March 3, 2024 • 38 mins
Welcome to our latest chat where we swap stories about life as expats in sunny Mexico. The four producers of Expats Like Us reminisce about our hurricane 'welcome party', and play another round of "Que Padre, Que Malo" to weigh the cool against the not-so-cool aspects of our tropical adventure.
Strap in for a cultural roller coaster as we compare the fast lanes of our past to the leisurely strolls of Mexican life. Here, convenience foods bow to the flavors of home-cooked meals, and community interaction recalls a bygone era of America's '40s—minus the poodle skirts. We discuss the hazards of driving and admit that we're all guilty of ignoring the wonders in our own backyard, from beachside hangouts to hidden local gems.
Finally, we navigate the learning curve of Spanish car repair vocabulary and offer a hat tip to tech for bridging communication gaps. Our storytelling takes a walk on the wild side with monkey mayhem and jaguar sightings. Tune in for an episode that revels in the quirks, perks, and occasional irks of our expat lives with a little humor and a splash of gratitude for the life under the Mexican sun.
We are incredibly thankful for engagement and stories from our listeners, who have found their own sense of 'home' across the globe. Stay tuned as we continue to share the wisdom and wanderlust of those who've charted their unique international courses. We'd love to hear your comments and questions. Email them to expatslikeus@gmail.com
For more information and content, follow Expats Like Us on Facebook and YouTube
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
Let's go to the beach .
Yeah, let's just go hang outfor a couple of hours or so,
right?
I mean, we live here.
Speaker 3 (00:09):
And I do say we do go for lunch at a beach club that
has a good view.
Speaker 4 (00:13):
Yeah Right, it's not that we don't see the ocean.
Speaker 1 (00:15):
We do.
Speaker 4 (00:17):
You know, laying on the beach and seeing the ocean
are two different things, twovery different things.
Speaker 3 (00:20):
Yes, but then when we go to, it's a priority because
it's dog friendly, exactly, andour dogs like to go there.
Speaker 1 (00:26):
So Our dog only hears the name of the beach.
Speaker 4 (00:33):
And we cannot say the word jungle fish in front of
our dog.
Speaker 1 (00:36):
So we use or we will freak out.
We use JF.
Speaker 4 (00:41):
And he's starting to clue in on that.
Welcome to X-Pats Like Us, aco-production with me, vita
Margarita, exploring the worldof US X-Pat life in Mexico.
In each episode, we'll meet newpeople and hear their stories.
We'll also learn more aboutX-Pat life and get a few tips on
(01:04):
everything from making yourmove to settling in, to living
your dreams and, most of all,having fun.
Let's dive in Today on X-PatsLike Us.
(01:27):
It's part two of K Padre, kMolo.
We had so much fun on the lastpodcast doing this little game
that we've been playing.
We decided to do it again thisweek.
As you may remember fromepisode four, padre means father
in Spanish, but it can alsomean cool.
When we pair it with K.
K Padre means how cool.
On the flip side, k Molo meanshow awful it turns out.
(01:49):
Lots of changes that weexperience in our X-Pat lives we
think are great K Padre andsome are not so great K Molo.
So let's do another round.
Let's start with a topic fromSherry.
Speaker 3 (02:02):
Well, I guess one of my K Padre's is the weather here
.
It is gorgeous Pretty muchevery morning you walk out.
We have about 340 days of sunper year, and even on the rainy
days it usually clears up by theafternoon, so there's not much
chance that you can't have agreat day outside, and it's just
(02:23):
so lush.
It's a very full jungle wherewe live, so it's lush and green
and there's something bloomingall the time, so I'm always
amazed walking how beautiful itis here.
And yeah it just kind of raisesyour spirit.
The only K Molo that I canthink along with that is that
I've had to add a dermatologistvisit once a year to my list of
(02:46):
what I need to do, because youare in a lot of sun.
So even if you're wearingsunscreen or sun protective
shirts, it's very smart to getyour skin checked just to make
sure.
Speaker 4 (02:54):
Yeah, for sure.
I remember a friend of ours onFacebook saw a picture of us and
said, commented that we hadpermatans Permanent tans.
And that's true, we doPermanent tans.
Speaker 1 (03:08):
It's funny because Chris, he tans so easy and when
we went back to the States theyactually our friends were like
oh my goodness, you look moreMexican than Erica.
Speaker 2 (03:22):
I was going to say.
I'll see often on social mediasites, on Facebook, and that
people are like oh, we're comingdown for a week, but it shows
it's raining all week.
Yeah, yeah, maybe it rains ahalf hour, 20 minutes during
that week.
You know it per day and itclears right up, so it's great.
But on the other side of that,also with the K Molo hurricanes,
we are in a hurricane area.
(03:44):
But I was doing a littleresearch today Said only two
major hurricanes have hitQuintana Roo and I guess all of
this great.
As long as they were keepingtrack, but on the end.
Speaker 4 (03:56):
And we had a.
We had a small hurricane whenwe all first arrived, like what
a month or?
Speaker 1 (04:00):
a month it was our welcome.
Hurricane it was our welcomehurricane.
Speaker 4 (04:04):
I remember at the time thinking what have we got
ourselves?
Speaker 1 (04:06):
into Exactly what I said.
Speaker 4 (04:08):
We just got our stuff put away and now we're going to
have to batten down the hatchesfor a hurricane.
Speaker 1 (04:13):
Yes, that's exactly what we thought.
Speaker 2 (04:15):
It really wasn't all that bad, for I don't know, yeah
, no, it wasn't that bad, I meanit's fine.
Speaker 1 (04:19):
We lost sleep.
I didn't sleep.
I could hear noises, winds, nopower.
No, we're kidding, it was fine,it wasn't that bad.
Speaker 4 (04:26):
As far as I could tell, I don't think anyone got
injured, or certainly not killed, Of course.
We've heard of that Categoryone Right, it's fairly mild on
the scale but it's like it's,it's almost to me, because I
remember sitting up that nightand looking out the window.
We have jungle right behind ourbedroom window and it's like
all the trees would whip one wayand then they whip the other
(04:48):
way and I was just like, oh my,these trees are pretty resilient
around here for hurricanes,right.
Speaker 2 (04:55):
But it is the weather also.
It's super hot in the summer atcertain times that you can't
even walk, or you come out ofthe shower, you walk outside and
you're sweating immediately.
Speaker 3 (05:03):
Yeah, the humidity and I think that takes a while
to get adjusted to.
Speaker 2 (05:07):
It does.
Speaker 3 (05:08):
But even being here, you know, after two years last
summer I felt, hi, it is reallyhumid yeah.
Speaker 1 (05:18):
With the humidity also comes the mosquito bites.
Speaker 3 (05:23):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (05:24):
And that's.
That's huge for me because theylove me, and so you have to
keep in mind, like the bugrepellents, all of that.
In general, I don't like usingthe off.
It makes my skin itch, so it'slike you got to take into
consideration little things likethat, but then again it's, it's
(05:45):
worth it, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 3 (05:48):
And we don't use as much moisturizer, because back
in the state side it's alwaysfeeling like my skin is dry and
using moisturizer.
Every time I wash my face I'vebeen slathered on and you know
you feel pretty pretty good skinhere, here, it's amazing.
Speaker 1 (06:00):
I use no moisturizer.
Speaker 4 (06:02):
I know the couple of times that we've gone back to
the states.
My skin goes dry instantly.
Oh yeah, and my nasal path, youknow it's everything is just
it's crusty, Everything is justdry.
Yes.
Speaker 1 (06:12):
Yeah.
So we went back in December.
That's what I got every day washe's like my nose, I'm just.
It was just horrible.
It was.
It was cold, it was freezingfirst of all, and it was just so
dry and our skin was justflaking.
It's itchy, itchy, ashy how didwe ever live that way?
What?
Speaker 4 (06:32):
were we thinking so good weather.
Speaker 3 (06:34):
Yes, yes, for sure, erica.
What do you got Mine's?
Speaker 4 (06:35):
the lifestyle.
So having moving here, yeah, Imean, I'm not sure, I mean, I'm
not sure, I mean, I'm not sure,I mean, I'm not sure, I mean,
I'm not sure I mean, I'm notsure I mean I'm not sure.
I mean I'm not sure, I mean I'mnot sure.
Speaker 1 (06:50):
So, moving here, you have a fast pace lifestyle.
You work, raising kids.
You have to still maintain ahome.
Busy, busy, busy busy.
You come to Mexico.
So the the Cape Padre is thelifestyle, the came malo is
everything's very slow paced.
When they say a Mexican minute,they mean a Mexican minute and
(07:15):
we got our solar panels.
It was we'll be there Tuesdayand I'd asked Chris, did you ask
what Tuesday, of what month, ofwhat year?
Because, everything was justvery just slowly, slow when they
would say we're going to bethere to fix whatever we need
fixed or paint.
Okay, what day Right Is it ofthis month?
(07:38):
Is it this week?
Speaker 4 (07:39):
This month.
That's the concept we like tosay of manana.
Yes, Manana, does you know?
You learn that manana meanstomorrow.
Speaker 1 (07:46):
Not, not if you're talking to somebody scheduling?
Something Exactly.
Speaker 4 (07:51):
It means not today.
Speaker 1 (07:53):
But again, on the Cape Padre part of it, it helps
remind you life shouldn't belived so fast forward mode
because it's not healthy.
