Initial Québec Observations

On April 12, 2025April 11, 2025 By Dani Francuz RoseLeave a comment

We’re almost halfway through April, and we’ve now officially been living in Québec for six weeks, which is crazy since it feels like the move was just last weekend, but that’s how the first few months always go. We get caught up in a daze of setting things up, collecting documents, making appointments, etc. But luckily, this isn’t our first rodeo! Not only are we completely on top of all our paperwork and logistical tasks, but we’ve also made good progress on our observations list. So how different is Québec from Ottawa? Well, here are the first few things that have caught our attention:

The French

Of course, the absolute first thing on the list has to be the use of French. While Ottawa is fairly bilingual, and we definitely got quite a bit of French exposure there, English was still absolutely the reigning language, sometimes even in Gatineau (which is technically in the province of Quebec). In Québec City, however, we’re not only expected to use French 100% of the time, we’re actually legally required to after six months of living here, which is honestly really great motivation!

The Salutations

Living in multi-story apartment buildings means we tend to have a lot of neighbors, so we’re usually pretty quick to notice how (and how often) acquaintances interact, like in an elevator, the lobby, the parking garage, etc. In Ottawa, most people kept to themselves or smiled politely in passing, but here in Québec, it’s a steady stream of “bonne journées” and “bonne soirées” no matter how brief your interaction is. It reminds me so much of all the “buenos días” and “buenas tardes” we got in Mexico, and it immediately feels so welcoming!

We’re in a Port City

Ottawa is definitely a water city of sorts with two major rivers and a canal running through it, but Québec is even more water-forward. The Québec City icon is fittingly a ship, and with ferries being a common means of transport, international cruise ships docking nearby, and whale watching tours every weekend, we’re not just between rivers anymore, we’re practically seafaring. At least the seagulls make more sense here.

Bizarre Hours

I have no idea if this is a French thing or a Quebec thing or a Québec City thing, but we have noticed that stores, restaurants, and pretty much every kind of business here has bizarre hours. Monday 8:30-4, Tuesday 9-6, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday 10-2…I mean, what? Do they just like to keep us guessing or is there some hidden meaning behind these choices? We definitely need more time to investigate.

Laidback Vibes

This might have more to do with Ottawa being the nation’s capital and less to do with Québec, but we’ve definitely noticed things are a little less official here. Our car registration (ou immatriculation) is printed on regular printer paper rather than fancy cardstock, our lease paperwork was submitted while we were still missing a few things, and we’ve gotten several messages along the lines of “X will be sent to you at a later date”. Definitely feels like a slower pace here in general.

Flashing Green Lights

Another thing we immediately noticed (and subsequently had to google) are the flashing green lights or “advanced greens”. Very often in Québec, you’ll come to a stop light and the green light will be flashing, which we learned means it’s basically both a green light and a green arrow. Apparently, this is common in a lot of Canadian provinces (including Ontario), but we had never seen it or at least not regularly enough to really register a difference.

Pedestrian-friendly

Ottawa is pretty pedestrian-friendly as well, but in Québec (at least downtown) the crosswalks are set up to allow for regular double crossing. Instead of waiting for the lights to change and basically taking your turn to cross when the flow of traffic changes direction, cars will be stopped in all directions allowing people to cross diagonally if they want/need. This and the no-touch crossing sensors make this particular pedestrian so happy!

Vestiges from France

I didn’t know how else to label this one, but smoking is much more common here. And by smoking, I mean cigarettes. We went from smelling a lot of marijuana in Ottawa to smelling a lot of cigarettes in Québec, and I can’t help but feel the cultural influences in that.

Drinking Culture

In a similar vein, Ontario seemed pretty strict when it came to alcohol sales/consumption. It was rare to see alcohol (even beer and wine) sold in stores, but in Quebec, that’s the norm. BYOB is also more frequent here, and it’s custom to bring wine to a park for a picnic.

Food Culture

We’ve also noticed a lot differences when it comes to food. The groceries here are overall cheaper, yet the selection of “fancy” food is definitely wider. There are like three types of caviar sold at the grocery store right next to our building, and if you wanted to try each type of cheese sold there, you’d need a few years. Restaurants here also seem to be a bit fancier – for example, there are fewer fast-casual options than in Ottawa, but way more multi-course menus.

