Mexico Reflection (1/29/2005) by Wendy Batt
Hello friends.
Long-time no-write.
Sorry for the delay.
[First, a small comment on mass emailing. Everyone knows that the
writer is bound by unwritten rule to address the fact that the email
is, in fact, mass, and therefore not quite worthy of your inbox. I
grant no exception in acknowledging this email's mass status, but I
worked long and hard, darn it, (okay, 45 minutes) in deciding what to
in- and exclude, and hereby deem it deserving of your undivided
attention. background music, ok.
Ah... I would mention that I've never written a mass email before,
but I have. With pleasure.
On with the email.]
It's always interesting to sit down and (attempt to) script one's last
six months into an email-suitable summary, and today I will do just
that. I'm not sure if I can technically "reflect" on Mexico while I'm
still here, but that's more or less the plan. Uy. This may very well
be the longest email I've ever written… brace yourself.
ALL YOU REALLY NEED TO KNOW
[True mass emails always include a "you can stop reading here" clause…
hold on, we're almost there.] Bare-bone basics- a refresher course
for most of you: I'm currently getting a Masters degree in
International Business (MIB), a program that began last June (21st)
here in Monterrey, Mexico (EGADE) and continues, as of February
(18th), in Madrid, Spain (ESCP-EAP). It's a year-and-a-half program,
rounding out with 6 months of "práctica" (aka internship- hopefully
paid) right there in Spain. Translation: I'll be graduating in
December, and helplessly wandering about the job market in January,
'06.
[Enter clause: For those of you with real jobs or overly-active
social lives, you may now retire. I'll never know. For the rest of
you- the daring, caring, and curious- read on.]
I've arranged my ramblings to address my Frequently Asked Questions,
thereby informing those of you who were unable to (frequently) ask,
and perhaps providing a better response to those who did. Bombs away.
WHY
One obvious question I apparently failed to address in Volume 1 is how
(in the world) I decided to study a masters degree in Mexico. That's
easy. Last fall, I recognized that my International Business degree
would serve me well (thanks, Sesh), but that my so-called "Bachelor of
Arts" in Spanish left something to be said. I felt reasonably
well-trained in "language and literature," but lacking in, well, life.
My orginal plan, therefore, was to seek employment in Latin America,
get Spanish down once and for all, secure a job in a multinational
company, and later go back for an MBA. Enter a Wall Street Journal
article last Christmas about the top business schools OUTSIDE the US-
thanks, Dad- and I realized I might mix it up a bit. If I could
solidify the Spanish, get my masters, and put off employment… I'm in.
One spring-full of research/applications, one GMAT, one
spanish-test/campus visit, one graduation, and one month (okay, almost
two) later, I entered my first class at EGADE.
SCHOOL
EGADE (Escuela de Graduados en Administración y Dirección de Empresas)
is the business graduate school of ITESM (Tecnológico de Monterrey).
There are 32 students in my particular program: 10 women and 22 men
(not bad), ranging in age from 22-27, but averaging 24-25 with a year
or two of work experience. With the exception of me, a guy from Peru,
a girl from Ecuador, and a girl from El Salvador, the students are all
from different parts of Mexico and most majored in Econ, International
Relations, or some sort of Engineering. We have class every day from
9-12:30 (central time), and it's been great. Our first semester
(stats, finance, accounting, etc) was a nice little review given my
International Business background, but warmed me up for the next two
semesters of classes like NAFTA, Strategies for Emerging Economies,
Administration in Latin America, etc. All of my classes are in
Spanish, but several of my textbooks have been in English, and I'd say
classes are less difficult than time-demanding. After this mini
jan-term, my classmates and I will split off to our various second
sites: London, Paris, Miami, and Madrid (that's me), where we'll be
joined by other students from sister schools with similar programs. I
hope the male/female ratio holds strong.
MONTERREY
Monterrey, about 150 miles south of Laredo, Texas, is the third
largest city (to Mexico City and Guadalajara) in Mexico, and its main
industrial center. It has an official population of 1 million- 3
million with suburbs- and is in a valley surrounded by mountains. I
guess that's how valleys usually come. I thought I'd left Malibu, but
"Valle Oriente" is said to be the most expensive place to live in
Latin America. I've found it to be very modern (think "ugly
buildings") and disappointingly Americanized. Don't get me wrong-
it's definitely Mexico- but last night I ate at Chili's. With two
universities and over 45,000 students, there's also a lot of
night-life… at least compared to Boise. The people are generally
friendly, and I like the city despite weak public transportation
(taxis taxis taxis) and the need for pine trees.
HOUSING
After one night at Hotel Ibis, two weeks with Bea and Pedro (fellow
MIBsters) at Dulio's house, and three weeks at a Señora's house, Bea
and I moved into our own apartment. While we had to cough an
outrageous $300 apiece per month, we were close to Monterrey Tec and
enjoyed "free" Internet access. Our lease was up in December,
however, so I'm staying with Karla at Alex's house: far from Tec and
no Internet. Life without internet is an adjustment for addicts such
as myself, but I'm coping. And reading a lot. And getting really
good at self-french-manicures. My ideal Madrid plan is to live with
Bea, Karla, Ileana, Joyce, and Regina, but ideal is not always easy-
I'll keep you posted.
