Mexican Living: The Things that Charm Us

When you move to another country, it those things that you have there that you did not have from whence you came, that you may find the most charming.

Mexico is a place of exquisite charm for no other reason than because it is Mexico! There are things here that you would never dream of seeing in the United States. Wild parrots flying in the treetops, genuine Mexican foods (unheard of in the U.S.) to satisfy the most discerning tastes and swell the waistline, men riding horses and burros to work in the streets right alongside the car traffic, a fiesta happening somewhere all the time, etc.

Another charming thing, which you might find a bit bizarre, is Mexican television.

Mexican TV is much like TV in the States. You have certain programs that are immensely popular and those that are not. Some are interesting and some boring. They are supported by commercials, just as in the U.S., with both Mexican and American products. They have their news programs that are half-hour shows covering local as well as international news. What you will find different about Mexican TV, that I find jarring even to this day, is how they break for commercial sponsors, and how they end the programs they are airing. It is bizarre almost beyond description.

Let us say you are watching an American-made movie. In the plot, the good guy has finally uncovered the murderer of his girlfriend and is beating the crap out of the bad guy. The bad guy finally submits, gives up the fight, and is about to tell the good guy his evil and dastardly motive for the murder. "Why, why did you do it you evil bad guy?" The hero screams. Bloodied and broken with no more energy for the battle the evil bad guy moans, "I did it because_________"

BOOM! A commercial selling cell phones appears suddenly on the screen!

Or, it can be right in the middle of some inane dialogue between two characters.

Chad rummages in the fridge. He turns to his chum and hollers, "Hey Becker, you want something to_______"

Ka-Pow! They break for a commercial for panty liners!

I do not get this at all. I know I say that a lot in these columns but the reason is that, when I ask my Mexican friends, they just shrug their shoulders or say, "¿Quien sabe?" They are no help at all!

Another thing about Mexican TV is how they end a movie. You could be watching one, it ends, and before the credits have a chance to play, or before you can get over the emotional impact of the end of the movie, the next one has started. What I mean is that one scene is the end of the first movie and the next is the beginning dialogue of the second with nothing in between. No commercials, no good-byes, no closing or opening credits, not so much as a "The End."

Think of the implications of this. You could have been sitting through a real tearjerker with a sad ending. The sad and tragic scene ends and before you have time to reach for the Kleenex, the beginning words of the next movie are already blasting you in the face. This isn't right—it is not normal!

Moreover, if you think this is strange listen to this: If you go to the movies here, they will turn off the film to change reels right when the forty-story monster is about to eat the busload of nuns. I mean the T-Rex has the bus tilted up and is about to shake out a few nuns like M&M's rolling out of a bag, when the film goes blank. There should be some International Law against this practice!

I think the United Nations should be investigating this. What do you think?

Doug Bower is a freelance writer and book author. His most recent writing credits include The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, The Houston Chronicle, and The Philadelphia Inquirer, and Transitions Abroad. He lives with his wife in Guanajuato, Mexico. His new book, Mexican Living: Blogging it from a Third World Country, can be seen at http://www.lulu.com/content/126241