Louder

We lived downtown in both cities, and we’re used to hearing a fair amount of shouting, singing, and laughing (especially on the weekends), but I think Québécois voices are literally just louder. Now we can hear the actual words being said, and even the volume of regular conversations here seems to be louder than what we grew accustomed to in Ottawa. Probably still not as loud as our country of origin, but a noticeable difference from the last two years nonetheless.

Colder, Windier, & More Humid

We had our suspicions about the weather being more extreme in Québec. I mean, we are further north and east, both of which usually get hit pretty hard, but we kind of thought we’d need a few months before we noticed if it was really much different. Turns out, we didn’t need long at all. The added humidity and constant wind means that the same temperature feels quite a bit colder. We keep seeing temperatures slightly above freezing, and then step outside only to realize that the real feel is significantly lower. Damp, windy cold is definitely tougher.

Snow-ready

Of course, both Ottawa and Québec are great at handling large amounts of snow, but it seems that they tackle the problem in different ways. Ottawa LOVES salt. The city and its inhabitants go hard on salting everything. Québec uses a mix of salt and sand, meaning that things are a bit slushier here. And maybe for that reason, it’s really common for buildings and houses here to put up tents in their driveways/entryways to keep the slush (and additional shoveling) at bay.

So that’s what we have on our list so far, but as usual, we plan to keep learning and sharing as we go. I’m sure by now it’s pretty apparent that these little differences are one of our favorite things about moving to a new place. Even one province over, there are just so many things to observe! How cool is that?

Winter is Coming (Again)

On December 5, 2024 By Dani Francuz Rose1 Comment

Ah, December. The pinnacle of the holiday season, the last month of the year, and the official start of winter – yay! Last winter was our first in Canada, and we gleaned so much information. For example, we know that the first snow Ottawa had last year was on October 30th, and the last snow of the season was on April 24th. The coldest day was January 19th at -20°C (approximately -5°F), but overall, it was really a very mild winter. I, personally, hope this year we get a lot more snow and a much longer stretch of extremely low temperatures. How else will I put all our new northern climate knowledge to the test? Knowledge like:

Preparation is Key

One of the first surprises we encountered last winter was just how much preparation both the city and its inhabitants have to do before winter. Everyone started putting out salt chests and snow markers well before the first snowstorm. Businesses added tents and flaps to entranceways; boot trays and coat racks were everywhere, and we even saw insulated porta-potties at nearby construction sites. For our part, we were focused on acquiring all the right winter clothing, which I’m happy to say was well worth whatever we paid for it all! We also had to buy quite a few car accessories, such as shovels, scrapers, sand, winter tires, and non-freezing windshield wiper fluid. This time around, it has been less buying and more restocking, but still, the preparation really makes for a smoother transition.

Everything Takes a Little Longer

Even after all the preparation was taken care of, we were still surprised by how much longer literally everything takes in winter! Getting dressed, lacing up boots multiple times a day, warming up the car, walking carefully on the ice – it all adds up like we couldn’t believe! Maybe this year I’ll time how long it takes to get the three of us dressed and ready to go outside because I’d guess it’s an extra 10-15 minutes every time. The other time-suck that I didn’t even think about prior to having such long winters was how much more laundry we have. When you’re wearing so many more layers every day, it really turns into a mountain of laundry after just a couple of days.

Winter is Kinda Messy

Having only lived in northern climates as a child (and/or for short periods of time), I was completely unaware of just how messy snowy winters can be. Everyone walks inside constantly dripping on the floor – the floors of restaurants, our building’s lobby, and worst of all, the entryway of our apartment. It didn’t take long for me to put an extra mat and towels by the door (yay, more laundry), but it doesn’t matter because there’s no containing it all. And you might be thinking, “hey, no big deal, water dries”, which is true, except this isn’t just water. It’s salted, which means everything gets a nice crusty white layer of salt even after it’s dry. The salt and sludge obviously got to the car as well, and we ended up having to get a carwash halfway through last winter because we literally couldn’t see out of the windows. I’m pretty sure I could count on one hand the number of times we’ve ever washed our car, and I would have never thought we’d have to wash it in the dead of winter!

