Saw you in the Ojo
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Saw you in the Ojo
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z D I R EC T O R Y z PUBLISHER
Richard Tingen
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Alejandro Grattan-DomĂnguez Tel: (01376) 765 3676, 765 2877 Fax: (01376) 765 3528 Associate Publisher David Tingen Graphic Design Roberto C. Rojas Diana Parra Morales
Index...
FEATURE ARTICLES
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COVER STORY
0DUN 6FRQFH SURÂżOHV WKH XQIRUJHWWDEOH DQG KLJKO\ LQĂ€DPPDEOH 0DULD )HOL[ WKH 0H[LFDQ ÂżOP VWDU ZKR LQ KHU WLPH ZDV labeled “The Mexican Joan Crawford . . . X 10.â€?
18 MEXICAN HISTORY Morgan Bedford’s article is about Carlota, once known as the “Empress of Mexico.� She and her husband Maximilian had been lured into establishing a monarchy that was based on one of the cruelest deceptions in all of history.
Associate Editor Victoria Schmidt Contributing Editor Mark Sconce Theater Critic Michael Warren
Roving Correspondent Dr. Lorin Swinehart Art Critic Rob Mohr Sales Manager Bruce Fraser 2ႈFH 6HFUHWDU\ Rocio Madrigal ADVERTISING OFFICE Av. Hidalgo # 223, Chapala Mon. thru Fri. 9am - 5pm Sat. 9am - 1pm Tel. 01 (376) 765 2877, 765 3676 Fax 01 (376) 765 3528
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20 CANINE HEROES Robert James Taylor gives us a pretty good idea as to why dogs have long been called “Man’s best friend.�
22 POETRY Martin Bojan casts a spell as he remembers an old LAKESIDE LIVING woman he once met at a chateau in France who seemed to actually grow younger as she fondly recalled the loves of her life. 28 RAINFOREST ALLIANCE Dr. Lorin Swinehart relates the life and death of Isidro Lopez, who was recently killed because of his opposition to the clear-cutting of some of Mexico’s most beautiful natural areas. 32 LOCAL HUMOR Margie Keane warns us that there are many things one should not do after a cerWDLQ DJH EXW VDGO\ ZH GRQœW ¿QG WKLV RXW XQWLO DIWHU ZH GR WKHP
Send all correspondence, subscriptions or advertising to: El Ojo del Lago http://www.chapala.com ojodellago@prodigy.net.mx Ave. Hidalgo 223 (or Apartado 279), 45900 Chapala, Jalisco Tels.: (376) 765 3676, Fax 765 3528 PRINTING: El Debate El Ojo del Lago aparece los primeros cinco dĂas de cada mes. (Distributed over WKH ÂżUVW ÂżYH GD\V RI HDFK PRQWK) &HUWLÂżFDGR GH /LFLWXG GH 7tWXOR &HUWLÂżFDGR GH /LFLWXG GH &RQWHQLGR Reserva al TĂtulo de Derechos de Autor 04-2011-103110024300-102 Control 14301. Permisos otorgados por la SecretarĂa de GobernaciĂłn (EXP. 1/432 “88â€?/5651 de 2 de junio de 1993) y SEP (Reserva 171.94 control 14301) del 15 de enero de 1994. DistribuciĂłn: Hidalgo 223 Chapala, Jalisco, MĂŠxico. All contents are fully protected by copyright and may not be reproduced without the written consent of El Ojo del Lago. Opinions expressed E\ WKH DXWKRUV GR QRW QHFHVVDULO\ UHĂ€HFW WKH views of the Publisher or the Editor, nor are we responsible for the claims made by our advertisers. We welcome letters, which should include name, address and telephone number.
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Special Events Editor Sandy Olson
Book Review Panel Margaret Van Every Margaret Porter Clare Gearhart
COVER STORY
VOLUME 33 NUMBER 11
El Ojo del Lago / July 2017
COLUMNS THIS MONTH 6
Editor’s Page
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Imprints
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Child of Month
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Uncommon Sense
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Ghosts Among Us
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Lakeside Living
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Welcome To Mexico
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Anyone Can Train Dog
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LCS Newsletter
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iven what recently took place at the last NATO meetings in Europe, we thought the republication of the following editorial might be especially relevant, in that almost every member country of that organization was with the Allies, one way or another, in the invasion of Normandy.) The Day the World Held Its Breath This last June 6th marked the 65th anniversary of D-Day, a day in which the future of the entire world literally hung in the balance. To honor the men who fought and had died in the invasion of Normandy, the presidents of the United States, Britain, Canada and France gathered at an American cemetery on a bluff overlooking one of the four beaches onto which 150,000 Allied warriors would storm over the course of June 6, 1944 and in the days that immediately followed. The invasion would mark the beginning of the end for Hitler’s once-invincible Third Reich, but it came at a huge cost. Nine thousand Allied soldiers were killed the first day and within a month there would be another 120,000 dead and wounded. But these men had both history and unity on their side, and of the many unforgettable moments that marked the battle was how thousands of men who had been wounded refused to allow themselves to be taken away from the front lines. What drove many of those courageous soldiers, thousands of whom were
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teenagers just out of high school, was best summed up by a young American major with a flair for poetic language: “Many of us sensed that we had come to the hour for which we were born.” The logistics of that invasion have never been equaled, either before or since. The Allied Armada included 5,000 ships, 250,000 vehicles, several portable piers, thousands of planes and 20,000 paratroopers, all in support of an initial battle that was won ultimately on the beaches, one yard of sand at a time. These men had vowed that freedom would not be pushed back into the water. Within that commitment, they were carrying the hopes of one age and the dream of all ages. Upon the occasion of the 65th anniversary of the invasion, Presidents Obama, Brown of England and Stephen Harper of Canada all made memorable speeches. But perhaps the most touching was the speech by France’s President Sarkozy, who went out of his way to thank the United States for the huge contribution it had made to the liberation of France. Centuries earlier, France had been the American colonies first great ally and had sent over one of its best military tacticians, General Lafayette. During the First World War, when the American Doughboys (of whom my father was one) landed in France, General “Blackjack” Pershing had paid homage to America’s debt of gratitude by saying: “Lafayette, we are here.” The somber backdrop for the recent anniversary was the American
Cemetery, where over 5,000 men have been laid to their final rest, a sight which prompted reflection not only on D-Day but on World War II itself. It has been called the “last just and great war.” Historians can argue about that but what is indisputable is that America has never again been so united. At the site of another great battle, President Lincoln expressed it best when he said, “The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here.” Eventually, the United States
would lose more than 250,000 men and women in WW II. But those five thousand buried in France seemed to be speaking for all the other brave Americans in whispering that we should always have the same overwhelming reason as we had in WW II before ever again sending our courageous men and women off to fight and possibly die in another Alejandro war. GrattanDominguez
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Beauty Is Sovereign %\ 0DUN 6FRQFH
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cartoon some years ago from England depicted a field trip of sorts; a teacher and his flock of adolescent boys in their public school uniforms peering through a museum window. At least the teacher was peering. The boys’ collective gaze was fastened instead on a beautiful, elegant lady passing them on the sidewalk…sovereignty different from the Queen’s. The kind of sovereignty you might think of next time you see or read about the driver who crashes into a tree because his gaze was diverted by beauty. The kind of beauty that launches a thousand ships or Elizabeth Taylor as Cleopatra or MM and her billowing sidewalk skirts--sui generis, iconic! Here in Mexico we have the perfect example of such sovereignty widely agreed to be “the most beautiful face in the history of Mexican cinema”. María Félix, known by her movie fans throughout the land, La Doña, the beautiful one… a fabled film star, a movie legend who embodied a completely different role-model for Mexican women during the forties and fifties and beyond. As María herself said, “With these films, I became the number one enemy of the Mexican family morals.”* From the very beginning, she was different. Born to an affluent Yaqui Indian father and a lady of Basque birth, María was one of 16 children. She eventually moved from her home in Sonora to Guadalajara where she pursued her studies and was crowned Beauty Queen at the University of Guadalajara. She made her first teenage mistake by marrying a Max Factor cosmetics salesman who eventually sired Enrique whom she nicknamed Quiqui. The newlyweds honeymooned in Chapala, 1938. María described the event as “una experiencia traumatica”. (Today, she’d have a non-performance clause.) Not long after, she divorced Max and had to suffer the opprobrium of the Catholic viewpoint. She de-
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cided to escape the frosty frowns and move with her son to Mexico City where she landed a job as a receptionist/model for a cosmetic surgeon (such a face)! But fate intervened, as they say, and the divorcé paid an unannounced visit, kidnapped Quiqui, and left María completely ignorant of his whereabouts. Another experiencia traumatica! Her next husband was a star in the musical firmament, famous Mexican singer/song-writer Agustín Lara, well-known for his “boleros” (romantic ballads), many of them composed for María who sang them with a distinct personality. “What can I do? I can’t be ugly.” Lara was a major musical contributor to Mexico’s growing film industry and helped María become a screen idol. But more than that, he pledged to help her regain custody of Quiqui, which he did. Reunited, mother and son, by this time 12 years old, they were the picture of happiness. Her third film vaulted María to national attention: Doña Bárbara (1943). It tells the story of a Venezuelan woman, raped in her youth, who runs her ranch like a martinet, imperious and domineering, while dressed in men’s clothes and brandishing a rider’s crop. So convincingly did she embody the role that fans began to call her simply La Doña. She reprised the role in many subsequent films such as La Mujer Sin Alma (The Woman Without A Soul), the story of a beautiful, young, middle-class woman who is determined to climb the social ladder. To that end she employs her beauty and wiles to manipu-
late rich men while playing with their emotions. In real life, rich and powerful men would do anything for La Doña and bestowed upon her many expensive gifts and exotic proposals such as the one by King Farouk of Egypt who offered her Nefertiti’s diadem for one night of love.“Some friends told me that pearls make people cry. The only pearls that have made me cry are false pearls…” This largesse and multi-male attention enraged husband Lara. His jealousy was nicely captured in a cartoon depicting Lara in a movie house watching his wife locked in a screen kiss with a handsome hero. Lightning bolts emanated from his angry expression. The Laras were headed for divorce. As La Doña later explained, “I cannot complain about men. I have had tons of them and they have treated me fabulously well. But sometimes I had to hurt them to keep them from subjugating me.” The irony here is that Felix’s film characters started out strong and independent but were usually subjugated in the end by the prevailing machismo, and they followed their men obediently…as in Taming of the Shrew. Her third husband, famous singer/actor Jorge Negrete, didn’t last long because he died of hepatitis 14 months after the wedding. “Men fall at my feet…Negrete surrendered to my feets.” (Her English was shaky. She refused to study it and therefore never acted in any English language movies unlike her contemporary Dolores del Río. “With Dolores I had no rivalry. On the contrary, we were friends and always treated each other with great respect, each with their own personality. We were completely different. She was refined, interesting, gentle on the deal, and I’m energetic, arrogant and bossy.”) Félix’s appearance at Jorge’s funeral dressed in trousers caused a huge scandal, which led Félix to take refuge in Europe, particularly Paris. While there she met and became the model and muse for writers, composers, actors, poets, painters and sculptors. Among them, Salvador Dalí, Jean-Paul Sartre, Jean Cocteau, Plácido Domingo, Jean Paul Belmondo, Yves Montand and many others. She learned French. Back home, she could count on Octavio Paz, Frida Kahlo, Diego Rivera (un ferviente enamorado), and even Eva Perón. Her film career included 47 films made in Mexico, Spain, France, Italy and Argentina. Critics panned most of her pictures. But her mere appearance as La Doña saved most of
them from abject failure. “Somehow, I seduced the public, even those who criticized the conduct of my characters in the films. My legend began to take shape without moving a finger. The public imagination did everything for me.” She was a celebrity, not just a star. One detractor wrote that “most of her films did not even aspire to mediocrity (but) a bronze goddess arose; the worst had somehow produced the best.” Proof? She won three Ariel awards for best actress and a lifetime achievement award and the Mexico City Prize. In 1996, she became the first Latin American woman to be made Commandeur de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by the French government. “I don’t want to make pictures which people are not going to understand. I don’t see any point to it. I want people to be entertained.” Her fourth and final husband was a safe and sound Swiss banker, Alex Berger, whom she outlived. Her last lover was the French-Russian painter Antoine Tzapoff. About him, María said: “I don’t know if he’s the man who has most loved me, but he’s the one who has loved me better.” In 1990, an exhibition of his paintings included a portrait of La Doña astride a rhinoceros and one with a mandrill between her legs… Once, when returning to Mexico after years away, she was greeted on the tarmac by hundreds of fans, many VIPs and the President, Carlos Salinas de Gortari, who welcomed her home and praised her to the open skies. Then he made the mistake of handing her the microphone. She ripped his government for malfeasance of every kind and concluded with this: “I can have my desires and capriciousness without affecting anybody, but the desires of a President can ruin a whole country.” Amen, María, amen! María Félix, born 8 April 1914, died in her sleep on 8 April 2002, the day she turned 88 years. Numerologists had a field day… *My special thanks to Ana Leticia Vera Castañeda, local business woman and fan of Félix. Her translations, biographies and photo albums of La Doña gave me a clear view of this remarkable woman, including the cover image. *A fine collection of Félix photos and paintings may be seen in the María Bonita Bar at the Real de Chapala Hotel here in Ajijic. Make mine champagne…
Mark Sconce
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When Dawn Breaks Across the Stillness of the Night %\ -RKQ 7KRPDV 'RGGV
When dawn breaks across the stillness of the night, and daylight filters through dreams of all we have pleasured and pained, we are there for each other unboundedly wrapped in arms and legs, anchored to the soft and wonderful, a wedded link to the possibility of all that is beautiful in a relationship where someone listens, someone cares. Mornings are made for us, our days open in a dance of warmth and loving, one with the passage of light, no shadows in and out of our hours together and apart. The grumps, frumps and frailties of aging, churning out the chapters of lives lived,
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melt beneath the covers, drift away with each passing moment of each and every day. We have the pleasure of our company, and the comfort of knowing in our heart and soul we are fearlessly where we want to be. Yesterdays sauntered aimlessly, and lulled about heaven casting no shadow, leaving seldom behind; now it’s all in a day’s grace this loving space we are in, walking giftedly beside each other no less favored than before, but lighter footsteps and fewer doors, with a companion to love, trust and adore. As we journey now, on the evening of our lives toward a sunset of the visible light, more spring than fall, more time trailing behind us than to be laid down, the life we share is not the beginning for we have always known each other, nor will it be the end for we will always be together— time and time again.
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Chinese Buddhism & Jade Buddha Temple
Like the Yu Garden, Shanghai’s Jade Buddha Temple is an island of tranquility in an urban sea. Here, though, it is the worshipers – rather than nature – which infuse it with a palpable spirituality. The Temple sits on an otherwise obscure side street on the city’s north side in a neighborhood made up mostly of homes and shops of two or three stories. The new 7KH 3KRHQL[ RIWHQ DSSHDUV ZLWK high-rise pushing skyward on the adjoining block feels out-of-place. WKH 'UDJRQ DV \LQ DQG \DQJ The temple’s street-facing wall is tastefully and classically Chinese in style, but unassuming. Visitors wander unhurriedly in and out of its gate, which connects along a short promenade to a courtyard. The feeling here is uncrowded despite the number of people present. There is no pushing or jostling, and conversation among onlookers is brief and whispered. The air is heavy with the haze and fragrance of incense mixed with the sound of
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chants. Overhead, strings of red Chinese lanterns converge upon the open face of a building which runs the length of the courtyard. Coin offerings which sustain the temple are scattered around fountains or tucked into the mouths of sculptures, awaiting collection. Bright banners hung all along its face nearly obscure the outsized golden images standing on an altar within. A stage-like dais extends from the temple into the courtyard. There, a row of bald-shaven, saffron-robed monks face the golden statues and chant in prayer alongside black-robed novitiates. When their service is completed, the monks are replaced by ordinary Chinese and the prayers begin again, many this %XUQW LQFHQVH RႇHULQJ DQG FHQVHU
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time privately. Behind the screen of banners, elders with saffron robes cloaked in red sit at the foot of the golden statues in trance-like prayer. They seem oblivious to both worshipers outside and tourists filing deeper into the Temple around them. The Buddhas here are not the tranquil, meditative variety that I’ve seen outside of China, but elaborately costumed images which take many forms. The difference is the result of Bud-
dhism merging with Daoism and folk religions after it arrived in China along trade routes from India and Central Asia around 200 BCE. Unlike the Indian and Tibetan traditions which revere and portray Buddha solely as a teacher, Chinese Buddhists came to adore him also as a god to whom they prayed for help and salvation. Even today, many Chinese Buddhists also pray to Taoist gods and to their own ancestors. -DGH 7HPSOH &RXUW\DUG While early Chinese images of Buddha shared the same gaunt frame, gestures and poses as seen in India and Tibet, the conversion of the teacher into a Chinese deity progressively worked a change in appearance. Statues later found along the Silk Road depict the Indian teacher as a Greek god. Twenty-first century Chinese know Buddha in a myriad of forms ranging from a heavily armed, armor-clad warrior to the jolly fat man whose belly is rubbed for luck. The Jade Buddha Temple’s namesake arrived from Burma by sea a century and a half ago, and is a reflection of the kinder, gentler Buddha of In(OGHUV GHHS LQ PHGLWDWLYH SUD\HU dian tradition. A large, marble Reclining Buddha dominates the inner recesses of the temple, but it’s not to be mistaken for the smaller, jade original, which can be viewed on the second floor for a small admission fee. Photos of it are prohibited. Over the course of China’s long history, Buddhists were alternately embraced and purged by its rulers. The Emperor ordered the elimination of Buddhism early in the first millennium, but it survived in some of the separate kingdoms which succeeded it. The court of China’s last emperor embraced a blend of Tibetan Buddhism and Confucianism. When the 1960’s Cultural Revolution targeted all religion for eradication in the 1960’s Red Guards attacked and even destroyed some of China’s most ancient Buddhist temples. Regular worship was not resumed until 1985. I was told that political groups are currently banned from activity within churches, and that churches are prohibited from preaching beyond their walls. It’s a decidedly different take on separation of Church and State. As witnessed by the number of young adults 0DUEOH UHSOLFD RI WKH ZKLWH -DGH %XGGKD worshiping today, Buddhism’s popularity in China has rebounded over the past two decades. Around 6% of today’s Chinese – slightly more than the number of Catholics in the U.S. – identify themselves as Buddhists, and many more practice religions significantly influenced by it. I emerge from the Temple cocoon and back into the world of sidewalk hawkers groaning buses, and. kamikaze motorbike drivers. I reflect on how the influence of Chinese culture changed the face of Buddhism, and I can’t help but wonder how Chinese culture may yet reinvent capitalism. Antonio Ramblés
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Karen R. S.
