When you've never lived abroad before, you might find it weird or different to know how much of our culture is shown abroad.
Or at least I do even after all these years.
Just the other day, I was in a Walmart in Mexico City.
On Google Maps, it is called "Walmart Tlahuac" but the address is technically "Av. Tlahuac 5662" of Iztapalapa.
Right behind Volcano Yuhualixqui.
......So is it in Tlahuac or Iztapalapa?
Well, it's right on the border!
Anyway, as I'm walking through the Walmart looking for some Parmesan cheese, I walk past the liquor aisle.
....Not today!
I was on a 3 week break!
But, along the walk around the Walmart while still trying to find out where their damn Parmesan cheese was, I noticed something odd.
Out of nowhere, this specific song was playing.
Elvis Presley - Suspicious Minds (Live in Las Vegas) HD
In the moment, I couldn't help myself.
With the cart in front of me, I began moving my shoulders and kinda "half dancing" along the song.
Singing along under my breath....
"WE CAN'T GO ON TOGETHER ..... WITH SUSPICIOUS MINDS!!!!!"
Suspicious minds, OH NO!!!!!
And, in the moment, it did dawn on me: "this is MY culture! There's no gringos here to be playing this music for except me. My culture WINS!"
It reminds me of another funny moment many odd months before this one.
The Mamas & The Papas in the Mexican Streets
One other thing that has been funny to me every so often it happens in a blue moon is when I see a local Mexican playing the song "California Dreamin" by Mamas and the Papas.
Walking down Roma Norte or some other touristy area, I've seen it happen now more than once.
Not every day.
Not too common.
Not common at all.
When you factor in all of the homeless people playing music outside of restaurants to earn money, it basically never happens.
But I've seen it happen more than once where different people were playing this song.
And what do you see?
The last time I saw it was an imagine burned into my head because I was just taking it in while casually walking around the area of Roma Norte.
There were some obvious looking foreigners sitting outside and some folks who could've been Mexican too sitting at this restaurant.
It was near some fountain area but I forgot the exact name of it.
Used to be a spot I hung around a lot when I last lived here.
And there was some random homeless dude with a guitar playing the exact song shown above.
An obvious Mexican with his thick accent in English.
And the foreigners and Mexicans sitting down all looked younger than 40.
Not a single one older than 40.
In fact, you could've told me they were all younger than 30 and I'd believe it.
And the singer himself was someone who didn't look older than 40 and also could've convinced me of being younger than 30.
All the while he was playing a song for boomers and of which none of his audience likely knew the song while playing it.
One could ask "how did he know the song?"
Who knows!
Perhaps he just heard it somewhere and liked it.
Maybe he picked up somehow that older, retired boomer folks like it and learned the song.
Your guess is as good as mine.
But it was funny to me anyhow to see an obvious millennial Mexican playing a boomer American song to an audience of millennial Mexicans and millennial gringos (none of whom would've heard the song when it came out and most of whom -- if not all -- have no idea what the song is).
Anything to Add?
There isn't much more to add here.
It's just an odd detail you notice to life down here once in a blue moon.
This odd playing of basically boomer music for those down here who wouldn't have much love for it.
Granted, American music does reach more ears globally than Mexican music.
Might be odd again to the man who has not traveled ever and doesn't realize that.
Like some random person from Iowa who hasn't traveled yet.
Over time, you get used to it.
But funny sights like the one with the Mamas & Papas song still hits.
Nothing wrong with it though.
In reverse, I guess it'd be like if you saw a random homeless American playing this song to a bunch of millennial Mexicans and millennial gringos at a restaurant in NYC.
LOS CHIJUAS - ESTAN CAMBIANDO LOS COLORES DE LA VIDA
Nothing wrong with good taste in music!
Just a little bit odd.
But nothing more to say.
If you got anything to add, drop a comment below.
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Thanks for reading.
Best regards,
Matt