There’s Quite a Bit of Extra Work

Okay, so we learned you have to prepare in advance, spend more time than usual, and always expect a mess, which, of course, requires some extra work, but the amount of extra work really kept surprising us! Scrape this, shovel that, clear a path for the dog to get to the “grass” because the snow walls are taller than she is! On and on it goes! Jenn, too, has to put a bit more effort into her daily tasks. She has to endure the multiple layers of clothing, scale snowdrifts when looking for a place to pee, and get wiped down whenever she comes back inside – all to her chagrin. On the bright side, I do feel like we still meet our exercise quotas because walking in the snow and scraping ice are definitely high calorie-burning activities!

So Many New Tricks to Learn

Another huge positive is that we developed a whole new set of skills. The best way to stomp excess snow off your boots? We know it. The best way to layer for easy transitioning between indoors and out? We’ve got it down. We’re also now very attuned to the sounds of the snow plows, which comes in handy, and I’m very happy to report that I didn’t fall on the ice even once last year (which I cannot say about our first Polish winter). I’d also add that we’re now very good at switching between Fahrenheit and Celsius, and we’re pretty much experts in interpreting the various weather alerts and winter vocabulary, regardless of the source. If you want to know more about the difference between hail, freezing rain, and sleet, I got you fam.

Lots of Surprises

All in all, I think we took everything pretty well in stride last year, but there were still a few things that we just didn’t believe until we experienced them ourselves. For example, our neighbors told us to watch out for the sunny days because they’re often the coldest, and wow, they were absolutely right! Apparently, clouds signal warmer temperatures – who knew?! We were also extremely surprised by how quick and easy it was to do some of the winter challenges, like freezing ramen noodles in mid-air. It took less than ten minutes! Another thing we didn’t think much about was how gas mileage would be affected, nor did we think we’d even notice if it was. Spoiler, we absolutely did. And perhaps most surprisingly, it didn’t take long at all for 0°C (32°F) to not really feel all that cold. After a week at -10°C (15°F), hovering right around freezing felt downright balmy.

Luckily, It’s Incredibly Fun and Beautiful!

I know most people reading this will say things like “that’s why I hate winter” or “I never want to live somewhere like that”, but even with these added challenges, we had an absolute blast last winter and are so eager to do it all again (hopefully just a little more efficiently this time). Winter is definitely still my favorite season even if it does require a bit more effort up here. In fact, I’d say we actually enjoyed it more because of those extra efforts. Ultimately, it was fun to slow down, get a little messy, and learn a plethora of new things. For me, winters like these are so fun and so beautiful that I quickly forget about any negatives. So, who wants to come visit us in January and see for yourselves? Our winter wonderland will be waiting!

US-Canada Differences Revisited

On June 10, 2024 By Dani Francuz RoseLeave a comment

Years ago, we came to Canada to see if it might be a place we’d want to move to in the future. During that month-long trip, we noticed many differences between Canada and the US, which ultimately piqued our interest enough to start the immigration paperwork. Of course, we had no idea that we’d be derailed by a pandemic and end up in Mexico for a few years first; alas, we eventually moved to Ottawa and recently celebrated one year of living in this beautiful city!

As always, the first year in a new place brings about so many fun new challenges and observations, which, of course, we did our best to keep track of! And in honor of our CAnniversary, I thought I’d share some of the most salient differences we’ve experienced as Americans living in Ottawa.

Differences in Administration:

One of the very first differences we encountered was when we went to make a copy of the key to our new apartment. They told us it was a “secure key”, which meant they’d have to contact the building’s board to make sure we were on the list of tenants, and thus legally able to copy the key. So thorough!
No matter how long we live outside the US, we still struggle with anything other than the month-day-year formula. When I see 10/4, I automatically think October, not my birthday.
We were also really confused the first time we looked at an expiration date that said “MA 2024”. Is that March or May?? In Canada, the months are abbreviated JA FE MR AL MA JN JL AU SE OC NO DE to make it work in both English and French.
Although we had experienced something like this in other countries, we were still surprised to learn that Canada doesn’t have joint tax filing. Tucker and I had to file separately even though my payment came from the same account his refund will be going to.

