Episode 60
Gringa Tacos, Cineteca & Leaving for Bogotá with Fernando Marquez
I met Fernando Marquez at a Wednesday night language exchange in Condesa, talked to him for about half an hour, and decided that was enough to have him on the podcast. He grew up in Del Valle and still lives there, drives to his mom's place in Querétaro when the city gets to be too much, and dated a woman from Maryland for two years, which meant explaining to her that Mexicans are warm and Americans are, in his words, a little bit colder. I told him he could take out the little bit.
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Transcript
Feels to me like we're, the Latin Americans, we are a little bit more warm.
Speaker:Oh, yeah.
Speaker:For a little, yeah, definitely.
Speaker:And Americans are a little bit colder, you know?
Speaker:Yeah, yeah, no.
Speaker:So- You can take out the little bit.
Speaker:This is episode 60 of onefjef 60, 60, 60 for you.
Speaker:Six.
Speaker:Hello once again, my friends.
Speaker:Hola de nuevo, mis amigos y amigas.
Speaker:Thriving?
Speaker:Yes.
Speaker:I hope you are.
Speaker:Always.
Speaker:Speaking of thriving, the podcast has been gaining some steam this month,
Speaker:so thank you for sharing it with your friends or family or people with whom
Speaker:you have an undefined relationship with.
Speaker:Thank you as well to my ex-landlord, who has no doubt been listening with
Speaker:a pen and paper in hand, searching for a new crime to charge me with.
Speaker:Buena suerte to you.
Speaker:At long last, I am finally releasing some of these interviews that I recorded
Speaker:months ago back in the old apartment when I was relatively fresh off the
Speaker:boat or the airplane, whatever, and it's funny listening back to these.
Speaker:I can hear it in my voice, the wild-eyed newness of everything,
Speaker:the whiplash still wearing off.
Speaker:I met my guest today at a Wednesday evening language exchange in Condesa
Speaker:that I went to a few times and have every intention of returning to
Speaker:at some point, but have not yet.
Speaker:His name is Fernando Marquez, and we only talked for about a half an
Speaker:hour at the language exchange, but it was one of the more interesting
Speaker:conversations that I've had since moving here, or at least at the time.
Speaker:So it seemed appropriate to have him on the podcast.
Speaker:He's in his 20s, and he's itching to see the world, and I'm all for it,
Speaker:and I am itching for you to go to patreon.com/onefjef and sign up to support
Speaker:this fledgling independent podcast for as little as $5 a month or about 85 pesos.
Speaker:You'll be buying motivation for me to continue making these, and you'll
Speaker:also get access to a bunch of free content, more of which is coming soon.
Speaker:Patreon.com/onefjef.
Speaker:If money is tight, totally understand.
Speaker:You can sign up as a free member and feel moderately good about yourself.
Speaker:And thank you to all of my continuing members.
Speaker:You're the best.
Speaker:As always, thank you for listening.
Speaker:Thank you for being here.
Speaker:Here's my conversation with Fernando Marquez
Speaker:I lived a few years out of the city in another, another small town-
Speaker:Mm-hmm … which is called Querétaro.
Speaker:Okay.
Speaker:It's like three hours away from here.
Speaker:I've heard of that.
Speaker:Um, but- It's on the coast, right?
Speaker:No, it's just like in the middle of the country.
Speaker:Okay.
Speaker:My bad.
Speaker:A, a little, a little more up towards the north.
Speaker:Okay.
Speaker:Uh, but still kind of like middle.
Speaker:But most of your life's been here.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:All right.
Speaker:All right.
Speaker:What part of Mexico City did you grow up in?
Speaker:In this, uh, area, neighborhood called El Valle.
Speaker:Oh, okay.
Speaker:The same neighborhood you're in now.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Exactly.
Speaker:Yeah, yeah.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:I've been, I've been living there almost my whole life.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Cool.
Speaker:So when I moved out of like my, uh, family's house, I wanted to find a place
Speaker:in the area because… Not just because that's a place that I really know- Yeah.
Speaker:Yeah … but I feel comfortable living there.
Speaker:I mean, I like it.
Speaker:Sure, and close to your family's important.
Speaker:Exactly.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Are you close to your family?
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Uh, I'd say my mom lives in Querétaro.
Speaker:Okay.
Speaker:So I go there from time to time- Mm-hmm … to visit her and to stay with her.
Speaker:I, I like that because I can say that I have a mix of both things.
Speaker:Mm. Mexico City, it's like the chaos side of my life.
Speaker:Right.
Speaker:Right.
Speaker:And Querétaro is more like the peaceful side because- Oh, that's nice
Speaker:sometimes when I feel like pretty stressed of this, I just drive there
Speaker:and I stay for just a few days.
Speaker:I work remote from there.
Speaker:Right.
Speaker:She has like a, a, a nice backyard.
Speaker:Mm. So I take my coffee there in the morning- Oh, that's nice … while
Speaker:I'm working with my laptop, and there, there's no like sounds.
Speaker:There, there's no- Yeah
Speaker:car noise.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Mexico City is very loud.
Speaker:It is.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Extremely.
Speaker:So what was it like growing up in… I mean, I know you have nothing to
Speaker:compare it to obviously, but what was it like growing up in Mexico City?
Speaker:I would say it's pretty interesting.
Speaker:I mean, I don't know, for example, like kids growing in small towns in the US.
Speaker:Sure, sure.
Speaker:But here in Mexico at least, there is kind of a big difference from these kids
Speaker:that are growing up in small towns- Right.
Speaker:Right, right … than the kids growing up in the city.
Speaker:Of course.
Speaker:So I, I would say that you are open to more experiences.
Speaker:Yeah, yeah.
Speaker:There's always something new to do here.
Speaker:You're exposed probably to a lot more as well.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Exactly.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:And therefore, I think that we grow up with even different
Speaker:levels of stress, I would say.
Speaker:Hmm, right.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Right, right.
Speaker:I think the noise just in general brings you stress, like
Speaker:the constant din of Mexico City noise that never seems to stop.
Speaker:Yeah, it's something to get used to.
Speaker:I lived in New York for 10 years, and it was always noisy there, but
Speaker:it wasn't the same kind of noisy.
Speaker:Here, it's just like, you know, Yeah.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Um, so how have you seen the city change since you… I mean, you've
Speaker:been here most of your life, so how have you seen the city change?
Speaker:That's a great question, honestly, because, you know, it, it changes so fast.
Speaker:Mm-hmm.
Speaker:And you actually feel like- It's been growing and changing so
Speaker:fast that you don't even notice.
Speaker:Right.
Speaker:Right.
Speaker:You know?
Speaker:So one day you wake up, and you're living in a totally different city-
Speaker:Huh … but it's the same one- Sure … but you've been there
Speaker:for- Sure … many years, you know?
Speaker:Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker:So, like, I don't know, back in the day- Mm-hmm … uh, there was a lot of chaos.
Speaker:Yeah, there was.
Speaker:What kind of chaos?
Speaker:Like, you know, always a traffic chaos and all those kind of things,
Speaker:but I, I feel like people, they are always gonna find something
Speaker:to complain or something to blame.
Speaker:Well, sure.
Speaker:I mean, that's human nature, right?
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Right.
Speaker:Back in the day, they were complaining about insecurity.
Speaker:They were complaining about many other things, and now they complain about, you
Speaker:know, um, people, foreigners living here.
Speaker:Right.
Speaker:You know?
Speaker:Right.
Speaker:And, and tomorrow they, they will find something else to complain about.
Speaker:Sure, unless the foreigner thing continues, right?
Speaker:Which it's- Well, it's, it's gonna continue because- I, I don't know if you
Speaker:remember this chat that we had, uh, that night, but I was saying that big cities
Speaker:like, like Mexico City, like New York City- Yeah, yeah, yeah … they're totally
Speaker:exposed to these kind of things, you know?
Speaker:Like, people from different cultures, different, uh,
Speaker:places- Yeah … moving there.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:And it's just, like, part of, like, the natural tendency of
Speaker:the, of the world right now.
Speaker:Yeah, although I think in the case of Mexico and Mexico City, particularly
Speaker:with expats from the US, I think it's often a financial incentive as well.
Speaker:Mm-hmm.
Speaker:Whereas if, like, New York City, I lived there for 10 years, it's
Speaker:way… I mean, it's crazy expensive.
