Join us as we discuss various aspects of living in Mexico as expats. From safety concerns to cultural attractions, we explore topics such as adjusting to the climate, navigating transportation, and the vibrant music scene. Hear firsthand experiences from Cathy Barrow, an American expat living in Toluca, Mexico, and Emily, who shares her observations from her travels and time spent in different regions. Discover the unique perspectives on safety, music, and lifestyle in Mexico that provide a well-rounded picture of expat life in this diverse country.
TIMESTAMP:
00:00 Introduction and Guest Presentation
01:32 Living and Traveling in Mexico as a Single Woman
01:38 Exploring Mexico City and Toluca
02:58 The Influence of Music in Mexico
04:50 Experiences of Living in Toluca
06:15 Safety and Travel in Mexico
10:26 The Impact of Weather and Climate
13:33 The Role of Music in Mexican Culture
17:35 The Experience of Living in Mexico as an Expat
23:17 Future Travel Plans and Conclusion
Ed: this is Ed. I’m in San Diego today and welcome to Global TV Talk Show. We’re joined by Cathy Barrow, who’s in Mexico City, as you can tell, it’s beautiful surroundings there. And she’s going to talk to us about music and also about living in Mexico City. And Also with us is Emily Bron in the Toronto area, and she’s going to talk to us today specifically about her traveling as a single woman in Mexico.
And as you can see the background, International Lifestyle Consulting. Emily is a trusted. Consultant to many people about buying or investigating the idea of retiring or working remotely, buying property in Mexico and other places. Welcome, Emily.
Emily: Hello. Hello, everyone. Happy to see my friend Cathy and you, Edwin, as usual.
Ed: Thank you. This is great. Yeah. We’ve been doing this a long time now already and a lot of megabytes. So thank you. So traveling and living as a single woman. Okay. Now, Cathy, you’ve been in Mexico city a long time. Mexico city is a big place. So what part of town are you in?
Cathy: I’m actually outside of Mexico City.
It’s about an hour. It’s called Toluca. It’s in the state of Mexico and people look at me and they say the state of Mexico and I’m like, yeah, you know, Mexico does have states and one of them is called Mexico. That’s where I live. Yeah.
Ed: Yeah, now that that’s big. And that’s the central district. So, you know, without expert knowledge, the surface knowledge is that.
There’s so many people and smog and danger and, but it’s not true. Is it?
Cathy: How hot has it been where you guys have living? It’s been very nice here. Just put it that way. We’re about 8, 000 feet high. And so as you can see, I’m, I’m dressed with my jacket and my gloves on because it’s, it’s, it’s pretty cool here.
Ed: So okay. So 8,000 feet. That means that you’re, you’re not in a mountainous area, but you’re on a mountain. So, and
Cathy: so you’re in the valley of a mountain. Yeah. And there’s a volcano on the other side of it.
Ed: Yeah. Hopefully dead. So, so so your profession is music, right? Right. Yeah. And Viva culture culture.
So What kind of music? Classical. Classical music. Exactly. Yep. Right. And you, you work in a symphony?
Cathy: I work in the State of Mexico Symphony Orchestra, but I also have my own project outside of it, which is a Chamber Music Society.
Ed: Chamber means a small group?
Cathy: Chamber is a small group. A symphony orchestra is, tradition 67.
Above, a philharmonic orchestra is smaller and a chamber group is up to about 15. 15 is about the limit for a chamber group. So from 1 to 15 is a chamber music concert.
Ed: And so basically it’s classics, right? It’s, although you probably touch on some contemporary stuff, it’s mostly the original stuff. Mm hmm.
Exactly.
Cathy: Yeah. Well, I don’t know. Our Mexican concert, we are playing pieces from the last century. I mean, some were written in like 1980. So yeah, a lot of the pieces that we play for our independence concert are much newer.
Ed: Interesting. Okay. So in your area where you’re living in Toluca so, you know, in LA, in Beverly Hills Hollywood area where I used to live for many years.
There’s an area called Toluca Lake and, and that’s where Bob Hope estate was and, and that’s right near the Hollywood studios.
