Tag Archives: expatriate life

Post and Ship – A lot more than meets the eye.

IMG_0673Updated Dec 30, 2015 with new location information

Some of you are probably familiar with Post and Ship, and some may not be. No matter which category you fall into, most people don’t fully realize the range of services they provide, nor the history behind this Mazatlán institution. I encourage you to use their services, as it helps support local families, and you get the mail you want; so much better than those impersonal faceless scanning services, which suck the profit off to who knows where, but certainly not Mazatlán!

Post and Ship is owned by a U.S. American living in the States. When the store first opened in the 80’s it was a Mailboxes, Etc. franchise. After many years operating in this fashion, the decision was made to sever ties with the conglomerate and provide the same services at lower prices. Thus, Post and Ship was born in 2003.

When you see signs or business cards for the business, they say Post@Ship as compared to Post&Ship. The legal documents use the word ‘and.’ How the @ symbol got to be part of the printed name is a mystery, but a tradition that remains to this day.

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Despite the name, the largest and most important service provided to the community of Mazatlán is private mailbox rentals with a U.S. mailing address. This service is invaluable for many extranjeros living in the city, as well as Mexican businesses who want a U.S. presence. Renters are provided a unique mailing address in Laredo, Texas. There mail is sorted and shipped twice weekly to Mazatlán. The sorting facility is huge and shared with other companies, including Estafeta. There is a Mexican Customs (Aduana) representative on site, and any packages shipped to Mexico must pass through the customs office for clearance and applicable duty assessment. Packages are shipped separately from mail and bundled with others’ packages to keep the cost down.

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In addition to mailbox rental, as the name implies, Post and Ship will box up your national or international packages and help you get the best price from FedEx, UPS or Estafeta. They are an official UPS Access Point, so prepaid UPS packages can be dropped off there.

Another great service is outgoing mail to the U.S. and Canada using the U.S. mail. For 20 pesos for a one ounce or less letter or card, they will ship your stamped card to Laredo, where it is put into the U.S. mail service. It is illegal to sell stamps outside of the United States and Canada. So, you need to bring some stamps with you. If you don’t have stamps, they will ship the letter to Laredo where it will be stamped. This cost 45 pesos for U.S. and 65 pesos for the Canada (including the shipping).

Post and Ship is also part papeleria, selling a wide variety of office supplies like pens, envelopes, markers, folders, etc. They provide copier service, scanning service, incoming and outgoing fax service, and they even make keys! They are kind enough to maintain a community bulletin board with useful information to the foreign community in Mazatlán. They are often a pick-up point for tickets for various events happening here. And for those so inclined, you are welcome to use the wi-fi while you’re there.

Did I mention they also teach Spanish for free?! Well, not formally. Perhaps the best thing about Post and Ship are the two wonderful charming ladies who keep it running and provide customer service: Ana and Melva. Ana began working for the company in 2002 when it was still a MailBoxes, etc. Melva joined shortly thereafter in 2003 when the new business was born. They are both bilingual and happy to help you in English, but they are also the most patient and helpful Spanish conversationalists I have found in Mazatlán. They always smile, are incredible multi-taskers, and know all of their clients by name.

Post and Ship is open Monday thru Friday from 9:00 to 5:30, Saturday from 9:00 to 1:00, and closed on Sundays and Mexican holidays. Mail arrives from Laredo on Mondays and Thursdays. Sometimes it arrives in the late afternoon, and mail may not be sorted until the following day.

A standard size mail box costs 3,080 pesos per year or 1,940 for six months. Larger boxes are available, but are mostly used by local businesses.

They are very excited about their new location. The entire store has moved to Bugambilia 201 in between Laguna and Av. Camaron Sabalo. There is a Farmacia Moderna on the corner and they are just west of that. The best news is that Bugambilia is a two-way street with ample parking. If you are coming to the Golden Zone from the south, take the left at the light as though you were headed to the Hotel Playa and make your first right onto Bugambilia. If are coming from the north, slow down when you see DHL and Domino’s Pizza and be prepared to turn right at the aforementioned Farmacia Moderna.  They also have a Facebook Page.  Phone number is 916-4010 and email is postandship@prodigy.net.mx.

Finding a way to deal with the “business” of our lives while living abroad can be difficult. Some people forgo U.S. mail and favor all things electronic. But, a majority of people still like to receive mail. If you have struggled to find a way to receive your mail from abroad or just need to have some copies made, stop in and visit Ana and Melva. You won’t be sorry.

The Transience of Friendships in Mazatlán

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I’ve lived a lot of places: Wisconsin, the San Francisco Bay area, Tokyo, Kyoto, Hamamatsu, Salamanca, Mexico City, Kansas City… What has been a defining factor of friendships in Mazatlán for me has been transience. Maybe I’m unique, or maybe you’ve had similar experiences?

