I'm sorry you're having a tough time, but the main problem is, quite frankly, your attitude.
It sounds like you're overwhelmed being immersed in a foreign culture, and your reflexive response is to hate everything about it. That's understandable. It's common. But it's not good and it's no way to live.
If you go into it with the perspective that things are worse in Mexico, you will find things to be worse in Mexico. Presumably you are in Mexico because you wanted to see a place different from Canada. So try to relax. Remember that most people don't want to rob and murder you. Assume good intentions (within reason). Weird stares can be great opportunities to start conversations.
Keep an open mind and make an earnest effort to get to know the culture and how things work. You will come out the other side all the happier and better for it.
Originally Posted by
TallTourist
Yeah, Canada's definitely got no shortage of arseholes, no arguments there. When I say Canada is better I mean:
There are serious consequences for reckless driving
Canadians generally use turn signals to indicate their intentions which makes everyone get where they are going faster and with less stress
We have better roads and don't put speed bumps in the middle of our highways.
We don't have massive corruption (we have corruption but it's much less serious)
I'm sure many Mexicans would agree with me on these points. And it's not because of a lack of money. There is a lot of money in this country and in many Latin American countries but apparently it's not going toward improving any of the things I've mentioned (corruption excepted). Some of the locals I've talked to have said gov't officials just get involved in politics to improve their own financial situation and basically steal all that they can.
I recognise a lot of people will find my comments/opinions objectionable perhaps because they think I'm saying there is something inherently wrong with the people here. Nothing could be further from the truth. In Canada some of my favourite colleagues have been from Latin American countries. They left their countries of origin because they too were unsatisfied with the living conditions.
I've been to Europe a few times already, I really like it. I find most Europeans to be generally pretty civilised. Even the ones who may say objectionable things don't do it in quite the same way as those of us in the Americas and it comes off as kind of almost humourous (to me at least). The infrastructure in places like France and Holland is excellent and much much better than Canada or the USA (though I think USA highways are probably designed better, can't be sure). I think we could learn a lot from them like when to admit our faults and try to fix them. So yeah I'm definitely going.
Something tells me we'll just have to agree to disagree. I think I have a fairly objective opinion on what constitutes a better country, though. The things I've mentioned are just a drop in the bucket but yeah.
I'd sure like to get back to the original point of this thread.