Cathy: Okay. I didn’t know that. That’s, that’s very fun.
Ed: Yeah. Spanish influence, Mexican influencer, you know?
Okay. So let’s talk about people who live in your neighborhood.
Are you the only American there?
Cathy: There’s not many Americans actually living and I live in the historic center of Toluca. There’s not many Americans here. There’s millions in Mexico City, but there’s not many in Toluca. Although we have some of the biggest factories in the country here. We have Chrysler.
Bear Nestle, those are the huge factories that are on the highway leaving Toluca. So I think we’re the second biggest manufacturing state in the country outside of Monterey.
Ed: Interesting. Emily, have you been to Toluca?
Emily: No, I’m still looking forward to meet got in Toluca. I just… I actually learned a little bit more about Toluca because I knew the second biggest manufacturing state in Querétaro, but I understand and Puebla, it’s another one that actually Mexico, it’s a huge country and has several, you know, clusters of industrial Activity and to look at it’s one of them and actually to look at the capital of the Mexico state and even has own airport.
But somehow Mexico is so huge that we didn’t met yet personally with Cathy, but we know each other for more than a year from the different networking. And I, I was thinking that the best maybe for our today’s conversation would be Cathy. input on, you know, how to live as a single woman.
I don’t know if you were always single, but from my perspective how single woman and why single woman. Like to live in Mexico and I can have a little bit free story because when I several times ago, I learn, I read actually articles that in Alamos I think it’s Sonora state. There is a city Alamos colonial city, which specifically attract single English speaking woman.
And I was very surprised. And actually to visit, but I didn’t get to Sonora as well. Next time. But, you know, from this point I started to think, okay, so Mexico is probably not so dangerous country, it’s a huge country. If there is specifically CT for even for single English speaking experts, whether we’re not only Americans, Americans, Canadians, and Europeans.
So something in this city, and obviously in Mexico, which attract people, women in particular, and from my personal experience traveling already. I don’t remember how many times by myself, I mean by myself in Mexico, I can tell that, yes, you need to be prepared, meaning you need to do your research, you need to understand where you’re you don’t speak Spanish like me.
Cathy it’s from different league because she she’s local Mexican. But from my experience I learned it’s okay. And I know how to travel myself by buses, like different companies, and I know how bus companies are comfortable, and even competing in between. Like companies on the on the comfort level. I feel pretty comfortable to travel by air.
Like there’s many international and local airport. And I know from my other living experience that, yes, there are events here and there, but Actually, if you understand where you’re going, if you open and have correct information, Mexico is not kind of less safe than, I would say, even California, even United States.
And Cathy, I think, Cathy you were born in New York, correct, if I’m correct?
Cathy: I was born in New York, yeah.
Emily: Yes. So even in California, like in every in our cities we are living, we need to know places where it’s better not to go at nighttime, maybe, and they’re practically very nice and safe and pleasurable areas as well.
So here was a topic and because I know that people experts. Always concerned about safety and it’s understandable when you are a new country, new culture, don’t speak English and don’t, and there’s a lot of publicity for years speaking about Mexico cartels. And yes, cartels exist. I will not say it’s not.
And about things happening here. And there and even recently in Baja, California, I know it’s what you know concern some Californians and I’m concerned as well, but I understand that it’s a big city. Sorry, it’s a big country with different areas different regions. And things happen. Yes, things happen. And I the more I’m traveling, the more comfortable I feel in Mexico.
But I decided that Cathy, my friend Cathy might be the best example as a woman, actually expat living for what, 35 years in Mexico? And Cathy lived through different period because historically, yes, it’s a pretty big period to have observation. about, you know, things happening politically, socially, and cut these Mexicans for many years and still has her perspective as a spot.
Correct. I don’t know. Now you’re more expat the Mexican but actually you have several backgrounds, which I really trust in regard to this topic, not only this, but I think you might have interesting insights. From your experience and experience of like other expat to just people living around you in Mexico.
Cathy: First of all, I’d like to start with the buses.
