On Mexican Time: A New Life in San Miguel

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On Mexican Time: A New Life in San Miguel

3.62 of 5 stars 3.62 · rating details · 893 ratings · 125 reviews

An American writer and his wife find a new home—and a new lease on life—in the charming sixteenth-century hill town of San Miguel de Allende, Mexico.

When Los Angeles novelist Tony Cohan and his artist wife, Masako, visited central Mexico one winter they fell under the spell of a place where the pace of life is leisurely, the cobblestone streets and sun-splashed plazas are...more

Paperback, 304 pages

Published January 9th 2001 by Broadway (first published January 11th 2000)

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May 13, 2013 Lisa (Harmonybites) rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Lisa (Harmonybites) by: The Ultimate Reading List

Shelves: 2013-around-the-world, biography, memoir, non-fiction, travel, ultimate-reading-list

This is one of those expatriot memoirs where an American or Brit pulls up stakes to live la bella vita--or the simpler life--in some warm clime. Think Frances Mayes' Under the Tuscan Sun or Peter Mayle’s A Year in Provence, usually told oh so lyrically, eruditely, with lots of literary allusions and mentions of mouth-watering cuisine. I’ve been reading through a recommendation list of such travel writing--this was the last--and I suppose my reaction to this one might be put down to having become...more This is one of those expatriot memoirs where an American or Brit pulls up stakes to live la bella vita--or the simpler life--in some warm clime. Think Frances Mayes' Under the Tuscan Sun or Peter Mayle’s A Year in Provence, usually told oh so lyrically, eruditely, with lots of literary allusions and mentions of mouth-watering cuisine. I’ve been reading through a recommendation list of such travel writing--this was the last--and I suppose my reaction to this one might be put down to having become rather jaded and cranky reading one after another. The blurbs of reviews inside claim Cohan is a better, more gifted writer than you usually see in these travelogues, and call his prose “vivid,” “elegant,” “poetic” and the inevitable, “lyrical.” It boasts the present tense that is the insignia of the literati, rather choppy prose given lots of sentence fragments and short, declarative sentences, and sports such lines as: “Dew drops quiver on the spiky tips of barrel cacti in the glimmering dawn.” I’m afraid reading I often felt suffocated by perfume. The style was possibly my biggest problem with this book--far, far too flowery for my tastes.

There also was something about Cohan’s sensibility that grated on me. There often is an implied insult to expatriot tales if you’re from the country fled from, but in that respect this was the worst among the dozen or so I have read. I took umbrage at the description of New York City, and particularly the Columbia University area, which I know well. He claimed his daughter lived in an apartment on 110th Street infested with “rats and roaches.” (Rats? Mice and roaches I’d believe--was she living in a crack house?) And the neighborhood was filled with “Bums and muggers, rappers and dopeheads.” A lot more dire than I’d describe it, and given the exaggeration about a place I know well, I suspected Cohan felt he had to trash America in order to paint Mexico in this much more idyllic light. It’s a subtle distinction perhaps, but I remember Mayes, for instance, as showing Italy’s appeal without sounding like she felt a need to feel superior to America and its “consumerism” and yet at the same time with Cohan there’s a patronizing streak towards Mexico evident to me at times.

Yet I continued reading beyond the 100-page mark, because I found interesting reading a description of Mexico. It’s a country Americans should know and understand better than we do, and Cohan did weave in bits of in the history and culture of the land he’s residing in, even if I never felt he quite left the lifestyle and mindset of a tourist. And if I sometimes felt he romanticized life in a third world country, at least he wasn’t completely unaware of his privileged status. But if I had to describe in one word the way Cohan came across to me, it would be: smug.(less)

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Apr 19, 2013 Pete Dematteo rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

San Miguel Allende used to be a beautiful little town and still is, to a far lesser extent, despite its huge sports utility vehicles with license plates from the United States and its now super-expensive hotels and villas. While the book is interesting, I have lived in Mexico City and have traveled throughout the country and learned a few things.
After 2 years there, I grew incredibly bored, as I am a native New Yorker who is fascinated by hoardes of international immigrant groups. If being sized...more

