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Our members introduce Mexico by writing blogs.
They walk through streets and take photos, have cuisine (food), visit sightseeing spots, etc., so that we hope you can find Mexico attractive and deepen your understanding of Mexico through this blog.
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Cityscape of Mexico City
What kind of image do you have in Mexico? It seems to be hot all year around, a gentleman who wears the sombrero and poncho having the guitar, the cactus, and so on. You feel like you can imagine it more or less.
Mexico City, where we have an office, is the capital of Mexico. While there are many old-fashioned buildings, it is big city where many high-rise buildings are as well. However, every street is lined with trees, so it is also green city.
The altitude is about 2200m, the daytime temperature is around 25 degrees in July, the sunlight is strong and it is hot, but it feels chilly at around 15 degrees in the morning and evening. The humidity is low and the climate is relatively comfortable.

First boarding on Mexican domestic flights
I went to León in Central Mexico, Central Mexico, which is called the Bajio area. Many Japanese companies gather in the Bajio area, and there is a Japanese consulate in Leon.
The ways to transport from Mexico City to Leon are by car or by bus, but we used an airplane, Aeromexico.
The day before the departure, I was very worried. The Aeromexico website advises that check-in must be completed at least 2 hours prior to departure time ...the deadline for automatic check-in machines is also 2 hours before.
“I'm not in Japan”, and I arrived at the airport 2 hours and 20 minutes before. I checked in with a check-in machine with Japanese language, and pass through the security checkpoint without losing. The airport in Mexico City is open 24 hours a day, so there are many cafes and convenience stores open early in the morning. It was very lively.
The boarding gate will be closed 30 minutes before the departure time. I arrived 30 minutes before, the final call had started. I was rushed.
※ By the way, when boarding the return flight, the arrival at the airport was about an hour and a half before the departure time, but I was able to use the check-in machine!
May the time announced on the website just be an estimate?

I found Japanese menu
There are many Japanese in León. I found a Japanese menu at an Italian restaurant that we had a dinner!
However, they can't speak Japanese, and when I inadvertently ordered it in Japanese, something different was served ... the order shall be only in Spanish.
The pizza and hearty salad were delicious.
The restaurant is FRASCATI Aeropuerto branch, parking lot is wide and there is no problem with cars.
They have another branch in Plaza Mayor, the largest shopping mall in León.

http://grupoargentilia.com.mx/restaurantes/frascati/frascati.html?fbclid=IwAR0yXt5CV1SWPBCkCfc29bKWKwEtN8usO6TP_P2mp2eXhI04fYaplKuw03w

Japanese dishes in León
There are many Japanese restaurants in León.
We visited Restaurant Eiki while a business trip. Of course, dishes are delicious, additionally the garden is so lovely. It will be a good refreshment if you can dine slowly while looking at the garden.

http://www.eikirestaurante.com/ja/

Mexico City Transportation 1
On the weekend, I used the subway (metro) to move through Mexico City. I heard that the Mexican Metro is dangerous, but the reason seems to be that there are many pickpockets. So I thought that it would be okay if I held my bag firmly without opening and closing it, and I got on the metro. The great thing about the metro is the uniform fare, 5 pesos. It seems to be indispensable for city transportation. Tickets are sold at the counter only. Bulk buying is also possible. You can also get on the rechargeable card used in Metrobus.
Enter the ticket at the entrance (touch the card) and go inside. The ticket you put in will not come out. When you get off, follow the exit labeled “salida”. (This is also an advantage of a flat fee.)
There are exhibitions and art objects at the exchange point station. You can also enjoy the exchange. As long as you know exactly which destination you will go, there are many indications so you won't get lost.
You can also use free wifi inside the station, which is very convenient.

