Saw you in the Ojo
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Saw you in the Ojo
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D IRE C TOR Y PUBLISHER Richard Tingen
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Alejandro Grattan-Domínguez Tel: (01376) 765 3676, 765 2877 Fax: (01376) 765 3528 Associate Publisher David Tingen
Index...
FEATURE ARTICLES
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COVER STORY
Dr. Lorin Swinehart recalls North America’s worst natural disaster—Hurricane Florence.
COVER STORY
VOLUME 35 NUMBER 4
Graphic Design Roberto C. Rojas Diana Parra Morales
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Special Events Editor Sandy Olson
Carol Bowman writes about a Christmas-time medical emergency that became a refrain of an old song.
Associate Editor Victoria Schmidt Art Critic / Contributing Editor Rob Mohr
18 FICTION Margie Keane spins an eerie tale with a stunning final sentence.
Theater Critic Michael Warren
24 IN MEMORIUM
Book Review Panel Margaret Van Every Margaret Porter Clare Gearhart Roving Correspondent Dr. Lorin Swinehart Sales Manager Bruce Fraser Carmene Berner Office Secretary Rocio Madrigal ADVERTISING OFFICE Av. Hidalgo # 223, Chapala Mon. thru Fri. 9am - 5pm Sat. 9am - 1pm Tel. 01 (376) 765 2877, 765 3676 Fax 01 (376) 765 3528
40 LAKESIDE LIVING
Fred Koesling remembers Liz White, one of the most accomplished women to have ever made Lakeside her home.
30 SPIRITUALITY
Dr. Daniel Acuff, who has a Ph.D. in Philosophy, provides us with a simple way to gauge how spiritual is the life we are leading.
34 TRAVEL Greg Custer claims that we don’t really know the grandeur of Mexico if we have never traveled to the Yucatan.
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Editor’s Page
12 Front Row Center 20 Profiling Tepehua 26 Welcome to Mexico 32 Yummy! 40 Lakeside Living
46 LITERARY NEWS
52 If Our Pets Could Talk
Herbert Piekow gives us advance notice about the upcoming Lake Chapala Writers’ Conference, which over the years has become noted for its excellence.
68 LCS Newsletter
Send all correspondence, subscriptions or advertising to: El Ojo del Lago http://www.chapala.com ojodellago@prodigy.net.mx Ave. Hidalgo 223 (or Apartado 279), 45900 Chapala, Jalisco Tels.: (376) 765 3676, Fax 765 3528 PRINTING: El Debate El Ojo del Lago aparece los primeros cinco días de cada mes. (Distributed over the first five days of each month) Certificado de Licitud de Título 3693 Certificado de Licitud de Contenido 3117. Reserva al Título de Derechos de Autor 04-2011-103110024300-102 Control 14301. Permisos otorgados por la Secretaría de Gobernación (EXP. 1/432 “88”/5651 de 2 de junio de 1993) y SEP (Reserva 171.94 control 14301) del 15 de enero de 1994. Distribución: Hidalgo 223 Chapala, Jalisco, México. All contents are fully protected by copyright and may not be reproduced without the written consent of El Ojo del Lago. Opinions expressed by the authors do not necessarily reflect the views of the Publisher or the Editor, nor are we responsible for the claims made by our advertisers. We welcome letters, which should include name, address and telephone number.
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Cover By Jocelyn Cárdenas Arreguin
8 HOLIDAY ANGST
El Ojo del Lago / December 2018
Saw you in the Ojo
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COLUMNIST
Editor’s Page
By Alejandro Grattan-Dominguez
A Mexican Christmas Story
There’s a joke Mexicans like to tell on themselves. It seems that when God was putting together their country, He invited several prestigious people from other lands to watch the process. Almost immediately, they commenced to complain. “Dear Lord, no disrespect intended, but is it equitable for you to bless this new country with so many beautiful vistas?” said one man, whose own country resembled a pile of rocks. Another man heatedly observed, “And look at all the mineral resources you´re putting under the ground—far more than all the countries in my region of the world combined!” “And the weather!” groused another observer from a nation that was a blast furnace in summer, a refrigerator in winter. “Lovely almost all year long!” “And those gorgeous beaches and natural harbors,” bitched a man from a landlocked country “Well, forgive me, God, but it just isn´t fair!” Pausing in his labors, God smiled and said, “But what you don´t realize is that my last act of creation here in Mexico will still make things rather difficult for the people of this new country.” The observers´ voices rose as one. “But dear Lord, how can you do that?” “That’s simple,” God said, chuckling “I will give the country of Mexico its politicians.” God has, of course, “blessed” many other countries in a similar way but a true gift He did bestow on Mexico is probably the reason most foreigners come and later stay in this land. Some cite the weather, lower cost of living, the culture or the spectacular vistas . . . but everyone agrees that the best thing about Mexico is its people. We all have at least one experience that demonstrates this. I have many, but a single story will suffice for now. Many years ago, deciding to finally move to my mother’s homeland, I drove some three thousand miles through Mexico in search of the perfect place to settle. Toward the end of that long trip, I was returning from the coast one Sunday morning during the
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El Ojo del Lago / December 2018
Christmas season, driving toward Guadalajara. But going through a village, I hit a tope (surely one of the worst things about Mexico) going way too fast. Something snapped in the undercarriage of my car; suddenly it was listing like a sailboat in a storm. My car was a British-made sedan, a make not then serviced in Mexico. Parts would be difficult if not impossible to find, even in a major city. And it was a Sunday, in the middle of a village. I was stewing in my dilemma when along came an old man and a boy on a bicycle. I hailed them and explained the situation, though of course it was obvious to anyone but a blind person. The old man asked if he could be of some help. Getting a mechanic was the first priority. But on a Sunday, his garage was probably closed. “No problema,” the old man said, as he dispatched the boy to the local church. The mechanic would be attending Mass. Sure enough, fifteen minutes later, here he came to inspect the damage. A linch pin in the car’s rear aft shock had sheared off. Did the mechanic know where I might get one of the same size? No, but possibly any pin of approximate size might do, since the weight of the car would not allow it to fall out. However, the hardware store was closed. Then the boy piped up that he knew where the owner usually had breakfast on Sunday mornings—and off he pedaled in the direction of a roadside restaurant. Within half an hour, the store owner had reviewed the situation and was back with a steel pin of about half an inch thick and some six inches long. By now a crowd had gathered, and as several of the men hoisted up the rear of my machine, the mechanic, now flat on the ground, kept saying mas alto or mas abajo until the holes were in alignment and then slipped the pin into the right place. Presto! My car was back up on all four of its legs. The crowd applauded.
Never having been especially adroit when confronted with any problem involving a car, I was still somewhat in a state of befuddlement. I was, however, conscious enough to know the debt I owned these people. But when I tried to pass some pesos around, the offer was politely rejected. Turning to the old man, I asked if there wasn´t something I could do to show my appreciation? He flashed a toothless smile and shook his head. Then the boy stepped forward to quietly suggest that I might want to buy everyone a soft drink. Was he kidding? Had I the money, I would have gladly
bought them all a few shares in Coca Cola! The years have misted over the memory of that Sunday morning, and I no longer can recall the name of the village. But I still remember that what seemed like a fair portion of its inhabitants were waving goodbye as I pulled away. It was an experience I obviously have never forAlejandro Grattangotten. Dominguez
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All I Want For Christmas... By Carol L. Bowman
. . . are my ten bottom teeth! I noticed the contorted expression on my husband’s face through the dim cabin light on our overnight flight to Frankfurt, Germany. His eyes were closed but he was whispering this children’s Christmas jingle, changing the words from ‘two front teeth’ to ‘ten bottom teeth.’ My shoulders shook with a silent laugh, as Ernie searched for ways to cope with his outrageous situation. I tried to block out that ridiculous scene earlier that afternoon, but the dramatic images came roaring back. We were sitting in the United Club at Houston’s George W. Bush International Airport, having a jolly good time sipping spicy Bloody Maries and
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munching on snacks offered for layover United passengers. We’ve had enough experience with the tasteless meals served on transatlantic flights to grab as much decent food as possible before boarding the plane. Excitement flowed between us, as we reviewed our upcoming 21-day itinerary to the maritime islands off the coasts of Scotland, Wales, and England. Relaxed and happy, Ernie popped a piece of Swiss cheese into his mouth. As I often did, I silently admired his straight, white, bottom-row of porcelain crowned teeth. Suddenly his animated facial expression turned to one of horror. He put his hand to his mouth and then sat stone still with a clenched fist. He didn’t say a word, slowly opened his fingers, and there in his hand, laid his entire bottom-row of 10 crowns that had separated from the gum line in one complete arc. A remnant of cheese stuck to the bridge. He parted his pursed lips and revealed jagged, drilled-down stubs of his original teeth. No longer crowned with perfect porcelain caps, these nubbins were not a pretty sight. The absurdity of the timing of this shocked us both. We had only one hour before we would board for our 10-
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hour flight. While Ernie anguished over what to do, I raced to the concierge desk, informed the staff person of the dilemma and inquired if there was an airport on site dentist. She squeaked out a measured response, as a hysterical woman, me, stood before her. “No, I am sorry, the airport has no official dentist, but there’s a CVS on the first floor. Maybe you could buy some Crazy Glue.” My head swirled and my eyes bulged. Did she say Crazy Glue? Time to come up with plan B, I thought. No way would my husband survive toxic adhesive or three weeks as a toothless traveler visiting remote islands near the Arctic Circle. While walking to the gate, I fired off an e-mail to our guide, Kate, who would meet us the next day at the Principal Hotel in Edinburgh, Scotland. ‘Urgent... We haven’t met yet, but my husband needs an emergency dental appointment as soon as we arrive in Edinburgh tomorrow. I’ll explain later. Emphasis is on EMERGENCY. Let me know if you can help.’ I prayed for a response before we boarded. Our flight departed from the international terminal, which meant passing through another security check. I wrapped the precious porcelain piece in a small plastic bag and Ernie tucked it inside his shirt pocket. All the routine search measures completed−computer out, shoes off, pants’ pockets emptied, he proceeded through the scanner, lips sealed. BEEP. BEEP. “Sir, are you sure you have emptied everything from your pockets?” the TSA agent asked. OMG, Ernie had to place the clear plastic bag of teeth, a potential lethal weapon, in its own little x-ray tray. Upon arrival in Frankfurt, while trudging to our connecting flight, I received an e-mail from Kate, ‘Will do. I’m just getting on a plane myself in Dublin to fly to Edinburgh.’ Ernie tried to show a glimmer of hope, without smiling, of course. An hour after we landed on Scottish soil and checked into the hotel, Kate provided the appointment for the Frederick Street Dental Clinic located within walking distance. With apprehension and uncertainty, we headed off in this foreign city in search of major dental repair. A young, perky Scottish gal, Leila, who spoke with a thick brogue, expected us. No time for Ernie’s jitters. The dental chair waited. In walked a lanky, olive-skinned, mid-30’s man who introduced himself as Dr. Mohammad. “I get the feeling you’re not from Scotland,” Ernie quipped with nervous laughter. “Oh, no, my friend, 100% Pakistani,” the Dr. responded with a subcontinent accent. Nationalities were stacking up like hotcakes in this Inter-
national Dental Caper. Our Irish guide had referred Ernie, an American living in Mexico to a Pakistani dentist and a native Scot assistant. After examining Ernie’s teeth, the detached set of crowns, the x-rays and assessing the frantic faces of patient and wife, the doctor offered the good and bad news. “Well,” he said, “I can reattach the crowns and I will use the strongest cement available, but I give no guarantees that the repair will last more than two or three weeks at best and the evaluation will cost 49 British pounds and the process of cementing will be another 350 pounds.” Ernie and I silently eyed one another. I could tell he was doing calculations in his head and I used my trusty phone to convert pounds to US, $523.00. The cement must be mixed with gold. Since we’d be traveling for 21 days to remote areas, the dentist had hostages and he knew it. We both reluctantly nodded ‘ok’ and Dr. Mohammad proceeded with a contented sigh. Relieved of both anxiety and money, we returned to the hotel and Ernie’s smile once again revealed a secured row of ten bottom crowns. I figured the ordeal was over. Not so fast, lassie. After four days touring Edinburgh, when we boarded the 90 passenger small ship, Corinthian for our journey to the northern islands off the coast of Scotland, the saga continued. An infection with swelling had developed under Ernie’s gum, and since the teeth had been cemented in so tightly, the pressure became unbearable. Around midnight symptoms of fever and stress chest pain could not wait until morning. I woke the ship’s medical director, who instructed us to come to the Infirmary on Deck 2 immediately. Inside the physician’s office, Dr. Ana, only half-awake, pulled a sweatshirt over her disheveled hair, and rubbed her eyes to get oriented. She introduced herself as being from Serbia, adding another nationality to the treatment team. Despite being groggy and disorganized, she did diagnose the infection and sent Ernie on his way with doses of powerful pain medication and serious antibiotics. He recovered within a week. Amazingly, the crowns remained solid until a month after we returned home. I was on the phone fighting with the Trip Insurance Company to pay our dental claim, when Ernie felt the crowns slip and slide again. But this time he could go to his regular Mexican dentist. Carol L. Bowman
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WHEN THE MISSISSIPPI FLOWED NORTH: THE 1811 NEW MADRID EARTHQUAKE —Hurricane Florence Recalls North America’s Worst Natural Disaster By Dr. Lorin Swinehart
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y fleeing inland to the mountains ahead of waves of other refugees last month, my wife LaVon and I narrowly avoided the catastrophe inflicted upon our coast by Hurricane Florence. Among the scenes of dislocation, loss and despair that met our eyes as we precariously wound our way homeward after two weeks as refugees at the home of our daughter Hope was that of boatloads of our fellow citizens being evacuated from their rooftops, their homes inundated by muddy floodwaters. While we found our home much as we had left it, many others were not so fortunate. Two families we know had their homes destroyed by Florence. Others fared even worse. A few did not live to tell their tales. As LaVon observed, in the past we have seen the consequences of natural disasters on the news, but they always involved people in other states and communities, other parts of the globe. This time, it was our town, our mayor, our governor, our stores, beaches and neighborhoods that were being highlighted by round the clock news reports. Despite mankind’s sophistication and the presumption that technology will solve every problem, recent disasters like Hurricane Florence, exacerbated by rising sea levels and an ever more erratic climate, serve to remind us that we are as vulnerable as ever to nature’s temper tantrums. The latest tsunami to strike the coast of Indonesia, the seemingly non-stop overflow of Hawaii’s Kilauea Volcano, and recent reports of tornadoes, typhoons, earthquakes and epidemics, all serve to remind us that nature always has the last word. Such has always been the case. While natural disasters struck North America long before even the first Proto-Indians traversed Beringia from Siberia to Alaska, nothing in recorded history equals the great New Madrid earthquake of 1811. As the year 1811 wore on, dire and portentous events occurred, impressing some as fore warnings of an approaching calamity. In January, a small earthquake struck Columbia, South Carolina. With the arrival of summer,
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a massive flood swept the Ohio and Mississippi valleys, accompanied by the most intense heat wave ever experienced, triggering a drought that destroyed crops throughout the infant United States. With the approach of autumn, an epidemic of bilious fever struck the area. Hurricanes and tornadoes hit the east coast from Georgia to Maine in the fall. Beginning in September, a great comet blazed across the heavens, and on the 17th there was a nearly complete eclipse of the sun. Most astonishing of all, was a massive migration of squirrels from their northern woodland homes. By tens of thousands, they scurried relentlessly southward in their frenzied race, many drowning as they crossed the Ohio River. It has often been observed that livestock behave nervously and dogs begin to howl before an earthquake strikes. This was a summer of nervous cows and howling dogs. Most inexplicable was the prophecy of the great Shawnee leader Tecumseh. Tecumseh had met with great success in uniting many of the northern and southern Native American nations into one vast confederacy with which to defend their ever shrinking lands from waves of greedy, unscrupulous white men. Many Potawatami, Kickapoo, Winnebago, Shawnee, Miami, Wyandot, and Piankeshaw had united with a scattering of Choctaw, Chickasaw, Creek, Cherokee, Seminole and even a few Sioux and Iroquois to answer Tecumseh’s call to arms. The most optimistic dreamed of driving the hated white usurpers back into the sea from whence they had emerged. And yet, there were many among the so-called “civilized” tribes of the South who withheld their support, mistakenly assuming that they had so completely adopted the white man’s ways that they would be spared his insatiable appetite for ever more
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Indian lands. The council fires burned late one dark night in 1811 at Tuckahabatchee, a prominent center of the Creek Nation of Alabama. Despite reminders that Te c u m s e h ’s name meant Shooting Star—Panther in the Sky— and despite the great leader’s accurate prediction of the appearance of the great comet of 1811, a cosmic spectacle lighting up the sky with its 100 million mile trail visible for 260 nights, many in his audience remained unconvinced. In exasperation, Tecumseh spoke these words, “You do not believe that the Great Spirit has sent me. You shall know! I will leave Tuckahabatchee directly and shall go straight to Detroit. When I arrive there, I will stamp my foot on the ground and shake down every house in Tuckahabatchee!” Upon Tecumseh’s return to Detroit on December 16, 1811 there occurred the worst natural disaster to strike North America in recorded history. Dwarfing even the more recent destruction caused by hurricanes Andrew, Katrina, Sandy, Ike, Michael and Florence, or the eruption of Mt. St. Helens, the New Madrid Earthquake, caused an unparalleled wave of devastation throughout the South and the Midwest. The 400 inhabitants of New Madrid, Missouri were awakened on that December morning by a violent shaking of the earth. Stretching out from its epicenter, a series of eight magnitude eight earthquakes, accompanied by thousands of aftershocks, caused damage as far away as Columbia, South Carolina and Washington, DC. Church bells were set to ringing in Boston, and adobe structures crumbled in Santa Fe, New Mexico. In many parts of the country, survivors described cracks opening in the earth’s surface. In Mississippi, entire islands sank. In some areas, the ground itself seemed to roll in great ocean-like waves. Sinks and landslides covered an estimated 78,000 square miles, while monster waves on the Mississippi sank many boats and lifted others high up onto surrounding banks. During the
first quake, chimneys and houses collapsed even in Cincinnati, Ohio. The two severe aftershocks that followed six hours later created even more havoc. Most shocking of all, huge waves caused by the quake’s opening and closing fissures on the bottom of the river created the impression that the Father of Waters had actually reversed itself and was flowing north. Among the consequences of the quakes was the unearthing of a grisly crime, the murder of a helpless slave at the hands of Lilburne and Isham Lewis, two shady nephews of Thomas Jefferson, who, experiencing failure after failure had relocated to a plantation in western Kentucky. Drunk and, in all probability psychotic, Lilburne beheaded a terrified, helpless slave named George with an ax while in a rage over a broken pitcher. In an attempt to conceal his crime, he and his brother ordered their surviving slaves, horror-stricken witnesses to the crime, to help dismember the corpse and burn the parts in the fireplace. Amidst this macabre scene, the earthquake hit, causing the fireplace to crumble, preserving George’s remains. Arrested and charged with murder, the brothers opted for a suicide pact, aiming their flintlock rifles at one another. Fearing a misfire and attempting to demonstrate how to pull off the deed by himself, Lilburne accidentally blew his own head off. Isham, arrested and charged as an accessory, escaped from jail and was never seen again. The incident serves as yet another stark reminder of the rampant sadism of the American frontier. On January 23, 1812, a second gigantic quake struck the area, centered in Arkansas, and on February 2, still another hit, every bit as severe, if not worse, than its predecessors. One section of land near the KentuckyTennessee border simply sank, and water flowed into it creating Reelfoot Lake. The air was so filled with smoke and dust following each quake that the sun appeared in a reddish haze. Thousands of acres of forest and farmland were destroyed, creating a vast wasteland. Finally, as Tecumseh had warned, the hapless village of Tuckahabatchee collapsed upon itself. Across America, many persons recoiled in superstitious horror, concluding that the destruction was God’s punishment for mankind’s sins, and zealous preachers converted many souls. Congress passed the first disaster relief act in US history in1812,