Speaker:It's, like, three times as much as anything here.
Speaker:So I think that, I would imagine anyway, I'm not speaking for Mexicans of course,
Speaker:but I would imagine that a lot of the, uh, negative sentiment towards expats comes
Speaker:from the fact that there's a feeling that they are coming in here with all their
Speaker:American money and make- raising the rents and, and making everything more expensive.
Speaker:Well, I mean, if you put it that way, yeah, but that maybe i-
Speaker:that's kind of what it's going on.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:You know?
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:But at the same time, um, I think economy is just going bad for everyone.
Speaker:It doesn't matter where.
Speaker:Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:And i- if, if I had a chance, for example, to go and live in another country where
Speaker:I can have a better quality of life- Yeah
Speaker:we would probably do it as well.
Speaker:Right.
Speaker:I think most people would.
Speaker:I think that's gonna be the story of, like, the 21st century is, um…
Speaker:Like, the 20th century was often, like, gentrification in their own
Speaker:country, but now I think it's gonna be international gentrification in a way.
Speaker:Like, people going from one country to another to live because of
Speaker:more opportunities and so forth.
Speaker:And actually, now that we s- we're talking about this, it came to my mind,
Speaker:one of the common thoughts of, well, people living here in Mexico City-
Speaker:Mm-hmm … because it's a big, big city.
Speaker:It is.
Speaker:And all the opportunities in the country, or the most important ones, are here.
Speaker:Same.
Speaker:Whether it's, uh, f- for a good college- Mm-hmm
Speaker:or a good job.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:So people from different parts of the c- of the country, they
Speaker:all move in here, you know?
Speaker:Mm-hmm.
Speaker:Doesn't matter if you're living in, like, Quintana Roo, Veracruz.
Speaker:Right, right, right.
Speaker:Like, moving to Mexico City, it's always one of the possibilities, you know?
Speaker:Right, right.
Speaker:A- and these people from Mexico City, they're always mad at them a- as well.
Speaker:You know, it's like- Oh, I see … "Oh, go back to your state," you know?
Speaker:Oh, I see.
Speaker:So it's like - Right … people from Mexico City, they just wanna have, like,
Speaker:people from the same city living here.
Speaker:Right.
Speaker:Right, right.
Speaker:The only difference with- Right … Americans and Europeans is that of
Speaker:course they have, like, a better, uh, a better payment- Right, right, right
Speaker:more money, and it increases pri- prices.
Speaker:Mm-hmm.
Speaker:And I think that's why they're a little bit more mad to them
Speaker:than- No, it makes sense.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:It makes sense.
Speaker:Yeah, it's a complicated situation.
Speaker:Do you remember- When you were a kid, seeing a lot of gringos or, or, or
Speaker:foreigners around in your neighborhood?
Speaker:Not at all.
Speaker:So when- do you remember when you started to see them around?
Speaker:Hmm.
Speaker:I would say after pandemic.
Speaker:Okay.
Speaker:Yeah, that sounds about right.
Speaker:That's about when the, the big, the digital nomad thing started- Exactly
Speaker:… the working remotely thing started, and everybody started to say, "Hey, Mexico
Speaker:City's great." Everybody I talk to who's not from Mexico City, who hasn't
Speaker:visited and visited for the first time, they're always like, "I had no idea."
Speaker:Exactly.
Speaker:"I had no idea." Keep it a secret, though, because we
Speaker:don't want anybody else to know.
Speaker:I mean, my ex-girlfriend, she's from, uh, she's from Maryland.
Speaker:Okay.
Speaker:And she decided to come here and, and live- Mm-hmm … in Mexico.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:But once she told me that before that, she never knew that we
Speaker:had big cities like Mexico City.
Speaker:Oh, wow.
Speaker:Yeah, I mean, I knew you had a big city.
Speaker:I just didn't know it was this pretty.
Speaker:Okay.
Speaker:You know?
Speaker:I think that's most people, because the media in America, or I think
Speaker:in most places, doesn't like to tell positive stories about Mexico.
Speaker:Mm-hmm.
Speaker:Which, you know, uh, sucks, but great for, you know, s- "Don't come.
Speaker:It's dangerous here." It's, you know- Exactly … yeah, yeah.
Speaker:I mean, I know, like, the security here in, in Mexico in terms of, like,
Speaker:uh, narco, those kind of things.
Speaker:Yeah, yeah.
Speaker:Well, that's true.
Speaker:I mean- Yeah … it, it happens in the country, but they think that we
Speaker:live in, like, uh, shootings the whole day here- Yeah, yeah … or something
Speaker:like that, which is not true at all.
Speaker:Which is the way it's portrayed, though, in the news.
Speaker:Exactly.
Speaker:And, like, the new- people e- e- mail me news stories or text me or whatever news
Speaker:stories about Mexico, and it's always something that's somehow negative, right?
Speaker:Like, the last one was the city sinking 12 inches a year or something, and, you know.
Speaker:It happens.
Speaker:Which is exciting.
Speaker:I can't… I wish you could feel it sink.
Speaker:You know?
Speaker:If you could actually- Yeah … oh, there's another drop.
Speaker:Um, so you dated… How long did you date the woman from America?
Speaker:Uh, we, we were together for, like, almost two years.
Speaker:Y- you met here, I imagine.
Speaker:Yeah, we met here.
Speaker:W- did she speak Mex- Spanish Spanish?
Speaker:Uh, no.
Speaker:I mean, just, uh, a little bit.
Speaker:Yeah, si.
Speaker:I mean, for example, when we were going to restaurants- Uh-huh … she
Speaker:liked to order her own stuff.
Speaker:Oh, that's good.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Um, but I needed to help her with a lot of things.
Speaker:Right.
Speaker:Right, right, right, right.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Were there any big cu- cultural differences you noticed that, of dating
Speaker:a person from the States as opposed to dating fr- somebody from Mexico, that is?
Speaker:I would say, um, that probably we have like a different kind of
Speaker:love language- Uh-huh … between Latin Americans and Americans.
Speaker:For sure.
Speaker:Because it feels to me like we're, the Latin Americans,
Speaker:we're a little bit more warm.
Speaker:Oh, yeah.
Speaker:For a little, yeah, definitely.
Speaker:And Americans are a little bit colder, you know?
Speaker:Yeah, yeah.
Speaker:So- No, you can take out the little bit.
Speaker:So at the, uh, when we were just starting this, it, it felt strange to me, you
Speaker:know, because it's like I, I have a feeling like I ki- she kind of likes me.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:But at the same time she acts like I don't fucking care.
Speaker:Right.
Speaker:Or like I don't exist, you know?
Speaker:Right.
Speaker:Right.
Speaker:And eventually I just, um, I was just getting used to it and- Mm … I
Speaker:started to, to know a little bit about her and- Right … the way she laughs
Speaker:and the way she expresses herself.
Speaker:Right, right, right, right, right.
Speaker:So.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:But yeah, I mean, that was kind of the first thing that I could tell.
Speaker:Huh.
Speaker:Um- That's interesting.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:And I don't think we ever finished the question, when did you start…
Speaker:Oh, COVID, you started seeing the, the expats start to, start to come in.
Speaker:Exactly.
Speaker:How did that change the city?
Speaker:Do you, do you have any thoughts about… I mean, 'cause that's been
Speaker:a profound t- in my mind anyway, I, I don't know how Mexicans feel about it,
Speaker:but that's been a pretty profound change having all these, you know, Westerners
Speaker:come in, or Americans and Europeans.
Speaker:I think Mexico's a Western country, so my bad.
Speaker:But, uh, you know, all these people from other countries coming in to, and
Speaker:just raising their, Condesa and Roma Norte basically is where they're going.
Speaker:Were people talking about it?
Speaker:Do you remember anything about when that first started happening?
Speaker:It's just that it started really suddenly- Right
Speaker:you know?
Speaker:Right.
Speaker:Like, you started to hear about like, "Oh, like I heard that many Americans
Speaker:are starting to move here," you know?
Speaker:Right, right.
Speaker:But like something very casual.
Speaker:Right.
Speaker:Something like, it's like no one's really talking about that till the
Speaker:point that it was really happening.
Speaker:Right.
Speaker:You know?
Speaker:And then you, you saw them in your neighborhood and stuff, right?
Speaker:Exactly.
