Had a very interesting experience today. The after school tutoring program that I volunteer at took the day off because of parent teacher conferences at the schools. Those of us who drive kids normally were asked instead to help parents get to their conferences. So I picked up the mom of a high schooler.
First, there was confusion about time…she got the school flyer that just said 9 to 7, but the coordinator didn’t tell her when I was coming to pick her up. I got there at 4 as I’d told the coordinator, fortunately in time to get there and do the conferences.
Turns out, she speaks zero English. Well, technically two words: “no English.” So it was a bit of pantomime to explain that I was just the driver, had no idea what she was saying, but that there would be a translator at the school.
Also, she can’t walk easily, has to use a walking stick. Really should have a wheelchair, but that wasn’t an option. So I had to help her into the building and over to the library where the administration of conferences was set up. And then I walked around asking people until we found the right translator.
Pretty rough so far, yeah? Sounds like typical government organization inefficiency. But here’s where it gets better. The lady in charge of coordinating non-English speaker conferences was amazing. Took charge, got the list of teachers pulled up, got the translator settled, found a comfortable place for the mom to sit and brought the teachers right to her.
The whole experience really brought home to me how difficult even simple things can be when you’re in a strange place, not knowing the language and not very mobile. And how much difference it can make to have just a few people helping out to get past the hurdles in the way.
Yeah, but those translation apps are better in theory than practice, especially outside of major languages. In this case I didn’t even try, having been warned that translation for Kirwandan is basically nonexistent in practice. But hopefully technology will triumph in the end and create us a Babelfish!
We found a place to live in Mexico. It won’t be available until mid-December, but that fits perfectly with our timetable.
2000 sq. ft townhouse in a gated community. 3 bedrooms, 2 1/2 baths, new kitchen with granite countertops. Half a block to one of the main streets for shopping and dining, 6 blocks to the other, and 5 minute drive to the beach. Plus our street is paved, which only half of them in Puerto Penasco are.
Thanks. We got it through dumb luck, having struck out with a realtor. A waitress overheard us talking during lunch and told us about a vacancy coming up in her friend’s complex.
Interesting and looks fantastic for the price. In that first photo are those Halloween decorations? How do they celebrate it in Mexico? I hope that’s not a real giant spider!
I gotta admit that from what I can tell, it looks good.
But 2,000 square feet of modern amenities for $500/month is just something I cannot wrap my head around.
Definitely please keep us updated, because this is beginning to appeal to me.
If I can stay alive long enough to retire (seven more years to 65), I know I won’t have much to live on, so something like this seems too good to be true.
I mean, right now I’m living in a maybe 900 square foot mobile home that I own, but lot rent is constantly increasing, along with many other expenses, and getting twice the square feet for about the same amount of money would be quite tempting. I’m happy where I’m at, but the one single thing I wish for more than anything is room.
That is a Halloween decoration. Two other residents of the complex are expats, but as divedivedive pointed out, Dia de los Muertos is a big deal.
As to the rent, unless you’re living in the heart of Mexico City or in a condo on the beach in a resort town like Cancun (or even Penasco), that’s in keeping with the market. Outside of beachfront property, no place in Puerto Penasco rents for more than $700-$750
That’s what makes it so attractive to retirees, esp those like us who will be relying on Social Security. You can live a very nice, comfortable life for less than $1500/month.
Oh and Giles, mobile home lots there are really cheap. A lot of expats live in one, and while we were looking I saw some that were quite nice.
Putting aside for a moment the fact that millions of Mexicans go to the hospital and manage to come out alive, we’re only an hour South of the border.
If you’re asking about the cost of healthcare, it’s cheap. Plus there’s government insurance available (IMSS) and if I need something major done I will have Medicare available.
They played other theme songs too, including Pokemon, Thundercats, Power Rangers, and to my surprise One Punch Man. I’d have thought that last was too recent, but they did a great job with it. With all of it! The Cybertronic Spree, highly recommended for all nerds.
