El Ojo del Lago - December 2012 by El Ojo del Lago

Saw you in the Ojo

El Ojo del Lago / December 2012

Saw you in the Ojo

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 Editors Kay Davis Associate Editor Jim Tipton Contributing Editor Paul Jackson Contributing Editor Mark Sconce Drama Critic Michael Warren Art Critic Rob Mohr Roving Correspondent Dr. Lorin Swinehart Sales Managers Omar Medina Bruce Fraser Office Secretary 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

Index...

FEATURE ARTICLES

COVER STORY

June Nay Summers, who lived in the Lakeside area for almost thirty years, filed a story some years ago that traced our local history going back to the 16th century and ending with what the area was like in the 1940’s.

8 Cover by Jay Koppelman

24 UNFORGETTABLE COUNTERS

EN-

Gale Griffith met her by chance, and would not rest until the balarina was hers. Some stories have happy endings—but don’t even try to guess how this one came out.

28 HUMOR Neil McKinnon has offered a unique approach to avoid many of the life’s little catastrophes which seem to await us around every corner. As with most everything Neil writes, it’s hard to know when to stop laughing and start crying.

30 LOCAL CUSTOMS Tony Passarello takes us on a guided tour through Guadalajara during the Day of the Dead celebrations. The most outrageous costumes are high-school students.

34 HISTORICAL John Ward finds a similarity in the way both the Irish and the Jews have been treated over the last few hundred years. Not so surprisingly, this shared background has created a great deal of affinity between them.

36 BOOK REVIEW Tod Jonson reviews a recent book about Ramon Navarro, one of Mexico’s greatest film stars during the lush and lustful era of Hollywood in the 1920’s.

50 SUCCESS STORIES Sally and Mike Myers writes about one of the first graduates in 1970 of the Jaltepec Centro Educativo, an all-girl technical university—and of the resounding success the young woman went on to achieve.

PRINTING: El Debate El Ojo del Lago aparece los primeros cinco días de cada mes. (Distributed over the first five days of each month) Certificado de Licitud de Título 3693 Certificado de Licitud de Contenido 3117. 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 by the authors do not necessarily reflect the views of the Publisher or the Editor, nor are we responsible for the claims made by our advertisers. We welcome letters, which should include name, address and telephone number.

COVER STORY

PUBLISHER

El Ojo del Lago / December 2012

COLUMNS THIS MONTH 6

Editor’s Page

Uncommon Sense

Bridge by Lake

Joyful Musings

Welcome to Mexico

20 Anita’s Animals

LAKESIDE LIVING

 DIRE C TOR Y 

22 Child of Month

26 Hearts at Work 29 Thunder on Right 40 Lakeside Living 42 Magnificent Mexico 48 View From South Shore 60 The Poets’ Niche 61

Stay Healthy

62 Internet Mailbox 64 Ghosts Among Us 68 Front Row Center 73 LCS Newsletter

MAGNIFICENT MEXICO

VOLUME 29 NUMBER 4

Saw you in the Ojo

Editor’s Page (Note: At this special time of the year when we exchange gifts and good will, we should remember those far less fortunate. This Guest Editorial by Dr. Lorin Swinehart reminds us of a group who are not only poor, but dispossessed of their very lives.) World-Wide Slave Traffic

common misconception might be that the Constitutional amendments following the surrender of Robert E. Lee at Appomattox spelled an end to the slavery issue. Sadly, such is not the case. Slave-like conditions endured after the demise of the Confederacy and continue to this day around the world, including inside the USA. There are estimated to be more persons living in slavery or under slave-like conditions today than at any other time in the world’s history. It is estimated that 79% of the victims are sexually exploited women and girls, while 18% are victims of forced labor. In a 2008 report, the U.S. Department of Justice stated that 30% of its cases involved children coerced into the sex industry. Lured by false promises of good jobs, marriage, education outside their own impoverished societies, thousands of young women from the former Soviet Union, Latin America, Asia and Africa find themselves forced into lives of sexual bondage, torture and degradation at the hands of cruel, greedy dealers in human beings. Perhaps worst of all, is the sale of small children as sex objects. Trafficking in humans is now the third most lucrative and the fastest growing international criminal enterprise, after the trade in narcotics and weapons. Kevin Bales of Free the Slaves attributes the problem to rapid population growth, poverty and government corruption, factors that serve to diminish the value placed upon human life and treat victims as mere commodities. Traffickers prey upon runaway teens, the homeless, refugees, job seekers, kidnap victims, tourists, displaced homemakers and others. According to the International Labor Organization, up to 246,000,000 children ages 5-17 are victims, many either kidnapped or sold by their own parents in hopes that they will find a better life elsewhere. In some nations, trafficking

El Ojo del Lago / December 2012

lll l Th il d and dB d is nott iillegal. Thailand Brazilil h had the worst child trafficking records as recently as 2010. The profitable global sex industry uses lies and deceit to enmesh its victims, who are then forced to have sex with countless partners on a daily basis until their “debt” is paid to the traffickers. Many others are forced to dance in strip clubs or take part in pornographic movies. Because of fear of reprisals, less than 1% of the few who do escape cooperate with authorities. Most never escape. Many do not survive. Accurate figures as to the magnitude of the problem are difficult to come by. A BBC News report estimates that there may be 27,000,000 persons existing under slave-like conditions. In 2008, the United Nations estimated that 2,500,000 were trafficked among 127 to 137 countries. The problem is growing, according to Nvader, a Christian based, non-profit international organization that combats the sex slave trade by conducting undercover operations to free victims, bring perpetrators to justice, and combat the commercial sex trafficking industry. Prominent in the organization is New Zealand police detective Daniel Walker, author of the internationally acclaimed memoir God in a Brothel, in which he details his own clandestine operations to free victims of the sex trade around the world. As we go about our daily lives and work, secure in our persons and possessions, millions of women

and children are suffering unspeakable abuses at the hands of their tormentors. It behooves us all to combat the illegal traffic in human beings and the sexual enslavement of women and children. Underlying all of the frenzied fluff and nonsense of the approaching Christmas season is the reality that Jesus entered the world in poverty, spent years as a refugee, and was himself a victim of injustice and unspeakable brutality. During his ministry, he once saved an unjustly accused woman from being stoned to death by an angry mob, an ex-

ample that requires us all to stand fast against cruelty and injustice, to come to the aid of the oppressed, to remember that there are those who have nothing, not even control of their own bodies. “As you did it to one of the least of these, my brethren, you did it to me.” As William Wilberforce put it centuries ago, “You may choose to look the other way, but you can never say again that you did not know.” Lorin Swinehart

MONKEY BUSINESS By Eric Roberts

n an anthropology class many years ago, the professor changed the subject of the origin of man and told about studies on the abilities of the monkeys, particularly chimps and apes. One big difference is the monkeys don’t have opposing thumbs like Man. They just have five fingers. It was thought this was one reason monkeys couldn’t use tools. One test they gave a chimp had different results than expected! In his cage they hung a bunch of bananas over his head out of his reach. The chimp was given a pole as a tool to knock off a banana. Instead he placed the pole right below the bananas and quickly climbed the pole and picked a ripe banana, not a bruised one! In another test they built a machine that introduced the chimps to the idea of money and working for food and treats. They had to pull a tight stubborn handle to get a chip: with one chip you could buy a bag of peanuts, two chips a mango, four chips a banana and for 10 chips you could receive the best prize... a ride in the arms of the handler. They were surprised by the personalities that developed. There were hard working chimps, lazy ones, and a couple of thieves, and one female who saved her chips. One day a mouse got in the cage and the chimps went berserk. The thrifty female in a panic took her chips and ran to the handler for a ride out of the compound! The professor also said chimps have a sense of humor. There were two chimps at a zoo in Germany who were famous for their practical jokes. The female would gather up all the garbage in the corner of the cage. The male would jump up and down, rattled the bars, and scream and draw a crowd.

When the crowd was watching his antics, the female started to throw the garbage at the crowd and there were two happy chimps. I had a different experience with an ape. It was at the San Diego Zoo Park, where you can ride on a little train and watch zebras, gazelle, giraffes and elephants roaming free in acres of land. Before we took the ride, we had to walk by the Gorilla’s Compound. The gorilla was making snow balls out of his feces and throwing the balls at the people passing by and making some jump out of the way. As we had to catch our ride, I knew I would have to take a picture later. When we returned, my family stood out of range. Before I went to the viewing area, I set the camera for the shot and walked to the middle of the concrete path keeping my eye on the gorilla. He turned his back to me and I relaxed for a moment… he then hurled a hook shot over his shoulder! Looking thru the lens I saw a black dot getting bigger and bigger every second. I dove to the ground and the missile went over my head. As I stood up and brushed myself off, I found I had a bloody knee and elbow. The gorilla was probable laughing as he saw me duck from his accurate hook shot that went the full length of a basketball court.

Saw you in the Ojo

AB BRIEF RIEF H HISTORY ISTORY O OF FA AJIJIC JIJIC By June Nay Summers

jijic was settled by people who came from the north, and their origin is explained by a legend. There was a place far to the north called “Whiteness,” and, from its seven caves, seven tribes set out towards the south. This migration probably took place in the second half of the 11th and the first half of the 12th centuries. The Nahuas were different from other Indian tribes around the lake. These primitives lived on Chapala’s vast shores with no thought of founding permanent pueblos. Nor were they curious about their own origins, their forefathers or their names.

Their vision of the world was simple. They were completely absorbed with the rendering of tribute to their gods. It was through, they thought, the pleasing of these deities that the sun shone and the rains fell on their land. Obtaining their daily sustenance was their primary reason for being. Their second priority was defending themselves against hostile Tarascos and other neighboring tribes. To ward off such attacks, the Nahuas established complex barricades on the shores of this immense lake, dwelling place of the goddess Machis. In 1522, the Olid Expedition reached the eastern shores of Lake

El Ojo del Lago / December 2012

Chapala. When they arrived, Captain Avalos met with little resistance. A royal grant gave joint ownership of the area to Avalos and the Spanish Crown. Close in Avalos’ (a cousin of Cortez) wake came other relatives of Cortez. One, by the name of Saenz, acquired almost all of the property that is now Ajijic. By 1530, the Saenz property was one big hacienda. The principal crop was mezcal for making tequila. The hillsides were covered with mezcal plants and their soft blue-green blanketed hill and dale. Coffee and corn were planted. When a tequila distillery was introduced, the product was exported to Spain along with the coffee beans. A “molino” (mill) was established, which Saenz built on the site of the present-day Old Posada. The blast of a conch horn at 4:00 a.m. called the Indians to bring their corn to the mill to be ground. This mill remained in business until the 1940’s. It is still intact atop the Posada today. Later, Franciscan missionaries visited the village and gave it a patron saint, San Andres (Saint Andrew). Royal land grants included the Indians who lived there. Franciscan Fray Sebastian de Parrago introduced the first oranges to Ajijic in 1562. Henceforth, the village was called “San Andres de Axixic.” Its cobblestone streets-laid down during the days of Spanish rule-are still used today. After the border wars (1910-29), the Saenz hacienda was split into many small holdings and all Mezcal cultivation ceased, as each Mezcal plant needs seven years to mature and only large estates can devote such acreage solely to growing plants. During the Porfirian Era (18751910), Ajijic was isolated from Chapala by land. Their commerce with the resort town of Chapala, which was five miles away, was confined to an occasional cargo canoe touching down at the Saenz Hacienda for a load of tequila or coffee beans. In the early 1920’s, Mr. Ramirez, Mayor of Chapala, purchased the Saenz Hacienda. He re-named it Hacienda Tlacuache (The Opossum). The property is still owned by the Ramirez family and has, over the years, been sublet to various people. In 1925, Ajijic was discovered by European intellectuals and became a refuge for those fleeing political persecution after World War I. Louisa Heuer, a writer, and her brother Paul, were German refugees. They owned Casa Particular—a small inn overlooking the lake. Zara Alexeyewa, the great-granddaughter of Gideon Wells, Secretary of the Navy under President Abraham Lincoln—

first came to Guadalajara in 1925 to dance at the Teatro Degollado. She was accompanied by her mother and adopted brother, Holger Mehner. The trio had just finished a tour of Europe and South America where Zara and Holger had introduced ballet to that continent. Zara, enchanted with Lake Chapala, moved her menage to Ajijic. They lived in a rambling, decaying, old house on the edge of the lake, next to the Heuers. Herbert and Georgette Johnson, English refugees from France, comprised the remaining foreign family residing in Ajijic in the 1930’s. The Johnsons built a house, set in an English garden that overlooked the lake. Nigel Stensbury Millett, the British author, arrived in Ajijic with his father in 1937. They first lived in Casa Particular with the Heuers. Later they moved to Hacienda El Tlacuache where Nigel quickly became part of the Ramirez family. Millet induced Mayor Ramirez to change the name of his hacienda to Posada Ajijic. A few rooms and a bar were added and under Millet’s management, an inn was born. The Posada Ajijic remains today, a lakeside landmark. From 1975 until the early ‘90s when they built their own establishment, Judy and Morley Eager owned and operated the Posada Ajijic. In the mid-30s, three engineers, their curiosity aroused as to why a certain red hill (variously called Bald Mountain, Gold Mountain, or simply Quarry) was without growth when all others in the area were wooded, discovered gold in the hill. Almost overnight the gold rush was on. Corn mills were transformed into gold mines. The women of the village reverted to hand-operated metates to pulverize corn for family tortillas. Farmers left their fields, fishermen dropped their nets, and trouble beset Ajijic as food became scarce. Neighbors quarreled. Murders and mayhem were rife. Leaders in the gold rush were the ballet dancers, Zara and Holger, for they owned the best mine. Zara found life as a dancer tame, compared with gold mining. Armed with her “treasure finder,” Zara looked for gold, but found only trouble. One associate after another cheated her. The dream of gold began to fade. There was gold in the hills, but not in sufficient quantity. The gold fever cooled. Men returned to their tiendas. Gold mills went back to grinding corn. Fishermen spread their nets again, and farmers re-plowed their land. The Ajijic gold rush had ended. Once again the village settled back among the green-bladed mango trees squeezed in between moun-

tains and lake. Only two new houses, one built by a Mexican colonel, the other by the English couple, broke the natural curve of grassy shores. Only the unfinished tower of the church, jutting above the tree tops, could be seen by approaching boats. While living at the Old Posada, Nigel Millett wrote the award-winning Village in the Sun, in collaboration with another Englishman, Peter Lilley. The book was published under their pen-name of “Dane Chandos.” Millett died in 1946 and is buried in the western part of the Ajijic cemetery, alongside his father. Peter Lilley lived in the house he and Millett had built in the village of San Antonio for many years after Millett’s death. It was there that Lilley wrote House in the Sun, which was also published under the name of Dane Chandos. At this time, the road between Chapala and Ajijic was almost impassable. There were four bridges to cross and all of them had wide, gaping holes. Most cars made a detour, sliding down a steep, slippery bank to ford a stony torrent. Then the car was coaxed up the bank on the other side. This road continued on to Jocotepec, sometimes running along the beach, sometimes alongside the mountain. Ajijic could scarcely be seen from the road. The houses, with their tiled roofs, grew out of the ground with their adobe walls and were hidden in a tangle of vegetation. The orderly rows of mezcal plants were gone. The narrow belt of land the village stood on was as thickly green as a cabbage patch—and every little bay was different. One was rocky, another sandy, and a third, reclaimed by the Indios as the lake went down, was planted in chili or peanuts right down to the water’s edge. The writer Mrs. Bedford, en-route from Chapala to Tlayacapan, wrote about her journey on this road: “The trail consisted of two not always par-

allel ruts of varying depth and gauge, caked hard, strewn with boulders, cut by holes and traversed by ditches. The cart had solid wooden wheels and no so rings. First we passed some stucco vines decaying behind tall enclosures. Forty years ago, during the heyday of the dictatorship, Chapala had been a modish resort. My driver pointed out an imposing residence, “La casa de la hija de Don Porfirio Diaz.” (Porfirio Diaz’s daughter’s house.) “The trail, conservative in the rhythm of its vagaries, continuedsmall hole, big hole, boulder, ditch; small hole, big hole, boulder, chasm. In turns, we walked, we rode, we pushed, propped luggage, steadied shafts and helped the mule. We sat by the chasms in discouragement. After some time, pips appeared and baby donkeys, then a banana grove, and presently we reached a sub-tropical village (San Antonio). Women with children at their breasts peered at us from leaf huts. “After another hour, we came to another much larger village with proper mud houses and a market place. For 300 yards, potholes were agreeably replaced by cobblestones. “Ajijic!” proudly called out my driver.

Saw you in the Ojo

UUNCOMMON NCOM MM MON CCOMMON OM MM MON SSENSE ENSE By Bill Frayer billfrayer@gmail.com Thinking like a Simpleton

Bill Frayer

horeau admonished us to “Simplify! Simplify! Simplify!” Of course, he was referring to disencumbering our lives with fewer material possessions. Many of us did this when we chose to live in Mexico. Living a more simple life, after a lifetime of working to accumulate possessions, is invigorating and satisfying. But simplification, in another sense, is not so helpful. I am referring to the tendency we have to take complex ideas and make them simpler. Such simplification does have a place. When we explain complex ideas to children, we tend to simplify them so they can understand. Teachers simplify technical processes at first to help the students grasp the concepts. But when we simplify a complex subject too much, we are unable to see all its

aspects and problems clearly. This is a thinking error referred to as oversimplification. Let me be honest. We all have a tendency to look for simple solutions to complex problems. H.L. Menken, and I am paraphrasing here, pointed out that for every problem there is a simple answer, and it is wrong! Complex problems have complex origins and usually require multifaceted analysis and solutions. But we don’t like this. We prefer simple, elegant answers. We reward our politicians who give short, sound-bite answers. Politicians who try to speak truthfully and give more complex, nuanced answers are ridiculed as evasive or obfuscatory.

