Chatting with a Long-Time Expat

The other day I had the chance to visit briefly with an American man who has lived in Mexico for over ten years. I asked him if he had any tips for adjusting to this very different culture.

He had a rather Buddhist attitude, I thought. He commented that Mexico gives us plenty of opportunities to practice patience!

Along that line, he pointed out that some things  can take one person a very short time and another person a very long time. Or you can have both experiences at different times. Anyone who has waited for something to be delivered, as we did for the past couple of days, will resonate with this.

Then this guy told me a joke:

A Mexican dog and an American dog were chatting at the border fence. The Mexican dog said, "Gee, you have it great! You never go hungry, your people take care of you, you have a nice soft bed... could you get me into the US too?

"I suppose I could," said the American dog. "I bet we could find an easy place to dig under the fence. But if we do, I'm coming in to Mexico to stay."

"Why?" asked the Mexican dog, astonished.

"Because you can bark."

This joke is not just about dogs.