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Aug 22, 2011 Amy rated it 4 of 5 stars

I love this book because I have lived in Mexico. Tony Cohan does a wonderful job verbalizing the transformation one goes through when embracing Mexican culture. He understands the subtlties of colors, smells, flavor, sabor. Living in Mexcio is a much larger undertaking than many would understand. The idea of Mexico in the United States is a place you go to party, but don't drink the water. A place riddled with drugs and traffickers and the home of all the illegal aliens that we fear so much.

Coha...more

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Jul 24, 2011 Dale rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: nonfiction, travel, mexico

I enjoyed this book, mostly for the same reasons that I enjoyed Frances Mayes' first book about moving to Tuscany: there's something very appealing about the idea of pulling up stakes and moving to a country different than one's own. The call of the exotic, and all that.

In this case the destination is San Miguel de Allende in the Mexican altiplano 4 hours drive from Mexico City, and the time is 1985 to 1999. Cohan and his partner Masako were there on extended stays for four years, and then bough...more

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Nov 23, 2012 Jrobertus rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is a travel narrative in the vein of A year in Provence. Tony is a writer and his wife Masako an artist. He has grown children but tires of life in LA so I and his wife move to San Miguel de Allende on the altoplano of central Mexico. They adapt to the beauty and pace of life in this old colonial town and clearly love the place as the narrative unfolds. The book was written in 2000, so one is unsure how the recent narco terror has effected the place, but it seems charming as told. Of course...more

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Apr 26, 2008 Laurie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

he admits that he and his wife and their independent $ are part of the cultural problem in these small mexican towns but he is happy to keep doing what he's doing. still it sound heavenly....

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Jul 25, 2009 Cheryl rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

A kind of lazy read memoir - but I loved the images of Mexico and the descriptions of how the author and his wife felt their view on what is important changing as they melded into their new home.

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Jan 15, 2010 Judy rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Yet another professional American couple discover a haven in a foreign country; namely the hills of mid-Mexico--not unlike 'Under the Tuscan Sun' and 'A Year in Provence'. However
each country, experience and couple bring their own dynamics and expectations to the unravelling of the story. Of course, they ultimately purchase a downtrodden, ancient property (which is actually owned by the Government!) and proceed to restore it with the help of unreliable workers--how does a mar-riage survive such...more

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Mar 01, 2009 Jess rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Excellent, vivid descriptions of the changes two American gringos undergo as they make the decision to embrace, and be embraced by, Mexico and its culture. As they settle into the small, yet heroic town of San Miguel de Allende, Tony and Masako begin to realize and appreciate the very essence of life… succumbing to the realities that the materialistic culture of L.A. has resulted in a sense of “rushed time,” while being in Mexico allows the couple to cherish each other, life, and themselves. An...more

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Feb 06, 2012 Sdluvingit rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

A friend of mine's brother is retiring and moving to Mexico. He loaned her a book about making the transition from American culture to the Mexican time(less) zone, On Mexican Time by Tony Cohan. A true story of a couple that gives up on LA and retreats to the mountains north of Mexico City, it covers their slow immersion in the timeless culture of central Mexico. The stories are interesting, the writing excellent. There is something romantic and enticing about giving it all up and moving to such...more

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Aug 02, 2012 Evan rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: adult-non-fiction, travel, mexico

I truly needed a book like this, to transport me to another place during a time when I can't physically get away. Though a bit dated, published in 2000 and taking place during the early 90s, I couldn't help but love this book of an ex-pat writer's experiences in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. It seems to be a Mexico of the past, a sleepy town on the mile-high altiplano in Mexico's state of Guanajuato. Cohan and his wife travel there to visit friends, and then decide they much prefer its slow pa...more