El Ojo del Lago / December 2012

Both liberal and conservative politicians have their ultra-simple solutions to placate their base. Conservatives talk blithely about the power of the free market, lower taxes, and hard work. Experience has taught us that the free market needs regulation, lower taxes do not magically create economic prosperity, and many working poor work very hard but still require some assistance from the government. On the left, we liberals have our own set of canards. We frequently appeal to the oversimplified notion that taking from the rich would solve our economic problems. Or that strict environmental protection should take precedence over jobs. Although I agree, to some degree with both of these notions, they are, In fact, oversimplifications. Taxation and environmental protection are both very complex subjects. Oversimplifying them could cause unintended consequences. And this is the crux of the problem. As humans, we prefer the easy way out. Oversimplifying complex problems is easier than considering all the factors at play in a particular problem. But solutions generated through overly simplistic thinking rarely work. A while ago, I wrote about the suppression of critical

thinking in Texas. In many ways, however, critical thinking is being suppressed by politicians and the media everywhere. We need to be able to think critically about complex ideas. We need to generate adequate ways to address our economic, social and environmental problems. If we don’t, we may just end up like many of the societies Jared Diamond discusses in his best-selling book: Collapse. So, look at your own ideas and political beliefs. To what degree are they a bit oversimplified? And be honest!

BRIDGE B RIDGE B BY Y THE THE LAKE LAKE By Ken Masson

he diagrammed hand was played this October at the Lake Chapala Duplicate Bridge Club in a Swiss Teams event and left the East-West players on each side scratching their heads and thinking: “if only …” At one table, South dealt and opened the bidding 1 spade and West, with an opening bid of his own, chimed in with 2 diamonds. North supported her partner with a bid of 2 spades and East, despite holding a good 6-card suit, felt he did not have sufficient points to enter the auction at the three level. Now South bid 3 hearts, conventionally known as a Help Suit Game Try. This bid is usually made with a four card or longer suit and asks partner to consider the quality of her holding in that suit and if she likes it to go on to game; if not, to stop at 3 spades. This North decided that her heart collection, with 2 of the top 5 honors, together with four trumps and a well-placed diamond king justified going to game and that is where the auction ended. Not wanting to lead one of his unsupported aces, West led the club 10 to his partner’s ace. East returned the suit only to have South trump it in hand. Declarer continued by drawing all East’s trumps before leading his singleton diamond towards the board. West rose with the ace and returned the suit. South won this trick in the dummy with the king, pitching a small heart from hand. Declarer next played the heart 2 to his king, won by West who continued with a high diamond, ruffed by South. Now was the mo-

ment of truth for declarer: he played a small heart towards the board and when West followed with the 4, inserted the 10 and was rewarded when it held the trick and the result was 4 spades bid and made. The bidding and play was similar at the other table, resulting in a tie, or what is known as a “push” in bridge parlance. But just for a moment consider what might have happened if either West had decided to try for a “save” by bidding on, hoping to go down less than the value of the game that South had contracted for. You might well think: “what could West do, he had already bid his hand?” South and North had shown a lot of cards in the major suits so it was reasonable to expect that East would have a substantial holding in at least one of the minors. Instead of passing out the bidding at 4 spades, West could have tried 4 no trump which, in context, should show 6 diamonds and 4 clubs. Really, you ask, how’s that? Well, if West had 6-5 or 5-5 in the minors, he would have started with the Unusual 2 No Trump convention. His failure to do so, followed by 4 no trump later would clarify his holding. Would that have been a successful save? You bet it would – 5 clubs was unbeatable with careful play by declarer! Had that happened at either table there would have been a double game swing and a huge victory for the unrelenting side. Questions or comments: email: masson.ken@ gmail.com Ken Masson

Saw you in the Ojo 11

The One Who Got Away: A Collection By Patricia Hemingway Reviewed by Margaret Van Every

oining the ranks of gifted short story writers in our Lakeside community is Patricia Hemingway, who recently published her first collection. The slim volume comprises nine gems, each polished to a lustrous shine and showcasing the author’s signature skill at compressing personal memories into few pages and evoking a universe that resounds in the heart of the reader. Hemingway’s stories are grouped into two sections, the first derived from her childhood in San Antonio, Texas, during the 1950s; the second, her experience and observations as she gropes her way through the murky landscapes of aging and dislocation. The childhood pieces unfold in a cluster of houses where renters live under the bigoted eye of a tyrannical landlord. The narrator and her sisters are left pretty much to fend for themselves as their divorced mother must earn a living. Though Hemingway has drawn from her personal history, she has taken artistic liberty to fictionalize as warranted. She explains, “When I am pulling from the inner reservoir, I am dipping into a world that has been preserved as a lyrical jelly.” The story “Patsy” relates the subtle, seductive innocence of an adolescent looked up to by the younger narrator. Patsy has many boyfriends, an implied aura of promiscuity, but she reveals her budding sensuality in the ecstatic mysteries of the Holy Roller Church from whose windows emanate raucous celebratory shrieks into the sultry night. It is a moment of triumph for Patsy and also her acolyte, the author. Hemingway’s stories sometimes grapple with moral issues as relevant now as in the 50s. “The One Who Got Away” tackles racism, narrating how it resulted in the premature conclusion of the author’s childhood. “Chinese Plums” tells of pedophilia with a surprise ending. I was deeply moved by “September, 1956,” in which an abandoned teenage boy seeks solace in the company of a shy twin girl who feels invisible. The lonely children survive watching American Bandstand, responding to the music of their time, and discovering the comforts of touch as they move to the music. The final San Antonio story is a fine-

El Ojo del Lago / December 2012

ly wrought portrait of Hemingway’s granddaddy, a survivor of the Great Depression, delineated through her worshipful hand and eye. As a young girl in San Antonio she knew him as he was transitioning to retirement at Lakeside. Years later she moved here and sought him in imagined haunts he might have frequented. In “Fragility and the Divide,” Hemingway explores a woman struggling in the zone of ambiguity, unable to embrace without apprehension the status of older woman. She writes: “An older woman has learned to embrace passion however it finds its way into her life. Why can I not achieve this?” In defining Hemingway’s voice and strengths, I would say that she has a gifted eye for selecting the most evocative details. She typically takes a simple event and without wasting a word weaves an unforgettable story. She has a knack for developing a plot and for making you feel the pain of the dispossessed, especially those San Antonio children. But way up near the top of the list is her sensuality. She can activate all your senses and she does this in almost every story, but none more than in “Separados.” You will befriend this author and her poignant characters and want to revisit them again and again. 120 p. Patricia Hemingway will be reading from her book and signing copies December 13 at La Estrellita B & B, next door to LCS: wine & cheese 3:15pm. Book available also at Diane Pearl Colecciones.

Joyful Musings By Joy Birnbach Dunstan, MA, LPC, MAC The Sixth Sense

e’re all aware of our five basic senses, but there’s a sixth one that is every bit as important: the sense of humor. The ability to laugh helps us cope and find a smile, even in the most difficult of times. Many cultures throughout the world designate a day to humor. People in the U.S. and Canada, as well as many other countries, celebrate April 1—April Fool’s Day—by playing good-natured pranks on one another. Mexico’s counterpart of April Fool’s Day is observed on December 28. and is called “Día de los Inocentes,” or Day of the Innocent Ones. Originally, the day was a sad remembrance of the slaughter of innocent children by King Herod. It eventually evolved into a lighter commemoration involving pranks and trickery. In the spirit of humor, I’d like to share a good-natured recent exchange I had with a devoted fan. ------------Dear Ms. Dunstan, I read your column, and although I am 85 years old (some would call me elderly), I act and look as if I were 50. It is perturbing to some, and I’ve been accused of partaking of the ‘uplift’ — boob, lip, eye, gut and/or tush. I’ve had none of the aforementioned. It’s distressing to me that because I have thick golden hair (my own) and look really good from the rear, I am taken for a 30-year-old. But when I am faceto-face with a young person (male) they seem startled to see that I am in fact older than they expected, albeit by not so much. How can I meet nice gentlemen my own age without the awkwardness that is inevitable when my knees give out or I can’t remember where I put my bra (or even the intrinsic value and use for same). Any advice would be much appreciated. Yours truly, Charlene ------------Dear Charlene, First of all, let me applaud you for your healthy spirit and joie de

vivre. Regarding your difficulty finding men of a shared and accepting spirit, I suggest you stop looking for men your own age or even close to it. Grab yourself a mature healthy stud in his 20s. Instead of being disappointed by your advanced age, he will be awed by the wisdom of your years, find your eccentricities entrancing, and be blown away by the many enticing things you can teach him in the bedroom. Given the difference in male vs. female aging, you will both get ‘old’ at about the same time. Now, go get ‘im, girl! Have fun! With admiration, Ms. Dunstan ------------Dear Ms. Dunstan, I thank you so much. I think I already have the stud picked out. Your encouragement gives me courage to pursue the dude. Gratefully, Charlene P.S. What tricks do you think he should be shown? P.P.S. On second thought, best not to answer that. P.P.P.S. I’ll just give him Fifty Shades of Grey to read and let the tricks fall where they may. ------------My dear Charlene, Have a wonderful time with Sr. Guapo, but I suggest you refrain from any ‘tricks.’ Those are only done for appropriate payment. I’m sure you’ll know just how to show him the ropes, and after he reads Shades of Grey, he’ll know what to do with them. Sincerely, Ms. D ------------William James once said, “Common sense and a sense of humor are the same thing, moving at different speeds.“ A sense of humor is just common sense, dancing.” So dance a little, and add a few smiles to your day. Editor’s Note: Joy is a practicing psychotherapist in Riberas. She can be contacted at joy@dunstan.org or 765-4988. Check out her new website: http://joydunstan.weebly.com.

Saw you in the Ojo 13

LAS PALOMAS—Pajaros de Paz By Steve Griffen

You rarely see them flying. It’s as if they’re too modest to compete with the darting golondrinas Who race and snap like the arc of a cracking whip, Too demure to mimic the great wheeling circles of the pelicanoes, Too mundane to whir and hover over blossoms Like the gem-gaudy colibri. Instead. their small grey bodies stay close to the earth, Even their songs subdued as a mother’s lullaby. Yet, it was your tender beak the bore the olive branch to Noah To signal the end of God’s watery wrath and hope again for man. The Holy Spirit could not find a more worthy vessel To embody has bright essence than the humble paloma

CORRECTION, C ORRECTIO ON, P PLEASE! LEASE! Last month, we published an article called “The Quixotic Orozco” and inadvertently listed a “Gary Donald” as the writer. The actual author is Gary Donaldson, and we’ll take this opportunity to also congratulate Gary. The article received an astounding 1200 visits on our website! We wonder if there might be a moral in there somewhere.

El Ojo del Lago / December 2012

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By Victoria Schmidt

She

’ve known her for over two years. She is my friend, even though I speak Spanish very poorly and she speaks English very poorly. Yet we communicate, and we have built a friendship. About a month ago, she invited my husband and me to her youngest child’s birthday. He is her seventh child and is two years old. She has six grandchildren. We picked her up after work and drove to her house. I’d never been there before. We drove, and we drove, further out of town, and drove some more. We turned and went through back roads that got smaller and smaller. We finally reached our destination. I kept thinking to myself “She walks to work and back every day!” We entered a ranch with a large main house. But I was soon to learn that this house was not hers. This was the house of her in-laws. The house was exploding with people, children were racing around and chasing after the animals. Adults were chasing after the children. There was much food and laughter, and I watched as I noted that two-year old boys are the same in America and in Mexico. We enjoyed our time there. Her

family, her children, have become our family. But I could sense an air of hostility from the in-laws. They were polite, but distant. Through our limited communication, I was soon to learn, unfortunately, where my friend did reside. As we left the party, she pointed to what we would refer to as an “out building.” Opposite the cows, goats, pigs, ducks, and chickens… was a building of unpainted cement blocks, without windows. I could see inside… there were dirt floors. I turned to my friend and saw shame in her eyes as she pointed the long walk back to the main house and said “baño.” The laundry she washes by hand was hanging on the line. She has always been happy and smiling. I have never heard her complain about anything. And this is how she’s been living for the past six years. We hugged each other and said “Adios” and my husband and I got into our van to drive the long way back to town. She is 43 years old, with seven children and six grandchildren. She was recently diagnosed with cancer. Neither my husband nor I spoke as we drove away. I now know that she gets up at 5:30 every morning to make sure she gets to her job on time. She leaves her youngest in day care, and she works a full and a hard eight-hour day and earns less than $11 USD per day. I have so much, and she has so little. Tears trickled down my cheeks, and it was my turn to feel shame. (Ed. Note: When Victoria filed her column, she e-mailed me, saying “Sorry it isn’t a funny, light Christmas story.” I think our readers will agree with me, however, that it is a perfect Christmas story!) Victoria Schmidt

El Ojo del Lago / December 2012

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GRAPE EXPECTATIONS By Robert Kleffel and Noemí Paz

Holiday Happiness

o what is it about the holidays that seem to make people happier? The answer is at the end of this article. Cheers and Toasting—Nothing gets a party started faster than a glass or two of champagne. All those little bubbles are loaded with alcohol that goes directly to our blood stream causing us to feel happy, very happy, very soon. Cava Res.Brut CARLA VALLFORMOSA 750 ml $360.00—The Cava was introduced in 1970, in a move designed both to hallmark Spain’s best sparkling wines and distinguish Cava from French Champagne. The word cava is derived from the Latin word ‘cavea’ and means ‘cellar’ or ‘cave’ in Catalonia, where most Cava is made. The Catalan tradition of ageing wines in underground cellars was what led Jose Raventos, the first known producer of Cava, to choose this name. This sparkling wine is golden straw in color, the nose offers up apples, subtle spice with a hint of lemon. It feels rich in the mouth, but yet elegant and cleansing. Rated: 88 Points The Main Meal—No matter what you are serving for your main meal, it is best to have both red and white wines. Many have strong preference and some may be allergic to the tannins in red wine. Don NicanorMalbec 750 ml $282.50 —This is a wine for true red wine lovers. Black as they come, with saturated, jammy aromas of sweet berry fruit, blackberry syrup and toasty oak. The palate is lush and chewy, with black fruit, spice and herbal flavors. Toasty and black on the finish and is a big wine with plentiful oak as well as purity. Don Nicanor Chardonnay -Viognier 750 ml $282.50—Chardonnay wines are very popular white wines but are not as food friendly as other choices. The addition of the Viognier to this wine allows pairing with many foods. Yellow in color with a green iridescence, the nose displays aromas of white flowers and peaches, perfectly matched with the vanilla acquired from French oak aging. In the mouth it is voluptuous, but remains

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fresh and easy to drink. Vino de Postre—LA CETTO Moscatell Palomino 750 ml $ 149.00 The Muscat variety of grapes of the species Vitisvinifera is widely grown for wine, raisins and table grapes. Their color ranges from white to near black. Muscat almost always has a pronounced sweet floral aroma. Muscat grapes are grown around the world. The breadth and number of varieties of muscat suggest that it is perhaps the oldest domesticated grape variety, and there are theories that most families within the Vitisvinifera grape variety are descended from the Muscat variety. Happiness and Holidays—It has been only in the last thirty years that universities have attempted to “scientifically” study human happiness. One thing that the scientists found out, which surprised almost everyone, is that about fifty percent of our propensity for happiness is inherited, embedded in our DNA. For the record, about seventy-five percent describe themselves as being happy. Some of the traditional beliefs about the sources of our happiness include being thankful, being kind and generous to other people, and being involved in our communities. It turns out that the primary source of human happiness comes from the strength of our relationships with our friends and families. Friends and family are closely bonded, take care of each other, and they survive, and their children survive. There is a direct correlation between human happiness and the number of hours you spend each day with people you love. It’s time to invite friends and family over for good food and fine wine. Noemi Paz: licorespaz@hotmail.com Robert Kleffel: bkleffel@hotmail.com

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Anita’s Animals By Jackie Kellum

his month is a very busy social time of the year. It‘s also a time to reflect on those who have special meaning in your life. They do not have to be a relative, but someone who has had a positive impact for you, be they two footed or four footed. Our family pets sometimes are our only family, who make little, if any demands. They do not look at you and see someone who has gotten older, acquired more wrinkles, maybe walks or talks a little slower, etc. They love you for you, and you alone. Please, be respectful of them and their future if something were to happen to you. They depend on you so make plans for them, and do not leave it to chance or another’s decision what will happen to them. Please see Anita’s website tab: Godparents. There are many “unseen” people in our community, who quietly without fanfare, no pictures in the papers, go about their business doing kind things. Some help organizations in a variety of ways. Some help individuals they have encountered. These individuals take charity to it’s finest conclusion – doing a good thing without expecting or requiring heaps of praise… they do it for the “right reason” . Anita and her volunteers would like to thank all those who help others. Obviously animals are Anita’s focus. There are many who quietly feed hungry animals, pay to sterilize an animal to help stop pet over-population, and many unsung heroes rescue and take care of abused, abandoned, or injured animals. Many famous people have spo-

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ken about the relationship of animals and humanity, this is a good example: If you have men who will exclude any of God’s creatures from the shelter of compassion and pity, you will have men who will deal likewise with their fellow men. – St. Francis of Assisi If you are thinking about adopting a dog into your family, it is easier than you can imagine. You can see a “ picture preview” of a potential new pet family member. Check out website: lakechapaladogcenter.com. This Lake Chapala Dog Center website has current and regularly updated photos of dogs and puppies available for adoption that are located at: Anita’s Animals, Vet. Pepe Magana and The Ranch. There also is a section that you can utilize to report a lost dog, or, post a notice about a dog you have found. They will help you with posting a picture for this website, if you do not know how to do it yourself. If you have the desire or feel the need to exchange gifts at holiday time, try a new approach. Think about giving a donation to that person’s favorite charity in their name. It is a winwin-win situation. You will have done a kind thing by honoring that special person; you will have created a new way of helping, plus that charity also gets some needed help. Please consider Anita’s Animals as one of those donation choices. If you did not get a chance to read the October Ojo Anita’s Animals column article, you did not see that it costs 21.4 pesos per animal, per day , to care for each cat/dog at Anita’s until a forever home has been found. The website Anita’s Animals has the ability to accept PayPal donations. You can also stop by the Wednesday Ajijic open-market and make a donation of kitten/cat or puppy/dog food, or cash at Anita’s booth to help her continue her rescue work that she has been doing for over twenty years.