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aren is going to be 16 years old in September. She has had convulsions since a young age and was diagnosed with Epilepsy. Epilepsy is the fourth most common neurological disorder and affects people of all ages. Epilepsy means the same thing as “seizure disorders.� Public perception of Epilepsy causes challenges often worse than the seizures. As of 2015 about 39 million people worldwide had Epilepsy. Karen is on anti-convulsive meds and doing well. She has been com-
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ing to our Chapala clinic since July 2008 and so far we have reimbursed the family a total of 286,724 pesos. As of September, we will pay for her meds for another year. When she turns 17 she will no longer be part of our Program. We are looking for individuals or foundations that could take over the care of our children when they age out. Thank you, once again, for this opportunity to introduce one of our children. We have three clinic locations, Jocotepec, Ajijic and Chapala. Should you be interested in attending a meeting, please contact: Barb Corol for Jocotepec (7665452) Myself for Ajijic and Chapala (765-4375) Visit our website at: www.programaninos.com
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The Dark Side of Populism
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lthough several European populist right wing candidates have lost the recent elections, populism is alive and well in the West. Undergirding the populist appeal is the idea that experts are to blame for many of our contemporary problems. When people consider the consequences of the US Iraq invasion, the financial collapse of 2008, the globalization of trade, and the problems in US public education, it is easy to blame the experts. Donald Trump, elected on a populist platform, has installed many non-experts in his cabinet, from Rick Perry in Energy, Besty DeVos in Education, Rex Tillerson in State and Ben Carson in Housing and Urban Deveopment, to name a few. He believes he knows more about ISIS than the generals. “The experts are terrible,” he said. “Look at the mess we’re in with all these experts that we have. Look at the Middle East. If our presidents and our politicians went on vacation for 365 days a year and went to the beach, we’d be in much better shape in the Middle East.” He is not alone. The appeal of populism, in part, is that the people know best. They have common sense. They have life experience. We don’t need a bunch of elite experts telling us what to do. It’s easy to see the appeal of this view. Unfortunately, it’s also dangerous. In his new book, The Death of Expertise, Tom Nichols, a professor at the Naval War College, argues that we actually need experts in a complex world. Yet, Americans are actively hostile to the very notion of expertise. “This is new in American culture,” Nichols explains, “and it represents the aggressive replacement of expert views or established knowledge with the insistence that any opinion on any matter is as good as any other.” We can see examples everywhere. People rely on Google to diagnose their illnesses and explain their treatment options to their doctors. They
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oversimplify complex issues like international trade, healthcare, and immigration. As a result they often make poor decisions. They fail to vaccinate their children; they invest unwisely; and they fail to pay attention to scientific evidence about diet and drug use. It is tempting to believe that we intuitively know how the world works. But, actually, we don’t, not without input from those who spend their careers studying these issues. One particularly dangerous consequence of this trend is our lack of media literacy. Children need to learn that everything they see on television is not true. As adults we need to learn to be skeptical of what politicians claim and what experts conclude. We need to understand that truth is not always intuitively clear, and may, in fact, be counterintuitive. When we witness the effects of a severe winter, for example, it is difficult to believe that the earth is actually warming to dangerous levels. It’s equally easy to believe that whatever we read frequently on the Internet is probably true. This is how “fake news” spreads: readers do not practice media skepticism about preposterous stories. Experts have advised us of some uncomfortable truths: the climate is warming to dangerous levels, our over-use of antibiotics is causing more dangerous bacterial infections, robotics and use of sophisiticated algorhythms will eliminate many jobs, the coal and steel industries will not return to the US. Believing otherwise is, essentially, magical thinking. Nichols offers a warning. “When democracy is understood as an unending demand for unearned respect for unfounded opinions,” we are all in trouble. I think we are there already.
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d. Note: Given the recent publicity about the book Lincoln and Mexico, we thought it appropriate to re-publish an Ojo article about one of the major personages from that tumultuous time in Mexican history.) She had many names and titles, but the one that has gone down in history was Carlota, Empress of Mexico. The only daughter of Leopold I of Belgium and Louise, Princess of Orleans, Carlota was born near Brussels on June 7, 1840. In 1857, a handsome and unattached Hapsburg Prince was rumored to be seeking a bride. That bride turned out to be Carlota, whom he didn´t love but felt she might make a suitable match. In time, however, Maximilian would virtually worship at her feet and it was Carlota, who burning with enthusiasm, talked Maximilian into accepting the tenuous position of Emperor of Mexico, a post which had been offered to him by Napoleon III of France. But her story, sans the fickle fates
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&DUORWD (PSUHVV RI 0H[LFR of history, could have been little more than a potpourri of European titles mixed together by blood lines. Instead, it is the stirring saga of one woman´s long and remarkable stay on Earth. The year Carlota died, Lindbergh flew the Atlantic. The year she was born, the Opium Wars raged in Asia and Hong Kong belonged to China. Does this sound familiar 170 years later?
El Ojo del Lago / July 2017
Anyone born before 1927 was a contemporary of Carlota´s. Mr. Webster defines contemporary as “existing, living or coming into being at the same period of time.� Still, it is rather shocking to realize that you may qualify as a contemporary of The Empress of Mexico. The story of Maximilian and Carlota is also shocking, though the illfated Hapsburg prince did not strut on the stage of history for long. He was court- marshaled and shot at Queretaro, Mexico, on June 19, 1867. Yet for fully a year before that, he knew he was beaten when Napoleon III withdrew the French troops from Mexico, leaving Maximilian to face the future with little more than confused bravado and befuddled behavior. During this agonizing interim, Carlota took a ship for Europe in the hope of saving her husband from his helpless plight. But nary a royal door opened for her. In desperation, she sought the aid of Pope Pius IX. The pope refused, however, to use his influence. In turn, Carlota refused to leave the Vatican until he did so. The pope, at wit´s end, finally had a cot installed for her in his apartment and Carlota spent the night. This is the first and only time in recorded history that a woman slept in the abode of St. Peter´s Vicar. Though Carlota had reigned as Empress of Mexico for 18 months, this did little to impress the European powers, which had her pronounced incurably insane at age 27. But was she? Incarcerated in the Chateau de Bouchout near Brussels, Carlota refused to surrender crown and scepter, obeying something stronger than mere caprice. She knew that one did not cast aside the highest earthly rank. One died with it. From what amounted to a highclass prison, Carlota watched the world change for the next 60 years. Yet how truly insane was she? And was she hanging onto to her last possession, her lost crown and all it represented. She wanted to be an empress until the end. Of this last grand period of European royalty, only Carlota of Mexico would survive to view the twilight of the royalty in France, Brazil, Russia, Austria, and Germany. She watched the sunset of five dynasties: Bonaparte, Braganza, Romanov, Hapsburg, and Hohenzollern. During the German invasion of Belgium in 1914, a Prussian officer nailed a plaque above her gate: “This castle, the property of the Belgium Crown, is occupied by Her Majesty, The Empress of Mexico, sister-in-law of our revered ally, The Emperor of Austria. German soldiers are ordered to pass by without singing and to leave this place un-
touched.� Death came quietly on January 16, 1927, She was 86. Her long hold on life had been a monument to Maximilian, and while she lived, she would not allow the world to forget him. Years after the fall of Maximilian, the Cuban actress/singer, Concha Mendez, appeared in Mexico City. The audience clamored for La Paloma Liberal, a parody of the song so loved by Carlota. The singer paled as she faced her public. “Never shall I do what you ask, Senores. I wear on my wrist the bracelet given to me by an unhappy princess who today weeps alone. Widowed and mad and very far from our country. Neither I nor the Mexican nation, to which I am joined by my heart and my cradle, shall insult the memory of a prince mowed down at Queretaro, nor that of a noble lady who in place of a queenly diadem wears now the martyr´s crown.� A great wave of emotion swept across the audience. The courage Concha Mendez had shown in the face of a hostile government met with a stirring response. Never again was she importuned to render the ballad that made her famous. Today, with the possible exception of those haunts frequented by tourists, La Paloma is not heard below the Rio Grande. “I was to blame, my beloved darling, for everything, But now I am happy. You have triumphed. You are part of God´s victory over Evil. Your eyes look down on me from every place and I hear your voice everywhere.� Such were the letters Carlota wrote during the sixty years after she had lost Maximilian, the great love of her life. But to return to the central question. Was Carlota actually insane? Or had she been only temporarily deranged when she had failed to secure help for her beloved Maximilian, and then later realized she had lost everything but her title and her memories. There is a third, more sinister scenario. She had been placed under house arrest, a political prisoner who was the actual heir to the throne of Belgium, and a potential heir to the Hapsburg throne, as well. Yet without outside help or support, the former Empress finally resigned herself to living inside a gilded cage. There she would live for the last sixty years of her life. Today, historians are still uncertain about the exact causes of Carlota´s fate. But one thing sure was her great love for Mexico. Even toward the very end, her nurses had only to hum a few bars of La Paloma to becalm this courageous woman who for one brief moment in history had reigned over the lyrical land of Mexico.
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Famous Dogs s %\ 5REHUW -DPHV 7D\ORU
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hroughout the annals of history, dogs have been closely associated with the human race all over the world, in so many forms, often beloved as “man’s best friend.” How many times have we heard the words, dedicated, faithful, loyal, brave, endurance in stories about dogs, especially rescue dogs, dogs used in war and guide dogs? They are an inseparable part of our lives: here are a few dogs that remain unforgettable in our minds. BALTO Born 1919, Nome, Alaska Died March 1933, Cleveland. Ohio In 1925, in snowbound Nome a deadly outbreak of contagious diphtheria occurred and the antidote was over 600 miles away in Anchorage. Conditions made flights impossible: the only way the serum could reach Nome was to use relays of dog sleds. This involved more than twenty mushers with their teams, and the final leg
BALTO was with Gunner Kaassen covering over 50 miles in freezing high winds, temperatures below -40. Kaassen chose a three-year-old black Siberian Husky to be the all important leader. His name was Balto. The journey was perilous; whiteouts made navigation hopeless – Balto would have to find the way. And he did. The whole journey took six days (that normally took 30) and Balto was celebrated across the entire nation for saving the lives of many children. Balto passed away in 1933: his legacy lives on through a memorial in Central Park. HACHIKO Born: Nov. 1923,
Shibuya, Japan Died March 1935 Hachiko was an Anita Inu who lived near Odete, Japan and whose master was Professor Ueno at Tokyo University. They had become inseparable in the three years together. The Professor returned every day at the same time at the train station and each day Hachiko would be waiting at the station to greet him and accompany him home. One day in May 1925 the Professor suffered a fatal hemorrhage at work, and Hachiko waited in vain. A former gardener took Hachiko home where he slept every night, but Hachiko returned to the train station every day at the same time. He did this every day for nine years. In 1935, Hachiko died peacefully and alone on the street in Shibuya. He is the most celebrated
HACHIKO dog in Japan and has his own statue outside Shibuya train station. BOBBIE Born 1923 Oregon, USA Died 1927 Portland, Oregon. Bobbie, (often called the Wonder Dog) was a mix of Scotch Collie and English Shepherd, and belonged to the Brazier family who lived in Silverton, Oregon. In 1923, during a family road trip to Indiana, Bobbie became separated and lost. The heartbroken family, after an intensive search, returned to Silverton, never expecting to see him again. Six months later, looking bedrag-
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BOBBIE gled, with feet worn to the bone, Bobbie appeared on the doorstep of his home. The journey he took during the winter covered 2800 miles. The local paper picked up the story which spread to newspapers across the country. Letters came from all over, and many confirmed the sighting of the dog from the photos published. Much later, at the Portland Home Show, 40,000 went to see Bobbie. He died, in 1927, somewhat prematurely, no doubt brought about by his arduous journey. Rin Tin Tin, the famous German Shepherd, laid a wreath at his grave. LEX Born 1999, Texas Died 2012, Mississippi Lex was a German Shepherd who was with his handler, US Marine Corps, Cpl. Dustin J. Lee, in Fallujah, Iraq when they were attacked. Lee was killed and Lex was seriously wounded. In spite of his wounds, Lex would not leave his partner and had to be forcefully removed to be treated by medics. Lex survived, but with such devastation, his career was over. Cpl. Lee’s parents appealed to the US Military to adopt Lex, to which they assented. Lex spent his remaining years as a therapy dog in military hospitals, still with 50 pieces of shrapnel in his body. He was awarded an honorary Purple Heart. He died of cancer in 2012. Ed. Note: For those who might be interested, one of the most touching tributes ever penned about a dog was written, not so surprisingly, by the immortal poet, Lord Byron. It can be found on the Internet.
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Traveling abroad, the south of France, I met a woman, quite by chance, a château high upon a hill, a sunny day, just a chill. An afternoon, a brief repast a time to rest, respite at last. A cup of tea, a room to hire discourse beside a roaring fire. Two glasses, a smile upon a tray, a lovely way to spend a day The bottle uncorked, to decanter, an afternoon, two souls to banter. A lady of classics versed and learned, language, letters deservedly earned. Immersed in art, and well pleasured evinced well read, qualities treasured. Phrases turned with style and grace her simple dress, linen and lace, Her face a façade, so abiding wondered what she might be hiding. Each a special tale to tell, a deep dark pit, a wishing well. On the mantle a frame of white, in its hold, her picture tight. Drawn a stare, so deep so dark visage unsettling, emotion stark, Eyes spoke volumes, expression cast, a tunnel to a distant past. A youthful face, there her yearning a broken smile, sad and burning Her eyes, piercing, black as night seared, emitted a blinding light! A story unwritten, not yet told, a hidden history to unfold. And so recounts the years gone bye, her face aglow, hear her sigh. Eyes ablaze, her youthful glory she narrates a wondrous story. Her life, her love, her heart’s desire, tales of passion, lust and fire, Desire’s a weight that’s not abated pierce the veil that time’s created. Embrace her life, hear her story rejoice, rejoice celebrate her glory! A song to be forever sung, an old woman now, forever young.
