The Quadruple Whammy against single guys in America!

[traveller]

In fact, take a look at this article. http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/loca ... story.html By the way, Canaryville is an extremely bad area!

[traveller]

Another major warning I have to put out; the AK-47 is one of the most deadly assault rifles on the black market. It is capable of firing up to 600 rounds per minute, or 10 rounds per second, the rounds have an average muzzle velocity of 2,350 feet per second, or roughly 1,602 miles per hour, and at that speed, they can tear right through both steel and concrete and still cause severe injury and even death.

[momopi]

Another major warning I have to put out; the AK-47 is one of the most deadly assault rifles on the black market. It is capable of firing up to 600 rounds per minute, or 10 rounds per second, the rounds have an average muzzle velocity of 2,350 feet per second, or roughly 1,602 miles per hour, and at that speed, they can tear right through both steel and concrete and still cause severe injury and even death.

The most common semi-auto carbine being sold in US today is the AR-15 chambered for .223/5.56. If you visit a rifle range, it's obvious that AK's are not as popular. It was different back when NORINCO exported cheap SKS and AK47 to US, but those days are long over. Izhmash/Saigas imports have also been banned and US companies are now making AK47's domestically, but sales is quite small compared to AR-15 market.

[traveller]

Another major warning I have to put out; the AK-47 is one of the most deadly assault rifles on the black market. It is capable of firing up to 600 rounds per minute, or 10 rounds per second, the rounds have an average muzzle velocity of 2,350 feet per second, or roughly 1,602 miles per hour, and at that speed, they can tear right through both steel and concrete and still cause severe injury and even death.

The most common semi-auto carbine being sold in US today is the AR-15 chambered for .223/5.56. If you visit a rifle range, it's obvious that AK's are not as popular. It was different back when NORINCO exported cheap SKS and AK47 to US, but those days are long over. Izhmash/Saigas imports have also been banned and US companies are now making AK47's domestically, but sales is quite small compared to AR-15 market.

AR-15 average muzzle velocity; 3,200 feet per second, or 2,181.8 miles per hour! That'd tear through anything you put in it's way! You're literally talking almost 7 times the wind velocity clocked in the May 3rd, 1999 Oklahoma City tornado!

[momopi]

Another major warning I have to put out; the AK-47 is one of the most deadly assault rifles on the black market. It is capable of firing up to 600 rounds per minute, or 10 rounds per second, the rounds have an average muzzle velocity of 2,350 feet per second, or roughly 1,602 miles per hour, and at that speed, they can tear right through both steel and concrete and still cause severe injury and even death.

The most common semi-auto carbine being sold in US today is the AR-15 chambered for .223/5.56. If you visit a rifle range, it's obvious that AK's are not as popular. It was different back when NORINCO exported cheap SKS and AK47 to US, but those days are long over. Izhmash/Saigas imports have also been banned and US companies are now making AK47's domestically, but sales is quite small compared to AR-15 market.

AR-15 average muzzle velocity; 3,200 feet per second, or 2,181.8 miles per hour! That'd tear through anything you put in it's way! You're literally talking almost 7 times the wind velocity clocked in the May 3rd, 1999 Oklahoma City tornado!

In my limited experience with civilian firearms, munitions that penetrate well tend to leave small wound channels vs munitions that dont penetrate well, but expand upon impact will leave much larger wound channel and have superior stopping power. I do not claim to be an expert nor do I have access/experience with military grade stuff. Perhaps thise who have served in the army can elaborate on this better.

[jdean922]

Winston,

I've been reading your debates and comments, and while I agree for the most part with regards to what's been said, I must add that your general assessment of Mexico is incorrect. Here's why:

The nightclub scene down here is just horrendous. Very similar to what you've said about the US, the girls hang in cliques and if you don't have some kind of societal link pertaining to whatever niche they congregate in, you're pretty much screwed regardless of your personality, looks, intellect, etc. I've been in umpteen situations when a girl would signal interest or even want to hang out with me, only to be rudely dismissed by her girlfriends or threatened by some pugilistic guy that was part of her inner circle. The cockblocking from the women and the immature macho behavior from the local men are rife and at times quite implacable. Also, the women here tend to be very sycophantic and easily succumb to peer pressure. They remind me of the proverbial flock of bewildered sheep blindly following one another with no sense of individuality or uniqueness whatsoever. They also seem to be very insecure, as attention whoring behavior is also commonplace.