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CHILD

of the month

Rich Petersen María del Carmen Pérez Covarrubias

eet this very sweet 12year old young lady, María del Carmen Pérez Covarrubias, known as “Carmencita.” She lives in Ajijic with her parents and an older brother. Mom is a part-time housekeeper, and Dad is a gardener. She is in her first year of high school and a good student. In September 2005 Carmencita was playing around the house with her brother, playing at sword fighting actually, when the plastic straw her brother was using went directly into Carmencita’s right eye. The eye became inflamed but it seemed her vision was intact, so the family waited a couple of days to take her for medical attention. By that time she was having

trouble seeing out of the right eye, and the ophthalmologist said the retina had detached and would have to be surgically repaired. This surgery was performed but after a few days Carmencita’s vision had

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not returned to normal, and a second medical opinion was sought which determined that the surgery had not been successful and that her right eye was not salvageable. A second surgery would be needed to remove the damaged eye and make room for a prosthetic one. Carmencita wore an eye patch until January of 2006 while the eye healed a bit from the first surgery and also while we at Niños Incapacitados and the family secured funding for what would be a third surgery plus the prosthesis. Fortunately both parents’ employers contributed to this expense, as well as Niños Incapacitados, and the second surgery was scheduled. For the next few years, until just recently, Carmencita only had to use special eye drops and have regular check-ups with her doctors. She quickly became accustomed to seeing only out of her left eye and the prosthesis functioned normally. She continued in school but only occasional periods of eye irritation (dust, etc.) Fortunately her tear ducts were not damaged and the “new” eye could drain and tear like normal. This year with her growth spurt as a teenager, the first prosthesis became too small for her eye socket and began to cause more and more irritation and

pain. It was time for a replacement, this time big enough for her to “grow into” and that she probably would not have to worry about any other replacements in future. A prosthetic eye has to be precisely measured, fitted a few times to see if all is well, and then the iris has to be hand painted to match the color of the other eye. Niños Incapacitados was fortunate enough to be able to secure a discount from the surgeon due to our status as a charity, but still this new eye cost a whopping 12,000 pesos. The photo is Carmencita just a couple of weeks ago at our monthly meeting where she was happy for us to try to determine which was the prosthetic eye and which her normal eye. The work is so precise that no one could tell the difference. She and her parents are very pleased with the results, as are we. When we asked Carmencita what she would like to be when she grows up, her answer was “an eye doctor.” Very appropriate, no? If you would like to find out more about Niños Incapacitados and what we do, plus meet one of “our” children, please join us on the second Thursday of each month at 10:00 in one of the meeting rooms at the Hotel Real de Chapala in La Floresta. All are welcome so bring a friend. Coffee at 10:00, meeting promptly at 10:30.

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MI M I B BAILARINA AILARINA By Gale Griffith

he came dancing through my doorway! My breath caught in my throat as a piece of her passing energy clothed me. She was whimsical. Delightfully whimsical! I strained to study her closely as a flounce of her flaring skirt brushed past my enthusiastic welcome. And then I stared. I stared hard, wanting to absorb both the warmth and the excitement that was generated within me as I gazed at her. Her eyes, deep set and exceedingly dark, appeared to house many a secret. Yet the wide spread of her smile permitted assurance that no hint of harm had ever befallen her as a result of those secrets. Her raven hair, braided and piled atop her tilted head and clasped with a huge garden flower, could not help but be the envy of any observer. I wondered with awe how a body brimming with such activity could possibly maintain a hairstyle of such tranquil composure. Her rebozo, draped perfectly across her lean shoulders, and woven ever-so-delicately ‘round her arms, seemed designed to conceal any imperfection she may not have cared to reveal. Several weeks earlier, the first

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time I glimpsed her, I had been mesmerized. And that was the day we met. It was in Ajijic at an eclectic gift shop that we were introduced. Instantly I longed for a more personal relationship with her. She exuded an air of self confidence and subtle mystery. It was easily discernible that she was a dancer— one could tell immediately by the poise with which she manipulated the limbs of her slender and graceful body.The mere sight of her activated emotion within my heart, my mind and my soul. She epitomized life force. She was joy on tip toes. She had the ability to lift the spirits of anyone who set eyes upon her. She transcended time and space. “How truly fortunate!” I say to myself as I close the door behind us, “That I have made this special person’s acquaintance, visited her several times and made the decision to invite her into my life and into my home. And now that she is here, where indeed shall I hang and display this beautiful, inspiring Roberto Aceves Folklorica Catrina painting that just came dancing through my doorway?” Gale Griffith

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Hearts at Work A Column by James Tipton “…the geography of hope”

ow does place—geography—affect us? I know that even as a young boy Colorado beckoned to me, loomed large inside of me, and I was determined even then to someday live in Colorado. After a couple of false starts in other states, I did finally move to Colorado where I lived longer than in any other state, and where part of me, near the heart, continues to live. Wallace Stegner calls the American West the “geography of hope” and hope (and its sibling dreams) may indeed have had something to do with my longing. Oddly, it was not until I was in college that my father told me of his own longing for Colorado. He had actually been accepted into a Masters program at The University of Colorado, but the impending Second World War and a young wife put that particular dream on the back burner forever, no doubt, I think, replaced by other, and hopefully satisfying, dreams. When I finally stopped sacrificing my own dream of place to the dreams of others, I moved to Colorado, still the state most dear to me; I lived for the most part in western Colorado, still the place to which I feel most connected. A couple of weeks ago I discovered John Scherber’s recent book, San Miguel: A Place in the Heart. (Some of you may be familiar with Scherber’s Murder in Mexico series, all set in San Miguel de Allende). Scherber had only lived in San Miguel for eight months when he began asking himself questions like: “What had I given up to come here, and what had I gained? What was my new role in the community? Was I an exile? An expatriate? Would I ever live in the States again? How did I react to Americans I saw here visiting? What had I done?” Because the answers to many of these questions eluded Scherber, he began to ask others, and so he put together a collection of interviews that is “personal and anecdotal,” that illus-

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trates “for a number of different people what it really means to make a change like this, the feelings and emotions it evokes, the economic and social realities that come with it, the challenges to old identities or the blossoming of new ones that are inevitable in a different culture.” Scherber’s book is about dreams meeting reality, about reawakening to that ever-present reality which, after all, must ultimately be our home. This requires a lot of patience, tolerance, confidence, resilience, and acceptance, until this new reality—this new place—becomes, as his subtitle suggests, “a place in the heart.” Scherber set out to examine “the contrast between expectations and reality, and the personal changes that came about because of it.” I came to Mexico more because of person rather than place. I came here because I had allowed myself to be seduced by my own dream… which was to create a wonderful (and otherwise impossible) life for a lovely young Mexican woman and her threeyear old daughter. I thought I understood her dream, but alas I little understood the dynamics of her complex subculture within the even much more complex Mexican culture at large. Now I live alone, in a place—Lake Chapala—which I, for the most part, like; but now I must look at it as place and think about whether it is the place for me. Perhaps it also is, or can become, a “geography of hope.” I still long for Colorado, though. Only last week a woman in the mountains I have always loved told me in a card that Colorado still longs for me. Jim Tipton

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A SAFER WORLD By Neil McKinnon

ecent shooting tragedies in Colorado and Wisconsin have prompted a variety of responses ranging from installing surveillance equipment at movie houses to increasing the police presence at large gatherings. Most of these efforts will be short-lived and ineffectual. However, one public reaction not only has the potential to alleviate violence but may also lead the way to averting other tragedies. All across the U.S., people have responded to the gun carnage and mass killing by buying more guns. The argument is that if everyone is armed, then there is more chance that a shooter will be

gunned down before he can fire multiple shots at his victims. Presumably, he will also be less accurate with all those extra bullets whizzing around his head. Lionel Triggertalk, a long-time gun owner and member of the NRA agrees. “If everyone is packing heat, we can blow away the son-of-a-bitch in less than a second,” Triggertalk says. Lionel’s cousin, Kenneth Pillowtalk, also agrees but takes the reasoning a step further. “If more guns is the solution to gun violence, then perhaps to avoid being hit by lightning people should wrap themselves in tinfoil and stand outside during storms,” Pillowtalk says.

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I found Pillowtalk’s view intriguing. I began to wonder what steps we could all take to lead more secure lives and to avoid the most common catastrophes. So, last Sunday during a two-hour latte break, I developed a short list. It is by no means exhaustive: 1. To avoid drowning you should drill holes in the bottom of your boat and set out to sea without a lifejacket. The theory is that if you drill large enough holes the boat will sink while you are still within swimming distance of the dock and, without the encumbrance of a bulky life jacket you stand a better chance of making it. Also, a cumbersome life jacket makes it awkward to bail before you sink. 2. To avoid being injured by a wild pitch, a baseball batter should stand in the middle of home plate after drawing a bulls-eye on his uniform. The idea is that the pitcher will be so discomfited by this action that he will throw four straight balls thus sending the batter to the relative safety of first base. 3. People of all persuasions should engage in sex with as many partners as possible, all the while avoiding protection by playing a game of puncture the condom prior to each act. This is much like buying guns. Carriers of unwanted viruses will be more readily identified by numerous ex-partners and will then be treated, thus preventing an infected individual from propagating his or her unwanted conditions. 4. One can avoid diabetes by increasing one’s intake of processed sugar through the regular consumption of cola, muffins, cookies and all manner of delicious treats. Initially the increased sugar consumption will lead to more diabetics. However there will be less muffins, cookies and pop left for non-diabetics to consume thus

curtailing the development of the disease. 5. Similarly, osteoporosis can be prevented by encouraging people with weak bones to play tackle football. The initial result will be more broken bones and more people becoming permanently bedridden which in turn will lead to fewer fractures among sufferers. Bedridden people rarely break bones unless they fall out of bed, a problem that can be solved by the simple expedient of tying them down. 6. To reduce fatal automobile accidents, good drivers should undo their safety belts and blindfold themselves prior to entering a freeway. The resulting free-for-all will be terrifying to those drivers who cause the most accidents: young Mexican men, old gringos of both sexes and female Asian immigrants. Sheer terror will keep most of these groups off the road thus reducing slaughter on our highways. In addition, using the gun example as a model it may be possible for us to: a) Reduce concussions in pro-sports by eliminating helmets, b) Stop prison violence by supplying inmates with weapons, c) Increase literacy by burning books, and d) Slow global warming by idling our cars for three hours every day. Which brings us back to Lionel Triggertalk. “Given the unrealised potential for saving human lives by increasing small arms ownership in the general population, it seems that American society has no choice,” he says. “The right to bear arms must be expanded to include anti-tank weapons, flame throwers and nucleNeil McKinnon ar bombs.”

By Paul Jackson paulconradjackson@gmail.com

n American political friend said he saw a Canadian cabinet minister being grilled exhaustively apparently by a Parliamentary committee before a huge audience and wondered whether this happened often. “It was almost like a Star Chamber,” he observed, shaking his head. “Like an Inquisition, and with seemingly 100 and more people looking on and cheering, like Romans watching gladiators meet their fates.” Well, it happens every single day when the Canadian Parliament is in session, but it wasn’t just a Parliamentary committee, it was before the entire House of Commons, and those looking on were other Members of Parliament. Then I explained. Every Canadian cabinet minister has to be an elected member of Parliament who is then selected by the Prime Minister for a

Paul Jackson

cabinet - secretary - position. When Parliament is in session, and unless they have a a credible reason for not being in attendance, cabinet ministers have to take their seats in the House of Commons during the daily ‘Question Period’. That’s when Opposition members pepper them with questions on some significant current event involving their portfolios. It could be questions on energy policy for the energy minister, immigration policy for the immigration minister, the economy for the finance minister, and so on. The Prime Minister faces the same grilling, too. Members of the main Opposition party - there are three Opposition parties in Canada - are known as ‘Loyal Members of Her Majesty’s Opposi-

tion’ and are supposed to defend the nation under the name of the Crown against government incompetence and suggested abuse of its position. In a nutshell, Opposition members rigorously hold the government to account, oppose government policies, and propose alternatives. It may sound rough, but it has to be done under strict Parliamentary language and decorum, and the Speaker of the House of Commons, can rule out any questioning that appears irrelevant, unfair, or abusive. The Speaker is in a very prestigious position - he/she - is elected by secret ballot by all 308 members of the House of Commons. It’s quite possible under a Conservative government the Speaker may be a Liberal member, under a Liberal government a Conservative member, or even a New Democrat (Socialist member). The Speaker has to be absolutely impartial. No Speaker in living memory has ever disgraced their positions. Generally put, the ‘Question Period’ is the highlight of the day in Canadian politics, for not only do Opposition members put government members under a microscope, but they can ask the Speaker for an ‘emergency debate’ on an issue of

supposedly menacing proportions. OK, OK - such requests are usually denied by the Speaker - just an Opposition member seeking the limelight - but it does happen once or twice a year. Frankly, surely having cabinet ministers that are elected politicians, and putting them under the glare of a spotlight each and every day, is far more advantageous than the American system in which cabinet secretaries can so often evade public scrutiny. What do you say?

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Dia de los muertos By Antonio Ramblés AKA Tony Passarello www.antoniorambles.com antonio.rambles@yahoo.com

t’s about this time each year that I lament the creeping encroachment of America’s shallowly commercial Halloween tradition upon Mexico’s deeply spiritual Dia de Los Muertos observance. In the States, trickor-treat decorations may have been replaced by Christmas decorations and candy now relegated to discount bins, but a monthlong event in Guadalajara’s Centro Historico proves that Dia de los Muertos is not only alive and well, but ably adapting to fit itself into the twenty-first century. For the third consecutive year, Guadalajara’s secondary school students have built upon the traditional image of the catrina – the elaborately decorated skeletons that are the holiday’s trademark – to make a timely plea for peace. Around 100 of these larger-than-life-sized installations can be seen on the plazas that mark each of the primary compass points around Guadalajara’s signature downtown Catedral. The work is remarkable not only because it ably links Mexico’s past with its present and because the artisanship is of such high quality, but because it demonstrates these young artists’ surprisingly mature grasp of how violence begins and spreads through a culture. For Mexicans, peace is not an abstract ideal or a wished-for outcome in some far-off country, but a heartfelt hope for change in their everyday existence. In this fifth year of the government’s war on narcotics traffic and narco-terrorism, fatalities have now passed the 50,000 mark. While the violence is largely confined to combatants and limited to a small part of the country, only a few degrees of separation lie between the casualties and an increasing number of civilians. The theme of peace in the face of such

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violence necessarily lends a somber note to many of these works, but most of them still manage to deliver their weighty message with the same wry fatalism that has always marked the catrina tradition. Photos don’t do these catrinas justice. Almost all of the standing figures tower over the spectator by a foot or two, and many others lean lifelike against poles and fences or sit on park benches as city pedestrians and traffic stream past. There are several Gandhi catrinas and one of the Dalai Lama, but it’s the more traditional images which are often the most compelling. While catrinas are an expression of pre-Colombian concepts of the relationship between life and death, the catrina image itself is barely a century old, the invention of a Mexico City newspaper’s political cartoonist. The catrina was nearly relegated to history until rescued by the resurgence of pride in Mexican heritage following the Mexican Revolution. Like Argentina’s tango, it began as a working-class tradition and grew in less than a generation to become a symbol inextricably woven into the national identity. It’s possible to walk all 100 or so of Guadalajara’s Catrinas de la Paz in less than an hour, but you may – like me – become caught up in reflection upon one or another that particularly speaks to you and linger longer. Whether you browse this exhibit quickly or deliberately, don’t pass it up!

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REDEFINE By Michael Biagi

believe in uniqueness. I believe in originality. But it´s so damn hard with the media’s fingerprints all over the hearts and minds of humanity. I believe we all have a voice. We all have the choice to redeem destiny, to give wings to the dreams laying dormant inside you and me. See the battle to realize between what’s real, and real lies... I can see that we all love our iP-

ods, iPads, and iMacs, but why do we need them if we can´t understand ourselves? I’m just trying to make sense. Be yourself, because you will never be anybody else. Redefine yourself. Today. (Ed. Note: Michael is 14, an alumnus of Instituto Terranova, and wrote the above as an exercise for a literature class taught by Maestra Gabriela Lopez.)

