# For expats currently living in Mexico: most family friendly and veg-friendly cities?



## AvaMama539 (Dec 26, 2014)

Hello! I'm Ava and Mexico is one of the few countries I am looking into the possibility of moving to from the United States which I have wanted to do for a LONG time. I have a son who is 10 yo and deaf but can hear with his cochlear implants, and kids in the US I have just found to be very cold and unfriendly to him when he tries to make friends because he is different. So it's become a primary objective for me when considering where we will go next is that family life is valued and kids are more friendly and less materialistic and snitty in that particular locale. This has made me become a lot more open to the idea of Mexico.

For people who live there where have you found the most open and friendly attitudes from peers that make it easier for children to acclimate to the change? Also we are Vegan, and I'm realistic- I am not expecting tons of Vegan restaurants in latin america lol but are there areas where I can go to a store and get tofu, or more metropolitan areas where there are some ethnic restaurants such as Indian and Thai which traditionally offer Veg options? 

And I do make okay $ working remotely but the REALLY 'spensive areas I would rather avoid. Thanks in advance for any advice!


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## Longford (May 25, 2012)

:welcome: to the Mexico Forum!

Some questions for you, as we begin this discussion:

1. Have you previously visited Mexico and/or spent an extended period of time in-country? 

2. What level of Spanish-language fluency do you and your son posses?

3. If this will be an extended stay (i.e., establishing residency in Mexico), have you reviewed the requirements (particularly financial thresholds) to obtain a residency visa?

Thanks in advance.


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## AvaMama539 (Dec 26, 2014)

Thanks for the Welcome!

Visited yes, but not an extended period of time, and near to the border which isn't the region I'd likely chose to live. I'm mainly basing my top contenders on demographic info I'm getting from the net and books like "Getting Out: Your Guide To Leaving America" but really understanding what life is like somewhere can't be obtained without talking to lots of people who live there. I certainly would not move anywhere officially without spending an extended stay either so I'm in the narrowing down realistic possibilities stage. Appreciate the advice from people on threads like this who are living the life abroad and can dish the truth. 

To answer the others- we do not know Spanish but will learn (we are already bilingual- English and ASL lol, I'm confident we can take on Spanish) if we relocated. I would learn the language of ANY nation I relocated to, it's a respect thing for me, personally. And yes I do know what the residency requirements are and I do have the income to meet them (Mexico City is a little weird with it's rules about needing someone who lives there to vouch for you with their own property on the line, but otherwise it's not bad at all).

Any responses as per my query Longford?


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## sparks (Jun 17, 2007)

Kids are kids and not necessarily nicer here. No Spanish and can't hear well sounds like home schooling and a close circle of friends. 

Vegan .... probably ****** enclaves for restaurants more than pure Mexican. Lots of good food in markets if you can cook in house


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## AvaMama539 (Dec 26, 2014)

"Kids are kids and not necessarily nicer here." I'm not sure about that. Culture effects a lot relative to children's behavior. There are places that for example place a much greater emphasis on wearing high price brands in order to be acceptable, and other places where children are less materialistic (likely as a result of being less financially prosperous, but nevertheless). Also as I said we WOULD know Spanish before we moved and my son can hear fine with his cochlear implants. This is not something I'm planning on doing tomorrow. I might choose to home school but I'm certainly not assuming less socialization because we'd be living somewhere new.

It's just not acceptable to me the idea that the majority kids are aholes to other kids who have cochlear hearing aids on and/or don't have as much $ because they are different. I have to believe family values are improved from the US in other parts of the planet- I guess I am an optimist! 

Any specific suggestions for "****** enclaves" lol? Somewhere like san miguel de allende?


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## Longford (May 25, 2012)

sparks said:


> Kids are kids and not necessarily nicer here.


I've observed similar to what you have. 



sparks said:


> Vegan .... probably ****** enclaves for restaurants more than pure Mexican. Lots of good food in markets if you can cook in house


I think Mexico is a great place for vegans, vegetarians, etc., because of the year-round availability of so many different types of vegetables. I think one could live in many places other than "****** enclaves".


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## Isla Verde (Oct 19, 2011)

Regarding being a vegan in Mexico, at least one forum member is a vegan and has lived here several years, so hopefully he will be posting soon and can give you some advice about the practicalities of following a vegan lifestyle in this country.


