I moved to Mexico City
Seven years ago, my then-future husband was offered a job in Mexico. He once lived in Mexico for six months, together we have been here for two weeks as tourists – had a minimal understanding of the country. I think I do not hesitate a minute: move to another country – it’s a cool adventure! We quickly got married, we gathered the most necessary in eight cardboard boxes (I could move with a suitcase, but the company paid us a certain amount of baggage), and six months later moved from Moscow to Mexico City. for a year. Which lasted for six years already.
We arrived in Mexico on a business visa, on the basis of which we later issued a temporary residence permit. Is it difficult to make a permit to live in Mexico? In general, there is no. I know that many people come to Mexico for the winter or even relocate the tourist electronic authorization or, for example, Schengen or US visa. The downside is that these documents do not give the right to work, then only 180 days, you can stay in the country.
You can obtain a residence permit – residente temporal, – if you’re here you learn, married to a Mexican, you have close relatives – citizens of Mexico, officially’re here for business and investiruesh, is a pensioner with a certain level of income or work at a local company which will issue for your permission. Still it is possible to have a child here, that automatically becomes a citizen of Mexico, and followed him, and the parents.
The second stage is usually the residente permanente – permanent residence permit. With this document, you can live and work in Mexico, even a lifetime, you are almost equal in rights with the Mexicans, however, do not have the right to occupy certain positions, to vote, and in Europe to you, unlike Mexicans, still need visas.
After 2-5 years of life in the country can apply for Mexican citizenship. Until this year, all of you would need – is to provide a pile of documents and pass a test on the history of the country (simple, if you live here – I trained a few times on the Internet and it is always held). From this year, the rules tightened – introduced an exam in the language, and the test did, as they say quite complicated. True, questions and options for answers have already appeared on the Internet, and the authorities provide a list of necessary literature for training.
First impressions
My first impressions from Mexico City – in the airport area smells. This is Latin America, baby! Here the center is not the most prosperous place, the mansions of the rich are closer to the outskirts, and in some areas it is better not to fall.
Then it was fun. I arrived immediately after the day of the dead, the most fun and shocking unusual Europeans of the Mexican holiday. The city was flooded with skeletons, velvets, paper and sugar crops, bread dead and other adoles.
Then I realized that all our ideas about the hot mexico are a lie. In Mexico City is very cold. Very – this, for example, +4 in the morning. Funny, you say you. Yes, that’s just no central heating here, the local expensive and, as a rule, is useless, and the windows are single, and it sings even in our very decent house from all the cracks. The next step was the purchase of down jacket and ughows. Until I got used to the heat in March. Well, like heat – in Moscow in July it was more difficult.
On the one hand, Mexico City Cosmopolitan City. There are areas where there are full of foreigners, restaurants with kitchens of all nations of the world, including Russians. Many shops with zero, movies, buckwheat and other modest joys of hipsters. On the other hand, it is worth going out a little away, and you already attract the attention of all passersby on the street. Sometimes it tires, so in principle I understand the African Americans in the Moscow metro.
I arrived, knowing three words in Spanish, so I went to learn it to the nearest university. Then I got pregnant, and for some time I was not up to Spanish. Now I continue learning language. I read books and newspapers, watch TV shows and movies in Spanish, I understand interest 90. But, of course, sometimes I can not remember some words or confuse the end of the verbs – the question of practice.
Many come to learn Spanish in Mexico – in the capital and in many tourist towns there are language schools for foreigners. The ticket will cost expensive, but everything else will be cheaper. Here it is necessary to understand that Mexican Spanish is very different from the classic Castiglyano, however, in my opinion, it is much more beautiful and easier. Among all other Latin American options, Mexican seems to me the most correct, soft and pleasant.
Advantages and disadvantages
I really like the climate in Mexico City. It is pretty soft, except for three or four cold weeks in winter. In the rainy season, shower go every night, and by the end of the fourth month it begins to annoy. But it is worth remembering the November slush in Moscow – and I again consider this climate almost perfect.
The difference between areas in Mexico City is hundreds of times more than in any Russian city. I was lucky, I live in a good area of hipsters, parks, dogs and restaurants, and I work out of the house. Therefore, problems of traffic jams in the city do not worry me. By the way, in Moscow traffic jams, in my sense, worse. There are two-story paid roads that are often saved, plus people in principle are much less bother with strict traffic rules.