Mexico City Transportation 2
The second transportation in Mexico City is Metrobus.
This bus runs on a private road. This is also uniform fare, 6 pesos. Purchase a card and get on. Cards can be purchased (compra) and charged (recarga) with machines installed at each station. The minimum purchase amount is 16 pesos, 10 pesos for a deposit and 6 pesos for a single ride. If it is 16 pesos or more, the card will come out with the number of credits as you charge. Just touch the card at gate and go inside. When you get off, just go out through the exit.
Sometimes there are no cards in stock. In such a case, if you pass 6 pesos to the security guard at the gate, you can enter with his/her card. When I tried to ride a Metrobus for the first time, there were no cards and I couldn’t buy it. So I was thinking about riding Uber, the security officer spoke to me about that.
* Metro (subway) can also be used with this card.
[Additional note] On the 4th and 7th lines, just like getting on a normal bus with a transportation card, you touch the machine in the Metrobus when you get on, there is no entrance gate.

Mexico City Transportation 3
3rd Transportation in Mexico City is a bus. This also seems to be a flat fee, but it seems that the fee varies depending on the route. One bus I used was 6.50 pesos and the other was 4 pesos. You have to pay as your boarding by putting in the box next to the driver's seat. Since there is no change, it is necessary to prepare coins. There was no information about the bus stop, and I got off it with checking the location on the google map and surrounding buildings. It seems to be good to move to the vicinity of the exit and confirm the location when it is near the destination.
There are places where the Metro and Metrobus do not pass, so I want to be able to get on buses.

Feeling Asia in Mexico
When you feel hungry you can find Tacos. There are really many stalls on the street corner. In the morning, sandwiches, pancakes, hot coffee and hot chocolate. From day to night, tacos, sandwiches, hot dogs, etc. When I walked feeling a little bit hungry, I smelled a good smell and I ate it. In the case of tacos, one is around 15 pesos. They provide sauce, lime, minced onion and chopped phakchi, chile, etc. so you can eat with them as you like.
Other snacks, ice cream, cut fruits, freshly fried potato chips and french fries. These snacks remind me Myanmar and Thailand. You can also put chili sauce for cut fruits and potato chips. This is not pepper and sugar, but it is similar to Southeast Asia. At last, I found the clothes shop on the street. While I walk in such streets, I forget I am in Mexico.

Mexican Spanish
Recently, I was taught the words used by Mexican youth.
"Vavava". It means "ok, ok, ok".
A Mexican friend of mine said“I think this comes from the Spanish in Spain vale (I understand)”. I became "?" When I was a student, I learned Spanish in Spain, so I was familiar with it and used it normally, but I was surprised that Spanish in Span is different from Mexico.
There were certainly others. When you say “Uh”, it will be “Como?” in Spain, but “Mande?” in Mexico.
The Estacionamiento (parking lot) you will find when looking for a house is Aparcamiento in Spain. it's interesting.

Lunch
In Mexico, lunch is the main meal of the day. But if you work, you can't take LUNCH very elegantly. But there are lots of cafeterias in the town that offer lunch sets. 1. Soup (about 2 types), 2. Rice or Noodles such as spaghetti, 3. Main dish (about 5 types). Drinks, bread and tortillas, and desserts are included generally.
Choose and order your favorite one by one. The price is about 55-90 pesos! Popular cafeterias have people lined up, but they do it in short time so the dishes come out rather early.
A signboard with a menu in front of the cafeteria is the sign.
Drinks are often lemon juice or melon juice. Both are sweet, so I order regular water (Agua Natural).
A jelly is common as a dessert. Today's dessert was a ridiculous color, but I missed the taste like shaved ice.
Below is today's menu.
1.Sopa de fideo (Soup with short pasta)
2.Arroz (rice)
3.Carabocitas ~ (Zucchini fritters with cheese)

You can find YAKULT in Mexico
I read a Japanese newspaper yesterday and found the news that sales of Yakult will start in Myanmar. I was a little happy because I have worked at the Myanmar office before.
There are also Yakult in Mexico. You can see it at supermarkets and breakfast stalls. I also found it a small store in León. According to the Yakult website, manufacturing and sales in Mexico began in 1981. When I was looking for a house, a landlord told me, “Are you from Japan? It is Yakult’s country”. It seems to have permeated Mexican society because of its history.
[Garbage]
How to throw away trash is a problem in any country. I was worried that I would sort it out, but when I checked the apartment, they said, “All together. Put everything in this."
One day I thought that trash would not be separated in Mexico, a Mexican friend took me to an event, Mercado de Trueque (Barter markets), hosted by Mexico City. You can exchange recyclable paper, plastic bottles, cans and bottles with organic vegetables. Mexico City is holding once a month in a park in the city to reduce garbage. On this day, a friend had a lot of bottles, cans and tetra packs! After weighing these garbage, we got points. We can exchange points to tickets, and enjoy shopping with these tickets. The price is in kg, but you can negotiate for 10 points or something. It seems to be a very popular event, many people are lined up. If you live in Mexico City, how about joining?
By the way, next is on Sunday 11th at Chapultepec Park.