Differences in Cars & Driving:

After years in Mexico, driving in Canada felt like going back to beginner mode. In fact, there are some things that make us feel like drivers here are not really trusted to make good decisions, like the fact that there are more “no right on red” signs here than we’ve ever seen in our lives.
Another immediately obvious difference was the lack of locking clips on the gas pumps. Most gas stations force you to hold the nozzle the whole time you’re pumping (yes, even in -10° weather).
Something we’ve long gotten used to, but is still a pretty big US-CAN difference is the use of the metric system here. Our car, which was bought in FL, prominently displays miles per hour, thus we’ve gotten really good at converting on the go.
We also were surprised to learn that in some provinces of Canada winter tires are not just recommended, they’re mandatory. We had to provide proof of purchase to our insurance company as well.

Differences in Communication:

In our first week in Canada, strangers asked us questions at least 10 times in 10 different places (on the metro, in Canadian Tire, etc.), and it definitely surprised us. It’s common to talk to strangers in the US and Mexico, but to ask for anything other than directions or small talk felt different.
Canada (or at least the parts we’ve been to thus far) absolutely loves reservations! A place could be entirely empty at eleven a.m. on a weekday, but when you walk in, they’ll still ask you if you have a reservation. Only recently have I been able to suppress my eyeroll.
I’ve already shared some of my favorite Canadian English phrases, but I also have to mention how noticeable the pronunciation of some words is as well. The Canadian “soorry” will forever be engrained in my head!
And then there’s the bilingual bit. Always seeing street signs like “rue Clarence st” and Coke cans that say “goût original” definitely reminds us we’re not in Kansas anymore.

Differences in Allegiance:

There are probably many Americans who pay attention to celebrities, but I’d bet that even the most Hollywood-centric Americans likely don’t keep close track of where those celebrities are from. Canadians do though. If you so much as mention someone who happens to be from Canada, you can be pretty certain that fact will soon be pointed out.
In a difference that feels somewhat related to the previous one, Canadians seem a little touchy when it comes to comparisons with the US. I imagine it must be like growing up with a famous, somewhat annoying older sibling always stealing the spotlight, which anyone would resent.
Another clear difference comes from the past. Despite having separated from the UK over 150 years ago, the royal presence is still absolutely felt here. Canada has both a national anthem and a royal anthem (which, you guessed it, is “God Save the King”). Queen Elizabeth II is on several pieces of Canadian currency, and there are plans to get King Charles III on at least one bill by 2027. And some of the most popular streets around us include George, King Edward, and Queen Street.
Of course, the governments are also quite different, but that’s a long, boring topic for another time. For now, I’ll just say that one interesting difference is that the liberal party here is red and the conservative is blue. Not confusing at all…

Differences in Environment:

Another surprise early on in our move was when we received a pamphlet explaining all the city recycling rules, dates, exceptions, etc. There are even hazardous waste or electronic waste pick-up days and Christmas tree collection/composting!
Something else we noticed last summer and are eager to see if it holds true again was that any time we went to a restaurant with outdoor seating, they automatically assumed that would be our first choice.
In general, Canadians are very nonchalant about the weather, whatever it is. Freezing rain isn’t a reason to miss work or a night out with friends, okay? Just give’er!
Another difference (that we absolutely love!) is the abundance of seasonal menus. The food, the drinks, the specials all change with the seasons, which has actually given Tucker a reason to go back to places we’ve already been. Hooray!

Misc. Differences:

Here in Ontario, milk comes in bags. It’s incredibly unwieldy and honestly way too much milk (three 1.33 liter bags), but it’s definitely different.
Canada no longer has a penny. And can I just say, I don’t think anyone misses it. It’s time for the US to do the same.
Another interesting difference is the fact that the legal drinking age differs by province, and all of them are lower than the US’s standard of 21.
And one more difference that must be mentioned, but not in full because that would take much too long is the healthcare. Pretty much every aspect of it is different, but I think our biggest shock so far was when the dentist gave us both free Sonicare toothbrushes.

Bet you didn’t think I’d have that much to say about the differences between Canada and the US! Honestly, just like every other country we’ve lived in, the longer we’re here, the more differences become apparent. But also like our other homes, we’re quickly adapting to our surroundings and carefully choosing our favorite cultural gems to adopt and take with us to our next home. O Canada – thanks for a great first year!

We Have Arrived!

On June 17, 2023June 17, 2023 By Dani Francuz RoseLeave a comment

We did it! We finally made it to Canada! We first applied for our residencies and came up to look for jobs/apartments way back in 2019, so to finally be here with any degree of longevity/stability feels so surreal! But how did we get here? What have we been doing these first few weeks? And what are we thinking for the future?

