Editor’s Note: Here’s an interview with Henry Vales, an expat… but really what we call a "repat", because though he grew up in various places and ended up in Miami, he was born in Merida. Henry and his team are in the process of installing a mural at the United States Consulate, which we hope to hear more about later. In the meantime, let’s get to know Henry!

YL: When did you move to the Yucatán  and from where did you move?
Henry:  I was born in Mérida and traveled back and forth attending schools both here in Merida (Colegio Montejo (Marist Brothers) and in Cuba (Havana Military Academy). 

My mother was a diplomat, the general secretary at the American Embassy in Havana.  We actually rented our house to the Ambassador.  So I spent the first thirteen years of my life back and forth between La Habana and Mérida as my parents pursued their individual interests. This was very common back in those days. 

My dad was an archaeologist and an expert on the Maya.  There is a book of his diaries called The 9th Glyph. 

YL: Why did you move?   

Henry:  We were in Cuba during the Castro thing and moved to the States for safety.   Then we stayed in Miami for political reasons.

YL:  Why did you choose the city you now live in over other places in the world?
Henry: I decided to move to Merida for a good part of the year because my family is growing older and my mom wants to come and do her last dance here.  She is 90 years old and of course, thinks of Mérida  as her second first home.  She knows everyone down here and has a lot of friends.   She has a ton of nephews that, of course, are going to miss going to Palm Beach to visit her when I bring her down here.  My sister lives in Italy where I also travel often, as well as Hawaii where I have developed a keen interest in their native culture.

YL: So, from this, I gather that you just moved back here… how long ago?   
Henry: I started coming back little by little upon my separation from my 20+year marriage around 3 years ago.  Every time I stayed longer and now I’m kind of hooked again.   Although I still get lost driving around.

YL: Did you buy a house right away or rent first? Do you think you made the right decision?  
Henry: We have family homes down here and I simply float around. I mostly live in Colonia Buenavista at an old Mérida  house with a large garden in the middle.

YL: Are you doing now what you intended to do when you moved here? If not, why not?  
Henry:   I have been doing what I want to do wherever I go.  I am a composer of popular music, with a tendency towards melancholy, nostalgic themes. I also have a business building mosaics. I love bringing communities together, and preserving the values that last, so that children can grow as proud and contributing members to their society.
  
YL: What are the most interesting things about living here for you?
Henry: The music, the music, the music. How the “first word is always yes” from the people here. I love the isolated beaches and my old house and having friends over.  I love listening to the memories of the old people and sharing that with some of my fellow gringos.

YL: What do you absolutely love about living here? 
Henry: Getting inspired to write. Hanging out by my pool, taking guilt- less naps. My crazy cousins who never grew up and still are doing the same things we used to do when we were “young and callow fellows”.

YL: What do you miss from your "former life"? 
Henry:  The roads, the mountain driving, visiting one of my daughters at Emory University in Carmel, California. Things  that there are just no words for in Spanish.  I miss COLLEGE FOOTBALL.  I miss coffee houses with original live music.

YL: What don’t you miss from your "former life"? 
Henry:  The color of the water along the East Coast.

YL: What is your favorite local food?  
Henry:  Mamey. (For those of you unfamiliar with mamey, it is a locally-grown tropical fruit.)

YL: What is your favorite time of year here and why? 
Henry:  The winter.  I like going to the beach with a sweater to drink tea and write music.

YL: Where do you take guests who visit you here to show them something really special? 
Henry: I normally stage parties at my house or a friend’s restaurant Hacienda San Antonio and "troba" for hours.  I delegate the touristic stuff to the experts. I learned to walk in Chichen Itza again, but I abstain from taking people to the Mayan ruins.  My sister gets that delegated to her.

YL: The last time you went out to dinner, where did you go and why?
Henry: hmmm… Other than my house, I go to Trotter’s with family members or I go find a good “troba” somewhere.

YL: How is the city where you live different for residents than it is for tourists?   
Henry: Merida Centro has to have such a Hollywood impact on tourists. I would think that for the cultural traveler, every street is like a dream if they can focus on the old architecture. 

YL: Do you have friends from the local community or do you pretty much hang with the expat crowd?  
Henry: I do not know anyone in the expat crowd.  I hang out with both sides of my family and they are very protective.  I want them to branch out and meet some cool gringos.

