My First trip to Mexico by Tony Green

Last week I went to Mexico for the first time for business. Anytime a person goes to a country where they have never been there is a certain amount of excitement in anticipation of the experiences and people you will encounter.

During my time in the Navy I tried to enjoy some of the culture of every country I visited.
Mexico would be no different as my goal was to try and understand the people better which would aid in any prospective business relationship.

In my view part of this entailed knowing a bit of the language and being cognizant of the history.

I attempted, for starters to re-familiarize myself with the Spanish. I took Spanish in High School and a semester as an undergraduate in college. I was surprised how much I remembered despite the fact I had not thought about the Spanish language in almost 20 years.

Once I returned I read a book !Ask Mexicans! by Gustavo Arellano which gave me insights not only to Mexicans and Mexicans Americans but their interactions with African Americans, which I am and Asians, as the company I am currently employed by.

In short I had a good time as I had little problem getting around as far as English went with the exception of the taxi driver who did not speak English. Thanks to a little Spanish and patience we were able to get where we wanted to go.

Once I finished the ride I was able to understand in Spanish that my bill totaled sestenta pesos and he got paid the correct amount which I would be afraid if I had customers who could not speak a word of my language.

With the greatest respect to Mexican sovereignty Mexico is not as foreign country as you might think. This is due to history of the two countries. The fact is where I live in California, in addition to the southwest portion of the United States, used to be a part of Mexico.

The culture I observed in Mexico seemed extremely similar to life in the U.S. culture of Mexican Americans who are very proud of their heritage.

It is hard not to observe the Mexican influence in direct and indirect ways when the time is taken to notice. Have you been to California lately?

Top 10 reflections of a ex-submariner by Tony Green

Once in a while I when I go through some of my old photo albums I get the chance to reflect on some on the things I have observed during my stint on aboard a nuclear powered submarine. In no particular order these are my top ten oddities/questions:

1. I have been to Hong Kong twice have never been to its Airport.
2. The Golden Gate bridge really looks real ugly from underneath.
3. As chaotic as the Yokosuka harbor is (Japan) for shipping there are still very few accidents.
4. British Columbia is not beautiful until you actually tie up the boat to the pier.(Strait of Juan de Fuca)
5. Ketchikan, Alaska is so breathtakingly beautiful it can make the most fouled mouthed sailor speechless
6. Why do all Navy “haunches” look similar regardless of their location on the planet?
7. I now know the meaning of your “shadow at high noon” during lunchtime in Guam (Shadow?)
8. The Soviet Union would have beautiful place if I had ever been there, officially at least.
9. Why was I chosen to start the new century straddling the dateline and equator at midnight of 1/1/2000? (Golden Millenium Shellback)
10. Rough Seas? it is as still as a building down here (at a depth of 400 feet under during any given Typhoon in the South China Sea)

Photo courtesy of AP/U.S. Navy Don Mongomery Article on Yahoo.com March 20, 2009 about a submarine and an amphibious ship colliding in the Strait of Hormuz.