# What's the first thing it comes to your mind when you hear or read the word....



## Vxnt (Jun 19, 2007)

Hi there!

This is my very first post and, i wanted to start it with a question i have had on my mind for a long time....

What's the first thing it comes to your mind when you hear or read the word MEXICO?... (and it came to my mind when i met this french guy who used to work with me a year ago, and he told me that before he came to mexico he thought that he'd just find men sleeping next to a cactus wearing sombrero and stuff .... ¬¬)

It would be also cool to know what people have heard about other ppl's countries and culture so, if you just wanna answer to my question is ok, but you could also ask other people the same question about your own country (so that way this post can be a little bit more dynamic)

Hopefully most people find this question as interesting as I do....

so, knock yourself out


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## bb78 (Aug 17, 2003)

Vxnt said:


> he told me that before he came to mexico he thought that he'd just find men sleeping next to a cactus wearing sombrero and stuff .... ¬¬)


That's the first thing. Then comes Aztecs, Salma Hayek, Popocatepetl, burritos and tequila, Zorro etc.



> It would be also cool to know what people have heard about other ppl's countries and culture so, if you just wanna answer to my question is ok, but you could also ask other people the same question about your own country (so that way this post can be a little bit more dynamic)


I'm not sure if I want to know what pepole think about Poland and Ireland


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## gonzo (Jul 30, 2006)

Hot and dry climate (though I know there are wet places aswell).


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## Vxnt (Jun 19, 2007)

There's one thing i forgot.... I'll try to post the actual facts if there is something that is not true, e.g.

YES, mexican people do wear a sombrero, but it only happens on soccer matches and when the national soccer team wins .... sometimes even if it doesnt....

No, We dont sleep lying our backs on cactus (have you actually tried that .... ouch!).... Some men do sleep under trees wearing a hat... but it is not because they have nothing to do at all, but because they take a nap after harvesting.... and its mostly seen only on the countryside.

I'm actually not a fan of burritos, i like quesadillas better (something pretty much like a burrite but it looks like a taco), and they're really not so popular as Tacos, Tortas, and other sort of mexican cusine examples...:lol: 

P.D. You can also post the actual facts of your country, so this way we all can learn about them :cheers:


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## gonzo (Jul 30, 2006)

...welcome to SSC btw. :cheers:


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## Tymel (Jan 9, 2007)

- mexican food
- small houses
- Cancun!!
- RBD
- Pesos.


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## Vxnt (Jun 19, 2007)

Well gonzo, it's not all about heat and dry... it's mostly that way in the northern part of the country, like Monterrey, tijuana, and Sonora, and even so it can get very cold on winter when temperature drops dramatically (to the point that it actually snows!)

In places like Mexico city, or Guadalajara you can find a less extreme weather.... with an 24 - 27ºC average temperature and precipitations most of the year (in mexico city).

In the southern part of mexico we have a tropical climate, due to the Lacandon Jungle in Chiapas.

And at last the perfect weather in most of our beautiful beaches (specially Cancun and Acapulco) where you can take a nice sunbath in summer  

We have a really contrasting weather all over our country.


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## Hanshin-Tigress (Apr 10, 2007)

Um
-cancun
-enchiladas verdes
-zocalo en Mexico Df
-Gente muy buena onda 
Yo vivia en DF por un año y medio ^_^


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## Vxnt (Jun 19, 2007)

Tymel said:


> - mexican food
> - *small houses*
> - Cancun!!
> - *RBD*
> - Pesos.


Well yeah, there are mostly small houses invading the urban landscapes of mexican cities nowadays... but old houses in citie's downtown and small towns are mostly bigger and very beautiful as well. And when it comes to rich people's houses they can be quite spectacular

And im not much of a RBD (a mexican pop band that became quickly famous due a tv show called "rebelde") fan, eventhough they're still popular in Mexico, they are spreading their music to other countries (and that's not a very good thing for some people)...


