Mexico

[canadiangirl78]

I think it is smart! A lot of people learn English by watching TV!
However, I am not attempting to learn Spanish, I think I am the only one. It just isn't going to happen - I am terrible at it.

 

[Nessa]

Take a look at http://www.uiowa.edu/~acadtech/phonetics/spanish/frameset.html. Pick purple "lugar." Then select "coronal" under the options that will pop up. The left 'r' is the singular, the r on the right is 'rr.' It will show you how to place your tongue and you can hear a few examples if you click play under the photo of the person.

Also, practice makes perfect. Try ferrocaril, for example. Over and over and at some point magically it will come together

Oh perfect! I am so going to try this!

Also i´ve been told you can train your tongue to do the movement of the rrrrr by repeating ¨three three three three three........¨ not sure if this actually works though.

 

[mc1234]

I learned a lot of my Spanish from watching Mexican television - I would hear what/how they would say a word or make a sentence by listening and then reading the English subtitles and vice versa, lol! Then living in Mexico helped a lot like Nessa said - just putting yourself in that situation where you dont really have another choice! The shyness is something I dealt with too and still do at times. Now that we are in Canada and have Latin American friends from all over, I find it hard at times to understand the different accents and slang since I learned Mexican Spanish, but I am getting use to it

 

[NAFTA.couple]

Has anyone flown in Mexico before from one city to another? Whats the most economical and best airline you have flown with? I have look at volaris and a few others, so far volaris seems to be the best one. Advice?

I did last month. For all 3 airlines that fly my route, the final price was within 5% of each other! Volaris seems like the best option but be careful: they have those awful hidden/extra fees.
On the other hand, the newer airlines like Volaris and Interjet seem to have nicer planes (and even better looking staff! HAHA)

 

[mc1234]

@nafta, thanks for the info! What extra fees are you talking about??

 

[TSauretBaxter]

I'm glad you're liking Destinos. I know it sounds ridiculous to use a soap opera but don't argue with success. And, it's definitely much more interesting than 'pen,' 'pen on book,' etc.

Once you're ready to 'push' yourself, you may want to consider reaching out to one of the resettlement programs in your area (e.g., many YMCAs are affiliated with them) and offer to help out some new immigrants. I met some recent refugees from Latin America at the pool the other day who were trying very hard to learn English and their way around and probably would have appreciated someone who was willing to be friendly in exchange for Spanish. It's a quite lonely start when you drop everything and run for your life...

That's a good idea! I'm actually looking for some volunteering to do anyway. I don't think there is many refugees where I live, but certainly a lot of immigrants and foreign workers.

 

[LeisaP]

Hey Guys. I have a question.
I am in mexico with my common-law. Which most of you know lol.
Anyways I came march 31 and the officer gave me 6 months.
So my 6 months (180 days) is up sept 28.
So I'm planning to leave, go to Canada for 1.5-2 weeks. Than return as a tourist again. And hopefully get another 6 months.

Will I have any problems getting another 6 months?
Is there anything I should be aware of when I come back..

(I had a friend who came to mexico has a tourist in 2010, (from france) when his 6 months was up. He went to france for 2 weeks and returned for another 6 months without any problems)

 

[Americana In T.O.]

Does anyone have any advice for learning Spanish? It's been a struggle for me. I found one course online and it was sooo boring I couldn't motivate myself to do it. I'm looking at a Rosetta Stone course now. Does anyone know of this course? How has everyone learned Spanish??

I took Spanish classes in school from 7th grade until University. I also studied in Spain for 1 month. With that said, I would say that I only became fluent after I met my husband (many years after university) and started spending time with him and his family. Although the text-book Spanish that I learned was enough to communicate on a superficial level (which still has its own merits) it was only when I was immersed in Latin culture that my fluency improved and my comprehension deepened.

 

[Nessa]

Hey Guys. I have a question.
I am in mexico with my common-law. Which most of you know lol.
Anyways I came march 31 and the officer gave me 6 months.
So my 6 months (180 days) is up sept 28.
So I'm planning to leave, go to Canada for 1.5-2 weeks. Than return as a tourist again. And hopefully get another 6 months.

Will I have any problems getting another 6 months?
Is there anything I should be aware of when I come back..

(I had a friend who came to mexico has a tourist in 2010, (from france) when his 6 months was up. He went to france for 2 weeks and returned for another 6 months without any problems)

I don´t think there would be any probelms with that...with my experience at the mexican customs, they hardly even look at your passport/documents and just stamp it.

