Mexicans get shit done!

I can never believe it when people say that mexicanos are stereotypically lazy.  The negative images that these people project (yes, I'm looking at you, Steve King R-Iowa) are in direct opposition to the truth, as far as I see it.  The vast majority of the folks I know, see and meet here are incredibly hard working, incredibly hard working.  The average daily pay is around $4 US.  Four dollars US!  And yet, these folk bust their asses every single day, often with a smile and a joke.  Time and time again, I have watched people do the job by simple back-breaking work, like digging wells by hand or carrying buckets of cement, hand working the fields and in their homes.  Not many machines here to ease the load.

But really this post is about the two men who helped me move.  Let's call them Juan and Juan, because those are their real names. 

I have known them for a few years and they have proven themselves to be the most honest, reliable and thorough workers one could ever hope to find.  Between the two, they can do anything... well, they never worked on my car, but I bet they could.  Plumbing, electrical, construction, gas, you name it, they do it and do it well.

They showed up last Friday bright and early with their two pickups and immediately starting moving furniture out of the house.  They knew what they were doing and slowly assembled towering sculptures of all my stuff.  If you have ever seen mexicanos moving, then you know what it looked like.  Classic!  And it happened fast.  The whole thing was done in four hours and that was two loads each, driving to San Pablo Etla, (15 min) and unloading.  Four hours!  They got everything in the house and carried the beds upstairs, got the refrigerator in, unpacked the stove I had just bought.  And on the way back to pick up the second load, they stopped and picked up the parts to connect the stove without me even asking.  By the time the second truckfull was being unloaded, Juan had hooked up the stove.  They finished up and I paid them gratefully and generously.  Then they were off to do their normal full day of work. 

Juan stopped by a couple more times to help with the remaining stuff at the house, including a load of bricks and lots of plants.  And the other Juan is making me ladders and is stopping by this morning to check the hot water heater.

I love these guys.  Saludos, Juan y Juan!

Update:  Both Juans just showed and fixed the hot water heater.  It had not be cleaned in quite awhile and the amount of mineral buildup was amazing.  So no need for a new hot water heater.  I asked them to listen to the pump that send water up from the cistern to the tank on the roof.  It is real noisy.  Without batting an eyelash they started to install a relatively new one I had that is virtually silent.  And they managed to change an incredibly stubborn drain in the kitchen sink.  It took two guys with the right tools so I don't feel too bad that I could not do it myself.  I sure tried.  Did I tell you that I love these guys.

One additional note:  I had to buy a stove and some kitchen storage units.  I did my research and knew what I was going to buy and where.  The two stores were right next to each other.  I started with the furniture and completed the purchase in less than five minutes.  They called for a truck and I went next door to Electra to buy the stove and did so in about ten minutes.  They loaded the stuff on the truck and it followed me home, where we unloaded it and it was in the house in minutes.  Think about that!