I think everyone would generally acknowledge that where ever we may choose to live, that place and its culture will work a subtle influence on our perceptions, thoughts and actions. I can think of several, in my case. From the former Soviet Union countries, I picked up the habit of taking taking off my shoes when entering a home, as well as the habit of eating left overs for breakfast. (Funny how, having spent the first 45 years of my life in the U.S., it never occurred to me to take off my shoes, unless they were wet or muddy, and as for breakfast I thought the choice was dry cereal, eggs-bacon-and toast, or pancakes/waffles. Now, I know otherwise.) From Vietnam I picked up a lot of bad driving habits. From Mexico I picked up...I'm almost hesitant to say it, an appreciation for tequila, drunk straight. If you'd asked me even two years ago what I thought about tequila I'd have said, "Yuk!" Recently though I discovered that I actually liked it, not in margaritas, but straight. It tastes to me like a fine liquor- well, Jose Cuervo Tradicional does, anyway, and I'm sure there are some others, as yet untried, that I would appreciate, too. So, it seems, no matter where you choose to live, expect the unexpected to happen to you as local customs, practices and preferences begin to rub off on you. What about some of you other readers, what have you noticed about yourself, and Mexico's ability to change you, over time? Care to comment?
I do have a theory as to why I began to appreciate tequila. Last winter we visited Jalisco state, where tequila got started, and visited the town of Tequila, where the Jose Cuervo plant is located. We took a tour, joining a gaggle of other tourists, curious about how tequila is made. Part of the tour was a visit to the "cooking" area, in which the cores of Agave plants are processed, as the first step in making tequila. I found the aromas intriguing. I think this triggered an acquired taste.... We had one other experience that showed the degree to which Mexico can get into you, over the years. We were watching the film, "Fighter" (I think it was), and a fight took place in Tijuana. Naturally, they played mariachi music and both my wife and I were pleased to hear it, thinking, "That's our music!" Funny, isn't it? Perhaps others have acquired a taste for Mexico just from repeated visits, here....
I lived in Cancun for 11 years and learned and absorbed more than I knew was happening. That was discovered when I moved back to the USA in 2006. It is an absolute trueism that America has the richest poor in the world - after having seen how much of Latin American poor really live. I learned patience in Mexico - which I had little of before - and aquired the ability to not get in a rush for things that are not an emergency. This has been incredibly helpful in life. I learned the true nature of deep friendship, as in my experience, Mexicans are slow to form serious friendships but once formed, it's as if you were always their brother and always will be. Although I am certainly an American patriot, I also learned why the world can sometimes legitimately complain of American political arrogance and our tendancy to think the sun shines out our own rear ends ! Driving in Mexico is about as risky as Russian roulette with a shotgun. After seeing how they drive, I understood why religion plays such an important part in their lives ! No doubt there are other characteristics that I'm forgetting right now but these came to mind right away. Good thread subject !