So I feel that that's also.
It kind of goes both ways.
But I truly love just.
We did one thing today and theone thing we're good and we
(08:15):
don't have to worry aboutanything else till tomorrow.
Speaker 4 (08:18):
Right, even if then we could go another day with
just that one thing, right yeah.
Speaker 3 (08:25):
And a lot of times I think when someone says, oh,
Minyana, or they'll do somethingtomorrow, it's not that they're
not working that day or thatthey don't want to help you, but
they tell you what you wanthere.
And they also maybe toldsomeone else tomorrow too, and
so they're trying to doeverything for everybody and
keep everybody happy.
Speaker 4 (08:43):
Yes, I agree, it's part of the friendliness and
helpfulness of the local peoplehere.
Yes, they don't want to tellyou something you don't want to
hear Exactly.
Speaker 2 (08:53):
I found that it kind of rubbed off on me, because
when we first got here I wasused to the States and you're go
, go, go.
So I would have 20 things Iwanted to get done tomorrow.
And now I'm like I got onething I want to do and I'm like,
yeah, maybe I'll do that.
Speaker 4 (09:07):
If it doesn't happen, it'll happen in Minyana.
Exactly, exactly.
Ok, chris, you got a new one.
Speaker 2 (09:15):
Food, I don't think we've covered food food in
Mexico.
Everyone loves Mexican foodhere.
Some great food, a lot of freshseafood coming right out of the
ocean.
There We've got some localfavorites in the Pueblo we go
down to Luis Marisols.
Speaker 4 (09:31):
They've got the best tacos they've ever eaten, best
food around and the best pricesaround, too.
Pasta they make a great pasta.
Speaker 2 (09:37):
I mean that's amazing and the prices are incredible.
We can usually get dinner forunder $5 and you're totally
stuffed Right.
Speaker 4 (09:46):
And it's amazingly fresh and it's right there, it's
on the street.
It's on the street in front ofa guy's house.
Maybe that's a came out forsome people, but it doesn't
bother Not me, I mean, that'sone of my favorite things to do.
Speaker 2 (10:01):
I just go to that place and just eat the local
food.
Go get the marquisezas down thestreet, because you can't cook
for that money at home.
Speaker 4 (10:12):
I don't know how they do it.
Speaker 1 (10:14):
So, on the came out part, I'm going to add to that
is the food.
You get fresh food here, sowhen you get fresh food you have
to use it.
It's not it'll go bad at first,unless you freeze it.
If you get it and you thinkyou're going to, I forgot the
chicken, I thought it out or Ileft it in the fridge.
(10:34):
We're going to cook it tomorrow.
Then again you get busy andwe'll go out to dinner when you
want to cook that chicken.
It's already gone bad if youdon't freeze it.
So that's the came out part.
With the food as well, ifyou're cooking at home, you need
to use it.
But then I also understand now.
Like the locals, they go totheir little markets in the
Pueblo Every day.
(10:56):
They will pick up the meatthey're eating, the veggies, the
fruits, everything that they'regoing to need for that day.
They do it daily where we'reused to in the states of let's
do our weekly grocery shopping,which is not really healthy with
all the preservatives in it.
Speaker 4 (11:15):
So yeah, I suppose that's a function of there's not
all the preservatives are inthe food.
We've noticed bananas are goodfor about two days.
Speaker 2 (11:22):
Yeah, yeah, suddenly, you got black bananas sitting
there Because the Cape Padresmakes great banana bread.
Speaker 1 (11:29):
Oh, yes, awesome.
I've learned that the last twotimes.
Speaker 4 (11:35):
Have you ever noticed what the chicken breasts are
like here compared to in thestates?
Do you know?
Speaker 3 (11:39):
how much smaller.
There's so much smaller here?
Speaker 4 (11:40):
Yes, and it's because .
I think it's because in thestates the chickens are pumped
full of hormones and growthhormone and all this stuff to
make them genetically huge likethat.
And in Mexico the chickens aremore like they probably were in
the 1950s or 60s in the UnitedStates, where they don't get all
that.
They're not all on corporatefarms, they're not being fed all
(12:03):
that stuff, so the chickenbreasts are much smaller but
they're healthier.
You're not getting all thatstuff in your body.
Speaker 1 (12:12):
So we've noticed.
I have noticed when we've gonegrocery shopping, we've gone
into the Pueblo to buy meat, andthen we've also gone to
Chidralli or Walmart andWalmart's chicken breasts are
three times larger.
The ones at Chidralli aresmaller.
But you go into the Pueblo youget normal chicken breasts
(12:33):
Normal, but those are the onesthat you need to buy that day
and make that day.
Speaker 2 (12:37):
Right.
Speaker 3 (12:38):
Right.
Speaker 4 (12:39):
So, yeah, that's a definitely food, yep.
Speaker 3 (12:42):
Well, one of the things I heard from a neighbor
that's a little newer to thearea was that she missed the
prepackaged convenience foodsthat she buy to throw together a
quick meal.
And there are workarounds here,so you can also buy a cooked
chicken in the Pueblo, whichusually comes with rice and
chicken cilantro and tortillas.
(13:05):
Yeah.
So if you want something quicklike that, you could buy a
chicken, shred it and use it tomake whatever your your dishes
that you wanted to havepre-packaged chicken strips for
it's possible.
There's workarounds.
Speaker 1 (13:19):
But I also realized as well I used to do a lot of
that in the states thepre-packaged because we were
busy working.
I don't have an excuse.
Now I can bake everything, Ican make everything from scratch
, which is easier.
And that was where I wasspeaking about the lifestyle,
the fast-paced.
It was constant go, go, go, andnow it's.
(13:41):
I don't have an excuse.
I can make the time to do thisand prepare stuff.
Speaker 4 (13:47):
Right.
Speaker 1 (13:48):
So it just, it goes both ways.
Speaker 4 (13:50):
It's like living in a simpler time For sure.
Speaker 2 (13:53):
Yeah, I always tell her to me I obviously didn't
live in the 40s, but I what Iimagine.
1940 America, that's whatMexico reminds me.
Everyone minds their business.
Nobody's showboat.
I think that too Nobody's.
You know, we went back andeveryone's got a big truck and
loud stereo's and they're likelook at me, look at me, look at
me.
And here everyone just keepstheir head down, does their own
(14:13):
thing, concentrates on.
Speaker 4 (14:15):
Yeah, everything is not bathed in regulations like
they have in the.
States either.
You know, I mean we, and wekind of joke about it Sometimes.
There's no OSHA in Mexico.
No, because you see the mostcrazy things People working on
highline poles with a woodenladder yes, 30 feet.
That's made out of sticks, youknow.
Speaker 2 (14:36):
And a chair on top of it and a chair on top of it.
I have a scooter with a ladder.
Speaker 3 (14:41):
Yeah, they transported the ladder on a
scooter.
Two guys on a scooter.
Speaker 4 (14:47):
Sometimes two guys a dog, a wife a baby or you know
in the States.
When's the last time you sawsomebody that had kids in the
back of a pickup Right?
Oh yeah, I mean here that'slike it's almost like that's
what they buy a pickup for,right it's to carry people in.
That's true, and you see trucksof you know, workers getting
(15:08):
transported to a job site orsomething.
Speaker 1 (15:09):
They're all standing there.
Speaker 4 (15:10):
They're crammed on the back of a truck like
sardines, you know?
Speaker 1 (15:14):
Yes, we've seen that, and it's usually every morning
if you're out early.
Speaker 4 (15:18):
And you would never see that in the States anymore.
But that's part of you know,that's something that maybe you
would have seen that in theStates decades ago.
Speaker 1 (15:25):
Yes, yeah, yeah.
(16:05):
Another one for Ke Padre.
We live so close to theCaribbean Sea but the Kemal
always we don't visit it as muchor go to it as much you had
mentioned before.
You visit when you have friends.
That's our thing.
When we have friends visit,it's our vacation from our daily
(16:27):
routine and that's when we goto the beach.
But it's very rare that we go.
Speaker 4 (16:33):
We're kind of that way too.
We go, you know, maybe onceevery couple months or something
like that, Other than when ourfriends are here.
We go three days a week.
Speaker 2 (16:40):
Yeah, we brought inflatable paddleboards down
here.
We've gone once in almost threeyears, which is horrible.
Speaker 4 (16:48):
And you know, I would say when we first got here we
went.
We discovered beach clubs thatwe like and we went quite a bit
more and there are people that Iknow of some friends of ours go
all the time.
You know that's their thing isgoing and sitting on the beach
and you know, watching the wavesand all that.
But yeah, it's not.
It's not something that youjust do forever, you know.
Speaker 1 (17:10):
Yeah, but I don't even think we really even
started doing it.
Yeah, it's when friends visitis when we go.
But to say, let's just go tothe beach today.
Speaker 4 (17:20):
Well, you know, part of that is the beaches.
Here it's hard to find beachaccess that doesn't cost you
money.
You know all the I mean.
There are gorgeous beach clubsall the way up and down Riviera
Maya, but there's a minimum thatyou have to spend there.
The food that, from ourexperience, is glorious in these
(17:41):
places, but it can be quiteexpensive, you know yes.
Yeah, and they charge.
They charge gringo prices theretoo, yeah.
