smoke equivalent to passively smoking three or four cigarettes a day and a second group to the fine particles present in air pollution, in concentrations similar to a big city. He found that both particles and smoke produced around the same amount of change in the hardening of the arteries, which can lead to heart attacks."
Researchers estimate that one in every 50 heart attacks in London are triggered by air pollution.
Need I say more?
I don't know what we can do.
One solution is to move away from where we live now. Senselessly, cars come in and out of this Privada ( a private street) like it is a major highway. They will stop right in front of our windows, and our house is right on the street, and idle their cars until we starting walking in circles and talking to spots on the walls. There is a dentist's office and an insurance business on our street. Their clients will leave their cars idling in front of our windows while they go into these places and pay their bills or maybe they are exchanging tips on better oral hygiene and saving money on insurance premiums -- who can say?
Regardless, I am convinced that the survey/study conducted in Mexico City a few years ago applies to Guanajuato.
The major reason for car ownership in this city is NOT because they are needed. It is for status.
I will keep you informed............
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Spanish Learning - Financing Your Spanish Education
A couple of years ago, an American lady came to Guanajuato to learn Spanish. She enrolled in one of the most expensive Spanish schools in town. This school is good, by the way, and I always recommend it to people who want to come study Spanish in Guanajuato. This poor woman was a rank beginner. When she arrived, she was put in a class commensurate with her level; only the class was in the middle of the beginning class cycle.
In other words, when you enroll in a local, private Spanish school, you may not be put into a class that is exactly at the level at which you tested. If you are a rank beginner and need to be taught how to pronounce the Spanish alphabet and learn the phonetics, you will not necessarily land in a class with students at the same point as you. You will be put in a beginner's class but at what point in the class cycle is in will depend on when you show up. It isn't like beginning a language course at a university where day one, everyone begins at the same point and is studying the same material as the class proceeds.
This poor dear was totally lost. All the input she received in this beginning class was absolutely above and beyond her. There was no "comprehensible input" for her, although she was in a beginning class.
This is a total waste of your time and money. Wouldn't you want to know that before you end up flushing your money down a Guanajuato Spanish School toilet?
The school she attended is not cheap. It is good and you pay for good.
What to Do
Come to Guanajuato expecting to become fluent at these Spanish schools and you will leave sorely disappointed. Before you spend a small fortune coming here expecting to become fluent, try to develop as much spoken fluency in Spanish as you can. You will get a better return on your money in a Guanajuato Spanish school if you do. And, don't enroll in a classroom situation in the States. Do a home study course in the privacy of your home.
Commercially Available Products
Pimsleur Spanish
Rocket Spanish
Learning Spanish Like Crazy
Financing Your Spanish Adventure
If you check Ebay.com, you can often pick up all three levels of the Pimsleur Spanish course at a great discount. Then, you can turn around and sell them through Ebay.com to come up with the funds for Rocket Spanish and Learning Spanish Like Crazy.
I bought level one of Pimsleur Spanish, went through it, and then sold it so I could buy level two. I repeated the process until I got through level three of the Pimsleur course.
You can download both Rocket Spanish and Learning Spanish Like Crazy for about $97.00, burn it on your own CD's, and you will have saved a considerable amount rather than buying them wholesale. These companies actually encourage you to do this.
You will end up with a tremendous amount of Spanish by going through these courses first. Then, you will be prepared for a stint in Guanajuato studying or just hanging out. You will do well with your Spanish.
Look, visiting central Mexico is not a breeze. It is not designed for Gringo comfort, as are Puerto Vallarta and other resorts. You are not going to find a covey of resort staff hovering over you to make you have a good time.
Central Mexico is real Mexico and you will see and hear things that might shake you to your soul if you are not prepared.
So, tell me, what's better...to hear the truth or come here and find out you may have flushed a lot of money down the toilet. You can't count the cost and be willing to pay the price if you don't know what that cost is.
Those who count the cost and are willing to pay the price will not be those who go back home after vacationing in Mexico and mean-mouth the city they visited. After all, they knew what to expect BEFORE coming.
And, that's why I write what I do.
SPANISH LEARNING RESOURCES ... Learning Spanish INSTANT DOWNLOAD (PDF and MP3 FILES ONLY)
###
A Walk Through Mexico's Crown Jewel: A Guanajuato Travelogue
In other words, when you enroll in a local, private Spanish school, you may not be put into a class that is exactly at the level at which you tested. If you are a rank beginner and need to be taught how to pronounce the Spanish alphabet and learn the phonetics, you will not necessarily land in a class with students at the same point as you. You will be put in a beginner's class but at what point in the class cycle is in will depend on when you show up. It isn't like beginning a language course at a university where day one, everyone begins at the same point and is studying the same material as the class proceeds.
This poor dear was totally lost. All the input she received in this beginning class was absolutely above and beyond her. There was no "comprehensible input" for her, although she was in a beginning class.
This is a total waste of your time and money. Wouldn't you want to know that before you end up flushing your money down a Guanajuato Spanish School toilet?
The school she attended is not cheap. It is good and you pay for good.
What to Do
Come to Guanajuato expecting to become fluent at these Spanish schools and you will leave sorely disappointed. Before you spend a small fortune coming here expecting to become fluent, try to develop as much spoken fluency in Spanish as you can. You will get a better return on your money in a Guanajuato Spanish school if you do. And, don't enroll in a classroom situation in the States. Do a home study course in the privacy of your home.
Commercially Available Products
Pimsleur Spanish
Rocket Spanish
Learning Spanish Like Crazy
Financing Your Spanish Adventure
If you check Ebay.com, you can often pick up all three levels of the Pimsleur Spanish course at a great discount. Then, you can turn around and sell them through Ebay.com to come up with the funds for Rocket Spanish and Learning Spanish Like Crazy.
I bought level one of Pimsleur Spanish, went through it, and then sold it so I could buy level two. I repeated the process until I got through level three of the Pimsleur course.
You can download both Rocket Spanish and Learning Spanish Like Crazy for about $97.00, burn it on your own CD's, and you will have saved a considerable amount rather than buying them wholesale. These companies actually encourage you to do this.
You will end up with a tremendous amount of Spanish by going through these courses first. Then, you will be prepared for a stint in Guanajuato studying or just hanging out. You will do well with your Spanish.
Look, visiting central Mexico is not a breeze. It is not designed for Gringo comfort, as are Puerto Vallarta and other resorts. You are not going to find a covey of resort staff hovering over you to make you have a good time.
Central Mexico is real Mexico and you will see and hear things that might shake you to your soul if you are not prepared.
So, tell me, what's better...to hear the truth or come here and find out you may have flushed a lot of money down the toilet. You can't count the cost and be willing to pay the price if you don't know what that cost is.
Those who count the cost and are willing to pay the price will not be those who go back home after vacationing in Mexico and mean-mouth the city they visited. After all, they knew what to expect BEFORE coming.
And, that's why I write what I do.
SPANISH LEARNING RESOURCES ... Learning Spanish INSTANT DOWNLOAD (PDF and MP3 FILES ONLY)
###
A Walk Through Mexico's Crown Jewel: A Guanajuato Travelogue
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