Alvin Starkman M.A., LL.B.
Where else but in Mexico can you park two blocks away from the ballpark, buy a pair of field level seats beside the dugout, eat a personal size pizza, have a beer, pastry, lollipop and tic-tacs, and be entertained for more than three hours during a warm, breezy evening, all for about [...]

Alvin Starkman, M.A., LL.B.
They say that Mexicans really know how to party. Here in Oaxaca we do it in spades, because it’s part of a longstanding cultural tradition. Also because it’s affordable, certainly relative to what it would cost in the US or Canada. What you would love to do at home but can’t because [...]

Alvin Starkman M.A., LL.B.
Oaxaca has two main advantages over other southern destinations for snowbirds, that is, those whose permanent residences are in the mid to northern United States or in Canada, and enjoy wintering in a warm climate. First, you can explore one of the most culturally rich regions in Latin America, and then if the [...]

Alvin Starkman, M.A., LL.B.
An examination of tourist reviews of quality, reputable bed and breakfast accommodations in Oaxaca, reveals occasional commentaries relating to noise, insects, smells and sanitation.
Travelers to a southern, Third World country, who want at least partial immersion into the host society as an element of their total vacation, must recognize that their [...]

Alvin Starkman M.A., LL.B.
Whether it’s getting your car license plates, going to the bank or to pay your phone bill, attending at IMSS to see a doctor through the federal health insurance plan, or simply trying to negotiate your way through traffic, you can’t help but be affected by the bureaucratic inefficiencies in Oaxaca.
Ten times [...]

The proper etiquette of dressing for social functions in Mexico is good to know if you want to be well received by others in the community.  This article discusses the social norms regarding dress code when attending social events in Mexico.
When you attend a cocktail party in the US you dress appropriately. It’s the [...]

Whether you live in Mexico or vacation in the country on a regular basis, if you’ve begun to integrate into the local community eventually you’ll be asked to be a padrino or madrina (godparent) to an ahijado or ahijada (godchild). So you’d better familiarize yourself with “compadrazgo”, or co-godparenthood. In a nutshell, it’s a [...]

It took 8 years for my wife and I to find the right piece of land in the ideal location in Oaxaca, obtain good title, decide upon an architect/project manager, and commence and complete construction. Throughout the process the learning curve was significant, as were the frustrations and the simultaneous fits of disillusionment and excitement.  [...]

Give one example of an oxymoron. You guessed it. But just when you think you’re comfortable driving in Oaxaca, Mexico, with no hard-fast or enforced regulations, there you are, transito (a traffic cop) waving you over, giving you a ticket, removing your license plate, or towing your vehicle. Watching and learning from local drivers provides [...]

Transporting your worldly possessions into Mexico is both an art and a science, even more so if you intend to do so on your own … truck and all. The task then also becomes a challenge and an adventure. No matter what the Canadian or American Consul in your Mexican destination advises, and regardless of [...]