Jerry Graves Retired in Mexico 6 Cut Rough

Jerry first of all I wanted to thank you so much for inviting us to come down here and spend some time with you and your brother and visit this lovely place so why don't we just start off with you telling us a little bit about yourself and who you are where you came from and what are you doing here I came from a lot of different places that's why when I'm vacation down here to see my brother that's the only way I found this place a vacation here to see my brother I've lived in major cities all my life born and raised in Tulsa Los Angeles Seattle Alaska Kentucky and they've all been major places I used to come down here and I like that it's quiet I like that this is an old artist community back in the 40s and 50s that's when people started coming down here it's a very very relaxed place still a lot of artists down here they go to the main plaza and show their works and the village of 7,500 people locals expats and locals when you say here can you tell me a little bit about you know a lake chapala weird I hate at Lake Chapala Alexi Panos the largest lake in all of New Mexico it's the largest natural lake all of Mexico the host country Mexico and the village is I hate and a ji ji see and it's actually spelled a XIX Iook see and there's Apollo's five miles from here east and then from chicawa north is well Hara city of about seven million people so if you really want to go to the city life if you miss it which is very few people that you're due then you can go there for it take an hour to get there used to been the whole day and you can see in some of the most beautiful museums I came here because my brother's here and he's lived here for about twelve thirteen years and so it was easy to assimilate myself I came from San Francisco I got rid of my car car and about an SUV an old one and pack that up with everything I could get in it and I drove down here and I got here September 6 and September 12th we had a massive flood at my brother's home and he has five different structures on his compound and the flood went right through all of them and we lost everything and then so he had to start all over again and I had to start all over again buying things and acquiring things but it was you know it's just another life experience and we have some dramatic pictures and and and a detailed account of the flood from walking around the the land with Larry yesterday so we're gonna be able to see some of that so you've been here no how long since September 6th of 2007 ok and you're us still oh yeah I'm on an FM three-day here I'm on a temporary via temporary residence visa and I can stay one year for those then you have to leave the country in Cobell and then you just have to renew ok I mean you marry they're saying oh they're married every one son and two grandkids they still living off all mates they're able to vote we're an Oklahoma and then go say okay so are you working now are you retired retired okay do you do anything that keep yourself busy part-time when I actually came down here to watch television relax read a few books and not get involved with a whole bunch of anything I really and not involved with a lot of things you can be but I'm not one I wanted to relax I'm tired so you partly answered it but so why do you why do you choose to live overseas and wise specifically here in Mexico my brother was down here and we're identical twins were very close and he loves it down here so I figured I'd love it down here and that do so since you've been down here have you faced any particular challenges or issues up to you know personally encountered actually just the flood everything else is very very very very easy down here getting to know people is very easy getting around is very easy the buses are great the highways are becoming great they're there they're not dirt anymore huh I have one issue I I do not like cobblestone streets they're all cobblestone streets here mm-hmm every one of them except the main roads but that's my only issue with I eat otherwise you can see how beautiful it is it's always green this is the same kind of day it is on Christmas Day so that I don't look that I've heard it's probably one of the best climates in the world yes we have a vortex here people come down here actually these to get well and people actually swear by it I I had I had some issues health issues you know I took pills pills pills pills pills and now I just take two different kinds of pills for my diabetes and my mice that's it so um not just you but what kind of challenges do other expats do you think face living living in this area I'm living overseas a lot of people find it very hard to assimilate to the culture because it is a laid-back culture it's very family oriented down here I love that but a lot of people they're just they just really don't leave the United States emotionally they come down here and bring a lot of it with them and a lot of they're you know I just I don't know I just I love Mexico and I'm trying to assimilate I don't know the language as well as I want but I get by and the people you know they're very good down here yeah so what are some of the best things about living in another country it's not the United States no that's political stuff going on living in another country it's like starting life all over again so it's that gonna all take place in two or three months it's like growing into