Mexico City keeps going whilst world is frozen in terror

By Simon Burgess April 25, 2009 - 14:20

Life as we know it in Mexico City has changed. City shuts down, inhabitants frozen in swine flu-induced terror.

Or has it? The media would have you believe it has, and indeed it is odd living in Mexico City right now. The streets are quieter and people just seem a little less friendly towards each other (no major kissing, shaking hands and slapping on back greetings today).

Having said that, things aren't that different. This morning Kate and I went for food in la Condesa at Origenes Organicos with friends over from the UK. We ate food outside and no one there was wearing the blue ninja mask being handed out by authorities at the Metro stations to help avoid the swine influenza.

Still, this crisis is being taken very seriously but in a very practical way by most Mexicans. Yes Marcelo Ebrard has closed public spaces like museums, football grounds and schools for 10 days, but people still have to eat (yesterday we saw a girl at the taco stall wearing a mask and pulling it down whenever she she took a bite of al pastor) and Arturo, the lion-esque seller of natural foods outside our flat was doinga brisk trade, albeit with mouth covered and handling loose change with plastic gloves.

At the end of the day life goes on. People still need to make money and they won't stay at home and risk losing a days wages - the associated risk is much higher to them than that of catching swine flu.

The real danger is that this possible epidemic will be gone before we know it whilst the effects to the economy, especially tourism, will be with us for a very long time.

Check out this article on protecting yourself in the event of an emergency from getmoneyenergy.com

About Simon Burgess

I'm a guero living in Mexico City with my wife. I work in New Business of Inside Mexico and am always looking for ways in which we can improve our offering to our readers and users so if you have any suggestions give me a call. I'm also turning into a social media geek and for that reason am over the moon that we have created such a cool online network for expats in Mexico. If you ever want to reach me you can find me on one of the many social networking sites. Just shout me. Follow me on twitter on @siburgess79.

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Submitted by travelojos on April 25, 2009 - 14:44.

Interesting post Simon. One of my favorite things about blog posts by people in Mexico City and other destinations in Latin America is that they often confirm that life is going on pretty much as usual despite some of the exaggerated reports in the media.

After something like this ends, there are usually no followup reports that detail how a sensational report turned out to be in error. All that remains is the perception the part of the world receiving the media's attention is a dangerous place that should be avoided.

Hopefully, this apparent epidemic will pass quickly. In the meantime, be safe and stay healthy.

Submitted by margot on April 25, 2009 - 15:42.

Not that there's ever a good time for a potential pandemic but the timing now is particularly awful. Two important conferences are happening this week, the Tianguis Turistico in Acapulco, which is the most important travel industry event in the country; and (somewhat ironically) the Latin American Health Care Tourism Congress in Monterrey, both of which would give Mexico the opportunity to redirect the recent negative narco-related PR to something more positive. Now, at the very least, anything coming out of those conferences will be swamped by flu news, and who knows if they'll even be able to hold them as planned.

Submitted by aran on April 25, 2009 - 16:17.

As the afternoon goes on, I would say things are MUCH quieter than normal. Many of the weekend comida hotspots around La Condesa are nearly or completely empty. Most Saturday´s Primos and La Garufa, among others, would be packed, their tables full of couples, friends and families. Walking by Primos a bit ago, it seemed that every single staff person was wearing a blue mask. Probably not a detail that is going to build an apetite in potential customers. My feeling is that the potential risk of the situation is sinking in gradually. Monday will be the real test: will be people be out and about as usual? Will businesses close? Will people stay home from work?

Submitted by simon on April 25, 2009 - 20:32.

Following on from this, the owner of the Black Horse bar in Condesa just told me that they have been told not to open for business, and have not been given a date when they can reopen. The DF government is really panicking it seems...I don't think they have any idea what they are doing or what they should be doing.

Submitted by bigmutt on April 28, 2009 - 14:54.

One person's "panicking" is another person's "taking necessary precautions".

The whole world is now involved and concerned, and all the world-wide health authorities concur with the aggressive response being taken in Mexico.

The problem with a pandemic is that anything you say in advance of a pandemic seems alarmist, but after it starts, everything you've done is inadequate.

Anyone who values their health & that of their community would rather err on the side of caution.

Personally I feel proud & reassured that the mexican authorities are now acting swiftly and taking this epidemic seriously.

Submitted by Smartbreathanalyzer on January 14, 2010 - 04:26.

This is a very nice perspective of looking at this. The post is very interesting and informative. Thanks for sharing this!

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