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## Longford (May 25, 2012)

AvaMama539 said:


> "Kids are kids and not necessarily nicer here." I'm not sure about that. Culture effects a lot relative to children's behavior.


Public schools are, generally, not very good in Mexico. And from what we've learned in recent articles about the hundreds of thousands of persons who've returned to Mexico from the USA in recent years ... many children have had a rough go of it and have not been treated kindly by other students. 



AvaMama539 said:


> There are places that for example place a much greater emphasis on wearing high price brands in order to be acceptable, and other places where children are less materialistic (likely as a result of being less financially prosperous, but nevertheless).


Children who are born into families in Mexico where the parents have good jobs are as materialistic as their peers up north. Materialism is alive and well, in Mexico. Children from poorer families will, obviously, be less so (but the desire will still be there, I think).



AvaMama539 said:


> Also as I said we WOULD know Spanish before we moved and my son can hear fine with his cochlear implants. This is not something I'm planning on doing tomorrow. I might choose to home school but I'm certainly not assuming less socialization because we'd be living somewhere new.


Yes, socialization is imperative, if a move such as this is to be successful.



AvaMama539 said:


> I have to believe family values are improved from the US in other parts of the planet- I guess I am an optimist!


I don't see much difference in the "family values" comparing the USA with Mexico.

Thanks for your feedback. You're going to receive lots of comments, some you may not like to hear ... but I think everyone contributing will be offering "advice" from their particular life experience/perspective ... which may be different than yours.


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## sparks (Jun 17, 2007)

Mexicali has tons of Chinese and even our little town has Japanese and Chinese. 

There is vegan and vegan .... some fish is OK, some dairy is OK ..... and some is only no red meat. Tofu you may have to go to Walmart or other big box stores


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## AvaMama539 (Dec 26, 2014)

Thank you for the detailed response, Longford, appreciate that! I'm not looking for someone to tell me "yes Mexico is the perfect place for you" or any other country. To me the bare minimum qualifications of a new nation would be that I can eat there, it's possible to emigrate to (a lot of the best countries are waaaay out of my financial and career ability to get approved for living in), and I'd like to move to a place where kids are more social with other kids in a nice way. I have heard that many times about Belize, that native children are very welcoming of expat kids, so I know there IS a difference in that area in some places. Schools do not have to be good if I can home school without trouble, wherever it is.


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## AvaMama539 (Dec 26, 2014)

@ sparks the only thing that is really Vegan is NO animal product consumption. There are various forms of vegetarianism but there is only one actual Vegan. I would definitely count on being the odd man out in that area wherever I lived but it would be nice to be able to find some places to eat occasionally out like indian or thai food. Mexico City actually has 70 vegan friendly restaurants according to the Happy Cow website!


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## GARYJ65 (Feb 9, 2013)

Longford said:


> Public schools are, generally, not very good in Mexico. And from what we've learned in recent articles about the hundreds of thousands of persons who've returned to Mexico from the USA in recent years ... many children have had a rough go of it and have not been treated kindly by other students.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Do you live in Mexico?
Did you bring your family to Mexico?
What experience do you have for raising kids in Mexico?


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## TurtleToo (Aug 23, 2013)

When I taught school in Mexico (many years ago, now,) I did not find children and teens to be any less cruel toward their peers than their counterparts in the US. This was especially true in regard to perceived "differentness." 

.


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## AvaMama539 (Dec 26, 2014)

Gary J please see my initial post and responses on page 1 I have answered those questions already.  Thanks!


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## GARYJ65 (Feb 9, 2013)

AvaMama539 said:


> Gary J please see my initial post and responses on page 1 I have answered those questions already.  Thanks!


Those questions were made to Longford


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## citlali (Mar 4, 2013)

Kids are kids and there is plenty of bullying in the schools and teasing of kids who are different. I know several kids who do not want to wear glasses because the other kids tease them and call them "4 eyes".
Belize is not Mexico and people there speak English so communication with expat kids is easier.


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## maesonna (Jun 10, 2008)

You didn’t mention whether your research had turned up the fact that Mexican sign language (LSM) is the language of the Deaf community in Mexico, and it is unrelated to ASL. That is also something to take into consideration.


