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Herb

Nomad

Posts: 202
Registered: 11-6-2003
Location: Torrance, CA
Member Is Offline

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posted on 1-9-2004 at 01:48 AM

Cultural Education part 2

Ok so it is not really Baja but it could have happened there as well. I think it is approrpirate to how we view Mexico as a whole. If not, the moderators can remove it or move it to the non-Baja section as they see fit:

Part 2 (Lessons 1-5) of my cultural ?education? on the streets of Mexico City came just as I thought I had mastered the rules of the game?.

It was one of those wild college binge-drinking nights. Truly epic! It began with a boxing match on TV, 4 guys with a bottle of vodka, a bottle of cr?me de menthe and 3-dozen tacos al pastor. With only 2 guys left standing by 10pm we head for Plaza Garibaldi to sing with the Mariachis.

After singing and beginning to sober up, we spy a pulqueria on the corner. We exchange looks that say, ?Como no, joven!? We?ve heard about but have never tried pulque so now seems like the perfect opportunity. We meet a couple of locals and start talking about politics, women and everything else that drunk young men babble on about in any country. The pulqueria closes at 2am and so we proceed to find somewhere else to continue the party. All the bars are supposed to be legally closed at this hour but one of the locals says that he knows of a place?

Well, it is actually a ladies bar but it is the only place around still serving so we pile in and grab a table. We ask for a bottle of Viejo Vergel and 4 cokes. Mistake/lesson number 2 ? we don?t ask the price. The frustrated proprietors realize that we are not there to support their main source of income, but only to drink. (This was mistake number 1) When are finally near the pass out stage, we ask for the cuenta and are told that it comes to about $40.

We are indignant. That is a ridiculous price. I stand up and get loud with my indignation (Lesson number 3. I later am informed that it is VERY rude and obnoxious in Mexican culture to get loud in anger) We refuse to pay. They call the police. I am c-cky and confident, though, because I ?know the game!?

When the police arrive, both the proprietors and us tell our stories. An officer then asks us to pay. We refuse. The officer then says that he will have to arrest us. ?No problem,? I think, ?this is where the ?system? works for me.?

Lesson # 4

The bar owner goes back inside. I hand the officer the $15 worth of pesos that we were prepared to pay for our drinks and explain to him with a grin that I?m sure we can do something for him for his time in coming out to handle this matter. He explains to me that he cannot accept my money because has already taken the equivalent of $40 from the bar owner to make sure he actually does take us to jail. I ask, ?What if we pay you more?? He explains to me that he cannot do it because he made a promise.

I am stunned, amazed and impressed. First at the police officer with the integrity to not just add to the money in his pocket because he intended to honor the deal he made with the bar owner. Second at the degree to which I had offended the bar owner since he was willing to pay an additional $40 on top of what he didn?t get from us just to teach us a lesson.

So the four of us, 2 gringos and 2 Mexicans, spend the rest of the night curled up on the floor of a jail cell with half a dozen or so other prisoners. My gringo friend has hidden our money in a place that would probably gross most of you out so it won?t be taken from us.

About noon or so, the mom of one of the Mexican guys, comes and pays the equivalent of about $50 to get us out of jail. I tell the guy?s mom that we don?t have money that she would want to touch with us but that if she could come by my place or give me her address, I would give her the money back because I was really the one that caused us to get locked up with my behavior. She smiles and tells me, ?No, thank you! That was a terrible thing that happened to you boys and I don?t want you to remember Mexico that way. Mexico is a beautiful place with beautiful people.?

How right she was! Lesson 5 was now over and I went back to my place to rest and sleep after a hard day and night of studies!

Mike Humfreville

Super Nomad

Posts: 1148
Registered: 8-26-2003
Member Is Offline

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posted on 1-9-2004 at 11:07 AM

Great Story

THIS is the way to care for Mexico. Wonderful, caring people. Keep cranking that keyboard Herb.

BajaNomad » General Baja Discussion » Cultural Education part 2

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