YL: What is it like owning and running a business here or working here? How is it different from doing the same thing in your country of origin? 
Henry: I am still the executive director of a children’s nonprofit (The Golden Rule Foundation). In addition, I run my family’s Fundación Valcer de México, a non-profit that specializes in building character through generosity and service to others.  We are presently working on a long-range international program.  I have to visit the states at least four times a year for board meetings and health check ups.

YL: Do you find it more or less difficult to make a living here than in your country of origin?  
Henry:  I have always been an altruistic entrepreneur.  I think to work here in Yucatan, one has to scale down their financial ambition at first in order to be successful. It makes sense to get acquainted with the system here and how people think. Once that has been done, I feel that a good, smart person can find an opportunity here or anywhere.

YL: Are your work habits different here?
Henry: No, I basically pick the things I enjoy doing which I have to do, in order to get to do the things I love to do.

YL: Did you speak Spanish when you moved here? Where did you learn Spanish (if you did)? Is the language barrier a problem for you in your daily life?
Henry: Spanish is my native language, but I grew up speaking English.  Now I am trying to get rid of my gringo accent.  Funny,  but my family gets mad at me because I don’t speak as much like a gringo as I used to.  They used to enjoy watching me struggle with the language. Now they don’t have that much to laugh at anymore.

YL: What interesting Spanish word or saying have you learned lately? What does it mean and how did you learn it? 
Henry: Well, two words.  One is actually Mayan and I don’t know you well enough to repeat it.  The other one is le da vuelta a su tortilla which means something like “he knows how to earn a person’s trust”.

YL: You mentioned missing “things that there are just no words for in Spanish”.   Can you think of a few? I can think of the opposite but… Just curious.
Henry: Mostly expressions like…“sweeeeet”,  “stuck on you”, or “hit the spot”.

YL: Have you traveled much within Mexico? If so, where and what has been your favorite location to visit? What did you see there that you liked so much?
Henry: I have done very little travel in Mexico, actually. I do travel often to D.F., Monterrey and, of course, the Yucatan Peninsula.  And of course, I love Cancun… Cancun water is the best.

YL: How are you treated by the locals?

Henry:  This is a little provincial town and it is hard to “get in” at first, even for me. A lot of them still wonder why I really came back?   Like I care! I was born here of a Mexican dad and I don’t mind reminding them of that.   Good people are the same everywhere.

YL: What are some changes you are hoping for in Merida? Do you see any progress towards these changes?
Henry:  I want more integration between expats and locals.  There is a lot of growth that can happen socio-economically, not to mention culturally.

YL: What are your plans for the future here? 
Henry:  I want to write and play music and enjoy the people I am in life with.  I also want to keep doing my philanthropic work, building mosaics, joining some local causes, etc.

YL: What is the one most important piece of advice you would give planning a move to the Yucatan?
Henry:   Can your personality really adjust to the people here without being
judgemental?   Would you be trying to change people, be left alone, stay secluded.  You are allowed one yes and three no’s.

YL: If you could say something to all the people of Mexico, what would you say?
Henry:  “I’m back!”

YL: Is there anything else you would like to add?
Henry: Start reading Yucatan Living and get in touch with other expats.

****

Find out more about the Golden Rule Mosaic at the Consulate.

More about the book, The Ninth Glyph.

YL: When did you move to the Yucatan and from where did you move?
Jette: In October 2010, it will be 3 years since I moved from England.

YL: Why did you move?
Jette: I had just gotten back from travelling around the world for a year after University and was working three completely uninteresting jobs in England to make some money. One day my father called and told me he had found this cool old property outside of Merida, that I should come fix it up and make my dream of running a hotel/hostel and organic farm a reality.

YL: Why did you choose the city you now live in over other places in the world?
Jette: No choice really it was purely an opportunity that arose and I jumped on it.

YL: Did you buy a house right away or rent first? Do you think you made the right decision?
Jette: I rented for a year and after realizing I was going to be here longer I moved into an old property in Centro.

YL: Are you doing now what you intended to do when you moved here? If not, why not?
Jette: Yes, even though Hacienda Cuch-Balam doesn´t open until October, we are well on the way to being ready and have our organic weekly hamper service starting shortly. Im happy with how things are going.

YL: What are the most interesting things about living here for you?
Jette: Too many things to choose from!

YL: What do you absolutely love about living here?
Jette: The weather

YL: What do you miss from your "former life"?
Jette: Marmite, sausages and real Cadburys chocolate!