SSOMETHING OMETHIN NG ABOUT ABOUT EDUCATION EDUCATION By Martha Díaz

op Quiz! What is the picture that comes to your mind whenever you hear or read the word Education? Maybe it is a clean classroom, where everything is in its place and kids happily raise their hands before talking. If this picture fits with yours, we can share some ideas. In education, and in any human activity, everything we do is based on Aristotle’s four causes: material, formal, moving, and final. For example, an artisan chooses clay, sees the color and feels the texture, imagines the right form for a specific use; and works carefully moving his hands with love to create a decorative and useful pot. That is, the material (clay), changes its form with a movement to reach its ultimate purpose: to become a useful object. In Education the four causes are present, but the material is unique and if we do not recognize and accept it, we can harm a human being. We can only imagine his final purpose through his own eyes, to support and reinforce his gifts and skills. The movement for change is given by the society and the teachers, all of them unique human beings with different eyes, goals and experiences

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who must respect his pace and nature. But the form: can we imagine beautiful sculptures in our cities? Can we imagine doctors, parents, architects, engineers, businessmen etc. working honestly and professionally throughout the scope of their decisions? Only values and skills can sculpt the citizens with whom we want to live. So, whenever you imagine the picture of the clean classroom with smiling, respectful children, imagine also: a clean city without violence, and offices where everyone’s voices are fairly listened to. (Ed. Note: Maestra Diaz has been described as “a dedicated teacher, one of those who was born for the task, and who derives great pleasure from helping shape the future of Mexico.”)

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WHAT W HAT H HAPPENED APP PENED W WITH ITH T THE HE IIRISH RISH AND A ND T THE HE JEWS JE EWS O OF FA AMERICA? MERICA? By y John John n Ward W r

remember the days when the Irish and the Jews traditionally fought for the rights of the underdog. Perhaps it was because of so many years of persecution by the empire du jour that gave these two peoples a real and intimate understanding of what it is like to be the underdog. Most people know the story of the Jewish mountain fortress: Masada where the Jews bravely fought off the Roman army until the Romans had to build an enormous ramp to get to the rebel Jews. When it was obvious to the rebels that the Romans were about to breach their fortress they chose mass suicide to rob the Romans of their final victory. During the Inquisition in Europe, which routinely targeted Jews as a threat to the homogenized belief system installed by the Catholic Church, Jews were arrested, tortured and executed in horrifying numbers. To escape the hysteria of these witch-hunts, Jews routinely took on assumed names that made them appear to be Catholic, names like “Nostradamus,” a man who was Jewish but who wisely took on the Latin name for “Our Lady” to avoid the horrors perpetrated by Torquemada and his ilk. The Pogroms in Russia brutally drove Jews off their land and deported them without mercy, leaving them homeless and starving. During the Second World War, Nazis and Fascists subjected the Jews to inhumane brutality. Stalin murdered about as many Jews as Hitler did, but a blind eye had to be turned to this brutality as Russia had switched from being on the side of the Axis powers to an Ally. The Jews have suffered immeasurable persecution through the ages. The Irish were treated like animals by the British throughout their history with Oliver Cromwell being the worst perpetrator of all. His brutality towards the inhabitants of Drogheda in 1641 is remembered to this day

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and the expression “The curse of Cromwell be upon you” is still widely used in Ireland. During the Potato Famine of 1845 the English land owners threw their tenant farmers off the land leaving whole families to starve to death on the roadsides. Although the potato crops failed and worsened in 1846, the other crops did well. Barley, wheat, oats, etc., were in great fettle, but the English land owners preferred to sell these crops in Europe, where they could get a better price. Ireland starved and England would not help. Even when some American Quakers offered to send food to Ireland, the English demanded that it be sent to England first and be shipped over on English ships, similar to what happened in the Gaza strip recently. This was such an outrageous demand that, eventually, the English Parliament acquiesced and the ships were allowed to travel to Ireland directly. Nevertheless approximately one and a half million Irish died and over a million emigrated to Canada and the USA. Then, in the USA the dominant English immigrants treated the Irish like animals. Restaurants had signs that read: “No dogs or Irish allowed.” Huge gangs of British thugs formed in New York and Boston and beat the tar out of the Irish at every opportunity until the Irish organized their own gangs and fought back. During the Mexican – American War, the newly arrived and conscripted Irish who were fighting for their new homeland realized the injustice being perpetrated upon Mexico by this war and many of them switched sides to fight for the Mexicans, who they believed were the underdog. Those who were captured were hanged in front of the rest of the Irish American contingent, to discourage anymore truth-based loyalty problems. The brutality by England continued through the early nineteen hundreds and into the middle twentieth

century with groups like the Orangemen and the “Black and Tans” terrorizing Irish Catholics in Ulster. Was it these experiences that made the Irish and the Jews more sensitive to the plight of the underdog? In the USA, Irish populations have traditionally been Democrat, the Kennedy family being one of the most prominent. The Jews were active in the civil rights era, marching with African Americans to Selma and on Washington in support of equal rights, but if you listen to the news, watch television, read the papers, you will find that attitudes amongst these two peoples have changed dramatically. What is going on? I am half Irish and I am ashamed of this behavior. Has the attitude amongst the normally compassionate Jews changed because of the old adage: “The enemy of my enemy is my friend” and therefore whoever kills Arabs is a friend of Israel and Jews around the world? Is it possible that the mercy and understanding traditionally shown by these two groups of people is only grounded in their own experience and is not more deeply rooted in a compassionate philosophy? How sad would it be to find that people can

only show compassion if they themselves have suffered. Has no-one any imagination anymore? Surely people don’t have to have suffered to know what it is to be treated with hatred, contempt, prejudice and violence. I call on these two peoples to examine their roots or, if they are too far removed from them, to recognize that there are certain universals that we share with everyone on the planet; universals that go beyond religious, ethnic and national differences. Mothers love their children, people have families throughout the world, they argue, reconcile, love, cry, and laugh. Everyone wants to get ahead and better his or her life and everyone wants to live in peace. It is the greedy and ambitious war mongers and industrialists who want people to fight and, with words like “honor,” “glory,” “bravery” “patriotism” and even the word “peace,” they will send the younger generations into battle to die without the slightest twinge of conscience. There is not one main stream religion that preaches violence. What in the name of all your Gods are you thinking?

John Ward

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RAMON R AMON N NOVARRO OVARRO ——A A Super Super Star Star w with itth O Only nly O One ne D Demon emon By Frank Javier Garcia Berumen Reviewed by Tod Jonson

amon Novarro holds a prominent place as one of the legendary matinee idols of silent and talking films, regardless of race. Novarro conjures up the era of the great silent screen lovers that included Rudolph Valentino, John Gilbert, John Barrymore, Antonio Moreno and Ronald Colman. It is the flickering image of the courtly cavalier, of illicit and impossible love and beautiful women, of adventure and high purpose. It is filled with the glamour and allure that only Hollywood of that Golden Age could produce. It is a glimmering image that is at once comforting and deceptive. Novarro’s biographer, (U.C.L.A. and Harvard historian and educator) Frank Javier Garcia Berumen, agrees and— bluntly says so. The Hollywood screen star known the entire world over as Ramon Novarro was born in Durango, Mexico. Ramon’s mother drew from Aztec nobility while his father drew from Spanish conquistadors. Thus, Navarro had more American blood in his veins than George Washington, born in Virginia but from British ancestors. Novarro performed in 100 films as a bit player before he signed his first contract to perform in the silent film version (1917) of Joan of Arc titled Joan, the Woman, starring the celebrated actress Geraldine Farrar. After working with Farrar, he moved on to DeMille and Mary Pickford for The Little American. From that point on, he only worked with the top stars and

directors of the day. It was the dangling of the role of “Messala” in Ben-Hur that finally lured Novarro away from doing Independent films to doing contract films with Metro (which eventually became MGM). Oddly enough, when Novarro finally filmed Ben-Hur, it wasn’t the role of “Messala,” it was the lead role instead that he played. He was too big a star to have second billing as previously had been decided by the studio. Under contract to MGM, he made 29 more films, including BenHur, Scaramouche, Prisoner of Zenda, The Arab, The Red Lily, The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam, The Student Prince, Marti Hari, and the Midshipman plus another 20 others, most of which received glowing reviews. Alcohol became a severe problem as age crept in. There was also the private versus the public persona. Whatever the vicissitudes and orientation in his private life, it seems to have brought him no lasting happiness. His public persona brought him undreamed of wealth and legendary fame, yet being a movie star was his real hell. In time, these contradictions must have become his demons. Alcohol failed to resolve/dispel these inner conflicts. But his status is assured through his magnificent films. He will live on as the handsome hero, but also as an actor of depth and skill. He reigned during the pre-Academy Awards. Had there been, he would have had a mantle filled with Oscars. His life was one that brought untold joy, happiness, and inspiration to millions of fans throughout the world during times of poverty, depression, and war. In 1968, he was murdered during a home-invasion robbery for a mere $45.00. Tod Jonson

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Three in a Cage By Janice Kimball Book Review by James Tipton 181 pages $200 pesos

hree in a Cage is about creating family. It is also about loss, longing, survival, injustice, adaptation, rescue, and love. Long-time local artist Janice Kimball is the creator and owner of Aztec Art and Weaving Studios in west Ajijic, where she lives with her family—the other two characters in this delightful story—Mayan weaving maestro Francisco Urzúa and the lovable Max Bird, a rescued parrot. Around three years ago, as Jani, Francisco, and Max Bird were well on their way to “rescuing each other” and creating “their own world,” Jani realized that she needed to write a book. She would write about what they built together “from our lost identities.” This might become instructions of sort so that others could learn to live “outside the confines of traditional thinking” and thus discover “how to fly without wings.” This, then, is that story. It is filled with touching scenes, with often remarkable conversations between the three characters. Many of these conversations are about the longing each has, in his own way, to fly, and to be understood, and to be loved without conditions, by the two other members of this family. In one touching scene, Max Bird, whose wings for his own protection are clipped, confides to Francisco

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that he would like to be one of those pelicans that fly over the lake “coming in all grouped together yet free, the wind picking up the skirts of their tail feathers as they are about to land on the water, tickling the edges of their concealed down.” Max Bird then asks Francisco, “What do you dream about Maestro?” “Why, I dream about becoming a parrot like you!” Francisco replied caught off guard, and only half in jest. “To be enveloped in another’s arms at night, have my neck scratched, to watch someone else wash the dishes, to receive attention every time I squawked….” Max ponders this a bit and then says, “If I had arms I would help you with the dishes, Maestro, and I would tuck you in, and I would hug you, I would hug you a lot!” Max exclaimed as he leaned into Francisco, stretching out a wing in an attempt to comfort him. All three characters have had lots of tragedy in their lives, and in the course of the story, you learn some of the individual stories of each as they move toward a profound healing that takes place in their creation of a family, a very unusual one, where each in his own way is free because of his devotion to the others, and each is living embraced by the others. This is a classic story, filled with love and hope, and appealing to all ages. Janice Kimball came to Mexico well over a decade ago and opened her first gallery in 2000, “to foster communication between Lake Chapala’s expatriate art community and local Mexican artists.” That has evolved into their beautiful space where they both live and work, Aztec Art and Weaving Studios, just off the Carretera in west Ajijic. For additional information go to www.janicekimball.com or email her at janicekimballmx@gmail. com. Bbook available at her studio, Diane Pearl’s Colecciones, and on Kindle.

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Kay Davis Phone: 376 – 108 – 0278 (or 765 – 3676 to leave messages) Email: kdavis987@gmail.com

PAST EVENTS The November 12th CASA (Culinary Art Society of Ajijc) Meeting/ Competition featured Poultry Main Dish for Category A and for Category B, a Complimentary Side Dish. The judges were Lorraine Keefer, Cheryl Davis and Chef Eric Enciso Carde- CASA Speakers Guillermo Martin Brocher nas Leonardo. Speakers and Bernardo Brocher flank Beth Cathcart at the November meeting (speaker coordinator) were father and son: Bernardo Brocher and Guillermo Martin Brocher from Argentina. The discussion was about the differences between poultry in Mexico and that in Argentina, and Argentinian cooking methods for poultry. First Place in Category A was awarded to Nancy Traill for her Jiaozi; second place went to Diane Pretti for her Chicken with Olives, Cherries and Port Sauce; third place to Wayne Palfrey for his Chicken with Apple/Sweet Potato Stuffing with Raspberry Chipotle Sauce. Winners in Category B were: first place – Joan Warren for her Eggplant Casserole; second place to Annie Green for her Zesty Lemon Orzo and tied for third place were Helena Feldstein for her Yams with Brown Butter Vinegrette and Maureen Martin for her Choi Fleur Au Gratin. People’s Choice awards went to Diane Pretti for her chicken with Olives, Cherries and Port Sauce and to Paula Haarvi for her Pea Salad with Toasted Almonds. The CASA Membership voted for their new 2013 Executive Board of Directors. Elected were: President – Pat Carroll, Vice President – Annie Green, Treasurer – Karen Blue, Secretary – Rick Feldmann, Director at Large – Sandy Feldmann. Anyone interested in joining CASA , please contact president Pat Carroll at 7663144 or email casalakeside@yahoo.com. Please visit the CASA website at www. ajijiccasa.org. On November 22, at El Centro Cultural Gonzalez (the remodeled train station) there was an “event of literature and music” organized by the popular local poet Evelia Lara. It was a rich program with a combination of music and readings uplifting to the spirit as well as the mind. If you missed this one, look for the next one. They are free of charge. The Cruz Roja Golf Tournament was a major success. Everyone had a great

Winners: Manny Braovac, George Slingerland, Jean Paul Ciantar, Bruno Joachim

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time although there was no hole in one; but lots of terrific prizes were won, including hotel stays on both coasts, and greens fees at two top courses near Puerto Vallarta. Cruz Roja Lakeside serves over 140,000 people and provides services 24/7 around the lake. The Fantasticks cast gathered for a photo shoot. The show ran the end of November through the first few days of December and continued its history of success, much of which is attributable to these fun-loving people. December 1 the brand new Lucky Dog Adoption Center officially opens as a replacement for the dog center that had been in Riberas. For those interested in making a major donation, please contact Chris Bublin at 766 – 4282 or Bob McKeown at 766 – 3504.

– Front row: R Roger Larson, Valeri Jones, Ken Yakiwchuk 2nd row: Christian Garcia Duran, Marie Claire Figadere 3rd row: Fred Koesling, Eduardo Muñoz Zúñiga, John Ward

Barbara Clippinger, Alexis Hoff, Patteye Simpson

On December 4, 5, and 6 A Taste of Tin Pan Alley will be presented at Club Exotica on the Ajijic Plaza. Enjoy a gourmet holiday buffet, listen to the songs from the “Golden Age of Music” and enjoy dances of The Roaring Twenties – Mac Morrison and Don D’Carl will be singing your favorite romantic ballads with Judy Hendricks and Patteye Simpson. Greg Clarke, Alexis Hoff, Val Jones and Cortland Jones will be tapping away and stepping out! Reminisce with us and remember songs like “Putting on the Ritz”, “That Old Black Magic”, “Blue Skies”, “Dream a Little Dream of Me”, “Over the Rainbow” and so many more. Directed by Barbara Clippinger, Choreography by Alexis Hoff and Music Direction by Patteye Simpson. Your host for the evening is Russell Mack. Tickets at Diane Pearl’s, Mia’s, and the Lake Chapala Society, 10 – 12. All this for only $300 pesos – all proceeds go to the Tepehua Community Center in Chapala where young lives are saved and changed

every day. The motto, “Helping a village help itself” is what it’s all about. On December 7, 3 – 6 p.m. at the Efren Gonzales Gallery at Marcos Castellanos #7 in Ajijic, the Lake Chapala Painting Guild is opening a really good art show. Refreshments will be served. The artists shown will be Martha Bryce, Carolina, Geraldine Claussen, Sydney Gay, Winnie Hunt, Bev Kephart, Julie Elizabeth Mignard, Betty Petersen and Lois Schroff. These artists are in a class of their own. Have a peek. You might find something irresistible. December 13 at Estrellita’s B&B next door to LCS on 16 de Septiembre, Patricia Hemingway will give a reading from her new book of stories, The One Who Got Away. Doors will open at 3:15 p.m. for wine and cheese, followed by the reading and book signing. The Lakeside School for the Deaf & Children with Special Needs sponsors home tours, escorting participants to sev-

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El Ojo del Lago / December 2012