While Mexicans do tend to place a greater emphasis with regards to family and personal enjoyment as opposed to mass consumerism and corporatism, one must note that underneath their warm and tactile exteriors exist a highly hierarchical and nepotistic society where favoritism and classist snobbery (i.e. the wealthier Spanish descents vs. the poorer mestizo classes) are pervasive and intractable. Mexicans tend to judge you based on who you know and your connections pertaining to a particular clique or niche, as the local job market tends to favor people based on their societal influences as opposed to personal merit. I believe that this crony mentality applies to the dating scene as well, as the girls tend to evaluate you with respect to your perceived level of "value" pertaining to whatever realm of society they role in. So in other words, if you lack social proof you're going to struggle as some local guy who's the son of some predominant or influential family will always have the upper hand.

From what I've seen, it seems like the white foreigners down here game the women in lower end establishments, where being "guero" (white) gives you an edge because the poorer mestizo girls that frequent these venues consider anybody that's white to be of a higher level of status and prestige. I find these women to be duplicitous and distasteful as I've seen them throw themselves at anything that's white and speaks English and most of these guys were unattractive with no sense of charisma whatsoever. Being white will not give you an advantage amongst the higher echelons, because many Spanish descended people could easily pass as a Caucasian from the US, and if they happen to have stronger connections then you do, they will blow you out in a heartbeat.

So in a nutshell, the dating scene here has been surprisingly bad because the wealthier women that live in the nice and secure areas will likely blow you off unless you have serious social proof regarding that local segment of society, and the poorer women that live in the marginal and sometimes unsafe areas appear to be nefarious types that are looking to take advantage of some unsuspecting and ingenuous foreigner that lacks a knowledge of the local street culture. So it appears that unless you have some robust connection pertaining to the higher echelons of society, you would have to lowball it and settle for someone that likely lacks your socioeconomic level and education; or worse, someone that might want to roll you emotionally and economically.

My main complaint with your website is that I feel as if the calamites you mention with regards to US society also exist abroad as well. You give people the impression that as soon as you leave US soil, you will instantly be living some sort of hedonistic lifestyle free of any snobbery, cliquishness and exclusion, and this unfortunately is simply untrue. Also, judging from where you've said that you've traveled, I get the impression that you're quite familiar with Eastern Europe and SE Asia, but not so much with Mexico and Latin America, as you mentioned that you had only been to Tijuana, which by the way is an extremely poor representation of what Mexico is really like as a country. If anything, not to insult the whole populace of Tijuana as I'm sure there are genuine and industrious people there, but the border towns in general are conduits for the poorest segments of Mexico's population that are pinning away at obtaining a life on the northern side of the border, and they will likely do anything to achieve their mission. So yes, Tijuana is a terrible assessment of Mexico as a country.

Just my two cents. I'm curious as to your opinion and I hope to see your response whenever you can respond.

[Winston]

Hello jdean922.
Welcome to the forum. Well I'm no authority on Mexico. Sure there may be similarities with the US. But there are many differences as well. Some of us such as Falcon have spent a lot of time there and made many friends and found people way friendlier than the US.

When I was in TIjuana, I flirted with a girl in the bar who was not a prostitute. It was at TGI Fridays I think. She giggled and blushed a lot. She was very feminine. She was not stuck up or bitchy. We could not communicate though. But she acted very humble and sweet. Totally different demeanor than the US of course.

Also last time I took a road trip, I also went to that Mexican town near El Paso, Texas. I forget the name. But the people there did not have this paranoid ice wall around them. They seemed uninhibited and straightforward. More down to earth. So the vibe is nothing like America.

Of course some of my claims sound exaggerated. That's because when I leave the US, and finally am around real down to earth people and women who are approachable and not cold or stuck up, and I feel free to be me, I feel so liberated that I experience euphoria. It's called the honeymoon period overseas that we experience in the initial stages abroad. And of course, when you feel euphoric, you tend to exaggerate. That's natural. I know that every place has its pros and cons but I do list the cons of the countries I've been to, so I've been honest in listing both positive and negative things overseas.

Regardless, it is easier to meet and approach people overseas in most countries, not all of course, but most. Because people abroad are more down to earth and easier to connect with. That's been a very consistent fact, regardless of the pros and cons. And to me that matters a lot, because I live for SOCIAL FREEDOM, not political freedom. America may offer some political freedom, but it doesn't offer social freedom. We've explained this in detail in many threads here. If you like talking to strangers, meeting new people, flirting with girls, approaching girls, trying to pick up girls without feeling like a creep, etc, then America is not for you. Many foreign countries are better for that. That's a fact regardless of any pros or cons abroad. Do you understand my point?

Here are examples of what I mean jdean922. See this playlist below of my music videos and short clips in Russia. Notice how elated and euphoric my face looks, because I am free to be me and flirt all I want with girls, all of which is impossible in America. Notice in the clip of me in McDonald's how the girls act with me. You will never ever see that happen in the US. Never. See the videos below.

