Cultural clashes when you are a Spaniard in Mexico City
**THE ART OF EATING (AND DRINKING)**
- When you sit down at the table, don't expect a basket of bread: that's not customary here. But don't think there won't be anything to accompany the meal, because corn tortillas are a regular guest at the Mexican table From morning to night.
- And since we mentioned it, when they ask you if you want tortillas, do not ask back if they are with onion. It's not that kind of tortilla.
- They've already told you: Mexican food is spicy. What they haven't told you is that all Mexican food is spicy. In Mexico, chili is not exclusive to the main dish, but you can find it in everything : in fruit, ice cream, popcorn, lollipops, beer… and the list goes on and on.
- **If you ask a Mexican if the dish you've ordered is spicy and he says no, don't believe him (pica) **. If he tells you he's a bit itchy, don't believe him (it's a lot of it). If he tells you that it is quite itchy, don't believe him (it will make you cry). If he tells you it does itch, he runs away.
This is your new bread
- Have you ever heard that saying "have breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a pauper"? In Mexico, the saying is law. Here breakfast is sacred, and not exactly light: Don't be surprised that they serve you some good enchiladas with chocolate Neapolitans to accompany. Here that of having a quick coffee with three churros for breakfast is not popular.
- Speaking of churros, they are eaten as a snack and they are not relegated to the morning, but to whatever time you feel like it.
- If you ask for water in a restaurant, and they ask you if you want mineral water, pay attention: “mineral water” means sparkling water . If you want a bottle of still water, ask for "natural water".
- Another detail that you will constantly see on the table is a small plate with lime wedges. They are not decoration: lime is in Mexico what salt is in the rest of the world, and you will see the rest of the diners sprinkle all their dishes (from the soup to the steak tacos) with a few drops of lime.
Enchiladas to start the day like a king
- By the way, lime is called lemon here. The lemon is called yellow lemon. Don't confuse them.
- If you think that in Spain they eat late, you haven't seen anything: In Mexico City, on weekends, lunch is served at five in the afternoon. On Saturdays, between four and six, the restaurants are packed... But after stuffing some enchiladas between your chest and back mid-morning, you'll understand. No joke will make you hungry sooner.
- When you go out to try the famous chilanga night, you better wear comfortable shoes and leave the shyness at home : In Mexico City, everyone dances. It doesn't matter if you don't know, if you don't know the song or if you're into heavy metal and they're playing cumbia on you. Forget about staying in a corner with your drink, they won't let you.
- And a fundamental point of the Mexican night: here tequila is not drunk all at once with salt and lemon. Tequila in Mexico is a national pride and a high quality drink , which is worth savoring and enjoying. Eliminate the Patron from your memory and let a good Julio erase it from your palate.
Lime will be your new salt
**THE WEATHER (AND OTHER NATURAL "ACCIDENTS") **
- Although in Mexico City the changes of season are noticeable, the average temperature is quite regular throughout the year : During the day it does not usually drop below 20 degrees. Guaranteed.
- However, as soon as October arrives you will begin to see Mexicans stuffed in down jackets and with snow boots... Even if the thermometer shows 18 degrees.
- And it doesn't end there: you will see mothers and grandmothers dressing babies in four layers of clothing and add a sweater, hat, scarf and wrap them in thick winter blankets, as if they were in Siberia... even in summer.
- That being said, don't be overconfident. During the day it can be 25 degrees and a scorching sun, but As soon as night falls, the temperature can drop 15 degrees suddenly and without warning. Blame Mexico City at 2,000 meters above sea level.
- Speaking of height, Here the water takes much longer to boil and evaporate than in Spain. You will notice this when you are making soup, or waiting for the coffee to come out, or (especially in the case of those of us with long hair) when the hair is still damp four hours after washing it.
Darkness hangs over the city
- If you are from or have lived in the north (of Spain and/or Europe), you know what it is to live with rain. But not even Ireland's most temperamental county can prepare you for Mexico City in the rain. In the Mexican capital you can't talk about chirimiri or poalla or calabobos, no: there is talk of torrential storms, thunder, lightning and flooded streets. Apocalyptic is a compliment.
- But yes, the rain in Mexico comes with an instruction manual. As in other tropical countries, it only rains for five months a year (between May and September), in which there are storms every day at the same time, usually at night. You will learn to make plans according to the time of the rain, and to expect that from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. at night you have to be indoors.
- If during your chilanga adventure you feel the earth vibrate under your feet, don't be scared. Earthquakes are the order of the day in Mexico, and generally do not cause great material or personal damage. In fact, don't be surprised to see cars go by and people go about their lives during an earthquake, only to find out later that it was a 6 on the Richter scale: the city's infrastructure is prepared to absorb them , and something of that magnitude does not alter daily life. Over time, you'll learn to live with them, and how to prepare for a stronger one coming your way.
Be foresight. There will be times when "dry law" will prevail
DAILY LIFE
- The day you receive the first electricity bill, don't break your head thinking about where to go to pay what you owe. In the same supermarket you can pay electricity bills, telephone bills, even plane tickets. Just tell the cashier, who won't even flinch when you pay for your flight to Spain for Christmas along with two onions and three apples.
- The words “dry law” can take you back to images of New York in the 1920s, but no: at certain times of the year it is still alive and active in Mexico City. Easter is one of those times, in which supermarkets cannot sell alcohol, and restaurants can only do it to people who consume food. Plan ahead.
- Although Spanish is spoken in Mexico, sometimes it will seem like you speak another language. Surely you have heard of "chido" and "padrísimo", but the differences even touch words that you use regularly in Spain: for example, here to have "pena" means to have shame , “later” (usually doubled, “later”) means immediately, someone “smeared” is a bully, someone “abused” is a slob... and many, many others that you will have to learn as you go.
- And of course, Be very careful with the word "fuck".
- It won't take you more than two hours in Mexico City to realize that The Mexican goes out of his way to help in everything he can and, sometimes, in what he cannot . If at any time you need to ask how to get somewhere, be careful: even if they don't know how to tell you, in their eagerness to lend you a hand, they will give you an answer even if they have no idea if they are sending you in the opposite direction from where you want to go. .
- Don't be surprised if at noon they answer a "good morning" with "good afternoon": In Mexico, the afternoon starts at 10 in the morning.
- **If in Spain you have a reputation for always being late, in Mexico you will lose it (fame, not custom) **. Mexican 'flex time' is, like in many other Latin American countries, an unavoidable part of everyday life: As a general rule, life runs half an hour behind its schedule. And the funny thing is that, after a few days of frustrated waiting, you will see that it is very easy to adapt. The difficult thing will be, when you return to Spain, arriving on time. That's a losing battle.