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eral very special Lakeside homes. The remaining tours run through March 2013. Mark the following dates: December 13 (Christmas Home Tour & Party), January 24, February 28 and March 28. Tours, approximately two hours in length, begin at 10:30 a.m. at the foot of Colón in Ajijic. On December 12 at the Early Bird Café in Ajijic, there will be a book signing by author Valerie Siegel of Who Rescued Who? about rescue dogs. The time is scheduled for 11:30 – 1:30 so that attendees may have a meal or a beverage and meet some of the dogs whose stories are in One of the homes on tour the book. 30% of the proceeds will be donated to (1) Ajijic Rotary Dog Assisted Therapy Training which teaches children empathy, respect, and self-confidence as they learn to use dogs in a therapeutic setting; and (2) Animal Buddies Feeding Program that distributes food to shelters and foster settings for dogs and cats waiting for homes. Good stories, good cause. Los Cantantes del Lago Christmas concert ¡Una Navidad Magnifica! with Music Director Timothy G. Ruff Welch is almost upon us. The popular choir will perform the Bach Magnificat as well as Mexican carols. This will be a joint event with CREM (Centro Regional de Estudios Musicales, Music Director Emmanuel Medeles). The concert is a wonderful combination of classical, traditional and folk music all wrapped up in one beautiful concert. Performances are December 14 at 4 p.m., and December 15 at 7 p.m., Plaza de la Ribera, formerly the Sol y Luna. Bar opens one hour prior to concert. Tickets are $250 pesos: Diane Pearl Colecciones, Mia’s Boutique, or by emailing cantantesdellago@gmail.com. Directions to Plaza de la Ribera: head west from Ajijic to Rio Bravo in West Ajijic; head downhill about 1-1/2 blocks. It’s on the left. Most parking is on the street so leave time to walk a short ways. The facilities are pleasant and there is seating for cocktails. The show is well worth it. On December 28, 29 and 30th, The Naked Stage show will perform Private Lives by Noel Coward, directed by Betty Lloyd-Robinson. The cast is Liz White, Fred Koesling, Diana Rowland and Jim Lloyd, some of the best we have. This will be a special reading, dress-up optional, botanas and bubbly to follow the shows. Price $150 pesos. Call Diana at 766 – 6004 or (cell) 331 – 412 – 8286. Mulitple Events: Lake Chapala Society urges members to renew ASAP to avoid being Private Lives, a fun comedy dropped from the catalog. But wait! We can renew online using a credit card or PayPal. Renew prior to December 15 to appear in the new catalog; don’t delay. On December 9 at 10:30 a.m. during Open Circle on the back patio, Janice Kimball, Francisco and Max the Bird will make a presentation introduced by Jim Tipton. The “dramatic reading” will be set by a display of prehispanic-inspired tapestries created at Aztec Studies. The reading will be Chapter 17, “Ponderings of the Soul”, from the newly released book Three in a Cage. In this chapter Max tells of the fear he has of the weavings of snakes, man-eating crocodiles, and sacrificial sites that hang on the studio walls. Discussion will continue over lunch at a nearby restaurant to be announced at Open Circle. There is still time to buy those wonderful Christmas cards drawn by the Children’s Art Program participants. There will be many travelers heading to the border for visits home. Some will carry US and Canadian mail to post north of the Rio Grande. The cards are sometimes talented, other times just darling. Either way they make an appropriate greeting and donation to the kids’ program. Several of the graduates have become successful local artists. Just 20 pesos per card at the office, a good deal. Visit www.lakechapalasociety.com for even more info. Lakeside Little Theatre news: Best Wishes is the December story and the exciting news is that Bill Barker, the play’s author, will be at LLT for opening night. Openings are already special with a red carpet welcome and a free glass of wine with the cast. This play ran 9 months in LA where it was named “Critic’s Choice” by the LA Times. This is the first international production. The play runs December 8 – 16. It is the heartfelt story of grown children returning to pay their final respects to their mother, their family home and the small town they know they will never see again. Tickets are $200 pesos per seat, $250 for the musical. For the full listing of shows,

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box office and ticket information and to get email updates, go to www.lakesidelittletheatre.com. Box office hours are 10 – 1 and one hour prior to each performance. Sunday box office access is just prior to a show. Curtain time is 7:30 p.m. with Sunday matinees at 3 p.m. Singers, Dancers, Actors - LLT’s musical is The Drowsy Chaperone to show February 16 – 26. Auditions are over, but you can still contact Director Dave McIntosh for further details at davewin@shaw.ca. Barbara Clippinger is Choreographer and Judy Hendricks is Musical Director. To volunteer behind the scenes, the LLT is always looking for people to train. Niños Incapacitados del Lago Schedule: So far in 2012, Niños has assisted 127 children and Young people with disabilities such as cerebral palsy, diabetes, cancer and birth defects. In addition to paying for wheelchairs, Best Wishes poster orthopedic braces and other medical equipment, the organization pays for medications, x-rays and diagnostic tests not covered by family insurance. Upcoming events: January 15 – Trivia Quiz Event at Real de Chapala January 25 – Robbie Burns Night March 14 – Major fundraiser “All Aboard the Orient Express” VIVA! La Musica Fall Schedule: The final 2012 concert Opera Gala, organized by Viva La Musica will take place on the December 6 at 7 p.m. at St. Andrews Anglican Church, Riberas del Pilar, located at the corner of Calle St. Luis and Calle St. Lucas. There is a parking lot and street parking. The program will feature areas from operas: Mozart – Don Giovanni; Cilea – L’Arlesiana; Puccini – La Rondina, Manon Lescaut and La Boheme; De Falla – La Vida Breve; Sorozabal – La Taberna del Puerto; Chapi – Las Hijas de Cebedeo; and Penella – El Gato Montes. Soloists coming from Guadalajara are Patricia Perez (soprano) and César Delgado (tenor), accompanied by Andres Sarre. This concert will conclude Viva’s concert programming for the 2012 year in a festive mood appropriately timed at the beginning of the holiday season. Tickets are $200 pesos for Viva members, $300 pesos for non-members except students at $100 pesos. Tickets are available at César Delgado LCS on Thursdays and Fridays 10 – 12, at Diane Pearl’s at the corner of Colon and Ocampo and at the door before the concert. Bus trips to “Live from the Met” Opera continues and they are filling up fast. Call Marshall Krantz at 766 – 2834 or Rosemary Keeling at 766 – 1801 for additional information or to get on the list. You can buy tickets at LCS on Thursday and Friday mornings 10 – 12 at $300 pesos for members, $400 for non-members. Remember: Viva buys the right number of tickets 7 – 10 days before each event. Dec. 1 Mozart – La Clemenza de Tito Dec. 2 Mahler – Symphony No. 4, Grieg Piano Concerto Dec. 8 Verdi – Un Ballo en Maschera Dec. 15 Verdi – Aida Jan. 12 Berlioz – Les Troyennes Jan. 19 Donizetti – Maria Stuarta Feb. 16 Verdi – Rigoletto Mar. 2 Wagner – Parsifal Apr. 27 Handel – Julius Caesar The bus (or buses) departure is 90 minutes prior to performance time (10:30 a.m.) and leaves from the carretera in front of Farmacia Guadalajara. Due to the length of the performance, some departure times are subject to change. For information on performers, please go to the New York Metropolitan Opera website for the season 2012 – 2013.

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Saying Her Name Poems by Margaret Van Every Tallahassee: Librophilia Press (2012) 150 pesos Reviewed by Michael McGrath

t is fair to say that when we lose a parent, especially when we are young, we are the lost ones - at least for a while. But sometimes it takes a lifetime of battling heartache and confusion in order to find ourselves. The lifelong struggle to find herself after her mother’s death is what Margaret Van Every’s new book of poems, Saying Her Name, is all about. Part of the struggle had to do with suddenly having no role model to follow as an example of how to be a woman. Another part of the struggle had to do with a stern father who had neither the will nor the way to help Margaret in the ‘becoming’ stage of her life. Therefore, she had to develop the will and discover the way alone. She succeeded admirably. However, according to the book, that success was arrived at by a lifetime of difficult trials and regrettable errors - at least insofar as Margaret was concerned. And yet, as we see Margaret through her poetry today, we may only see the successful woman and the highly skilled artist. It is therefore well worthwhile to read her poetry to learn what she has gone through to become that woman and that artist. I see it as a valuable lesson for all of us - particularly we men who may have no idea of what the women in our lives may go through to become themselves. For those who have read Margaret’s poetry before, you will find that Saying Her Name shows the same brilliance with wit and humor that was so obvi-

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ous and enjoyable in her first book, A Pillow Stuffed with Diamonds. However, in this new collection, that wit and humor is accompanied by and alternated with a grittier and more biting interplay of words that reveals the dark side as well as the light side of her life. This can be seen in the following passage from Cinderella at Age 50: ...men are like shoes. Some you can break in, some you endure. Those rigid as glass you shed as you dash for the door. Some you can live with, some you can’t. Alas, we never know until we try them. The duality of light and dark and the interplay of humor and pathos evident here pervade the collection and engage the senses in ways that create powerful emotional impacts. More than anything else, what I find delightful when reading Margaret’s poems is that I am constantly surprised to discover the ways in which her words, images, ironies, and metaphors lead me to new ways of looking at familiar experience and make me say to myself, “I never thought of it that way before.” It often leaves me laughing through my tears. I am confident that any who read Margaret’s remarkable collection will find ample opportunity for both responses. Saying Her Name is available in the Lakeside area at Diane Pearl Colecciones, The Oasis Cloud Cyber Cafe, and directly from the author at margaret. vanevery@gmail.com

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View From The South Shore

By Kerry Watson kerry.r.watson1@gmail.com

hen I moved to the south shore, to ride my horse safely alone I decided that I needed to learn how to ride Mexican-style. The Mexican school of riding is specifically adapted to the conditions of this area. While it is based on the Spanish school, it has taken the best of English and Western and developed its own equipment and techniques. Like any school of riding, the equipment and techniques can be severe, or can be the gentlest “horse whisperer” kind of technique that works with the horse’s psyche. In my riding adventures around Ajijic, I had the pleasure to ride with a horse whisperer kind of trainer, an Indio man named Jose Luis, who turns out the gentlest, most wonderful horses even though they were usually young stallions. In the US few male horses are stallions, so we tend to believe that stallions are wild creatures. But Mexicans rarely neuter (geld) a horse. Even the teenage girl Escaramuza riders, who perform amazing synchronized ballet on horseback, sidesaddle, all ride stallions. I begged Jose Luis to teach me and my horse how to ride Mexican, promising to do everything he said, no matter how strange it seemed to me. Jose Luis took in my horse and turned him into one of his patented Mexican horses. He put him in a Mexican saddle and taught him to ride

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with confidence through all kinds of obstacles and brush and flying bags. He always protected my horse’s sensitive mouth, slowly finding the perfect, gentle Mexican bit for him from his collection of hundreds. In Mexico, when a horse is sold the bit goes with him, so he has the same bit for life. The reins are one short loop of rope for one-finger control, like a joystick. I learned that Mexican riding is a dance with the horse. It’s all about the “ritmo,” the rhythm: keeping the ritmo is everything. At first I rode another horse while he rode mine, then switching, and as we rode hour after hour I learned that there is a purpose for everything. Every piece of latigo (leather strips) is meant for tying something a rain poncho, a flask or canteen, the lead rope to the halter which is always left on the horse in case he falls down a mountain. The rope is rolled and tied with specific knots, like in boating. The saddle horn is large and flat so it can’t puncture a gut, and a lasso can be looped around it. The pommel or front ledge of the saddle is high, holding you in the correct position. The stirrups are slightly forward in a “chair position,” comfortably between Western and dressage. A machete scabbard ties under your left leg with the hilt near your hand to hack away the vines that grow across the trails during the rainy season. After many hours of instruction, my horse and I are riding alone for a few minutes, then half an hour, then a full ride. We are both comfortable in our new Mexican skins. It is time to take him to his new home on the south shore. In my last lesson, Jose Luis informs me that no self-respecting Mexican would ride without a sombrero; it is like riding without a shirt or pants. On my way home that day I pick out a handsome hat. In my rides on the south shore I have kept my promise to Jose Luis to do what he says, resisting the urge to do things the American way. I am keeping the rhythm. Kerry Watson

The Night Before Christmas On Mexico’s Coast

It’s the night before Christmas, but I live at the beach. I’m afraid a white Christmas is out of my reach. No snow, no sleigh bells, no Santa’s reindeer, The sound of the surf is all that I hear. I miss mistletoe and I miss all the holly Strung lights on my cactus, it wasn’t as jolly What I wouldn’t give for some eggnog right now Tequila’s just not as festive somehow. Now don’t get me wrong, I love living here But I get a bit homesick this time of the year When the kids were young, I’d be up until three, Wrapping their gifts to put under the tree. They’re all grown up now with lives of their own Instead of their hugs, it’s a call on the phone Hey dad, how are you? How’s Christmas down there? They tell me they love me. I know that they care It’s enough I suppose and I’m glad that they’re well Maybe next year they’ll visit, wow, that would be swell But tonight it’s just the missus and me And two cats – they’re the reason we can’t have a tree On the satellite radio I hear Crosby croon Irving Berlin’s wistful holiday tune And I realize I’m not the first one to dwell On Christmases past, we remember so well But the hour is late, it’s past time for bed The tequila I’ve sipped has gone straight to my head So I take my love’s hand and step out for some air And gaze at the stars hoping Santa’a up there He isn’t of course, as I’ve known all along, And that cheery white Christmas is only a song But I hold my love to me and give her a kiss, And ask - does it get any better than this? We live in a tropical heaven on earth Enjoying good health, aware of its worth I have everything I’ve ever wanted and more And a Christmas as white as the sand on the shore Merry Christmas to all David Lyons

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Jaltepec Changed Her Life Forever By Sally and Mike Myers

licia Rameño Chavez is living proof that attending Jaltepec Centro Educativo, an all-girl hotel and hospitality management technical university, located in the mountains above the village of El Chante, can change lives, not just for the students but also for their families and generations to come. Alicia started Jaltepec in the fall of 1968, and was in the very first graduating class in 1970. Now, at age 62, Alicia feels she owes her success and the successes of her family to Jaltepec. She first heard about the school from her brother, who was a gardener for one of the original members of the foundation, which established this educational center for girls from impoverished families. She quickly enrolled and has never looked back. Now the mother of eight children, five girls and three boys, and the grandmother of fourteen children, she says her life would have been very different without her experience at Jaltepec. She credits the school with instilling in her a work ethic that she has been able to pass on to her children. Alicia says, “If you are going to do a job, you must do it well.” After graduation, Alicia got a job cooking for a private family in Ajijic. She then moved on to a small condominium complex where she cooked for ten families. Fifteen years ago, she started, with her husband, Cristobal, a taco business in their home; eight years ago, they bought a truck and now have a taco stand in the main plaza of San Juan Cosalá, which they open every night at 7 p.m. Her husband has even benefited from Jaltepec. Because of her, he learned to read and write. Together, they have given their children a strong value system including belief in yourself, do any job correctly and well, keep God in your life, and the importance of family. All of her children have completed higher education. Her oldest son Cristobal, Jr., attended military school and he just completed seven years of service to his country. Marisol attended a technical university and holds an administrative position. Teresa is a cook-

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ing teacher at the University of Monterrey. Another daughter, Monserrat, lives in Utah and works in retail sales. There is another teacher in the family, Jose, who studied computer engineering and is also a musician. Gabriel is a lawyer. Bernardette is an accountant. The youngest daughter, Alexia, just finished preparatory school and is considering attending Jaltepec. As busy as they all are, the whole family comes together at festival times to help their parents run the taco business. Alicia attributes the success of her children to teaching them to be better people. She says, “There is violence and drugs everywhere, but teaching them good values and faith has kept our family united.” The children have been on the receiving end of their parent’s work ethic, and have learned not to waste time, to work hard, and always try to be a better person. If you would like to attend the Christmas at Jaltepec Luncheon, on Wednesday, December 12th, please contact Linda Buckthorp, at buckthorplm@gmail.com. You will enjoy a Taste of Los Cantantes, followed by a delicious Roast Turkey Dinner, with all the trimmings, prepared and served by the students. It is a wonderful event made even better by seeing the young girls in action. In January, there will be an open house and tour of the school, followed by a lunch. This is a great time to get to know the school and the students. Watch the Lakeside Living column for dates and times. If you are in San Juan Cosalá any evening and find yourself feeling hungry, look in front of the church and you will find Alicia, her husband, and possibly other family members serving the best tacos in town. Alicia is a true success story and it all started for her at Jaltepec.

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TEATIME WITH MOTHER By Bonnie L. Phillips

can’t remember how I got here. Or how long I’ve sat in my mother’s favorite chair. But here I am, sitting on the clear plastic furniture protector with the purple peony upholstery safely guarded from spilled milk and the dog’s muddy footprints. I am twelve years old and my eyes follow the contours of the mysterious people and animals along the border of the finely woven carpet beneath the teak coffee table. Steam escapes the spout of the teapot and a plate of butter cookies awaits us. It is teatime and Mother is late. I worry about her. Mother frowns upon anyone rude enough to forget the importance of being prompt. I see the grandfather clock, next to the finely carved mantel, as though through a faint mist. It keeps up its steady rhythm; the rhythm of our house’s heartbeat, the rhythm that measures our lives from day to day. A light breeze billows out the rich, dark drapes and filtered sunlight is sifted through the sheer window panels. I check the clock. Mother is ten minutes late. Unheard of. I adjust my skirt and fluff my shoulder length hair; it feels thin and seems to have fewer curls today. I hear a sound and wonder if it’s Mother’s footfall. It is not. “Teddy?” I call out, expecting to see our German Shepherd bound into the room. All is silent. I feel tired. Suddenly and strangely tired. I want the hot tea but cannot

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bring myself to begin without Mother. Perhaps she will serve us today as I do not have the energy to do so. My mind feels as if I am coming out of a heavy sleep and I feel trapped between two worlds. Foreign letters catch my eye. I stare at odd-shaped symbols, symbols that resemble some form of writing, painted across what once were our pristine walls. I look around the room and feel like a stranger. What has happened to our home? Fatigue affects me; that must be it. Yet my eyes see what they see. Cobwebs criss-cross the broken windows clouded with years of dust. There are no drapes. Shadows and darkness create strangely shaped mounds of debris spread across wooden floors that look unsafe because of dry rot. Where is our coffee table? Our tea and cookies? I look down at my hands. They are covered in wrinkles, old age spots, and parchment thin skin. I am sitting in a dilapidated empty room; seated upon a wooden crate. Pain spreads from my chest down my left arm. I feel nauseous and confused. A long and full-lifetime of photo-memories flit through my mind. Above me the moldy ceiling rips and splits apart in a thunderous explosion to expose a salmon-colored sunset. Celestial ribbons of light shine upon me and draw me up; up towards Mother who is smiling and welcoming me with open arms.

