Just got back from Mexico

Just got back from Mexico
 

I was speaking in Spanish to a waiter there...yes, a very brief conversation and I used all 12 words that I know.

Anyway, he says to me - ¿De dónde es usted?

And me, I'm thinking - Well I'm right here. I have not heard this before. Is this a normal way of asking where one is from?

Yes, that's the normal way of asking where one is from.

¿De dónde eres/es usted?
¿De dónde vienes/viene usted?

I'm agree with Angelica.

De dónde eres?
De dónde vienes?

Where you come from?

I hope those example can be useful for you.

Greetings.

Yep.
http://www.studyspanish.com/travel/meetpeople.htm

Speaking of the word where, where did you travel in Mexico?
¿Hablar de la palabra dónde, dónde le hizo viaja en México?

Please correct my errors.
Corrija por favor mis errores.

We went to Playa del Carmen. And due to the current unrest in Mexico, we did not venture out of the resort area at all. In the past we have rented a car and drove across the country. I have to say that was a lot of fun...driving through small towns...stopping in places where there was very little English spoken...but times have changed.

Corrections/suggestions above.

Yes, I see.
Sí, veo.

speaking = hablando
to speak = hablar
to where = adónde
you traveled = viajaste

Gracias.

You have wrote everything well, just I have watched your practice and I couldn't see any mistake in your practice.

Is it really as dangerous as all that?

What's dangerous for you? It's not the same for all the people. For example, I walk (and work) in a place that is a looooot more dangerous than Playa del Carmen can be in it worst day... So I would say it's not dangerous at all. It depends on where do you are from... to what are you acquired... if you have something to lose, if you are brave or if you are full of fears, which fears, how you handle things, etc. But knowing where do you are from will do the main thing by enabling us to make a comparation.

Depends where you go. And as a foreigner who can't recognise when something's wrong so easily as the locals, you're more vulnerable.

Well, it´s very sad, to go to a place and be confined to the resort because the country is unsafe and risky. That´s why I usually travel to Europe or the USA, I don´t need that s***. Last Christmas I went to Costa Rica, and it was OK. I think is the safest Latin-american country. Tourists are always a target for locals because they are oppresed by their rulers and have no money.

From what I understand, the worst of Mexico is at the northern border in cities like Juarez. Recently the state of Guerrero is also in the news, but most Mexicans you speak to say that Guerrero was always a violent place.
I wouldn't be too fearful visiting cities in the center and south of Mexico.
In fact, if I visit Mexico again, I intend to take the but from DF to Puebla.
Does anyone know if the bus station in Puebla is far from the center of
town?

Yes, it is for a foreigner. Mexico is a very dangerous place right now with the drug wars. Over 15,000 people died in 2010 in the drug wars officially. Most people think it is more.

Playa del Carmen is still a resort town, so it is safe in comparison to Juarez which is almost a war zone.

As mentioned, if you would like to use Spanish outside of the US, Costa Rica is a nice choice if you are looking for something different than Spain. In fact, Costa Rica has a large section that is inhabited by Americans who have vacation homes or retired there.

Some coastal cities further south are also worse than average - both Acapulco and Cancún have been in the news recently due to drug-trade-related violence. But in Guadalajara I just took the same precautions I took in Barcelona. (Actually Barcelona is probably worse for pickpocketing, which is a more likely risk than violence).

According to my Rough Guide, Puebla's bus station (CAPU) is 5km NW of the centre.

I agree with you PJT33, there is more urban fear just off the Ramblas
than you would in the center of Guadalara, Jalisco. You will feel safe this way in much of central Mexico Acapulco is in the State of Guerrero known for increasing mob violence. I believe there is
more danger there than in typical resort towns. The new wave of violence is really tragic, and I hope it ends soon.

I think it's difficult to be talking about "safest countries"... it's better to talk about safest places/zones, because you can find two places in a country with extreme different security levels. It's not the same to talk about "el conurbano bonaerense" (las afueras de Capital Federal) than to be talking about places from the interior of the country, for example.

"oppresed by their rulers" sounds something from 1880 -1930/1940... Our rulers have not so many differences from rulers of countries from others continents... the main difference is poverty... with money it's easy to govern.
People have too many prejudice, and it's necessary to have them, but it's also neccesary to be ready to change them... to make from the prejuicio a juicio, after getting more knowledge. And to be open to change that juicio at any time, because as we change, things change, and our ideas change too.