An interesting conversation, not to be missed.

This may be a little dated, since the conversation happened during a short taxi ride in Cuernavaca, but it is one I feel that is not to be missed. And probably, a tad racially sensitive. Proceed with an open mind.

My Spanish is weak, but this conversation I heard with amazing clarity. Our taxi driver was very proud of the time he spent in Tennessee, working hard to make money for his family. He was able to buy three cars and a house for his family in Cuernavaca. He proceeded, unsolicited, to speak with utter disdain about his experience working with black Americans; all they do is talk, talk, talk, and no work, work, work, and smoke, smoke, smoke. Lazy and rude.

The interesting part for me was not his true emotions, but the fact that I had expressed to Todd the cultural disdain between blacks and Mexicans I had witnessed at the restaurant. The Mexicans felt they worked harder. While, the blacks felt the Mexicans took jobs from them, they should go home. I didn't know if this was reasoning from both sides based solely on their experience in the restaurant or if it encompassed a larger cultural emotion for both parties. My shock of hearing this first hand from a Mexican taxi driver, four days into our time in Mexico, was fascinating. Apparently, these feelings reach further then I would have ever thought.

I checked my translation with Todd once we exited the taxi and yes, I had heard it all too clearly. Both of our mouths were wide with shock. Thought it was a conversation not to be missed.