Most Gringos who live in Mexico have moved directly onto a movie set.The bougainvillea drapes over garden walls, and parrots squawk in cages.
Meanwhile, beyond the decorative gate, is the world of deep troubles, intrigue, double-crossing and messy romance.
From my direct experience, few Gringos speak passable Spanish, and without Spanish you can never know this darker, more interesting world. You stay in your Glitz Ghetto.
Even if you do speak Spanish, know that Mexicans are masters of disguise. Deception is a wicked word, so let´s stick with disguise.
There is another requirement to exit the movie set: A deep well of perceptivity on your part, which is rare.
But, this is okay. Most of us love the movies, and here is your chance for a plum role. Relax and enjoy. These, after all, are your Golden Years. Forget reality.
3 comments:
Ha!
We all create our own reality, at least to some extent. I live in a Canadian city with a poor side of town (like every city, everywhere)and never go there. I barely know my neighbors, who,like me, live in their own little fenced off movie set. What goes on over there is anybodies guess. Everywhere we have lived, we have scooped out a nest that is more to our liking than it was when we arrived. Is there any reason Mexico would be different?
Doug Bowers writes extensively about this. If he is to be believed, Americans in Mexico are worse at learning Spanish than the Mexicans in America.
It really is human nature not to learn a second language if it's at all avoidable. Too bad. For those of us who have, it opens up entire new vistas that are completely invisible to the monolingual.
Regards,
Kim G
Boston, MA
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