Dear members of the forum,
I'm currently writing this from the Airport in Distrito Federal (Mexico City) after a 5 week vacation. All in all, I can say this trip was a life/perspective changing adventure filled with as many positive feelings as the negatives that I feel while preparing to get on a flight back to Canada. It's not that I loathe or feel any sort of resentment towards English speaking North America, I just don't get as excited in Canada on a daily basis. One of the main reasons I enjoy being in another culture is because you get to learn while having a lot of fun. Not only do you get to experience a different style of life, you are also introduced to new humor, personalities etc... not to mention diverse and foreign architecture.
I'll break it down like this:
- Places
- Experiences
- Learning the language
- Dating
- Local Lingo
Although this is a general guideline, I am rather scatter-brained and there will possibly be a bit of overlapping and backtracking. Nonetheless, I will do my best to articulate this as fluid as possible. Furthermore, I feel a little strange right now writing in English as the previous 5 weeks have been close to total Spanish immersion.
Arrival
I arrived in D.F on March 17 around 12AM without a hotel reservation and naturally decided I would sleep in the airport. In the morning I took a taxi to the city in order to search for a cheap hotel. Luckily, I had done some research and the first hotel I went to was by far the cheapest AND had vacancy. On top of that, it was in the safest and arguably nicest area in the city (which is huge by the way.)
Hotel Principal - Approx. 16 CAD/USD per night in private room with shared bathrooms. Approx. 24 CAD/USD per night with private bathroom. Located on Calle Bolivar in the Centro Historico.
(I didn't have problems with dirty bathrooms during my entire 2 week stay, although if you are a light sleeper you might have difficulties because it is a bit loud.)
Hotel Lafayette - I only went here once (for sex) but I really wish I had known about it before I went to Hotel Principal. Same price range - 18-25 CAD/USD but IMO much nicer. Also, its only 2 blocks east of Principal.
Both of these hotels are in a prime area with street performs varying with everything from beat-boxing, dancers, fake Wolverines and Aliens (AvP) singers and magicians.
My First Week:
I enrolled in a Spanish school called "Frida" which I was able to pay weekly; because of personal reasons I decided school isn't the proper method of learning for me and inevitably left after the second week. I had been pipelining on POF for about a week prior to arrival and had a few dates planned already. Whatsapp is very common here and I found if I exchanged 5-15 messages and asked for their Whatsapp number it was fairly easy to set up dates (which was even easier since I was a 5 min. walk from Bellas Artes which is a very popular site and museum in D.F.) Although I had scheduled dates with 5-10 girls, I took a liking to 2 more than the rest and decided to stick with them for the duration of my trip. (I'm a simple guy and sex isn't that important to me, even though most guys my age want "variety" I really couldn't care.)
Without turning this into an autobiography of sorts, I will stick to the important information. In the Centro Historico there are tons of awesome little (albeit expensive) cafe's, restaurants and the sort. It really isn't necessary to go into specifics as everyone has different taste and there is something to suit everyone's in that area. I also spent a fair amount of time in Condesa which I would probably choose for an area to rent an apartment if I decide to venture back into D.F. Condesa is a less beautiful mid-range priced center with a higher level of safety than a lot of the city. Although I say it is a higher level of safety, I felt safe for the duration of my trip almost all the time, less 1 or 2 late nights in the streets or metro. If you avoid confrontation and don't make any stupid decisions like going into poor neighbourhoods at 3AM you should be fine - but DO NOT, I repeat DO NOT go into Tepito. Every single local I spoke with told me it's dangerous even if you live in Tepito; basically it is where the kidnappings, arms and narcotics sales go down, avoid Tepito.
