El Ojo del Lago - March2015

Saw you in the Ojo

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El Ojo del Lago / March 2015

Saw you in the Ojo

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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

Index...

FEATURE ARTICLES

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COVER STORY

As part of series about those Lakesiders who have left us such a rich cultural heritage, Shep Lenchek writes about the late Ellis Townsend, whose books had been endorsed by no less a personage that General Douglas MacArthur.

10 HUMOR

Diana Rowland touches on a subject a lot of us think about, but are rather reluctant to mention.

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Imprints

Theater Critic Michael Warren

Rosemaria Casas knows a lot about the carnival season in Mexico, and here passes on her knowledge to our readers.

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Uncommon Sense

Art Critic Rob Mohr

20 CANINES AND FELINES

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Front Row Center

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Hearts at Work

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Internet Mailbox

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Dear Portia

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Lakeside Living

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Bridge by Lake

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Child of Month

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Profiling Tepehua

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Welcome to Mexico

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LCS Newsletter

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

16 CELEBRATIONS

Carolyn Cothran spreads the good word about Operacion Amor, the spay and neuter group that is reaching areas somewhat beyond the reach of most of the vets at Lakeside.

44 FICTION

Antonio Rambles spins a tale about a very real situation: the blind spot some ex-pats have when it comes to dealing with our gracious Mexican hosts.

46 MOVIE REVIEW

Tod Jonson evaluates the movie Selma, which is about the now-historic march that changed the course of the civil-rights movement in the U.S.

54 PROFILE

Anna Berlin spends time with Olga Kaplounenko, one of the more unusual ex-pats here at Lakeside. The title of the article is “From Russia with Love,” which says much about both Olga and Anna.

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.

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Editor’s Page

Roving Correspondent Dr. Lorin Swinehart

8 Shutterstock

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Contributing Editor Mark Sconce

COVER STORY

z DIRECTORY z

El Ojo del Lago / March 2015

LAKESIDE LIVING

VOLUME 31 NUMBER 7

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

A Wonderful Writer Once In Our Midst Part One

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araphrasing Shakespeare, I come not to re-bury the late Jim Tuck, but to praise him. My reasons are two-fold: his books The Holy War in Los Altos and John Reed and Pancho Villa.

With regard to the first, I have rarely read non-fiction that had all the ingredients of excellent fiction: great drama, wonderfully vivid characters, a momentous time in history, and a stirring resolution which quickens the heart, and satisfies the soul. To give you some idea of the majestic sweep of the book, it might be instructive to quote a bit of the material from its inside jacket.

“Mexico’s Revolution brought a new Constitution in 1917, with repressive measures aimed against the Church. In bastions of Catholicism like the Los Altos area of Jalisco, the escalating enforcement of such laws was met with active resistance that grew into armed revolt.”

Heroes and quislings, intrigues and betrayals, spirituality and machismo... all of these elements came into play during the drama that unfolded in Los Altos—and Jim Tuck captures them in a fast-paced style that provides engrossing reading. Here he has managed to bring to life not only the urgency of historical events, but also the personalities of its participants.

The book bears some resemblance to Graham Green’s classic The Power and the Glory, but where the famed British writer saw only persecution, duplicity and corruption, Jim Tuck also finds irony, humor and a sad condition common to all peoples. Graham Green detested Mexico; it is here obvious that Jim Tuck loved it, though as a doting uncle might a troubled and troublesome young nephew, who for all his past foibles nevertheless has a brilliant future.

I am reminded of a story I once heard about Ireland, a country which, like Mexico, bears many scars. Both have lived under the tyranny of oppressors, both have deep, sometimes strangling roots in the Catholic Church, and both still struggle to overcome the

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The Late Jim Tuck dark shadows of their own negative perceptions about themselves.

Anyway, seems a visitor to Ireland, taking the measure of what some have called “The Fractured Emerald” remarked to his guide that he was at a loss to understand why the country had such a great and wide-spread reputation. Ireland seemed to have little heavy industry, a blighted agricultural system, and nothing by the way of exceptional products. “What do you make here that gives Ireland such a reputation?” the visitor asked. “Ah, we manufacture characters,” the Irish guide replied. “And our exports are among the most colorful in the world.”

The same, I think, can be said about Mexico. This place without its people would surely seem one of God’s more poorly cast productions. And if you think this a truism which might be said about anyplace, I shall simply cite the case of the capital of France. Paris without the Parisians would seem nothing short of God’s own playground.

Jim’s second book, John Reed and Pancho Villa, will be reviewed in our next issue.

(Ed. Note: The late Jim Tuck was for many years one of the Ojo’s very best writers, and these two masterful books are more than ample proof of his wizardry with words. Both books are now out of print but have on occasion been found at the Alejandro GrattanLCS Library.)

Dominguez

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Ellis Townsend

—A Lakeside Literary Treasure %\ 6KHS /HQFKHN :ULWWHQ LQ UHSXEOLVKHG E\ UHTXHVW

(Part of a series about those who have left us such a rich FXOWXUDO KHULWDJH

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llis Credle Townsend is one of Lakeside’s most illustrious personages, and an inspiration to all who know her. Born in North Carolina around the turn of the 20th century, she has written and illustrated no less than 21 children’s books.

Her first published book was her most successful, and has sold more than 4,000,000 copies since its first printing in 1934.

Speaking about her childhood, Ellis remembers that she first left home to attend Louisberg College in the Blue Ridge Mountains, a school her grandmother had attended during the Civil War. After graduation, Ellis taught school in the area, and there learned the folk tales and life styles that were to serve her well when she finally began to write.

But her first love was art, and giving up her job as a teacher, she traveled to New York City, where she enrolled in the Art Students League. She began to work at illustrating books, and soon was writing them herself. “My first five tries at fiction were all rejected,� Ellis recalls. But in looking for work as an illustrator, she met an editor who suggested she try to write and illustrate a book for children. “So I went to the New York Public Library and read every children-type book they had. This sounds impossible, but at that time they had only about five hundred such books. They were short and I could read about ten of them a day. I soon realized that most were of the ‘See Spot Run’ variety. Few of them were really stories.�

Ellis decided that the folk tales and legends of North Carolina could be used as the backbone of a new kind of book for children. And use them she did. Her initial offering, Down, Down the Mountain was quickly published—but not without a struggle. “I took it to an editor at an old-line British publishing firm. She liked it and said it might interest the Book of the Month Club, who was now adding children’s books to their list. This instant approval was the giddiest experience I had ever had with an editor.� But then the editor asked Ellis to leave the manuscript, promising to try to work some-

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thing out. But Ellis had an appointment with another editor, and taking up her manuscript she marched out of the woman’s office. Luckily the lady caught Ellis at the elevator. “Wait, don’t go,� the woman stammered. “I can place your book!� And place it she did, with the Book of the Month Club! “lt became the most successful book I ever wrote,� Ellis happily remembers. “It finally sold four million copies before going out of print.�

This was in 1934 and Ellis was off and running. Her literary marathon with this publisher would not end until 20 books later, when the firm finally went out of business.

In 1947, Ellis and her husband decided to retire to Mexico. She had visited here in the early 30’s and liked it, so off to Guadalajara they went. Traveling by car, it took 24 hours of steady driving from the Texas border over narrow, twisting two-lane highways. “That trip could alone make for a book. Once, as we were crossing a mountain, our lights went out. Then along came an old battered truck. The Mexican driver told us to follow closely after him. But then his lights went out.

I don’t know how we ever made it.� But reach Guadalajara they did, and soon they built the house in which they lived for the next 38 years. In 1947, Guadalajara was a small city with a miniscule expat population. Very few cars, and little social life. Ellis again took up writing, but her books, now sporting Mexican backgrounds, never found the success she had achieved with those of her Blue Ridge Mountain heritage. Among those

earlier books were two that have become classics: The Goat That Went to School and Tall Tales from the High Hills.

Many of her books have been translated into other languages.

In 1947, no less a literary critic than General Douglas MacArthur asked that Down, Down The Mountain be translated into Japanese, so as to acquaint the chill and d id dren of Japan with U.S. styles ideas.

About 12 years ago, Ellis, having lost her husband by then, came to live alongside Lake Chapala. And here she has remained, only leaving every now and then to lecture, or visit her son, who is the head of the Latin American Dept. of Archaeology at the Museum of Art in Chicago.

“I have never regretted coming to Mexico,” Ellis says. “I have always felt happy, at home, and strangely safe here.” When asked which writers might have influenced her style, she laughed and said, “I don’t really think I have a style. I just tell stories, that’s all.”

One of her books, Mexico, Land of Hidden Treasure, is in the LCS library. This valuable book, however, can be read

only o on the premises.

Now, as if all this were not accomplishw ment enough for any m half h dozen people, Ellis is also a recognized collector of authentic folkle lore, lo and has often been summoned to lecture in s the th U.S. Her most memorable visit was to ado dress librarians from all d over the country about o the th folklore of her native ti North Carolina. At this Ellis not only spoke, she hi meeting, i Ell played the guitar and sang many of the songs she had learned as a child.

Though now in her mid-90s, Ellis continues to look ahead. She is still writing articles and plans to do another book, all this in the midst of supervising the major remodeling of her home.

She is also a regular at the Ajijic Writers’ Group. “I just enjoy being with other writers, and like to keep up with what’s going on.”

(Ed. Note: Ellis passed away some years ago but will never be forgotten by all those fortunate enough to have known her. In many ways, she resembled one of those indomitable early settlers who carved a country out of the American wilderness.)

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DIAPERS %\ 'LDQD 5RZODQG

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esterday I had reason easo easo ea son w se sseccto discover a new tion of Walmart – a li ife fe place I had never in my lif life dI had reason to explore – and found it to be quite a reve-lation. Adult diapers come in all sizes, shapes and absorption levels and the choices are far more numerous than I had ever imagined. But then I had never really imagined being in the adult diaper section of Walmart before.

I knew what I was looking for and finally found it - the package marked extra large (made for a man!) extra absorption (indicated by 10 full glasses – none of them empty or half full!) and the latest technology (gel beads!). I put the package in my cart and went to check out but not before meeting a few friends on the way to the cashier.

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Walmart is one of those places, like Super Lake, where you can count on having some sort of social interaction with someone you like to talk to. For some reason, which I quickly deduced was the observation of the contents of my cart, people seemed to be a little uncomfortable and appeared to be studiously avoiding looking that way again.

Hmmmm …..

The situation continued at home when I put down the bag, usually containing the groceries and/or dinner for the evening, in the kitchen where my husband proceeded to explore the

El Ojo del Lago / March 2015

“goodies”. I watched the expressions flashing across his face as he pulled out the package - puzzlement, disbelief, fear, concern, and finally embarrassment.

“What are these?!!”

“They’re diapers, dear” “I can see that! Why are they here?”

“Well, I felt compelled to go out and get some right away after I saw the posting on the Ajijic Organic Gardener’s Facebook page. It’s amazing.

You pour quarts of water into the diaper, take off the plastic and you have a slushy slurry of stuff that holds liquid.

Then you mix that with potting soil and put it in your planter pots in the garden and you only have to water them half as often! I made a special trip to Walmart just to get them.”

“You went to Walmart to get them!?”

“Yes” “Did anyone see you?!”

“Yes” “YES!!! Why didn’t you hide them?!”

“Why would I hide them?” I grinned at him, seizing the opportunity. “I ran into a few people and when they noticed them I said they were for you.”

The horror flickered in his eyes before he realized the joke but that moment made me realize that maybe one day they would be for one of us and

why was that so horrifying? Is this the last taboo? The one subject we can’t talk about? The need for adult diapers.

As though somehow we have done something to be ashamed of – become old, lost a bodily function, on our way back to where we came from only it’s not so cute to see an old person in a diaper as it is a baby. It’s the circle of life but not acceptable in polite society.

I hope one day, if I have to fill my cart with diapers at Walmart because I need them for myself, I can go with my head up, without shame that my body, having grown old, is in its last arc of the circle.

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Rivera’s Roots

Diego Rivera was a prominent Mexican painter whose large scale wall frescos dealt mostly with social and political themes arising from Mexico’s 1910 revolution.

He painted in Mexico %URQ]H RI 'LHJR &DVD 'LHJR 5LYHUD *XDQDMXDWR City and in the U.S. between 1922 and 1953, and was instrumental in establishing the Mural Movement in Mexican art.

Guanajuato’s Museo Casa Diego Rivera is located in the house where the artist was born, and where he lived until the age of ten, when his family moved to Mexico City.

Living quarters on the ground floor are furnished in period antiques.

The upper floors house a permanent collection of nearly one hundred original works and sketches that span more than forty years.

Rivera was a man of contradictions.

Born into a well-to-do family, he became an ardent Marxist and his politics made him a persona non grata in Guanajuato for much of his life.

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Born the son of a Catholic father and a Converso mother whose Jewish ancestors had been forced to convert to Catholicism, he was a lifelong atheist.

A year after his twin brother died at the age of two, Rivera began drawing on the walls of the family house and his parents installed chalkboards and wall canvasses to encourage his talent.

He was already studying art in Mexico City at the age of ten, and continued his studies in Madrid and then in Paris, where he lived and worked among the Montparnasse artists and where his friend Modigliani painted his portrait. Rivera also traveled extensively through Italy, studying Renaissance frescoes.

His early work embraced the ([WHULRU &DVD 'LHJR 5LYHUD *XDQDMXDWR emerging school of Cubist art, but by 1917 he began to adopt a new style that emphasized simple forms and large patches of vivid colors with an Aztec influence.

He painted his first significant mural, “Creation,� at the National Preparatory School in Mexico City in 1921. During the work he carried a pistol to protect himself from right-wing students.

His murals at the Secretariat of Public Education in Mexico City were painted between 1922 and 1928, and soon afterward he produced works for Cuernavaca’s CortÊs Palace.

Rivera arrived in Moscow in 1927 to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Octo-

ber Revolution.  Also attending was Alfred Barr, later the founding director of New York’s Museum of Modern Art, where a retrospective exhibition of Rivera’s works was held in 1931.

While in Russia, Rivera received a commission for a mural in Moscow’s Red Army Club, but was expelled from the country because of involvement in anti-Soviet politics, and the next year he was expelled from the Mexican Communist Party.

Following his return to Mexico City, he produced a series of murals in the Nation'LQLQJ URRP &DVD 'LHJR 5LYHUD *XDQDMXDWR al Palace.

In 1929 he married his third wife, artist Frida Kahlo.  He was 42 and she was 22, Their mutual infidelities and his violent temper would lead to their divorce in 1939 and remarriage in 1940.

In 1930, after completing a commission for murals in the National School of Agriculture at Chapingo, and the Palace of CortÊs in Cuernavaca, Rivera accepted commissions from the City Club of the San Francisco Stock Exchange and from the California School of Fine Art. The work he produced there is now on display in the Diego Rivera Gallery at the San Francisco Art Institute.

Between 1932 and 1933, Rivera completed the twenty-seven panels of his work “Detroit Industry�, commissioned by Edsel Ford, on the walls of an inner court at the Detroit Institute of Memorial, Casa Diego Rivera Arts.

His 1933 mural “Man at the Crossroads�, commissioned by John D. Rockefeller, was removed from the Rockefeller Center following a furor over its inclusion of the image of Lenin.

When Diego refused to remove it, Rockefeller ordered Rivera to leave and the mural destroyed. The censorship became a cause celebre among New York’s artistic community.

While Rockefeller detested Rivera’s art for its politics, Edsel Ford saw the art separately from the politics, and was a staunch defender of the artist’s talent even during the McCarthy witch hunts of the 1950s.

The negative publicity over the Rockefeller Center mural, though, lost Rivera a commission for the Chicago World’s Fair.

In 1934, Rivera  repainted the Rockefeller Center mural in Mexico city’s Palacio de Bellas Artes.

He returned to 5LYHUD IDPLO\ SKRWRV &DVD 'LHJR 5LYHUD the U.S. for the last time in 1940 to paint a ten-panel mural for the Golden Gate International Exposition in San Francisco titled “Pan American Unity�.

The mural and its archives now reside at City College of San Francisco.

There’s plenty more to see on a future visit, but it’s still been a great day trip from San Miguel de Allende.

Antonio RamblĂŠs

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UUNCOMMON NCOM MM MON CCOMMON OM MM MON SSENSE ENSE %\ %LOO )UD\HU ELOOIUD\HU#JPDLO FRP Je Suis Charlie? Not So Much

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he demonstrations throughout the world in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks in Paris are understandable. The crowds chanted “Je suis Charlie!” or “I am Charlie,” in tribute to the cartoon journalists from the humor magazine Charlie Hebdo who were killed in the first attack.

The victims of the shootings were assassinated because they regularly lampooned religious leaders. They were not specifically anti-Muslim; they made fun of all religions. This type of provocative humor has a long history in France. The offices of Charlie Hebdo had once before been firebombed by those who objected to the jokes about Islam, which Muslims considered to be blasphemous.

The chant, “Je suis Charlie” was most likely more of a show of support

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%LOO )UD\HU for the rights of journalists to write freely and openly without fear of violence than it was an endorsement of the specific cartoons that engendered such rage. In western nations, we hold the concept of free speech dear. Even though we may abhor a particular message, we will defend the rights of those who wish to express their opinions, however unpopular. The public is, of course, free to accept or reject particular opinions. The theory is we should hear all opinions before we can decide what to accept or reject. I strongly agree with this free speech doctrine and would expect that virtually all readers of this magazine would as well.

I believe the French cartoonists who created cartoon depictions of

El Ojo del Lago / March 2015

the prophet Mohammad, cartoons intended to deliberately provoke Muslim people, should be legally permitted to publish whatever they wish. However, just because journalists or artists are permitted to publish whatever they wish does not mean they should do so.

The purpose of allowing journalists to publish without restraint has an important function. It allows the venting of diverse opinions, unpopular opinions, and opinions that might motivate people to work in opposition to particular governments or corporations. By limiting free speech, governments try to, and often do, limit the information the people have on which to base their opinions, their votes, their investments, and so on. Repressive regimes typically take over media outlets to limit press freedom immediately upon seizing power.

The Charlie Hebdo situation, in my opinion, is different. I can see no useful purpose in deliberately and crudely insulting someone’s religious faith. I can certainly see journalists criticizing and making fun of the policies and actions of various religions, whether they be cardinals in the Vatican, orthodox Jewish settlers in Palestine, the Taliban in Afghanistan

and Pakistan, or the Westboro Baptist Church members who picketed US Veterans’ funerals to support their anti-gay agenda. But portraying Mohammad in crude or sexual ways to make fun of a religion which, in some cases, considers even the depiction of Mohammad to be blasphemous, seems pointless. It accomplishes nothing but further exacerbating the marginalization of Muslims living around the world.

The closest analogous situation I can think of is when Salman Rushdie wrote The Satanic Verses in 1988, and the Ayatollah Khomeini issued a fatwa calling for his assassination.

This novel was considered blasphemous by Khomeini for its depiction of Muslims invoking prayers to several pagan goddesses. Rushdie was producing serious literature, however. He most likely understood that some Muslims might take offense, but his work was intended to be read and provoke discussion, not solely to lampoon a faith. Many novels, plays and poems have appropriately challenged religious doctrine and behavior.

People are not likely to reconsider their religious convictions because a cartoonist or comedian makes fun of their beliefs. The only thing such tasteless lampooning does is cause pain and anger, two things we do not need more of in our postmodern world.

Some readers may disagree with me because they would consider this view to be in opposition to unlimited free speech. In reality, many of the cartoons published in Charlie Hebdo would not be accepted by many US publications because they would constitute hate speech against a particular group. We already have some reasonable limits on saying or publishing anything we choose.

If we are going to protect our precious right to free speech, we should use some discretion when deciding what to say or write.

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FIRST DEBAUCHERY, THEN AUSTERITY %\ 5RVDPDULD &DVDV

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uring Carnival, people can become something different, and with regional variations, devils, cavaliers, ladies of high fashion, flamenco or ballet dancers, princesses or simply a good cloak and dagger or sword, give life to fantasies. Veracruz is one of the cities where some of the most boisterous carnivals take place. The mainly male comparsas or groups of men dancing, singing and merry-making in the streets have become famous.

The populace makes innocent fun of them and their comparsas are not only tolerated, but encouraged and enjoyed by everyone. Other comparsas often go inside people’s gardens asking for treats and money, or just to have a good time, eat and drink to their heart’s content.

The purpose of the Carnival is to do away with sadness and bad humor.

The townsfolk bury these in a symbolic ceremony and then everyone is happy.

Children also have a good time; hidden behind their masks, they can act mischievously without danger of being immediately punished. It is time for merrymaking, to dance in the streets, to do what nobody would dare to do openly.

Nothing serious, mind you, but you may approach your boss to tease him, or kiss the girl or boy you love without risking the danger of vengeance or rejection.

After all this debauchery comes Ash Wednesday and the period of forty days

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of austerity begins. On Ash Wednesday, you can see practicing Catholics going to church to be reminded that after death bodies will turn to ashes, even if they are not cremated. During this ancient religious ceremony, the priest makes a cross on the person’s forehead pronouncing the words, “Remember that thou art dust and unto dust thou shall return.”Then the prayers start, saying that the dress shall be discarded in order to wear a tunic of rough material and the head will be covered with ashes, to ask God forgiveness and mercy.

The anointment with ashes is a rite which dates almost to the beginning of the church, once the liturgy was given a concrete, universal form. That Lent happens during the dry season and the populace does not have to work in the fields makes Lent not only a time for abstinence and fasting, but also for festivities. After all, there is a saint to be commemorated every day of the year and every single town has a patron saint and forty days is a long time.

One of the most colorful in the country takes place in an old Aztec town, Amecameca, at the end of the slope of the volcanoes Popocatepétl and Ixtazíhuatl. After the Ash Wednesday ceremony, attended by great numbers of people from neighboring villages, all go to visit the statue of Señor del Sacromonte (Lord of the Sacred Hill). Here religious ceremonies take place, and afterwards people go to the tianguis, one of the largest and most lavish organized in the area by the Aztecs and Otomí Indians who live in surrounding areas.

Another very important fiesta takes place the last Friday of Lent. This Friday is called Viernes de Dolores (Friday of Sorrows) commemorating the pain and suffering of Mary, the mother of Christ, whose heart was broken when she saw her son flogged and crucified. All the mothers go to pray to their favorite image of the Mother of God, asking for health and safety for their children. Those are only a few examples of what goes on all during Carnival and Lent in Mexico.

Every town in the country has its ceremonies and festivities in a different style.

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(7+$12/ 32/,&< 5()250—the rare place

where environmentalists and energy advocates agree!