Getting to Canada:

Where do I even begin with our journey to Canada?! I feel like I’ve relayed bits and pieces of our incredibly long and complicated paperwork journey in several posts throughout the last five years, so this time I’ll stick to describing our physical trip up to the Great White North.

For this particular move, we opted to split it into two rounds: one by air and one by car. I documented a few things about our initial fly-up on Facebook, but as a quick recap: back in early May, Tucker and I flew up to Ottawa with several suitcases in order to 1) get our apartment keys and 2) clean/set up a few things before the big drive up/move in. In theory, it was supposed to be a somewhat relaxed way of getting our feet wet in Canada, giving us more time to focus on apartment things, and also freeing up a little more space in the car for what was going to be a very long drive. Turns out, we didn’t get near enough done in that short amount of time, little issues kept turning into bigger issues, and in the end, the car was fuller this time than when we originally drove down to Mexico. Lots of lessons learned though, so at least there’s that.

The actual driving part of round two went beautifully! Guadalajara to Laredo, Laredo to Little Rock, Little Rock to Tucker’s Dad’s place in Kentucky, Tucker’s Dad’s place to Watertown, and Watertown to Ottawa. 48 hours in total, but pretty smooth, all things considered. The issues we encountered actually occurred at either end of the trip, with the first problem cropping up a few days before we even left GDL. We already knew that we were going to have to export and import our car when we crossed into Canada, and we had everything we needed to complete that process. However, at some point, we read that the export office is only open Monday through Friday 9 to 4, and we were planning on arriving around 6pm on a Saturday. Oops. And that’s why our drive ended up taking a few extra days, and we got an unexpected stop in Watertown, NY. Fun times!

The next problem (that we absolutely should have foreseen, but totally didn’t) was the fact that all of our stuff no longer fit in the car. We were so optimistic in thinking that by bringing 4 suitcases up to Canada pre-drive, we would free up plenty of space in the car…but no, over the years, we have acquired quite a few additional household things like a Roomba, an Instant pot, a laundry basket, small trash cans, a paper towel holder, a cooler, and other items that we’d never think of buying and/or keeping had we been flying to our new home. Alas, we fell into the trap of thinking, “oh, we’ll just toss that in the car at the end”. Well, I did my best Tetris-ing work, trying to fit everything into what I now realize is quite a small car, but in the end, there were still a few things we could have used in Canada that my friends are now enjoying in Mexico! More lessons learned…

Setting up shop:

So, aside from having a pile of immigration tasks to accomplish upon rolling up to our new home, we also had quite a few things we needed to buy for the apartment. But before we could get to all that fun, we first had to shelter in place. The week we were making our way to Ottawa, which lies on the border of Quebec and Ontario, an unusual number of forest fires broke out in both of these provinces. Extreme fires, it turns out, the smoke of which blew its way down to us and then into several NE states as well. This was an unexpected wrench in our first few days, but not too detrimental to our plans because I actually had a lot of work to catch up on, and staying home wasn’t a tough ask after a week on the road. Not to mention, we were categorically prepared with a plethora of masks and DIY air purifier skills!

After the smoke had cleared, we were able to successfully apply for and request all the documents we’ll be needing (and/or make appointments for them). In the next few weeks, we should be receiving our PR cards, ON driver’s licenses, Social Insurance Numbers, vehicle registration, and OHIP cards. Fingers crossed! We were also able to get the vast majority of our apartment set up (unfortunately, still waiting on a few things to make their way to us, but photos to come soon, I promise!). In the midst of all this running around, we also hosted our very first guest (who thankfully brought her own bed in the form of an air mattress), which means we’re now prepared for any/all future guests! Of course, we’ve also begun to dip our toes into what our new neighborhood has to offer by sampling a few of the many, many restaurants and pubs that surround us.

Looking ahead:

So, what’s next? Well, the usual, I suppose: trying all the delicious restaurants, walking the entirety of our neighborhood, getting familiar with our new grocery stores, and everything else that comes with finding our place in a new city. I’m super excited to report that we’ve already got library cards, a reservation for weekly trivia, and a growing list of observations to share about the differences we’re already experiencing between the US vs. Canada and Quebec vs. Ontario. As always, there’s so much to learn and explore, and for now, that’s exactly what we plan to do. At some point, we might even break out into something other than the five-block radius between us and the supermarket. Look out, Ottawa, we’re coming!