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## lagoloo (Apr 12, 2011)

AvaMama539 said:


> "Kids are kids and not necessarily nicer here." I'm not sure about that. Culture effects a lot relative to children's behavior. There are places that for example place a much greater emphasis on wearing high price brands in order to be acceptable, and other places where children are less materialistic (likely as a result of being less financially prosperous, but nevertheless). Also as I said we WOULD know Spanish before we moved and my son can hear fine with his cochlear implants. This is not something I'm planning on doing tomorrow. I might choose to home school but I'm certainly not assuming less socialization because we'd be living somewhere new.
> 
> It's just not acceptable to me the idea that the majority kids are aholes to other kids who have cochlear hearing aids on and/or don't have as much $ because they are different. I have to believe family values are improved from the US in other parts of the planet- I guess I am an optimist!
> 
> Any specific suggestions for "****** enclaves" lol? Somewhere like san miguel de allende?


Yep. You are an optimist, but that's not a bad thing.

I lived in San Miguel de Allende for three years, and I understand that there is good schooling available for expats. The public schools are not as good.
It's a nice place to live if you can handle high altitudes. Like most mountain areas, winters are chilly; summers hot.

People, including the kids, are just as materialistic as they are in the U.S. Bear in mind that the world is now a global village, with the internet ruling all, so the attitudes and values are spread everywhere. 

Excellent shopping. Caters to tourists, so there are many choices in restaurants.

Housing, both sales and rentals are reasonable if you don't live in Centro, where the prices are ridiculous. I lived in a Mexican neighborhood on one of the surrounding hills. The air was cleaner than downtown, where there are too many cars circling round and round looking for a parking place. Be prepared for noise; block parties, firecrackers and all. That's just Mexico.

All in all, I'd guess San Miguel would be a good fit for you.


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## AvaMama539 (Dec 26, 2014)

@maesonna Did not mention it but as a HOH person who grew up with a deaf family my auto response is "of course there's a different sign language" and I would take that into account which is why I didn't bring it up.  ASL is only primarily signed in the United States ("American" Sign Language), there are different signs for different nations... however the letters are usually the same, including for LSM. One thing that I learned about Mexico that attracted me to it was that often deaf children's families do not know sign language and they are very isolated socially. I thought that might be something I could come up with a way to help with somehow.

@lagoloo very helpful response thank you so much! And solid point about the 'global village' mindset due to widespread technology. I'm not sure I'm super pleased with that in the materialism sense but it is a good reality check.


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## lagoloo (Apr 12, 2011)

I just picked up the local paper for the lake Chapala area where there was an article about how the first thing young folks do in the morning and the last thing at night is log into Facebook, so there you go.

Personally, I am a Facebook hater. We have little privacy left in our lives, so who needs bots collecting Facebook postings that may come back to haunt us years later, and who needs to be "connected" to 400 "friends"? It seems a little nuts, but then, I'm definitely a minority opinion on that one. When I want to "connect" with someone I have actually met, I write an email or use the phone. Old fashioned? You bet.


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## TundraGreen (Jul 15, 2010)

sparks said:


> Mexicali has tons of Chinese and even our little town has Japanese and Chinese.
> 
> There is vegan and vegan .... some fish is OK, some dairy is OK ..... and some is only no red meat. Tofu you may have to go to Walmart or other big box stores


Most of the Chinese I have seen in Mexico is not vegetarian-friendly. There are fried potatoes and usually some kind of old steamed vegetables, but they tend to mix meat or eggs in all of the interesting choices. Even the rice has eggs mixed in. Food in "real" Chinese restaurants has more options.

About the word "vegan". "vegetarian" is pretty flexible. There are lacto-ovo vegetarians that don't eat fish, meat or chicken but do eat eggs and dairy. Some vegetarians eat fish or chicken but not meat. On the other hand "vegan" generally implies someone who doesn't eat any animal products, and often vegans do not use animal products, i.e. they don't wear leather.

The big cities have asian grocery stores for buying tofu. Soriana sells a boxed tofu that doesn't need refrigeration. The asian stores sell fresh tofu, either commercial or sometimes house-made.


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## Isla Verde (Oct 19, 2011)

lagoloo said:


> . . .
> Personally, I am a Facebook hater. We have little privacy left in our lives, so who needs bots collecting Facebook postings that may come back to haunt us years later, and who needs to be "connected" to 400 "friends"? It seems a little nuts, but then, I'm definitely a minority opinion on that one. When I want to "connect" with someone I have actually met, I write an email or use the phone. Old fashioned? You bet.



