Don't say "No", It's Illegal Here!

It's true.

You never say "no" here. Or, "I don't know".

If you invite someone to your house for a party, you will always get an answer in the affirmative. Whether it's a party or something else, you will often hear the following:

"Yes, of course! See you there!"

"Yes, I'm coming!"

"Oh yes, lets do it!"

And if you ask someone a question, they will always have an answer for you. They will never say, "I don't know!". They will almost always have a reason or an excuse or an explanation.

So if you say to the lovely lady on the telephone, "Can you tell me why I don't have internet?", she will most definitely answer with something (without checking a thing of course) along the lines of, "Oh yes this is a neighbourhood problem and you should have internet within an hour.".

Isn't it wonderful? Everyone has answers and everyone ALWAYS shows up when they say they will.

:)

Yeah not so much. For some reason it's really rude to say the following when you know damn well you will not be attending whatever invite you are invited to:

"No, I'm sorry, I have plans and I cannot make it."

"No, I won't be coming, I'm allergic to cats."

"No, I'm not coming because I am associated with the aliens, and we will be stealing the Coca Zero that night."

It's apparently also not kosher to say, "I don't know". And the following is not acceptable either:

"Sorry I'm not sure, let me get someone else to help you!"

"Let me ask my boss because I DON'T KNOW!".

"I don't know but try calling your neighbour?"

(And that internet problem you called about? The problem was strictly related to you, so after waiting an hour and getting no internet, and checking with friends who have internet, you call back. But you get the same answer, to which you explain to her that it's not and that you want a tech right away and only then will they be bothered to look into the problem for you. This happens a lot.)

So you know, I just run with it. I end up doing the same. I say I'm coming over when I'm not and I make up answers because sometimes it's just easier than having the person yell at you on the other end.

I even do it when I go back home to visit. My family has scolded me and called me on it more than once, to which I respond, "Manana? Come see come sa? No speaky the language?". And they look at me with that WTF look? And then leave me alone because they are scared.

I don't normally notice that I do it here in Mexico because it's so normal. But back home I catch myself saying that I will phone people or that I will go out with them or that I will stop by when I really don't have any intention of doing so. It really is a bad habit to get into, but only if you do it when are outside of the land where it is considered acceptable.

I once had a friend in Vancouver call me when I was visiting. I tried really hard to adhere to the standard practice of manners back home by saying, "No sorry, it's late and I'm tired and I don't want to go out now." I said it. But it didn't work. Because the said friend wouldn't give up. They kept pushing and pushing and saying COME ON COME ON LETS GO OUT! NOW! GET UP NOW! I kept saying NO NO NO NO NO and then I just got annoyed and tired. I couldn't be bothered to argue the point so I said, "Ok, I'll be there in 20 minutes. See you there!". I promptly hung up the phone, turned off the t.v., and went straight to bed. :) See how much easier that is?


So, the next time you're down in Mexico and someone says that they will totally show up at your party and then don't. Or they give you an answer to a question you know they couldn't possibly know the correct answer to.......... just feel special. Do not take offense. Because you too are now part of this culture. Think of it as being welcomed into a secret society.

So then. Now that we have that clear.....

I'll call you later ok?