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## Hanshin-Tigress (Apr 10, 2007)

oh y molotov tambien


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## Vxnt (Jun 19, 2007)

Maki-chan said:


> oh y molotov tambien


Thanks about the "cool people" comment, and about Molotov sadly they splitted on january 2007 but still, they're one of the best rock bands in mexico


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## Vxnt (Jun 19, 2007)

Maki-chan said:


> oh y molotov tambien


Thanks for the "cool people" comment, and about Molotov sadly they splitted on january 2007 but still, they're one of the best rock bands in mexico


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## eklips (Mar 29, 2005)

Many things:

-history
-oaxaca and the zapatistas
-huge Mexico DF
-control machete
-good food
-IMF
-meztisos
-tequila
-frida
-mariachis
-football team
-boxers


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## Federicoft (Sep 26, 2005)

Azteca stadium.


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## TohrAlkimista (Dec 18, 2006)

This is the first thing: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Game_of_the_Century_%28football%29


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## Küsel (Sep 16, 2004)

Mexico? 

Well first of all Mexico City, one of the biggest in the world. I was never there but know it from the stories of my uncle when I was small

Then: CUISINE! I am a hobby chef and LOVE to cook and eat Mexican. I once was in Texas and North Mexico - fantastic, yummy!

Third: Aztecs and Maya, precolumbian high cultures that may be have already had trade connections to the mediterraniean area. Practical studies are going on 

Forth: diverse landscape from Chihuahua desert over 5000m high volcanos to tropical rainforest.

Fifth: The FIFA world cup in 86 (the one before I was too small to watch) and the Olympic Games in my birth year  Everyone said how the athlets had to suffer because of the thin air...


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## nelly_the_elephant (Jun 20, 2007)

Teotihuacan


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## PedroGabriel (Feb 5, 2007)

tacos for sure


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## kiretoce (May 26, 2004)

Taco Bell! :lol:










(I'm sorry....but that really was the first thing that came to my mind.)


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## PedroGabriel (Feb 5, 2007)




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## JD (Apr 15, 2006)

chalupas!!!


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## eklips (Mar 29, 2005)

PeterGabriel you son of a b**** the picture made hungry as hell!


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## GM (Feb 29, 2004)

and :


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## Küsel (Sep 16, 2004)

I forgot something: El chavo del 8 (Chaves in Brazil) :lol:


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## Tymel (Jan 9, 2007)

Vxnt said:


> Well yeah, there are mostly small houses invading the urban landscapes of mexican cities nowadays... but old houses in citie's downtown and small towns are mostly bigger and very beautiful as well. And when it comes to rich people's houses they can be quite spectacular
> 
> And im not much of a RBD (a mexican pop band that became quickly famous due a tv show called "rebelde") fan, eventhough they're still popular in Mexico, they are spreading their music to other countries (and that's not a very good thing for some people)...


Every Spanish person in my school know who RBD is. :lol: 
I love the song Ser O Paracer. Theres only 3 Spanish songs that I know all the words and thats one of them. I'm Puerto Rican but don't know any Spanish.hno:


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## SkyLerm (Nov 26, 2005)

Maná :yes:


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## gonzo (Jul 30, 2006)

Kuesel said:


> I forgot something: El chavo del 8 (Chaves in Brazil) :lol:


:lol: 
They aired that show when I was in Peru...Oh the memories!


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## Vxnt (Jun 19, 2007)

I used to watch "el chavo del 8" when i was about 6yo (a re-run), that's a really old show from the 70's I think, and they re-run it every year on tv since then :s, and now the've also ceated a cartoon version of it called simply "el chavo", not even closely as fun as the original one (there's only one "el chavo", that's for sure).

It also seems that everything people know about Mexico is from the last century, i mean it's great people to know those things, but what about contemporary artists? actors and singers, new tv shows aired in your country... and other places besides Mexico city (has anyone heard about Guanajuato an its mummies?)... well just keep replying the post, it's getting really interesting.


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## Hanshin-Tigress (Apr 10, 2007)

SkyLerm said:


> Maná :yes:


mana is awesome!


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## Danny D (May 13, 2006)

Right now it would have to be the recent killings of Canadians in Mexico... there have been alot recently.


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## GM (Feb 29, 2004)




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## Yörch1 (Oct 31, 2006)

Danny D said:


> Right now it would have to be the recent killings of Canadians in Mexico... there have been alot recently.


Four in 15 years actually... I don's see the "a lot" in here...


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## cementationfurnace (Feb 23, 2006)

Yoryi said:


> Four in 15 years actually... I don's see the "a lot" in here...


