El Ojo del Lago - June 2015 by El Ojo del Lago

Saw you in the Ojo

El Ojo del Lago / June 2015

Saw you in the Ojo

PUBLISHER

Richard Tingen

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Alejandro Grattan-Domínguez Tel: (01376) 765 3676, 765 2877 Fax: (01376) 765 3528 Associate Publisher David Tingen Graphic Design Roberto C. Rojas Sandra Hernandez Special Events Editor Sandy Olson Associate Editor Jim Tipton Contributing Editor Mark Sconce Theater Critic Michael Warren Art Critic Rob Mohr Roving Correspondent Dr. Lorin Swinehart Sales Managers Omar Medina Bruce Fraser 2I¿FH 6HFUHWDU\ Rocio Madrigal ADVERTISING OFFICE Av. Hidalgo # 223, Chapala Mon. thru Fri. 9am - 5pm Sat. 9am - 1pm Tel. 01 (376) 765 2877, 765 3676 Fax 01 (376) 765 3528 Send all correspondence, subscriptions or advertising to: El Ojo del Lago http://www.chapala.com ojodellago@prodigy.net.mx Ave. Hidalgo 223 (or Apartado 279), 45900 Chapala, Jalisco Tels.: (376) 765 3676, Fax 765 3528 PRINTING: El Debate El Ojo del Lago aparece los primeros cinco días de cada mes. (Distributed over WKH ¿UVW ¿YH GD\V RI HDFK PRQWK) &HUWL¿FDGR GH /LFLWXG GH 7tWXOR &HUWL¿FDGR GH /LFLWXG GH &RQWHQLGR

Index...

FEATURE ARTICLES

COVER STORY

Dr. Lorin Swinehart writes about Cesar Chavez, one of the most admired men of the 20th century, and of his struggles for fairness for migrant workers—a battle which continues to this day.

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10 HUMOR

Tom Eck looks at motivational speakHUV DQG ¿QGV WKHLU PRXWKV DUH ELJJHU than their brains, though some of these “brainless” types do make millions of dollars.

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Editor’s Page

Imprints

Sonia Day visits one of Mexico’s loveliest places, the Puerto Vallarta Botanical Gardens.

Uncommon Sense

18 AGING (Humorously)

Hearts at Work

Child of Month

On a somewhat related issue, Anna Elena Berlin writes about the many EHQH¿WV RI KDYLQJ VH[ DIWHU VL[W\ )RU openers, it’s been proven to lower blood pressure!

Profiling Tepehua

Lakeside Living

24 POETRY

Bridge by Lake

Anyone Can Train Dogs

Welcome to Mexico

LCS Newsletter

16 NATURE

Ed Tasca’s patented cure-all for aging (and for just about everything else) is humor.

20 ELDER INTIMACY

John Thomas Dodds’ ode to the music we grew up with, as its songs served as markers along our life’s journey.

40 MEMORIES

Mark Sconce served with the Peace Corps in Nepal in 1967-69, and the recent tragic earthquakes in that most peaceful part of the world has brought IRUWK D ÀRRG RI WRXFKLQJ PHPRULHV

Reserva al Título de Derechos de Autor 04-2011-103110024300-102 Control 14301. Permisos otorgados por la Secretaría de Gobernación (EXP. 1/432 “88”/5651 de 2 de junio de 1993) y SEP (Reserva 171.94 control 14301) del 15 de enero de 1994. Distribución: Hidalgo 223 Chapala, Jalisco, México. All contents are fully protected by copyright and may not be reproduced without the written consent of El Ojo del Lago. Opinions expressed E\ WKH DXWKRUV GR QRW QHFHVVDULO\ UHÀHFW WKH views of the Publisher or the Editor, nor are we responsible for the claims made by our advertisers. We welcome letters, which should include name, address and telephone number.

COVER STORY

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El Ojo del Lago / June 2015

LAKESIDE LIVING

VOLUME 31 NUMBER 10

Saw you in the Ojo

Editor’s Page %\ $OHMDQGUR *UDWWDQ 'RPLQJXH] For more editorials, visit: http://thedarksideofthedream.com

The Day the Entire World Held Its Breath (Reprinted by Request)

his last June 6th marked the 65th anniversary of DDay, a day in which the future of the entire world literally hung in the balance. To honor the men who fought and died in the invasion of Normandy, the presidents of the United States, Britain, Canada d and d France gathered at an American cemetery on a bluff overlooking one of the four beaches onto which 150,000 Allied warriors would storm over the course of June 6, 1944 and in the days that immediately followed. The invasion would mark the beginning of the end for Hitler’s onceinvincible Third Reich, but it came at a huge cost. Nine thousand Allied soldiers were killed the first day and within a month there would be another 120,000 dead and wounded. But these men had both history and unity on their side, and of the many unforgettable moments that marked the battle was how thousands of men who had been wounded refused to allow themselves to be taken away from the front lines. What drove many of those courageous men, thousands of whom were teenagers just out of high school, was best summed up by a young American major with a flair for poetic language: “Many of us sensed that we had come to the hour for which we were born.” The logistics of that invasion have never been equaled, either before or since. The Allied Armada included 5,000 ships, 250,000 vehicles, several portable piers, thousands of planes and 20,000 paratroopers, all in support of an initial battle that was won ultimately on the beaches, one grain of sand at a time. These men had vowed that freedom would not be pushed back into the sea. Within that commitment, they were carrying the hopes of one age and the dream of all ages. Upon the occasion of the 65th anniversary of the invasion, Presidents Obama, Brown of England and Stephen Harper of Canada all made memorable speeches. But perhaps the most touching was the speech by

El Ojo del Lago / June 2015

who FFrance’s ’ President P id t SSarkozy, k h wentt out of his way to thank the United States for the huge contribution it had made to the liberation of France. Centuries earlier, France had been the American colonies first great ally and had sent over one of its best military technicians, General Lafayette. During the First World War, when the American Doughboys (of whom my father was one) landed in France, General “Blackjack” Pershing had paid homage to America’s debt of gratitude by saying: “Lafayette, we are here.” The somber backdrop for the recent anniversary was the American Cemetery, where over 5,000 men have been laid to their final rest, a sight which prompted reflection not only on D-Day but on World War II itself. It has been called the “last just and great war.” Historians can argue about that but what is indisputable is that America has never again been so united. At the site of another great battle, President Lincoln expressed it best when he said, “The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here.” Eventually, the United States would lose more than 250,000 men in that heroic war. But those five thousand men buried in France seemed to be speaking for all the other brave men in whispering that we should always have the same overwhelming reason as we had in WW II before we ever again send men off to die. Alejandro GrattanDominguez

Saw you in the Ojo

(“Yes, we can!”) %\ 'U /RULQ 6ZLQHKDUW The Life and Struggles Of Cesar Chavez

“

ne of the heroic figures of our time.” — Senator Robert F.

Kennedy On February 25, 2015, Randy Vasquez died a horrendous death by drowning in a manure pond at the Riverview Dairy, which provides milk for Darigold, in Mabton, Washington. To date, neither Darigold nor the farm owner has reached out to Randy’s widow or his children. When I was 17, I went to work for an Ohio farm owner who marketed his produce out of a grocery store located in his barn. I trimmed produce, loaded the truck that delivered goods to a market in the city, and labored in the fields alongside Puerto Rican workers who had been lured to Ohio by the promise of “high wages,” a dollar an hour. As Felito, Miguel and Oscar became my friends, I learned more of their stories. Their lives resembled those of coal miners before the advent of strong unions. My friends paid rent to the owner, purchased their groceries and necessities in his store. Those who had families to support were trapped. The work was grueling, the hours long, the pay minimal. One day I overheard the owner’s adult son talking with a deliveryman. “These Puerto Ricans will stay and work as long as you can keep them dumb,” he intoned. “Once they earn enough money to buy a car, they get out and see what kind of money other people are making and they won’t stay.” I learned two things that summer: In union there is strength, and knowledge is power. The lot of agricultural workers has always been a hard one. They were one of the only groups of private employees excluded from the 1935 National Labor Relations Act, guaranteeing Americans the right to form unions. Farm workers have lived in migrant camps, shacks, even tents and been denied basic amenities. Beginning in the 1860’s, waves of immigrants were recruited in California as farm laborers: Chinese, Japanese, East Indians, Filipinos, desperate “Okies”,

El Ojo del Lago / June 2015

fleeing the dust bowl of the 30’s, and Mexicans. As the labor pool increased, wages decreased and conditions worsened. Cesar Chavez was born in 1927 in Arizona, the son of a small farmer and businessman. His was a carefree boyhood until his family lost everything during the Great Depression, forcing them to wander the California countryside, working for pennies an hour. He attended 36 different schools as his parents moved from job to job. He knew the sting of both racism and poverty, being denied entrance or service at stores, restaurants, schools, and theaters because of his color. Some of his teachers assumed that he lacked intelligence because he was Mexican. Cesar, a World War II veteran, possessed only an eighth grade education, but under the tutelage of an activist Catholic priest Father Donald McDonnell he read carefully and obsessively the words of St. Francis of Assisi, Alexis de Tocqueville, labor leaders like John L. Lewis and Eugene Debs, and Mahatma Gandhi. In 1952, Chavez was recruited for the Community Service Organization, a Latino civil rights group. He rose to become its president. He recognized, however, that the only way to improve the lives of farm workers was to organize a powerful union and that only the nonviolent techniques of Gandhi would be effective. In 1962, he left CSO and co-founded the United Farm Workers Association. The goals of the union were modest, demands for clean water, decent housing, toilets in the fields, health benefits, collective bargaining without interference from police or corporate growers and a cessation of insecticide spraying while workers were in the fields. Organizing immigrant agricultural workers was one of the most daunting activities for meaningful change in America. Chavez and his followers met with hostility, even violence. Some

growers imported strikebreakers from Mexico, “braceros” desperate for any kind of wage, to break UFW strikes. They also hired thugs from the lowest rungs of society, violent men of whom Jack London once said, “When God had finished the rattlesnake, the toad and the vampire, he had some awful substance left with which he made a strike breaker.” Minority farm workers were often victims of racial violence. Local officials seldom prosecuted those who attacked farm workers. Strikers and protesters were often harassed, intimidated and beaten by thuggish growers and their hired toughs, including members of the corrupt Teamsters Union, who used brutal, fascistic methods in their attempts to take the place of the UFW. The victims were often arrested. Chavez and members of his union were also victims of red baiting by growers, police and the local press. During the 1950’s, a time of anti-communist paranoia and McCarthy-ite hysterics, any challenge to the status quo was considered Communist inspired. To speak openly of civil rights, police brutality or voter registration was to invite being labeled Communist. On more than one occasion, Chavez, a vegetarian and animal rights advocate, endured lengthy, highly publicized fasts to promote his causes. While California produces most of the nation’s fruits and vegetables, consumers are generally unaware of where their food comes from. The public had to be reached through the media. Utilizing non-violent techniques of Gandhi, success came, but it came slowly and at great sacrifice. It took decades, for instance, to finally ban “el cortito”, the short-handled hoe, which forced workers to stoop all day while harvesting crops. Membership in the UFW grew, and similar unions arose in Texas, Wisconsin and Ohio. In the 1970’s, the Salad Bowl Strike was the largest farm worker strike in history. One major issue was the spraying

of pesticides while workers of all ages were in the fields. Pesticide poisoning was so severe that nearly a thousand wells around Fresno were closed. After exposure to spraying, hundreds were sometimes hospitalized with low heart rates, shock and vomiting. Cancer clusters, including leukemia, began to appear among children of farm workers in small towns near Delano, California. In the 70’s, Chavez negotiated an end to spraying DDT and other toxins on grape and lettuce crops. Still, in the 80’s, hundreds of people became ill after eating watermelons sprayed illegally with Aldicarb, a toxin that is now strictly regulated. Such incidents led to UNF inspired boycotts to eliminate chemicals that could cause illness and death among farm workers. The UNF helped Monterey County enact the nation’s toughest pesticide-use laws, which prompted statewide regulations. In 1965, the UFW joined a grape strike initiated by Filipino workers. The ensuing nationwide grape boycott lasted for five years. As public awareness of the plight of farm workers became evident, people across the US and Canada joined the boycott. Senator Robert F. Kennedy expressed support for the strike, but Governor Ronald Reagan called it immoral and contemptuously slowly ate grapes in public. In the end, Chavez cautioned humility in victory. Author/ screenwriter Alejandro Grattan-Dominquez reports being present while Chavez addressed an audience, urging not hatred and violence but conciliation and forgiveness. While the struggles of Cesar Chavez and the United Farm Workers accomplished much to improve conditions, life is often harsh for agricultural workers. In 1985, workers were found to be paying 25 cents an hour to live in caves on the Jose Ballin Ranch. Even now, the tragic death of Randy Vasquez cries out Dr. Lorin Swinehart for justice.

