I am not trying to sell Mexico...

[Cali vet]

... in response to Re: Re: Re: Re: It's tough getting Mexic..., posted by Edge on Mar 15, 2002

Boy that is a pretty good summation of the history and current circumstances. Talking about the changes in Cali's economy I remember one taxi driver telling me that in the eighties he used to see teenagers driving Porches around town all the time. Just one visable sign of the huge narco boom that was going on then. Well, not no more!

[Edge]

... in response to Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: It's tough getting M..., posted by Cali vet on Mar 15, 2002

After 9/11, my wife resisted flying here because she thoght that Colombia was a safer place to be than the U.S.  She was hearing these stories of anthrax and she thought that planes could maybe fly over and spray everyone.  She is still a little leery of a low flying plane :-).  

I would think that Venezuela would have some agencies because the conditions there are similar to Colombia except for civil conflict. Since Chavez has been in power, times have gotten tough.  In prior years, many Colombians went there looking for work.  A Venezuelan friend advised me it was similar to how many Mexicans come here to find work.  Maybe the Venezuelans are not as enterprising as some of their Colombian neighbors to start agencies.  From what I could tell on my visits, the women would dearly love to get to know gringos.  There are some gringos there working for the oil companies.  

I know there was some bad press from I believe it was from a match-makers tour where one of the gringos allegedly raped a woman.  But the article ran in somewhat of a tabloid from what I can recall.

Well anyway, vamos a ver..

[Cali vet]

... in response to Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: It's tough getti..., posted by Edge on Mar 15, 2002

Maria Del Carmen of classycolombianladies in Barranquilla had a plan a while back for opening a branch agency in Caracas but the relative there who was supposed to run it pooped out. Too bad because it would be nice to have the chance to meet venezulanas through an agency.

A storey I heard and here I digress in to chisme, is that TLC had a tour there and that the first night a local female news reporter came to the event, didn't like what she saw and blasted TLC on local news which resulted in no one showing up for the second event and later pool party. But I like your storey better. Well love these urban ledgends. Maybe there's an actual participant out there who has the "real" scoop. In any case as I posted earlier TLC now pitches a local orphanage to get donations out of tour participants on it's Barranquilla tours in order to ingratiate its self with the city.

[Patrick]

... in response to Re: Re: Re: It's tough getting Mexicanas..., posted by Cali vet on Mar 14, 2002

Obiously this is a topic that nobody can really speak authoritatively on.  Reasons why Colombianas are much more willing to join agencies than are Mexicanas (or other Latinas) are always going to be opinions.

I can definitely say from a lot of experience advertising that the response rates from Colombia are much better than any other country.  There are many other Latin countries with economies that are as bad, or worse, than Colombia's, but it's the Colombianas who respond in far greater numbers than any other country we've advertised in.  Even countries with much larger populations yield much worse results for the same advertisements running in popular newspapers.  There's got to be a reason for that.  Whether it's economics, a feeling of hopelessness due to the civil unrest, a more liberal culture, or the "snowball effect," or a combination, is anybody's guess.

If it were all economics, then there would be several other Latin countries where the women signup in as large a number as Colombia.  In six years of advertising in Latin America, we've definitely seen a consistantly greater response from Colombianas.  We've advertised pretty much everywhere.  Mexico, Honduras, Nicaragua, Bolivia, Chile, Puerto Rico, Venezuela, Ecuador, Chile, Peru, etc., etc.

[Jeff S]

... in response to Then why the differences?, posted by Patrick on Mar 14, 2002


. . . that there's more of a stigma attached to marrying a gringo for Mexicans. My secretary, a US born daughter of Mexican immigrants, has 20 aunts and uncles, and over 100 first cousins mostly all in the US, and only one of them (an uncle) married a non-Mexican. He's the talk of the family and considered somewhat of a traitor. Even my secretary who's married to a third generation Mexican-American who speaks Spanish rather poorly, is chastised by trying to "act white" by many in her family, even though she's the one all 100 cousins and 20 aunts and uncles come to with their leases, taxes, insurance, and other legal and financial matters for help. - Just a thought.

-- Jeff S.

[Michael B]

... in response to Then why the differences?, posted by Patrick on Mar 14, 2002

Some reasons for low Mexican response rate (IMHO)

1) Poor Mexican women don't need to marry a gringo to come to the US, they already come to Texas and California in droves to be maids and waitresses and other menial jobs.

2) Poor Mexican women have neither the access to computers nor the education and experience to use them. Really small towns aren't going to have an internet cafe, (some of the really small/poor villages still don't have telephone service or at best 1 phone in the general store) and even where internet cafes exist, the really poor can't afford them and/or don't know how to use them.

3) Educated Mexican women can still find a decient job in Mexico i.e. banks, office, secretery, civil service, teacher etc. and don't want to abandon these jobs.

4) Huge Mexican infrastructure already here and for the women interested in comming to the US, they can simply (leagaly or illegaly) join a boyfriend/husband and/or family already here, without the need to marry a gringo.

5) (to a lesser extent but still a factor) Over exposure to "bad gringos"....i.e. "boys' town" visitors and insane drunken college students on spring break in the border and resort areas, and way too many "ugly American" tourists throughout the country.

6) Last (but not least) there doesn't seem to be a war in Mexico last time I looked.

Reguarding the Chiapas situation, I don't think it plays a factor. Most of the people in Chiapas don't even speak Spanish very well, let alone English and they are much more concerned about being left alone to continue their traditional ejido (communal subsistance farming) lifestyle and perserving their culture than they are in moving to the US.  

