Once upon a time in Mexico...

A and I just got back from a vacation in Mexico. We didn't go to Cancun or Acapulco. We went to Matamoros, in the Mexican state of Tamaulipas, right across the border from Brownsville, Texas.

I hadn't mentioned anything before because it was a surprise for one of our best friends from college, Hector. His wedding was on July 6th and we didn't tell him we were flying in. But his face was worth it! To see the shock on his face when he saw us at the airport was so worth it... So we arrived to jump head in to the wedding preparations and the gazillion errands that had to be done, to include the completion of one wedding dress.

We had such a great time, just hanging out and getting away from our jobs and the stress. And of course, being with friends is the best way to spend your vacation.

Having not gone to a touristy part of Mexico, and spending our time hanging out with locals, we got a real taste of how people live there. It was frustrating dealing with local businesses, since they seem to operate on their own time. The dress, which the local bride wanted to have in hand a week before the wedding, was not ready until 7 pm the NIGHT BEFORE the wedding! And there was no excuse, not a single excuse for not having it ready. And so it went with everything else. The bride and groom had to go to each and every service they had requested (i.e. flower store, caterer, dj, band, trio, photographer, videographer, etc) and REMIND them the day before that the wedding was the following day. But not that it mattered. The bride and groom were ready to go before the flowers were set up in the church. There were no mantels on the tables in the reception hall until after everyone arrived, luckily there were some nice appetizers outside the hall. The photographer arrived literally photo finish to the ceremony. And so it went. And yet somehow it all got done, everyone drank, ate, danced, and was merry.

Most shocking to me was how people just like you and me, i.e. plain average middle class, lived there. Houses are usually delivered with the basics: no paint, no floors, just a husk. And most people don't have the money after buying a house to install tile flooring or fancy cabinetry. And when they do, well, the workmanship was not what I expected. We stayed at a beautiful villa where the reception was held, like an old-style Rancho, with a pool and several buildings. I immediately notice the corners did not meet, a basic construction no-no. Also, the grout between the tiles was not neat, and there was grout all over the tiles, making it look dingy and old when in reality it was brand new, the newly painted cabinets had dripped paint all over the backsplash, and on and on.

I was expecting to see dirt cheap prices for everything, but in reality, most items were more expensive there in Mexico than in the US. Allowing for the considerably lower salaries, how did people survive there??

After all, everyone had a great time, and I'm sure we'll all be talking about that wedding for years to come. It was a memorable and fun vacation, and it was also an eye opener for me.

Everyone should go to another country to see how other nationalities live, we would gain incredible insight into our own lives.