Saw you in the Ojo

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o much attenen-en tion and praise has lavished upon motivational speakers and authors, thatt p many tend to worship uggest ggest them as deities. I suggest that they only sugar coat reality in an attempt to make people feel better about themselves. It sells. Books and, more recently, motivational posters with beautiful inspiring photographs flood bookstores and office supply businesses. But is it honest? In reality, the entire process is nothing more than a Pollyannaish view of the world, which eventually explodes when real-

ity bites us in n the th he ass. ass. ity e the sayTake for example o ing, “That which do doesn’t kill ng ” Does you, makes you stron stronger. yyo sicker, it? Probably makes you weaker, and less resistant resis weaker, to a future onslaught. What Wh is cerfuture hones is that hone tain and more honest what doesn’t kill you, only postpones the inevitable. And what about ”No pain, no gain”? Isn’t most pain just that—pain? The only pain I know that involves gain is in my stomach when I eat too much. And the exaltation of “consistency?” To me, it’s only a virtue if you’re not a screw up. How many times has

El Ojo del Lago / June 2015

someone tried to make us feel better about ourselves by insisting that our mistakes are just “a learning experience”? More likely, our mistakes just are a reminder that our real purpose in life is only to serve as a warning to others. I remember my high school track coach preaching to us that “winners never quit and quitters never win.” But those who never win and never quit are just idiots. And, if you are a winner, you probably never ascend to greater heights than when you are bouncing up and down on the egos of those you just defeated. And tradition? When I see the annual running of the bulls in Pamplona, Spain, I am reminded that just because it has always been done that way, does not mean that it’s not incredibly stupid. I am as much a romantic as anyone, but have discovered that when love is in the air, it’s usually pooping on my head or my car. And, no, it’s not good luck, as some cultures urge— unless you’re in the car wash business or selling shampoo. Our dreams of future achievements are used by most motivational speakers to inspire us on to new and untried adventures-- for a small price, of course. True, there may be no

greater joy than soaring on the wings of your dreams… unless there is nowhere to land except in the ocean of reality. And, if at first you don’t succeed, then failure may be your style. How much easier would life be if we just learned that if we can’t do something well, just enjoy doing it poorly. We are continually reminded by the optimists that pressure can turn a lump of coal into a diamond. But isn’t it more truthful to admit that pressure is more likely to turn the average person into a lump of blubbering ectoplasm? How romantic is it to wish upon a falling star? The next time you do, consider the possibility that the star is really a meteor, hurtling to earth to destroy all life -- and your wish with it--unless you wished for death by a meteor. So, if platitudes from a self-proclaimed guru with his smile of 32 teeth (all in the front), or posters of pretty pictures and cute sayings are all it takes to motivate you, then you probably have a very easy job, the kind robots will be doing soon. Tom Eck

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The Paris Vibe

My first departure to Paris was scheduled for 9/14/2001, but the trip was delayed by the weeks of air traffic disrup&DIp /X[HPERXUJ 3DULV tion in the wake of 9/11. In the weeks until my postponed departure, it often crossed my mind that U.S. had now shared the experience of Â Parisians rocked by bombs during Algeriaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s war for independence, and Londoners reeling from bombings by Â Irish terrorists. I arrived in Paris months later to find that the 9/11 disaster still evoked great sympathy for Americans among Parisians. The irony was that only weeks before, U.S. conservative pundits had rebranded French Fries as Freedom Fries to protest lack of French participa-

El Ojo del Lago / June 2015

Bistro Saint Andre, Paris

tion in its Iraq invasion. There may be no other city written about, photographed, and blogged about more than Paris, which challenges anyone writing about it to offer a new take. Paris is a city living very much in the present, but imbued always with a sense of its past. Its monuments, museums, and cathedrals are milestones that wordlessly sketch out a millennium of history on its every street. Paris is egalitarian in its appeal.Â For the better part of two centuries, it has held the affections of old and young, the well-off and not so-well-off, students and artists of all stripes, and foreign tourists and expatriates. Few cities are home to a greater wealth of world class monuments and museums, and the embarrassment of cultural riches creates for the visitor the problem of what to pick from more choices than a lifetime visit could

Florist shop, Paris

about what it is, and what it is not. Come along on this visit, and I think that you, too, will fall into the rhythm of the Paris vibe. The itinerary for this trip includes some of my favorite monuments and museums, and the upcoming posts include a few sites that might not otherwise make the cut on your next visit. They’ll include a Sunday afternoon at

accommodate. But if the measure of a city is the power with which it arouses also the urge to revisit, few other cities continue to attract and engage visitors long after all of the sights have been seen as does Paris, because Paris is a state of mind. Paris is sidewalk cafes with curb-facing tables. It’s bistros and brasseries. It’s trendy boutiques in historic buildings on broad boulevards. Paris is the tranquil oases of verdant urban parks and intimate side streets. It’s sidewalk newsstands and booksellers and flower vendors. Paris is cafe au lait and pain au chocolat. And the Metro. World-wise and world-weary, defiantly proud and self-assured, and infinitely elegant, Paris is a city that seems to have no doubts

Tuileries Gardens, Paris

the Luxembourg Gardens, a morning walk through historically bohemian Montmartre, a day in Reims and the champagne country, a country drive among the castles of the Loire Valley, and a visit to Paris’s stunning Grand Mosque. I’ve decided to forego a hotel room for a walk-up studio with loft bedroom, just a Restaurant Allard, Paris I’ve decided to base in block from the intersection Paris, venturing out on RFFDVLRQDO GD\ WULSV of the Boulevards Saint-Michel and Saint-Germain. It’s within walking distance of many major sights and restaurants, and the nearby Metro and R.E.R. stations put it in easy reach of just about everywhere else. By my third day I’ve become enough a part of the neighborhood that the barista at the kiosk across the street has my “regular” drink working before I even step off the curb. Come along on this visit, and I think that you, too, will be caught up in the Paris vibe. Antonio Ramblés

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“

he trouble with the world,” Bertrand Russell once quipped, “is that the stupid are cock sure while the intelligent are full of doubt.” We live in a world where almost everyone is connected to the Internet, people have a choice of so many television outlets and other media that they can select those which tend to agree with their own biases. As a result, many are rarely exposed to intelligent arguments of topics about which they are ignorant or with which they are inclined to disagree. As we can see, the problem is not those who do not know, and are aware of that fact. The danger is from those who do not know or understand but think they do. I remember attending an international critical thinking conference where a group of professors from a medical school in California presented a workshop entitled Creative Ignorance. Their first instruction to the audience was, “Write a list of ten things you do not know.” We looked around at each other for a minute and had a difficult time beginning the task. It was difficult to think of what we didn’t know because we are not used to focusing on our ignorance. Of course, once we started, it was easy to make such a list, for we realized there are many more things we do not know than things we do know. These physicians understood the value of understanding one’s ignorance in medicine. It is the doctor who thinks she knows more than she does who is most dangerous. A doctor who immediately recognizes when she does not have an answer is inclined to seek help from colleagues, often a good move! We suffer from a lack of intellectual humility. Many have a very difficult time saying, “I don’t know.” to a question. To be ignorant has become to be seen as a weakness. Worse, many people have great difficulty saying, “I was wrong.” To understand and admit that we are ignorant or just plain wrong is an important cognitive trait: intellectual

El Ojo del Lago / June 2015

humility. Sometimes education, ironically, works against intellectual humility. The higher degree we attain, the greater the tendency to believe that we know more than the average Joe. Most people who achieve advanced degrees have studied a narrow specialty which leaves great room for ignorance in other areas. Yet many of these people like to pontificate on a variety of subjects about which they may, in fact, be just as ignorant as the rest of us. As a result, some MBA’s think they can time the stock market; some psychologists think their analysis of behavior is always correct; and lawyer-politicians begin to think they have a corner on wisdom about just about every topic. My wife used to say that critical thinking creates a kind of paralysis. And in a way, she’s right. If you are intellectually humble, you realize that you know very little about most things, so you need to carefully listen to many arguments and points of view before you make a decision. People who do not suffer from such humility often jump in with an opinion immediately; they have no doubt about the correctness of their opinions. We are all, unfortunately, very familiar with these people. How does an intellectually humble person behave? She enjoys reading opinions form a variety of sources. She listens more than she talks. She asks questions more than she argues. And, perhaps most importantly, she recognizes when she is ignorant about something and resists the tendency to pretend that she knows more than she does. As a result, she is always learning and developing a more complex understanding of reality. Yet, she remains more humble about her knowledge than the ignorant person who is confident he knows just about everything. Isaac Asimov recognized the pervasive anti-intellectualism in our society when he observed the common false notion that “My ignorance is just as good as your knowledge.” And so, we continue to struggle.

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lthough this magnificent celebration of Mexico’s plant diversity is gaining worldwide respect– and recently picked up a major award from the prestigious International Garden Council – it could also be called “the best kept secret” in Jalisco. That’s because virtually no one I’ve met in Lakeside seems to have heard of the place. “They have a botanical garden down there?” an amazed Ajijic gardener asked me recently. He then added, with a skeptical grin: “Is it good? Worth going to?” Yes to both. Even if you dread the dishrag humidity of the coast and

aren’t really into gardening yourself, put this beauty spot on your “must see” list, because it is truly special. Rambling over 16 jungly hectares– some cleared, some left intact –it contains the kind of eye candy that you expect to find in a botanical garden. That is, well cared-for flowerbeds overflowing with dazzling curiosities like different species of ginger and begonias, plus every tropical shrub you can name. But it’s also possible to wander off alone along quiet hiking trails and take in the less cultivated charms of the region. I loved, for instance, the twisty, dark Vanilla Trail. You enter over a wobbly rope bridge, then follow a

El Ojo del Lago / June 2015

series of steps that undulate beneath thick overhanging vines and 150 year old behemoths like the Maya nut tree (now threatened with extinction, but protected in these gardens). The atmosphere was so jungly and exotic, I almost expected to see Tarzan swinging through the treetops. But there are welcome touches of civilization too: a lovely restaurant, with a brick oven which makes great pizzas, and a well-stocked shop selling quality handicrafts. Finally, there’s the gardens’ crowning glory: the Orchid Pavilion. Its mission is to preserve and propagate native orchid species that are dying out in the wild (Jalisco contains the highest number of orchids in Mexico) and at the same time educate people not to rip them out of forests. And what a wonderful goal that is. However, perhaps the most remarkable aspect of this little slice of paradise is that it gets virtually no government funding. “We’ve achieved this with private donations – and a lot of hard work, mostly by volunteers,” says the Gardens’ curator and professional horticulturist, Bob Price, who’s originally from Georgia. Price is actually being too modest. He got the ball rolling himself

ten years ago when, with his mother, Betty, he visited this wild area south of Puerto Vallarta and plunked down his own money to buy a chunk of bare hillside belonging to a cattle rancher. “Everywhere I travel, I always visit the botanical gardens and I realized that there wasn’t one here. So I decided to just do it,” he explains with a chuckle. Price joined forces with an enthusiastic, local 20-year-old (Jesus Reyes, now the gardens’ director-general) then discovered, to his delight, that plenty of Americans and Canadians who have homes in the vacation hot spot wanted to get involved too. “We started fundraising and it was phenomenal,” he says. “So many people stepped up, wanting to contribute – and to help in other ways.” Among them was Dianne “Dee” Daneri, a former head of the American Rhododendron Society that has financed the fabulous new $100,000 pavilion devoted to native Mexican species of rhododendrons, known as Vireyas. “It was exactly the kind of project she was looking for,” says Price. The results speak for themselves. Check out some of the rave reviews now appearing on Trip Advisor. And that prestigious award? Together with multi-million dollar botanical gardens installed in locales like Singapore and Dubai, Bob Price’s brainchild recently joined the list of “Ten Gardens around the World That Are Worth Travelling For.” It’s quite an accomplishment. For more information: vbgardens.org (Ed. Note: Sonia Day is Gardening Columnist for the Toronto Star and a sometime visitor to Ajijic. She’s also the author of eight books. Her latest is a novel, Deer Eyes, available from Amazon.com. Sonia’s Day’s book The Untamed Garden has recently won the Benjamin Franklin Digital Silver Award which is awarded yearly by the Independent Book Publishers Association. Her website: soniaday.com)

