When I first arrived in Mexico, I began
to realize how much I DIDN’T know about the country, the culture, and its history. It’s actually embarrassing not having much knowledge
about the culture of a bordering country.
A few weeks have passed and I have been picking up more Spanish and cultural
facts just by observing and interacting with my surroundings.
Adding to my
previous list, here are ten more cultural differences I’ve noticed:
1)
Tortillas are eaten with every meal. Yes, they are eaten with everything, even
with Spring Rolls. When I’m back in the
US, tortilla withdrawals are likely to occur.
2)
Using an invented measurement of “Americans,” sidewalks
in Mexico are approximately one American wide. This makes it difficult sometimes
to walk past people without running into them or stepping in the street and
getting run over by a car. But don’t worry, there’s a form of “excuse me” in
Spanish that is used when trying to pass someone: con permiso.
3)
Students always ask to come into the classroom
and to leave the classroom. For example, if a student is a couple minutes late,
they will ask “Teacher, may I come in?”
4)
For the last month I haven’t worn a seatbelt,
considering seatbelts in backseats tend to not exist. I’ve also gotten used to
crossing busy streets and weaving through traffic on crowded streets.
5)
Unlike in France where you kiss people on both
cheeks as a greeting, in Mexico you greet people with a kiss on only one cheek.
6)
Coke is extremely popular and is offered at
every lunch.
7)
Sundays are family day. Family would always be
over at the house on Sunday, even though being with family is valued every day
in Mexico. It’s an important part of
their culture, and I was lucky enough to experience that with my host
family. I even got to hold my host mom’s
one-day-old great grandson.
8)
Toilet paper is usually found outside bathroom
stalls in public places. But often it’s
BYOTP (bring your own toilet paper).
9)
It’s cheaper to pee in Mexico than it is in
France.
10)
Students are often late to class, as time is not
as strict as it is in the US. It’s a
slower moving culture and people aren’t always rushing places. There is even a verb in Spanish for wandering
aimlessly or sauntering lazily: Pajarear
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| My host mom |
As my trip to Mexico comes to an end, I just want to thank
all of you who made my experience in Mexico what it was. First of all, thanks to my parents for giving
me this opportunity. Thanks to my host
mom Yolanda for being patient with my Spanish, encouraging me, teaching me
Spanish, and always making me feel at home. Thanks to all my TESL friends for
all the laughs and good times. Thanks to my housemate for putting up with me
24/7 and for always letting me run through my lessons with you. Thanks to my
mentoring teacher at the UAQ for all the advice and for letting me be a part of
your classroom. Thanks to all my students for being such a supportive group and
for letting me teach you. Thanks to my
Spanish/culture teacher for all you taught me, for making class fun, and mainly
for putting up with me in class! =P I
cried at the end of my trip because of all of you. But I think back to what one
of my professors in France once told me: “I love when students cry at the end
of their stay because it means they were happy to be here.” I was sad to leave Mexico, but I am grateful
for those tears because they meant that for the past month I was happy and had
yet again another unforgettable experience.
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| The TESL group |
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| My housemate |
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| My Spanish/Culture professor |
Learning about the world is
achieved best by living in different cultures and learning their language. Because one can only truly understand the values
and viewpoints of a culture by speaking their native tongue. I can’t wait for my next opportunity to see
the world and wonders of life through a foreign language. Stay tuned.
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