YL: What don’t you miss from your "former life"?
Jette: The weather!!

YL: What is your favorite local food?
Jette: The fresh fruits such as mangoes, dragon fruit, papaya…yum!

YL: What is your favorite time of year here and why?
Jette: I don´t really have a favourite season although I’m not a huge fan of the rain.

YL: Where do you take guests who visit you here to show them something really special?
Jette: The three cenotes in Cuzama, which are 10 minutes away from Hacienda Cuch-Balam.

YL: The last time you went out to dinner, where did you go and why?
Jette: The new sushi place next to Wok to Walk, off Prolongacion on a date.

YL: How is the city where you live different for residents than it is for tourists?
Jette:This is so tough to answer. Its completely different and also depends on what type of resident you are. Tourists get to see a lot more of the things that happen here in Merida and the surroundings than I do as I work. But they probably also tend to hang out in the centro, not meet locals and not really experience life here in Merida, which as a Spanish-speaking foreign resident I get to do.

YL: Do you have friends from the local community or do you pretty much hang with the expat crowd?
Jette: When I first arrived I purely met expats. Now I have my group of local friends and tend to hang out more with them.

YL: If you are working or own a business, what is it like owning and running a business here or working here? How is it different from doing the same thing in your country of origin?
Jette: I’ve got to say that I’ve actually found starting a business here super easy. Running it has not been super easy, and the pressure of starting a business by myself has by far been the hardest thing. But you know, you get on with it. You make mistakes and you learn and you come out tougher and hopefully wiser than you were.

I would say that the only other thing that has been hard has been people’s attitudes towards me and what I´m trying to achieve. For the first year working out at the Hacienda, every single time I would give direction or tasks to guys that work out there they would always say things like "Well, I´d feel a lot happier if we could speak to your dad or your husband". A year later, they now realize that I´m the boss and what I say goes. There is no husband or father to give them confirmation, just little me. For the first couple of months I constantly questioned myself , but I dealt with it and grew in confidence. You have to be aware that its still a hugely macho culture here, and to have a woman as your boss is a real change and something that the locals have to get used to as well.

YL: Do you find it more or less difficult to make a living here than in your country of origin?
Jette: What i’m doing is so different to what I was doing in England that I can´t really answer this question.

YL: Are your work habits different here?
Jette: Yes for sure. I work for myself so my work day is 24 hours. I never stop thinking about what needs to be done, stressing if something is not going quite how I want it and I don´t think I´ve slept through a whole night since starting this project… which would account for the wrinkles and the grey hair! If I was working for someone else, work would not be on my mind when I have a beer at the end of the day!

YL: Did you speak Spanish when you moved here? Where did you learn Spanish (if you did)? Is the language barrier a problem for you in your daily life?
Jette: I could say my name and of course ask for a beer in Spanish when I got here. But it took me 3 to 4 months to become really competent. And that was only because every day I spent five hours speaking Spanish with the workers at the Hacienda. I didn´t take classes at all. Maybe I should go to a class now to tweak my grammar but I don’t have the time and I’m happy with my level. Spanish is definitely my main language now. That was also a massive plus about moving here: getting the opportunity to learn a new language in its own environment is amazing and the best way to do it.

YL: What interesting Spanish word or saying have you learned lately? What does it mean and how did you learn it?
Jette: I love the phrase no mames which has the effect of ‘no way!’ or ‘ I don’t believe it!’.

YL: Are you a Mexican citizen? Do you plan to become one?
Jette: I have an FM3 visa at the moment, but who knows in the future…?

YL: Have you traveled much within Mexico? If so, where and what has been your favorite location to visit? What did you see there that you liked so much?
Jette: I wish I had travelled more. Hopefully in the next year or two, I´ll have some time off to do that. Taxco and Guanajuato are amazing and if you get the chance to go to those two cities, do it! I´ve also been to Chiapas, which is also beautiful. When I get a chance, I´d like to go over to the West Coast and see how different it is.

YL: How are you treated by Mexicans? Do you feel resented or welcome?
Jette: To be honest at first a little bit of both. I felt welcomed because of the new ideas and opportunities I was bringing and resented because I was a foreigner bringing them. It was definitely harder when I didn´t speak Spanish, as the Mexicans felt I was just another extranjero coming to take advantage of them, and not even bother with their language. That was tough for me to hear. I hope I have won people over by showing them how willing I am to give back to the local community.