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THE GHOSTS AMONG US %\ )UHG 0LWWDJ
“José Enrique de la Peña”
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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. Abraham Lincoln, then a congressman, believed it should be the Nueces, which is east of
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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
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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
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THERE’S SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE —Or No Good Deed Goes Unpunished! %\ .DWK\ .RFKHV
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couple of we w weeks e eek eks eks ago I went nt to nt to the Monday day ay Market at its new locaca ation in Sunrise Restauu-rant in Riberas. I have ve been a regular shopper err at the Monday Market ket and enjoy the varietyy of items offered for sale an and nd th the e friendly vendors. I havee been known to b k t “drop a few pesos” at said market from time to time. I arrived at the market, along with my husband and our little dog. She was on her leash and, I might add, is very well-behaved and does not bark. I stepped into the entrance and went to the second booth to purchase some berries. Immediately a man rushed up to me and in a very loud and belligerent tone of voice told me, “No Dogs Allowed!” I was quite shocked, because I had always brought my dog to the Monday Market and had never had any problems. I immediately ceased my intended purchase and left with my dog. Now the man was right; there is a sign that says “No Dogs” which I had not seen. But it could have been pointed out to me in a much friendlier way! Ah, but that is not the point of this story. After I got home I realized that many of my friends who have dogs usually bring them to the Monday Market. In an attempt to give them a “heads up” I posted on social media that dogs were no longer welcome at the Monday Market and that I had been forced to take my business elsewhere that day. I was not prepared for
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the flood of comments I received to my post. The first dozen or so were from people who thanked me for the heads up. But then…..the trolls came out. One guy even ranted about how he was sick of dogs being taken everywhere and he should not have to put up with dogs in restaurants or markets, etc. etc. Someone even posted a comment about some gross behavior of one dog owner. In an attempt to respond, I answered by saying there are plenty of places where dogs are not allowed and that this person could easily patronize these restaurants and shops. Apparently this response was not good enough for some of the trolls. Eventually I just had to turn off the comments. I like to bring my dog with me on outings, and I prefer to patronize the many restaurants and shops that are “dog friendly.” A good example is Yves, where they always bring a bowl of water for my dog, even before taking my order. Another is Diane Pearl’s shop, where she keeps a supply of dog biscuits for any “doggie visitors” along with a bowl of fresh water. Many restaurants are “open air” and allow dogs at their outside tables, but not inside. Lakeside has so much to offer people – so many diverse activities, interesting shops, delicious restaurants – that there is, literally, “something for everyone.” Why criticize and condemn something that you don’t happen to like, but that you can avoid if you choose? Some things make certain people happy and irritate others. Choose wisely! And remember, no good deed goes unpunished. But I have learned how to block the trolls, so never fear. I will continue posting on social media and enjoying the comments of my friends and colleagues. Kathy Koches
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ISIDRO BALDENEGRO LOPEZ—Murder of a Mexican Activist Has Global Ramifications %\ 'U /RULQ 6ZLQHKDUW
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he roster of those who pay with their lives because of their efforts to defend natural habitats from the powerful, the rapacious and the greedy, continues to grow. Some of their names are well known—Dian Fossey, Chico Mendes— others not so much—Pierre Achille Zomadel, Leroy Jackson, Jairo Mora, Berta Caceras. The name of yet another hero was added to that dolorous list on January 15, 2017, that of Isidro Baldenegro Lopez, who dared to oppose powerful interests intent upon clear-cutting the last remnants of the ecologically unique western slope of Mexico’s famous Sierra Madre Mountains. Isidro was a member of the Tarahumara people, whose homeland includes
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Mexico’s Copper Canyon region. Not so much warlike or aggressive as stubbornly resistant, the Tarahumara were never absorbed into the Aztec Empire. For centuries, they have defiantly withstood first Spanish and then Mexican encroachments upon their lives, continuing to maintain much of their language and many of their religious beliefs. Beneath the veneer of Christianity, an ancestral moral code was so rigorously enforced that a Tarahumara could not even tell a lie. Following the destruction of the Aztec Empire by cruel Spaniards armed with guns, germs and steel, the Tarahumara were subjected to harsh forced labor and marginalization within their own country. Seeking to escape Spanish
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cruelty, the Tarahumara withdrew into the Sierra Madre of Southern Chihuahua. Never satisfied, reaffirming Thoreau’s observation that, “Wherever a man goes, men will pursue and paw him with their dirty institutions,” Europeans proceeded to penetrate into the canyons and ravines of even the Sierra Madre, seeking silver and other minerals, while loggers and ranchers wreaked havoc upon the forested slopes. During the 1800’s, a railroad was cut into the mountains to assist loggers in their plundering. Today, the railroad transports tourists, while roads provide loggers with arteries over which to deliver their spoils. Historically, the Tarahumara made their living by cultivating crops of beans, squash, potatoes and orchard fruits and by grazing small herds of livestock. There are an approximate 70,000 remaining Tarahumara, well known for their skills as potters, weavers and basket makers. They are also renowned as long distance runners, winners of many international competitions. The “Treasure of the Sierra Madre” lies not in the gold described in B. Traven’s famous novel but in the region’s unique biodiversity that provides habitat for 26 threatened or endangered species, including the spotted owl and northern goshawk. The area includes four canyons deeper than the Grand Canyon. However, even though 99% of the old growth timber has already been logged out, the remaining forest and its indigenous people continue to be threatened by resource extraction. The region today is dominated by criminal elements who launder drug money through such legitimate enterprises as ranching and logging. Isidro, who witnessed his father’s assassination because of his opposition to clear cutting, took up the cause himself. His adversaries continued to react violently. Isidro founded an organization in 1993 to combat deforestation and organized a boycott in 2002 to stop all logging. After he organized a protest with the wives of murdered activists in 2003,
a court temporarily banned all logging in the area. It was also in 2003 that Isidro was arrested and incarcerated on trumped up charges of possessing drugs and weapons. This blatant injustice caused Isidro to be adopted by Amnesty International as a Prisoner of Conscience. Isidro was acquitted after serving 15 months in prison, and 2005, he was awarded the Goldman Prize, a honor accorded each year for the achievements and leadership of grassroots environmental activists from around the world. This past January, Isidro was assassinated. Martyred is perhaps a more accurate term, given that he risked all, even his life, for his people and for the region they love, the definition of a classical hero. As I penned these lines, I received an alert from the Rainforest Alliance that forty villagers had just been arrested and forced from their land and homes in the Indonesian village of Tiberias by the corporation PT. Malisya Sejehtera. The company moved into the area in 2015 and began its program of harassment in order to force people from land where it wished to produce coconut and palm oil. Homes were burning as I wrote, and military police and the Indonesian army were firing into what is left of those buildings, in yet another incidence of corrupt government officials conspiring hand in hand with corporate bullies. Chico Mendes, Isidro Baldenegro Lopez and all the other environmental martyrs must look down upon such a scene and weep. And so the Roll of Honor continues to grow. An estimated 122 environmental activists were killed in Latin America alone in 2015, 185 worldwide. 2016 ended with the murder of Honduran activist Berta Caceras for her successful opposition to a destructive hydroelectric power project. 2017 began with the assassination of Isidro. Dr. Lorin There will be more. Swinehart
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The sway of the horse rocks me along while we climb the mountain Pelón. His hooves on the dusty path lull away my daily life, emptying me for the miracle. We ascend without speech, bandanas pulled over our noses. Our horses’ rhythmic panting increases with the elevation and adds a kind of singing to the ride. Parting the air in a thinner way is the monarch sailing overhead, first of the beings we’ve traveled to see. The heat of the morning decreases as up, up we climb, twisting and turning on the path. A coolness tickles my arms.
Gliding toward us while we rise, four more butterflies. Now Ten. Now thirty. We dismount and walk higher still, on the path. Beneath what now are clouds of silent butterflies, our quiet movements seem to boom. Solemn, we enter the forest at a place that the butterflies have chosen for this winter’s sanctuary. A million individual goddesses and gods with wings graciously allow us to witness as they go about their colony lives. In the high pine forest, I lay myself down and open wide to all their blessings. I think of nothing, my mind lifted past all clutter. The flutter of a million wingssounds a holy, ghostly note of music, a quivering etheric which I strain to catch. Countless as they are, each of the many million monarchs has wing-edge spots, distinct from any one of the others. Their buttery clutch of the oyomel turns tree trunks orange with wings, everything static changed to pulsing, pulsing, pulsing. Sailing, also, between the trees, the butterflies fill a cerulean sky with apricot patterns of dancing. The arrangements they make in the air compose: music, paintings, poems. We are hushed to wonder, humans put in their rightful small place in the universe. I never want to leave, but slowly I start back toward the horses. Once, I turn and bow to these elegant divinities, for their example of transforming, for their lesson of delicate endurance. Their soaring goodness sends its benediction down not only to those who have journeyed here, but through us, to the world. To you. Oh yes, to you.
6XVD 6LOYHUPDULH
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SLIP PPERY Y WHEN WET %\ 0DUJLH .HDQH
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here are many things one shouldn’t do after a certain age but sadly we don’t find this out until after we do them. Take for instance the romantic getaway my husband arranged for us. Our fortieth wedding anniversary was approaching and Tom came dashing into the house one day and announced “Sweetheart! I have a great idea for our anniversary! There’s a hotel on Pismo Beach and the honeymoon suite has a sunken tub, a fireplace and a balcony facing the ocean so we can watch the sunset and it’s only $400.00 including a four-course gourmet dinner.” “Sounds wonderful” I said but we
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aren’t going on a honeymoon.” He gave me his sexy smile and said, “It will be a second honeymoon. Come on, it will be fun! The tub is supposed to be very large so we’ll get some candles and bubble stuff, get naked and frolic amongst the bubbles.” Okay, keep this picture in your mind. Tom is five foot ten and weighs in at 220. I, myself, am not a sylphlike creature, and he suggests we “frolic amongst the bubbles?” God bless this romantic. *** The hotel and the view from our balcony were both perfect. The sunken tub had a wide marble ledge surrounding it, and looked large enough for six
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people. After a delicious dinner at the hotel we returned to our room and Tom suggested I shed my clothes while he prepared the tub. When I walked into the “frolicking room” there he was, submerged up to his chest, a lovely layer of bubbles floating around him. I eased myself down into the wonderful warmth on the opposite side of the pool and began to really appreciate his plan. I started imagining myself more as a “Meryl Streep” and less of a “Queen Latifa.” Amazing what a couple of martinis can do. I closed my eyes, and leaned back in the jasmine scented waters. Totally immersed in this lovely, warm fog, I heard Tom’s voice calling me. I opened my eyes but I couldn’t see Tom. All I could see was a huge white cloud. Had I died and gone to Heaven? Wait! It wasn’t a cloud, I was staring at bubbles! I was surrounded by a wall of bubbles. Tom’s voice called to me from behind the wall. “It’s almost midnight. I’m pouring our champagne.” “Great, more bubbles” I mowed my way through the soapy bubbles and together we toasted the New Year. We frolicked till we got all pruney, and I suggested we get out. Tom was by the side of the tub so he scooted up and was soon seated on the ledge. I had been paddling around toward the
middle of the tub. I moved toward the side but because of the curved wall I slid quickly back to the middle again. I tried again but once more slipped right back. Trying to hide my frustration, I asked, “Darling, why is this tub so slippery?” “I don’t know. Maybe because the bubble stuff I used was foaming bath oil? “Do you need some help?” He was watching me, trying hard not to laugh, but I could see his belly twitching. With menace in my voice I said, “Why don’t you just go into our room, sweetheart. I’ll call you if I need you.” Have you ever watched a walrus try to clamber up onto a dock, miss, slip back into the water and roll around? Well, that was me – not a delightful little dolphin “frolicking amongst the bubbles,” but “Wilhelmina Walrus” thrashing and rolling, fighting my way to the rim of the tub. Very, very un-sexy! I finally managed to grab the ledge, haul myself up and slither over the side of the tub to safety. So ladies, let me give you some advice: If your husband or lover suggests a romantic frolic amongst the bubbles, unless you are young and slim, oil does not belong in your sunken tub. Save it for your salad.
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COLUMNIST
Anyone Can Train Their Dog %\ $UW +HVV DUWWKHGRJJX\#\DKRR FRP Guest Contributor : 'U 3DWULFLD 0F&RQQHOO ZZZ 3DWULFLD0F&RQQHOO FRP Considering Another Dog?
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here is a lot to think about when considering adding another dog to your household, whether you currently have one dog, or an entire pack. Here are some of the most important things to ponder if another dog might be in your future: What effect will another dog have on the resident dog? Some dogs love having other dogs in the house. Others consider them nothing more than competition for attention and food. Ask yourself: Does your dog like other dogs? Does he feel differently if they are in his house and sharing the water bowl? What about sharing your time and attention? If your dog likes other dogs, does it matter if it’s male or female? In general, it’s better to mix sexes and have one male and one female in the house. But dogs don’t read that chapter, and there are only two sexes to choose from—what if you want three dogs, or four? Be sure you are aware how your dog reacts to members of the same or opposite sex. What about personality and play styles? Some dogs like to play rough and wrestle, while others prefer to play “Let’s Race!”. Some dogs are easily cowed and would
be a bad match for a pushy personality striding into the house and taking over. Be sure that the dogs’ personalities and play styles are a good match. What effect will another dog have on you and your family? Two dogs are not necessarily twice the work of one; sometimes the increase in work is exponential. t Another dog might reduce the time you spend with one dog if they entertain and exercise each other. However, there’s an old sheepdog trainer saying: “The only thing one dog will learn from another is a bad habit.” Be warned. t Barking is contagious. If you have a dog who barks a lot when visitors come, expect a full-throated chorus from two, three or four. t If you take your dog(s) on leash walks, think about the logistics of taking several dogs at the same time. Sometimes you’ll need to take the dogs out separately, especially when the new comer first arrives. Be sure you have the time to do that. t Between paying for vet bills, food and toys, multiple dogs can strain your bank account. Look carefully at your budget. What’s Your Plan B? What if the dog you have chosen looks like a perfect match—until it doesn’t? It’s always good to be patient, and to do all you can to help a new dog settle in. But even the wisest and best plan may need to be revised. Always have a good idea about what to do if things don’t work out before bringing a new dog into your home. Enjoy Your Pack! Don’t let these considerations discourage you once you have thought them through. Art Hess
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Sandy Olson
Phone: 331-283-8529 Email: sandyzihua@hotmail.com
MY FAVORITE THINGS Read this first if you want to see another of local impresario (impresaria?) Jayme Littlejohn’s fine offerings. Tickets may be available for this weekend’s performances. Shows are July 8 and 9, Saturday at 7:30 pm and Sunday at 4 pm. Here’s a variety extravaganza a plethora of talent and a perfect midsummer entertainment escape! Timothy G. Ruff Welch accompanies some of Lakeside‘s best singers, and then there are tap dancers, Latin dancers and an improv comedy team. Tickets are $250 pesos, available at Diane Pearl Colecciones, Mia‘s Boutique and from mymytickets@gmail.com. REMEMBER THE 6O’S AND 70’S? Let Cindy Paul and Pancho Martinez take you back to the gentle 60’s and early 70’s, when people wore flowers in their hair and we actually thought they could change the world. Listen, dance, or sing along to iconic tunes of the peace/love era, 6:30-8:30 pm on Thursdays. The next performance is July 6. There’s no cover charge. The venue is La Bodega, 376-766-1002. LITTLE THEATRE PLAYHOUSE SERIES Lakeside Little Theatre is pleased to announce the 2017-2018 Playhouse Series. This will be the fourth season of collaboration with London’s National Theatre Live. All of these are actual performances recorded in stunning high definition before live audiences and shown on LLT’s 14x8 foot screen. The first of the series, Amadeus, has already been shown. Here are the scheduled performances. July 8-9 Buried Child by Sam Shepard August 12-13 Romeo & Juliet by William Shakespeare September 9-10 Obsession by Jan Peter Gerrits, Simon Stephens October 14-15 Peter Pan by JN Barrie November 18-19 Cyrano de Bergerac by Edmond Rostand, Anthony Burgess December 2-3 Il Volo with Placido Domingo Notte Magica January 27-28 Angels in America 1&2 by Tony Kushner March 3-4 Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? by Edward Albee April 7-8 Yerma by Simon Stone, Federico Garcia Lorca Performances are Saturday evenings at 7:30 pm and Sunday matinees at 3:00 pm. Tickets (250 pesos) for the upcoming shows can be purchased two weeks prior and the week of the show at the LLT box office Wednesday and Thursday from 10 am until noon, and one hour before curtain OPEN CIRCLE Sunday morning finds many Lakeside residents at the Lake Chapala Society and Open Circle, a forum on a variety of stimulating topics. A social hour with coffee and snacks at 10 am is followed by an interesting lecture and discussion at 10:30.