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ust about every retiree here in Ajijic knows what it’s like to hit sixty. It’s the milestone. And it’s like walking into that milestone. It hurts. For some, it feels like the first gentle transformative step into the hereafter. And so every time they get heartburn, it’s a Cruz Roja call. For others, it’s a time of celebration for having made it so far. When I was a kid as soon as somebody reached 60, we started praying for them. Not to stay healthy. To go to Heaven. I covered 34 aunts and uncles in my night prayers. It’s probably why I’m an insomniac today. Yet others see it as a time of freedom: 3 score. Looking forward to more “scores” to come. Something you might hear on any weekend at the Hefner mansion. Today, we all know 60 is the new 40. Unfortunately, that could mean another mid-life crisis. Somehow, you can’t win. Yes, aging plays tricks on you, a slow shape-shifting and

clumsiness that belies one’s self image. 60 years ago, 60 was very different from today. 60 meant your pants were belted just under your armpits. Teeth soaked in a glass all night. You watched Lawrence Welk, napped and exercised at the same time – in your rocking chair. Family would talk

El Ojo del Lago / June 2015

about you in the third person: Did he have a hat? Should I button up his sweater. Does he have his Geritol? That’s how I remember 60, 60 years ago. But I’ve concluded one thing for sure about age: we’re really all the same people today that we were at 6 years old. The difference is that the world just treats us all differently at age six and at age sixty. For men, for example: When you were 6, you pretended to be Superman. At 60, women pretend you’re Superman. When you were 6, you might have had an imaginary friend. At 60, on Facebook, you have a hundred imaginary friends. At 6, you might have given your bus seat to a 60 year old woman. At 60, a 60-year- old woman would have to head-butt you for that seat. At 6, there was that, you show me yours, viva la difference stuff. At 60, same thing, but you’re talking liposuction scars. At 6, you went to bed with books like 101 Dalmations. At 60, after a few drinks, you’d go to bed with Cruella De Ville. At 6, the opposite gender was the enemy. At 60... nothing has changed. For those who haven’t reached 60

yet, let me say, don’t despair. Sixty has its advantages. Women dig it when you tell them you were a Green Beret, for example. Whether you were one or not doesn’t matter. Works for any guy, all you need is a scar from falling off your bike. And men think women at 60 are capable of playing every possible female role all at once: the sexually astute mistress, the loving and wise companion, and best of all, mama in surrogate. You just have to play your cards right (including credit cards). And then there is all the discounts you get. I think the discounts are a hint that late baby boomers could wind up living to be 90 to 100 years old or more. And penniless. Medical science, being what it is, has made some important strides toward providing us with greater longevity without having the common courtesy of asking us if we could afford it. So what do we get: twenty, thirty more years and 5% discounts on denture cream. Things always have a way of working out. So it looks like at 60, we should all feel pretty positive that our time isn’t up and that there’s still a way to go. After all, it wasn’t that long ago when our stooped, asthmatic Victorian forbearers seldom lived past age 40. (And who could blame them?) And what about Australopithecus? If he made it to 23, the pandemonium on the savannah would go on for weeks. But try telling him he still has another 80 years of chasing mammoths around, and he’d get a heart arrhythmia just thinking about it. Yes, of course, we’re all on meds, but I want to sum up by being positive: youth really isn’t wasted on the young. Would you ever want to go back to four years of high-school gym classes? Ed Tasca

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s there a more complex subject than that of intimacy? As humans we are built for connection, we even come out of the womb connected to our mothers. Here at Lakeside itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a popular topic over meals and drinks, whenever people meet and talk. But, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s rarely understood. Most of us deeply desire it even though we may not understand our own feelings about it, let alone those of anyone else. We elders seem especially challenged by how to fill the hole that our need for intimacy has created deep within us. No longer fueled by the raging hormones of youth, negative self issues take over working to deprive

some of what many believe is the best part of being alive. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Am I attractive enoughâ&#x20AC;?, â&#x20AC;&#x153;am I worthy enough,â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;will I be hurt againâ&#x20AC;? and a whole lot of other stories we tell ourselves that only serve to keep us from this joyful experience of life. The lucky among us recognize that having a significant other to cherish helps them to feel more alive, content, and fulfilled. I know lots of fine and worthy people that would like nothing better than to have love in their lives.Â Others, however, arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t aware that this is the source of their dissatisfaction or that itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hiding in their subconscious mind. Even knowing does not make coming together

El Ojo del Lago / June 2015

with a good match any easier. Â According to the book Fear of Intimacy, â&#x20AC;&#x153;The ideal combination of loving companionship and sexual contact in a long lasting relationship is conducive to good mental and physical health and is an essential goal for most people. Love is the one force that is capable of easing existential despair and the endemic pain of the human condition. To develop emotionally as well as spiritually, one needs to learn how to love, to continue to search for love throughout life, and to remain positive, not become cynical or despairing when love fails.â&#x20AC;? Then there are the illnesses and disabilities for which experimenting with new positions for intercourse is healthy and desirable.Â For those that this wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t work for there is something called â&#x20AC;&#x153;outer-courseâ&#x20AC;? which refers to sensual activities like kissing, hugging, caressing, etc.Â This form of connection is ideal for those that want to feel young at heart despite health and physical limitations. Chronic illness affects sexual and orgasmic dysfunction more than aging alone does.Â Chronically ill individuals experience greater deterioration in sexual and orgasmic quality at any age.Â Reasons for stopping sexual activity differs a lot between men and women, with loss of a partner in women and deteriorating health in men being the primary ones. It is essential to know that many can heal and recover from chronic illness if they choose to focus their attention and efforts to treatments that assist the body to heal the way that it was naturally designed to.Â If for no other reason than to regain intimacy, healing and strengthening the body is more than worthwhile for the richness it adds to your experience of life. Below are Web MDâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 10 Surprising Health Benefits of Sex: 1. People who have sex have higher levels of what defends your body against germs, viruses, and other intruders.

2. Having sex will make sex better and improve your libido.Â For women, having sex ups vaginal lubrication, blood flow, and elasticity, all of which make sex feel better and help you crave more of it. 3.Â Good sex is like a workout for your pelvic floor muscles and important for avoiding female incontinence. 4. Research suggests a link between sex and lower blood pressure. 5. Sex is a really great form of exercise. 6. Sex is a great way to raise your heart rate and helps balance estrogen and testosterone levels, low levels can cause osteoporosis and heart disease. 7. An orgasm can block pain. It releases a hormone that helps raise your pain threshold. 8. Men who ejaculated frequently (at least 21 times a month) are less likely to get prostate cancer. 9. After orgasm the hormone prolactin is released, producing feelings of relaxation and sleepiness. 10. Being close to your partner can soothe stress and anxiety, touching and hugging releases a lot of oxytocin, your bodyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s natural â&#x20AC;&#x153;feel-good hormone.â&#x20AC;?Â Sexual arousal releases a brain chemical that revs up your brainâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s pleasure and reward system. Finally in a study conducted at the Royal Edinburgh Hospital in Scotland found that those who were enjoying lots of intimacy with a steady partnerâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;four times a week, on averageâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;were perceived to be 7 to 12 years younger than their actual age.Â Regular sex promotes the release of hormones which can keep your body looking young and vital. Sex and intimacy boost your self-esteem and happiness. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not only a prescription for a healthy life, but a happy one. Anna Elena Berlin

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Actual Compla aints Received by “Thomas Cook Vacatio o ns” &RXUWHV\ RI $UW +HVV

“I think it should be explained in the brochure that the local convenience store does not sell proper biscuits like custard creams or ginger nuts.” 2. “It’s lazy of the local shopkeepers in Puerto Vallarta to close in the afternoons. I often needed to buy things during ‘siesta’ time --this should be banned.” 3. “On my holiday to Goa in India, I was disgusted to find that almost every restaurant served curry. I don’t like spicy food.” 4. “We booked an excursion to a water park but no-one told us we had to bring our own swimsuits and towels. We assumed it would be included in the price.” 5. “The beach was too sandy. We had to clean everything when we returned to our room.” 6. “We found the sand was not like the sand in the brochure. Your brochure shows the sand as white but it was more yellow.” 7. “They should not allow topless sunbathing on the beach. It was very distracting for my husband who just wanted to relax.” 8. “No-one told us there would be fish in the water. The children were scared.” 9. “Although the brochure said that there was a fully equipped

El Ojo del Lago / June 2015

kitchen, there was no egg-slicer in the drawers.” 10. “We went on holiday to Spain and had a problem with the taxi drivers as they were all Spanish.” 11. “The roads were uneven and bumpy, so we could not read the local guide book during the bus ride to the resort. Because of this, we were unaware of many things that would have made our holiday more fun.” 12. “It took us nine hours to fly home from Jamaica to England. It took the Americans only three hours to get home. This seems unfair.” 13. “I compared the size of our one-bedroom suite to our friends’ three-bedroom and ours was significantly smaller.” 14. “The brochure stated: ‘No hairdressers at the resort.’ We’re trainee hairdressers and we think they knew and made us wait longer for service.” 15. “When we were in Spain, there were too many Spanish people there. The receptionist spoke Spanish, the food was Spanish. No one told us that there would be so many foreigners.” 16. “We had to line up outside to catch the boat and there was no air-conditioning.” 17. “It is your duty as a tour operator to advise us of noisy or unruly guests before we travel.” 18. “I was bitten by a mosquito. The brochure did not mention mosquitoes.” 19. “My fiancée and I requested twin-beds when we booked, but instead we were placed in a room with a king bed. We now hold you responsible and want to be re-reimbursed for the fact that I became pregnant. This would not have happened if you had put us in the room that we booked. (Note: Be aware. They walk among us and they reproduce!)

