Today has been a day of driving around yet again, although more driving than idling.
Being a professional classical orchestra musician, I feel, has prepared me well for today and the days to come. Why? Well, here's what is different about driving in Mexico first.
1) Driving rules are not the same in Mexico as the USA. I actually enjoy driving here much more, but I'm still constantly learning and questioning what is right and what is wrong and which rules I can stretch and which I can just outright break. Watch, try, and learn every day.
2) There are speed bumps (so tall my car drags bottom quite often even at the slowest drop) randomly with no notice often and giant potholes. Topes, as the speed bumps are called, sometimes have a road sign a few meters ahead of them. Sometimes they're painted yellow and white to stand out from the blacktop. But very often, they're just black and there is no sign so when you're driving trying to watch for everything else, well, my heart has lept into my throat more times than I care to admit.
3) Following Google Map instructions is only partially helpful. Meaning I have to listen to Google, zoom in to physically read the map, and watch all the road signs go by at the same time. Google consistently tells you to turn one road to early and doesn't understand the divided road system here so is constantly telling you to stay left or right at the Y when there is no Y and when there actually is a Y, Google almost always says to go straight!
4) Stop signs and right of way are a learned process more than they are marked. Best idea right now is to anger every driver behind me as I slow down at each intersection to figure out my particular driving rights. And most of the time it's impossible to see around the intersection until you're out in it so knowing right of way really helps, although I'm sure not always.
5) Many roads here are one-way and there may or may not be a sign painted visibly on the ground or posted on a pole or painted on a wall. I spent nearly an hour driving north on a divided road simply wanting to turn left anywhere. Google maps showed that I could but when I got to each intersection, there was a 'no left turn' sign that everyone seemed to follow so I did as well. Ended up having to wind through one-way neighborhood streets east of the road to cross the north/south bound road going west. Bloody nightmare!
6) Since I'm apartment hunting I'm a looking for "Se Renta" signs everywhere which keeps my head on a continuous swivel. As soon as I spot a sign I then need to either pull over randomly in the street or figure a way to drive back around. Either are spur of the moment decisions I hope don't end badly.
7) Investigating all the neighborhoods means I'm interested in what kind of shops and restaurants are around and how far they are from each other. It's been fun translating everything at the speed of driving. This has been my easiest task though I think.
8) In Guadalajara there are a whole lot of bicylists. Many times there are bike lanes as well which are nice and divided from the main road with concrete barriers. However, neighborhood streets don't have the bike lanes and even on the main roads, I feel like I'm the most grateful girl in the world to have a 2 door car with extra large windows. So far, no bicyclists injured in the house hunt!
9) In addition to the bicylists, there are mopeds and motorbikes everywhere. (Understandably, considering the car traffic). They drive similar to how they do in Europe (around and through all the cars). There are even patches of green at the front of the interesections for them to accumulate before the light changes. I am familiar with this and it doesn't phase me driving-wise, however, since I'm overwhelmed with looking for everything else, one still surprises me every so often. Thankfully, no motorbikers have been injured in the house hunt!
10) Parking and finding parking is an absolute nightmare. I have a long car for Mexico and that makes it even more difficult. Mostly though, there are just not many places to park. When you do find a spot, it's usually in front of a garage and you have to hunt for the no parking sign and move on. Then you find another spot but it's got a blue sign which means it's a goverment regulated spot so you have to pay for it through an app (and only the the app mind you). Since I don't have the app set up, I have to keep trying. It took me a half hour of driving around one-way streets this morning to find a parking spot for my first apartment showing. Sure glad I left early! Most important though is making sure you don't pass up any potential spot because by the time you can drive around, it will be gone. Finding the speed to drive where you can look and potentially stop, yet not anger the car trying to not park behind you is a 'fun' game I'm already tired of playing.
So why has the years in the symphony orchestras helped me to drive here in Mexico? I believe the ability to read my music, watch the conductor, watch the section leader, watch the concertmaster, listen for doubling throughout the orchestra, listen for the melody if I don't have it, listen for the harmony and bass to perfect pitch, and also listen to myself has given me the tools to be able to simulataneously be successful in the midst of the sensory overload that is driving in Mexico.
Yes, I hit a few wrong notes or occasionally misread the conductor or concertmaster, as I occasionally drop in a pot hole or sail over a tope. But so far, my senses on high alert, my symphony of apartment hunting from the car has proved successful and extremely valuable.
Here's to making even more beautiful music in the world to come!