You might also be wondering just how long we have to explore here (aka how long we plan to stay this time). Good question, but I really never know. Our Canadian residency doesn’t have to be renewed until 2027, and if we stay in Canada for a total of 3 years, we can actually apply for citizenship and never worry about immigration paperwork here again, but honestly, we have no idea if we’ll stay that long. We do know that our current lease here in Ottawa is good until June 2024, so we’ll definitely be in this exact location for at least a year (and, honestly, after all this apartment set-up, we’re already leaning towards two lol). Ottawa is such a beautiful city with so many activities for us to enjoy; plus, Montreal is only an hour away, so I think we’ll definitely need at least two years to do the National Capital Region justice!

As for the more distant future, who knows? Two years in Ottawa could be followed by two in Quebec City (if we do end up loving the winters) or maybe we’ll head back to Guadalajara to thaw out? Or maybe onto Argentina, the Mediterranean, back to Poland or Asia, literally all of these options and more have been discussed, so place your bets! Either which way though, our time in Canada is likely going to fly by, so be sure to come up and visit us while you have the chance! We can definitely host you in Ottawa, or we can meet up somewhere else in this vast and beautiful country. I’m once again aiming to see as many provinces as we can, so you can bet there are already trips planned from coast to coast to coast! Hello, bonjour, Canada! We have arrived!

One Year in Mexico – What Have We Learned?

On February 19, 2022February 19, 2022 By Dani Francuz RoseLeave a comment

What a year! And what a question! As usual, the time is flying by, and the number of stories, facts, and lessons we’ve accumulated are innumerable. However, I thought it might be fun to share a few of the things that have stuck out this past year as we’ve continued adapting to our new home in Guadalajara, Mexico.

The Lifestyle

One of the first things that is easily recognizable as soon as someone enters Mexico is its vibe. Totally unique and bursting with energy, Mexico (and Guadalajara in particular) had an immediate effect on our mentality. Moving from China back to the US with Canada on the horizon during a global pandemic definitely had us in a more serious mindset. Luckily, only a few days in Mexico had us feeling considerably more relaxed.

More than relaxed actually – tranquilo is the word. The week we arrived in Mexico, I remember walking through a park and watching a man literally stop to smells the flowers. My American go-go-go brain couldn’t compute at first. But that was really all it was. He stopped, smelled the flowers, and went back to his walk. It was the first of many muy tranquilo instances we’ve encountered this year. You can’t help but slow down and ease up, even in a major city like Guadalajara. I have to imagine this year has been significantly better for my blood pressure!

In addition to feeling more relaxed, we’ve also been re-learning the concept of divertido (fun). One image that will forever be ingrained in my head is that of a man we saw in Ajijic riding a horse down the middle of a road while simultaneously browsing his phone and downing a cerveza. He was definitely having fun. But it’s not just the so-called magic towns that have fun. We live a block away from the party street of GDL, and we hear ALL the fun. I know for some that sounds like a nightmare (light sleepers beware), but for us, it feels like we’re having a party every weekend. Even if we’re just in our PJs watching TV at a comfortable distance.

Another aspect of our new lives in Mexico has to be living in the moment (o espontáneamente). Sometimes it seems like either something is done right then or else it’ll be “ahorita” (which basically means never). A good example of this would be the “afiladores” or “knife sharpeners”. Every week from our apartment we can hear a whistle and a shout from the afiladores who walk the neighborhood announcing their presence so residents in need can grab their knives and run down for an impromptu sharpening. So far, I’ve yet to attempt this, but maybe ahortia…

The Lessons

Of course, adapting to the lifestyle doesn’t happen overnight. We’re basically still fumbling our way through life’s daily routines, making error after error as we go, but for me that’s where all the fun is. The laughs we get from the mistakes we make along with the little annoyances or oddities that give us a window into our own cultural confines definitely make all the ambiguity and confusion worth it.