the New Madrid Relief Act. Tecumseh’s role in the incident continues to baffle. To attribute his threat to mere coincidence taxes the imagination. Perhaps, living close to nature and being aware of its nuances enabled him to sense the impending calamity. We can be certain only that upon returning from his southern sojourns, Tecumseh found Prophetstown, the main Native American settlement along the Tippicanoe River in Indiana Territory, demolished by William Henry Harrison’s troops. Having no options, Tecumseh convinced his followers to align themselves with Great Britain as the War of 1812 approached, having been promised a vast Indian homeland in the Old Northwest should the British win the war. Tecumseh was given the rank of brigadier general, commander of all His Majesty’s Native American troops, and his men fought bravely and successfully, winning major battles at Michilimackinac, Detroit, the River Raisin and elsewhere. The war in the old Northwest went sideways, however, after the British and their Indian allies failed to dislodge the defenders of Fort Meigs, near present day Toledo, Ohio, during two fierce sieges and again at Fort Stephanson, now Fremont, Ohio. Af-
terward, the British had no recourse but to fire their stronghold at Fort Malden, Ontario and begin a wearisome retreat eastward along Canada’s Thames River. Their supply lines from the east were severed by Oliver Hazard Perry’s victory in the Battle of Lake Erie on September 10, 1813. A doomed attempt to make a stand at the Delaware Indian settlement of Moraviantown, Ontario on October 5 resulted in the death of Tecumseh and the scattering of his forces. In the end, the United States and Great Britain considered the war a draw, and signed the Treaty of Paris in January, 1815. The question lingers as to whether another earthquake of the magnitude of 1811 could strike central North America again. According to seismologists, it could, and, given the current population density of the area, its consequences would be far worse than those in 1811. One thing is painfully obvious; whether by earthquake, tornado, volcano or hurricane, Mother Nature always has the last laugh. Lorin Swinehart
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FRONT ROW CENTER By Michael Warren PROOF By David Auburn Directed by Randy Warren
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n 2001, this play won the Pulitzer Prize for drama and also the Tony Award for Best Play. It’s an interesting play, but it does have some serious drawbacks. It fails to resolve the central issue – and indeed the main character herself seems uninterested in resolving it – so why should the audience care? Also two of the characters are more or less cardboard figures, and are not given emotionally revealing lines. Given these dramatic problems, Randy Warren and his cast have created a professional and well-paced performance. A retired mathematician Robert is dying and has delusional episodes, so his daugh-
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ter Catherine gives up her college courses to look after him. In the past he has done amazing original work, and we soon understand that she too has considerable mathematical talent, but may also share his mental tendencies. Newcomer Devin Van Domelin is convincing as fragile and brilliant Catherine, while Tony Wilshere is excellent in a cameo performance as aging professor “Robert.” Actually he’s already dead in a moving open-
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ing scene, where Catherine has a conversation with his ghost. Later in the play there’s a flashback scene, which shows the loving relationship between father and daughter. Although I felt that the lighting was too dark in the opening scene and a spot on Catherine would have helped, these were the two best scenes of the play. Catherine’s sister “Claire” shows up for the funeral, and proceeds to take charge. She plans to sell the house, and take Catherine to New York where she can receive proper medical treatment. Also there’s a PhD student “Hal” who has been going through Robert’s papers in the hope of finding nuggets of mathematical genius. These two characters, sensible Claire and nerdy Hal, serve to bring out some of Catherine’s problems. She is very smart mathematically, but she’s also lazy and unable to cope with reality. Hal is a sort of love interest, and she gives him the key to a locked drawer which contains an extraordinary and very difficult proof. Something in number theory which no one has ever been able to prove or disprove – I am reminded of Fermat’s Last Theorem. She claims
that the proof is hers, though the handwriting looks like her father’s. We’d like to know, but the author seems to lose interest. Collette Clavadetscher is very good as the well-meaning sister, though the author doesn’t give her anything except bossy lines. At the end of the play she stomps out, presumably to catch a plane to New York. Wayne Willis Waterman plays “Hal,” and does his best with the unsympathetic role. I hope we will see him again at LLT in a more demanding part. Randy Warren took on the direction of this play, which was already selected for this season. He has responded to the challenge, and also has brought two new actors to the LLT stage. Congratulations to all the cast and crew who performed well and gave us a thought-provoking play. Jean Marie Harmon was Stage Manager, her first time in this demanding job. Next up is Noises Off, a crazy farce by Michael Frayn which opens on November 30. Michael Warren
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Angels On High By Julie Galosy
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e were lying on the beach. Directly on the beach actually, couldn’t be bothered to put down a blanket or a towel. Intertwined like the lovers we were, we were content in our isolation with the soft sand supporting every curve. The night was deep blue-black and clear, with a generous palette of bright stars. As we lay there silently watching the heavens, the townspeople began to populate the beach, anticipating the fireworks occurring every year at these fiestas in Spain. Unlike us just-arrived foreigners, they brought blankets and chairs and
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beer and three generations of family and noise. Our reverie over, we turned in the sand and inspected the gathering crowds. The people spread out across the crescent-shaped beach as it hugged the Mediterranean, one point going out to sea and the other supporting El Cid’s castle. It really was El Cid’s castle. Charlton Heston’s fake, dead, movie body was strapped to its horse in that very castle. We watched the moon shine over that castle now and direct its beam across the sea to the beach now covered with the still-arriving villagers. No movie set anymore, the fire-
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works were starting as anticipated, with the rockets and the starbursts and then the staccato explosions, eliciting the “oohs” and “aahs” of the gathered spectators. The booms were immediately overhead, sprinkling down on us from above as we lay embedded in the sand. As these things go we expected the noise and the excitement to escalate— more, bigger, brighter—until the grand finale. We scootched down into the sand preparing for the inevitable last great blast; but it never came. Instead a series of quiet shots almost whispered the incendaries into the air. With a gentle whoosh they opened overhead. No great booms followed by canon shots. To our surprise and wonder, the heavens were blanketed instead with thousands and thousands of silent gossamer parachutes, a sea of gelatinous jelly fish floating in the night sky. The stars shone through the fragile creatures as they rode the gentle breezes. Each parachute trailed a luminous filament at the end of which burned a flame. A blanket of reverential quiet covered the crowd as the battalion of angels spun and twirled and jumped through the darkness. The threads with their ac-
companying flames followed them like lions´ tails. The silence was deeper now as we all watched the celestial ballet performed overhead. On and on they danced as they gently floated toward the earth. Down they twirled swaying: a swarm of alien creatures. As they came closer and closer--still shimmering overhead—the fire climbed up each filament to meet its host. Angels coming down, flames going up, until just ten feet above our heads, they met in one last breath of existence until they disappeared one by one. All was silence.
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A 9/11 Essay By Chad Olson
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y uncle Gaylon’s birthday is September 11. He’s now 98 years old. Seventeen years ago he wrote the following essay: “Today, 9/11/2001, is my birthday. It is the only unhappy one of the 81 logged and, I fear, I won’t be around long enough to see the end of the campaign against terrorism that was just launched. I expect any campaign to eradicate terrorism to stretch over generations. That’s why this morning I feel a compulsion to write down my thoughts while they’re still mine. The wonderful openness and freedom for almost everyone to
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come and go in our country is about to end. Terrorism has caused gradual, but steady, erosion of our personal freedoms over the years but now, when the entire world realizes our vulnerability, we can expect increasing and more audacious incidents. If in a tiny country like Israel, where security measures are well in place, it is impossible to intercept one suicide bomber with a device strapped to his body from wandering into a crowded area and blowing up scores of innocent people, what are the chances in our vast country to secure bridges, freeways, buildings, as well as people, from becoming targets?
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The “Act of War,” the “Attack on America” mentality is much too limited. Terrorism is an attack on humanity, on civilization. Is it really true that the world recoils in horror? People who think this, I fear, don’t understand the love/hate of the United States that exists throughout the world. Although Palestinians celebrated openly in the streets of Nablus, people in London, Lima, and a thousand other cities and villages in this world were secretly pleased that the Yanks “got theirs.” In little pockets of our own country those who hate “the government,” “capitalism,” “globalism,” or “the Pentagon” must be rejoicing, too. How do we “wage war” on these people? Are we prepared to clearly establish guilt before retaliating, or do we wink at Constitution guarantees? Will “citizen’s militias” attack “foreigners” on our streets? I’ve been told that continual elimination of the terrorist leadership can reduce those groups to impotence. But this must be decisive, quick, and ongoing. Are the American people prepared for the long haul? Are our allies? Now we see the primary role leadership plays in human events. I listened carefully to President Bush. He is no Franklin Roosevelt. I kept hoping he would say “today it is the Twin Towers, tomorrow it’s Big Ben and then the Eiffel tower, because this is an attack on civilization” but he didn’t. His vision is much too limited. I paid close attention to the leaders of Congress and, with the possible exception of Tom Daschle (who said what I felt with the conviction I felt), I didn’t see the kind of inspiring leadership required to keep the population focused on what must be done. So what do we do? Close our borders? Round up the aliens? Infringe further on our freedoms? Use the military option against sus-
pected terrorist groups and nations that harbor them? Are we mature enough to assure that those who are targeted are the responsible ones? Our arrogant ways contributed to what happened this morning. But even if the whole people realize this, repent, and change, can we put the genie back into the bottle now that our weakness has been exposed? Is there a way to avoid the tragedy of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict where one side resorts to terrorism and the other responds with military power? Will we initiate a similar endless escalation where each incident fuels the next, but on a grander scale? So what do we do? If we use the military solution are we prepared to go it alone, without allies, and possibly, in the face of worldwide disapproval? Or do we, like the Romans, “Create a desert and call it peace?” GaylonCalwell 11 Sept 2001 Gaylon Caldwell acquired his BA at Utah State College, MA at the University of Nebraska, PhD from Stanford University, and post-doctoral study at Yale University. He was an Assistant Professor of Political Science at Brigham Young University. He later worked as Executive Director of the Bi-national Cultural Center in Guatemala City and Lima, Peru and became the head of all 132 Bi-national Centers in Latin America. His last diplomatic position was in the U. S. Embassy in Mexico City, as Cultural Attaché. After retirement he became the head of Elbert Covell College, one of three liberal arts colleges at the University of the Pacific. Gaylon and his wife Vickie now live in a retirement community in Northern California where he continues to be active socially and physically. He recently published (on Kindle) three novels that he wrote in the 70’s and 80’s.
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A Haunting Memory By Margie Keane
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eorge was sitting up in bed, sipping from a brandy snifter. For some reason he was thinking about his late wife. Maybe because it was Halloween, and it was a year ago to the day that she died. Not that he was sad about it. A malevolent smile lit his face. He laughed out loud remembering how he had gotten rid of her. George and his wife, Alma had been married for 25 years. They had slept in separate bedrooms for ten of those years. George just couldn’t seem to keep his pecker in his pants, and he sure wasn’t good at concealing his affairs. She told him she would stay with him while their three kids were still in
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college. But now all three were on their own and she was divorcing him. His lawyer had already told him that she would probably get at least two thirds of their holdings because it was her money that had started the company, and also because of his adulterous affairs. With Alma’s money and a lot of hard work, the two of them had built a landscaping business into a multimillion dollar success with franchises in fifteen states. Two thirds was a lot to give up. George was furious! “What was she so upset about?” he fumed, “She can come and go as she pleases, has her own bank account, they had a great social life. But she wanted to get rid
El Ojo del Lago / December 2018
of him. “Well, fat chance, babe, I’ll get rid of you first.” He stewed about this for days. Then an idea struck him. They had a meeting with their attorneys in two days. He could do it then. The day of their meeting arrived, George realized it was Halloween. ‘Perfect day for a horror show,’ thought George. To Alma he said, “Look, there’s no point in getting two cabs. We can at least ride together.” “Why not?” shrugged Alma. George had his plan all worked out. They walked out of their apartment building to wait for their cab. There was a group of people nearby waiting for a bus. George saw the bus coming and knew it was his chance. As it got closer he pretended to lose his balance and bumped hard into Alma, knocking her off the curb and into the path of the bus. The bus’s breaks screamed but it couldn’t stop. Alma was thrown back onto the sidewalk by the force of the blow striking her head against a lamp post. The bus driver jumped out, already dialing 911, and knelt beside her. “She’s still alive!” the driver shouted. “Damn!” whispered George. The doctor found George in the waiting room. “She’s in critical condition. She has a skull fracture, internal injuries, and is on a ventilator. It’s really touch and go right now, but she’s
strong, she may pull through.” “That’s what you think!” thought George, as he looked at her lying there with tubes running into her body, machines beeping. That evening as George neared Alma’s room, a spooky story from his childhood came to mind. He smiled. The story ended with the perfect lines to end Alma’s story. As George stepped into her room he started whispering: “I’m by the door, I’m near your bed, I’m by your side, (as he raised a pillow over her head), I gotcha!!” He held the pillow over her face until the monitor showed a flat line. Then he quickly knocked over all the equipment next to her bed, pulling out all the tubes. He flung himself over her body, sobbing hysterically, crying, “She’s gone! She’s gone! By the time the nurses were able to get George off the bed and restart the machines it was too late. Alma was indeed gone. The funeral was beautiful, the catered reception afterwards was elegant and George the perfect grieving husband. “Ha, ha!” laughed George, as he picked up his snifter. “Well, that’s all in the past. “ He glanced up at the mirrored ceiling he had installed in his bedroom and raised his brandy in a toast to himself. Yes, this past year had been great. Now his ladies came to his house, sometimes two or three at a time. No more need to sneak around. He started to take another sip of brandy, but stopped. What was that sound? He thought he heard the creak of a door. Had he set the alarm? He couldn’t remember. Suddenly the lights went out. A dank, musty smell filled the room. George tried to move but he couldn’t! His limbs were like jelly! Then he heard it, a soft whisper, “I’m by the door, I’m in your room, I’m by Margie Keane your bed . . .”
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COLUMNIST
PROFILING TEPEHUA By Moonyeen King
President of the Board for Tepehua
moonie1935@yahoo.com
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ovember is nostalgic. Eight years ago (2010) a small group of people decided to change their little part of the planet. And they did. By opening a Community Center for the poor and Indigenous. It was slow at first, as natives and strangers danced around each others differences. Stepping on the eggs of mistrust and superstitions laced with fear. Mistakes were made and will be, but the chain that binds us all together gets ever stronger. If just one of those links, made up from trust is broken... like musical chairs, you will gradually have only one link left. Linking the chain together is linking differences to build strength. Building walls and fences brings isola-
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tionism; the walls do not keep people out, they are trapping people in. The Tepehua Community Center has gone from strength to strength because it has reached beyond walls and differences, and we find we have one thing in common... survival and enjoying the world we live in, embracing opportunity where we can. The world this little group was going to change found the world changed them. Sliding into our 8th, we realize the countless people whose lives have been changed, not by us alone, we were only the tool. It was the involvement of people who cared about their fellow man. It’s OK to be your brother’s keeper. It is OK to cry and have compassion for the
El Ojo del Lago / December 2018
plight of others. The Center has also proved it is OK to dream. Whatever the age. When the soup kitchen started, to put food on the table we took it from anywhere we could, stealing Salteens from restaurants, going at closing time to pick up left-over food. Hard but fun days. The Friday socializing brought the people together, making their own support system when they realized all their problems were similar. Poverty does bring isolation and distrust, even between family members. Life in poverty is the same all over the world...challenges different but the same. The Medical Center started with a dining room table, a shower curtain around it for privacy. Our first Doctor was Dr. Joe de Leon of Lakeside. The huge involvement of the private sector and Rotary International changed all that. Tepehua now has its own Medical and Dental clinic. Local Doctors and Dentists volunteer. Generous Professionals giving the people in poverty their time. A special group of people who remembered their oath of service. The greatest challenge of all has been met, getting children into school. The key to opportunity is only through education. We have a great program, not only to get children into the school
system but to get them into the Universities to follow a dream. A new program to help strengthen the middle class, by starting a Trade School program, only a vision at this time. For this we will need the help of local businesses. Not everyone wants to be a brain surgeon, and the young people who fall are the teens with nowhere to put their dreams or energy, no one who cares enough to give them direction, children of parents already defeated by society’s indifference. Their lives are too precious to let them slip through the cracks of the mean streets of Tepehua—which is why we started the gymnasium. All ages and gender are coming. The Tepehua Treasures consignment store started with junk; a benefactor muttered “this will never fly,” but he donated a year’s rent anyway, On the backs of volunteers it is flying high and helping to keep the education going. All built on the vision of a handful of founders who followed the dream. Some are still with us, some have moved on but left behind a legacy. This writer has written about volunteerism before, even if you volunteer two hours...three... a week, the accomplishment is enormous because of the chain. In the Tepehua store there are two and half hour shifts six days a week...you may only bring in less than a thousand pesos in your shift....but think how much all those small numbers add up to educate children per year?! Volunteerism, sharing the wisdom and experience of your life is priceless. What you give is more than money, it is wealth only a few have, the need to give back. As the sun sets on 2018, think about being part of the chain that binds people together, that makes your part of the world a better place. You are needed...it is a good feeling. Never think you have nothing to give...giving of yourself is the best gift of all. Life is a gift... share it. Thank you for sharing it with Tepehua. You have made a difference, and may 2019 bring peace, or as close as possible, to our world.
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What A Mess, or Mass!
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id you ever wonder why things that are static and basically accepted are vulnerable to change? Part of it may be that humans get bored, or simply just want to rock the boat. Lately we have seen great disruption in a time-honored standard at sports events by opening with the U.S. national anthem. The authors of this rebellion activated other rebels to rejecting it by kneeling during its presentation. This is not only rebellion but displaying a great deal of ignorance and lack of appreciation. What a mess! Also, almost everyone is familiar with a secular celebration of Easter. Compared with its true meaning, where in heaven’s name did we get eggs, rabbits, and fancy frills? What a mess! And, when we consider the cel-
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El Ojo del Lago / December 2018
ebration of the momentous event of God’s personal presentation of Himself in the advent of His Son, what’s with the fat old man in a sleigh pulled by reindeer? Giving, you say? What happened to Jesus? What a mess! Nothing wrong with giving, right? Yet, the Creator God’s sole intent was to make a historical impact on the planet for its eternal good. Over the centuries, humanity followed the same pattern as above. They were bored, rebellious, or excessively materialistic. Even school systems want to belittle the real meaning by identifying the classroom break as ‘winter break’. This seasonal pattern could be called a celebration, yet misses the point! What a mess! The occasion is referred to as Christmas. It is explained as the mass of Christ. What is mass? It is to celebrate. This means to rave, boast, celebrate, glory, and praise. A far cry from mess, right? We are faced with making it a must! Let’s prioritize this time as it emerged in the beginning. After all, it is based on His incredible love, even for each and all.
