Expatriate of the Month

Each article in this series features an interview with an expatriate living in Mexico. SolutionsAbroad has sat down with many fascinating and successful expats who have made Mexico their home. They share their experiences and offer advice to newcomers in Mexico.

Dyana Verdoni

Vice President of Communications for 'Newcomers Mexico City'

Dyana Verdoni is a recent arrival to Mexico and serves on the volunteer-board of Newcomers Mexico City as the Vice President of Communications. She is currently writing a book on personal finance and retirement planning and is also enrolled in a joint MBA program here in Mexico City. Solutions Abroad sat down with Dyana to find out her experiences so far in living in one of the biggest cities in the world.

Tell us a little about yourself.

My name is Dyana Pari Nafissi Verdoni. My husband, Richard Verdoni, is part of Mexico’s oldest and most famous family circus, Circo Atayde Hermanos. He left Mexico City to move to Michigan with his family at age 9 – and hadn’t returned for an extended period of time until our visit together in August 2006. During our visit, I fell in love with the city, the circus, and my husband’s warm and gracious family and friends. We decided to return to San Francisco to get married and pack up our 2 dogs (one blind) and move to DF. Currently, I am a MBA student in a joint program between the Thunderbird School of Global Management and the Instituto Tecnológico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey in Mexico. I also serve on the volunteer-board of Newcomers Mexico City as the Vice President of Communications. Additionally, I am writing a book about personal finance and retirement planning. I am the busy gringa that you can also find smiling in a sidewalk café on Amsterdam in La Condesa. I am happy because I love Mexico!

How long have you been in Mexico for?

I have been in Mexico for 11 months. I am finally starting to feel that I am over the “tourist hump” and Mexico truly feels like my home now. The first 10 months my husband and I lived in Centro Histórico in an impeccably renovated historic building on Bolívar and Madero. It was amazing! There seemed to be a vibrant parade passing by our living room every day. Granted there were also demonstrators and millions of people on the street on Saturdays, but it was great to live in the middle of the heart of Mexico. The buildings in Centro are beautiful and the streets are cleaned several times a day. The new streetlamps are replicas of the ones from the early 20th century and recall that era when Madero was the “Maserik” of Mexico City. There also is a thriving arts and entertainment community in Centro Histórico. At night, Bar Alfonso and the Zinco Jazz Club are great places to spend some time in a uber-hip setting. In my opinion, Centro Histórico is also home to the best tacos de pastor in Mexico, Salón Corona on Bolívar Street. I recently moved to tree-lined Amsterdam Street in La Condesa. My dogs love being close to Parque México! I love being in the middle of a hip neighborhood in DF!

What is it like living (and working) in Mexico City?

First, I will admit that I am an urban person. I love the hustle and bustle of a city. I love the energy and the bright lights and the live music at La Bodega that floats over the treetops and into my bedroom to lull me to sleep at night. When I go to the country, I sleep restlessly among the noises of nature! Thus, my physical transition to living in a city of over 20 million people was somewhat easy. I am a passionate proponent of decreasing my carbon footprint – so I enjoy the systems of clean, safe, and efficient public transportation that Mexico City offers at a very low price. Many people complain about the traffic, but that is not something that I wrestle with on a daily basis. Many people are shocked to learn that I travel “underground,” but really, I think the subway system here is much cleaner than in New York City. Also, I am fortunate to have access to a wealth of real-time information of how to find things (like cranberry sauce), services (like a gentle groomer for my dogs) and places (like directions to Acapulco) from the Newcomers Mexico City Yahoo! Group. Whenever I need information, I can just post a question on the group and get an answer usually within 24 hours. I cannot express how much this group has helped elevate my quality of life here in Mexico! On the other hand, my cultural adjustment to Mexico has been more difficult. While it was easy to “tune out” of the reality of living in another culture for the first few months, as time went by, I realized that there is a lot more to integrating into Mexico than just learning Spanish. Mexican culture expands beyond the physical manifestations of mariachi music and fine crafts but into the daily ways of doing things and philosophies about living life. Learning and understanding these aspects of culture, especially with respect to the concept of time, have really helped me live harmoniously in this new culture.

Tell us about the Newcomers Club?

