Further Comments In Response To Those Made

Thanks are due to all those who have left messages of support thus far - they are warmly appreciated. Anyone who wishes to extend invitations personally may do so via email... eddieATportabletubesDOTcom.

Firstly, to those members of the Commentariat who suggested that we might stay elsewhere within Mexico: This is an entirely reasonable idea. We need to continue to work (I am just 45 and the wife is 38) yet the business could be transplanted quite easily as inventory can be shipped from here to there. The business has good, solid lines of credit with established suppliers and the only capital outlay might be for new premises. We had thought of San Luis Potosi, in the past, for such a move. Indeed, any reasonable sized urban center could support us. It would take time to build a customer base, however.

But it misses the point: it is still in Mexico; it is still outside my comfort zone.

For, whilst the wife has been dealing with antsy-ness over concern for her future, I have faced up to the thing that has been bugging me for some time. I have been forced to admit to myself that I just don't like our present circumstances, and that they are not likely to improve in the near to mid-term future (ie: 5-10 years).

I fought hard and made many a sacrifice (both consciously and not) to fight my way up from a humbler background. Easier paths were occasionally shown to me but I rejected them (or didn't notice them). The sight of so many poor folk, dealing with them on a daily basis, making money from them and living amongst their ilk is not a thing I can honestly say I am comfortable with. The degraded infrastructure here frustrates me; the lack of community cohesion in making improvements galls me; I am, I do believe, coming to the end of my rope here.

Now, the second point here is that unless our business is radically re-positioned it will die a slow and natural death. Already, Sam's Club and Soriana's 'City Club' outlets are making inroads in to our traditional wholesale customer base of bars, restaurants and taco stands. This cannot get any better. Either we must shuffle to the wall over the next 20 years or re-align our markets so that we are less exposed to competitive threats and rising disposable income. But, as I have said before, a strong matriarchy prevails and whilst she may take comfort in prayer, I have to be a little more ruthless in my cynicism as God will not pay the bills.

Thirdly, I have been exploring the options for external jobs here. The picture is not good. On the northern border (Reynosa and Matamoros) and in Monterrey there is plenty of mid-level management work. Here in Tampico, virtually none - well, none that I would be suitable for. My best financial outlook would be a monthly salary of c.MN$15,000 before tax. The smallest of our three stores earns more than that in profits...

So, bearing in mind that I retain British citizenship, that daughter has it already, and wife has a Indefinite Residency Permit for the UK, we have a bolthole there as well as a bolthole here in Tampico (as insecure as it may be) if jumping north should not work out.

Meh! I'm rambling...we're off, I hope - it's just a matter of when!