Many of the most interesting Mazatlecos I’ve met have been world travelers; their children often leave for school, marry and have children abroad, and the parents are then split between worlds. Quite a few of the expats we have met and grown to love here, even though full-timers, have gone home, moved nearer their grandchildren, or moved on to a new location; wanderlust is in their blood. Nationals love it here, but several of those we’ve become most fond of have been called to another city, transferred by their employers or moving because life here has gotten tough or taken a new turn.

In Tokyo or Mexico City, the people I met and loved, Japanese or foreign, tended to be settled there for life. Yes, there are plenty of born and bred Mazatlecos, or people who have lived here 30 years or more. But, somehow, I am able to quite easily count two hands’ worth of fingers of people I’ve loved and lost to moving in the mere eight years I’ve lived here.

There’s sadness in that, of course, but there are upsides as well. We can travel to visit these friends. We can stay in touch over the distance, and share glimpses into life in other areas. And, to me, it’s proof we are blessed here in Mazatlán with friendships with people who are intelligent, interesting and vibrant, people who embrace life fully and who see the world as their home.

One such beloved family we met through our son, Danny. Danny went to secundaria at Colegio Andes with another US American girl, Sierra, and her little brother, Kelton. Her father, Brian, taught there. Heidi, the Mom, works at El Cid, so we still get to see her occasionally, though she splits her time between here and her family in Portland. They moved because they wanted a different, better in their opinion, education for their kids. We miss them dearly. They were fun. They are fun. Adventurous. Curious. Crazy. Global minded. Outdoorsy. They were just a whole lot more fun when they lived here, close by, and we were able to join them for an adventure or to create some memories.

We saw the Samore family on a recent trip to Portland, and of course they come to Mazatlán to visit every once in a while. They’ll be here soon. You may know them and miss them, too.

This morning we were fortunate to receive a copy of an article in the school newspaper of the high school where Brian currently works. I want to share it with you, because it is a testament to the caliber of the people, the kind of weirdness and passion, we are privileged to be able to share space and time with here in Mazatlán. Although we miss them, we are so privileged to be able to call them friends. Whether you live here in Mazatlán, spend part of the year here, or are hoping to move here, we wish you wonderful friendships!

 

Reflections on Schooling in Mexico—Straight From the Source

One of the most common inquiries we get from readers has to do with how our son adjusted to the transition to Mexico. We’ve written about it before:

However, this time you can hear the story from the child’s perspective. Our son just returned home for winter break from his first semester at college in the States. He brought with him some sample homework assignments to share with us. One of them answers the question so often asked of us quite well. It is pasted below. He moved here with us after sixth grade, so he entered middle school/secundaria in Mazatlán and went on to complete high school/prepa as well.

Just before moving to Mazatlan.

Just before moving to Mazatlan.

White, middle-class, and worriless: these are three adjectives that adequately describe my childhood. I grew up in a suburb outside of Kansas City, Missouri where I attended grade school. My neighborhood was quite homogenous; our only real source of diversity came from a third-generation Mexican family and another Jewish family that lived a few streets down. However, as a young child I never took notice of this.It wasn’t until the events that closely followed my sixth grade graduation that I realized how uniform my place of living had been.

The day was young as I left school on my bike. The shade of oak trees provided me with a sense of relief after spending a hot, sunny afternoon in gym class. Despite the coolness under trees, I worked up a sweat by the time I arrived home. My helmet latch made a snapping noise as I hung it on the handlebars and made my way through the garage. I walked in and commenced my homework.

Shortly after, the parental squad came in and communicated that they had something to tell me. “Danny, we’re moving to Mexico this summer.” What? Mexico? Had my parents gone insane? I liked my life here, it was comfortable and easy! All I wanted to do was attend the local high school and act like the kids on MTV. I didn’t speak Spanish; everything on CNN was about how much drug violence there was in Mexico. My parents had lost it. My protests that day and throughout the following weeks fell on deaf ears. They were about to ruin my life, and I could do nothing about it.

I remember my sixth grade graduation fondly. I used to be just some other kid, but now I was, “the guy moving to Mexico.” My friends worshiped me, similar to the way that most sixth graders are amazed by high school students. As I got up on stage to receive some pointless award that my mother had pushed me to strive for, I remember the deafening applause and cheers that fell upon me. Even though I didn’t consider most of them as close friends, the moment felt good. It made me forget my melodramatic reaction to moving.

