Comments on: Death in A Foreign Country http://www.yucatanliving.com/yucatan-survivor/death-in-a-foreign-country.htm Online magazine about living, working and traveling in Merida and the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico. Sat, 11 Feb 2012 02:05:37 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: new to merida http://www.yucatanliving.com/yucatan-survivor/death-in-a-foreign-country.htm/comment-page-1#comment-162269 new to merida Tue, 30 Aug 2011 16:24:33 +0000 http://www.yucatanliving.com/yucatan-survivor/death-in-a-foreign-country.htm#comment-162269 Great article! Thank you! Great article! Thank you!

]]> By: Jose San-Pedro http://www.yucatanliving.com/yucatan-survivor/death-in-a-foreign-country.htm/comment-page-1#comment-132790 Jose San-Pedro Mon, 27 Dec 2010 19:41:13 +0000 http://www.yucatanliving.com/yucatan-survivor/death-in-a-foreign-country.htm#comment-132790 Congratulations to all of you for elucidating the practico-legal issues of a death in Merida/Yuvcatan. This information is essential to help the living (those left behind to secure arrangements) know what to expect, what to do, and how to navigate the system. It also helps those that want to plan ahead ('just in case') in order to control outcomes and also to avoid being a burden on others. My only request would be to look beyond pracico-legal matters (vital as they are) and explore the spiritual, cultural, and emotional components of the dying journey. Part of the delightful irony in all of this is that North Americans (US/Canada) come from death-phobic cultures while Mexicans experience death/mortality as a natural part of the life-cycle!. Much can be learned as we listen to each other and share attitudes towards dying, death, end-of-life, and grief (I believe 'grief' has finally come to be seen in 'Mexican ways' not as an event that needs closure in order to 'get over it' but rather as maintaining a connection with the deceased while learning how to function in a changed world). It's like two contrastingly different universes of meaning (hence, lots of room for collaborative dialogues). Hopefully, for those living in Merida they can partake of the annual 'Dia de los Muertos' (both the local interpretation through a Mayan lens -Hanal Pixan- , and the national narratives weaved thorugh poetry, engravings and folkore (La Catrina). One other comment would be to explore palliative (end-of-life) care resources in the Merida area (tanatologia), both in terms of hospital-based palliative care resources and home-based palliative-hospice supports. Cheers Jose Congratulations to all of you for elucidating the practico-legal issues of a death in Merida/Yuvcatan.
This information is essential to help the living (those left behind to secure arrangements) know what to expect, what to do, and how to navigate the system. It also helps those that want to plan ahead (‘just in case’) in order to control outcomes and also to avoid being a burden on others.
My only request would be to look beyond pracico-legal matters (vital as they are) and explore the spiritual, cultural, and emotional components of the dying journey. Part of the delightful irony in all of this is that North Americans (US/Canada) come from death-phobic cultures while Mexicans experience death/mortality as a natural part of the life-cycle!. Much can be learned as we listen to each other and share attitudes towards dying, death, end-of-life, and grief (I believe ‘grief’ has finally come to be seen in ‘Mexican ways’ not as an event that needs closure in order to ‘get over it’ but rather as maintaining a connection with the deceased while learning how to function in a changed world). It’s like two contrastingly different universes of meaning (hence, lots of room for collaborative dialogues). Hopefully, for those living in Merida they can partake of the annual ‘Dia de los Muertos’ (both the local interpretation through a Mayan lens -Hanal Pixan- , and the national narratives weaved thorugh poetry, engravings and folkore (La Catrina).
One other comment would be to explore palliative (end-of-life) care resources in the Merida area (tanatologia), both in terms of hospital-based palliative care resources and home-based palliative-hospice supports.
Cheers
Jose

]]> By: Sara Lilley http://www.yucatanliving.com/yucatan-survivor/death-in-a-foreign-country.htm/comment-page-1#comment-114463 Sara Lilley Wed, 26 May 2010 15:00:02 +0000 http://www.yucatanliving.com/yucatan-survivor/death-in-a-foreign-country.htm#comment-114463 Thanks for your message, Martha. Actually, I have visited several times since then and am in the process of making a "preliminary" permanent move in August of this year. It may be permanent depending on how it goes. I love the Yucatan and especially, Merida. Es posible nos encontramos! Thanks for your message, Martha. Actually, I have visited several times since then and am in the process of making a “preliminary” permanent move in August of this year. It may be permanent depending on how it goes. I love the Yucatan and especially, Merida.
Es posible nos encontramos!

]]> By: Martha Lindley http://www.yucatanliving.com/yucatan-survivor/death-in-a-foreign-country.htm/comment-page-1#comment-114409 Martha Lindley Tue, 25 May 2010 13:41:34 +0000 http://www.yucatanliving.com/yucatan-survivor/death-in-a-foreign-country.htm#comment-114409 Sara, I am sorry for your loss. As you pointed out, the U.S. Consulate is enormously helpful and we are all grateful for that. Your experience mirrors what the funeral homes told us: they help ensure that you have all of the necessary paperwork and make a very difficult time more manageable. We are lucky to have them. Thanks for your feedback. I hope you will come visit the Yucatan again. Sara, I am sorry for your loss. As you pointed out, the U.S. Consulate is enormously helpful and we are all grateful for that. Your experience mirrors what the funeral homes told us: they help ensure that you have all of the necessary paperwork and make a very difficult time more manageable. We are lucky to have them.

Thanks for your feedback. I hope you will come visit the Yucatan again.

]]> By: Sara Lilley http://www.yucatanliving.com/yucatan-survivor/death-in-a-foreign-country.htm/comment-page-1#comment-114307 Sara Lilley Sun, 23 May 2010 15:13:27 +0000 http://www.yucatanliving.com/yucatan-survivor/death-in-a-foreign-country.htm#comment-114307 Good article. This was my experience with "The Final Adios". In 2005 on vacation, my spouse unexpectedly died at our friend's house in a small village about 180 kilometers from Merida. Fortunately, the clinic doctor was in the village to sign a death certificate. The U.S. consulate was contacted and made arrangements with a funeral home in Merida to transport his body there for cremation. (It was his wish to be cremated.) The funeral home agent spent the whole next day with me visiting one agency after another to get all the paperwork done and I was able to return to the U.S. the day after that. Everyone--the U.S. consul, the funeral home agent, the hotel where I stayed in Merida, and of course, my friends helped me so lovingly at this difficult time. I will always be grateful that we were in the Yucatan among such good people. Good article. This was my experience with “The Final Adios”. In 2005 on vacation, my spouse unexpectedly died at our friend’s house in a small village about 180 kilometers from Merida. Fortunately, the clinic doctor was in the village to sign a death certificate. The U.S. consulate was contacted and made arrangements with a funeral home in Merida to transport his body there for cremation. (It was his wish to be cremated.) The funeral home agent spent the whole next day with me visiting one agency after another to get all the paperwork done and I was able to return to the U.S. the day after that. Everyone–the U.S. consul, the funeral home agent, the hotel where I stayed in Merida, and of course, my friends helped me so lovingly at this difficult time. I will always be grateful that we were in the Yucatan among such good people.

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