Expat Matters
Learn the ins and outs of expat life from our experts.
Renovating My Old Colonial Home in Merida
Date: 05/06/2008
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
Merida, Mexico
Read more about Mexico in International Living Postcards—your daily escape
As I mentioned before, we are in the process of renovating our colonial home in Merida.
The last few months, the house has been inhabited by a crew of Mayan workers from a small village a few hours from here. They spend the week working and living here. They cook on little makeshift fires on our terraces and sleep in hammocks hung in whichever room of the house suits them best. On Saturday afternoons, they go home to spend time with their families, and they return bright and early on Monday mornings to work.
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The 4 Cs
Date: 03/26/2008Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Get more expat advice in International Living Postcards—your daily escape
In almost eight years of living and working in Latin America, Suzan and I have developed a rating system for specific locations.
It’s called The Four Cs, and they are: Comfort, Convenience, Cost, and Culture.
See More [+]The Mexican Market That Rewards Gringos
Date: 02/24/2008Sunday, Feb. 24, 2008
Get more helpful expat advice in International Living Postcards—Sunday Edition
We all like having our biases affirmed…like when your doctor tells you that red wine is good for your heart.
Or when a local real estate expert tells you that you’re doing the right thing with your colonial-style home in Mexico.
See More [+]Get Your Credit Card Provider to Pay YOU $25
Date: 02/18/2008Monday, Feb. 18, 2008
Get more expat advice in International Living Postcards—your daily escape
I hate the foreign transaction fees that banks charge when you use a credit card overseas, especially when the banks embed the fees in the exchange rate.
Like me, some lawyers and their clients decided these fees are abusive. They filed class action lawsuits against Visa, MasterCard, Diners Club, and the banks that issue the cards. The court consolidated these class actions in 2001, and last year the lawyers cut a deal. In the settlement, the banks deny the claims and assert they did nothing wrong, improper, or unlawful. But they’ll pay up just to get rid of the lawsuit.
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