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LIZ WHITE: 1930–2018 An Appreciation
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lizabeth (Liz) Pendleton White passed this September in Riberas after a brief illness. Liz was a multi-gifted lady of the Arts and Humanities, one of life’s fortunate people who recognize and act on their own personal callings from a young age. An accomplished stage actress, backstage maven, a published poet, writer, animal welfare advocate, and community volunteer, her love for Lakeside spanned the last 22 years of her life. Moving to Lakeside was a homecoming for Liz. Her Mexican grandmother — whom she considered the most important influence in her life—and American grandfather, a mining engineer, had left their Mexico City home for the United States with their daughter Carmen (Liz’s mother) during the Mexican Revolution near the beginning of the 20th century. Returning to Mexico was a dream realized. Liz was born in Los Angeles where her mother and father werepursuing show business lives. They parted company soon after her birth, her mother moving to New York City with Liz where she had a short stage career, long enough to be befriended by Helen Hayes, Liz’s godmother. Liz spent her early years in Riverdale, The Bronx, attending Horace Mann Academy, and as a young girl lived several years in pre-Castro Cuba, where her stepfather was a Standard Oil executive. Returning to Long Island, her
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parents, in Liz’s own words, “turned her loose at age 14 to apprentice in Summer Stock where she earned her Equity card and never looked back.” She would later live several years in the Panama Canal Zone with her newly-commissioned second lieutenant West Point graduate husband. After divorcing, Liz moved to Santa Monica, California, her home base for many years. Liz credited her parents with passing on the “performance gene.” Throughout her life, wherever she found herself, Liz pursued her abiding love of theatre and acting, performing in both professional and community shows, and just as often in “frequent starring roles off-stage as waitress, hat check girl, copywriter, personal assistant, model, and such.” Her theatre resume in the States is a roll call of so many important plays. She had major roles in Summer and Smoke, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, and Diary of Anne Frank, among others. In 1996, Liz first visited Lake Chapala. Her discovery of the Lakeside Little Theatre (LLT) forever bound her to the community. Over the next two
decades Liz would serve two terms on LLT’s Board of Directors as First Vice President, heading up the committee responsible for each season’s schedule of plays.She supported Theatre productions working backstage, in the lightning booth, managing the bar, wherever the need. And of course she acted, in all some 16 plays, her last appearance being 2014’s Blood Relations as Lizzie Borden’s older sister. Her most iconic LLT role was as “Blanche DuBois” in Tennessee Williams’ A Streetcar Named Desire. For years afterwards, she was stopped on the street by fans expressing their admiration for her performance. Liz was a founding member of The Naked Stage Readers Theatre, serving as a board member, and directing and acting in shows for almost ten years. She won awards for her poetry, receiving El Ojo del Lago’s yearly ‘Best Poem’ award on two occasions. She was an active member of several Lakeside writers’ groups (including the Ajijic Writers Group) and early on wrote a Performing Arts column for the Ojo. A voracious reader, she devoured thousands of books through the years, and was, in large part, self- educated through her reading habits. Liz loved animals,
raising and caring for dozens over her lifetime, and was on the Board of Directors of the Lake Chapala Humane Society, a precursor to todays Lakeside animal charities. A rationalist by nature, a realist through life experience, feisty, spunky and affirming describe her approach to life’s journey. Her memorial is in the hearts, minds and emotions of the countless theatre goers moved by her accomplished performances over seventy plus years, and in the memories of so many Lakeside friends and associates. Submitted by Fred Koesling
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COLUMNIST
By Victoria Schmidt
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his year’s rainy season has helped to revitalize the lake. And like many people here at Lakeside, I love to sit near the lake and attempt to sort out my thoughts, or just get rid of my thoughts all together. The lake is at its highest point since 2008, I believe. I have seen the lake’s water volume decrease so low that people could walk out next to the pier on the lake bed. Now nearly full, I often see the tops of trees nearly enclosed by the water, the trees that sprung from the dry sand, and grew. There is a strange dance that goes on between humans and nature. I’ve seen people move out onto spaces and develop properties that were once covered by the water. Now the lake reclaims its borders, and some places are flooded out. Today I sat and watched from a distance. The lirio is back, as always. And there are more birds nesting, flying, and diving in the lake. Jet skis and sight-seeing watercraft are once again plentiful. I love to watch the fishing. Along the lakeside, the piers, and the outlooks, I see young and old fish the lake. No fancy equipment is necessary here. I watch intently as a young fisherman takes a pop bottle, plastic, and empty, and wraps fishing line around and around and around until the hook appears. He baits the hook with a small piece of tortilla. He casts out the line and waits. The process is repeated often. Sometimes he is rewarded with a fish. I saw a gringo fishing today also. He had two fancy poles, and lots of bait. But he didn’t seem to have the luck of the child. Rainy season had a wonderful effect on the lake, but the roads suffered major collateral damage. Hidalgo in Chapala became a maze of pot holes and buckled pavement, which still is in bad shape, although the City has started patchwork. There are some areas where the
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term “pot hole” just doesn’t quite describe the craters in the road. I try not to drive when it’s raining or after a rain, because the puddles disguise the width and depth of the road damage. And I don’t relish the thought of spraying pedestrians who are attempting to negotiate their way around the sidewalks and the mud. The end of rainy season also means the return of the snowbirds. A restaurateur commented that our dinner companions must be from Canada, which they were. “How did you know?” The husband asked. “You are wearing shorts.” My husband and I were wearing long sleeves, and jackets. We’ve been here long enough to become completely acclimatized. The low season this year, didn’t feel too low. There was a lot of traffic, and fortunately for the businesses, there seemed to be more people about. But now we are on overload. Traffic has passed the crawl stage and we’ve entered the world of stop-n-go traffic. There are times when I see that pedestrians are making better time that those on the road. But thank goodness during the high season for the politeness of Mexican drivers, who allow you into the traffic, they sometimes slow and flash their lights to let you know they will wait for you to make the cross-traffic turn. My NOB neighbors are not always so inclined—Except for the Wal-Mart intersection; there, all bets are off! Now we get to watch Lakeside as it prepares for Christmas, and fills our world with more color, posadas and the maturing of the incredible poinsettias. Thanks to the abundant rainy season. Victoria Schmidt
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I THOUGHT I HAD IT BAD —Until I Met Pat By Steve Parker
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lay there on my rug waiting for the sun to come winking through the lower glass panes on the back porch door. The same darn ritual every day for as long as a dog can remember. Is this what life is supposed to be like? Really? I sniffed the air and realized there was movement in the house…same movement, same smell every day. The man creature was stirring. Soon the house would come to life for a short time. The man creature appeared in his pajamas and ragged slippers shuffling toward the kitchen
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sink. I managed a single tail wag which was ignored as he poured water into something that would soon produce another familiar house smell. I enjoyed the earthy smell but had tried to drink the brown liquid once finding it not to my liking. I sometimes wonder why I am even here. I’ve been in this same house for 13 dog years. I ache, I don’t enjoy walking anymore and to chase a ball is an activity I gave up long ago. Soon the young boy appeared, bent down for a brief moment and patted my head then turned to the
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cupboard and I heard the familiar cereal and milk being poured into a bowl and inhaled with loud slurping sounds gone in less than a minute. The woman creature came dressed for the day with various bags, computers, and other woman things. Always the same. Never sitting down, eating while talking on her phone and always moving toward the door. Her only acknowledgement of my existence was to sigh and step over me. Suddenly in a flash, (I am not sure what a flash is in dog time), I was again left alone for the day. While I was sleeping someone had filled my bowls with water and a handful of tasteless pellets. I nibbled a few and returned to my rug ready to doze through another day. I guess I am relegated to be just an ornament on the rug to step over on the way out the door. Sometime mid-morning my ears perked up and I came out of a sleepy haze, hearing an unfamiliar noise in the back yard. Drifting back, I heard it again. Although when I was young, I would have certainly exploded through the plastic flap on the doggie door ready for a vicious encounter, today I simply put my head through the flap just far enough that if all was well, I could back up and return to the solitude of my rug. It was then I saw her
hiding in the bushes in the corner of the yard with the strong smell of fear radiating from her body, a smell that made the hair on my neck rise. I softly walked closer and when I got close a new smell came to me; the smell of blood oozing from a deep slash on her left hind leg. I lowered my body into a semi crouch indicating I meant no harm and as I did so, I heard a voice yelling. “Pat, you rotten bitch, get out here!” Immediately the dog crawled deeper into the hedge. As she moved I noticed a bleeding tear in her ear and large purple welts along her ribs and hips. “Pat, Get over here, Come! Come! Pat didn’t move and laid so close to the ground it was as if she was hoping the earth would open and swallow her into darkness. Suddenly I heard the voice coming closer. “Pat, Come! Dammit Come!” Pat looked at me with sad eyes and the fear was enough for me. I knew I had to do something. The voice came closer. I moved toward the gate and saw the voice with a large leather leash in one hand and a stick in the other. I bristled with a strength I had long ago forgotten, rushed toward the gate, baring my fangs and produced a menacing volley of danger growls and warning barks. “Get away from me you damned dog”, the voice said as he tried to move closer once more. I stood my ground continued my menacing bark and finally the man retreated away saying, “When that damn dog comes home, I’m gonna kill her!” I returned to Pat and after a few moments she got to her feet and I nudged her toward the door. After I went in and out of the doggie door a few times, she tentatively came through into the kitchen. I led her to the food bowls and she devoured the food and water as if it had been days since she last ate. Finally she joined me on the rug and laid down next to me and fell into a deep, safe sleep. Lying there I realized my dog’s life was a good dog’s life and certainly much better after meeting Pat.
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What Is It To Live A Spiritual Life By Dr. Daniel Acuff
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o many people, myself included, when asked: what religion are you, respond with “I am spiritual, not religious.” But when I sat down to write this article, I realized I hadn’t a clear notion of what it meant to truly live a spiritual life. And certainly I was not even close to being expert on the subject. So instead of displaying my ignorance with any sort of inadequate attempt, I turn to those who are far more qualified and adept. Margaret Paul Ph.D. in a Dec 21, 2016, article in the Huffington Post said it this way: “You go to church every Sunday and you say your prayers every day. Does this mean you are a spiritual person? No. You practice yoga and meditate every day. Does this mean you are a spiritual person? No. You belong to a spiritual group and are devoted to following the teachings of the group. Does this mean you are a spiritual person? No. What, then, does it mean to be a spiritual person? Being a spiritual person is synonymous with being a person whose highest priority is to be loving to yourself and others. A spiritual person cares about people, animals and the planet. A spiritual person knows that we are all One, and consciously attempts to honor this Oneness. A spiritual person is a kind
person. So, you can go to church every Sunday and say your prayers every day, without caring about loving yourself, others and the planet. You can practice yoga and meditate every day without being conscious of what is loving and what is not loving in your thoughts and actions. You can belong to a spiritual group and devotedly follow the teachings, yet still be judgmental toward yourself and others in your daily life. There are many religious people who are anything but kind. We all know of religious people who are extremely judgmental, righteous, and outright mean. But can you be both religious and spiritual? Of course! If you want to be a spiritual person, then let kindness be your guiding light — kindness toward yourself, toward others, toward animals and toward this beautiful planet that is our home. Recognize that we all have the spark of love that is God within us, and learn to honor that love so that you can know and experience the Oneness of all that is.” And from the greatest minds and hearts: Einstein on spirituality: “Only a life lived for others is a life worthwhile.” The Dalai Lama: “This is my simple religion. There is no need for temples; no need for complicated philosophy. Our own brain, our own heart is our temple; the philosophy is kindness. Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible. Deepak Chopra adds these guides to more spiritual behavior: Act with integrity/ Speak your truth/ Remain unswayed by the need to be liked. Do not fear authority/Respect your personal dignity and others/Remain self-reliant, not dependent on others/ Do not blind yourself with denial and self-deceptions. Practice tolerance/Become slow to anger and quick to forgive. Jesus Christ: Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. What is “spiritual growth”? Many also claim to be on a spiritual path. I often think that I too am on this path toward greater spirituality. But again, what is it to grow spiritually? I believe Einstein said it best: “A human being is a part of the whole, called by us Universe, a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings as something separated from the rest, a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest to us. Our task must be to free from this prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty.” A self-assessment: Score yourself from 1 to 5 on this approach to a “Living a Spiritual Life scale.” 1 is NEVER and 5 is ALMOST ALWAYS: 1. I am alert to the needs of others and try to help them. 1 2 3 4 5 2. I am kind to everyone. 1 2 3 4 5 3. I greet people when I am out and about. 1 2 3 4 5 4. I avoid being judgmental. 1 2 3 4 5 5. I compliment and acknowledge people. 1 2 3 4 5 6. I forgive those who have hurt me. 1 2 3 4 5 7. I take time for gratefulness, prayer or meditation. 1 2 3 4 5 8. Spiritual growth is a priority of mine. 1 2 3 4 5 9. I take care of animals and the planet. 1 2 3 4 5 10. I love myself and take care of myself. 1 2 3 4 5 TOTAL: 45 out of 50 possible: You are living a quite spiritual life. 40 to 45: Room for improvement. Below 40: Time to self-assess. Validity check: Have someone who knows you very well score you, then discuss. DR. ACUFF’S BACKGROUND: Dr. Acuff’s Ph.D. is in Philosophy, Sociology and Education. He has been a seminar leader, radio talk show host and educator. He is author of fifteen books including three philosophical/spiritual works of fiction: God Lied – What’s Really Going on Here, The Mysteries of Quan, and Golf and the Zen Master.
Dr. Daniel Acuff
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Why Rage? The days are growing shorter, a blithe oxymoron to deceive ourselves with simple sleight of tongue, while in the dwindling of days lies the melancholy of December, the mind so tricked by early darkness it yearns for sleep before the evening meal is done. No artificial light can rescue us. He tries the light of football on TV while I try the enlightenment of a book. His light proves the stronger, though I often catch him sleeping by it as I invariably do by mine. Until the winter solstice, the relentless shrinking binds the world in gloom—each breathing creature, each seed and tree and patch of moss—all bemoan the dying of the light as but a mournful prelude to the dying of our own.
—Margaret Van Every—
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Yummy!
By Sydney Gay Resident Chef, International Cities of Friendship
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ceberg lettuce would smile if it could,” says Marion Cunningham, “It is sturdy and has a surprisingly delicate flavor.” Many chefs knock iceberg lettuce choosing to serve Shepherd Greens; however, fancy greens cannot do what iceberg lettuce can. Health conscious people often substitute a two-calorie full head of iceberg for lunch or dinner, crunch away at your desk or watching TV, forget the dressing, it’s not needed, this simple meal totally fills the tummy taking hunger away, providing four hours of good energy, plus it cleanses the gut for easier bowel movements and lets you wake up in the morning feeling more alive. If you are in the mood for protein without glutinous bread, wrap iceberg leaves as a sleeve around
Sydney Gay
chicken or turkey with tomatoes and mayo. Eat with love. Yummy. Bio - Following twenty five years as food manager for International Cities of Friendship, Sydney Gay opened an office in Ajijic where she designs radio programs and theater events. E Mail: googlesydney@yahoo.com
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YUCATAN
—The Place You Cannot Miss! By Greg Custer
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sk most travelers where they’ve been in Mexico, and many will answer ‘the Yucatán.’ They are right of course, if they mean the thumb-shaped, flat shelf of porous limestone that separates the Gulf of Mexico from the Caribbean. But Yucatán (you-cah-TAHN) is also the name of the peninsula’s western most (and smallest) state. In the best sense of Mexico’s current promotional slogan, Yucatán State is truly a ‘world of its own.’ Its smaller size in no way diminishes the state’s calling for Mexico travelers, both novice and experienced. This is the Yucatán’s ‘other’ coast. Yes, there are white sand beaches and emerald Gulf of Mexico waters. But unlike Quintana Roo’s world-renowned shore, you won’t find mass tourism enclaves or large resorts; just a mostly deserted scrub forest-backed sea coast of gentle surf, nature reserves, fishing villages, flamingos and tranquility. What you will find are timeless encounters with an endearing culture that today thrives despite modern encroachments. The Mayans are often seen stereotypically as a vanquished people, a once-great culture that left behind archaeological relics but little else. Nothing could be further from the truth in Yucatán, or for that matter throughout the Mundo Maya region. Yet Yucatán is different than Mexico’s other Mayan-influenced states. Here, a major commercial hub and urban area (capital Mérida) swirls with sights, sounds, smells, flavors and genuine Mayan ethnicity. Mérida (population approaching one million; metro areas closer to 1.5 million) is the most Mayan urban area in the Americas. In the late 1800’s, Yucatán was known for its ‘green gold’: an agave-like plant called henequén that was cultivated by Mayan serfs working extravagant haciendas. They converted natural fibers into rope and twine shipped around the world. The wealth created made Mérida one of the world’s affluent cities. Today hundreds of estates lie nostalgically silent; some have been reborn as elegant, hacienda-style resorts – some of Mexico’s most unique places
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to stay. Even the language is different here, as the Mayans of Yucatán (when not speaking Mayan) have turned Spanish into a joke-filled, limerick-laced linguistic hybrid that any Mexican can spot instantly. Mérida is hip, too. A full calendar of live performances, street fairs, and culinary innovation put Mérida far ahead of other Mundo Maya destinations. Spend days exploring museums, Merida’s 16th century Spanish architecture or even a carriage ride along the city’s stately Paseo Montejo. Evenings welcome cooler temperatures (AprilOctober are warmer months) and a village-like quaintness: open plazas with live music, shopping for Mayan-styled fashions, weavings, handicrafts and fine dining. Outside its ever-expanding capital, ancient Mayan cities lie often in ruin. The exceptions being two UNESCO World Heritage sites (monumental Chichén Itzá and more intimate Uxmal), themselves surrounded by smaller sites, equally fascinating and accessible. Yucatán invites visitors to venture on day trips from Mérida. A rich assortment of small Mayan towns and villages are delightful; home to mostly smallscale farmers living in rustic, well-tended traditional homes. The hammock (a Mayan creation) is in every home; even many city dwellers opt for the hamaca over a mattress. Towns often sit astride either ancient Mayan cities or abandoned commercial haciendas, with a freshwater ‘cenote’ well ideal for a cooling dip. These places are pristine and uniquely Yucatecan: clean, white-walled colonial era buildings, a lively town square, a Catholic Church and bustling commerce. The State also has one of Mexico’s best road and highway systems; self-guided exploration is safe and pleasant. With daily non-stops from Guadalajara, it’s a great time to explore the ‘other’ Yucatán. Greg Custer
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You Opened My Letter By An Unsigned Source
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was nineteen and in love. The girl of my dreams and high school sweetheart was sent away to school in Los Angeles to keep her away from me. Her midwestern reared parent’s hope was that she would find a nice wealthy Anglo boy. Her parents born and raised in South Dakota came from humble origins and had achieved some financial success in Southern California. In their new social group they became class conscious. They were in awe of those they deemed more successful than them and dismissive of those they saw as beneath them. Two years before at my all-boys
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Catholic High School dance I asked her onto the dance floor. She was homecoming queen pretty, I found her easy smile and her quick laugh appealing; she attended an all-girls Catholic high school. I was a first generation American of Mexican descent who lived on the wrong side of the tracks in San Diego. They lived in an upper middle class suburb. My father drove a delivery truck for a local freight company; her father was a district manager for a national moving company. Her parents sent her to Mary Mount College in the Westchester area; a stones throw from the Los Angeles Airport. I went to lowly San Diego City Junior
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College. If I wanted to take her on a date I would recruit one of my Anglo school mates to pick her up. Her father warned her that if we should wind up together we would produce “half-breed children” this would bring shame on their family. “Mexicans are lazy; shifty,” he warned her. “They are clannish, they don’t accept outsiders,” constant comments like these brought her to tears; her father’s judgments didn’t jive with her encounters with my family. My parents and siblings adored her; she was accepted as one of our own. I decided not to see her for the first month that she was away. It would be better to allow her to settle into her new life. We both needed time to organize our school schedules. Besides having school to contend with I was working two jobs. I felt the need to do well in school, hoping that good grades might open a door with her parents. I wrote her letters several times a week; hand written letters in an addressed envelope with a postage stamp; delivery took two week days from mail box to mail box. I didn’t know until years later how much she looked forward to receiving them,
tearing them open as soon as they reached her hand. My letters spoke of my activities, the never ending antics my friends and I got involved in, and my love for her. Four weeks seemed like an eternity, I began making the two hour road trip up the interstate freeway to spend week-ends with her. Scarborough Fair playing constantly in my mind. We like Ben and Elaine in the Simon and Garfunkel song shared an illicit love. My fondest memories are of being with my forbidden love in this exotic city. Saturday afternoons would find us under a shade tree on the lawn in the school’s quad, my head on her lap, she combing my hair with her fingers. We were hopeful and fearful of what the future might bring. After dinner in the school’s cafeteria, we drove the hustling exciting streets of Los Angeles. She arranged with some of her new friends to allow me to sleep in the men’s dorms. Heavy heartfelt good byes were said Sunday afternoons. Desperate to be with her I made an appointment with the dean of admissions at Loyola University; Mary Mount College shared the campus. Her parents highly valued higher education, as did mine. I talked the dean into allowing me to transfer in. Three years later I graduated; this was a game changer. Her parents finally relented and agreed to meet my family. Her parents instantly fell in love with my humble and respectful people. My girlfriend’s mother was quite taken with my tall muscular handsome father, his dark striking features and his easy charming manner. My father emigrated as a child; he was educated in the American school system and was completely bi-lingual. My shy Mexican mother enamored them with her humility, her endearing Mexican accent and her deep faith in the religion we all shared. My six siblings addressed them with a Mr. and Mrs. as we had been taught. Two years later we walked down the church’s aisle and committed our lives to each other. It is ironic that none of my wife’s four sibling’s marriages survived. It is also ironic that of my in-laws’ 11 grandchildren our four children were the only ones to earn university degrees. It is also ironic that it was not my family that was clannish, but the greatest irony is that my in-laws marriage did not survive, tragically they divorced. Forty-six years later my wife still looks forward to my writings, and I still see the lovely homecoming queen, I love you honey.