Yes 50 bucks a person orwhatever for a day, and that's
not something that expats likeus like to spend.
Speaker 3 (17:56):
Yes, Well, and I think it's just part of whether
you're visiting somewhere onvacation or whether it's your
home, because I grew up in theBlack Hills of South Dakota that
everybody came to on vacationin the summer, but we never
visited those sites unless wehad family in from out of town.
So you know, we never went toMount Rushmore or driving up
(18:16):
through the, you know, thenational parks unless we had
family.
So it's you just try to take itfor granted.
Speaker 1 (18:23):
Well now, yeah, but now I think about it.
We're originally from Utah andit's one of the biggest places
for skiing and snowboarding, andwe really didn't do much of it.
Speaker 2 (18:36):
Well, the reason I didn't, you know, I had a job
that if I got hurt I wasn't ableto do my job and I have to get
an alternative assignment, whichwas not fun and just one worth
the risk for me especially asyou get older.
Speaker 1 (18:48):
I just didn't do it.
I didn't want to have a job.
Speaker 3 (18:50):
Well, that maybe that we just need to make point Use
the beach more.
I think we need to.
Don't take it for granted Fromhere on out.
Speaker 4 (18:59):
We're going to the beach at least once every two
weeks.
Speaker 3 (19:02):
Well, looks like it is a podcast today, Well off to
the beach.
Speaker 1 (19:04):
No, I think, but then also again it's like you if you
make plans, you make plans togo out, hang out, have dinner.
We should be able to do.
Let's go to the beach.
Yeah, let's just go hang outfor a couple of hours or so.
I mean, we live here.
Speaker 3 (19:24):
And I do say we do go for lunch at a beach club that
has a good view.
Yeah Right, it's not that wedon't see the ocean.
We do.
Speaker 4 (19:30):
We do but laying on the beach and seeing the ocean
are two different, two verydifferent things.
Speaker 3 (19:35):
Yes, but then when we go to, it's a priority because
it's dog friendly, exactly, andour dogs like to go there.
Speaker 1 (19:41):
So your dog only hears the name of the beach.
Speaker 4 (19:47):
We cannot say the word jungle fish in front of our
dog, so we use JF.
Speaker 1 (19:51):
We use JF.
Speaker 2 (19:56):
And he's starting to clue in on that, but that is
another Cape Padre is.
This area is so dog friendly.
Speaker 1 (20:03):
Oh, you can bring your dog anywhere you want.
Speaker 2 (20:05):
Yeah, like we were in the States, like Erica was
saying back in December, andmost of the places we could get
away with bringing our dog, butsomeplace we got told at one
place that you can't have thedog care.
Speaker 4 (20:16):
And it's rare to have a dog in a restaurant in the
States, unless it's an outdoorrestaurant, which around here
most are.
Speaker 3 (20:22):
Or a service dog, and or a service dog.
Our dogs, david, quite thatWell, they don't recognize
service dogs here in Mexico.
Speaker 4 (20:29):
Right, okay, we learn that so that's okay.
Dexter can never pass himselfoff as a service dog.
Anyway, he causes more problemsthan he solves.
We're next.
So what else do we have for?
Cape Padre came along.
Speaker 3 (20:45):
Well, one of my Cape Padres was the use of apps to do
a lot of our work here orinteractions here, and they're
free.
So we have WhatsApp, which weuse for everything from making a
reservation for a restaurant tocontacting a service provider,
a doctor.
We have WhatsApp groups fordifferent groups of friends or
(21:10):
even our community, and it's agreat way to share information.
So if you're wondering aboutthe process for getting a
driver's license, someone willask in one of those groups and
right away a couple people willcome back and need to do this,
this and this.
Here's a pin to get there.
So, very good way to shareinformation.
And then Google translates theother one.
So we use them all the time.
(21:32):
You know just when I'm lookingfor something in the store, if I
want to make sure it's exactlythe spice I'm looking for or how
to use the product, I can justflip out my phone and translate
it on the spot.
Super handy, super handy.
Speaker 4 (21:48):
Right.
Google translate for those thatdon't know has a camera
function and you point yourcamera at, like, in our case,
stuff that's on the groceryaisle.
That's all in Spanish and itwill translate it, or signs, or,
whatever, but it will translatethat into English, which is and
I see, I see so many people inthe store standing there, you
know, going down the aislelooking at stuff with the camera
(22:12):
.
Yes, imagine what life wouldhave been like moving here
without Google translate for usthat don't know Spanish.
Speaker 3 (22:19):
Yeah, we would have carried around a phrase book.
Speaker 4 (22:23):
Right, and we'd only had to be able to say these 200
short phrases.
Speaker 1 (22:29):
But even for me my parents are originally from
Mexico.
I can see the difference ofwhen they left Mexico to the
States.
It would have been the samething that the contacting of the
family.
They would call once a monthbecause back in the day it was
long distance calls, so youdidn't have that luxury.
(22:49):
But for me I have seen I'veeven struggled being fluent in
Spanish.
I sometimes struggle with it.
I know basic Spanish, I knowhow to do things, but I don't
know anything about cars gettingfixed Like I don't know.
And then, having been from morecentral Mexico to here, the
(23:12):
Spanish changes Right, and sothe Mayan Spanish for me is a
little bit more different thanthe Spanish I learned.
Speaker 3 (23:20):
Yeah, and there's different words for different
things.
Yeah there's probably whatthree different words for tires.
Speaker 1 (23:27):
Yes.
Speaker 3 (23:27):
Yes.
Speaker 1 (23:28):
Yes, I learned that when we got a flat tire Actually
cried Because I'm like what's atire here, like what's it
called?
Speaker 3 (23:41):
So what's the answer?
Speaker 1 (23:43):
It was the same, it was yanta, but the slang words I
can't remember off the top ofmy head were different ones, but
it was the same.
It was yanta.
Okay, yeah, but our securityguard had come up because he
heard it and he chased after usand he said something like no,
it's yanta.
Then he said something else.
I'm like man, I don't know whatthat is, I don't know what it
(24:04):
is, so I learned that.
Speaker 4 (24:07):
I have found.
You know, when we talk abouthow nice people are here,
there's a lot of people.
If they see you struggling withSpanish or something, they will
just stop what they're doingand help you.
Speaker 1 (24:16):
Yes, I've had that happen at the DMV getting my
license.
Speaker 4 (24:20):
I've had that happen.
If somebody's saying something,I'm given the old gringo stare
of nod and pretend I know whatthey're saying, when I really
don't.
Someone will recognize that andcome over and say well, here's
what she's asking you to do.
Speaker 3 (24:35):
That happened to us once in the airport too, so they
were questioning how long wehad been here and I was able to
explain that we were residentespermanentes.
But then she wanted us to go, Idon't know, over to a kiosk and
Bob started to do it, but hewas taking the suitcase with us
and someone intervened and likeno, no, no, you can just go get
(24:58):
the ticket from the kiosk andleave your suitcase here.
So we didn't quite catch that.
Speaker 4 (25:04):
And then he ran off with our suitcase.
That did not happen.
He was a very nice person thatdid that.
Speaker 3 (25:13):
So very, very helpful .
Speaker 1 (25:15):
They are very helpful .
Speaker 4 (25:17):
So one of the things that I like here is we say we're
living in paradise, and itreally is.
The jungle is lush here andthere's monkeys.
It's 24 hours, it's 365 dayssummer here.
Yeah, everything is green andlush.
We're surrounded by nature, by,like you said, monkeys and
(25:40):
kawates.
Speaker 2 (25:41):
There's a certain time of the year where the
butterflies I mean there'sthousands of them in the air.
Speaker 4 (25:45):
Yeah, it's amazing.
I go out walking every morningand I try and walk like five
miles, but I mean, I feel likeI'm just surrounded by nature.
Speaker 1 (25:55):
It makes the walk go really fast.
Yes, it does you really enjoyit?
That is true.
Speaker 4 (25:59):
Even if you're sweaty and miserable after halfway,
you don't care, because it's abeautiful, beautiful place.
Speaker 1 (26:06):
I actually tease, chris.
Sometimes you kind of feel likea jerk.
Sometimes, when I feel I'mgrateful for my life, I wake up
to birds chirping and I knowwhat time it is.
It's like oh 6.30.
There's this bird sound oh, 7o'clock.
Here's the other.
I know what time it is.
But then when I go take walksit's amazing to see everything,
(26:30):
just to look it's incredible.
And so I have to remind myself.
Sometimes when it's hot andyou're sweating and you're like,
oh, what did we do?
You Chris will walk outside andis sure it's just drenched in
sweat and it's, but you have toremember the good to that.
Speaker 4 (26:49):
Right, Right.
I don't think there is a K-Moloto living in nature.
Speaker 3 (26:54):
living in paradise is there, Unless Sherry's got one,
oh no, not in K-Molo, I'm justgoing to share.
We have a beautiful yogafacility that's very close to us
and I went today for a Pilatesclass and the class was
disrupted towards the endbecause there were three monkeys
outside the beautiful windowsswinging through the trees and
(27:14):
nobody can't tension anymorebecause we're all looking at the
monkeys.
Speaker 1 (27:18):
It's pretty cool.
I will say that the K-Molo tothat living in paradise.
