So I spend a lot of time in Mexico.
I love it for so many reasons: the people, the culture, the food, but not the least of which are the manners I have consistently noticed and experienced in this country.
For example, when someone walks in a room where people are, (and by people, I mean strangers) the entering person almost always say hello. "Buenos Dias!" to almost all the little groups of people and then they respond! "Buenos Dias stranger!!" (Well, they don't say "stranger", but you know what I mean.) I love this!!! How civilized! You walk into a room or a bus or a restaurant and you greet those already there! Why not? It's pleasant people! Pleasant!
My other favorite Mexican tradition is when you walk by someone eating or about to eat you say, "Provecho!" --the Spanish equivalent of bon appetit. It's so polite! Everyone says it--to strangers! I love it! "Enjoy your food! Provecho! Even though I don't know you! I wish you a pleasant mealtime experience! Provecho!"
I even say it now. When I walk by someone eating, I give them a little knowing smile and like a local say, "Provecho!" They look up to thank me, thrown for a moment perhaps because I am not Mexican, then with a smile full of pride for the polite gringa, they thank me.
De nada. De nada.
Lesson for us all: It takes so little to make someone's day pleasant.
Manners: underrated
I heart MX.
I love it for so many reasons: the people, the culture, the food, but not the least of which are the manners I have consistently noticed and experienced in this country.
For example, when someone walks in a room where people are, (and by people, I mean strangers) the entering person almost always say hello. "Buenos Dias!" to almost all the little groups of people and then they respond! "Buenos Dias stranger!!" (Well, they don't say "stranger", but you know what I mean.) I love this!!! How civilized! You walk into a room or a bus or a restaurant and you greet those already there! Why not? It's pleasant people! Pleasant!
My other favorite Mexican tradition is when you walk by someone eating or about to eat you say, "Provecho!" --the Spanish equivalent of bon appetit. It's so polite! Everyone says it--to strangers! I love it! "Enjoy your food! Provecho! Even though I don't know you! I wish you a pleasant mealtime experience! Provecho!"
I even say it now. When I walk by someone eating, I give them a little knowing smile and like a local say, "Provecho!" They look up to thank me, thrown for a moment perhaps because I am not Mexican, then with a smile full of pride for the polite gringa, they thank me.
Lesson for us all: It takes so little to make someone's day pleasant.
Manners: underrated
I heart MX.
I really value this post- for one thing, we could do with acting as though we are a community- all the people in the world, part of a big weird family that has it's differences but also knows how to coexist. The other thing I love is how this sheds light on the kind of scene that is the essence of a place but is rarely what is communicated via news or stereotypes. There is so much garbage that is a default image of Mexico to many- the news shows the worst because a smile and a greeting doesn't make news- but it sacrifices a spirit of a place. I see this and Mexico sounds lovely and warm and friendly to me. I long to one day dine while a passer by says "provecho, vegano!"
ReplyDeleteHa! Provecho Vegano! Thanks for ht eking words Andy. Mexico is indeed underrated. I recommend it to anyone! ---even you! A vegan!
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