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Ian: Hey everyone, you're listening to “Coffee with Gringos.” I'm Ian Kennedy.
Paige: And I’m Paige Sutherland.
Ian: And here we are in 2020, it's the new year. Happy New Year to you, Paige.
Paige: You, as well.
Ian: I just got back from a trip visiting home in the United States, and you just took an interesting, reporting trip in Mexico City. Is that right?
Paige: I did, yeah. It was quite the experience.
Ian: Well, that's great. So, well, I'm going to ask you about that and have you talk about that. And for our listeners: remember, if you get lost, go online and check out the transcript and audio guide, okay? So, Mexico City: what's it all about? Did you enjoy it?
Paige: I did. I mean, I think most people who have been to Mexico will say the best part about it is the food, by far. No offense to Chilean food, but it lacks a little flavor—especially spice.
Ian: I agree.
Paige: So, the best part about Mexico City was we literally ate tacos and enchiladas for breakfast, for lunch, for dinner—I was a huge pig. We just ate so much food. And the best part is different salsas. And it's, like, this one's mild, this one's a little more spicy, this one's really spicy and this one's gonna kill you. You got to try all different types of flavors and, like, the way they marinated the meat was delicious. So, in the US, Mexican food is very common but it's “Americanized.”
Ian: “Tex Mex”.
Paige: Yeah, so, having a taco in Mexico City, they use a corn tortilla—which we use flour—and it's so much better. The way they marinate the meat, it’s kind of like the kebab type way they cook it. So, it's, like, marinated really well. It's cooked for a really long time. Like, the meat is super tender. So, it's fantastic. We're in the US, when you have a taco, we also use hard shell, we use beef that we, like, invented our own taco seasoning. I don't even know what the seasoning is…
Ian: I'm not sure either but it sounds about right. We take something and make it our own.
Paige: Yeah. So, basically, to sum it up, the Mexican (food) in the US is nothing compared to Mexico City—it’s way better (in Mexico).
Ian: I can imagine. So you just did you guys eat street food the majority of the time? Did you find something in the street you thought looked good and gave it a shot? Or did you go to restaurants too?
Paige: That was also, what was great is, I feel like in Santiago there's a lot of street food options when you, like, go down to the center or, like, different barrios. But here, like, there were street food everywhere. And the difference was is it wasn't just, like, a cart. It was a cart that had, like, a little cook behind it, and it had chairs. So, you could, like, be on the street, order enchiladas, and, like, sit down with, like, a bunch of people and eat it on the sidewalk.
Ian: That's awesome.
Paige: Which was just so nice because I feel like one of the bummers about street food is, like, you're eating it and you're walking and you're just, like, have nowhere to go. And it's nice that you can, like, it's like you're at, like, a mini-restaurant, but, like, it costs like a dollar.
Ian: Definitely, it's like the best of both experiences or the best of both worlds.
Paige: Yeah, it makes the street smell fantastic because everyone's, like, cooking tacos on the street.
Ian: Hungry all the time, right? That's awesome. Well, and you also, so you said before the podcast that you felt like Mexico City felt like a very big city too, also.
Paige: Yeah. No, I was, I kind of knew nothing about Mexico before I went. So, when I was there and I was planning my trip, I was doing a lot of reporting so it brought me to a lot of different neighborhoods. And every time I would put it into Google Maps, it'd be, like, fifty minutes by train, two hours by train. And I'm like, “What??” Like, the city was just ginormous. I mean, I was there for a week and I definitely don't have a handle on it—it was so big. In a lot of the tourist places that we went to, we would take an Uber and it would be, like, an hour and twenty minutes, and I'm like, “Are we still in Mexico City?” After an hour of driving? And we were.
Ian: Wow, that's wild. Yeah, I'd always heard that it's such a big city but since I've never been there I, like I told you, I like to ask people to make a comparison. So, I'm sure it was a big city to try to cover, and especially, if you're reporting. Maybe you had to go to the other side of the city and for people that live there, maybe an hour and a half on the train is not that long. But for us that's, to me, that's pretty long.
Paige: Absolutely. And, like, a lot of my reporting I didn't know the city so I was going to these neighborhoods and given time constraints, I wasn't really doing research on what these neighborhoods were. And so, I was doing this one story and I got an Uber and, again it was, like, an hour away, and I get there and I'm like, “Hmm, this looks a little seedy.” And, like, the Uber drivers like, “You want me to drop you off? Do you know where you're going?” And I'm like, “I don't know this area. I've been in Mexico City for, like, a day.” And he's like, “Yeah, this neighborhood is, like, known for, like, “narcos” and it's, like, they didn't really have a word in Mexico City for it but it was like, “poblaciónes” here. And it was very much like Valparaiso, where there was, like, informal housing on the hills and, like, very tight roads and, like, I definitely, like, did not fit in there. So, I was like, “I'm going to get out of the Uber, do the interview and get right back in another Uber.”
Ian: Yeah, definitely. Yeah, heed the locals' advice—that's usually a good idea.
