Christmas in July?
...or at leat that's what it feels like. Having been sent down to Mexico City on a business trip, it's very difficult to remember that Christmas is less than two weeks away. (Yipes! When am I going to get my shopping done?!)

It's been too long a day. I had to get up way to early to drive to the airport and catch the one flight left that wasn't booked except for business class (i.e. something my manager could approve.) On the way, I learned a couple of things I never knew about traveling "south of the border."

First, all those "instructions" and "rules" that we've been following so meekly all of our lives are optional. It's amazing! The next time the gate agent announces that boarding has started for first class, just get up and get on the plane! Pretend you're flying to Mexico City and nobody cares. Oh, and by the way, that silly thing about staying seated until you're at the gate is optional, too.

The other thing I learned is that I really need to start learning to speak Spanish. I figure that if you can speak English, Spanish, and Chinese, you can work almost anywhere in the world. Which may become increasingly important as this whole "global economy" think kicks in.

And I've never felt as lost as I do now. Parents, start making your children take a language. Make them use it. Learn it with them. If you already speak two or more languages, pass that on to your kids, because they'll thank you for it. We as Americans are far too comfortable in our little expanse of sameness. Of course, most Americans hardly ever leave their home state, let alone the country...

But yo quiero Taco Bell doesn't quite cut it down here.