There are many museums and awesome buildings to visit in the city, as well as a really good Metro subway system. Also, if you have time and are interested in Pyramids head north to Teotihuacan. You can go on a day tour for around 500 pesos (45 CAD/USD) or take a bus from one of the stations your self for around 150-250 round-trip. As well, it's relatively cheap to use the bus system to go on a day or 2 day trip to Acapulco or Veracruz (and close, 3-5 hours.) I had actually planned to go with one of the girls and her family to Acapulco (we'll call her Maria) but her father had work and cancelled. Subsequently I planned and went with the other girl (we'll call her Daniela) for the first 2 nights, and Maria for the last 2. To avoid confusion I was in Ac. for the last 4 days of my trip.
After 2 Weeks:
Of being in D.F, Maria's parents offered to let me sleep at their house free of charge. This was unbelievable considering it saved me hundreds of dollars, gave me a chance to practice Spanish around the clock for free and go on crazy adventures in their "Combi" which is basically a less fancy Mexican VW bus. Surprisingly, her parents live in a very modest and what I would say is a relatively beautiful house by NA standards. I had learned the basics of Spanish and was putting them to practice day by day, using DuoLingo as a fun supplementary exercise. For anyone trying to learn from scratch, I recommend DuoLingo wholeheartedly. It is an awesome and easy way to get started, as well you can check out InternetPolyglot and use SpanishDictionary for translations.
The only downside of staying in a Mexican house is sex is basically prohibited. We were only able to bang once in the house very briefly (not including everything other than actual intercourse.) Thus, the money that I saved allowed us to hit up hotels a few times and bang to our hearts content.
Dating
Girls in D.F seemed to be more relaxed and personable than other places I've been to. Mostly every single girl I messaged off POF was down to have a conversation and a lot of the time meet up. In person, Méxicanas like to have a lot of fun. If you are strong, pick them up and throw them over your shoulder (I do stuff like this all the time, the girls love it.) Don't be afraid to tease them lightly, I encourage it, but these are not NA girls (technically yes, but personality wise no.) You have to have a higher level of romance; hold her hand, buy her a rose if you've went out a few times together, dance in the street to the music of the performers etc. PDA is widely acceptable here and it's perfectly normal to make-out or pick her up for a movie-esque spinning hug. Stuff like this makes them feel more special and I had no problem with attitudes from the 2 girls I hung out with. Also, playing more into the beta type with your text game helps. Lots of kissy faces and the like aren't frowned upon here.
There were a lot of first's for me in D.F, this is going to be personal.
- First time I had a girl cry because she was so happy to be with me
- First time I really cried because of a girl (I developed some feelings and couldn't help it when I saw my favourite girl's (Maria) sad fleeting face as I walked away through customs.)
- First time having anal sex (maybe that's why I got so emotionally attached)
- First time 69'ing
- First time showering with a girl
- First time sleeping a whole night with a girl
- First time having oil drenched sex (in Acapulco, we bought a fresh batch of coconut oil on the beach. Shit was magical)
Local Lingo
I found that there were lots of words/phrases prevalent in regular conversation that I was able to pick up on. This may help you communicate a bit more or understand context:
La verdad/cierto - Really, oh yeah, eh?
Pasame - Go ahead, pass me (after excuse me)
Con Permiso - Excuse me (like in a train or bus)
Disculpe/Pérdon - Excuse me (when asking a question)
Hasta Luego - Until next time
Oye - Listen to me
Tramposo - You are tricking me (usually when joking)
Chismoso - Literally gossip (basically means you're always talking!)
Mentira - That's a lie
After being here long enough, I was able to start flirting better. Some useful oraciones (sentences):
Tus labios son mi cielo - your lips are my heaven
Me gusta pasar el tiempo contigo - I like to pass the time with you
Tu cuerpo es caliente/rico(a) - Your body is hot/sexy
Besos, solo cinco pesos - Kisses, only 50 cents
I say that last one exactly like all the vendors in the streets, they crack up big time as they are always around and it's really relative to Mexico. At any given time you can walk down a busy street and hear people selling stuff, really loud yelling and whistling as well as other crazy stuff I don't really want to get into ahora; it's more fun to be surprised.
