Saturday, January 12, 2008

On why I went to Mexico and not Canada

Many people have asked why I went to Mexico to renew my F-1 visa when I could have gone to Canada or Kenya or Austria (I have a friend there) or anywhere else.

Well, here are my reasons for going to Mexico:

- If you know me, you know that I consider anything below 60 degrees Fahrenheit cold. Why would I go to Canada or anywhere North when I can head South and accomplish the same in a much warmer weather? Mexico wins.

- You need a visa to enter Canada or Mexico, especially if you anticipate that your US visa will be canceled. US Visa cancellation will render you illegal in either Mexico or Canada, but if you have a visa to either country, you are good (I think). Canadian visas go for C$75 while Mexican visas go for ~US $20 or $0 if you dont get one! Mexico wins!

- I had a free flight to anywhere in the US. To go to Toronto or Montreal, I would have needed to fly to Buffalo, NY then rent a car and drive across the border for at least three hours to get to where I wanted to go ... To go to Tijuana or Ciudad Juarez, All I needed to do was, fly to the adjacent US city (El Paso) then WALK ACROSS THE BORDER. 20 minutes, $0 ... no rental car. Mexico wins!

- To get a visa, you need to set up an appointment, electronically or by Phone. I couldn't get one in Canada but I had many options in Mexico. Mexico wins!

- Why did I need to renew my visa in the first place? Thats another long story. You will understand why sometime soon. But the point is, I had to ... and there is no way I could have avoided this situation as it was bound to happen sooner or later.

2 comments:

mczabaj said...

another reason:

- in canada they only eat dry moose meat and drink maple syrup, while in mexico you can get a tasty burrito and a some margaritas

kipchirchir said...

- exactly Michael! Mexico wins!