Random Facts

So I was just thinking about all the random ways life in Guadalajara is different from life in College Station and decided to compose a list to share with you.
1. There is no such thing as a 'one-way street' in Guadalajara. The more appropriate name is 'anyway you wish to go street'. Although there truly are one-way streets here, they are often ignored (as well as stop signs and other traffic rules).
2. Smoking in restaurants and other public places is allowed. There is an anti-smoking law in College Station so I am not used to seeing people (and here, it's almost everyone) smoking.
3. Many people in Guadalajara mistake me for one of the locals. This can actually be a good thing as I am less likely to be overcharged for a cab ride, etc.
4. People begin working as young as ten or twelve. I am not sure if there is actually a law in Mexico for the age to begin legally working. The boy that sacked my groceries the other day is twelve years old. I told him I was from Texas and that my first job was sacking groceries. I also told him that in Texas, you have to be at least sixteen to begin working. He thought this was very strange (he also thought sixteen was 'really old').
5. The sackers at the grocery store dress very formally - women in long skirts and knee-high socks and the young men in a cardigan and tie (it looks similar to a private school uniform).
6. You cannot drink the water here (not even the locals drink the water).
7. You can't put toilet paper in the toilet.
8. There are security guards everywhere! They carry these huge guns with them and stand for hours outside of jewelry stores, banks, etc. Although they look unapproachable, they are really nice people, just doing their job.
9. You can't wear sunglasses or a hat inside a bank (found this out the hard way). I guess if you walk into a bank without having taken your shades off first, they assume you are wearing a disguise and are there to rob them.
10. Mexican spaghetti is vermicelli with hot dogs and ketchup mixed in. Yuck.
11. When you order a pizza, they give you extra ketchup packets. You also get an order of french fries with your pizza (that's an interesting combination).
12. A general belief of the Mexican people is that people from the U.S. are not very friendly. I am told over and over that northamericans are very serious and unapproachable people.
13. The people in Guadalajara, in general, seem to be very outgoing and friendlly.
14. Many things in Guadalajara are just as, or even more, expensive than in College Station.
15. No one here in Guadalajara is ever on time. If a Mexican says they will meet you at 8 o'clock, you can almost count on it being 8:30. Some of the Mexicans even think our punctuality is even a bit peculiar.
16. All the buildings (offices, houses, etc.) are gated or walled in. It is like this everywhere. If someone comes to visit you, he/she has to 'buzz' you to be granted access in. It's quite secure. Grady and I have to go through two locked doors before getting to the door to our apartment.

That's all I can think of for now. Although life in Guadalajara is, of course, very different than our life in College Station, Grady and I really like it. It is much simpler and more laid back.