I was walking one day but I wasby myself and I looked over and
a Kawate was looking at me andhe stared at me and scared the
hell out of me.
I had to just slowly walkbackwards and be like, okay,
this is your home, I will leaveyou there.
(27:38):
Don't look at me that way.
I am scared, but it scared me.
So walking alone with that,because sometimes they're
protective of it.
Speaker 4 (27:45):
Right.
Speaker 3 (27:46):
And wasn't there.
There was a time when we had acrazy colliding around here.
That was a raccoon.
Speaker 4 (27:50):
There were collides like a raccoon for people that
don't know Kind of rabbit orsomething, yeah, and it's in it.
Speaker 1 (27:54):
This one, yeah, we were thinking it was a raccoon.
It was attacking other animals.
Speaker 2 (27:58):
It was attacking pets .
Speaker 4 (27:59):
It was coming after people and somebody finally took
care of it.
Speaker 3 (28:03):
Yeah, we don't need to get into any details there.
Speaker 1 (28:06):
No, there was something wrong with that
colliding.
Speaker 4 (28:08):
Yes, that was a lot that was that was big news for
like a week, and in ourcommunity we were all terrorized
by the other colliding.
Speaker 1 (28:17):
I didn't know if it was just if they had eaten
something, if they were poisoned.
So I just slowly walkedbackwards and kept eye contact
and every time I'd make a movehe'd follow me and I was really
close to calling Chris like pickme up, like down a passing car
Help me Well you know, our, our,our former neighbor and friend
(28:41):
had a ring camera on his backpatio at night and he caught a
closeup of a massive jaguar.
Speaker 4 (28:49):
Yes, it was coming up and sniffing around his patio,
but this thing was just huge, itwas like the size of a lion,
you know and it walked right up.
It was really cool video.
Speaker 1 (28:59):
I'll see if I can find that posted on our expats
like us Facebook page.
Speaker 3 (29:03):
It was beautiful, it was right downstairs from us.
Speaker 4 (29:06):
Yeah, it was right below us.
Speaker 1 (29:07):
But I loved how he went up to the camera.
Like he went like trying to sayhi to everybody.
Speaker 3 (29:12):
Like what is this thing?
Speaker 4 (29:16):
Can I eat?
Speaker 3 (29:16):
it.
Speaker 2 (29:17):
Right.
Speaker 3 (29:18):
It smells so good.
What is that?
Oh yeah, I know it smells lessof Jesus, yahweh.
Speaker 4 (29:46):
I have a real good reputation with Jesus Yahweh.
The other thing that I like isI've always been a fan of
restaurants and you knowexploring different kinds of
foods and stuff and if you'relike a foodie type, this area is
(30:09):
insane.
There's thousands ofrestaurants there is and they're
changing and because there's somany of them, they have to be
pretty good to survive.
You know, both with price andwith quality, and you know you
can go to Tulum and there's somany good Asian, indian.
Speaker 1 (30:32):
Literally every country in the world is cuisine
as represented in.
Speaker 4 (30:35):
Tulum, and usually there's multiple ones.
Speaker 1 (30:38):
Yes, you know apply as well.
Speaker 4 (30:40):
Apply as the same way .
Playa del Carmen is the sameway.
There's probably tens ofthousands of restaurants there.
Speaker 1 (30:46):
We haven't even seen?
Speaker 2 (30:47):
Yeah, I always say you could start and try to hit
everyone and before you finishthey would have all moved on and
had another one start up.
You would never live longenough to get through.
Speaker 1 (30:57):
Playa del Carmen, oh yes.
Speaker 4 (30:59):
Now the K-Malo with that is.
I was in.
I walked through a restaurant.
I was at a meeting at arestaurant yesterday and walked
through and saw some friends andI couldn't even make my way
over to their table because itwas so packed.
Because it's high season rightnow in Riviera Maya, in this
restaurant every seat was full.
They had brought in extratables.
(31:20):
I mean, people were just upagainst, shoulder to shoulder in
this restaurant and it's likethat a lot this time of year and
both Playa and Tulum.
Speaker 3 (31:28):
Well, and I was going to mention, as we've traveled a
little bit around Mexicodifferent parts of Mexico have
different types of cuisine, butwe have found so many fabulous
restaurants wherever we'vetraveled.
Mexico really is a fooddestination.
Speaker 4 (31:43):
Oh yeah, oh yeah.
Speaker 3 (31:44):
And there's a foodie.
Speaker 4 (31:46):
This is a great place to check out.
Oh my God, and differentregions have different regional
foods.
It's incredible, yes.
Speaker 1 (31:51):
Yes, we learned that when we went to Guadalajara.
Speaker 4 (31:54):
And different drinks and different drinks as well.
By region.
I know one that's K-Malo, andyou guys will probably agree
lack of craft beer.
Speaker 1 (32:02):
That is exactly what I'm saying.
Speaker 4 (32:04):
Yes, If you're looking for craft beer, like we
were used to everywhere in theStates, you will not find that
here.
You're lucky to find maybe oneIPA and maybe a dark logger or
something like that, but it'snowhere on the scale it's just
has a dozecky.
Speaker 2 (32:22):
You have Victoria.
Speaker 4 (32:23):
Modelo.
It's all just pretty kind ofrun-of-the-mill beer, but you
get used to it.
You know it's not the end ofthe world.
Speaker 1 (32:35):
From beer to vodka or wine or margaritas On the other
hand, we have tequila and thescala which is better than
anywhere else in the world.
Speaker 2 (32:44):
And we went to tequila and that was a great
trip, oh yeah.
Speaker 1 (32:47):
That was an experience for sure.
I appreciate tequila more Fromtasting it, from when they start
making it to just now it'stequila.
Oh, I understand.
I understand now and have adifferent appreciation.
Speaker 4 (33:06):
Well, I've noticed a lot of our friends have really
developed a deep knowledge oftequila.
I mean seriously and not justthey just don't drink tequila
all the time, but they know alot about it yes or a miscal,
because there's so manydifferent kinds and it's all you
know.
There's a lot of nuance and inevery different kind.
Speaker 1 (33:24):
It's amazing.
Speaker 4 (33:25):
Right.
Speaker 2 (33:26):
For sure.
I don't know if we've said itoutright, but a healthy
lifestyle here, you know, justbeing active and you know, like
you said, I know we all playpickleball.
Speaker 4 (33:36):
Yeah, you play pickleball every day I play
probably three times Three orfour hours a day, every day.
You're a pickleball fiend, yeah, but also sharing a golf, which
you know, that's certain formof exercise.
Speaker 3 (33:51):
Yeah, we're on a PGA golf course, so I never imagined
that I would golf on a regularbasis on some.
On a golf course is nice.
Speaker 2 (33:58):
Right yeah.
Speaker 4 (34:00):
That's easy.
Speaker 2 (34:01):
Yeah, I lost, I think what 40-45 pounds when we moved
down here.
Speaker 1 (34:06):
I think it was more like no, our friends didn't
recognize them when we visited ayear later.
Speaker 4 (34:12):
They kept asking where his other half was I lost
a bunch of weight on that scalewhen I first got here and since
then I've eaten so many tacosand tortillas you know, gone to
so many restaurants which are,all you know, way too many
calories and stuff that I put alot of that back on.
Speaker 3 (34:33):
Yeah, there's a basket of chips that ends up on
the table every time you enter arestaurant.
Speaker 1 (34:39):
That's right, someone's got to eat them and
that's the thing they're fresh,yeah Right, they just made them
in the kitchen minutes ago.
Speaker 4 (34:47):
How can you not?
It'd be rude, right, all right.
Well, thank you guys forjoining us for K Padre K-Malo.
This has been fun.
We got two shows.
We thought we were going to getone, so this is really good and
it's been fun.
Speaker 2 (35:01):
It'd be interesting to hear with the viewers what
they like yeah, they don't likeabout Mexico.
They live here.
They visited here Absolutely.
Speaker 1 (35:07):
What they want to know, yeah.
Speaker 2 (35:09):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (35:10):
Comments would be appreciated.
Send us an email atexpatslikeus, at gmailcom, or
send us a comment on ourFacebook page at expatslikeus,
and we'd love to hear from you.
Yes, all right, thanks, guys.
Thank you All right, bye, bye,all right.
In each episode of X-Pats, likeUs, we're going to teach you a
(35:31):
new Mexican slang word.
This is something you may notfind in your phrase book or your
online Spanish class or yourSpanish app or wherever you're
learning your Spanish.
Instead, this is a term usedprimarily by Mexican Spanish
speakers.
Today's word is Wakala, wakala.
I don't think I've ever heardthat in my life, erika, uh, what
(35:55):
?
How do you spell that?
Speaker 1 (35:57):
That is G-U-A-C-A-L-A Wakala.
Speaker 4 (36:01):
And what does Wakala mean?
Speaker 1 (36:03):
Gross yuck.
Speaker 4 (36:05):
Okay, so it's an expression of Ew.
Speaker 1 (36:07):
Ew yes.
Speaker 4 (36:09):
Okay, very good.
Thank you, Erika Kowalski.
From Me, vita Margarita.
We'd love to hear your thoughtson today's topic.
Just look up X-Pats Like Us onFacebook or send us an email at
xpatslikeuscom.
You can also see the videoversion of today's discussion
(36:31):
and all of our discussions onour YouTube page.
