What a joy it was bringing together a group of Mexico enthusiasts last Wednesday, 7 June, for the first online session of Connect with Mexico.
We started by watching a video to get an overview of what Mexico looks like. The Golive Media Group producers put together footage sent to them from a number of filmmakers across the country who use drones to film the beauties of the country. The final production is a bit random because these producers are, well, in random places of Mexico. That way we were treated to aerial views of Mexican cities, the countryside, and its ocean line and talked about the places we had visited and decided on those that we knew we wanted to go to. One of our attendees even said she had been to 17 of the places shown! Wow!
We also explored the English version of the site of the National Institute of Statistics and Geography (INEGI). This independent agency of the Mexican Government offers all kinds of useful information about the country, its territory, its people and, quite relevant, its economy - including the official rate of inflation. We saw how specific data points let us get a snapshot of the country, including how many people live in each state, what their educational levels are, and whether they speak an indigenous language. All in a user-friendly system that happens to be in English. What a discovery!
That led us to exploring the country in a much-less-serious fashion. For that we used a fun map that helped us get a kick out of the stereotypes and characteristics of different parts of the country. We looked at several of the labels offered and learned a lot about interesting things shown on this particular map of Mexico. It is amazing how much a fun tool can help in your efforts to get a grasp of the country.
And, of course, we had some time to discuss economics and delved on the recent decision by TESLA to build a new "giga factory" in the Mexican state of Nuevo León, which borders Texas. We talked about free trade agreements, the strength of the Mexican Peso, and the way TESLA is leading the way in moving North American multinationals away from China and bringing their operations to our own hemisphere, particularly Mexico.
Those who attended this session last week received a personal email with all the documents, video links, and images that were studied and commented. You can get your own when you come to Connect with Mexico. Visit our booking page and get to experience Mexico in a totally novel way.
Next week, 14 June 2023, we’ll talk about the complicated relationship between Mexico and the United States. Be there!
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