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The Music You Love

The music you love no longer plays at the top of the charts the melody that rattles in your morning mind is vinyl stages of your life begin and end like mile markers on the interstate remembrance becomes a veteran’s parade of wars with the newest and the oldest stepping in time supposing there’s a logical reason you are known by what you did, and where it all began, somehow it chaffs of greatness bending to the whims of what matters for what was left behind what remains after the flood, the drought, the insanity of scorched earth and genocide, is the cream that always rises to the top, and always will – a common lesson in gratitude for the moment and a promise of better things to come, just because it makes sense. songs grow old and lose their shape, memories lingering long in the recesses of the mind ever present, we wait for the future to sit down beside us, and listen to the music. —John Thomas Dodds—

El Ojo del Lago / June 2015

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Hearts at Work $ &ROXPQ E\ -LP 7LSWRQ

A Rag Doll in the Wilderness

t is Sunday afternoon here at Lake Chapala--a day “to loaf and invite my soul,” as Whitman says. A soft breeze slips through the open doors of the balcony and dips down momentarily to caress the fur of my sweet cat, Manchas, asleep on the Zapotec rug. When I rescued Manchas many years ago, she was so tiny she could sleep in the palm of my hand. Each night, when I stretch out onto the bed, this sweet little cat leaps up and gives me one kiss on the tip of my nose before she moves to her spot near the bottom of the bed, or if the weather is cold, she curls against my legs. I have had so many wonderful animals in my life. Here are just a few: my first dog Shadow, a Cocker Spaniel, the supreme joy of a little boy’s life; Charlie, a beloved border Collie, a faithful companion when others had failed me; and Ananda, my Golden Retriever, left for me at our local animal shelter by who knows what divine spirits, and who took such good care of me so many years. There is much love in many--I suspect in most—animals; and they often recognize the love in us. The woman who cut my hair when I lived in Denver usually wore a T-shirt that read: “I’m a Beaver Believer.” Turns out rich folk building their new homes along the recently cleared Platte River banks planted sizable aspen trees. The beavers, who loved aspen, thought they were a gift of The Beaver God and gnawed them down with great beaver joy. My friend was part of a Colorado

wildlife program that allowed her to take beavers into her tiny apartment for the night before taking them to a remote mountain area marked on a map given her by the Department of Wildlife. She showed me pictures of her hugging one of these large rodents, and both she and the beaver were smiling! Before I moved to Mexico I made a modest but very sweet living as a keeper of bees in western Colorado. Sometimes coyotes would greet me in the early mornings, content to sit and watch me. One of my bee yards was on the property of a farm couple, the Hydes, who had also signed up for a wildlife relocation program. As the city of Grand Junction and surrounding communities expanded, wildlife was being crowded out. People complained that the raccoon population was much too high, although I suspect that more than one raccoon thought the human population was too high. At any rate the Hydes would receive baby raccoons whose mothers had been killed by cars or by hunters and they would raise these little orphans over several months until they could make it on their own. The Department of Wildlife gave them a date to take them to a remote location, before the babies, by now young adults, became hopelessly habituated to the human way of doing things. The Hydes told me that in one rescue when they first received the tiny babies, a brother and sister, the wife gave a little rag doll to the girl raccoon. Girl raccoon and doll became inseparable (the brother had no interest at all). Everywhere she went around the farm yard she dragged it with her, and of course she hugged her doll close in her cage at night. When the time came to take them to their new home in the mountains, always done when it was dark, the couple placed food and water in the cage and left the door open. They also left the now rather worn rag doll with the girl raccoon. The couple returned the following day. The raccoons were gone, and the girl raccoon had taken her rag doll into the wilderness with her. Jim Tipton

El Ojo del Lago / June 2015

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CHILD

of the month

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Oscar Roman

ou first met Oscar just shortly after he joined Niños Incapacitados in July 2012. He was 9 months old. He is the youngest of five children and lives with his family in Jocotopec. Oscar was diagnosed with Sindrome Cornelia de Lange often termed as Bushy Syndrome and more commonly referred to as Amsterdam Dwarfism. Niños Incapacitados sees its fair share of rare and unusual disorders however Sindrome Cornelia de Lange is a first for us. Sindrome Cornelia de Lange is a genetic disorder that can lead to severe developmental anomalies affecting both the physical and intellectual de-

velopment of a child. Exact incidence is unknown, but it is estimated at 1 in 10,000 to 30,000 newborns. Statistically it affects both males and females alike. Cornelia de Lange syndrome is a developmental disorder that affects

El Ojo del Lago / June 2015

many parts of the body. The features of this disorder very widely among affected individuals and range from relatively mild to severe. This syndrome is characterized by slow growth before and after birth, intellectual disability that is usually severe to profound, skeletal abnormalities involving the arms and hands as well as distinctive facial features. The facial features include arched eyebrows that often grow together in the middle, long eyelashes, low ears, small, widely spaced teeth and a small upturned nose. Many affected individuals also have behavior problems similar to autism. Additional signs and symptoms can include excessive body hair, an unusually small head, hearing loss, short stature, and problems with the digestive tract. Sometimes those affected are born with an opening in the roof of the mouth called a cleft palate. Seizures, heart defects and eye problems have been reported in people with this condition as well. Oscar is now four and a half and is doing extremely well. He is a very happy child and as Mom would tell you, a very active one. At the age of two he was fitted with hearing aids. This made him a little cranky as the new sounds and noises were foreign to him. Six

months later he had adjusted well like a little trouper. Months later, tests indicated that his eyesight was not good so he was fitted with glasses which he thinks are cool and loves to show off his new look. He attends speech therapy twice weekly at the School for Special Needs Children in Jocotopec and goes for physical therapy at the Rehab Center. In the past many children with Sindrome Cornelia de Lange did not live past childhood as their medical needs were not known. However therapeutic interventions, such as speech therapy, occupational therapy and physical therapy can help the child with this syndrome reach his or her full potential. Oscar is closely monitored by his doctor. He has undergone both genetic and hormone testing and will continue undergoing monthly bloodwork as well as x-rays to monitor his skeletal frame. Oscar is not on any medications other than an antibiotic for a recent bout of flu. To date, Niños Incapacitados has reimbursed the family $52,000 pesos. As Oscar develops it will become more evident as to the degree of his physical/developmental manifestations and whether or not he will fall in the range of mild to severe. For the time being, he continues to do well and enjoys his new friends at school. As Director of the Jocotopec clinic thank you for the opportunity of presenting some of our children to you. Please note that Niños Incapacitados regular monthly meetings are suspended for the summer months. They will however resume again in September. Niños Incapacitados clinics in Chapala, Ajijic, and Jocotopec continue. If you would like to see firsthand what we do, please do not hesitate to contact Rich Petersen (376-765-5511) or Barb Corol (376-766-5452) to arrange a visit. If you would like to learn more about Niños Incapacitados, please visit our website at www.programaniños. org

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PROFILING TEPEHUA %\ 0RRQ\HHQ .LQJ President of the Board for Tepehua

PRRQLH #\DKRR FRP

epehua Centro Comunitario A.C, is concentrating on sexuality, education, birth control and help to maintain dignity through one of the worst pain tunnels a woman can endure: the birth of a child. Each year half a million women die due to pregnancy and childbirth. Seven million have long term complications and 50 million have negative outcomes following delivery. Most of these issues occur in the developing world. The World Health Organization describes the postnatal period as the most critical yet most neglected phase in the life of mother and child. Most of the deaths occur in the postnatal period. The maternal mortality rate has fallen in Mexico, but it is still the highest in Latin America. The problem is far worse among the indigenous poor, where women are less likely to survive delivering a child. According to The Economist, one of the first obstacles for a pregnant woman in poverty is transport. This is evident in the Tepehua Barrio, where women have to take a bus to Guadalajara, which is an hour of travel time, and for more isolated barrios much more, plus the hassle of changing buses. Other problems await at hospitals. Lab tests and medical supplies, which are very expensive, have to be paid, in spite of the fact it is called a ‘free’ hospital. The journey to Guadalajara costs 200 pesos per person and a family member has to go with the expectant mother to stay overnight to help give care. The lack of beds forces them back on the road 24 to 48 hours after giving birth which, as stated above, is the most critical time for adequate care. This is why many women give birth with no medical help at all. The Economist also stated that the best way to reduce maternal mortality is to invest in infrastructure and health and education. Celia Hubert wrote in her studies on the issue that high levels of maternal mortality are strongly correlated with high levels of social inequality, especially unequal access to health services.

El Ojo del Lago / June 2015

Since most maternal deaths could be avoided by the provision of adequate medical care, access to prenatal care and deliveries by trained health providers are essential to reducing deaths during pregnancies, deliveries and the postnatal period. The consequences of maternal mortality affect disadvantaged families, worsening their already fragile situation. A study in 2010 showed maternal deaths were caused by preeclampsia (Toxemia), hemorrhage, septic shock, neoplasm, embolism and abortion. Most of these causes can be avoided with adequate care. Therefore, improving women’s education and giving them access to contraception is an essential part of any strategy to reduce maternal mortality. The plan of the Tepehua Centro Comunitario is to build a maternal health unit at Tepehua, where the women of isolated barrios can come and have their babies, sending only the complicated cases to Guadalajara in the Tepehua/Cedejo maternal health bus. Cedejo and the Tepehua Health Clinic have been working together to prevent sexually transmitted diseases, maternal mortality, and educating women on family planning. With an affordable Maternal Unit close to their home and pre/postnatal care available in sterile conditions, the mortality rate for mothers and infants will fall. Cedejo takes the maternal health bus to isolated villages, where they monitor the conditions of expectant mothers and check for cancer and STD’s. If you have an interest and wish to be involved with this project, please contact the writer. We need to design in limited space, a laboratory for small machines and lab testing and clean rooms for delivery. If you have ideas that will help get this off the ground the Tepehua Centro Comunitario Board of Directors is anxious to hear from you. The difference this one Maternity Unit could make to countless barrios at Lakeside would be very impressive. To be part of change is to be part of the future.

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Sandy Olson

Phone: 331-283-8529 Email: sandyzihua@hotmail.com

PAST EVENTS HAIKU FOR YOU We’re proud to announce that local writer Mel Goldberg has received notice that two of his haikus* were published in May, in Asahi Shimbun, a national newspaper in Japan. And here they are: neighborhood shrine the virgin of Guadalupe stares benignly ash from Colima the herons on Lake Chapala are confused

Mel Goldberg

*Haiku: “a 17 syllable verse form consisting of three metrical units of 5, 7 and 5 syllables” Mel has been promised future publication in Asahi Shimbun as well. Congratulations! THEY’RE PAYING IT FORWARD They’re already on board—and with their bikes, yet— with helping in the community. Los Güeros Motorcycle Club was formed a year ago from a chapter in Mazatlan that’s been around for ten years. They hosted their first fundraiser last month at the Hotel Montecarlo to help a member who needed surgery. In just a year the club has grown to 40 members. They sponsor rides, social events, and had a toy run at Christmas for La Ola Orphanage. They Left to right: Dave Roberts, Vice President, Pam say, “Please join us on a ride Lamb, Social Director, Mike Murphy, Presi- or at a social event.” (I kind of dent, Doug Friend, Sergeant at Arms. Seated: wish I hadn’t sold my Harley). Their website is www.losgueDeborah Murphy, Secretary Treasurer. ros.com and email is losgueroslakechapala@hotmail.com.. MOTHERS AND MADRES Our Mother’s Day coincided with Mexican Mother’s Day this year, which is always on May 10. How often does that happen? The day started with a couple of bangs and then more bangs around 6:00 a.m., with bottle rocket salutes to all those moms out there, and then there were the serenades, heavy on the brasses. Flowers were for sale everywhere and the bakeries were almost sold out. We don’t know if the honored mothers were in the kitchen all day, cooking a big party meal for the family. We’ll have to ask about this next year. We gringos have a good day, too, in our sedate way. We invite each other out to one of the many restaurants offering a rose to the ladies and a special brunch. IT WAS A BEAUTIFUL ESL DAY Family, friends and their teachers got to help some 125 students celebrate their achievement in studying English since last September, through the Lake Chapala Society sponsored program. After refreshments, Inez Dyer, Program Director, welcomed the teachers, students and Past and Present Program Directheir guests, and gave the students their

tors Carol Bowman and Inez Dyer

achievement awards. The day was beautiful and the turnout was enthusiastic—let’s not miss it next year. Regular ESL volunteer instructors, who deserve much credit, are Betha Arline, John (Bing) Munroe, Bob and Sue Dietz, Carol Bowman, Chris Manning, Clare Gearhart, David Richardson, Deborah Elder, Don and Barbara Pruitt, Harold Tracy, Inez Dyer, Jim Flynn, Joan Davis, Jo DiFilippo, John Kelly, Les Strong, Lorna Smith, Margaret Larson, Nikki Horne, Phil Rylett, Robert and Hyacinth Martlew, Robert Case, Sandy Jakubek, Susan Johnson and Travis Ashby. WOMEN’S ART COLLECTIVE It was a good night at La Rueda in San Juan Cosala last month and the coffee and wine was flowing at a reception for a collective of 24 women artists’ work. Kristina Trejo, owner of La Rueda, offered artists a chance to participate. Anyone who wanted to show her work was welcome. La Rueda Owner Artists were Adriana Perez, Yadira Rios, Carol LoKristina Trejo pez, Patricia Hemingway, Judy Dykstra-Brown, Phoebe Monroe, Nora Rios, Estafanía Iñiguez, Abril Iñiguez, Lola Galicia, Carmen Arechiga, Maria Guadalupe Vargas, Rita Harrington, Lupe Verar, Betty Peterson, Cathy Chalvignac, Kristina Trejo, Alexandra Valasquez, Veronica Hermosillo, Miriam Gutiérrez, Pat Apt and Patricia Reason. BREAKING EVEN GOES KINDLE! Our Ojo del Lago Editor-in Chief Alejandro Grattan is enjoying another success these days. His novel Breaking Even was first published in 1997, and at one time was in over 1400 libraries in the US and Canada. It was also sold in bookstores in many major cities in Europe and even in India. A Typical Review: The author is a master at developing characters and issues with which we can easily identify. Grattan shows great understanding of human nature, and of how one’s emotional history can affect future choices. — Lake Chapala Review Fortunately for us here at Lakeside, we can now access his book in a Kindle version, just published by Mikel Miller’s Egret Books for $4.99. The link to Amazon is http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00X31YDUQ Keep ‘em coming, Alex!