When you live on Mexican buses, you have no idea that American buses are different. Buses here, we have, like, four different levels and there’s this bus, it’s called an ETN. They have their own private waiting room and you can get there, like, double decker buses and you can sit by yourself or you can sit with another person.
You can choose your seat on the bus and they, they’re, they’re absolutely fantastic. They’re, and so you, you can travel all night on one of these buses and it’s, it’s not like, I’m sorry to say it is not like being on an American bus of the, the, the, the bus stations are much nicer. You feel much more safer in a, in a Mexican bus station than you would in an American one.
A lot of people here don’t have cars, and so we’re more used to American, American transport the Mexico City subway. I’m terrified of, of subways because of something terrible that happened to me in a New York subway, not because of anything that happened here. They were built by the French. They were a copy of the French subway system.
And so they’re unbelievably clean and very well kept. And so if you’re thinking about like a New York subway or, or something like that, it’s, it’s very different here.
Ed: Okay, just happy to hear that. I’m excited to learn more about that.
Cathy: So learning, not speaking Spanish is a disadvantage here because there’s a lot of places you can’t go just because you can’t get there or you don’t have the way to communicate to get to these places. The Americans are very well taken care of and they are. Kind of like in China the the Americans are, are kept in, in places and it’s hard to get off the beaten path unless you’re speaking Spanish.
One time I was on a plane from Los Cabos to Toluca and they actually like stopped the plane on the runway and they got on the plane and they said, are you sure you want to go to Toluca? Are you on the right plane? Okay. Because there’s no Americans living in, in my city. So because of the bad publicity, Americans are very, very well taken care of here.
Precisely. So there will be not such bad publicity. The embassies take very good care of their people. If there’s, if there’s a case of something happening to an American, the embassies are all over it. And so, you know, the bad guys tend to leave the Americans alone because of the publicity. Isn’t that interesting?
Wow. 20% of Mexican income is from tourism, and so people don’t touch that. Yeah. Sure. So it’s, it’s different. I actually feel safer in most parts of Mexico than I have in Paris.
Ed: Let me ask you about your music business and Do you play in, in Central City, Mexico City, or do
Cathy: We play in Mexico City about once a, once a month.
We, we travel all over the place. When I first got to the orchestra 35 years ago, we played in churches. And that was, that was really, really fun. You’d have like thousands of people in there. And there was one time it was just so packed that they were like these two kids sitting next to me, basically in the orchestra.
And so they were like, are you there? Are you there on that part of the page? And I’m like, move the finger a little bit. And yeah. So, I mean, it was a, it was an amazing way to, to get to see. There’s the American part of Mexico, and that starts basically from north of Mexico City up. And then you have the Mexican part of Mexico, which starts from Mexico City and goes down, and does not include Cancun.
Okay? And that’s the, the prehistoric part. The food’s different, the culture’s different. And everything’s a little bit different about it. It’s a much, it’s a much older feel. A hundred years doesn’t feel like much, but when you’re living in a country that’s a hundred years older, it feels a lot different.
Ed: Isn’t that interesting? Okay. So myself, I’ve been mostly a tourist in and out of the, the main airport in Mexico. The city, but and the, the only place that I’ve been, actually, I’ve been in Santa Fe and then Polanco. And I know both of those are international IE American oriented. And other than in Baja which I’ve been to a hundred times and Los Cabos Mazatlan.
Cathy: You’ve been to Mazatlan. Mazatlan’s different, right?
Ed: Yeah, it’s it’s stop. It’s not. See what now, you know the tourist areas. Yeah, we’ve, we’ve been to all of those. And and can cool a long time ago. Now for about 10 years.
Emily: And who needs change already here on my drastically changing, and I can tell that I started to discover Mexico actually from the year my it’s close to our.
It’s our coast, and. Every time I’m traveling to Central Mexico, to Baja, to Mazatlan area, I see how different is culture, how different is country, weather, food. It’s actually what really attracted me to Mexico versus, say, other Latin American countries, which obviously have their own tribes, you know, but Mexico is huge, big, different country.