Garbage
How to throw away trash is a problem in any country. I was worried that I would sort it out, but when I checked the apartment, they said, “All together. Put everything in this."
One day I thought that trash would not be separated in Mexico, a Mexican friend took me to an event, Mercado de Trueque (Barter markets), hosted by Mexico City. You can exchange recyclable paper, plastic bottles, cans and bottles with organic vegetables. Mexico City is holding once a month in a park in the city to reduce garbage. On this day, a friend had a lot of bottles, cans and tetra packs! After weighing these garbage, we got points. We can exchange points to tickets, and enjoy shopping with these tickets. The price is in kg, but you can negotiate for 10 points or something. It seems to be a very popular event, many people are lined up. If you live in Mexico City, how about joining?
By the way, next is on Sunday 11th at Chapultepec Park.

http://data.sedema.cdmx.gob.mx/mercadodetrueque/

It’s very helpful
When you move, you need to buy household items. In Japan, a 100-yen shop is very helpful, and there is a similar shop in Mexico City. That is “Dokkoi Japan”. There are various plastic products and tableware like 100-yen shops in Japan. Some prices may vary, but the price is 47.90 pesos in principle. I'm glad to have all the things that make me feel happy. And surprisingly, there were many Mexican customers.
* I visited a Roma Norte store.

Dokkoi Japan
https://www.dokkoi.com/

Japanese food and ingredients
Suddenly, my favorite food is miso soup. I don't know if I can buy miso in Mexico, so I have a little bit of freeze-dried miso soup because of baggage restrictions. Now I find miso at a Japanese food supermarket! I can have miso soup at any time. I was really moved by this. There is also frozen natto. There were a few Japanese ingredients in the Mexican supermarket. I found sauces and sweets at Korean supermarkets. I am happy because I could find a lot of unexpected things in Mexico.

Restroom in Mexico
Japan's toilet is the best in the world. I feel like this whenever I go abroad. My Mexican impression is!? “It's not so bad unexpectedly”. I have only experienced it in urban areas, but it can be used anywhere without inconvenience. It is the same as at the apartments. But there were some shocking events.
1. the restroom stall door is frosted glass
Restroom in a shopping mall for high societies. As soon as I enter, there are frosted glass doors in front of me! It could be recognized that there are people inside. I checked after use, as I thought, I could recognize people were inside. The figure is… I don't know if it's fashionable or crime prevention, but it was shocking.
2. A hand from under the restroom stall ...
As soon as I entered the toilet, a hand came out from the bottom of the wall with the next restroom stall with the voice of “Paper”. This is also surprising. It looks like there was no paper. I hurriedly pulled the toilet paper and gave it to her hand. I didn't like foreign restroom stall because there were so many gaps, but this gap allows for paper delivery. I realized the importance of the gap.
I have experienced impact twice a month at restroom in Mexico. But the usability is not bad. Please be assured.

Japanese food
Mexico is far away from Japan. I thought that there would be few Japanese restaurants, but there are many more. There are many sushi and ramen especially, and it is crowded with Mexican customers. What surprised me the most was “Sukiya” by Gyudon. Moreover, Sukiya in Mexico also serve ramen and sweets besides Gyudon. You can also order green tea at cafes and restaurants.
Even if you tell me the recommended shops, I can't catch up, so I will not have trouble with Japanese food for a while.

Night view of Mexico City
The night view of Mexico City is very beautiful. There seems to be the world's three largest night views, but unfortunately Mexico City has not been selected. But I think it's beautiful as much as them. The other day, on the way back from my business trip, I was fascinated by the night view from the airplane. Although the flight to/from Mexico City has a lot of delay, it is healed by this night view even if it is late at night.
A window seat is recommended when boarding flights to and from Mexico City at night.

