The Christmas Season is at hand. I want to know what is typically done in town in the way of gift giving and tipping this time of year. I know that folks paid a salary receive something called an “alguinaldo” from their employers that is sort of a year end bonus. Should I additionally give small gifts to house staff and gardeners What would be appropriate gifts? Should I tip the gas delivery people, the trash collectors, etc?
I love hosting house parties here in San Miguel for my friends from the States. I enjoy creating an itinerary for my guests and showing them the sights and sounds of San Miguel. I do get frustrated though with the guests that want me to function as the foreign exchange window at the bank.
This is our first invite in our new home town. The hostess has said nothing about attire. Can you give me some tips as to what’s expected of a good dinner party guest in San Miguel de Allende.
I have been living in San Miguel for several years now and have noticed something I wanted to ask about. Why do the single gentlemen not make any effort to dress up?
It seems a dear friend of mine and I have both taken a shine to the same gentleman. What do I do?
I am in need of some pithy comments to shut down folks when they start to tell stories or jokes in my presence that involve stereotyping of any sort-race, sex, age, nationality, culture, sexuality, etc. I don’t want to smile and quietly cringe anymore.
Do you have any recommendations as to what we can do to help the local children continue their studies?
I need advice on how to handle a neighbor situation. The elderly lady across the street, who has always been a little crotchety, has now utterly lost it. She prowls the neighborhood, looking for “COVID violations.” Two neighbors talking from opposite sides of the street get 10 minutes of screaming profanities because, in her mind, social distancing means not socializing at all.
With the rainy season in San Miguel upon us my feet flew out from underneath me and my items flew everywhere on the sidewalk. One know-it-all woman picked up my newly purchased dental floss and returned it to me with a smug smile. So humiliating. It’s one thing to be a Fallen Woman in San Miguel it is another to be a Fallen Hombre.
Any tips as to how to preserve my dignity when this happens?
With the Quarantine in Place we have all learned new ways to socialize and Zoom has certainly come to our rescue. But with all things new comes new rules of social etiquette. And yet one would think one could apply the old ones... So as a public service to all I have listed some dos and don'ts of meeting and socializing on Zoom.