COMING EVENTS A PERFECT AFTERNOON What could be better….a day of folklorio music at the Centro Cultural González Gallo in Chapala. The event starts at 2:00 p.m. on Wednesday, June 10, and lasts until 10:00 p.m. There isn’t an entry fee and you can come and go as you please. Many groups will perform and instruments range from harps to trumpets. There will be food for sale (last year it was catered by Tony’s at San Antonio), also jewelry and other goods for sale. This will be a beautiful day. AND MORE…. The Centro Cultural Gonzalez Gallo (the old train station) in Chapala will also host performances by talented students from the University of Guadalajara School of Music in an ongoing guitar series. Performances are free and it’s a good opportunity to support these young musicians. The recitals are on Thursdays at 7:00 p.m. Entry is free. There will be performances on June 11 and 18. JAZZ AND NO COVER CHARGE The Blue Velvet Jazz Quartet will play every Wednesday in June at 7:30, Ocampo 71 Snack Bar, Ajijic Juan Castañón performs solo jazz guitar/ standards set every Monday in June at Lago Café Guitarist Juan Castañón

continued on page 34

El Ojo del Lago / June 2015

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Ajijic. Carretera Poniente 29, starting at 6 p.m. June 19 Castañón is in collaboration with Chakal Quartet—contemporary jazz from Mexico City, Casa de la Cultura de Jocotepec, starting at 8 p.m. The Blue Velvet Jazz Quartet also will perform on Saturdays—June 6 and 27—at 7:30, Lago Cafe Ajijic, Carretera Poniente 29. Find the Blue Velvet Jazz Quartet on Facebook: blue velvet.jazz trio SUMMER NEWS FROM VIVA MUSICA Viva Summer in the Village Concert Series These performances are at 7:00 p.m. in the Auditorio. Thursday, June 18 Sergio Parra Piano Recital. Beethoven’s Pathetique Piano Sonata; Johannes Brahms, Prelude No.5; and Isaac Albeniz, Asturias. Thursday, July 23 Daniel Estrada, clarinet, and Hans Peter Aull, piano. Robert Schumann, Romances; Camille Saint-Saens, Sonata Opus 167; Francis Poulenc, Sonata (1962) and Arturo Marquez, Zarabandeo. Thursday, August 20 The Serenata Piano Trio: Areli Medeles, cello; Robert Markus, violin; and Rosa Maria Valdez, piano, will perform works by Antonin Dvorak, Manuel Cerda, Alfredo Carrasco, Leo Janacek, Eugene Toussaint and Manuel Ponce’s Estrellita, written for Jascha Heifitz. Viva concert tickets are 200 pesos and are available June 1 at LCS Thursdays and Fridays 10-12 (not in May), at Diane Pearl Colecciones and the Auditorio. Another Viva Event The new professional ballet school in Guadalajara, Joven Ballet de Jalisco, is presenting Romeo and Juliet at the Degollado Theatre. Reviews of their productions have been excellent. Viva will have a bus for the performance on Sunday, June14. The bus leaves just east of Farmacia Guadalajara at 10.30 for the performance beginning at 12.30 Bus trip tickets will be 400 pesos for Viva members, and 500 for nonmembers. Please email Rosemary, rosemarykeeling@hotmail.com, or Marshall Krantz, mak1939@gmail.com to arrange purchase of bus trip tickets. BIZARRE AND HILARIOUS MURDERS The next production of Naked Stage—June 26, 27 and 28— is The Psychic, by Sam Bobrick. It’s directed by Collette Clavadetscher.

The cast, left to right: Bob Ward, Barbara Pruitt, Jim Ryan, Judy Long, Allen McGill and Director Collette Clavadetscher. Not pictured are Jon DeYoung and Michael Warren. Here’s the plot: A down and out mystery writer, unable to pay his rent, hangs up a sign offering psychic readings in his window. To his surprise, he blurts out to his first customer, an attractive young woman, that her husband is planning to kill her. Much to his alarm and confusion he soon finds himself embroiled in a string of bizarre and hilarious murders. Naked Stage is located at #10A Rio Bravo. The box office opens at 3:15 and the show starts at 4:00 p.m. The email address for reservations: nakedstagereservations@gmail.com. Reservations guarantee a seat until 3:50, after which seats will be sold to those waiting without reservations. LAKESIDE LITTLE THEATRE Season tickets are now available for the LLT 2015-16 season, which also promises to be exciting. The plays are as follows: October 2-11 Murder by Misadventure November 6-15 Stepping Out December 4-12 Rumors January 15-24 Good People February 19-March 6 Nunsense March 25-April 3 Other Desert Cities

El Ojo del Lago / June 2015

To reserve season tickets, email tickets@lakesidelittletheatre.com or contact the Box Office at (376) 766-0954. The 1100 peso prices includes an annual membership and a reserved seat at each of the six shows. ARTISTS AND MARGARITAS The Lake Chapala Painting Guild will hold a “Meet the Artists” event on Saturday, July 25 from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m., at Arileo restaurant. Members are Maryann Linhart, Nancy Gray, Marion Decker, Geraldine Classen, Lois Schroff, Ina Gieysztor, Anita Lee, Winnie Hunt, Carol Ann Owers, Stve Achs and Antonio Lopez Vega. Not shown: Sonia Mocnik. The artists will introduce themselves and discuss their philosophies about art, their individual methods and media, as well as show their work, which will be on view until mid-August. To celebrate this special event, Arileo will have 2-for-1 margaritas. Plan to stay for one of their superior dinners. For further information, email www.lakechapalapaintingguild. org. THIS IN BETWEEN TIME Snow Birds in Their Habitat It’s that time of year. The snow birds have flocked off, bless them all, and the markets

aren’t as crowded. It’s been hard to get around but after they leave, and after the Easter festivities, we have a respite until next fall. And now we’re waiting for the rain birds. Newcomers might mistake that hum for electrical wiring, but the rest of us known that the rain birds, aka cicadas, are a welcome harbinger of cooler weather. The locals say that the rains will come 42 days after the rain birds begin their song. These prehistoric-looking, three inch long creatures— cousins of locusts—are sweeter to hear than to look at, but that’s just an editorial opinion (mine). At any rate, we Lakesiders are glad when we hear their promise of relief from summer heat.

ONGOING EVENTS BRING ON THOSE BEES Join others to share your expertise on growing vegetables and herbs in the Lake Chapala area. On June 10 the guest speaker at the Ajijic Organic Vegetable Growers will be member Kathy Stanford, who will give a presentation regarding honey bees, pollinators and other beneficial insects that we should attract to our gardens. The club meets the gazebo at Tabarka Restaurant, Rio Zula #7. New members can contact John McWilliams at mcwilliamsmx@gmail.com or by phone at 376-766-0620. LAKESIDE SINGLES The next LCS Singles Get Together will be at Maria Isabel Restaurant (formerly the Old Posada). The Happy Hour Mixer is set for Wednesday, June 10 at 5:00 p.m. There will be some drink specials—2 for 1 on the house wine, margaritas, and beer. The front room with the big windows overlooking the lake will be exclusively for the group. There’ll be lots of room for everybody to have a good time. THIS IS NOT A FUNNY HAT CONTEST Lakeside Little Theatre and Lake Chapala Society are sponsoring an LCS/LLT Children’s Summer Theatre Camp, to be held the last two weeks of July. Adult volunteers have spent time experimenting with some different hat designs and construction so that they will know the best and easiest way to have the children do it. Once the kids are out of school and join the camp, they will be making their own hats and masks, and participate in the making of their own costumes, set and props, to give them a full theatrical experience. Volunteers are Antonio López Vega, Thom Weeks, Francisco Gonzales Nava, Brad Mowers, Suzanna Baillergeau and Jennifer Stanley. Francisco Gonzales Nava Other volunteers will very soon be called upon to help with preparations in the coming months. If you are interested in getting involved in this exciting project, please contact Kathleen Neal kathleenandjuan@gmail.com or Jennifer Stanley jenthom.enroute@gmail.com or 766-3543 in the coming months to help with preparations.

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BRIDGE BY THE LAKE %\ .HQ 0DVVRQ

he modern game of duplicate bridge has evolved to the point where competition has become fierce as each side jockeys for supremacy. Gone are the days when opponents meekly surrendered after the other side opened the bidding - now it is very rare to play in an uncontested partscore. This month’s hand is a case in point with each partnership taking risks to try and secure a plus for their side. East dealt and opened 1 heart and South overcalled 2 clubs. Although West had only 6 high card points, he was well worth the raise to 2 hearts with his holding of four hearts to the king. North and East passed and South bid 3 clubs. West now bid 3 hearts based on the principle that when your side has 9 trumps between you, it is generally safe to bid to the three level, especially when you are not vulnerable. Once again North and East passed but South wasn’t done yet and he now bid 4 clubs. West and North passed and East was faced with a problem: if each side could make nine tricks playing in their best trump suit, then South would go minus 100 if down 1 in 4 clubs which would not be as good as the 140 North South could make for 9 tricks with hearts as trumps. So East doubled hoping to earn 200 points against the vulnerable contract. Now the spotlight turned to West who had to make the opening lead. Normally when leading a suit that partner has bid the recommended lead is low from 3 or 4 cards but West reckoned his side might have to take whatever tricks they could quickly,

El Ojo del Lago / June 2015

before declarer found his way to 10 tricks. So West departed from conventional wisdom and placed the heart king on the table! This lead struck gold as East quickly caught on to what his partner was doing and followed smartly with the heart queen, a suit preference signal asking his partner to switch to a spade. West dutifully continued with the spade 5 and in no time the defenders had garnered three more tricks to defeat the contract as East cashed the queen and ace before giving his partner a ruff for a score of 200 and a near top on the board. The heart King was risk-free and a necessary lead to help West plan his side’s defence. Had he led the 3 instead, his partner would have had to win the trick but he had no way back to West’s hand to get the killing spade switch. Ultimately, the defence would have collected two spade tricks and one heart and the contract would have made for a cold top for North South. You may be thinking that East’s heart queen was just an encouraging card asking for a continuation of that suit but both defenders realized that no more hearts could cash – West because he knew his partner had at least 5 hearts and East because he knew his partner had at least 4 hearts due to his bidding the suit twice. Not for the first time, thinking outside the box paid big dividends. Questions or comments: email: masson.ken@ gmail.com Ken Masson

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CARING FOR CA AREGIVERS %\ .HLWK &RDWHV NVFRDWHV#WHOXV QHW

was caregiver for my wife, Carol, through her eight plus year battle with dementia. I went through all the stages and stress of care-giving. By sharing my experience, I hope to give you a clearer perspective of this side of the dementia equation. Early signs of dementia can be difficult to recognize as many of them can also be attributed to normal aging, stress or depression. If your loved one experiences any of these symptoms, consult a physician for a proper diagnosis - cognitive changes in memory, difficulty in performing familiar tasks, language problems, putting things in odd places, behavioral changes in personality, mood changes, passivity. Observe his/her behavior and look for patterns in these tell tale signs. Caregiver stress is very common. Symptoms include denial, anger, social withdrawal, anxiety about the future, depression, exhaustion, sleeplessness, irritability, lack of concentration, health problems. If you experience these symptoms, get help to manage your stress – make time to talk to your doctor. Guilt is perhaps the biggest single issue for caregivers. None of us are perfect – accept this, do the best you can, and don’t beat yourself up when you don’t do as well as you think you could have done. This is one issue to discuss with others in a support group – if you bottle it up it will destroy you. Admitting to guilt is not a sign of weakness. You do not need to be perfect caregivers. Be caregivers who care. You are often the sole caregiver – you can’t depend on family or friends. If you crack under the strain there may be no one to take your place. Looking after yourself is vital. It is not selfish. It is the most unselfish thing you can do for your loved one. To manage your stress, join a support group, access online discussion boards, make time for yourself, and get help. You can’t do it alone.