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=P ... UwHM_wCf6c

Do you see what I mean now? So you see, there is no greater freedom than the freedom to be yourself, freedom to connect with others, and freedom to do what you love (which in my case is flirting with and approaching girls). That's my main message. You get it now? America doesn't offer that. It only offers political freedoms, the freedom to work and freedom to vote, none of which matter to me. So it offers useless freedoms that only serve the system, not freedoms that serve me and what I want.

What you say about foreign middle class girls not wanting to date foreigners in Mexico is true though. It's true in Philippines too. There, only the poorest girls wanna meet foreigners. The middle class ones avoid us and are cold. But you can go to China and meet girls of all kinds, including women with jobs and money. So it's not the same everywhere.

[MattHanson1990]

I also went to that Mexican town near El Paso, Texas. I forget the name.

Ciudad Juarez

What you say about foreign middle class girls not wanting to date foreigners in Mexico is true though. It's true in Philippines too. There, only the poorest girls wanna meet foreigners. The middle class ones avoid us and are cold. But you can go to China and meet girls of all kinds, including women with jobs and money. So it's not the same everywhere.

Foreign upper class girls are mainly the ones who won't date foreigners because they already have local upper class men at their beck-and-call. This is true of any country. Middle class, I would say it's a grey area. I remember dating a few middle-middle class Mexican women back when I was single.

[MattHanson1990]

Winston,

I've been reading your debates and comments, and while I agree for the most part with regards to what's been said, I must add that your general assessment of Mexico is incorrect. Here's why:

The nightclub scene down here is just horrendous. Very similar to what you've said about the US, the girls hang in cliques and if you don't have some kind of societal link pertaining to whatever niche they congregate in, you're pretty much screwed regardless of your personality, looks, intellect, etc. I've been in umpteen situations when a girl would signal interest or even want to hang out with me, only to be rudely dismissed by her girlfriends or threatened by some pugilistic guy that was part of her inner circle. The cockblocking from the women and the immature macho behavior from the local men are rife and at times quite implacable. Also, the women here tend to be very sycophantic and easily succumb to peer pressure. They remind me of the proverbial flock of bewildered sheep blindly following one another with no sense of individuality or uniqueness whatsoever. They also seem to be very insecure, as attention whoring behavior is also commonplace.

While Mexicans do tend to place a greater emphasis with regards to family and personal enjoyment as opposed to mass consumerism and corporatism, one must note that underneath their warm and tactile exteriors exist a highly hierarchical and nepotistic society where favoritism and classist snobbery (i.e. the wealthier Spanish descents vs. the poorer mestizo classes) are pervasive and intractable. Mexicans tend to judge you based on who you know and your connections pertaining to a particular clique or niche, as the local job market tends to favor people based on their societal influences as opposed to personal merit. I believe that this crony mentality applies to the dating scene as well, as the girls tend to evaluate you with respect to your perceived level of "value" pertaining to whatever realm of society they role in. So in other words, if you lack social proof you're going to struggle as some local guy who's the son of some predominant or influential family will always have the upper hand.

From what I've seen, it seems like the white foreigners down here game the women in lower end establishments, where being "guero" (white) gives you an edge because the poorer mestizo girls that frequent these venues consider anybody that's white to be of a higher level of status and prestige. I find these women to be duplicitous and distasteful as I've seen them throw themselves at anything that's white and speaks English and most of these guys were unattractive with no sense of charisma whatsoever. Being white will not give you an advantage amongst the higher echelons, because many Spanish descended people could easily pass as a Caucasian from the US, and if they happen to have stronger connections then you do, they will blow you out in a heartbeat.

So in a nutshell, the dating scene here has been surprisingly bad because the wealthier women that live in the nice and secure areas will likely blow you off unless you have serious social proof regarding that local segment of society, and the poorer women that live in the marginal and sometimes unsafe areas appear to be nefarious types that are looking to take advantage of some unsuspecting and ingenuous foreigner that lacks a knowledge of the local street culture. So it appears that unless you have some robust connection pertaining to the higher echelons of society, you would have to lowball it and settle for someone that likely lacks your socioeconomic level and education; or worse, someone that might want to roll you emotionally and economically.

