The Foreign Service Journal, October 2007

Mexican shoppers who flock daily to buy everything from diapers to Donna Karan. Because there is a strict limit on the value of goods that can be brought back into Mexico undeclared, it is common- place to see families in the parking lot at Wal-Mart (the highest-gross- ing Wal-Mart per square foot in the U.S.) ripping off tags and stuff- ing items into empty suitcases. That way, if they have the bad luck to be randomly stopped by Mexi- can Customs, they can claim that the contents had gone with them from home in Mexico for their recent “vaca- tion.” No trip to the shopping mall in Laredo would be complete without a chair massage offered by one of the many Chinese masseurs and masseuses who, upon fin- ishing their 10 minutes of magic, invariably ask in broken Spanglish, “Muy good, lady?” Chinese buffets (pronounced “Boo- fátes”) around town are also wildly popular with Mexican day-trippers and locals alike. They offer a glut- tonous spread that positions jalapeño-kung pao chicken next to enchiladas, and suggests chipotle salsa as a garnish to the fried egg rolls. Such is the distinct flavor of the U.S.-Mexican border: totally unex- pected and extra-spicy. The region turns stereotypical notions of both U.S. and Mexican cul- ture on their head, while preserving the characteristic warmth and charm of the people. No serious fan of the quirky or unpredictable, or of amalgamation as an art form, should miss out on an opportunity to fully experi- ence both sides of the southern border. Si, muy good indeed. F O C U S O C T O B E R 2 0 0 7 / F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L 25 Laredo’s George Washington Birthday Celebration is Anglo- American colonial culture wrapped in a colorful Mexican poncho.