Nice To Know We're Not The Only Ones (I guess)

[GeckoGretchen]

I thought this board was more tolerant of each other..... Apparently it is a place to admonish anyone who has a thought, is upset about something, I only posted my thoughts on the recent escalation of abusive noise and a desire to help make some positive movements, an interest in listening to everyone's positive feedback. Not painting each other with coloured brushes... Sorry I even came to this board with my thoughts in the first place. It would be nice to hear some positive interest. AND to top it off, who is Mexican and who is not... Does it really matter when it comes to respect. We are all the same. We have neighbours who agree with making some changes in the escalation of noise... And I might point out that we are in a Mexican neighbourhood, very few foreigners here... Once again, does it really matter what colour we all are... What matters is that we have freedom to speak and not to be ridiculed for our thoughts. that is what people are all about... Making places that we love to live in, ALL of us.

Imagine there's no countries....

[ficklepie]

http://www.santafenewmexican.com/opinion/commentary/ask-a-mexican-loud-neighbors-live-with-it-gentrifying-couple/article_81a5d919-fb69-57fd-a6e1-951cdd69b843.html

Loud neighbors? Live with it, gentrifying couple

Dear Mexican: My wife and I are gabachos living in a 99 percent Hispanic neighborhood. We are very tolerant folks and actually chose where we live because of its diversity (lots of people of every type — long story). Unfortunately, our immediate neighbors are putting us in an awkward situation. One neighbor has four pit bulls tethered in his backyard and they bark loudly all the time (whether he is home or not). They never go inside his home; just stay outside and bark. The other neighbor has a boomin’ system in his car and loves to sit in his driveway at the end of his day and clean the car while blasting gangsta rap (I’m not kidding; this rattles the dishes in our cabinets). Normally, this wouldn’t be a problem, but we work out of our house, and the incessant noise greatly affects our ability to converse with clients over the phone.

I’m totally understanding of the need to be loud every now and again, but not so much when it comes to blatant disregard for neighbors. Do you have any suggestions for addressing the problem without my being shot by gangsta-man or alienating my pit bull-loving neighbor? I want to avoid having them see this as a white-on-brown thing; it’s more of a “I live right next to you and you are ruining my life by your inconsideration” thing. Or is it just con estos bueyes hay que arar? Any suggestion would be greatly appreciated.

¡Yo Estoy Como Perro en Barrio Ajeno!

Dear I’m Like a Dog in a Strange Neighborhood: Don’t give me this “Plough with the oxen you have” stuff. If you bought into your neighborhood not knowing that Mexican dogs bark a lot, that cholos like to blast music (and don’t forget the comadres cranking up Marco Antonio Solís to 11 every Saturday morning), and that Mexicans also work out of their houses (where do you think bathtub cheese comes from?), I’m marking you as a gentrifier who deserves no pity. Your only solace is that other gentrifiers will no doubt also move into the neighborhood, and all those loud Mexicans you complain about will be gone in five years. Congrats on being the Cortés of the barrio!

[Mainecoons]

Nice rant ficklepie. Nothing to do with the topic but I'm sure it was fun for you. I'd wager you're another non resident or you would understand that any gentrifying in much of Lakeside is long since past, unless you want to excoriate the Tapatios for being gentrifiers too since they are the latest group of affluent home buyers to arrive here.

My Mexican neighbors aren't going anywhere. They also aren't "cholos" and would be insulted to be identified as such. No, they're just like the vast majority of Mexicans Lakeside who find a way to party with family and honor the birth of Christ without waking up the dead and everyone else at 3AM in a half mile radius.

Certainly if your tastes run to bad neighborhoods full of cholos, gang bangers, drunks and taggers you should expect sonic thugs in profusion as well. Maybe you should consider a move, ficklepie.

Gretchen, personal attack is the last refuge of people who can't make a valid rebuttal and they know it. It's part of the internet world. Don't let it upset you.

As for you who continue to equate sonic mugging with Mexican culture, I can only suggest that you look around and notice just how few folks here participate in that activity and try and respect our neighbors and community more. Perhaps if expats stopped signalling to the offenders that it is OK to do it here because you are so "tolerant" we'd have less of it.

Good night and Happy New Year to all.

[slainte39]

I thought this board was more tolerant of each other..... Apparently it is a place to admonish anyone who has a thought, is upset about something, I only posted my thoughts on the recent escalation of abusive noise and a desire to help make some positive movements, an interest in listening to everyone's positive feedback. Not painting each other with coloured brushes... Sorry I even came to this board with my thoughts in the first place. It would be nice to hear some positive interest.