Follow, like, subscribe andleave us a review.
Thank you to the producers ofX-Pats Like Us for getting
together today for another roundof K-Padre K-Malo.
It's been fun.
Thanks, chris and Erika.
(36:51):
From Me, vita Margarita andthanks to my wife, sherry Bussey
.
Thanks also to Tony and DianaCardin for their awesome
wildlife video.
We hope you guys are loving itin Florida.
Most of all, thank you fortuning in to X-Pats Like Us and
thank you for interacting withus on social media.
Next time we'll bring you morefirsthand information about your
(37:12):
international move.
Until then, remember our homesare not defined by geography or
one particular location, but bymemories, events, people and
places that span the globe.
Let's go to the beach .
Yeah, let's just go hang outfor a couple of hours or so,
right?
I mean, we live here.
Speaker 3 (00:09):
And I do say we do go for lunch at a beach club that
has a good view.
Speaker 4 (00:13):
Yeah Right, it's not that we don't see the ocean.
Speaker 1 (00:15):
We do.
Speaker 4 (00:17):
You know, laying on the beach and seeing the ocean
are two different things, twovery different things.
Speaker 3 (00:20):
Yes, but then when we go to, it's a priority because
it's dog friendly, exactly, andour dogs like to go there.
Speaker 1 (00:26):
So Our dog only hears the name of the beach.
Speaker 4 (00:33):
And we cannot say the word jungle fish in front of
our dog.
Speaker 1 (00:36):
So we use or we will freak out.
We use JF.
Speaker 4 (00:41):
And he's starting to clue in on that.
Welcome to X-Pats Like Us, aco-production with me, vita
Margarita, exploring the worldof US X-Pat life in Mexico.
In each episode, we'll meet newpeople and hear their stories.
We'll also learn more aboutX-Pat life and get a few tips on
(01:04):
everything from making yourmove to settling in, to living
your dreams and, most of all,having fun.
Let's dive in Today on X-PatsLike Us.
(01:27):
It's part two of K Padre, kMolo.
We had so much fun on the lastpodcast doing this little game
that we've been playing.
We decided to do it again thisweek.
As you may remember fromepisode four, padre means father
in Spanish, but it can alsomean cool.
When we pair it with K.
K Padre means how cool.
On the flip side, k Molo meanshow awful it turns out.
(01:49):
Lots of changes that weexperience in our X-Pat lives we
think are great K Padre andsome are not so great K Molo.
So let's do another round.
Let's start with a topic fromSherry.
Speaker 3 (02:02):
Well, I guess one of my K Padre's is the weather here
.
It is gorgeous Pretty muchevery morning you walk out.
We have about 340 days of sunper year, and even on the rainy
days it usually clears up by theafternoon, so there's not much
chance that you can't have agreat day outside, and it's just
(02:23):
so lush.
It's a very full jungle wherewe live, so it's lush and green
and there's something bloomingall the time, so I'm always
amazed walking how beautiful itis here.
And yeah it just kind of raisesyour spirit.
The only K Molo that I canthink along with that is that
I've had to add a dermatologistvisit once a year to my list of
(02:46):
what I need to do, because youare in a lot of sun.
So even if you're wearingsunscreen or sun protective
shirts, it's very smart to getyour skin checked just to make
sure.
Speaker 4 (02:54):
Yeah, for sure.
I remember a friend of ours onFacebook saw a picture of us and
said, commented that we hadpermatans Permanent tans.
And that's true, we doPermanent tans.
Speaker 1 (03:08):
It's funny because Chris, he tans so easy and when
we went back to the States theyactually our friends were like
oh my goodness, you look moreMexican than Erica.
Speaker 2 (03:22):
I was going to say.
I'll see often on social mediasites, on Facebook, and that
people are like oh, we're comingdown for a week, but it shows
it's raining all week.
Yeah, yeah, maybe it rains ahalf hour, 20 minutes during
that week.
You know it per day and itclears right up, so it's great.
But on the other side of that,also with the K Molo hurricanes,
we are in a hurricane area.
(03:44):
But I was doing a littleresearch today Said only two
major hurricanes have hitQuintana Roo and I guess all of
this great.
As long as they were keepingtrack, but on the end.
Speaker 4 (03:56):
And we had a.
We had a small hurricane whenwe all first arrived, like what
a month or?
Speaker 1 (04:00):
a month it was our welcome.
Hurricane it was our welcomehurricane.
Speaker 4 (04:04):
I remember at the time thinking what have we got
ourselves?
Speaker 1 (04:06):
into Exactly what I said.
Speaker 4 (04:08):
We just got our stuff put away and now we're going to
have to batten down the hatchesfor a hurricane.
Speaker 1 (04:13):
Yes, that's exactly what we thought.
Speaker 2 (04:15):
It really wasn't all that bad, for I don't know, yeah
, no, it wasn't that bad, I meanit's fine.
Speaker 1 (04:19):
We lost sleep.
I didn't sleep.
I could hear noises, winds, nopower.
No, we're kidding, it was fine,it wasn't that bad.
Speaker 4 (04:26):
As far as I could tell, I don't think anyone got
injured, or certainly not killed, Of course.
We've heard of that Categoryone Right, it's fairly mild on
the scale but it's like it's,it's almost to me, because I
remember sitting up that nightand looking out the window.
We have jungle right behind ourbedroom window and it's like
all the trees would whip one wayand then they whip the other
(04:48):
way and I was just like, oh my,these trees are pretty resilient
around here for hurricanes,right.
Speaker 2 (04:55):
But it is the weather also.
It's super hot in the summer atcertain times that you can't
even walk, or you come out ofthe shower, you walk outside and
you're sweating immediately.
Speaker 3 (05:03):
Yeah, the humidity and I think that takes a while
to get adjusted to.
Speaker 2 (05:07):
It does.
Speaker 3 (05:08):
But even being here, you know, after two years last
summer I felt, hi, it is reallyhumid yeah.
Speaker 1 (05:18):
With the humidity also comes the mosquito bites.
Speaker 3 (05:23):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (05:24):
And that's.
That's huge for me because theylove me, and so you have to
keep in mind, like the bugrepellents, all of that.
In general, I don't like usingthe off.
It makes my skin itch, so it'slike you got to take into
consideration little things likethat, but then again it's, it's
(05:45):
worth it, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 3 (05:48):
And we don't use as much moisturizer, because back
in the state side it's alwaysfeeling like my skin is dry and
using moisturizer.
Every time I wash my face I'vebeen slathered on and you know
you feel pretty pretty good skinhere, here, it's amazing.
Speaker 1 (06:00):
I use no moisturizer.
Speaker 4 (06:02):
I know the couple of times that we've gone back to
the states.
My skin goes dry instantly.
Oh yeah, and my nasal path, youknow it's everything is just
it's crusty, Everything is justdry.
Yes.
Speaker 1 (06:12):
Yeah.
So we went back in December.
That's what I got every day washe's like my nose, I'm just.
It was just horrible.
It was.
It was cold, it was freezingfirst of all, and it was just so
dry and our skin was justflaking.
It's itchy, itchy, ashy how didwe ever live that way?
What?
Speaker 4 (06:32):
were we thinking so good weather.
Speaker 3 (06:34):
Yes, yes, for sure, erica.
What do you got Mine's?
Speaker 4 (06:35):
the lifestyle.
So having moving here, yeah, Imean, I'm not sure, I mean, I'm
not sure, I mean, I'm not sure,I mean, I'm not sure, I mean,
I'm not sure I mean, I'm notsure I mean I'm not sure.
I mean I'm not sure, I mean I'mnot sure.
Speaker 1 (06:50):
So, moving here, you have a fast pace lifestyle.
You work, raising kids.
You have to still maintain ahome.
Busy, busy, busy busy.
You come to Mexico.
So the the Cape Padre is thelifestyle, the came malo is
everything's very slow paced.
When they say a Mexican minute,they mean a Mexican minute and
(07:15):
we got our solar panels.
It was we'll be there Tuesdayand I'd asked Chris, did you ask
what Tuesday, of what month, ofwhat year?
Because, everything was justvery just slowly, slow when they
would say we're going to bethere to fix whatever we need
fixed or paint.
Okay, what day Right Is it ofthis month?
(07:38):
Is it this week?
Speaker 4 (07:39):
This month.
That's the concept we like tosay of manana.
Yes, Manana, does you know?
You learn that manana meanstomorrow.
Speaker 1 (07:46):
Not, not if you're talking to somebody scheduling?
Something Exactly.
Speaker 4 (07:51):
It means not today.
Speaker 1 (07:53):
But again, on the Cape Padre part of it, it helps
remind you life shouldn't belived so fast forward mode
because it's not healthy.
So I feel that that's also.
It kind of goes both ways.
But I truly love just.
We did one thing today and theone thing we're good and we
(08:15):
don't have to worry aboutanything else till tomorrow.
Speaker 4 (08:18):
Right, even if then we could go another day with
just that one thing, right yeah.
Speaker 3 (08:25):
And a lot of times I think when someone says, oh,
Minyana, or they'll do somethingtomorrow, it's not that they're
not working that day or thatthey don't want to help you, but
they tell you what you wanthere.
And they also maybe toldsomeone else tomorrow too, and
so they're trying to doeverything for everybody and
keep everybody happy.