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TEPEHUA T EPEHUA CENTRO CENTRO COMUNITARIO COMUNITARIO By Cameron Peters

“Helping a Village to Help Itself”

here’s magic in the smile of a Mexican child. Multiple that by a hundred happy, well-fed smiling faces and you have a milagro (miracle)! That’s the Tepehua Centro Communitario. And that’s what I saw when I visited the Centro on a couple of typical Friday mornings. Moonyeen King (“Moonie”) invited me to visit the Centro to see what’s happening. It’s a “happenin’ place” for sure! On Fridays, the Centro feeds between 100 and 200 healthy breakfasts to residents, children and adults, of Tepehua, Chapala’s poorest neighborhood and one of the poorest in Jalisco. Food is dished out from a not quite large enough kitchen (expan-

sion is in the works thanks to Rotary Club programs). The littlest kids have their own dining room with tot-sized tables and chairs at which they’re lovingly attended by ex-pat volunteers and Tepehua residents who are “paid” with coupons which they can redeem at the thrift store upstairs. The older children and adults eat in a cafeteriastyle room across the hall. Kids and adults scurry everywhere giving the impression of well- oiled chaos. The Centro also has a “meals on wheels” program to deliver food to the housebound. Behind the dining areas, there is a spotless, free medical and dental clinic staffed by volunteers. Many Tepehua residents have never seen a doctor or dentist and without the Centro their problems would go undiagnosed and untreated. Problems

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that can’t be treated at the Centro can be handled through IMSS, Seguro Popular or through the Centro’s network of medical providers willing to help. I spoke at length with Dr. Geo Ruwwe, a retired U.S. dental surgeon who obtained his Mexican dental license and now volunteers at the Friday clinic. He told me, “Every Friday’s like a pop quiz. I never know what I’m going to see”. He proudly demonstrated the clinic’s therapeutic laser machine which he uses to treat many conditions from migraines to sciatica. This equipment as well as an entire dental office’s equipment was purchased with donated funds as are all the equipment and supplies. To date there has been no public funding for the Centro. The Centro survives solely on donations and very much needs your help. That’s not all that goes on at the Centro. The Education Program helps defray the costs of sending a child to school by providing school supplies, uniforms and registration fees. This year Costco donated over 200 school backpacks. Currently the Centro is working on a program to obtain birth certificates for children, many of whom are born at home. Children must have birth certificates to enroll in school. The Counseling Program educates the Tepehua community about topics such as prenatal care, drug and alcohol abuse, nutrition and spousal and child abuse.

There are also English classes, sewing classes and cancer prevention and intervention classes. A new program is planned which will certify young women to be home health aides, a growing industry Lakeside. So how did it all begin? The Centro is located in the building which originally housed Love In Action. When Love in Action moved, the building was abandoned and vandalized. Moonyeen King, who is now President of the Centro, and a number of volunteers determined to start a community center. With the fundraising assistance of Geoffrey Kaye of the Animal Shelter Store, $60,000 USD was raised to renovate the building and a 99-year lease was negotiated with Love In Action. The Centro opened in 2010. Seeing the building today, you would never believe it was a wreck

such a short time ago. It’s freshly painted and newly tiled and reflects the Tepehua community’s pride in having a base from which to help itself. What’s next? A Christmas party will be held on December 21 at which the Centro will serve Christmas comida to 500 Tepehua residents! They will also receive gift bags from Santa with small gifts and vouchers to spend at the Centro’s thrift store. As soon as funds are available, the enclosed yard behind the building will be paved and otherwise improved to become a play area for the children. Please don’t forget that the Centro now has a shop, the “Tepehua Treasures Consignment Shop” next to Magana’s Restaurant in Riberas del Pilar. The 30% which the Shop takes from sale proceeds goes entirely to the Centro’s education programs for children and adults. For more information about the Tepehua Centro Communitario or the Tepehua Treasures Consignment Shop, please contact Moonyeen King at moonie1935@yahoo.com, Susan Netherton at nachonana41@hotmail. com or Brenda Wyma at theclarkes. vdl@gmail.com.

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IN THE LAND OF THE HOUYHNHNMS By Mel Goldberg

fter Leona visited a farm as a child of eight, she decided she wanted to be a horse when she grew up. Each time they visited the farm, she went to the meadow and spoke to the horses. They were friendly and nuzzled her hand when she brought them apples. Her father, a musician, had always said that to be good at something, you must practice. So she practiced galloping through the house, imagining how it would be when she was on the plains, taking graceful strides, running free with her hair flowing behind her. Her mother said, “You’re a little girl, and little girls cannot grow up to be horses. You must grow up to be a woman. You are fortunate to live in these times. You can be a nurse or even a doctor. Maybe you can be a teacher or an executive with a large corporation.” In high school she took aptitude tests. Her counselor told her she was good with language and critical thinking. “Maybe you should study law Lawyers make more money than most people.” Leona thought about what her counselor said. Making money seemed to be a good thing, especially if she wanted to get married and have a family. So Leona went to school and became a lawyer. For many years she argued cases for poor people and rich people. Arguing cases made her feel

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good whether she won or lost. She raised her family and although she didn’t become wealthy, she made a comfortable living. Her children grew up, left home, and got married. A few years later, after her husband died, she began to feel strange in her big house. And after she retired, she felt lost. She had no cases to argue and she started to forget things. Sometimes she forgot to eat. She forgot to lock her doors at night. She began to forget more and more, like her children’s names or where they lived. She even forgot the names of her grandchildren. Then one day she decided to take a bus to the country and got off near a big field. Then she remembered what her father had told her. She scooted through the split-log fence, shook her hair loose, and ran across the field, tossing her head up and down, her long white hair trailing behind her. She whinnied with her friends and watched for the little girl with the apples. MEL’S BOOKS ARE AVAILABLE AS EBOOKS SHORT STORIES: A Cold Killing http://uploadnsell.com/buy/fxRCpA POETRY A Few Berries Shaken From the Tree http://uploadnsell.com/buy/PfYbba If We Survive http://uploadnsell.com/buy/OFuPdD VISIT MEL’S WEBSITE: www.authormelgoldberg.com

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Turns Out, I Love My Kindle By Carol A. Curtis

lthough I love most technologies and adopt them quickly, I couldn’t imagine myself letting go of a “real book”. Going to a bookstore and wandering for an hour…finally deciding on a few, new books…taking them home and appreciating their addition to my coffee table…and finally picking one up for hours of page-turning pleasure. How could I give this up for a thin, black device? It turned out to be easy. As a retirement gift, I was given a Kindle and an Amazon gift card. To match this, my husband got a Kindle for Father’s Day. So, when we headed to Mexico for book reading, leisure time, we thought we just might find these little gadgets helpful. Our first purchases were some $12.95 best sellers. Enjoyable reads as we learned to click the correct buttons and increase font size for easy reading. Soon the gift card ran out and we started looking for bargains, since we needed to be able to eat as well as read. Gotta love Amazon! They make bargain hunting easy; they even e-mail you links to specials picked just for your taste. We started with $3.99 books; soon followed by ones as cheap as $1.99. Not all were great, but either were all the expensive paperbacks we bought in the bookstores. Finally, we started checking out the free books. Free? Who gives away a book? It turns out that there are many good reasons for web writers to want to get their books into the hands of Kindle readers, especially if there are

additional books in a series or by the same author. Get hooked on one…you just might pay real money for the next one. When we find a free book offer, we certainly check it out quickly. The offers don’t last long. For example, we were able to get Open Season by Archie Mayor for free. This is the first in a series of detective stories set in Vermont. A good read back when we paid full price for the paperback. Toymaker by Chuck Barrett is the sequel to The Savannah Project and is a thriller centered on stopping several terrorist attacks. We paid $.99 for the first novel and got the second one for free. Hard to beat that! Natural Causes by James Oswald is set in Edinburgh. The city is beset with seemingly unconnected deaths and a foreboding evil. How about The Last Justice by Anthony Franze? What would happen if a gunman took out six Supreme Court justices in their own hallowed halls? It seems as if Amazon thought of us as quite macabre…lots of blood and gore. Really, we do read other genres, especially when they are free. Colin Firth (The Man Who Would Be King) by Sandro Monette was pretty good. No dirt, which was nice. Immortality by Kevin Bohacz gets the reader thinking about how one little biological tweak can wreak havoc on the world. The Blood upon the Rose by Tim Vicary is set in Ireland in 1919 and tells a fictional story that lets you see the divided loyalties of the time. As a library we really have grown to appreciate our techno gadget. But, we also discovered other niceties. We’ve learned to e-mail documents to our Kindles; we can carry health records and prescription information right on the Kindle. I can keep a recipe file that’s available on my Kindle, plus a shopping list. And when you’re looking for a few minutes of mind exercise, trying playing Triple Town! It always feels great to blow up those demons. Carol A. Curtis

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The Poets’ Niche By Mark Sconce msconce@gmail.com Poetry Magazine (1912--2012) Centennial Birthday

What with print edition magazines falling like autumn leaves (Newsweek is just the latest), it’s a minor miracle that one bright green leaf will never fall to earth for the foreseeable future. Poetry Magazine is that miracle, the oldest monthly devoted to verse in the Englishspeaking world. Miraculous is the only way to d describe b that h d day in 2002 when h a lawyer informed Poetry’s editor that Ruth Lilly, 94, heiress to the Eli Lilly Pharmaceutical Company, had just willed a staggering $100 million to the little Chicago-based magazine that had so long clung by its financial fingernails. Its four employees were thunder-struck! Poetry was founded in 1912 by a remarkable woman, Harriet Monroe of Chicago, an aesthete who patronized the arts and wrote poetry. Oh, what is the use of a poet, say, If he will not sing me a song to-day? As Poetry’s first editor, Harriet adopted a progressive policy that welcomed unknown poets no matter their style or content. “We shall read with special interest poems of modern significance, but the most classic subject will not be declined if it reaches a high standard of quality. Open Door will be the policy of this magazine— may the great poet we are looking for never find it shut, or half-shut, against his ample genius! To this end the editors . . . desire to print the best English verse which is being written today, regardless of where, by whom, or under what theory of art it is written.” Today, the magazine receives over 90,000 submissions per year worldwide. Unknown poets first published by Poetry included: Ezra Pound: “As cool as the pale wet leaves of lily-of–the-valley, She lay beside me in the dawn.” T.S Eliot: “Let us go then, you and I, when the evening is spread out against the sky like a patient etherized upon a table.” Carl Sandburg: “The fog comes on little cat feet. It sits looking over harbor and city on silent haunches and then moves on.” Wallace Stevens: “The only emperor is the emperor of ice-cream.” William Carlos Williams: “So much depends upon a red wheel barrow glazed with rain water beside the white chickens.” Marianne Moore re: poetry. “I, too, dislike it: there are things that are important beyond all this fiddle.” Edgar Lee Masters: “And if the people find you can fiddle, Why, fiddle you must, for all your life.” Vachel Lindsay: “Then I saw the Congo, creeping through the black, Cutting through the forest with a golden track.” D.H. Lawrence: “There is nothing to save, now all is lost, but a tiny core of stillness in the heart like the eye of a violet.” Needless to say, the Ruth Lilly bequest wrought extraordinary changes beginning with a glistening four-story glass and steel building in downtown Chicago named The Poetry Foundation building, which houses the magazine’s offices, a 30,000 volume library, a performance hall, audio/video facilities and much more. Poetry competitions and cash awards abound. The current Editor, Christian Wiman, writes: “Let us remember that in the end we go to poetry for one reason, so that we might more fully inhabit our lives and the world in which we live them, and that if we more fully inhabit these things, we might be less apt to destroy both.” How sadly ironic that of the many poems Ruth Lilly herself submitted to Poetry, not one was ever published. But as Harriet Monroe noted: We linger not—swiftly the new age runs And he must haste who takes her by the hand. Mark Sconce

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STAY HEALTHY! By J. Manuel Cordova, M. D. Internal Medicine & Geriatric Specialist Mdjmcordova1204@yahoo.com Medicine For The Aging Things To Know And Remember

he older we get, the more “Medicine” becomes an important part of our daily lives. In some cases, It`s a matter of Life or Death. Why then do so many seek treatments and advice from the wrong people? Admittedly, healthcare is complicated and confusing, even for those of us who work with it every day. However, one should always pursue the best option for himself/herself. Last month I referred to the “Public Relations Doctor.” Some Practitioners will treat you for anything even though their formal education is in a different field. You should never under-value the importance of a well-educated, well-trained and experienced physician when it comes to your health. Always check out the qualifications and experience of your provider. I’ve had more complaints come to my attention recently than ever in the past because the practitioners in the area providing services and treatments who are not properly educated or experienced, or on the anecdotic and sometimes experimental and unapproved treatments or empiric treatments. There are many new “buzz” words today in healthcare that refer to treatments and cures. Don’t let that confuse you. When you’re sick, you need qualified help, not the fashion trend of the month. “Alternative Medicine” today incorporates the old with the new. There are treatments and cures that have been very successful for some individuals but not so successful for others. I’ve talked to many people who go to one person for treatment, then another and so on because they are never satisfied with the results. You will have the best ultimate results in care when you have “continuity of care.” Your Medical History, treatments, and illnesses, medications and your recoveries are all important history that your physician needs to know in order for you to get the best results. If you keep changing from one to another each time you are ill, you will lose the advantage of the “continu-

ity of care.” It’s important to have specialists handle problems that deal with their speciality. It is also important for you to understand the difference between a non- trained physician, compared to an educated and well-trained physician. In particular, depending on your age, you should understand the differences between a family doctor or general practitioner, compared to an Internal Medicine Physician or for elderly patients, a Geriatric Physician. Many of the treatments and potions offered today by non-traditional healthcare practitioners have not been tried and tested over long periods of time to fully understand the long term value or the long term risks. We know today, for example, that the long term use and impact of steroids on the body can be a very bad thing and has contributed to the deaths of many people; yet, used properly, in some cases, it can save lives. People complain about the FDA in the U.S. but were it not for certain regulations, the market would be flooded with “cure alls.” Even with all the regulations, you still hear today of cases where medicines have been infected with bacteria or some other contamination. Yet many people every day are taking potions that are formulated and mixed in non-sterile, unregulated, environments. Stay Healthy and best Wishes! (Ed. Note: Dr. Cordova is the president of the Geriatrics and Gerontology Society of Jalisco (SOGEJAL) and has his medical practice here in Lakeside Area. Dr. Cordova

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

WHY I WILL NEVER FLY THROUGH THE US AGAIN Patrick Neary Wow. Thanks for including all the details, which make it clear you don’t have a clue that you deserved the treatment you received. Please carry through with your promise to avoid US airports, for all our sakes! VIEW FROM THE SOUTH SHORE P. Gabanyi Very very nice. Hi from Santa Fe, NM. ON BECOMING CANADIAN Bob Brandson I’m sorry but I just have to say this was effin’ brilliant eh? It’s about time we Canuckistanis got used to some Americanisms like “y’all” eh? Huh? How come? Well ‘cause it won’t be long before our thirsty Yankee cousins will be sucking up our clean water for their parched SoCal lawns eh? And thanks to that traitor Mulroney signing the Not at All Fair Trade Agreement,

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they’ll be legally draining our lakes eh? Maybe it’s time for St. Ronald’s ghost.....I mean Stephen Harper, to make us the 51st state eh..... y’all? ON BECOMING CANADIAN Bill Ross Many people don’t know that his full name is Neil Eh McKinnon, eh. But if he’s so Canadian, how come he’s in Mexico, eh. Ah, claro! It’s ‘cause he failed the Canadian citizenship test, eh. Bonus nachos, and remember kids, eh is for apple, eh. Bill Ross Tronner, Canada, eh.