I don't hate FB, I just ignore it! Of course, at my age, I'm allowed to be old-fashioned.


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## lagoloo (Apr 12, 2011)

Isla Verde said:


> I don't hate FB, I just ignore it! Of course, at my age, I'm allowed to be old-fashioned.


I was seduced by the word-flow matter: "Facebook ignorer" doesn't have the rhythm of "hater". But you're right. I don't put the "hate" energy into it. I just "ignore" it, in fact.
To me, there is so much more true "communication" in a voice on the phone or the body language conveyed in a "face to face" event than can be conveyed in written posts. I've often been surprised when I meet someone who I have only known as a fellow poster on web boards.
In one case, the woman who seemed very terse in posts turned out to be a warm person. In another case, the man who I considered to be a blowhard ashole from his postings was a cultured gentleman in person. Go figure!


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## Isla Verde (Oct 19, 2011)

lagoloo said:


> I was seduced by the word-flow matter: "Facebook ignorer" doesn't have the rhythm of "hater". But you're right. I don't put the "hate" energy into it. I just "ignore" it, in fact.


That's true: "FB-hater" slides off the tongue more easily than "FB-ignorer" does. Anyway, the opposite of love is not hate but indifference.


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## TurtleToo (Aug 23, 2013)

Isla Verde said:


> the opposite of love is not hate but indifference.


Sounds like a good beginning to a novel! 

.


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## Isla Verde (Oct 19, 2011)

TurtleToo said:


> Sounds like a good beginning to a novel!
> 
> .


Or maybe the story of my love-life.


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## chicois8 (Aug 8, 2009)

Back on topic, please.......


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## lagoloo (Apr 12, 2011)

Isla Verde said:


> That's true: "FB-hater" slides off the tongue more easily than "FB-ignorer" does. Anyway, the opposite of love is not hate but indifference.


I would quibble with that definition as I consider matters such as the Holocaust, beheading of prisoners, child abuse and many other things to which I can't feel indifferent, but surely do not love.
:juggle:


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## AvaMama539 (Dec 26, 2014)

With you on that lagoloo! I enjoy some forums on the internet (such as this one and Meetup bc I do a lot of volunteer activities) but FB and those social networking websites were mainly a time and productivity sucker for me so I gave it up. I have a google + by default from my gmail acct but I don't really use it. *SHRUG* Cheers to socializing in person!


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## AvaMama539 (Dec 26, 2014)

@TundraGreen Thanks for the tofu tips! Chinese is unlikely to have as many veg options for sure but Thai is usually great for that, as is Indian.


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## Isla Verde (Oct 19, 2011)

AvaMama: when you want to respond directly to another member's post, it's best to click on the Reply With Quote button before writing your message.


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## maesonna (Jun 10, 2008)

When you cook in your own kitchen, it’s easy to be vegan or vegetarian, with the plethora of fresh vegetables and dried beans available. The harder part is eating out at restaurants, and eating at social occasions (friends’ and neighbours’ parties). 

For these it is way easier to be a vegetarian than a vegan (because cheese and eggs). And it’s much easier to be a “don’t ask, don’t tell” vegetarian than a fastidious one. The beans (which at home you prepare with oil) may have lard in them. Ditto the tamales. And quesadillas, even if they have a vegetable filling, might be fried in lard. And the rice is almost certainly prepared with chicken broth. Where I live, the most classical traditional menu for parties is chicken in _mole_ sauce. I always forgo the piece of chicken or give it to someone else, but I’m aware that the _mole_ sauce was made with chicken broth. Oh well, I eat it anyway. If I can’t taste it, I pretend it isn’t there, but if I’m preparing it at home, I use vegetable broth.

My (vegetarian) daughter had a friend who came from a Mexican Seventh-Day Adventist family in a small town in Veracruz. She was delighted when she visited them, because all the food they prepared was vegetarian, although entirely traditional Mexican. She asked the parents how they coped, and they told her that although they kept a vegetarian kitchen at home, they would partake of all the food offered when they went to other people’s parties, out of politeness.

And finally, one more random comment: I buy my tofu at Costco.


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## maesonna (Jun 10, 2008)

AvaMama539 said:


> @maesonna Did not mention it but as a HOH person who grew up with a deaf family my auto response is "of course there's a different sign language"


 OK, you’re good to go then! I mentioned it because some countries that have entirely different spoken languages do use a sign language that is derived from and closely related to ASL, but Mexico is not one of these countries.