Don't get me wrong, I LIKE Mexicans and find them quite attractive, came t-h-i-s close to marrying one back in 1974, these are just some observations as to why I think they don't sign up with agencies and/or post themselves on the net as much as Colombians do.

[Cali vet]

... in response to Then why the differences?, posted by Patrick on Mar 14, 2002

It sounds like you may need to tailor your marketing stategy more carefully to the individual countries you are trying to solicit business from. You've already stated repeatedly that the lack of success in Mexico is due Mexicans having a more conservative culture than Colombians. Perhaps you are using a "one size fits all approach". I don't mean to discount the obvious effects of the war but it is the economic impacts that seem to be uppermost in the minds of calenas for example. It sounds as though maybe you haven't had much on site interpersonal experience with colombianas and are sort of guessing at what they're about from the world news reports. I'm not the expert and don't want to belabor the point but I just haven't found the calenas or barranquilleras I've talked to to be very concerned about what the guerilla are doing in comparison with their concern for their economic situation. It's always "no hay plata, no hay plata".

[Edge]

... in response to I am not trying to sell Mexico..., posted by Alteno on Mar 13, 2002

Hey Randy -  I remember when you first started posting quite awhile back about being in Guadalajara and the women there, before you were married.  You got harassed a little then also, but I believe for different reasons.
Anyway, don't worry about it.  I think there are probably some fine women there.  I think it is a little strong to say that THE most beautiful women in the world live there.  From what I recall you have not been to Colombia to be able to judge.  I think that is just your way of speaking and these are generalizations..

I myself have not been to Guadalajara.  I have posted before about a Spanish teacher I recently had that was a knockout and she was from Guadalajara.  What I liked about her, in addition to her physical charms, was that she had personality +.  She could rival the colombianas as she had a curvy figure and big brown eyes.  She was married to a gringo and I was shortly to head down the alter..

Take a walk in a mall in Caracas and your head is going to be jerking back and forth, especially if it is your first day in country coming from the u.s. This is until you have a few days under your belt and it is more routine to see many beautiful women.

I tend to be jingoistic about Colombia (VIVA Colombia!) but I think it is great that you are posting about central Mexico.

I think some guys are kind of scratching their heads about how they might go about duplicating the success you have had in finding a woman there, however most do not plan to move to Mexico...

Good luck and keep posting...

[Jeff S]

... in response to I am not trying to sell Mexico..., posted by Alteno on Mar 13, 2002


Gloria is a real knockout. You guys make a great couple. I especially liked the Queretero pictures. I get there every year on business and think it's a really fantastic little city.

I feel the same way being married to a Japanese women and posting on the Philippine (I mean Asian) board. Don't take it personally, everyone has their own opinions, though this board seems to have the most discussion about the size and shape of various body parts than any of the three. Funny, how those converstions all seem to evaporate once you become happily married. Anyway, keep posting please.

-- Jeff S.

[Bubba]

... in response to I am not trying to sell Mexico..., posted by Alteno on Mar 13, 2002

The point of these boards is to share information and your's is as good as anyone else's.

Please keep it coming I'm sure there are a lot of people who enjoy it who aren't going to get in the name calling fight and won't post but they will read it.

I think ANY country in the world has beautiful women and you are correct by the numbers based on population.

If they don't like Mexico then go somewhere else, I like the idea of everyone sharing what they have found.

I thick Patirck found his lady in Mexico.

[greg]

... in response to Sell away!, posted by Bubba on Mar 13, 2002

and Happiness. )) Alteno keep your interesting Posts coming. greg

[Tai]

... in response to I am not trying to sell Mexico..., posted by Alteno on Mar 13, 2002

Hey Randy,

I was recently shopping in the Fruitvale district(the area of my city with a large Mexican population) and saw a very striking Mexican woman...wait, okay, she was downright FINE!

She was from a town in northern Mexico. This woman is probably what you would refer to as morena clara...she had dark hair and blue eyes(not contacts)...and a QUITE curvy body.

Three words ran through my mind:  1)OH - 2)MY - 3)GOD!

I was almost home free, and ready to become a Mexicana convert, when I heard that fateful response: "Si, tengo una hija."   -Doh!

Tai

Keep posting Randy.

[markxport]

... in response to I am not trying to sell Mexico..., posted by Alteno on Mar 13, 2002

Hi Randy!  Keep submitting from time to time.  Trust me, there are plenty of guys looking for options, and your experiences keep those open.  

Thanks,

Mark

[JunFan]

... in response to I am not trying to sell Mexico..., posted by Alteno on Mar 13, 2002

Randy,
Just wanted to let you know I enjoyed your pics on the website.  

Out of curiousity, why are there tall women in Northern Mexico?  I mean, it would seem like there would have to be tall men there of some European descent to make the tall girls with light hair.  What's the bloodlines of the women in the area that you refer to?

TIA,
Mike

http://www.sparhard.colombia.htm

[Jeff S]

... in response to Re: I am not trying to sell Mexico..., posted by JunFan on Mar 13, 2002

Mike:
Lots of Northern Italians and Spaniards have light skin/eyes/hair (remember Charro?) Many of the people in that part of Mexico intermarried less with the native pouulations, also. I and know several Mexican men from Zactecas who are my size or taller at 6'4". The Northern Indians were larger in stature than the Southern also. The Aztecs were considerably bigger than the Mayans, for instance, also.
-- Jeff S.