Flash forward to first day of school in Mexico. Everyone was brown. People stared at me. My uniform pants were too baggy and my shirt too tight. It was so hot here. Nervous shakes, sweaty palms, no eye-contact. I found a desk in what would be my homeroom for the next year and managed to avoid talking to anyone. An older man walked into the room and jabbered for a few minutes. Something that sounded like a slurred Latin spilled out of his mouth. This liquid dialect poured into everyone’s ears and was understood by their brains. It wasn’t by mine. I tried writing down the sounds I heard in a notebook so that later Google might be able to help me translate something (a mostly futile attempt).

My first few days at that school were filled with terrifying moments. Whenever someone asked me a question, my voice would crack. Every time a teacher had me introduce myself in a god-awful icebreaker, I would feel vertigo as I stood up from my desk. I didn’t eat lunch for the first few weeks because I was scared. The idea of asking for what I wanted off of a menu I didn’t understand with a line of hungry, unforgiving teenagers waiting behind me was too traumatic. I tried hard to avoid any awkward situation or any circumstance within which I could be made to look a fool. As a consequence, I learned the cues of Mexican culture and the Spanish language much more slowly than I would have had I not been so self-conscious.

An incidental character in my transition to Mexican culture was another American student whose name was Misty. She was going through the same culture shock as me, so you’d think we’d become great friends, yet we didn’t get along. I heard once that things you especially don’t like about other people were the things you don’t like about yourself. Who knows if that is true, but it was definitely the case with Misty and me. Misty was just as lost and confused as I was, just as emotional, but she handled it very differently. She expressed her emotion, frequently running crying to the bathroom when she didn’t understand something. She only spoke English when people asked her questions.

What I admired about her was that she seemed unafraid to try new things. She did everything that I wanted to do but couldn’t because of my ridiculous self-consciousness. I instantly hated her for it. Over the years, Misty and I became friends. We now joke about how much we despised each other. She hated me because I seemed to be doing better than her. I hated her because she felt a freedom I didn’t permit myself. Our relationship was based on envy and it was poisoned because of it.

I’ve learned a lot since then, though. I don’t try to fit in and be cool anymore. Because of this, I am usually happier and make better friends. In the U.S. I had always tried to fit in and had succeeded at doing so. In Mexico, being like everyone else, as a foreigner, was impossible for me. I think that has been my greatest lesson from living in Mexico. Of course, Spanish will look great on my resume, and I’m sure growing up in cultural diversity and as a minority will permit me a different perspective on some subjects. However, overcoming adversity in Mexico was the greatest lesson for me. I learned how to stop giving too much importance to what others thought of me. Sticking out doesn’t make you an outcast. That is what Mexico taught me. That is what being a minority taught me.

Six years later!

Six years later!

We hope this helps. Our son is wiser, stronger, and more resilient for having lived here. Good luck in your adventure!

Behind the Chamber: Meeting the Maestro and His Wife

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Maestro Gordon Campbell and his wife and collaborator, Guianeya Román

I’ve long wanted to meet Maestro Gordon Campbell, the Midwestern US-born director and conductor of the Orquesta Sinfónica Sinaloa de las Artes. I’ve been curious about how he manages such an internationally, interculturally diverse group of talented professionals, and how it is for him living and working in Mexico.

I know, you would be more interested in hearing about the incredible musical events he puts on—in his inimitable, down-to-earth and accessible manner. It’s a nice contrast to the pomp and circumstance of our other terrifically talented resident conductor.

I am interested in the music and the season, too, but I really have wanted to gain a bit of insight into the man and his interesting life. Come to find out, like me, he has lived most of his life outside the USA—primarily in Latin America, with a stint in Israel for good measure.

DSC_0206How did I find that out? Well, watch what you wish for, because this weekend we got a call from the Maestro himself, inviting us to join him for dinner—he wanted to brainstorm with us. Joining us at the table were Janet Blaser from M! Magazine, and Lisa Lankins from MazatlanMyCity. We were included thanks to Alfredo Gomez Rubio, of the Proyecto Centro Histórico Association and Pedro y Lola. And a beautiful dinner it was, on a crystal clear, warm and moon-filled late December evening.

It turns out that Gordon joined the Peace Corps back in the late 60s, primarily as an alternative to the Vietnam War draft. He was sent to Paraguay, where he played French horn in the national symphony and also secured 60 instruments to start a band at a school in Asunción. How? There were kids who wanted to play and couldn’t afford instruments. On his Christmas break, this young man returned to Ohio and asked his hometown friends and family to share their used instruments. They did, and the Phi Mu Alpha professional music fraternity at Youngstown State even refurbished and tuned what they received. The instruments were shipped to Paraguay, and a new band was born! Quite a difference one person can make!

