Get involved with Oaxaca’s artisans online through English lessons
Oaxaca is one of the most important living repositories of Mexican traditional handcrafts. You can find families who weave, embroider, mold clay, carve wood, and more. But it is a challenge to keep this alive in the 21st century, now that younger generations have more lucrative options.
What to check out before you rent that really cool place in Mexico
As mentioned in the previous article, your experiences may vary. So much depends on where you rent and who you are renting from. However, some issues are common enough that they warrant being discussed. So, let’s talk about some legal and quality-of-life issues that might affect you.
Renting in Mexico? What to know before and just after arrival
When it comes to talking renting, there are two caveats to start with. Firstly, no matter how much you read, you cannot anticipate everything that you might encounter as you look for housing in Mexico. Secondly, the issues that I bring up here do not apply to absolutely every situation. Mexico’s housing market is just as varied as anywhere else. The point here, though, is to discuss issues that might surprise you as a foreigner.
Mexico provides budding ‘gringo’ comics a unique stage
On a recent episode of the My Latin Life podcast, interviewer Vance comments to comic Stephen Steers, “Imagine you’re Mexican though. And you’re walking into a bar and they’re just doing stand-up comedy in English. And you’re just like, this is it… the gringos have taken over Mexico!”
Rent too high in Roma and Condesa? Here are your other options
I’ve received some rather passionate comments from those who believe that talking about alternative neighborhoods in Mexico City for foreigners will simply export (more) gentrification to the rest of the capital. However, I write this with the knowledge that gentrification has been part of Mexico City’s history with or without foreign “help.”
Primer: Digital nomads and the tax man
If you come to Mexico as a digital nomad, there may be some surprises in store for you about taxes.
Unlike in more than 50 countries, Mexico does not have a “digital nomad” visa; however, there are laws and regulations that apply as a foreign tourist and/or resident.
Mexican migration: not just about leaving Mexico
In both perception and reality, Mexico is currently a net “sender” when it comes to migration, as images from the U.S.-Mexico border remind us.
Although Mexico has never received the large number of immigrants the way countries like the U.S. and Argentina have, foreigners have indeed come here looking for a better life, with many of the benefits and challenges such influxes create.
Black American entrepreneurs develop their dreams in Mexico
Walking around popular expat neighborhoods, you might think that foreigners in Mexico are almost always white. But indeed there are Black people from various countries living in Mexico, the largest group being Black Americans.
Japan, art fashion combine to support the Isthmus of Tehuantepec
A chance viewing of Mexican artwork in New York changed Japanese artist Miho Hagino’s life — and Oaxaca’s Isthmus of Tehuantepec gained a fan and advocate.
Pair that smashed Guinness handbiking record fall for Mexico
European bikepackers Michiel Desmet and Chiara Maffina have braved blazing sun, pouring rain and fierce winds to break the world’s record in distance traveled by handbike, but despite their exhaustion, they could not resist Mexico’s charms.
English stand-up in Mexico a growing niche over last decade
English-language stand up in Mexico – is that even a thing? “Indeed it is.” says Mariana Ramírez of Funny Girl productions — a group of English-language comedians in Mexico City.
These couples made cross-cultural romances last
With Valentine’s Day upon us, I thought to look into a question many foreign singles here ask:
“What is it like to have a relationship with a Mexican?”
Spoiler alert: it’s pretty similar to any other, but with a good dose of culture clash.
Expatriates were in CDMX’s neighborhoods long before COVID
Over the past year, there have been articles in many publications (including this one) essentially blaming the presence of foreigners for driving up rents in the Roma and Condesa neighborhoods of Mexico City, pointing to the influx of digital nomads and Airbnb rental units.
Expat rescue groups work to stem Mexico’s never-ending tide of unwanted pets
“One of the first things we foreigners notice when we arrive [in Mexico] is that the treatment of animals is different,” says Rebecca Raab of Friends of Megan animal rescue, just outside of Oaxaca city.