Newcomers Mexico City (NCM) has a 30-year legacy of serving the English-speaking expatriate community here in Mexico. NCM is a volunteer-run organization with activities and events daily ranging from volunteer activities with local charities to play dates for children to special events, such as our 30th Anniversary Disco Ball at the W on November 10. Contrary to the name, Newcomers is not just a bunch of new people to Mexico. That would not be a very helpful organization for new people! Instead, Newcomers’ members are a vibrant group of people from all over the world that have lived in Mexico anywhere from one day to their entire life. Our members represent over 20 countries with diverse backgrounds and interests. There is no one typical Newcomer member. We are permanent immigrants to Mexico as well as 2-3 year sojourners with Ex-pat packages. Since members are always coming and going from the city, the make-up of the organization is dynamic – everyone, including long time members, makes new friends and contacts though participation in NCM activities and special events. An added bonus is that everyone in the organization is very friendly and helpful mirroring the qualities of the Newcomers of Mexico City president, Christi Smith.

What does the Newcomers Club mean for the expatriate community?

I can certainly tell you what Newcomers means to me. When I first moved to Mexico I spent my time learning Spanish and operating in a pretty small social circle. My closest friends in the US have been in my life for over 10 years – it was difficult for me to connect with anyone here. Of course, I was nervous before I went to my first Newcomers meeting – but after 3 months with little social interaction, I had to do something or go crazy! I needed to find people at a similar juncture in their lives to share my experiences with and vice versa. At my first meeting, I met so many wonderful people. The New Member Coordinator hosted a “breakout welcome session” for the newest newbies to the club, such as myself. I immediately made friends and had a set of activities on my calendar for the upcoming month, such as the Monthly Coffee. That day in January was a true turning point for me in Mexico. Finally, I felt that I was home. In addition to friends, I also found inspiration at Newcomers to take my GMAT and apply to the Global MBA for Latin American Managers program offered jointly by the Instituto Tecnológico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey and the Thunderbird School of Global Management. Newcomers (now former) president, Amy Kartch, encouraged me to join her for a class and I was hooked. I started the program in August on campus at Thunderbird in Arizona, and now I take classes on campus at the Tec de Monterey in Santa Fe. I will also do a study interim in Chile in January and Geneva in May with the program. This MBA program has an incredible pool of talent in the students, the professors and the material. And I can thank NCM for the introduction! Whether Newcomers is a social club, a vehicle for volunteering, a networking group, or here to support the mental health of expats, there truly is something for everyone in the English-speaking community of Mexico.

How important is it giving back to the community especially living here as a foreigner?

I certainly believe in my heart that it is important to give back wherever you live. Here in Mexico, there are many opportunities to help the community with time or money, or both. As part of Newcomer's commitment to our 30-year legacy of supporting the community, Newcomers Mexico City supports three main charities here in DF enabling our members to give back to the community while also making lifetime friendships with other like-minded members. Taina, from Finland, is NCM's Charity Director and she works tirelessly to channel the skills, time and financial gifts of members to improve the lives of people living in poverty in Mexico. NCM supports Hogar Dulce Hogar, a home for abandoned children ages 0-12, through weekly volunteering with the children and fundraising efforts like the raffle at the upcoming 30th Anniversary Disco Ball on the 10th of November. Newcomers Mexico City also works with Ora Hernández to provide a monthly hot lunch to the seniors in the San Fernando Community. Additionally, this December, one of our members will host a Christmas party to support this organization. Monthly, Newcomers hosts a baby blanket making activity to benefit the new mothers at Hospital Tlalnepantla. While the blanket making takes little skill and only a few hours of time, the impact of these blankets and the goods we donate make a profound impact on the newest lives in Mexico City. We also usually have a food drive at our monthly meeting to benefit one of our main charities or one that is in a food crisis, such as Refugio de Restauración I.A.C. So, as you can see, my answer is that is it essential to give back to the community - and Newcomers Mexico City helps streamline that mission.

What advice would you give to a virgin expat?