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July 9 Mark Twain—the Anti-Bigot Presented by Ed Tasca Ed will discuss some of the Mark Twain legacy that he couldn’t fit into his more playful homage to Twain, Mark Twain, Uncensored, which was performed last August at LLT. Today’s more serious commentary explains the fierce and outspoken social critic Twain had become – about the social and ethnic injustices, the arrogance of power, and the bigotry aimed at the disadvantaged masses in the late 19th Century. Although his incisive wit and fearless political satire made Twain’s work beloved internationally, it was the lesser-known serious observations and insights underlying his work that made him immortal. Ed Tasca is a writer and occasional performer at Lakeside Little Theater and the Naked Stage. Of his introverted career as novelist, playwright, and humor columnist, he says, “I’m most proud of the fact that I still sometimes get party invitations.” July 16 Trío Laguna Presented by Diana Laguna, violin; Areli Medeles, cello; and Liliana Laguna, piano. This piano trio is made up of three friends who are highly accomplished musicians. They love to play chamber music and continue together growing professionally in their music, ultimately to perform at the international level. Their Open Circle program will include, among others, works by Bach and Piazzolla. Astor Piazzolla is their favorite composer, whose tangos inspired them to form this piano trio. The three are members of La Orquesta Sinfónica Juvenil de Zapopan. July 23 The State of the European Union: How a Union of 28 (soon minus 1) Independent States without Borders Works Presented by Karl Homann Karl will describe the troubled history among European neighbors and the first seemingly impossible dreams of visionaries who imagined a peaceful future for the continent. After a quick romp though the past 55 years, Karl examines the challenges faced by a union of such culturally and temperamentally diverse nations. Karl is not a political scientist. His point of view is based on personal experience and his talk is based on research—a recent trip to Europe with interviews of citizens of the EU, immersion in the news outlets and the views of opinion writers and serious analysts. He Karl Homann was born in war-torn Germany, raised in an ideologically divided Germany, and lived for two years with the infamous wall dividing Berlin. He left Germany at age 25, became a citizen of Canada, and retired in Mexico 11 years ago. July 30 The Innocence Project Presented by David Greenstein What happens when a truly innocent, as opposed to “not guilty,” person is convicted of a crime, incarcerated, and all avenues of appeal within the system have been exhausted? Enter the Innocence Project, which is not part of the system. David will speak on how the Project has exonerated hundreds of wrongfully convicted people, including some on death row. He will also examine the current debate over the constitutional rights in the US of persons accused of illegal immigration and terrorism. David has been a full-time Lakeside resident since 2004. His passions include
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helping stray, abused and abandoned dogs. He is also a frequent guest speaker on cruise ships where he talks about the history and culture of the countries visited as well as about the Innocence Project. David lives in Chapala with his wife and three rescued dogs. August 6 Woulda, Coulda, Shoulda Presented by Lou Raskin Sound familiar? These words are deeply embedded in the vocabulary of many people living regrettable lives. The presentation provides insights into the usage, lingering effects, and ways to move beyond such disabling excuses. Lou Raskin has resided in Mexico 12 years, the latest two at Lakeside. As a member of the Open Circle Steering Committee, he oversaw the development of the website, which he currently maintains. He earned degrees from Naropa University, Boulder, CO, in Transpersonal Psychology and in Ecology. The two were integrated into the study of Ecopsychology, the relationship of the human species with the natural world. His principal career was with the aerospace industry. VIVA CONCERT SERIES —“SUMMER IN THE VILLAGE” The next Viva Musica concert will be at 4 pm on Thursday, July 27, at St. Andrew’s Anglican Church, Riberas del Pilar, with up-and-coming Viva scholarship winner Sergio Parra, who not only plays the piano with flair but is a composer interested in the indigenous music of Mexico, particularly the Jalisco Huichol musical heritage. This day his program will include the following: Franz Schubert’s Sonata No 21; Alban Berg, Sonata in One Movement; Franz Liszt, Benediction de Dieux Dans lac Solitude; and Robert Schumann, Abegg Variations. The third Viva concert will be at 4 pm on Thursday, August 24 at the Auditorio and features Canadian mezzo-soprano Michelle Bogdanowicz with her MexicanAmerican husband tenor Ernesto Ramirez. Songs will include DeFalla, Tosti, Donaudy and Caccini, also operatic arias and duets from La Boheme, Carmen and Madame Butterfly. SLOBS AND NEUROTICS The Naked Stage presents “The Odd Couple,” (female version)” by Neil Simon, on July 28, 29 and 30. It’s directed by Collette Clavadetscher. The Odd Couple had its original debut in 1965 on Broadway, and, with its success, spurred a film in 1968, and then a TV series from 1970–1975. Since then it’s seen many adaptations and revivals (even a cartoon version in the 70’s). If you don’t already know what the play is about, it can be summed up easily: two polar opposite personalities become roommates —one a carefree slob, one an uptight neurotic – and hilarity ensues. That’s pretty much all you need to know. The Cast, left to right: Susan Quiriconi, Johan Dirkes, Pam Pettus, Elizabeth Richards, Helena Feldstein, Donna Burroughs, Barbara Pruitt and Al Kirkland Naked Stage is at Hidalgo #261, on the mountain side and directly across from the Catholic Church. Reservations are recommended. For more information and reservations, email nakedstagereservations@gmail.com. For those who use Facebook, look for The Naked Stage for breaking news and updates. TIMED WRITING TO A WEEKLY PROMPT You don’t know what that is? Come to the Ken Gosh Pavilion at LCS on Thursdays from 10 to noon and find out. This is a drop-in group for writers at all levels of skill and experience, using a writing practice developed by Amherst Writers & Artists. It provides beginning and experienced writers with a supportive and encouraging context in which to write. “Come and get juiced!” says Susa Silvermarie.
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BIRDING AT LAKE CHAPALA Lake Chapala Birders is an informal group of bird observers led by John and Rosemary Keeling. The club’s bird walks are open to all those interested in birds, both. beginners an experienced birders. Just bring binoculars and show up. There are always knowledgeable birders on hand to identify the species. If you are given a ride, please make a contribution of gas and tolls (perhaps 50-100 pesos for a half day outing, 100-200 for a day trip). There were 95 species sighted around Lake Chapala in May, from the GrooveBilled Ani to the Common Yellowthroat. Don’t hesitate to contact John and Rosemary if you are seeking information about birding in the area. We also like to hear about sightings of birds or nests at: chapalabirders@yahoo.com or 376.766.1801. Check out the website: chapalabirders.org FRIENDS OF THE BALLET We heard from Suzanne Salimbene, Chair, Lakeside Friends of Ballet de Jalisco. She tells us that the Company’s fall and winter performances will be equally as exciting as the recent production of Don Quixote. Their next performance will be Romeo and Juliet. It will be held at the Degollado Theater in Guadalajara the third weekend of September. In October and/or November they will perform Swan Lake on the Lake at Parque Metropolitano in Guadalajara and, she hopes, possibly here at Lake Chapala. They will finish off the year with the very well known and loved Nutcracker Suite in December. For more information and discussion of ticket purchases, get in touch with Suzanne at (011 52) 376 108 1621 or call on her cell at 33 3150 6814. SPECIAL LLT PRESENTATION M.M.XX, a one-act play about the last day of Marilyn Monroe’s life stars Candace Luciano in a one-person play directed by Peggy Lord Chilton. Play runs from Aug. 4 to Aug. 10 Call theater for details at 7660954. GROW YOUR OWN The Veggie Growers Club has been meeting for three and a half years. They meet at Huerta Organic Café, Hildago #212 in Riberas del Pilar on the second Monday of the month at 10 am, unless members are notified by email that they are meeting at a member’s house. Members discuss problems with growing vegetables at Lakeside, local pests and how to treat them, composting and all matters related to growing vegetables. Sometimes guest speakers give presentations. Members also share seeds and starter plants. The next meeting is Wednesday, July 12 at 10 am. For more information call John McWilliams at 766.0620. To be sure, the 16th Annual Feria Maestros del Arte doesn’t happen until the weekend of November 10-12, but it’s not too early to consider getting involved. We’re told that this is “the most incredible folk and indigenous art show in Mexico. Buyers and collectors come to the Feria to purchase the highest quality Mexican art at the best prices available.” Check Facebook to learn more and sign up to volunteer for this important event.
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COLUMNIST
%\ 9LFWRULD 6FKPLGW
Angels and Demons
L
ife has a way of shaking things up from time to time. We go about our daily lives making plans and filling our appointment books and keeping busy when suddenly everything comes to a screeching halt. A death in the family, a serious illness, or a family crisis can stop everything. In every life, a little “rain must fall.” And in my case, rainy season came too soon this year and it’s been pouring with an end in sight, just not quick enough for me. I had what was to be a minor surgery, but following the surgery complications set in. My carefully organized life suddenly fell into disarray and entropy became the rule to the day. I’ve always been a planner, and chaos is something I don’t ever wish to invite into my house. Yet there it was. The worst was the blood transfusion. At one time or another one of our friends has needed a blood transfusion, so we knew the routine in Mexico is very different from the USA. We’d need to find donors; each facility has different requirements for the donor. But we had arranged to have me admitted, be administered the blood, and be discharged back to my 24/ per day care in 10 hours. But thanks to a young doctor with the aqua blue framed glasses, (I called her the demon.) I ended up there for a day and
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El Ojo del Lago / July 2017
a half. There were so many people there, but few people listening, and too many people making assumptions. And what happened ultimately added weeks to my recuperation. At the time, I went through all kinds of emotions. But mostly, I felt so bad for my friend, who came with me, knew little Spanish, and she couldn’t reach her husband because his hearing aid broke and he couldn’t hear the phone. I’ve known her more years than I care to admit and yet I’d never seen her so stressed. Even though she was just watching, she was as trapped as I was. It wasn’t a good situation, but there were moments of incredible grace. A social worker and a supervising nun were the first angels sent, followed by two doctors, two IV nurses who were incredible. We called them angels. The atmosphere in the room changed as soon as these people walked into the room, and suddenly, things started to happen. At home, I felt surrounded by angels as friends surrounded us with help, and one personal friend who went beyond the call of duty is my Guardian Angel. My confinement has lasted nine weeks. Our home was a revolving door of doctors, nurses, lab techs, medical equipment deliveries, and visitors. No part of my home or my life was under control. I couldn’t tell you what was going on most of the time. If it wasn’t within view of my bed, I couldn’t see it or know about it. Not a comfortable place for someone who likes to keep everything under control. I look at times like these and ask myself “What is it I need to learn from all this?” My conclusion for this past experience was two-fold. First, be careful what you wish for. I was wishing for some time off, and some pampering. This was not what I had in mind! But my true learning experience is how many angels bless my life. Victoria Schmidt
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COLUMNIST
PROFILING TEPEHUA %\ 0RRQ\HHQ .LQJ 3UHVLGHQW RI WKH %RDUG IRU 7HSHKXD
PRRQLH #\DKRR FRP
T
he CRREAD Rehabilitation for Men, broke ground for the CRREAD Rehabilitation Center for Women, donating the extra land they had. The men stood around and watched as the bulldozer did its work, anticipating months of labor. Being part of a labor team is therapy, as they strive to throw their personal addictions. They have already completed the base for the perimeter wall in spite of the recent rains. They dug by hand instead of a trenching machine, to save the money for material. We all have addictive propensities, but for most of us they are controlled by patterns. This writer salutes those that try to overcome their addictions, it is a hard road, I have enormous respect for this particular group of men who are reaching out to help mothers,
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wives and sisters in addiction. Especially those lactating or pregnant. BRADFORD HEALTH SERVICES writes: “Neither the homeless man or misguided celebrity is the true face of addiction. The majority is the average person who often mask their suffering
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out of shame because of negative associations with drug or alcohol abuse. Addictions drive people to act in ways they never thought they were capable of, the guilt of which forces them further into hiding. They need to move past their guilt and shame in order to move into a healthier life. Also stated: because of addictions influence on the brain, many alcoholic and drug abusers feel no shame until they are sober or in recovery.” The 12 step program of AA originated in 1938 by its founder Bill Wilson who wrote out his ideas from his own experience with addiction, convinced if people shared their experience it effected them positively. The 12 step model, which encourages complete abstinence can help addicts to the “flourishing” stage in three months to one year, for the few even longer, it is a model that supplies a framework of support on which to surrender their addictions, and has a spiritual base. There are other programs for those who do not want to recognize a higher power. This writer’s experience with addiction was a young family member on crack cocaine. Having had several counseling sessions in a Center for Youths with addiction in the States, as a special request, outpatient treat-
ment was agreed to, but only because the family and the patient were brutally honest with each other, and went to the Rehab Center every day for three months. Sharing the burden with family is halving the burden, not everyone is so lucky to have such a supportive family group. Or the money. This is why Rehabilitation Centers work. The support group is your fellow addict, who knows if you can do it, he/ she can do it. Rehabilitation Centers in the North take on a Hotel Holiday type feeling, and they cost money. The program is full of counseling, meetings, Doctors visits and psychiatric care, good nutrition and a balanced diet, trying to refurbish the body, replacing that which drug abuse drains the body of; sometimes paid for by Insurance, families or Government programs. Here in Mexico, it is done the hard way. The detoxification can be brutal. Plus part of the recovery is work...everyone has a chore. No time to lounge around and study the naval. There is no Insurance or Government help. The Institutes are all privately funded, and the family pays 2,000 pesos a month if they can afford it. If they cannot pay it they are not turned away. The police bring the vagrant men to detox, the government does not pay. The Doctors visits as needed are volunteer Doctors...as the Maternal Health Team from Tepehua will be. The police take the women with minor infractions for drug use to jail...because there is no other place; a place where they suffer abuse and can get whatever drug they want. DIF does have a place for women in Guadalajara, the women in question can take nothing with them, even if they are lactating they cannot take their babies or personal possessions.. The cost is approx. 2,000 pesos. DIF is looking for sponsors for all those whose families cannot pay. CRREADS 25 establishments for men across Mexico raise their own money, food, build their own Institutes, every one of them directed by recovering addicts. The Maternal Health program at the Tepehua Community Center is behind this CRREAD rehabilitation Center for women with enthusiasm shared by the Director of CRREAD. With our Clinic to take care of the medical needs of the women and their children, and CRREADS expertise at detoxification of addictions of all levels will make a team like no other....the light at the end of the tunnel shines bright. If you can help with materials of any kind, or donations, contact Moonie. If you would like to tour the existing premises of CRREAD for men, you would be most welcome.
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Sex In The Supermarket %\ %HUQLH 6XWWOH
Y
ou want to get poked?” I asked Betty Pruett, a checker at Market Basket. She turned toward me from the register, smiled and said, “Not right now.” I had the melon poker in my hand. It was used to assure buyers the watermelons were ready to eat. “Jeeze, I didn’t mean that.” My ears were burning. I’m sure they were red but I overcame my embarrassment and said, “Hi, I’m Bernie, a new box boy.” “Hello yourself, I’m Betty Pruett, checker, welcome aboard. You new in town?” “We used to live here but we were in LA two years ‘til my dad died. Just
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moved back so Mom can be near her job.” “Thought you looked familiar. Where did you go to school here?” “Catholic school through the seventh grade. What do you want me to do here?” “Keep bagging while I check. Put the tender stuff on top like tomatoes and bread. Careful of the eggs.” “Those girls I see you with, your sisters?” “Yep, the four Pruett girls. I’m the oldest, 19.” “You go to Monrovia High School?” “Used to. Quit in senior year to get married.” “You don’t wear a ring.”
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“Not married anymore. Live back home with mom and sisters. Mom takes care of my boy so I can work.” “All you girls sure look good.” “Thanks.” “What’s the name of your sister that’s my age?” “Jenny. She’s 14. Are you?” “Yep. Sure like to talk to her.” “Say, ‘Hello’ when she’s checking through.” Whenever the three Pruett girls entered the market in their sunny, summer, sundresses, puffy reddish blond hair and smiles for everyone they reminded me of popovers fresh from the oven. When they came the boys would gather near them like birds to a feeder. “Howard, it’s good you and the other guys are working as box boys. I wouldn’t want to be the only kid here. You see those Pruett Girls? That Jenney sure is cute. Do you know her?” “Yeah, went to Jr. High with her. She’s fun.” Ivan, the store manager, didn’t do much observable managing. He strode the aisles like a martinet with black shoes, white sox, brown pants, white short-sleeve shirt, red tie topped off by his bald head and beady, staring, black eyes. “Hey, Doug, that little plywood room-size box in the storage area in back, is that Ivan’s office?” “Yeah.” “Why is it that four of you guys climb up on top at once to get bags for the checkers?” “Because when the checker, Velma, takes her break she goes in there and makes out with Ivan. We look down through cracks in the roof and watch them.” “Can I go up there next time?” “No, the shack starts to sway and creek; it’s just plywood.” Even in 1949, every other Saturday a brood of Hill Folk came in for “victuals,” the men in Dungeralls that stopped four inches above their high-topped shoes, and soiled, tan, long-sleeved shirts, the women in wash dresses and
bandanas over unwashed hair. The first time I experienced their visit I heard barking. “Darrell, what’s that?” He told me, “It’s the hill people. The woman has an ailment. She can’t help it.” “Does she do it in her sleep too?” “Don’t know.” “Do many girls start barking?” “Don’ think so.” Two weeks later we heard barking again. The manager, Ivan, yelled at me. “Get that goddam dog out of here before he leaves a mess that you’ll clean up.” “Yes, sir, I’ll take care of it.” I disappeared from Ivan’s presence to reappear after the hill people left the building. The barking had stopped. Ivan glowered at me and said, “What took you so long?” “The dog ran away and hid,” I said. “Here’s my chance. Jenny is checking through Betty’s line.” I bagged all the items and Betty gave back the change and Blue Chip Stamps. I stared into Jenny’s eyes and said, “Hi, I’m Bernie.” She looked straight at my face. Then it seemed her blue eyes drifted to the top of my head as she weakly responded, “Hi.” I knew it. The hair on the back of my head must be sticking up again. As the ad says, “You better start using Wildroot cream oil and you better start using it today.” Why not? Here goes. “My break is due. Want to have a coke with me?” “Can’t, frozen peas will thaw.” “Well that’s zero for one but one for three is good enough for the major leaguers. I’ll try again.” The summer and my job were nearing the end. I was going to a new high school. I had learned a lot about girls. “I’ll make my move for Jenny. She’s alone in the canned fish aisle.” “Hi, good to see you; it’s always good to see you. I’d like to see you somewhere else. Could we go to the Lyric for a movie Friday?” She smiled and said, “Sorry. I’m dating Howard Sanger. We’re going steady.” “Really? The Howard Sanger, box boy? What for?” “He’s going to quit high school and become a meat cutter.” “Well, good for you. Take care and remember me.” I turned and slowly walked away thinking, “School starts next week. There will be lots of girls there. I can improve my average.” Bernie Suttle
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TOMMIE—An Unforgettable Man %\ -LP 5DPER
W
e were both young, ambitious lawyers and were court appointed to represent a killer, a black, wiry man whose eyes were vacant and who never smiled. And he hadn’t been smiling the year before, 1983, when he senselessly murdered a priest, who had his collar on, in a wooded area near the courthouse. Tommie and I had our hands full and we quickly agreed that the state’s evidence indicated that our best outcome in the case would be to prevent the imposition of the death penalty. The killer would speak with Tommie but, because he had figured out that I didn’t like him at all, wouldn’t speak to me. I considered that his problem and not mine. It was his life on the
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line. Several months following our appointment, we were proven correct in our assessment of the case when our client was unanimously found guilty of murder first degree with a hand gun and a penalty hearing was ordered. All of our mitigating evidence had been presented and I stood to address the jury in summation. Halfway through my argument, I noticed that one woman on the jury was crying. Soon a second and then a third joined in weeping. I tried not to show my excitement that my “save his life” argument seemed to be working. As I was focusing on my seeming success, however, I turned from the jury to share it with Tommie, who was seated at the defense table next to our
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client. To my amazement, Tommie had his head wrapped in both hands and was sobbing uncontrollably. He was evoking the jury’s response; not me! And that was my friend, Tommie; always in control. He had been a good Catholic boy out of Philadelphia, the author of two books, a high school teacher, a Marine, the first judo instructor at Paris Island, Chairman of the Young Republicans, a legislator in Delaware, a drill instructor, and a World Teacher in Namibia. In other words, he was a self- confident tough guy without the bravado. When a Mafioso figure in Philly got in trouble in Delaware, they called on Tommie. He spoke their language and, like so many others, they knew they could trust him. He confided in me years later that he only overplayed his hand with Frank Sheeran, the Philly gangster, when he asked what had really happened to Jimmy Hoffa. Sheeran immediately barked at Tommie to never again bring up the subject... and Tommie wisely never did! He told me that while in Namibia, teaching, he had a near death experience. A form of malaria had reached his brain and he was unconscious for a long while. He vividly described his experience “on the other side” and how he had finally chosen to return. There was unfinished work, as he explained it, and after regaining consciousness, he never had any fear of death, often musing about the elation and wonder of meeting long gone relatives and friends while in his fever. In 2016, at the age of 80, Tommie was still working for the Public Defender’s Office in Dover, Delaware. He still enjoyed the challenge during his days. At night he would teach judo to troubled teens and anyone else interested. I sent him money to buy new judo mats after learning that he was still teaching. The sessions left him exhausted but never financially better off for he never charged anyone for the lessons: Vintage Tommie. We kept in contact via Facebook where we would frequently disagree. One thing that we did agree on was that automatic weapons and too many handguns were contributing to the ruination of the fabric of America. I even bought stock in several weapons producers in anticipation of Tommie and I filing a class action stockholder suit against manufacturers. It was not to be. Last Christmas morning I awoke and, coffee in hand and still half asleep, went to Facebook. Thumbing through, I found a post from Tommie. It began with a single, riveting word....”sayonara.” Tommie went on to assure his friends that he had enjoyed a full and complete life. He expressed particular pride that his grandson had declared him “one
badass grandfather” after Tommie had coached the grandson’s high school wrestling team one day. Many of Tommie’s Facebook friends were students whom he had taught fifty years before. In caps on his final post Tommie made it clear that he had left us with a BANG and a SMILE. He had done it, incredibly, with a handgun. His body was found on the third floor of a residence he had helped found called Victory Village. It was a shelter for homeless veterans. For days on end, after reading his post, I wandered about, shocked and mystified that my proud, strong, energetic friend had taken his own life. His daughter, Annie, had confirmed her father’s death on Tommie’s Facebook page a day after his Christmas post. I could not travel to Delaware to attend the funeral but just last week Annie called me in Mexico. She explained that her dad had confided his plan two months earlier. Answering my question, she explained that the Catholic Church had assisted her funeral planning in spite of her father taking his own life. “The times they are a changin.’” She also explained that the hated hand gun was used to make certain it would be over. I felt great pride when she related how many times Tommie had told her that “Rambo bought the judo mats for those kids”. No one knew that, together, we had also helped others who had wandered into his shelter, sometimes with their children in tow. Finally, Annie and I laughed together over Tommie’s arranging for his funeral at a funeral home owned by a black family. It catered nearly exclusively to black families. Annie said, “Dad told me that everything would be taken care of but when I saw the $1,200 bill for his cremation, I was surprised and unable to pay it.” So she asked the funeral director’s son why there was a bill when her father had represented the Congo Funeral Home for many, many years, charging only $1.00 once as a joke. The son then excused himself, later returning to explain, “There will only be a small fee because of all that your father has done for us. My dad, Sammy Congo, asks that you bake us two apple pies. Forget about the $1,200!” Annie was again impressed that the “love of my life,” as she described her dad, had yet again been right. Everything had been taken care of. Ironically, I know now that every time I hear the Marine Corps hymn, which was played at the funeral, I will think of a Japanese word ….sayonara. And a tear will flow for my forever friend, Tommie Jim Rambo Little.