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e all expect to pay a price for missing deadlines—but not the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). For the past two years, the EPA has failed to meet the deadline under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS), requiring the agency to tell refiners how much ethanol to blend into gasoline.

In November 2013, the EPA did make an attempt to announce the proposed 2014 blend levels—which by then was already months past the legally mandated deadline. The EPA set the proposed 2014 standard to a level lower than 2013’s, even though the law requires increasing amounts. Ethanol producers, who were expecting the usual uptick, loudly opposed the reduction. They made so much noise, the EPA agreed to reconsider. To date, the 2014 standards have not yet been announced.

Then, in November 2014, the EPA announced it would make a decision next year (2015) on how much ethanol refiners had to add to gasoline in 2015.

Congress enacted the RFS in 2005 and revised it in 2007—which also provided incentives to America’s fledgling ethanol industry. At the time, gasoline demand was rising to an all-time high and oil imports comprised more than 58 percent of U.S. oil consumption.

Then the world changed. The U.S. economy plunged into its worst recession ever, unemployment soared, and gasoline demand fell sharply. Meanwhile, advanced drilling technologiesbegan producing oil and natural gas from U.S. shale formations. With crude oil supplies flooding the market, prices have been cut in half. Although fears over foreign-oil dependence have abated, the U.S. remains stuck with an ethanol mandate that is outdated, unworkable, and even harmful to vehicles, engines, and the environment.

Additionally, studies indicate ethanol usage increases greenhouse gas emissions. Politico reports: “Some green groups have vocally abandoned their support for corn ethanol, blaming the crop for polluting water supplies, wiping out conservation land and even increasing carbon emissions.” According to Craig Cox, director of the Ames, Iowa, office of the Environmental Working

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Group, an environmental group that opposes the mandate as it is now structured: “Corn ethanol’s brand has been seriously dented in the last 18 months. …it certainly doesn’t occupy the same pedestal that it occupied two years ago.”

But then, politics entered the scene.

Rumors flew that the announcement of the 2014 blend levels was delayed to help Rep. Bruce Braley (IA-D) in his Senate bid. Braley was pushing for an increase in the proposed levels and was hoping that he would be able to influence the White House to raise the targets. Politico quotes Braley saying: “Voters in Iowa look at where I stand on this issue and where my opponent stands, who’s supporting me in this campaign and who’s supporting [Ernst].” The Politico story states: “Iowans say wavering on corn ethanol once would have been certain political suicide in a state where 90 percent of the land is farm acreage. So Braley sought to capitalize on Ernst’s expressed qualms about big government, portraying her as someone Iowans can’t trust to fight for them.”

Yet, Ernst, a Republican, won the Senate seat formerly held by Democrat Tom Harkin by 8.5 percentage points.

On top of the usual problems with ethanol, the EPA’s unwillingness to do its job by setting blending level volumes—along with ethanol’s loss of political heft— should provide the impetus for ending the complex and wasteful RFS program. Ethanol is a rare topic where environmentalists and energy advocates agree. Now it is time for our elected officials to join the people. As soon as Congress convenes in January, it should get to work to reform or even repeal Marita Noon the RPS.

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OPERACION AMOR: Making a Difference! %\ &DURO\Q &RWKUDQ

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hen people move to Lakeside, one of the first things that they often comment on is the issue of dogs and cats running loose in various states of health. It is a real problem. In fact, the statistics are staggering. Taking one unsprayed female cat, her mate, and all of her offspring producing two litters a year and assuming 2.8 kittens per litter survive, in eight years, there will be 2,072,514 cats. By simply spaying and neutering one male and one female cat, more than 2,000 unwanted births can be prevented in just four years, and more than 2 million in 8. If a female dog, her mate and all of their puppies, etc. are not neutered, in six years, it can add up to 67,000 dogs.

Three very dedicated women and some equally committed volunteers are trying to make a change. Amalia Garcia, Mayra Ortiz Tejeda, and Cameron Peters are the principles in Operacion Amor. The group holds 2-3 Spay and

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Neuter N Ne eut ute ter cclinics lil ni nic ics per Held pe p er ye er yyear. ear ar.. H eld in el i different the d di fferent ff nt parts of th he Lake Chapala area, clinthey take their clin ics to parts of this area that really need the assistance. In 2013 the Clinics were in Plaza De Toros, Tepehua, and San Nicholas. These are areas where people do not have direct access to veterinary care, and if they did, they probably could not afford it. The idea is not to exclude anyone, but rather to reach out to those who are really in need, so they go to areas that really need the help. The most recent event was in November and took place in a school in Chapala.

Several volunteers likened the clinic

El Ojo del Lago / March 2015

to a MASH unit we may have seen in movies or on television. Everything is ttotally mobile. The ladies find a location that will enable tables to be set up for surgery and recovery along with all of the other areas such as rego istration and prepping. Once is s tthat th tha ha location is designated and the dates are established, they the th create a communication that is cre designed to be given out to the de d e people of the area. The comp pe e munication gives the dates and m u ttimes im me of the clinics. A lot of adme vance va anc nce work goes into this event. more help they get from the The m The community leaders, the more com co successful the clinic is. There suc have been times when they hav have gone to the area priest to hav receive an endorsement for the clinic and the procedures.

The culture is beginning to change and to view the concept of sterilization more favorably. Operacion Amor is totally worked by volunteers with the exception of two to three veterinarians who work for an organization called The Antonio Haghenbeck Foundation. It is a private foundation located in Mexico City who provides vets that are particularly skilled in spay and neuter surgery.

They travel around Mexico offering

their services to clinics like Operacion Amor. Area veterinarians also volunteer their time as they are available. There can be six or seven performing the procedures all day. Dr. Bob Strand, a US vet also volunteers his time and expertise on the clinic. Dr. Bob has a background in teaching and does an excellent job of helping expedite the clinics while working with both vets and volunteers to ensure a smooth movement of dogs and cats and owners through the system.

Operacion Amor has done the very best it can to keep the cost of surgery down to about $200 pesos per animal.

Operacion Amor, however, cannot continue to serve the community without more financial assistance from individual donors. The day of the clinic, which starts at 9, people start lining up with their dogs and cats as early as 7. Once given a number, they wait until they are called. Trained volunteers weigh the dogs and the right amount of anesthesia is calculated and administered.

More volunteers prep the pets by shaving in the appropriate areas.

When the surgical table and the dog or cat is ready, they are placed on the operating table and the surgery is performed. Highly skilled volunteers assist the surgeons. The animal is then taken to recovery where one volunteer per cat or dog is assigned to watch and massage the animal until they are checked to make sure they are recovering and then they are sent home. The entire process can take about two hours.

Operacion Amor is dedicated to making a difference in our area by reducing the number of unwanted births among our companion animals. Helping those who could not normally afford it is the most significant way to markedly affect this. Mayra, Cameron, and Amalia along with their very dedicated volunteers feel the joy of immediate gratification. For more information, please contact operacion.amor@yahoo. com or Cameron Peters at zo-onna@ hotmail.com.

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FRONT ROW CENTER %\ -RDQ :DUUHQ Night of the Iguana

he Night of the Iguana, written by Tennessee Williams, made its New York stage debut in late 1961. A movie version followed in 1964 with almost daily pre-released publicity. The film’s cast included Ava Gardner and Deborah Kerr, among others, but the eyes of the world were on Richard Burton who had been embroiled in a scandalous love affair with Elizabeth Taylor, who was with Burton on location in Puerto Vallarta.

The story, set in the 1940’s, focuses on a disgraced Episcopal priest (“Shannon”) who was defrocked amid accusations of statutory rape. He suffers a mental breakdown and is now employed giving bus tours for a travel company. Struggling with his demons—booze, women and losing his faith—he is in a very fragile emotional state. While traveling through Mexico, he abandons the planned itinerary and instead goes to a run-down coastal posada owned by an old friend. Seeking a respite from emotional pressures and hoping to rid himself of his party, he discovers his old friend has died and his friend’s widow “Maxine Faulk” is struggling to run the place on her own.

She immediately turns on her charms and blatantly pursues Shannon.

His tourists are a group of Baptist school teachers that include a 17-yearold “Carlota Goodall” who spends all her time trying to seduce Shannon, and Carlota’s aunt “Judith Fellows,” who accuses Shannon of seducing her niece.

Determined to ruin him, she places a call to his employer. The only two hotel guests are “Hannah Jelkes” and her grandfather “Jonathan Coffin (Nonno)” They have no money, but Maxine allows them to stay after an appeal from Shannon. Traveling about, Hannah and Nonno support themselves by selling her paintings and his poetry readings to tourists. He has been laboring for years to compose a masterpiece and in the end completes his perfect poem.

Shannon has another breakdown and has to be tied to a chair. Earlier in the day, an iguana is caught. After some insightful conversation with Hannah, Shannon relates to the frightened, trapped iguana and frees it, thereby symbolically setting himself free.

David McIntosh directed and Debra

T

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El Ojo del Lago / March 2015

Bowers assistant-directed this LLT production. Their many talents brought together a very poignant, powerful story about struggle and redemption.

The ramshackle beach-front hotel was realistically designed by Rob Stupple.

The sound and storm effects and the ambient sounds of soft ocean waves, birds and crickets were the creations of J. E. Jack. The effective lighting was designed by Rick Bleier.

The role of “Shannon” was convincingly played by Bill McFadden. Displaying a gambit of emotions would be a challenge to any actor, but Bill made the transitions well and kept his character believable. Kathleen Morris portrayed the sassy, lusty, life-hardened “Maxine.” At times, her soft heart showed through and she never let up on the promise of love and better days ahead.

Jutta McAdam really got into her character of “Judith Fellowes,” a nasty, vengeful woman hell bent on destroying a man. This was her debut at LLT and we will be seeing more of her.

The role of “Carlota Goodall” was performed by Abril Iniguez. The starryeyed nymphet who wouldn’t take no for an answer was a credible role for someone so young and pretty. Jose Gambino Madrid and Gabriel Casillas took the roles of “Pedro” and “Pancho,” respectably. They both played cabana boys realistically. Although their lines were few, they were spoken in perfect Spanish.

Deborah Kloegman played “Hannah Jelkes” with grace and sensitivity. A chaste, middle-aged spinster, Hannah conveys wisdom and spiritual strength to Shannon. Roger Larson gave a stellar performance in his role as “Nonno.”

His portrayal of a senile, frail old man nearing death and obsessed with his poetry was so realistic, you forgot this part was played by an actor.

The Dixie Swim Club is LLT’s next production running from March 27-April 5. Hope to see you at the theater!

Saw you in the Ojo 23

I CAN MEASURE THE SPAN OF MY LIFE IN DOGS ZLQHKDUW %\ 'U /RULQ 6ZLQHKDUW

T

here were my boyhood friends Tippy, a mixed breed beagle, and Buddy, a fox terrier. Years later, while backpacking in New Mexico’s Chuska Mountains, I met Tiger, a half-starved border collie, hanging out by an abandoned Navaho Hogan, and she became a boon companion, sharing many adventures. Belle was a beautiful golden retriever, who would never leave my side during woodland romps. Dusty was a cheerful yellow Labrador retriever, so gentle that I once saw him flee from a field mouse. Lexi, part husky and part German shepherd, highly intelligent and innovative, listened to her own drummer and followed her own agenda.

On windy autumn days, I often drive to a nature park near my Ohio home to stand in silent awe beneath a stand of poplars, much as the ancient Greeks once did among the oaks at Dodona, to see what wisdom the breeze has to share. On such days, I feel connected to my spirit dogs. Belle seems most present of all, roving along just ahead of me, looking over her shoulder to assure herself that I am there. I have no explanation for this experience. Perhaps there is none. Those who speak do not know and those who know do not speak. I consider myself too old to have a dog now. Should the dog outlive me, he would be too sad.

Dogs are the only animals that volunteer. They sniff out drugs, weapons, explosives, land mines, parts and pieces of endangered wildlife, stand guard over small children, herd livestock, provide company for the elderly, lead the visually impaired, capture criminals, rescue the stranded and the trapped, accom-

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El Ojo del Lago / March 2015

pany deputies and rangers on lonely patrols. With a sense of smell thousands of times more powerful than ours, much of their world lies closed to us.

Man’s friendship with dogs may have begun about 14,000 years ago.

Wolf packs probably trailed behind human hunters, picking up leftovers from abandoned campsites. Then, one day, a lonely hunter tossed a bone to a lingering wolf, with the summons, “Here, Doggie,” or something similar.

There have been many canine heroes in fiction as in real life. As a boy, I thrilled to the adventures of Sgt. Preston of the RCMP and his great husky Yukon King and to the more bucolic tales of Lassie. The great dog hero Rin-Tin-Tin actually served with the French army during World War I. He later moved to Hollywood and made movies.

There was Balto, the sled dog who led his team through the snowy wilderness to deliver vaccine to Nome during a diphtheria epidemic, and Stickeen, who accompanied John Muir as he explored the glaciers of Alaska. Chips, a mixed breed German shepherd, the most decorated war dog of World War II, guarded FDR and Churchill. Other dog heroes rescued survivors from the wreckage after 911, and a Navy SEAL dog, Cairo, accompanied the men who took out Osama Bin Laden.

All modern dog breeds originated with the same ancestors. Carolina dogs, descended from those who accompanied the first Native Americans across Beringia, may provide the best insights into the appearance and behaviors of the earliest domestic dogs.

Jack London argued that a personâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s character is revealed by the way he treats a dog. I have known lost dogs, throwaway dogs, neglected dogs and abused dogs. Each year in the United States, thousands of dogs are abandoned, dumped, left homeless, bereft of food, shelter or friendship. Others are put down in shelters. Most wicked

of all are those persons who find entertainment by staging vicious dogfights.

Both Rene Descartes and Thomas Jefferson performed vivisection on live dogs without anesthesia.

It is said that a dog experiences emotions similar to those of a lover pondering his beloved when he sees his human. When all is said and done, the Dog remains Manâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s best friend.

Dr. Lorin Swinehart

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Hearts at Work $ &ROXPQ E\ -LP 7LSWRQ “The best thing you can do with your lips….”

I

n Farewell My Lovely, Raymond Chandler’s indefatigable Private Detective, Philip Marlowe, a lover of all things female, says, “She gave me a smile I could feel in my hip pocket.” All over the earth people smile to each other. Here at Lakeside, some of the best smiles to ever brighten my days and nights are those smiles that so spontaneously light up the faces of many Mexican ladies. Two of my favorite Mexican ladies are in the photo above, which I took a few months ago—my wife Martha and my daughter Gabriela, who often delight me with their warm, joyous, life affirming smiles, smiles you can carry with you in your hip pocket.

Occasionally I return to the States and in both Colorado and Ohio, he encontrado—I have found—Mexicans, many Mexicans…working in restaurants, working in convenience stores, working in supermarkets, as well as strolling the streets of small towns or soaking up the sun in little public parks.

In addition to making me feel at home again, almost all of them have offered me those hearty and sunny Mexican smiles.

I remember visiting a Verizon office in Denver to sign a new two-year contract with Verizon for my U.S. and Mexico cellular service and to pick out a new cell phone. The person assigned to me was a young woman named Dani. She guided me through the store and courteously and charmingly showed me the various exotic phones now available, and then she thoughtfully offered her suggestions on the best (a rather simple one thank God) phone for me.

Although she spoke perfect English, Dani’s dark hair and brown eyes and beautiful skin and smiles prompted me to ask her whether she was of Hispanic heritage. Dani’s answer?

She was born in Guadalajara. She knew Lake Chapala. She also wrote poetry and she was familiar with various Latin American poets I mentioned.

And, throughout the twenty or thirty delightful minutes I spent with her, she gave me, at no charge whatsoever, dozens of those lovely, sensual, confident smiles that I could “feel in my hip pocket,” that I could carry with me the rest of the day.

As I left I thought how much fun

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El Ojo del Lago / March 2015

0DUWKD DQG *DE\ it would be to be twenty-five again and single, and to walk in to see Dani wearing that popular t-shirt that reads: “Smiles are the second best thing you can do with your lips.” But maybe smiles are the very best thing you can do with your lips.

Often, I will think back over a long and often weary day and remember the many smiles that arrived unexpectedly. Sometimes I forget completely a conversation with a particular woman, or man for that matter, and remember instead a smile that came right up out of their heart. I go to sleep feeling blessed.

Not a day goes by here at Lake Chapala that I do not receive warm smiles from total strangers, sometimes young, sometimes old. Of late I have particularly paid attention to the smiles of the elderly. As I pass them I feel like someone has just handed me a bouquet of flowers. Remember Mark Twain’s observation? “Wrinkles merely indicate… where smiles have been.”

One old proverb goes like this, “A smile says the same thing in every language.” Another goes like this, “The shortest distance between two people is a smile.”

Mother Teresa of Calcutta exhorts us to do this: “Spread love everywhere you go. First of all in your own house.

Let no one ever come to you without leaving better and happier. Be the living expression of God’s kindness in your face, kindness in your eyes, kindness in your smile.”

Jim Tipton

Saw you in the Ojo 27

Can You Do This Crossword Puzzle? %\ (G 7DVFD The key to most crossword puzzles is that the answers to the short, clever clues would be subjects most people know. If this weren’t the case, how would tens of thousands of us every day, when left tranquilly to our own thoughts, escape from the tedium of waiting at TelMex. A clue, for instance, to the name Einstein might be ‘Genius in New Jersey – (8)’ (that’s eight letters), which might baffle some, given that we also have Edison (only six letters) and Valli (only five). But it is nonetheless a clue that would be recognizable for many on the planet, because the subject is someone everybody knows. But what if you lived in a closeted society, where people don’t really know what’s going on in New Jersey, or care, for that matter?

Crossword puzzles and, I imagine, any word games might be rather esoteric in these societies. Because many of these society members wouldn’t recognize what we consider common knowledge, the globe’s universals. So then, their crossword puzzles would have to be based on the limited, specific and permissible knowledge base of that particular closeted society, if, of course, they were going to have any real crossword fun.

I found the following Taliban crossword puzzle to demonstrate what I’m talking about. It was the feature puzzle in a whimsical little chapbook called Favorite Mindbending Crosswords and Riddles from the Jihad Picayune.

Cut it out if you like and keep it for when your iPhone battery goes dead or you’re sitting around waiting at TelMex. JIHAD PICAYUNE CROSSWORD FOR TUESDAY, JANUARY 6

Across 1. Kabul dance craze? (5) 4. Taliban chieftain named after ICBM? (6) 8. Korzai’s imaginary childhood friend? (3) 9. IED experts meet at what coffee restaurant because of free WiFi? (9) 10. Kidnappers marching song? (7) 13. Southern Afghan province requiring safety catches for nursery toys? (6) 18. The Arab invention of “zero” – based on the IQ of what Boko Haram tribe? (5) 19. Sand used in healing of which eye disorder? (5) 21. “Good ol’ Days” century when all we had to get rid of were the Mongols? (3,9) Down 1. What’s our money called? (7) 2. ‘Cradle of civilization’ Xtreme Fighting Event? (9) 3. ‘Old clothing’ -- key energy export of what Taliban city? (5) 4. ‘Meet Jihadist Singles’ founder? (6) 5. Preparation of which explosive substance linked to ED? (7) 6. Drone anxiety? Try this common household opium derivative. (3)

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El Ojo del Lago / March 2015

7. Science studies for women held in which volcanic crater? (5) 12. Title of Tora Bora sniper sitcom?

(7) 14. What to wear while hiding in a kindergarten school? (5) 16. Inexpensive replacement for facial hair in bedding? (5) 17. Favorite Al Qaeda “All-inclusive” cave hideaway? (4) 18. Imprisoned for possessing Osso Buco recipe? (3) 20. Where Jalalabad residents who stutter go for counseling (3) If you were able to get any of these right, speak to no one. Anyone know-

ing even just ‘8 across’, a subject that has been a top-secret for several decades, probably will receive fewer party and event invitations. (Hint: Imaginary friend is not unlike a certain mascot for a Philadelphia baseball team.) Nonetheless, please don’t let me discourage you from completing the puzzle. Those who can will be awarded with a gold-plated Kalashnikov automatic weapon, custom designed to fire a little flag that says, “I am Charlie.”

Ed Tasca

Saw you in the Ojo 29

THE OJO INTERNET MAILBOX (Wherein we publish some comments about our previous issues.)

MIGUEL MORA—A Muralist for the Ages Luz Amparo Espero con todo cariño que su sueño lo pueda realizar. Un orgullo muy grande conocer al Sr. Miguel Mora y que tenga el privilegio de tener su obra. Felicitaciones!!

LOST AND FOUND Roberta Rich A very compelling story and an insightful look at the power of blood ties.

Roberta Rich 2015 LAKE CHAPALA WRITERS CONFERENCE Roberta Rich This will be a sensational conference, Herbert. I am very much looking forward to teaching my ‘Writing Historical Fiction’ class. I am bringing a special prize from Colima, where I live in the winter, for the person who asks me the best question. I will say no more, except it’s something I made inspired by researching the Ottoman Imperial harem in 16th century.

All the best, Roberta Rich LETTERS TO THE EDITOR - 2 Elaine Elena Giamona Well said! Thank you.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR N James This is not a review, but a sneering pompous put down dressed up as theatrical insight. I’m afraid the writer spectacularly fails to camouflage their insidious intent. It’s an ‘opinion’, but when you look at what this writer fo-

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El Ojo del Lago / March 2015

cuses on and how he/she phrases their critique, it’s obvious the betterment of local theatre is not their agenda.

OBAMA ADMINISTRATION — kicks the oil-and-gas industry while it is down!

Rich Hold on while I wipe the tear from my eye.

HEALTH ISSUES Beverly Letourneau A must read SEEDS OF HOPE Rich Real tough problem. My favorite book on the subject is, THE BOTANY OF DESIRE. It talks about how human beings always craved sweets and have always modified food for greater sweetness. I don’t mind the GMO’s as much as the high fructose corn syrup.

“A FLICKERING FLAME IN THE DARK NIGHT” Herbert W: Piekow What a well written article. Sor Juana is one of many Mexican children’s motivations for getting good grades and for studying hard. I have always appreciated her contributions to Mexican education and to the literary world. Your article is both succinct and well written.

THE ETHEREAL VISITOR Rodrigo Beautiful insight and description, I hope I can see more things from this author.

Saw you in the Ojo 31

:+< 0(1 $5( 6(/'20 '(35(66('

M

en Are Just Happier People—What do you expect from such simple

creatures?

Your last name stays put/Wedding plans take care of themselves/ Chocolate is just another snack/You can never be pregnant/You can wear a white T-shirt to a water park/Car mechanics tell you the truth/The world is your urinal/ Wrinkles add character/Wedding dress $5000. Tux rental-$100/People never stare at your chest when you’re talking to them.

