Do Americans have a sullied reputation in foreign countries? I think they just might indeed!Soon after moving to Guanajuato, Mexico, my wife and I began meeting other American expats who moved from America to a town called San Miguel de Allende, and then to Guanajuato. Their reasons for jumping from one Mexican town to another were so astounding that we had to check this out for ourselves.What our new fellow-expats told us is that San Miguel de Allende was a town full of spoiled, rich Americans ...

Every year there is a ritual in Guanajuato--a kind of character endurance test--that comes each May and lasts until the end of September. It is a ritual that has been occurring since, well, the beginning of everything. It is, ?La Temporada de la Lluvia?. This translates to: The Rainy Season.What I am talking about here is that all of Guanajuato?s yearly rain, all 20 inches of it, falls from the heavens in a time frame of three to maybe three and half months. This may not seem a big deal but when...

Today I was sitting in one of our beautiful plazas when some Americans showed up and started taking pictures of this person's parrot. Seeing people walking around with what Americans would consider exotic animals is not unusual here. So we watched them snapping pictures and speaking to this guy, who didn't speak English, but who politely nodded and smiled at them.I decided to engage these gringos since it is a great way to get ideas for my writing, and what do you know, here I am writing about i...

I just love dogs. I love all breeds of dogs and even those of the Heinz 57 variety. I grew up with Doberman Pinchers that my father bred and trained as a hobby. All I know about dogs I learned from watching my Dad work with them.Mexicans love dogs too. If the people of Guanajuato are any indication of all Mexicans, then our south-of-the-border neighbors have a love affair with dogs. They are everywhere here. I don?t know how many exactly but at night, around 9:45 p.m., the canine chorus begins. ...

There is a shocking general absence of rage behavior in Mexico. I say ?general? because it is not a total absence. During political rallies and demonstrations, there can be some scary, hot-tempered flare-ups. You will want to make a note of that and avoid going anywhere near political rallies and labor union meetings.What I am talking about is a lack of public rage in the general population. It is the rage that you see all too often in the United States. You know what I am talking about.You cann...

Have you ever wondered how stereotypes get started and which ones are true? Stereotypes about Mexico abound with most being silly to stupid. However, if I had to point to just one that was 100% totally and absolutely accurate, it would be that everything you have ever heard about The Mexican Mail Service is true!My God in heaven, never has there been such a hideously inefficient and unreliable mail service than in Mexico. Certainly, nowhere else on earth can have anything approximating the horro...

Have you ever wondered how places get their names? I have. I remember when we moved to the Kansas City area and learned of Knob Knoster, Missouri. I mean, really! How on earth did that name come to pass?Here is a short list: Dead Horse, Alaska; Monkey's Eyebrow, Arizona; Why, Arizona; Sopchoppy, Florida; Two Egg, Florida; French Lick, Indiana; Beebeetown, Iowa; Cut Shin, Kentucky; Krypton, Kentucky (I wonder who lives there?); Askew, Mississippi; Bobo, Mississippi; Hot Coffee, Mississippi; Gaysp...