Virtual Kidnapping
I usually use LINE to contact my family. Last week, I hadn’t checked LINE at all, my families were worried that they couldn’t get in touch with me. This family conversation reminds me the virtual kidnapping.
The other day, I had an opportunity to hear from Consul General of Leon, he told that recently there have been an increase in cases of this virtual kidnapping. Kidnappers call the target person in the guise of the police and threatens to be the culprit in the case. They ask the target person for personal information and tell them to wait without hanging up. Then, they call the target's family or company as “kidnapped” with the information obtained, and require a ransom that is not so expensive. The family or company people try to contact the target but they cannot, so they will be panicked and pay a ransom.
Since this kind of kidnapping is low risk, low return and the criminal give it up easily. So the best measure is to hang up the phone with a content that you do not know.
As the world becomes more and more convenient and we get used to the environment where we can be contacted anytime, anywhere, we will be worried or anxious even if we cannot contact a little, but there are various ways to contact. It is necessary to cope calmly without impatient, .
I also thanked my family who was worried but said, “I wish I had called my mobile phone number instead of LINE…” and reconfirmed the means of contact.

Fruit Paradise
Fruits are cheap in Mexico. Fruits that familiar in Japan such as watermelon, melon and papaya are also cheap. I am very happy because I like fruits, but I am hesitant to buy it because of its large size. Meanwhile, I found a fruit that I have never seen in Japan or Southeast Asia. “TUNA”. It is a fruit of prickly pear, it is very juicy and sweet, and it makes me happy when I eat it on a hot day or when I am thirsty. It’s easy to eat, as well. If you cut off both sides and make a vertical cut, you can peel it. There are small seeds, but you can eat them with fruits. People who don't like to eat seeds make it juice to drink.
The main production area is Mexico, so if you haven't eaten yet, please try it.



Library
The Japan Foundation Library is about 5 minutes walk from our office. I like reading, and I often spend my holidays reading books, but I miss paper books too much because I read e-books in these days... Then I found a library of the Japan Foundation. There are more Japanese books than I had imagined. There are various kinds of books, such and novels, comic books, magazines, business books, and so on. When I visited the library, there were also Mexican people reading books. Moreover, there are Spanish books besides Japanese ones
To borrow a book, membership procedures are required, but the procedure is completed in about 10 minutes. All you need is a document that proves your address, an ID card, and two 3”x 2.5” photos. I applied for a rent receipt and passport, and for the photo I took in Japan for an ID card. Opening hour is from Monday to Friday from 10:00 to 18:00. It overlaps office hours but why not visit there after visiting our office?



Woman and children-only vehicle
When I move around Mexico City, I always use subway (metro) because there is no significant delay and the low price. For that reason, it is crowded anytime. So I always take on the vehicle for women and children only. It is the same as a Japanese women-only vehicle, but it is convenient because it can be used all day without any time separation. There is a big partition in the platform, and the staff is standing, so men will not enter. I feel sorry for the man, but it is very helpful.



Money in Mexic
I always use credit cards for shopping in Mexico. It can be used at various stores such as convenience stores, cafes, bakery, restaurants and clothes shops. Although it is rare, you can also see stalls equipped with credit card payment machines. Since it can be used in the local cafeteria, I don't use cash. Sometimes when I tried to pay cash at a convenience store, I paid with a credit card because they have no change. The other day, when I bought clothes, I was asked to show a passport for paying my credit card. I have traveled to various countries and this was my first experience. The store clerk confirmed the card signature and the passport signature, giving me a sense of security. I have never used it, but the debit card is also prevalent. I think that cashlessness has permeated.
If you are staying for a long time, it is one of the options to have a certain amount of cash for cashing or currency exchange. On the other hand, if you are staying for short term, such ad a business trip or a short-term trip, you may be worried about cash. You can live without cash except by using public transportation such as trains and buses.