Phone conversations are over in 30 seconds flat/A five-day vacation requires only one suitcase/You can open all your own jars/Your underwear is $8.95 for a three-pack/Three pairs of shoes are more than enough/ Everything on your face stays its original color.

You can ‘do’ your nails with a pocket knife/You have freedom of choice concerning growing a mustache/You can do Christmas shopping for 25 relatives on December 24 in 25 minutes.

Men Are Just Happier People!

EATING OUT When the bill arrives, Mike, Dave and John will each throw in $20, even though it’s only for $32.50. None of them will have anything smaller and none will actually admit they want

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El Ojo del Lago / March 2015

change back. When the girls get the bill, out come the pocket calculators.

MONEY A man will pay $2 for a $1 item he needs. A woman will pay $1 for a $2 item that she doesn’t need but it’s on sale.

BATHROOMS A man has six items in his bathroom: toothbrush and toothpaste, shaving cream, razor, a bar of soap, and a towel. The average number of items in the typical woman’s bathroom is 337. A man would not be able to identify more than 20 of these items.

ARGUMENTS A woman has the last word in any argument. Anything a man says after that is the beginning of a new argument.

FUTURE A woman worries about the future until she gets a husband. A man never worries about the future until he gets a wife.

MARRIAGE A woman marries a man expecting he will change, but he doesn’t. A man marries a woman expecting that she won’t change, but she does.

DRESSING UP A woman will dress up to go shopping, water the plants, empty the trash, answer the phone, read a book, and get the mail. A man will dress up for weddings and funerals.

NATURAL Men wake up as good-looking as they went to bed. Women somehow deteriorate during the night.

OFFSPRING A woman knows all about her children. She knows about dentist appointments and romances, best friends, secret fears and hopes and dreams. A man is vaguely aware of some short people living in the house.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY A married man can forget his mistakes. There’s no use in two people remembering the same thing!

Saw you in the Ojo 33

“ANOTHER UNRETIRED SUCCESS” %\ -RDQ 0HHYR\

ave you discovered Stones for Ibarra, the lovely little novel by Harriet Doerr?

Last summer as I was preparing to move to the Lake area, a friend gave me this bittersweet book, hoping that it would discourage me from moving to Mexico. I read it and cried, because it’s that kind of story, but I tried to explain to the friend that Ajijic was not a remote, poverty-stricken village where I would be the only American. Furthermore, I told her that what I had gleaned from the cover notes and publication page had only given me further inspiration to move down here and try to write. Harriet Doerr had not started her career as a writer until she was in her late 60’s. I had a decade to catch up to that and could picture myself writing my first novel in this quiet, pleasant locale.

Ms. Doerr received her B.A. from Stanford University when she was 67 years old. She then participated in their graduate fiction program, winning grants and awards which enabled her to work on this, her first novel. Several chapters were published separately in literary reviews before Stones for Ibarra was published in 1984 and won the prestigious American Book Award when the author was 74 years old.

This little treasure of a book, so poetically phrased, tells the story of an American couple who move to the remote mining town of Ibarra to reopen an abandoned copper mine. The tragedy of Richard and Sarah Everton is fore- shadowed in the first paragraph where we learn that this will not be a “happy-ever after” story, that Richard “will die thirty years sooner than he

H

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El Ojo del Lago / March 2015

now imagines.” As we learn bit by bit of his illness and Sarah’s struggle to deal with it, the life of this small Mexican village is poignantly described in careful, loving detail. The two themes are not unrelated, but while the villagers live close so death and accept it as an everyday, matter, Sarah creates fantasies to help her deny it.

The people of Ibarra will never completely understand the Evertons. Some of the villagers peer through the windows of the house and report strange customs: “The señora cooks food from cans over a gasoline fire. It must be very expensive. While she stirs the pot, the señor is in the kitchen. A man in the kitchen and not to eat.” And why are they so frugal as to share one bottle of beer with dinner but so extravagant as to light a fire they do not cook on? They “lit candles at their evening meal and let them burn down while they talked. Occasionally they both talked at once, and loudly. At these times the señor jumped up and walked around the table, and the señora forgot to bring the hard rolls from the oven.” They had been seen and heard by the postmaster’s son, who lived for a winter with his cousin in Chicago and learned some English words.

“The señor and the señora do not agree about the next president of the United States. He will vote for one candidate, she for another. In that case, why do they vote at all?”’

The Evertons are equally, bewildered by much that they observe in Ibarra, but gradually deep respect develops between the foreigners and their neighbors. I highly recommend reading or re-reading Stones for Ibarra, not only for its sensitive portrayal of a Mexican village, but as an example of award-winning fiction, written when the author “combed white hair,” as they say in Mexico.

Saw you in the Ojo 35

DEAR PORTIA

on the planet? Is there any chance you could put me in contact with the late Dr. Roberto Moulon? Something tells me he would be able to help.

I know that you have not been writing for a while, and I would never invade the tranquil simplicity of your retirement were I not FREEKING desperate!

Warmest regards, Hermione

Advice to the Lovelorn, the Terminally Confused and the Maliciously Malcontented

D

ear Portia, I recently busted my bum. Through a series of less than optimal choices it took quite a few days for me to obtain the medical help I needed. Ultimately the parts that had broken were removed, and a delightful French modern sculpture, which also functions as prosthesis was inserted and the period of healing began. So far, so good. Though we single old bats who insist on being on our own tend to encounter many challenges, things began to resolve for me and with the help of a few villages and an urban suburb of friends I have become ambulatory.

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Then it started! I began to channel a certain legendary feminist poetess who shared this quaint corner of the world with us all. Though really quite lovely, she had a sort of domineering willfulness that served to repel the very people that loved her! I never wanted to grow up to be that, yet I find myself from time in an altered state, and some Higher Consciousness lets me know that I have become her channel.

So, how do I stop being a channel?

I have changed medications a variety of times, and ceased to eat sauerkraut before bedtime â&#x20AC;&#x201C; but nothing had changed. Is it really possible to channel an entity that is still active

Dear Hermione AKA Nut Case, The late and still highly-esteemed Dr. Moulun was a good friend of mine, and I think he would tell you what I know he told so many of his female patients here at Lakeside: Stop acting crazy or Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll take a rubber hose to you! This advanced form of therapy almost invariably worked.

By the way, your list of injuries does not mention the one part of your body that was obviously most damaged: your head.

Further, if you are going to channel anyone, select someone far more admirable than your current muse, say someone like . . . Helen Keller.

My recommendation is, of course, a subtle way of getting you to shut up! You didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t get it, did you? I told you about your head! Try to keep your sniveling to yourself.

Saw you in the Ojo 37

Sandy Olson

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

COMING EVENTS

NEW WORKS The Lake Chapala Painters Guild opens its show of â&#x20AC;&#x153;New Worksâ&#x20AC;? on Friday, March 6.

The opening reception is at Galeria Sol Mexicano, Colon Centro #13, Ajijic, from 4 p.m. until 7 p.m.

7KH JURXS RULJLQDOO\ IRUPHG LQ DQG IRFXVHV RQ SDLQWLQJV DQG SDVWHOV 7KH ÂżIWHHQ local artist members are Carolina Owers, Sonia Mocnik, Isabel duBlanc, Anita Lee, :LQQLH +XQW /RLV 6FKURII $QWRQLR /RSH] 9HJD (IUHQ *RQ]DOH] 6WHYH $FKV *HUDOGLQH &ODVVHQ ,QDN *LH\V]WRU 0DU\DQQ /LQKDUW 0DULDQ 'HFNHU, and 1DQF\ *UD\ GALERIA DE ARTE AJIJIC Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re invited to an opening reception on Saturday, March 7 from 3:00 to 7:00. This collective art show features the work of talented artist Richard Stromberg, with his handmade one of a kind art jewelry. Also showing is wellknown local artist -HVXV /RSH] 9HJD who started to paint in the early 70s in the Childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Art Program at LCS. He works in mixed media, oils acrylics, etchings and sculptures.

The show is at Rio Zula 1 and Ocampo (west Ajijic) near Tabarka Restaurante. There will be cocktails, botanas and live music. Come and join them!

A ONE WOMAN SHOW â&#x20AC;&#x153;I, Claudiaâ&#x20AC;? is a riveting, hilarious, and heartbreaking journey into the raw psyche of an extraordinary girl with a lot on her mind. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a one woman Canadian play and is directed by /\QQ 3KHODQ with -D\PH /LWWOHMRKQ as the actress. The dates are March 12, 13 and 14 at 7:30 p.m. and March 15 at 3 p.m, and March 20 and 21 at 7:30 p.m. For information please email Jayme Littlejohn at thebravotheatre@gmail.com.

The Bravo! Theatre address is Rio Bravo #10B. It is directly across from The Naked Stage in the old Sol y Luna Complex. The space will also be the permanent home of My, My, How Nice! Productions, and will be available for other theatrical, music, fundraiser and lecture events.

VIVA MUSICA SPRING SEASON The Jalisco Philharmonic Orchestra has a number of exciting productions.

Viva Musica will not only organize buses to all of these concerts, but the price has been reduced to the ridiculously low price of 250 pesos (350 pesos for non-members).

As always, the Friday trips will stop for dinner in a restaurant area in the Zona Rosa. )ULGD\ 0DUFK 7FKDLNRYVN\ ,, Khatchaturian: Flute Concerto; Tchaikovsky: Symphony #5. The bus leaves at 4.30 p.m. with a stop for dinner.

6XQGD\ 0DUFK 7FKDLNRYVN\ ,,, Revueltas: Sensemaya; Tchaikovsky: Piano Concerto #1; Tchaikovsky: Symphony #6. The bus leaves at 10.00 a.m. )ULGD\ 0DUFK 7FKDLNRYVN\ ,9 3URNRÂżHY $OH[DQGHU 1HYVN\ 6XLWH 7FKDLNRYVN\ Symphony #4. The bus leaves at 4.30 p.m. with a stop for dinner.

6XQGD\ $SULO )UHQFK 9LUWXRVLW\ Dâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Indy: Symphony on a French Mountain Air; Ravel: Daphnis & Chloe (complete). The bus leaves at 10.00 a.m.

Get your tickets at LCS Thursdays and Fridays 10 to noon; or to make alternate payment arrangements contact Marshall Krantz (766-2834, mak1939@gmail.com) or Ingrid Goodridge (766-2194, philomenamex@hotmail.com). The buses depart from the carretera, just east of Farmacia Guadalajara in Ajijic.

Viva Concert in the Auditorio de la Ribera 7KXUVGD\ 0DUFK 7KUHH 6RSUDQRV Berenice Barragan, Patricia Hernandez and Viviana Baez, with piano accompanist Gaby Zepeda, singing a selection of operatic areas and classic Mexican songs. Back by popular demand. Auditorio, 7:00 p.m. Tickets are $200 and are available from Diane Pearl Colecciones, the Auditorio and LCS on Thursday and Fridays from 10.00 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; noon and at the door.

Bus trips to the Metropolitan Opera Live in HD 6DWXUGD\ 0DUFK 7KH /DG\ RI WKH Lake by Rossini with superstars Joyce DiDonato as the â&#x20AC;&#x153;lady of the lakeâ&#x20AC;? and Juan Diego FlĂłrez as the king who relentlessly pursues her. Bus departs at 9:30.

6DWXUGD\ $SULO 'RXEOH %LOO &DYDOleria Rusticana by Mascagni and Pagliacci by Leoncavallo. Tenor Marcelo Ă lvarez rises to the challenge of playing the leading roles in operaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most enduring tragic double bill. Bus departs at 10:00.

JAZZ AND NO COVER CHARGE Juan Castaùón and the Blue Velvet -D]] 4XDUWHW will be playing at several venGuitarist Juan Castaùón ues in March.

0DUFK DQG at 7:30: Juan Castaùón and the Blue Velvet Jazz Quartet at Ocampo 71 Snack Bar March 7 at La Rueda CafĂŠ at 8 p.m: DĂşo with Tim Tracey, a great rock /folk singer from :DVKLQJWRQ VWDUWLQJ DW SP 3RUÂżULR 'LD] 6DQ -XDQ &RVDOD 0DUFK DQG at 6 p.m: Solo Jazz Guitar. Jasmine Indian Restaurant, Parroquia #12, Ajijic 0DUFK DQG at 7:30 p.m: Blue Velvet Jazz Quartet at Lago CafĂŠ, Carretera Poniente #29, Ajijic AN INVITATION TO DINNER Jaltepect Centro Educativo LV KRVWLQJ RQH RI LWV IDEXORXV GLQQHUV D EHQHÂżW IRU WKH students. The dinner is on Tuesday, March 10 at 6:30 p.m. Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a no host bar from 6:00 p.m., with complimentary hors dâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;oeuvres and cocktail music provided by everyoneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s favorite musician, 7LPRWK\ * 5XII :HOFK. Dinner is at 7:00 p.m.

This is a great opportunity to attend one of Jaltepecâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s events. The donation will be 400 pesos per person. There are probably just a few tickets left so please call Linda Buckthorp at 766-1631 or email buckthorplm@gmail.com for information.

WRITERSâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;DONâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;T MISS THIS The 11th Annual Lake Chapala Writersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Conference is scheduled for March 11-13.

The venue will be Danza del Sol in West Ajijic.

Six speakers/ workshop presenters have been invited.

They include Diane Hicks-Morrow, a Canadian Poet Laureate, Dennis Stovall, winner of the prestigious 2015 Rittenhouse Lifetime Achievement Award, and bestselling author of The Committee members, left to right: Carol Bowman, Harriet Midwife of Venice RoHart, Victoria Schmidt, Herbert Piekow, and Sandy Olson. berta Rich, /LQGD -R\ 0\HUV president of the National Association of Memoir Writers, will also present, as well as our Lakeside resident Rachel McMillan, with her popular Dan Connor Mystery series, and respected New York editor, Sandi Gelles-Cole, will schedule one on one sessions for writers to have their manuscripts reviewed. (A visit with Sandi the â&#x20AC;&#x153;book doctorâ&#x20AC;? required preregistration by March 1).

7RSLFV UDQJH IURP :ULWLQJ %DVLFV WR 3XEOLVKLQJ 'HP\VWLÂżHG 7KH UHJLVWUDWLRQ FRVW LV 1500 pesos. The price includes two lunches and beverages during breaks.

Registration forms are available at Diane Pearl Colecciones, or at Hacienda Property Management and Rentals, Hidalgo 27A, Ajijic.

For further information, check on Facebook: www.facebook.com/pages/Lake-Chapala-Writers-Conference/, email Victoria Schmidt at victoriaAschmidt@gmail.com.

A LAS VEGAS GALA NiĂąos Incapacitados presents â&#x20AC;&#x153;Viva Las Vegas,â&#x20AC;? their gala dinner dance, on Thursday, March 12 at 5:30, at Hotel Real de Chapala. The festivities include music from Big Band Jazz Guadalajara, two auctions, live and silent, and an incredible dining experience.

Tickets are 450 pesos each. Reserve tickets and tables for 10, or seats at an open table, by contacting Linda Hendy at 376 106-1281, linda.ppni@gmail.com. Visit NiĂąosâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; website for more details: www.programaninos.com.

BRING SOME PESOSâ&#x20AC;Ś â&#x20AC;Śif you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want to miss out on purchasing some great art. The $MLMLF 6RFLHW\ RI the Artsâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;also known as ASAâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;is holding its 33rd annual judged show at the Ajijic Cultural Center. The opening reception is on March 14, from 5:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. The works will display from March 14 through March 28, 10:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m.

Membership in ASA has grown steadily and there are now 165 members. The group

continued on page 42

38

El Ojo del Lago / March 2015

Saw you in the Ojo 39

40

El Ojo del Lago / March 2015

Saw you in the Ojo 41

meets at 10 am the ÂżUVW 0RQGD\ RI HDFK month at La Bodega Restaurant.

At each meeting of ASA thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a demonstration on different types of art and how to produce it. The picture is of 0DU\DQQH Linhart showing her techniques for painting on Yupo paper.

Artist members create a wide range of media: wall art, jewelry, pottery, fabric art, sculpture, photography, and other types of art.

New members interested in art are encouraged to join the Society.

ASA sponsors the Childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Art Program at the Lake Chapala Society, through donating funds for materials, providing volunteers who teach them every Saturday morning.

The group does sponsor the more gifted. Says John McWilliams, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Most of the Mexican professional artists in Ajijic today attended these classes as children. Usually there are at least 50 kids who show up and have great time.â&#x20AC;?

LETâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S HEAR IT FOR LOVE AND PEACE Los Cantantes del Lagoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s spring concert â&#x20AC;&#x153;Love & Peaceâ&#x20AC;? will be on Monday, March 16 at 7:00 p.m. and Tuesday, March 17 at 4:00 p.m. at the Auditorio de la Ribera. The concert will be a mostly a mix of 60s 70s and even 80s music, ranging from the Beatles and Supremes to the haunting Civil War song â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Dying Soldier.â&#x20AC;?

This concert is accompanied by Eleanor Stromberg on piano and the Blue Velvet -D]] 7ULR. It is directed by 7LPRWK\ * 5XII :HOFK. Tickets are 250 pesos available at Diane Pearl Colecciones, Miaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Boutique from any Cantantes member or on their website www.loscantantesdellago.com ON A SERIOUS NOTEâ&#x20AC;Ś Are you struggling with memory loss, or caring for a loved one who is? Come to an introductory meeting on Tuesday, March 17 at 10 a.m., at Guadalupe Victoria 101, Ajijic.

7KH PHHWLQJ LV IRU WKRVH DIĂ&#x20AC;LFWHG E\ PHPRU\ ORVV WKHLU FDUHJLYHUV DQG SHRSOH LQWHUested in facilitating support groups. Topics will include, but are not limited to: formation of support groups, distribution of resource material, and brainstorming methods for reaching those affected. For more information or directions, contact Amara at 765-2629, or email at amutemabb@gmail.com.

YOU DONâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;T HAVE TO BEHAVE YOURSELF For a mere 250 pesos (for padded center seats) and 150 pesos (for seating on the side rows) you can come out and see your friends and neighbors like youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve never seen them before, at /LS 6\QF 6HYen. The show runs March 20â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 24 at the Auditorio.

Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re encouraged to bring your cameras, take all the photos you wish, make as much noise as possible and show your appreciation with whistles, cat calls, and tossed objects. You may even leave your cell phone on.

Tickets will be sold by cast members and LCS, Diane Pearl ColecHoward Feldstein from Les Miserables ciones, Casi Nuevo Thrift Shop, Auditorio Riberas, El Granero, Edithâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, Yolyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, Charter Tours and from cast members. Mark your calendars. Lip Sync Seven is a Lakeside tradition not to be missed.

DIXIE SWIM CLUB The next Lakeside Little Theatre production is â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Dixie Swim Club,â&#x20AC;? shown March $SULO ,WÂśV D FRPHG\ DERXW ÂżYH XQIRUJHWWDEOH ZRPHQ ZKRVH IULHQGVKLS EHJDQ PDQ\ years ago on their college swim team. They meet each year for a long weekend at the same beach cottage on the North Carolina Outer Banks. They catch up, laugh, and meddle in each others lives. The Dixie Swim Club focuses on four of those weekends and spans a period of 33 years. It is directed by Barbara Clippinger.

7LFNHWV DUH SHVRV DQG FDQ EH REWDLQHG E\ FDOOLQJ WKH ER[ RIÂżFH DW RU E\ HPDLO WLFNHWV#ODNHVLGHOLWWOHWKHDWUH FRP 7KH %R[ 2IÂżFH ZLOO EH RSHQ IURP DP WR noon on March 25 and 26, and at the same time each day except Sundays during the run of the show.

HEâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;LL LEAVE US SHATTERED â&#x20AC;&#x153;Yankee Tavernâ&#x20AC;? is the next Naked Stage production, a dramatic thriller by Steven

42

El Ojo del Lago / March 2015

Left to right: Georgette Richmond, Canidice Luciano, Sharon Lowry, Lynn Phelan and Patsi Krakoff Dietz. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s directed by 3K\OOLV 6LOYHUPDQ A critic says, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Dietz is a master of smart dialogue and wily storytelling. He draws us in with characters that intrigue, but the stories they spin can do a number on our beliefs and leave us shattered.â&#x20AC;? The production runs March 20, 21, and 22.

Naked Stage is located at #10A Rio Bravo. The box RIÂżFH RSHQV DW DQG WKH VKRZ VWDUWV DW S P 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.

HAZARDOUS INTERSECTION! POETRY AND JAZZ! Booze, schmooze and all that jazz! Come to the Happy Hour at Maria Isabel (formerly The Old Posada) from 3 to 6 p.m. on Wednesday, March 25. There are 2 for 1 GULQNV MD]] Ă&#x20AC;XWH IURP Mike Liesenbach, and poetry from the 1RW <HW 'HDG 3RHWV 6RFLHW\.

Poets include %LOO )UD\HU 0HO *ROGEHUJ .HQ 6DOJudy Dykstra-Brown ]PDQQ -LP 7LSWRQ 0DUJDUHW 9DQ (YHU\ 0LFKDHO Warren, and -XG\ '\NVWUD %URZQ NICE AND EASY GENEROSITY The Lakeside Little Theatre was gifted with a donation of 12,500 pesos from the proceeds from Mac Morisonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s December show â&#x20AC;&#x153;Nice and Easy.â&#x20AC;? Mac and his partner Barbara Clippinger then met with the LLT Board and said they wanted to do more, so then they gave the theatre a donation of 25,000 pesos.

Both Barbara and Mac are aware of LLTâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s long overdue renovation and repair of the theDWUH LQIUDVWUXFWXUH DQG WKH EHQHÂżWV RI PRGHUQizing the stage rigging of the theatre as well.

Both those endeavors will cost many hundreds of thousands of pesos.

Says LLT President Peter Luciano, â&#x20AC;&#x153;They wanted to set the pace for donors interested in supporting these efforts. I encourage all Barbara Clippinger and Mac Morison members to express a heartfelt thanks to them for their generosity and leadership.â&#x20AC;?

648($.< :+((/ 5($',1*6 La Rueda (The Wheel), a coffee gallery in San Juan Cosala, stages monthly readings in English.

7KH\ DUH KHOG RQ WKH ÂżUVW :HGQHVGD\ RI HDFK PRQWK at 3:30.

The next reading will be on Wednesday, April 1.