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Saw you in the Ojo 39
Sandy Olson
Phone: 331-283-8529 Email: sandyzihua@hotmail.com
TRA LA LA, HO HO HO The Lake Chapala Chorale, under new director Denning Chambers, will present its third annual holiday program in December.
Performances of some of your favorite music will take place at the Ajijic Cultural Center on December 8 at 4 pm, and at the Lakeside Presbyterian Church in Riberas del Pilar on December 15 at 4 pm. The suggested donation for these performances is 100 pesos. The Chorale’s third annual holiday dinner show will be on December 23 at Casa Linda Restaurant at Rio Bravo #7 in West Ajijic. Cocktails from the cash bar will be served at 4 pm and at 5 pm the Chorale will present a rendition of holiday songs. Dinner will be served at 6 pm. Tickets for the dinner show, $350 pesos, are available at Diane Pearl Colecciones. NEW BUILDING! BRAVO! The Bravo! Theatre is moving to 441 Hidalgo in Riberas del Pilar and is presenting “Chords & Quills,” a fundraising show to help with expenses for the new building. Join in on this nice day with a concert of art songs, and a reception with complimentary hors d’oeuvres and wine. Performers are Judy Roberts, voice; Daniel Medeles, violin, and Timothy G. Ruff Welch, piano. The event is on Sunday, December 9 at 3 pm at St. Angrew’s Anglican Church in Riberas del Pilar. Tickets at $700 are available at Diane Pearl Colecciones, Mia’s Boutique, or by reserving via return email at mymytickets@gmail.com. OPEN CIRCLE Sunday morning finds 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. December 9 How the Virgin of Guadalupe Became One of the Most Important Religious, Cultural, and Political Symbols of Mexico Presented by Jim Cook The Fiesta for the Virgin of Guadalupe is held yearly on December 12. Since the Spanish Conquest, this incarnation of the Virgin Mary has been a powerful symbol, particularly for Mexico’s poor and indigenous. She is found everywhere from cathedrals in her name to humble shrines beside remote mountain trails. Jim will explain her origin as a complex mixture of paganism and Christianity. He will show how she was used during the Spiritual Conquest of New Spain to overcome native resistance and then centuries later was the rallying symbol of the insurgents during the Mexican War of Independence.
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December 16 Making Peace Presented by the San Juan Children’s Choir [Música Para Crecer A.C.] After almost five years of studying, practicing, rehearsing, performing, being happy with their Music School at San Juan Cosala, the children and some parent-musicians and guests will present their annual holiday show, “Making Peace.” Says Director Coco Wonchee, “We look forward to our annual appearance with our good friends at Open Circle, where we are loved and feel more than welcome, where we feel accepted, valued, respected, appreciated, sometimes more than in our own community. We are happy, excited, and grateful whenever we play for the wonderful Open Circle.” December 23 Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend Presented by John Wells Diamonds and other precious gemstones have fascinated people all over the world for millennia as evidence of wealth and power, as well as for personal decoration. Kings and queens have studded their crowns and other regalia with these glittering rocks to signify their importance. John will explain the origin of diamonds and other prized gemstones, including rubies, amethysts, sapphires and emeralds, as well as some “newer” stones, such as those produced following the eruption of Mt. St. Helens. He will talk about their chemistry and mineralogy, where they are found and how they are mined and produced. As a holiday bonus, he will also provide some history and stories with a seasonal flavor. John Wells has worked in the mining industry for 50 years and will share his experience and fascination with the exploration and production of precious metals and gemstones. December 30 The High Cost of Doing Nothing Presented by David Pisarra Doing nothing, Killing time, Chilling out. It all sounds so relaxing, but it comes with a price. Each week we can take small steps to accomplish our goals. In this inspirational speech the lesson of regular progress is reinforced. David Pisarra is an international speaker who travels the world to motivate the meek, inspire the idle and empower the fearful. January 6 The Purpose of Life Presented by Susan Weeks Too often we become so caught up in the activities and dramas of daily life that we lose sight of what is truly important. Let’s move beyond the often token “New Year’s Resolutions” to the broader perspective of the true meaning of life. There is no better way to begin a New Year than to examine our core values and to, perhaps, realign our personal belief system. With wisdom and playfulness, Susan invites us to explore the realm of possibility in creating a vision of life filled with wonderment, joy, love and compassion. Something of a visionary, Susan has been an explorer of spirituality for decades and, more recently, the SpiriMaestro Francisco Urzua and Janice Kimball tual Leader of Unity on Cape Cod. Having lived on four continents, her broad life experience has provided her a unique and optimistic world view. COCKTAILS AND WALL ART Artist and writer Janice Kimball has been a part of lakesides art community for over twenty years. She and weaver Francisco Urzua are collaborators on creating their original and custom wall art at Aztec Weaving Studios. This season the gallery has been completely remodeled with a new contemporary look. Their reception will be on Tuesday, December 11, from 4—6 pm. Everyone is invited. The address: 232 Carretera Poniente, near Yves Restaurant in west Ajijic. Check the website at www.janicekimball.com. IT’S STILL A WONDERFUL LIFE We all know about the Christmas classic movie with Jimmy Stewart, Donna Reed and Lionel Barrymore. Come to the Ajijic Cultural Center in the Plaza on December 15 and 16 to see “It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play.” The door and bar open at 3 pm and the performance is from 4 pm to 6 pm. The timeless tale of George Bailey is given a clever twist when it’s staged as a live, 1940s radio broadcast. Rosann Balbontin directs this Potter Productions show, which is adapted for the stage by Joe Landry. Florette Schnelle, Greg Custer, Barbara Pruitt, and Terry Gibbard (left to right) give
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voice to all of Bedford Falls’s memorable residents, accompanied by sound effects created live onstage by Maryanne Gibbard (front). Rosann says, “Bring the whole family to relive this timeless tale of a likable fellow down on his luck and ready to end it all—until an Angel Second Class shows him life’s true value.” Tickets are $200 and can be purchased at Diane Pearl Colecciones, Mia’s Boutique, and at the door before each performance.
COME TO THE INAUGURAL CONCERT The Lake Chapala Community Orchestra is holding its inaugural concert, “A Christmas Celebration,” on Sunday, December 16. Michael Reason, the orchestra’s conductor, has designed the concert to include Christmas themed readings interspersed between the musical selections. “The audience will become an integral part of the concert through singing popular carols and providing some extremely important percussion effects!” said Reason. The concert will also feature two local area singers, Dulce del Torro and Karen Procter, who will perform songs that include Mozart’s Alleluia, Veni Veni Emanuel and Silent Night. The concert starts at 2 pm (the bar opens at 1 pm) and is being held at The Spotlight Club in San Antonio, on the Carretera next to Fenix Realty. Tickets are $150 for expats and $100 for Mexican nationals. Tickets can be purchased at The Spotlight Club between 2 pm and 5 pm Monday to Friday or by calling (33) 1845 1523, or via email at stables86@hotmail.com. Seating is limited. BAH AND HUMBUG Bad press for Ebenezer Scrooge not withstanding, it’ll be a treat this month to visit the Bare Stage for their production of Scrooge! It’s “a tale that has charmed generations with its tribute to the magic of the Christmas spirit…” The reading is on December 28, 29 and 30. It’s directed by Roseann Wilshere. The theatre is at Hidalgo #261 on the Front Row, left to right Anne Drake , Emily Crocker, mountain side of the Sharon Jarvis. Back Row, left to right Lynn Phelan, carretera in Riberas Rob Stupple and Peter James. Missing from photo Paul del Pilar, across from the Catholic Church. Kloegman and Tony Wilshere Parking is available in the parking lot of the Baptist Church, behind the theater. Donation is $100. The Box Office and bar open at 3 p.m. Reservations are by email at: barestagetheaatre2018@gmail.com. For those who use Facebook, look for Bare Stage Theatre 2018 for breaking news and updates. ART MATTERS, FOR SURE The Lake Chapala Painting Group invites all Ojo readers to attend the opening of the show “Art Matters” at the Cultural Center of Ajijic on the Ajijic Plaza Saturday, January 5 from 4-6 pm. The show consists of wall art in a variety of media by the group’s 19 talented member artists. Refreshments will be served. IF YOU WANT TO GET ON A BUS…. Viva la Music is running bus trips to the following events.
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Sunday December 9 Baroque Fest: Vivaldi, Geminiani, Gabrieli, Bach, Lully. The bus leaves at 10:30 for the 12:30 performance. Thursday December 13 Ballet: Nutcracker by the Ballet de Jalisco. This plays to sell-out audiences every December. The bus leaves at 6:00 for the 8:30 performance. ($700, $800 for non-members). Here are the next two “Live at the Met” opera productions planned by Viva at the Teatro Diana. Saturday December 15 La Traviata (The Fallen Woman) by Verdi. The famous opera of love and misunderstanding, set in Paris with Diana Damrau as Violeta and Juan Diego Flores as Alfredo (187 minutes). The bus leaves at 10:30 for the noon show. Saturday February 2 Carmen by Georges Bizet, featuring Clementine Margaine as Carmen the ultimate seductress, and Roberto Alagna as her lover Don Jose (200 minutes). The bus leaves at 10:30 for the noon show. Viva bus trips to the Met Opera are $450 and $550 for non-members. Tickets are available at the LCS ticket area Thursdays and Fridays from 10 to noon, or by calling Rosemary Keeling at 766-1801. SAVE THE DATE… …..for the first Jewish Film Festival selection of 2019. The date of the first showing is January 6. As usual, the movies will be shown Sundays at 1:30 at Cinemas del Lago, Bugambilias Plaza. “Come by after Open Circle and lunch!” says Joe Gottesman, Lake Chapala Jewish Congregation President. Check this column in January for the specific schedule. Here is a list of the film selections: RBG - Ruth Bader Ginsberg 1945 The Life and Times of Hank Greenberg The Producers Operation Final Occupation of The American Mind It’s Never Too Late For Life Three Identical Twins DE FEET BREAST CANCER, INDEED Rotary Club Ajijic and Salvati Foundation teamed with sponsors to host the Second Annual Catrina De Feet Breast Cancer 5K Run Walk in Ajijic. The Rotary Club of Ajijic is one of the few English-speaking Rotary clubs in Mexico, and has been serving the Lake Chapala area since 2002. Its members are business and professional men and women, many retired, who dedicate their time, expertise, and talents to helping others in our local area. For more information on the Rotary Club of Ajijic please contact Dr. Cherry chapalameddra.cherry@gmail.com GOOD LOOKING WINNERS The 2018 Cruz Roja Classic Golf Tournament was its usual success. Here are this year’s high achievers. Says Don Fraser, “The Tournament was a great success- perfect golf weather, 88 enthusiastic players and a great bar-b-que to finish the day. Our many thanks to the Country Club of Chapala, staff and members, our many, many sponsors Nigel Birney, Valery Whittaker, Maggie and Rod Pye and our tireless volunteers. With such hard work the new ambulance is sure to be here soon!” GENTLER DAYS, WEREN’T THEY? Well, maybe. Freedom Chorale invites all hardcore 60s fans to join them on Tuesdays from 4-5:30 at La Bodega for a laid-back jaunt down MemoryLane. They sing famous 60s songs, accompanied by a guitar. Sing along (lyrics provided) or just let the music carry you back to gentler days. No cover. Pure fun. For details email ChapalaFreedomChorale@gmail.com
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ESPAÑOL—Gringa-Style By Margie Harrell
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ike most ex-pats when they first arrive at Lakeside, I decided to sign up for some Spanish lessons, fully expecting to master the language in a few short weeks and move on to something more challenging, like salsa dancing. As I began to get the hang of things I wondered what all the fuss was about. The fact that my high school French kept getting in the way was beside the point as I greeted one and all with a cheery buenos dias. It wasn’t long before I discovered how warm and friendly the Mexican people are but their greatest asset to my way of thinking is their ability to overlook how we gringos butcher their beautiful language. Lord knows we try but the sounds in our heads don’t always come out the right way. Try rolling the double rs in perro (dog) and you will see what I mean. Armed with my trusty travelers’ Spanish Dictionary I felt equipped to mingle with the natives. A friend had told me that the local home for the elderly was looking for volunteers and having worked in the medical profession for years, I was sure I could handle this. Oh, dear, you would have thought I had just landed from Mars. Those poor souls didn’t understand a word I was saying. A mime had nothing on me as my arms and hands flailed about. To add to this, for some reason I thought moving my eyebrows up and down in synch with my hands would help the cause. What a sight I must have looked to them. Things got even worse when I of-
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fered to help a young girl who was sweeping the floors. I mumbled something like “Me, broom, si?” as she gave me a faint smile and retreated to a corner with eyes downcast. It seems, in one fell swoop, I had robbed her of her livelihood. My friend gently took the broom from my hand and returned it to the girl as I once again learned a valuable lesson. When in Rome, it’s always a good idea to tread lightly until you first see how the Romans do things. Shopping was always a lesson in humility as I would ask for huevos (eggs) and say jueves (Thursday) instead. Undaunted by my many goofs I recall asking a waiter one evening for some tea (te) but instead managed to tell him I desired tu (you). He smiled, I smiled and the tea never was forthcoming. As time went by I did manage to learn a few helpful phrases, mostly pertaining to auto repairs. Saying thump, thump, bang, bang doesn’t quite get the message across to the mechanic. Mind you, should it get too complicated, we were back to arm-waving again. Ah, the universal language. During my travels in France I learned there is only one way to speak French, their way—but not so in Mexico. You can be speaking Swahili and you will still get a friendly “Si, Señora.” Over the years I have made feeble attempts to brush up on my Español but my mind only seems to absorb so much and the rest just flows right on through. But not to worry as in my part of Paradise everyone just says “no problema” and life goes on. Apparently after all is said and done, Español gringostyle really can work as a second lanMargie Harrell guage.
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Storytelling By Herbert W. Piekow
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he 2019 Lake Chapala Writers’ Conference promises to be the best, most comprehensive ever. The Storytelling theme covers many forms of writing including articles, short stories, novels and plays. Multiple award-winning writer Eric Witchey is known for teaching clear, useful writing skills. He has sold more than 200 short stories and five novels. Some of his stories have garnered awards such as The International Book Awards, Short Story America, The Irish Aeon Awards and others. Witchey will present a series he calls Fiction Fluency. In this highenergy interactive session Witchey will demonstrate the nature of the written story, and also share powerful tools for managing scenes, which are the emotional building blocks of all stories. Kali VanBaale is the author of several award-winning novels and numerous short stories. She is the recipient of an American Book Award, an Eric Hoffer Book Award and a Silver Medal for Fiction, plus she has received a State of Iowa major artist grant. VanBaale teaches in the MFA Creative Writing Program at Lindenwood University. VanBaale will share her writing techniques in three sessions. She promises not to grade us, but to encourage us in our writing process. Canadian bestselling author Roberta Rich always delights her readers with her stories she will share her knowledge. During her workshop titled: Unleashing the Muse (or How many uses are there for a brick?) Rich will help attendees understand and use both sides of the brain because when we write we need all of our brain. International award winner, Rachel (R.J.) McMillen, British born, Australian raised and long term resident of Canada, will talk about incorporating personal beliefs into your story as she does in her four popular Dan Connor mystery series. She says; “I am
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honored when people read my books and tell me they have learned from them and been influenced by them.” McMillen may be local, but her message is for the world and her writing techniques are universal. From the time of her first interview, as a young woman, with Hugh Heffner, Rose Grayson has mastered the art of asking questions. She will share her interview techniques, some of which have led to her exposure on the pages of international publications. Rose is always spot on in her interview style and wit, charm and intelligence always delight both the interviewee and the audience. What can you do in ten minutes? Is both the title and challenge of Mark Boyer who received his M.F.A. in Theatre Directing at Yale University`s School of Drama. He says, “Regardless of your writing genre, writing a tenminute play will sharpen your overall writing skills. Sandi Gelles-Cole will be available to critique your manuscript and to offer suggestions to make your manuscript print ready. For years Sandi was the Senior Acquisitions Editor for Dell/Doubleday where she worked with several bestselling writers. Since 1994 the Angela Rinaldi Literary Agency has been opening publishing doors for writers in different genres. Early registrants will have an opportunity to have a one on one session to pitch their writing projects. Angela is always looking for the next client. Check out her website to get an idea of the type of writing her agency represents. The 2019 Lake Chapala Writers Conference dates are March 6th, 7th and 8th. Registration forms are available at Diane Pearls in Ajijic or you may email Herbert W. Piekow at windsorcottage@juno.com or Registrar, Victoria Schmidt at victoriaAschmidt@gmail.com. Further information will be in the January issue of the Ojo del Lago.