Speaker 4 (08:43):
Yes, I agree, it's part of the friendliness and
helpfulness of the local peoplehere.
Yes, they don't want to tellyou something you don't want to
hear Exactly.
Speaker 2 (08:53):
I found that it kind of rubbed off on me, because
when we first got here I wasused to the States and you're go
, go, go.
So I would have 20 things Iwanted to get done tomorrow.
And now I'm like I got onething I want to do and I'm like,
yeah, maybe I'll do that.
Speaker 4 (09:07):
If it doesn't happen, it'll happen in Minyana.
Exactly, exactly.
Ok, chris, you got a new one.
Speaker 2 (09:15):
Food, I don't think we've covered food food in
Mexico.
Everyone loves Mexican foodhere.
Some great food, a lot of freshseafood coming right out of the
ocean.
There We've got some localfavorites in the Pueblo we go
down to Luis Marisols.
Speaker 4 (09:31):
They've got the best tacos they've ever eaten, best
food around and the best pricesaround, too.
Pasta they make a great pasta.
Speaker 2 (09:37):
I mean that's amazing and the prices are incredible.
We can usually get dinner forunder $5 and you're totally
stuffed Right.
Speaker 4 (09:46):
And it's amazingly fresh and it's right there, it's
on the street.
It's on the street in front ofa guy's house.
Maybe that's a came out forsome people, but it doesn't
bother Not me, I mean, that'sone of my favorite things to do.
Speaker 2 (10:01):
I just go to that place and just eat the local
food.
Go get the marquisezas down thestreet, because you can't cook
for that money at home.
Speaker 4 (10:12):
I don't know how they do it.
Speaker 1 (10:14):
So, on the came out part, I'm going to add to that
is the food.
You get fresh food here, sowhen you get fresh food you have
to use it.
It's not it'll go bad at first,unless you freeze it.
If you get it and you thinkyou're going to, I forgot the
chicken, I thought it out or Ileft it in the fridge.
(10:34):
We're going to cook it tomorrow.
Then again you get busy andwe'll go out to dinner when you
want to cook that chicken.
It's already gone bad if youdon't freeze it.
So that's the came out part.
With the food as well, ifyou're cooking at home, you need
to use it.
But then I also understand now.
Like the locals, they go totheir little markets in the
Pueblo Every day.
(10:56):
They will pick up the meatthey're eating, the veggies, the
fruits, everything that they'regoing to need for that day.
They do it daily where we'reused to in the states of let's
do our weekly grocery shopping,which is not really healthy with
all the preservatives in it.
Speaker 4 (11:15):
So yeah, I suppose that's a function of there's not
all the preservatives are inthe food.
We've noticed bananas are goodfor about two days.
Speaker 2 (11:22):
Yeah, yeah, suddenly, you got black bananas sitting
there Because the Cape Padresmakes great banana bread.
Speaker 1 (11:29):
Oh, yes, awesome.
I've learned that the last twotimes.
Speaker 4 (11:35):
Have you ever noticed what the chicken breasts are
like here compared to in thestates?
Do you know?
Speaker 3 (11:39):
how much smaller.
There's so much smaller here?
Speaker 4 (11:40):
Yes, and it's because .
I think it's because in thestates the chickens are pumped
full of hormones and growthhormone and all this stuff to
make them genetically huge likethat.
And in Mexico the chickens aremore like they probably were in
the 1950s or 60s in the UnitedStates, where they don't get all
that.
They're not all on corporatefarms, they're not being fed all
(12:03):
that stuff, so the chickenbreasts are much smaller but
they're healthier.
You're not getting all thatstuff in your body.
Speaker 1 (12:12):
So we've noticed.
I have noticed when we've gonegrocery shopping, we've gone
into the Pueblo to buy meat, andthen we've also gone to
Chidralli or Walmart andWalmart's chicken breasts are
three times larger.
The ones at Chidralli aresmaller.
But you go into the Pueblo youget normal chicken breasts
(12:33):
Normal, but those are the onesthat you need to buy that day
and make that day.
Speaker 2 (12:37):
Right.
Speaker 3 (12:38):
Right.
Speaker 4 (12:39):
So, yeah, that's a definitely food, yep.
Speaker 3 (12:42):
Well, one of the things I heard from a neighbor
that's a little newer to thearea was that she missed the
prepackaged convenience foodsthat she buy to throw together a
quick meal.
And there are workarounds here,so you can also buy a cooked
chicken in the Pueblo, whichusually comes with rice and
chicken cilantro and tortillas.
(13:05):
Yeah.
So if you want something quicklike that, you could buy a
chicken, shred it and use it tomake whatever your your dishes
that you wanted to havepre-packaged chicken strips for
it's possible.
There's workarounds.
Speaker 1 (13:19):
But I also realized as well I used to do a lot of
that in the states thepre-packaged because we were
busy working.
I don't have an excuse.
Now I can bake everything, Ican make everything from scratch
, which is easier.
And that was where I wasspeaking about the lifestyle,
the fast-paced.
It was constant go, go, go, andnow it's.
(13:41):
I don't have an excuse.
I can make the time to do thisand prepare stuff.
Speaker 4 (13:47):
Right.
Speaker 1 (13:48):
So it just, it goes both ways.
Speaker 4 (13:50):
It's like living in a simpler time For sure.
Speaker 2 (13:53):
Yeah, I always tell her to me I obviously didn't
live in the 40s, but I what Iimagine.
1940 America, that's whatMexico reminds me.
Everyone minds their business.
Nobody's showboat.
I think that too Nobody's.
You know, we went back andeveryone's got a big truck and
loud stereo's and they're likelook at me, look at me, look at
me.
And here everyone just keepstheir head down, does their own
(14:13):
thing, concentrates on.
Speaker 4 (14:15):
Yeah, everything is not bathed in regulations like
they have in the.
States either.
You know, I mean we, and wekind of joke about it Sometimes.
There's no OSHA in Mexico.
No, because you see the mostcrazy things People working on
highline poles with a woodenladder yes, 30 feet.
That's made out of sticks, youknow.
Speaker 2 (14:36):
And a chair on top of it and a chair on top of it.
I have a scooter with a ladder.
Speaker 3 (14:41):
Yeah, they transported the ladder on a
scooter.
Two guys on a scooter.
Speaker 4 (14:47):
Sometimes two guys a dog, a wife a baby or you know
in the States.
When's the last time you sawsomebody that had kids in the
back of a pickup Right?
Oh yeah, I mean here that'slike it's almost like that's
what they buy a pickup for,right it's to carry people in.
That's true, and you see trucksof you know, workers getting
(15:08):
transported to a job site orsomething.
Speaker 1 (15:09):
They're all standing there.
Speaker 4 (15:10):
They're crammed on the back of a truck like
sardines, you know?
Speaker 1 (15:14):
Yes, we've seen that, and it's usually every morning
if you're out early.
Speaker 4 (15:18):
And you would never see that in the States anymore.
But that's part of you know,that's something that maybe you
would have seen that in theStates decades ago.
Speaker 1 (15:25):
Yes, yeah, yeah.
(16:05):
Another one for Ke Padre.
We live so close to theCaribbean Sea but the Kemal
always we don't visit it as muchor go to it as much you had
mentioned before.
You visit when you have friends.
That's our thing.
When we have friends visit,it's our vacation from our daily
(16:27):
routine and that's when we goto the beach.
But it's very rare that we go.
Speaker 4 (16:33):
We're kind of that way too.
We go, you know, maybe onceevery couple months or something
like that, Other than when ourfriends are here.
We go three days a week.
Speaker 2 (16:40):
Yeah, we brought inflatable paddleboards down
here.
We've gone once in almost threeyears, which is horrible.
Speaker 4 (16:48):
And you know, I would say when we first got here we
went.
We discovered beach clubs thatwe like and we went quite a bit
more and there are people that Iknow of some friends of ours go
all the time.
You know that's their thing isgoing and sitting on the beach
and you know, watching the wavesand all that.
But yeah, it's not.
It's not something that youjust do forever, you know.
Speaker 1 (17:10):
Yeah, but I don't even think we really even
started doing it.
Yeah, it's when friends visitis when we go.
But to say, let's just go tothe beach today.
Speaker 4 (17:20):
Well, you know, part of that is the beaches.
Here it's hard to find beachaccess that doesn't cost you
money.
You know all the I mean.
There are gorgeous beach clubsall the way up and down Riviera
Maya, but there's a minimum thatyou have to spend there.
The food that, from ourexperience, is glorious in these
(17:41):
places, but it can be quiteexpensive, you know yes.
Yeah, and they charge.
They charge gringo prices theretoo, yeah.
Yes 50 bucks a person orwhatever for a day, and that's
not something that expats likeus like to spend.
Speaker 3 (17:56):
Yes, Well, and I think it's just part of whether
you're visiting somewhere onvacation or whether it's your
home, because I grew up in theBlack Hills of South Dakota that
everybody came to on vacationin the summer, but we never
visited those sites unless wehad family in from out of town.
So you know, we never went toMount Rushmore or driving up
(18:16):
through the, you know, thenational parks unless we had
family.
So it's you just try to take itfor granted.
Speaker 1 (18:23):
Well now, yeah, but now I think about it.
We're originally from Utah andit's one of the biggest places
for skiing and snowboarding, andwe really didn't do much of it.