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I’ve been an avid blogger, in fact it is inane the hours I devote to it. I fear I am insane. I only slept three hours last night for I was agonizing about the state the world is in, never realizing that hours I could have spent in sleep I spent in speculation of how giant guns in hands of fools leads to eradication of larger numbers of the human race we’re meant to love, but instead of arms embracing, we use arms to push and shove. There’s such incentive now I fear for these fools to abuse them. Why spend so much on weapons if we’re never going to use them? It’s thoughts like this progressively that fill most of my thinking. I cannot help believing that our ship of state is sinking, bringing the whole world with it. In fact, I am obsessive. With so much to be thankful for, I have become depressive. I know I must pull out of it for what life we have left should be enjoyed for soon enough it may be we’re bereft. These are the thoughts that constantly roil within my mind. I fear for breath, I fear for life. I fear for all mankind. The more I write about it, the more morose I grow, and so I think I might quit blogging for a month or so and see if I can concentrate on things a bit more cheery, for I’m growing so reclusive that my friends are no doubt leery. I could fade from sight before the big guns do it for me, so my resolution on this day is that I must restore me back to the hum of daily life, throwing down my pen to try to remember how my life was way back when I suffered from a writer’s block that kept my words inside, milling about disorganized until they up and died. And since I do not think much ’til I see what I have written, I’ll grab the serpent by the tail before I have been bitten. So adios for now, my friends, you’ll hear no more from me. I need a small vacation where I can simply be.
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El Ojo del Lago / July 2017
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ncient man, bless him, made temporary shelters or used natural ones. Modern man makes his own essentially permanent one. That’s clear and simple. But modern man differs from his grandfather in the extent of his “shelters.” Matter of fact, I don’t think modern man lives in “shelters.” The purposes and varieties are so great that I think I will refer to them generically as boxes. From birth to death, we live our lives in boxes. We’re born in a box - a room probably in a hospital - a bigger box. Our doting parents transport us in a box - the family car- to our new box- ourhome where we grow up in boxes for sleeping, for eating, for entertainment, for cleanliness. We are educated in a box, seek treatment for ills in a box, enjoy the arts in a box, marvel at nature from a box and through a box. We dine in a box, exercise in a box, travel the world via boxes. Consciously or unconsciously we have renounced the natural environment. We prefer an artificial one responsive to our insatiable desire for more comfort and less effort. Unlike the bees and ants, social animals which live in dense communities, we forage for our food in boxes, in artificially lighted, cooled, heated supermarkets, requiring minimal physical or mental exertion. In the vigor and enthusiasm of our youth, most of us exulted in the embrace of nature. As we age, however, we
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earn our livings within walls, abandoning the sky and the earth. Most venture only infrequently out of doors, and later crippled by time, we exhaust our days in a care facility, a hospital, a hospice and thence to a mortuary and a casket. When did humans become estranged from nature? When did we stop seeing ourselves as integral to nature as a blade of grass or a song bird? Did we actually decide that we were beyond or above or separate from nature? Or is our unnatural mode of life the result of millions of tiny thoughtless steps that took us down a road out of the sunlight and starlight to the wonders of artificial illumination? In truth, we know where the wonders are and what they are. However awesome are the pyramids or Manhattan or the Great Wall of China, the Sahara, the Grand Canyon and the Himalayas dwarf them. So why do we live as though nature were a nasty neighbor, hence reducing contact with her as much as possible? I don’t know, but it is so. We are the true cavemen, the troglodytes, not the so-called cavemen of prehistory. Those small groups of restless paleolithic humans lived predominantly beneath an open sky. We in our boxes, in our caves, live predominantly under a ceiling. In our boxes, we have escaped the storm, the snakes, the mosquitoes, and thousands of other discomfiting natural nuisances, but we have also prevented ourselves from experiencing countless simple pleasures courtesy of nature. Yet we are children of nature. Our own bodies remind us of that affinity when we are ill or as our appearance alters with age. We are of nature, not a distant relative, not a disassociated patent or invention. Today we feel more at home on a street than a path, more familiar with the sound of engines than the sound of a leaping fish slapping the surface of a lake. We are less human for all this, closer to the inanimate than to the living. Still, we don’t have to torch our boxes to renew a relationship with nature, but we do have to open our doors and step out into the great out of doors. Go, open the door. Discover a new world and a new self. Be patient. Don’t fear. Go, please go.
Saw you in the Ojo 51
Dear Sir: It is that time of year again: graduation, departing students, the end of the school year and the heat, the beginning of the rainy season. It is when I usually take inventory. My list this year includes a long overdue thank you. I am grateful for your support as an editor and fellow writer. I hope that goes without saying. I am honored to know you and admire your very moving work as a novelist. But what I want to thank you for this year is something you may take for granted, but for me and many of my students it is a lasting memory. You have helped some of the best young writers from The American School with their maiden publications: essays, reviews, and stories. You took a risk with them and gave them their first chance. Unbeknownst to you, in each case I credited El Ojo del Lago in my letters of recommendation to Harvard, Stanford, Swathmore, UBC in Vancouver, Brown, Boston College, and others. Often, I received calls from the admissions office when a scholarship was being considered but not decided, and I spoke both of your editorial assistance, and the wide circulation of the magazine in which the student was published. It carried weight and in every case, the scholarship was awarded; in one instance, $40,000 a year. Some of those students you might remember. Chris Hazard whose book review of your very first historical novel, The Dark Side of the Dream, you pub-
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lished back in the 90’s, is now an English professor. Jorge Agraz, one of a group of my students you invited to the Writers’ Conference back in 1998 is now a diplomat working at the Mexican Embassy in Berlin. Ye Sul Meung has a PhD from Stanford and is a marketing specialist for a major firm in Korea. Sofia Benitez is a senior at Swarthmore and has been published in several magazines and is editor of the university journal. Cassandra Torres is studying international relations at UBC in Vancouver and probably would not have been admitted without your help. Luciana Mendez, the inspiration of the Lincoln and Mexico play, is now in Chicago, studying at DePaul University. All of them remember with fondness your gracious comments on their work. So this is your legacy as well. Not only the magazine that you piloted in good times and bad, not only the mature writers you helped in their golden years, not only your own fine creative work which has yet to reach the audience it deserves... none of these accomplishments, however, are truly the jewel in your multifaceted crown. For me, that diadem is the help you gave the younger generation over the past two decades in Mexico to get a leg up. You gave a gift that would keep on giving. No matter where they go in life or what they do, no matter rain or sunshine, good days or bad, they will be able create beauty in their lives because they have the ease and confidence to write it all down. The Ojo gave them that early encouragement for a lifetime of fulfillment. Michael Hogan, Ph.D. Emeritus Humanities Chair The American School Foundation of Guadalajara, A.C. +52 (33) 3648 2469 michael.hogan@asfg.edu.mx www.drmichaelhogan.com Ed. Note: Professor Hogan is the author of the renowned book, Lincoln and Mexico, as well as the writer of the stage play he adapted from said novel, the American School student production of which was given a standing ovation at the closing curtain of both of the performances recently presented at the Lakeside Little Theater.
Saw you in the Ojo 53
Speeding Past Shangri-La %\ 0DUN %R\HU
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e all have our stories of regret, and this is one of my deepest regrets that has changed the way I think and the choices I now make. One summer my friend Ken Schunk and I travelled to a remote area of China near the Tibet border in North-western Sichuan. This rustic area is known as Aba. A few miles up a meandering road we found more than a hundred Buddhist monks diligently preparing a large ceremony along a pristine lake in the midst of surrounding mountains. As Ken and I wandered among the monks to see what they were
creating, a young monk motioned for us to sit with him on a hillside. A translator helped us to understand our mutual questions and answers. Sometimes we simply sat in comfortable silence, observing the monks, the lake, the mountains, and the beauty of a cool breeze on a sunny day. We easily developed a bond of trust and friendship on that hillside. The young monk told us to come back the next day, and that he would take us on a hike behind the mountains to a place these monks called Shangri-La. The young monk said the hike would require about three days to get there, a couple
days to spend there, and then about three days to return. Ken and I are westerners and we were on a “tight schedule” with our driver and visas. We needed to depart from China in two days, and just our trip back to Chengdu would be a gruelling 11-hour drive. In short, Ken and I thanked this young monk for his generous offer to take us to Shangri-La. We told him that our “schedule” would not allow us to participate in a potentially life-changing experience. We were busy. We were busy. We were busy. I learned from that moment that somehow, someway, rare and unique experiences need to take precedent over the mundane schedules and tasks of everyday life. I needed to find ways to slow time down so that I had time for myself. Even now as I am “retired,” there can be a rush to fill up social calendars and to find new ways of being busy. I have travelled to 45 countries so far, but I am not in a rush to check off places on my list or to impress people with where I travel. My interests are simpler now. I find beauty and wonderment in just going out for a walk, and experiencing how the day unfolds. I want to be able to stop and look at what’s around me, and to feel what is inside me. I know I will likely never have a second chance to experience Shangri-La with the young monk along that Tibetan border, but I intend to experience Shangri-La as much as possible in every day of my life. And this is always about the choices I intuitively make along the path. One thing is for sure. I intend to never speed past Shangri-La anymore. Mark Boyer
MID-MONTH BONUS! Zofia Barisas’ lacerating article brings to mind the theory that behind every gifted writer is a series of crippling psychic wounds, brought about in this case by a cruel and physically abusive father. Family can be found at http://chapala. com/elojo/index.php/mid-month-articles Each mid-month, we offer superb articles that while a bit too long for our print version are perfect for our digital format. Check it out!
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Saw you in the Ojo 55
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Cities of the Gods
They are empty and silent now; pale spectres of cities that teemed with life and seethed with color. Once priestly processions moved in solemn splendor across those wide plazas and climbed the steep stairways to make their bloody offerings to the gods while hushed crowds of worshippers looked on in awe and wonder…and fear? On happier occasions there might be shouts and cheers from excited spectators at the sacred ball court or the sound of bells, drums and rattles accompanying the ritual dancing. Some were not cities at all. Only the gods and the priests and acolytes who ministered to them lived there. These were ceremonial centers, often serving wide areas, where the faithful came to worship and appease their sometimes terrible deities. They might also be administrative centers but, since Kings were usually High Priests, it amounted to the same thing. Today, only small groups of tourists move about the vast courtyards. The voices of guides and the roar of tour buses raise brief echoes among the ancient stones and are quickly gone. Only the ghosts remain. Monte Alban This huge complex of palaces, temples and tombs, built by the Zapotecs as early as 600 D.C., eventually boasted a population of 24,000. The enormous plaza is bounded on all sides by impressive temple platforms all facing toward a central group. A labyrinth of secret, underground passages connects the major buildings. Among the more interesting structures are the Palace, atop an imposing platform, and Mound L, where those enigmatic sculptures, the danzantes, were found. Temple J, arrowhead shaped and curiously oriented, seems to have served as both observatory and battle monument. Teotihuacan This was truly a great city, stretching for miles and laid out with geometric precision. Its population may have reached 200,000. A broad avenue, the Street of the Dead, runs, arrow-straight for five kilometers and is lined with imposing temples, palaces and public buildings. The Pyramid of the Sun rises over 200 feet
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El Ojo del Lago / July 2017
from a base some 650 feet square and is reached by a steep flight of 248 steps. The Pyramid of the Moon is smaller but still impressive and the great public market also served as an amphitheatre for religious spectacles. Mitla Built by the Zapotecs, Mitla became the capitol of the conquering Mixtecs and was later buried by the modern village. One major building has been precariously excavated beneath the church. Another has enormous round columns, almost Doric in simplicity, found nowhere else in the New World. The most interesting feature, however, is the intricate friezes of small, precisely-cut stones set in every possible geometric pattern, which decorate the facades. They have been poetically described as ‘petrified lace’. Chichen Itza Chichen (the Itza came much later) was an important Maya center for centuries but almost all its existing buildings date from after the Toltec invasion. The Temple of the Warriors is an almost exact copy of one at Tula. Many pyramids were renewed every 52 years simply by building a shell around the existing structure, leaving the old temple intact. This is the case with El Castillo where such furnishings as the marvelous jaguar throne may be seen. The most unusual building is the Caracol. Circular, with sloping ramps, it has been identified as an observatory. Palenque In 1949 Mexican archaeologist, Alberto Ruz, noticed an odd-looking flagstone in the Temple of the Inscriptions which, when lifted, revealed a rubble-filled stairway leading downward inside the 65 foot pyramid. By the end of the season, slow and cautious excavation had uncovered the first landing and still the corbel-vaulted passage led on. Three years and 80 vertical feet later Ruz broke through into King Pacal’s magnificent tomb. Until that moment archaeologists believed that Meso-Americans never used their pyramids as tombs. Labna The free-standing ‘Triumphal’ arch is the best known feature of this city. Set between columns heavily carved with geometric motifs and flanked by sheltered niches which probably once contained statues, it gives access to a broad central plaza surrounded by temples and palaces. Of these, the Mirador is the most fascinating. A
tall pyramid supports a pillared loggia above a chamber with unique half-columns, carved to resemble living tree trunks. Kabah The Puuc style of architecture, common in northern Yucatan, featured cement walls faced with finely dressed stones and overlaid with high- relief carvings in repetitive motifs. Kabah’s K’odzpop Palace is fine example of Puuc. Here the facade is densely studded with representations of the Mayan rain god, Chac. The endless repetitions of the long-nosed deity cast fascinating and ever-changing patterns of deep shadows so that the images seem to be in motion as the bright tropical sun races across the sky. Tula The Pyramid of the Morning Star was dedicated to the god/priest/ king, Quetzalcoatl, who numbered Venus among his many aspects. Almost completely destroyed by barbarian invaders, it has been splendidly restored by archaeologists, helped by the fact that the Toltecs, pleased with their design, repeated it in Yucatan. A sacrificial altar in the form of a half-reclining man with a rather quizzical expression fronts the sweeping staircase ascending the pyramid. From a base 140 feet square it rises 30 feet in five equal tiers to a flat area with rows of titanic warriors that once supported the roof. El Tajin The Pyramid of the Niches is unique in Meso-America. Rising from a base 115 feet square to a height of 60 feet in six vertical levels it resembles a giant’s stairway rather than the usual talud-tablero (terrace-andslope) construction. The actual stairs slant steeply, unbroken by landings, and are defined by balustrades inlaid with scrolls which may represent serpents. Another innovation, later adopted by the Toltecs, is the statues which stand at the top on either side. The most intriguing feature is the 365 window-like openings, actually deep niches, which, some think, may have once housed images. Uxmal The Pyramid of the Magician is, at 84 feet, the tallest in Mexico. It dominates the site and offers breathtaking views. The Nunnery Quadrangle’s wide, vaulted entrance leads to a colonnaded courtyard 80x260 feet. Its walls are intricately carved with masks, serpents and geometric designs. Opposite, wide stairs climb 30 feet to a terrace and the 11 double rooms which give the structure its name. The House of the Governor, situated on a natural rise, stretches 385 feet atop 20 foot platform. Its lower walls are smooth stucco but the upper half is covered with Greek key designs and grotesque masks.