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Where Has All The Money Gone? By Anita Lee
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ip Sync 9 will by the latest show under the direction of Michael McLaughlin. It has become the largest and longest running lip sync show in the world (believe it or not) and a local phenomena in Ajijic. Each year it grows and gets better. The January 2019 edition will bring in even more dance to augment the songs. 30% of the 2019 show will be dance or dance and song. You will see everything from Tap to Ballet, Belly, Latin, Modern and Irish dance. Song will include everything from show tunes, rock and roll, Latin, pop, to the unofficial national anthem of Canada. Performers ranging from 10 to 75 years and the show will have songs in six different languages. Songs next show by: Mick Jagger, Kate Smith, Bobby “Boris” Picket, Bob Fosse, Stompin’ Tom Connors, Bette Midler, Bruce Springsteen and The Village People. All the money raised by Lip Sync after production costs for the performance goes to upgrading the auditorio, but many want to know what has actually been done. For those who don’t even know what or where the auditorio is, the auditorio is the community auditorium that was built in the 1970’s on the carretera just to the east of the Bugambillas shopping center. The auditorio is the largest venue from Chapala to Jocotopec, seating over 400 people theater style with a large proscenium stage. It hosts a myriad of events from theater to dance, concerts, meetings, graduation ceremonies and is the home of several local music and dance groups. It is THE cultural and community venue for all lakeside events. Not much had been done to renovate or improve the original construction until 2009 when John Keeling under the auspices of Viva La Musica began to look into what could be done to address performers’ complaints of the facility. A group was formed, which became the nonprofit ProAuditorio, to do studies and look for grants, fundraise and help undertake this huge remodeling job. After obtaining a matching funds grant from the government, many technical studies were done and expert volunteers enlisted to begin the huge project of remodeling the auditorio. As one of many fundraising events in 2011, Michael McLaughlin was asked to undertake the challenge of produc-
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ing and directing Lip Sync as a way of raising money to help with the matching funds grant that ProAuditorio had obtained from the gobierno. With the help of Lip Sync, many arts organizations and generous private donors, matching funds were raised and the project begun in earnest in November 2012. The acoustics, lighting, sound, and air conditioning were addressed after being identified as priorities. At the finish of this stage, the venue was much improved but more work was needed and of course more money. For eight more years Lip Sync, ProAuditorio and countless volunteers have continued to raise funds and little by little make improvements to the auditorio. This year you will easily see something done by ProAuditorio and the funds raised by Lip Sync. Gone are the bare wood seats, all the seats now have cushions and have been upholstered. One more item on the list completed, but many more need to be done. The bathrooms badly need to be addressed both backstage and in the lobby, dressing room space needs improvement, a sign in front and the list goes on. The work would go faster if all attend the show and more money was raised. In the coming January the Lip Sync 9 will be the 18th at 4pm, the 19th at 6pm, and the 20th at 2pm. All seats will be 250 pesos and tickets will be available at the auditorio office, Diane Pearl’s and Mia’s or online at ajijictickets@gmail.com. Mark your calendars, bring your friends and help us by coming, enjoying the wonderful show and start spreading the word. Cameras and picture taken are encouraged. Ed. Note: The two women pictured are Heather Hunter and Allyson DeJong
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EXPOSED By Bernie Suttle
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never thought I’d end up naked in a church pew. All great accomplishments or defeats start with just one step. Mine was more of a lurch. At seven am, dressed in nothing but a pair of shower shoes, I open the door of my fourth floor apartment to pick up the newspaper. It isn’t there. I step out a bit farther than usual to look down the hall. Then the damn cat springs out the door. I lurch after it. The door clicks shut and locks behind me. A unique circumstance. What to do? Seek cover. How? Where? I could try my neighbor. “Good morning, Mrs. Brown. How are you today?” Smiling to engage and distract her from staring where she shouldn’t, “Could I use your phone to call my wife? It’ll only take a sec-
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ond.” With great restraint her fearful eyes would drift downward. No, that wouldn’t work. The elevator; I’ll take it down to the ground floor to the super’s shop; get his passkey. “Yeah, four flights down to sanctuary. No, wouldn’t work; other passengers would ask, “What floor?” while speculating about my purpose. Aha! The stairs, never have used them. They are mandatory for emergencies. This is an emergency. Four floors down to safety. I pull open the door by the elevator marked, “STAIRS,” and plunge in for my descent, vigilant for any discarded clothing, paper, whatever would cover my need. Going down stairs as fast as possible I arrive at the third floor landing. The door can’t be opened from inside the stair-
El Ojo del Lago / December 2018
well. Nor will any doors from any landing open to the apartment house. Security precautions. Protection against burglars and naked men wearing flipflops. At the bottom of the stairwell, thank God, the door opens, only to the outside. Oh, no! But what choice do I have? I peek out the door. Across the narrow alley is the side door to the Church of the Wayfarer providing a sanctuary from the dynamic city, a place to rest, contemplate, and rebuild spiritual strength for the fight against the world’s chaos. That’s for me. I go for it. The door opens. Quiet, darkness and calm greet me. I turn to the left, towards the altar, flip-flop down to the first row and slide in. Well, here I am, naked in a church pew. The chapel seems empty, thank God! I consider lying down, to hide. Better not. People may come to the front, see me and ask, “Is this pew taken?” They may think I’m a homeless person and call the police. It may not be a crime to be naked but it is a crime to be homeless. Better to sit up straight so my bare back will show this pew is occupied. I look for a prayer book or hymnal to cover myself. Nothing. I speculate people approaching from behind saying, “No, Dear, I think we’ll be better off on the other side. No,
never mind why, just believe me, we’ll be better off over there.” I’m safe, at least for the minute. The temperature is not too hot, not too cold, Goldilocks, just right. Except for the squeaking when I adjust my seat no one should be bothered by my being here. The whine of the back door tells me I have company. I am sitting at the end of a pew, legs crossed at the knees, elbow on the end of the pew, chin in my right hand, eyes closed hoping for anonymity, when the sharp end of an umbrella spears me. Miss Priss is wearing tri-focal, wire-framed glasses, a dress from a thirty-year-old Sears Roebuck catalogue and sensible shoes. A straw sailor with a blue ribbon tops her off. “Here, take this.” She hands me her red umbrella with black fringe around the edge. “Cover yourself up ‘till you get some clothes. Leave it in the last pew when you are through with it. I’ll pick it up later.” She throws it at me and leaves. I’m non-plussed but grateful as I head for the door. How should I use the umbrella to cover my front, my back, my head or my face? Finally I hold the blossom end in my left hand and twirl the handle end in my right thus shielding my nakedness from any of the faithful on my left. I must look like a Radio City Rocket twirling my blackfringed, red umbrella by my side as I pass the pews to exit the church. It is seventy-five feet to my apartment building going out the front church door to the right. By twirling the umbrella while flip-flopping I perform the cadence for a Gene Kelley bit. I start to whistle Singing in the Rain to my syncopated step. With deep gratitude I see Morris, the apartment house super holding the door open for me as he says, “Good Morning, Mr. Bolton. Did we forget our key again?” Bernie Suttle
Saw you in the Ojo 51
If Our Pets Could Talk By Jackie Kellum
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e are starting the holiday season and I would ask you to consider starting a new giving tradition. Rather than struggle to find that ‘perfect’ gift for someone, give a donation to a charity in that person’s name. This type of giving is a win-win situation for the giver, the person being honored by the donation, and the organization. Since this is a pet column, I will list those animal organizations who would be most appreciative of your thoughtfulness and donation. For Cats lovers: “Casa Miau” “Casa Miau” is a small cat sanctuary, funded by a local dedicated couple providing foster care, including rehabilitation, socialization, vaccinations and
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sterilization for a group of abandoned and abused cats, while they await their forever home. For adoptions and donations: casamiau@outlook.com. LFA-- Lakeside Friends of the Animals, purpose is to educate and assist Mexican Nationals of limited means with the care of their pets.. There is a LFA cat shelter. For adoptions and donations: lfachapala.wixsite.com/cat-shelter/ about-us. For Dogs lovers: “The Ranch ” – Lake Chapala Spay and Neuter - For 18 years, “The Ranch,” a no-kill dog shelter, has been providing loving care and shelter to abused and abandoned dogs, awaiting their forever homes. - - For donations: www.lakeside-
El Ojo del Lago / December 2018
spayandneutercenter.com, for adoptions: adoptaranchdog@outlook.com “Lucky Dog” - Lucky Dog is a limited admission dog shelter near the village of Santa Cruz. This rural setting allows for ample daily exercise of their dogs and puppies. Although they have some large dogs, they mainly have small – medium-sized dogs. For donations or to volunteer: https://www.luckydoglakechapala. com Local Spay and Neuter [On-site] Clinics: They help reduce pet overpopulation in our community, by providing free animal sterilization clinics on a regular basis to Mexican Nationals of limited means. These pet owners love their animal, but because of limited finances or lack of Vet access, they cannot have this surgery for their pet without the help of the community. Through on-going educational efforts, there has been a visible cultural change and acceptance of animal sterilization to the point where more male dogs have been brought to the clinics for sterilization. There are two separate organizations, because there are two separate municipalities who need to give authorization for the respective clinic’s work. In the East is Chapala, where “Operacion Amor” functions. In the West is Jocotopec, where “Tails of Mexico” does
their clinics. Each organization is comprised of Ex-pats and Mexican volunteers, and specialty Veterinarians who are paid a fee for the surgeries. Many of the volunteers offer their assistance in both organizations. There are some local Vets who also volunteer their services at these clinics. Each group does funding raising to pay for the various medications and surgical supplies needed for their clinics. “Operacion Amor” --This group has been providing free cat and dog sterilization surgeries since 2011. As of this date, they have done over 3,000 surgeries. Most of the clinics are held in Chapala, with some clinics held in outlying towns who have limited Vet access. For donations and volunteer, contact Cameron: info@operacionamor.org. “Tails of Mexico” has two major functions within its organization - (A)– Providing education and free spay/ neuter clinics for the pets of Mexican villagers and street dogs within the Municipality of Joctopec. Some clinics are held in small outlying villages where Vet access is limited or non-existent. For donation and volunteer, contact Cheryl— ccherylo@gmail.com, and (B) Pre-screened and health certified dogs from selected shelters, rescuers and foster homes are transported NOB to awaiting welcoming homes and owners. An organized procedure is followed to meet travel requirements including health certificates, vaccinations, and buying travel crates, plane tickets, securing a person to accompany the dog, etc...For donations and volunteer,- contact: Cari LeClair at: designbaskets@ hotmail.com Thank you for your support by volunteering and donations for these organizations. Your help is appreciated. Wishing you all a Happy Holiday and a Healthy and Joyous New Year! Jackie Kellum
Saw you in the Ojo 53
Guilt And Deception By Robert James Taylor
R
achel Markham,now a widower, left her hometown in Canada, back in 2005, and had settled in Lakeside with her husband. Both were outgoing and sociable; joining bridge and gardening clubs, generous of their time within their new found community: Rachel, though somewhat reserved in nature, formed a close relationship with Hannah, a trusted friend she spent much of her time with. When she and her husband, Peter, left Canada over twelve years ago, she was somewhat sad to leave her daughter, grand daughter and her elder sister, where they had lived in that small rural town in Ontario, and where her
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father had been the town’s Anglican minister. Peter Markham, had been a successful engineer in the oil industry but the many years of being posted overseas, at times for several weeks, had worn thin and at age 60, he retired, whereupon he and Rachel chose to live out their lives here in Mexico. In 2012, after a brief illness, Peter passed away. Rachel considered moving back to Ontario, to be close to her remaining family, but by then she had formed a new lifestyle and she was happy. Rachel’s sister, Susan, would visit occasionally, which suited them both- they had been close to each other over the years. For all these years Rachel held a secret that only her elder sister knew. It was a secret that had been buried without any personal burden for over 40 years and in the passing of time it seemed that the secret would remain so: there was no need to reveal it and create division in the family. Rachel seldom thought about her indiscretion when she was in her twenties back then in Ontario. She had lived with this family matter for so many years that it seldom came into her thoughts, but now, as the years eroded, her resolve weakened. After her husband passed away she became increasingly reclusive, sought empty support from alcohol and found herself prone to fits of weeping. She was troubled. One
El Ojo del Lago / December 2018
evening, a few months later, Hannah had a birthday party for Rachel; when the guests had left, the wine having loosened her mental reserve, Rachel confided in her friend and thought no harm in talking about her past. Hannah had already observed that her friend tended to drink more after her husband’s death; something weighed upon her, some possible guilt. And so, for the first time in so many years Rachel Markham confided her secret to Hannah. “You know Hannah, I so regret, now that I am a lonely widow, that I kept something so vital from Peter, something I kept suppressed all those years. He was away so often on his overseas trips, I used to be so lonely at times. I had an affair with an old school friend from years before and I got pregnantit was a stupid mistake, a one night stand you might say. I wrestled with the consequences, which I knew would disrupt our marriage and I made my decision: I wrote to Peter telling him he was going to be a father - it seemed the only way to avoid scandal, and, besides, my parents would have disowned me. When Peter returned, it all seemed harmless to me; he welcomed the baby- we named her Celia- and I put the past behind me. Before the baby was born, I confessed to my sister Susan, we were very close then, and she made a promise to never speak of it.” Hannah listened: she had observed the change in Rachel’s personality after her husband had died; the drinking, and now this latent remorse that troubled her now after all these years. Months later events would transform the life of Rachel Markham. In the summer of 2016 Rachel received a phone call from her daughter Celia: Susan had died suddenly after a fatal car accident. It was bitter sweet for Rachel- she knew the secret that Susan shared would be taken to her grave. Celia, having been the closest family member to Susan, and who lived very close by to her aunt, was given the task of taking care of her aunt’s funeral, and later, would sort out her aunt’s possessions. Rachel arrived three days before the funeral; she stayed with Celia at Susan’s former home. Susan died a widow, her husband having died four years previously. After the funeral, Rachel went to visit a lifelong friend who lived in a nearby town, and planned to return to Mexico several days later. Now the duty of Celia to sort out Susan’s personal items would commence and on the Sunday following she went alone to the house to start this task. She found a neatly tied bundle of papers inside a desk by Susan’s bed- and there Celia found a letter dated from many years before. It was in Rachel’s handwriting: “My Dear sister, it has
been years now that I shared with you the truth about Celia. Her happiness is all that matters to me, and that her real father is unknown to her, will never need to be revealed. Why spoil all the happiness that we have now. Anthony, her father never knew- I never told him of my plight, and he was not to blame. I chose my decision in the interests of all of us, for better or for worse. I pray you will always honor the trust between us, whatever ensues in our lives hereonplease destroy this letter. Your loving sister, Rachel.” Celia was crushed. Who was her real father, and why did her mother so deceive her? She searched through every fragment of the remaining papers but there was no reference to this family secret. Rachel returned three days later and stayed with Celia the night before she would return to Lakeside. That evening, under a tense cloud, Celia sat her mother down, poured two glasses of wine, and unloaded her fury. Placing the letter on the table, she simply asked “So mother, why have you kept this from me , and who is my real father?” Rachel sobbed hysterically and took the bottle to bed: it was the end of their relationship. The following morning Celia found a note on the kitchen table that read “I know you will never forgive me for keeping this from you. Please understand I did not want to lose the happiness we had, and I knew Peter, would be a good father to you- which, you know he was. The injury I have done, has now cost me what little I have left. Your real father was Anthony Davis, probably deceased.” Rachel returned to Mexico, where she continued to spiral down into her depression and drank incessantly. The decision she took those many years ago had finally taken its toll: she died not long after. As for Celia, she kept the secret to herself, not wanting to bring confusion and resentment to her own children. However, she did research the whereabouts of Anthony Davis. He had left that small Ontario town when he was in his early twenties, and had studied law at Osgoode in Toronto. He had married, but the marriage was childless; after his wife died in 2010 he settled in Cape Breton, living alone with his three springer spaniels. Celia would finally meet her father after weeks of correspondence. He was aging now himself; she took care of him for the remaining years of his life, which were the happiest. He left his entire estate Robert James to his daughter. Taylor
Saw you in the Ojo 55
Don’t Talk to Strangers By Julie Galosy
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hey lived way out in the country. The school bus came all the way out there anyway and his Mom waited by the edge of the highway to meet him every day. He was always amazed when it was raining or snowing to see her there waiting. No matter what. Mom and Dad had only him. There had been two others. One died in her crib and the other died inside Mom’s stomach. When he went out with Mom and Dad they held his hand. If one let go for a second the other one would grab him. “Don’t talk to strangers, Richie” Mom said. “Why not?” He spun the cheerios in his bowl trying to sink the one closest to the side. “Well sometimes strangers can be mean.” “What if they’re not mean, what if they’re nice?” The cheerio sank.
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“You won’t know if they’re nice or not and then it could be too late.” “Too late for what?” He chose another cheerio to drown. “To find out if they’re mean.” “What if they are mean, what do they do?”
El Ojo del Lago / December 2018
“It doesn’t really matter what they do. They’re just mean and why would you even take a chance that a stranger might be mean?” Something happened a bit later. The people in the church were talking about Sammy Famia. I tried to find out what was happening but the grownups were all whispering about it. The kids in school said they’d found Sammy’s body. Some stranger had stolen him from the front of his own house. His head was all bashed in and his arms and legs were all broken. He had cuts and he had been shot and he had been strangled too. That’s what the kids said. Oh yeah his head had been cut clean off his body and they found it down the stream from the rest of him. “Mom, what happened to Sammy?” “He died, sweetheart.” “I know but how did he die?” “Oh, these things happen. It was really sad.” “What happened?” “Sometimes kids die.” “He was murdered.” “Who told you that?” “The kids at school.” “Those kids talk about the worst things. They see too much TV.” “Well, is it true?” “Too much TV. Go wash up for dinner now.” There were always shows on TV about people being mean to other people. Even grown-ups being mean to kids. I wasn’t allowed to watch those shows but I could hear them from my room. I would be playing with my soldiers but I could hear the parents crying and the kids screaming on those shows. Everybody was real upset. They made a lot of noise so I had to make more noise so my soldiers could hear the guns and the tanks shooting. I wondered if things happened to the kids on those shows because they talked to strangers. Did the strangers do bad things to them? Were the strangers mean? “Were the strangers mean to the kids on that show last night?” I asked
my Mom. “What show?” “The show you and Pa were watching.” “You’re not allowed to watch that show.” “I know, I wasn’t watching it but I could hear some of it.” “What did you hear?” “Stuff.” “Stuff? What kind of stuff?” “Stuff like people screaming and kids screaming and everyone crying. Stuff” “You’re not allowed to watch that show because of people screaming.” “Screaming? That doesn’t make any sense.” “It does to me. Go wash up for dinner.” Mom didn’t want me playing in the front yard anymore. After what happened to Sammy. I went there anyway. There was a family of ducks with little babies near the pond. I had to check on them. I didn’t see the hole before it was too late. I was in deep darkness when I looked up at the hand of the stranger. He was wiggling his fingers just over my head. “Come on son, come on. Just take my hand.” I saw the hand. Lots of words were swirling around inside my head. I saw the hand. I stopped all those words and grabbed for the hand. The stranger’s hand closed over mine in a strong grip. With one long tug he pulled me up through the opening in the hole back into the sunshine. He hugged me to him. “You’ll be all right, son. I saw you fall in. I was scared to death that you’d really be hurt but luckily the hole wasn’t so deep. You’ll be OK. Where’s your house?” I pointed down the road. I started to cry. The stranger hugged me closer. “Don’t worry son. I’ve got a little boy just about your age. I’ll take you on home to your folks. Everything’s going to be all right.”