Chiles en Nogada
The day before yesterday, I was given a Mexican homemade meal. It is “Chiles en Nogada”. This is made by putting a piece of minced meat in a large chili, coating on egg and flour, and fry it. We eat it with walnut sauce and pomegranate pulps. The green of this chile, the white of the sauce, and the red of the pomegranate represent the Mexican national flag. In Mexico, they eat this dish on Independence Day. And this is well-prepared dish because the walnut sauce is made by peeling the walnuts, crushing them, and mixing with the cream. The chili is used for this dish, but it is not spicy because seeds of chili are removed before cooking. Rather sweet. It was a sweet dish like sweets. Please try it now because it is a seasonal dish. (But be careful if you are not good at sweet foods.)



Electronic Receipt
The other day, I was told to tell my phone number or email address at the cash register one after another. I was surprised at that time, they said that they will send a receipt via SMS or email. Once I entered my email address, I received a receipt immediately. Since I keep a household account, I always get receipts, then I was very impressed with this system because it is eco-friendly and the wallet is not bulky.
I researched about this system, this electronic receipt system is also being verified experiments in Japan under the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry. I am ashamed to say that I did not know it at all. Mexico is firmly on the trend.
By the way, the receipt is called “ticket” in Mexico.

Subway 50th anniversary
On September 4th, today's doodle was the 50th anniversary of the Mexico City subway.
About 11km between Line 1 Chapultepec Station and Zaragoza Station opened and started operation on September 4th, 1969, 50 years ago.
At present, Mexico City's subway has 12 lines and is active as citizen's method of transportation.
In Japan, on the other hand, between Asakusa Station and Ueno Station opened in 1927, and this seems to be the beginning of a full-fledged Japanese subway.
Even though I live in the present day, I feel a strange feeling that a train runs under the ground, but I was surprised again that it's history is old.

Air
I felt comfortable with the air of this morning because it was a bit heavier than usual.
Currently It's the rainy season in Mexico City, it has not been raining for almost two weeks and the air was very dry. Yesterday, it rained and It is humid a little. It was an impression similar to the late autumn morning in Japan. Nonetheless, the humidity is low, so it's became normal air after 10:00.
It is one of the pleasures of Mexico City to feel this air change.

What should I wear
As I mentioned before, It is hot during the day and cold in the morning and evening in Mexico City. According to today's weather forecast, the maximum temperature is 24 ℃ and the minimum temperature is 14 ℃. I don't know what I wear every day. In Japan, there is a seasonal change of wardrobe, and there are changes in the clothes worn every season, but in Mexico, it is necessary to change hourly. In the morning and evening, we wear a jacket or coat (some people even wear down jackets), and during the day, we wear short-sleeved or
sleeveless. There are few facilities equipped with air conditioning,I guess that is because there is no humidity, and the best clothing can be clothes that you can adjust to the temperature.
In Mexico, short-sleeved blouses and coats are sold at the same time.

Buying clothes
I worry what I should wear everyday. I brought clothes mainly with short sleeves, so I was in trouble because it was cold in the morning and evening. A friend of mine recommended me to buy clothes at Madero street. It is Francisco I. Madero Street, which extends from Zocalo to Latin America Tower, and there are many clothing stores along the street. The appearance of H & M and ZARA, which are familiar in Japan, are also fashionable, so I could enjoy them just by walking.
In addition, she also informed me that there is a department store "El Nuevo Mundo" in the street next to it. The name of this department store is “New World (Shinsekai in Japanese)”. When I heard it, “Shinsekai department store (Shinsegae Department Store)” is in my head. I was surprised that the Korean department store was also advancing in Mexican market. Then we were not talking about the same topic, and I realized these two department stores seem to be irrelevant. What's a coincidence!



Green/White/Red
I worry what I should wear everyday. I brought clothes mainly with short sleeves, so I was in trouble because it was cold in the morning and evening. A friend of mine recommended me to buy clothes at Madero street. It is Francisco I. Madero Street, which extends from Zocalo to Latin America Tower, and there are many clothing stores along the street. The appearance of H & M and ZARA, which are familiar in Japan, are also fashionable, so I could enjoy them just by walking.
In addition, she also informed me that there is a department store "El Nuevo Mundo" in the street next to it. The name of this department store is “New World (Shinsekai in Japanese)”. When I heard it, “Shinsekai department store (Shinsegae Department Store)” is in my head. I was surprised that the Korean department store was also advancing in Mexican market. Then we were not talking about the same topic, and I realized these two department stores seem to be irrelevant. What's a coincidence!