My main complaint with your website is that I feel as if the calamites you mention with regards to US society also exist abroad as well. You give people the impression that as soon as you leave US soil, you will instantly be living some sort of hedonistic lifestyle free of any snobbery, cliquishness and exclusion, and this unfortunately is simply untrue. Also, judging from where you've said that you've traveled, I get the impression that you're quite familiar with Eastern Europe and SE Asia, but not so much with Mexico and Latin America, as you mentioned that you had only been to Tijuana, which by the way is an extremely poor representation of what Mexico is really like as a country. If anything, not to insult the whole populace of Tijuana as I'm sure there are genuine and industrious people there, but the border towns in general are conduits for the poorest segments of Mexico's population that are pinning away at obtaining a life on the northern side of the border, and they will likely do anything to achieve their mission. So yes, Tijuana is a terrible assessment of Mexico as a country.

Just my two cents. I'm curious as to your opinion and I hope to see your response whenever you can respond.

Welcome jdean922.

I've been living in Mexico for more than a year, nearly all of it devoted to Guanajuato City, a very charming place with Spanish architecture almost everywhere. But I've been to other cities such as Guadalajara and Mexico City.

Regarding the cliquishness, yes it's especially rampant in the upper classes; and the Spanish-descended men can easily blow a gringo out of the water. I've never hung out with upper class Mexicans, ever. Only lower-middle to upper-middle.

In some areas of the country, the locals are more open to meeting outsiders: foreigners and Mexicans from other regions. Such places include the coastal areas and Mexico City. The center of the country, especially Jalisco state as well as the states of Aguascalientes, Guanajuato, Querétaro, and northern Michoacan (those make up a subregion called "El Bajío"), is more provincial in mentality. And the locals in that part of Mexico are more closed off to outsiders. To an extent, Guanajuato City is an exception, as it's a university town and attracts some foreigners and Mexicans from other states; it is known for its Spanish architecture, cobblestone streets, and many cultural events. The best luck I had with meeting people in Guanajuato City were with transplants.

I assume you must be living in an upper class area, or any of the wealthier cities in the central part of the country, like León or Querétaro.

[jdean922]

Hello Winston,

Oh yes, I posted pretty much the same post twice because I got an error message upon sending my first one so I didn't think it had gotten sent.

Anyway, yes I certainly agree that Mexico in general doesn't suffer from the societal pestilences that are causing the US to deteriorate, as for instance I've never met anybody down here that had to see a psychiatrist or take psychiatric medication. When I was in college, I met quite a few students that were referred to mental health specialists that had proscribed them medication to "calm" their moods when in reality, I seriously doubt that anything was really wrong with them other than the fact that they were trying to adjust to a large and sometimes antisocial university scene while being away from their families. So yes, in Mexico I think that psychiatric drug consumption and psychiatrist consultations are indeed rare, as most Mexicans do have strong family units with whom they can fall back on if they're struggling emotionally or with regards to whatever. It's also interesting to note that whenever I watch TV in the US, every other bleeping second there's some depressing commercial advertising Zoloft or Xanax, whereas down here I've never seen a commercial like that. For instance when I watch the Spanish equivalent of Family Feud (Cien Mexicanos Dijeron), the commercials instead feature some curvaceous woman selling breathmints instead of some demoralizing and brainwashing BS encouraging you to pop some pills if you feel "depressed".

Also something else that's interesting to note is that I've never met a guy down here that had been accused of "harassment" or being a "stalker" by a woman, as this was quite common at my university where I remember meeting a guy in one of my Gen Ed classes that had been reported to the Dean of Students for "prowling" behavior and was almost expelled but was fortunately not punished after explaining his side of the story. Apparently, he was trying to hook up with some girl that lived in the same dormitory that he had, and I guess he might've been a little too persistent or maybe he wasn't able to read her signals telling him that she was uninterested, but still, it's so ludicrous and insane to be blackballed like that for doing something natural, i.e., trying to be with a woman. I don't think that something like that would happen at a Mexican university.

So while I don't think that women down here would try to accuse you of "sexual harassment" or being a "perv" for trying to flirt/hook up with them, the overall pickup scene here has been quite rough, as the negative qualities you mention in relation to American women, i.e. cliquishness, stuck up attitudes, and a general sense of entitlement do exist here as well. No they probably won't call the cops on you if you try to make an advance towards them, but like I said in my other post, they're unlikely to give you the time of day unless you're part of their clique or have a lot of societal pull with regards to whatever niche they socialize in. So ok yes, it's not quite as bad down here as I don't think that a girl in a Mexican company for instance would report you to HR for being a "perv" or a "stalker", but it's not a paradise either unless like I said before; you're willing to game lower echelon girls that might have nefarious intentions.