Saw you in the Ojo 57
Mexico Becomes Among Top Three Countries for Cosmetic Surgery (Writer’s Name Withheld by Request)
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ow, there is yet another valuable reason for living here at Lakeside. Mexico has been proven to be one of the top locations in the world for cosmetic surgery. This becomes a significant benefit for many reasons for those retirees living here, accessibility, affordability, quality and safety. Living in a retirement community, most of us have either undergone or know friends who have had cosmetic surgery. As we age we all want to feel better about our appearance. It is a common sentiment that you lose 10 years as you cross the border into Mexico. While that is said with humor it has a base in fact. On trips north of the Border it is sometimes shocking to notice how people over 60 become invisible and in a youth driven culture are often dismissed. Living in Mexico and on Lake Chapala especially you are honored, respected and live a much more active life. 60 is the new 50 and 70 is the new 60 here. What would be more natural to want your outward appearance to reflect how you feel inside? The International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ISAPS) compiles data from over 3,200 surgeons in over 103 countries and while figures for 2017 are still being compiled their 2016 figures show almost 10.5 million surgical cosmetic procedures performed worldwide (with an additional 13 million non surgical). The US has traditionally led the way in the number of procedures. However recently the US has slipped to #2(483,054), Brazil is #1(501,490), Russia (who used to be #3) has dropped to #6(101,127) and Mexico has jumped to #3 (167,746). Mexico becoming one of the major players becomes even more surprising when you consider the number of cosmetic surgeons in Mexico is only ¼ of that in the US (1,634 to 6,600). Mexico is also leading the
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El Ojo del Lago / December 2018
way in safety and just hosted the Second Ibero-American Forum for Safety in Plastic Surgery in Guadalajara last month. Hosting and moderating the forum of over 500 world renowned surgeons was one of Lakeside’s own Cosmetic Surgeons. In an interview with the doctor at his office, he was justifiably proud of this recent honor and with over 21 years as a certified Aesthetic Surgeon and the former president of The Western Society of Plastic, Esthetic and Reconstructive Surgery as well as former Regional Vice President of The Mexican National Association in Plastic, Esthetic and Reconstructive Surgery he spoke mostly about the importance of patient safety. “Patient safety should always be foremost in the mind of a surgeon,” said the doctor, who added that “performing more than two procedures at a time on a patient dramatically increases safety risks”. He also stressed making sure your surgeon is Board Certified and that the hospital he uses is certified. A certified hospital will not risk their certification by allowing a non certified doctor to perform and have higher standards of sterilization, equipment and staffing. He also stressed patients having non-surgical procedures such as injections and fillers should have the injections performed by a doctor and patients should be shown the sealed box with expiration date before receiving an injection. While we all want to look wonderful and are fortunate to be living in a community with access to world class cosmetic surgeons it is important to do your homework. Take the time to interview your doctor, make sure he or she understands your goals, participate in deciding procedures as well as recovery, and ask lots of questions.
Saw you in the Ojo 59
BRAD GORMAN—Concluded “Bucket List” at 43! By Rosemary Grayson
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have a fear of fear,” said the man. This is from Brad Gorman, sky diving fanatic for nearly twenty years with thousands of terrifying jumps on camera. It forces one to suppress a desire towards total disbelief. Like the most flamboyant of actors, who suffer crippling shyness in real life and mountaineers who only do it “because it’s there,” Joe Public finds the mismatch hard to follow. Yet Brad Gorman, father of four, jet fighter pilot manqué, from the age of seven, unable to afford to fly the planes flies by himself, just using a parachute. He hails from Oregon in the USA. He comes from a perfectly normal yet nomadic one-parent family. This thrill chasing charming man’s confessed addiction is jumping out of air
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Brad Gorman
as often as possible. “Its certain death if you don’t do the right thing at the right time”, he said. Driving flat-out at a brick wall without applying the brakes could qualify too. Car driving is many more times dangerous than sky diving, it
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turns out. “To sky dive successfully you must manage risk,” said Brad. More people are killed by lightning or bee stings than skydiving according to the U.S.P.A (United States Parachute Association), the sky divers’ governing body. As a child, Brad loved to construct model aero planes. He had an encyclopedic recall of all the nomenclatures and specs for current planes of his age. “I like to live on the edge. Yet I can only do that if I know I can retreat from the edge safely. The pioneering first man to break the sound barrier, Chuck Yeager and first man on the moon, Neil Armstrong , are my heroes,” he said. Certainly he is an early adopter of living on the edge. On his first helicopter training trip, as part of the military, yet a young green horn, he sat at the back of the plane with his toes hanging out. The doors of the helicopter are always wide open when flying missions. First time out called to action Mr. Gorman was found asleep. Clearly he had estimated all the risk, apart no doubt from the wrath of his superior officer. For any suicide candidate sky diving with a closed parachute would seem to be a final and painless solution. “The jump lasts 60 seconds. Your synapses are too slow to react when you hit the ground at 120 mph so the end is painless,” he said. But for the novice, there is rarely an opportunity on offer. “You are always either in tandem attached to your trainer or you might be attached to the plane by a line. Another configuration is two instructors holding you to save your life,” he said. Fatalities of any kind are 3.2 per 133,571 or 24 in 3.2 million jumps. Now in the Ferrari class of the sport, Brad is in demand worldwide. He has recently returned from a few weeks training skydivers in Fiji. And those other bucket list items? He has covered bull riding,
downhill skiing, snow-boarding, wake boarding, surfing, rock climbing and top league motor bike street racing. In Fiji, Brad managed to knock off scuba diving with sharks from his list. Then there is BASE, an acronym for parachute jumping from buildings; antennae (often from cell phone towers) span (bridges) and earth. All of this is squeaky clean legal until you land. Then depending on the location, your whole body can become an IAD (Illegal Aerial Delivery). It turns out Yosemite National Park cracks down hard on such culprits. “Skydiving is a unique experience for each of us. To those interested in the sport, instead of struggling to explain, I’ve made a Facebook post to tell the story, which includes boarding the small tight packed plane, plus the jump, then the aftermath emotions,” he said. So the original bucket list is all ticked. Now for a whole new frontier; the major challenge. This is the biggest one, Brad explained—it is success in raising his four children. Brad and his wife Holly, an online teacher moved to Ajijic three years ago from the U.S. to help the family learn Spanish and enjoy integrating with a new culture. Although officially retired, Brad, a videographer and more than keen photographer enjoys playing with his latest ‘unmanned aero vehicle,’ a state of the art drone it is often deployed to give real estate companies a different perspective on any given property. Since videography is his passion. Brad has the latest equipment to show it off. His top subjects include weddings and legacy videos. Rosemary Grayson
Saw you in the Ojo 61
PREDICTIVE ANALYTICS By Mel Goldberg
F
rederick sat at his computer and wrote what he thought was an intriguing sentence to start his story. “Yesterday Peter Green got angry. He bought a Russian-made Kalashnikov AK-47 and a magazine of thirty rounds of 30 caliber bullets.” Then he thought about Checkov’s gun. If you mention a rifle at the beginning of a story then that rifle has to be used. He wondered why his character would buy a semi-automatic rifle? Is he going to shoot people? The doorbell rang and Frederick got up from his computer and opened the door. Two uniformed police officers stood on his doorstep. The female officer looked at her electronic tablet. “Frederick Pie-ontou-ski? “Yes, ma’am,” Frederick said, smiling. He wondered why he called her ma’am since she looked thirty years younger than he and her face was as unlined as a teenager’s. “The name’s pronounced Peon-tof-ski.” “Oh. Sorry, Mr. Peon-tof-ski. I am Officer Sue Norris, Community Policing and Outreach. This is Officer Joe Slattery. May we have a few moments of your time?” Frederick hated interruptions when he was writing but he agreed. “Sure. Come in.” A bit embarrassed over the mess of the house, he explained that Susan, his wife, worked long hours at the library
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and the once-a-week housekeeper was not due for another two days. There were dusty shelves filled with books and envelopes of junk mail on the coffee table. Officer Slattery walked to the bookcase and ran his finger along the spines of the books on the shelf, moving his lips as he read the titles. Officer Norris sat on the sofa and removed her electronic tablet from her shoulder bag. “Mr. Peontofski, have you ever heard of predictive analytics?” Frederick shook his head. “No. I don’t think I have.” “There was a special on 60 Minutes last month.” Then she launched into her recitation with memorized formality. “Our police department has instituted a pilot program of predictive analytics with the aid of federal monies. The mission of this program is to diagnose violent crime and prevent it. Using data gathered through algorithms, we locate citizens in danger, either as perpetrators or victims of violent crime.” “Really? What’s an algorithm?” Slattery turned and interjected a memorized speech, using a tone of an adult lecturing a five-year-old. “An algorithm is a self-contained stepby-step set of operations performed within a finite amount of space and time for calculating an output. In this case the output is a list of citizens either as perpetrators or victims of violent crime.” Frederick grimaced and thought, It
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sounds like bad science fiction but they actually believe what they’re saying. Norris looked at her tablet again. Sounding like a sales pitch, she read the words on the screen. “We have been asked to talk to you and the others on our list about your activities and any difficulties you may have experienced in your neighborhood. We also want to inform you about our mentoring program, which is a key component.” She looked up at Frederick. “You might be interested in the mentoring program.” Frederick flashed her a puzzled look. “Why am I on your list?” She gripped her tablet as if it were going to fly away. “You are Frederick Peon-tof-ski of 2384 Telegraph Street?” “I am,” Frederick said, his brow wrinkled. “Just how many names are on that list?” She looked at Slattery, a questioning look on her face. He nodded and continued examining the books on a shelf. “Five hundred,” she said. So I’m one of five hundred people in danger? thought Frederick. Then he said, “Well, there’s been some kind of mistake.” “Our computer doesn’t make mistakes,” Slattery said arrogantly. “You seem to have a lot of books on murder and different types of weapons and poisons.” “Well, I write murder mysteries.” He looked at Frederick. “Do you, now.” “Do you own a gun?” Norris asked. “Yes, I do.” Frederick felt conflicted: He wanted to be truthful, but he didn’t want trouble with authorities. “I keep it on a shelf in my closet. It’s not loaded.” “Any gang affiliations?” Norris asked. “Gang affiliations? I belong to a writers’ group. I write murder mysteries about people who are violent.” Slattery took out his cell phone and poked it several times with the tip of his index finger. Norris sat on the sofa and continued tapping her tablet. Frederick stood up and faced Slattery. “I think we’re through here. This analytics stuff is all futuristic bullshit, isn’t it?” Slattery slid his cell phone in the case at his waist, his eyes half closed and his voice clearly irritated. “Don’t sell yourself short. You might be a killer and not even know it.” He touched Norris on the shoulder. She turned off her tablet and stood. “We want to thank you for your time,” she said. “Please be careful and think about what we have said. Here’s my card in case you ever feel the need to talk.” Frederick took the card and put it in his shirt pocket. After they left, he
went back to his computer stared at the sentence, “Yesterday Peter Green bought a Russian-made Kalashnikov AK-47 and a magazine of thirty rounds of 30 caliber bullets.” Frederick knew Peter was going to kill someone, maybe even go to a school and kill a group of students. When no second sentence was forthcoming, Frederick sat staring at the screen. But what if this predictive analytics is real, Frederick thought. I am angry that no agent has picked up my novel. Life is unfair. There are books that get published because the author is a wellknown celebrity. There are people who are angry enough to kill someone. And maybe I’m one of them.” He decided to try to think like Peter and take his fantasy AK-47 with him to WalMart. That was a good place to fantasize about whom Peter might want to kill. As he entered the store, he encountered the overweight elderly greeter with the obsequious demeanor. Peter could kill him, or the woman who chatted with a friend and blocked the aisle with her cart. Does she think no one else wants anything in that aisle? Or the gay couple with matching sweaters trying reading the tiny print on the labels in the organic section. Was Peter homophobic? How about the guy in the red and white checked shorts and blue striped shirt. He should be killed just for appearing in public like that. Frederick wandered around with his fantasy AK-47 strapped to his back, putting random items in his shopping cart. As he walked up and down the aisles, he thought about whipping the rifle from his back and spraying bullets, killing everyone he saw, even a pregnant woman. How easy it is to slip into Peter’s mind, he thought. The violence lurks just below the surface. The rifle in his imagination made him realize how easily he could be Peter, how easily his anger could erupt into violence. He entered the checkout line and laid his groceries on the conveyor, holding the imaginary assault rifle in his hand. When the checker smiled at him he thought, she knows. She knows. I will have to kill her, too. When he walked out of the store, he understood the momentary power of anger, of having the God-like potential of death. As he entered his car he felt panic. His hands started to shake. He took Norris’s card out of his pocket and dialed her number on his cell phone. When she answered, he said, “I think I might need that mentor.” Mel Goldberg
Saw you in the Ojo 63
1st Annual Contest
come during the Holiday Season. As of mid-November, over 330 Holiday cards have been sold. Holiday and occasional cards are available at LCS, or you can email childrensartprogram@lakechapalasociety.com. Children’s art classes are held free of charge every Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon at the Lake Chapala Society, 16 de septiembre #16A.
The Ojo del Lago 1st annual contest for the Lake Chapala Society Children’s Art Program.
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he Ojo del Lago held its 1st annual contest for the Lake Chapala Society Children’s Art Program. The winning entry will appear on the cover of the December issue. The theme was “La Navidad”. The contest was open to children no more than 18 years old, and was launched on October 13 by David Tingen, Associate Publisher of the Ojo and Jessica Garcia, a former student of the Program. The contest was held over four Saturdays (10:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon), allowing the children to produce their best work. The winners were selected by David Tingen, Nancy Medina and LCS Immediate Past President Ben White. The winners were: J o c e l y n Cárdenas Arreguin (First Place) Alejandra Montserrat (SecJocelyn Cárdenas
Alejandra Montserrat (Second Place)
Jocelyn Cárdenas Arreguin (First Place) ond Place) Alonso Romero Ibarra (Third Place) Antonia Gabriela Martinez Aceves (Honourable Mention) Jesús Eduardo Espiritu López (Honourable Mention) A presentation to the winners will be made at 11:30 a.m. on Saturday, December 8 at the LCS Children’s Art Patio. Jocelyn (11) will receive $500.
Her winning entry graces the cover of this month’s Ojo. Alejandra will receive $300 (5); and, Alonso (17) will receive $200. Antonia Gabriela (12) and Jesús Eduardo (11) will each receive $100. Each child will also receive a certificate of achievement. The LCS Children’s Art Program is extremely grateful to the Ojo del Lago for having sponsored this contest. It provides the children with a sense of accomplishment and pride. The contest also generated a significant number of
Antonia Gabriela Martinez Aceves (Honourable Mention)
Alonso Romero Ibarra (Third Place) holiday-themed cards for sale at this time of year. Each purchase of these popular cards provides the children’s families much needed additional in-
Jesús Eduardo Espiritu López (Honourable Mention)
MID-MONTH BONUS! Bob Branson deals with a topic that is on the minds of many of our readers here at Lakeside: Old Age and Retirement. Most of us have dealt with the problems involved in making the right decisions about taking care of aging parents; now, for many of us, the roles have become reversed. Mother’s Visit 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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El Ojo del Lago / December 2018
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The Ojo Crossword
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El Ojo del Lago / December 2018
ACROSS
DOWN
1 Bludgeon 5 Far away 9 Projectile weapon 14 Island 15 Fail to get 16 Animal kingdom divisions 17 Deer 18 Opera solo 19 Nuts 20 Confuse 22 Rank 24 Viper 25 Japanese religion 27 Roof covering 31 Cotton ball 32 Resort hotel 34 Workout place 35 See ya! 38 Wily 40 Test answer 42 Bicker 44 Electroencephalograph (abbr.) 46 Sing softly 47 Ability 48 Stood opposite 50 Flinty 51 X 52 Future Farmers of America (abr.) 55 Plate 57 Bezel 59 Sugarcoated medication 61 Beverage 64 Type of flashing light 66 Twisted 68 Island nation 71 Dull 73 Singing voice 74 In Harmony 75 Big hairdo 76 Bearing 77 Failure 78 Eye infection 79 Lively
1 __ Rica 2 Curses 3 Canny 4 Author, Victor 5 Wing 6 Forceful 7 From Asia 8 Responds 9 Niche 10 Gone With the Wind´s Mr. Butler 11 Grain 12 Aged 13 Had been 21 West southwest 23 Skip 26 In possession of 28 Eskimo home 29 Household cleaner brand 30 Make improvements to 31 Spirit 33 College football Conference (abbr.) 35 Social position 36 Made angry 37 Growing older 39 Okay 41 Curve 43 Fairy 45 Preoccupation with gadgets 49 Men´s neckwear 53 Popular president´s Initials 54 Fragrances 56 Stitch 58 Sugar-free brand 60 Toward the rear of the ship 61 Spring flower 62 Write or Key Info. 63 Torment 65 Grade 67 Professional football team 68 Movie 2001´s talking computer 69 Past 70 Internal Revenue Service 72 Digit
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Over 60 years of “People Helping People”
The
Lake Chapala Society
News
www.lakechapalasociety.com
Recycling Comes to LCS
Ajijic is implementing a recycling campaign! This is great news to LCS and our members. However we need to prepare for it. Officials would like the trash separated into two groups: 1) plastic, metal, glass and 2) all other. Currently this is a pilot program for central Ajijic, but we fully expect that a local ordinance will be passed for all of Chapala with requisite fines for non-compliance. LCS wants to be a good neighbor and will begin to implement a plan ASAP. In the next few weeks we will be purchasing recycling containers and putting them into service on the grounds. Four sets will be purchased. Each set will have two different colored containers. We will label each color as to the appropriate type of material to put in them (recyclable or other). A set will be placed in the north, central and south campuses respectively as well as one set in the cafe. Please help us participate in this community initiative of important environmental concern by paying attention to where the bins are placed, and use the bins for their respective purposes only. Thank you.
LCS Grievance Procedure
If you have one, and the Executive Director’s ears are not available, seem deaf to you, or are the problem, there is hope. It’s called the LCS Audit Committee. One of the tasks of the Audit committee is to objectively assess any/all grievances that are reported to them. Philip Newbold chairs the Audit committee and can be contacted via philip.newbold@lakechapalasociety.org. To be sure, LCS is a vibrant and growing organization. In the next few months we’ll be hearing more about the campus renovation plans, new programs being offered, and a more intensive use of the south campus. Though change is the norm, it’s not always welcome :-) LCS needs to manage and use its resources to accommodate a multitude of member interests and activities. This is a juggling act of significant proportion. We ask for your patience and understanding as we actively grow, hopefully as painlessly as possible. Nevertheless, The Executive Director is always open to constructive comments regarding anything LCS. With our motto behind us “People Helping People,” and our mission before us “... enhancing the quality of life for all Lakeside residents...,” we are busy making LCS the best it can be.
LCS Will Be Closed for the Winter Holidays On:
Christmas Eve - December 24, Christmas Day - December 25, New Year’s Eve - December 31 and January 1.
Follow us on Facebook
For all things LCS, you can like us at www.facebook.com/lakechapalasociety.