YL: How do you feel about the economic prospects of Mexico? Of the Yucatan?
Jette: The future is bright for the Yucatan, there are so many opportunities here for everyone.

YL: What are some changes you are hoping for in the city in which you live? Do you see any progress towards these changes?
Jette: I would love to see people looking to use solar power, water recycling and LED lights rather than halogen. We have so many natural resources that are free here in the Yucatan. It’s a shame that people don´t take more advantage of those and become more conscious about their environment.

YL: What are your plans for the future here?

Jette: Well, in October, Hacienda Cuch-Balam will open as a 100% eco-friendly boutique hotel, solar-powered, with recycled water… all set in an amazingly tranquil and beautiful setting. An organic farm forms part of the Hacienda property and we will be starting, in September, weekly organic hampers delivered to your doorstep that will include organic meat. We will also be offering a number of courses throughout the year such as yoga/massage, cooking, luxury boot camp, holistic, team building and much more.

YL: What is the one most important piece of advice you would give someone buying property and/or planning a move to the Yucatan?
Jette: Learn Spanish and realize that Mexico is a different country. It is not going to be the same as where you are from and the sooner you get over that, the better. Oh, I cringe thinking about the number of days I lamented about Cadburys chocolate!

YL: If you could say something to all the people of Mexico, what would you say?
Jette: You have a truly amazing country and its such an exciting time to be here. Thanks for having me!

You can reach Jette via email at jettevirdi [at] yahoo [dot] co [dot] uk.

Interview With a Twist

We recently stumbled upon a website by local residents of Uman, a city just on the outskirts of Merida to the south. One of the features of this Spanish-language website is that they are interviewing Umanenses (people born in Uman) who live outside of the Yucatan. We thought it might be interesting to bring you one of these interviews so we could all read how someone from the Yucatan feels about living elsewhere in the world.

Here the latest interview with a former Yucatecan from Uman who now lives in Brussels, Belgium:

Anonymous, Please

This particular person has asked the author not to use her name. She currently lives in Brussels, the capital of Belgium, where she originally went to study for an MBA. This summer will mark her seventh year in that foreign land.

Learning the Language

This young Yucatecan says that there are two languages spoken in Belgium: French and Dutch or Flemish. She found French fairly easy to learn, as she had studied a bit in school and had always been attracted to the language. Also, French has many similarities to Spanish and the grammatical structure is almost identical. It was harder to master writing French, but speaking was fairly easy.

Dutch was a different story. She is still studying it and speaking it a little, but not with the fluidity that she would like. It is a much harder language for her, as it has Germanic roots and its grammatical structure is completely different from that of Spanish. This language has caused her to work very hard and she is still ‘fighting hard’ to master it every day. Despite some language difficulties, she finds she is a person who adapts pretty easily and her easygoing attitude has helped her to adapt to the different customs, food and climate.

New Customs

Just like in America, she found that in Belgium, one has to make an appointment to see friends or to go over to someone’s house, even as children. Since she never particularly liked how people just dropped by her house without warning, and she valued her privacy, she has found that this custom fits her like a glove.

Climate

The first winter was very cold, but in general, she has not complained about the climate. She loves seeing the four seasons, but it does rain a lot, which she doesn’t particularly like. Also, in the summer it very rarely gets really hot. The winters however can be very cold. This past winter was fantastic, as it snowed a lot and she was able to ski and do other winter sports for the first time in her life.

The fall is very nice, with leaves turning red, then yellow and then falling to the ground. She finds bald trees in the winter very romantic, though she realizes not everyone shares her idea of that. Spring is probably the most beautiful season, as the climate if fairly mild and the trees are filled with flowers. The downside of spring, of course, is pollen and allergies and there was plenty of that to go around.

Food

The food is completely different from the food in Yucatan. They do not eat tortillas and corn is not the central and staple food that it is here. Belgium is a multicultural country and many people there do not even eat Belgian food. You can find all kinds of food there, and she eats very well.

Message to the People Back Home

Mostly she is enjoying her life as a couple with her Belgian boyfriend. Belgian men are very loyal and helpful at home, values that are very important in her life. She travels often throughout Europe and is able to get to know many places, always coming home easily to Belgium without having to go too far. Still, she misses Uman and sends a big hug to her friends back home.

You can see the article in Spanish here.

Many thanks to the writers from the Voice of Uman.

YL: When did you come to Merida?
Ovi: I came to Merida in mid April 2010 from Sacramento,California.