So I guess to sum everything up, Mexico certainly does have appealing aspects that don't exist in the US. The weather is excellent, many of the cities are more culturally interesting and richer in architecture as opposed to most US cities which are bland and soulless, and the pace of life is more relaxed as opposed to the "in your face" or "dog eat dog" mentality that pervades throughout the US. However, the country does have several bad aspects, such as a nepotistic society, rampant governmental corruption, pervasive cliquishness and elitism amongst the upper classes, and a lower class segment of the populace that might try to take advantage of you because they assume that white and foreign equates to money and prestige. So while both have their discrepancies and annoyances, yes overall I am "Happier Abroad" in Mexico as in lieu of the daunting pick up scene, at least when I walk outside I get to see beautiful architecture and majestic churches and cathedrals as opposed to a strip mall featuring a McDonald's which is on par with what I'd see in your run of the mill US city.

Just wanted to give more insight with regards to my experiences in Mexico. It's a pleasure to be part of this website and forum.

[jdean922]

Matt Hanson 1990,

Yes, I'm currently living in Mexico City working on a novel and I find the pick up scene here to be surprisingly disadvantageous for the following reasons:

First of all you have to consider the structure of Mexico City which consists of a stark dichotomy between rich and poor. With the exception of the wealthy areas such as Polanco, Roma, Condesa, parts of Coyoacan and the Benito Juarez Delegation, the rest of the city is downright rough to marginal at best. So naturally, in order to ensure your personal safety and to guarantee a higher quality of life, you as a foreigner will probably stick to these well-off areas where the women do share many of the negative traits that Winston mentions, i.e, haughtiness, a overblown sense of entitlement, and the provincial herd-like mentality in which they will only prefer to hang around guys via their connections/social circles, as they will most likely be afraid to hang around a random guy as they may "loose face" and be scrutinized by the "clique" of supercilious BS that they so desperately want to be a part of.

Ok, so if the girls from the affluent areas are largely out of reach, then to me that would mean that you'd have to lower the bar and game women from the poorer areas that are likely to have other problems, such as a lower level of education and a lower quality of life and furthermore, the men from these lower class areas are likely to be antagonistic as they're not going to like the idea of some "outsider" batting an eye at one of "their women".

I've also noticed that due to the high rates of crime in mostly the marginal and peripheral areas such as robberies and theft, that the people here in general are more paranoid as opposed to other parts of Mexico. I remember walking into a restaurant in Condesa where I've frequented on a regular basis and there was this lone older man sitting at a table and when I walked in and passed by his table (the place is small so there's not a whole lot of walking space in this place), he brusquely turned around and told me not to get too close to his table as he had thought that I was in the process of trying to assault him. Just ridiculous indeed. So I think that same mentality trickles over to why the middle to upper class girls are the way they are here, as they're constantly trying to protect their reputations from "outsiders".

You mention that you only tend to associate yourself with lower to middle class Mexicans, but if that's so my question is this. On an educational level, what do you have in common with lower class people? I mean I'm assuming that you're an educated person from the US and I'm not trying to sound pretentious myself, but what would you be able to discuss or talk about with a girl that comes from a lower class, someone that might not share your background or education level? I mean tell me otherwise if I'm wrong, but that to me would seem like a problem, other than the safety issues and lack of the amenities you've gotten so used to in the US that you'd encounter in a more penurious area.

So granted, despite these discrepancies, overall I don't believe that Mexican society is quite as diseased as US society is, as a lot of the ridiculous stuff that I've seen go down in the US such as guys getting blamed for "harassment" or "stalking" behavior along with the random mass shootings and rates of depression and psychiatric drug use all seem to occur at a minimum down here, as while I've definitely had my issues with the local women here, at least I've never been accused of being a "pyscho" or a "creep" down here like I had seen happen to guys who were innocently trying to pick up women in the US.

I see that you've also spent some time in Mexico City. I'm curious to here what your impressions were like.

[MattHanson1990]

Matt Hanson 1990,

Yes, I'm currently living in Mexico City working on a novel and I find the pick up scene here to be surprisingly disadvantageous for the following reasons:

First of all you have to consider the structure of Mexico City which consists of a stark dichotomy between rich and poor. With the exception of the wealthy areas such as Polanco, Roma, Condesa, parts of Coyoacan and the Benito Juarez Delegation, the rest of the city is downright rough to marginal at best. So naturally, in order to ensure your personal safety and to guarantee a higher quality of life, you as a foreigner will probably stick to these well-off areas where the women do share many of the negative traits that Winston mentions, i.e, haughtiness, a overblown sense of entitlement, and the provincial herd-like mentality in which they will only prefer to hang around guys via their connections/social circles, as they will most likely be afraid to hang around a random guy as they may "loose face" and be scrutinized by the "clique" of supercilious BS that they so desperately want to be a part of.

