Living in a
small town in Mexico is wonderful in many ways. More emphasis on family, kindness, helping others, taking time, for example. And it has its charms: wall murals all over the place, paintings even on trees sometimes. Beautiful handmade place mats, coasters, oven mitts, pots, yard ornaments, animals, clothes, purses, and, of course, tagging. Detailed and elaborate cultural and religious celebrations. But how is it as a place to write? Quiet? Nope. A vibrant author culture? Not really. Time? Yes. At lease there would be if I would stuff in fewer activities.
Libraries? There are no free public libraries in Mexico, except those created by expat communities such as the one here at Lake Chapala. We have two: one with books in English and one with books in Spanish. However, in the English library, all the books are donated, and it is staffed by volunteers. Of course, we can borrow books online from libraries in the US, but I’m not sure about loaners sent from university libraries. So my research is all on the Internet, which is not horrible, since I write fiction, but not ideal. I could also Buy books for research if I want to keep them for reference or buy used books.
Bookstores? Book stores contain mostly books in Spanish, naturally. You can, of course, order online, but most US suppliers do not have reliable, traceable shipping to Mexico, no matter what they say. My experience so far: Amazon is good; everything else sucks. How bad is it? Shipping takes at least a month, is not usually tracked once it hits the border, is costly, and gets lost with no real proof-of-delivery available. Used bookstores abound. Nearby (40 miles) Guadalajara has a chain that carries some books in English. They sell online, as well. A limited amount, though.
Theatre? Movies? Concerts? During normal times, you can find amateur theatre and music, as well as professional music and dancing. Most movies are for children, but occasionally new art movies can be found. Sometimes volunteer organizations such as Democrats Abroad used to (pre-pandemic) host classic movie festivals. In addition, movie theatres present filmed symphonies and operas. In Guadalajara, there is live symphony and ballet.
Still, I feel culturally bereft because I can’t go to the nearest library, talk to a research expert, and immerse myself in another time and place. I’m thinking I want my next trip to the US to be for the arts and research, as well as visiting family and friends. I don’t know if I can do it all; I may have to group family separate from friends, research and culture, for financial reasons as well as other practical considerations.
The bottom line is that I still want to live and write in a small town in Mexico; I just have to give literary culture a higher priority in my US visits, as well as my visits to large cities in Mexico.
