By Laurissa Doonan
January 2003
So, you’ve decided to move to Mexico and you’re sitting there telling your friends and family of what it will be like while visions of tropical drinks dance in your head. Once you get here you will undoubtedly have a bit of a rude awakening. Here is some practical knowledge on the key word, ahorita.
To understand this concept, we begin with a more widely understood one, mañana. Things get done when they get done. Time is NOT money in Mexico, so there’s rarely a rush for anything. Mexicans are diligent, hard- working people; time is simply not the commodity it is up north.
Ahorita is similar in meaning to mañana, except it relates to that day. Mañana means, basically, not today, maybe tomorrow, more likely after that. Ahorita means “in a minute”, or shortly. Ahorita actually has the exact meaning in English as when uttered by a teenager. Whatever was requested will likely get done: 1) in a minute, 2) after the person finished what they were doing, 3) soon, or 4) never. Unlike a teenager, when a Mexican says the ahorita, they honestly mean they intend to do the thing as soon as possible. Sadly, intent doesn’t get something done.
Two more pieces of information need to be conveyed here. Mexicans generally do not use phones the way we do up north. So, if they are going to be late, or run into a problem, you most likely won’t hear about it until the person is face to face. Also, Mexicans do not like to be rude. They consider bad news rude, so if they know they can’t do something right away, they will tell you ahorita. How does this play out? Here’s an example.
Scenario: You’re taking a shower and you notice water everywhere; water is backing up and overflowing from the sink and the toilet. You get out of the shower, take your wet towel and wrap it around you and go to the phone. You call your contact for information down here and get the number of a plumber, whom you call. He says he’ll be over ahorita. You dry off with your bedspread, get dressed, and wait for the plumber. Two hours later he arrives and says you need a new pipe. He makes a call to his shop and tells you he’ll be back ahorita with the part to fix it. He leaves, you wait.
Commentary: The first ahorita was not a problem. Although you were wet and hysterical, you knew it was an emergency and the guy arrived as soon as possible. The second one, that’s the killer. See, he probably found out he does not have the part and wouldn’t be able to get it until later in the afternoon. (Because the place that might have it is 25 minutes away; it’s now 1:30, siesta is from 2-4, so, he decides on the spot he won’t go get it until after 4). At that juncture, he finds out they don’t have it, but they know who does. By the time the plumber has the pipe in his hand, he considers it rude to come to your house so late. He resolves to return the next day to finish. You are still left in the house with no water, waiting for him to return or call.
Your logic tells you that you are in a house without water, awaiting the imminent return of the plumber, who, you assume, would have called by now if there was a problem. There was a problem, and problems are bad news. Giving bad news is rude, so you didn’t get a call about it. Besides, it will be fixed mañana.
But remember this: If you lived in NYC, the job would take at least 2 working hours to get the pipe, costing over $100 US because a special messenger would have had to deliver it as a rush order. You would be left with a mess since, while awaiting the pipe, the plumber would have helped himself to your sodas and snacks, watched TV on your newly upholstered couch with the sewage remains still on his clothes, all the while he’s billing you by the hour.