BY DAVID MANDICH -

Life is easy in Mexico - But you can't get by just smiling, nodding and handing over green backs to every nice policeman or vendor on the street corner - for eventually the US Treasury will have to print more banknotes just because of you and others like you. So open your ojos (eyes) and listen up here.

Learning Spanish is fast, painless and easy at an Interlingua schools in Mexico. I know, I've been taking lessons at one of their schools in Cabo for a time now while only knowing in the past - just enough Spanglish to order from a restaurant menu. What finally motivated me was the time I unsuspectingly ordered a Oaxacan specialty dish - Quesadillas con gusanos de maguey - Tacos with melted cheese and worms from the maguey cactus. Ymmmm! After being informed of what I ate - I puked and literally ran down the street to take Spanish classes.

Then there was the time the ATM ate my card after deducting $300 from my account and not giving me the money...and no one at the Bank spoke English. Enough is enough I said - I am going to learn Spanish, learn to Salsa dance and become Picasso. Or Pancho Villa.

Mexico City based Interlingua, has been teaching English and Spanish for over 40 years with scores of schools all over Mexico. I could tell during the first evening session at the class I was attending in San Jose del Cabo (near Cabo), that the instructor was well trained and the program refined over many years of evaluation. Instruction is done in small classes of under a half-dozen students each.

The teacher keeps the subject constantly moving with topics and activities changing every five minutes to keep attention and interest up. The teachers keep moving with each class too with the class getting a new professor every two or three days. Feedback is constant, encouraging and helpful. Latin music is played with all guessing whether it's Cuban, Colombian, Argentine, Danzon, Mariachi, Sinaloesque, Banda or something else.

The tough stuff for Gringos such as verb conjugation is not so tough when it's made fun. Word games are played, humorous sentences are written, students are paired off to take turns asking each other questions. Do you want to go to the moon? Want 100 spousas?, 100 hijos (kids) or become a millionario? See you're already getting it! The instructors are well-trained young college grads using a time-tested semi-immersion approach - conducting the class almost entirely in Spanish. A journal sized textbook and DVD for use at home rounds out the course materials.

My class has two Gringos who work at one of the local golf resorts, one Gringo computer techie - (all in our late 50's) and a 20-something East Indian computer programmer who swam ashore in Cabo thinking he made it to America. Well he did.... Almost, as the borders'only 800 miles north. If he'd ended up in Los Angeles - he'd have to learn Spanish anyway.

10 Reasons to Learn Spanish:

1. You can argue persuasively (but politely) with the policia.
2. To understand Mexican spousos when they're mad.
3. To exchange friendly salutations with the cabrons in the bar.
4. To help your bank manager find where your money went.
5. Tp interpret the expiration codes on fresh grocery products.
6. You can date sexy Latins half your age.
7. Buy real estate from the locals before the brokers do.
8. Converse with your mechanic, co-worker, employees or boss.
9. Talk to the telephone operator without feeling like a moron.
10. And because you live, work, visit, do business or are retired in Mexico!

David Mandich is a 10-year resident of Los Cabos, Business News Editor for Discover Los Cabos newspaper and agent for Century 21 Paradise Properties, Los Cabos, Baja California. He can be reached at: yachtdorado@yahoo.com or in Cabo at: (624) 143-1101, Cel: 044-624-132-8919 From US 866-722-1785