Fine, incompetant policing on the rare occasion a Canadian tourist is murdered?


First thing I think about? Drunk students on spring break (don't worry, it's the first thing, not the only thing ).


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## jerich0 (Aug 12, 2004)

tequila, the azteca, tacos and texas


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## Hanshin-Tigress (Apr 10, 2007)

Oh and this, one of my fave songs of all time!!


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## PanaManiac (Mar 26, 2005)

Vxnt said:


> What's the first thing it comes to your mind when you hear or read the word MEXICO?...


*The first thing that comes to my mind is it's geographical location from my perspective - south of the U. S. border. What comes to your mind when you read or hear PANAMA, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA?*


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## nelly_the_elephant (Jun 20, 2007)

Panama? the channel!

USA? war! (for all you USA lovers: this is the first thing that comes to my mind, not the only thing)


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## Küsel (Sep 16, 2004)

True - politically the first thing that comes to my mind is The Alamo and the whole war about Texas, Arizona and Co. in the 1830s. I was in Texas and I saw how hispanics are still treated as second class people even though in some towns they are the majority hno:


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## Vxnt (Jun 19, 2007)

Panamaniac said:


> *The first thing that comes to my mind is it's geographical location from my perspective - south of the U. S. border. What comes to your mind when you read or hear PANAMA, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA?*


Panama: Skyscrapers, Panama Channel, Shopping
USA; George W Bush, Iraq, Petrolium, 9-11, Deficient Migratory Policies


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## PanaManiac (Mar 26, 2005)

*Semantics*



nelly_the_elephant said:


> Panama? the *channel!...*





Vxnt said:


> ...Panama *Channel,*...Deficient *Migratory* Policies


*It's not a channel, it's a canal. The words are not even mutually synonymous. While they're both related to bodies of water, they do not share the same definition. Hence, Panama Canal.  

It's also not migratory, but immigration. Hence, Deficient Immigration Policies.*


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## Vxnt (Jun 19, 2007)

Panamaniac said:


> *It's not a channel, it's a canal. The words are not even mutually synonymous. While they're both related to bodies of water, they do not share the same definition. Hence, Panama Canal.
> 
> It's also not migratory, but immigration. Hence, Deficient Immigration Policies.*


Thanks, I wasn't sure if those words were correct, I should had look up for them on wiktionary as i usually do.... :cheers:


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## hix (Jun 11, 2006)

Vxnt said:


> What's the first thing it comes to your mind when you hear or read the word MEXICO?... (and it came to my mind when i met this french guy who used to work with me a year ago, and he told me that before he came to mexico he thought that he'd just find men sleeping next to a cactus wearing sombrero and stuff .... ¬¬)


I visited Mexico in 2004 and I was surprised to see that you never see guys with big sombrero's sleeping against cactuses. :tongue2: This was not such a big disapointment to me since there is so much interesting stuff to see in Mexico. Maybe we should go to Texas to see these sleeping guys with sombrero's?:nuts: 
But seriously, maybe we let ourselfs to much to be influenced by hollywood movies?


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## Hanshin-Tigress (Apr 10, 2007)

I sense this thread will soon become an american bashing thread..sigh.


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## Mahratta (Feb 18, 2007)

My Mexican friend
Taco Bell
Lawnmowers (sorry - being honest)
Desert (I know it isnt really desert, but its a sterotypical image)
Mexican food
Ponchos
Election uproar
Druglord gang problem
Super Barrio


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## Rapid (May 31, 2004)

Here is my cognative process of Mexico. I want to show it to you because I'm always mixed about how I feel about mexico


First thing first...this comes into my mind 










then this










then i begin to argue with myself that mexico isn't all that bad..then i think of this










then i think about how bad the American media makes the Mexicans look by always discussing the border issue, portraying mexico as a undeveloped warzone where nobody wants to be, even though they flock to the country to "escape" themselves.

then i get frustrated and disappointed at the media


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## Vxnt (Jun 19, 2007)

the Nigel Effect said:


> My Mexican friend
> *Taco Bell*
> Lawnmowers (sorry - being honest)
> Desert (I know it isnt really desert, but its a sterotypical image)
> ...