Speaker:So I remember once I, I went to, uh, run, uh, on a Sunday morning to Condesa.
Speaker:Mm-hmm, mm-hmm.
Speaker:Uh, and after that I just, uh, stopped at a coffee shop just to grab some coffee.
Speaker:I was sitting there.
Speaker:Uh, I was listening to the conversation right next to me, and they were speaking
Speaker:English- Yeah … uh, on the right.
Speaker:And on the left- Oh … they were speaking English too.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:And then just a, a few guys were just passing by speaking English.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:And I was like, "Oh my God, no one's speaking Spanish here anymore," right?
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:It's kinda crazy.
Speaker:That's kinda why I don't live in Condesa because it's just like I
Speaker:don't… I left America to You know?
Speaker:You know what I mean?
Speaker:Do you know people who are profoundly against this, this thing going
Speaker:on, like your parents or somebody?
Speaker:Are they… Is, do anybody… Are the, I guess, like the older
Speaker:generation more against this than, than the younger generation?
Speaker:Well, for example, I mean, not, at least not my family- Okay
Speaker:because when they met my ex- Oh, right … uh, they actually like her a lot.
Speaker:I'm sure.
Speaker:But I remember that I had a really, really big problem with one of my friends.
Speaker:Mm-hmm.
Speaker:Because when I was celebrating my last birthday, I decided to throw a party.
Speaker:Right.
Speaker:And I invited a few friends and everything.
Speaker:Mm-hmm.
Speaker:My ex invited one of her, of her best friends- Okay
Speaker:who's also from America.
Speaker:Mm-hmm.
Speaker:They were there.
Speaker:Right.
Speaker:And my friend, she, she got there.
Speaker:She was just starting to meet them.
Speaker:Mm-hmm.
Speaker:And she threw a comment that I couldn't tolerate at all.
Speaker:Uh-huh.
Speaker:What was that?
Speaker:Because she was like, "I don't like these, these guys because they Americans." Oh,
Speaker:well, that's pretty straightforward.
Speaker:And I was like All right.
Speaker:Uh, I mean, I respect your opinion.
Speaker:However, A, she's my girlfriend, and B, that guy's also my friend.
Speaker:Right.
Speaker:Right.
Speaker:And you didn't even have the chance to get to meet them.
Speaker:Right.
Speaker:Right, right.
Speaker:Disliking people simply because of the country they come from is
Speaker:ridiculous in my mind, without even getting to know them, right?
Speaker:Of course.
Speaker:Right.
Speaker:And it's just because she's, like, very, uh… With these, like, national
Speaker:thoughts, like defend the, uh- Right, right, right … patriotism.
Speaker:Keep it homogenous, and it's- Exactly … But I think that's
Speaker:a, that's a losing battle really.
Speaker:And it's a complicated issue because, you know, in one sense it is
Speaker:making money for the city of Mexico C- for, for Mexico City, right?
Speaker:And there's more businesses opening up, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah.
Speaker:On the other side of the coin, housing prices have gone up.
Speaker:Even in the year since I first came here, they've gone up a quite a bit.
Speaker:So I don't know what I would do if I was the mayor.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:But at the same time, I w- I wouldn't like to be hated if I
Speaker:decide to move somewhere else.
Speaker:Yeah, no, it is a weird… I haven't felt anything.
Speaker:The only time I ever saw anti-gringo sentiment was when I was here in
Speaker:December, and it was right after there was some protests, so there was
Speaker:some graffiti that said, "Gringos go home" and around Condesa and stuff.
Speaker:Mm-hmm.
Speaker:But since I've lived here, I've had, like, nothing.
Speaker:No, no anti… Like, not that I'm aware of anyway.
Speaker:Maybe they were saying things behind my back and I didn't understand,
Speaker:which is fine with me, 'cause I don't understand Spanish anyway,
Speaker:so what do I- Good, good try.
Speaker:I mean, if anything, I've been, like, welcomed as warmly, w- more warmly
Speaker:than I've been welcomed to most places in the States, to be honest.
Speaker:Yeah, I mean, my ex, she, she faced a couple situations- Mm-hmm … living here.
Speaker:Sh- once she wanted to go to a Zumba class or something like
Speaker:that- Yeah … to start dancing.
Speaker:Yeah, yeah.
Speaker:And a random woman from the academy, she asked the teacher, like, the,
Speaker:like something like, "Oh, I thought we were keeping it local, right?"
Speaker:Huh.
Speaker:So- Little subtle little things like that.
Speaker:Exactly- Yeah, yeah, yeah … you know?
Speaker:And she, of course, is like, "Why are you saying this, like,
Speaker:right in front of me?" You know?
Speaker:Right, and it's ironic in a way, because I'm sure Mexicans are
Speaker:probably pretty upset with what's going on in America about how the
Speaker:Mexicans are being treated there.
Speaker:Exactly, yeah.
Speaker:So it's ironic that they would treat the Americans coming here,
Speaker:although I do understand because it's a completely different situation.
Speaker:Oftentimes Mexicans are going to America to, you know, make money
Speaker:and so forth and so on, whereas here we're coming oftentimes because,
Speaker:you know, it's pretty and we can afford it, and all that kinda thing.
Speaker:Yeah, but I think that w- another mistake that we're committing right
Speaker:now is that we think that you guys are just living here because wanna
Speaker:have, like, a rich life or something.
Speaker:And- Yeah, I think some people are for sure, but some are not.
Speaker:Exactly.
Speaker:I mean, for example, one thing that my, my ex told me, sh- she said like, "You
Speaker:know, they think that I'm just coming here because I wanna save money, but the truth
Speaker:is that I cannot pay America anymore."
Speaker:And honestly, it's not that… I mean, it's gotten much more expensive,
Speaker:so it's not that cheap anymore.
Speaker:No.
Speaker:So it's not even like… Yeah.
Speaker:Uh, like, I know that- I don't know.
Speaker:I feel like there's two different kinds of gringos.
Speaker:Um, there's the gringos that are trying to actually integrate and learn the
Speaker:language and be a part of the culture and understand the country, and there's
Speaker:the gringos that just want it to be like little America there in Condesa,
Speaker:and just wanna speak English and don't even make an effort to do anything.
Speaker:Correct.
Speaker:Those are the ones that make us all look bad.
Speaker:Um- But, but you're gonna find these kind of people, like, all the time.
Speaker:Of course.
Speaker:All the time.
Speaker:Of course.
Speaker:Everywhere.
Speaker:And I think we are always talking just about the gringos- Yeah … but we're
Speaker:never talking about the guys from Europe- Right, and there's a lot of-
Speaker:that are coming to live here.
Speaker:Right.
Speaker:Lot of Koreans too, right?
Speaker:Exactly.
Speaker:Right.
Speaker:And there's a big community.
Speaker:If you go to this place called Santa Rosa- Mm … that, that
Speaker:place is full of Koreans.
Speaker:Right.
Speaker:But no one's talking about them.
Speaker:Right.
Speaker:You know?
Speaker:Right.
Speaker:Well, I mean, I think that it's very easy to hate on the United States right now.
Speaker:Well- You know what I mean?
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:I mean, I could even do it, so, uh, I think it's really easy.
Speaker:Anti-American sentiment is, I think, highest that it's been in
Speaker:my entire life, which- Ugh, yeah.
Speaker:Uh- And I, I like to say that I'm not, like, a pro of a country or another
Speaker:country, but I just believe in equality.
Speaker:That's, that's- Sure
Speaker:I say.
Speaker:Like, before I decide to hate someone or to actually like
Speaker:someone, I would like to have the chance to get to know this people.
Speaker:Sure.
Speaker:Of course, right.
Speaker:Right.
Speaker:And I think that's kind of the most fair thing to do.
Speaker:That kind of feels like the way that most Mexicans kind of deal with people.
Speaker:It's somewhat ti- it's sometimes even off-putting how friendly people I
Speaker:barely know or don't even know are.
Speaker:For example, when I met you, uh, and this has happened more than once, we
Speaker:talked for maybe a half an hour, right?
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:And then I got, we got each other's f- uh, WhatsApp number, and then, you
Speaker:know, you texted me on my way home, and you're like, "If you ever need
Speaker:anything, let me know." I've heard that from so many people that I barely know.
Speaker:Like, "If you ever need anything, let me know," and I believe it's, like, sincere.