Ed: Well let’s see probably around 10 years ago we went on a holiday, Joanne and I went on a holiday and actually it was between Christmas and New Year’s to Acapulco and, and that was
A wonderful experience and very safe and we didn’t have any problems whatsoever and while walking around and, you know, on the beach into the Walmart and the different stores, you know, in the, in the more upscale area We really like that, but since then, there’s been all this other violence and seemingly bad news.
So we stayed away.
Cathy: Yeah I’ve lived here for 35 years. There was one bad point about 20 years ago where one person got kidnapped in the orchestra. When I lived in New York, every single person I knew except myself had been mugged. Okay. So I feel a million times safer here than, than there. Yeah.
Ed: Well, so you’re appreciated more than a target.
Well, more than being a target. Yeah. Good. Yeah.
Emily: I have a question. Sorry, Cathy, are you considering yourself after so many years living in Mexico, actually Mexican, American. Or still mix.
Cathy: I consider myself a Mexican with an American education.
Emily: I’m satisfied with the answer.
Ed: Yeah. So, so Emily, in your recent travels and investigation in Mazatlan and some of the higher elevations around central Mexico that you and I have talked about in the past,
Does the experience of Cathy resonate with you and, you know, when we think about your experiences in the villages, where you have spent some time in the last six months.
Emily: First of all, I was not yet into local, and I know that to look at hires and say correctly, or I spent some time, and I spent some time in Mexico City but again, it’s a huge city, and I cannot compare my experience.
experience of, you know, being weak or two in this as a place with cutting experience when you’re leaving, you know, all seasons, because I was enjoying specifically at winter time going from Canada to sunny areas of central Mexico state, fresh air, sun, you know, I feel really good elevated by being by mood and, and physically but I understand the For some people, again they prefer if they have some heart condition or yes, or maybe a respiratory condition, they need to adjust.
They need time to adjust to this particular area. And I always remind people, like, asking about this point. But after adjustment, I feel really good. But you know, my next plan actually to spend winter in Mexico, in central Mexico state, because I know it’s completely different from
Cathy: it’s cold, it’s cold, it’s cold,
Emily: and I heard that it’s cold, but I would like to feel how this cold will affect my bones, but it’s like, Important for me, the amount of sun, but I, and dryness, but it’s because I know I’m not good with humidity.
I need sun and I don’t mind cold, but how it’s actually feeling. I would say you after spending.
Cathy: But that’s, that’s, that’s an interesting point because you don’t mind cold, but see, you guys are used to walking into a heated house. Okay. When it is cold outside, it’s cold inside. I know I’m 98% of Mexico. So, so when it’s like, you know, 30 degrees outside, it’s like 40 in your house.
Okay. So that’s that’s something to really get used to. But a wonderful, absolute wonderful thing about living here is I think maybe maybe this morning. It was cloudy. Okay. This morning was cloudy. I don’t remember the last time it was. Maybe, maybe it’s cloudy about 10, 10 mornings a year really in the morning.
It’s like, oh, this is terrible. It’s raining in the morning. And I was, I was with a friend talking to a friend in Ireland once. And I said, it’s been raining for 7 mornings in a row. And he said, oh, poor you come to Ireland. You know, so I mean, this is 7 days of rain. It’s just absolutely unheard of. It’ll happen 2 or 3 times a year.
Once every 2 or 3 years. I’m sorry. Put it that way. So you always wake up with the sun.
Ed: So what about this, this idea of heat in the house doesn’t happen at the fireplace or what?
Cathy: Well see, the thing is that we’re one of the highest cities in the country. There’s a standard for, for building. So if you build a new house, yeah, you could probably, you know.
You know, fix it so that it’s, it’s got heated, but we’re just kind of used to the cold. That’s why in every day working meeting, Emily, you’ve ever seen. I’m always in a jacket and I have special, I have a suitcase of short sleeve shirts that I bring to the beach because I never wear them here. It’ll get, it’ll get into the 70s, 80s, like, between like, 2 and 4 in the afternoon.
And then it’ll go back down because when you’re at 8000 feet, the sun goes away. That’s it. If you’ve ever been to Cairo in January, Cairo, when you go into the pyramids at night, they have blankets on every chair and you’re freezing because, you know, it’s desert and the sun’s gone. So it’s, it’s, it’s a similar, it’s a similar experience.