Ok, so if the girls from the affluent areas are largely out of reach, then to me that would mean that you'd have to lower the bar and game women from the poorer areas that are likely to have other problems, such as a lower level of education and a lower quality of life and furthermore, the men from these lower class areas are likely to be antagonistic as they're not going to like the idea of some "outsider" batting an eye at one of "their women".

I've also noticed that due to the high rates of crime in mostly the marginal and peripheral areas such as robberies and theft, that the people here in general are more paranoid as opposed to other parts of Mexico. I remember walking into a restaurant in Condesa where I've frequented on a regular basis and there was this lone older man sitting at a table and when I walked in and passed by his table (the place is small so there's not a whole lot of walking space in this place), he brusquely turned around and told me not to get too close to his table as he had thought that I was in the process of trying to assault him. Just ridiculous indeed. So I think that same mentality trickles over to why the middle to upper class girls are the way they are here, as they're constantly trying to protect their reputations from "outsiders".

You mention that you only tend to associate yourself with lower to middle class Mexicans, but if that's so my question is this. On an educational level, what do you have in common with lower class people? I mean I'm assuming that you're an educated person from the US and I'm not trying to sound pretentious myself, but what would you be able to discuss or talk about with a girl that comes from a lower class, someone that might not share your background or education level? I mean tell me otherwise if I'm wrong, but that to me would seem like a problem, other than the safety issues and lack of the amenities you've gotten so used to in the US that you'd encounter in a more penurious area.

So granted, despite these discrepancies, overall I don't believe that Mexican society is quite as diseased as US society is, as a lot of the ridiculous stuff that I've seen go down in the US such as guys getting blamed for "harassment" or "stalking" behavior along with the random mass shootings and rates of depression and psychiatric drug use all seem to occur at a minimum down here, as while I've definitely had my issues with the local women here, at least I've never been accused of being a "pyscho" or a "creep" down here like I had seen happen to guys who were innocently trying to pick up women in the US.

I see that you've also spent some time in Mexico City. I'm curious to here what your impressions were like.

First of all, what I actually said was I associate myself with only the middle class Mexicans regardless of if they're lower middle, middle middle, or upper middle. Lower middle class isn't the same as the low class, as those are a tier apart. And I have met a few lower middle class Mexicans who have gone to university. For instance, I met a female friend via Facebook who lives in Irapuato (third largest city in Guanajuato state), and she is lower middle class (she is balanced mestiza and I could also tell by her dress style). The lower class Mexicans, I can still tell apart from their lower middle class counterparts - low class is usually indomestizo or full Amerindian, clothes bought from flea market and often loose fit, they live in rough barrios / slums, and you couldn't even have intelligent conversations with them.

I thought Mexico City was too noisy and chaotic for me to live in (except some districts), but I liked it as a tourist. The metro and metrobus often get crowded, especially during rush hour. I've been to Roma, Condesa, Zona Rosa, Coyoacan, San Angel, and Centro Historico. San Angel was upscale, but I thought it was boring and sterile, being mostly a residential area with corporate buildings. Centro Historico is safe during the day but it's too close to Guerrero and Tepito; so people from those barrios go into Centro at night (from what I was told at least). Another rough neighborhood is near the airport. Coyoacan I liked the most; it was quiet and very picturesque at the same time. Some of the highest crime-ridden areas in greater Mexico City are the nearby municipalities in Mexico State; and I am talking about violent crime. Highway robberies do happen in those areas. Much of the time, it happens to normal drivers, truckers, and city buses. And they mostly happen in traffic jams. But occasionally, it can happen on executive or first-class bus traveling on an autopista (Mexican freeway) going through any of those municipalities. In June of last year, an ETN passenger bus bound from the Central del Norte to Queretaro was robbed, and a few female passengers were assaulted. Last but not least, taxi drivers are notorious for ripping you off.

I am assuming you're the same person who posted in the comment section on My Latin Life as "jmaximus", and you were commenting how you had it easier meeting women and building social circle in Puebla (and other parts of Mexico where people don't have as much a provincial mindset) compared to when you lived in Guadalajara.

[jdean922]

Matt Hanson 1990,

Ha no, my cousin's the one who posted comments on MyLatinLife. I guess we have a similar writing style hehe.