YL: Why did you move here? Why choose Merida?
Ovi: I moved here because I felt in me a call for this place.When the heart speaks to you,the mind has to be silent.

YL: Where were you born?
Ovi: I was born in Romania and I left the country when the communist hard line was at its peak in Eastern Europe. It is a very long story to explain how I managed to get out of the Iron Curtain…suffice it to say that I struggled for four years as a political dissident there, until they finally let me go, in the process stripping me of my Romanian citizenship. I found myself a young man without a country and a passport valid for only six months. After that, I was without citizenship. The USA was the only country that was helping people like me, so I chose to immigrate to New York. That was 29 years ago…

YL: Where else did you live before coming to Merida?
Ovi: For awhile, I lived for some time in various cities in Italy and in France. Most of the past 29 years, I have lived in various parts of New York, including Manhattan. I eventually moved to New Jersey and after some years there, I left USA and lived for 4 years in Munich, Germany. I came back to USA and chose to live this time in California, near Sacramento.

YL: Why did you choose the city you now live in over other places in the world? How did you hear about Merida?
Ovi: It was on the spur of the moment. Hard to explain but it just happened suddenly and irrevocably. I wasn’t planning to move to Merida. I had never heard of it. I wanted to drive my car and settle not far from the California border. I considered Mexico City but in reading more about Mexico, I just discovered Yucatan and Merida. So it was by a fortunate chance or maybe not! i believe it was meant to be this way because I don’t believe in accidents or coincidences.

I believe that I didn’t choose Merida, she chose me instead.

YL: Were you looking for something in particular that Merida had?
Ovi: I wasn’t looking for anything in particular. Some people come here for the beach, some to retire, some to have fun. I just got fed up with the USA system and other European systems of government. I wanted to get away from them as far as possible and in Merida I found this tranquility. I know what is said about Mexico and that it has a bad reputation in certain areas…but then again, isn’t it the same if not even worse in all the other countries???I think that judging people gives us no time to love them …and this is a main problem in this world.

YL: Did you buy a house right away or rent first? Do you think you made the
right decision?
Ovi: I am renting for the time being and I am very pleased and comfortable with my Apt.I plan to rent or buy eventually a house with a lot to grow vegetables and do some gardening because I miss it from the long gone years when I lived in New Jersey and had a garden there in the backyard.

YL: Are you doing now what you intended to do when you moved here? If not, why not?
Ovi: I am doing now what I always did for the past 25 years: I am a professional artist illustrator and worked for Marvel Comics as a comic book artist for 13 years. I painted Conan the Barbarian covers. I also worked on Spiderman, Iron Man, Hulk, Fantastic 4, Captain America, Thor, X-Men, and for Heavy Metal magazine and Clive Barker’s Hellraiser books. Then I switched to storyboards for TV commercials, which is what I do now. I work from home.

YL: What are the most interesting things about living here for you?
Ovi: I love the city and its architecture and the people who are very friendly and always helpful and not full of themselves.In many ways it reminds me of some cities in Naples/Italy or in Rome,with that sublime madness and street wild colors of many personalities.

YL: Do you have a hard time finding art supplies?
OVi: I cannot find here the art materials that I use.They are only in the
USA and I know this for a fact.So I order from the store what I need and it’s no problem.They deliver anywhere but Europe. I use certain markers that are special and also a special paper for coloring that again is only to be found in USA. I do not paint in the old fashioned ways anymore, since I can do my work faster and easier and less expensively on a Wacom tablet which puts your art straight onto the computer. So I only do digital paintings. I also don’t use much of markers either because I can color on computer my work.
Another thing about this particular store that sells everything online, is that they always have great discounts and they are much cheaper than anywhere else in USA.

YL: What do you miss from your "former life"?
Ovi: I don’t miss anything. I live in the NOW.

YL: What is your favorite local food?
Ovi: Well…as food goes I am a vegetarian so I stick with beans and rice:) Of course veggies and fruits and cheese enchiladas. Yummmiiiii!

YL: What is your favorite time of year here and why?
Ovi: So far it’s to early to answer this question being a new kid on the block But I’ll tell you later in a year:)

YL: Where do you take guests who visit you here to show them something really special?
Ovi: No guests yet, but if they come, I would take them to see the old historic places that once were the seat of an extraordinary and also very powerful ancient civilization. Then to the Centro to get a feel of the city that is always so full of life.

