Experiencing Canada from a Mexican’s eyes

Recently we had the opportunity to take a good Mexican friend with us to Canada to see our home country. We were very proud to show them for the first time what Canada was like. We started our trip in Vancouver. While our friend has always been proud of his English we had warned him that he may have issues in Canada with some of the accents as English is not the first language for many in Canada. First stop, Vancouver immigration. Our friend steps up and there is obvious confusion as to what was being asked. Eventually he realized what was being asked, which was where are you staying in Canada, to which his response was “I don’t know”. If you have ever watched Border Patrol, this is not the right response. In his defence, we had done all the planning and probably should have provided him details. Moving on we barely avoided an international incident. Fast forward to the next day and we try to find our friend who has gone out exploring. Called him and asked where are you and he replies at eegah. Eegah? Yes you know the place we got groceries last night. Ah after a few minutes of confused silence I realize he means IGA. Then he goes on to tell me that not only did they want him to pay for a bag but also bag his own groceries. Then to make matters worse he hands them his credit card to pay and they turn the terminal to face him and ask him to enter it there. As a Canadian, you don’t even realize this. After several days in Vancouver, we start the drive through the Rockies to Calgary. Our first stop, to get gas. We pull into a huge modern gas station and our friend gasps. “Warren, where are the guys?” Waiting our turn in line, I look back to him and ask “what guys?” His response – the guys that pump the gas. Needless to say the Canadians in the car had a long hard laugh at this. Later that day at dinner we are discussing the day and our friend looks at us perplexed and asks “So in Canada, you bag your own groceries, have to enter your own credit card and pump your own gas, and they say MEXICO is a third world country”. The Canadians at the table were silent. All in your perspective.

Warren Brander is an expert real estate agent with Warren Brander Realty Group in Puerto Vallarta. If you are thinking about buying or selling an investment property in Puerto Vallarta or the Banderas Bay area, contact him at (c) +52.1.322.200.2253, toll free1 855 276 2901  or email: warren@wbrealtygrouppv.com