My company develops software in Washington State and is starting up a development group in Mexico City.  I've wanted to see Central America for quite some time and have toyed with the idea of putting in for a transfer.  Can anyone tell me what the high-tech and IT community is like there?  Also, what is life in Mexico City and vicinity like.  I'm not so much interested in that immediate area as such but rather being in a place where it is tolerable to live and is in relatively close proximity to the rest of Central America.  (I'm particularly interested in Costa Rica.)
209229
Mexico is not close to Costa Rica .... and Mexico City government uses(ed) Linux servers. Most desktops are pirated XP
641532
Hi. I know where is Chile 'cause I live there. Well... here:). About good advices... mmm don't know. Here we have a lot of exchange student from the United States and I don't think they have problems finding places to live, eat and drink. I study in the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso so, if you are coming to this university, let me know in case you need some extra information.\nEspero que estés practicando tu español.\nBye!\n(uff I need to erase the "geek" word in my screenname)
546006
You should check out The Pentegon's New Map by Thomas Barnett and maybe email some embassies in the US for really booming countries like India and China.  Also, depending on how technical you want to go, you may want to look at Jan Aart Scholte's book Globalization: a critical introduction.
310484
Everything you said is true true true. Also Mexico is not a poor country. It is just poorer in relative to us. Like you living next door to Bill Gates.\nIllegals are a product for Mexican government in remittance at a tune of $54 billion a year. Pres.V. Fox just gave himself a $28,000 raise. He make more then the presidents/Priminsters of France, Germany and Canada.\n\nThey need to stay and demand their country work. If they can get organized down there like they had up here May 1st they might make changes. \n\nGo to the Travel section of Q&A get into the Mexico site and ask the question there. I have met some real nice and smart people like Chess, Joo, Just Me and others asking questions there. Gypsy.
188243
I am not all too familiar with Mexican candidates, but Lopez Obrador seems like the best choice to me.\nMexico has had enough of free market policies and neo-liberalism already, NAFTA has destroyed and ruined Mexican farmers and small industrialists and is replacing mexican native factories with sweatshops of multinational companies.\n\nThe place of Mexico belongs with the rest of Latin America, specially now that the trade blocks of MERCOSUR and the Hugo Chavez's ALBA (Bolivarian Alternative for the Americas) are consolidating in South America to defy the US-backed "Washington Consensus".\nWe are witnessing the terrible poverty, de-industrialization and social inequality brought by so-called "free" market, and we have had enough of it.\n\nThe best option for Mexico, I think, lies in the Zapatistas  and like-minded groups, but they have little chance of winning the elections (besides, the EZLN is not even participating). Therefore, to avoid the corporate-lobbist, oligarchic, FTTA-backer Vicente Fox, Obrador seems like the best choice to me. \nSaludos desde Argentina.\n\n\nEDIT: Yes, NAFTA has created more commerce. But has that served to improve the well-being of ordinary mexicans? Last time I checked, social inequality in mexico was actually increasing, not decreasing.\nBesides, I'd rather have proper employment and industrialization, and not sweathops. I do not consider sweatshops a "step" in comparison to the previous situation...but maybe that's just me, right?
383906
If you live in the US, it would be more helpful to learn Mexican or Central American Spanish, Cuban Spanish if you live in Florida or New York.  Puerto Rican speakers can pretty much talk to everyone.  I still think Costa Rica would be a good choice, even with a lot of English speakers there to help you through the rough spots. They'll be speaking mostly Spanish with some US slang thrown in, but you probably can't escape "hey" "baby" and "wussup" no matter where you go today.
301059
Here, here!! I mean yeah there are some pretty F'ed up things about this country but we still have PLENTY of advantages over other countries. It cant be that bad & if it is, BYE!!! Mexico is right across the border!
