Lisnaholic

"Gaijin da!" Well, you've taught me some Japanese, Kedvesem. Thanks! Sounds like you have adapted well to the in-between status of being both a foreigner and a local.

Of the things you mention, the two that surprised me most were the legal discrimination against renting to foreigners, and the spying of the neighbours.

I'm also a gaijin da; here they say "gringo", though to their credit, never to my face. (Instead, I hear the mechanic out the back calling, "The gringo's here to collect his car!") In fact I'm jolly well British, and many Mexicans have quite a high regard for Brits; at school they learn about the industrial revolution and their own Spanish heritage, which makes them pro-European.

^ This really struck a chord with me, Kedvesem! I've been in the same Mexican city for about 24 yrs, and not being a particularly sociable type, I like the way that being a foreigner allows me to maintain a certain distance. As a foreigner it's understandable if I leave the party early or indeed, don't bother going.

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"Am I enjoying this moment? I know of it and perhaps that is enough." - Sybille Bedford, 1953