One thing I heard from the questionnaire results (more on the questionnaire in another post, if you haven’t filled it out yet, please do…below) was that people like information about just everyday life in México.

So I thought I’d do a little series about how I know I am adapting to life in México. Here goes!

1. I like covers on things. Washer, Dryer, Mixer, Blender, whatever. Why not? It is dusty here and the geckos like to run around on things and it’s just neater.

2. Below is a picture of the little coin bag that we keep in the car. In the car you need coins handy for the random stoplight purchase, window washers, grocery store helpers, backing-out-of-the-parking spot whistle guys, and various charities that stop you here and there. I have learned the hard way that you are a total jerk cheapskate if you don’t even have a few pesos for someone who helped unload your cart. So don’t run out!

3. At first I didn’t understand the way pills are packaged…all in little foil things ten or twelve at a time. Now I get it. Humidity is not the friend of pills. So we buy only what we need for a short while and there’s no problem.

4. Are you expecting a delivery? Get out your buckets or cans and put them in the street to save a space for the truck. And not just any old buckets or cans…they have to be old, over the hill ones no one would want. If you put out a good bucket, no holes, and with a nice working handle it would be gone in a flash. The car wash guy on our street, Cuahtémoc, locks his buckets up to the wrought iron when he goes to lunch or home for the evening.

5. Have coins handy at the front door. Here’s our container that is on the table near the door. Right now there’s not much money in it – we need to make an effort to accumulate more coins and stockpile again. The water delivery guys need money, the crazy guy needs a taco, the one armed guy needs a few coins, and the little girls selling raffle tickets for a new car, too. It never ends!

6. Sweep, sweep, sweep. I am actually starting to get into it. The zen of sweeping. We sweep the sidewalk. We sweep the street. We sweep our window sills. We sweep everything. Or some of the time I do, and the rest of the time Guadalupe does, I should say. And she scoffs at the blue plastic bristled broom and loves the one pictured below. And the recycled can dustpan is a standard down here, too.

That’s it! A bit of everyday life in México.