Paige: Yeah, like, I'm normally, because I'm a reporter I'm not as, like, nervous as the average citizen. But like, when your Uber driver who's from there is, like, “I don't feel safe” I was like, “Okay…”
Ian: I'd probably take his advice. Yeah, exactly.
Paige: But yeah, it was, like, a lot of my students who I told that I went to Mexico City, a lot of the women are like, “Oh, is it safe there?” And even before I went, so it was definitely something on my mind when I was there because, sadly, Mexico City has one of the highest femicide rates in the world. It's, like, as high as ten women a day are murdered.
Ian: Wow.
Paige: In Mexico, like, not the city. But obviously a lot in the city. So that's something where you, like, think about when you're walking around alone. Because my boyfriend was working all day. And then I was telling you before the podcast that I like to take public transit a lot so, I was taking the metro and I'm used to it here in Santiago. And I went there and there was a sign that was like, “Women only section.” And I was like, “What?” So, I was like, “Okay, sounds nice.” So, like, went on it and I get on the metro and it's, like, four cars that are just women and children. Like, it was very relaxed—it wasn't as, like, crowded. And then there was, like, the sign in the car that was, like, “Nine out of ten women are assaulted—sexually assaulted—on the metro.” So, I was like, “I'm going to stay in the women's only car all trip.”
Ian: Wow. Yeah, I would do the same. That's a little shocking.
Paige: Yeah, because I was just, like, I mean, that's basically every woman—90% of them. So, I think, beautiful city, the food is incredible, the people were so friendly. There's so much history because they have, like, a lot of, like, older civilizations that have lived there. So, like, they have pyramids and, like, these really ancient structures, but safety wise, I definitely feel safer walking around the streets of Santiago.
Ian: I see, I see. Yeah, and that was gonna be my next question was, did you find the people to be friendly? Did they have any sort of, like, big city attitudes? Anyone give you any, like, negative attitudes? Like, sometimes you get from people that live in big cities or, in general, or were most people pretty friendly towards you?
Paige: No, everyone was really friendly and I, kind of, knew that before, because I've only heard, like, really good things about Mexicans. I've never been to Mexico, everyone always says, like, the people are so friendly and nice and the service was fantastic. Like, you'd go to a restaurant and they were, like, so quick and so efficient.
Ian: And just a quick reminder if you are interested in taking private classes with Dynamic English, go ahead and check out our website at dynamicenglish.cl. And there you can sign up for private classes in your apartment, in your house, in your office. You can even now take classes online. Sitting on your couch, you can log on and practice English. It's very easy. So, if you're interested, check us out also on social media through Facebook or Instagram.
Paige: And there's a funny story I didn't mention about food. So, like, I've been living here in Santiago for a year and a half now and, like, my Spanish isn't great but I get by. And so, like, in Mexico, I was hoping to do the same, but they have a lot of words that are only used in Mexico. And that really applied to the menu. And so, like, there were a lot of words that me and my boyfriend, Kyle, were like, “I don't know what this is…” So, we had to, like, beyond word reference, like, looking different things up. And then, like, I felt like after, like, a day I, like, spotted some things that I remember now. So, we were, like, at this restaurant we, like, order tacos. And then we were like, “Let's get some guac(amole).” And I'm, like, looking at the menu I was like, “Oh yeah, that says, like, guac(amole) and chips. Order it.” And, like, the word that I thought was “chips”, was not chips…it was actually grasshoppers.
Ian: Really?
Paige: Like, we ordered this guac(amole) and it, like, comes and we’re like, “What? What's on that?” And we, like, get our phones out because it was dark, and it's freaking, fried grasshoppers. And it's not even, like, subtle. Like, they look like they were just murdered and just fried—like friggin’ huge grasshoppers! And, like, thirty of them in the guac(amole). I was like, “Ooh, sorry Kyle. That was not chips.” I thought that it was chips. So now I will never forget the word of “grasshopper.”
Ian: Did you enjoy it, though? You guys ate it, right?
Paige: To be honest, it didn't have much of a flavor. It was, like, pretty bland but, like, it added quite a crunch to the guac(amole). I tried it but I wasn't like, “Yum. I want to order this again.”
Ian: Yeah, I know you mean exactly.
Paige: It was. Yeah, it was really hard to get over the barrier of what it looked like.
Ian: Exactly, yeah. We have this kind of, especially in the West, like in North America, I feel like it's eating bugs is really a strange thing. So, I had the same experience when I went to Vietnam. I had grasshoppers and I felt the same way. They just were, like, crunchy, without flavor. They just kind of add a little texture to what you're eating. So, yeah, I'm a bug eater, I'll definitely.
Paige: So, you would order it? like if you,
Ian: I would probably prefer the chips and guac(amole) but yeah for sure I would order some grasshoppers and guac(amole) for sure too.
Paige: When you had it was it also very, like, full on grasshopper? Looked like a…
Ian: Oh yeah. Yeah, it was, actually, I bought it just in, like, in a convenience store. It was, like, a bag—it was like you buy a snack of fried bugs. So, it was even just by itself. I have to ask the next important question: tequila? Mezcal? Did you do some drinking, I hope?
