| This morning I went to the supermarket; I keep | | | | you'd better have some extra cash to bail yourself |
| trying to learn not to be in a hurry.I miss Safeway. I | | | | out of jail! Most people here don't have car insurance; |
| miss the speed and efficiency of moving people | | | | the person at fault has to pay for the other person's |
| through the lines. This morning, there was hardly | | | | repairs. Period. The bad part about this is, you don't |
| anyone in the store. With the customary Mexican | | | | have insurance protection. You also can't go and buy |
| way, I got to the "Express" line and the cashier had | | | | a plasma TV with your payoff should you choose |
| to call someone over to undo some transaction. Of | | | | not to repair the car. This keeps expenses down |
| course, this involved sliding a card through the | | | | quite a bit.Mexicans love a bargain and are into |
| terminal, writing and stamping about 57 papers, sliding | | | | quantity, not quality. Not surprising for a Catholic |
| the card again, this and that...it took me 20 minutes | | | | country where the average family has four or more |
| to get through the line with all that nonsense, and I | | | | kids. They love Wal-Mart. They think Wal-Mart is the |
| was the only one in the line, purchasing four items! | | | | best thing since the tortilla. They say the price is |
| One would think that with computer terminals and | | | | lower and the quality is higher. Well, the price is lower |
| such, things would move a bit faster. But no, | | | | because there are no import fees. Quality? That's |
| Mexicans love to stamp their papers.Same thing for | | | | anyone's guess. Mexicans produce good quality things |
| going to the bank. In the U.S., we don't like lines so | | | | themselves, so I won't be surprised to see them |
| we do online banking. Heaven forbid we should wait | | | | become much more self-sufficient when it comes to |
| for more than five minutes at the bank! Try three | | | | superstores.Milk is the same price everywhere. There |
| hours! Here you go to the bank and take a number. | | | | is a standardized thing where things like milk, beans, |
| Then you sit down if there is any available seating. | | | | tortillas, and a few other staples are kept at a low |
| There may be 125 people ahead of you (this is NOT | | | | cost. Well, milk is expensive here, the price just shot |
| an exaggeration!). I've clocked it and the average | | | | up a few months ago. I am told that milk is cheaper |
| transaction at a Mexican bank takes 10 minutes. | | | | in the U.S. and I believe it. A gallon of milk here costs |
| Type this into the machine, get a printout, stamp, | | | | about $3.50.Other things are much cheaper; one can |
| stamp, stamp, do something else, stamp, stamp, | | | | eat very well on about $5.00 a day here, or less. I've |
| stamp, write something down, stamp, stamp, stamp, | | | | had three squares for less than $4.00 before.You |
| sign here...stamp, stamp, stamp. Going to the bank | | | | won't find the super organic, microbrewed specialty |
| here is torture unless you have a good book to | | | | beers here. You have a few choices, mostly Tecate, |
| read!The pleasure and pain of Mexico is a system | | | | Corona, Dos XX. The Mexicans don't like to import |
| without a system. At the gas station, you don't | | | | beer. They are very into their own beer.Although I |
| courteously pull up to the front pump. You pull up to | | | | miss the speed of things that I don't like to do, I |
| whichever one you want. There is no self-service | | | | can't help but wonder if it's really better to know |
| here, they pump your gas and wash your windshield | | | | that something is going to take you a long time, like |
| if they feel like it. Most of the time they do. The gas | | | | going to the bank. It really slows things down. The |
| station people are very nice. One woman who works | | | | only place where Mexicans are fast is driving. |
| at the gas station next door to me taught me how | | | | Everything else happens when it happens, pretty |
| to say my numbers in hundreds, like "one hundred, | | | | much.Living here takes a different sort of planning, |
| one hundred and fifty, two hundred," etc. She always | | | | but thankfully I had the experience of living in the |
| smiles at me when I proudly ask for the amount of | | | | provinces of England and the San Juan Islands before |
| gas she taught me how to say.Driving is an | | | | moving here. You learn patience there, waiting for |
| adventure. Mostly you have to watch out for the | | | | ferries and such. Island life is anything but convenient. |
| microbuses and pedestrians and people on bikes and | | | | Still, Mexicans are more relaxed than the islanders |
| other cars and big trucks and the occasional donkey | | | | are.Update:I have now lived in Mexico for two years. |
| cart. Well, I guess you have to watch out for | | | | I don't even notice the lines anymore, the stamps or |
| everything, really...a car accident here is a federal | | | | the enormous waste of time to do a simple little |
| offense and no matter who's fault it is, both parties | | | | thing. The words "on demand" do not exist here. |
| are arrested. If it is determined that it's your fault, | | | | |