Earthquake Day
Tomorrow, September 19 is the day of the earthquake in Mexico. Given the fact, that the earthquake has occurred in Mexico on September 19, 1985, emergency drills are held throughout the country on this day every year. Also, since the earthquake occurred in the central Mexico on the same day in 2017, it seems that the intention is getting stronger.
Our first emergency drill will be held tomorrow. I want to learn the evacuation spot and prepare for the emergency.

Earthquake drill
Yesterday, September 19th is the day of the earthquake in Mexico. A siren sounded at 10:00 around the city and an Earthquake drill was held. I was interested in the Emergency drill in Mexico because I was a member of disaster prevention committee when I was working for a Japanese company, but the result was surprising. To get out of the building immediately. That's all! So, I went out of the building using the stairs.
There is nothing to hide under the desk and wait for the shaking to settle, or to cover your mouth and nose with a handkerchief until you get out. They say that the strength of the building is inadequate, so we have to think about going outside before it collapses anyway.
I'm afraid to hear that, but it's a building that could withstand the earthquake in 2017, so I'm working today, thinking that it's okay.

Monterrey
The other day, I went on a business trip to Monterrey. Its altitude is 540m. It is 1710m lower than Mexico City and has humidity. As soon as I got off the plane, I felt the humidity and I missed Japan a little. And air conditioning that is not often used in Mexico City is also used.
The central of Monterray is a little bit far from the airport, and many people prefer to take a taxi or UBER, but buses are also available. The bus service is nonstop to the city by a large bus like a highway bus. The seats were comfortable and it has TV service, I thought I took wrong bus because the time spent to the city was less than 1 hour.
Monterrey is famous for a mountain. My image of Monterrey is also a mountain town, but there is a distance to the mountain, and when traveling from the airport to the city, I was able to see a lot of industrial parks spread on the plain.
There are many factories of overseas companies such as the United States and Japan, and recently it seems that attention from Chinese companies has been increasing.
The photo attached is "Cerro de la silla”.



Monterrey Sightseeing
Since I had time for sightseeing while this Monterrey business trip, I would like to introduce the inside of Monterrey.
I stayed in the Centro area. There are many museums and museums around Macroplaza, so you can't go around with a short stay. The Nuevo Leon Museum of Popular Culture was closed for renewal, but I went the Monterrey Museum of Contemporary Art and the Monterrey Metropolitan Museum. I could be able to touch on interesting contemporary art at the Museum of Contemporary Art and enjoy paintings by Mexican and Latin American painters at the Monterrey Metropolitan Museum.
At this macroplaza, you can have the open-air massage. It takes 15-20 minutes per time, and costs 70 pesos at a time. I asked for a menu on the upper body, but you can also ask for parts that are not on the menu.
Monterrey is famous for meat as well. The roasted kid (Cabrito) is also popular. You can find the impressive roasted kid on the show window of a restaurant. I want to eat it with salt and pepper, but Mexican like to eat while seasoning with salsa.



Exhibition on 50th anniversary of the subway
When I went out by subway, I found an exhibition commemorating the 50th anniversary of the subway at the station. Sneakers using the color of each subway line and introduction panels for each station. These sneakers were so cute and I gazed them.
The station with the exhibition is Barranca del Muerto. This is the last station on line 7 that passes through the closest station from our office. Line 7 is orange. It connects with pink line 1 and brown line 9 at Tacubaya station and blue line 2 at Tacuba station. At the exhibition, the colors of the connecting lines are used for the colors of the sneakers, and the combination of blue and orange is my favorite.



Happy New year in Israel
Shalom! Today is the New Year’s day (Rosh Hashanah) of Israel where one of our group office is located. In Israel, they eat apples and honey with the wish of a happy (sweet) year. Associated with this custom, we celebrated eating apple pie at the office .
Now, another connection with Apple. Two new Apple stores have opened around the world last weekend. One is Mexico City (Polanco) and the other is in Japan (Fukuoka). By chance, I felt the relationship between Japan and Mexico.
October starts tomorrow. We will do our best to have a sweet year in Mexico.