Paige: Definitely. Yeah actually on one of the tours we did, like, a tasting. So, we tried, like, different mezcals and, like, tequila. I'm not a huge tequila fan, just because of past experience.
Ian: Uh oh. Yeah, me too.
Paige: You know, you either love or you hate it. right? And the mezcal, I like a little better because it has that smoky aftertaste. So, it's like, it still tastes tequila, but it has a little extra flavor. So, I would prefer it but it’s till tequila to me. So, it was kind of funny because we went on this tour and the guy was from Mexico City, but spoke, like, perfect English. And he was like, he had a lot of Americans on the tour so he was pretty much telling us that all our tequila sucks. He's like “Yeah, like, you guys, like, always drink, like, Jose Cuervo. That's so shitty.” And he's like, “Also, like, Patron.” and he's like, “That's the worst.” Basically, like, everything that we thought was, like, “okay” tequila, like, it's crap here.
Ian: Just ripping on it. Yeah.
Paige: The only one that he said was really good was Don Julio. Which I was like, I've heard of, but for me, like, if I'm having a tequila night, I don't care what brand it is—it's not gonna end well.
Ian: Right, exactly. The effects are probably going to be the same, so.
Paige: Yeah, but it was kind of funny we were all, like, we thought Patron was really nice.
Ian: And really, we’ve been drinking shit this whole time. Yeah, it's so funny.
Paige: No, it's pretty funny. So yeah, I think, if you have time, you should definitely check it out. It's a great city.
Ian: Yeah, I've always wanted to. I have Mexican friends who told me to check it out. I've only been to the Yucatan before which, you know, I loved. But it's definitely a different vibe than Mexico City. So, it's definitely on my list of places to see.
Paige: Yeah, well hopefully 2020.
Ian: Yeah, it's the year for it. Alright, sounds good. Go get some tacos and tequila. So, for all our listeners as well, when you have the chance, head on over to Mexico City and enjoy all that it has to have. We’ll take some tequila shots. Eat the mezcal worm. So, thanks for listening.
Paige: And we'll talk to you next time.
Paige: “Coffee with Gringos” was brought to you by Dynamic English, where you can learn English simply by using it. If you’re interested in taking classes or just want to learn more, go to our website at dynamicenglish.cl. Thanks for listening.
Key Vocabulary, Phrases and Slang:
1. to lack (verb): not having enough of something.
a. There is a lack of parking spaces in the parking lot.
2. mild (adjective): not intense, not spicy.
a. My parents prefer to eat mild salsa instead of spicy salsa.
3. marinated (adjective): something soaked in a marinade to for specific flavor.
a. She likes her meat marinated with vinegar and teriyaki sauce.
4. “Tex Mex” (adjective, informal): cooking with a blend of Mexican and American features that creates a more “Americanized” and less authentic cooking style.
a. “Tex Mex” is really good but I prefer to eat authentic, Mexican food.
5. tender (adjective): something easy to cut and chew, not tough.
a. The meat was so tender that I barely had to cut it with my knife.
6. to sum it up (phrasal verb): to give a brief and accurate description, to summarize.
a. To sum it up, sales increased by 2% last quarter.
7. give it a shot (phrasal verb): to try something.
a. Do you want to ride my new bike? Give it a shot.
8. bummer (noun): something disappointing or negative.
a. It was a bummer that we couldn’t see the sky due to the clouds.
9. ginormous (adjective, informal): extremely large.
a. Sao Paulo is a ginormous city in Brazil.
10. to have a handle on (it) (phrasal verb): to understand, to be able to deal with something.
a. I’m not a solar energy expert but I have a handle on it.
11. constraint (noun): limitation, restriction.
a. Time constraints make it impossible to finish everything in one day.
12. seedy (adjective): suspicious, unpleasant.
a. He became nervous when he saw seedy-looking men in the bar.
13. narcos (noun, informal): drug trafficker or dealer. Short for “narcotics” (drugs).
a. Mexico has a major problem with violence from narcos.
14. to get by (phrasal verb): to survive, manage something.
a. I don’t speak Korean well, but I can get by to communicate with locals.
15. to spot (verb): to see or notice something, to point out.
a. Did you spot the person looking through the window?
16. grasshopper (noun): a jumping insect with long legs.
a. It’s very common to eat grasshoppers in certain countries like Mexico and Vietnam.
17. bland (adjective): without flavor.
a. The food that we ate for dinner yesterday was very bland.
18. tasting (noun): an event for tasting or sampling different food or alcohol products.
a. We are going to a wine tasting this weekend.
19. to rip on (something) (phrasal verb): to make fun of something.
a. We like to rip on my brother whenever he talks to the girl he likes.
20. worm (noun): small invertebrate animal with long, soft bodies. Can be found in the bottom of mezcal bottles in Mexico.
a. It’s strange for a gringo to see a worm in a mezcal bottle!