But recently with the realization of the legalities involved in owning and potentially in the future selling of two homes and a car, it felt like I should take this step as well, cause as we all know "you never know...". When Gene made his application, it was made at considerable expense, and involved a criminal record check, health exam, a letter from our bank and a trip to the Mexican embassy in Vancouver. However, recently the process has become simplified and we can now do all the necessary steps here in Zihua as well as ensuring that the time period for reconfirmation annually is during a month when we are normally here. The fee has also been reduced to approximately $150 Canadian.
So on Wednesday, I lined up on the sidewalk outside the Immigration office. Ahead of me in the line were 4 Americans, all of us were of similar age and were there for the same purpose....applying for the FM3 status of immigration to Mexico. But unlike me, most were sent back home for not having at least one of the pieces of information that are required to start the process. I knew we were in for a good reception when "Alex" aka Alejandro waved at Gene when we signed in in front of the armed guard. We were greeted with a friendly Hola and after Gene introduced me as his "esposa"...my papers were promptly prepared and we were directed to head to the nearest bank to make the payment required. That unfortunately was not nearly as efficient, but after watching the excruciatingly slow HSBC employee deal with one customer and having many others step in front of us at the lineup, we eventually received the required receipt confirming our payment and then headed back down the block to Immigration. We were waved back in, greeted by name and told to return in a week for my passport which will now have a sticker attached showing me as a "retired immigrante"...with sufficient income from Canada to live here in Mexico without being a burden on their system.
I found myself thinking that I am part of a trend - persons from Canada and USA moving to Mexico. The daily bombardment of bad news about the drug wars here, the realities of a poorly developed infrastructure in a small tropical community, slow paced life without all the amenities of home won't keep us away. I have been bummed out by the news at home about what is happening to our once sacred health care system which I worked in for 36 years, and the corruption within the politics in BC. But I love my home, my garden, my friends and I miss my adult children. So at this point I won't be here year around...I will be here just long enough to practice being a Mexican.
Learning to be a Mexican may take me a long time. I doubt I will ever learn to walk in the tiny, high-heeled shoes that the women here wear even on the cobblestone streets. I don't wear the jewellery, makeup or perfume that women here wear on a daily basis. I don't yet understand the subtle differences in the various chiles I see in the markets, the secret ingredients that Mexican women use to make the daily meals so delicious. I am not confident shopping on the beach in the morning, picking my way through the fish sellers knowing which small fish is used for each style of preparation. But I want to learn, so on that note, I am preparing for a 5 day trip to Mexico City with my good friend Monica and her daughter Jimena....Monica of Patio Mexica Cooking School...I will be her student as the complexities of Mexico City are shown to me through the eyes of a Mexican. Que nos vaya bien!
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