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Aug 04, 2011 Jennifer rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I have a really big thing for Mexio and always think about canning my life here and going to live there (I've been there three times in the past three years). This book gave insight into the reality of actually moving there. I would do it in a heartbeat if it wasn't for my family. The advantages and disadvantages of living there are clearly exhibited in the text, but I think their culture and country is so beautiful in many ways. And I never would have guessed I'd think that.....I took French in...more

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Mar 17, 2011 Laura Hancock rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I purchased this book because I have been intrigued by San Miguel de Allende, a colonial city in Mexico dating from the 1600s where thousands of Norteamericanos (both American and Canadian artists and writers) live. Many of these gringos have established artists' colonies and workshops in San Miguel for people like myself for small snippets of time.
Cohan, an established writer, and his wife, a painter, moved to San Miguel from Los Angeles in the mid-1980s when the gringo population was only abou...more I purchased this book because I have been intrigued by San Miguel de Allende, a colonial city in Mexico dating from the 1600s where thousands of Norteamericanos (both American and Canadian artists and writers) live. Many of these gringos have established artists' colonies and workshops in San Miguel for people like myself for small snippets of time.
Cohan, an established writer, and his wife, a painter, moved to San Miguel from Los Angeles in the mid-1980s when the gringo population was only about 2 percent. And San Miguel at the time was much smaller than it is today. (No strip malls.) In fact, the area didn't even have an international airport and when Cohan writes about the four-hour bus rides to the Mexico City airport, to some extent he is referencing a Mexico of the past: When the 80-year-old single political party system was crumbling, the era when the government owned many basic industries such as the national telephone company, and the peso was valued so low that hotel rooms in San Miguel cost the equivalent of $5 a night.
The book's title is apt for Cohan's pacing... sloooow. Cohan describes his and his wife's cultural adjustments, their Mexican and gringo friends, and the purchase and renovation of a historic home. He also writes a lot about local food, flowers, music and religious customs and his wife's art -- which was heavily influenced by living in Mexico -- but he hardly describes any of his writing from the time and how Mexico shaped it.
In addition to the slow pace, "On Mexican Time" lacks an interesting plot. This is intentional on Cohan's part. In the book Cohan criticizes writers such as Graham Greene who bounced in and out of Mexico and imprinted their cultural framework on their stories about fiestas, lawlessness and music. True, many of these writers may have been inadvertently racist or colonialist. But at least they were interesting. Cohan is not. I also was insulted by Cohan's assumption that readers like myself couldn't handle the truth. Readers -- especially ones who purchase a book with the title "San Miguel" -- are sophisticated enough to read between the lines. We can tell when an author may be biased. We can disagree with an author's interpretation of events.
But most of the reason why I was so disappointed in the book was because I just couldn't relate to Cohan. I didn't find myself trusting him. He was a post-modern man living in very-much modern, 1980s Cold War Era Mexico. He complained about the American and Canadian tourists who were driving up prices and developing outside of town. Yet he also was an interloper. Sometimes I wondered whether he chose Mexico as a place to be entertained, especially since he seemed to spend so much time looking at shrines and churches, despite not being a believer. (less)

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Aug 19, 2008 Diana rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: retired expats who don't want to think too hard

Shelves: latin-america

I was alternately impressed by and annoyed with this book.

Here's why I was impressed:
-Author is obviously a talented writer in terms of his florid descriptions of the sights, sounds, smells, and tastes of small-town Mexico. I liked how they described the perfect bougianville (sp?) color and all the amazing descriptions of the food--see chapter on "mango mousse"
-The references to learning a language and living in particular tenses... the parallel between the improvement of the author's Spanish a...more I was alternately impressed by and annoyed with this book.

