Welcome back to Expat News by Expat Rebel. Here’s a weekly digest to keep you updated on the Expat World. If you were forwarded this message, you can get the free weekly email here.
In this issue:
- Differences between Halloween, Day Of The Dead and Hanal Pixán
- Secret Of Mexican Malls
- What to Know About Tipping on a Cruise
- Acapulco Is A Disaster Will Take 12 to 18 months To Repair
- AirBnb Extortion
- Airlines Are Poaching Top Flyers
- And more Expat News
Halloween / Day Of The Dead / Hanal Pixán
Halloween is October 31st. Day Of The Dead which is celebration of loved ones that have passed on is on November 1st & 2nd. A celebration that I really think is missing in the world. And a local Maya custom Hanal Pixán which is also different celebrated from October 31 and ending on November 2.
Myths and realities about Hanal Pixán in Yucatán – “Different activities are carried out, as well as an altar where food and drinks are offered to the deceased.”
Day Of The Dead isn’t so big here in Yucatán México compared to México City where it is way more popular. And Halloween here in Yucatán is still a bit new and only geared towards kids.
With modern life, of course, festivals fall on the weekend before depending on when these dates occur during weekdays. Last weekend was most of it. Some on Thursday. And now the mall is being decorated for Christmas.
Halloween Costume Goes Viral
Someone dressed up in a Hawaiian shirt open with a t-shirt under it with expat facebook posts that were hilarious. I had to share.
- “I’m coming next March will it rain?”
- “I’m moving to Playa for 2 months, where can I get a 4 bedroom house in centro for $300 pesos?”
- “Anyone know where to find American products so I can feel like I’m at home. I can’t go to Walmart as a I got ketchup thrown on me and lost my wallet and my cat?”
- “I’m a Life Coach, looking for a good inter-work sharing space to web bond chakra energies with a few other breathing, healing shamans.”
- “Where can I go to dinner where the waiters speak American and the menus are in American money?”
- “What time does the construction stop? How much is a taxi from PDC to México City?”
The photo of the expat went viral. The names of the people that posted these questions were real. I don’t want to embarrass anyone for simply asking a question so I won’t post the photo.
All the questions are extremely newbie from people that haven’t even done a Google search.
- No one can predict rain. And in México and many countries there is no local weather radar so predictions are done only from satellites images. Yes, there are rainy seasons but asking a month or more in advance will it rain in an entire month is just dumb. Yes, it’s going to rain.
- A 4-bedroom house anywhere for $MX300 a month is ridiculous. That’s roughly US$18 a month. I’ve never seen anything even close to that. Once I saw a really horrible hotel room for US$20 a night but I laughed and stayed somewhere else. Maybe the meant US$300 thinking pesos are the same, but Playa doesn’t have something that big for that little either.
- American products is a common question. I don’t honestly understand this because the grocery stores are really nice and have everything. Yes, the really poor grocery stores don’t have much of a selection but our Chedraui Selecto and next door Costco plus a Walmart have everything we need. I don’t miss anything. I also like a lot of local cuisine. Hello, it’s Mexican food, the number two restaurant type in the US behind pizza. Sorry, nothing beats pizza. Even here in México. All hail pizza.
- Life coaches looking for business from other expats locally is very common. Obviously they don’t have an email list, audience or any successful marketing at all if they are doing that. How successful a life coach are they? Ok, I’ll get off my soap box about it, but you’ll see this a lot.
- Construction noises is a real problem. Complaining usually get you nowhere. In Playa del Carmen Quintana Roo México and the entire state really it’s happening all the time. Move somewhere else. And a taxi from México City to Playa del Carmen is ridiculous. That’s over a two day drive. Someone hasn’t looked at a map. Take a bus or fly.
These questions on expat groups are extremely common. Being an expat is not for everyone. That is why I wrote my 30 Days to Expat guide to get people to do an exploratory trip and live more like a resident to see if you can do it and then find where you like to stay. I would never had thought I would move to México. But, on a two month stay México changed my mind.
Photo Of The Week
We went to an outside art exhibit. See more photos in Instagram.
Expat Rebel on Instagram: “Fun outdoor art exhibition in #meridayucatan #mexico”
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Travel News
- Southwest adds ability to track baggage – Southwest Airlines customers now can track their checked luggage on the airline’s website or mobile app, including when it is loaded and unloaded on the plane.
- Passenger Demands To Know Why Southwest Airlines Wouldn’t Let Her Fly In A Sports Bra – “The days of getting dressed up on planes, like you would for formal dinner on a cruise ship, are long gone. Over the past few years there haven’t been as many business travelers in business attire either. Dress guidelines are vague and left to the interpretation and discretion of gate agents and flight crew.”
- Cruise Ship Etiquette: What to Know About Tipping on a Cruise – good article on tipping while in the middle of the ocean
- Hurricane Otis: images of Acapulco after the passage of the worst storm in the last 30 years in Guerrero – complete disaster, 504,340 users without electricity supply, the hurricane affected 80% of the hotels in Acapulco
- Hoteliers expect everything to return to normal in Acapulco until 2025 – The Yucatan Times – given the damage, it would take the union at least 12 to 18 months to have the hotels operable again.
- “We have to get Acapulco back on its feet as soon as possible”: AMLO
- Airbnb Extortion: The Dark Side of Positive Reviews (Why Taking Videos Can Save You Hundreds) – we take video when we check out of any place after not getting some money back from one place and being told we wrecked the place which was simply not true. The money was one thing but the insult was beyond measure. Record video every time.
- American Airlines is Quietly Poaching Delta and United’s Top Flyers (And They Have An Offer For You)
- Data Shows Delta SkyMiles Could Be Left In The Dust By American AAdvantage – “Other airlines would be wise to look at that, realize there’s a limit to Delta’s revenue extraction, and also that following their own path and not Delta’s gives them an opportunity to leave Delta and SkyMiles in the dust.”
- In the fight for frequent flyers, Delta pulls back SkyMiles changes, and rivals step in – “As Delta fights to retain disgruntled elite SkyMiles members, competitor airlines are hoping to exploit the opening.”
- Travelers Beware: New Sneaky ‘No Show’ Fee and How to Sidestep It – good advice on these no show fees
- How Hertz Whacked One Renter $519 For Going Through A Single $1 Toll – View from the Wing – good tips on how to avoid this
México Expat News
- TikTok: Foreigner is shocked by the design of shopping centers in Mexico – México’s shopping malls are fantastic. Everything you need in one place for shopping. restaurants (real and food court), movies, game centers, local art and seasonal displays. The malls here are better.
- Mortgages for foreigners who want to live in Mexico
- I moved to Mexico from Indiana with my young daughter. Life is easier and better than I ever could have imagined – lifestyle upgrades
- Mérida is the most expensive city in the country – “in the first half of the year, the city of Mérida was positioned as the most expensive in the entire country, with 6.62 percent inflation, followed by Jacona, with 6.53; Campeche, 5.67; Tepatitlán, 5.60, and León, with 5.19 percent.”
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