Fruits and vegetables cheaper and more diverse than in Moscow. If we are not talking about apples. Certainly. Mexican meat, in my opinion, is much better than Russian. But the chicken is yellow here and the question "why?"The most popular on Russian forums. They say it is feeding her corn or some special substance add. I’m accustomed for six years and now I am surprised at the color of chicken meat in Russia.
Cheap fruits every day, fresh juices for 50 rubles a glass, the ability to work out of the house, kindergarten for a son – these are obvious advantages. And, of course, very developed inner tourism in the country. We even go abroad too often including because in six years did not have time to look inside the country all that we want. In Mexico, there is everything: geysers, mountains, acting volcanoes, two ocean, seats, deserts, selves, caves, canyons, delicious food, beautiful souvenirs and excellent magic towns. And we go to the sea for 4 hours by car!
Cons – this is safety. Rumors about Mexican horrors in the Russian media are greatly exaggerated, but yes, there are drug carriers, who constantly happen disassembly, a random person can also hurt. Plus robbery and robbery. It all happens. The main rule of Latin America – if you are robbed, do not try to resist. And still carry a second wallet with a small amount of money.
And, of course, earthquake. The last strong was in the fall of 2017, worse than him only occurred in 1985. Yes, scary. But pleased me how the Mexicans showed themselves, – immediately began to disassemble the ruins, trying to find victims, brought water and go to people who climbed out of houses in the coats, approached strangers and asked how to help them.
About prices
In Mexico, it all depends on the area, housing prices may differ dramatically – from thousands of three pesos (to get prices in rubles, multiply by three) to 50 thousand. In my experience, in a normal area, the apartment with two bedrooms can be removed than the amount of 7-10 thousand pesos, in good – from 15 thousand. A lot of private kindergartens and schools – the better the area, the higher the quality and more choice. Everyone who has at least a minimum opportunity, try to give children to private school. Prices are very different. Prices for kindergarten I heard from 1800 per month to 10 thousand. Average kindergarten costs 4-5 thousand pesos. For this money, he will be a bilingual, child can be left up to two or three o’clock in the afternoon, food for extra money.
Any alien with a permanent residence permit can get the most simple medstrash, if you work in the IMSS insurance system, you have right and on it. Most of my acquaintances prefers in simple cases to go to private doctors and have private insurance. Doctor’s reception is on average 700-1000 pesos. Birth in Mexico City – from 3 thousand dollars.
About work
With salaries everything is difficult. In Mexico, the income gap is very large, so that the concept of the average salary is almost useless. For example, the cleaning lady with accommodation from the owners, and power makes about 2 thousand pesos a week. Such cleaners are many, many girls come clean just once or twice a week. The waiter gets 8-15 thousand pesos a month, a teacher at the school – from 8 to 25 thousand depending on the school. University Teacher – 290-600 pesos per hour. A good salary in the capital is considered to be 20-30 thousand pesos. At the same time a lot of people who earn 100-150 thousand. The minimum wage in the country – 88 pesos a day. What exactly is cheaper than in Russia – this machine, by my count by 15 percent.
Can I work for foreigners? Of course, if the documents allow. In Mexico, many expats. It is necessary to consider some of the local characteristics: the Mexicans are actually a lot of work. Minimum holiday here – only eight days, and people with this schedule is not that a little. Plus, the Mexicans are not too fond of saying the word "no": instead, they can say "now", "I will tomorrow", "yeah", "I’ll think about it" or just a good laugh. The main thing – be nice, amable. It is therefore important to learn how to translate these words into Russian with a Mexican and not take everything to heart, as the Mexicans do it yourself.
The main thing
Not sweating over nothing – it is important the ability of Mexicans, I almost took over for those six years. And I sincerely believe this skill is most useful in life. And I learned tolerance. For taxi drivers, which do not include the turn signals and drive through a red light; carpenters, who promise to come back tomorrow, and come in a week; officials who first voiced a list of documents, and a totally different the next day. And especially to children. stranger. they mourned. Yes, they have no more annoying – I shrug my shoulders, smile at them, stroked on the head and walk away before. This is a Zen in Mexican.
Top places in Mexico
I always terribly upset when people go to Cancun at the "all inclusive", and then say that they have seen this our Mexico. To say that Cancun and the Yucatan Peninsula as a whole is a typical Mexico – about how to compare the Caucasus and Russia: here and there is good, but completely different. So here are my personal top places and experiences in Mexico, which made me scream with delight.