I'm sorry to disappoint you but, we don't have Taco Bell in Mexico, the closest thing we have is a Tex-Mex cuisine restaurant chain called "chilli's" spread along the country, and since i've never been to one, i really couldn't tell you if Taco Bell's menu actually represents mexican food, but if it looks the way is depicted in the pix posted here, my guess would be that they've put some make up on real mexican food and i truly doubt it aproaches to the authentic one (the unique taste of it, the smell....). If you wanna try real mexican food come to Mexico, look around and you can see a "puesto de tacos" [taco stand] in just about every corner on the street, once you try it you'll be on food's heaven!:banana:


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## Hanshin-Tigress (Apr 10, 2007)

^^ no it doesnt taco bell is just an imitation and you dont have to go to mexico for mexican food. There are literally millions of mexican born mexicans in the US that have restaurants and its authentic.

Also since i knew the mexican-american border was going to be brought up, i implore you to please visit the mexican/central american border and see how they treat the immigrants compared to us. Mexico probably has one of the worst immigration policies in the world, yet they complain about us.


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## gladisimo (Dec 11, 2006)

I hope I don't offend anyone, but the first thing that comes to mind when I hear Mexico is Tijuana. 

The second is the people who come work on my yard every week. They're quite a friendly bunch, but only two of them (out of six) can speak understandable english.


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## Vxnt (Jun 19, 2007)

Rapid said:


> Here is my cognative process of Mexico. I want to show it to you because I'm always mixed about how I feel about mexico
> 
> 
> First thing first...this comes into my mind
> ...


Well yeah, North American press tend to make the truth a little "less accurate" than it is (not all of it, of course), it's really sad that these kind of stereotypes still exist, not only about Mexico, but other areas in the world (i mean, seriously, are you gonna tell me taht every inch in Iraq's territory is on war?, or that all of the chinese factories treat chinese employees as slaves? c'mon!) When you live in a country like Mexico chances are, you wont get to see other countries as just the image media creates on them, but as a vast contrast of social, politic, enviromental individualities (just like mexico is).

That's one of the main reasons why i started this post, to know how most of the people from around the world see our country, and obviously most of this view people have of it was created based on the information or missinformation that media bradcasts. But hopefully people who doesnt know much about Mexico or other countries start to search info about them online, on the newspapers, books or other "more reliable" sources of information, like I do. Lest try to open up our minds and discover all these fascinating facts about the rest of the world  .

[i tried not to be "that" cheesy... but i just couldn't so, sorry about that]


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## Vxnt (Jun 19, 2007)

Maki-chan said:


> ^^ no it doesnt taco bell is just an imitation and you dont have to go to mexico for mexican food. There are literally millions of mexican born mexicans in the US that have restaurants and its authentic.
> 
> Also since i knew the mexican-american border was going to be brought up, i implore you to please visit the mexican/central american border and see how they treat the immigrants compared to us. Mexico probably has one of the worst immigration policies in the world, yet they complain about us.


Well, yeah, There is mexican people just about everywhere nowadays, but what i meant is that, Mexican food is not about how a taco is made, or who does it, but for me it is the experience of eating them out in the street, next to these taco stands (i just made up that word, dunno if its the correct one) and just ask for a second dish and be there and smell the meat roasting, along with onion and stuff, that's just a unique experience, and probably you know that, since you lived in Mexico City. I wish i was certain there are no other "taco stands" outside on the streets of any other country, so that's just my guess....

And about the mexican-central american border... WOW, it has to be one of the most forgotten borders in the world, with people crossing in and out like it was merchandise, the mara salvatrucha, people who loses part of their bodies because of train accidents and much more... Yeah,I dont think is any better than the mexican-american border, but at least i havent heard of Mexican people shooting at central american people like they were some sort of trophy (obviously not my point of view about alll of the american people living along the border, but about the shrinked , full of crap minded people who thinks inmigrants are less than animals). And I'm just writting things down the way i see them, just like you did.


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## Hanshin-Tigress (Apr 10, 2007)

I know about mexico city, i lived there for a basically 2 years. My favorite was to get the corn and they put this red powder stuff on it? im guessing chile or something and sometimes cream it was really good.