Most likely our biggest area of failure revolves around language (as it has in every one of our previous homes abroad). One that is still making us laugh actually occurred in the privacy of our own vehicle on the long drive down. The GPS kept saying we were headed toward Oeste, but neither of us had heard of that city or ever saw it on the map. Turns out “oeste” just means west in Spanish. How had we never learned the cardinal directions? Other language faux pas include my use of the word “cansada” rather than “casada” (“tired” instead of “married”) when asked my civil status, and Tucker’s continual struggle with the pronunciation of “galleta” versus “cajeta” (“cookie” or “caramel”) – for the record, I prefer cajeta.

Another big lesson (mostly for Tucker) this year has been within the realm of driving. Driving in a foreign country is always challenging, but when you add increased frequency, the lessons just keep on coming. For example, we’ve just about reached our lifetime quota of driving through three-lane roundabouts. Still not always sure the best practices there, though. We’ve also realized that “yielding to flow” is not as easy as it sounds. But my personal favorite has been listening to forgotten 80s hits everywhere we go. The radio stations here absolutely love to play Rasputin, Take On Me, and the like.

Glorieta de los Niños Héroes – pure chaos

Shopping in Mexico has also taught us a few lessons over the past year. We had previously learned that we might be expected to sticker our own produce before checking out (thanks Poland and China), but in Mexico, they thankfully do that at the registers. However, here it’s the bakery and cosmetics sections that are separate in most grocery stores, requiring separate check-outs/payments. We definitely lost a carrot cake in this learning process. Another fun grocery store occurrence is the covering up of any cartoon mascots on food products. There’s a law in Mexico that banned characters like Chester Cheeto and Tony the Tiger in an effort to combat childhood obesity and skewed marketing tactics. When we buy products imported from the US, there’s very often a huge sticker covering up some well-known faces.

Other Surprising Tidbits

In all honesty, every time I write a post like this, it’s hard to choose what to put in and what to save for in-person stories. I usually try to group our experiences in some way, but there are so many things we come across that are really in a world of their own. Things like…

Taco facts. Tacos are a way of life in Mexico, and we’ve learned a lot about how to rate, make, and eat a taco. First of all, two corn tortillas are a must for any self-respecting taco. We’ve heard rumors that in El Norte you can get flour tortillas, but I don’t know, it seems sort of sacrilegious now. Sadly, I also found out that putting crema on your tacos is totally fresa (uppity or snobbish). In fact, the purist tacos should have only 5 things: tortillas, meat, onion, cilantro, and lime. Of course, the final addition to any taco is a good salsa, but I could (and might seriously) write an entire post about salsa in Mexico.

Another discovery in our early Mexico days was the constant morning cowbells. It reminded us of the “bring out your dead” scene of Monty Python, but in reality, it’s the call of the garbage collectors. There aren’t traditional bins in downtown GDL (and good thing too because the sidewalks are well-trafficked and the sun is warm), so instead of a weekly collection day, each morning the bells are rung, and if you have a full bin, you set your bag outside for collecting as they pass by.

Last but not least, I thought I’d end on a cultural tidbit that I’m not sure if I find cute or creepy. When children lose their teeth in the US, the Tooth Fairy visits their room while they sleep, taking the tooth and leaving some money (also somewhat of a mix between cute and creepy to be honest…). And kids here in Mexico experience a similar swap; however, it’s not a fairy that makes the trade. It’s the Ratón de los Dientes (or the Tooth Mouse). Makes me wonder if Mickey’s got a collection of teeth somewhere in the Kingdom.

Anyway, that’s what we’ve been up to during our first year in Mexico. Picking it all up as we go along and having a ton of fun in the process. We’re currently busy renewing our residencies for an additional 3 years, so I think the learning has only begun! ¡Deseanos suerte!

¡Estamos Aquí!

On March 13, 2021March 13, 2021 By Dani Francuz RoseLeave a comment

We’re in Mexico now! Yay! After over a year of immigration uncertainty with Canada, it feels great to be actively taking steps towards our new home base (even if those steps are taking us in a new direction).

So? What exactly is the plan?

Well, what are plans, really? This last year has definitely tested my ability to come up with back-up plans on top of back-up plans; however, what I came up with isn’t as crazy as it seems. When we got back to the US after our time in China, Tucker and I knew we wanted to stay in North America for a while (to be closer to family, to make pet travel a bit easier, etc.) Initially, we planned on moving to Quebec for a few years followed by a few years in Mexico. Unfortunately, the pandemic had other plans. In early 2020 our Canadian residency application stalled due to the fact that Canada and the US took wildly different approaches to the Covid situation. Even now, it’s unclear as to when the border will reopen and immigration processes will resume as usual, so we decided to flip the plan. Mexico and then Canada.