Saw you in the Ojo 57
The Ojo Crossword
ACROSS 1 Tiny insect 5 Zestfulness 10 Some (2 wds.) 14 Abbreviate 15 Beggar 16 Comedian Jay 17 Relating to spiritual bliss 19 Dunking cookies 20 Lodge 21 Shine 23 Non__(not welcome) 26 Possessive pronoun 28 Constrictor snake 31 McDonald´s “Big__” 32 Associations 33 Abdominal muscles (abbr.) 34 Always the same role 37 Month 39 Weary sound 40 Reduce 42 Gone With the Wind´s Mr. Butler 45 Grey-haired 49 Fat 50 Famous painter 53 Rowing device 54 Vane direction 55 Speak in public 56 Gift to husband 58 Spite 60 arbiter 61 Prank )DLOLQJ WR IXO¿OO 1HJDWLYH SUH¿[
70 Slip away
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El Ojo del Lago / July 2017
71 Canal 72 Gather 73 Council 74 Following DOWN 1 Void 2 BB association 3 Abridged (abbr.) 4 Feature 5 Get ahead 6 Ship initials 7 Slide on snow 8 Prickly herb %HDXWLIXO ÀRZHU 10 Lotion ingredient 11 Nice bar decorated with ferns and other plants 12 Compass point 13 Court 18 Deoxyribonucleic acid (abbr.) $UWL¿FLDO 23 Time Zone 24 Shaft of light 25 American Collage of Physicians (abbr.) 26 Rump 27 Wallop 29 Kimono sash 30 Sign language 32 Quip 35 Time zone 36 Lemon-like fruit 38 Brand of dispensable candy 40 Soft cheese 41 Ventilate 42 Caviar 43 Possessive pronoun 44 Raise 45 Have 46 Down 47 Serving of corn 48 Dull 51 East away 52 To wit 56 Eastern state 57 Many times 59 Leave 60 Regretted 61 __radio 62 Only 64 Frolic 65 Flurry 66 Anger 67 Veto 68 Collect
FROM OUR WEBBOA OAR ARD RD WWW.WEB.CHAPALA.COM
QUESTION:
:KDW LV WKH PDLQ UHDVRQ \RX retired to Lakeside? pappysmarket To experience a slower and simpler way of life, less dependent on a vehicle. Ajijic very much resembled the small town that I was born in and which we moved away from when I was 13. But that was in 2001 and Ajijic is nothing like it was then. dcstroker Interests: My wife, kayaking, rowing, reading, bridge, dogs. Lake, Guadalajara, proximity to airport. Not sure if where we live qualifies as lakeside but it only takes us 15 minutes to get there. tomgates Interests: Walking, gardening, fine wine and food, cooking, bbq and entertaining. Prior to retirement, lots of articles about best places to retire (Internationally, not US) and San Miguel Allende and Ajijic kept making top 10 lists. So we visited SMA in 2002 and while we liked it, it didn’t really do much for us. We paid over $200 for a nice room in a B&B and good restaurants were priced like they were in Seattle. Fast forward to 2005 when we visited here. Bingo. Our short list of needs was met: moderate weather, close to both an international airport and a large metropolitan city (and Costco, Home Depot, etc), easy drive to the beach and easy drive to the US via Laredo. Ferret San Miguel de Allende was too cold in the winter. San Pancho was too hot in the summer. Ajijic is juuuusssst right. Carolina Interests: Reading, Gorgeous Scenery, Lakeside, Cats & Dogs, The Arts, Writing, Biking, Hiking, Kayaking, Depends on the Moment! I was just fortunate and somehow smart enough to “let life lead me” to this beautiful life here. I badly needed to get out of the rat race NOB. Even though I was really following someone else’s lead, I have never regretted moving here. I love the culture, the beauty, the weather, the Mexican people, and the way of life. It’s like “forever day camp,” with as little or as much to do as you wish. I love how easy it is to meet people and connect with people. kimanjome Weather, friendliness of commu-
nity, reasonable nab able cost off eci cially w hen he n living--especially when to tthe he ffuture utu ut ure looking into e care, ca easy acfor in-home cess to services, rvices, slower way cinity of international of life, vicinity airport. Justt a few months ago we were ready to sign the papers to buy a gorgeous home in A. But we made a Centro SMA. side trip to Ajijic along the way....and had second thoughts about SMA, which in comparison seemed too big, too reserved, and lacked a decent support system. Also, it was more difficult to get around SMA as it is quite sprawling now. So we ended up buying in Ajijic. AngusMactavish Location: San Luis Soyatlán Interests: Waking another day. The warmest people in Mexico, but the weather and restaurants put here over-thetop. Ferret Location: Ajijic, Mexico Angus Mactavish said: “The warmest people in Mexico, but the weather and restaurants put here over-the-top.” ‘Tis true. The reasons one picks a place are often not the reasons that one stays. Ajijic_hiker The weather, the altitude, no poison ivy, great tacos, and affordable fruits and vegetables. ComputerGuy Even with the weekend tourists and the ever-increasing traffic, life is just so much more laid back, and easier to deal with. My blood pressure is always lower than it was up north. pol2sol Love living amongst Mexican people. We have vacationed at Mexican beach resorts for several years. Those trips were vacations that just happen to be in Mexico and not at all a comparison to living in Jalisco. We have met so many kind, wise and generous people during our five years here. Looking beyond the despair and poverty we wanted to retire here. Keeping open minded and reminding ourselves of the well known quote “when in Rome......” the choice became easier. The color, even before primavera time, the sounds, even the “annoying” shrill of cicadas joining the choir of
the feathery feat birds. The odor, even of the reused fat of whatever food is fried. Those people food stand behind the huge greasy caldron proudly smile and ofcaldrons fer you to taste what is being prepar prepared. Those same people at the pa the parks and boardwalks prove that joy and relaxation are where stan we stand. The blueberries (my favorite fruit/berry) are a mere bonus. fruit/be Brikk66 Brik The US elections of 2000 (hanging chad in Florida) (h and 2004 (11 states voting on the Defense of Marriage to get conservatives to the polls) were the straw that broke the camel’s back. I decided when I retired in 10 years I w would leave the US and it would be to a warm climate. Visited Puerto Vallarta, and Costa Rica. Nope. Came here. Knew within 24 hours this was the place. It was a gut feeling. Continued searching, comparing. San Miguel de Allende, Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands. Nothing beat Ajijic. Retired in 2014, came here soon thereafter and have had no regrets. The specific reason I came here, though, was a simple gut feeling. Ajijic spoke to me.
Earl Top reason: great climate/weather All the rest is a bonus Mopsy Affordable all day care for my husband who is severely handicapped. Turns out not only is it affordable, but the caregivers are the most loving, kind, responsible, friendly people, not just to him but also to me. (Sufficient money for care in other countries could never pay for people like this). I am finally able to retire, something I thought would never happen in the states. rvanparys We just returned from a trip up north... $60 for lunch at the airport... a genuine eye opener... It went downhill from there... We came here approximately 18 months ago, bought and couldn’t be happier... We cut our living expenses 2/3rds which was a bonus... Excellent health care, international airport, warm locals and of course the weather... A big plus is if future in home care is required it is affordable and excellent... NEXT MONTHS WEBBOARD QUESTION: What would you suggest that might make living at Lakeside even better?
Saw you in the Ojo 59
Over 60 years of “People Helping People”
The
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News
www.lakechapalasociety.com
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Lessons Learned from the 2016 Annual Giving Campaign Last year the LCS conducted its first Annual Giving campaign in an attempt to raise 400,000 pesos to help support the programs we deliver to our members and the Mexican community. There were articles in the newsletter, the Volunteer Buzz, the Guadalajara Reporter and the Ojo del Lago. Our messaging was obviously not effective since we raised only half of our target goal. To determine how we could improve future campaigns the Fund Development Committee developed an online survey and sent it to 1,900 current and former LCS members and 509 survey responses were received. This indicates survey results have a better than 95% confidence level with a margin of error of less than 4%. What we found is: Over 69% of respondents did not know LCS was conducting an Annual Giving Campaign. Only 7% of respondents contributed to the 2016 Annual Giving Campaign. Over 93% wanted more information about how the donations would be used. More than 59% preferred to donate money to specific LCS programs and services. The good news is: A majority of respondents would consider donating to a 2017 Annual Giving campaign. We have heard you loud and clear and we are making adjustments based on your input. This year the 2017 LCS Annual Giving Campaign will begin this September and run through the end of December. This will give us a concentrated period to focus on communicating with our members to help raise awareness of the campaign and how donations will benefit LCS. In addition, if you choose to donate to the 2017 Annual Giving Campaign, you can designate the LCS programs and services you want your donation to support. We are hard at work incorporating all the feedback received into a rejuvenated Campaign for 2017. Thanks to all who responded to the survey. We are listening to our membership. Submitted by Ben White, President, Lake Chapala Society
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Friday Night Neighborhood Films at Wilkes Open to the public. Bring the family. In Spanish at 7 p.m. July 7 Belleza Inesperada with Will Smith July14 How to Be a Latin Lover with Eugenio Derbez July 21 Shrek 3 July 28 La Feria de las Flores with Pedro Infante Great Courses Now at Video Library A generous donation to the LCS Video Library has made many programs from the acclaimed Great Courses series available to LCS members. Taught by outstanding professors, these courses include material from a wide range of subjects, from archeology to history to literature, art and science. Below is a partial list... Ancient Empires Before Alexander What makes a true “empire”? How do empires rise, flourish, decline and fall? Biology: The Science of Life Follow the astonishing progress made in understanding life’s intricate machinery. Books That Have Made History Books change your life. Irish Identity Follow Irish history through the age of rebellion that swept through Europe and America. Masters of War The world’s greatest strategic thinkers. Mysterious Etruscans Discover this astounding culture of the ancient world. Rome and the Barbarians Who were the barbarians and how did Rome wield its power against them for centuries? Terror of History Mystics, heretics and witches in the Western tradition. Why Evil Exists Why do human beings commit evil? Is evil a spiritual or a cosmic problem?
ESL Registration
Book Up for a Longer Life!
Registration for new students of English will be held at the Wilkes Biblioteca on August 21, 22, 23 and 24 from 12 to 2 p.m. Students must be 15 years of age and bring a copy of their birth certificate. The cost is 450 pesos for books. Classes begin the middle of September. Class times depend on the results of placement tests administered at the time of registration. ESL Program at Wilkes is looking for volunteer instructors. For more information about these and our other volunteer opportunities, see the website at volunteer@ lakechapalasociety.com or fill out an application in the Service Office.
A study found that people who read books for 30 minutes a day lived longer than those who didn’t read at all. The study, published in the September 2015 issue of the Journal of Social Science & Medicine, looked at the reading patterns of 3,635 people who were 50 or older. On average, book readers were found to live for almost two years longer than non-readers. Researchers identified two cognitive processes that could create a “survival advantage”. First, reading books promote the “slow, immersive process” of “deep reading,” a cognitive engagement that “occurs as the reader draws connections to other parts of the material, finds applications to the outside world, and asks questions about the content presented.” Vocabulary, reasoning, concentration, and critical thinking skills improve by exposure to books,” they write. Second, books “can promote empathy, social perception, emotional intelligence and cognitive processes. The paper also specifically links the reading of books, rather than periodicals, to a longer life. “We found that reading books provided a greater benefit than reading newspapers or magazines. This effect is likely because books engage the reader’s mind more – providing more cognitive benefit, and therefore increasing the lifespan,” they say. The more respondents read, the longer they lived, but that “as little as 30 minutes a day was still beneficial in terms of survival.” So, read on! (Excerpted from the Yale University School of Public Health, in a paper entitled “A Chapter a Day: Association of Book Reading With Longevity.)
Introduction to Spanish This is a casual class for the beginner that covers the Spanish alphabet, simple vocabulary and phrases useful about town for shopping, and information about the Lakeside area and Mexican culture. Starting the second Tuesday of the month and continuing for three weeks, the next session will start Tuesday, July 11, on the LCS campus from 12 to 1:30 p.m. Learning materials are provided. Tuition is $175 pesos. Sign up at the LCS office, or on our website at www.lakechapalasociety.com. This is a members only program. You must be a member of LCS to attend, and your membership must be current for the duration of the program.
Warren Hardy Spanish Classes The next session of Warren Hardy Spanish language classes for LCS members will begin on Monday, July 3 and continue through August 19. Classes meet two days a week for an hour and a half each session at the Wilkes Education Center (Biblioteca) on Galeana. The program is based on the Warren Hardy Spanish language course designed for the adult student. Several levels of instruction are available to suit the student’s proficiency. Register for upcoming classes at the LCS Service Office or online. The program manager will be available to answer questions and to register students every weekday from Monday June 26 to Friday June 30 from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at LCS on the Blue Umbrella Patio. Tuition for the course is $750 pesos. The required course textbook is an additional $670 pesos. Other instructional materials may be purchased separately. For more information about the Spanish classes or LCS membership, visit the website www.lakechapalasociety.com. or call the Service Office at 766 1140. This is a members only program. You must be a member of LCS to attend and your membership must be current throughout the program.
REMINDER LCS WILL BE CLOSED JULY 1 CANADA DAY, HAPPY 150! JULY 4 U.S. INDEPEDENDENCE
DAY.
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Video Library Additions July
July Activities *Open to the Public ** US Citizens (S) Sign in required (C) Membership card required Health Insurance * IMSS & Immigration Services Lakeside Insurance Broker
Mon+Tues 10-1 Tues+Thur 11-2
Health and Legal Services * Becerra & Galindo Services Thur 10:30-12:30 Sat 10-12:30 Blood Pressure Fri 10-12 Hearing Aid Services (S) Mon+2nd and 4th Sat 11-4 Ministerio Publico Wed July 5 & 19 10-2 Optometrist Claravision (S) Thur 9-3 Skin Cancer Screening (S) 2nd + 4th Wed 10-12 US Consulate** Wed July 12 10:30-12:30 Sign up Lessons(C) Chair Yoga Children’s Art Children’s Art Camp Children’s Chess Club Children’s Reading Clases de Bordado Artistico Exercise Exploring Spanish Fitness Thru Yoga Intermediate Hatha Yoga Introduction To Spanish Line Dancing Photography Club Strength and Balance Exercise Warren Hardy Spanish Classes Write-to-a-Prompt Zumba Gold
Fri 2-3 Sat 10-12* July 17-22 9-12 sign up Sat 12-1 2nd Sat 11:30-12:30 Mon 3-6, Wed & Fri 4-6 Mon+Wed+Fri 9-10 Sat 11-12:30 Mon 2-3:30 Tues+Thur 2-3:30 Tues 12-1:30 (S)+ cost Tues+Thurs 10-11:15 1st Mon 12-2 Tues+Thurs 8:45--9:45 Mon-Sat Sign-up+cost Thurs 10-12 Wed 10-11
Libraries Audio Thur 10-12 Book & Video Mon-Sat 10-2 Library of Congress Books*/ Talking Books Thurs 10-12 Wilkes Mon-Fri 9:30-7, Sat 9:30-1* Social Activities (C) All Things Tech Bridge 4 Fun Discussion Group Everyday Mindfulness Film Aficionados Games Group Needle Pushers Scrabble Spanish/English Conversation TED Learning Seminars Tournament Scrabble
Fri 10-11:30 Tue + Thurs 1-5 Wed 12-1:30 Mon 10 -12 Thurs 2-4:30 Mon1-4 Tues 10-12 Fri 11:30-1:30 Sat 11-12:30 Tues 12-1:15 Tues 12-1:50
Service and Support Groups * Al-Anon (in Spanish) Mon 6-7:30,Wed 5:30-7:30 Information Desk Mon-Sat 10-1 Lakeside AA Mon +Thurs 4:30-5:30 Open Circle Sun 10-11:30 Toastmasters Mon 7-8:30 p.m. Ticket Sales Monday-Friday 10-12 a.m.*
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The library needs couriers to bring back DVDs to help us keep our inventory current. We order them on-line, pre-pay them, and have them delivered to the address of your choice. If you can help, email Tom Keane at keanhombre@prodigy. net.mx. Thank you. Don’t miss this one!! It is a real classic. If you have enjoyed Charles Laughton in his usual outstanding dramatic performances, you must see Hobson’s Choice #7616 wherein he plays a drunken, widowed shopkeeper trying to run the lives of his three single daughters. It is a very funny black and white 1956 film. Shaun of the Dead #7621 Believe it or not, the Internet Movie Data Base classifies it as a comedy. I haven’t seen it, but, it has an 8.0 rating. It’s about some down on his luck guy trying to get his ex back. Ray #7611 Yeah, it’s a film about Ray Charles that came out in 2004. Two 2005 Oscars, one to Jamie Foxx for Best Actor and another for best Sound Mixing, plus three nominations. Patriot’s Day #7628 Mark Wahlberg as a Boston Police sergeant in 2013 when the Tsarnaev brothers struck with their homemade bombs as an act of terrorism during the Boston Marathon. Money Monster #7629 George Clooney as a TV news anchor and Julia Roberts as the producer of a live newscast when an irate investor, who lost everything, takes over the TV studio by force. Today’s fast-paced, high tech global markets come under scrutiny, trying to unravel the mystery of it all. Lorenzo’s Oil #7624 Based on a true story, a man and his wife, frustrated at the failings of doctors and medicine in their area, educate themselves in the hope of discovering something that can halt the progress of the rare, degenerative brain disorder afflicting their son. Susan Saradon and Nick Nolte. We are always on the lookout for movies that will interest the LCS members. It seems there are fewer and fewer entertaining movies available. If you have any suggestions about good movies, old or new, please give the title of the film, your name, and your email address to the volunteer on duty. We will check it out and get back to you with a respone to your suggestion. Got a favorite film on tape and would like to have it transferred to DVD format? We can do that for you--cheap. It’s only 50 pesos for members and 75 pesos for non-members for each copy. Ask the Video Library volunteer.