a new country culture it's not like you know you landed in this country and then all of a sudden you're assimilated you know it takes years and years and years to really appreciate a new country and to get into it now what do you think some of the best ways are of accomplishing that are achieving that I just time I mean same thing is living in the States you know you grow up there and you you get used to it you start that culture you do this you do that next thing you know you got it all down pretty good you come down here and you just start doing this start doing that next thing you know you've got it down pretty good don't think there's a time do you have any kind of an orientation or education about Mexico before you came I came here on all my vacations about nine years okay and our eight years whatever and I spent two weeks at a time anytime I can sunbathe on Christmas Day you know that's gonna catch my attention the people down here for the most part extremely nice everybody once you meet somebody you become friends yeah because you've got so many experiences to talk about and I don't know anyone who wants to go back to the United States to live you're talking about they're the expat suit but not one I don't know one and what what about your interaction with the Mexican citizens well mostly that's that's that's there in service mostly you know I got gardeners I got my housekeeper my neighbors some of them are Mexican I like Mexicans I I think they're beautiful people so I have I have a very good relationship very good they're easy to know so do you have an interesting story about what you've experienced overseas or heard that heard about from other people living in that expatriate community no no I mean you know it's not something you dwell on down here it's it you know everybody's got their own little thing here we all have secrets everybody comes down here with secrets and after you know them long enough you know their secrets but we all come down here to get away from something and we all find it I I think this is the most beautiful I've been to Thailand I've been a I've been in other countries and I think this is it what about the cost of living here it was going up a little bit but going up here means it's 50 cents since 35 cents I mean going up here is not that much food is getting a little higher but they still have to keep it low for the locals they can't make it to high gas lanes under $3 that's because the locals use gasoline to if one of the locals being in paradise would probably cost you $1,000 a day because this to me is paradise this is as close as I'm gonna get to it can you I know you're gonna be moving soon can you describe your house and talk about how much you pay for rent alone I can I did I got a one-bedroom one-bath I know well I mean the new place you will know but I'm living in a one-bedroom two-bath it's it's actually basically two rooms very small kitchen I'm paying 500 a month for that here in the city I'm moving to a place out on the lake about fourteen miles away 2-bedroom 2-bath and a huge veranda and when I'm washing dishes I can look out over almost all of Lake Chapala and big big acreage and it's 500 a month too and that's a beautiful place I've had the opportunity to see it's beautiful very nice well what advice would you have for other American expatriates considering moving overseas but a specific way to this area leave it all behind make up your mind that you're going to move to a new life a new world and I call it paradise but just leave it all behind and your kids can visit you you can still visit your kids cuz you're not spending a lot of money you can get a beautiful home you saw you saw my friends home for 900 a month you know and it's what 2,200 square feet yeah and overlook the whole Lake gorgeous yard so I leave it all behind just make up your mind that's what I did I thought Here I am moving down here I'm not gonna drive fast I'm not gonna you know quit smoking I'm not gonna do all these things I'm gonna leave it all behind me in the States and move down here so anything else you'd like to comment on related to your to your experience of living abroad it's awfully thought it's not awfully it's a whole lot of fun to be and I have friends come down and be able to show them serenity be able to show them beautiful beautiful outside plants that they can only grow inside it's it's fun my most fun is is showing off the place because it is beautiful as you can see this is this is a this day manage what means what be Christmas Day this is what it's like the weather is like this pretty much every day every day and we have our rainy season but it's it's it's our monsoon it rains at night and it's beautiful snow over and over for the cocktail and just enjoy the rain and the wind and the beautiful sky in the beautiful night how long does the rainy season usually lasts it starts the latter part of May and ends in the latter part of September about all right well once again I want to thank you very much for being such a gracious host and good friend and and also for participating in our little video project sharing and facilitating it to happen again thank you is a pleasure

Channel: Dr. Craig Zachlod

Views: 56,942

Rating: 4.9140496 out of 5

Keywords: Expatriates, Mexico, Lake Chapala, ilive overseas, overseas living, Ajijic

Id: 3dmRbWsqsNQ

Length: 13min 2sec (782 seconds)

Published: Wed Jul 03 2013