Speaker 2 (18:36):
Well, the reason I didn't, you know, I had a job
that if I got hurt I wasn't ableto do my job and I have to get
an alternative assignment, whichwas not fun and just one worth
the risk for me especially asyou get older.
Speaker 1 (18:48):
I just didn't do it.
I didn't want to have a job.
Speaker 3 (18:50):
Well, that maybe that we just need to make point Use
the beach more.
I think we need to.
Don't take it for granted Fromhere on out.
Speaker 4 (18:59):
We're going to the beach at least once every two
weeks.
Speaker 3 (19:02):
Well, looks like it is a podcast today, Well off to
the beach.
Speaker 1 (19:04):
No, I think, but then also again it's like you if you
make plans, you make plans togo out, hang out, have dinner.
We should be able to do.
Let's go to the beach.
Yeah, let's just go hang outfor a couple of hours or so.
I mean, we live here.
Speaker 3 (19:24):
And I do say we do go for lunch at a beach club that
has a good view.
Yeah Right, it's not that wedon't see the ocean.
We do.
Speaker 4 (19:30):
We do but laying on the beach and seeing the ocean
are two different, two verydifferent things.
Speaker 3 (19:35):
Yes, but then when we go to, it's a priority because
it's dog friendly, exactly, andour dogs like to go there.
Speaker 1 (19:41):
So your dog only hears the name of the beach.
Speaker 4 (19:47):
We cannot say the word jungle fish in front of our
dog, so we use JF.
Speaker 1 (19:51):
We use JF.
Speaker 2 (19:56):
And he's starting to clue in on that, but that is
another Cape Padre is.
This area is so dog friendly.
Speaker 1 (20:03):
Oh, you can bring your dog anywhere you want.
Speaker 2 (20:05):
Yeah, like we were in the States, like Erica was
saying back in December, andmost of the places we could get
away with bringing our dog, butsomeplace we got told at one
place that you can't have thedog care.
Speaker 4 (20:16):
And it's rare to have a dog in a restaurant in the
States, unless it's an outdoorrestaurant, which around here
most are.
Speaker 3 (20:22):
Or a service dog, and or a service dog.
Our dogs, david, quite thatWell, they don't recognize
service dogs here in Mexico.
Speaker 4 (20:29):
Right, okay, we learn that so that's okay.
Dexter can never pass himselfoff as a service dog.
Anyway, he causes more problemsthan he solves.
We're next.
So what else do we have for?
Cape Padre came along.
Speaker 3 (20:45):
Well, one of my Cape Padres was the use of apps to do
a lot of our work here orinteractions here, and they're
free.
So we have WhatsApp, which weuse for everything from making a
reservation for a restaurant tocontacting a service provider,
a doctor.
We have WhatsApp groups fordifferent groups of friends or
(21:10):
even our community, and it's agreat way to share information.
So if you're wondering aboutthe process for getting a
driver's license, someone willask in one of those groups and
right away a couple people willcome back and need to do this,
this and this.
Here's a pin to get there.
So, very good way to shareinformation.
And then Google translates theother one.
So we use them all the time.
(21:32):
You know just when I'm lookingfor something in the store, if I
want to make sure it's exactlythe spice I'm looking for or how
to use the product, I can justflip out my phone and translate
it on the spot.
Super handy, super handy.
Speaker 4 (21:48):
Right.
Google translate for those thatdon't know has a camera
function and you point yourcamera at, like, in our case,
stuff that's on the groceryaisle.
That's all in Spanish and itwill translate it, or signs, or,
whatever, but it will translatethat into English, which is and
I see, I see so many people inthe store standing there, you
know, going down the aislelooking at stuff with the camera
(22:12):
.
Yes, imagine what life wouldhave been like moving here
without Google translate for usthat don't know Spanish.
Speaker 3 (22:19):
Yeah, we would have carried around a phrase book.
Speaker 4 (22:23):
Right, and we'd only had to be able to say these 200
short phrases.
Speaker 1 (22:29):
But even for me my parents are originally from
Mexico.
I can see the difference ofwhen they left Mexico to the
States.
It would have been the samething that the contacting of the
family.
They would call once a monthbecause back in the day it was
long distance calls, so youdidn't have that luxury.
(22:49):
But for me I have seen I'veeven struggled being fluent in
Spanish.
I sometimes struggle with it.
I know basic Spanish, I knowhow to do things, but I don't
know anything about cars gettingfixed Like I don't know.
And then, having been from morecentral Mexico to here, the
(23:12):
Spanish changes Right, and sothe Mayan Spanish for me is a
little bit more different thanthe Spanish I learned.
Speaker 3 (23:20):
Yeah, and there's different words for different
things.
Yeah there's probably whatthree different words for tires.
Speaker 1 (23:27):
Yes.
Speaker 3 (23:27):
Yes.
Speaker 1 (23:28):
Yes, I learned that when we got a flat tire Actually
cried Because I'm like what's atire here, like what's it
called?
Speaker 3 (23:41):
So what's the answer?
Speaker 1 (23:43):
It was the same, it was yanta, but the slang words I
can't remember off the top ofmy head were different ones, but
it was the same.
It was yanta.
Okay, yeah, but our securityguard had come up because he
heard it and he chased after usand he said something like no,
it's yanta.
Then he said something else.
I'm like man, I don't know whatthat is, I don't know what it
(24:04):
is, so I learned that.
Speaker 4 (24:07):
I have found.
You know, when we talk abouthow nice people are here,
there's a lot of people.
If they see you struggling withSpanish or something, they will
just stop what they're doingand help you.
Speaker 1 (24:16):
Yes, I've had that happen at the DMV getting my
license.
Speaker 4 (24:20):
I've had that happen.
If somebody's saying something,I'm given the old gringo stare
of nod and pretend I know whatthey're saying, when I really
don't.
Someone will recognize that andcome over and say well, here's
what she's asking you to do.
Speaker 3 (24:35):
That happened to us once in the airport too, so they
were questioning how long wehad been here and I was able to
explain that we were residentespermanentes.
But then she wanted us to go, Idon't know, over to a kiosk and
Bob started to do it, but hewas taking the suitcase with us
and someone intervened and likeno, no, no, you can just go get
(24:58):
the ticket from the kiosk andleave your suitcase here.
So we didn't quite catch that.
Speaker 4 (25:04):
And then he ran off with our suitcase.
That did not happen.
He was a very nice person thatdid that.
Speaker 3 (25:13):
So very, very helpful .
Speaker 1 (25:15):
They are very helpful .
Speaker 4 (25:17):
So one of the things that I like here is we say we're
living in paradise, and itreally is.
The jungle is lush here andthere's monkeys.
It's 24 hours, it's 365 dayssummer here.
Yeah, everything is green andlush.
We're surrounded by nature, by,like you said, monkeys and
(25:40):
kawates.
Speaker 2 (25:41):
There's a certain time of the year where the
butterflies I mean there'sthousands of them in the air.
Speaker 4 (25:45):
Yeah, it's amazing.
I go out walking every morningand I try and walk like five
miles, but I mean, I feel likeI'm just surrounded by nature.
Speaker 1 (25:55):
It makes the walk go really fast.
Yes, it does you really enjoyit?
That is true.
Speaker 4 (25:59):
Even if you're sweaty and miserable after halfway,
you don't care, because it's abeautiful, beautiful place.
Speaker 1 (26:06):
I actually tease, chris.
Sometimes you kind of feel likea jerk.
Sometimes, when I feel I'mgrateful for my life, I wake up
to birds chirping and I knowwhat time it is.
It's like oh 6.30.
There's this bird sound oh, 7o'clock.
Here's the other.
I know what time it is.
But then when I go take walksit's amazing to see everything,
(26:30):
just to look it's incredible.
And so I have to remind myself.
Sometimes when it's hot andyou're sweating and you're like,
oh, what did we do?
You Chris will walk outside andis sure it's just drenched in
sweat and it's, but you have toremember the good to that.
Speaker 4 (26:49):
Right, Right.
I don't think there is a K-Moloto living in nature.
Speaker 3 (26:54):
living in paradise is there, Unless Sherry's got one,
oh no, not in K-Molo, I'm justgoing to share.
We have a beautiful yogafacility that's very close to us
and I went today for a Pilatesclass and the class was
disrupted towards the endbecause there were three monkeys
outside the beautiful windowsswinging through the trees and
(27:14):
nobody can't tension anymorebecause we're all looking at the
monkeys.
Speaker 1 (27:18):
It's pretty cool.
I will say that the K-Molo tothat living in paradise.
I was walking one day but I wasby myself and I looked over and
a Kawate was looking at me andhe stared at me and scared the
hell out of me.
I had to just slowly walkbackwards and be like, okay,
this is your home, I will leaveyou there.
(27:38):
Don't look at me that way.
I am scared, but it scared me.
So walking alone with that,because sometimes they're
protective of it.
Speaker 4 (27:45):
Right.
Speaker 3 (27:46):
And wasn't there.
There was a time when we had acrazy colliding around here.
That was a raccoon.
Speaker 4 (27:50):
There were collides like a raccoon for people that
don't know Kind of rabbit orsomething, yeah, and it's in it.
Speaker 1 (27:54):
This one, yeah, we were thinking it was a raccoon.
