Observations

There are some wonderful things about living in Mexico City and some things we do not yet understand. Because we don’t know how things work, everything takes longer than expected.

A few weeks ago we went to the nearby pool built for the 1968 Olympics. Charles loves to swim and had heard this was a great place. We didn’t have a chance to find out if I could swim the length of an Olympic size pool because:

• The only way to swim is to be signed up for a class and to show up at your time.

• In order to sign up you need your birth certificate, ID card, proof of address, a note from a doctor, and a recent EKG. They do have a doctor on site (just not on the weekend) but the EKG has to be done elsewhere.

• All of that didn’t matter because we couldn’t sign up on the weekend anyway.

You can see why everything takes longer than expected. We do have our birth certificates. (Will they need to be translated into Spanish?) We have no idea where to get an EKG nor how much that costs.

On to some of the lovely things about Mexico.

• Both of us and my sister-in-law, Victoria, attended a wonderful concert with the National Symphony Orchestra for about $25 dollars total.

• Charles is thrilled to be able to choose between 3 classical radio stations (“There wasn’t even ONE in San Diego!”).

• There is a wonderful appreciation for authors. Charles came home gushing about the corner newspaper stand also selling books by various ancient and modern philosophers. Listening to biographies of various writers on the radio helps Charles pass the time as he sits in traffic. I do my best to steer him away from the bookstores we pass on the streets.

• Charles regularly comments on the little touches that add beauty to Mexican architecture.

• We can buy a kilo of fresh tortillas just down the street for $1.20.

• People are very kind and patient with my bumbling Spanish and Charles’ many questions. When I don’t understand the price at the market, I hold out money, and they don’t take advantage of me.

• There is green everywhere. Balconies are filled with plants and flowers. Trees line many streets. There are lots of parks of all sizes. We are thankful to live less than a mile from Viveros which is a 96-acre park. Last Saturday I saw people doing yoga, tai chi, boxing, a type of Japanese sword fighting, and a couple of matadors practicing their moves with their capes (No bull was in sight).

• At many intersections the “walk” lights for pedestrians include a countdown of how many seconds until it turns red. I find that very helpful, and at times I start running before I even get to the crosswalk so I can make it across.

• Mexicans are family oriented and very affectionate. It’s not unusual to see a teenager walking down the street hand in hand with their parent or grandparent.

• Mexicans figure out how to do a lot with a little. I think that’s part of the reason why yoga and zumba classes are in the park. It cuts down on the overhead and makes it more affordable for everyone (It likely also avoids bureaucracy and taxes). It’s why the outdoor ‘gym’ near the university is put to good use. It consists of a bunch of metal bars in different configurations complete with home-brew cement weights of various sizes—cheaper than iron. It’s why street tacos are a thing, and people operate restaurants from the courtyard of their homes.

• The fruit here is wonderful: papayas, mangos, guavas, melons, pineapples, watermelon, multiple kinds of bananas, and mountains of limes. Only apples aren’t that great, which is to be expected since we are a long way from apple country.

• We purchased a washer/dryer unit on Sept. 3rd which was supposed to be delivered by October 6th. We are still waiting. In the meantime, we can carry our laundry down the street where it is washed, dried, and folded for about $1.50 a kilo. That is far better than sitting in a laundromat. NEWFLASH: As I was writing this, we received a call that the delivery will be on the 21st. However we can not make the appointment for it to be hooked up until after it has been delivered.

We have much to be thankful for. Despite the bureaucracy, we are settling in and adapting to life here.