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1 hour ago, dichosalocura said:

Mudgirl is technically correct on terminology but way off on terms of usage.  Any english speaking person can and will be labeled a gringo or gabacho.  They don't ask to see your passport first.  Any light skinned European may be called a gringo even if they are speaking a totally different language than English.  Because to many Mexicans they might not always be able to distinguish which language a person is speaking while passing them on the streets.  Even Afro-Americans can and will be called gringos.  Chicanos too.  If they perceive you as looking or acting like an American than they will call you gringo.  Period.  And unfortunately Americans often times do the very same thing.  If you look or sound like how Americans think a Mexican should look or sound like, then you are Mexican.  It doesn't matter if you are really Guatemalan, Argentinian, or a Spaniard for that matter.

That's pretty close to what my wife tells me. I am learning a lot as I am the only Caucasian around,  everyone where I am is Mexican, great people, but very few speak English, not that that's a bad thing, but I think its 1 of the 2 reason I use this board, 1 to get advice, which isn't working out that well, the other being, I can talk in English, which is rare.

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11 minutes ago, mudgirl said:

I know you think that's such a clever insult that you seem to use it to put down every post I submit (who's obsessed here?) but considering that I'm of 100% Jewish heritage, you might want to work on a more apropos insult.

How can calling someone a Nun be an insult? I use this because you always seem to be rebuking anything that anyone says here that you slightly disagree with walking around with a ruler waiting to rap some knuckles!!! Has nothing to do with YOUR religion, so get over it!!!   

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Yeah just be careful with the word caucasian.  Many many Mexicans are caucasian and many are of Euopean blood lines.  You will see this a lot in Jalisco and in many more Northern states.  Jalisco has something they call ojos Tapatíos which are blue or colored eyes.  And if I sometimes have trouble determining who are Americans and Canadians how do you expect Mexicans to be able to, hence why we all just gringos.  And yes I have been speaking Spanish since I was young and I know what they call us. And I never get offended.

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You're certainly correct there. Gringo is not a derogatory term, it's  slang and Mexican Spanish is apparently king as far as slang in Spanish speaking countries. 

A lot of things said in Mexico would be frowned upon as discriminatory in other places. Like fat folks being called Gordo and skinny folks being called Flacco. It's normally done with no ill intent, it's affectionate. Mexicans just don't take themselves that seriously and aren't particularly "politically correct". They don't pretend not to notice that someone is 100 pounds overweight. 

My plumber is called Gordo. But while he's a big guy-tall, he's of average weight- he isn't obese or anything. So I asked him why people call him that. He said, " Oh, but I used to be fat. I went on a diet and lost 60 pounds several years ago because my doctor told me if I didn't, my health was in danger."

But he's still called Gordo and doesn't seem to mind. ( I actually call him by his real name, Daniel)

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1 hour ago, gringohombre said:

How can calling someone a Nun be an insult?

Anything can be an insult depending on the context. And you know perfectly well that you are using it to be deprecating, so don't feign innocence.

And once again, check your reading comprehension. I never said nor implied that the term "gringo" was derogatory, it isn't. I only said that technically it refers to someone who is American. Just as Tapatio refers to someone from Guadalajara and Chilango to someone from Mexico City.

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Mudgirl, that is actually why I love living in Spanish speaking countries, México especially.  Because they are honest, humble, and not politically correct.  When I was in HS I once lived in Venezuela for a year as a foreign exchange student.  In my host family I had an aunt who was fairly white looking and she had a good friend who looked really dark African black.  (If you ever live in South America you would understand how the races mix there) but she would always call him affectionately mi negrito.  Once I asked him if that bothered him, he responded why would it?  I am clearly black.   My other aunt had a live in black maid named Fany that seviced the house.  Me being from the South, that was slightly awkward.  And they wore uniforms too.  I would come home from school and go to my room to lay on my bed to watch Thunder Cats in Spanish and here would come Fany taking out my trash sweeping and mopping around my bed as I layed there watching TV.  Now that was awkward feeling coming from our American history.  But it was life down there.  You either served or had a servent.  And we lived in a small appt.  Most appts always had a small room by the laundry room where the live in maid would live.  That was Venezuela in the 90's. Things in México are different.  They rarely call a black Mexican or black person  negro cause here they recognize that to be perceived as racist.  But a darker skinned mestizo family member or spouse they address here afectinately as mi negrito or mi negrita.  But here is the Mexican caveat if you are white looking they don't have a problem affectionately calling you güero or güera.  Which means whitey used affectionately for both Mexicans and foreigners.  Most expats may never notice this unless they are fluent in Spanish.  Most people talking to you may be respectfully addressing you as whitey.  Mi güerito cómo estás hoy?  My little whitey how are you today.  After first moving to México that was weird and strange and I'd be like hey I ain't your little whitey but now I have grown to embrace it affectionately and assimilate.