Speaker:And, like, in the, the United States, there's so much fear of strangers
Speaker:and so forth and so on that's kind of ingrained in you from the media and all
Speaker:that- Yeah … that you just don't, you just don't have that kind of warmth.
Speaker:Even in going into stores saying, like, "Buenos dias,"
Speaker:like, that just doesn't happen.
Speaker:Exactly.
Speaker:Like, I tell people who visit, you, you know, you say, you know,
Speaker:"Buenos dias" when you go into a store just because that's expected,
Speaker:and you're a dick if you don't.
Speaker:And, and that's kind of what I was talking about when I said about
Speaker:the cultural difference- For sure … between my ex-partner and I. Yeah.
Speaker:Because, for example, here in Mexico, you finish eating at a restaurant, and
Speaker:it's, uh, something traditional that you just look at the other, uh, the
Speaker:other people- Mm-hmm … in the next table and say, "Provecho," which is,
Speaker:like, "Enjoy your meal," you know?
Speaker:Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker:And, and that's something that I've never seen in another country- No, no
Speaker:honestly.
Speaker:To strangers, yeah, no.
Speaker:Exactly.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:And here in Mexico, sometimes it's kind of easy to make some friends.
Speaker:I mean even if you're, like, clubbing- Mm … and you are drunk, it's very
Speaker:common that you eventually make a, a friend, like, in the bathroom- Right.
Speaker:Right, right … just because he's drunk, too.
Speaker:Right, right, right.
Speaker:And it's like, "Yeah, man, I, I love you, man," you know?
Speaker:Yeah, I see this a lot.
Speaker:Um, I see this a lot.
Speaker:What are your thoughts on United States?
Speaker:You've been there, I imagine, a few times.
Speaker:Yeah, I've been there in the United States.
Speaker:Um- And you can be honest with me, 'cause I don't really like
Speaker:the United States anymore either, so it's totally fine with me.
Speaker:No, I think that United States is an interesting country.
Speaker:For sure.
Speaker:You guys have, like, a lot of things there, of course.
Speaker:Mm. But me personally, I don't know if I could be able to handle,
Speaker:uh, living in one of the cities.
Speaker:No.
Speaker:Because one thing that I like, for example, about Mexico City,
Speaker:it's that it's really walkable.
Speaker:It is.
Speaker:It- Although dangerously walkable, let's be clear.
Speaker:Yeah, sometimes.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:But I've noticed- Not, not cartels, just, like, the
Speaker:sidewalks and the- Yeah, exactly.
Speaker:I've noticed that in America you always have to drive everywhere.
Speaker:You- In most cities.
Speaker:I mean, in, like, New York City, no, I never had a car there.
Speaker:Chicago, I don't think.
Speaker:Oh, well.
Speaker:The bigger cities- Yeah … but not very many of the, like, very few.
Speaker:I love Chicago.
Speaker:I think it's an amazing city.
Speaker:Yeah, I haven't spent much time there.
Speaker:I just, it's just too cold for me.
Speaker:I can't do the cold anymore.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Like, I grew up in Ohio, so it's just, like, cold there, snow.
Speaker:I just don't, no more, no mas.
Speaker:Yeah, yeah.
Speaker:But yeah, the other thing that I would like to say is that I would miss, like,
Speaker:this, um, warm thing with people- For sure … because here in Mexico it feels,
Speaker:like, a little bit more social, you know?
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:And I have a feeling that living there I would be a little bit more alone.
Speaker:For sure.
Speaker:For sure.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:And I would be, I wouldn't be as social as I'm here.
Speaker:Yeah, no.
Speaker:All those things are true.
Speaker:It's, it's, um… I think that competitiveness and,
Speaker:like- You know, go get it.
Speaker:Go get whatever you want.
Speaker:Go work hard, and you'll win.
Speaker:That is kind of bred into us from childhood in the States, so
Speaker:as a result, it's an extremely competitive country- Mm-hmm
Speaker:with, that everybody just wants to g- get more money and yada, yada, yada.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:And I, and I think that's a shame, really.
Speaker:But, you know, what, what are you gonna do?
Speaker:I can't change that.
Speaker:Um, do you, do you think there's anything that you wish that expats would
Speaker:learn or change about their behavior?
Speaker:Is there anything that you notice expats doing all the time that you're
Speaker:like, "Oh, uh, they're always…"
Speaker:Uh, it's obnoxious or whatever it is?
Speaker:I think the most important thing is to be aware of your surroundings.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Which means that I'm not gonna say, like, "Oh, you should learn Spanish
Speaker:immediately," or like, "You should, uh, act this way or that way"-
Speaker:Right … because at the end of the day- Right … diversity is one of the
Speaker:biggest things that humanity could have.
Speaker:True.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:But at least what I would do in another country is that I would like
Speaker:to stick to the traditions at least- For sure … a little bit more.
Speaker:Yeah, at least try to adapt.
Speaker:Exactly.
Speaker:Like, learn the culture, learn exactly what… Yeah, yeah.
Speaker:So I think that sometimes these people, A, they might not be aware of the way we do
Speaker:things here, or B, they just don't care.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:And, and unfortunately, I've known, uh, a few guys that think that they're
Speaker:superior- Of course … you know?
Speaker:Of course, 'cause they're from America.
Speaker:And, and I, I get it, okay?
Speaker:I, I mean, I, I get where you're coming from, but the thing is that
Speaker:if, if you wanna come here, it's because probably you like the, the
Speaker:social scene here or something.
Speaker:Whatever, yeah, the food or yeah.
Speaker:So just be kind to the people, like, because we're kind
Speaker:of welcoming you, you know?
Speaker:Yeah, you're a guest.
Speaker:Exactly.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Yeah, that shit pisses me off.
Speaker:It makes it bad for everybody, this whole, like, holier than thou attitude
Speaker:just because of the place you were born.
Speaker:Give me a break.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Have you ever thought about leaving this, uh, Mexico yourself?
Speaker:Actually, I've been thinking of it, like, these days.
Speaker:Mm-hmm.
Speaker:Because, I mean, I love Mexico.
Speaker:Sure.
Speaker:And I'm pretty sure that if I leave, I'm gonna miss my culture.
Speaker:I'm gonna miss my food.
Speaker:You, you will.
Speaker:Uh, specifically tacos and salsa.
Speaker:That's- Yeah
Speaker:what I'm gonna miss a lot.
Speaker:But then, but then, you know, you'll, you'll be back at some point, and it's
Speaker:good to miss things sometimes, you know?
Speaker:Exactly.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:So I, um, I'm thinking about probably starting to have, like,
Speaker:a South American experience- Oh, yeah, yeah … as a digital nomad.
Speaker:Where are you thinking in South America?
Speaker:Well, probably my first stop would be Bogotá.
Speaker:Sure.
Speaker:But I would like to try different countries and see
Speaker:which one I like the most.
Speaker:Uh-huh, uh-huh.
Speaker:I mean, I've been in Santiago de Chile- Yeah … and I, I love the culture.
Speaker:I love the people.
Speaker:I love everything from that place.
Speaker:Right.
Speaker:But kind of my top three are, um, Colombia, Chile, and I would like
Speaker:to ch- try, uh- Argentina as well.
Speaker:Oh, right on.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:I've only been to Colombia.
Speaker:Okay.
Speaker:Bogotá.
Speaker:It was all right.
Speaker:It was very… It was, the traffic was like- You know- … nightmarish.
Speaker:Mount Bogotá is very, very similar to Mexico City.
Speaker:I think so.
Speaker:I think Mexico City is way more attractive, though.
Speaker:Bogotá did not seem to spend any effort to plan the city out at all.
Speaker:It's just, like, a bunch of buildings just put wherever they were put.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:And there's… It's not really that aesthetically pleasing
Speaker:aside from the street art.
Speaker:Whereas Mexico has this architecture that's just kind of mind-blowing
Speaker:all over the place, you know?
Speaker:Y- and something that I like about Mexico is that I think
Speaker:it's, it's like working on sales.
Speaker:You never know what's gonna happen, you know?
Speaker:Right.
Speaker:Right, right.
Speaker:For sure, for sure.
Speaker:And you never know what you're gonna see around the… Like,
Speaker:like, what I love about it is just the way the buildings look.