Phaedra Barrat of the Balam Foundation puts it more bluntly. “Animal suffering is off the charts here.”
An earthquake changed this expat’s life as he helped Mexico rebuild
Who really could blame those who decided to leave Mexico after S19 (more commonly known to expats as the earthquake of 2017) destroyed their basic sense of safety? But not only did many foreigners decide Mexico was worth it, some found in it a reason to let Mexico change them for the better.
Moving your kids to Mexico? These books will get them started
Not too long ago, if you were thinking of moving to Mexico, you were at retirement age with kids long since grown. Today, because of the rise of the digital nomad, younger people are making the move and even bringing children with them.
These expats are still here in Mexico decades later, whether they planned on it or not
Foreigners who come here to live and end up staying for decades provide a unique perspective on life in Mexico.
In 2019, I had the fortune of interviewing Guatemalan-born artist Rina Lazo. Although a major muralist in her own right, she was best known as the last surviving assistant to Diego Rivera. She embraced this legacy, in no small part because the Mexico she discovered in the 1940s was “her Mexico.”
An aspiring Australian poet found his calling making films in Mexico
Costa Rican-born singer Chavela Vargas is quoted as saying, “We Mexicans are born wherever the hell we want!” This quote might also apply to Australian–born Mexican director Michael Rowe.
Entrepreneurs in expat enclaves find success with English bookstores
Living as a foreigner in Mexico often means that we look for little nooks of familiarity. For some of us, having a cozy bookstore filled with titles in English fits the bill.
Read more…
Primer: If your child is in a Mexican school, don´t ignore Teachers’ Day
Teachers’ Day caught my attention when I first came to Mexico because neither as a student, a parent or in my initial years as a teacher did I encounter any kind of celebration of the profession — which is officially on May 3 in the United States. In Mexico, it was the first time in any job that I had that anyone thought to honor the work I do.
These expat authors put their love affair with Mexico into their mystery novels
There is no lack of talent among the many foreigners who live here and find Mexico to be an inspiration. But two have caught my attention because both draw heavily from their many years in the country, are rather prolific and are both are known for writing mysteries/whodunnits.
Read more…
Canadian sommelier started over in Vallarta with wine school for Mexicans
Kami Lee Robb worked in the Canadian wine industry for decades and decided to up and leave Canada with her daughter in 2018 after losing a job. Her experiences working as a sommelier in Mexican cities made her realize that wine appreciation classes, common in Canada, are almost unheard of in Mexico. Wine knowledge in Mexico is better than in the past, but there is still much to do, Robb said.
A quick guide to Mexico’s expat “boat people” subculture
Much has been written about the many people who live in Mexico part- or full-time, but relatively little has been written about Mexico’s different expat subcultures.
Tony Burton writes for expats as eager to learn about Mexico as he was
There is a stereotype that foreigners from the United States, Canada and Europe come to Mexico to take advantage of sun, tequila and a great exchange rate and have no interest in the country beyond that.
Butterfly chaser: how Mexico’s monarchs helped an expat find a new life
About a decade ago, American Ellen Sharp tagged along with a writer friend to central Mexico. Little did she know that this would change her life.
Canadian Shari Bondy followed the whales to Baja after they saved her life
When she was 20, Canadian Shari Bondy, who worked on various boats in the Pacific, found her watercraft blown out to sea by a storm in the Gulf of Tehuantepec, off the coast of Oaxaca. At some point, she fell unconscious, came to, and found that the vessel was surrounded by whales, who were keeping the boat from flipping over.
Should the ‘gringo village’ of Ajijic, Jalisco have been designated a Magical Town?
In 2001, the federal government began a wildly successful program to promote quaint historic towns as weekend getaways. What started as a handful of them near Mexico City has grown to 132 in 20 years.
But not without controversy.
