This is definitely not one of those cultures where people are comfortable being in physical contact with strangers, though they exist. In Russia, you're not in a line, unless you're leaning against the person in front of you: in India, a bench can be seemingly as full as it can be, and a big Indian woman will indicate, by beginning to sit down on some people in the middle of the bench, that she thinks that bench will accommodate one more, easily.
Well i can tell you a bit about this... my whole family had that kind of thinking until i arrived and went rebel against this hahaha i started working since i was 18, buying my own stuff and trying to be as independent as possible, my brothers were all raised to be looked after, like if girls just for being girls had to do certain stuff around the house... but i guess thats just how my parents were raised and they dont know different, i do believe that i have to make my bed because i slept on it, but if my brother slept on his, im not making it if hes just being lazy... guess thats why i had so much trouble with my parents before i moved out. when i was a local there i did try to avoid physical contact... and its weird because i just didnt like to be all sticky and let the other person know i was sticky and stuff, but of course theres people that just dont care... or they just dont notice? hahaha im glad i live in mexico, i get used to the culture of a place in no time, so id be that fat lady thinking i would fit in that bench lol
I also love the "playfull" aspect of the people in Mexico. I watched a group of 4/5 grown men play a game while waiting for the bus. 3 guys would put their heads together and one guy would run and basically summersault over the three guys and the 5th would catch the guy tumbling over the pile. They were not doing it for tips - they were just having fun while waiting around. Most people in the US just sit and read the paper. Like the Mexican version better.
Mormis - My experience here has been different from yours. My fiance comes from an all-boy family. Both parents work, but his mom makes a better income. She works long days, so she expects the house to be CLEAN when she gets home at night. Who cleans the house? The boys. Ever since we started dating, my fiance always insists on helping me clean my apartment. He also always washes his dishes.
This is really interesting reading. It's weird how the negatives always seem to be more well known than the positives. There are many other cultures around the world that get a bad rep because the pros never seem to get heard. I guess it's part of that "bad news travels faster than good news"
Gringation - yes! thats it... also my parents are old and have weird ideas about a lot of stuff and mom being a housewife and with very little or none feminism in her, made things harder, we are okay now... all my siblings are gone (married and with kids) and im the princess again (with a whole bunch of responsibilities hahaha) and im loving it hahaha And yeah its true bad rep makes so much noise than the good things... i try to stay positive and be a proud mexican girl hahahaha
I just got back from a conference in the States. While there I watched them interview a Spanish-speaking person in Arizona about the new law. He said it would really hurt legals and illegals/undocumented alike because "ellos respetan sus leyes". I do not know whether the person being interviewed was there legally or not but in any case, he referred to Americans as "they." He noted that "they (Americans) respect their laws." That is one big difference that I see. OK-OK I know all about generalizing but that is what we are doing here so here goes. Mexicans do not respect the laws, taxes, politicians, police or the rights of others outside their own clan IN GENERAL. Family and friends are the most to be trusted but, as someone commented, no one is to be trusted when it comes to money. "Three things that you don't lend out: money, your rifle and your wife," so the saying goes. There is another saying: "pobre político?? pobre político"! Basically a poor($$) politician is a poor politician. Institutionalized corruption, bribery and blackmail may make this attitude a realistic one. But in any case, and I learned this in Indiana not in Mexico "laws are made to be broken," so that is not just a Mexican saying or attitude! It goes for anyone who wants to justify not respecting the law or rules or morals. Whether we are talking about running a red light at 4 a.m., drinking and driving, stealing from the "others" or crossing illegally into another country, the "law" is not respected. It is the product of corrupt people so it can be broken with impunity--no one ever gets put away anyway. The last stats I heard about Quintana Roo was that 4% of crimes are solved and the guilty party punished.
I envy the way Mexicans are so relaxed about time keeping .............but being British I HATE how they are always late.
Jim: I've noticed this too... mainly because my Mexican friends have talked to me about it. Nobody likes this aspect of their culture, and they're aware that it's a negative. I think the issue is that with so much corruption, nobody expects the law to be carried out. When houses get broken into, nobody calls the police bc if they do come, nothing will be resolved. I think there are so many illegals in the States bc they're so used to the concept that laws are just for show. Here they don't really mean anything. That's not to say Mexicans will commit crimes all the time, of course. They just don't seem to worry about laws or rules in general. If an honest politician goes into office, they'll have to become corrupt at some point. Otherwise, they or their families may be threatened. Or they may lose their job. This can happen if they refuse to sign off on illegal construction in a protected area, for example (happens a lot in Cancun , I understand). It seems to me not all Mexicans are corrupt or money-hungry. The honest ones just know they shouldn't go into politics or the police force. Sad.