Yeah my cousin spent some time a few years back in Guadalajara and at a private university in Puebla and I think he mostly hit up the high end places in Zapopan while rolling solo and yes, he told me that the overall scene was almost identical to the BS that he had encountered in NY and in other parts of the US. He had endured quite a few scenarios in which a girl had invited him over to her table only to have her friends cockblock him and even resort to calling over the security to remove him from their table. Now granted, this girl showed interest in him, it wasn't as if he had been bothering the girl and then her friends had came to her defense. I believe him as this has happened to me on several occasions as well. That definitely sounds exactly like something that would go down in a social situation in the US as well, as I guess the girl just wasn't strong enough to stand up to her friends due to her fear of "loosing face". He told me that the private university scene was also similar to the US as it consisted of the same immaturity, i.e. girls rolling in cliques that feel as if their friends need to approve of everything that they do, including what men they choose to hang out with/go out with.

I guess what you said about the more middle class girls is somewhat comforting, as I had the impression that only the super upper class girls had decent college educations down here, but then again my cousin told me that he had encountered more middle class girls in Puebla that had degrees from the larger public universities, so I guess there is more of a middle class here than what I had originally thought. However here in Mexico City, especially with regards to the nightlife, it appears as if there are only two types of environments; i.e. the super "fresa" environment in Polanco, Condesa, Santa Fe (San Angel has been fading out lately) and the environment in other parts (Centro Historico for example) that are much more seedy and potentially dangerous. So there just doesn't seem to be much of a middle ground here in MC regarding your hook up options, but then again there may be more middle class options that I don't know about due to the sheer humongous size of the city.

I've lived in MC, Queretaro, Aguascalientes and San Luis Potosi, and yes what you said about the center of the country being more provincial and closed off socially is spot on, as I had gotten the impression that the girls in the clubs in Queretaro would make random comments about me amongst themselves every time that I had tried to open one of them, and these were people that didn't even know me. It wasn't as if they had known some deep dark secret about me and were therefore warning their friends to stay away from me, and at first I didn't know how to interpret that, but now I've come to the realization that it must've had something to do with the stuff that I've already mentioned (unless you show up looking like a bum or bagman), but yes, I would even dare say that the social scene in QRO was even more cliquey and exclusive than anywhere I experienced in the US. It just seemed like things that you really can't do anything about were going against you there, as for instance you could read a book if you're struggling to find things to talk about, but to me it's pretty difficult to acquire a strong sense of social proof in a foreign city with the "right" people (i.e. people that the girls consider to be "cool"), especially if you're not going to stay for long.

Perhaps you're right about Mexico's proximity to the US as being the culprit for such behavioral phenomena, although MC certainly does have its perks, those of which don't generally exist in your typical US city such as beautiful architecture in the Centro Historico and an overall sense of joie de vivre as opposed to the robotic personalities and mass consumerism that plague the US. And yes, I still think that a woman wouldn't have as easy of a time robbing a man's kids like she'd be able to in the States in the event of a divorce.

And what you said about the "fresa" girls having plenty of platonic "fresa" guy friends was also right on the money, and what's unfortunate is that those girls allow their friends to influence pretty much everything they do or think, as if they're brainless specimens that need to be rewired/reprogramed like a computer whose CPU had been broken or uninstalled. So in other words, even if she likes you, if her friends don't improve, you're screwed regardless of how she may really feel.

Maybe it's time to look elsewhere such as Colombia or Brazil. I've heard that the safety situation in Colombia has greatly improved in the past twenty years.

[MattHanson1990]

Matt Hanson 1990,

Ha no, my cousin's the one who posted comments on MyLatinLife. I guess we have a similar writing style hehe.

Yeah my cousin spent some time a few years back in Guadalajara and at a private university in Puebla and I think he mostly hit up the high end places in Zapopan while rolling solo and yes, he told me that the overall scene was almost identical to the BS that he had encountered in NY and in other parts of the US. He had endured quite a few scenarios in which a girl had invited him over to her table only to have her friends cockblock him and even resort to calling over the security to remove him from their table. Now granted, this girl showed interest in him, it wasn't as if he had been bothering the girl and then her friends had came to her defense. I believe him as this has happened to me on several occasions as well. That definitely sounds exactly like something that would go down in a social situation in the US as well, as I guess the girl just wasn't strong enough to stand up to her friends due to her fear of "loosing face". He told me that the private university scene was also similar to the US as it consisted of the same immaturity, i.e. girls rolling in cliques that feel as if their friends need to approve of everything that they do, including what men they choose to hang out with/go out with.

Besides being snobby and cliquish, did you and your cousin notice the "fresa" girls cursing a lot like U.S. women do (other than that their behaviors were more flambuoyant than American women)?

