Rats and Sinking Ship; Expat Boomers Reminisce Of Time Before They Ruined Everything
(vid partly related)
Interestingly, many Americans and Canadians have not only moved abroad partly to search for a life reminiscent of an earlier time, but quite a few tell me that they’ve found it — and in some very unlikely places, including Mexico, Panama, Belize and Nicaragua.
Here’s what they told us:
Less government involvement
It may sound odd that the government in countries considered to be socialist would have less government involvement than in the U.S., but in the day-to-day lives of the locals, it’s true. Whether these governments would want to be more involved or not, they simply don’t have the resources to do so. That means locals find themselves doing some things that the federal and state governments often do in the U.S.
“Having the government less involved creates an entirely different dynamic than north of the border,” explains Dr. Santiago Hernandez, formerly from the Chicago area and now practicing in Ajijic, Mexico, on Lake Chapala. “If there’s a problem, most locals don’t expect the government to fix it, so they either live with it or fix it themselves. This creates more community cohesion and a feeling of involvement and belonging.”
The family is supreme
Many expats have also told me that, as life in America becomes increasingly busy and disconnected, there has been a reduction in the importance of the family. But where they now live, they say, is more “like it used to be.”
Expats see entire extended, multigenerational families together constantly, whether having a barbecue at the park or working, perhaps at a small, family- run business, with everyone from grandma to the grandkids working side by side. Many times, the young children are the ones handling the money (which they’re surprisingly good at!) in between doing their homework.
Elders are respected
The expats also talk about a respect for the elders that they rarely see anymore in America or Canada.
James David Audlin notes that every morning, when he gets on the bus in Volcan, Panama, everyone greets him with “Buenos dias.” After he boards and someone new comes on, Audlin joins the welcoming committee. He likes that.
When my wife and I are eating at a restaurant in Mexico, it is not at all unusual for other diners to engage us, as total strangers, and say a simple, “Buen provecho” (“Enjoy your meal”). It’s bad manners not to do that there.
marketwatch.com