It was attacking other animals.
Speaker 2 (27:58):
It was attacking pets .
Speaker 4 (27:59):
It was coming after people and somebody finally took
care of it.
Speaker 3 (28:03):
Yeah, we don't need to get into any details there.
Speaker 1 (28:06):
No, there was something wrong with that
colliding.
Speaker 4 (28:08):
Yes, that was a lot that was that was big news for
like a week, and in ourcommunity we were all terrorized
by the other colliding.
Speaker 1 (28:17):
I didn't know if it was just if they had eaten
something, if they were poisoned.
So I just slowly walkedbackwards and kept eye contact
and every time I'd make a movehe'd follow me and I was really
close to calling Chris like pickme up, like down a passing car
Help me Well you know, our, our,our former neighbor and friend
(28:41):
had a ring camera on his backpatio at night and he caught a
closeup of a massive jaguar.
Speaker 4 (28:49):
Yes, it was coming up and sniffing around his patio,
but this thing was just huge, itwas like the size of a lion,
you know and it walked right up.
It was really cool video.
Speaker 1 (28:59):
I'll see if I can find that posted on our expats
like us Facebook page.
Speaker 3 (29:03):
It was beautiful, it was right downstairs from us.
Speaker 4 (29:06):
Yeah, it was right below us.
Speaker 1 (29:07):
But I loved how he went up to the camera.
Like he went like trying to sayhi to everybody.
Speaker 3 (29:12):
Like what is this thing?
Speaker 4 (29:16):
Can I eat?
Speaker 3 (29:16):
it.
Speaker 2 (29:17):
Right.
Speaker 3 (29:18):
It smells so good.
What is that?
Oh yeah, I know it smells lessof Jesus, yahweh.
Speaker 4 (29:46):
I have a real good reputation with Jesus Yahweh.
The other thing that I like isI've always been a fan of
restaurants and you knowexploring different kinds of
foods and stuff and if you'relike a foodie type, this area is
(30:09):
insane.
There's thousands ofrestaurants there is and they're
changing and because there's somany of them, they have to be
pretty good to survive.
You know, both with price andwith quality, and you know you
can go to Tulum and there's somany good Asian, indian.
Speaker 1 (30:32):
Literally every country in the world is cuisine
as represented in.
Speaker 4 (30:35):
Tulum, and usually there's multiple ones.
Speaker 1 (30:38):
Yes, you know apply as well.
Speaker 4 (30:40):
Apply as the same way .
Playa del Carmen is the sameway.
There's probably tens ofthousands of restaurants there.
Speaker 1 (30:46):
We haven't even seen?
Speaker 2 (30:47):
Yeah, I always say you could start and try to hit
everyone and before you finishthey would have all moved on and
had another one start up.
You would never live longenough to get through.
Speaker 1 (30:57):
Playa del Carmen, oh yes.
Speaker 4 (30:59):
Now the K-Malo with that is.
I was in.
I walked through a restaurant.
I was at a meeting at arestaurant yesterday and walked
through and saw some friends andI couldn't even make my way
over to their table because itwas so packed.
Because it's high season rightnow in Riviera Maya, in this
restaurant every seat was full.
They had brought in extratables.
(31:20):
I mean, people were just upagainst, shoulder to shoulder in
this restaurant and it's likethat a lot this time of year and
both Playa and Tulum.
Speaker 3 (31:28):
Well, and I was going to mention, as we've traveled a
little bit around Mexicodifferent parts of Mexico have
different types of cuisine, butwe have found so many fabulous
restaurants wherever we'vetraveled.
Mexico really is a fooddestination.
Speaker 4 (31:43):
Oh yeah, oh yeah.
Speaker 3 (31:44):
And there's a foodie.
Speaker 4 (31:46):
This is a great place to check out.
Oh my God, and differentregions have different regional
foods.
It's incredible, yes.
Speaker 1 (31:51):
Yes, we learned that when we went to Guadalajara.
Speaker 4 (31:54):
And different drinks and different drinks as well.
By region.
I know one that's K-Malo, andyou guys will probably agree
lack of craft beer.
Speaker 1 (32:02):
That is exactly what I'm saying.
Speaker 4 (32:04):
Yes, If you're looking for craft beer, like we
were used to everywhere in theStates, you will not find that
here.
You're lucky to find maybe oneIPA and maybe a dark logger or
something like that, but it'snowhere on the scale it's just
has a dozecky.
Speaker 2 (32:22):
You have Victoria.
Speaker 4 (32:23):
Modelo.
It's all just pretty kind ofrun-of-the-mill beer, but you
get used to it.
You know it's not the end ofthe world.
Speaker 1 (32:35):
From beer to vodka or wine or margaritas On the other
hand, we have tequila and thescala which is better than
anywhere else in the world.
Speaker 2 (32:44):
And we went to tequila and that was a great
trip, oh yeah.
Speaker 1 (32:47):
That was an experience for sure.
I appreciate tequila more Fromtasting it, from when they start
making it to just now it'stequila.
Oh, I understand.
I understand now and have adifferent appreciation.
Speaker 4 (33:06):
Well, I've noticed a lot of our friends have really
developed a deep knowledge oftequila.
I mean seriously and not justthey just don't drink tequila
all the time, but they know alot about it yes or a miscal,
because there's so manydifferent kinds and it's all you
know.
There's a lot of nuance and inevery different kind.
Speaker 1 (33:24):
It's amazing.
Speaker 4 (33:25):
Right.
Speaker 2 (33:26):
For sure.
I don't know if we've said itoutright, but a healthy
lifestyle here, you know, justbeing active and you know, like
you said, I know we all playpickleball.
Speaker 4 (33:36):
Yeah, you play pickleball every day I play
probably three times Three orfour hours a day, every day.
You're a pickleball fiend, yeah, but also sharing a golf, which
you know, that's certain formof exercise.
Speaker 3 (33:51):
Yeah, we're on a PGA golf course, so I never imagined
that I would golf on a regularbasis on some.
On a golf course is nice.
Speaker 2 (33:58):
Right yeah.
Speaker 4 (34:00):
That's easy.
Speaker 2 (34:01):
Yeah, I lost, I think what 40-45 pounds when we moved
down here.
Speaker 1 (34:06):
I think it was more like no, our friends didn't
recognize them when we visited ayear later.
Speaker 4 (34:12):
They kept asking where his other half was I lost
a bunch of weight on that scalewhen I first got here and since
then I've eaten so many tacosand tortillas you know, gone to
so many restaurants which are,all you know, way too many
calories and stuff that I put alot of that back on.
Speaker 3 (34:33):
Yeah, there's a basket of chips that ends up on
the table every time you enter arestaurant.
Speaker 1 (34:39):
That's right, someone's got to eat them and
that's the thing they're fresh,yeah Right, they just made them
in the kitchen minutes ago.
Speaker 4 (34:47):
How can you not?
It'd be rude, right, all right.
Well, thank you guys forjoining us for K Padre K-Malo.
This has been fun.
We got two shows.
We thought we were going to getone, so this is really good and
it's been fun.
Speaker 2 (35:01):
It'd be interesting to hear with the viewers what
they like yeah, they don't likeabout Mexico.
They live here.
They visited here Absolutely.
Speaker 1 (35:07):
What they want to know, yeah.
Speaker 2 (35:09):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (35:10):
Comments would be appreciated.
Send us an email atexpatslikeus, at gmailcom, or
send us a comment on ourFacebook page at expatslikeus,
and we'd love to hear from you.
Yes, all right, thanks, guys.
Thank you All right, bye, bye,all right.
In each episode of X-Pats, likeUs, we're going to teach you a
(35:31):
new Mexican slang word.
This is something you may notfind in your phrase book or your
online Spanish class or yourSpanish app or wherever you're
learning your Spanish.
Instead, this is a term usedprimarily by Mexican Spanish
speakers.
Today's word is Wakala, wakala.
I don't think I've ever heardthat in my life, erika, uh, what
(35:55):
?
How do you spell that?
Speaker 1 (35:57):
That is G-U-A-C-A-L-A Wakala.
Speaker 4 (36:01):
And what does Wakala mean?
Speaker 1 (36:03):
Gross yuck.
Speaker 4 (36:05):
Okay, so it's an expression of Ew.
Speaker 1 (36:07):
Ew yes.
Speaker 4 (36:09):
Okay, very good.
Thank you, Erika Kowalski.
From Me, vita Margarita.
We'd love to hear your thoughtson today's topic.
Just look up X-Pats Like Us onFacebook or send us an email at
xpatslikeuscom.
You can also see the videoversion of today's discussion
(36:31):
and all of our discussions onour YouTube page.
Follow, like, subscribe andleave us a review.
Thank you to the producers ofX-Pats Like Us for getting
together today for another roundof K-Padre K-Malo.
It's been fun.
Thanks, chris and Erika.
(36:51):
From Me, vita Margarita andthanks to my wife, sherry Bussey
.
Thanks also to Tony and DianaCardin for their awesome
wildlife video.
We hope you guys are loving itin Florida.
Most of all, thank you fortuning in to X-Pats Like Us and
thank you for interacting withus on social media.
Next time we'll bring you morefirsthand information about your
(37:12):
international move.
Until then, remember our homesare not defined by geography or
one particular location, but bymemories, events, people and
places that span the globe.
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