Osteopathic treatment
You can receive osteopathic treatment in Mexico!
I have horrible stiff shoulder. Around a month after I moved to Mexico, I felt extreme pain on my back. I couldn't sleep without taking pain killer, so I rushed to find out where I could receive osteopathic treatment or massage, then I found a place where I could receive osteopathic treatment and acupuncture treatment in Japanese.
It is Clinica Acupuntura Japonesa KATSUNO. I was impressed by the fact that I was able to receive osteopathic treatment in Mexico and immediately sent an inquiry email.
I was surprised that not only Japanese but also many Mexican were there. Osteopathic physicians check the condition of the body on that day, and give me treatment properly. After treatment, I feels that the body is released. During treatment, I can chat in Japanese, including delicious restaurant information, so I forget I'm in Mexico.
If you have a problem with your body, please go there.

Querétaro
I went to Queretaro where many Japanese companies are advancing. The whole city looks new and urbanized. The number of students at the Japanese school in Querétaro is 69 in total, from 6 year old to 15 year old. There are many! The number of Mexican learners of Japanese is also increasing rapidly, with 800% growth in 2018 compared to 2015. It is said that the Japanese boom is coming.



Irapuato
I went to Irapuato, Guanajuato, where many Japanese companies advances. In fact, two days before the business trip, I found an article titled “Top 10 dangerous cities in Mexico”. Irapuato was the most dangerous city according to the article, so I was nervous about my business trip to Irapuato, but I didn't get the impression of being so dangerous when I arrived Irapuato. The residents say, even if, I need to pay attention to burglars, etc., but if I don't go to a dangerous place or take dangerous actions myself, there is no problem.
On the other hand, I have some problem with transportation. I used Uber to move, but it doesn't come easily. I needed to wait about 10-15 minutes after calling an Uber and felt the need for a car.
The photo is the industrial park Castro del Río. There are many Japanese companies in the extensive industrial park.



Squirrels
October 14 (Monday)
It is a national holiday for Health and Sports Day in Japan. It is a holiday called Thadingyut in Myanmar. It is a substitute holiday in Thailand.
I realized that a majority of the group offices were closed. Mexico has few holidays. I'm a little disappointed.
Anyway, the squirrel heals me.
I often find squirrels in street trees in the city. When I turned the camera, a squirrel looked at the camera. I felt happy but, at the same time, I ran scared it would fall down from high.
It is also fun to walk around in Mexico city with looking for squirrels.



El dia de muerto has come
In October, the city began to be decorated for the day of the dead, el dia de muerto.
El dia de muerto will be a national holiday on November 2nd. November 1st is the day for children's souls and 2nd for adults' souls to come back, and family and friends gather together to share the memory of the deceased. It looks a bit like Japanese Obon festival.
The city is colorful with marigolds, flowers for dead, and skeletons.



Xochimilco
Mexico has many world heritage sites. I went to one of them, Xochimilco. It is a popular tourist spot for not only foreigner but also Mexicans where they can enjoy sightseeing canal tour with a row boat. You can take bus from Tasuqueña station then change to the tramcar, you will arrive Xochimilico station, you can get to the Boarding Point by walking a little from there. There are a lot of colorful boats, and you can charter a row boat. I chose the 4 hour course with a little greed. I was healed by a quiet and relaxing time that I wouldn't expect that I was in Mexico City. The boatman was tired because he was rowing, anyway I was satisfied with having a different time than usual.



The daylight saving time ended
The daylight saving time in Mexico ended on the 26th of last week. The standard time has started from 27th. Thus, there is 15 hour difference between Japan and Mexico (excluding some states), now. Although it was dim at 7:00 in the morning so far, it has been bright from this Sunday. So I felt impatient that I thought I has overslept, but when I look at the clock, it was same as usual. I can't settle down.



Mercado De Artesanías La Ciudadela
Mercado De Artesanías La Ciudadela is a market dedicated to folk crafts, located between Valderas Station, where Mexico City's Subway Lines 1 and 3 pass, and Juarez Station, Line 3. There are a lot of cute items such as tableware, clothes, shoes, bags, paintings and figurines. There are many shops, and it takes time just to look around the shops, but if you are looking for Mexican souvenirs, please come and visit.
There is also a cool cafe in the back of the market where you can take a break when you are tired from walking.