Readers in February were John Thomas Dodds, 0HO *ROGEHUJ /DUU\ .ROF]DN .HQ 6DO]PDQQ %LOO )UD\HU 0LFKDHO :DUUHQ -XG\ '\NVWUD %URZQ and %HFN\ McGuigan. Writers who want to read, or those needing further information, can contact Judy Dykstra-Brown. Email her at jubob2@hotmail.com.

Writer Mel Goldberg

Saw you in the Ojo 43

Blind Spot )LFWLRQ E\ $QWRQLR 5DPEOpV

M

yra’s husband Paul had been dead nearly a year when a couple young enough to be her children moved into the long-vacant home next door. Throughout the long vacancy, a gardener had faithfully tended their yard, and while Myra often admired the flowers through its wrought-iron fence, she took too much joy from the feel of earth between her fingers to hire a gardener of her own.

Gardening helped to relieve her isolation, for only five homes shared the potholed, cobblestone cerrada just beyond the edge of town. She had wanted to live in the village, but Paul had insisted that they live apart from

44

the Mexicans, and all of the owners on the cerrada were gringos. She had never understood why it mattered, since he spent all of his time with his American buddies at the golf course or a poker table, but still a day rarely passed that he didn’t utter the mantra, “You can’t trust those people.”

Now that Myra was alone, the prospect of new neighbors was especially welcome, and the next day she dropped by to meet them. They had arrived with no more than would fit into their Jersey-plated SUV, and the house still felt bare. The husband, Sam, was solidly built and barely graying. The wife, Linda, was an attractive blonde who looked ten years younger. They

El Ojo del Lago / March 2015

seemed friendly enough, although Sam did most of the talking. Linda hung on his words as if unaware that a woman with her good looks should be the center of his attention. ‘Mousey’ was the word that popped into Myra’s mind.

While the pair soon greeted Myra daily as she puttered in her flower bed, they were an otherwise quiet couple who never had visitors. When Myra locked herself out of her car the week after they arrived, Sam deftly unlocked it with a tool she’d never seen before.

The new neighbors seemed to be more than she could have hoped for.

A month or so after their move-in, Myra’s house alarm went off after midnight, and her heart was still pounding when Sam, to her surprise, appeared at her door with a revolver in his hand.

Whatever had tripped the alarm was gone by the time he arrived, and while she was grateful for his attention, something in his eyes told her that the weapon was not just for show.

Within days, workers arrived at Sam’s place to tear out the wrought iron fence and build in its place a sturdy wall topped by razor wire and cameras.

Soon Myra began to hear the barking of a big dog behind it. Paul, she knew, would have approved of “fencing the Mexicans out,” but she was disappointed that the flower beds were now hidden. After the wall went up, Sam and Linda rarely left their house, and Myra saw them even less after delivery meals began arriving daily.

She returned from the market one day to find Sam standing in the street, screaming at a lineman perched on the utility pole overlooking his property.

Myra gathered from his tirade that the lineman had shown suspicious interest in what lay behind the new wall. Sam’s fists were clenched, and with each word a spray of spittle burst from his contorted face. Unsettled, Myra hurried into her house, and it crossed her mind for the first time that he might not be just another harmlessly eccentric gringo.

She had seen neither Sam nor Linda for weeks when a pickup truck marked POLICIA pulled up next door.

She watched Linda talk for a long time with the officers through the front gate before they drove off, but when they returned a few days later, they did the talking and stayed only briefly. Myra’s curiosity was unsatisfied only until the next day, when she read that Sam’s body had been found off the carretera barely a mile away. He had been shot.

His murder triggered hysteria within the expat community. This sort of thing was supposed to happen only among locals, and among the gringos it was widely assumed that the shooter was Mexican, perhaps a narco thug.

Sales of home security systems and razor wire were suddenly brisk.

Within a week, the expats’ panic was upended when an email link to an article in the Philadelphia Inquirer began circulating among them. It told of Sam’s connections to U.S. mobsters, and said that he had been wanted for questioning about the disappearance of an ex-girlfriend scheduled to testify against him. One source claimed that Sam had fled the country with bets placed on a championship prize fight.

After that, no one was surprised when both U.S. and Mexican authorities chalked the shooting up to a mob hit and closed the case.

Myra had not seen Linda since Sam’s death when a few weeks later an airport taxi showed up next door and the taxista began loading luggage.

The new widow appeared, impeccably made up and fashionably dressed.

Myra hurried over to offer condolences.

“I’m so sorry about Sam,” she said.

Linda shrugged. “He chose the life he lived,” she replied, dry-eyed.

Myra tried not to show her surprise at the widow’s grieflessness as the driver loaded more bags into the trunk. The taxi continued to settle under their weight.

“You’re moving back to the States?”

Myra ventured.

“Not any time soon,” Linda replied quickly, then added, “but I’m going to do some traveling. A world cruise.”

The taxista slammed the trunk closed, and Linda settled into the back seat.

“A world cruise has always been my if-I-won-the-lottery dream,” Myra said wistfully through the open window.

“Mine, too,” Linda nodded.

“Then you’re lucky that Sam left you so well provided for.”

“Far better than he realized,” Linda replied. As the taxista slipped behind the wheel, she added as in afterthought. “Sam once told me that a contract hit costs just a thousand dollars in Mexico.

Myra gasped. “You think that he had a premonition about his death?”

The taxi’s engine sputtered to life. “I don’t know,” Linda replied as it began to pull away, “but I can tell you that it costs a lot less than he thought.” In that moment, Myra thought that she saw the hint of a smile on Linda’s face, and as the taxi pulled away she heard Paul’s voice in her head saying, “You can’t trust Antonio Ramblés those people.”

Saw you in the Ojo 45

SELMA 0RYLH 5HYLHZ E\ 7RG -RQVRQ

F

ew people know the history of Ava DuVernay, a black artist who heretofore worked with short subject material. For this film, DuVernay stepped into the ranks of a firstclass director of full length motion pictures with a script which in order to get it on film, she had to co-write with another person. But it was DuVelany’s statement that was heard around the world. Out of it came a re-enactment of a moment in history that touches all of our lives.

During the Civil Rights Marches, black people started out just wanting to vote for that which affected their lives. Even if blacks were living in a Deep South which still harbored foolish prejudices, it was Martin Luther King at that moment who made it begin to become a thing of the past.

DuVernay has pulled off a tricky feat: a movie based on historical events that never feels dull, wordy, or lifeless, that hangs together as a story and not just part of a schoolroom class project. Selma is at once intimate yet grand in scope.

It is a work of art touching only some five years of MLK’s life—the same five years it took his intimate associates to convince him that he had to do the unthinkable, knowing the backlash could wipe him out, as it eventually did, though it was for a totally different reason.

Selma does not go into his as-

46

El Ojo del Lago / March 2015

sassination, nor his womanizing, or labor on his being a preacher, or even into the forthcoming movement of Rosa Parks, who picked up where King could not go because of his death.

Even if you know what’s coming, Selma hums with suspense and surprise, packed with incidents and overflowing with fascinating characters (townspeople and certainly Carmen Ejogo who plays Coretta King, Martin’s wife).

It is a triumph of efficient, emphatic, cinematic storytelling. Much more than that, of course, a drama that started with the Civil Rights marches, and then moved into active integration long overdue in the world.

British actor David Oyelowo takes full advantage of his close physical resemblance to King, but he wisely avoids mere impersonation, delivering a performance that’s as sensitive as it is spellbinding. The task could have been easier for Ava DuVernay if it had been a documentary, but it was filmed as a much needed bio-drama.

Selma did receive two Oscar nominations, one for Best Picture, the second for Best Screenplay, but the heretofore unknown Oyelowo was overlooked, as was Carmen Ejogo (as Coretta King), but they have already won an Oscar as far as I am conTod Jonson cerned.

Saw you in the Ojo 47

BRIDGE BY THE LAKE %\ .HQ 0DVVRQ

Bridge players learn early in their careers that the most desirable holdings in a trump suit are a minimum of eight cards between declarer and dummy. This gives them a degree of confidence in making contracts that lesser holdings would not. But like many things in life there are exceptions to that rule.

This fascinating hand came up at a game in the Lake Chapala Duplicate bridge club where one NorthSouth pair deliberately played a slam in a 4-3 heart trump fit after their exploratory bidding ruled out no trump as a possibility. In doing so they shied away from the club suit in which they held the safer and more comfortable 5-3 club fit in favor of the higher scoring major suit.

North opened the bidding 1club, South responded 1 heart and North rebid 1 spade, the likely start at every table in the room. It appears that some Souths now simply signed off in 3 no trump, a hopeless contract on paper but which actually made with overtricks a few times when they mysteriously managed to avoid a diamond lead!

Our featured pair however continued with a more scientific exchange of information and had the satisfaction of reaching an unbeatable contract. South’s rebid of 2 diamonds was a convention called Fourth Suit Forcing which told his partner that they could not stop bidding until they reached the game level at least, or doubled the opponents on the way. It said absolutely nothing about South’s diamond holding.

This allowed North to show her three-card heart support which also hinted at a shortness in diamonds in

48

El Ojo del Lago / March 2015

light of the previous bidding. And, if she was short in diamonds, she was more likely to have honours in other suits. To be on the safe side South now bid 3 clubs just in case his partner had a doubleton ace or king of diamonds and could still bid 3 no trump but when North now bid 4 clubs a 4-3-1-5 distribution became most likely.

To ensure reaching a reasonably safe contract South now made the asking bid of 5 hearts which said: ‘Partner, please bid six hearts if you have second round control of diamonds.’ Holding a singleton in that suit, North was only too happy to comply and the heart slam was reached.

West led a diamond and when dummy came down South saw they had reached a very sound contract, even holding a total of only 7 trumps.

East won the diamond ace and continued with a low spade but that was the end of the defence. South drew trumps in four rounds and claimed 12 tricks for a joint top board.

In the early days of contract bridge, an expert and editor of The Bridge World by the name of Sonny Moyse was a strong advocate of “natural” bidding, including opening 4-card majors. As a result he quite often found himself in 4-3 fits and of necessity became quite adroit at making contracts others declined to bid. To this day 4-3 trump holdings are known as Moysian fits.

Questions or comments: email: masson.ken@gmail. com Ken Masson

Saw you in the Ojo 49

CHILD

of the month

%\ 5LFK 3HWHUVHQ Brayan Alejandro A.R.

W

e at Programa pro Niños Incapacitados del Lago just met Brayan a couple of months ago when his mother brought him to us for financial help. Brayan is 15 years old and lives in San Juan Cosalá with his mother, stepfather and two stepbrothers.

Brayan suffers from what is known as a “germ cell tumor,” and unfortunately he has had two of them. Germ cell tumors originate outside the gonads and it is thought they are caused by a genetic error during the development of the embryo. One in 20 of these tumors in the lower abdominal/ testicular area will become malignant.

One of these tumors was discovered on Brayan’s left testicle, was operated on and found to be benign. The other is wrapped around part of his intestine and is malignant. This second tumor was discovered last January but because of its location, surgery is very risky, so Brayan was started on chemotherapy. He spent most of last January and February in the hospital while undergoing his chemo treatments. Fortunately the family does have Mexico’s Seguro Popular which is covering the cost of the chemotherapy, but as you may know, this insurance doesn’t cover everything, especially some highend medications. This was the reason Brayan’s mother sought help from Programa pro Niños Incapacitados del Lago---to ask that we cover what Seguro Popular does not, and also for help with transportation costs to and from Guadalajara.

This past January Brayan was started on a drug called “Interferon.” This drug is a man-made copy of a natural protein we all produce in our bodies to help the immune system fight off disease. It is also believed that Interferon may (emphasis on may) slow down or even stop the growth of cancer cells.

The drug has the ability to make cancer cells too weak to protect themselves from the body’s natural immune. To be sure, the insurance does not cover the cost of this drug, so we at Niños Incapacitados are paying for it as well

50

El Ojo del Lago / March 2015

as transportation costs to Guadalajara and back.

Just last week Brayan was begun on radiation therapy and must travel into the city every day to receive it. The doctors are hoping that the combination of chemo and radiation will be beneficial—and so do we.

Because of Brayan’s compromised immune system, he must wear a face mask at all times, especially when in public and at the hospital or clinic where he runs a greater risk of infection from other people’s germs. Niños Incapacitados was able to obtain a supply of high-quality masks that filter out more pathogens than the less expensive ones.

Due to all of the travel for treatment, and subsequent exhaustion from both the treatments and the travel, Brayan can’t attend school. He told us when he visited our January meeting that he loved to read. One of our members has been good enough to acquire and deliver to his house quite a few books, and we are looking for a used laptop computer that he could use at home to further his education.

Brayan’s family is very supportive and attentive, and we at Niños Incapacitados certainly wish only the best for him in his fight against this disease.

If you would like to learn more about Niños Incapacitados and what we do—and if you would like to meet one of the children in the Program— please attend our regular monthly meetings the second Thursday of each month at 10:00 a.m. in one of the conference rooms at the Hotel Real de Chapala in La Floresta.

%\ 'RQ :LOOLDPV DP DPV PV

O

h, how ow w I hate te d r i p ping faucets! The e one in the kitchen n could be heard d all over the house e because of the he stainless steel sink, nk, making a sound like ke “boink!” every time a drop fell. f ll A couple of days ago, I decided to take the bull by the horns and see if I could stop the leak. I turned off the water with the under-sink valves and took the handles off the faucet and progressed (regressed) from there.

Thinking that the cold-water side was the culprit, I took out the works to see if the rubber washer was worn out. It and the O-ring appeared to be in order, so I removed the hot-water works. When doing this, I noticed that the cold-water side had a red washer and the hot-water side had a blue one.

I’m a stickler for this sort of thing, so I swapped them out. I put everything back together, and the faucet still leaked.

I turned off the valves under the sink and vowed to look at the situation again the next day. Guess what?

The faucet STILL dripped with those valves closed! And water was running out from under the fixture and into the sink - something it hadn’t done before.

And I hadn’t messed with the thing at all! Well, it’s time to call the plumber.

Remembering what a good job Gillo did on the plumbing I hired him to do before, I decided to give him a call and have him do the work. Maria went to the local hardware store and bought a new fixture, new cut-off valves, and new flex-pipes so that Gillo needed to bring only his tools and his expertise.

He showed up shortly after six o’clock last evening and went to work on the problem. He does his work with a great deal of care and concern. He removed the entire sink so that he could do the work more easily and do the installation right. He needed caulk and plumber’s tape from me, which I was happy to provide.

When I handed him the caulk and caulking-gun, I showed him how I preserve a tube of caulk that has already been opened and partially used. I

place p pl ace ac e a small stick (like (l (lik lik ike ke a dowel) iinto n the openiing in n and close iit off with an unused cap. u new EEvery tube of caulk tu comes with a new come easy to cap, so that’s t b i Th obtain.

The cap (or “spout” if you prefer) from the previous job is used to do the current job. Gillo told me that he usually uses a nail to seal a partially-used tube, and I told him that I’ve done that before and found that the nail will rust from the moisture. I think he was impressed with my method.

I don’t like to “hover” over folks when they’re working, so I left him on his own for a while. When he had the fixture attached and was preparing to replace the sink, I took the liberty to examine the installation. I realized that the faucet was backwards -- the engraved name of the manufacturer was on the back side instead of the front. I told him what I had noticed, and he asked: “There’s a name on it?”

I showed him the old faucet and realized then that the reason that the red and the blue washers were reversed was precisely the same thing: Whoever installed it had put it in backwards!

So Gillo removed the new one and turned it around before replacing the sink. Then he caulked around the sink -- something that most Mexican “plumbers” don’t know how to do!

When it came time to clean up, he placed my “dowel” back into the mouth of the tube of caulk, but he had to ask me how to remove the caulk residue from the spout he had just used. I took the stick from the tube and ran it through the spout under running water and cleaned it up for the next use.

I think Gillo learned a little bit of “trickery” from me.

Okay—time to settle up, after between 1-1/2 or 2 hours of work. How much? He said, “Fifty pesos.” WHAT? That’s less than five United States dollars! No, at this time of year, Maria and I wouldn’t feel right, especially since he has five daughters. (But guess who I’ll call for the next plumbing job!) So, Maria gave him three-hundred pesos, still a bargain.

Saw you in the Ojo 51

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oday, I interviewed my grandmother for part of a research paper I’m working on for my Psychology class. When I asked her to define success in her own words, she said, “Success is when you look back at your life and the memories make you smile.” * Today, I asked my mentor - a very successful business man in his 70s- what his top 3 tips are for success. He smiled and said, “Read something no one else is reading, think something no one else is thinking, and do something no one else is doing.” * Today, after a 72 hour shift at the fire station, a woman ran up to me at the grocery store and gave me a hug. When I tensed up, she realized I didn’t recognize her. She let go with tears of joy in her eyes and the most sincere smile and said, “On 9-11-2001, you carried me out of the World Trade Center.” * Today, after I watched my dog get run over by a car, I sat on the side of the road holding him and crying. And just before he died, he licked the tears off my face. * Today at 7AM, I woke up feeling ill, but decided I needed the money, so I went into work. At 3PM I got laid off.

On my drive home I got a flat tire. When I went into the trunk for the spare, it was flat too. A man in a BMW pulled over, gave me a ride, we chatted, and then he

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El Ojo del Lago / March 2015

offered me a job. I start tomorrow. * Today, as my father, three brothers, and two sisters stood around my mother’s hospital bed, my mother uttered her last coherent words before she died. She simply said, “I feel so loved right now. We should have gotten together like this more often.” * Today, I kissed my dad on the forehead as he passed away in a small hospital bed. About 5 seconds after he passed, I realized it was the first time I had given him a kiss since I was a little boy. * Today, in the cutest voice, my 8-year-old daughter asked me to start recycling. I chuckled and asked, “Why?” She replied, “So you can help me save the planet.” I chuckled again and asked, “And why do you want to save the planet?” Because that’s where I keep all my stuff,” she said. * Today, when I witnessed a 27-yearold breast cancer patient laughing histerically at her 2-year-old daughter’s antics, I suddenly realized that I need to stop complaining about my life and start celebrating it again. * Today, a boy in a wheelchair saw me desperately struggling on crutches with my broken leg and offered to carry my backpack and books for me. He helped me all the way across campus to my class and as he was leaving he said, “I hope you feel better soon.” * Today, I was feeling down because the results of a biopsy came back malignant. When I got home, I opened an e-mail that said, “Thinking of you today.

If you need me, I’m a phone call away.”

It was from a high school friend I hadn’t seen in 10 years. * Today, I was traveling in Kenya and I met a refugee from Zimbabwe. He said he hadn’t eaten anything in over 3 days and looked extremely skinny and unhealthy. Then my friend offered him the rest of the sandwich he was eating. The first thing the man said was, “We can share it.”

The best sermons are lived, not preached.

I am glad I have you to send these to.

IN MEMORIAM â&#x20AC;&#x201D;MARIE DWYER BULLOCKâ&#x20AC;&#x201D; )HE ²)HE

One of Lakesideâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s best-known and most beloved residents has died, leaving behind a number of places, people and passionate pursuits that would have taken the average person three lifetimes to know and love. Life did not shortchange Marie in any way, so there is no reason to feel sorry for her. Instead, it will be her multitude of friendsâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;left now with only memoriesâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;who will need the consoling.

Few among us can claim to have made a major difference in this lovely little corner of Mexico that we call homeâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;but Marie did exactly that. As one of the driving forces, along with her wonderful husband Ray, of Focus on Mexico, their group over the course of many years brought hundreds if indeed not thousands of newcomers to our area. Many of them stayed and in turn would add much to the cultural and social quality of our beloved area.

As one of those lucky enough to have basked in the warmth of her friendship, I will never forget her joyful spirit, unflagging optimism and

magical i l way off touching hi the h lilives off so many of our Mexican neighbors. She understood more than most that we ex-pats are guests in this country, and she behaved accordingly. Marie was and will always be simply irreplaceable.

There will be a Celebration of Marieâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Life on March 9, 5:30-7:30 at the Villa Encantada Eventos just east of the little park on the lake side of the highway going toward Chapala.

AGD

Dear Sir: Re â&#x20AC;&#x153;Bringing in the New Yearâ&#x20AC;? by Janice Kimball (page 80 in your Feb issue), I want to tell you that the piece on Aida was timely and beautiful. You possibly donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know this but Aida died the last week of January. And I will be sure to send a copy of this to her daughters.

The New Yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s you spoke about was at least 6 years ago and I think often of that wonderful evening where my two good friends formed a special relationship and we all talked about art and what it meant to be an artist until 1:30 in the morning.

I do want to clear up one thing, however. As an artist, and a photographer, I was an active participant in

that conversation. As there arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t that many â&#x20AC;&#x153;Jillsâ&#x20AC;? here in town, it doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t do me justice to refer to me by name and then to characterize me as a tennis player, instead of an artist (and Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m not sure what being a tennis player has to do with that conversation). And, it sounded like my friends are having an exalted conversation about art while I spent my time kicking embers into the fire. Further, while I have no love for the art of Jackson Pollack, it is difficult to quote someone from the distance of many years and the quote attributed to me is not exactly what I would have said.

Sincerely, Jill Flyer

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FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE %\ $QQD (OHQD %HUOLQ &3& â&#x20AC;&#x201D;On Special Assignment

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lga Kaplounenko is a charming Russian chanteuse that sings at Open Circle, Showstoppers, and Los Cantantes del Lago Community Choir. She is a gregarious woman whoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s devoted to caring for Seva, her husband of 33 years. They found their way to Lakeside after Seva was diagnosed with Early Onset Alzheimerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Disease at age 55. Since my husband was diagnosed with the same thing at the same age I immediately felt a strong connection to this courageous woman whose devotion is the ultimate act of love. Olga speaks Russian, English, Swedish, and Spanish. Besides singing she studies Spanish, plays duplicate bridge, and keeps busy caring for her husband, the cats, and their lovely home where she has kindly invited me to interview her.

Their home is filled with objects

54

Olga Kaplounenko

from Russia, USA, Sweden, and Mexico. Olga even managed to travel everywhere with boxes filled with Russian books and movies.  After extensive research they chose Lakeside in 2011 for the good care available for Seva and the great variety of interests and activities. They love living here and donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t miss the other places that they have lived. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s only a 3 ½ hour

El Ojo del Lago / March 2015

flight for their single, only son to visit them from Silicon Valley. And again like me, she has grandmother envy and high hopes for grandchildren in the future.