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## jlms (May 15, 2008)

AvaMama539 said:


> "Kids are kids and not necessarily nicer here." I'm not sure about that. Culture effects a lot relative to children's behavior. There are places that for example place a much greater emphasis on wearing high price brands in order to be acceptable, and other places where children are less materialistic (likely as a result of being less financially prosperous, but nevertheless). Also as I said we WOULD know Spanish before we moved and my son can hear fine with his cochlear implants. This is not something I'm planning on doing tomorrow. I might choose to home school but I'm certainly not assuming less socialization because we'd be living somewhere new.
> 
> It's just not acceptable to me the idea that the majority kids are aholes to other kids who have cochlear hearing aids on and/or don't have as much $ because they are different. I have to believe family values are improved from the US in other parts of the planet- I guess I am an optimist!
> 
> Any specific suggestions for "****** enclaves" lol? Somewhere like san miguel de allende?



You have really unrealistic expectations about family life in other places, culture, specially in urban areas, is converging everywhere, Mexican children are all aware about brands and they known when a brand is a recognized one or not. It is capitalism, perhaps in North Korea this may be different, but not elsewhere.

If your child will socialize with Mexican children they can be as nice and cruel as children anywhere else, if anything because the influence of global media of all kinds, they are tending to behave pretty much the same as elsewhere (the Mexican media has adopted the term "bullying" from English to describe the same kind of problem, that should give you a hint).

As a middle class Mexican child I experienced good and bad, and I have seen 3 generations of children grow up there and they all faced similar problems but cemented great friendships.

It is really puzzling that you think things will be substantially different elsewhere, in a Western country at least, in East Asian countries I saw far more respect from children to their parents and elders in general and a more striving and purposeful attitude, but I am pretty certain bullying was happening (I knew of a mixed descent girl, who was blonde, being bullied by her Malay classmates for example).

At the end children that appear to be different will often be challenged and maybe bullied, but the school, the kind of parents attending and yourself will make the difference about something being a one off or becoming a regular occurrence, as a Mexican saying says: "it is the same here and in China"  

Something else you seem to be underestimating is how little English is spoken and used in Mexico. You really need to speak at least passable Spanish, very rarely you will find somebody that speaks passable English in daily life situations, this is an absolute must (my now wife had to take an intensive 6 months Spanish class to cover for this, all company paid, all the foreigners in her company were fully proficient Spanish speakers, that is how important it was to them to learn it properly).


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## AvaMama539 (Dec 26, 2014)

jlms said:


> It is capitalism, perhaps in North Korea this may be different, but not elsewhere.
> 
> Something else you seem to be underestimating is how little English is spoken and used in Mexico. .


What on earth makes you think that? I was very clear I would learn the language on multiple posts and I assume that Spanish would be a requirement to live in Mexico.

Apparently you think Capitalism is the only economic and political system globally besides North Korea and yet chide my alleged naivety of other cultures- okie dokie! For reference not that it really applies to this particular post I made, but I am absolutely not a Capitalist. 

And yes I do think there are other nations with much better family values than the United States. It would be difficult for them not to achieve THAT goal.


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## AvaMama539 (Dec 26, 2014)

Upon further reflection...

At the end of the day children learn how to treat other children socially based on the role modeling of their parents and community. If the grand lesson to be learned from this post is that children will ostracize or bully any child who is different anywhere in the world, that doesn't speak very highly of the human species as a whole now does it? Even as a realist with a cynic bent I find that pretty darn depressing lol! I guess people really do suck everywhere, but some countries you can deal with people being crappy while you have a more beautiful view or better healthcare or a nicer home or better public education than you felt you could have in your homeland, and that's really what expatting is all about. IDK. That seems to be the main gyst I get from these forums the more I read the posts. Pick your specific material and weather needs and go on that, because the human species just isn't that wonderful anywhere. 

In a way I guess that kind of makes it a lot easier to narrow down, when there are no expectations of the social climate aside from maybe like, "rampant violence in the region not preferable" lol.


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## lagoloo (Apr 12, 2011)

"Family values" are different, but it some ways.........less kind here.
For instance, among the poorer families in my San Miguel Barrio, the parents were very loving with their children until they were "big enough" which, in this case, was about age 14. In the U.S., that meant home with parents supporting them. In Mexico among those families, it meant get out and get a job.

