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I am hated among Gringolandians because I happen to take exception to Gringolandians unbelievable arrogance when they come to visit as a tourist from the Great Gringolandia, America, or come to live here.
Here is a prime example:
Trip Advisor-Puerto Vallarta Forum --
5. Re: pesos or US dollars
Jan 12, 2010, 2:01 AM
First of all, I so despise having to read prose by Americans in which they neglect to include, as if being trendy or cute, a subject of the sentence.
Secondly: I was talking to a Mexican friend who said that the Americans who come as tourists or even expats never seem to get that they don't "get it." They don't "get that they need to get it and never get it." I couldn't agree more.
"The recipients can spend them as readily as we can down there." -- In most of the small stores and markets where locals go to shop, they cannot use dollars. Vendors and store owners want pesos since that IS the national currency. Using dollars is not as easy as this poster suggests.
In fact, "Why would anyone use USD outside of the states?? Last time I checked it was not the world's offical currancy." --Trip Advisor poster
In addition, the local will have to go and have the dollars exchanged into pesos having to pay a fee to do the exchange. This reduces the amount of the tip. Some banks in the area no longer are taking dollars. This leaves the higher fee at the exchange kiosks.
Furthermore, Americans seem to be confused when it comes to money exchanges. It is perhaps the vast lack of international experience. Perhaps it is just being stupid. Sorry. What else can it be? Why would you try and spend dollars in a foreign country? Many Americans act like Mexico is just another American southern state. And, I am being charitable in suggesting that.
A friend of mine in PV said Americans will not change their dollars into pesos because they are lazy. They don't want to stand in a line to make the exchange and often say, "Mexicans should take dollars if I spend the money and effort to come here."
It is the arrogance of "entitlement" and nothing else.
Another issue this entitled Gringo Cultural Imperialist refuses to take into consideration when saying,
"Be proud of your US heritage and don't let our lesser tipping neighbors change our style.",
is that Mexican tourist tend NOT to vacation in Vallarta because of the plethora of Cultural Imperialists and their U.S. heritage pontificating up and down the streets. They tend to go elsewhere other than American style resorts.
Could this be, and it is, escaping the narrow nationalistic mind of this poster? The reason there were more dollars than pesos in the tip jar is that there were more ignorant American tourists, refusing to change their dollars into pesos, visiting the place than Mexicans?
This all leads me to exclaim, "Gag me with a spoon!!"
Resources
1. THE PLAIN TRUTH ABOUT LIVING IN MEXICO
2. A WALK THROUGH MEXICO'S CROWN JEWEL - A Guanajuato Travelogue
3. ROCKET SPANISH
4. LEARNING SPANISH LIKE CRAZY
###
"just got back from PV on Sat. Probably tipped about $180 in a week. Tip jars were conspicously placed on the bar and contained 95% USD. I didn't observe much tipping at all. If your from the US and tip, use dollars. The recipients can spend them as readily as we can down there. Be proud of your US heritage and don't let our lesser tipping neighbors change our style. These bartenders, maids, cooks, bellhops make very little per day. Our tips help to brighten their life. It's part of our US culture. If it's not part of yours, don't make us out as bad guys!"
First of all, I so despise having to read prose by Americans in which they neglect to include, as if being trendy or cute, a subject of the sentence.
Secondly: I was talking to a Mexican friend who said that the Americans who come as tourists or even expats never seem to get that they don't "get it." They don't "get that they need to get it and never get it." I couldn't agree more.
"The recipients can spend them as readily as we can down there." -- In most of the small stores and markets where locals go to shop, they cannot use dollars. Vendors and store owners want pesos since that IS the national currency. Using dollars is not as easy as this poster suggests.
In fact, "Why would anyone use USD outside of the states?? Last time I checked it was not the world's offical currancy." --Trip Advisor poster
In addition, the local will have to go and have the dollars exchanged into pesos having to pay a fee to do the exchange. This reduces the amount of the tip. Some banks in the area no longer are taking dollars. This leaves the higher fee at the exchange kiosks.
Furthermore, Americans seem to be confused when it comes to money exchanges. It is perhaps the vast lack of international experience. Perhaps it is just being stupid. Sorry. What else can it be? Why would you try and spend dollars in a foreign country? Many Americans act like Mexico is just another American southern state. And, I am being charitable in suggesting that.
A friend of mine in PV said Americans will not change their dollars into pesos because they are lazy. They don't want to stand in a line to make the exchange and often say, "Mexicans should take dollars if I spend the money and effort to come here."
It is the arrogance of "entitlement" and nothing else.
Another issue this entitled Gringo Cultural Imperialist refuses to take into consideration when saying,
"Be proud of your US heritage and don't let our lesser tipping neighbors change our style.",
is that Mexican tourist tend NOT to vacation in Vallarta because of the plethora of Cultural Imperialists and their U.S. heritage pontificating up and down the streets. They tend to go elsewhere other than American style resorts.
Could this be, and it is, escaping the narrow nationalistic mind of this poster? The reason there were more dollars than pesos in the tip jar is that there were more ignorant American tourists, refusing to change their dollars into pesos, visiting the place than Mexicans?
This all leads me to exclaim, "Gag me with a spoon!!"
Resources
1. THE PLAIN TRUTH ABOUT LIVING IN MEXICO
2. A WALK THROUGH MEXICO'S CROWN JEWEL - A Guanajuato Travelogue
3. ROCKET SPANISH
4. LEARNING SPANISH LIKE CRAZY
###
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