Here's why I was impressed:
-Author is obviously a talented writer in terms of his florid descriptions of the sights, sounds, smells, and tastes of small-town Mexico. I liked how they described the perfect bougianville (sp?) color and all the amazing descriptions of the food--see chapter on "mango mousse"
-The references to learning a language and living in particular tenses... the parallel between the improvement of the author's Spanish and how deeply he penetrated the culture
-References to Latin American literature and it's favorite themes... circular time, dreaming through people, places, time, cultures, two places dreaming eachother. It was obvious that the author was well-read and let the work and ideas of Mexican authors be filtered through his American perspective into the work
-I liked seeing the relationships the author built with Mexicans... although some were in a laborer/contractor/maid variety (grrr) he was very honest and observant about their personalities and he also made some other upper-middle-class friends who were interesting. At least he *tried* to expand his circle beyond other gringos.

Here's why I was annoyed:
-Kinda pretentious... "We're artist types and we can afford to make our art in Mexico, relatively unfettered by money or anything else" I also kinda felt like I was being talked to by a foodie or someone else who has a better appreciation for everything than I do, in their opinion.
-(Side note, and also why I don't understand the pretentious art thing... the author offhandedly mentions that his wife was "harvesting her hair for her art." ....wha?? What the hell kind of art do you make with crap you pull off your hairbrush?? It was just mentioned so non-chalantly like I should know what he's talking about.)
-The 2nd half of the book is really about rennovating a house and I have absolutely no interest in that. If you like TLC Trading Spaces crap I guess you might like reading about it. I think I'm just in a totally different place in my life (not a homeowner, not practically retired, with cashflow issues) and I just don't relate to what they're going through.
-Finally and possibly most importantly, he talks about his little personal Mexican paradise and how the gringos are invading and ruining it... Well, duh, dude, you started the trend! What did you expect? The second book he has written apparently laments how gringos have ruined his precious San Miguel, so he goes off travelling the rest of Mexico to try to find something more "authentic." Insert reference to http://stuffwhitepeoplelike.com/ here.

I'm not sure why I'm so bitter while writing this review. I picked this book up at my posada while staying in Guadalajara, MX (and yes, I've been to San Miguel, the subject of the book). I just looked at the book jacket and smirked... like this is some romanticized retirement fantasy... but I decided to read it anyway--while in Mexico--to get a better perspective on the place I was staying. I still feel very ambivalent about the book, but I think the author does, too.

Anyway, I think I would recommend it to people who were more at the author's level in terms of stage of life/elitism. I think if someone really wanted to know about Mexico, they should read Mexican literature, but I think just seeing what's being put out there was worth it. I think this would have been better as an essay in a travel magazine and not as a book. Just a few vignettes were worthwhile, but reading the whole book became a forced exercise.
(less)

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Feb 08, 2009 Alissa rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

SKIP THIS BOOK!!! (can I give only 0.25 stars?) Cohan tells his story from the pompous American perspective. He is always looking down on Mexican culture, albeit he doesn't think so. As I recall he makes the ordinary into exotic, then later criticizes the same thing when he runs out of patience. I ran out of patience for him. If you are interested in San Miguel de Allende then read Mary Morris's Nothing to Declare, which is a fabulous narrative.

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Aug 06, 2012 Chrisanne rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: nonfiction

This book gave me a good introduction to San Miguel and Mexican culture through the eyes of an American writer. It was interesting, funny, heart breaking and, I think, a realistic portrait of San Miguel and Mexico in the 1980s through 1996. So much change - for the better? Perhaps for some, but I regret the loss of the San Miguel Tony and his wife discovered on their first visit in the early 80s. It sounds like San Miguel has lost much of its soul just as most U.S. cities and towns have lost the...more

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Feb 07, 2011 Georgina DuFour rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Since my husband and I are thinking about spending some months every winter in Mexico once I retire, I read this book to find out how other "gringos" fared down south of the border. The book takes place over 20 years ago, so many things have changed since then in Mexico as relating to the infrastructure, but it did give me a good idea of what to expect with the people. I'm ready to pack my bags now!

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Jul 01, 2009 Karen rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Having lived in Mexico off and on for years, I expected to find this book superficial or flawed. It's neither. Not one false note. The descriptions are fantastic. The characters you meet here are neither stereotypes or annoyingly quirky. This book is the real deal if you want to know what it's like to become an ex-pat south of the border. My one negative comment is that it ends rather abruptly.