People aren't much different anywhere. You'll need to do much more research to learn where family values are actually better than where you are. Among the wealthy in Mexico, the offspring feel so entitled, and act it, that you'd be repelled. A trip through a mall in any big city will smell like super materialism in action. A trip through the very poor towns will make your heart ache, but that's not the place to live, either. We belonged to the "Feed the Hungry" project and saw only too much of that in our deliveries. In most of those villages, the men had gone to work NOB, illegally, and there was no one around but women, children and old people.

If different values is the the main reason you want to move to Mexico, you probably would be much better off moving to another place in the U.S. where life is a little less materialistic. One of my grown daughters used to live in a big U.S city and was repelled by the attitudes. Their family moved to a small town in Virginia and finds it much more suitable to her own values. This was much easier on all of them than moving to a foreign country, which is highly stressful no matter what your circumstances are.

You have a good attitude, and I hope you find a place that works for you and your son.
Buen Suerte.


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## Longford (May 25, 2012)

AvaMama539 said:


> I guess people really do suck everywhere, but some countries you can deal with people being crappy while you have a more beautiful view or better healthcare or a nicer home or better public education than you felt you could have in your homeland, and that's really what expatting is all about.


"expatting" means different things to different people and almost always we have to make compromises as we adjust to new countries/cultures/languages. Some people make the transition successfully. I think many do not. 

If an important motivator for any expat's potential relocation to Mexico is a quest to experience "better healthcare" or "better public education", I believe those two things may be difficult to achieve. But each of us has a different tolerance level and what makes one of us happy may have the opposite affect on the next person in line.

I think you're approaching the issues pretty head-on and it's encouraging to see someone thinking of moving to Mexico doing their 'homework.'


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## Longford (May 25, 2012)

lagoloo said:


> In most of those villages, the men had gone to work NOB, illegally, and there was no one around but women, children and old people.


Interesting, and, based on my own experience in remote rural areas, an accurate observation. I've been in so many villages where there's an almost total absence of males between the ages of 15 and 60.


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## AvaMama539 (Dec 26, 2014)

AvaMama539 said:


> What on earth makes you think that? I was very clear I would learn the language on multiple posts and I assume that Spanish would be a requirement to live in Mexico.
> 
> Apparently you think Capitalism is the only economic and political system globally besides North Korea and yet chide my alleged naivety of other cultures- okie dokie! For reference not that it really applies to this particular post I made, but I am absolutely not a Capitalist.
> 
> And yes I do think there are other nations with much better family values than the United States. It would be difficult for them not to achieve THAT goal.





lagoloo said:


> "Family values" are different, but it some ways.........less kind here.
> For instance, among the poorer families in my San Miguel Barrio, the parents were very loving with their children until they were "big enough" which, in this case, was about age 14. In the U.S., that meant home with parents supporting them. In Mexico among those families, it meant get out and get a job.
> 
> People aren't much different anywhere. You'll need to do much more research to learn where family values are actually better than where you are. Among the wealthy in Mexico, the offspring feel so entitled, and act it, that you'd be repelled. A trip through a mall in any big city will smell like super materialism in action. A trip through the very poor towns will make your heart ache, but that's not the place to live, either. We belonged to the "Feed the Hungry" project and saw only too much of that in our deliveries. In most of those villages, the men had gone to work NOB, illegally, and there was no one around but women, children and old people.
> ...


TY for your comment lagoloo!  

I've actually lived in many places in the US and they've all been materialistic and full of let's say, not very intelligent people ((no offense to anyone but Americans tend to get all of their opinions from the TV and public education is the bottom of the barrel here for a first world country)). I don't think different values socially should be the main reason I choose to live anywhere and this post has given me a good wake up call about that which I really do appreciate. 

It makes sense for moving to be about practical concerns if you have families (health care, education, etc) and maybe about less practical reasons for folks in their golden years (chillin' on the beach drinking margaritas and not having to work anymore? You can bet I'll look forward to that when I'm older!). Realistically most of the nations that have great health care and education are VERY difficult to get into, unobtainable for me. So maybe the plan to stick around the US until my son has his HS diploma and then begin my international adventure (ideally I wouldn't stay in only one country anyway, I want to see everything) with a home base still here in Oregon. 

I'll chew it over some more. This thread has definitely given me good food for thought.