I guess positive feedback and interest means agreeing with you. Personally, I and many others do not want change from the present status quo as you see it. Getting people to fall in line with your thinking is not my idea of Mexico, but a managed situation, which some conservatives always gripe is "big government interference".

IMHO...Be libertarian, and let water seek it's own level, but if you can make it run uphill, more power to you.

[Cookie]

Since you know the noise is coming...couldn't you take mini vacations during the times that upset you?

[Xena]

Gretchen, if you are not already a member of the Noise Committee you should sign up ASAP. That is for sure your tribe.

[Mainecoons]

slainte, I would agree that if you count the perps, you could describe the people around here who think getting drunk and blasting their neighbors out of bed at 3AM as "many."

Otherwise....

[Plumeau1]

My turn, yes it can get noisy and I do not remember loud parties like that, maybe I was too intoxicated at the time, I don' t remember. But what I know and like some one in this topic already said...as we age we become more intolerent to noise.

That said, was not to long ago, I heard the first sound of " Cohetes " at " O'dark thirty AM " being new in Mexico, I thought the Cartels were making an attack.

After a few weeks of religious activities, and Thousand of Cohetes bangs at every hours of the clock, my dog and cat do not climb-up the curtains anymore and ignore them better than I can, but I am working on it and this is Mexico and like the song title said..." So this is Christmas "

[tycobb1020]

Moderators please help . . . this topic has run it's course. Save us from further gringo rants about how unhappy they are being here in Mexico.

[lcscats]

Folks at one time Baja was all gravel on the roads. That's traditional also but needed to change right? The Mexicans actually change faster than we gringoes ever did. Look at women today in Mexico. Forty years ago the woman would still be riding sidesaddle right with a brother along. Please not saying don't change or do change just that I think we underestimate the ability of Mexicans to change that all. I see huge changes in the last ten years here lakeside change wise including many of us gringoes and Mexicans . So yes the locals want dirt and rocks on the roads and don't want pavers but they want other things that progress brings like cable TV versus six (whatever) station over the air. More Mexicans than ever are actually finishing high school now! That's a change. Not all changes are bad for the people.

Opinions vary I know but I think the Mexicans are much more flexible than many foreign folks living here. I except most strange things here for the most part but is it OK for me to not like rockets going off outside my window at 2am without being accused of being culturally stupid? I expect folks to disagree with me and that's OK right?

[cacao y música]

So TRUE

Careful!! He will change his hat and you will receive a warning or be set in a corner. His bitchin and preaching is legendary. He and a few followers determine what is acceptable.

[Fred Habacht]

Asking Mod2 to help you stop the complaining about noise is like asking yourself to shut up

[tycobb1020]

This pretty much explains it . .

"The Mass of the Roost started by the Spaniards and held at midnight; the mass quickly became very popular with the newly-converted.

To sustain the newly converted Catholics with the comfort and continuity of the more familiar fiestas for the God of the Sun Huitzilopochtli, Father Diego de Soria and other priests added the familiar skyrockets (cohetes,) torches, sparklers (Luces de Bengala), the Pastorelas, the arrival of the Posadas from the various neighborhoods, displays of live nacimientos, piñatas, ponche (Christmas punch with a fruit base) groups of Indian dancers, tamales, and more to the Christmas celebration.

Christmas Eve in Ajijic and Chapala will be much the same. More than 750 years after St. Francis of Assisi’s first nacimiento, the patio of the main church of San Andres and in the plaza in Chapala will be filled with live nativities representing countries around the world, and areas of Mexico. Mary, Joseph, the baby, an angel and two shepherds will be dressed to reflect each region, as will a few well placed props. Expect to see wooden shoes and tulips, cotton snow on bushes with an igloo, Aztecs and other Indians, or “Africans” with wild animals. Each creche features a live cooing baby in the manger.

During the evening, the last Posada will arrive at the Church, to visit each manger. A group of local residents will honor the babe with traditional Indian dances while musicians play their gift and Mexicans and Anglos exchange greetings of Feliz Navidad/ Merry Christmas, with hugs/ abrazos, and feel the spirit of love and peace.. Be prepared to smile throughout the night as sounds of the Mexican community’s celebrations continue with music and joy.

Christmas Day (Navidad) is an unearthly quiet day, as families sleep and recover after all-night festivities. Foreigners quietly make their rounds on empty streets, to visit friends and enjoy feasts."

[gringal]

Moderators please help . . . this topic has run it's course. Save us from further gringo rants about how unhappy they are being here in Mexico.

....so just stop reading it?

[cacao y música]

Moderators should not moderate/lock and delete member posts on threads they participate in under a different (non-moderator) member name.