Zumba Gold is Here! An exciting new class will be offered in the Gazebo on Wednesdays, from 10 -11 a.m. Zumba Gold incorporates the moves and music of regular Zumba class at a lower intensity and lower impact moves. Focus is on balance, coordination and range of motion with additional cardio and muscle conditioning benefits. Perfect for beginners and those with some physical limitations. Contact krflex@aol.com. LCS members only.
TED Talks Learning Seminars
Thursday Film Aficionados
Tuesdays In the Sala 12 noon to 1:15 p.m. Members only. Bring your
Open to LCS members only. Bring your card. All films shown in the Sala from 2-4 p.m. No food. No pets.
card. July 11 Hosted by Susan Weeks “Evolution, and the Ecstasy of Selftranscendence” by Jonathan Haidt Psychologist Jonathan Haidt asks a simple, but difficult question: why do we search for self-transcendence? Why do we attempt to lose ourselves? In a tour through the science of evolution by group selection, he proposes a provocative answer. July 18 Hosted by Susan Weeks “The Life-long Learner “ by Bernie Dunlap. Wofford College president Bernie Dunlap tells the story of Sandor Teszler, a Hungarian Holocaust survivor who taught him about passionate living and lifelong learning. He is a true polymath, whose talents span poetry, opera, ballet, literature and administration. He is the president of South Carolina’s Wofford College. July 25 Hosted by Susan Weeks “Tales of Passion” by Isabel Allende. Author and activist Isabel Allende discusses women, creativity, the definition of feminism -- and, of course, passion -- in this talk.
U.S. Passport Update The updated passport forms in the pickup box at LCS reflect a decrease (19 vs 18.5 peso to dollar) for July. Nothing else has been changed. Applicants with checks drawn for the previous higher fees will receive change reflecting the difference. Check the LCS website.
Get Started with Airbnb Thinking of renting your place out? Renting on Airbnb can be easy and fun. Learn to do it safely, avoid problems and earn some income with your space. Presented by Ashley Parent and Curtiss Hayden. Friday, July 21in the Sala from 2 to 3 p.m. Open to the public. For further information contact Ashley Parent at ashleyrparent@ gmail.com
Take Your Interest Online Have some fun by taking your hobby or interest online. Perhaps even earn a bit. Connect with friends and family near and far! Presented by Ashley Parent and Curtiss Hayden. Friday, July 21, in the Sala from 3 to 4 p.m. Open to the public. For further information contact Ashley Parent at ashleyrparent@gmail.com
Costco Returns Costco returns Wednesday, July 12 from 11 a.m. to 1p.m. to register new members, renew existing memberships, and offer information on special sales and offers.
July 6 Gifted 2017 USA Frank, a single man raising his niece, Mary, is drawn into a custody battle with his mother over the schooling choice for the gifted Mary. Excellent cast, excellent performances. (94 minutes) July 3 Magallenas 2016 Peru Magallenas is a veteran soldier who struggles to survive by driving a taxi around the poorest areas of Lima. There are secrets here that haunt the mind when he gets a job driving around his former colonel from his army days. (106 minutes) July 20 Jimmy’s Hall 2015 Ireland During the depression, Jimmy Gralton returns home to Ireland after ten years of exile in the USA. Seeing the levels of poverty and oppression, the activist in Jimmy awakens and he looks again to open the dance hall that led to his deportation. Another social commentary by the great Irish director Ken Loach (I, Daniel Blake). (107 minutes) July 27 Masaan 2015 India Four lives intersect along the Ganges: a low caste boy hopelessly in love, a daughter ridden with guilt, a hapless father, and a spirited child. Filmed in and around Benares (Varanase). (105 minutes)
Upcoming Bus Trips - Galerias Mall/Costco Thursday, July 27 Shop major retailers including Best Buy, and Sears, and dine at restaurants like Cheesecake Factory, PF Chang and more, Also shop nearby Costco, Sam’s and Super Walmart. Cost is 350 pesos for members and 450 pesos for non-members. The bus will depart promptly at 9:30 a.m. from the sculpture in La Floresta.
Follow Us on Facebook Follow us on Facebook. Keep up on all things LCS. Like us at www.facebook.com/lakechapalasociety.
Children’s Art Cards Don’t forget! Our wonderful children’s art cards, designed by children attending the LCS Saturday Art Classes, are available at Café Corazon. Portions of the proceeds go toward supporting LCS’ most popular community program.
THE LAKE CHAPALA SOCIETY, A.C. 16 de Septiembre #16-A, Ajijic, Jalisco LCS Main Office: (376) 766-1140 Office, information and other services - Monday-Saturday, 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM Grounds open until 5:00 p.m. LCS BOARD OF DIRECTORS President - Ben White (2018); Vice-President - George Radford (2019); Treasurer - Michael Searles (2019); Secretary - Carole Wolff (2018); Directors: Matthew Butler (2018); Dee Dee Camhi (2019); Nicolas Hanson (2019); Cate Howell (2018); Geofrey Kaye (2018); Roberto Serrano (2019) Janis Sirany (2019) Immediate Past President: Howard Feldstein. * Executive Director - Terry Vidal
The LCS Newsletter is published monthly. Deadline for submissions is the 17th of the month preceding publication. Submit all news items to lcsnewsletter2016@gmail.com Note: The editorial staff reserves the right to edit all submissions according to time, space availability and editorial decision.
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El Ojo del Lago / July 2017
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- CASA FLORES Tel: 766-5493 - CASA TRES LEONES Cell: (045) 331-350-6764
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$1,0$/ &/,1,&6 3(7 6+23 $1,7$¶6 $1,0$/6 Tel: 387-761-0500, (045) 33-3400-3327 3DJ - CLINICA VETERINARIA SAN ANTONIO Tel: 766-0808 3DJ - DEEâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S PET HOTEL Tel: 331-765-7074 3DJ /$.(6,'( )5,(1'6 2) 7+( $1,0$/6 $& Tel: 765-5544 3DJ 0$6.27$¶6 /$.( Tel: 766-0287 3DJ - PET PLACE Cell: 333-1964-150 3DJ 3(7 )22' $1' *5220,1* Tel: 766-3062 3DJ 9(7(5,1$5,$ 2PDU (GXDUGR 5H\HV Tel: 766-0725, 3DJ
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- BETOâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S WINE & LIQUOR Cell: (045) 333-507-3024
- CUGINIS OPUS BOUTIQUE Tel/Fax: 766-1790 0, 0(;,&2 Tel: 766-0133
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* CHURCH - SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST CHURCH
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- CALLI Tel: 766-5922 - UOU Tel: 106-1618
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* GOLF - ATLAS COUNTRY GOLF COURSE Tel: 33-3689-2620
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* GRILLS %$-$ *5,//6 Tel: 106-2430 - NAPOLEON Tel: 766-6153
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* HARDWARE STORES
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* INSURANCE - LAKESIDE INSURANCE - EDGAR CEDEÃ&#x2018;O Cell: (045) 33-3106-6982 3DJ - PARKER INSURANCE SERVICES Tel: 765-5287, 765-4070 3DJ 3527(;3/$1 U.S. Toll Free 1-800-608-5743 Mexico Toll Free 01-800-681-6730 3DJ - RAINIER PONCE - NABA Tel: 3615-9010, Cell: 33-2255-9488 3DJ - TIOCORP Tel: 766-4828 3DJ
* LEGAL SERVICES 3DJ
* LIGHTING 3DJ
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- LA NUEVA POSADA Tel: 766-1444, 766-1344
* FURNITURE
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* BED & BREAKFAST
* HOTELS / SUITES
- REAL ORTEGA & SONS-+DUGZDUH IRU &DUSHQWHUV Tel: 765-2404, 765-3404 3DJ
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* DENTISTS
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(;7(50,1,2 '( 3/$*$6 Tel: 765-3237, Cell: 331-102-0834 3DJ 02648,72 &21752/ Cell: (045) 331-498-7699 3DJ
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* CONSTRUCTION
- LAKESIDE HEARING SERVICES Cell. (045) 33-1511-4088
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- STEREN Tels. 766-0599, 766-0630
* FINANCIAL SERVICES
*(1(5$/ +20( 6(59,&(6 $PDQFLR 5DPRV -U Cell: (045) 331-520-3054 3DJ 52%(572 0,//$1 $5&+,7(&7 Tel: 766-3771, Cell: 331-340-3758 3DJ - ROOFING & WATERPROOFING SPECIALISTS Tel: 76653-60 Cell: 331-282-5020 3DJ 62/$5 ),/0 Cell: 33-3662-2826 3DJ - WARWICK CONSTRUCTION Tel: 765-2224 3DJ
- CHRISTINEâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S Tel: 106-0864 - HAIR BY SASHA Tel: 765-2223, Cell: 33-3362-1272 0,&52%/$',1* %< +,/'$ 5$0Ã&#x2039;5(= Cell: 33-3676-2514 - NEW LOOK STUDIO Tel: 766-6000
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* CHIROPRACTIC '5 9,&725 - <28&+$ Tel: 766-1973 - INTERLAGO CHIROPRACTIC Tel: 766-3000
- CHAPALA DENTAL CARE Tel. 765-5584, 766-3847 3DJ '(17$/ (;35(66 Tel: 106-2080 3DJ - DENTAL HEALTH ONE Tel: 106-0826 3DJ - DR. ALBERTO DON OLIVERA Tels: 765-4838, 765-4805 3DJ - HECTOR HARO DDS Tel. 765-3193 3DJ - LAKE CHAPAL DENTAL GROUP Tels: 766 0144, 108 1707 3DJ 0& '(17$/ Cell. 33-1850-8664 3DJ - ODONTO CLINICK Tel: 766-5050 3DJ
* ELECTRONICS/ TECHNOLOGY
- TEPEHUA TREASURES Tel: 763-5126
* BEAUTY
- CASA DEL SOL Tel: 766-0050
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/21$6 0(;,&2 Tel: 766-0045, Cell: 33-3956-4852
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* CANOPIES
- EASY TECH Tel: 33-3598-3263
- COLIBRI GARDEN Tel: 765-4412, Cell: (045) 333-156-9382
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* BOUTIQUE &86720 6(:,1*
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* BAKERY
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* BEER & LIQUOR STORES
* ART GALLERIES/HANDCRAFTS $=7(& 678',2 3DJ - DIANE PEARL COLECCIONES Tel: 766-5683 3DJ - LA BELLA VIDA Tel: 766-5131 3DJ 62/ 0(;,&$12 Tel: 766-0734 3DJ
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- CENTRO LAGUNA Tel: 766-5514
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029(56 /$.( &+$3$/$ 029,1* Tel: 766-5008 67520 :+,7( 029(56 Tel: 766-6153 7+( 029(56 /$.(6,'( Tel: 01 55-5767-5134 (045) 555-478-6608
- COLDWELL BANKER CHAPALA REALTY Tel: 766-1152, 766-3369 Fax: 766-2124, Tels: 765-2877 Fax: 765-3528 3DJ - CONTINENTAL REALTY Tel: 766-1994 3DJ &80%5(6 Tel: 766-2688 3DJ - EAGER & ASOCIADOS Tel: (376) 766 1917, 1918 3DJ - FOR SALE BY OWNER Tel: 314-333-1885 3DJ - FOR SALE BY OWNER Cell: 33-1172-1724 3DJ - FOR SALE BY OWNER Cell: 33-1323-0893 3DJ *(25*(77( 5,&+021' Tel: 766-2077 3DJ -8',7 5$-+$7+< Cell: (045) 331 - 395 - 9849 3DJ 0,&+(/ %85($8 Cell: 33-3129-3322 3DJ 035 5($/ (67$7( Tel: (315) 351-5167 3DJ 3(7(5 67 -2+1 Tel: 765-3676, 331-323-0893 3DJ - RADISSON BLU - $MLMLF 5HVRUW 6SD 5HVLGHQFHV Tel: 766-4525, Cell: 332-255-5972 3DJ 5$8/ *21=$/(= Cell: 33-1437-0925 3DJ - VISTA ALEGRE Tel: 766-2688 3DJ
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- COLDWELLBANKER CHAPALA REALTY Tel: 766-1152, movile: (045) 33-1175-9632 3DJ - FOR RENT 3DJ Tel: 765-2671 - FOR RENT Tel: 331-346-0723, 331-041-3493 3DJ - FOR RENT Tel: 387-761-0987, Cell: 33-1344-3192 3DJ - FOR RENT 3DJ Tel: 33-1834-9329 - FOR RENT 3DJ Tel: (33) 1075-1162 0$1=$1,//2 9$&$7,21 5(17$/6 Tel: (314) 100-6773 or (314) 109-0657 3DJ - SANTANA RENTALS Cell: 315-104-3283 3DJ
* PAINT
* REPAIRS
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* PAINTING SERVICES - LAKE CHAPALA PAINTING SERVICE Tel 33-1741-5501 3DJ
* PERSONAL ASSISTANCE 1(:&20(56 ,/6( +2))0$11 ilsecarlota40@gmail.com, www.guadalajarachapalatravelguide.com Tel 01(33) 3647-3912 Cell (045) 33-3157-2541
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* REAL ESTATE $// ,1 Tel. 766-1161 $-,-,& +20( ,163(&7,216 Tel: 766-2836 - ARELLANO CORPORATION GROUP Cell: 33-1331-0249 - CHULA VISTA NORTE Tel: 766-2177 Cell: (045) 33-1892-2194 - CIELOVISTA Tel: 766-2688
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6,03/< 7+$, Tel: 766-4767, Cell: 333-393-2770 3DJ - TEPETATE THAI RESTAURANT Tel: 766-2020 3DJ - THE BAGEL PLACE Tel: 766-0664 3DJ - THE HOT DOG SHOP Tel: 766-3807 / Cell: 333-662-9990 3DJ - THE PEACOCK GARDEN Tel: 766-1381 3DJ - TONYâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S Tel: 766-1614, 766-4069 3DJ - YVES Tel: 766-3565 3DJ
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* TREE SERVICE
- CASA ANASTASIA Tel: 765-5680 / 33-3452-5864 - LA CASA NOSTRA Tel: 765-3824 1856,1* +20( /$.( &+$3$/$ Tel: 766-0404 - OHANA Tel: (01387) 761-0403
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* SATELLITES/ T.V.