Speaker:You can walk down one street, turn a corner, and have a totally different
Speaker:kind of architecture on the next street.
Speaker:Mm-hmm.
Speaker:It's kind of amazing.
Speaker:But yeah, just for experience, I would like to live somewhere else.
Speaker:Yeah, you absolutely should.
Speaker:It's, it's hard to even know, have perspective on your own home
Speaker:unless you've lived in another place to compare it, right?
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Right.
Speaker:And, and probably I can start loving my, my city from different angles- Yeah
Speaker:if I live out of it.
Speaker:Yeah, yeah.
Speaker:There'll be things you'll miss about it and things that you'll be like,
Speaker:"Oh, it's way better here." Yeah.
Speaker:But definitely cheaper in Colombia than it is here.
Speaker:It's cheaper.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Way cheaper.
Speaker:Is there a lot of gentrification in your neighborhood?
Speaker:Not yet It's starting to creep, though?
Speaker:A little bit.
Speaker:Yeah, yeah.
Speaker:I mean, recently I've noticed a lot of people, like, a little
Speaker:bit more people speaking English.
Speaker:Mm-hmm.
Speaker:But still pretty local, though.
Speaker:Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker:Still, my guess it's a, it's just a matter of time.
Speaker:Probably, yeah.
Speaker:I mean, even there's a little neighborhood right next to Condesa that they're
Speaker:calling, like, Little Condesa now.
Speaker:I don't know what it's called, but there was, like, a nickname.
Speaker:Okay.
Speaker:Yeah, like, you know, Pequeño.
Speaker:Oh, I know, I know which one you're talking about.
Speaker:You know what I'm talking about?
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:It's, it's actually, uh, Tacubaya?
Speaker:Maybe.
Speaker:I, yeah, that sounds maybe right.
Speaker:Yeah, that sounds- Or Escandon.
Speaker:Escandon, probably.
Speaker:Uh, one of, either one of them sounds right.
Speaker:Anywhere, whatever, it borders Condesa, and a lot of people are … But
Speaker:for example, Escandon is a great example- Right … because when I
Speaker:was a teenager- Mm-hmm … my mom had an apartment there in Escandon.
Speaker:Yep.
Speaker:So I was there, and it was really, really local.
Speaker:Mm-hmm.
Speaker:But if you go to Escandon these days, it's not local anymore.
Speaker:Right.
Speaker:It is not.
Speaker:Right.
Speaker:You hear, like, a lot of languages there, and sometimes even, like,
Speaker:the Spanish you hear, like, but not the Mexican s- uh, accent.
Speaker:It's, like, the Spanish accent.
Speaker:Right.
Speaker:You know?
Speaker:Right, right, right, right, right.
Speaker:So it's definitely happening.
Speaker:It's so interesting the more I think about it, though, in the sense that there's
Speaker:almost a human instinct to be suspicious of foreigners, 'cause it happens, like,
Speaker:it's happening in the United States with all the, the Latin, you know, people from
Speaker:Central America, Mexico coming into there.
Speaker:These people, a lot of people are like, "Oh, I don't want
Speaker:these," you know, "people.
Speaker:Speak the language.
Speaker:Get out of the…" And now it's happening here, when you get more im-
Speaker:you know, people immigrating or migrating or, you know, expatriating here.
Speaker:Uh, there's the same kind of reaction to… And I think it may be it's
Speaker:just human nature in a way, right?
Speaker:Mm-hmm.
Speaker:But I would think that it would be a more interesting city if
Speaker:it's more multicultural, right?
Speaker:I mean, that's what make New- makes New York kind of an amazing
Speaker:city is there's people from all over the world there, right?
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:I mean, honestly, I like that it's multicultural.
Speaker:Right.
Speaker:Like, uh, this Saturday I went to a meetup.
Speaker:Mm-hmm.
Speaker:Um, and I've met people from different parts of the world.
Speaker:Right, right, right.
Speaker:Like, a, a couple coming from the UK.
Speaker:Right.
Speaker:I met a guy from Spain- Mm-hmm … who's now working here
Speaker:at the HR. And a German girl who came here to start teaching German.
Speaker:Oh, wow.
Speaker:And she speaks, uh, Spanish really well.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:And she's gonna stay here for at least two years.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:And if you ask me, I really like the fact that we're getting people
Speaker:from many parts of the world.
Speaker:Yeah, I mean, interesting people that generally add something, I would hope,
Speaker:to, you know, the, the g- multicultural element of the city, which, I mean,
Speaker:it's, it's… hasn't really been a multicultural city before the last
Speaker:10, 20 years, I would imagine, right?
Speaker:It was pretty homogenous most- mostly all entire- Yeah Yeah.
Speaker:And but now that we were talking about this, especially when you
Speaker:mentioned people from Central America, it made me realize something.
Speaker:Probably it's just because I already told you that people in Mexico City, they're
Speaker:kind of mad at Americans, but they also kind of mad at people from another states.
Speaker:Right.
Speaker:But now here in Mexico, we are also getting a lot of people
Speaker:coming from Colombia and Venezuela.
Speaker:Right, migrants, yeah.
Speaker:And let me tell you something.
Speaker:People from Mexico City, they all mad at them, too.
Speaker:Of course.
Speaker:So it's like basically we're mad at anyone who's, uh, willing to live in this city.
Speaker:Right.
Speaker:You know?
Speaker:Well, people are afraid of change, too.
Speaker:It's, it's that and, well, for example, f- from Americans living here, you can see
Speaker:it from the angle of pricing, you know, and rise- Yeah … and the pricing rises.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Uh, but from, um, uh, people from South America, people see it as, uh,
Speaker:dangerous- Yeah … because some- Right … of them are stealing or
Speaker:are- It's the same exact thing as…
Speaker:that we get in America from people coming through the Mexican border.
Speaker:It's, "They're dangerous, they're gonna…" You know.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Uh, even though there's not a lot of evidence that suggests they're any more
Speaker:dangerous than the average American.
Speaker:But who cares about statistics, right?
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Um, I feel like in the next hundred years, you're gonna have all sorts of
Speaker:different migration patterns happening because of lack of resources, water, food.
Speaker:People are gonna be- Yeah … and most of their people, reason people are coming
Speaker:to, immigrating to America legally or illegally is because of issues that
Speaker:America caused in those countries.
Speaker:Like, you know, you look at most of these Central American countries, America's
Speaker:intervention has caused the problems that these people are fleeing from.
Speaker:So that's also ironic, right?
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Um, yeah, yeah.
Speaker:And, um, one other thing that I would like to say is- Sure … probably we're
Speaker:just mad at that because living here in this city, it's pretty chaotic.
Speaker:Sure.
Speaker:So I'm pretty sure that the stress levels here are way to higher than
Speaker:in other parts of the country.
Speaker:Right.
Speaker:Um, and therefore, when you say, "And more people are coming, and more
Speaker:people are coming"- Yeah … we're like, "We're already enough.
Speaker:We, we don't even have"- It's a- "… enough space for, for us." It's, it's
Speaker:pretty… Yeah, it's a pretty big city.
Speaker:So- A lot of people, yeah … yeah, so that's wh- I guess that's why
Speaker:we're stressed the whole time maybe.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:I mean, it's funny you say stressed because I feel like m- My brain chemistry
Speaker:always makes me feel like I'm, I'm in a hurry, you know, to get somewhere.
Speaker:My brain's always, like, hurrying.
Speaker:And I think being in Mexico City, even though you, I'm sure compared to the
Speaker:rest of Mexico it's much more stressful and whatever, but to me it's like I'm
Speaker:learning how to be relaxed and chill here.
Speaker:Okay.
Speaker:You know what I mean?
Speaker:Wow.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:It's kinda nice, actually, 'cause people just kind of walk slower.
Speaker:You know, a harita.
Speaker:You know, when you get there, you get there.
Speaker:The whole, like, you have dinner and then you sit and, and talk for an hour
Speaker:or two after you have dinner usually.
Speaker:I didn't even know about that, but I was out with a friend of mine and she's like,
Speaker:"Why are we leaving right after we ate?"
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:It's like therapy for me.
Speaker:Okay.
Speaker:Teaching me to slow the fuck down.
Speaker:That's definitely- You know what I mean?
Speaker:… interesting.
Speaker:I mean- Yeah … you, you're coming from New York City, so I get it.