El Ojo del Lago / June 2015

Caregiver fatigue is linked to stress. These are warning signs – do not ignore them. If you experience these indicators, you have caregiver’s fatigue: You are having bad days almost every day. You feel like your efforts are useless or inadequate. You have withdrawn from your friends and family. You have lost your sense of joy in things you used to love doing and they no longer give you a sense of pleasure. You feel depressed, irritable, or angry most of the time. You sleep or eat too little or too much. You have been sick more often than usual. How to protect your loved one: Make the home safe. This is like childproofing the home for a toddler. Ensure that any dangerous items like knives, cleaning liquids are safely secured, de-clutter, remove tripping hazards, use gates across stairwells, keep keys out of sight, put childproof covers over power outlets, and use night-lights. If the patient may fall out of bed, consider hip protectors for them, consider adding bed rails. Have grab bars installed in the bathrooms, and ensure water temperature is not scalding hot. Minimize the risks of wandering. This is an ever present concern. Use childproof locks on doors, keep car keys out of sight. If the patient does “escape,” alert neighbors and friends, check in familiar places and dangerous places like waterways, highway crossing, and inform the police. There are electronic GPS devices available – Comfort Zone and Comfort Check In are two. Take the car keys away. One of the hardest things for the caregiver to do. You are stripping the patient of independence. One day it has to be done. Even as dementia worsens, most patients are going to deny that they pose a hazard on the road.

That places doctors and caregivers in charge. Encourage exercise. It’s especially important for people with dementia. It won’t cure the condition. It can help ease some symptoms. It also can improve their mood. The type of exercise that works best for someone with dementia depends on their symptoms, fitness level, and overall health. Check with your loved one’s doctor before starting. When you can no longer cope The day will come when every caregiver will have to face the decision of placing their loved one in care. Once the lack of sleep, the stress levels and the frustration get overwhelming, look for a good facility. Criteria to consider: What is the resident/care staff ratio?/How do current residents look - content, clean, cared for?/What is the relationship between staff and residents?/How are staff/resident interactions – even if there is a language problem, body language can tell you a lot. Take the time to talk to staff, to residents, and to families of residents./What is the appearance of the facility – clean, nicely decorated, comfortable furniture?/Is the food cooked close to the dining and common area?/Is the food attractively served?/Is there

medical staff on site? on call? do they make regular visits?/How frequently are residents bathed? How accessible are staff and management?/How does the place smell?/What do the grounds and garden say about the facility?/Are there on site pets? Are pets permitted to visit? or stay with the resident?/What recreation is offered?/Is the style family based or institutional? In conclusion, do not try to do this alone, ask for help, deal with stress, look after yourself, and don’t let anyone say that you are being selfish, you are not.

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My Nepal Tribute %\ 0DUN 6FRQFH

riends, today I speak from the heart—a broken heart. When I served in Peace Corps/Nepal from 1967 to ‘69 I never imagined that I would live amongst some of the nicest, most gentle people I had ever met. As my language ability improved, the walls almost disappeared, and I found myself talking to a gentleman half a world away, in his language, laughing at his tall tales or clearing up the misconception that he could walk to America just like he walked anywhere in landlocked Nepal. I treasure the name they gave me: Makur Bahadur Thapa— Brave Jupiter of the Thapa caste. Thapa—because I worked for His Majesty’s government. Only Brahmins were my betters. I considered myself at the time and consider myself today, a very lucky man to have lived in Sindhuli Madhi, Nepal, about a three day trek from Kathmandu up and down Himalayan foothills as steep as our own high hills here in Ajijic. The people there were very kind and taught me more than I could ever teach them. I will always appreciate and thank the country of Nepal for allowing my colleagues and me to abide in the Kingdom for two plus years. Her people were gracious, gentle, amiable, patient, capable and very sturdy—think of the Sherpas and Gurkhas. The country itself is the most magnificent I have ever seen. The majestic Himalayan mountain range dwarfing the Alps or the Rockies, the green terraced paddy fields marching down the foot hills, the monstrous yet magnificent onset of the great Monsoon, the heart-stopping views and breathtaking sunsets as cooking fires were lit throughout the sub-continent, and that special evening with the Tibetan refugees watching the sun set on one side of Annapurna and the moon rising on the other… Now much of Nepal is in ruins, thousands dead, tens of thousands wounded, hundreds of thousands homeless. Clean water, food, medicines and tents are in short supply as epidemic diseases loom. Ancient palaces and sacred places destroyed, pagoda temples, Hindu and Buddhist shrines—edifices I remember—well are now rubble, not to mention over a million homes. I was relieved to find alive and uninjured my friend B.P. (Bell Prasaad) Shrestha, the former mayor of Dhulikhel, about two hours east of Kathmandu Valley up on the rim. The hospital in Dhulikhel that B.P. built is overflowing with the injured. Corpses were being stacked on one another. I can just imagine the funeral pyres alight today and tonight. It’s the way of both Hindus and Buddhists. My poem recounts the one I saw: When looking out our window gap, One cloudy afternoon, We saw a body borne aloft Before the great monsoon. The grieving family bore the corpse And placed it on a pyre, Beside the rushing river shore, And set their son on fire. We watched the smoke ascend like shrouds We watched the Hindu priest, We watched the billows reach the clouds And with them the deceased. These memories oft return to me, Both pleasant and profound, When I sit down with Nepalese On this my native ground. What a terrible tragedy for a country with few resources to weather the ordeal. It’s the injured and homeless of course who will suffer most...Thank God for the Red Cross, CARE, OXFAM, Catholic Relief Services, UNICEF and other worthy organizations. These good people deserve our gratitude and assistance. To Nepalis I send hope and prayer and money. Namaste! (Ed. Note: Mark was eventually able to find out that his friend Bell Prasaad Shrestha was alive.)

El Ojo del Lago / June 2015

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Dear Sir: In your May editorial you â&#x20AC;&#x153;falselyâ&#x20AC;? state it is â&#x20AC;&#x153;established fact that some 97% of the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s scientists believeâ&#x20AC;Ś. etc.â&#x20AC;? This is a commonly heard claim that has been debunked by any number of experts in the field of earth science. I suggest you google â&#x20AC;&#x153;the 97% mythâ&#x20AC;? and you will see how they faked those numbers. Like many from the left you start with a false premise and go on from there. Follow the money is a good theme: but you have it backwards. The money in the global warming game goes to those who continue to falsify records to provide politicians inaccurate data to plan more taxation to feed their desire for increased government size and spending. Â If you delve deeply into this subject you will come up with hundreds of scientists who disagree over the global warming claims of those seeking to enrich themselves in this GW scam. The scam was largely uncovered when the East Anglia University GW unit (who advised the UN) reported in 2009 (by a whistleblower) to have cherry picked data to support their models. Simply put they left out all data that did not support their theory. The excuse given was that the man in charge was very untidy and lost some data. It comes as no surprise to learn that he lost the data that would have upset his findings. The British Government then put out official figures showing that there has been no global warming for the last 16 years. Â The global warming scammers then had to scramble and they tried.

But some were honest people, such as Professor Judith Curry, former Chair of the School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences at Georgia Tech. She said that â&#x20AC;&#x153;obviously our models have got it wrongâ&#x20AC;?. She is now among those who say â&#x20AC;&#x153;it is not possible to project global climate accurately enough to justify the ranges projected for temperature and sea-level rise over the next century.â&#x20AC;? Â Wikipedia lists over 50 scientists from all over the world, including Dr. Curry, who for various reasons do not go along with the global warming scammers. The last three on the list even say that â&#x20AC;&#x153;projected rising temperatures will be of little impactÂ or a net positive for society or the environment.â&#x20AC;? Â So dear editor, you take your fake 97% number and let me go with the 50 plus eminent andÂ named scientists who disagree, for various reasons. In the old days we would occasionally see men walking the streets wearing placards saying that the world is coming to an end. Today we have mostly liberals who seem to have taken up this profession. There is a website named â&#x20AC;&#x153;Science of Doom,â&#x20AC;? read it you might learn something. Â David Adamson Harper Ajijic, Jalisco â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 376 766-1498 If you would like to check on the East Anglia University scandal click this:http://www.telegraph.co.uk/ comment/columnists/christopherbooker/6679082/Climate-changethis-is-the-worst-scientific-scandal-ofour-generation.html

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El Ojo del Lago / June 2015

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“AGREEMENT AND DISAGREEMENT” %\ )UHG 0LWWDJ

enneth Crosby, in his article “Normal Muslims and the Paris Assassins” (May Ojo, 2015), emphasizes the sacred scripture of both the Bible and the Koran as authentic guides to the practice of religion. Those ancient scriptures, however, are too contradictory to provide reliable guidance. Instead, religious practice is determined more by culture and history than by scripture. Crosby says we appreciate that not all religious people abide by the commands of their sacred scriptures, such as stoning the adulteress, executing the gays, etc. I agree. But Crosby claims that it is “absurd” to call Muslims “normal” who do not strictly follow the Koran. He makes the same point with Christianity, that most Christians (abnormally, but thankfully) don’t execute gays, but notes that Uganda passed a law “invoking the death penalty for homosexuality,” which he seems to suggest is “normal” Christianity, since it is biblical. This is not correct. Uganda debated execution, but ended up passing a law that provides life imprisonment for homosexuality. Their supreme court overturned that law, on the technical ground that it was passed without a quorum in their parliament. For now, at least, Uganda is free from such legislation.