YL: The last time you went out to dinner, where did you go and why?
Ovi: I went to a few restaurants but cannot remember their names now…they were in the Centro area anyway. I really like it there.

YL: How is the city where you live different for residents than it is for tourists?
Ovi: I live in the Merida North somewhere close to the Altabrisa area but not very far from Paseo Montejo. I am still unfamiliar with many places because as I said, I just came here and since I am so involved with my work, I am too busy to take the tourist role to its full extent yet. The tourists are more around the Centro than near the place where I live.

YL: Do you have friends from the local community or do you pretty much hang with the expat crowd?
Ovi: I don’t hang out with expats, and local friends I don’t have yet.

YL: If you are working or own a business, what is it like owning and running a business here or working here? How is it different from doing the same thing in your country of origin?
Ovi: I work in the advertising business and this means crazy hours. At any given minute of the day, I can get a call from one of my agents who represents my talent to work on a TV commercial. There’s no such thing as 9 to 5 in this business. I am working as a freelance artist but I am represented by various agencies located in CA, NYC and UK. If I work here or at the North Pole, it is the same thing! The place doesn’t count at all. It might be a time issue being ahead or behind few hours to Europe or even to parts of the USA, but I am used to this.

YL: Do you find it more or less difficult to make a living here than in your country of origin?
Ovi: No, I don’t find it difficult at all working here. My working habits are the same. Nothing special and nothing changed.

YL: Did you speak Spanish when you moved here? Where did you learn Spanish (if you did)? Is the language barrier a problem for you in your daily life?
Ovi: No, I don’t know Spanish but I am trying. So far I get by using the few words that I know blend with lots of hand gestures that I am afraid that I could be considered a little crazy. But when I have some time off I watch TV and learn from it. I know how to read and understand the language, but I find it difficult when it comes to conversation.

YL: What interesting Spanish word or saying have you learned lately? What does it mean and how did you learn it?
Ovi: I don’t have a particular expression that I like because I like them all in fact!

YL:  Are you a Mexican citizen? Do you plan to become one?
Ovi: No I am not a Mexican citizen.I am American but I don’t think that it’s possible to have both citizenship …I have no idea yet.

YL:  How are you treated by Mexicans? Do you feel resented or welcome? 
Ovi: I feel like I am home. I love Mexicans and I feel welcome in their country.

YL: How do you feel about the economic prospects of Mexico? Of the Yucatan?
Ovi: I don’t know anything about this. I presume that the main income of Yucatan comes from tourism, but I might be wrong.

YL: What are your plans for the future here?
Ovi: It is too early to determine the future. I like to take one day at a time. Plans can always change.

YL: What is the one most important piece of advice you would give someone buying property and/or planning a move to the Yucatan?
Ovi: I would suggest to many to come and live in Yucatan, but it’s up to them to decide. I would think that life here is unique in so many aspects. So many people I know are too much tied to the American style of living and would not give up their little world, even if the economic recession will make them lose their jobs and homes. They believe in certain old fashioned values that do not belong in the present day anymore. They say that they’ll stay because of their family roots, but I don’t think that is proper thinking. We are all guests in these parts of the world and should never forget this.

YL: If you could say something to all the people of Mexico, what would you say?
Ovi: I would say THANK YOU for letting me live in your country.

YL: If there is anything else you would like to add for our readers (people interested in or considering moving to the Yucatan, former Yucatecans, people planning to visit for an extended tour…), please add them here:
Ovi: "The earth does not belong to us, we belong to the earth" -
Tatanka Yotanka (Sitting Bull)

****

Ovi’s website, where you can see more of his art.

To contact Ovi, email him at ovi [dot] hondru [at] yahoo [dot] com.

YL: When did you move to the Yucatan and from where did you move?

Claudette: I’ve only been here since November 2009 and we moved from Dallas, Texas.

YL: Why did you move?

Claudette: Where shall I begin? Like most other expats, I discovered Merida while on vacation. I never thought we would end up dreaming about our return for about 5 full years. During that time, I became more and more disillusioned with my career in jewelry design, while my husband struggled with finding a job in the textile industry, despite his 15 years of experience. We soon started a family and raising our kids in a Spanish-speaking country became a priority. I am Mexican-American and speak Spanish fluently but my kids were now being raised in a home where English was the preferred language, cartoons were all in English and no Mexican grandparents were nearby. I knew we had to do something and quick!