I actually went to migration a couple of weeks ago to ask about this, because my student visa is about to expire on august 6th. and I was told I could just get a normal visitor visa to complete what I have left before graduating. So I went to ask if they could just change my student visa to a visitor one and they said that would be very complicated and expensive and that I could just leave and come back.

But then they ended up just getting me to extend the student visa.

 

[Chuladaa]

Hello everyone.

So we have an update ... and looking for some help for my husband in Mexico regarding his police check. As of yet we haven’t done anything regarding the police checks which is my mistake because I didn’t know we were supposed to give the SSP in the initial application.. I posted below what they sent.

I am confused because my husband lived in Montreal for a few years, Mexico City all his life, and Playa del Carmen currently for 2.5 years. From their instructions below it doesn’t say anything about these specific places but I am assuming he needs police information from all 3 right?

My husband has been trying to call the number provided regarding the SSP and he can’t get through. Has anyone else experienced this difficult with trying to book an appointment?

Also regarding the letter required for the PGR did anyone have difficulty receiving this in the mail? I assume we should be contacting them to them the pre-paid airway bill? Also is it possible to get them to send it to a relative in Mexico City vs Playa del Carmen as it probably doesn’t make sense to send it to him in Playa if he will be gong to Mexico City anyways?

Please let me know your thoughts
Thanks!!


Provide our office with original police certificates from the following places:
_ Mexico Federal Police certificate from the “Procuraduría General de la República” (PGR)
for you. Please visit the following website in order to obtain more information:
http://www.pgr.gob.mx/servicios/constancia/antecedentes%20registrales.asp
Immigration Section – Section de l’immigration
Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra 193, Colonia Granada, Del. Miguel Hidalgo, 11520, Mexico D.F. Mexico
www.mexico.gc.ca
Apr 2012 version

_ "Certificado de Antecedentes No Penales" from "Secretaría de Seguridad Pública"
(SSP). In order to obtain this document you must head to the SSP office located at Xola
324, Colonia Del Valle, Del. Benito Juárez, México D.F. For further information please
contact the SSP at the number: (55) 5682-94-94 ext. 150
Instructions to obtain police certificates can be found in the following website:
http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/information/security/police-cert/index.asp
Please note: The letter required to obtain your federal police certificate (PGR) is being sent to you
today by regular mail. If after 30 days you have not received it, we ask you to let us know so we can
send a new one. If you wish to avoid unnecessary delays, we strongly suggest that you send us a
pre-paid airway bill quoting your full name, date of birth and file number.

 

[mc1234]

you have to make an appointment to get the SSP?

 

[Chuladaa]

you have to make an appointment to get the SSP?

Actually I am not really sure just they provided a phone number for them so we have been trying to contact them to ask some questions.

 

[Nessa]

No we didn´t need an appointment. We just went there, it takes like 5 minutes!

Make sure you go to the new address not Xola....anyone remember the new address?

Looks like they are only asking for the PGR and the SSP.

The PGR letter took like a month and a half to get to me from the day they said they sent it...we never got the option of sending a prepaid envelope though!

 

[TSauretBaxter]

Actually I am not really sure just they provided a phone number for them so we have been trying to contact them to ask some questions.

Have you been contacted by Mexico City already? Or are you preparing it for when they ask?

 

[OhCanadiana]

Hello everyone.

So we have an update ...

Congratulations!

First, don't be hard on yourself. The SSP is a newish requirement and, if you're already getting the request for it from the Mexico VO you had no way of knowing before applying.

If you or a direct family member is in Mexico City, the SSP certificate is quite simple to get - a matter of a few minutes to a couple hours from what folks have reported, no appointment needed (just note that the office has moved - more details below).

Several people have reported their experience with it, which may help as you plan to get your own. Here's a few posts to start you off: our conversation about the new requirement started on page 190 and went on for a few pages including a discussion where we figured it out together for the first folks going to get it, then we had the pioneers report back(edgarsitow, Americana in T.O., and Nessa). After that, sillymemo reported on the change of address (which is still incorrect on the various official websites, BTW).

If you're not in Mexico City and don't have a direct family member there, then you or a direct family member either need to go to Mexico City to get it or, if you are abroad, explore if your Embassy/consulate will do it (so far, the ones in Canada have said they have instructions from SRE - Secretaría de Relaciones Exteriores / Foreign Affairs - not to get involved, however the SSP folks and CIC seems to think Embassies and Consulates can do it).

Finally, here's some info from the SSP directly: http://www.pgjdf.gob.mx/temas/1-4-1/index.php?tema=Antecedentes+Penales&idw3_contenidos=9.

For the PGR, I would send them a case specific enquiry asap offering a FedEx waybill if you want to use that option to get it faster (given that they gave you the choice - a nice development).

Good luck