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THE GHOSTS AMONG US By Fred Mittag “José Enrique de la Peña”

he 200 defenders of the Alamo, highly romanticized, including a film by John Wayne, also comprised a dozen Mexican nationals called Tejanos. They wanted to restore the liberal Mexican 1824 Constitution. Texas did not declare independence until the defenders were already in the Alamo, so as far as they knew, they were fighting against the rule of Santa Anna – not for separation from Mexico. The Alamo was an old Spanish mission for converted Indians that also served as a fortress. Texas independence was significant, because Texas became a republic and then was annexed to the United

States. When that happened, there was a dispute whether the Rio Grande or the Nueces River was the border. Abra-

ham Lincoln, then a congressman, believed it should be the Nueces, which is east of the Rio Grande and would have left Mexico with more territory. The dispute led to the MexicanAmerican war (I always feel a twinge of guilt when I see the monument to the Niños Heroes in Guadalajara.) The result of this war was a huge expansion of territory for the United States, but also, an escalation in the debate over slavery. The abolitionists feared an expansion of slavery into the newly acquired territories, and the slave owners believed they needed to extend slavery in order to preserve it. The sequence of colonization in Mexico by Americans, the rebellion of those colonists, the Republic of Texas, statehood, the Mexican-American War, and the flaming issue of slavery in the new territories are all part of the narrative. One of the most important sources for the history of this era is José Enrique de la Peña. He was an officer in Santa Anna’s Army and kept a diary from which he later wrote an account. Many believed de la Peña’s account of the Mexican campaign in Texas was a forgery, written after his death. His diary reported that Davy Crockett, among six others, surrendered. Then Santa Anna executed them. This contradicted John Wayne’s enhancement,

but Sam Houston knew about the executions and called Santa Anna a “murderer.” More recent scholarship has shown de la Peña’s account to be authentic, and apparent conflicts of time and place have been resolved. History could have been different. De la Peña described Santa Anna as a stubborn, irritable, and incompetent despot, and that there was no reason for Mexico to lose Texas. He wrote that all Santa Anna’s generals advised him to bypass the Alamo, because it had no military value. Even Sam Houston had ordered the Texans to leave, because it wasn’t important and would be impossible to defend. He sent Jim Bowie to the Alamo to destroy it and return to East Texas with all the men and artillery stationed there. Bowie decided to ignore Houston’s orders and stayed to defend the city. Santa Anna lost 600 men to the 200 Alamo defenders. Furthermore, many of his men deserted after the battle to join the Tejanos who wanted a return to the Constitution of 1824. At the Battle of San Jacinto (on today’s Houston Ship Channel), Santa Anna was so confident that he allowed his men an afternoon siesta and posted no guard. Sam Houston took the Mexican army by complete surprise and Texas was won. De la Peña’s account of his time in Texas with Santa Anna is filled with examples of bad planning and strategic mistakes. He criticized Santa Anna for not using the Mexican navy to carry troops and equipment to the eastern part of Texas where the rebellious colonists were. Instead, the Mexican army made long and difficult marches across arid lands. After Texas, de la Peña joined General José de Urrea in armed opposition to the Mexican government in an attempt to restore the Constitution of 1824. This resulted in his imprisonment. It was from multiple prisons that he wrote his account of the campaign in Texas. He became ill and disillusioned before his death in 1841, at age 34. A fellow army officer shot and killed de la Peña on a street corner in Mexico City. Following an auction of $387,500 for the original manuscript of 200 pages, it now belongs to the University of Texas. Access is limited, and researchers are generally provided with photocopies. This article owes a special thanks to Randall Schott, a friend from Texas, for providing a translated copy of de la Peña’s manuscript, with scholarly analysis. The English title of the book is With Santa Anna in Texas. Fred Mittag

El Ojo del Lago / December 2012

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New Team Supports Lake Chapala Society’s Student Aid Program (SAP) By Blue

J. Gibson and Maricruz Ibarra team up to continue the good work of LCS’ Student Aid Program.

hen Coralie White retired from managing the LCS Student Aid Program after 19 years, a new dynamic duo stepped in to fill her shoes. During those years, Coralie helped nearly 300 students with funds raised through donations and annual LCS fundraising events. When she started, there were six students aided by the LCS Student Aid Program; now there are 35 Mexican students in the TEC and University programs. The new team, consisting of J. Gibson and Maricruz Ibarra, hopes to add an additional 10 students in 2013. J. (only the initial, he insists) is a Canadian who has lived and taught abroad in such exotic locations as Egypt, the UAE and Malaysia. He retired and came to Oaxaca in 1996 and has since moved to Ajijic. When asked why, he stated simply, “It’s the best place to live in Mexico where I can help people. There are so many expats here that dedicate themselves to helping.” J. has also become a Mexican citizen and is bilingual. J.’s background is in computer science and he has developed software programs for tracking the students’ grades, the funds they receive and their progress in school. He also vol-

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unteers as an English teacher at the Wilkes center and teaches English in the Chapala High School. Maricruz Ibarra Macias is a Mexican who had studied in the U.S. and is a very young grandmother who lives in Chapala and is mid-way through her B.A. in Education at the University of Guadalajara. She interviews all the students and their families to determine financial need, parental support for the program and the students’ commitment to education. Maricruz is bi-lingual and the team of J. and Maricruz assure that the Student Aid Program funds are used to help students who are in real financial need, academically excel with at least an 8.5 GPA and are committed to their education. The upcoming second annual Fiesta Latina will be held on February 2nd at 2:30 p.m. in the LCS gardens and will raise funds for this program as well as these other valuable LCS community education programs: Biblioteca/ESL Classes/Children’s Art Program/Computer Classes/ Summer Remedial Program Last year’s Fiesta Latina raised $115,000 pesos and was sold out. Entertainment will be provided by the Orquesta Tipica de Chapala. Four Latin couples will demonstrate mambo, cha-cha and cumbia dances. Food will be catered by Roberto’s and include a mouth-watering cuisine from several countries. Tickets are $450 pesos and are available from the Lake Chapala Society, Diane Pearl’s Colecciones and Lois Cugini’s Opus Boutique. In addition, if you would like to support the Student Aid Fund and help 10 more students with their college education, you may donate funds directly by clicking on the “Donate” button on the home page of the Lake Chapala web site (lakechapalasociety.com) and use either PayPal or your credit card. Cash donations for the Student Aid Program will be gladly accepted at the Lake Chapala Society office.

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FRONT ROW CENTER By Michael Warren I’ll Be Back Before Midnight By Peter Colley Directed by Roseann Wilshere

f you like a spooky murder mystery with haunting noises, curtains flapping and lots of blood and gore, then I’ll Be Back Before Midnight is just the play for you. “Jan” has recently had a nervous breakdown, and her husband “Greg,” an archeologist, has rented an isolated farmhouse in the country where she can recover. “George,” the farmer from whom they are renting, shows up and tells ghoulish stories about a horrible murder that once took place – in this very room! Evidently the ghost of the bestial murderer still haunts the scene from time to time, and there are strange noises in the night - also the lights keep failing. Can things get any worse for Jan’s peace of mind? Well, yes they can, for her bitchy manipulative sister-in-law “Laura” arrives with matching three-piece luggage. Collette Clavadetscher plays Jan sweetly as the innocent victim of all this ghastly mayhem. At first we were told that she had recently “been ill” and I didn’t realize that she was recovering from a nervous breakdown. She is fairly calm at the beginning of the play, but then we do need the contrast as she becomes more and more jumpy and disturbed as things go bump in the night. Collette handles Jan’s barely controlled hysteria very well as the body count increases in the second Act. Ken Yakiwchuk is suitably devious as Greg, the seemingly solicitous husband who tries to drive his wife out of her mind, while Mark Bennett steals the show as crazy old farmer George. Mark does have the best lines, and he makes the most of them. And Candace Luciano

El Ojo del Lago / December 2012

as half-sister Laura manages to be nasty and cute at the same time as she slinks around the stage – I found myself wishing that she had more lines. It’s too bad that she’s shot at the end of the first Act, though she does still hang around. This is a tough play to produce because it’s almost a parody of the genre. Although there are some frightening moments with blood on the floor and three dead bodies on stage at the end of the play, for me it wasn’t a totally satisfying mystery. It’s really an action play with some clever twists in the plot such as when we discover that good old farmer George is also in on the conspiracy to drive Jan crazy. Roseann Wilshere plays it straight so that we can believe in the characters, and she also pulls off some amazing special effects. I enjoyed the sound – the choice of music (I particularly noticed excerpts from Mozart’s Requiem) was very good, and then we had the heartbeats and various spooky sounds. The actors all performed well in a complicated play with lots of “business” to handle – windows, doors, pill bottles, whiskey to drink, coffee to spill and guns to fire. Everything went smoothly and believably – much credit to Roseann and her talented cast. Congratulations also to Stage Manager Diane Jones and her Assistant Kathleen Morris, to Production Assistant Richard Roche and a very hard-working crew. On the evening that I attended, we had the privilege of meeting the author Peter Colley and his wife. Evidently this was a first for LLT – having the author in attendance – and for Peter this was the first production of his play in Mexico. Truly an auspicious occasion! The next production is Best Wishes by Bill Barker directed by Peggy Lord Chilton, opening on December 8th. I am assisting backstage on this play, so the guest reviewer will be the talented and k n ow l e d g e a b l e Shirley Appelbaum. Best Wishes! Michael Warren

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The Ojo Crossword

ACROSS 1 Torso extensions 5 What an escaping Criminal does 10 Block 14 Plate 15 Root beer brand (3 wds.) 16 Angelic ring 17 Tricycle 19 Convex shape 20 American sign language 21 Raging 23 Francis_key 26 Actor Martin 28 Negative 31 Possessive pronoun 32 Tormentor 33 li 34 Arguing 37 Property 39 Kick 40 Essence 42 Sores 45 Wine maker 49 Resort hotel 50 Scream like you saw a mouse 53 Nonprofessional 54 Old-fashioned Dads 55 France´s “Sun King” 56 Utilization 58 Excretes 60 To be 61 Medal 63 St. Petersburg predecessor 69 Excuse me!

El Ojo del Lago / December 2012

70 Not as young 71 Assistant 72 Female aristocrat 73 Bird homes 74 Seabird DOWN 1 Hovercraft 2 Caviar 3 Bad (prefix) 4 European ermine 5 Fizzle 6 Swish 7 East northeast 8 Whirls 9 Get out of the way 10 Closed 11 Mourns 12 Loose gown worn at mass 13 Ghost´s greeting 18 Clock time 22 Supply oxygen 23 Sward 24 Prompt 25 Ball 26 Delivered by post 27 Children´s game 29 To be in debt 30 Child 32 Container 35 Copy 36 Muss 38 Mousey 40 Filled Crusts 41 Writing liquid 42 Poisonous snake 43 Accountant 44 Teased 45 Seven 46 Wing 47 Scrap 48 Tinge 51 Mounts (2 wds.) 52 Steal cattle 56 Pot 57 George, plaster cast artist 59 TV award 60 Ventilates 61 Bud 62 Expression of surprise 64 Spots 65 Permit 66 Rio de Janeiro 67 Hoopla 68 Fox hole

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El Ojo del Lago / December 2012

The

LAKE CHAPALA SOCIETY

News

December 2012 CHILDREN’S ART CONTEST WINNERS ANNOUNCED

h e e e

CHILDREN”S ART HOLIDAY CARDS NOW AVAILABLE The catalogue for the 2012 Holiday Cards is available in the Patio Sales area. This year, the catalogue can also be downloaded from the LCS web site. The last page lets you download an order form that you can print, fill out, and drop off at the LCS office. You’ll see that we’ve added several new cards for 2012, as well as keeping some of your old favorites from the kids still in the program. As always, proceeds from each card sold go to the child artist. If you experience any problems with the online catalogue or order form, please email Garry Musgrave at gmusgrave@conceptron. com.

‘Tis the Season’ — We Need Your Help! This December, while we’re all busy cooking, decorating, celebrating and buying gifts, let’s think about what we can give back to this beautiful community we live in. The gift of education is one of the most important and long-lasting gifts of all. The LCS Student Aid Program has, over the years, provided financial assistance to more than 300 deserving Mexican students. In 2012, we helped 35 students attend TEC and University studies. In 2013, we’d like to add an additional 10 students to the program. With your help, we can achieve this goal. Simply go to LCS’s home page (LakeChapalaSociety.com) and click on the “Donate” button to pay with PayPal or your credit card. If you prefer to donate in cash, please stop by the office and tell them your money is for the Student Aid Program. Any amount will help. For more information about the Student Aid Program, contact program manager J. Gibson at: galmgibson@hotmail.com. Happy holidays to all.

www.lakechapalasociety.com

The annual Children’s Art Contest first and second prize winners will grace the cover of the LCS Directory and the membership listing pages once again. This year, the $500 pesos first prize was awarded to Juan Francisco Mireles Luvian, whose work will appear on the cover. Second prize winner Oscar Orlando Ibarra Lopez, whose work will appear on the membership list, received $300 pesos. Oscar also received honorable mention in the Feria Maestros del Arte contest in August. Third prize winner, Cintia Yadira Granado Contreras, received $200 pesos. Cintia was also the third prize winner last year. Marianne Carlson (President of the Feria Maestros del Arte); Deena Hafker (President, Ajijic Society of the Arts); and legacy artist Antonio Cardenas served as judges. Many thanks to the volunteers who work weekly to keep the free Saturday morning program going, and special appreciation to the Ajijic Society of the Arts and Feria Maestros del Arte for their ongoing support.

FROM THE DIRECTORS DESK

For the past two years committees have been busy conducting surveys, formulating and approving policy, and making excellent progress. Each year our internal Audit Committee, this year chaired by Ken Caldwell, conduct financial and program audits. The results are always thoroughly discussed and constructive changes are administered as a result. One of the Program Committees biggest tasks is program evaluation. Policies passed last year have been implemented poco a poco so far. 2013 will see the full implementation of the procedures now approved. Though different programs are being evaluated in different ways, each program requires a baseline process. What members and other LCS users will notice, is a sign in sheet for programs delivered at LCS. Preliminary results from a community survey just performed under the guidance of Prof. David Truly has reveled some unsettling results. LCS has an identity crisis! The door-to-door survey, targeting Mexican families, indicates the families know about and appreciate what we do, but they don’t know that it is the LCS doing it! We continue implementing program evaluation and intend to share the results with you. A follow-up survey is already being prepared thanks to the work of the ad-hoc Community Programs Evaluation Committee, chaired by John Keeling. Please recognize that your assistance is highly valued. For LCS to improve its programs and prepare for the future, we need everyone’s help. Promoting LCS’ work throughout the community is one way to help. Signing into our programs is another. Thanks to our volunteers, we’re doing good work, and we hope to improve!

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Casi Nuevo Thrift & Consignment Shop Three non-profits share the revenues from the Casi Nuevo sales: Have Hammers... Will Travel, the School for the Deaf and Children with Special Needs, and the LCS Community Education Program. We would appreciate it if you would consider donating or consigning any items to the store. Casi Nuevo offers a competitive consignment split of 70% to you and 30% to the store’s charities. Casi Nuevo is especially qualified to showcase and sell large pieces of furniture. We can arrange pickup and delivery service for larger items. Please contact Jacqueline at 766-1303 or email smithjacqueline55 @ gmail.com for further information. Thank you for your support.

VIDEO LIBRARY NEW ADDITIONS FOR DECEMBER A NEW LEAF starring WALTER MATTHAU, D5988 Henry Graham is a man who has run through his entire inheritance, and is completely unequipped to provide for himself. His childhood guardian, Uncle Harry (a deliciously mean-spirited James Coco), refuses to give him a dime, and Henry, completely unwilling to exercise the only solution he sees--suicide-devises a plan with the help of his imaginative butler. Comedy THE BEST EXOTIC MARIGOLD HOTEL D5977 British retirees travel to India to live in what they believe is a newly restored hotel. Less luxurious than advertised, the Marigold Hotel soon begins to charm in unexpected ways. JUDI DENCH BILL NIGHY MAGGIE SMITH Comedy GEORGE HARRISON – Living in the Material World D5994 Intercut with archive material, friends, family and associates of the musician tell the story of his life and how spirituality became such a major part of it. GEORGE, PAUL, JOHN and RINGO Documentary WAITING FOR GOD, a BBC’s comedy series D5981 Tom Ballard is put in Bayview retirement home by drunken daughter Marion and her weak husband Geoffrey. Unlike many of the very passive residents, retired journalist Diana Trent’s mission in life is to annoy ‘the idiot Baines’ - Harvey Baines, the home’s manager. Initially, she thinks Tom is rather dotty, but when he tries to organize the residents into action against the home’s poor food, she knows she has found an ally. GRAHAM CROWDEN STEPHANIE COLE HOPE AND GLORY starring SARAH MILES and DAVID HAYMEN D5983 John Boorman’s semiautobiographical film about nine year old Bill growing up in London during the blitz of World War II. For him, this was a time of adventure, a total upheaval of order, restrictions and discipline, the liberating effect of the war on the women left behind and the joy when Hitler blows up his school. Drama ED WOOD starring JOHNNY DEPP and MARTIN LANDAU D5992 The life of Edward D. Wood, Jr. hailed as the worst director of all time- ( Plan 9 from Outer Space, Glen or Glenda and Bride of the Monster. Documentary Four new additions for you foreign film aficionados: KITCHEN STORIES D5986 Norwegian/Swedish Comedy 7.3 on scale of 10; THE FLOWERS OF WAR D5987 Chinese Drama 7.5 on scale of 10; MONSIEUR LAZHAR D5995 French Comedy 7.5 on scale of 1; A SEPARATION D5991 Iranian Drama

If you have VHS tapes that are old and brittle and would like to have them transferred to long lasting, space saving DVDs, we can do that. Cheap too, only 50 pesos per tape.