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El Ojo del Lago / December 2018
The End of an Era
December 2018
With this issue of the December newsletter LCS marks a milestone. This will be the final newsletter in this format. We announced in previous newsletters the coming of a new LCS community magazine called “CONECCIONES.” This word in Spanish can be spelled in two ways. We have chosen this spelling on purpose, it is more indicative of the building a solid state network. Which is exactly our intention; to connect our community and build upon the relations LCS creates among its members, neighbors and greater community. A diverse community filled with talent and the generosity to share. The magazine will be monthly, full color and quasi bi-lingual. We hope you enjoy it. Before we say good bye to this format though we have to extend a HUGE thank you to our friends at the Ojo del Lago, who have been printing a version of this newsletter for over a decade (at no cost to LCS). To David Tingen (of Coldwell Banker and the Tango Restaurant) and Alejandro Grattan (everyone knows him), a giant THANK YOU, we appreciate everything you have done for LCS over the years, your kindness and support for this new LCS endeavor CONECCIONES!
PEP Programs
LCS Classes New to Lakeside? This is For You.
“Introduction to Lakeside” classes are held the second Thursday of every month in the Sala at 9 a.m. Topics include much of the information you need for living at Lakeside. Next class is December 11. Open to members only and membership must be current for the duration of the class. Cost is $250 pesos. Register in the office or on the LCS website.
LCS Language Classes
Prueba Mexico
LCS offers a variety of Spanish language courses and classes for those of you who want to learn Spanish or brush-up on your language skills. Classes include Introduction to Spanish and Warren Hardy Spanish classes, one of them is sure to suit your needs and your schedule. For more information about costs and schedules, contact the Service Office or visit our website at www.lakechapalasociety.com.
Tech Classes Return
Our popular and informative tech classes have returned. Sign up by e-mail only with your member number and expiration date at lcs.tech.training@gmail.com. Your membership must be current. Thursday, December 6 Cell Phones in Mexico - Making and Receiving calls using US or Mexico cell phones. Thursday, December 20, Lakeside Tech - High level view of Internet options, Cell Phone Usage and TV options. Thursday, December 27, TV Streaming in Lakeside - details covering TV streaming options. Classes will be held In the Sala from 10 to 11:30 a.m.
Payment for classes must be received seven days prior to the class. You may pay in person or online using Paypal.
Volunteers Needed
If you are interested in any of the volunteer positions indicated below, or if you would like to offer your skills and time to LCS’ many programs and activities, contact volunteer@lakechapalasociety.com, fill out a form on the LCS website, or pick up one at the Service Office. Docent - LCS needs docents to work a four and a half hour shift, from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays, helping members and visitors navigate the LCS campus and guiding them to our services, campus programs, and special events. ESL Instructor - No experience necessary. Gardener - please help maintain our lovely campus. Press coordinator - LCS needs an experienced person for our Marketing Department who can write press releases. Librarian - Talking Books needs volunteers on call from 10 a.m. to noon on Thursdays. General events - Event volunteers are needed to set up and breakdown LCS community events- including decorators, bartenders and servers.
New Activity for Members
HOT Science: Breaking News in Science and Technology will be held Tuesdays in the Sala from 1:45 to 2:45 p.m. first class is November 27. Classes will run every Tuesday through April 16, 2019. Contact Fred Harland, 766-1458 or fmharland@gmail.com for more information. Open to members only. Membership must be current and active for the duration of the series.
Family Film Night
Free Spanish language films for the family are usually shown every Friday evening at 7 p.m. in the NJ Biblioteca Pubica (WEC) at Galeana #18. With the December holidays only two will be shown. Open to the public. Diciembre 7 - Frozen Disney Diciembre 14 - Beethoven Aventuras de Navidad
ESL Registration
Registration for new students of English (ESL) will be held at the Wilkes Education Center (WEC), Galeana 18 in Ajijic from December 10 through the 13 from noon until 2 p.m. Students must be 15 years of age. The cost for the program is $500 pesos.
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December Activities
(M) Members only; (S) Sign up required ; *Open to the Public; ** US Citizens Health Insurance * IMSS & Immigration Services Mon+Tues 10-1 Lakeside Insurance Broker Tues+Thur 11-2 San Javier Hospital last Fri 10-12 Health and Legal Services * Becerra & Galindo Services Thurs 10:30-12:30 Blood Pressure Screening Mon+Fri 10 -12 British Consulate last Sat 10-12 Glucose Screening first Tues 10-12 Hearing Aid Services (S) Mon+Sat 11-4 Ministerio Publico Wed Dec 5+19 10-2 Optometrist Claravision (S) Thur 9-3 Skin Cancer Screening (S) 2nd + 4th Wed 10-12 US Consulate** (S) Thur Dec 13, 10 Social Activities (C) All Things Tech Fri 10-11:30 Bridge 4 Fun Tue+Thurs 1-5 Conversaciones en espanol Mon 10-12 Discussion Group Wed 12-1:30 Everyday Mindfulness Mon 10-12 Film Aficionados Thurs 2-4:30 Games Group Mon 1-4 HOT Science Tues 1:45-2:45 Saturday Afternoon Matinee Sat 2-4 Scrabble Fri 11:30-1:30 Spanish/English Conversation* Sat 11-12:30 TED Talk Learning Seminars Tues 12-1:15 Tournament Scrabble Tues 12-1:50 Community Ticket Sales Mon - Fri 10 a.m. to 12 noon
December Bus Trips
Wednesday, December 5 Andares Mall Upscale shopping and fine dining. Enjoy wonderful Christmas decorations. $370 pesos for members and $470 pesos for nonmembers. Bus departs promptly at 3 p.m. from the sculpture in La Floresta. Returns in the evening. Tuesday, 11 December Tonala Shop for home decor and handicrafts, and visit a world-famous potter’s workshop and gallery. We will also visit the government building and learn the history of Tonala and of its’ people and more. Cost $370 pesos for members and $470 pesos for nonmembers. Bus departs promptly at 9:30 a.m. from the sculpture in La Floresta Monday, 17 December Galerias Mall/Costco Find major retailers including Best Buy, Sears, and Home Store and restaurants like Cheesecake Factory, PF Chang and more. Shop Costco, Sam’s and Mega. Cost $370 pesos for members and $470 pesos for non-members. Bus departs promptly at 9:30am from the sculpture in La Floresta. Thursday, 27 December Tlaquepaque Forum Mall/Home Depot Shop Tlaquepaque for upscale retailers and fine dining in an historic architecturally significant, pedestrian-only zone. Cost 350 pesos for members and 450 pesos for non-members. *For those who wish to shop the Forum Mall and/or Home Depot, accommodations will be made. Bus departs promptly at 10 a.m. from the sculpture in La Floresta.
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El Ojo del Lago / December 2018
Lessons(C) Basic Yoga Wed 2-3:15 Beginner’s Photography (S email) 2nd+4th Mon 12-2 Cardio Dance Exercise Fri 12:30-1:30 Chair Yoga Fri 2-3:30 Children’s Art* Sat 10-12 Children’s Chess Club* Sat 12-1 Exercise Mon+Wed+Fri 9-10 Exploring Spanish Wed 12-1:30, Sat 11-12:30 Fitness Thru Yoga Mon 2-3:30 Help with Tech Issues (S email) 1+3+4+ last Thurs 10-11:30 Intermediate Hatha Yoga Tues+Thur 2-3:30 Introduction to Basic Drawing (S email) Mon 11:30-1:30 Introduction to Lakeside (S) 2nd Thurs 9-1 Introduction to Portraits (S email) Thurs 12:30-2:30 Introduction to Spanish (S) Tues 12-1:30 Line Dancing Tues+Thurs 10-11:15 Photography Club 1st+3rd Mon 12-2 Scottish Country Dancing Thurs 11:30-1 Stretch and Balance Exercise Tues+Thurs 8:45--9:45 Tai Chi Chih Beginners Fri 10-11 Tai Chi Chih Continuing Fri 11-12 Tech Help Desk Thurs 12-2 Warren Hardy Spanish Classes (S) Mon-Sat register+cost Write-to-a-Prompt Writers’ Group Thurs 10-12 Zumba Gold Wed 10-11 Libraries Book & Video Mon-Sat 10-2 Talking Books**, Books on Tape Thurs 10-12 NJ Biblioteca (WEC)* Mon-Fri 9:30-7, Sat 9:30-1
Service and Support Groups *
Al-Anon (in Spanish) Mondays 6-7:30,Wed 5:30-7:30 ASA Garden Show 3rd Sat 10-2 Lake Chapala Painting Guild Second Fri 1:30-3:30 Lakeside AA Monday +Thursday 4:30-5:30 Needle Pushers Tuesday 10-12 Open Circle Sunday 10-11:30 Toastmasters Monday 7-8:30 p.m The Ranch Adopt a Dog 1st Thurs 10-1 Veteran Outreach Tues10-2
Ajijic Society of the Arts Garden Sale*
Every third Saturday of the month from 10 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. through March 2019, members of the Ajijic Society of the Arts (ASA) will be exhibiting and selling their artwork in the LCS gardens. Several of the children participating in the LCS Children’s Art Program will be attending class that day and selling their work during this sale. The Ajijic Society of the Arts is a major sponsor of LCS’ most popular community project, the LCS Children’s Art Program.
Costco Returns on December 20*
Costco representatives on the Blue Umbrella Patio can assist you in opening or renewing your memberships and give information on upcoming sales and special offers.
TED Talks
Tuesdays In the Sala 12 noon to 1:15 p.m. Members only. Bring your card. December 4 Hosted by Fred Harland, this seminar features psychologist Steven Pinker asking “Is the world getting better or worse? A look at the numbers”. Was 2017 really the “worst year ever,” as some would have us believe? In his analysis of recent data on homicide, war, poverty, pollution and more, Pinker finds that we’re doing better now in every one of them when compared with 30 years ago. But progress isn’t inevitable, and it doesn’t mean everything gets better for everyone all the time, Pinker says. Instead, progress is problem-solving, and we should look at things like climate change and nuclear war as problems to be solved, not apocalypses in waiting. “We will never have a perfect world, and it would be dangerous to seek one,” he says. “But there’s no limit to the betterments we can attain if we continue to apply knowledge to enhance human flourishing.” December 11 This seminar, hosted by Ron Mullenaux, features Frans de Waal: “Moral behavior in animals”. What happens when two monkeys are paid unequally? Fairness, reciprocity, empathy, cooperation -- caring about the well-being of others seems like a very human trait. But Frans de Waal shares some surprising videos of behavioral tests, on primates and other mammals that show how many of these moral traits all of us share. December 18 This seminar, hosted by Pete Soderman, features Kate Raworth: “A healthy economy should be designed to thrive not grow”. What would a sustainable, universally beneficial economy look like? “Like a doughnut,” says Oxford economist Kate Raworth. In a stellar, eye-opening talk, she explains how we can move countries out of the hole -- where people are falling short on life’s essentials -- and create regenerative, distributive economies that work within the planet’s ecological limits.
Video Library December
All video rentals are now for five days. The Video Library needs couriers to bring us DVDs. We pre-pay them and have them shipped to the address of your choice. Contact: keanhombre@prodigy.net.mx Are you aware of any good movies? Okay, every once in a while a film comes along that is not filled with car crashes, unnecessary verbal vulgarities and explicit sex scenes, but, not often. Old or new, if you can recommend a film that members might enjoy, send us the title of the film, your name and e-mail address, and we’ll get back to you.
Thursday Film Aficionados Open to LCS members only. Bring your card. All films shown in the Sala from 2 to 4 p.m. No food. No pets. December 6 Black Klansman 2018 USA An African-American police officer successfully infiltrates the local chapter of the Ku Klux Klan. This film, directed by Spike Lee, is based on a true story and is one of the leading contenders for the Academy Award. (129 minutes) December 13 What Will People Say 2018 Norway/Pakistan Sixteen -year-old Nisha leads a double life. At home with her family she’s the perfect Pakistani Muslim daughter; out with her friends she’s a normal Norwegian teenager. (101 minutes) December 20 Her Love Boils Bathwater 2016 Japan A strict but caring mother has an awakening when she is diagnosed with terminal cancer and is told she has only a few months to live. There’s not much time and she has so many tasks to complete. (122 minutes) December 27 The Singing Revolution 2006 Estonia/USA Most people do not think of singing when they think about revolutions, but song was the weapon of choice when the Estonians sought to free themselves from decades of Soviet domination. Shown here several years ago, we repeat this in honor of freedom everywhere. (97 minutes)
Wow! Saturday Matinees Show Classic Films
LCS’ Saturday Matinees feature some of your all-time favorite movies and cartoons with real buttered popcorn and bottled water available at our concession stand. Admission is free. Bring your LCS membership card to obtain your ticket. Ticket sales will start at 1:30 p.m. Doors will open at 1:45 pm. This activity is for LCS members only and their guests. Please note: Only one guest seat per person can be saved. Our holiday line-up for December : December 8 - “The Bishops Wife” December 15 - “White Christmas” December 22 - “Miracle on 34th St” December 29 - “It’s a Wonderful Life” Contact Michael Goss at lcs.tech.training@gmail.com. for more information. All films are shown in the Sala from 2 to 4 p.m..
THE LAKE CHAPALA SOCIETY, A.C. 16 de Septiembre #16-A, Ajijic, Jalisco LCS Main Office: (376) 766-1140 Office, information and other services - Monday-Saturday, 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Grounds open until 5:00 p.m.
LCS BOARD OF DIRECTORS President - Carole Wolff (2020); Vice-President - Sandra Britton (2019); Secretary - George Radford (2020); Treasurer - Tim Boardman (2019); Elizabeth Villaseñor (2020); Gin Pelzl (2020); Howard Feldstein (2019); Janis Sirany (2019); Mac Whyte (2020); Nicolas Hanson (2019); Philip Newbold (2020); . Immediate Past President: Ben White * Executive Director - Terry Vidal
The LCS Newsletter is published monthly. Deadline for submissions is the 14th of the month preceding publication. Submit all news items to newsletter@lakechapalasociety.com Note: The editorial staff reserves the right to edit all submissions according to time, space availability and editorial decision.
