2007 Email Exchange - Tioga and George

living.boondockingmexico@yahoo.com

I hope I'm doing the right thing by posting these emails but I believe it opens some dialogue about who George really was and what he meant to so many people.  If you disagree with me, please feel free to say so via the comments section. 

This particular email took place in 2007.  George was staying in Santa Rosalia, Baja California with a family.  Chito was or is the father and they lived on a small piece of land and George took them in as well as them taking him in.  Their house was a disaster in the making and George took it upon himself and readers to help the family improve their home.  Below is the dialogue between us, me sending George an email and his response. 

On 14 Jan 2007 at 15:14, CMB wrote:

Hi George,

 

Your blog keeps on going and you continue to do a wonderful job.  I check in every couple of days or so.  It seems like you and Mexico have really bonded, now you know why I have lived here for almost 18 years.

 

I just finished reading your "Readers Write" section and find many of the mails and comments interesting.  It demonstrates the true differences in culture between countries.  One of your readers wrote wondering why Alty wanted to buy the computer even though the reader was under the assumption that they didn't have the income to afford such luxury.  Your answer regarding Telmex was correct, Telmex does offer a 24 month program for paying for a computer, with the hope that the customer will sign up to be an internet user of theirs.

 

But I would like to comment on Chito's financial situation. Having lived here for quite some time, I have come to learn a lot about the culture.  The money that has been spent on renovating the house seems substancial.  However, all of the events were due to deferred maintenance.  Had the maintenance been done on a yearly basis, and upgrades made on a timely basis, the amount spend reduced to a period of twenty years or more would have meant a very small and affordable investment.  This is part of the Mexican culture, deferred maintenance along with the use of wire, tape, glue, etc.  If it works for the moment, then we are in good shape.  It isn't bad, it is just different.  We as Americans worry about these things to the point that it can become an obsession not to mention a huge expense at keeping things up to standard and aesthetically appealing instead of simply functional.

 

I would also like to remind readers that it is much easier and very common for most Mexicans to live on an income of 5000 pesos. Those that do, pay no income tax.  Like all "formal" workers, or those that work in companies, they receive "prestaciones" or benefits backed by the Mexican legal system.  These include, Seguro Social (social medicine), aguinaldo (Christmas bonus) which can sometimes be up to 3 months salary (fulltime teachers here in Nuevo Leon receive 5000 dollars as a Christmas bonus), utilidades or profit sharing, vales or food coupons, and some even receive vales de gasolina (gasoline coupons).  Salaries may seem low, but by adding all the benefits most Mexicans (over 65 percent of the population) do quite well on these small salaries. Also, property taxes are almost non-existent and that can account for the lack of infrastructure.  Believe me, I pay 190 dollars a year in property tax here in Mexico, the same house in Texas would be 7800 dollars.

 

So my point I guess is that Chito probably has a decent income, but his priorities are much different than those of your readers.

 

Take care and keep up the good job, mostly enjoying your life.

 

Chris Bauer

Monterrey, Mexico

George's response:

Dear Chris,

I sure appreciate your sharing your experience/perspective about Chito's finances.  I especially was fascinated by your view of "deferred maintenance."  This is one of the things that has frustrated me about fixing up things around here.

For example, just recently I have been working in the corner of the yard.  You may have read about that.  There are two lime trees there and a pomogranate tree as well.  Because all three of these trees have been allowed to grow wild, they grew over the fence.  The branches became so heavy, that they have destroyed the fence, which I am now in the process of rebuilding.  If the trees had been pruned properly, it would have taken about a couple of hours a year to keep them in shape.  But since no pruning has ever been done in many years, now the fence needs to be rebuilt.

The fruit production of these three trees is also affected. Because of no pruning, the trees do not have proper limbs.  Succer branches were allowed to dominate the tree, drawing away the life force of the tree away from fruit production.

I was amazed as I worked on cleaning up the fence area that had been covered by years of leaf droppings, that there are bits and pieces of electrical cable here and there holding the falling fence to the tree, or to itself, or to some kind of support board leaning against the falling fence.

I believe that both USA and Mexican cultures have a lot to learn from each other. USA people could well adopt the tranquil philosophy of my neighbors here in Santa Rosalia.  And the Mexican people here, would be well served to fix things, instead of patching up. 

I believe that patching up has its place.  When a guy does not have the proper tools nor money, and something breaks, patching up is a wonderful way to get things going again.  To apply the patching up idea to ALL repairs, means that the people here are consuming their homes and their cars day by day, instead of getting maximum use. 

I am guessing that if I had not come along into Chito's life, that in about 10-years Chito and his family would have lost their home to deterioration, fire, storm damage [or all of these combined].  God brought me here for a purpose.  I am really enjoying achieving that purpose while doing the stuff that I am doing around the property.  

Bye for now,

George