Relax! Mexico is a country full of warm and kind people. So much of the news in the US paints Mexico City as this horrible, dangerous, dirty place. I have found it quite the opposite. Of course, you must stay alert about your whereabouts just like in any city, but I find that many expats are too fearful to even leave their home. Learn! Mexico City has a rich history, and I recommend taking tours in the city and to surrounding areas. Newcomers offers excellent tours in English weekly to places such as the Zócalo, the Museum of Anthropology, and seasonal tours such as the October 25th Day of the Dead tour to Toluca. There are also excellent Spanish language programs here specifically for Expats. I can personally recommend the program at Universidad de LaSalle in Condesa. Eat! I recommend tasting the pastries here to find your favorite. There are so many bakeries and candy stores here - Mexico is a sugar coated gastronomical paradise. Be sure to check out the “cake museum” on the second floor of Pastelería Ideale in Centro. For the adventurous, living in Mexico City also gives you the chance to taste pre-hispanic food, that has some special ingredients (grasshoppers, ant eggs) that do wonders for your health! In addition to Mexican food, you can also find wonderful restaurants representing the cuisines of the world here in Mexico. Be sure to go to an Argentine steak house – you will not be sorry! Socialize! Of course, I recommend stopping by the Newcomers office in Union Church, joining Newcomers Mexico City and attending the events and activities that interest you. A complete guide may be found on our website at http://www.newcomers.org.mx. The Newcomers Yahoo! Group is also an invaluable resource for adjusting to this new city. Additionally, all members will receive a copy of the Newcomers Guide to Mexico, a 200-page directory of goods and services in the City and beyond. NCM also will be celebrating Newcomers’ 30th anniversary in Mexico City on November 10th with a “flashback to funkytown” Disco Ball at the W Hotel. Join us! It will be a fun & memorable night!

Have you had a chance to travel around the republic? What has been your favorite place?

I still cannot believe that I live only 3 hours away from Acapulco, and, as a beach person, I have to admit that it is my favorite destination. However, I did have the opportunity to spend some time in the beautiful city of Monterrey. I fell in love with the surrounding mountains, the hip restaurants in the barrio antiguo, and of course, the people. This fall, Monterrey will host the International Forum of Cultures and will have musicians, artists, representatives from all over the world. Circo Atayde will represent Mexico in the “circus arts” category, so my husband and I hope to travel up north and see his family perform. Other places on my list to visit are the beachfront pyramids of Tulum, the white waters rapids of Chiapas and, of course, the nightclubs of Cancún.

Mexico is increasingly becoming a popular place to retire especially for Americans and Canadians. What do you think of this growing phenomenon?

My specialty is retirement planning, so I will spare you my long answer. However, concisely, I agree that Mexico is an excellent option for retirement. One primary concern in retirement is healthcare, and Mexico has excellent, state-of-the-art hospitals and top medical professionals. Mexico also has something for everyone! If you love golf, you can live on a golf course, If you love the city life, you can live in Polanco and have all the services you would need right at your doorstep. But more than anything, I think that at some level, retirees are attracted to all of the happy seniors that live here in Mexico. Instead of being tucked away in a home for older folk, the elderly in Mexico can be found everywhere, enjoying life with their family and friends. To me, that is most attractive.

Lastly, tell me more about the Newcomers Mexico City 30th Anniversary Disco Ball.

Of course! And I hope you will join me on the dance floor! Catch Saturday Night Fever with Newcomers Mexico City on November 10th at the W hotel. We will celebrate our 30th year of service to the expat community with a “Flashback to 1977” Disco Ball! We will have a delicious 3-course dinner, drinks, a lounge, dancing, good friends and a great time to be had by all that attend. Want to build the world a home and furnish it with love? You’re in luck because we will have a raffle full of wonderful prizes benefiting the charity Hogar Dulce Hogar. We encourage you to “dress to regress” and join in the fun wearing your wackiest 70s gear, whether it's bell-bottoms, platform shoes, or perhaps you are a sleek cool cat dressed all in black? I will wait for you there in a gold lame minidress and platform shoes ready to dance the night away at NCM’s Return to Funkytown at the W hotel on the 10th of November!

Tickets
Members: $750 pesos/$1500 pesos per couple
Non-members: $900 pesos/$1800 pesos per couple

Note: Only one person in a couple needs to be a member in order to get the discounted rate. Tickets are available for purchase Monday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings at the Newcomers office in Union Church. Tickets will also be available at the October 12th NCM monthly meeting as well as from board members. Please call the office at 5520-6912 for more information. The W hotel also offers guests a special rate for a room as well as discounted valet parking.

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