Ed: Isn’t that interesting.
Emily: From Toluca airport, you can fly and be in the beach of Mazatlán and Puerto Vallarta.
Cathy: You can drive. It’s four hours this way, six hours the other. Okay, you can drive. It’s faster than flying, yeah.
Emily: Oh, faster than flying. Interesting.
Cathy: Because you have to get to the airport, you have to wait two hours and the airport’s outside of town.
If you’re just driving, you just get there. Yeah.
Ed: So we, we have about five or six minutes remaining on this abbreviated schedule today. And I welcome you guys to come back in a couple of weeks or next month, but let’s, let’s sum up and Cathy talk to us about. How you feel about and your experiences as I understand it, you just make things happen for yourself, but being in Toluca and being in the atmosphere that you’ve just described sounds like it’s really ideal for you.
Cathy: It’s, it’s fantastic. There, there are other cities that are a little bit warmer, but I, I prefer if you have to work, it’s, it’s better to be able to put on a sweatshirt than to, to be hot. And then what do you do with heat? Right? And the sun, as Emily was saying, it’s, it’s, it’s fantastic. I mean, having the sun and then you guys, when you get rain, it’s like rain for 5 or 6 days here.
It rains for 2 hours in the rainy season. And then the non rainy, in the dry season, it doesn’t rain.
Ed: Here in San Diego. We want it to rain. There’s no water. I don’t know where it’s coming from, but we need rain bad.
Cathy: Well, there’s a city in Monterey that was actually without water for 17 days and they put like big water tanks on, on corners so the people could come and get the water.
So that’s the first time that that’s, that’s happened.
Ed: So, yeah, that’s interesting. Okay. So is the music in the music that you play and then the symphony and the chamber is it global international, the same music that we played in say Prague?
Cathy: Oh yeah. And the interesting thing is that Mexico, I have two seconds here.
I’ll tell you a quick story, you know, about 50, 60 years ago. There was the head of the opera company in Mexico City, and he said, you know, Mexico doesn’t have an identity. So he sent these guys off to beaches to find, to find some songs. And this one guy, Mon Cayo, he came back and he wrote the Wopango, which is basically Veracruz songs.
But the interesting thing is that you can’t play this piece and it’s the second national anthem without a symphony orchestra. It’s got harps, it’s got two trombones, it’s got like three trumpets, it’s got a huge string section. You cannot be Mexican if you don’t have an orchestra. And that, I think that one piece has brought classical music to life in Mexico, because you really, really can’t, you can’t have this whole Mexican, you can’t, you can’t celebrate Independence Day if you don’t have the huapango.
I have a version for a quartet, but it’s not a quarter as powerful. Is what the original version is. And if he’d written it for like a group of mariachis, I think the or symphony orchestras wouldn’t be as prominent as they are.
Ed: Interesting. Isn’t it fascinating?
Cathy: Love music, Mexican
Emily: very musical.
Like it’s what I noticed. Like in musical small bands you have an ever even small city. Yes. And people like to think and it’s what really attracted me from cultural perspective.
Cathy: One of the best singers in the world. Opera singers is Mexican. He’s, he’s, he’s one of the most famous opera singers in the world.
And he, he’s actually I think he’s from Veracruz, near that area.
Ed: This is an education. I’m learning so much from you guys. Wow. Thanks. Great. Well, thanks for being on Global TV Talk Show. And this is an intercultural learning experience. And who would have thought that that’s what we’d be doing today. And so I welcome you, Cathy, to come and, you know, consider playing something you know, when you feel like it.
Cathy: I can actually send you some videos. One of the things that I’m working on is making classical music. I wouldn’t say interesting, but different modernizing it. So I’ve just covered my office in green screens. And what I do is I record my quartet with a green screen, and then I just put them anywhere. So I just did a piece by Gershwin and I have the whole collage of the United States running behind Gershwin.
And then I did the Bach double concerto and I’ve got pictures of Germany interspersed with churches. And so that’s what I’m doing. So you get a visual feel of what the music makes me feel. I think that’s it.