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3 hours ago, mudgirl said:

Anything can be an insult depending on the context. And you know perfectly well that you are using it to be deprecating, so don't feign innocence.

And once again, check your reading comprehension. I never said nor implied that the term "gringo" was derogatory, it isn't. I only said that technically it refers to someone who is American. Just as Tapatio refers to someone from Guadalajara and Chilango to someone from Mexico City.

There you go again!!! You are just making things up to suit your argument...I said just the OPPOSITE!!!. Here is what I said: "This is a term used here by Mexicans that nowadays is mostly endearing and funny". You are insulting me by saying that I have no reading compensation, plus many more worse things in many other posts. This does not bother me at all since I consider the source...and YOU are getting all bent out of shape because I call you The Nun!!!

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I have not heard the term negrito  that much in Mexico..In Chiapas on the coast some people obvioutly came from the escaped slaves and mixed with the local population generations ago.. and i hear.them called morenos  o morenitos.

The non indigenous are called kaxlan down there and I hear it is not pejoratif but  i also hear it said in.pejoratif ways, it all depends on the context  just like gringo.. The light colored skin.people are also called meca.. That is what one parrot calls me when I come in....😄

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11 hours ago, gringohombre said:

How can calling someone a Nun be an insult? I use this because you always seem to be rebuking anything that anyone says here that you slightly disagree with walking around with a ruler waiting to rap some knuckles!!! Has nothing to do with YOUR religion, so get over it!!!   

I'd like to respectfully suggest you just stop any name calling, and stop screaming "Fake News" as well to things you disagree with.    You're more than capable of writing well reasoned responses, you've proven that, keep that going.         

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I spoke with my expert on the Mexican usage of words, my Mexican wife.  She said, she can immediately tell the difference between Canadians and Norte Americanos and would not call a Canadian a gringo.  She like a lot of Mexican's believe the word gringo came from green coat go home.  Actually the US army did not wear green coats so this is wrong.  I find it hard to believe it came from a song the US army sang (green grow my lilies).  However its origin, it refers to USA people.  In her mind there is some disrespect attached to it.  The same for gordo, polite people do not refer to someone as gordo or prieta.

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7 minutes ago, rafterbr said:

I spoke with my expert on the Mexican usage of words, my Mexican wife.  She said, she can immediately tell the difference between Canadians and Norte Americanos and would not call a Canadian a gringo.  She like a lot of Mexican's believe the word gringo came from green coat go home.  Actually the US army did not wear green coats so this is wrong.  I find it hard to believe it came from a song the US army sang (green grow my lilies).  However its origin, it refers to USA people.  In her mind there is some disrespect attached to it.  The same for gordo, polite people do not refer to someone as gordo or prieta.

Polite people amongst friends call each other all kinds of names just fer the halibut. I taught my Mexican neighbours  and friends to call me a hoser not a gringo. Soy Canadiense, no gringo.

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Gordo also means darling.  I call a young man gordo because that is what is parents called him and no one is bothered by it.  I had not seen him for a long time and when I asked him what I should call him he said gordo.. It is all in the relationship you have with people..

