While things on the housefront here in the lake house seem to be rolling right along, things in Mexico are not so rosy. The casa situation is officially at a standstill.
We got a very flashy green light to go ahead and rent The Barbie Dream House in Mexico by The Firm in Paris right after I wrote that post, in fact they were happy that we'd found something in a good price range. But there is some squabbling about contract issues as Seb discovered when we visited Mexico of the "why does he get a window seat when I'm stuck on the aisle" variety and it all boils down to jealousy or whatever blah-blah-blah. So it seems that the Mexican branch of The Firm doesn't want to secure the house for us and in fact is telling us we can't rent it because it and the three identical versions of it next door to it are all miraculously rented already (and they know this because they communicate daily with the botox agent, so there!).
Oh and our back-up house? Rented too. Uh, okay right so what your saying is that we're screwed. We got it.
So they said they would give us a hotel list for when we get there and we get to live there and eat there while we start all over finding a home. And our stuff will sit melting on the docks in Marseille in August until we have a proper address. Can anyone say cha-ching for the amount of money all that will cost the company?
Ironically every time we ask questions about something there, you know important things like cars, hospitals and schools The Firm says "no problem." And almost every time so far there is a problem. We are quickly finding out the true meaning of this phrase. A Mexican "no problem" seems to mean there's a huge problem but "Hey we won't deal with it right now, okay. You'll figure it out yourself somehow eventually ."
I guess we are learning that we have to do a lot more ourselves if we want it done right; a very good first lesson in cultural awareness!
4 comments:
UGGGHH! I hate that. Here's something interesting about Mexico--You ask anyone for directions, and they will never say, "I don't know." They'll give you twenty different answers, all leading you off in the wrong direction, but they won't admit that they don't know! Much like the, "Yeah yeah, everything will be fine," when really they have no idea, or the "We'll take care of it later," when really they won't! Ah, yes, it's all starting to come back to me! Now I remember why I live here!
However, there are many good things to balance out the bad--warm, welcoming people, a family-oriented culture, a more laid-back way of life and nice weather!
I understand what you're going through right now and, as you know, my offer stil stands: Write me with any questions, and I will do my best to give you a concrete answer. And if I can't, I'll be sure to tell you, "I don't know!" (:
We're learning! We had the same problem with our son's school. It's supposed to be all arranged "no problem" but it isn't. Oh well, it's definitely going to be a change from France and all their triple copies of paperwork with stringent deadlines (and then of course all the paperwork comes up missing...what paperwork? you didn't give us any paperwork fool!!) So maybe all the cultures are the same in the end after all. All inefficient in their own quirky way.
I think you're right about that. You won't have the same hassle about paperwork, forms, documents, 20 copies of everything etc--Instead you have the opposite--a complete lack of concern for getting anything together! It is relaxing in its own way, once you learn to let go of your schedule. Plus, it will be a MILLION times easier to get all this done once you're there (although I understand you wanting to get a little organized prior to your arrival). Things will actually fall right into place when people have to deal with your concerns in person--that is definitely the Mexican way. People there absolutely CANNOT tell you "No" to your face; there's a lot of shame associated with that. Again, quite the opposite of France!
Plus, three years is just enough time to relax into it and enjoy it; by the time you are sick of the inefficiency, you'll be heading home to the familiar struggles in France! I made it almost exactly three years (maybe a bit more, but I was REALLY nuts by the time I left!)
I'm rather afraid that Mexican culture shock will be worse than French culture shock! Hang in there...
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