Speaker:Well, no, I moved from Ohio- Oh … but still, I did live in New York.
Speaker:Right, right.
Speaker:Well, I was in New York City and then Ohio for seven years or so.
Speaker:Yeah, yeah.
Speaker:And, yeah, but I grew up in Ohio.
Speaker:But it's very interesting that you find it more relaxing here than in Ohio.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:I just don't… I feel like just the general vibe of this city is just
Speaker:generally more chill than- Okay … like, I never see people… I've said this
Speaker:story before on the podcast, but a f- when I was here visiting for,
Speaker:like, a month and a half last year, a friend of mine came to visit me.
Speaker:We're- I was staying in Juarez, and a friend of mine came from New York.
Speaker:He was living in New York at the time.
Speaker:Mm-hmm.
Speaker:And he told me one day, he's like, "You know, I, I… When I walk around
Speaker:New York, every time I walk around, there's always somebody either, like,
Speaker:screaming or, like, looking scary or, like, a homeless person or whatever
Speaker:that I'm kind of freaked out by."
Speaker:He's like, "I've not had that once since I've been here. Even the
Speaker:homeless people are chill." Yeah.
Speaker:You know?
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Um, and I was like, "Yeah, you know what?
Speaker:You're right.
Speaker:You really don't." And I haven't even seen, like… I've only been
Speaker:here two months and change, but I haven't seen people, like… Uh, I, I,
Speaker:actually, last night I saw a couple, like, breaking up in the street or
Speaker:something, but it was the first time I'd seen anybody, like, visibly, like,
Speaker:yelling at each other in the streets.
Speaker:Whereas everywhere I've been in the States you almost always see people
Speaker:yelling at each other in the streets.
Speaker:Mm-hmm.
Speaker:There's always screaming and yeah.
Speaker:Very, very interesting.
Speaker:Or a bar fight or something or whatever it is.
Speaker:Yeah, yeah.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:I guess it's just kind of, like, that you come into to Mexico City,
Speaker:of course, a different culture than the US, and that's why you find
Speaker:it, like, more, like, different.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:But for example, me, that I've been growing here my entire life- Yeah … when
Speaker:I decided to go with my mom and, and live in, in Querétaro, I was, like, 17.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:And I guess I was just, like, pretty used to this kind of, uh,
Speaker:rhythm, stress- Mm-hmm … whatever.
Speaker:So I got there, and life was just so much slower.
Speaker:So f- here in Mexico City, you never have enough hours
Speaker:for everything you have to do.
Speaker:Right.
Speaker:And in Querétaro, I was done for the day and it was only, like, 5:30, 6:00 PM.
Speaker:Right.
Speaker:I had enough time to watch the sunset.
Speaker:Oh, okay.
Speaker:And I was like, "What, what else should I do now?" You know?
Speaker:So, and you can see it- … like, wow, that's way too nice, but
Speaker:for me, that I was coming from this chaos and everything- Right
Speaker:eventually I, I even felt depressed.
Speaker:Oh.
Speaker:You know?
Speaker:Well, maybe you need to learn how to slow down, too.
Speaker:It's… No.
Speaker:Right?
Speaker:That's, that's something- Right … that I need to.
Speaker:Right.
Speaker:Uh, of course.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Because y- living in the city, uh, by being a guy who wor- grew up
Speaker:here- Yeah It's just like you're very used to this, this pace.
Speaker:Sure.
Speaker:Sure, sure.
Speaker:Right.
Speaker:Um, yeah.
Speaker:I mean, compared to, I mean, again, only two and a half months, two, I think
Speaker:two months and a week or something.
Speaker:But, like, living in New York for 10 years,
Speaker:that I felt much more stressed out living there than I do living here.
Speaker:And there's m- many reasons for that, but I think the biggest part
Speaker:is, like There's like greenery.
Speaker:The weather's always wonderful.
Speaker:And like I can't, I can't get enough of the weather.
Speaker:Uh, yeah.
Speaker:Now that you're talking about New York City, for example, we, we know that
Speaker:prices are increasing here in Mexico City.
Speaker:Oh, New York City- But it was- … is crazy … it was happening anyway, uh,
Speaker:because, you know, it's just pricing.
Speaker:It's just economy worldwide.
Speaker:Also I've read they're not building enough low-income housing at all.
Speaker:Well, here in Mexico we don't have enough houses for everyone.
Speaker:Right.
Speaker:That's true.
Speaker:And the other thing that I s- read the other day is for 2050 we're not even
Speaker:gonna have enough jobs for everyone who's getting graduated from college.
Speaker:Hooray.
Speaker:Yeah, so, um- Well, we'll also be probably sunken to the, sunken to the
Speaker:ground by canals again- … probably.
Speaker:Maybe the canals will come back.
Speaker:Yeah, maybe.
Speaker:Uh, but you know, gasoline is just way too expensive here.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:And therefore all the other things are increasing as well- Yeah, yeah
Speaker:… such as like food and everything.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Thanks, America.
Speaker:But it's, uh, it's something that it's happening with
Speaker:the big cities in the world.
Speaker:Like New York City it's like three times more expensive- Oh … than here, right?
Speaker:Yeah, yeah.
Speaker:E- easy, easy.
Speaker:And if you go to another big city in the south like Buenos Aires in
Speaker:Argentina or Santiago, Chile- Yep … or Colombia in Bogotá, I've heard people
Speaker:complaining about kind of the same things.
Speaker:Like, you know, everything is getting so expensive.
Speaker:Rent is getting so expensive.
Speaker:So- Yeah … it's just something that it's happening- Yeah … in big cities.
Speaker:Yeah, and yet income inequality keeps getting bigger as well, you know.
Speaker:Um, because I mean even in Mexico City the, the divide between the,
Speaker:the wealthiest and the poorest is, is, is seems pretty large here.
Speaker:It is.
Speaker:Um, to the, to the point where like I'm always struck by how
Speaker:inexpensive Ubers are here.
Speaker:Like I don't know if you've taken an Uber anywhere in like the United
Speaker:States, but like a ride here that'll cost literally like $3, like what?
Speaker:I don't know.
Speaker:Um… Like 60 pesos.
Speaker:Yeah, 60, 60, 80 pesos, something like that- Mm-hmm
Speaker:would cost $20- Yeah, I know … in the States, $30.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:I just don't understand how anybody can even afford to drive an Uber here.
Speaker:'Cause like just to pay for gas, like I just don't… Yeah,
Speaker:but it's not for me to wonder.
Speaker:Uh, is there like one thing as a lifelong Mexican for the most part, um, I mean
Speaker:lifelong Mexican but not Mex- whatever, that you would recommend, that you would
Speaker:say, "Oh, uh, expats, this is a thing that you probably don't know about.
Speaker:You should go to this thing"?
Speaker:Oof.
Speaker:Okay.
Speaker:I wasn't really prepared for that question.
Speaker:It's okay.
Speaker:Me personally- Yeah … I am a guy of art.
Speaker:Mm-hmm.
Speaker:So one thing that I recommend to all the people coming here is that
Speaker:you guys should visit Cineteca.
Speaker:Okay.
Speaker:I haven't been there yet.
Speaker:I gotta go.
Speaker:It's kind, like getting to C- uh, Coyoacán.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Um, and I like it because, I mean, that's how I fell in love
Speaker:with, with films- Oh, I didn't know … before- You randomly dug films.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Do we talk about that?
Speaker:I forget.
Speaker:No, but- Yeah … I went to film school.
Speaker:Oh, me too.
Speaker:Oh, really?
Speaker:Yeah, yeah.
Speaker:Yeah, so I went to film school, but I had no idea about films.
Speaker:I was never, like, a guy who's totally in love with film.
Speaker:Right.
Speaker:I realized in middle school that I had a big passion for photography- Mm-hmm
Speaker:… and I wanted to be a photographer.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:And eventually I started having this idea of like, what if I start doing
Speaker:more films or something like that?
Speaker:Sure, sure.
Speaker:So I was going to Cineteca just a random Saturday, like- Oh, that's fun
Speaker:2:00, 3:00 PM.
Speaker:Seeing some old film they haven't seen in forever, yeah.
Speaker:Exactly, and I was like, I have no idea about, like, what,
Speaker:what should I start watching.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:So I was just like, I'll, I'll, I'll watch whatever it's available right now.