Pan de Muerto
Tomorrow, November 2nd is the Mexican holiday of the day of the dead. Some companies are closed on November 1, so there was no traffic jam in this morning and it was comfortable to come to the office today.
Now, the city is already in festival mode. Last night, even though it was Thursday, the market was crowded with people buying marigolds, sweets and fancy goods. And the traditional Mexican bread associated with this day of the dead is "Pan de Muerto". The cross-like decoration on the bread represents the human body (bone) and for that reason, it seems to be called Pan de muerto. It's a sweet dough, and you can eat it with cream in it or with sugar. The photo is a mini size, but there is a big size like a cake.



Dia de Muertos
Last Saturday, November 2nd was a Mexican holiday called Day of the Dead. I have written information related to this day so far, but it was finally on that day. There were lots of people wearing makeup around the city, and events were held in various places. I went to Zocalo to see one of the parades. I could only peek out from the distance with people, and I also could find very beautiful a large altar in Zocalo. However, for the past month or so, the city has been colored for this day, so I feel a little forlorn after ended.



Traffic condition
Mexico City is famous for its heavy traffic. During morning and evening commuting and homecoming rush hours, traffic congestion is really serious, and a distance, that takes about 20 minutes usually, takes an hour or more. One of the causes of such traffic jams may be this obstruction. Even if the traffic sign turns green, you can't move forward. This is a problem. Also, there are many cars that do not give a blinker when turning the road. When crossing an intersection, I will likely hit a car if I am not really careful.
Please be very careful whether you are driving or walking.



Pozole
Pozole is one of the traditional Mexican dishes. A soup of chicken or pork and corn. You can eat it with shredded lettuce and onions, lime and oregano. There are white and red ones, but my recommendation is white pork. This taste is similar to Tonkotsu ramen soup and I think it is Japanese taste. If you have not eaten yet, please try it.



El Buen Fin
The word “El Buen Fin” that I can see everywhere in November. This is a sale like the so-called Black Friday, and it is from November 15th to 18th in this year. Many people shop on this day, so shopping malls and supermarkets will become battlefields. Is it like the first sale in Japan?
Government organizations also recommend this, stimulating domestic consumption with the aim of recovering the domestic economy.
According to Mexicans, online shopping is recommended because it can be difficult to actually go to a store.

Comprobante de Domicilio
Compromante de Domicilio (proof of address) is required in various procedures in Mexico. Common items are bills for electricity, gas, water, telephone etc. issued within 3 months. If you live in an apartment that includes all services, such as electricity, gas and water, or if you are just moving, it is difficult to prepare it. Of course, the requirements differ depending on the requesting organization, but it is introduced as follows on the website of the Servicio de Administracion (SAT) .
・ Account statement of financial institution in the name of taxpayer (not older than 4 months)
・ Receipt of property tax in the name of taxpayer (not older than 4 months)
・ Invoices for electricity, gas, Internet, pay TV, telephone and water in the name of taxpayer (not older than 4 months)
・ Mexican social insurance settlement in the name of taxpayer
・ Lease agreements that meet the legal requirements and with the lessor's RFC
・ Delegation contract from taxpayer (including office usage for 6 months or more and receipt that satisfies tax requirements)
・Trust agreement(Notarized)
・Account opening contract in the name of taxpayer (within 3 months from the conclusion)
・ Contracts for electricity, telephone and water supply in the name of taxpayer (within 2 months from the conclusion)
etc..
In the case of opening a bank account, the condition will be within 3 months from issuance, or in the anyone's name limited to a natural person, etc..
However the conditions will be varied, I hope they are helpful.

Dogs
I often see dogs in Mexico City. Many people have dogs and the parks on weekends are crowded with dogs.
Chihuahua is well known as a dog native to Mexico. Another Mexican dog is the Mexican Hairless Dog (Xoloitzcuintli). This is a small to medium size dog, especially small dogs are so pretty.
Actually, I was not good at dogs, but when I watch many kinds of dogs every day, I feel “what 's a cute they are” in these days.
When you come to Mexico City, enjoy watching the dog along with sightseeing.