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## AvaMama539 (Dec 26, 2014)

Longford said:


> "expatting" means different things to different people and almost always we have to make compromises as we adjust to new countries/cultures/languages. Some people make the transition successfully. I think many do not.
> 
> If an important motivator for any expat's potential relocation to Mexico is a quest to experience "better healthcare" or "better public education", I believe those two things may be difficult to achieve. But each of us has a different tolerance level and what makes one of us happy may have the opposite affect on the next person in line.
> 
> I think you're approaching the issues pretty head-on and it's encouraging to see someone thinking of moving to Mexico doing their 'homework.'


Thank you Longford  I would agree health care and public education is probably not what I would pick Mexico for of all places lol! But the prescription prices are pretty great haha


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## lagoloo (Apr 12, 2011)

I'm glad to hear you're thinking of waiting a bit for the adventure of seeing the world. 

I know that there are some smallish places in the U.S. where it seems that the I.Q is lower than a Faux News commentator's shoelaces, but there are other culture pockets where the smarter folks tend to congregate. Oregon is a good place to start researching that. Think about Colorado, and a few other Western states, too. 

A lazy retirement is bad for your health, as I can attest by looking around me. Best to have an activity in life that keeps you busy until they haul you out in a hearse. Nothing wrong with a little beach and margarita time, but keeping active is the clue to a long and happy life

Again, keep on searching and you'll find your dream. It's hard work, but well worth it.


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## Lawgrrl (Apr 24, 2015)

AvaMama539 - there are two bloggers in Mazatlan who might have some insight. Diane at VidaMaz moved to Mexico when her son was entering middle school, and Nancy at Countdown to Mexico is a vegetarian and blogs about vegetarian cooking & eating in Mexico. Good luck!


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## ValRomx (Nov 12, 2012)

San Miguel has a school for the deaf - I'm not suggesting San Miguel as a destination but perhaps someone at the school could help you with information or contacts.


Escuela de Educación Especial de San Miguel de Allende, A.C.

Good luck!


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## mes1952 (Dec 11, 2012)

I've been a vegetarian (no flesh of any kind) for almost 30 years and lived in Baja in various towns/cities and you will not find many strictly vegetarian (much less vegan) restaurants unless you are in Mexico City. There is just not enough demand and the restaurant would not stay in business very long.
So your best best is to cook. I have had no problems finding ingredients for vegetarian, Indian, vegan, Asian, Italian, Middle Eastern, etc. foods here in Mexico. You just need to be creative and decide to make cooking a regular part of your life. And if you do find vegetarian entrees on a menu anywhere don't expect them to be cheap. I paid $8 for a portobello mushroom sandwich here at a regular restaurant in Punta Banda/Ensenada. If you plan to eat only Mexican cuisine you will find plenty without meat although that will probably get boring after a short while.


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## ojosazules11 (Nov 3, 2013)

I presume the OP has already done a Google search of "Mexico vegan" to find information in English. I know you don't yet speak Spanish, but if you Google " Mexico vegano" you will find several sites and resources in Spanish for vegans. 

Here is a website for one blog, with some (not a lot) of vegan restaurants listed in different cities. 
Mexican Vegan: Directorio de Restaurantes

I also found this website in English with 2 vegan friendly restaurants in our town of Tepoztlan, Morelos (I haven't eaten at either, so I'm not officially recommending them). 
Vegan/Vegetarian Restaurants, Healthy, Organic, Tepoztlan, Mexico

And on the same website an extensive list (in English) of vegetarian & vegan friendly restaurants and food stores in different parts of the country:
Vegetarian Restaurants Mexico - Healthy Food Stores by HappyCow


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## GARYJ65 (Feb 9, 2013)

Longford said:


> Interesting, and, based on my own experience in remote rural areas, an accurate observation. I've been in so many villages where there's an almost total absence of males between the ages of 15 and 60.


I can bet that your experience in rural Mexico is not very extensive, if I am mistaken, please tell where you have been and for how long


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## alectejas (Jan 22, 2014)

If you want good vegan food, you can't beat Mexico City. I'm referring to the more bohemian, artsy areas such as the Roma and Condessa. These places have lots of world class foodie options. It's just as good as London or NYC, in my opinion. As for the rest of Mexico, any place with a critical mass of_ Intelligentsia_, such as a town with a large university should have something similar. Other than that your options will be limited, you need a good level of Spanish to say "Is there any animal fat in these re-fried beans"


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## Longford (May 25, 2012)

GARYJ65 said:


> I can bet that your experience in rural Mexico is not very extensive ...