Speaker:Watch anything, yeah.
Speaker:Exactly, and sometimes I didn't know, even understand it, or I
Speaker:didn't know how to evaluate a film, whatever, but I appreciate it- Yeah
Speaker:you know?
Speaker:And they have peop- uh, they have these movies from different parts of the world-
Speaker:Yeah, yeah, yeah … like Europe- Yeah … and South America, sometimes from America.
Speaker:Yeah, yeah.
Speaker:And there's a whole, a whole variety of films that you could watch there,
Speaker:and a lot of things that you can do.
Speaker:Sometimes I was going there and I wasn't even watching any movie.
Speaker:I was just laying down on the, on the grass, uh, reading my book for hours.
Speaker:It, it looks like a beautiful building.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Right?
Speaker:And they also have, like, a bar, um- Oh, do they really?
Speaker:And you can- Of course, yeah … sometimes they have jazz.
Speaker:Oh, nice.
Speaker:And they have, like, uh- Yeah, I gotta go there … beers.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:I feel bad for not having gone there yet.
Speaker:As a film person, I'm ashamed.
Speaker:There's a theater, right, Cineteatolo, right down the street.
Speaker:Oh, Cineteatolo, yeah.
Speaker:I haven't, I haven't, I've only gone there to, like, get dinner and, like, drinks.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:I've, I haven't seen a movie there yet.
Speaker:Any movie in particular that st- was like, "Ah, I love this movie"?
Speaker:Is there a movie that you're like, "Oh, this is, like, a fantastic film"?
Speaker:Well, I have my top three.
Speaker:All right.
Speaker:What do you got?
Speaker:It's from France.
Speaker:Okay.
Speaker:Uh, it's called F- The 400 Blows in English.
Speaker:Oh, see, yeah, yeah, Truffaut, right?
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Yeah, yeah.
Speaker:I, I love that film.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:I love that film, and I feel, like, so close to this guy.
Speaker:Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker:Always in chaos.
Speaker:I feel like that's kind of my life.
Speaker:Yeah, the French New Wave was fun.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:I have this other movie, also from France, by the way.
Speaker:It's called Portrait of a Lady on Fire.
Speaker:Haven't seen that one, but I know of it.
Speaker:Yes.
Speaker:It's more recent, right?
Speaker:It's more recent.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:And it tells a story about two, two women falling in love.
Speaker:Mm-hmm.
Speaker:But that was not something that could happen.
Speaker:Right.
Speaker:Right, right.
Speaker:Forbidden love.
Speaker:Exactly.
Speaker:Yeah, yeah.
Speaker:And I don't know why, but I felt touched by this film.
Speaker:Huh.
Speaker:So when I saw it, when I watch it- I went to the Cineteca just to watch it
Speaker:over and over again for a whole week.
Speaker:Oh, wow.
Speaker:I was watching it every day.
Speaker:How many times did you see it?
Speaker:I saw it, like, six times.
Speaker:Huh.
Speaker:Huh.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:And my other one- I'll have to see that … it's, it's, it's from Ingmar Bergman.
Speaker:Okay, which one?
Speaker:It's Sonata, Autumn Sonata.
Speaker:Oh, I haven't seen that one.
Speaker:It's amazing.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:It touches my heart- Mm-hmm … because it can, it talks about, like,
Speaker:this, a conflict between a daughter and her mother- Okay … and the
Speaker:things that she never told- Mm-hmm
Speaker:that made her feel awful.
Speaker:Oh, right, and her mother dies or whatever, and she- No, she doesn't die.
Speaker:Okay.
Speaker:Good to know.
Speaker:But, which- No spoilers here.
Speaker:Well, no spoilers, but I think you should watch it.
Speaker:Yeah, yeah.
Speaker:I'll check it out.
Speaker:Uh, I love, uh, Portrait of a Marriage, which is from great Bergman.
Speaker:Okay.
Speaker:Uh, it was originally on TV, but it's just about, uh, like marriages kind
Speaker:of falling apart and the difficulty of romantic love and all that kind of thing.
Speaker:And Faces too.
Speaker:It's r- is it Faces?
Speaker:No.
Speaker:Faces.
Speaker:Anyway.
Speaker:I never watch it.
Speaker:I watch Persona.
Speaker:Persona's really… That's, that, that's the one.
Speaker:That's what I'm thinking of.
Speaker:That's with the two women in the, yeah.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Yeah, that's a great one.
Speaker:That's an incredible film.
Speaker:Totally.
Speaker:What food should I eat that I've, I probably haven't eaten yet?
Speaker:Me personally, I would say tacos are just never enough.
Speaker:Right, but of course I've had tacos.
Speaker:So, well, what else you got?
Speaker:What else do I got?
Speaker:Or what kind of taco?
Speaker:I love the suaderos.
Speaker:I like those.
Speaker:Well, I mean, I'm a big fan of gringa.
Speaker:Okay.
Speaker:And gringa is the, with the cheese?
Speaker:Is that what that is, or- It's cheese, it's pastor.
Speaker:Pastor with cheese, basically.
Speaker:And it also has, like, but the, the tortilla, it's made
Speaker:of flour instead of, of corn.
Speaker:Oh, interesting.
Speaker:I didn't know that.
Speaker:I knew that there was cheese, and I've had them, but I didn't know
Speaker:that there was a flour tortilla.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Huh.
Speaker:My, my favorite taqueria, it's in, uh, Narvarte.
Speaker:It's called Vilsito.
Speaker:Okay.
Speaker:And that's the one that I like.
Speaker:It's also part of the Michelin guide.
Speaker:Oh, I think I've heard of this one, yeah.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Is that the one that just has, like, it's just n- uh, like beef- Next to… Yeah.
Speaker:No, no, no, it's… No, but it's one that it's, like, next to a, a body shop.
Speaker:Okay.
Speaker:And it's, like, open all night.
Speaker:So if you're- Oh, that's cool
Speaker:going out with your friends or- Right … something like that, it's like 4:00
Speaker:AM in the morning, what should I do?
Speaker:Night tacos.
Speaker:Let's go to Vilsito, and it's packed- I'm sure … at 4:00 AM.
Speaker:I'm sure.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:So, uh, I love it.
Speaker:I go there at least once per week.
Speaker:And I don't know if you ever tried cochinita pibil Que es?
Speaker:Cochinita pibil, it's basically another kind of taco that it's, uh,
Speaker:it's pork as well- Uh-huh … but it's marinated in a different way.
Speaker:It's- Okay … it's, uh, very typical from Yucatan.
Speaker:Okay.
Speaker:And we have some nice restaurants here in Mexico City- Oh, for sure … like
Speaker:Yucatan Mex- Yucatan places.
Speaker:Right, right, right, right.
Speaker:But of course, it's always better to eat it in Yucatan, right?
Speaker:Of course.
Speaker:Someday I'll get there, yeah.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Yeah, yeah.
Speaker:Yeah, I think I have had those.
Speaker:I kind of lose track.
Speaker:I do remember having a tongue taco at one point.
Speaker:A friend of mine took me, and that was not my favorite thing.
Speaker:Um, but you know, you gotta try everything once, right?
Speaker:Yeah, I'm pretty sure you're gonna like cochinita pibil, and just
Speaker:don't try the one from Casa Antonia because I don't, I think that's very
Speaker:industrial- No … and I don't like it.
Speaker:Noted.
Speaker:Um- And- But people's opinions about tacos in this city are, like, legit.
Speaker:Everybody has got strong opinions about tacos here.
Speaker:Yeah, we do.
Speaker:We do.
Speaker:It's something really important.
Speaker:Some, those kind of question that you should ask on a first date, right?
Speaker:Oh, really?
Speaker:What's, what's your kind of taco?
Speaker:Good to know.
Speaker:Good to know.
Speaker:No, I'm just kidding, but- I mean, I had no idea what you could do with
Speaker:tacos until… I mean, tacos in the States, it's, uh, like hamburger tacos.
Speaker:You c- don't even get me started.
Speaker:But, uh, but yeah, you come here and you're like, "I had no idea what a
Speaker:taco was until you…" Yeah, yeah.
Speaker:Amazing.
Speaker:And, and enchiladas suizas.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:You heard of them?
Speaker:Uh-huh.
Speaker:I- I like enchiladas sometimes.