Gringo is the same.. gringo can mean US or anyone who is not Mexican or just about and in Chiapas it means anyone form the north. I am French but they call me Aleman because that is what they call Europeans.. go figure. Every person and every area has its own twist. I hate the word gringo especially used by foreigners and never use the word but that is a personal thing. I know that most of the time when you hear it by Mexicans it is slghtly pejoratif unless it is an endearment term. No one has ever called me gringa in my face

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1 hour ago, happyjillin said:

Polite people amongst friends call each other all kinds of names just fer the halibut. I taught my Mexican neighbours  and friends to call me a hoser not a gringo. Soy Canadiense, no gringo.

Ok my experience with the term seems to be very different than everyone else. As I have to admit my Spanish is weak so I rely on my wife a lot, I am not sure of the origins, but I can tell you that my wife kept telling me she was going to buy a t-shirt for me that said, "no soy gringo". Because she didn't want people thinking I was American.

Also, her family was sensitive about the term and only when I joked about it with her mom, did they loosen up about it. When we took Ubers, it was often asked if I was American, which the wife quickly responded, no, no, es Canadian. Which for some reason sparked an immediate change in tone from the driver. 

From what I am told, there is a lot to this, but stems mostly by how they are being shown in the media and because of how the Americans like to flaunt their wealth. But its just not Americans, Cubans are not very well liked either. Not sure exactly why, but both my wife and my neighbor, who is Mexican born but lived in the States mostly, But have the same reaction when Cubans are mentioned. 

I have been to a lot of Countries and there seems to be a trend where they have one nationality that is some what hated. Ukraine was the Russians, China was the Africans, and the Koreans, I think they hated everyone. Mind you the Koreans were very blunt about everything, in fact they told my ex that she was too fat to shop at their store.

But I am making a concerted effort here as I have to admit my original understanding of Mexico was from the media and they didn't paint a good picture. So far it has been an eye opening experience and an underlying reason I want to do the show. Because the Mexican people have surprised me in so many ways and it has made me relook at the way that I as a Canadian have added to the world and that I have a lot to learn to be a better person.

It has given me a good tag line for the show though in that "Nature makes things beautiful, But people make it interesting"

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I have to admit, I like the conversation about understanding the Mexican people as its great but I am not sure how I can frame this into the context of the show, as the primary theme is what its like to be an expat here and where to go and what to do to make the experience better. 

So I like the content, but how would I go about relating it to the material, because I dont want to just drone on with talking heads, telling people how the Mexicans are, as that would be kind of boring, so I would need a visual storytelling aspect. Not in a documentary style either as the intent is to make this a fun and relatable.

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Only Canadian think it is important to say they are Canadians and not Americans.. Nobody gives a darn. People are people some are good and some are bad.. and it does not do any good to peddle all that bs stereotype.

Mexicans are the same way they come in all sizes and all colors so stop stereotyping every one. It does not do any good to anyone and it is boring.

The Mexican culture is varied and fascinating so talk about that rather than the expats themselves.

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I doubt that it can be pigeon holed but it's more about attitude and experiences while living here in Mexico than about where you come from or what you look like. I have found that the majority of Mexicans have a great sense of humour and love a good joke. This is not something that you would find out if you weren't communicating (or attempting to communicate) in Spanish. In learning to laugh at yourselves while learning Spanish, you break down a lot of barriers that exist just by speaking only English and assuming that someone within hearing distance speaks English and will reply to you. When no one responds and you speak English LOUDER, it confirms that you are, indeed, an arrogant, rude person. 

It upsets me greatly when an older person is the wait staff in a restaurant and a Mexican woman calls out "Joven" to get his attention for something. 

It's about respect and understanding and it is very much a two way street.

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32 minutes ago, bmh said:

Only Canadian think it is important to say they are Canadians and not Americans.. Nobody gives a darn. People are people some are good and some are bad.. and it does not do any good to peddle all that bs stereotype.

Mexicans are the same way they come in all sizes and all colors so stop stereotyping every one. It does not do any good to anyone and it is boring.

The Mexican culture is varied and fascinating so talk about that rather than the expats themselves.

I would like to think people are people regardless, but unfortunately I am overly nieve.  Truth is the best content is when you can speak from experience or simply stick with what you know. There is so much to the culture here and it is fascinating, but as far as a show goes, I am not sure people would care, as there are plenty of documentaries all ready and I am not familiar enough with the subject mater to speak on it.

