Osprey - 6-22-2011 at 03:34 PM
Advice from an old friend of mine. Good advice for Mexico or not?
How to Mexico
I’m on oxygen 24/7 now so I gotta get this out. My name is Herb Thompson and I’m giving you this little late night sermon from a small town in Mexico.
Doesn’t really matter where it is, could be most anywhere in the country. I’ve been happy here for about ten years and if this is my last stop I’ll be
happy with that.
Looking at me now, all stove up, you wouldn’t think I’ve been traveling the world over since I was old enough to vote. Somehow I got into the
import/export business very early and found happiness traveling for fun and business while buying and selling all over the globe. Some of my business
arrangements made it necessary for me to rent or buy office space, apartments, bungalows and homes in Venezuela, Uruguay, Greece, Fiji and a dozen
other countries where I could work my trade.
You’re not going to like my advice so let me ease you into it. For business or pleasure some of us reckless types avoid countries or city states where
bureaucracy rules the land, where regulations and regulators are honest and efficient. Wheeler dealers like to play it fast and loose and we don’t
mind having to pay to play. Mexico is tailor made for us but so is Honduras, Spain, Russia, etc. etc. I’m not talking about any criminal activity,
just the opposite; when in Rome…..
Because I got into this routine early it has become my habit to use the tactics of business to make my personal life easier, brighter and as a bonus
it brings me so much closer to my neighbors wherever I live and work.
It’s a simple axiom:
Pay Everybody for Everything and do it with a Smile.
You all know how that works when you travel, especially abroad. But some of you put all that aside when you settle in. In fact, many of you shut that
winning system down for no real good reason. There’s no real trick to it – you know how much things cost when you get to where you’re going and you
either have enough to make it all work or you wouldn’t be there.
I guess I learned about how people view Yankees at a very early age. I rented a small house in Costa Rica and tried to make friends with the locals
around me. I invited many of them to my house and they seemed warm and willing but never showed up. Little by little I learned what it took to help
them make the leap from being reluctant about the visit, to looking forward to it. I paid everybody to come.
I went to the fruit stand, bought a basket of fruit, paid for it and some extra to have it delivered to my house. When the owner (or his son, wife,
employee) would show up I would tip them nicely and suggest that they stop by once a week or so when I would repeat the friendly purchase. I did the
same with the pure water vendor, the chicken and egg people.
One day I stopped into the local police station, invited the Captain for coffee and over that explained that I was in the artifact export business and
sometimes had those goods at my small house. We jumped in his car for a quick ride to my place, I showed him around and we made a private deal. I let
him know I could pay him a small commission if he sent me artisans with goods I could sell and that I would pay him $50 U.S. on the first of every
month for keeping an eye on my place, my goods.
I hired an auto mechanic the same way, found a barber to come to my house once a month, a part-time worker to help me crate some of the goods for
shipping and to have the stuff hauled to the shipping office. In all of these transactions and a lot more I always made the offer, set the price, paid
with a smile and never complained if someone, sometime missed a visit.
The word got around and pretty soon it seemed the whole town was looking for a reason to come to my place, be my friend, satisfy some need or service
I might have. I’ll have you know I was not just throwing money around – I was giving my neighbors a small incentive to do me a service while paying
honor to their work/service. I got and earned a reputation as a Yankee who paid with a smile and did not haggle as so many do.
Mexico was very much like many other countries and I continued the practice to this day. Now that I’m alone and old and ailing I have everything I
need at hand without having to move about and you would not believe the friends I’ve made over the years here who just stop by, now without a money
motive, to see a Gringo they can trust.
My friendly bet with Gringo expats would be that over time I’ve probably spent less money than those who always thought they were paying too much, who
thought they were being charged way more than their Mexican neighbors, thought they were being cheated, hustled, extorted and chiseled and generally
taken advantage of. The shame of all that is that my smile and my open hand showed them “I was satisfied” with whatever the transaction called for.
When I had to say no, I always did that with a smile as well.
I think it nearly impossible for people anywhere to find contempt, disgust, avarice in a friendly smile. That’s a thing you can’t make up, you have to
feel it. That all starts when you let yourself be open and honest, unafraid and trusting. Mexico was waiting for me. Maybe you could be happy here
too.
Well Said, Osprey
Gypsy Jan - 6-22-2011 at 05:42 PM
That is all.
Regards, GJ
Udo - 6-22-2011 at 06:02 PM
I can't believe you used my personal profile, George, I thought we were pals! (all
except for the import-export stuff).
But that's why you are the best fiction writer, George.
krafty - 6-22-2011 at 06:27 PM
Great story, but I do believe there are places where haggling for goods is expected by the person selling, all in good fun. Bali is one of them.
Bob H - 6-22-2011 at 06:35 PM
Man, I always enjoy your short stories!
Marc - 6-22-2011 at 07:27 PM
Great story. Words to live by.
motoged - 6-22-2011 at 09:13 PM
Great story !!!
gnukid - 6-22-2011 at 10:55 PM
I always say there are only two options in life, be the meeter or the greeter. Either way do it with zest al gusto.
willyAirstream - 6-23-2011 at 06:15 AM
Very enjoyable story. Thanks!
shari - 6-23-2011 at 07:25 AM
perfect!!!!
BajaGringo - 6-23-2011 at 08:10 AM
Loved it...
Iflyfish - 6-23-2011 at 09:32 AM
Good one. Wish I weren't so old, I could have used this advice in my errant youth.
Iflyfish
BajaBlanca - 6-23-2011 at 01:46 PM
great, as always !!!
briantroy - 6-24-2011 at 10:19 PM
Good stuff!