I've lived in MC, Queretaro, Aguascalientes and San Luis Potosi, and yes what you said about the center of the country being more provincial and closed off socially is spot on

And I had an easier time befriending Mexicans from other regions, such as northern Mexico or Mexico City. Before my girlfriend came along, I met three women in a hostel in Guadalajara. Two of them invited me to visit them in their cities - one was from Tijuana, the other from Mexico City but lives in Tejupilco in Mexico state. I went to Tejupilco in July to visit one of my female friends I met at that hostel (I did tell her I have a GF), and she introduced me to her family the next day. We went swimming at a pool a few kilometers outside the town. And then we watched "El Mariachi Gringo" with the family.

Perhaps you're right about Mexico's proximity to the US as being the culprit for such behavioral phenomena, although MC certainly does have its perks, those of which don't generally exist in your typical US city such as beautiful architecture in the Centro Historico and an overall sense of joie de vivre as opposed to the robotic personalities and mass consumerism that plague the US.

And what you said about the "fresa" girls having plenty of platonic "fresa" guy friends was also right on the money, and what's unfortunate is that those girls allow their friends to influence pretty much everything they do or think, as if they're brainless specimens that need to be rewired/reprogramed like a computer whose CPU had been broken or uninstalled. So in other words, even if she likes you, if her friends don't improve, you're screwed regardless of how she may really feel.

Mexico also has other advantages over the U.S. For instance, the intercity buses here are miles ahead of Greyhound. And you don't need a car to get around, unless you're in an upper class area (sad but true; the upper classes here like to copy the North American way of life). Most of the food is more natural and organic, except a lot of the American chains in which their food tastes almost exactly the same as in the U.S. (thanks NAFTA)

As a guy who already has a woman to settle down with and has traditional values (my girlfriend also has traditional values), women having a lot of platonic male friends is a HUGE problem. That makes women potentially slutty and more prone to infidelity, treasuring and respecting their significant others less, and "upgrading" their current SO's for a "better deal" (aka hypergamy). Another problem is that it also has the potential to make women behave less feminine and more masculine.

The "fresa" girls I would say are of low-value because of their immature and likely slutty behavior.

[jdean922]

Matt Hanson 1990,

Yeah, what I mean by "flamboyant" is that the Latin temperament in general is more tactile and emotive as opposed to the Anglo Saxon temperament (me and my cousin descend from Italians so this is something that does feel more familiar), i.e. the kisses on both cheeks as a greeting instead of just a handshake and the sensual dancing, however, as I've already mentioned, one shouldn't be fooled into thinking that such emotional demonstrativeness equates to a more "open" social environment.

Yes, another thing my cousin mentioned was that he also had an easier time meeting transplants while in GDL, i.e. girls that were on vacation in GDL for the weekend or girls that had recently moved from another Mexican city. This does make sense as these girls probably felt as if they didn't have to worry about their friends from back home judging their every moves or decisions. In fact, the best experience he had was with some girl from Mazatlán that had just recently moved to GDL as she supposedly wasn't hanging out within some local pretentious niche that would scrutinize with whom she was with, etc. I guess in other words, she didn't consider her reputation to be on the line, but then again, the girl didn't seem like she'd be good girlfriend material, but it must've been better than having some antagonistic wise-guy rich kid or obstreperous bouncer up your butt all night long. I've also had better success with girls coming from other towns and cities, as they also seem to be looking for a connection and are less likely to be influenced by some local societal element. By the way, yes I've noticed that the "fresa" girls do curse as some of them will rudely dismiss you via the usage of local profanity if they don't approve of you hitting on one of their girlfriends.

Not really sure if the "fresas" are slutty per se, they just seem to care a lot about what their friends think or say, and this to me is a huge problem because if her friends don't like you for whatever reason, she'd probably dump you and find someone that's higher up regarding the "fresa" pecking order. I remember watching this TV program back when I was in high school called "Cupid" featuring a whole slew of male contestants that had to be chosen by the "bachelorette" Lisa in order to be eligible to enter the show and to compete for her. The one caveat I remember is that Lisa dragged along her two female BFFs that were there to help her to choose and to screen out the contestants, and I was thinking to myself "How ridiculous is that!" I mean a woman nearing 30 shouldn't need her friends to help her decide which men she should feel comfortable around and I personally would've DQed myself from the show upon realizing that she had her friends in tow. Just ludicrous, but yes I've noticed similar behavior down here as well. And yes, I wouldn't be surprised if the "fresas" do engage in infidelity as like I said, if they happen to come across a guy that they imagine is more socially connected with lots of $$$, then yes, they may very well let you go the way of the wind without thinking twice or looking back.

It's cool that you've found yourself a girlfriend. I'm assuming that you met her in Guanajuato? So Guanajuato is more open socially due to the large university there attracting transplants from other areas of the country? If so, I might have to check it out.