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Communication and time Mexican style

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travellight

I'm not sure that visitors and new exat's understand the real meaning of time in Mexico or even the subtleties of communication.

I had a couple of good examples just recently. I bet some of you have also. Please share those.

In my case I received what i thought was an odd notice from the city. They planned to work on several streets and mine was one of them. The secretary of infrastructure would personally supervise. The work would start the next day and it would hopefully be done by August 12. August 12 ? that's almost 4 months :/  So the next day nothing, the following day two guys at the end of the street breaking up sidewalk. Okay I get it august.

The other thing was what I learned and what they actually say. I rent a garage space ( good thing with that construction right?) any way the owner came for the fee and  he asked for key money not garage space money. I also have a guy who refers to the pool as the alberca not pescina. Got to stay on your toes  Ja ja ( ho ho)

Ronniestm

Everybody has their way of saying things?

travellight

Ronniestm wrote:

Everybody has their way of saying things?


Yes, but the point is that those Spanish lessons may not cover everything, and you might want to be tuned into variations.

Ronniestm

Every language has that!    An American ear can't be finetuned overnight. Unfortunately,
Gringos aren't geared towards languages. I was pushed into learning languages since
childhood, no one else I know was raised that way.

travellight

Ronniestm wrote:

Every language has that!    An American ear can't be finetuned overnight. Unfortunately,
Gringos aren't geared towards languages. I was pushed into learning languages since
childhood, no one else I know was raised that way.


The majority of people are those people Ronnie. Some are learning, some don't speak any languages, including Spanish at all. So a simple heads up might be helpful.

Rosalyn Dumont

Hi...I have been in Mexico since 1999,lived in Veracruz for 6 years ,and now in Cancun.
       Live in a nice residential area,and at time receive guests in my house.
       Retired and enjoying the sand ,sun and surf of Quintana Roo.

gudgrief

Interesting.  This is the first time in 13 years I have heard of a Mexican using the word alberca.

Sanitario seems to be the currently preferred word for restroom, Baño used to be more common, I think.  Or it could be a difference between North and South.

Lately, I'm hearing coche more often that carro when it was carro exclusively when I arrived in 2008.

Don't let vocabulary phase you.  If you don't understand, ask and keep asking.

joaquinx

The word alberca is what I've heard as referring to a swimming pool. The word balneario is often used to refer to large, public pools that offer food, drink, etc.

gudgrief

joaquinx wrote:

The word alberca is what I've heard as referring to a swimming pool. The word balneario is often used to refer to large, public pools that offer food, drink, etc.


Balneario refers to a public pool or rather a complex that offers one or more pools and possibly food and entertainment.  Each pool is still an alberca in Mexico and other countries and piscina in Spain and other countries I have visited.  People who travel or read authors from several countries recognize both.

When I arrived in 2008, carro was universal for car.  Now I'm hearing coche very frequently but nobody misunderstands when I use carro out of habit.

This is only to point out that the choice of vocabulary and pronunciation varies by country, regionally and even from one part of a country to another.

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