Being a professional classical orchestra musician, I feel, has prepared me well for today and the days to come. Why? Well, here's what is different about driving in Mexico first.
1) Driving rules are not the same in Mexico as the USA. I actually enjoy driving here much more, but I'm still constantly learning and questioning what is right and what is wrong and which rules I can stretch and which I can just outright break. Watch, try, and learn every day.
2) There are speed bumps (so tall my car drags bottom quite often even at the slowest drop) randomly with no notice often and giant potholes. Topes, as the speed bumps are called, sometimes have a road sign a few meters ahead of them. Sometimes they're painted yellow and white to stand out from the blacktop. But very often, they're just black and there is no sign so when you're driving trying to watch for everything else, well, my heart has lept into my throat more times than I care to admit.
3) Following Google Map instructions is only partially helpful. Meaning I have to listen to Google, zoom in to physically read the map, and watch all the road signs go by at the same time. Google consistently tells you to turn one road to early and doesn't understand the divided road system here so is constantly telling you to stay left or right at the Y when there is no Y and when there actually is a Y, Google almost always says to go straight!
4) Stop signs and right of way are a learned process more than they are marked. Best idea right now is to anger every driver behind me as I slow down at each intersection to figure out my particular driving rights. And most of the time it's impossible to see around the intersection until you're out in it so knowing right of way really helps, although I'm sure not always.
5) Many roads here are one-way and there may or may not be a sign painted visibly on the ground or posted on a pole or painted on a wall. I spent nearly an hour driving north on a divided road simply wanting to turn left anywhere. Google maps showed that I could but when I got to each intersection, there was a 'no left turn' sign that everyone seemed to follow so I did as well. Ended up having to wind through one-way neighborhood streets east of the road to cross the north/south bound road going west. Bloody nightmare!
6) Since I'm apartment hunting I'm a looking for "Se Renta" signs everywhere which keeps my head on a continuous swivel. As soon as I spot a sign I then need to either pull over randomly in the street or figure a way to drive back around. Either are spur of the moment decisions I hope don't end badly.
7) Investigating all the neighborhoods means I'm interested in what kind of shops and restaurants are around and how far they are from each other. It's been fun translating everything at the speed of driving. This has been my easiest task though I think.
8) In Guadalajara there are a whole lot of bicylists. Many times there are bike lanes as well which are nice and divided from the main road with concrete barriers. However, neighborhood streets don't have the bike lanes and even on the main roads, I feel like I'm the most grateful girl in the world to have a 2 door car with extra large windows. So far, no bicyclists injured in the house hunt!
9) In addition to the bicylists, there are mopeds and motorbikes everywhere. (Understandably, considering the car traffic). They drive similar to how they do in Europe (around and through all the cars). There are even patches of green at the front of the interesections for them to accumulate before the light changes. I am familiar with this and it doesn't phase me driving-wise, however, since I'm overwhelmed with looking for everything else, one still surprises me every so often. Thankfully, no motorbikers have been injured in the house hunt!
10) Parking and finding parking is an absolute nightmare. I have a long car for Mexico and that makes it even more difficult. Mostly though, there are just not many places to park. When you do find a spot, it's usually in front of a garage and you have to hunt for the no parking sign and move on. Then you find another spot but it's got a blue sign which means it's a goverment regulated spot so you have to pay for it through an app (and only the the app mind you). Since I don't have the app set up, I have to keep trying. It took me a half hour of driving around one-way streets this morning to find a parking spot for my first apartment showing. Sure glad I left early! Most important though is making sure you don't pass up any potential spot because by the time you can drive around, it will be gone. Finding the speed to drive where you can look and potentially stop, yet not anger the car trying to not park behind you is a 'fun' game I'm already tired of playing.
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| What it feels like trying to drive in Mexico all by myself. |
So why has the years in the symphony orchestras helped me to drive here in Mexico? I believe the ability to read my music, watch the conductor, watch the section leader, watch the concertmaster, listen for doubling throughout the orchestra, listen for the melody if I don't have it, listen for the harmony and bass to perfect pitch, and also listen to myself has given me the tools to be able to simulataneously be successful in the midst of the sensory overload that is driving in Mexico.
Yes, I hit a few wrong notes or occasionally misread the conductor or concertmaster, as I occasionally drop in a pot hole or sail over a tope. But so far, my senses on high alert, my symphony of apartment hunting from the car has proved successful and extremely valuable.
Here's to making even more beautiful music in the world to come!