Scams
- Taxi Drivers
- Higher prices than locals
Those two are the most prevalent. If you do like me and find a hotel upon arrival, do your research. DO NOT trust those fuckers in the cabs to help you find anything, no matter how cool they seem. I got screwed over in Acapulco and basically paid the same price for a shitty hotel as a 2-4 star. Luckily, it was only for 3 nights and I didn't feel like the hassle of searching, but long story short... always do your research. They always have a hidden motive and are looking to make commissions on everything. This leads me to my next point, never accept the first price.
When you are in the streets, it's easy to find a bus for 1/5th the price. Since traffic is usually bad, taxis can be expensive if you don't narrow down on a flat rate. If they say cincuenta (50), you say trenta (30.) If they say it isn't possible, walk away. Nine times out of ten they will inevitably call you back and lower their price. I do advise a word of caution - use lots of pleasantries; Por favor, gracias, disculpe, mande (what, say it again.) If you come off abrasive you will usually stir up some trouble. This is a family orientated and normally polite culture, act as such.
Conclusion
I originally had planned to do a CELTA esl course in Mexico City which would have lasted approx. 3/4 of my trip. Unfortunately, it fell through and I had to reschedule my course. I'm going to Bogota, Columbia in November for the course. If all goes well, I plan to work in the trades 6-8 months of the year in Canada and travel the rest, teaching English. I don't feel bad that I didn't end up doing my course. I made good friends and contacts (ie. opportunities) that I wouldn't otherwise. I also exponentially improved upon my Spanish, and although I don't understand everything... I went from complete basics to able to have a general conversation and understand explanations of most words. There is nothing like full immersion to learn the language!
Thanks for reading, feel free to ask questions if you want any more specific information. I hope this was informative and entertaining to read.
Edit: Just arrived in Phoenix for a layover and I feel like I just arrived into an NBA players convention. Everyone here is so god damn tall in comparison! Must be those GMO's... Another thing I noticed is this incredibly fake "I'm your friend" smile on everyone's face. It's weird being back.
I'm currently writing this from the Airport in Distrito Federal (Mexico City) after a 5 week vacation. All in all, I can say this trip was a life/perspective changing adventure filled with as many positive feelings as the negatives that I feel while preparing to get on a flight back to Canada. It's not that I loathe or feel any sort of resentment towards English speaking North America, I just don't get as excited in Canada on a daily basis. One of the main reasons I enjoy being in another culture is because you get to learn while having a lot of fun. Not only do you get to experience a different style of life, you are also introduced to new humor, personalities etc... not to mention diverse and foreign architecture.
I'll break it down like this:
- Places
- Experiences
- Learning the language
- Dating
- Local Lingo
Although this is a general guideline, I am rather scatter-brained and there will possibly be a bit of overlapping and backtracking. Nonetheless, I will do my best to articulate this as fluid as possible. Furthermore, I feel a little strange right now writing in English as the previous 5 weeks have been close to total Spanish immersion.
Arrival
I arrived in D.F on March 17 around 12AM without a hotel reservation and naturally decided I would sleep in the airport. In the morning I took a taxi to the city in order to search for a cheap hotel. Luckily, I had done some research and the first hotel I went to was by far the cheapest AND had vacancy. On top of that, it was in the safest and arguably nicest area in the city (which is huge by the way.)
Hotel Principal - Approx. 16 CAD/USD per night in private room with shared bathrooms. Approx. 24 CAD/USD per night with private bathroom. Located on Calle Bolivar in the Centro Historico.
(I didn't have problems with dirty bathrooms during my entire 2 week stay, although if you are a light sleeper you might have difficulties because it is a bit loud.)
Hotel Lafayette - I only went here once (for sex) but I really wish I had known about it before I went to Hotel Principal. Same price range - 18-25 CAD/USD but IMO much nicer. Also, its only 2 blocks east of Principal.
Both of these hotels are in a prime area with street performs varying with everything from beat-boxing, dancers, fake Wolverines and Aliens (AvP) singers and magicians.