Asking Mod2 to help you stop the complaining about noise is like asking yourself to shut up

[cbviajero]

Look at women today in Mexico.

In Guadalajara it's a feast for your eyes,or as they say here..tacos de ojo.

[Plumeau1]

Lolll

I love Mexico !!!!

Be concilient you are not NOB anymore !!!

[gary c.]

We are so lucky to live in the Fatima neighborhood of San Juan Cosalá (across from the Pemex, mountain side). Yes, there are parties and music and fireworks. But it is very tame and quiets down around 1 am on Christmas. Everyone cleans the streets earlier in the day. Santa comes through at dusk with balls and candies. Families come together for a great meal. People go to Mass. Great music plays. Lots of drinks and cheers and tacos. Christmas Day is quiet.

Love where we live!

Carol and Gary

[GeckoGretchen]

Please don't tar and feather me Xena... I merely came here to voice an opinion that was mine, not many others here, it was mine. If that is not acceptable here I am sure the moderator will excommunicate me. I cannot change my thoughts, we have been coming to Mexico for over 20 years, and will continue to come. I love this country and most all of what it offers a foriegner. If I cannot have an opinion on this board without all @#$$ breaking loose then I will stand down. I give to Mexico as much as I take and I am at peace with myself. I will continue to dislike the level of noise that seems necessary to most of you.. I, once again, am sorry I brought it up. From now on I will keep my words to recipes and street names. Que la via bien amigos.

[Xena]

I have no idea how suggesting you join a group of like-minded people becomes tarring and feathering, Gretchen. The Noise Committee is a group of people who think and feel much the same way as you do. Instead of uselessly complaining on local web boards they have come together to work with municipal officials to resolve issues with unacceptable levels of noise. They ARE your tribe. Why do you find that offensive?

Also, please keep in mind that expressing your opinion on a webboard does not mean everyone has to (or will) agree with you. If you can not accept others expressing opinions different from your own, better stick to writing in your journal.

[gringal]

Please don't tar and feather me Xena... I merely came here to voice an opinion that was mine, not many others here, it was mine. If that is not acceptable here I am sure the moderator will excommunicate me. I cannot change my thoughts, we have been coming to Mexico for over 20 years, and will continue to come. I love this country and most all of what it offers a foriegner. If I cannot have an opinion on this board without all @#$$ breaking loose then I will stand down. I give to Mexico as much as I take and I am at peace with myself. I will continue to dislike the level of noise that seems necessary to most of you.. I, once again, am sorry I brought it up. From now on I will keep my words to recipes and street names. Que la via bien amigos.

Judging from what I've seen on various web boards, whether severely or lightly moderated, it's a place where nice kids, playground bullies, and everybody in between mixes. Above all, don't take this stuff seriously. The mantra is: "It's just an internet web board".

This particular thread is rather typical of how it goes around here:

Group #1 are assuming an air of "more Mexican than thou" and assume that anything that's going on MUST be okay because it's "Mexican culture".

Group #2 is really annoyed and wants to do something about it.

Goups #1 and #2 are getting rather personally aggrieved with one another, which makes no sense at all since they are both probaby somewhat right and somewhat wrong.

I haven't a clue, personally, if anything can be done about it, but the best route for those who feel strongly would be joining with others of like mind and making a shot at it.

[Al Berca]

And by far the largest group is Group #3. The live and let live folks who could not care less. The vast majority of people who live here, actually.

[gringal]

And by far the largest group is Group #3. The live and let live folks who could not care less. The vast majority of people who live here, actually.

Did you take a door to door survey to support that "vast majority" assertion? Of course you did! Actually.

In my statistically unsupported opinion, I'll bet that the number of people and degree of "caring" is directly proportional to the proximity to the noise.

I can be "Switzerland" on this since I'm nowhere near it. At present, anyway.

[jaykay]

A long time ago (69?) I met a teacher of history from Mexico city at the beach in San Blas Nyarit, and we were discussing the rocket thing. He told me that a very old custom in Nayarit (pre Spanish conquest) was to go the highest place around and make as much noise as possible to get the Gods attention. He said that parts of Mexico that don't have that history don't have the noise problem to anywhere near what we have here. I wish I had remembered that fact before I bought a house here. The bombs don't bother me as much as they do my dogs. As for the music, it doesn't bother me as long as it isn't Banda. One point tho'. If a great number of people didn't go to these events, they would stop having them. I don't sense any big ground swell from most people to put a stop to them. In San Juan, I live two doors away from an events place. True, it only holds about 70 people, but it's close. Like the roosters on my other side, I don't hear it any more.

Hmm. Maybe they got eaten.