YL:  Why did you choose the city you now live in over other places in the world?

Claudette: We were instantly enchanted with Merida, and no other country was ever considered. It had to be Mexico. I wanted to go back to my roots and my husband, Lars, wouldn’t have it any other way. It was an instant decision that would take us years to finally accomplish.

YL: How did you come to Merida in the first place?

Claudette: My mom was the one to make the suggestion. She is from Northern Mexico and she had never been Merida but she simply suggested it because she heard it was a nice place to visit. Never in a million years did she think we would end up moving here.

YL: How does your family in the United States feel about your move here?

Claudette: My parents are still in Texas and approval of our move was extremely difficult. I think they finally accepted it when they came to visit us a few months ago. They saw how happy we were and my mom got to experience Merida first hand. She finally understood that this move was a positive thing for our family.

YL: Did you buy a house right away or rent first? Do you think you made the
right decision?

Claudette: We are currently renting because we really did not have a choice. It’s not like we had 100K laying around but even if we did, we are glad we are renting because we are getting to learn what works and what doesn’t for our particular needs as a family. This will certainly come into play when we finally get to build our dream home.

YL: Are you doing now what you intended to do when you moved here? If not, why not?

Claudette: Yes… and then some! I knew I was burnt out on design and never again wanted to work for another company. I was ready for something completely different and so far I am doing it. I have just launched a group travel company that caters exclusively to women. My fun getaways are currently focused on art, food and language. In my short six months in Merida, I have made great friends with whom I am happy to collaborate. So I am also involved with an underground restaurant called Remixto. We hope to host a different culinary event once a month.

YL: What are the most interesting things about living here for you?

Claudette: The constant holidays. There is a celebration day for pretty much everything you can think of. Who doesn’t love a day off?

YL: What do you absolutely love about living here?

Claudette: I call this the land of opportunity. If you have an idea and are passionate about it, chances are your going to be doing something that is still considered fresh and much needed in Merida. I hear the city has come a long way in just the last 5 years and yet there is still plenty of room for innovative thinkers. I absolutely love that you can make your dreams a reality here.

YL: What do you miss from your "former life"?

Claudette: I can’t say I miss much except for a good mani and pedi. I have been to several fancy places in town and I’ve come out of there with my toes bleeding or in pain.

YL: What don’t you miss from your "former life"?

Claudette: I don’t miss the isolation of suburban life. I don’t miss the dull and long commutes. I don’t miss my former job or life one bit.

YL: What is your favorite local food?

Claudette: I love chorizo. I love it in all its incarnations from Cantimpalo style to Longaniza de Valladollid.

YL: What is your favorite time of year here and why?

Claudette: I’ve only been here for six months, from November until now and I have to say, I didn’t care for the crazy cold January we had. We were not ready for that at all.

YL: Where do you take guests who visit you here to show them something really special?

Claudette: I recently discovered Izamal and has become THE place I will take my visitors in the future. It is such a picturesque little town and it is full of history and charm.

YL: The last time you went out to dinner, where did you go and why?

Claudette: I had dinner at Santiago Park tonight. Why? Because the middle stall has the best tacos al pastor EVER and they are only two blocks away from my house.

YL: How is the city where you live different for residents than it is for tourists?

Claudette: I was just pondering that today and I am amazed with the variety of Yucatecan dishes my housekeeper has prepared for me in the last 4 months. She has repeated dishes a few times, only because I liked them so much I wanted to eat them again. Yet most tourists think that Yucatecan food is limited to about ten items because they usually see the same assortment on restaurant menus. If they only knew!

YL: Do you have friends from the local community or do you pretty much hang with the expat crowd?

Claudette: I definitely have both but an overwhelming majority have turned out to be from the expat crowd. That’s because I’m a lot funnier in English.

YL: How old are your children and where do they go to school?

Claudette: I have two children, Paulo 5 and Sophia 3. The decision on Paulo´s school was easy. We wanted to find something within walking distance and a school that offered classes in both Spanish and English. We found several but settled on Colegio Americano and we are happy with that decision. He absolutely loves it! As for Sophia, we had to be patient with our little one; adjusting to her new city and home has been a difficult process for her. Even now after 6 months, she is still adjusting. We eventually enrolled her in a different school than her brother’s. It is within walking distance but we found this one was ideal for her because of the small class size of ten and her teachers have been wonderful with her. She is attending Educacion y Patria.