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45 minutes ago, bmh said:

Only Canadian think it is important to say they are Canadians and not Americans.. Nobody gives a darn. People are people some are good and some are bad.. and it does not do any good to peddle all that bs stereotype.

Mexicans are the same way they come in all sizes and all colors so stop stereotyping every one. It does not do any good to anyone and it is boring.

The Mexican culture is varied and fascinating so talk about that rather than the expats themselves.

Exactly. I get so tired of foreigners describing the 'Mexican' people. ('they' are so; this and that) They are all different just like all over the world.

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14 minutes ago, Ferret said:

I doubt that it can be pigeon holed but it's more about attitude and experiences while living here in Mexico than about where you come from or what you look like. I have found that the majority of Mexicans have a great sense of humour and love a good joke. This is not something that you would find out if you weren't communicating (or attempting to communicate) in Spanish. In learning to laugh at yourselves while learning Spanish, you break down a lot of barriers that exist just by speaking only English and assuming that someone within hearing distance speaks English and will reply to you. When no one responds and you speak English LOUDER, it confirms that you are, indeed, an arrogant, rude person. 

It upsets me greatly when an older person is the wait staff in a restaurant and a Mexican woman calls out "Joven" to get his attention for something. 

It's about respect and understanding and it is very much a two way street.

"It's about respect and understanding and it is very much a two way street". I couldn't agree with this more, look I know that I am new here and I am doing my best to respect everyone and dont even mind valid criticism.

So I know everyone is not onboard with this idea and have had a couple people accuse me of fishin or some thing called a border promo, still not sure what that is. But I am trying to do something that could prove to be useful or at least entertaining. So look, I have no idea what has happen here before and am no stranger of being accused of something that I have no intention of doing. Because I took time off and worked in the family construction company, trust me, everyone thinks contractors are trying to rip them off. But I did well because when people meet me they realized that one, I simply dont care enough to lie to anyone, secondly, I am way too honest, if I want to make money on something I would tell you. Point blank. 

So if you think this is an effort to do something that's fine, but hit and run accusations are low, so if you think something is up, then ask me, I will tell you. But at least tell me what it is you think I am doing, because I am pretty sure you are way off. 

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There is a calle in Chapala, actually a narrow alley, it is called "Pompous Fonetica". The small musical instrument shop at #29 would be a perfect stop for Northtek.....they sell Mexican "Toot your own horn too much."  The owner Carlos Santana will also tell you what a border promotion is.......Don't miss this.

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Just a heads up, as here is the main reason for the show. I am less than 10 years to retirement, the last 5 years have had me wondering what retirement even going to be like or if it was even possible. To say it kept me up nights would be an understatement. everyone that I spoke with back home had the same concerns, as retirement in Canada is a problem for a lot of people. 

I got lucky in that I am married to a Mexican woman, before this I had no idea what Mexico was like and that life here was so affordable. Since getting here, my biggest worry is now gone, as retiring in Canada with my income was at best, a string of compromises, at worst, wishful thinking.

Mexico has given my a chance to not only retire in comfort, but also lead a life I wanted and to travel more. Plus I can even retire early. As I have already entered into what can be considered semiretirement. 

People in Canada (maybe in the US) are desperate for retirement options and if I can show them that Mexico can solve a lot of their concerns, then why not. It is a solution that works for me and will work for a lot of other people. 

This is my audience, I think I can share my experiences, show them what life here is like and what they can expect if they decide its the right solution for them. 

This is the main premise of the show and it will appeal to thousands if not millions, as it will give them an understanding of what it will be like to retire here. Many may choose it, many wont, but a lot will watch. Which is the very reason people make videos.

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4 minutes ago, Fred Habacht said:

There is a calle in Chapala, actually a narrow alley, it is called "Pompous Fonetica". The small musical instrument shop at #29 would be a perfect stop for Northtek.....they sell Mexican "Toot your own horn too much."  The owner Carlos Santana will also tell you what a border promotion is.......Don't miss this.

Ok great thanks, I googled it and got nothing, so it must be a local thing.

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