The difference

I have been asked by a lot of people what are the biggest differences about living in Mexico, so I decided to make that list.
1) The language (duh)
2) You cant just drink the tap water, you have to actually buy the huge jugs of water for your water coolers. But they only cost $2USD
3) You have to soak all fruits and vegetables in iodine water for 30 minutes before eating them (huge pain, but thankfully our maid does this for us)
4) You have to pay to use public bathrooms (about 5cents) which has made for some interesting runs when I have forgotten my $$
5) The traffic sucks. It is worse than anywhere I have been. I attribute most of it to the fact that there are no rules and no lanes. Stoplights are just suggestions.
6) I dont drive (see #5). But luckily labor is cheap so we can afford a personal driver
7) You cant hail just any cab on the street or you risk getting kidnapped or robbed, but you can call a reliable one and can get anywhere in the city for just about $6USD
8) Every meal is a risk being from the US. You never really know how your stomach will react until 30 minutes after you eat. Luckily I have been here long enough to have this problem occur less often.
9) The food here is incredible and cheap. A really really expensive meal here will cost about $50USD. Coming from Hawaii this is a treat.
10) The coke is made from real sugar so it tastes way better
11) You cant easily find a good glass of wine. But really good tequila is at every corner store.
12) The fruits and vegetables are always fresh and cheap at the mercados in our neighborhood. And 1/2 liter of fresh squeezed OJ is $1.
13) There is no such thing as a bike commute anymore. If you want to live you do not ride your bike in the city.
14) Triathlon training is reserved for the weekends or not at all. Not only can you not ride a bike, but pools are hard to come by. I am so desperate I am contemplating the 15 meter pool at the hotel.
15) On the weekend you can go 20 minutes away and find some of the most amazing trails and roads to ride on. During the week this commute would be about 2 hours (again #5)
16) Virtually all medicine is prescription free. Cold? no problem, grab a z-pak. E-Choli? (yes a common problem here), cipro is just $10 at the corner farmacia.
17) Labor is CHEAP. This is how we can afford to have all of our furniture custom made, a driver, and my favorite #18
18) I come home to a clean house, all my errands completed, and a home cooked meal every night thanks to our wonderful muchacha.

So yes, we have to give up the every day swimming and biking and the free water, but there are definitely some bonuses that we have quickly gotten used to. The first day we were here Chris felt bad leaving his dirty dishes in the sink, but fast forward 4 days and his response to anything being left out is that Virginia will clean it up tomorrow. I keep reminding him that once we go back to the US, this person who cleans and cooks will be me. I have created a monster, and I think i am screwed.