The Oaxaca pierogi restaurant run an award-winning filmmaker
So many of us come to live in Mexico to take life slower, but what do award-winning filmmaker Slawomir Grunberg and his author wife Barbara do in laid-back Puerto Escondido?
Open a pierogi restaurant, of course — while still maintaining their full-time careers.
Starting a small business in Mexico: what online sites don’t tell you
So who among us foreigners in Mexico think “outside the box” as far as building a life here? Recent articles I wrote about Camille E. Torok de Flores in Guanajuato and the Hoveys in Sonora got me interested in seeking out those with an entrepreneurial spirit.
A reverse snowbird enjoys a life of Baja heat and Canadian ice
When I think of Canadians traveling seasonally to Mexico, I think of well-off people looking for comfortable temperatures year-round, but Jessica Collins turns this stereotype on its head.
A quixotic dream to grow pitahaya in the desert bears promising fruit
Elizabeth and Greg Hovey let the world watch as they started a project that experts and even their families thought was crazy. Today, they are Sonora’s self-proclaimed “dragon fruit slayers,” growing the cactus fruit on a ranch outside San Carlos.
Expats facing the challenges of rural living turn to “La Gringa de La Yacata”
There’s a stereotype of expats in Mexico — that they try to stretch their income and that they isolate themselves from their Mexican neighbors. Granted, such people exist, but several Facebook groups show that this is not always the case. One is Women Surviving Rural Mexico.
Read more…
Cubans, soccer players and Yanks: citizenship’s lure draws a varied mix
In 1828, Alexander von Humboldt became Mexico’s first naturalized citizen. President Guadalupe Victoria issued a decree to recognize the German’s research work in the country.
Today, it is not necessary to get the president to naturalize you but still, a small percentage of permanent residents take this step.
The Tarahumara Project: One woman’s arrival home to a much different world
Let’s be frank: Libby Townsend caught my attention because here was a white woman in full Rarámuri (Tarahumara) dress at the Feria de Maestros de Arte handcraft fair.
Almost Six Decades of Life and Art in Mexico City Expats in Mexico – Expats in Mexico
Women today may feel that “the system” makes their lives impossible, but after almost six decades of life and art in Mexico City, Helen Bickham is not only a reminder of how much things have changed, but also that success is indeed possible for those with a positive attitude..
Read more..
Expats Are Discovering San Cristóbal de las Casas Casas Expats in Mexico
Expats are discovering San Cristóbal de las Casas, the beautiful colonial city set high in the mountains of southern Chiapas, Mexico’s most southern state. The city – considered by many as an “undiscovered gem” – has been attracting expats for the past several decades. It has much going for it, but also some drawbacks.
Read more…
Living the Bohemian Lifestyle in Tepoztlán Expats in Mexico
Expat communities seem to start in places where people can satisfy their bohemian urges. Over the years, many expats have been living the bohemian lifestyle in Tepoztlán, Morelos, known for attracting a colorful mix of foreigners looking for a more unconventional way of living.
Read more…
From floating islands to abandoned lots: urban gardening in Mexico Mexico News Daily
Urban gardening is nothing new in Mexico. Lack of space and a growing population led to the invention of chinampas, artificial islands in the lake waters of ancient Mexico City. Today, some of the islands still exist as productive farmland.
If you build it, they will come: an art school and San Miguel
Mexico has always attracted adventurous foreigners looking for something different, but the expat enclave phenomenon we know now in San Miguel de Allende began in the 20th century
Alec Dempster, a Canadian ambassador of traditional Mexican music Mexico News Daily
It might have been the gods that ordained musician and artist Alec Dempster to become an ambassador of Mexican culture, particularly of its son music, to the outside world.
Thousands of Expats who consider Mexico home, hunker down to wait for the storm to pass San Miguel Times
Last week, the governments of the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and European Union imposed border restrictions and issued calls for their citizens abroad to return home because of Covid-19. Jammed airports in Mexico attest to the fact that many have paid heed.