Focus On Mexico

Admiring the Wisdom of Age

The following article offers a fascinating look at life in the Lake Chapala area as viewed from the perspective of Lily Barker, age 24, who grew up in the area and now lives in Canada. The Netflix original ‘Grace and Frankie’ is a slice of life, comedy-drama hit show about two aging women whose husbands announce they are leaving them to be gay together. Despite the tragedy and challenges, they become better people, find their joie de vivre, and discover within themselves not just strength and courage, but youth and an energy they may have forgotten about. A Typical Day in Lake … [Read more...]

Lent and Holy Week in Mexico

LENT Lent is the period of forty days between Ash Wednesday and Easter Sunday. The word for Lent in Spanish is Cuaresma, which comes from the word cuarenta, meaning forty, because Lent lasts for forty days (plus six Sundays which are not counted). For Christians, this is traditionally a time of sobriety and abstinence meant to correspond to the time Jesus spent in the wilderness. The dates of Lent for the coming years are: 2020 - February 26 to April 9 2021 - February 17 to April 2 The first day of Lent is Ash Wednesday. On this day, the faithful go to church for mass … [Read more...]

Guide to Paying Christmas Bonuses in Mexico

The Aguinaldo – How to calculate By Karen McConnaughey Under Mexican law, all employees (including maids, gardeners, cooks) deserve a Christmas bonus. It also creates and keeps a good, healthy relationship with your employees. Employees are entitled by law to receive 15 days pay for their Christmas bonus. Therefore, if an employee normally makes 1500 pesos in a 15-day period, then this amount would also be their Christmas bonus. Some calculations may be required, but this is what they are entitled to. If the employee has been in your employ for less than a year, these amounts are … [Read more...]

Getting Used to Mexican Currency

The first time I ever laid eyes on Mexican money I said, "Oh look! It's like Monopoly money!" I can assure you, while it is pretty, it spends just like real money! If you're not used to dealing in more than one currency, it can feel daunting at first to convert from your home currency to pesos quickly and confidently. I've seen many flustered people thrust a handful of cash and coins at cashiers in Mexico so that vendors could pick out the appropriate amount from their hands. That's NOT the recommended way of doing things, even though there are many honest people in Mexico, just … [Read more...]

The Variety of Mexican Food

Mexican food based on Aztecs and Mayan cooking traditions combined with culinary trends introduced by Spanish colonists, is known for its intense and varied flavors, colorful decoration, and variety of spices and vegetables (green peppers, broccoli, cauliflower, radishes and many more). Mexican Cuisine has become recognized among the world's greatest cuisines. Corn has been Mexico’s traditional staple grain diet for some 4,000 years, but today, rice is equally important. Beans are another staple of the diet and they provide the necessary protein. Chilies (of so many different varieties and … [Read more...]