YL: How do you feel about raising your children in the Centro?

Claudette: We love it and we wouldn´t want it any other way. Gated communities or suburban living is a thing of the past for us. We left that isolated existence behind in favor of a place that truly feels like a community.

YL: If you are working or own a business, what is it like owning and running a business here or working here? How is it different from doing the same thing in your country of origin?

Claudette: That is an interesting question because I have never been in the tourism industry before so, I have no idea what that would be like in the States except I could assume you need a degree, lots of contacts and you have to work your way up. Here…not so much.

YL: Do you find it more or less difficult to make a living here than in your country of origin?

Claudette: A new business venture requires hard work and long hours no matter where you are. This will be our primary source of income, so as Tim Gunn of Project Runway would say, "Make it work!"

YL: Are your work habits different here?

Claudette: No. I work hard no matter where I am.

YL: Did you speak Spanish when you moved here? Where did you learn Spanish (if you did)? Is the language barrier a problem for you in your daily life?

Claudette: My mother is from Northern Mexico and my father is from South Texas, the part of Texas that never bothered to adopt English, when they became part of the US. So we spoke Spanish at home and I learned English as a second language at school. I now speak both fluently and I would like to think, without an accent. That is until you ask a Yucatecan and they are quick to notice I sound like a Norteña.

YL: What interesting Spanish word or saying have you learned lately? What does it mean and how did you learn it?

Claudette: What I find interesting in the Spanish language is the poetic quality and formality of a business letter. This is something I intend to master someday. I get some notes from my son’s school that are just so beautifully written that it puts anything that I could ever write to shame.

YL:  Are you a Mexican citizen? Do you plan to become one?

Claudette: I am a dual citizen thanks to my mom being from Mexico so I hold both a US and Mexican passport. I claimed my right to be a Mexican only a year ago as I was preparing for my move to Merida. 

YL: Have you traveled much within Mexico? If so, where and what has been your favorite location to visit? What did you see there that you liked so much?

Claudette: I have traveled all over Mexico but I still have much to see. I have to say Guanajuato is one of my favorite places. It is a very romantic city and it reminds me so much of Spain. I happened to visit both Mexico and Spain  during the same summer back in college. My parents went there on their honeymoon and I would like to go there with my husband Lars someday.

YL:  How are you treated by Mexicans? Do you feel resented or welcome? 

Claudette: I get asked "’Where are you from?" a lot. I’m 5’9 tall so I’m not blending in too well. I have never felt resentment in anyway, but I dont feel like I’m pulling off ‘Mexican’ successfully quite yet.

YL: What are some changes you are hoping for in the city in which you live? Do you see any progress towards these changes?

Claudette: I’m passionate about the conservation of historical homes and I recently read that there is a group trying to do just that on Paseo Montejo. I hope that they are able to accomplish what they are setting out to do. That would be a wonderful thing for the city and its tourism of course.

YL: What are your plans for the future here?

Claudette: I am very optimistic about our future here. I have big goals for my travel business and I have every intention of staying and raising my family here.

YL: What is the one most important piece of advice you would give someone buying property and/or planning a move to the Yucatan?

Claudette: Based on my experience of living in a rental and getting to learn what works and what doesn’t for my family, I would recommend others do the same. The climate is very different here and you have to account for that and your needs when designing your new home. Its not enough to know you want a 3 bedroom/ 2 bath house. There are many other factors like climate, bugs, air flow, solar direction, busy street noise to consider when planning. I highly recommend renting before buying.

YL: If you could say something to all the people of Mexico, what would you say?

Claudette: Que orgullo ser Mexicana. Viva Mexico!

YL: If there is anything else you would like to add for our readers (people interested in or considering moving to the Yucatan, former Yucatecans, people planning to visit for an extended tour…)?

Claudette: This message is intended for any potential expats pouring over this interview now as they try to get a glimpse of life in the Yucatan. If they are not here yet because of fear of the unknown or simply because they are doubting themselves, I say to them…BELIEVE!  If you really want a different life for yourself, whether it is here in Merida or anywhere else in the world, focus on your goal and don’t let any obstacles stop you. Expect family and friends to call you crazy for it but in the end, its about making yourself happy first. Believe in your dreams and go for it!

*****

Claudette, as she mentioned, has started a tour company. You can read about it on her website, Mexicachica.com. She also maintains a personal blog at www.andadream.weebly.com.