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A harsh geography and insecure environment produced harsh cultures and religions. Both the Bible and the Koran contain contradictory suggestions for both war and peace, and for harsh punishments and mercy. Jesus stopped the stoning of an adulteress, as an example of mercy and kindness. Both Muslims and Christians have used sacred scripture to serve their purpose, including Bible-thumping American black slavery. Other than scholarly interest, the wonder is that anybody in the 21st century would give serious consideration to such ancient and outdated texts, from a time when the earth was flat and nothing was known of science. Religion is a cultural, tribal, and political by-product. Religion has always been a factor in political power. Karl Marx correctly designated religion the “opiate of the masses.” Thankfully, his observation is less true today than when he did his research, but still, the Texas State Republican Party opposes the teaching of critical thinking skills because it undermines the authority of parents, schools, and churches. Webster’s defines “normal” to mean: “according to . . . an established norm, rule, or principle. . . .” Murder is not normal in modern society, so, according to this definition, the 1.5 billion Muslims who are not terrorists and murderers are the “normal” ones, while those who commit terrorist acts are “abnormal.” Normal Muslims, like normal Christians, choose scriptural quotes of peace rather than the equally available scriptural quotes that command death. The vast majority of the world’s 1.6 billion Muslims oppose terrorism, just as the vast majority of Christians oppose snake handling – even though mentioned in the Bible. It seems more pragmatic to describe a religion by how it is actually practiced, rather than by ancient teachings, many of which are necessarily ignored by modern standards. A Jewish woman from New York, Katie Halper, scolded Fox News for constantly saying no Muslims had come forward to criticize the Charlie Hebdo

murders. Fox kept asking, “Where is the Muslim outrage?” Halper decided to do the journalism that Fox News neglected and came up with 46 strong Muslim responses that condemned the Charlie Hebdo killings, and which included major groups, such as the Council on American-Islamic Relations, the Muslim Council of Britain, a French Muslim Council and others, and some that spoke with scholarly authority on the interpretation of Islamic scripture. I agree with Kenneth Crosby that it would be much better to rely on science and reason to guide our lives. But since religion is in the world in various

forms, we should apply science and reason to analyze its practice. Religion is a cultural and political creation. That’s why there are different religions and different languages, all products of different cultures. In the case of Uganda, there was obvious religious influence, but the anti-homosexual law was passed by a political parliament, acting in a cultural environment that is quite different from, say, San Francisco. Fred Mittag

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Anyone Can Train Their Dog %\ $UW +HVV artthedogguy@yahoo.com

Can a dog really understand English words?

es… if you link the words to the appropriate object or action. Dogs can learn language just like infants do. You hold up a teddy bear and say “teddy” to your infant over and over and soon he associates the sound with the item. But imagine if you said “teddy” to the child, over and over—but didn’t hold up the teddy bear. Your baby wouldn’t have the slightest idea what you meant. Until you connect a word with an object or action, words are only meaningless sounds. When you listen to a conversation in a foreign language, you can’t understand it because….. *The words are not connected to anything concrete. The speaker simply chatters on and on without pointing to anything in the real world. *The sounds all run together. You don’t know where one word ends and the next word begins. Don’t foreign languages always sound impossibly fast? They sound like one long runon sentence, with no separate words. Well that’s what English sounds like to your dog. But let’s say a French speaking person repeated a single sound— one sound only—let’s say the sound “pom.” If he repeated this clearly and distinctly, while at the same time holding up an apple, you’d get it, wouldn’t you? You wouldn’t know how to spell it, it’s actually spelled pomme. But that

El Ojo del Lago / June 2015

doesn’t matter because you would understand that the sound “pom” refers to the round red fruit with the stem and green leaves’ You must do this with your dog too. 1. Enunciate clearly and distinctly 2. Connect the sound to an appropriate object or action. In this way, a sound becomes a word to your dog. A word is a sound with a meaning. You must show your dog what that meaning is. So where do we start? How about breakfast? For the purpose of this discussion I’m assuming you are already working on the dog’s name. We have the dog in our presence and we fill the dish and we look at him as we put his food down and we say one word. Breakfast. There we have it, an item, breakfast, and a word. If we repeat that, with no other words or items, our dog will learn the meaning of the word breakfast. Now with a little thought you can come up with lots of items or actions which you can tie to one word and soon your dog will be concentrating and associating those English words you’re saying to an item or an action. If you don’t educate your dog he will never be the dog he could have been, A dog who is properly educated is a “thinking” dog. A “thinking” dog is not a robot that just does things mechanically. A “thinking” dog listens carefully. He looks at your face, “reads” your expressions and body language, and tries to piece individual words together into complex actions. The more you work with your dog as a team member the easier it becomes for him, and soon he’s understanding more and more of what you expect of him. Soon you will be using many words with your buddy and your relationship will become even stronger and more fun. Loose leashes, Happy Tails. Art Hess

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%\ 9LFWRULD 6FKPLGW

Three Seasons

eople who make Lakeside their permanent home, soon learn about the “low season” and the “high season.” Which are the hands on our community clock. In the upper Midwest of the USA, we joked that we had only two seasons: Winter and construction. Here, the population at Lakeside shrinks significantly during the low season. From April until September there is a steady northbound exodus of people returning to spend their spring and summer in the USA or Canada. Of course, the “high season” is when they return. During the low season, there is less congestion on the roads, and most of the restaurants decrease their hours or close for an extended period of time so that they can make it through the low economics that accompany the loss of customers. And most of your favorite imported products are less likely to be available at the grocery stores as they try to shave their inventory in order to save money. But this year, we have a third season: elections in Mexico. As foreigners living in Mexico, we are not allowed to become involved in politics, rallies, or protests. But that doesn’t stop us from observing what goes on around us. I’m not even going to pretend that I understand the difference between the various political parties. But what I do like is that Mexico has rules for the length of campaigns. Unlike in the USA, where it feels as if campaigning begins less than 10 minutes after the victor has been announced, and continues until the next election, campaigning in Mexico is limited to 90 days. During these 90 days, the candidates work hard to get votes. Cars with signs and loud audio speakers circulate in the streets touting their candidate’s names and their promises. Their names and the party logo is painted on walls, and signs

El Ojo del Lago / June 2015

hang from balconies, front doors, back doors, walkways, and leaflets are shoved under your door, and on your car—simply put: everywhere! There are impromptu parades including drums and brass that signal where to direct your attention. Town Squares, Malecons, parks and just about any public meeting place will often have rallies. This morning a policeman redirected traffic around a parade as I attempted to leave Chapala. I turned around to exit Chapala through the Libramento instead of waiting out the parade. This can happen frequently during the election season. As typical of all things Mexican, the lead up to the election itself is filled with music, parties, and celebrations. However, on Election Day, all bars are closed. Liquor stores are closed, and Wal-Mart and Soriana have their liquor departments roped off. No drunken voting in Mexico! Most of us live in blissful ignorance as to what the election issues are. We can watch the actual campaigns without feeling a huge investment in the outcome, even though the outcomes will impact our lives in ways we cannot yet imagine. As with any election, there is much hope for positive change. Yet the proof will be not in the election results themselves, but during the time that follows. We see if Mexican politicians can keep their promises any better than any other democracy. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if the USA could institute campaign reform of all sorts? Especially in the world of instant communication, I think it’s past time for the USA to learn something from our neighbors from the South as well as those in the North! We really don’t need to campaign for two years—a short season would be – paradise! Victoria Schmidt

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The Ojo Crossword

ACROSS 1 Duke 5 Slant 10 Eager 14 Navy color 15 Small island 16 Italian money 17 South Asian country 19 Do what you´re told 20 Pearl 21 Narrow down 22 Architect Frank _ Wright 26 European Capital 28 Baboon 31 Metal fastener 32 Business 33 Scriptural your 34 Unnecessary 37 Dwelling 39 Cheer 40 Walk through water 42 Kills 45 Tuning pitch just right (2 wds.) 49 Wok 50 Rationally 53 Reverend (abbr.) 54 Abdominal muscles (abbr.) 55 Delete 56 Author of “The Inferno” 58 Bees´cousins 60 Donna Karan México 61 Dueling sword 63 Hebrews 69 Tropical edible root 70 Innocent 71 Bod 72 Association (abbr.) 73 Concluded 74 Potage DOWN 1 Move away 2 Wing 3 Escape 4 Tall

LETTER TO THE EDITOR Dear Editor. I’m writing to tell you that your May publication of the Ojo was the best I’ve read in my 10 years at the Lakeside. From your insightful Editor’s Page about global warming “Follow the Money!”, Ken Crosby’s erudite essay on “Nor-

El Ojo del Lago / June 2015

5 Asian country 6 Lysergic acid diethylamide 7 Bravo (Sp.) 8 Mill 9 Hydrocarbon 10 Healing plant 11 Singer´s ability 12 Anger 13 24 hours 18 Headed 22 Exhibit 23 Licensed practical nurse 24 Tell a tall tale 25 Single 26 Big 27 Tax agency 29 Doctoral degree 30 Ogle &KLHI H[HFXWLYH RI¿FHU 35 Lose moisture 36 Defeats 38 Gamblers placement 40 Guile 41 Whichever 42 Resort 43 Scientist´s Workplace 44 Responds 45 Government worker 46 Vase 47 Gain 48 First woman 51 Upland ³3DWK¿QGHU´PDNHU 56 Dekaliter (abbr.) 57 Awry 59 Long time 60 Accomplishment 61 Arrival Time 62 Old-fashioned Dads 64 Free of 65 Avenue 66 Also 67 Flightless bird 68 Drain

mal Muslims,” Bill Frayer’s article about “Technological Dystopia,” G.T. Finlay’s informed commentary on “America,” to Jim Tipton’s delightful piece on “To Be a Fool,” and more, I loved them all. Thank you and keep up your great work. Chad Olsen, chadColsen@gmail.com

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“People Helping People”

The

Lൺ඄ൾ Cඁൺඉൺඅൺ Sඈർංൾඍඒ

News

www.lakechapalasociety.com

June 2015

)LUVW &DUHHU 'D\ *UHDW 6XFFHVV Glorine Barnhardt had a vision, and came to LCS in March of this year. She wanted LCS to sponsor career days at lakeside high schools. Almost simultaneously, LCS President Ben White shared his vision for the next few years with the LCS board. One of his goals was to develop a program beneficial for high school students. With the dedication of Glorine, the pilot came to fruition in only three months. On May 21, LCS Glorine Barnhardt with sponsored its first career day Adrian Smith at the Escuela Preparatoria Reg. de Chapala (Chapala High School), and it was a booming success! With careers chosen by the school administrators as most appropriate for their students, Glorine raised a handful of volunteers and canvassed the community for both blue and white collar Mexican professionals including an: auto mechanic, journalist, artist, chef, IBM recruiter, real estate agent, physical therapist, fitness trainer, yoga instructor, nurse, investment banker, school counselor, emergency medical technician, graphic designer and nutritionist. Finally, motivational speaker Victor Aldana gave a roaring performance ending with a rap routine that filled the auditorium and drew deafening applause from the audience. There is life after high school, and great opportunities exist for success regardless of the path you choose, college or vocation. The program was delivered to all of the juniors and seniors attending the high school, in both the morning and afternoon sessions. Each speaker had 25 minutes to complete a presentation, then moved to a different class room to deliver their message over and over to new groups of students. Laughter and applause were proof of the success, everyone enjoying themselves and appreciating each other. By the end of the day over 400 students had the opportunity to be inspired and ask questions about careers and their future. A cursory analysis of the student evaluations tells us: students were very favorable overall. They genuinely seemed to like the event. They thought it should be repeated several times during the year, and also at the beginning of the year, not the end. They would like a greater variety and number of presenters. Next time we will ask the students which careers they are

El Ojo del Lago / June 2015

interested in. Students thought speaking time & time allowed for questioning (& breaks) were all too short. Some suggested holding some talks in the auditorium instead of classrooms to accommodate larger audiences. Volunteer Adrian Smith summed things up like this: more LCS volunteers would be helpful--at times we were stretched pretty thin. Lots of great ‘lessons learned’, and overall a super event! LCS has a history and commitment to the value of education. This program is another example of how LCS is working hard to achieve its ongoing mission of bringing expats and Mexicans together to create a vibrant and flourishing community.

We Still Need You The Garden needs volunteers to plant, trim, weed and generally maintain our gardens. The Information Desk has an opening on Fridays. Volunteers should be familiar with directions and locations here at Lakeside. Bi-lingual volunteers are especially welcome, but it’s most important that volunteers be friendly, helpful and a great representative of LCS! Four-hour shift required. See details in the column to the right. The Membership Desk has vacancies on both Wednesdays and Fridays. Volunteers can work two- or four-hour shifts (four hours preferred) and should have some experience with computers. The Service Desk has openings for substitute volunteers. You need a friendly, outgoing personality plus the ability to operate under occasional pressure. The job involves operating a computer-based point-ofsale system, (we’ll train you) and the ability to make change, etc. You’ll work four-hour shifts. This may become a permanent one-day a-week position. Special Events Coordinator is looking for volunteers to greet guests, collect tickets, and help with fiesta decorations. If you have a bit of flair and are an outgoing person, this may be for you. For more information and applications for these positions and others which may be available, contact 766-1140 or visit the LCS Service Office during office hours from 10 to 2 p.m.