My First Week:
I enrolled in a Spanish school called "Frida" which I was able to pay weekly; because of personal reasons I decided school isn't the proper method of learning for me and inevitably left after the second week. I had been pipelining on POF for about a week prior to arrival and had a few dates planned already. Whatsapp is very common here and I found if I exchanged 5-15 messages and asked for their Whatsapp number it was fairly easy to set up dates (which was even easier since I was a 5 min. walk from Bellas Artes which is a very popular site and museum in D.F.) Although I had scheduled dates with 5-10 girls, I took a liking to 2 more than the rest and decided to stick with them for the duration of my trip. (I'm a simple guy and sex isn't that important to me, even though most guys my age want "variety" I really couldn't care.)
Without turning this into an autobiography of sorts, I will stick to the important information. In the Centro Historico there are tons of awesome little (albeit expensive) cafe's, restaurants and the sort. It really isn't necessary to go into specifics as everyone has different taste and there is something to suit everyone's in that area. I also spent a fair amount of time in Condesa which I would probably choose for an area to rent an apartment if I decide to venture back into D.F. Condesa is a less beautiful mid-range priced center with a higher level of safety than a lot of the city. Although I say it is a higher level of safety, I felt safe for the duration of my trip almost all the time, less 1 or 2 late nights in the streets or metro. If you avoid confrontation and don't make any stupid decisions like going into poor neighbourhoods at 3AM you should be fine - but DO NOT, I repeat DO NOT go into Tepito. Every single local I spoke with told me it's dangerous even if you live in Tepito; basically it is where the kidnappings, arms and narcotics sales go down, avoid Tepito.
There are many museums and awesome buildings to visit in the city, as well as a really good Metro subway system. Also, if you have time and are interested in Pyramids head north to Teotihuacan. You can go on a day tour for around 500 pesos (45 CAD/USD) or take a bus from one of the stations your self for around 150-250 round-trip. As well, it's relatively cheap to use the bus system to go on a day or 2 day trip to Acapulco or Veracruz (and close, 3-5 hours.) I had actually planned to go with one of the girls and her family to Acapulco (we'll call her Maria) but her father had work and cancelled. Subsequently I planned and went with the other girl (we'll call her Daniela) for the first 2 nights, and Maria for the last 2. To avoid confusion I was in Ac. for the last 4 days of my trip.
After 2 Weeks:
Of being in D.F, Maria's parents offered to let me sleep at their house free of charge. This was unbelievable considering it saved me hundreds of dollars, gave me a chance to practice Spanish around the clock for free and go on crazy adventures in their "Combi" which is basically a less fancy Mexican VW bus. Surprisingly, her parents live in a very modest and what I would say is a relatively beautiful house by NA standards. I had learned the basics of Spanish and was putting them to practice day by day, using DuoLingo as a fun supplementary exercise. For anyone trying to learn from scratch, I recommend DuoLingo wholeheartedly. It is an awesome and easy way to get started, as well you can check out InternetPolyglot and use SpanishDictionary for translations.
The only downside of staying in a Mexican house is sex is basically prohibited. We were only able to bang once in the house very briefly (not including everything other than actual intercourse.) Thus, the money that I saved allowed us to hit up hotels a few times and bang to our hearts content.
Dating
Girls in D.F seemed to be more relaxed and personable than other places I've been to. Mostly every single girl I messaged off POF was down to have a conversation and a lot of the time meet up. In person, Méxicanas like to have a lot of fun. If you are strong, pick them up and throw them over your shoulder (I do stuff like this all the time, the girls love it.) Don't be afraid to tease them lightly, I encourage it, but these are not NA girls (technically yes, but personality wise no.) You have to have a higher level of romance; hold her hand, buy her a rose if you've went out a few times together, dance in the street to the music of the performers etc. PDA is widely acceptable here and it's perfectly normal to make-out or pick her up for a movie-esque spinning hug. Stuff like this makes them feel more special and I had no problem with attitudes from the 2 girls I hung out with. Also, playing more into the beta type with your text game helps. Lots of kissy faces and the like aren't frowned upon here.
