The proximity to the USA, his land of birth, yet the totally different culture is one of the things that Chris appreciates about living in Xalapa, Mexico. Here, he explains some things that one should know before moving to Mexico, such as getting a visa and adapting to the local lifestyle.	Chris Brown

September 18 2006

-Where were you born?
Olympia, Washington, USA

-In which country and city are you living now?
I currently live in Xalapa, the capitol of Veracruz state in Mexico.

-Are you living alone or with your family?
Alone

-How long have you been living in Mexico?
I have lived in Xalapa one month, after living in Merida, Yucatan, Mexico since October 1, 2005.

-What is your age?
57 next month

-When did you come up with the idea of living in Mexico?
I have been thinking seriously of leaving the USA since about 2000 after visiting the Dalmatian coast of Croatia.

A chief reason I left is that I am completely disgusted with the "might makes right" approach of the USA government toward the rest of the world.

I am also sick of the McDonald’s hamburger, gotta have it right now culture, and of seeing SUVs and huge compensator pickup trucks driving the roads with the “Support Our Troops” magnetic ribbons. They should more fairly read “Support Our Troops So I Can Continue to Afford to Drive My Gas Hog.”

The immediate event which presented me with the opportunity to leave was a call I received from a fellow in October, 2004 indicating that he wanted to buy my riverside land which had been my home for thirty years. The sale was consummated in August, 2005 and I left October 1.

-Was it hard to get a visa or a working permit?
Obtaining a visa to live in Mexico is far easier that it is for a Mexican citizen to obtain a tourist visa to visit the fatherland security state of the USA.

To obtain an FM 3 visa, which permits residency for a year and is renewable for four subsequent years, it is required that one present a passport, proof of a residence in the form of a utility bill, proof of an income of $1,000 per month, and a letter explaining one’s intent. The process for bringing household goods into the country is similar.

Throughout both processes the staff at the immigration office in Merida and at the Mexican Consul in Seattle was uniformly pleasant and efficient.

-Was it difficult for you to get medical insurance before you went there or when you first arrived?
I do not have medical insurance, though I understand that foreigners may enroll in the Mexican nation health insurance program prior to a certain age, which I believe is 63.

-How do you make your living in Mexico? Do you have any type of income generated?
I do not make a living. I am living off the proceeds of the sale of the property I owned for thirty years and in the future will live off of income from investments, pensions, and Social Security.

-Do you speak Spanish and do you think it's important to speak the local language?
When I arrived in Mexico I spoke enough Spanish to get by and am getting better and better.

I absolutely think expatriates should learn the language of their host country and always, always show absolute respect for local customs. One must understand that things are done differently in a foreign land and it is not the place of an expatriate to try to change the way things are done.

“Ugly American” types should stay home. You know the type, the arrogant types who think they’re better than others in the world because they’re from the USA.

-Do you miss home and family sometimes?
There are a few people I miss regularly seeing but do not miss the USA.

My favorite recreational activities are walking the streets, familiarizing myself with the city; shopping at the central market and in the local shops for food and other things I need; and visiting places of interest in the area like other communities, botanical gardens, museums, and the nearby mountains.

-Do you have other plans for the future?
Once I settle on a community in Mexico where I wish to live, and Xalapa is looking to me to be the place, I will likely buy a home, work in my garden, relax, visit other places in Mexico, and again visit Cuba and other places I’ve been wanting to visit.

-What about housing, have you bought, or are you renting a home? How much do you pay for it?
I rented a furnished apartment in Merida, from a wonderful landlord who even picked me up at the airport, for eleven months. Here in Xalapa I am renting an unfurnished apartment but have a small pickup truck full of household goods I had in storage and recently brought here.

-What is the cost of living in Mexico?
Most things are cheaper here than in the USA, owing, I suppose, to the lower cost of labor. Most things here are done very labor intensively as labor is inexpensive.

-What do you think about the Mexicans?
Generally, the folks in Xalapa and in Merida are very nice, very polite and very honest. However, it is true here, and I suspect elsewhere that the treatment that an expatriate receives is roughly equivalent to the manner in which she/he treats the locals. As the Beatles said, roughly, “In the end the love one takes is equal to the love one makes.”

An expatriate must understand that he/she is the ignorant one and must not express, verbally or otherwise, the frustration one sometimes feels while learning the local ways.

-What are the positive and negative aspects of living in Mexico?
I can’t honestly think of any negatives. The positives are that it is not the USA. In many ways folks here are much freer the folks in the USA, as the government here is not everyone’s nanny as those in the USA have demanded their government to be.

-Do you have any tips for our readers about living in Mexico?
Those planning a move to Mexico, or anywhere else I suspect, must remember that they are a guest and that they are the ignorant one in interactions with the locals. One must adapt to the local ways. If one expects the locals to adapt to one’s ways then one should stay home.

-Do you have any favorite Web sites or blogs about Mexico?
Ruminations of an Expatriate
Yucatan Living
Merida Insider