Speaker:Okay.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:What's the Suiza part?
Speaker:I don't know what that- Suiza, it's another … It's, it's because it
Speaker:has another kind of salsa- Okay
Speaker:which is more creamy.
Speaker:Oh, all right.
Speaker:Based on, like, how they prepare it.
Speaker:Uh-huh.
Speaker:And the fact that it's also fully covered with manchego on top.
Speaker:Oh, yeah.
Speaker:So that's why I like it a lot.
Speaker:You guys love the cheese here.
Speaker:Oh, yeah.
Speaker:Big cheese fans here, yeah.
Speaker:Of course.
Speaker:Uh, of course.
Speaker:I mean, yeah, I'm with you.
Speaker:Uh, anything else that you'd like to, uh, to share about, uh,
Speaker:anything, anything at all, really.
Speaker:I mean, if you wanna … Well, I would say, uh, Mexico City is one of
Speaker:those things that you sh- you should try at least once in your life- For
Speaker:sure … if you're not from here.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:I think we as Mexicans, we should just, uh, chill down
Speaker:a little bit more sometimes.
Speaker:Even more than you already are?
Speaker:Yep.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Even more.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Even more.
Speaker:Even more, trust me.
Speaker:And I don't think that gentrification should be one of those big problems
Speaker:because, like I said, I, I am totally aware of, you know, the society, the
Speaker:pricing incremental, and how, uh, is every- how is everyone struggling.
Speaker:Because let me tell you something, the minimum salary here is, like,
Speaker:uh, I don't know, $600 a month.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:And- Yeah … 80% of the population is making that money.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:So only, like, 3 or, or 2% of, of Mexicans are making above $2,000 a month.
Speaker:Yep.
Speaker:And if you sum it that prices are increasing, of course
Speaker:they have a reason to be mad.
Speaker:Uh-huh.
Speaker:You know?
Speaker:I'm mad, too.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Yeah, totally.
Speaker:But the thing is that if you ask me, I don't think that's on,
Speaker:like, citizens' responsibilities.
Speaker:Like, or, or not even, like, foreigners or expats coming here.
Speaker:Mm-hmm.
Speaker:That should be something regulated by our, our government.
Speaker:It should, and yeah.
Speaker:So if you have someone to blame, that's the government.
Speaker:For sure.
Speaker:But even the regulations that they supposedly put in place
Speaker:don't get enforced, like the Airbnb thing, yada, yada, yada.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:They're not enforcing them, so I don't know.
Speaker:Okay, and the last question I ask everybody who comes on the podcast,
Speaker:kind of a left turn here, but what do you think happens when we die?
Speaker:Hopefully, hopefully, um, we would have, like, eternal life as they portray it.
Speaker:But As who portrays it?
Speaker:Like, you know, the books and the religion.
Speaker:Sure, sure, sure.
Speaker:Like, we, I mean, I, I was growing up on a Catholic family.
Speaker:Uh-huh, me too.
Speaker:So basically they say, like, be good and, you know- Right, then you go
Speaker:live on a cloud with God … and do the right thing- Yeah, yeah … and
Speaker:you're gonna live forever- Right … and you're gonna be happy.
Speaker:Right.
Speaker:Otherwise, you, you're gonna live forever but in hell, and you don't like that.
Speaker:Right, right, right.
Speaker:So I hope there's actually a heaven.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Uh, some other people think that they are gonna m- move or live in
Speaker:another life, probably as a- Right, right … as a dog or whatever.
Speaker:Reincarnation and so forth, yeah.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Uh, I wouldn't like that.
Speaker:Well, it depends on what you got reincarnated as probably, right?
Speaker:I mean, if you got reincarnated as, like, a- Still if I were rich,
Speaker:I think that I already had enough with just one life, honestly.
Speaker:Yeah, it is a lot, yeah.
Speaker:I do wonder that w- when it, gonna get to be, like, 70 or 80 or if I'm just gonna
Speaker:be like, "All right, I'm tired." Yeah.
Speaker:"I gotta, I gotta take, go to bed." Yeah, exactly.
Speaker:Uh, yeah, yeah.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:So I don't know.
Speaker:Hopefully there's a heaven.
Speaker:Yeah, hopefully there's some version of, like, a great thing.
Speaker:I think that this is just, like, a crossing point.
Speaker:I think we're going from, like, you know, we w- when we were,
Speaker:before we were born, we were joined, we were joined in some way.
Speaker:After we die, we get rejoined.
Speaker:And w- in between, we're all just kind of flailing around because we
Speaker:don't know what to do 'cause we're not joined, if that makes sense.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:I don't know.
Speaker:I mean, but something that I can just finish, uh, just to frame what
Speaker:I just said- Yep … is that we're energy, and energy isn't destroyed.
Speaker:I know.
Speaker:That's what I was thinking when my dad died.
Speaker:It, it just ch- it just changes.
Speaker:I know.
Speaker:So definitely there's something happening with us after we die.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:But maybe I'm just, uh, too ignorant to know what, what's-
Speaker:I don't think it's ignorance.
Speaker:I just think we don't have the science.
Speaker:We have no idea, no way of knowing.
Speaker:You just gotta either, you know, you gotta speculate.
Speaker:I mean, there's, and consciousness, it's all very… Yeah, I could go
Speaker:on for a long time about that one, but we don't need to do that today.
Speaker:Uh, Fernando Marques, thank you so much for coming on the podcast.
Speaker:I really appreciate.
Speaker:It was great to meet you.
Speaker:Absolutely.
Speaker:Uh, and, uh, yeah, I really appreciate you coming on.
Speaker:Thank you so much for the invite.
Speaker:Good talking to you.
Speaker:I actually enjoyed that a lot.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:No, it's fun, right?
Speaker:Yeah, it is.
Speaker:It's my excuse to get to know people.
Speaker:Absolutely.
Speaker:All right.
Speaker:Thanks, bro.
Speaker:All right.
Speaker:And there you go.
Speaker:That was Fernando Marquez.
Speaker:Thank you once again for coming on the podcast, Fernando.
Speaker:You're a gentleman and a scholar.
Speaker:You can follow the podcast on Instagram at onefjefpod.
Speaker:That's at O-N-E-F-J-E-F-P-O-D.
Speaker:I'm also on TikTok at
Speaker:onefjefpodcast.
Speaker:Just add cast to the end.
Speaker:Very simple.
Speaker:And I'm on Substack at onefjef, I think.
Speaker:I think it's just onefjef on Substack.
Speaker:I should check, but I'm not going to do it.
Speaker:You can find me, Jeff Taylor, whatever.
Speaker:Just search for all the terms, you'll find me.
Speaker:And then you'll follow me, and you will be happy.
Speaker:If you have any complaints, concerns, confusion, if you'd like to be a
Speaker:guest, if you know somebody who should be a guest, you can email
Speaker:the podcast at onefjefpod@gmail.com.
Speaker:You sensing a theme?
Speaker:onefjefpod@gmail.com.
Speaker:And if you would like to call and complain and vent, whatever you wanna do about
Speaker:the podcast, you can leave a voicemail message for the podcast at 1-669-241-5882.
Speaker:I don't have a song in me today.
Speaker:I'm very sorry.
Speaker:1-669-241-5882. Leave a message, and I might just play it on the air.
Speaker:I will play it on the air unless you ask me not to.
Speaker:Otherwise, it's fair game.
Speaker:And please do like, rate, subscribe, and review on whatever
Speaker:platform you're listening on.
Speaker:Just give it a quick click, click, click, click, click, type, type, type, type,
Speaker:type, love, love, love, yay, yay, yay, go, go, go, and then click enter or whatever.
Speaker:You know, whatever.
Speaker:It does help, and it makes me feel joyful.
Speaker:It makes me feel like somebody is listening
Speaker:I know there are people listening.
Speaker:I know you're listening.
Speaker:But sometimes I feel like I'm screaming into the void here.
Speaker:And I'm not suggesting you're a void.
Speaker:I'm making it like a metaphorical void.
Speaker:Oh, I dug myself a hole here.
Speaker:I'm just gonna walk right away from that.
Speaker:I'm gonna end this episode with a quote from Carlos Castaneda
Speaker:We either make ourselves miserable or we make ourselves strong.
Speaker:The amount of work is the same
Speaker:I'll see you next week
Speaker:Very good, Jeffrey
