Author Archives: Sam Martin

I’ve spent a bit of time recently obsessing over the US Democrat primaries. There’s a big US expat community in Mexico City and I’ve watched some of the candidate debates with a group called Democrats Abroad in the American Legion bar in Condesa. In the process I have unexpectedly become a Bernie Sanders fan andContinue reading “Feel the Bern”

Donald Trump launched his election campaign by calling Mexicans rapists and murderers, promised to build a wall to keep them out, and is still at it, apparently considering shutting down the southern border (this is illegal but never mind) to keep coronavirus out. But I’ve recently found out that Trump is actually Mexican. Not literally,Continue reading “Why Donald Trump is a Mexican”

It’s easy (and fun) to go to another country and start judging, especially when certain things aren’t run quite how you expect them to be. I have to check myself sometimes. In my head, by comparison with the daily frustrations of Mexico City, the London Underground has become a perfect transport system I know deepContinue reading “The place that goes wrong”

As the ball floated over my head for the eighth time in the game I remembered why I hate playing left-back. I turned, off-balance, and gave chase to the Mexican winger ten years younger than me. Half falling, I followed him into the penalty area, and as he reached the six-yard box I decided enoughContinue reading “Return to action”

I’ve been reading Susan Cain’s Quiet which is both a defence and celebration of introversion. I especially liked how it catalogues the ways introverts like me learn get by in an extrovert’s world. It made me think about why it’s so good to have an introverted personality when you’re a foreigner living in Mexico. LearningContinue reading “An introvert abroad”

I spent 3 weeks travelling through the south of Mexico into the nearest parts of Central America. Here’s what I ate: Not just this! Oaxaca in the south is known for its rich cuisine. Mole negro is a chocolatey-nutty sauce that takes days to make and is considered a delicacy. It is often served withContinue reading “The divine comidas: food round-up 2”

Most people go abroad to experience something different, so we´re disconcerted to find the distance of oceans changing very little. Teaching corporate English in Mexico particularly highlights this. I´ve been surprised to find that corporate culture has given certain workplace practices and ideas a global freedom of movement most workers can only dream of. InContinue reading “Some key learnings”

As a teenager on a French volunteer camp one summer I befriended an American named Andrew. He impressed me with a story of how as a member of the Arizona state college cross-country team he would rise daily before 5am to jog across the desert. This inspired me to do the same after a summerContinue reading “Jog on, cabrón”

In a feature I definitely didn’t steal from a popular Channel 4 sitcom here are my reflections on what the Aztec civilisation has to teach the modern businessperson. 1. There’s no I in team (but there are two in sacrifice) The Aztecs recognised that sometimes individual sacrifice is essential for the healthy functioning of theContinue reading “Business Secrets of the Aztecs”

If you don’t know the story of the Spanish Conquest of Mexico you should look it up now, as it’s one of the most exciting, significant and tragic events in human history. This month was the 500th anniversary of the first meeting between lead conquistador Hernan Cortes and Moctezuma, emperor of the Aztec empire. ItContinue reading “Should Spain apologise?”