3XOLW]HU 3UL]HV" :H¶YH *RW µ(P The Pulitzer Prize for Fiction is one of the seven Pulitzer Prizes awarded annually for outstanding contributions to American letters, music and drama. The Pulitzer Prize for Fiction recognizes distinguished work by an American author, preferably dealing with American life, published during the preceding year. Fortunately for LCS members, many Pulitzer Prize winners and finalists over the past decade are here in the LCS 26,000 volume library, the most extensive English language collection in Latin America. Pulitzer winners and nominees that grace our shelves are shown in boldface. In 2010, nominated fiction included In Other Rooms, Other Wonders by Daniyal Mueenudin, and in 2011 winner A Visit From the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan and 2011 nominee The Privileges by Jonathan Dee. Although no award was given in 2012, finalists included Swamplandia by Karen Russell. The winners for 2013 and 2014, The Orphan Master’s Son by Adam Johnson and The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt are in our collection and on the shelves awaiting lovers of exceptional fiction.

TKXUVGD\ )LOP $¿FLRQDGRV Open to LCS members only. Bring your card. All films shown in the Sala from 2-4 p.m. No food. No pets. June 4 The 100 Year Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared Sweden 2015 After living a long and colorful life, Allan Karlsson finds himself in a nursing home. On his 100th birthday he climbs out the window and begins an unexpected journey. June 11 White God Hungary 2015 Thirteen-year-old Lili fights to protect her dog. She is devastated when her father releases Hagen on the streets of Budapest. Still innocently believing that love can conquer all, Lili sets out to find him. June 18 Corn Island Georgia-Abkhazia 2014 The river creates and the river destroys in an eternal cycle that man cannot escape. Academy Award nominee. June 25 The Melon Route Croatia 2007 Chinese migrants seeking a better life pay to be smuggled through Croatia to western Europe by the Mafia.

The Informants Need You, Too

Information Desk volunteers “The Informants”, as the volunteers are affectionately called, supervise staff on the front lawn near the library six days a week, Monday through Saturday, from 10:00 until 2:00 in the winter and 10:00 until 1:00 in the summer. Our volunteer ambassadors for LCS perform a variety of duties including welcoming visitors to LCS, promoting membership in LCS, and directing them to the many activities and services provided on the grounds of LCS. You’d also provide information about Lakeside including health, housing, recreation, and legal matters, and refer them to the appropriate people and/or services. The job requirements are straightforward: them, must be outgoing , friendly, and knowledgeable based on two years residency at Lakeside. Meeting newcomers is a favorite part of the job. This past month, we have had visitors from Russia, Australia, Canada and the United States who had a variety of questions ranging from the general like: “What’s it like to live here?” and “What is there to do?” and the more specific: “ Do I need a Mexican bank account? “What kind of health insurance is available?” “ How do I take a bus into Guadalajara?” and “How can I donate my old lap to computer ?” If a Spanish speaker needs assistance, Adela Alcariz, LCS Operations Manager, who works Mondays through Fridays, and is always happy to help. If you don’t know the answer to a query, check with the highly qualified volunteers in the Service Office.

)ROORZ 8V RQ )DFHERRN Now you can follow us on Facebook. Keep up on all things LCS - programs, activities, special events, updates and news. Like us at www. facebook.com/lakechapalasociety.

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-XQH Activities *Open to the Public ** US Citizens (S) Sign in required (C) Membership card required CRUZ ROJA * CRIV (Cruz Roja) Sales Table Tues+Wed+Fri 11-1 CRIV (Cruz Roja) Monthly Meeting 2nd Wed 2-5 HEALTH INSURANCE * IMSS & Immigration Services Mon+Tues 10-1 Lakeside Insurance Broker Tues+Thur 11-2 HEALTH & LEGAL SERVICES * Becerra Immigration Thur 10:30-12:30 Blood Pressure Fri 10-12 Hearing Aid Services (S) Mon+2nd+4th, Sat 11-4 Ministerio Publico Wed June 3+7 10-2 Claravision Optometrist (S) Thur 9-4 Pharmaceutical Consultation 4th Mon 10-12 Skin Cancer Screening (S) 2nd + 4th Wed 10-12 :30 US Consulate** Wed June 10 10-12 Sign up 10-11:30 LESSONS (C) Children’s Art Sat 10-12* Children’s Reading Program Sat 9-10* Exercise Mon+Wed+Fri 9-10 Fitness and Strength Thru Yoga Mon+Fri 2-3:30, Sat 1-2:30 Line Dancing Tues+Thur 10-11:15 Strength and Balance Exercise Tues+Thur 9-9:50 Thursday Yoga Thur 2-3:30 LIBRARIES Audio Thur 10-12 Book & Video Mon-Sat 10-2 Library of Congress Books**/ Talking Books Thur 10-12 Wilkes Mon-Fri 9:30-7, Sat 9:30-1 SOCIAL ACTIVITIES (C) All Things Tech Fri 9:30-11:30 Bridge 4 Fun Tue + Thur 1-5 Conversaciones en Espanol Contact Karl Homan 766-3766 English/Spanish Conversation Sat 11-12 Everyday Mindfulness Mon 10:15-11:45 Film Aficionados Thur 2-4:30 Genealogy Forum Last Mon 2-4 Mac OS 1st Mon 12-1 Mac User Group 3rd Wed 1-2 Memoir Writers 2nd Wed 2-4 Needle Pushers Tues 10-12 Open Gaming (open to the public from 2) Mon 1-4* Scrabble Mon+Fri 12-1:50 Tournament Scrabble Tues 12-1:50 SERVICE & SUPPORT GROUPS * Have Hammer Workshop Demo 1st 3rd Mon 10-12* Information Desk Mon-Sat 10-2 Lakeside AA Mon +Thur 4:30-5:30 Ninos de Chapala y Ajijic Fri 10-12 Open Circle Sun 10-12:30 SMART Recovery Wed 2:30-4 Toastmasters Mon 7-8:30 pm TICKET SALES Monday-Friday 10-12 *

El Ojo del Lago / June 2015

9LGHR /LEUDU\ $GGLWLRQV -XQH There aren’t many good movies available right now. If you have any suggestions, please share them with us. And, as always, we need couriers. If you or anyone you know can help, please let someone in the Video Library know about it. Dvds do not take up much room. Below are some new ones for June. Please see the Video Library display board for more new movies and a variety of others available. Convert your tapes to dvds for $50 pesos each. Just drop them off at Video Library desk. ANNE OF GREEN GABLES 6933 Megan Follows and Colleen Dewhurst Drama BIRDMAN 6929 Michael Keaton and Zach Galifianakis Comedy GOODNIGHT MISTER TOM 6927 John Thaw and Nick Robinson Drama THE GREAT SANTINI 6932 Robert Duvall and Blythe Danner Drama IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER 6942 Daniel Day-Lewis and Pete Postlethwaite THE STATION AGENT 6938 Peter Dinklage and Patricia Clarkson Comedy TORTILLA SOUP 6925 Hector Elizondo and Jaqueline Obradors Comedy WHAT’S UP DOC 6937 Barbra Streisand and Ryan O’Neal Comedy Please see the bulletin Video Library board for more additions. If you have any suggestions for movies that might be of interest to the LCS membership, please mention them to the volunteer on duty in the video library . Please note: Conversaciones en Español will resume its regularly scheduled sessions at LCS on September 7. During the summer, informal classes for permanent residents will be held on the plaza every Monday morning at 10. Call Karl Homan at 766 3766 for more information. Costco returns to LCS monday and Tuesday, July 6 and 7.

,Q WKH 6HUYLFH 2I¿FH The Warren Hardy Spanish textbooks for registered class members are available in the Service Office. Much-needed donations to the kitty fund for the care and feeding of our feline friends may be made in the Service Office, too.

Children’s Art Cards

Our wonderful cards are available in the Just Chillin’ Café.

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The LCS Single’s group will be meeting for a happy hour mixer on Wednesday June 10th at 5 PM. They will be meeting at the Maria Isabel Restaurant at the Old Posada on the lake at the bottom of Calle Colon near the pier.

Viva eSun!

Thanks for checking our systems and for your continuing community support.

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ESL Student Recognition Day

Rows of chairs, the stage and sound system waited and popcorn, cookies and punch were set out on the gazebo, as the LCS back patio was transformed into the venue for the annual ESL Student Recognition Day on May 9, 2015. Participants and guests began arriving and everyone beamed: students who had weathered nine months of English instruction, families who had endured the frustrations of an adult family member learning a second language, and volunteer teachers who had offered their time and skill. ESL Program Director Inez Dayer, and LCS board members were on hand to congratulate the student recipients. Individual groups of students took the stage, from Conversation and Level IV down to Level I Basic, a total of 23 different classes, to receive certificates of achievement and attendance. Many students expressed gratitude for the program and their instructor’s dedication and one even offered a poem, all in English. Several teachers demonstrated the bilingual cooperation of this program by speaking to the audience in Spanish. Although the school semester has officially ended, some classes will continue through June. Registration for the coming semester is scheduled Aug. 17-20, for classes starting on September 14, 2015 .

The Board of Directors has ratified the proposed changes to the membership categories and dues structure of LCS. Multiple member discounts, such as family and couple memberships, have been eliminated in favor of individual memberships. Each member will pay the same rate, be eligible for an individual listing in the directory, have their own registered email, and receive correspondence in their own name. This change reflects a reduction of $25 pesos to the cost of regular membership. Monthly memberships will have the same rights and privileges as regular annual memberships and may be purchased as multiple months as an added benefit to those visiting for an extended period but less than a year. Individual memberships will facilitate tracking of demographic information, member preferences regarding programs and services, and improve communication. Two new member categories have been added. Senior members, those 79 years of age or older, will have the same rights and privileges as regular members but at reduced rates. We hope this new category will encourage senior members to continue their participation as they grow older. Student memberships are a special category designed to encourage Mexican students to join LCS. Eligible students must be enrolled at an educational institution full or part-time (at least six hours). Student members will enjoy the same benefits at a reduced rate. New and renewing members will need to present their immigration documents (your visitor visa, temporary or permanent resident card) in order to receive the your new or updated member card.

-XQH %XV 7ULSV Galerias Mall leaves from the sculpture in La Floresta at 9:30 a.m. and leaves the mall at 4:00 p.m. Shop at stores like Liverpool, Best Buy, H&M, Sears, and nearby Costco, Super Walmart, and Sam’s Club. There’s a variety of restaurants like The Cheesecake Factory, PF Chang’s, Chili’s, Applebee’s, Outback Steak House and a central food court. Trips sell out quickly, so buy your tickets in the LCS service office: $250 pesos for members and $300 pesos for non-members.

THE LAKE CHAPALA SOCIETY, A.C. 16 de Septiembre #16-A, Ajijic, Jalisco LCS Main Office: (376) 766-1140 Office, information and other services - Monday-Saturday, 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Grounds open until 5:00 p.m. LCS BOARD OF DIRECTORS. President - Ben White (2016); Vice-President - Cate Howell (2017); Treasurer - Michael Searles (2017); Secretary - Carole Wolff (2016); Directors: Matthew Butler (2016); Lois Cugini (2017); Ernest Gabbard (2016); Fred Harland (2017); Barbara Hildt (2017); Yoli Martinez (2017); Garry Musgrave (2017); Pete Soderman (2016); Joan Ward (2016); Immediate Past President: Howard Feldstein. Executive Director - Terry Vidal

The LCS Newsletter is published monthly. Deadline for submissions is the 17th of the month preceding publication. Submit all news items to newsletter@lakechapalasociety.com Note: The editorial staff reserves the right to edit all submissions according to time, space availability and editorial decision.

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El Ojo del Lago / June 2015

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Service

EMERGENCY NUMBERS

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