Ruminations of an Expatriate

Archive for the ‘Blogroll’ Category

Exchange Rate

Monday, October 6th, 2008

I am not a currency trader and am ignorant as to what drives changes in exchange rates, but I do follow the USA dollar/Mexican peso exchange rate. I find curious the recent fairly substantial drop in the relative value of the peso.

When I opended my Mexican bank account in April of 2006 the exchange rate was around $10.7 pesos to $1. USA. The rate crept up to about $11. to $1. in the run up to the July, 2006 Mexican presidential election. My banker at the time told me that the value of the peso would probably increase after the election, a prediction which proved correct. The value of the peso has been generally increasing since, with the exception of a couple of drops in the peso’s value in March and September of 2007, to the point at the beginning of August of this year of a rate of $9.9 pesos to $1. USA dollar.

Since early August the peso has steadily lost value to a rate today of $11.79 pesos to $1. USA.

THE NEXT MORNING: And now this next morning the peso has further declined to $12.17 to $1.

I guess I should note that the decline has little effect on my daily life, other than perhaps an increase in the prices of imported goods. Also it may be a good time for me import dollars to my Mexican bank account, and for those in the USA to vacation in Mexico.

AND THIS AFTERNOON: $12.33 to $1.

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Posted in Iconoflatulence | 3 Comments »

Last Night At Tavola Trattoria

Saturday, October 4th, 2008

As I mentioned in the post below, last evening I went with my part-time gringo neighbor, Ross, to listen to an excellent jazz group and eat dinner at the Tavola Trattoria. My six readers may remember that I am a big fan of the restaurant, which serves the best pizza I’ve ever eaten. Ana, the owner, has recently had the interior courtyard, of the colonial home in which her restaurant is located, remodeled and covered to provide more seating and to provide a stage for the regular musical performances.

Here are some photos I shot last evening.

Ingrid from Mexico City, at the right in the photo below, has a voice at times very sweet and at others quite powerful. She performed quite a number of jazz standards, such as Cole Porter’s “Night and Day” and was accompanied by a very talented group of musicians, each of whom took their turns at periodic solos.

Here’s a closer shot of Ingrid and her drummer who was cut out of the photo above.

Here’s a shot from the back of the courtyard looking toward the stage. The stars above the stage and the insects hung from the orange tree are ceramic.

And a shot looking the other way in the courtyard. The fellow giving the thumbs up is Dr. Edgar, a dentist of some renown with whom I have become familiar through Tavola and who is entirely fluent in English. He recently returned from Italy where he presented at a conference related to dentistry.

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Posted in Travel, Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico | 2 Comments »

Independence Day Party

Saturday, October 4th, 2008

Here are a few photos from the Independence Day party organized by La Administradora, and family, of the apartment building where I live. The party was in the glass enclosure on the roof of the building.

There was painting of the red, while, and green of the Mexican flag onto the faces of the attendees. This extremely cute little girl is a granddaughter of La Administradora.

This very amiable fellow is an engineer at the Modelo brewery in Tuxtepec just across the Veracruz state border in Oaxaca. His wife and two daughters live a couple floors above me while he visits on the weekends and during his two week vacation to be here for Independence Day. His daughters have come to Xalapa to study at universities and his wife lives here with them. The entire family has been very friendly and kind to me since they moved in.

This is Ross, a gringo from Baltimore who spends his Summers here in Xalapa. Ross is a writer who works four days each week on the various books he has been writing. A couple of times each week he and I go to dinner together at the Tavola Trattoria. Last evening we enjoyed a great show of Jazz standards, in English, by a really excellent band from Mexico City in the newly covered courtyard of Tavola. I have today posted to the Tavola website photos I shot of the show and the newly covered courtyard seating . Ross is well informed as to history and politics so is great company.

This little guy was up late.

About midnight fireworks were launched from downtown.

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Posted in Travel, Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico | 2 Comments »

Completing My Third Year

Tuesday, September 30th, 2008

Today marks the end of my third year of expatriation and I still have had no regrets of my decision to sell everything and leave the USA.

During my three years I have learned how to apply for and obtain a residency visa; open a bank account; buy a vehicle and insurance; apply for and obtain a menaje de casa visa authorizing me to import household items and actually importing them; and lots of other aspects of living here. Every day I learn more.

August marked the end of my second year here in Xalapa and I have decided to remain in the area. I find the climate and setting agreeable. Living in my Centro apartment is convenient, as I am able to walk to obtain everything I need in terms of supplies and entertainment; but I am feeling ready for a change. I am tiring of the traffic, smog, barking dogs, and a lack of a gardening space. Thus, I am looking another place to live, whether to buy or rent I am not particular.

As always I will keep my six readers informed.

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