Posted by jbj on April 09, 2001 at 09:51:53:
In Reply to: "un regalo" for her "novio" ( a gift for her boyfriend) posted by RickFeliz on April 08, 2001 at 17:11:46:
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Having gone through this a few times, here are a few suggestions: If you really care about your friend, try to make a permanent impact on the kid. It would not be much of a burden on you, for example, to make sure the boy begins attending a preparatoria. If the boy is in a place like Guaymas, Culiacan, Mazatlan, Acapulco, Salina Cruz, ahem, it should not be a problem to locate a good opportunity that is a step up from where the boy is attending today. Sometimes you have to buy your way in, but for all but the most exclusive prepas in Mexico City, Monterrey and Guadalajara, the tuition and books are a pittance. It is shocking how little teenagers read today versus a decade ago. I'm sure this is a global phenomenon, but unlike in Japan or the USA where maybe you could think about having a decent life without being truly literate, in Mexico the opportunities are so few that you really need to have the advantage of literacy. For an entry-level job in a bank, as an example, the personnel offices can make exceedingly high demands. Instead of getting him one book, I would put your little nephew on a reading program. Moreover, this is an area where your friend in Tijuana may be a bit helpless and where you could make a huge contribution. It took about five dates with a friend of mine from CC to realize she could barely, barely read, much less select literature for her growing children. While I like the idea of Harry Potter, I would suggest you mix in some Mexican classics. Finally, the further south in Mexico one goes, at least as far as Oaxaca and Quintana Roo from my personal experience, the more popular soccer is (north of, say, Zacatecas, baseball is king). You can get really nice knockoff jerseys of the more exotic, non-Mexican teams on Ebay from vendors in Thailand (but 3 or more at a time and save big on postage). THe quality of the jerseys is exceptional. The kids know the teams from Europe, Argentina and Brazil because the games are shown on TV. My little friends in, uh, Salina Cruz and Cozumel are the envy of their camarada with their Flamengo, Juventus, Boca Juniors and Liverpool jerseys. I would echo the sentiments expressed elsewhere and make the gifts from YOU. Make the boy feel special. Because, you know, he is. |
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