Getting to Mexico was surprisingly easy (just ask Ted Cruz – haha!) although, our process was slightly different. We opted for temporary residency, which is good for up to four years. In Orlando we got the appropriate visa from the consulate, and in our first two weeks in Guadalajara, we successfully completed the immigration process by exchanging our entry visas for our residency cards. Another “yay” moment! Currently, we’re up to our ears in apartment listings, looking for a place to rent for the next year or so. The housing hunt has been super exciting because we haven’t had this much freedom in choosing a place to live in a long time! I’m living my House Hunters International dream right now!

Once we’ve selected and moved into our new apartment, we have to fly back to Orlando, pick up a small, furry passenger (along with a few more suitcases) and drive across the border back down to GDL. The road trip is still in the planning stages, but it’ll be a respectable 30+ hour drive. Who doesn’t love a good road trip?! After that, the plan is to, somewhat unsurprisingly, wait. We’re still taking every Covid-related precaution, limiting many of our usual activities for the foreseeable future. Like most people, we’re eagerly awaiting our turn to get vaccinated and for life move on into some sort of post-pandemic phase.

What’s the situation like in Mexico?

Speaking of Covid, many people have been interested in what the situation looks like south of the border. More or less, I would say it’s pretty similar to the US. Where we are, a majority of people are taking it seriously, wearing masks, limiting their time in crowded, enclosed spaces, working/schooling virtually when possible, etc. but there are always some who “forget” their masks, fail to wear them correctly, don’t care about the risks, etc. Cubrebocas are mandatory in Jalisco (our state), and in addition to checking for masks, most stores have employees stationed at the entrances spraying hand sanitizer and taking temperatures.

Another concern for us during this move (aside from the pandemic, of course) was our complete lack of connections in GDL and (to put it mildly) our less than rudimentary Spanish skills. We were wondering how difficult it would be to set up our phone plans, complete paperwork, contact renters, etc. On the whole, we’ve been extremely fortunate. We’ve already made a few expat friends and have done our best to pick up some Spanish basics muy rápido. Fortunately, as we’ve experienced in many parts of the world, the locals here are extremely helpful (and thankfully not resentful) when we struggle with the language. They’ve gone out of their way to help us with pronunciation, translation, even involving others to make sure the message is clear. I can never feel anything but humble when we, as foreigners who haven’t learned the local language, are treated this way. I sincerely hope to repay their kindness by doubling down on my Spanish skills – next year when we renew our cellphone plan or residency cards, I’m going to blow them away with my progress!

Somewhat less exciting, but a large part of our lives nonetheless, has been our transition into both working fully remotely. Thankfully our internet speeds have been up to the challenge, and it’s been really fun to break for lunch together everyday (albeit a bit early as our schedules are still tied to EST). Anyway, we were very happy that there was no interruption to either of our jobs as we transitioned to Mexico. Other aspects of life have changed a bit, of course, such as being back to never having any idea what’s going on when we step outside our apartment. Men walking the streets ringing cow bells, for instance, or even disappearing carrot cakes. We have so much to learn!

What’s the best part?

Actually, I think I just alluded to the best part: all the new things. We love an adventure, and there’s just nothing like being fully immersed in a new culture. We’re loving all the new things to try and to research. We’re also really enjoying getting to know a new city and a new neighborhood. Orlando taught me that there is so much to see in between the points of interest, and I’m continuing to stretch our walking tours further and further. Plus, I know we’re both incredibly grateful to be finally taking steps towards a feeling of semi-permeance and/or control. I have no problem with not knowing where I’m going, but as it turns out, I like to have a say in when I go.

What’s the worst part?

Sadly, maybe even predictably, the worst part is that we still have to think about Covid. I want to explore; I want to go and do everything, but I also need to be responsible and safe for myself and everyone around me. It’s not so much a product of where we are in the world, rather where we are in history, and unfortunately, it’s no easier in a new place. The good news is there might be a glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel as long as we all continue to work together and trust the process. As I learned in Gotta Kick It Up, “sí, se puede”!

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