As kind gestures tend to do, his grew. The band has since continued on, developed, and even toured internationally. Gordon was able to return to Paraguay in 2002, and by sheer fortuitousness met the band’s current director and attended one of their performances.

What is very cool is how this one small gesture had repercussions that will last multiple lifetimes. And, it inspired other, similar efforts. Gordon had a former Mexican student (he has lived and worked throughout Mexico, including Director of the Symphony in Aguas Calientes) who was moving to the USA with his wife. The wife was panicked: what would she do there as a “trailing spouse?” Gordon told her about a student band in Oaxaca that was in desperate need of instruments, and shared his Paraguay story with her. Perhaps she could help with that during her stay in the USA? Inspired, the woman embarked on the project and obtained instruments for the band in Oaxaca.

You can hear Gordon telling these stories and more in his own voice in the video below. Be sure to also listen to one of their very cool future plans for the Camerata—it could involve you!

The maestro is married to a beautiful and very intelligent journalist, Guianeya Román. It turns out that she is actively involved in promoting the Symphony, involved in the Culiacán Community Chorus, and collaborates with Gordon on special events such as the upcoming Mozart and His Women, with Angélica Aragón, the famous film and telenovela actress.

Gordon told us how in Mexico City (where he’s also worked) and other major cities in Latin America, Sundays at noon is “concert time.” People love knowing that every Sunday at noon there will be a concert; they easily schedule this into their week and enjoy an interlude of quality music before lunch and relaxation with the family. He thought such a series might be a terrific addition to the Mazatlán music scene, and the Camerata Gordon Campbell is now in its fourth year.

And does he have a fantastic season planned for us! They have gotten us so excited! Gordon and Guianeya ended up joining us at our home the afternoon after we met them, and there we recorded a video interview. I’ll share excerpts of that interview with you in several installments, under the title, “Behind the Chamber.”

I trust you’ll enjoy getting to know a bit about this incredibly talented expat, and hopefully you’ll get as excited as we are about the January 4-March 1 season. You can get tickets at the Angela Peralta box office, or online (though personally we can never get the online function to work). It is amazing what a man with passion, lifelong connections, and a shoestring budget can do! Thank goodness that we here in Sinaloa, and especially here in Mazatlán, are able to enjoy the fruits of Gordon’s passion.

Of great interest to me is that Gordon, this lived-his-whole-life-in-Latin-America director, knows Luis Szarán—the guy who started the Landfillharmonic that has become so hugely popular. I was beyond excited to hear that! He plans to visit Luis soon, and has hope that he will be visiting us here in Mazatlán! I am most definitely crossing my fingers and toes! Learn some of Luis’ background as Maestro Campbell tells the story, below (video is a bit blurry at points; sorry about that):

During our dinner we brainstormed about all kinds of things. I told Gordon how much I loved watching live symphony, opera, dance or theater in major world historical monuments, such as the Parthenon in Athens or the Coliseum in Rome. He shared with us that he has done similar things in Mexico, performing not just AT, but ON a pyramid. Personally I’d love to attend an outdoor concert at Las Labradas or a historic hacienda, such as Las Moras or Los Osuna. We talked about getting more Mazatlecos involved in the Chamber series, perhaps by reaching out to the students’ families at the Centro Municipal de las Artes.

It’s exciting to know that such a successful team, with such a great track record, is passionate about remaining innovative and accessible. If you have some ideas for the symphony or the Camerata series, send them to us or comment below! I believe all ideas are welcome; you never know what we’ll be hearing or seeing next!

And, now through March 1st, count on Sunday matinee concerts of international caliber, right here in Mazatlán!

Santa’s Here Early!

1.P1220988I know many of you wonder why we live on the malecón. Isn’t it noisy? Yes, it is! And we love it! We get a parade at least once, sometimes several times a week. It is wonderful. Certain seasons of the year, we get several parades every day.

This evening, just as we were winding down from work, who should show up but Santa himself? I guess he got cold at the North Pole! It was a few Pepsi trucks, and Santa and his elves were handing out soda to those along the malecón. Now I hate that sugary sodas are causing diabetes and obesity in this country, but it sure was making everyone happy to see the jolly old man, and it sure was a nice transition from the work day to the evening for Greg and me. Bless you, Santa!

By the way, have you been wondering where the city will be holding the Feria de Navidad/Christmas Fair that they’ve held the last few years in the Bosque/city park? It will be December 19th through January 6th, 6:00-11:00 pm, at Salon Bacanora on Rafael Buelna. Entry, all rides (10 child rides, 9 family rides, and 3 “extreme” rides) and artistic presentations are completely free of charge. Refreshments will be available. Take the kids and grandkids! It’s always been a lot of fun.