Olga tells me she has loved to sing all her life. As a child she and her friends entertained the old ladies of her grandmotherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hometown of Klin, 85 km northwest Moscow. Klin is the birthplace of Tchaikovsky and home to his museum where Olgaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s mother did her piano exams on Tchaikovskyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s own grand piano. Olga had eight year piano status at music school, she sang in the school choir, and in her university choir. After the fall of the Wall she attended Jazz College in Moscow for 5 years where she learned all kinds of vocalizations and music theory.  Olga excels in the â&#x20AC;&#x153;people are not what they appear to beâ&#x20AC;? category. Her sweet disposition gives away nothing of her dynamic personal history. At eighteen she met and married Seva, â&#x20AC;&#x153;the best husband I could have ever hadâ&#x20AC;? according to Olga, at the Moscow University specializing in metals. There she got her Masters Degree in Electrical Engineering and Seva became a Superconductivity Physicist. She worked as an Electrical Engineer, went into Process Engineering, and worked in clean rooms making superconductivity chips. Olga and Seva both worked for Coherent, a laser product design and manufacturing company in Silicon Valley, where over 15 years she doubled her income as she rose into management.

The success she has enjoyed is incredible considering she has had Type 1 diabetes all of her life. Due to Russiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s discrimination against diabetics in certain occupations the Metals University forced her to leave superconductivity studies to study electrical engineering instead at age nineteen. At age twenty she managed to have a healthy son but had to spend 2 months in the hospital in Russia because of the lack of modern

health technology in 1983.

As a matter of current interest I ask her for her thoughts regarding the Russian regime and events in Ukraine. Because husband Seva is Ukrainian, Olga follows news from Ukraine, Russia, and the west and has a unique view. She doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t believe what either side of the conflict says. She thinks that the conflict is the result of the US having their hands in Ukraineâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s affairs in an attempt to take away the buffer value that Ukraine holds for Russia. She explains that Putin is half Ukrainian himself and that Russia has been there for their Ukrainian brothers for so long.   She thinks the westâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s goals are to weaken the Ukraine-Russian relationship and to get as close to the Russian border as possible.

I ask her if she has Russian friends here that she can converse in Russian with. She tells me of several including a couple that were Russian Circus performers who were abandoned here during the 1991 coup in Russia. They were stranded here with tigers and other wild animals because the new government didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want to pay for their tickets back to Russia. At first they were very unhappy, but Olga feels that they are much happier here than they would be in Russia now because they have a house and breed cats. The Russian man still holds the Guinness Book of World Records for balancing on the most cylinders while on a swinging trapeze. Local Russian expats are very interesting indeed.

Finally, Olga would like to see more open venues for talented people to perform, especially since the close of the Red Piano where she used to sing. I have to agree with her, there are so many musical people here that need a good place to share their gifts. Anna Elena Berlin

Saw you in the Ojo 55

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

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s Claudio Stern so aptly put it: “Lack of information and little access to contraceptives are the two foremost factors leading to early pregnancies, it is rarely acknowledged that poor women have no option but to become mothers, linking them to a man.

Contraceptives have little meaning in their lives anyway, unless opportunities arise for them to envisage a different future; only then will they understand that postponing pregnancy is important.”

In Tepehua, lack of sanitary infrastructure like solid housing, running water, youth programs, and education turns adolescents onto the mean streets for distraction/entertainment, where alcoholism and drugs are the main part of socializing...leaving mothers struggling to keep fractured families together.

With adolescents ranging between 11 and 18, according to News Vatican Network, to be a child in Mexico means exposure to poverty, and apparently 32% of 20 million children live in poverty. Amongst whom are Indigenous girls, illiterate and pregnant.

Martha Kempner, 2013: “Teen parenting does not cause poverty, poverty causes teen parenting. Teen mothers are from a random swath of the teen population, who wind up in poverty because of a few fast swimming sperm the teens are usually in poverty in the first place”.

Growing up with few economic prospects can lead teens to early pregnancy, and living in an unequal and less mobile society contributes to low economic success that leads them to short term satisfaction.

Because of the sense of hopelessness young women in poverty experience when weighing the pro’s and con’s of their lives, they take what seems to be the only option, start a family.

Hope is better than humiliation.

Why are the males with the fast swimming sperm never in the spotlight of demanded change?

In 2012, according to REDIM (Rights of Children in Mexico) there were 44.4 million children with no voice. A child has rights. Rights to

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El Ojo del Lago / March 2015

quality education, protection against child labour, eradication of domestic violence, freedom from discrimination...the list goes on, yet still poverty and lack of equality impedes the rights of millions of children.

The Tepehua Centro Comunitario strives to change that with education and counseling. If local government would follow the child protection rules, especially for mandatory education, and take away the shackles of endless school costs, we would have almost immediate change in Mexico. The teens of Tepehua have been growing up too fast with no hope for a future.

‘Light at the end of the Tunnel’ is a place called Tepehua Centro Comunitario A.C. A Community Center is a social unit that shares common values. The word ‘community’ is derived from the French ‘comunete’ which in turn is derived from Latin ‘communis’, a broad term for fellowship or organization, a group of persons who are objectively connected to each other. (Wikepedia).

Robert Putman defines a Community as: ‘...takes a life of its own and people become free enough to share, secure enough to get along’.

Community work is almost always conducted by the ‘private sector’, not government.

The private sector are dedicated people who seek to empower individuals and groups by providing skills and tools to affect change. We can all be involved in this, because in the long run it affects us all...and the future of our world, which is the education of the children, who are the future.

Saw you in the Ojo 57

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alm Springs, California: For the third day in a row I sit and wait for the maids to arrive. They were highly recommended by friends and required a deposit up front. We were happy to get them as they are very busy. We hope that they will like us, and so we wait.

Imelda was my maid when I lived in Mexico. She also was recommended by friends but there the similarity ends.

I now live in America and the rules of the game have changed. Where Imelda was happy to have the work and asked very little in return, my American maids arrive with “attitude.” First it’s coffee time, then they survey the damage to the house. I am intimidated by them from the start and arise early in the morning to clean before they arrive. Heaven forbid they should find a dirty house to clean and drop me as a client. Imelda called me her amiga, she didn´t know the word client and would never have used it if she did.

I call the office of my cleaning service. Yes, they were supposed to clean today but something came up and they will have to try and work me in next week. I thank them (thank them!) and wish them a nice day. Have I gone mad? I am the employer and they work for me! But I only think these thoughts because I need them. By now, I am wondering what the cost would be

58

El Ojo del Lago / March 2015

to fly my Imelda up here twice a month.

When we are d e s p e r a te, we tend to ramble.

I’m in luck!

My neighbor has a friend who knows a girl who just might agree to work for us. My lucky day. I promise myself I will be good to her. Perhaps fresh baked cookies and some muffins would be a nice touch. I will wash the scatter rugs myself so she won’t have too much to do—no heavy work I was told up front for this maid.

I allow my mind to wander back to the days when I lived in Mexico and like clockwork Imelda would appear at my door with a smile on her face and greet me with a cheery Buenos Dias!

She has five small children and lives in a sparsely furnished adobe house but has a wonderful outlook on life. To her, a great day is when I give her five pesos more for a job well done. Occasionally I had castoff clothes for her which she graciously received whether they fit her or not, as she would put them to good use. When I went away on short vacations, it was always Imelda who looked after the house and cat. She was happy to do it and I always knew things would be well taken care of.

I would probably have to take out a second mortgage if my U.S. maids ever house-sat!

I know, I know, cost is relative. I hear that every time I balk at the high cost of living here in the “land of opportunity.” It’s not the cost that irks me so much as the non-service you receive for it. Mexico with its manana and liveand-let-live attitude could certainly teach the rest of us a thing or two.

But wait, the phone is ringing.

It’s my new maid! I keep my fingers crossed and say a prayer. It seems that her aunt´s daughter by her second marriage is getting married today and she will be unable to come to work but will . . . try and fit me in next week. Here we go again! Imelda, where are you?!

Saw you in the Ojo 59

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awoke this morning ng to ng to a beautiful sunrise, the the he azure sky streaked ed d with purples and pinks. I thought it looked as though gh a giant paintbrush had “paintnted” the sky, and I began h humumming one of my favoritee songs, song so ngss, ng s, “Paint with All the Colors off the Wind. the W th Wi ind nd..” n I have often wished that I were an artist and could paint the beautiful images I often see in my mind. Alas, that is not one of my talents, and people cannot usually recognize even the crude stick figures I draw. But I can paint in other ways, if only in my mind.

By using yellow, I can paint sunshine into my life to cheer me on a cloudy, gloomy day. I let the warmth seep into my bones and put a smile on my face.

I use green, the color of growth and renewal. The lush forest, a tender blade of grass, a new leaf – all of these remind me that life continues on.

Red paints passion into my life, love, lust, excitement, a drive and de-

60

termination to indulge in things I want to do or accomplish.

Then I reach for the blue, my favorite color, which reminds me of soothing lakes and tranquil streams. It calms me, centers me, washing over me like gentle rain and taking my cares, aches and pains away.

Every day is a new beginning, a blank canvass, just waiting for me to paint my life. I can blend and merge the many colors, making new and beautiful patterns... I am the artist who will determine how the final painting will turn out. I can choose which colors I will use today, to “paint my life” as I want it to be.

El Ojo del Lago / March 2015

Dear Sir: I am writing to let Ojo readers know a little more about Angel, “Señor Bag Man” (January 2015 edition) and Salvador, “He Who Walks Along” (October 2014 edition).

Angel rambles from Ajijic to San Antonio. I don’t recall seeing him in Riberas nor in Chapala. He bums beers, cokes and smokes along the way and hunts aluminum cans, I think. Angel has a gringa friend who keeps her eye on him. She buys tennis shoes for him when the tread is worn off his old ones.

I don’t know more about him.

Salvador also rambles along the highway and often rides the bus. I don’t think he makes it to Chapala. He walks with a limp and has a hard time speaking. Salvador has a brother who lives with him. He has never married and has no children. He collects any-

thing of value and sells it. Lately, he is sporting a new “super” sombrero.

Both of these men appear to be self-supporting. If my husband or I run across Salvador, we give him $20 pesos from time to time. Writing this has brought the thought to my mind that we should give the same to Angel now and then. Because we don’t give to the “Indian” women, who often arrive from Guadalajara on the first-class bus, to beg in front of the larger grocery stores, we should be able to donate to worthy causes closer to home.

Nanette Phillips San Antonio Tlayacapan (Ed. Note: The editorial in our August 2007 issue was all about Salvador and his family. The article can be accessed by going to chapala.com, clicking on Columnists, and click again on Editor’s Page.)

Saw you in the Ojo 61

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62

El Ojo del Lago / March 2015

ext to godliness! Each boy has daily responsibilities such as: making his bed, picking up after himself, and learning to keep the house clean. After lunch, each boy already knows his daily chore.

It is not something difficult, but rather something basic: wipe down the tables, sweep, mop or take out the trash.

Some of the boys are even completing odd jobs to earn a little spending money. One boy works alongside the

laundry lady Cecilia and helps her fold clothes, another helps the maintenance man, Sergio, learning to complete basic household repairs. On a regular basis, a few guys can be found out front of the house washing someone’s car. (If you live around here, you know washing cars is a life skill which can be valuable for them.)

Just last week a few guys volunteered to wash the big 15-passenger van. They did such a thorough job! They washed every nook and cranny. They got on top and cleaned the roof, washed the windows and tires. And in the short time that the childcare worker stepped into the house, they even cleaned the inside of the van with a water hose! Unfortunately, it appears that the circuit board didn’t like water very much.

And since the van no longer runs, this week they have been doing a lot of walking. When I asked them what they learned from their experience they told me, “Cleaning the inside of the van with the water hose is a bad idea!” And I figure that is a pretty valuable life lesson too.

If you would like to help repair the Hope House van by replacing its circuit board I know several boys who would be appreciative.

Dear Sir: In rebuttal to Marita Noon´s Feb. article: As long as humans continue to extract carbon from the earth, and put that carbon in the atmosphere, humans will continue to suffer the consequences. The foregoing is not rocket science, it´s common sense.

Naomi Klein, in her book, This Changes Everything, Capitalism vs. Climate, states, ¨The cost of Superstorm Sandy is estimated at $65 billion. And that was just one year after Hurricane Irene caused $10 billion in damage,

just one episode in a year that saw fourteen billion-dollar disasters in the U.S. alone.¨ The U.S. with its clean-energy technology could start a Marshall Plan for the planet, create millions of American jobs in solar, wind, water, electric cars, and create economic growth.

That´s it in a nutshell—use American know-how to pull us out of the present ecocrises, or eventually become extinct.

John Carmody San Antonio Tlayacapan

READER ADVISORY! This Mid-Month Literary Bonus features two excellent Bob Drynan adventure stories set in Central America that are coupled by irony and the cruel caprices of fate. They can be found at http://chapala.com/elojo/index.php/ mid-month-articles Each mid-month, we will be offering superb articles that while a bit too long for our print version are perfect for our new format. Check it out!

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Technology Takes Over

E

ven though I live in Mexico, parts of the United States sneak into my life through my e-mail inbox. For some reason my SPAM filter hasn’t been working very well lately, and I have been inundated with all kinds of offers.

I have won contests I never entered.

I can order a cure for male pattern baldness, and I can grow “my member” larger, and enjoy longer erections and keep my Chinese, Russian or Latino bride sexually satisfied in bed while studying at on online university not unlike the board that certified Rand Paul.

I’m not sure why those spam people can develop a gender filter because my name is my email, and I’m pretty sure most Victoria’s don’t need most of the above mentioned material!

Yes, although some people may doubt it, I really do live in the century of technology. I just don’t have to like it! I want to know why it is that every time I become completely used to an operating system for my computer, they upgrade it and I have to learn everything all over again? Why did Apple decide to hide my scroll bars? I liked my scroll bars! It was so much easier! And they released their system a little too fast so there were some “bugs.” So what do they do? Rather than fixing the bugs, they make another new operating system. Oh Steve, you would not be happy!

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El Ojo del Lago / March 2015

But on the other side… Microsoft has messed up with 8 so badly that they are skipping 9 and going directly to 10!

Meanwhile, I have been forced, beyond my better judgment to become a part of the social media craze so that I can find it possible to keep up with my family of the younger generation. I can deal with Facebook although I know that everything I place on there is looked at and recorded and analyzed. And as for another site…no way am I going to become associated with something with a name that begins with t w i t!

And now, in case you miss the adventure of your friend in line at the grocery store posted on FB, your telephone can keep you connected! So you can “What’s Ap” someone to find out they are standing in line at the grocery store. Or your “smart phone” can give you directions to your next destination…if your software is good enough.

There are “Aps” or applications available for anything you can imagine. And many more I couldn’t even imagine.

I liked it better when I could just dial a number and make a quick call. Now I feel like I need a master’s degree in engineering in order to make a telephone call. I’ve declared myself too dumb for a smart phone.Yet I can see the writing on the wall. There is a smart phone in my future.

I’ve watched the 40-somethings, and younger crowd and wondered if they would have to have their electronic devices, phones, pads, etc. surgically removed from them. But with Aps with people’s medical information, their favorite shopping, even the ability to shop on their phone it seems they are becoming more dependent on these electronic gizmos.

Sitting in a group, you can prepare yourself for all sorts of strange noises and ringtones. Music, whistles, buzzes, beeps, cartoon noises, and songs that announce a caller or a text. People running their own business cannot have a conversation without the darn phone interrupting every meeting, conversation or activity.

Recently while visiting four of the five generations of my family, I looked around and everyone but me was on a different electronic device. Even my elder sister! I couldn’t believe it. All were performing useful tasks. One was looking for gluten free food delivery while another was looking for photos of their latest endeavors, while yet another was talking to a friend. And I finally said “Hey guys! Have you heard of the great new Ap? And you all have it on every one of your devices no matter which kind you have! It’s free! It’s called an OFF BUTTON!” OK. My age is showing. But is it so old fashion to want to have a conversation with people without being interrupted by something electronic? Once while at lunch at a reunion with my sisters, I looked around, and realized that while we were in a nice restaurant, we weren’t enjoying each other’s company, three of the four of us were on the telephone with someone else. Our table of four was actually squeezing in seven conversations. I asked everyone to turn off their cell phones. They looked at me like I was from another universe!

Are we losing the art of personal conversation? As our technology skills advance do our interpersonal skills take a back seat? There is nothing I enjoy more than a good conversation. To

watch the facial expressions the light in the eyes, the raised eyebrows the smiles, the hand gestures…all which are enhanced without the use of a phone or tablet.

And while I can really enjoy time away from these tools, can we please not lose sight that they are tools and not yet extensions of the human body? I know that we can have a chip placed in our animals so that we can locate them when they are lost. They are developing chips to implant into our bodies which contain our medical information and who knows what else. There are designs to use the mind interactively with technical devices. These are all called scientific breakthroughs. But I am wary of them.

There are great technology medical devices, my husband’s morphine pump, my friends who have pacemakers, people who have devices that ease their Parkinson’s, they are devices that make our lives better. But when they start messing with our brain and interactive technology, and chips that can provide data technology, I no longer feel comfortable.

After all, I can’t even get my SPAM to filter out emails aimed at the wrong gender!

Victoria Schmidt

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The Ojo Crossword

ACROSS 1 Swiss mountains 5HVHUYH 2IÂżFHUV 7UDLQLQJ &RUSV 6PDOO EXQFK RI Ă&#x20AC;RZHUV 14 Chafe 15 Ethereal 16 Constellation 17 Water (Sp.) 18 Voluble 19 Shred (2 wds.)

20 The living dead 22 Views 24 Extra-sensory perception 25 Et _ 27 Fable 31 Greek sandwich 32 African antelope 34 Peeper 35 Abbreviation 38 East northeast 40 Grassy plain 42 Sensational 44 Long time 46 Gauzy 47 Perfume 48 Attack 50 Tails 51 Not max 52 What a nurse gives 3DFLÂżF ,VODQG 57 Fairy tale opener 59 Pacesetters 61 East southeast 64 Illegalize

66

El Ojo del Lago / March 2015

66 Enraged 68 Tilted 71 Eager 73 After eight 74 Religious text 75 Boyfriend 76 Chowder ingredient 77 _ Rica 78 Green Gables dweller 79 Continent DOWN 1 Gazing 2 Nigerian capital 3 Fat 4 Slice 5 Newspaper 6 Oil treated whetstone 7 Instant 8 Part human part machine 9 Angry 10 Colorful glass 11 Rend 12 Note of debt 13 Gross national product (abbr.)

21 Arctic 23 Wok 26 Bard´s before 28 Asian nation 29 Used a keyboard 30 Hearkens 31 Grisly 33 Delivery service 35 â&#x20AC;&#x153;Remember the _â&#x20AC;?

36 Chisel 37 Rodeo animal 39 Aurora 41 Excuse me!

43 Digital audio tape 45 Christian Okoye 49 Mongrel dog 53 Licensed practical nurse 54 Sweet melon 56 Sign language 58 Acclaim 60 Assembly of witches 61 Bad things 62 Moses´ mountain 63 Swelling 65 Volcano 67 S.A. Indian 2I¿FLDO FDQLQH UHJLVWU\ DEEU

69 Also 70 Tax agency 72 Just

%\ 5XVVHOO 6 'RZG russell@pdisearch.com

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wo-p wo o-p parrt stosttosto his is a ttwo-part ry in the first n which th he fir fi st part begins this way. g y There I was in my office office, feet-up feet-up, watching TV when I glanced out the doorway way and into the hallway mirrorr where I saw the Cat peering under nder the ottoman, intently. tly. This can only mean an one thing. A snake! That’s my h conclusion. So I jumped up and rightly so. I hate snakes. In fact they scare me and I don’t appear to scare them. So without any headgear, footwear, or full body amour, I leaped into action and rushed into the scene to join the Cat in the ‘what’s up’?

Yike Yi k s!! IIt’s ke t s a Ra t’ R t! In my house!

Yikes!

Rat! left the screen Somebody has lef bravedoor ajar. j Me! So thinking th superior intelligent ly and with super thoughts, I think if I open the door all the way screen do then the Rat will smell fresh air aand know his way to escapement freedom. and free This h turns out to be well planned by me but poorly executed by the Rat. This inferior mammal decides to go the opposite way of my intended plan and runs out from under the ottoman and into the hallway linen closet. Somebody has left the linen closet door slightly ajar. Me! The Cat

then springs into action and follows the Rat into the linen closet. There, I thought, the Cat now has the Rat cornered and all’s well that will soon end well.

Instead, these two inferior mammals conspirer against me with the Rat running out of the linen closet followed by the Cat into my office room where the whole problem started in the first place, that being me not playing attention to the TV where no doubt some golfer is struggling to make a three inch putt.

But now, a true disaster is surely lurking, for in my office room is a hidea-bed. I think to myself, “what happens if the Rat, who is now under the hide-abed gets the notion to climb up into the workings of the hide-a-bed to escape the claws of the Cat and decides to stay there until death does him part?”

A brilliant plan, I think, on behalf of the Rat, but fear not, for true bipedal intelligence will have at last its shining moment. For in my office room there too is a sliding door, with a screen door of course, and in a Nobel Prize moment I flash on this: Open the door, grab the Cat and exit the room. If all goes according to plan the Rat will eventually smell his way to freedom. And it worked! This completes part one of our animal tale.

As for part two of our story it con-

cerns the other animal I live with, commonly called, The Wife. This one is convinced that she can talk English to a Mexican Cat and the Cat will understand her, even though she is speaking in complete sentences that go something like this. “Now, Becky, we’ve already discussed this.” Witnessing this, I have tried to give the Cat listening lessons, as in: “Pretend you’re hard of hearing.” Or, “Just look the other way.”

Of course, the Cat looked at me with those wonderfully understanding eyes that said internally: “My dear fellow, you don’t seem to understand, but I am of the Feline gender and therefore it is in my nature to look at you as if I understand every word you say. Then do what I want.”

And that’s when I realized, talking to my Cat was like talking to my Wife.

They’re both completely oblivious to what I’m saying. So much for male dominance. However, there is some good news and bad.

We no longer have Rats, no thanks to the Cat, but instead we have squirrels, and with even more understanding eyes they look at me, as they tear up my garden and dig holes underneath my pool, that they can do whatever they want.

So now what? Oh, what to do, what to DO?

Saw you in the Ojo 67

â&#x20AC;&#x153;People Helping Peopleâ&#x20AC;?