235182
As I was in the same business as you are, except that I'm in México ( I had a sw development company here and our customers were in US, Canada and mainly UK, Germany, France and Spain ). I suggest you to think and choose between 2 ways of achieving customers in other countries besides India:\n\n1.- You could find persons or companies that would become your sales representatives in your target countries. The good thing is that they know the market and they will sell more "easily" your apps rather than you being several thousand kilometers away. The bad thing here is that you don't own control of their efforts, you can't measure them and in most cases you must have a sales target made by contract in order for them to accomplish that, if not, they would simply feel no pressure to sell your products.\n\n2.- You could contact your future customers by email as a first approach, then by IP phone and you'll have total control of the sales processes. The good things are that  besides measuring your efforts into $$$, having control of everything that happens within the sales processes, you could "choose" which companies/countries fit you better. The bad things are that, if you wanted to do business with any Latinamerican country for example you must be in front of the person you're trying to sell them your products or if you try to sell to Ford in US, your emails, web pages and every sales effort will be in line with another 1K companies around the globe trying to do the same thing. \n\nBecause globalization brings closer any app from any given country to any given customer, but also decreases the chances of succeeding due to the high number of providers in any given country.\n\nI hope all my previous knowledge could help you better to understand what do you need.
146825
You can get a permit that lets you stay as long as 6mnths but there might be a special program for like exchange students. but to just live there it is really cheap The average person who lives there makes aboot 100 pesos a day. Which with our exchange rate right now they earn about $10 a day.  That why they all want to work over here
16143
I have been to California and also lived on the east coast and the mid-west.  From my experience, I found the west coast to be a totally different country.  But there are some pros and cons.  There is a lot of mixing of cultures there, so you will find whites, Hispanics, and people of Indian and Asian descent in  large numbers.  The west coast is also warmer climate-wise due to the proximity to the desert and the sea.  More importantly, for some reason I found the people friendlier than anywhere else in the states.  The food is also inspired by different cultures, but you can find a lot of authentic Mexican food there.  One word of caution, the west coast is pretty expensive to stay!  On the other hand, the percentage of young population (and techies) is very high, so you will find someone for outdoor activites pretty easily.
185035
I have some friends moving there and she's been looking for a job.  There is supposedly a very large job market there.  Not only many jobs available, but many good jobs.\n\nIt's a great place for someone on the east coast looking for decent pay and willing to relocate!
641623
I'm from California too, Orange County. I'm half Mexican. I don't feel comfortable with some white people because of comments I hear and their stereotypes about Mexicans. I look white so they talk to me in ways I know they wouldn't if they knew half my family is Mexican. Now at my work most people know so they don't say these things anymore. Now OC has so many more stereotypes with the tv show. The people here don't all look like the ones in that show. (Where are the Mexicans anyway? None are allowed in Newport after 7 pm. Only gardeners are allowed in the day time).  Another stereotype is that every Latino here is from Mexico and that El Salvador is IN Mexico. My students think it's the same place and so do the adults!!! My students also think that Santa Ana is dirty (if you watch Arrested Development, that's the city where the housekeeper's family lives). There are million dollar residences in Santa Ana though. I could go on and on :-P
233605
My friend Andrew currently lives in Mexico and is teaching English in business settings. I don't think he has changed citizenship, but he may be able to answer some questions for you. I'll link his myspace below!
162196
My friend, you can be certain that Mexico, (saying this as a Mexican) LOVES YOUR COUNTRY. At least I would be really proud! Thats why Im going in the summer! INDIA ROCKS!
613169
The potential for that field is anywhere in the US. It just depends on what's available at the time and whether his qualifications meet the needs of the company. If you like the Southwest, does his languages include Spanish? Albuquerque and Santa Fe NM are nice.
141218
Mexico is a very solid team and can be the big surprise in the world cup. They show what they can do in the confederations cup, beat Brazil with all their stars,tied with Argentina, and what they do in the copa America year after year..\n\nI think there are way to many foreign players in the league, it is a very competitive one, but it is hard for young players to come out. \nAlso since is extremely well paid good players tend to stay rather than grow as football players by going to better leagues such as the English,Italian,Spanish,or German leagues.\nThat's why I admire players like Borgetti and Rafa.\n\nI like the new rule of forcing teams to play players under 21 or otherwise lose points..and probably they need to restrict foreign players to 3  per team.\n\nAnd for those US supporters writting comments maybe you should be a little more informed before you say something.  The US is a Very good team, but in the qualification phase Mexico beat the US in Mexico City in the first match---so it was even...I respect the American team but you should have seen Donovan's comments after the game in Columbus which were very offencive. Coach Arenas Also made offencive comments way before That game, so I don't think the US should cry either. it just the nature of the rivalry so don't cry over that.
328442
Quickest way to learn is to get a few mexican friends. \nor move to mexico.