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Finding your spiritual home in Mexico
Spirituality is embedded in Mexico, almost as if it was in the air. For many years, my husband and I were part of a meditation group that met from 8 until 9 on weekday mornings, in our adopted home of...
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Are you a chairo, a godinez or a fifí?
We Mexicans love giving things and people fun nicknames. And few things get as many nicknames in Mexico as stereotypes of other Mexicans. Living abroad, I’ve come to understand that as much as we...
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Apúrale and learn these new Spanish idioms!
When it comes to learning a language, it’s always super hard to translate our own sayings and phrases into our target language. However, translating literally does not always do the job, which can be...
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Saturday funnies: 5 Mexican memes to welcome the weekend
How’s everyone’s summer going so far? I hope it’s good, but I know that it needs more memes and the accompanying laughs. Why? Because we all need more laughs. It’s literally impossible to have too...
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Things Mexicans will never tell you in conversation
I’ve recently experienced one of my life’s most embarrassing moments. It’s all Lily’s fault. Two years ago, I asked a new acquaintance if she had any recommendations for a housekeeper. She quickly...
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MND Where to Live in Mexico 2024 Guide: Jalisco
With this instalment, the MND Where to Live in Mexico 2024 Guide: Jalisco, our extensive series, is nearing its mid-point. We’ve covered Mexico living in some diverse settings — both peninsulas (Baja...
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What do we do with all this water?
Mexico and water often don’t seem to go in the same sentence. Remember that one time when I wrote about how desperate I was (we were) for rainfall? Friends, Tlaloc is good. He has provided. Big man...
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University of Oregon student showcase: The cobbler of Querétaro
This article was written by Ellie Johnson, a journalism student at the University of Oregon program, as part of a study abroad program in Querétaro, Mexico. Our CEO recently met with the students and...
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University of Oregon student showcase: The complicated history of...
This article was written by Aedan Seaver, a journalism student at the University of Oregon program, as part of a study abroad program in Querétaro, Mexico. Our CEO recently met with the students and...
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What I learned leading a customer service seminar at an elite Mexican hotel
A few years ago, the manager of a boutique hotel in Guanajuato asked me to lead a customer service training for the hotel’s reception, restaurant and cleaning staff. As a business trainer in the United...
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Mexican slang 101: Regional natives
Mexico is a big place. With 32 states and a population of nearly 130 million, the cultural and regional diversity of this country is enormous. So how can you tell the norteños from the chilangos? Start...
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Protection spells and amulets: Welcome to mysticism a la mexicana
Just because you see churches everywhere in Mexico does not mean the occult has anything but a firm grip. Last year, I had a Really Bad Week, which was actually the week of Thanksgiving, my favorite...
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MND Where to Live in Mexico 2024 Guide: Pacific Trio
With over 6,000 miles of coastline across four distinct oceans and seas, Mexico has more coastal variety than any country in Latin America. The blue Pacific, emerald Gulf of Mexico, azure Gulf of...
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Breeze through your virtual meetings with these Spanish phrases
In today’s world, virtual meetings have become a part of our day-to-day life, and knowing some key phrases in Spanish for these situations can be incredibly helpful. Here are several useful Spanish...
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Miraculous Mexican memes to maft the soul
The time has come, my friends! If you’ve been patiently waiting for your bimonthly memes, fear not: they have arrived. Trying to learn Spanish? Humor is as good as anything else. And plus, now when you...
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MND Where to Live in Mexico 2024 Guide: Bajío Trio
This week in the MND Where to Live in Mexico 2024 Guide: Bajío Trio, we are moving inland to explore three central Mexican locations that don’t get a lot of coverage in the “where to live” online...
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Tippy-toeing through Tip-land
I have a local (Mexican) friend with whom I simply cannot go to restaurants anymore. Why? Because I get all worked up about how she treats waiters. I can’t help it. First, I don’t think she behaves...
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What’s a güey, güey? The story behind Mexico’s favorite term of endearment
“Sí güey, sí güey, sí güey, sí güey.” The phrase runs laps around in my head as I respond in the affirmative to a friend’s text, asking me to join her this evening for our favorite pilates class. At...
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Renewing your Jalisco driver’s license when you’re over the hill
At age 83, I had grave doubts that my Jalisco driver’s license would be renewed. This was not due to a lack of agility but to my waning eyesight, caused by macular degeneration and cataracts. Still, I...
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All the paperwork you’ll need for the dreaded trámites (and how to be prepared)
The time had come: I finally had all my paperwork to finalize the divorce I’d been trying to get for 3 years. Mexican bureaucracy, among other things, had meant it had taken so much longer than I ever...
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