There were a lot of first's for me in D.F, this is going to be personal.
- First time I had a girl cry because she was so happy to be with me
- First time I really cried because of a girl (I developed some feelings and couldn't help it when I saw my favourite girl's (Maria) sad fleeting face as I walked away through customs.)
- First time having anal sex (maybe that's why I got so emotionally attached)
- First time 69'ing
- First time showering with a girl
- First time sleeping a whole night with a girl
- First time having oil drenched sex (in Acapulco, we bought a fresh batch of coconut oil on the beach. Shit was magical)
Local Lingo
I found that there were lots of words/phrases prevalent in regular conversation that I was able to pick up on. This may help you communicate a bit more or understand context:
La verdad/cierto - Really, oh yeah, eh?
Pasame - Go ahead, pass me (after excuse me)
Con Permiso - Excuse me (like in a train or bus)
Disculpe/Pérdon - Excuse me (when asking a question)
Hasta Luego - Until next time
Oye - Listen to me
Tramposo - You are tricking me (usually when joking)
Chismoso - Literally gossip (basically means you're always talking!)
Mentira - That's a lie
After being here long enough, I was able to start flirting better. Some useful oraciones (sentences):
Tus labios son mi cielo - your lips are my heaven
Me gusta pasar el tiempo contigo - I like to pass the time with you
Tu cuerpo es caliente/rico(a) - Your body is hot/sexy
Besos, solo cinco pesos - Kisses, only 50 cents
I say that last one exactly like all the vendors in the streets, they crack up big time as they are always around and it's really relative to Mexico. At any given time you can walk down a busy street and hear people selling stuff, really loud yelling and whistling as well as other crazy stuff I don't really want to get into ahora; it's more fun to be surprised.
Scams
- Taxi Drivers
- Higher prices than locals
Those two are the most prevalent. If you do like me and find a hotel upon arrival, do your research. DO NOT trust those fuckers in the cabs to help you find anything, no matter how cool they seem. I got screwed over in Acapulco and basically paid the same price for a shitty hotel as a 2-4 star. Luckily, it was only for 3 nights and I didn't feel like the hassle of searching, but long story short... always do your research. They always have a hidden motive and are looking to make commissions on everything. This leads me to my next point, never accept the first price.
When you are in the streets, it's easy to find a bus for 1/5th the price. Since traffic is usually bad, taxis can be expensive if you don't narrow down on a flat rate. If they say cincuenta (50), you say trenta (30.) If they say it isn't possible, walk away. Nine times out of ten they will inevitably call you back and lower their price. I do advise a word of caution - use lots of pleasantries; Por favor, gracias, disculpe, mande (what, say it again.) If you come off abrasive you will usually stir up some trouble. This is a family orientated and normally polite culture, act as such.
Conclusion
I originally had planned to do a CELTA esl course in Mexico City which would have lasted approx. 3/4 of my trip. Unfortunately, it fell through and I had to reschedule my course. I'm going to Bogota, Columbia in November for the course. If all goes well, I plan to work in the trades 6-8 months of the year in Canada and travel the rest, teaching English. I don't feel bad that I didn't end up doing my course. I made good friends and contacts (ie. opportunities) that I wouldn't otherwise. I also exponentially improved upon my Spanish, and although I don't understand everything... I went from complete basics to able to have a general conversation and understand explanations of most words. There is nothing like full immersion to learn the language!
Thanks for reading, feel free to ask questions if you want any more specific information. I hope this was informative and entertaining to read.
Edit: Just arrived in Phoenix for a layover and I feel like I just arrived into an NBA players convention. Everyone here is so god damn tall in comparison! Must be those GMO's... Another thing I noticed is this incredibly fake "I'm your friend" smile on everyone's face. It's weird being back.
![[Image: smile.gif]](https://rooshvforum.network/images/smilies/smile.gif)
I'm going to try my best