And I'll bet that you're experience outside of the city of Queretaro is not very extensive. :spit:


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## Isla Verde (Oct 19, 2011)

alectejas said:


> If you want good vegan food, you can't beat Mexico City. I'm referring to the more bohemian, artsy areas such as the Roma and Condessa. These places have lots of world class foodie options. It's just as good as London or NYC, in my opinion. ...


Could you recommend a couple of places in either of these rather pricey neighborhoods that serve vegan food?


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## alectejas (Jan 22, 2014)

Sorry, not off the top of my heard. We did a "foodie" tour of Roma a few months ago, a few of the restaurants we went to were vegan or had vegan options. I'll see if I still have the brochure at home.
Meanwhile a search of Yelp for Vegan and Condesa shows 17 user reviewed options.
Vegan Condesa, México, D.F., Mexico.


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## alectejas (Jan 22, 2014)

Marsha, 
I agree, its pricey. But with the US/peso exchange rate being what it is, not bad at all.


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## Isla Verde (Oct 19, 2011)

alectejas said:


> Marsha,
> I agree, its pricey. But with the US/peso exchange rate being what it is, not bad at all.


Well, maybe if you're here on holiday, but I live here full-time on a limited budget, so I have to keep a fairly tight rein on my eating-out expenditures.


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## lagoloo (Apr 12, 2011)

Longford said:


> And I'll bet that you're experience outside of the city of Queretaro is not very extensive. :spit:


I don't know about Longford's experience, but how about being one of the "Feed the Hungry" group food delivery people in Gto. state for three years and seeing exactly that: absence of men in the remote villages, with the exception of the very elderly men.

Gto. state has the largest number of men who go NOB for work.


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## GARYJ65 (Feb 9, 2013)

Longford said:


> And I'll bet that you're experience outside of the city of Queretaro is not very extensive. :spit:


You try to be funny but fail at it
I am from Mexico City and have lived in many other cities in Mexico
You did not answer. What is your Mexican experience?


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## Longford (May 25, 2012)

GARYJ65 said:


> You try to be funny but fail at it
> I am from Mexico City and have lived in many other cities in Mexico
> You did not answer. What is your Mexican experience?


Reading comprehension, sometimes a challenge. :confused2:

I've previously answered the question - here and in many other postings since I joined the forum. If you're so interested, educate yourself by paying attention. :juggle:

As for your, mine or anyone else's answers or comments: on web forums we don't often know whether someone is who they claim to be, had the experiences they claim to have had, live where they claim to live, etc. Readers are asked to make a 'leap of faith' and to blend what they read with other sources they've sought-out. 

You, I'm assuming, expect readers to accept what you've said about yourself, without providing factual information to support your assertions. And I've offered a comment about my observations in Mexico about which seem to have your nylons tied in a knot; you'll either accept those comments as accurate or factual ... or not. Each of us frequently make such assumptions when we read or participate in forum discussions.

For a period of 46 years I've traveled, and continue to travel, extensively throughout Mexico (including some time living/working in Mexico), traveling well off-the-beaten path and to major population centers in the country. And judging by many of the answers or comments I've seen you provide in various discussions, I'm left with the clear impression your knowledge of Mexico is pretty slim. 

At the end of the day, the future of mankind doesn't depend on web forum discussions. Whether we accept or reject what someone says anonymously isn't all that important ... in the grand scheme of things.


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## mes1952 (Dec 11, 2012)

*What does a vegetarian eat in Mexico?*

Here's a good summation about being vegetarian/vegan in Mexico.....
As with everything in Mexico...those who "think outside the box" tend to survive here better than those who don't. That's a simple fact. If you practice thinking about the box you will NEVER have a problem eating vegetarian/vegan/paleo, etc., etc.
Countdown to Mexico » Blog Archive » What DOES a vegetarian eat, anyway?


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## GARYJ65 (Feb 9, 2013)

Longford said:


> Reading comprehension, sometimes a challenge. :confused2:
> 
> I've previously answered the question - here and in many other postings since I joined the forum. If you're so interested, educate yourself by paying attention. :juggle:
> 
> ...


I was going to answer your post, but if I write the words I have, I would get banned


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