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Jun 25, 2010 Moira Crone rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The book was lush and had the best kind of prose for travel writing---much is noted, and briefly, so we feel if we go, a lot has already been paid attention to, our sensual experience has been explored. The reason to travel is to come alive again. He gives you that feeling, and makes you believe he did.
I am on my way to San Miguel and the book contained the kinds of things I wanted to know.

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Feb 12, 2013 Julia added it · review of another edition

I really enjoyed this book becasue my husband is from Mexico and only recently we visited San Miguel. I was really enchanted by the culture, food, people and everything in general. Also, it was interesting to read about the transformation they went through while living there on the personal level as well as how Mexico had grown in their hearts as their home. I truly enjoyed this book. It is about treating life as a daring adventure and making the best of it. Truly beautiful.

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Jul 12, 2011 Donna Nickerson rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I read this book on the recommendation of a friend. I loved the vivid descriptions of daily life in this seemingly beautiful Mexican village. The culture of the Mexicans comes through as a generous, giving people even though they do not always enjoy the best of circumstances. The book, if nothing else, gave me a new appreciation of the country and it's traditions.

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Feb 06, 2011 Mara rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I am a sucker for books about people finding a place in this world that speaks to their heart, moving there and diving into a different culture, then finding an old wreck of a house that speaks to their soul, and pouring all their love and hopes and dreams, money and sanity into restoring the old ruin. This book checks off all those boxes and has me day dreaming of a slower pace of life in a quaint mexican mountain town full of color and flavor.

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Dec 01, 2008 Laurie rated it 3 of 5 stars

For a travel journal this book was a bit too heavy on the authors thoughts and low on actual experiences. I understand that he wants us to really "feel" what he experienced, but I would have like to experience more of the individual characters and situations he encountered, not his deep, philosophies of his experiences.

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Mar 29, 2008 MJ rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to MJ by: Ultimate reading list

Shelves: liked-it, travel, idiots-ultimate-reading

Tony Cohan and his artist wife, Masako, decided to take a vacation where do they go? San Miguel de Allende in central Mexico were they fall in love with the people culture and maybe each other all over again. After returning to the fast paced life in Los Angeles the couple decided to sell everything and move to San Miguel. They end up buying a 250-year-old hacienda on the verge of fallimg down around them. What happens next as 2 Americans try to change their deadline oriented life into that of a...more

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Mar 26, 2010 Brett De rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is a worthwhile book, but it is a bit precious. It describes moving to Mexico with the same romanticized viewpoint that Peter Mayle uses for Provence. Hey, I get that's the author's real experience, but it does feel a little unbalanced at times: everything is better south of the border, it seems.

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Jul 25, 2010 Amy rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Since I'm looking into living in Mexico for a little stint, I started reading books about Americans who move across the border and the types of things they encounter. . . Pretty interesting. Interesting perspectives and beautiful writing about the country, the culture, and most of all, the people.

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May 31, 2010 Wendy Brown-Baez rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Having lived in Mexico myself, this book brought back many memories but I really wondered if you haven't experienced Mexico yourself, would you
get a picture from his descriptions? They seemed too curt and meant for others who have enjoyed living in Mexico, especially San Miguel.

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Jul 13, 2009 Mandi rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: read-during-peace-corps

His experience was so different from my Peace Corps experience that I just couldn't enjoy this book. He never really experiences Mexican culture, he just hangs out with other ex pats. Additionally, he never shows any personal growth or development from his travels.

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May 01, 2011 Jessica Speart rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I love San Miguel De Allende and have visited a number of times. I picked up Tony Cohan's book for one of my trips. He captures the seductiveness and beauty of of the town. He also made me realize that the San Miguel I used to know no longer exists.

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Sep 21, 2012 MariaK rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I tried to read this book repeatedly but it always puts me to sleep. I wish I liked the writing style a little better, at least enough to get through the first 25 pages, because I think the story is interesting. I might give it another try someday.

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