Ed: Thank you. So, so Emily, when’s your next trip?
Emily: I am planning for winter actually. And despite Cathy saying it would be very cool, but Cathy, we should meet this winter in real life.
Cathy: Yeah. Absolutely. Sounds like
Emily: Yes, I, I’m still here because you know, home, family and other matters and actually business wise, but winter will be my time now experience like to have several months. It’s what I want, you know, not to hop on, hop off,
Ed: hop out. Yeah, great. Snowbird.
Cathy: You want to be a snowbird?
Yeah.
Ed: Thank you. Someday we’re going to meet in person.
Looking forward. Yeah, somewhere. Maybe in Mexico.
Cathy: San Diego is so close. You just fly to Tijuana and you take it’s like a 20 minute bus over the border. I’ve done that.
Ed: Yeah. Yeah. In fact, we have flown out of the Tijuana airport. It’s a very modern, nice airport. It’s got a border crossing just about a half hour from here.
Emily: And I believe that Cathy can share many stories, and I’m learning from Cathy a lot, but even I knew how Mexicans are family oriented, how, you know, the value of friendship and really community involvement, and, no, it’s very important factor, specifically when people are thinking about relocation, from my perspective, correct?
Ed: Okay, ladies and gentlemen in the audience, I want you to contact Emily Bron. That’s emilybron.com and you’ll be really impressed with this person. Once you get to know Emily Bron, she’s a wealth of information and guidance for people who are afraid to go somewhere and she’s done it. She’s done it. And so she, she can give you the experience, Cathy.
Thank you. Nice to meet you
Cathy: again. Very nice to see you again. Thanks for the invitation, Emily. Okay. See you on.
Ed: Global TV talk shows someday again next month. Thank you.
I am a global PR and media leader with over 45 years of experience in creating, publishing, and distributing content that informs, educates, and connects business professionals across the world. I founded COMARKETING PARTNERS, a public relations agency that helps clients reach and engage their target audiences through various channels and platforms, including newspapers, magazines, radio, and TV. Founder, publisher/editor GlobalBusinessnewsmedia, a network of online/offline media covering topics; global talent dev, mobility, strategy, innovation. Create/host/produce GlobalTV Talkshow + GlobalRadio Talkshow; I interview/converse with authors, business leaders, innovators. Mission: Provide access to global business insights, best practices, networking opp for my audience/clients. Market/distribute the videos worldwide.
Twice awarded winner of Top Women Entrepreneurs of 2022 by Great Companies India, Cathy Barrow is an experienced Independent Music Professional with an internationally recognized history of working in the music industry. Skilled in Music Performance, Music Education, Performing, Music, and Entertainment and most importantly, the promotion of Classical Music in the world, Cathy´s strength lies in music and the arts with a Master’s degree focused in Music Teacher Education from Teachers College, Columbia University.
Have you ever wondered what it’s like to live in another country? Do you want to experience a different culture, learn a new language, and make new friends? If you answered yes, then you might be interested in becoming an expat. An expat is someone who lives outside their native country, either temporarily or permanently.
In this podcast, we’re going to take you on a tour of Toluca, Mexico, a city that attracts many expats from around the world.
Toluca is a city with a lot of history and charm. It’s located in the center of Mexico, close to the capital, Mexico City. Toluca has a diverse population of expats, who come from different countries and backgrounds. Cathy is one of them. She’s an American who has been living in Toluca for over 30 years. She loves the city and its culture, but she also knows that it’s not a paradise. Like any other place, Toluca has its challenges and risks.
Cathy says that the most important thing to do as an expat is to be informed and aware of your surroundings. She says that Toluca is not a hotspot for American expats, like Mexico City, but that also means that it’s less crowded and more authentic. She says that Toluca is generally safe, but there are some areas that are best to avoid, especially at night. She also says that there are some problems with cartels and violence, but they don’t affect the everyday lives of most people. She says that the key to staying safe in Mexico is to learn the local customs, respect the laws, and avoid getting involved in any trouble.