El Ojo del Lago / December 2012

DECEMBER ACTIVITIES *OPEN TO PUBLIC / ** US CITIZENS CRUZ ROJA * Cruz Roja Sales Table 10-12 Cruz Roja Monthly Meeting 1st W 1:30-4 HEALTH INSURANCE * IMSS M+T 10-1 Mexico Protect Insurance T+TH 11-2 San Javier Health Benefits TH 10-12 Blue Angel Insurance Solutions F 10:30-1 HEALTH & LEGAL SERVICES * Becerra Immigration F 10-12 Blood Pressure M+ F 10-12 Blood Sugar Screenings 2nd+3rd F 10-12 Skin Cancer Screening 2nd W 10-12 Sign-up Hearing Services M & 2nd+ 4th SAT 11-3 Sign-up Information Desk M-SAT 10-2 Loridans Legal T 10-12 Optometrist TH 9-4 Sign-up US Consulate 1st W 10:30-12:30 Sign up LESSONS Children’s Art SAT 10-12 * Country Line Dancing T+TH 10-11:15 Exercise M+W+F 9-10 Intermediate Hatha Yoga T+TH+SAT 2- 3:45 Conversaciones en Espanol M 10-12 Grammar Required LIBRARIES Books on Tape TH 10-12 Book & Video M-SAT 10-2 Talking Books US Library of Congress TH 10-12 ** Wilkes M-F 9:30-1:30, SAT 9:30-1 SOCIAL ACTIVITIES Beginners Digital Camera W12-1 Beginners iPad W 1-2 Registration required Computer Windows Club F 10:30-11:45 Digital Camera Club W 10:30-11:50 Discussion Group W12-1: 30 Everyday Mindfulness M 10:30-12 Film Aficianados 1st & 3rd TH 12-2 Film Aficianados 2nd+4th +Last TH 2-4 Genealogy Last M 2-4 iStuff F 9:30-10:30 Learning Seminars T 12-1:30 Mac OS 1st M 12-1:30 Mac User 3rd W 3-4:30 Mah-Jonng F 10-2 Needle Pushers T 10-11:45 Pathways to Inner Peace SAT 2-3 * Scrabble M+F 12-2 Singing For The Brain M 2-3* Tournament Scrabble T 12-2 SERVICE & SUPPORT GROUPS * AA Lakeside M+TH 4:30-6 AL-Anon/Al-aTeen M 4:30-5:30 Fibromyalgia/CFS Support Group 2nd TH 2-3 Gamblers Anonymous W 11-1 Green Group 1st T 3-4:30 MS Support Group 3rd W 3-4:30 Niños de Chapala & Ajijic F 10-1 Open Circle SUN 10-12:15 SMART Recovery W 3-4 TICKET SALES M-F 10-12 *

LCS Learning Seminars December 2012 (via TED Internet podcast) All Seminars in the Sala on Tuesday at Noon LCS Members Only 4 - Chaired by Ron Mullenaux, psychologist Barry Schwartz discussing The Paradox of Choice. Schwartz takes aim at a central tenet of western societies: freedom of choice. In his estimation, choice has made us not freer but more paralyzed, not happier but more dissatisfied. 11 - Chaired by Fred Harland, entomologist Marcel Dicke who asks Why Not Eat Insects? Dicke shows that insects can be delicious, are eaten in 80% of the world, are very nutritious, and could solve the problem of having enough food to feed our growing population. 18 - Chaired by Ron Mullenaux, Laura Carstensen & Jane Fonda discuss Life’s Third Act and argue that Older People are Happier. They show that in the 20th century we added an unprecedented number of years to our lifespan, and that as people get older they become happier, more content, and have a more positive outlook on the world.

LCS SINGLES TO HOST HOLIDAY BASH!! On the LCS back patio on Sunday, December 16, from 3:30 until 6:30 PM. A light holiday buffet will be served, featuring petite turkinator sandwiches, meatballs, quiche dips, chips and holiday treats. Live music will be provided by The Gene Rivers Band for dancing. Tickets are 100 pesos in advance, 150 pesos at the door and will include one free drink. There will also be a no host bar throughout the evening. Jack Harris, Sue Hurst, Connie Jolly, Phil Rowlatt-Smith, Judy Henke, and other club members will be selling tickets, as well as Diane Pearl and on the LCS patio. This promises to be a great party that will be the highlight of the holidays - bring your friends so they don’t miss out. Singles Club update a new committed team is developing a wide variety of fun and interesting events and a new web presence. Watch for exciting future announcements.

JANUARY iPAD CLASS If you have an iPad, iPod or iPhone, register now for the third in this series. Classes are Wednesdays, beginning January 9, ending on the 30th, from 1 to 2 PM. You MUST be registered on the website at lcsipadclasses@ gmail.com to attend. Note, class is for LCS members only. Starting with the basics the class includes: connecting to the Internet, sending and receiving e-mail, connecting to the Apple store and downloading apps, reading e-books, music and other media, taking and e-mailing photos. Other topics will include setting up folders, basic word processing functions, and travelling with your iPad. Please note this is a beginner’s class. People with more iPad/ iPod Touch/iPhone experience should consider attending the iStuff group that meets every Friday in the Sala.

INTRODUCTION TO SPANISH CLASSES Classes are held each month in the LCS Gazebo. Starting the first Tuesday of the month, lasting for three weeks, from noon to 1:30 PM. Learning materials are provided and tuition is $150 pesos. LCS members only.

Volunteers STILL Needed for the Following Positions! • Buildings and Grounds Coordinator • Public Relations Manager • Data entry If you are interested please come to the office and ask for Mary Alice Sargent or Terry Vidal.

MEMBERS, it is time to renew! We are heading into the next high season and the deadline to renew is December 15, if you want your name in the annual directory. Please be sure to update and correct any information you have at the time of renewal. If renewing in person, please let the membership volunteer know if you want your name omitted from the directory; your e-mail omitted from the directory; and if you prefer to receive our newsletter by e-mail. SNOWBIRDS, this year, renewal is even easier using our website and Paypal. The membership fee you pay is now calculated directly in pesos at current rates, and you can even update your address, phone, e-mail, and directory preferences when you renew online. Note that there is a $50 peso administration charge added to the transaction. Membership rates remain the same as last year. The rates have not changed since 2008. To be sure, a lot of discussion has occurred regarding discrepancies between the cost of a single vs. a multiple membership. This is one concern that the survey from last year focused on. The Management Committee’s recommendation on this subject, accepted by the board, asks that when membership fees are raised, that the difference in cost between single and double memberships be reconciled and reflect a fairer balance. Don’t forget, any changes in membership dues have to be approved by the membership at the Annual General Meeting held in the first quarter of each year. 2013 membership rates are: $500 Single $800 Double $1100 Triple $1400 Quadruple (Remember, multiple memberships are only for people living at the same address.)

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FIESTA LATINA 2013!

Film Aficionados Thursdays in December Members only - No Dogs 6 - NOON - MY AFTERNOONS WITH MARGUERITTE French- 2011. Margueritte’s passion for life and literature captures the attention of Germain, considered to be the village idiot (Gerard Depardieu). 13 - 2 PM - THE COMMITMENTS - Irish - 1991. It’s time to revisit this truly great Irish film. Funny, sad, profane and uplifting. If you’ve seen it already, you’ll be well-served seeing it again, for the laughs and the music that will have you tapping your toes. 20 - NOON - ROZA - Polish- 2011. Roza, a widowed Polish Masurian, is attempting to survive brutal Soviet soldiers in the aftermath of WW2. Other than the Melbourne, Australian film festival, this film is virtually unknown outside of Poland. 27 - 2 PM - THE QUEEN OF VERSAILLES - USA - 2012. You can’t help feeling a bit sorry for this billionaire and his family who star in this character-driven documentary as they struggle to stay afloat in the recent financial meltdown. ALL SHOWINGS IN THE SALA - PLEASE BE ON TIME...

“Is Mexico Becoming Important on the World Stage?” 2 PM, Monday, December 10, in the Sala. 90 minute PowerPoint presentation by Richard Rhoda, PhD, co-author of 2010 book: Geo-Mexico: The Geography and Dynamics of Modern Mexico. Modern Mexico is so much more than drug violence, immigration, deserts, mariachis, tequila, tamales, poverty, bargain prices, beach resorts, and “Mañana”. Come and learn about: Mexican Ethnic Identities, Ecosystems, Economy, Geology, Education, Exports-Imports, Politics, Reform, Demographics, Drug Wars, Gender Issues, Migration, Living Standards, Poverty, Health & Obesity, Religion, and Globalization. Open to the public.

Time to get your tickets to the Fiesta Latina! A highlight of the LCS season, this year’s fiesta will be held February 2nd at 2:30 pm, in the LCS garden. Tickets at $450 pesos are available at LCS from 10 - 2 PM, and at Diane Pearl Colecciones and Lois Cugini’s Opus Boutique during store hours. Tickets are limited and sell out quickly. Highlights this year include Javier Raygoza’s Orquestra Tipica de Chapala playing pieces from Mexico’s rich musical heritage and Andean melodies. Presentation and dance instruction organized by Alberto Caostales, will showcase Latin dances including the mambo, cha cha, and the cumbia, The Silent Auction will feature unique items, services, and experiences like a flat screen TV, hotel and hacienda packages, a wine tasting, dinners for six and eight, services, artwork and much more. Roberto’s fabulous food on this year’s menu will include exciting, mouth-watering cuisine from Chile, Ecuador, Panama, Peru, Argentina, Colombia, Mexico and the Caribbean. A complimentary Margarita is included in the price and a cash bar will be available. A Fifty/ Fifty Draw and dancing in the gazebo are included in the festivities. All proceeds from this event go to our Community Education Program.

“REGISTRATION OF CANADIANS ABROAD” (ROCA) Thursday, 13 December 2012 - LCS Sala 11 - 12:30 PM Presented by the Consulate, a seminar for registering Canadians abroad, its benefits and a demo on how to register in 10 minutes!

"ART THROUGH THE AGES" REMBRANDT... HIS LIFE... HIS WORK... HIS TIME. Friday, 14 December, Sala, 2 - 3:30 PM Presented by Dimitar Krustev, graduate of the Bulgarian Academy of Art. Open to the public

LOOKING FOR A WORKER??? (ANY KIND OF JOB, FOR THE WHOLE LAKESIDE AREA, SHORT OR LONG TERM) CONTACT ELBELGICANO@YAHOO.COM AND HE WILL BE MORE THAN HAPPY TO SEND YOU A LIST WITH PEOPLE THAT YOU CAN CONTACT. HE HAS A DATABASE WITH ALMOST 1200 JOB SEEKERS. IT IS A FREE SERVICE BUT YOU SELECT THE PERSON.

THE LAKE CHAPALA SOCIETY, A.C. 16 de Septiembre #16-A, Ajijic, Jalisco LCS Main Office: (376) 766-1140 Office, information and other services open Monday – Saturday, 10 AM to 2 PM. Grounds are open until 5 PM LCS BOARD OF DIRECTORS President - Howard Feldstein (2014); Vice-President - Fred Harland (2013); Treasurer - Paula Haarvei (2013); Secretary - John Rider (2014); Director - Karen Blue (2014); Director - Lois Cugini (2013); Director - Aurora Michel Galindo (2013); Director - Cate Howell (2013); Director - Ann D. Houck (2014); Director - Wallace Mills (2013); Director - Ben White (2013); Executive Director - Terry Vidal

◊ THE LCS NEWSLETTER IS PUBLISHED MONTHLY. ◊ Deadline for submissions is the 17th of the month preceding publication. ◊ News items can be e-mailed to Reba Mayo rebaelizabethhill@yahoo.com; cc to Terry Vidal tqv56431@yahoo.com ◊ Note: The editorial staff reserves the right to edit all submissions. ◊ Articles and/or calendar of events will be included according to time, space availability and editorial decision.

El Ojo del Lago / December 2012

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Service - EL OJO DEL LAGO Tel. 765-3676

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* ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS

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- ATLANTIS:Ten Tribes of the Americas - SANDI - Bookstore Tel: 01 (33) 3121-0863 - THE IGUANA SPEAKS MY NAME

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* BOUTIQUE / CLOTHING STORES - ARATI Tel: 766-0130 - CUGINIS OPUS BOUTIQUE Tel/Fax: 766-1790 - FIAGA BOUTIQUE Tel: 766-1816 - LA BELLA VIDA Tel: 766-5131 - MI MEXICO Tel: 766-0133

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- FUMIGA Tel: 766-6057, Cell: (045) 333-391-3215

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* CASINO Pag: 82

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- TEMPUR, MATTRESS AND PILLOWS Tel: (52) 333-629-5919, (52) 33 3611-3049 Pag: 53

* GARAGE DOORS OPENERS - AUTOMATIC GARAGE DOOR OPENERS Tel: 766-4973 Pag: 68

* GARDENING - GARDEN CENTER Tel: 765-5973 - L & R WATER GARDENS Tel: 766-4386

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* GAS - SONIGAS Tel: 765-3328

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* GRILLS

* CHIROPRACTIC Pag: 62

- NAPOLEON Tel: 766-6153

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* HARDWARE STORES

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* FURNITURE

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* CLEANING SERVICE - ORIENTAL RUGS CLEANING Tel: 3625 8456 Pag: 66 - PROFESSIONAL WINDOW WASHING Tel: 765-4507 Pag: 48 - SPRING CLEAN Tel: 765-2953 Pag: 60

* CONSTRUCTION

- TETÉ Tel: 766-1321

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* FUMIGATION

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* INSURANCE

- CUSTOM MADE HOME ELEVATORS Tel: 333-555-0444

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766-1760 765-4444 766-5555

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* ELEVATORS

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066 765-2308, 765-2553 766-3615

Tel: 766-1152

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EMERGENCY HOTLINE AMBULANCE - CRUZ ROJA FIRE DEPARTMENT POLICE Ajijic Chapala La Floresta

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* BOOKSTORE / BOOKS

- DR. VICTOR J. YOUCHA Tel: 766-1973

* BAKERY

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INVESTMENTS/NEWSLETTERS - PRECIOUS METALS WARRANTS THE GREEDY GURU

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* LEGAL SERVICES - MAGO’S OFFICE Tel: 765-3640 - LAW OFFICE RINCON SALAS & CO Tel: 766-4714, 766-4813

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* LIGHTING - LIGHTING & DESIGN CENTER Tel: 766-3506 - QUICK BLINDS Tel: 765-5067

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* MALL / MARKET - CENTRO LAGUNA Tel: (376) 766-5514 - HOLIDAY SALE - MONDAY MARKET

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* MEAT/POULTRY/CHEESE

- FERRETERIA Y TLAPALERIA GALVEZ Tel: 766-0880, Fax: 766-2440 Pag: 82

* HEALTH - NATURAL SOLUTIONS Tel: 765-5666 - MAR D’CAM Tel: 766-0087

- BLUE ANGEL Tel: 766-0547 - EDGAR CEDEÑO - MEXICO PROTECT Cell: (045) 33-3106-6982 - PARKER INSURANCE SERVICES Cell: (33) 3809-7116 - PROTEXPLAN U.S. Toll Free 1-800-608-5743 Mexico Toll Free 01-800-681-6730 - RACHEL’S INSURANCE Tel/Fax: 765-4316 - SEGUNET Tel: 766-5974 - SKYMED Tel: 766-0096 - TIOCORP Tel: 766-3978

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- AJIJIC MEAT CENTER Tel: 766-45-54 - PURITAN POULTRY Tel: 765-4399 - TONY’S Tel: 766-1614, 766-4069

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* MEDICAL SERVICES

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* BEAUTY - AFRODITA Tel: 766-6187 - BLUE MOON Tel: 766-0937 - FACIAL AESTHETICS Tel. 765-3502 - FRESH BEAUTY SALON Tel: 766-4596 - GLORIOSA Tel: 766-3372 - JAMES DON SALON Tel: 766-4073 - NEW LOOK STUDIO Tel: 766-6000 - MAR D’CAM Tel: 766-0087

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- CASA DE LAS FLORES Tel: 766-5493 - CASA DEL SOL Tel: 766-0050 - CASA PARAISO Tel: (387) 761-0418 - CASA TRES LEONES Cell: (045) 331-350-6764

- ARQ. ROBERTO MILLÁN Tel: 766-3771 - CABO DO MUNDO- INTERIOR DESIGN Tel: 766-0026 - DITO HUBER Cell: 044 331 519 3094 - WARWICK CONSTRUCTION Tel: 765-2224 Cell. (045) 331-135-0763

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* DENTISTS

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- AJIJIC DENTAL Tel: 766-3682 Pag: 13 - C.D. MARÍA LUISA LUIS VILLA Tel/Fax: 766-2428 Pag: 07 - C.D. SANDRA ANAYA MORA Tel: 765-3502, 765-5444 Pag: 11 - DENTAL EXPRESS Cell: (045) 331-121-6518 Pag: 47, 51 - DENTAL HEALTH ONE Tel: 1060-826 Pag: 27 - DR. ALBERTO DON OLIVERA Tels: 765-4838, 765-4805 Pag: 12 - DR. CARLOS CERDA VALDÉZ Tel: 766-0336 Pag: 74 - DR. FRANCISCO CONTRERAS Tel: 765-5757 Pag: 16 - DRA. ANGELICA ALDANA LEMA DDS Tel: 765-5364 Pag: 45

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* BED & BREAKFAST

- HUNTER DOUGLAS Tel: 766-0026 - QUICK BLINDS Tel: 765-5067

- FOLIATTI CASINO

* BANK INVESTMENT - BANCO MONEX Tel: 765-8100 01 800 0036 663 - INTERCAM Tel: 766-5978 - MULTIVA Tel: 766-2499

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

- BETO’S WINE & LIQUOR Cell (045) 333-507-3024 - LICORES PAZ Tel: 766-0292 - MODELORAMA Tel: 766-2678, 765-2055

- DRS. MEDELES & BODART Tel: 766 5050 - HÉCTOR HARO DDS Tel: 765-3193 - INTEGRITY Tel: 766-4435 - SPECIALIST DENTAL CARE Tel: 106-0858

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* ART GALLERIES/HANDCRAFTS - ART HOUSE Tel: 765-5097 - DIANE PEARL COLECCIONES Tel: 766-5683 - EL PALOMAR Tel: 01 (33) 3635-5247 - LAKESIDE ARTISANS - SOL MEXICANO Tel: 766-0734 - ZARAGOZA Tel: 766-0573, 766-7049

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* BLINDS AND CURTAINS

* ANIMAL CLINICS/PET SHOP - CLINICA VETERINARIA SAN ANTONIO Tel: 766-0808 - DEE’S PET HOTEL Tel: 762-1646 - MASKOTA’S LAKE Tel: 766-0287 - PET FOOD AND GROOMING Tel: 766-3062