I'm gonna try with a little help from my friends...
So I'm doing pretty good when I'm on my own but I get a lot more accomplished with friends. First off I had a wonderful Thanksgiving. Some good friends of ours who live here in town decided to throw a Thanksgiving dinner. Really it was for me but everyone who came loved it. The wife of this couple is Mexican/American and was raised in the US and the husband is from Nicaragua but lived in the US for 20 plus years. She has a lot of family here in town who are Mexican/American and who were raised most of their lives in the US. So she set up the rule that everyone had to speak english. This didn't really last all night but it was fun to see them catch each other and make each other try to speak English in my presence. Her family really have welcomed us in as their own since meeting us about 8 months ago. I am so thankful for them and there place in my life. They also had a huge garage sale this weekend where I managed to buy about 250p worth of Christmas, Thanksgiving and Easter decorations and a few other things we liked. But I was also able to sell some stuff we bought that cant fit in our apartment anymore. I came out about 50p ahead.
Also I have posted a few times that its almost time for Alana my 3 yr old to be in school. Apparently here you have to get to the school you want early on Feb 1st or you wont get in. A friend of mine has a daughter the same age as Alana and we have play dates with them a lot. We decided it would be good if we could get them in the same class. So Sat we walked up to a school which is about 15-18 blocks away or so. This means we can walk them there if we need to. Its also a government school so its free except books and stuff. So we walk all the way there with the girls and DUHHHHH its closed on Saturdays. By then were so close to the Red Cross that I ask her if she can wait outside with the girls while I run in to see whats up with me volunteering. Well they also said I needed to come back lunes. I must have looked confused when she told me this because she proceeded to tell me that was in 2 days. lol I did know this and understand her I was just trying to remember what we had going on on Monday. But this is the part of the trip aside from the walking that made me feel like a true Mexican. We went on an almost 2 hour walking trip and didn't get accomplished what we meant to but got other things done. We stopped at the Carnaceria (think I spelled it right) and with her help I got to buy meat from there instead of the gross stuff at the grocery store. Yummm it really is better. And after seeing my excitement she said she would be more than happy to go with me on a weekly basis when I need to buy meet. Then we stopped at a fruit store where things are so much better and cheaper than at the grocery store. And I ran into a dulceria to get candy for my advent calendar. (more to come on the calendar in another post)
Tomorrow we are off to renew my FM2 in Guadalajara so that will most likely be another post. I think I'm getting the hang of things around here more and more
each day.
The only bad thing that happened this week is that we found out our rent is going up in January. This is a bunch of crap really. We moved in here in July and haven't even had a lease until this week because I need it for my FM2. When she wrote it up she put 1800p on it instead of the 1700p we have been paying. And she said "oh and your rent will be going up to 1800 in Jan." I told her I thought she should talk to my husband about this because I didn't think we could pay that. And to be honest if and when I get a job we could pay it but this is a little bitty 2 bedroom cockroach ridden apartment. We have seen whole houses for only 2000p a month. Which means we are on the look out again and will most likely be moving again. UGGGGG I hate moving.
Amanda,
ReplyDeleteLet your husband deal with the rent lady. She doesn't want to lose you as a tenant. She is just testing the water to see how vulnerable you are to a raise in rent. Your husband will read her the riot act and everything will go back to normal. Maybe he can even get a reduction or at least some improvement of the premises out of her. Make a list of things that are wrong and need to be fixed. That will quiet her down a bit. Then you can look for a new place at your leisure. It is all just a game anyway.
I'm with you on taking the walks, sometimes long ones, to the individual stores to shop. I just got back from the US and was nauseated by each Wal-Mart experience I had to endure...I missed my simpler Mexican life. Also good luck on the red cross, that's great you have something you can volunteer at that fits your skills. I'm trying to come up with a service solution for myself.
ReplyDeleteAnd yes, let your husband do the confronting about the rent issue. She is testing you, as Bob said.
Amanda - I have to agree with Bob and Leah, let hubby do all the talking...frustrating as it is it works out much better!
ReplyDeleteIt really is interesting to see how rent costs differ from city to city w/ in Mexico!
I'm glad you have some friends who you are able to converse with, and who you can share the traditions from home with!!!
ya know I have been looking as well and I have found that whole houses sometimes are cheaper than apartments. So I would look into a whole house which means more room and chances are 3 bedrooms. Good luck and rent a whole house, I figure even if I work, to pay rent and the house bills. It would be the same in the states one salary goes to the house. Good luck! By the time taxes are taken out, daycare the rest goes to the house. So it will be the same, hang in there and olx.com has tons and adoos, and so many more look on google.com.mx and the paper good luck!
ReplyDeleteFor sure I plan to let him deal with the land lords. Part of the reason I'm upset about the whole thing is that they decided to tell me when he wasn't here. I feel this is just rude and not only because of my lack of Spanish. Anyway we have pretty much decided that after the holidays we will be looking. We are praying that we can find a house. This time I am spreading the word to everyone (the few people that is) that we know. IN hopes that something will come up. Around here by the time they put a sign up they have an offer and its so hard if you don't know someone who knows the owner of the house. But I figure if I get the word out now in a month or so when we start really looking maybe someone will have something.
ReplyDelete