I am also a traveler who has visited many parts of Mexico. I love Toluca and consider it one of my favorite places. Toluca offers a lot, including historic buildings, museums, natural parks, and lakes. I think the best way to explore Toluca is to use public transportation, especially buses, as they are affordable, frequent, and easy to use. Bus drivers and passengers in Toluca are usually friendly and helpful, and they appreciate it when you make an effort to speak some Spanish.
Though, learning Spanish is crucial for living in Toluca, or any other part of Mexico. Spanish is not only the official language but also the key to connecting with the locals and immersing oneself in their culture. The people of Toluca are warm and welcoming, eager to share their traditions and stories with foreigners. I believe that the best way to learn Spanish is through consistent practice with native speakers, online courses, or books. The more you speak Spanish, the more enjoyable your expat life in Toluca will be!
One of the things that Cathy and I both love about Toluca is its music scene. Toluca is known for its symphony orchestra, which is one of the oldest and most prestigious in Mexico. Cathy is a musician herself, and she plays in a symphony orchestra in Mexico City. She explains that music holds significant importance in Mexican culture as it showcases the diversity and identity of the country. She mentions the Wopango as one of the most popular musical compositions in Mexico, which is a vibrant and lively piece that celebrates the indigenous heritage of the country. She describes the Wopango as a secondary national anthem, often performed by symphony orchestras and bands throughout the country. She emphasizes that music serves as a means to express emotions, commemorate events, and foster connections among people.
Cathy believes that the symphony orchestra in Toluca is an excellent example of how music can enrich the cultural life of a city. According to her, the orchestra performs regularly at the Teatro Morelos, a beautiful and historic theatre located in the center of Toluca. She mentions that the orchestra showcases a diverse range of music genres, including classical and contemporary, which appeals to audiences of all ages and backgrounds. Moreover, she expresses that the orchestra is a source of pride and joy for the people of Toluca, making it a must-see for any music-loving expat.
Toluca is a city that has a unique climate. It’s located at a high altitude, which means that it’s cooler than most parts of Mexico. It also has a lot of sunshine, which makes it bright and pleasant. Cathy and Emily both say that they enjoy the weather in Toluca, but they also say that it takes some time to get used to it. They say that the temperature can vary greatly depending on the season and time of day. It can be hot and sunny in the morning, and cold and rainy in the afternoon. They also mention that snow is rare in Mexico, but it can occur in winter.
The climate in Toluca affects the way people live and dress. I noticed that houses in Toluca are typically not equipped with heating, resulting in colder indoor temperatures compared to the outside. To combat the cold, people in Toluca often wear multiple layers of clothing and rely on blankets and heaters for warmth.
Toluca is a city that has a lot of advantages for expats who like to travel. Toluca has its own airport, which is one of the busiest and most modern in Mexico. From Toluca’s airport, you can fly to many destinations in Mexico and abroad, such as Mazatlán, Puerto Vallarta, Cancún, New York, and Paris. Cathy says that she loves to travel and that uses Toluca’s airport as the base for exploring other places. It is convenient, efficient, and affordable, and it makes Cathy’s expat life more exciting and fun.
Cathy mentions that Toluca has a good water supply, which is uncommon in Mexico. She notes that water is scarce in many parts of the country, with some cities experiencing shortages and rationing. Toluca, however, is fortunate to have a reliable and sufficient water system that provides clean and safe water to its residents. She emphasizes the importance of water for life and expresses her appreciation and respect for the water in Toluca. Cathy also promotes responsible water usage and encourages others to do the same.
Cathy is an expat and Mexican national who has a lot of experience and knowledge about living in Toluca, Mexico. She has shared tips and stories on how to stay safe, get around, enjoy the music, and adapt to the climate and lifestyle in Toluca.
We hope that you have enjoyed this article and that you have learned something new and useful. If you are interested in becoming an expat, or if you are already an expat, we hope that this article has inspired you and helped you. Living in another country can be a rewarding experience, but it can also be a difficult and challenging one. The key is to be prepared, informed, and open-minded, and to embrace the opportunities and surprises that come your way. Thank you for reading, and happy expat life!
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