The

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News LCS Annual General Meeting

www.lakechapalasociety.com

This year at the Annual General Meeting, scheduled for March 18 DW DP 7KH /DNH &KDSDOD 6RFLHW\ ZLOO KDYH LWV ÂżUVW ([WUDRUGLQDU\ 0HHWLQJ LQ ÂżYH \HDUV WR GLVFXVV FKDQJHV WR WKH /&6 &RQVWLWXWLRQ Your Board of Directors has the utmost respect for this governing document and has developed these changes in the interest of good governance and organizational sustainability. This article discusses WKH VSHFLÂżF FKDQJHV DQG WKH UDWLRQDOH IRU HDFK $PHQGPHQW WR $UWLFOH /&6 0LVVLRQ 6WDWHPHQW The change to the LCS mission statement will pave the way for the LCS to apply for donatario (tax exempt) status in Mexico. This status will allow the LCS to issue tax exempt receipts for donations and protect our membership dues from taxation. The NAFTA treaty between Mexico, the United States, and Canada, this will allow us to apply for tax exempt status in these countries as well. This will greatly enhance our ability to raise funds to sustain and enhance our CommuQLW\ (GXFDWLRQ 3URJUDPV WKDW GLUHFWO\ EHQHÂżW WKH 0H[LFDQ FRPPXQLW\ For the complete text of the before and after changes to the Mission Statement please refer to the article entitled â&#x20AC;&#x153;Path to Charitable Tax Status for LCSâ&#x20AC;? in the January edition of this newsletter.

Amendments to Article 9: Board of Directors Below is a synopsis of the amendments. Changes are in boldface.

7KLV FKDQJH FODULÂżHV WKH QXPEHU EHWZHHQ DQG RI voting members on the Board of Directors. Âą 7KLV FODULÂżHV WKDW D VSRXVH RU VLJQLÂżFDQW RWKHU PD\ QRW VHUYH RQ WKH %RDUG VLPXOWDQHRXVO\ DV D YRWLQJ PHPEHU The FRQFHUQ LV WKH SRWHQWLDO IRU VSRXVHV RU VLJQLÂżFDQW RWKHUV HDFK ZLWK YRWLQJ ULJKWV IRUPLQJ D YRWLQJ EORF DQG LQĂ&#x20AC;XHQFLQJ WKH RXWFRPH RI D close vote. Âą 7KLV PRGLÂżFDWLRQ FODULÂżHV WKH UROH RI WKH LPPHGLDWH SDVW presidents who VHUYH LQ DQ DGYLVRU\ FDSDFLW\ to the board. Their role is to provide institutional memory to the board regarding past decisions and to provide their perspectives on new issues that may confront the board as times and governance demands change.

Amendment to Article 9: Obligations of the Board of Directors This amendment allows a director to participate in board meetings electronically through the Internet when they are unable to attend meetings here in Ajijic. This change will help the LCS recruit the PRVW TXDOLÂżHG SHRSOH WR VHUYH RQ WKH ERDUG DQG IDFLOLWDWH D TXRUXP WR ensure business is conducted in a timely fashion.

Amendment to Article 11: Funds Because operating costs, which include payroll, employee beneÂżWV UHSDLUV PDLQWHQDQFH XWLOLWLHV WD[HV DQG RIÂżFH VXSSOLHV FRQWLQXH to increase annually, this amendent eliminates the need to go back to membership each year for a dues increase. Dues would be increased annually by the cost of living as measured by the Bank of Mexico. Any additional dues increases above this amount would require approval at the Annual General Meeting. Based on recent estimates the cost of living increase is around 4%-5%. At 5%, the dues increase would be 25 pesos or about $1.70 US at the current exchange rate. Details regarding the dues changes are in the article on the right , KRSH \RX ZLOO EH DEOH WR ÂżQG WKH WLPH WR DWWHQG WKLV LPSRUWDQW meeting to discuss these amendments and exercise your right to vote on the future direction of the LCS. If you have questions or concerns about any of these amendments, please contact me at President@LakeChapalaSociety.com Ben White, President`

68

El Ojo del Lago / March 2015

Proposed Dues Changes

March 2015

This year at the Annual General Meeting (AGM) the membership will be asked to ratify new membership categories and a new dues structure. The current types of membership categories are: â&#x20AC;˘ Regular members â&#x20AC;˘ Associate members Regular members pay annual dues, are members in good standing, and have all privileges including voting at the AGM. This category would remain the same. Associate members have limited privileges and no voting rights. This type of membership would be renamed â&#x20AC;&#x153;Monthly Membershipâ&#x20AC;? with the same privileges and rights and would simply clarify the time frame for the membership. Multiple months of membership could continue to be purchased.

Proposed New Membership Categories A new membership category is proposed called â&#x20AC;&#x153;Senior Membersâ&#x20AC;? for members who are 79 years of age or older and would have the same privileges and rights as regular members, but at reduced annual dues. This category is being proposed to encourage members to continue their participation at an attractive rate as they grow older.

Another new member category proposed is â&#x20AC;&#x153;Student Membersâ&#x20AC;?. To qualify, the student must be enrolled at an educational institution, full-time or part-time (at least 6 hours). Students would have the same privileges and rights as regular members and would also pay a reduced rate. This category is being proposed in the hope of encouraging Mexican students to join LCS. The LCS Board is also proposing to eliminate multiple member discounts. Each member would pay the same rate and there would no longer be a discount for couple, triple or quadruple memberships. It would also mean each member would have their own registered email and would thus receive correspondence and surveys from the LCS. In addition, each member would be eligible for an LCS Directory. This would also facilitate improved communications, tracking of demographic data, and greater understanding of member preferences relating to participation in LCS programs and services.

Proposed Dues for Membership Categories The board proposes to change the dues structure to ensure that the overall dues collected in 2016 will be revenue neutral.

This change in the dues structure, by itself, will not result in increased revenue for LCS. To facilitate this revenue neutral position the following changes to the dues are proposed: Regular Members $525 pesos Senior Members $500 pesos Monthly Membership $100 pesos per month Student Members $250 pesos This will result in a reduction to regular members of $25 pesos. The objective of these changes is to promote fairness while NHHSLQJ WKH ÂżQDQFLDO LQWHJULW\ RI WKH /&6 LQWDFW 7KHVH FKDQJHV will improve communication with our members and the quality of our demographic data.

If you have questions or concerns about these proposed changes, contact the President of the Board, Ben White, at President@LakeChapalaSociety.com.

Still Want Your Stuff

The LCS collection bin is gone, but the need for your saleable merchandise carries on.

Yes, weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve dismantled the collection bin that was at LCS. We thank all of you who have dropped off merchandise in the past.

Last month we told you we needed your â&#x20AC;&#x153;stuffâ&#x20AC;? (and we still do), but this month we are appealing to you to come and visit us and see the â&#x20AC;&#x153;stuffâ&#x20AC;? weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve got to offer. We need you! We have been selling furniture, home furnishings, clothes, books, bric-a-brac, and artwork at ridiculously low prices.

Over the past few months, couches, refrigerators, shelving, bookcases, bedroom sets, all sorts of tables and clothesâ&#x20AC;Śclothesâ&#x20AC;Ś clothes have been selling at a fantastic rate. We even sold a pair of ZDWHU VNLV <RX ZRXOG QRW EHOLHYH ZKDW \RX FDQ ÂżQG DW &DVL 1XHYR So, take a little trip out to Riberas del Pilar, on the carretera across from 7-Eleven and browse through our shop. Maybe youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll ÂżQG VRPHWKLQJ \RX QHYHU WKRXJKW \RXÂśG QHHGÂŤPD\EH MXVW D OLWWOH present for yourselfâ&#x20AC;Śor someone special.

The Bravo Theatre and LCS Look to a Brilliant Future

I, Claudia - Directed by Lynn Phelan, starring Jayme Littlejohn performs March 12, 13 and 14 at 7:30 PM, March 15 at 3 PM, and March 20 and 21 at 7:30 PM. The Bravo Theatre is located at Rio Bravo #10B, Ajijic. Some proceeds will go to LCS.

LCS wishes the best for Festival del Lago

March 15 along the malecon in Chapala. Chapala is every ones lake and nurturing it serves all of us.

Sponsors ask you to participate in celebrating the magic that the lake give us as a constant fountain of life, recreation and economy.

Introduction to Spanish

This is a casual class offered for the beginner that covers the Spanish alphabet, simple vocabulary, phrases, and other useful information about Lakeside and Mexican culture. &ODVVHV DUH KHOG WKH ÂżUVW 7XHVGD\ RI WKH PRQWK DQG UXQ IRU WKUHH weeks at the LCS campus from noon until 1:30 p.m. Materials are provided and tuition is $175 pesos.

6LJQ XS DW WKH /&6 RIÂżFH IURP D P WR S P 0RQGD\ WKURXJK Saturday.

For information, go to lakechapalasociety.com., call us at 7661140, or email coordinator Peter Donaldson spanishprogram@ lakechapalasociety.com.

IT Position Open

You may be the person weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re looking for. If you have experience building computers, installing software and working with networks, including overall troubleshooting, contact the IT manager at lcsitmgr@gmail.com. This position requires climbing steps several times a day.

Good With Your Hands?

Special Events Coordinator Karla Boentgen is looking for people ZLWK D ELW RI Ă&#x20AC;DLU WR KHOS ZLWK ÂżHVWD GHFRUDWLRQV JUHHW JXHVWV DQG collect tickets for the upcoming CanAm Day Fiesta in July.Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d love to have you work with us. Call Karla at 766-0461 for more information.

Neill James Lecture Series Returns

7XHVGD\V S P LQ WKH 6DOD 2SHQ WR WKH 3XEOLF March 3 This lecture by Karl Homann is titled â&#x20AC;&#x153;Satire from the Roman Hills to Capitol Hillâ&#x20AC;?. Karlâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s lectures are always very informative as well as entertaining and humorous.

0DUFK Bill Frayer lecture is titled â&#x20AC;&#x153;Critical Thinking â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Skills Worth Knowingâ&#x20AC;?. Bill is an expert having taught college level courses on the subject for decades. Learn how and why some of our reasoning is irrational and how we can improve our critical thinking.

0DUFK This lecture, hosted by Roger Heath, is titled â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Public Cost of Billionairesâ&#x20AC;?. This lecture draws heavily from Thomas Pikettyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s very popular and controversial book titled, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Capital in the Twenty-First Centuryâ&#x20AC;? (2013). Piketty argues that capitalism has resulted in a concentration of wealth in the past 250 years. Do billionaires in our society make our lives better or worse?

March 31 Phillip Rylettâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s lecture is titled â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Illusion of Free Willâ&#x20AC;?. Do you have complete free will, or are your decisions and actions dictated by your mental/psychological back-up and previous experiences? Use your illusion of free will to bring yourself to this fascinating lecture.

New LCS Volunteer Coordinator

Rachel McMillen, our new volunteer coordinator, made AjiMLF KHU KRPH VRPH ÂżYH \HDUV DJR $V 9ROXQWHHU &RRUGLQDWRU Rachel is responsible for recruiting, screening, placing and evaluating volunteers to assure that LCSâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; services run efÂżFLHQWO\ DQG ZRUNV ZLWK &RPPXQLW\ 5HODWLRQV WR DVVXUH /&6 customer service standards are integrated into all training. A graduate of Melbourne University, she has additional diplomas in adult education and accounting. Her business training ÂżUP SURYLGHG WUDLQLQJ WR YDULRXV SULYDWH JRYHUQPHQW DQG DEoriginal organizations in customer service, systems developPHQW ÂżQDQFLDO RSHUDWLRQV DQG PDUNHWLQJ Rachel, author of the â&#x20AC;&#x153;Dark Moon Walkingâ&#x20AC;? and â&#x20AC;&#x153;Black Tide Risingâ&#x20AC;? mystery novels, both of which are available in the LCS library also serves on the board of Feria Maestros del Artes.

March Bus Trips

:HGQHVGD\ 0DUFK Galerias Mall-leaves the sculpture at 9:30 a.m. $250 for members and $300 for nonmembers.

Galerias Mall features stores including Best Buy, Sears, Liverpool, H&M, and Sanbornâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s. Nearby are Super Walmart, Samâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Club, Costco, and Super-Mega. US and Mexican restaurants are located in and around the mall, including the new Cheesecake Factory.

7KXUVGD\ 0DUFK Andares Mall and the lovely nearby Japanese Gardens, a gift from Guardalajaraâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sister city, Kyoto, Japan. Members $250 pesos and $300 pesos for nonmembers. Leaves from the sculpture at 9:30 a.m.

Garden News

Canadian Ambassador to Mexico Sara Hradecky celebrated 70 years diplomatic relations between Canada and Mexico with the planting of a maple tree in the LCS garden. On the observance of this occasion, the garden team accepted a generous gift of a low handle shovel from LCS President Ben White.

Muchas gracias to the volunteers who readied the gardens for the Viva Mexico Fiesta providing a beautiful photo setting for the guests and the dancers and models attending the affair.

Saw you in the Ojo 69

MARCH ACTIVITIES *Open to the Public ** US Citizens (S) Sign in required (C) Membership card required CRUZ ROJA * Cruz Roja Sales Table Mon-Fri 10-1 CRIV Monthly Meeting 2nd Wed 2-5 HEALTH INSURANCE * IMSS & Immigration Services Mon+Tues 10-1 Lakeside Insurance Broker Tues+Thur 11-2 San Javier Last Thur 10-12 HEALTH & LEGAL SERVICES * Becerra Immigration Thur 10:30-12:30 Blood Pressure Mon+Fri 10-12 Hearing Aid Services (S) Mon+2nd+4th, Sat 11-4 Ministerio Publico Wed Mar 4+25 10-2 Optometrist Claravision (S) Thur 9-4 Skin Cancer Screening (S) 2nd + 4th Wed 10-12 :30 US Consulate** Wed Mar 11 10-12 Sign up 10-11:30 /(66216 &

Childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Art Sat 10-12* Childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Reading Program Sat 9-10* Exercise Mon+Wed+Fri 9-10 Intermediate Hatha Yoga Tue+ Thur 2-3:30, Sat 1-2:30 Line Dancing Tues+Thur 10-11:15 Scottish Country Dancing Thur 11:30-1:30 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 62&,$/ $&7,9,7,(6 &

All Things Tech Fri 9:30-11:30 Beginnerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Android Classes (S) Tue 9:30-11:30 Beginners iPad Classes (S) Thur 10-11:45 Bridge 4 Fun Tue + Thur 1-5 Conversaciones en EspaĂąol Mon 10-12 Discussion Group Wed 12-1:30 English/Spanish Conversation Sat 11-12 Everyday Mindfulness Mon10:15-11:45 Film Aficionados Thur 2-4:30 Genealogy Forum Last Mon 2-4 History Club 3rd Tue 1:30-4 Mac OS 1st Mon 12-1 Mac User Group 3rd Wed 1-2 Needle Pushers Tues 10-12 Neill James Lectures 1st, 2nd, 4th, last Tue 2-4 Open Gaming (open to the public from 2) Mon 1-4* Philosophy Group Wed 10:30-11:45 Scrabble Mon+Fri 12-1:50 TED Learning Seminars Tues 12-1:20 Tournament Scrabble Tues 12-1:50 SERVICE & SUPPORT GROUPS * Have Hammer Workshop Demo 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 7,&.(7 6$/(6 0RQGD\ )ULGD\

Viva eSun!

,Q WKH ÂżUVW IXOO \HDU RI RSHUDWLRQ our eSun power array saved LCS a whopping 59.3%!

Follow Us on Facebook

Now you can follow us on Facebook. You can keep up on all things LCS - programs, activities, upcoming special events, updates and news. Like us at www.facebook.com/ lakechapalasociety.

70

El Ojo del Lago / March 2015

VIDEO LIBRARY NEW ADDITIONS New for March See the Video Library bulletin board and the binders RQ WKH FRXQWHU WR ÂżQG ÂżOPV RI LQWHUHVW This is a partial list of the new additions. Space considerations limit us to this abbreviated format. See the LCS web page or the green catalogs outside the Video Library to get full review of 20+ new additions.

We Need Your Help!

Are you traveling north and returning soon? Or, do you have someone coming to visit? We have been very fortunate recently and have KDG VXIÂżFLHQW FRXULHUV WR NHHS WKH 9LGHR /LEUDU\ FXUUHQW %XW QRZ we need your help. Each traveler can legally bring ten new dvds into Mexico. We order them on-line, pre-pay them and have them delivered to the address of your choice. All you have to do is stick them in your luggage. They donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t take up much room. And, if time permits, we invite you to enjoy viewing them before your journey begins.

Elsa and Fred #6844 Shirley MacClaine and Christopher Plummer Comedy Herodâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Law #6839 Mexico, 1949. The fable of a janitor turned mayor in a little town lost in the Mexican desert, who gradually realizes how far his newly-acquired power and corruption can get him. Foreign comedy A Most Wanted Man #6853 Phillip Seymour Hoffman Mystery +\VWHULD #6843 Maggie Gyllenhaal and Hugh Dancy The truth of KRZ 0RUWLPHU *UDQYLOOH GHYLVHG WKH LQYHQWLRQ RI WKH ÂżUVW YLEUDWRU LQ WKH name of medical science. Pleasantly humorous The Hedgehog #6851 Paloma meets some kindred spirits in her buildingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s grumpy concierge and an enigmatic, elegant neighbor, both of whom inspire Paloma to question her rather pessimistic outlook on life â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Foreign drama Got vhs tapes youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d like transferred to dvd discs? Ask the volunteer on duty for more information.

1HZ $FWLYLW\ 1RWHV

Costco will be here March 3 and 4 on the Blue Umbrella Patio from 10-12 p.m. with information on memberships, sales, and special offers.

Please note that Becerra Immigration has changed from Fridays to Thursdays at the same time and location.

Important note: Information and arrangements for bus trips, sales of books, and donations to the kitty fund can now be made in the VHUYLFH RIÂżFH 3XUFKDVH RXU ZRQGHUIXO FKLOGUHQÂśV DUW FDUGV DW WKH /&6 Patio Cafe.

Android for Beginners

To meet the high demand for this platform, a new session of Android for Beginners--both tablets and phones, will start on Tuesday, March 3, in the Pavilion from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. You must pre-register to attend.

If you wish to register or obtain more details, send an e-mail with your name and LCS membership number to lcsandroidclasses@gmail.com.

Space limitations allow us only 18 participants, and only registered participants will be guaranteed a seat. Late registrants will be scheduled into the next class in `April. You must be a paid up member of /&6 ZLWK WKH SDVVZRUG IRU WKH /&6 :L)L DYDLODEOH IURP WKH RIÂżFH 7KH service desk cannot register you, nor can you register by phone.

Topics will include connecting to the Internet, sending and receiving e-mail, connecting to the Google store and downloading apps, downloading and reading e-books, music and other media, taking and emailing photos, setting up folders, basic word processing functions and travelling with your Android device. Participants will also be asked what they would like to be covered. This is a beginnerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s class open to members and associates only.

7KH\¶UH +HUH

The new 2015 LCS directories are here and available to PHPEHUV $VN LQ WKH 6HUYLFH 2I¿FH IRU \RXU FRS\

Thanks to Casther Paints

LCS received a generous donation of much-needed waWHU UHSHOOHQW URR¿QJ PDWHULDOV IURP &DVWKHU 3DLQWV IRU WKH URRI RI WKH 6HUYLFH 2I¿FH

AbueLinda’s Cooking Classes for March

Marvelous March culinary adventures continue to focus on favorite fare representing different regions of Mexico. Cost is $300 pesos for members and $350 pesos for non-members per class. See the website for the complete listing and details of each offering. With 500 national dishes will we HYHU ¿QLVK RXU DGYHQWXUHV" 0H[LFDQ 6SHFLDOWLHV 9HUD &UX] 3HVFDGR D OD 9HUDFUX]DQD 3 March, Tuesday, 4 – 6 p.m. Deadline: February 28 Tianguis to Table 4 March, Wednesday, 10 a.m.- 12:30 p.m. Meet at Salvador’s Deadline: March 2 Soups, Stews, Salads and Salsas: Pasta Poblano and Pico de Gallo 5 March, Thursday, 4 – 6 p.m. Deadline: March 3 Mexican Specialties: Shrimp Patties in Red Pipian from Distrito Federal 10 March, Tuesday, 4 – 6 p.m. Deadline: March 7 Tianguis to Table 11 March, Wednesday, 10 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Meet at Salvador’s Deadline: March 9 No Class 12 March 0H[LFDQ 6SHFLDOWLHV 3DQ GH &D]RQ IURP &DPSHFKH 17 March, Tuesday, 4 – 6 p.m. Deadline: March 14 Tianguis to Table 18 March, Wednesday, 10 am – 12:30 p.m. Meet at Salvador’s Deadline: March 16 Soups, Stews, Salads and Salsas: Mole Poblano or Mole Verde 19 March, Thursday, 4 – 6 p.m. Deadline: March 17 Mexican Specialties: Roasted Pork in Torta Ahogada from Jalisco 24 March, Tuesday, 4 – 6 p.m. Deadline: March 21 Tianguis to Table 25 March, Wednesday, 10 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Meet at Salvador’s Deadline: March 23 Mexican Soups, Stews, Salads and Salsas: Pork in 3LSLDQ 6DXFH ZLWK &DODED]D )ORZHUV 26 March, Thursday, 4 – 6 p.m. Deadline: March 25 Mexican Specialties: An overview of Mexico’s extensive FXOLQDU\ FXOWXUH 31 March, Tuesday, 4 – 6 p.m. Deadline: March 28

THURSDAY FILM AFICIONADOS

/&6 0HPEHUV 2QO\ %ULQJ <RXU &DUG All films shown in the Sala from 2-4 p.m.

No food No pets

0DUFK The Imitation Game 2014 UK An intense, brilliant portrayal of Alan Turing, the genius who helped shorten WWII by working on the decrypting of the German Enigma code in Bletchley Park.

0DUFK 7KUHH 'D\V RI WKH &RQGRU 1975 USA $ &,$ DJHQW ¿QGV DOO KLV FR ZRUNHUV GHDG +H PXVW RXWZLW WKRVH UHVSRQVLEOH XQWLO KH ¿JXUHV RXW ZKRP KH FDQ WUXVW 5REHUW 5HGIRUG DQG )D\H 'XQDZD\ VWDU LQ RQH RI P\ DOO WLPH IDYRULWH ¿OPV March19 Love is Blind (Kertu) 2013 Estonia Kertu's life is totally spoiled by her overbearing father until she opens her heart to an unlikely dream lover.

0DUFK )LQGLQJ 9LYLDQ 0DLHU 2014 USA Now considered one of the 20th century’s great street photographers, Vivian Maier was a mysterious nanny who secretly took over 100,000 photos that went unseen during her lifetime. This gripping, thought-provoking documentary was nominated for an Academy Award.