- CHAPALA TREE SERVICE Tel: 762-0602
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* TOURS - CHARTER CLUB TOURS Tel: 766-1777
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* WATER
$-,-,& (/(&7521,&6 6 $ '( & 9 Tel/Fax: 766-1117, 766-3371 3DJ - SHAW SATELLITE SERVICES Tel: 33-1402-4223 3DJ
- GRUPO AGUA Y TECNOLOGIA Tel: 33-1249-4293
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* SELF STORAGE - SELF STORAGE-BODEGAS CHAPALA Tel: 766-0661, Tel/Fax: 766-1045 3DJ
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* SOLAR ENERGY - REVOLUCION ENERGETICA &HOO 2á&#x201A;&#x2C6;FH 3DJ
Saw you in the Ojo
* RESTAURANTS/CAFES $-,-,& 7$1*2 Tel: 766-2458 3DJ $50$1'2¶6 +,'($:$< Tel: 766-2229 3DJ &$)( &25$=21 Cells: 33-2212-8480 / 55-1911-8588 3DJ - GO BISTRO Cell: (045) 33-3502-6555 3DJ - FOOD LAKE CONTAINER Tel: 108-1760, Cell: 33-1131-3103 3DJ - HUERTO CAFÃ&#x2030; Tel: 108-0843 3DJ - LA ANTIGUA RESTAURANT Tel: 331-329-8748 3DJ - LA CASA DEL WAFFLE Tel: 766-1946 3DJ - LA CASA DEL CAFE Tel: 766-2876 3DJ - LA HACIENDA DE DON PEDRO Tel: 766-4906 3DJ /$ 0,6,21 Tel: 108-0887 3DJ - LA NUEVA POSADA Tel: 766-1444, 766-1344 3DJ ³/$ 7$9(51$´'(, 48$7752 025, Tel: 766-2848 3DJ /26 02//(7(6 Tel: 766-4296 3DJ 0$1,; Tel: 766-0061 Cell. 33-1065-0725 3DJ 0(/¶6 Cell: 33-1402-4223 3DJ 020¶6 '(/, 5(67$85$17 Tel: 765-5719 3DJ 3,==(5,$ 726&$1$ Tel: 765-6996 3DJ 3287,1( 3/$&( 3DJ
The Ojo Crossword
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CARS
FOR SALE: Sears X-Cargo rooftop SUV cargo pod. Large capacity, all accessories for attaching to any roof rack. $100 pesos. Call: 763-5107 FOR SALE: 13â&#x20AC;&#x2122; Scamp Travel Trailer $125,372 Chapala, Jalisco, Purchased new in 2010, driven to Mexico. Lightweight, sleeps two, toilet, shower, gas range, fridge, sink. Has to be picked up DW WKH ERUGHU ÂżUVW RI -XO\ DQG EURXJKW back into Mexico by new owner in order to legalize. $7000 USD. FOR SALE: 2002 Honda Civic - American plated. 4 door sedan, standard transmission, excellent condition, 91,500 miles, one owner. Call: 766-5193 to make an appointment to test drive. Price: SHVRV RU EHVW Rá&#x201A;&#x2021;HU FOR SALE: 2 Compact Cars. 2002 Honda Accord Automatic, Air 202,000kms. $69,000p. 2004 Nissan Platina Automatic, Air 143,000kms. $47,000p. Both Jalisco Plated and up to date. Email: julieywayne@yahoo.com. FOR SALE: 2009 Renault Clio. Auto trans. 4 cyl, 4 doors, air conditioner, electric doors locks and windows, CD player, 95,200 km., needs new trans gasket. Price: $60,000pesos. Email: VLONĂ&#x20AC;HXUV#RXWORRN FRP. FOR SALE: 1995 Ford Windstar. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll sell it for $38,000 less the cost of the smog check and registration. Phone: 376-76563-48. FOR SALE: Jeep limited 2007, 100000 kilometers reals, agency services all time, new tires, 8 cylinders, hemi 5.7, suspension 100%. For more info please call 333-459-5533. FOR SALE: Mexican plated 2005 dodge verna. 4 Cylinder. 4 Doors. New battery and recent tune up. Price: $42,000 pesos. Email: vidtechpro@hotmail.com. FOR SALE: 1982 Jeep CJ-8 Scrambler. All original in very clean condition. 258 cui 6, 5 speed manual, 4x4. New tires with chrome wheels. Good paint. Clean US title with 2017 South Dakota registration. Email: hitechservices1@yahoo.com. WANTED: Want to purchase small SUV, like Chevrolet Tracker or similar. Must be Mexico plated. Please call 331-0395150. WANTED: looking for good used 4 wheeler, anyone have any input on where to look? Email: boswelltb@yahoo.com.
COMPUTERS
FOR SALE: HP 6550 B American Keyboard $3000 pesos. Selling my old laptop could not edit 4k video great for someone looking to surf the web, play solitaire, watch youtube videos or use photoshop. If interested please call me: FOR SALE: Wireless Keyboard, mouse and laptop base w/fan. KB/Mouse used one time. Wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t sell separately. Call: 376765-6348. Collect in Chapala Haciendas. Free digital camera w/purchase. FOR SALE: Surplus Electronics. Logitech k400 wireless tv keyboard $500 pesos. 3d glasses 2 pair $150 pesos. Samsung VG-STC3000 TV camera $600 pesos. Shaw hddsr 600 - $2500 pesos
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Logitech mx 3200 keyboard and mouse used $450.00 pesos. Microvolt 1200 as new $500.00 pesos. Call: 106-2019 Roger. WANTED: I want a decent all-in1 computer that I can connect an external mouse, keyboard and if needed, touchpad. Let me know you have and details about it. Email: 1988jeopardychampion@gmail. com.
PETS & SUPPLIES
FREE: I rescued 3 puppies that showed up on my patio. There are 2 males and 1 female and are about 2.5 months old. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve given them their vaccinations and dewormer. Contact Barb at 376-7635663 if you would like to meet these delightful pups. FOR SALE: Dog car seat size VPDOO 6WUDS HDVLO\ ÂżWV RYHU KHDGUHVW LQ front or back. Price: $500 pesos. Email: smwschoon@outlook.com. FREE: Two grown Cats need a new home. Interested partyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s please call: 376765-7123 or 331-252-1613.
GENERAL MERCHANDISE
FOR SALE: Cubeta Comex outdoor paint. 19 L, Comex Prima, vinyl Acrylic, I bought it last month. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s never been opened. Price: $900 pesos obo. FOR SALE ([HFXWLYH VZLYHO Rá&#x201A;&#x2C6;FH Chair - Light brown fabric. Price: $650 pesos. Call: 331-764-4502. FOR SALE: I moved to a house with a big frig and no longer need this one. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 14 cu ft, silver-tone, Mabe. Price: $5000 pesos. Email: is4916@protonmail.com. WANTED: 15 pound hand weight, also a 12 pound and a 20 pound. Email: bdmowers@gmail.com. FOR SALE: Dean Koontz Frankenstein series 5 books. Price: $250 pesos for the set. Email: bdmowers@gmail.com. FOR SALE: Large Area Rug. Just shy of IHHW [ IHHW 2OHÂżQ 3RO\SURS\OHQH Âżber, Has fringed ends, Subtle design, mostly muted shades of light to medium blue. Price: $900 pesos. Email: theruleof80@yahoo.com. WANTED: Propane or gas portable generator. Email: sunshineyday2013@ yahoo.com. FOR SALE: Pair of metal mirrors. One is 48â&#x20AC;? tall, 24â&#x20AC;? wide; inset mirror is 34â&#x20AC;? x 14â&#x20AC;? One is 50â&#x20AC;? tall, 16â&#x20AC;? wide; inset mirror is 39â&#x20AC;? x 7â&#x20AC;? $450 pesos each or both for $800 pesos. Email: theruleof80@yahoo. com. FOR SALE: VINTAGE ROOF TILES, Circa 1900. Approximately 350 to 400 (XURSHDQ VW\OH Ă&#x20AC;DW WHUUD FRWWD JUHHQLVK ÂżQLVK RQ RQH VLGH YHU\ XVHDEOH FRQGLtion. Located in Chapala. Only 6 pesos per tile, sold as one lot only. Call: 331116-6081 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Richard. FOR SALE: Garmin nuvi 3450. Perfect condition, works perfectly. OS & maps are up to date. Price: $2,500 pesos. Call: 766-4558. FOR SALE: Slightly over 100 meters of fabric for only $1845. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s approximately $1USD/meter. Several â&#x20AC;&#x153;boltsâ&#x20AC;? are large enough for curtains, tablecloth. Call: 376-765-5085.
El Ojo del Lago / July 2017
FOR SALE: Dark brown glazed talavera type tiles for sale...2 3/8â&#x20AC;? square....apps 140 pcs...$200 MX. Willie: 766-4489. FOR SALE: 3 Onyx wall sconces. 9.5 in tall. 7.75 in from wall. Calux brand. Price: $750MX for all 3. Willie: 766-4489. FOR SALE: I have a one-year-old Truper lawnmower with bagger for sale. Well cared for, stored inside. I paid $6027 pesos, IRU WKH PRZHU VDOH DOVR LQFOXGHV GLá&#x201A;&#x2021;Hrent garden tools. Phone: 376-106-0862. FOR SALE: Commode chair on casters, rolls into shower, can roll over a toilet or you can use the chairâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s facility which is removable for cleaning. Price: $500 US or peso equivalent. Send a message or call Linda: 333-843-5903. FOR SALE: Punched tin and tiled (calla lillies) mirror for sale....20â&#x20AC;? x 53â&#x20AC;?....73 cm x 136 cm. Can be hung horizontal or vertical. Price: $1,000 MX. Also a round punched tin and tiled mirror, traditional tile design, blue with some yellow, 36â&#x20AC;? diameter. Price: $800 MX. Willie: 7664480. FOR SALE: I have a TomTom XXL GPS. Asking $50USD or equivalent. If interested call me at 766-2724. FOR SALE: Yamaha P-80 electronic piano, with stand and travel cover. Full size 88-key, voices include piano, organ, DQG KDUSVLFKRUG 2á&#x201A;&#x2021;HUHG KDOI SULFH DW $10,000 pesos. Call 766-3870 or mexrayh@gmail.com FOR SALE: Loveseat, dark rattan wicNHU IUDPH FXVKLRQV JHQWOH SLQN Ă&#x20AC;RZHUHG pattern. Decorative chest, 42 in/106 cm wide, 31 in/79 cm high. Bookcase -maple hardwood, 31 in/79 cm wide, 80 in/203 cm high. All top quality, to view call 766-3870 or mexrayh@gmail.com FREE: You haul it. Dried MESQUITE wood. About a cubic yard/meter. Cut into 1â&#x20AC;&#x2122; logs. Thick, heavy, dried for over a year. Great for grilling...will last you a lifetime. PM me. FOR SALE: Deluxe china cabinet, solid RQH SLHFH ÂżQH ZRRG XSSHU JODVV GLVSOD\ shelves, drawers fabric lined to protect silverware, lower shelves. Call: 766-3870 or mexrayh@gmail.com WANTED: Want to buy WTB furniture, including: King size canopy or 4 poster bed frame, wood or metal okay. Full size Rustico style (cheap pine, platform okay) bed frame, can be 4 poster or canopy. Email: kimanjo@gmail.com. FOR SALE: Professional scuba gear in like new condition. Includes tank, 2 sets of regulators and complete gauges, 2 VHWV RI ÂżQV ZHW VXLW UHJXODU PDVNV Paid $2300 for entire set up. Will accept $700.00 US for entire lot. 376-1060862. Email usfbi@earthlink.net FOR SALE: Two top-quality large leather lounge chairs and matching ottomans for sale. Cafe Latte color. Like new. Priced to sell at $500 USD for the pair. Call: 7664338. FOR SALE: Hoover Floor Mate Deluxe Hard Floor Cleaner, FH40160PC - Corded $1340p. FOR SALE: Samsung HW 750 TV surround System. Paid $750.00 CDN sell for $5000.00 pesos. Roger 106-2019. FOR SALE: JVC RS-1 1080P DILA Pro-
jector + Spare Lamp. Original lamp is still very bright. Complete with remote and original user manual. $6000 Pesos including spare lamp which is $100 in the U.S. by itself. PM me or email houck1022@ gmail.com FOR SALE: BMW motorcycle 2005 1200 GS, perfect condition 190000. Km priced to sell $125000 pesos. Jalisco plated. Call: 765-4185. FOR SALE: 32â&#x20AC;? Smart TV. Less than two yrs old. Philips LED HDMI DOLBY Digital plus dts TRU SURROUND sound with sound bar, Price: $3900 obo. Chapala. Call: 331-451-5949. FOR SALE: Looking for a good used serger. PM me if you have one. Email. peteredwards052@gmail.com. FOR SALE: ResMed S8 Escapeâ&#x201E;˘ II CPAP Machine includes extra nose pieFHV DQG KXPLGLÂżHU ,W ZDV XVHG RQO\ D couple of times. Email: julieywayne@ yahoo.com. FOR SALE: Someone purchased about 6-7 cases of decorative tiles from me... could that person please call me? I thought I had some saved as extras but FDQÂśW ÂżQG WKHP QRZ DQG GHVSHUDWHO\ need 6 -7 tiles to replace those that were destroyed during construction. Willie. 376-766-4480. FOR SALE: Bang & Olufsen BeoLab 6000 speakers. Price: $9000 pesos. Send me an email at nadine.and. henry@pobox.com if youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re interested and Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll send you a map to our house. FOR SALE: Tilting TV wall mount. 42 70 inch capacity. Decided to go another route. Price: $300 pesos and itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s yours. Call: 765-2290 Mick. FOR SALE: Shaw remote control and 305 receiver. Great as a second receiYHU IRU YLHZLQJ GLá&#x201A;&#x2021;HUHQW FKDQQHOV RQ GLá&#x201A;&#x2021;HUHQW WYÂśV DW WKH VDPH WLPH 3ULFH $150 CAD. Cell: 331-431-7264, Home 766-2196. WANTED: Does anyone have or know of a hospital bed that I can borrow or rent? Please call Mike 331-330-1050. WANTED: We are looking for a twin or full bed and frame. Email: paschall1964@ gmail.com. WANTED: Has anyone purchased a good quality electric massage chair Lakeside, Ocotlan or Guadalajara? One of those items I did not bring with me when I moved, unfortunately. Email: mhopkins2@outlook.com. FOR SALE: Electric Drill Black and Decker 3/8â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s. Price: $30. Email: billyking50@ yahoo.com. FOR SALE: ONEIDA SILVER plate, Country Lane pattern, 43 assorted pieces, 15 Dinner Forks, 15 Dinner Knives, 6 Soup Spoons, 7 Ice Tea Spoons. Value $462 USD Buy for only $300 USD Call 331-447-6456 (cell). FOR SALE: I have a used exercise bike for sale for $50 U.S. I live in upper Ajijic. Please call if interested at 376-766-3420 or 331-746-1288. FOR SALE: CFE METER COVER. Painted white, thick metal cage with lockable gate. Price: $25.00. Email: billyking50@ yahoo.com. FOR SALE: Backgammon set and Pro-
fessional Poker game. Professional Poker Set in Aluminium case - 300 Chip set. Price: $1,000 pesos each or $1,800 pesos for both. Call Roland 331-1432361 or email callbackmx@yahoo.com. Located in Ajijic - center. FOR SALE: Sony 40â&#x20AC;? LCD TV + LG or VIOS BluRay Player. Price: $3750 Pesos for the TV and $900 Pesos for either BluRay/DVD/USB Player. Call Mike: 7662275 FOR SALE: Red two person Kayak, 13.6â&#x20AC;&#x2122; long, made of rigid polyethylene, includes two ors. Price: $6,000 pesos. Call: 331-116-6081 in Chapala. FOR SALE: Photographers Dream Set. Price: $500Pesos. Sony Cybershot Digital Camera With USB Cable. Fully Adjustable 6FT Tripod. 2â&#x20AC;&#x2122;X2â&#x20AC;&#x2122;X4â&#x20AC;? Macro Photo Box with Multicolor Backdrop inserts in Fabric. 3X Multicolor Fabric Double Batton Washable 5â&#x20AC;&#x2122;X6â&#x20AC;&#x2122; Backdrops. Call: 376-765-7123 / 331-252-1613 OR 331785-7100. FOR SALE: Queen Sized Bed Base. Just a base or headboard, if itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a package deal. Email: imburnen@outlook.com. FOR SALE: Kindle 2. This older Kindle is in great shape with just a slight hairline crack on the upper right corner of the case. The battery holds a charge better than my new Paperwhite. No problems with the WiFi. Kindle and charger and all
that reading for $500 pesos. Call 376766-2521 or PM me. FOR SALE: Portable traction device (universal head halter). Price: $200 pesos. Call 331-382-4771 if interested and for appt. FOR SALE: Pool Table. Pool cues are ÂżEHUJODVV DQG QRW ZRRG 7DEOH EDVH made of 1â&#x20AC;? Italian stone. Table surround made of pine wood. Call 331-382-4771 for appt. Buyer must arrange for transportation. Price: $25,000 pesos. FOR SALE: One open spot in my Shaw satellite TV account. Cost is approx. $22 USD per month. You must provide your own receiver, dish and LNBâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s. This is not D FRPPHUFLDO Rá&#x201A;&#x2021;HULQJ EXW UDWKHU D VKDUH of my account at cost. Includes both east and west coast US networks. Call me for a list of channels. Call Mike 766-2275. FOR SALE: Canon Power Shot battery charger. Call: 766-1496. FOR SALE: Estee Lauder eye pencil reÂżOOV. Color: 17- charcoal, Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a medium brunette. That is no longer me. Amazon is selling them at $26 usd each. Best priFH 3HVRV DUH ÂżQH (PDLO pgreermexico1@gmail.com. FOR SALE: Yakima RocketBox16 roof box. Crossbar spacing requirements: 30â&#x20AC;? - 36â&#x20AC;? (76 - 91 cm). Measures: 92 x 16 x 26 inches (L x H x W). Storage: 16 cubic feet / 453.1 liters
Weight: 56 pounds/25 kilo. SKS lock core (lost the keys, it will cost 120 pesos to make a key). crossbars not included. Asking $5000 pesos. Email: goldensassafras@gmail.com. FOR SALE: Golf clubs: Acer 3, 4, 5, 7, 9 irons and pitching wedge, plus Calloway sand wedge and Ping putter. Comes with nice bag and a few balls. $2000. Single mattress, used less than three months: $1500. Four beige folding chairs from
Costco. Still have labels on them. High quality plastic: $1400 for all four. Call US number: 719-629-8327. WANTED: Looking for a 3 or 4 panel privacy screen in all wood or with curtain insert. Email: VLONĂ&#x20AC;HXUV#RXWORRN FRP.
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El Ojo del Lago / July 2017