The Mex/central american border is one of the most dangerous murderous borders in the world, can't even compare it to the american one. Also mexican border agents are HORRENDOUS to the immigrants, how about the US? Well didnt you hear about the 2 agents that SHOT AT A drug smuggler who had a gun and now they are in PRISON? In the mex/central american border the agents continulously rape and murder people coming through. WHile in the US the media(yes american media) makes the american border agents to be racists and criminals.


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## Vxnt (Jun 19, 2007)

Maki-chan said:


> I know about mexico city, i lived there for a basically 2 years. My favorite was to get the corn and they put this red powder stuff on it? im guessing chile or something and sometimes cream it was really good.
> 
> The Mex/central american border is one of the most dangerous murderous borders in the world, can't even compare it to the american one. Also mexican border agents are HORRENDOUS to the immigrants, how about the US? Well didnt you hear about the 2 agents that SHOT AT A drug smuggler who had a gun and now they are in PRISON? In the mex/central american border the agents continulously rape and murder people coming through. WHile in the US the media(yes american media) makes the american border agents to be racists and criminals.



Well, this probes that inmigration policies arent as easy to pass as some people in America and latin American may think, there are so many different points of view, It would be better if all of the people involved would sit down together and express themselves, propose solutions and probably, just probably it could work out for all of us. We could even start by creating a post, what do you think?


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## Hanshin-Tigress (Apr 10, 2007)

its not a taco..its corn. And if you mean by starting a thread no thanks, you dont need intelligence to see how much worse the mexican/central american border is than the mexican/american one, if anything we are getting cheated by the lack of security in our border. And that would also be a bad idea because it would be infested with trolls and racists.


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## Vxnt (Jun 19, 2007)

Maki-chan said:


> its not a taco..its corn. And if you mean by starting a thread no thanks, you dont need intelligence to see how much worse the mexican/central american border is than the mexican/american one, if anything we are getting cheated by the lack of security in our border. And that would also be a bad idea because it would be infested with trolls and racists.


So sad we actually have to compare which border is worst, or just better at violating human rights. And you've open my eyes about Mexico's south border, I guess ONE of the things that makes it worse is the lack of investment on it, all of that money is used to impove the mexican/american border every day, and that's really not a solution, because not only mexican people crosses that border, there are also these people of central and south america, so, yeah, why shouldn't we pay attention to the central/american border just the way we do to the mexican/american one? Thanks for your comments, and let's move on to another topic please.


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## DarkLite (Dec 31, 2004)

EDIT


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## eklips (Mar 29, 2005)

Maki-chan said:


> Also since i knew the mexican-american border was going to be brought up, i implore you to please visit the mexican/central american border and see how they treat the immigrants compared to us. Mexico probably has one of the worst immigration policies in the world, yet they complain about us.


Don't forget that the first reason for the mexico-guatemala/belize border is like that is because of Mexico doing the US's dirty work. With the PRI and afterwards presidents like Fox and Calderon, you wont see the top mexican officials complaining about it anytimes soon.


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## Hanshin-Tigress (Apr 10, 2007)

^^ If you mean by raping/murder and have one of the worst and most racist immigration policies than yeah you are right.


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## conquest (Jul 27, 2005)

Vxnt said:


> Thanks about the "cool people" comment, and about Molotov sadly they splitted on january 2007 but still, they're one of the best rock bands in mexico


that sucks i really liked "voto latino"


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## jmancuso (Jan 9, 2003)




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## Mahratta (Feb 18, 2007)

Vxnt said:


> I'm sorry to disappoint you but, we don't have Taco Bell in Mexico, the closest thing we have is a Tex-Mex cuisine restaurant chain called "chilli's" spread along the country, and since i've never been to one, i really couldn't tell you if Taco Bell's menu actually represents mexican food, but if it looks the way is depicted in the pix posted here, my guess would be that they've put some make up on real mexican food and i truly doubt it aproaches to the authentic one (the unique taste of it, the smell....). If you wanna try real mexican food come to Mexico, look around and you can see a "puesto de tacos" [taco stand] in just about every corner on the street, once you try it you'll be on food's heaven!:banana:


I know that. But it is still the first thing that comes to mind - Taco Bell = pseudo-Mexican cuisine = Mexico. See how I did that?


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