TED Talks Learning Seminars

Tuesdays from noon to 1:15 p.m. in the Sala March 3 Chaired by Bill Frayer, U.S. Poet Laureate Billy Collins, discusses “Everyday Moments Caught in Time”. With understated wit and profound insight, he shares several of his poems which ZHUH WXUQHG LQWR GHOLJKWIXO DQLPDWHG ¿OPV LQ FROODERUDWLRQ ZLWK WKH Sundance Channel.

0DUFK Chaired by Ron Mullenaux. Stephen Cave’s “The Four Stories We Tell Ourselves About Death” begins with a dark but FRPSHOOLQJ TXHVWLRQ ZKHQ GLG \RX ¿UVW UHDOL]H \RX ZHUH JRLQJ WR die? And even more interesting: Why do we humans so often resist the inevitability of death?

March 17 Chaired by Fred Harland entitled: “The Long Reach of Reason”. features philosopher Rebecca Newberger Goldstein and psychologist Steven Pinker in an animated Socratic dialog. When irrationality seems to rule both politics and culture, has reasoned WKLQNLQJ ¿QDOO\ ORVW LWV SRZHU" 0DUFK Chaired by Bill Frayer, features writer David Brooks: “The Social Animal”. Brooks long career in journalism has covered business, crime and politics. He has been Op-Ed columnist for The New York Times. He offers new insights from the cognitive sciences with implications for economics and politics.

March 31 Chaired by Reba Mayo features global population specialist Hans Rosling: “How Not To Be Ignorant About the World”.

He demonstrates the high statistical chance of being quite wrong about what you think you know.

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 am to 2:00 pm. Grounds open until 5:00 pm LCS BOARD OF DIRECTORS President - Ben White (2016); Vice-President - Cate Howell (2015); Treasurer - Michael Searles (2015); Secretary - Carole Wolff (2016); Directors: Lois Cugini (2015); Ernest Gabbard (2016); Aurora Michel Galindo (2015); Fred Harland (2015); Keith Martin (2016); Pete Soderman (2016); 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.

Saw you in the Ojo 71

72

El Ojo del Lago / March 2015

Saw you in the Ojo 73

Service

EMERGENCY NUMBERS

www.tel.chapala.com

DIRECTORY

$'9(57,6,1* ',5(&725< - EL OJO DEL LAGO Tel. 765-3676

* ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS - ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS Tel: 766-5961

3DJ

$1,0$/ &/,1,&6 3(7 6+23 - CLINICA VETERINARIA SAN ANTONIO Tel: 766-0808

3DJ - DEEโ S PET HOTEL Tel: 762-1646

3DJ - LAKESIDE FRIENDS OF THE ANIMALS AC Tel: 765-5544 Pag: 31 - MASKOTAโ S LAKE Tel: 766-0287 Pag: 71 - PET PLACE Cell: 333-1964-150

3DJ - PET FOOD AND GROOMING Tel: 766-3062

3DJ

$57 *$//(5,(6 +$1'&5$)76 - ART HOUSE Tel: 765-5097 3DJ - ALFREDOโ S GALERIA Tel: 766-2980 3DJ $=7(& 678',26

3DJ - DIANE PEARL COLECCIONES Tel: 766-5683 Pag: 13 - EL PALOMAR Tel: 01 (33) 3635-8089 3DJ - LA BELLA VIDA Tel: 766-5131 Pag: 37 - SOL MEXICANO Tel: 766-0734 3DJ - THE CREATIVE HEART Tel: 766-0496 3DJ - ZARAGOZA Tel: 766-7049, 766-0573 3DJ

* AUTOMOTIVE 3DJ

- ROCHATAS Tel: 765-3150 6&$1',1$9,$ 6RXUGRXJK %DNHU\ Tel: 766-0604

Pag: 39 3DJ

* BANK INVESTMENT

3DJ

* BEAUTY

74

- C.D. MARร A LUISA LUIS VILLA Tel/Fax: 766-2428 3DJ - C.D. SANDRA ANAYA MORA Tel: 765-3502, Cell: 331-218-6241 Pag: 11 - CHAPALA DENTAL CARE Tel. 765-5584, 766-3847 3DJ - DENTAL EXPRESS Tel: 106-2080 3DJ - DENTAL HEALTH ONE Tel: 1060-826 3DJ - DENTAL OFFICE-Dr. Francisco Contreras Tel: 765-5757 3DJ - DENTAL PLASTICA LIFT Tel: 108-0595 Pag: 19 - DR. ALBERTO DON OLIVERA Tels: 765-4838, 765-4805 3DJ - DRA. ANGELICA ALDANA LEMA DDS Tel: 765-5364 3DJ - DRA. REBECA SANDOVAL Tel: 106 0839 3DJ - Hร CTOR HARO DDS Tel: 765-3193

3DJ - KLINIKKEN - Dental Center Cell: 333-107-9364, Tel: 3613-3035 Pag: 33 - ODONTO CLINICK Tel: 766-5050

3DJ

- CASA DEL SOL Tel: 766-0050 - CASA FLORES Tel: 766-5493 - CASA TRES LEONES Cell: (045) 331-350-6764

Pag: 11 3DJ 3DJ

%((5 /,4825 6725(6 %(72ยถ6 :,1( /,4825 Cell (045) 333-507-3024 /,&25(6 3$=

3DJ 3DJ

* BLINDS AND CURTAINS - HUNTER DOUGLAS Tel: 766-0026

3DJ

%22.6725( %22.6 - SANDI - Bookstore Tel: 01 (33) 3121-0863 7+( -2< 2) $57

3DJ 3DJ

%287,48( &86720 6(:,1* - ARATI Tel. 766-0130 &8*,1,6 2386 %287,48( Tel/Fax: 766-1790 - HEIDIโ S Tel: 766-5063 - MI MEXICO Tel: 766-0133

- EFFICIENT WEALTH MANAGEMENT Tel: 766-2230

3DJ

- SKY FITNESS Tel: 766-1379

3DJ 3DJ 3DJ 3DJ 3DJ 3DJ 3DJ

- FUMI-TECH Tel: 766-1946, Cell (045) 333-369-3737

3DJ

3DJ

* CONSTRUCTION $54 3('52 $5(//$12 $552<2 3DJ - EAGLE CO Cell: 333-955-1699

3DJ (0( $548,7(&726 Tel: 765-4324

3DJ - GENERAL HOME SERVICES - Amancio Ramos Jr. Cell: (045) 331-520-3054 3DJ - MARBLE & GRANITE Tel: 766-1306

3DJ - ONLINE ARCHITECTURAL TECHNOLOGY Tel: 765-7123, Cell: 331-252-1613 3DJ - PERGOLAND Tel: (33) 3271 1096, Cell: (33) 3968 2596 3DJ - ROBERTO MILLร N ARCHITECT Tel: 766-3771

3DJ - WARWICK CONSTRUCTION Tel: 765-2224

3DJ

3DJ

- TEMPUR, MATTRESS AND PILLOWS Tel: (52) 333-629-5919, (52) 33 3611-3049 3DJ

* GARAGE DOORS OPENERS - AUTOMATIZED GARAGE DOORS R.G. Cell: (045) 33-1385-4473, 33-3874-4445 3DJ - AUTOMATIC GARAGE DOOR OPENERS Tel: 766-4973 3DJ

* GARDENING - AJIJIC WATER GARDENS Tel: 766-4386 - GARDEN CENTER Tel: 765-59-73

3DJ 3DJ

* GRANITE & MARBLE - MARBLE & GRANITE Tel: 766-1306

3DJ

* GRILLS - NAPOLEON Tel: 766-6153

Pag: 71

* HEARING AIDS - LAKESIDE HEARING SERVICES Cell. (045) 33-1511-4088

3DJ

+27(/6 68,7(6 - ADOBE WALLS INN Tel: 766-1296 - LA NUEVA POSADA Tel: 766-1444, Fax: 766-2049 - VILLAS DEL SOL Tel: 766-1152

3DJ 3DJ 3DJ

* IMPORTED ITEMS - CASA GOURMET Tel: 766-5070

3DJ

* INSURANCE - EDGAR CEDEร O - MEXICO PROTECT Cell: (045) 33-3106-6982 3DJ - PARKER INSURANCE SERVICES Tel: 765-4666, 765-4070 3DJ - PROTEXPLAN U.S. Toll Free 1-800-608-5743 Mexico Toll Free 01-800-681-6730 3DJ - RACHELโ S INSURANCE Tel/Fax: 765-4316 3DJ - TIOCORP Tel: 766-3978 3DJ - WEST COAST MEXICO INSURANCE Tel: (818) 788-5353 3DJ

- ILUMINA Y DECORA Tel: 765-5067

* FURNITURE

3DJ

* LIGHTING

3DJ

* COMMUNICATIONS

El Ojo del Lago / March 2015

Pag: 19

* FUMIGATION

3DJ

- DR. VICTOR J. YOUCHA Tel: 766-1973 3DJ - SPINAL DECOMPRESSION THERAPY Tel: 766-3000 3DJ

- TEPEHUA TREASURES Tel: 763-5126, 763-5147

Pag: 17

* FITNESS

3DJ

* CASINO

- ISHOPNMAIL

* FINANCIAL SERVICES

* CONSIGNMENT SHOP 3DJ

- AFRODITA Tel: 766-6187 - CRISCO SALON Tel: 766-4073 - FRESH BEAUTY Cell: 33-3141-5626, 33-3185-1353 - GLORIOSA Tel: 766-3372 - GLOSS - Nail Salon Tel: 108-0848 - MARIALE Tel: 766-4229 - NEW LOOK STUDIO Tel: 766-6000 - PANACHE

3DJ

* BED & BREAKFAST

- FOLIATTI CASINO

* BAKERY

* DENTISTS

3DJ

LIVING Tel: 766-0920

3DJ

* CHIROPRACTIC

- LINEA PROFESIONAL Tel. 766-2555, Fax. 766-0066

- INTERCAM Tel: 766-5978 - MULTIVA Tel: 766-2499

Tel: 766-2228, Cell: 333-404-5276 - RESPIRO SPA Tel. 108 0879, Cell 33-3157-7790 - THOMAS LUKE SANTUARIO Tel: 766-0229

(0(5*(1&< +27/,1( $0%8/$1&( &58= 52-$ ),5( '(3$570(17 POLICE $MLMLF

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Pag: 17

* HARDWARE STORES - FERRETERIA Y TLAPALERIA GALVEZ Tel: 766-0880, Fax: 766-2440 3DJ

* HEALTH - LAKE CHAPALA CENTER FOR SPIRITUAL

3DJ

* LUMBER - REAL ORTEGA & SONS-Hardware for Carpenters Tel: 765-2404, 765-3404 3DJ

0$// 0$5.(7 - CENTRO LAGUNA Tel: (376) 766-5514

3DJ

0($7 328/75< &+((6( - NEW YORK STYLE CORNED BEEF Tel: 766-5063 - TONYโ S Tel: 766-1614

3DJ 3DJ

* MEDICAL SERVICES - ALTA RETINA - Dr. Rigoberto Rios Leรณn Ophthalmic Surgeon Tel: 766-1521 3DJ - CASITA MONTAร A MEDICAL CENTER Tel: -766-5513 3DJ - CHAPALA MED Tel: 765-7777, Cell: 33-3950-9414 3DJ - CLINICA Y FARMACIA MASKARAS Tel: 765-4805 3DJ - DERMATOLOGIST Tel: 765-2400, Cell. 333-170-6570 3DJ - DERMIKA-Dermatologic Center Tel: 766-2500 3DJ - DILABIM - Laboratiorios Clinicos Tel: (33) 3615-1790 3DJ - DR. JUAN ACEVES-Non-Surgical Loss Programs Tel: 766-5513 3DJ - DRA. CLAUDIA L. CAMACHO CHOZA -

Ophthalmologist Tel: 765-5364 3DJ - DRA. MARTHA R. BALLESTEROS FRANCO Cell: (045) 333-408-0951 Pag: 17 - HOSPITAL ANGELES DEL CARMEN Tel: (01) 3813-0042 3DJ - ISILAB Tel: 766-1164 3DJ - LAKESIDE CARDIOLOGY CLINIC Tel: (387) 763-0665 3DJ - LAKESIDE MEDICAL GROUP Tel: 766-0395 Pag: 31 - PLASTIC SURGEON-Sergio Aguila Bimbela M.D. Tel: 108-0595 Pag: 19 3/$67,& 685*(5< 'U %HQMDPLQ 9LOODUDQ Tel: 766-5513, Cell 044-333-105-0402 3DJ - RICARDO HEREDIA M.D Tel: 765-2233 3DJ - VARICOSE VEINS TREATMENT Tel: 765-4805 3DJ

* MOVERS - LAKE CHAPALA MOVING Tel: 766-5008 - STROM-WHITE MOVERS Tel: 766-4049

3DJ Pag: 17

086,& 7+($75( (9(176 - D.J. HOWARD Tel: 766-3044 3DJ - GREAT NORTHERN SNOWBIRD FLOCK-OFF 3DJ /,3 6<1&

3DJ - THE NAKED STAGE READER’S THEATRE Tel: 765-3262 Pag: 11

* NURSERY - LAS PALMAS Cell: 33-3170-1776/33-1195-7112 3DJ

* PAINT 48,52= ,PSHUPHDELOL]DQWHV Tel: 766-2311 48,52= 3LQWXUDV Tel: 766-5959

3DJ 3DJ

* PERSONAL ASSISTANCE - NEWCOMERS - ILSE HOFFMANN ilsecarlota40@gmail.com, www.guadalajarachapalatravelguide.com Tel 01(33)3647-3912 Cell 33-3157-2541

* PHARMACIES - FARMACIA CRISTINA Tel: 766-1501 - FARMACIA EXPRESS II Tel: 766-0656 - FARMACIA MASKARAS Tel/Fax: 765-5827 - FARMACIA ÚNICA Tel: 766-0523 Cell: (33) 3190-0010 - FARMEX Tel: 765-5004

3DJ 3DJ Pag: 71 3DJ 3DJ

* REAL ESTATE - AJIJIC HOME INSPECTIONS Tel: 766-2836 3DJ - ALL IN ONE REAL ESTATE SERVICE Tel: 766-1161 3DJ - BAP INMOBILIARIA Tel. 33 3915 0589, 33 3647 8646 Cell. 333 954 22 39 3DJ - BEV. & JEAN COFELL +RPH 2I¿FH 3DJ - CHULA VISTA NORTE Tel: 766-2177 Cell: (045) 33-3841-8867 3DJ - CIELOVISTA Tel: 766-4867 3DJ - COLDWELL BANKER CHAPALA REALTY Tel: 766-1152, 766-3369 Fax: 766-2124, Tels: 765-2877 Fax: 765-3528 3DJ - CONTINENTAL REALTY Tel: 766-1994, Cell: (33) 1366-2256 3DJ - CUMBRES Tel: 766-4867 3DJ - DON SNELL Cell 33-1005-9129 Pag: 33 - EAGER & ASOCIADOS Tel: (376) 766 1917, 1918 Pag: 79 - FOR SALE BY OWNER Tel: 331-602-7728 3DJ - GERARDO MEDINA Cell. 331-121-7034 Pag: 33 - GEORGETTE RICHMOND Tel: 766-2077 Pag: 11 - LORENA C. BARRAGAN Cell: (045) 331-014-5683 3DJ - LINDA FREEMAN

Cell: (045) 333-661-6386 - LUCI MERRITT Cell (045) 331-545-6589 - MPR REAL ESTATE Tel: (315) 351-5167 - NOÉ LOPEZ Cell: 331-047-9607 - PATRICIA BECERRA Tel: 766-2103, Cell: 333 814 4663 - PETER ST. JOHN Tel: 765-3676 - RAUL GONZALEZ Cell: 33-1437-0925 - SANDI ALLIN BRISCOE Tel: 765-2484 - VISTA ALEGRE Tel: 766-4867 - VISTA LAGO Tel. (33) 3616 4536, 3125 6363

3DJ Pag: 37 3DJ 3DJ 3DJ 3DJ 3DJ 3DJ 3DJ Pag: 37

5(17$/6 3523(57< 0$1$*(0(17 - COLDWELLBANKER CHAPALA REALTY Tel: 766-1152, movile: (045) 33-1175-9632 3DJ - FOR RENT Tel: 765-2671 3DJ - JORGE TORRES 3DJ Tel: 766-3737 - MANZANILLO VACATION RENTALS Tel: (314) 100-6773 or (314) 109-0657 3DJ - RENTAL LOCATERS Tel: 766-5202 3DJ - SANTANA RENTALS Cell: 315-104-3283,

3DJ - VILLAS DEL SOL Tel: 766-1152

3DJ

5(67$85$176 &$)(6 5(67$85$17( Tel: 766-1360 3DJ - AJIJIC TANGO Tel: 766-2458 3DJ - ARILEO Tel: 106-1627 3DJ &$)( 3$5,6

3DJ - CASA FUERTE Tels: 3639-6474 / 81 Pag: 17 - EL BAR-CO Tel: 766-0452

3DJ - GO LE CLUB Cell: (045) 33-3502-6555 3DJ - JASMINE’S - Classic India Tel: 766-2636

3DJ - JARDIN DE NINETTE Tel: 766-4905 Pag: 11 - JUST CHILLIN Tel: 766-3437 3DJ - HACIENDA DEL LAGO Tel: 766-0685 3DJ - HUERTO CAFÉ Tel: 108-0843 3DJ - LA CASA DEL CAFÉ Tel: 766-2876 3DJ - LA CASA DEL WAFFLE Tel: 766-1946 Pag: 19 - LA BODEGA DE AJIJIC Tel: 766-1002 3DJ - LA HACIENDA DE DON PEDRO Tel: 766-4906 3DJ - LA MISION Tel: 108-0887 3DJ - LA NUEVA POSADA Tel: 766-1444, 766-2049 3DJ ³ /$ 7$9(51$´'(, 48$7752 025, Tel: 766-2848 3DJ - LA PAELLA DE MARIA Cell. 331-438-9706, Tel. (387) 761-0424 Pag: 71 - LA UNA Tel: 766-2072 3DJ - LOS MOLLETES Tel: 766-4296 3DJ - MANIX Tel: 766-0061 Cell: 33-1065-0725 3DJ - MASAYUME Tel: 766-0452, 3314 174454 3DJ - MOM’S DELI & RESTAURANT Tel: 765-5719 3DJ - PANINO Tel: 766 3822 3DJ - PIZZERIA TOSCANA Tel: 765-6996 3DJ 5,7&+,( Tel: 766-4185 3DJ - SKINNY MINNIE’S DELI Tel: 766-5513

3DJ - ST. REMY Tel: 766-0607

3DJ - TABARKA Tel: 766-1588

3DJ - THE PEACOCK GARDEN Tel: 766-1381

3DJ - TRATTORIA DI AXIXIC Tel: 766-3796, Cell. 33-1795-5253 3DJ - TONY’S Tel: 766-1614, 766-4069 3DJ

- YVES Tel: 766-3565

3DJ

5(7,5(0(17 5(67 1856,1* +20(6 - ALICE NURSING HOME Tel: 766 1194, 766 2999 - EL PARAISO Tel: 766-2365 - LA CASA NOSTRA Tel: 765-3824 - LA VALENTINA Tel: 766-5179 - LAKE CHAPALA NURSING HOME Tel: 766-0404 - THE BLUE HOUSE Tel: 766 1695, 766 3558

3DJ 3DJ 3DJ 3DJ

- AIMAR Cell: 33-1741-3515

3DJ

* TAXI - ARTURO FERNANDEZ Cell: (045) 333-954-3813

3DJ

* THERAPISTS

3DJ

&+$3$/$ 0(' <$',5$ 1$9$552 3K\VLFDO Therapist Tel: 765-7777 3DJ - LESLIE D. STRONG Ph.D. - Individua, Marital & )DPLO\ 7KHUDSLVW Tel: 766-5374 3DJ - RESPIRO SPA Tel. 108 0879, Cell 33-3157-7790 3DJ

Pag: 31

* TOURS

3DJ

6$7(//,7(6 7 9 - AJIJIC ELECTRONICS S.A. DE C.V. Tel/Fax: 766-1117, 766-3371 - SHAW SATELLITE SERVICES Tel: 33-1402-4223

STAINED GLASS

Pag: 71

* SCHOOL

- CHARTER CLUB TOURS Tel: 766-1777

3DJ

* TREE SERVICE

- INSTITUTO TERRANOVA Tel: 766 2401, 766 3999

Pag: 37

* SELF STORAGE - SELF STORAGE-BODEGAS CHAPALA Tel: 766-0661, Tel/Fax: 766-1045 3DJ

* SOCIAL ORGANIZATIONS - LAKE CHAPALA SOCIETY Tel: 766-1140 - LOS NIÑOS DE CHAPALA Y AJIJIC Tel: 765-7032

- CHAPALA TREE SERVICE Tel: 762-0602

3DJ

* WATER - EL MUNDO DEL AGUA Tel: 766-0060

3DJ

3DJ 3DJ

* SOLAR ENERGY - CIME POWER SYSTEM Tel: 33-3797-8705

- ESUN Tel: 766-2319, 01-800-099-0272

3DJ Pag: 13

63$ 0$66$*( - LA BELLA VIDA Tel: 766-5131 - MARIALE Tel: 766-4229 - RESPIRO SPA Tel. 108 0879, Cell 33-3157-7790 - SPA TERMAL COSALA Tel: (387) 761-0494 - TOTAL BODY CARE Tel: 766-3379

Pag: 37 3DJ 3DJ 3DJ Pag: 11

Saw you in the Ojo

The Ojo Crossword

Saw you in the Ojo 75

CARS

FOR SALE: 2008 NISSAN XTERRA, 2wd, mid size suv, 69,000 miles, 105,000 km, excellent condition, super clean, no dents, no accidents, Jalisco plated. Price: $130,000.00 Pesos. contact: 376-7660789.

FOR SALE: Jalisco Plated Ford Explorer. ONE Owner, V6, 4.6L, XLT, 4X4, tow package, ABS, 5 doors, 7 passengers, Price: $12,000 U.S. or Best Offer. Michelin Tires. 333-108-3993.

FOR SALE: 2004 FORD FOCUS ZTW Sta Wag. Jalisco plates. Good condition. Replaced front and rear suspension this last year. Lots of cargo space. Price: $4,900 USD. FOR SALE: American Ford Explorer, Mexican plated, 2007, V6, 4.6L, XLT, 4x4, tow package, ABS, cruise control, ALL power, 5 door, 7 passenger, Michelin tires, one owner, excellent condition, 101,700 miles, Price: $12,000 usd or OBO. Call: 766- 1496, 333-108-3993 FOR SALE: Parts. Quaker State Oil ¿OWHU DQG ³LQ WKH SDFNDJH´ KHDGODPS bulbs (Phillips 9004) for 2002 Venture van or similar vehicle. Price: $100 pesos. Call: 766-0657.