FRIENDS/SOCIAL
Perhaps because we have little time for anything besides class and
group projects, my program is really united. The guys play on an
intramural soccer team and the girls all watch. Someone is always
having a birthday, and everyone goes. They like their nights on the
town- too often until 6 in the morning- but soccer games, late-night
conversations and movies are equally popular. I play on an intramural
volleyball team with a guy from my program and his friends, and also
enjoy getting beat in raquetball when I have the chance. I have no
American friends, per se, but I've met three and we say hi.
FOOD
I've not suffered for lack of food, and I like most everything but
eye/brain/tongue tacos. Similar to our Americanization of Mexican
food, they "Mexicanize" everything from chinese food to sushi. You
can try it yourself at home; just add lime, chile, and salt. I do
most of my own cooking, but I'm always up for one of my favorite
restaurants/carts-on-wheels. I don't drink the water, although my
stomach-of-steel has served me well and Moctezuma has seeked no
revenge on me. Yet. The baking has been placed on temporary hold, as
it seems every oven in Mexico a) doesn't work, b) is used for storage,
or c) both.
POLITICS/VIEW ON AMERICA
The political climate has been interesting, particularly when I was
the only American in international-related classes during US
Presidential elections. Everyone, repeat: everyone, is definitely
anti-Bush, anti-Republican. They're all big fans of their current
president, Vicente Fox, largely because he's the first truly elected
president outside of the PRI party that governed the country with
corruption since its beginning. That said, he really hasn't done
anything. For all of being a supposed "collective" society, the
collective unit is the family, not the community. The polarization of
money is horrible and getting worse, and while the economy is
improving with continued privatization and liberalization of trade,
huge problems remain in income disparity, corruption, and education.
Everything still seems really subsidized, monopolized,
government-owned, or "authorized." They're frustrated with the United
States and what they see as a unilateral hyperpower inspired by
consumption… as they cross the border to buy their iPods. Many of my
classmates have told me that they would like to work in the US, but
ultimately return to Mexico to raise their children. Guess they don't
think I turned out too well.
CULTURE/VALUES
I could have written a paper on this one, but I'll hold myself to some
highlights. From what I've seen, US and Mexico could learn a lot from
each other. In my opinion, there's a lot to be said for Mexico's
"personalismo," the value of relationships first and foremost. Then
again, it often turns into too much "schmoozing" for my taste.
Personalism is good, but favors and legal pluralism are not. As for
that so-called "collectivism," the younger generations in particular
seem to be moving toward a much more individualistic society.
"Machismo" has also been much less evident than I'd anticipated- aside
from opening doors, ladies first, and guys trying to pay for meals-
and I'm not complaining there. Catholocism obviously reigns, and
respect for and enforcement by authority is something else… Mexican
roadlines are guidelines, for example, and stop lights are yields.
Hey, if no one's there….
LANGUAGE
I'm officially living in Spanish. I've learned so much, including the
fact that I've much more to learn. Most of my classmates can speak
English, but rarely, if ever, do. Two insist on writing in English
when we chat online and, for London's sake, I oblige them. I've had
very few English conversations, however, as they don't like their
accents… who am I to judge? So, my English is limited to emails
(hey), online chats, and movies. Some days I feel like a Spanish
genius, while other days I wonder what I was thinking when I thought I
had any business being here. Jokes, sarcasm, and slangs are always a
challenge, but toughest for me, especially at the beginning, was
trying to truly be myself in another language. Classes, getting
around town, and superficial conversations are one thing, but
portraying my personality, making friends, and being ME are quite
another. I think I'm nicer in Spanish.
DIFFICULTIES
At times, the language has been the least of my problems. For one,
I've caught many more colds here than are necessary and, for two, I
miss Starbucks (problem soon solved: 18 stores in Madrid). Also tough
has been the weak mail system and, consequently, lost care packages
and no Internet shopping, he he. In some respects, I can never truly
fit in. I learn the latest songs along with the best of them, for
example, but I'll never get down all their "Old School" stuff or
remember their childhood cartoons. Still, my most difficult
adjustment (which I've yet to achieve) is the lesser respect for time.
"See you at 7" means "I might be there by 8:30," so I've learned to
cringe and bring a book. What do I miss the most? Besides customer
service/return policies and Barnes & Noble, friends and family. I've
made several incredible, life-time friendships here, but I can still
safely say that my BEST friends still lie among the the addressees of
this email.
REWARDS
Wrapping it up, it's been great. I've made some amazing friends and
international connections, and there's nowhere else I'd rather be.
Classes aside, I've gained a much deeper self-understanding of my
values and thought-processes, and a greater appreciation for those of
others. My only regret is that no one has visited me… I'm hoping
Madrid will have more pull?
And no, I do not have a Latin lover.
[if you're still reading / thanks for bearing with me / if you've made
it this far…] You guys are the best. Please keep in touch as you're
able, and I'll be glad to whip you back a personalized edition.
Questions? Comments? I'm waiting. Maybe I'd tell you about Toto the
adopted, mangly Maltese, or what to do when a curb-side cop without a
car or radar gun "pulls you over" for speeding. No matter what, take
good good care. And start looking into tickets for Spain.
May God bless you all,
Love,
Wendy
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