WANTED: Looking to buy an enclosed Cargo Trailer...Would prefer a 5â&#x20AC;&#x2122; X 8â&#x20AC;&#x2122; Please call 765-6987 FOR SALE: 2005 Dodge Stratus â&#x20AC;&#x201C; white. Mexican plated. 2.4 litre engine 4 cyl. power group. Price: $4500 U.S. or best offer. Call 331-540-6513 or 333-1304332 Richard or Laura.

FOR SALE: 2007 UPLANDER BELOW WHSLE. Ontario, Canada plated 07 Extended Chev Up lander. Must sell due to Permante. Canadian retail price is $6400 and wholesale is $5000. Would accept $3600 Cdm for quick sale. Overall condition is good. Phil 01-387-761-0125.

FOR SALE: Grand caravan 2007.

Real nice van. dvd movie player in back fold down rear seats. 6 passenger. Everything in great working order U.S. plated. If you are returning to states this is the van. roof rack and very roomy for goods. will take mex pesos if needed. Price: $5500.00 U.S. Call me at 376-108-0911. or email me at mikemutter12@gmail.com.

FOR SALE: MERCEDES BENZ. Nice vehicle in great running order. 4 wheel drive 4 door suv Air repaired and new gas ÂżOWHU &RVW PH X V LQ QHZ SDUWV 3ULFH $5500 u.s. or mex. equivalent. Call: 376108-0911 or email me at mikemutter12@ gmail.com Mexican plated.

FOR SALE: Classic Mercedes Wagon. Very good condition, dependable daily driver, 6-cylinder economy, all the frills, plus MB legendary engineering. Price: $3400 USD.Call to arrange test drive. 333676-5897.

FOR SALE: One owner CRV. One owner Honda CRV EXL, Honda serviced, leather, sunroof, ABS, cruise control, reverse camera, top of the line CRV. Price: $295000 pesos. Call: 331-269-2696.

FOR SALE: Nissan Frontier SE Pickup, white with gray interior, 4x2 V6 with new tires Michelin. Price: $198,000. Call: 333-156-7768.

FOR SALE: Mint Condition. Due to my

76

permanent status I have to sell my car. According to Broker at Border the year 2009 has not been released for naturalization.

Perfect car for someone going back to U.S.A. Price: $17.000.00 OBO. Call: 376766-5779.

FOR SALE: 2009 Jeep Patriot with less than 54,000 miles & all the bells and whistles. Silver. Well maintained. New tires and battery. Sticker price was $25,080, but going permanente and must sell. South Dakota plates. Price: $10,500.00. Call 7662266 any day after 4:00.

FOR SALE: Full loaded motorcycle, national, Jalisco plates, 750 cc, 5 gears, cruise control, 6,000 usd on adds, new Pirelli tires, new shocks, synthetic oil.

Price: $92,000 pesos. Call: 331-269-2696.

FOR SALE: 2000 Honda Odyssey.

Bought this in U.S. to move here. Had it Mexican platted. Everything works and runs great. The paint and interior in great condition. Tiers and brakes 6 months old.

NO TRADES. Asking $75000 pesos. Make an offer. Call: 376-106-2146.

FOR SALE: Nissan Xterra, 2008, 68,000 miles, Jalisco Plates, excellent condition, off-road shocks, Bridgestone Tires, super clean, power windows, power locks and steering, yellow. Price: $140,000.00 Pesos. Tel: 376-766-0789.

COMPUTERS

FOR SALE: light weight purse size notebook, perfect for travel. Price: $1500 pesos.

FOR SALE: Computer (with windows vista service pack 2) 32gb, Pentium processor, 1GB ram memory, dvd-rw, Samsung 160 Gb hard drive sata, 300 watt power supply. Comes with 15â&#x20AC;?Lcd monitor, wired keyboard & PRXVH :RUNV ÂżQH 3ULFH 86' &DOO 762-1628 or email heltonbcs@aol.com for further info.

FOR SALE: Magic Jack Plus. Price: $700 pesos. Call: 331-330-1050.

FOR SALE: Galaxy Tablet with Accessories. Excellent, used 2 months. 16 gigs with added micro SD slot for music, photos. Comes with heavy-duty hard-shell case w/ kickstand & zippered neoprene jacket. Touch screen with stylus pen, battery charger, and 450 pp. Guidebook.

Price: $150.

FOR SALE: MacBook Pro 13â&#x20AC;? 250 gb, hard drive 2.26 ghz core 2 duo cpu 8 gb ram. Excellent condition. Latest OS X Yosemite 10.10. Price: $6,000 pesos. Phone: 765-3516.

FOR SALE: gently used 2009 MACBOOK 13â&#x20AC;? Laptop with DVD drive, white, 250GB.core 2DUO. Price: $500.00. Call 765 4435, Gloria FOR SALE: Keyboard case for IPad Mini protects both top and bottom. Mini can be viewed at any angle including putting the keyboard completely under the XQLW WR XVH DV D WDEOHW 3ULFH UHĂ&#x20AC;HFWV %ODFN Friday sale price on website and saves you the shipping cost. Price: $1200 pesos.

PETS & SUPPLIES

FREE: Good watchdog, trained, all shots, neutered, art rottweiler, good with cats and people, but not with other male

El Ojo del Lago / March 2015

dogs. Call 762-1695.

WANTED: I rescued a larger dog; took her to Dr. Ladron and will be keeping her until she is OK. I need to walk her but she is not leash trained and chewed through 2-leather leashes. Need a metal leash; preferably low priced. Call: 376-765-6348.

GENERAL MERCHANDISE

FOR SALE: 6ft HDMI cable for any HDTV, home theater system, video game console, Blu-ray player, receiver or for connecting your computer to the TV. Price: $170 pesos. Contact me at ernst_graf@ yahoo.com or 766-3210.

FOR SALE: 19 color TV with original remote. Price: 900.00. Call Bill 376-7657144.

FOR SALE: Large wooden computer GHVN ZLWK KXWFK SXOO RXW WUD\V ÂżOH GUDZer, shelves and cupboards. Very attractive and in excellent condition. Price: $2500 pesos. Call: 765-2484.

FOR SALE: Armoire or entertainment center. A bit under 6 feet tall, 3 feet wide, 2 drawers below top opening doors, 2 botWRP VKHOYHV ZLWK GRRUV HDVLO\ ÂżWV D inch TV or clothes. Price: $1,500 pesos.

Call: 765-7553.

FOR SALE: Stereo system. Demon receiver and 5 CD player. Two Paridim speakers. Price: $8000 Pesos or best.

Cell: 333-967-1903.

FOR SALE: Led light for video camera, 30 led, runs on 4 AA batteries. Price: $40.00 US. Ajijic 331-706-1234.

FOR SALE: 17â&#x20AC;&#x2122; 1989 Centurion Ski Boat. 351 Cleveland Ford inboard engines, full boat cover, come with trailer, owner returning to states. Price: $3750.00 USD. Call: 376-766-0261.

WANTED: We would like to buy a used outdoor ping pong table / table tennis table in good condition. Call Ian 331-712-9757.

FOR SALE: self-contained Vita Hot Tub, seats 6 comfortably, 8 jet setting (including energy saver, aromatherapy) Comes with lovely, iron step ladder, for ease of entry, or just hop in. New marine grade vinyl covers (to include new Styrofoam). American made. Price: $4,000 USD. For info call 762-1628 or email heltonbcs@aol.com for photos. Just plug in and you are ready to go!

FOR SALE: Barronâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Mastering Spanish, 2ND Edition, Never Used, comes with book(675 pages), 12 CDâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, Interactive (visual & audio) Spanish teacherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s lectures to guide with lesions in book. Spanish Course used by U.S. gov. for diplomatic service. Also includes 8 hours (audio only CDâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s). Price: $40 USD, heltonbcs@aol. com or 762-1628.

FOR SALE: Dunlop 1.75 HP programmable ELECTRIC TREADMIL. Variable speed, measures calories burned, distance covered, heart rate, speed and time elapsed. Set of 12 Palmer GOLF CLUBS including bag, glove, and some balls. Heavy duty rear CARGO CARRIER/ SHELF with lock. 48â&#x20AC;? x 22â&#x20AC;?. Fits 2â&#x20AC;? square trailer hitch. Sunbeam ELECTRIC GRILL 11â&#x20AC;? x 16â&#x20AC;?. 1600 watts, 120 volts, very good condition.

WANTED: Looking for a used treadmill

in good condition. Please reply with information and price.

FOR SALE: .URE\ KDQJLQJ OLJKW Âż[WXUH from Ikea. White frosted globe. 3 available.

Price: $300 pesos each. Call: 766-0657.

FOR SALE: Double sheet set. Rust/ RUDQJH LQ FRORXU 2QH Ă&#x20AC;DW RQH ÂżWWHG DQG two pillowcases. Brand new in package ÂżWV PDWWUHVV XS WR LQFKHV GHHS 3ULFH $350 pesos. Call: 766-0657.

FOR MSALE. Double sheet set. Gold LQ FRORXU 2QH Ă&#x20AC;DW RQH ÂżWWHG DQG WZR SLOlowcases. Price: $300 pesos.

WANTED: Pink tricycle in good condition, for 3 year old. Please call 766-4969.

WANTED: Good Used Tires. 2 or 4 size P205/65 R16. 2 or 4 size P265/65 R16.

Please call Bud at 766-1127.

FOR SALE: Jazz-tap shoes, unisex oxford style womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s size 10, soft leather, padded insoles, dance rubber with taps, very comfortable. Price: $500 pesos. Call: 766-4106 WANTED: CD / CASSETTE PLAYER. Audio port and USB OK, too! Any size system, very good condition only. 766-4106.

FOR SALE: PORTABLE A/C ON WHEELS. Hot weather will be here soon.

This is a great large room A/C. Economical to use on local 110/115. Includes instructions and remote control. Fedders from NOB. Can also be used just as a fan.

Price: $1,750 MXN. Call: 376-766-1213.

FOR SALE: Bassett Furniture TV Armoire. Cherry wood. Bottom 2 drawers and the upper part a movable TV table.

Imported from the USA. www.bassettfurniture.com. Price: $6000 pesos. Call: 7664154.

WANTED: Looking for a white refrigerator with freezer on the bottom. 22 cu ft. or LARGER. Call: 765-4590.

FOR SALE: Thule Roof Basket $1500p. It has been in storage, dirty, no rust. Call: 765-4590.

FOR SALE: ,QĂ&#x20AC;DWDEOH 'LQJ\ LQFOXGHV Motor and Trailer. $10,000p. Call: 7654590.

FOR SALE: ¿UHSODFH ³VWXII´ *UDWH SHVRV HQHUJ\ HI¿FLHQW ODUJH WXEXODU JUDWH SHVRV DUWL¿FLDO ORJ VHWV pesos each, 2 gas log starters $50 pesos each. Price: $800 pesos for all. Call: 376766-7026.

FOR SALE: 2 whole house voltage regulators still in the box, 147volts I paid $1000 for 4 but discovered that I only needed 2. Price: $800 pesos each. Call: 376-766-7026.

FOR SALE: IKEA curtains with hardware. Brown polyester 145cm by 250cm, rod is 140cm, includes necessary hardware. Price: $500 pesos. Call: 376-7667026.

FOR SALE: Professional camera, lenses, and equipment. Pentax 67ii medium format camera with wood grip.

Four lenses: 55mm wide angle; 105mm; PP PP ]RRP (DFK ZLWK ÂżOWHUV DQG D FDUU\LQJ FDVH 5HĂ&#x20AC;HFWRUV +HDY\ duty tripod. Everything is used but in excellent condition. Will consider any reasonable offer. Call: 108-0865.

FOR SALE: Experience all seven books of C. S. Lewisâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s classic fantasy series, The Chronicles of Narnia in English.

Very good condition. Price: $150.00 pesos.766-1069.

FOR SALE: 9-DVD BOX SET MIDNIGHT SPECIAL. Enjoy the best performances of your favorite rock and soul stars of the 70s on this legendary TV show. Still factory wrapped. NEW - $139USD Now only $1000 pesos. Call: 766-4106.

WANTED: I am looking for a Shaw HDPVR 630. If you have one for sale please contact me.

FOR SALE: Small Stainless steel â&#x20AC;&#x153;Outdoor Gourmetâ&#x20AC;? BBQ with full sized tank. One and a half SQ/FT grill area.

Price: $1400 Pesos. Call: 376-766-0468.

FOR SALE: Ceramic pot with diameter of 15in and depth 3in. Price: $50p.

FOR SALE: Two metal plant stands.

Diameter 14in and height 7in. Price for two stands. $100P. FOR SALE: Two lovely obelisks for your garden climbers. Large one, 9in diameter X 31in high and smaller one 6in diameter X 23in high. Both included in price.

Price $250P. FOR SALE: Heavy rubber mats, 29in x 18in. I have moved and no longer need these 3 mats. Very effective in loosing debris before entering home. They are individually priced. Price: $150P. Call: 376766-5870.

FOR SALE: Bamboo divider 45in wide and 6ft long. I have two. They were bought locally for 850P. I used them on my terrace and they provided privacy but allowed access to any breeze. They are individually priced. Price: $500P. Call: 376766-5870.

FOR SALE: Collapsible metal bird feeder 9in diameter and 7in high. The seed catcher is plastic with a 16in diameter. They were purchased from Lee Vally for $60 Can. Price: $350p.

FOR SALE: Rosewood circular dining table. Sturdy construction. Includes four matching chairs. Price: $4500 pesos. Call: 766-3711.

FOR SALE: Philips Ever Flo Oxygen Concentrator Light weight, compact and quiet. All the bells and whistles Price new 23,000 pesos. Price: $11,000 pesos. Call: 045-331-468-6914.

FOR SALE: Excellent condition, beautiful rocking chair 100% mezquite wood, leather seat and back rest, with â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;â&#x20AC;&#x2122;herreriaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;â&#x20AC;&#x2122; accents. Price: $500 USD. FOR SALE: INFLATABLE BOAT â&#x20AC;&#x201C; RAFT. Seahawk II, 3-person. Heavy gauge material. With oars, pump and carry bag. Price: $250.

FOR SALE: Gas Fireplace with electric blower fan, dirty but in great shape.

Price: $5,000p. Call: 765-4590 FOR SALE: Dewalt Corded 1/2 inch drill- works like new. Received new set of drills for xmas - no longer need. Price: $35 USD. For more info or photos. please call 376-762-1628 or heltonbcs@aol.com.

FOR SALE: Dewalk 18 volt cordless hammer drill. Works like new. Received new set of drills for xmas- Sold without battery. Price: $ 65 USD. For photo or more info , call 376-762-1628 or email heltonbcs@aol.com.

FOR SALE: Dewalt 18 volt cordless drill. Works like new- Received new set of drills for xmas, so do not need. Price: $ 40 USD. Call 376- 762-1628 or email heltonbcs@aol.com for photos or more info.

FOR SALE: Selling a wonderful chaise longue -- including the decorative pillows.

Price is only $2,900 pesos. Also selling a matching loveseat - see other ad. Call: 766-4154.

FOR SALE: Selling a wonderful loveseat/2-sitter. Price is 2,900 pesos only.

Also selling a matching chaise longue see other ad. Call: 766-4154.

FOR SALE: Retractable Hanging Lamps. Very Classy retractable lights, total of 3, they will stretch 4 feet. $1,000p each.

Call: 765-4590.

FOR SALE: Unique antique lamp with a real sewing machine. $1500p. Call: 7654590.

FOR SALE: Krups Electric Meat Grinder 2000 Watt Industrial Kitchen Meat Grinder Butcher Shop. Price: $800p. Call: 765-4590.

FOR SALE: Tall frosted glass cabinet 36â&#x20AC;?w x 26â&#x20AC;?d x 8â&#x20AC;&#x2122;h. Price: $4500p. Call: 765-4590.

FOR SALE: Large Amoire 54â&#x20AC;?w x 90â&#x20AC;?h x 2â&#x20AC;&#x2122;d. Price: $9,000p. Dark wood. Call: 765-4590.

FOR SALE: This was hooked up in an apt. that no one rented, so donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know if it has even been turned on. It is dusty from sitting in the unit. Pro Com gas with electric fan. Measures 28â&#x20AC;?w x 17 1/2â&#x20AC;?d x 28â&#x20AC;?h.

Model # SL280TYA. Price: $5,000p. Call: 765-4590.

FOR SALE: Side table width 43 inches height 32 inches. Decorative part on the front is a drawer. Top is chapa de raiz.

Price: $2,500 pesos. Call: 766-4154.

WANTED: I need and electric blanket, any size any color.

FOR SALE: Shaw Receiver with remote DSR317. Price: $500p. Call: 7654590.

FOR SALE: Complete Shaw Satellite System includes Dish, HD Receiver, and Remote. Price: $4,000 obo.

FOR SALE: 8 dining room chairs wood with fabric seat cover, excellent condition.

Price: $4500 pesos.

FOR SALE: Three piece orange colored living room set, two couches, one love seat excellent condition. Price: $11,000.

WANTED: 4 string bass guitar. Price: $600. pesos or less. Call: 766-2308.

FOR SALE: Glass Pitcher hand blown.

Holds around 3 quarts. Price: $130 pesos.

Call: 387-761-0259.

FOR SALE: 6XQĂ&#x20AC;RZHU 3ODQWHUV These are from Tonola, beautiful bright \HOORZ VXQĂ&#x20AC;RZHUV RQ EOXH EDFNJURXQGV all sizes and shapes! Varies $50-$200p.

Call: 376-766-3120.

FOR SALE: Uniden Security System.

Orig. cost US $500. Two cameras, enhanced memory chip, Internet access for off-site viewing, cameras are day/night with perfect imaging. Price: $200 US or equiv. pesos.

FOR SALE: Complete surround sound system complete with remote control. One year old. Purchased for $16,499 Pesos asking 1/2 price or best offer. Speakers and controls. Excellent condition. Price: $8250 Pesos. Call: 765-7061.

FOR SALE: red kayak for sale 10 feet long come with paddle and vest red recreational kayak, one person sit in two free lessons. Price: $4000 pesos.

FOR SALE: This 1987 Hummel Spice Jar Collection was available exclusively from the Danbury Mint. Each spice jar is FUDIWHG RI ÂżQH SRUFHODLQ HDFK SRUWUD\LQJ D different work of Sister Hummelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s adored art and each hand-embellished with 24kt gold. Price: $1500 pesos. Call: 766-0657.

FOR SALE: DVDâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s of award winning TV series, Homeland. Season 1. Price: $80. Pesos.

FOR SALE: Artist polyester portfolio case. Harper Classic black portfolio carry case with short and long handle. 2 zippered compartments 21 inches by 26 inches. A third zippered compartment 14 inches by 14 inches. Made in Canada. $500 pesos. Call: 766-0657.

FOR SALE: Nebby Nebulizer. Price: $50.00. Call: 376-765-7373.

FOR SALE: Tracer 1000 Wheel Chair.

Price: $175.00. Call: 376-765-7373.

FOR SALE: Perfecto2 Home oxygen concentrator. Price: $700.00. Call: 376765-7373.

FOR SALE: Geophysical prospecting equipment one Scintrex MFD-4 Magnetometer and one Geonics EM-16 VLF survey tool with manual. If you want to prospect for minerals and fault zones, these are your tools.

FOR SALE: ,QĂ&#x20AC;DWDEOH 5DIW %RDW Heavy gauge. 3 person. Includes oars, pump and carry bag. Trlby Kites. Stack of 5. Google â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;trilby kitesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;. Great fun.

FOR SALE: Black fabric, hardly used, DGMXVWDEOH RIÂżFH FKDLU 3ULFH SHVRV Call: 376-766-5870.

FOR SALE: 16 foot Alumacraft Bass Boat 48 horse Even rude motor. Trailer with new tires and a spare. Seats 4 people Semi New Decking and Carpet (Blue).

Price: $1299.00 U.S Dollars.

FOR SALE: Kill A Watt. Had a friend buy me one of these in USA for $30; have hardly ever used it. Comes with Operational Manual. Good for measuring appliance usage of CFE. Price: $200 pesos OBO. Call: 045-331-382-4771.

FOR SALE: FIRE ENGINE RED. Golden Technology 3 wheeler scooter comes complete with Hydraulic lift and 2 sets of ramps, sadly its owner never got to have the pleasure of riding upon it. Price: $2000usd obo. Call: 766-4456, 331-1383193.

FOR SALE: Technics Turntable, belt drive, DC servo, dust cover, Model SLBD20D, 2 speeds (45 and 33 rpm), includes cartridge, operation manual, original box, excellent condition. Price: $80 US or equivalent.

FOR SALE: Sherwood Surround Sound System, Model SP-155-S, very

good condition. Five (5) speakers, one powered sub-woofer, brackets, all black.

Price: $65 US or equivalent. Will accept best offer.

FOR SALE: Shaw HD 600 receiver with remote, HDMI and power cord. Receiver is free and clear and ready to set up on your account. Price: $2100 pesos.

Call: 766-5947.

WANTED: Wanting a set of free weights and bench in good shape. Would prefer metal weights but will also consider the plastic covered type. Call: 765-7628.

FOR SALE: Three pair Ecco lace-up shoes size 37, excellent condition. Black leather. Tan Nubuck and Light Tan leather.

Make offer. Afternoons 765-7629.

FOR SALE: Bowling. Almost new Columbia 300 series White Dot deep amber/ gold tones marbleized ball. Very nice-looking and weighs approximately 14 pounds (or a little less). Of course, the holes can be re-drilled. Price: $250 MXN. Call: 376766-1213.

FOR SALE: Two Wilson Tennis Racquets. Hammer system 5.8 and 7.4. In very good condition. Price: $500 pesos each. Cal: 045-331-382-4771.

FOR SALE: Yukon Advanced Optics 7HOHVFRSH [ ÂżHOG GHJUHHV ft.at 1000 yards. Comes with original instructions, carry case, neck/body holder and adjustable stand. Like new - only 4 yrs. old. Pictures on request. Price: $1000 pesos. Call: 045-331-382-4771.

FOR SALE: Roof Tiles. 480 Very Good Quality â&#x20AC;&#x153;walk-on strengthâ&#x20AC;? red clay roof tiles (9â&#x20AC;? x 16â&#x20AC;?). Will cover about 500 square feet of roof. Market price for new is $17 pesos/tile. Selling at $6.00 pesos/ tile or OBO.

Saw you in the Ojo 77

78

El Ojo del Lago / March 2015