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El Ojo del Lago / December 2018
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Service - EL OJO DEL LAGO Tel. 765-3676
* ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS Pag: 70
* ANIMAL CLINICS/PET SHOP - CATS LOOKING FOR PERMANENT HOMES Cell: 332-1665-863 Pag: 22 - CLINICA VETERINARIA SAN ANTONIO Tel: 766-0808 Pag: 27 - DEE’S PET HOTEL Tel: 331-765-7074 Pag: 69 - LAKESIDE FRIENDS OF THE ANIMALS AC Tel: 765-5544 Pag: 19 - MASKOTA’S LAKE Tel: 766-0287 Pag: 70 - PET PLACE Cell: 333-1964-150 Pag: 08 - PET FOOD AND GROOMING Tel: 766-3062 Pag: 68
* ART GALLERIES/HANDCRAFTS - ART21STUDIO Tel: 33-3170-6135, 33-3677-3482 - AZTEC STUDIO - DIANE PEARL COLECCIONES Tel: 766-5683 - LA BELLA VIDA Tel: 766-5131 - SOL MEXICANO Tel: 766-0734
Pag: 57 Pag: 44 Pag: 12 Pag: 32 Pag: 60
* AUTOMOTIVE
Pag: 57 Pag: 49
- CASA DEL SOL Tel: 766-0050 - CASA FLORES Tel: 766-5493 - CASA TRES LEONES Cell: (045) 331-350-6764
Pag: 08
DENTISTS Pag: 23 Pag: 11
* BEER & LIQUOR STORES - BETO’S WINE & LIQUOR Cell: (045) 333-507-3024 - VINOS Y LICORES PAZ Tel: 766-0292
- C.D. SANDRA ANAYA MORA Cell: (045) 331-218-6241 - DRA. ANGELICA ALDANA DDS Tel: 765-5364, Cell. 331-351-7797
Pag: 21 Pag: 49
* ELECTRONICS/ TECHNOLOGY Pag: 48, 62
* BIKE SHOP - NEW LINE BIKE SHOP Tel. 766-4857
* BOUTIQUE / CUSTOM SEWING - BOHEMIA Tel: 322-602-8487 - CIELITO LINDO Tel: 331-564-3884 - CUGINIS BOUTIQUE Tel/Fax: 766-1790 - MI MEXICO Tel: 766-0133
Pag: 61 Pag: 44 Pag: 03 Pag: 48
* CASINO
Pag: 47
- COSTALEGRE Tel: 108-1087
Pag: 67
* FUMIGATION - MOSQUITO CONTROL Cell: (045) 331-498-7699
Pag: 37
* FURNITURE - CALLI Tel: 766-5922 - ONE OF A KIND Tel: 766-5680 - UOU Tel. 106-1618 ,Cell: 331-494-4536
Pag: 31
Pag: 53 Pag: 45 Pag: 65
* CANOPIES - LONAS MEXICO Tel: 766-0045, Cell: 33-3956-4852
Pag: 24
- AUTOMATIC GARAGE DOOR OPENERS Tel: 766-4973 Pag: 22
* GARDENING - AXIXIC SPRING CLEANING Tel: 766-5140- Cell: 33-1075-7768 - STEAM CLEAN Tel: 33-2385-0410
Pag: 34
- ISHOPNMAIL
Pag: 11
Pag: 16
* CONSTRUCTION Pag: 12 Pag: 68 Pag: 21 Pag: 54
- CONFORT SOLUTIONS Tel: 33-1228-5377 Pag: 55 - GENERAL HOME SERVICES - Amancio Ramos Jr. Cell: (045) 331-520-3054 Pag: 70 - MARBLE & GRANITE Tel: 766-1306 Pag: 63
El Ojo del Lago / December 2018
Pag: 45 Pag: 28
- ATLAS COUNTRY GOLF COURSE Tel: 33-3689-2620
* HARDWARE STORES - FERRETERIA Y TLAPALERIA GALVEZ Tel: 766-0880, Fax: 766-2440 Pag: 78
* HEARING AIDS - M.D. CARLOS ALONSO FLORES VALDOVINOS Tel: 765-4805, 33-1350-1156 Pag: 25
- HOTEL BALNEARIO SAN JUAN COSALA Tel: (387) 761-0222 Pag: 59 - LA NUEVA POSADA Tel: 766-1444, 766-1344 Pag: 03
- MARBLE & GRANITE Tel: 766-1306
Pag: 30
Pag: 63
* GRILLS - BAJA GRILLS Tel: 106-2430 - NAPOLEON Tel: 766-6153
- BLUE ANGEL Tel: 766-0547 Pag: 65 - HEALTH INSURANCE Tel: 766-0395, 1-888-449-7799 Pag: 57 - LAKESIDE INSURANCE - EDGAR CEDEÑO Cell: (045) 33-3106-6982 Pag: 34 - PARKER INSURANCE SERVICES Tel: 765-5287, 765-4070 Pag: 26 - PROTEXPLAN U.S. Toll Free 1-800-608-5743 Mexico Toll Free 01-800-681-6730 Pag: 22 - TIOCORP Tel: 766-4828 Pag: 21
* LEGAL SERVICES - SOLBES & SOLBES Tel: 331-520-5529, Cell: 333-676-6245
Pag: 47
* LIGHTING - L&D CENTER Tel: 766-1064
Pag: 71
* LUMBER
* MALL / OUTLET - CENTRO LAGUNA Tel: 766-5514
Pag: 43
* MEAT/POULTRY/CHEESE
* GRANITE & MARBLE
Pag: 17
766-1760 765-4444 766-5555
- REAL ORTEGA & SONS-Hardware for Carpenters Tel: 765-2404, 765-3404 Pag: 46
* GOLF
* CONSIGNMENT SHOP - TEPEHUA TREASURES Tel: 763-5126
- AJIJIC WATER GARDENS Tel: 766-4386 - GARDEN CENTER Tel: 765-5973
Pag: 46
Pag: 07
066 765-2308, 765-2553 766-3615
* INSURANCE - STEREN Tels. 766-0599, 766-0630
* FISH MARKET Pag: 47
EMERGENCY HOTLINE AMBULANCE - CRUZ ROJA FIRE DEPARTMENT POLICE Ajijic Chapala La Floresta
* HOTELS / SUITES
Pag: 71
* COMMUNICATIONS
* BEAUTY
74
* BED & BREAKFAST
* CLEANING SERVICES
* BANK INVESTMENT
- CHRISTINE’S Tel: 106-0864 - EDITH’S Cell: 33-1310-9372 - GLORIOSA Tel: 766-3372 - HAIR BY SASHA Tel: 765-2223, Cell: 33-3362-1272
Pag: 44
- PISOS Y AZULEJOS DE LA RIBERA Cell: 331-250-6486 Pag: 70 - ROOFING & WATERPROOFING SPECIALISTS Tel: 766-5360 Cell: 331-282-5020 Pag: 48 - ROBERTO MILLAN - ARCHITECT Tel: 766-3771, Cell: 331-340-3758 Pag: 25 - SIKA Tel: 766-5959 Pag: 46
* GARAGE DOORS OPENERS
* BAKERY
- INTERCAM Tel: 766-5978 - MULTIVA Tel: 766-2499
Pag: 07
- FOLIATTI
- FRATS Tel: 765-2505, 765-3946 Pag: 20 - MULTISERVICIO AUTOMOTRIZ ESCALERA Tel: 765-4424 Pag: 55
- COLIBRI GARDEN Tel: 765-4412, Cell: (045) 333-156-9382 - ROCHATAS Tel: 387-763-0295
DIRECTORY
- HILDA WORLWIDE Cell: 33-3676-2514 - NEW LOOK STUDIO Tel: 766-6000, 33-3950-9990
* ADVERTISING / DIRECTORY
- ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS Tel: 766-5961
www.tel.chapala.com
EMERGENCY NUMBERS
- PURITAN POULTRY Tel: 765-4399 - TONY’S Tel: 766-1614
Pag: 71 Pag: 16
* MEDICAL SERVICES - DR. BEN - CERTIFIED PLASTIC SURGEON Tel: 766-4871, Cell: 333-105-0402 Pag: 29
Pag: 67 Pag: 14
* MOVERS - BEST MEXICO MOVERS US/CANADA: (915) 235-1951 US Cell: (520) 940-0481
Pag: 58
- LAKE CHAPALA MOVING Tel: 766-5008 - STROM-WHITE MOVERS Tel: 766-6153
Pag: 06 Pag: 18
* MUSIC / THEATRE / EVENTS - BARE STAGE THEATRE - BURNS SUPPER Tel: 766-2036 - D.J. HOWARD Tel: 766-3044 - GO TANGO Tel: 33-1566-4147, 33-3150-6940 - IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE - THE SPOTLIGHT CLUB Tel: 331-845-1523
Pag: 36 Pag: 53 Pag: 66 Pag: 50 Pag: 61 Pag: 41
* PAINT - QUIROZ-Impermeabilizantes Tel: 766-2311 - QUIROZ-Pinturas Tel: 766-2311
Pag: 68
- TOM BARSANTI Tel: 766-4782, Cell: 331-265-1062 - TRUDIE NELSON Cell: 331-074-3308 - VISTA ALEGRE Tel: 33-2002-2400
Pag: 14 Pag: 34 Pag: 05
* RENTALS/PROPERTY MANAGEMENT - FOR RENT Cell: 333-667-6554 Pag: 20 - FOR RENT Cell: 333-115-6584 Pag: 66 - FOR RENT Cell: 33-2804-3994, Tel: 766-6019 Pag: 68 - HACIENDA PMR Tel: 766-3320 Pag: 46 - HERNANDEZ REALTY GRUOP - Jorge Hernandez Tel: 766-2103 Pag: 59 - SANTANA RENTALS Cell: 315-104-3283 Pag: 48 - ROMA Tel: 766 3163, 766 5171 Pag: 69
* RESTAURANTS/CAFES/BAR Pag: 25
* POOL MAINTENANCE - EQUIPMENT AND POOL MAINTENANCE Tel: 766-1617, Cell: 33-3952-4175 Pag: 69
* REAL ESTATE - ALL-IN-1 Tel. 766-1161 Pag: 27 - AJIJIC HOME INSPECTIONS Tel: 766-2836 Pag: 50 - ALTO LAGO Tel: 33-3627-6437, 33-3627-6438 Pag: 35 - ARELLANO CORPORATION GROUP Cell: 331-331-0249 Pag: 55 - BETTINA BERING Tel: 766-1049, Cell. 33-1210-7723 Pag: 33 - CHULA VISTA NORTE Tel: 766-2177, Cell: (045) 33-1892-2194 Pag: 07 - CIELOVISTA Tel: 33-2002-2400 Pag: 05 - COLDWELL BANKER CHAPALA REALTY Tel: 766-1152, 766-3369 Fax: 766-2124, Tels: 765-2877 Fax: 765-3528 Pag: 80 - CONTINENTAL REALTY Tel: 766-1994 Pag: 21 - CUMBRES Tel: 33-2002-2400 Pag: 05 - EAGER & ASOCIADOS Tel: (376) 766 1917, 1918 Pag: 79 - FOR SALE BY OWNER Tel: 33-3446-5448 / (33) 3125-0093 Pag: 63 - FOR SALE BY OWNER Pag: 52 - FOR SALE BY OWNER Tel: 33-3614-8018, Cell: 333-115-92 89 Pag: 67 - GEORGETTE RICHMOND Tel: 766-2077 Pag: 11 - JUDIT RAJHATHY Cell: (045) 331 - 395 - 9849 Pag: 19, 31 - KOTO REAL ESTATE Tel: 766-2177 Pag: 61 - LORI FIELSTED REALTY Cell: 331-365-0558 Pag: 45 - MICHAELA SIRBU Cell: 333-141-5979 Pag: 34 - MARGARITA AVILA Cell: (331) 268-3927, 765-2877 Pag: 56 - MPR REAL ESTATE Tel: (315) 351-5167 Pag: 48 - PATTY BASULTO Cell: 331-298-6877 Pag: 64 - PATY PEREZ Cell: 331-319-6784 Pag: 64 - RADISSON BLU - Ajijic Resort, Spa & Residences Tel: 766-4525, Cell: 332-255-5972 Pag: 02 - RAUL GONZALEZ Cell: 33-1437-0925 Pag: 03, 29 - RICH VARNEY Cell: 331-157-1677 Pag: 51
- AJIJIC TANGO Tel: 766-2458 Pag: 78 - ALFREDO’S CALIFORNIA Tel: 33-1301-9862 Pag: 14 - ARMANDO’S HIDEAWAY Tel: 766-2229 Pag: 22 - BAR JAMON Tel: 333-449-8817, (55) 4187 3984 Pag: 55 - C2 Tel: 766-1300 Pag: 37 - CASA LINDA Tel: 108-0887 Pag: 23 - ELEGANTE Tel: 766-1066 Pag: 47 - GO BISTRO Cell: (045) 33-3502-6555 Pag: 06 - GOSHA’S Tel: 766-2121 Pag: 44 - GRUPO PASTA Tel: 33-3615-4952 Pag: 27 - HUERTO CAFÉ Tel: 108-0843 Pag: 28 - INDIAN CURRY Tel: 766-2417, 333-964-7203 Pag: 50 - JOHANA’S Tel: 766-0437 Cell: English 333-170-0663 Pag: 71 - LA CASA DEL CAFE Tel: 766-2876 Pag: 17 - LA CASA DEL WAFFLE Tel: 766-1946 Pag: 11 - LA HACIENDA DE DON PEDRO Tel: 766-4906 Pag: 58, 63 - LA NUEVA POSADA Tel: 766-1444, 766-1344 Pag: 03 - “LA TAVERNA”DEI QUATTRO MORI Tel: 766-2848 Pag: 36 - LOS MOLLETES Tel: 766-4296 Pag: 71 - MANIX Tel: 766-0061, Cell: 331-0650-725 Pag: 31, 66 - MEL’S Tel: 766-4253, 331-402-4223 Pag: 54 - MOM’S DELI & RESTAURANT Tel: 765-5719 Pag: 07 - PANINO Tel: 766-3822 Pag: 29 - PIAN – Cocina Thai Tel: 766-2881 Pag: 69 - SIMPLY THAI Tel: 766-4767 Pag: 68 - SOUTHERN SISTERS RESTAURANT Tel: 688-1525, Cell: 331-329-8748 Pag: 52 - TEPETATE THAI RESTAURANT Tel: 766-2020 Pag: 25 - THE PEACOCK GARDEN Tel: 766-1381 Pag: 12 - TONY’S RESTAURANT CAMPESTRE Tel: 331-433-6112 Pag: 26 Pag: 49 - TRIP’S BURGER
- XOLO Tel: 331-695-7543 - YVES Tel: 766-3565
Pag: 56 Pag: 32
* RETIREMENT/REST/NURSING HOMES - CASA ANASTASIA Tel: 765-5680 / 33-3452-5864 Pag: 20 - CASA LA VIDA REAL Tel: 108-2506, Cell. 33-2804-3892 Pag: 53 - EL CHANTE ASSISTED LIVING Tel: (387) 763-2555, Cell: 332-163-2309 Pag: 51 - HAPPINESS - Care Residence for Elderly Cell: 33-3137-9604 Pag: 18 - LA CASA NOSTRA Tel: 765-3824 Pag: 03 - MI CASITA - Nursing Home Tel: 106-2081, Cell: 331-115- 9615 Pag: 52 - NURSING HOME LAKE CHAPALA Tel: 766-0404 Pag: 24 - OHANA Tel: (01387) 761-0403 Pag: 27 -THE MOON Tel: 331-357-4205 Pag: 61
* SATELLITES/ T.V. Pag: 25 Pag: 70
* SELF STORAGE - SELF STORAGE-BODEGAS CHAPALA Tel: 766-0661, Tel/Fax: 766-1045 Pag: 32
* SEPTIC TANK PUMPING
Pag: 59 Pag: 37
* SPA / MASSAGE - HOTEL BALNEARIO SAN JUAN COSALA Tel: (387) 761-0222 Pag: 59 - LA BELLA VIDA Tel: 766-5131 Pag: 32 - TOTAL BODY CARE Tel: 766-3379 Pag: 26
* STREAMING TV - 7000 CHANEL TV Tel: 387-761-1101
Pag: 51
* TAXI / TRANSPORTATION - ARTURO FERNANDEZ Cell: (045) 333-954-3813
Pag: 31
- CHAPALA TREE SERVICE Tel: 762-0602
Pag: 68
* TOURS - CHARTER CLUB TOURS Tel: 766-1777 - LYDIA’S TOURS Tel: 33-1026-4877, 765-4742
Pag: 09, 13, 15 Pag: 65
* WATER Pag: 60
* SOCIAL ORGANIZATIONS - FAR Tel: 331-321-6969 - LAKE CHAPALA SOCIETY Tel: 766-1140 - LOS NIÑOS DE CHAPALA Y AJIJIC Tel: 765-7032 - NIÑOS INCAPACITADOS
- OPIERE SOLAR Tel: 766-6148, 01-800-099-0736 - SUN QUEST ENERGY Tel: 766-1761, Cell: 33-1603-9756
* TREE SERVICE
- AJIJIC ELECTRONICS S.A. DE C.V. Tel/Fax: 766-1117, 766-3371 - SHAW SATELLITE SERVICES Te: 33-1402-4223
- JP HOME SERVICES Tel. 766-1569, Cell: 333-968-2938
* SOLAR ENERGY
- PURE HYDRATION Cell: 315-115-0312 - TECNO AQUA Tel: 766-3731, 108-0808
Pag: 59 Pag: 67
Pag: 69 Pag: 68-71 Pag: 72 Pag: 38-39
The Ojo Crossword
Saw you in the Ojo 75
CARS
WANTED: ISO Jalisco plated smaller car or jeep, 2008 or newer, automatic, maintenance records, a/c, 4 door. Email: rollrcoaster1999@yahoo.com. WANTED: Look to buy Jalisco Licensed Small to Med Size Car, Please share any vehicle information and contact details. Later model year preferred with low mileage and maintenance history. Email: etumoe@gmail. com. FOR SALE: Harley Davidson 2003 Dyna Limited Edition low rider. $100,000 Pesos. In very good condition. Has windshield and saddle bags plus other modifications. Was serviced and made road worthy by SS Auto about a year ago. I have the title but it will need to be nationalized. Located in West Ajijic. Email: jausten09@yahoo.com. FOR SALE: 2009 Renault Magane, Automatic Transmission, Air Conditioning, Radio/ CD player, 4-Doors, great gas mileage, Mexican Plates, only 83KM, very clean & great condition. For more info and pictures. Email: benlindywhite5@gmail.com. FOR SALE: Toyota minivan 2015 year, 4 cylinders. 22,400 kilometers. 7 passengers. One Owner. Perfect immaculate condition. Automatic air conditioning. Very good price. English: 33-3676-5897. FOR SALE: 2010 Camry, in excellent condition, low Kilometers, well maintained, Mexican Licence with all papers in order. Well built to last under conditions here at lakeside. Please contact Rob an 331-755-0078 for details and fair price. Must be a cash sale. FOR SALE: 2012 Ford Escape, Auto/4 cyl with 66kmile or 106km, excellent condition, power and air, 2 wheel drive. Have pix, at sundevil306@gmail.com or 331-735-7066 asking $130k mx. FOR SALE: 2015 Italika GSC 150 Scooter. Excellent condition, low mileage. $17,000P. Cell: 333-722-4457. WANTED: I am looking to buy a tow dolly in good condition, If you have one or know of one, I already have a good tow bar; I am wanting to change to a tow dolly, preferably one with brakes, electric or surge activated. Please P M me or call or send text to me at 331-692-5187. WANTED: Does anyone have a golf cart they would be willing to rent to me that week? I have a security enclosed garage. Email: ann.dalsin@dalsinlaw.com. FOR SALE: Universal roof bars to fit rails up to 44 inches apart (112cm) No tool necessary to fit. Cost about $3000mx (i think), make me an offer. Iain 788-0847 or 331-7932625. FOR SALE: Chevy Traker 2006, we are selling this little SUV, new tires, good overall condition. 150km. We will park it at Wal-Mart today in case you want to look at it. Info. 333494-8191. FOR SALE: Selling banks turbo kit for 6.9 diesel, this is a Banks turbo kit that costs $3,000 u.s. dollars, asking $1,000 u.s. or peso equivalent for the kit. Email: schraderlarry@ rocketmail.co. FOR SALE: 2005 Artic Fox 11.5’ Camper $8000. US. This camper can be used on a one ton truck or for a completely self contained guest area on the ground. Air conditioned, Forced Air Heater, Hot Water Heater, Solar Panels, Generator, Dry Shower, Fridge (3 way) with large freezer, 3 Burner Stove and oven, Microwave, Stereo (cassette deck), Queen Size Bed, 2 6 Volt Batteries (charged by solar), One slide out in kitchen area. Email: mrippel@live.com. FOR SALE: Motorcycle 2017 Pulsar 200 AS, black - perfect condition, 18,700 Km,
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$38,000 pesos firm. Mexican title (factura) paid and clear. cglane2007@yahoo.com – 376-766-1218 “Chris”
COMPUTERS FOR SALE: Color inkjet all-in-one (print, copy, scan,fax). Canon G2110, fully loaded ink tanks (no more expensive cartridges). Excellent price - 2,500 pesos. Brand new, just purchased from Office Depot. I have recite, instruction manual and warranty papers, and original packaging. My problem: Canon doesn’t have MacOS print drivers for this model. You will have to connect to a Windows computer. Call Ken (331-886-5812) or email klienemann@cybermesa.com. FOR SALE: Logitech Wireless Keyboard k270 - brand new still in package - never used. Spanish keyboard. Retails on Amazon. mx for $539.83 plus $49.00 shipping. Asking price $250 pesos. Please email arjay333@ gmail.com or phone 376-766-3103 and leave a clear message. FOR SALE: Compact desk. Room for tower, keyboard, and printer. 33 inches wide. Email: elzear.swain@gmail.com. WANTED: Shaw cable TV. I have space on my account to add 2 more receivers. This is for the 600 to 800 series. Email: sandraspencer@gmail.com. FOR SALE: Zoom 16 channel portable professional recording studio. Email: $4000 pesos or best offer Nearly new, paid $400 USD. Call: 766-4360.
PETS & SUPPLIES FOUND: A beautiful young black cat has adopted us. She is very affectionate and we assume someone must be missing her? If not she is ours!! Please phone 766-3170. We will need proof that you know her. WANTED: I’m looking for day care, maybe three days a week, for my 18 month lab. She is very social. Well behaved, gentle. Somewhere where she has an open area with several other dogs, not contained in a crate. Email: kaycnevin@gmail.com. FOR SALE: I need a dog trainer. Does anyone know how to get in touch with A. Hess or someone who can help me?? Email: richernow@hotmail.com. FREE: 2 large (about 6-8 inches) pleicos and 5 small spotted fish (no clue other than small). Call: 332-617-3588.
GENERAL MERCHANDISE
FOR SALE: Nicely finished wooden trundle bed frame. 3000 pesos OBO. 766-4360. WANTED: An Empty house needs furniture, if you have anything try to sell, please contact me. Here is what we need: bedroom set, Washer and dryer, Mirrors, living room furniture, Indoor plants and outdoor plans, dining table and chairs and patio furniture. Email: tomorrew@hotmail.com. FOR SALE: Elliptical Traine HM-6023, Brand Dunlop Fitness. Lightly used, good condition. Asking $2500 pesos. 766-2722 FOR SALE: King Size 1000 thread cotton set, new, 100US. Call 333-399-4825. FOR SALE: Golf balls, Titleist pro v1 packs of three(3), dt tru soft packs of three(3) , next tour, dt tru soft, dt carry, dt solo, next tour many more of this brand Nike many more of this brand, power distance high, dunlop, ddh lady, many more of this brand. Email: ssnnkenn7@aol.com. Call David or Susanne 376-766-4456 Cell 331-824-5205. FOR SALE: Twin sheet set: “Tribeca Living” 300 counts Egyptian cotton. This set cost me $1,675 to get here ($85 US). The price includes what I paid for Alex Peterson’s ship-
El Ojo del Lago / December 2018
ping and 16% IVA at the border, so a savings of $475. Email: mike@ajijiccomputing.com. WANTED: I am looking for a gas stove. Could be apartment size, but prefer a bigger model. Looking to pay a more reasonable price than in the used appliance places. If grungy, I can clean it up. italianindian2003@ yahoo.com. FOR SALE: GOLF is all year round here in Chapala we have an amazing selection of golf balls. Titleist packs of three and by the dozen. Provix prov1 velocity dt solo next tour tour soft Nike other Nike balls. Amazing prices ranging from $30 pesos (3pack) and by the dozen. Call David or Susanne 376-766-4456 cell 33115245205. FOR SALE: DELTA TWIST GRIP SHIFTERS. 3 X 7 - 21 SPEED. Used for only two weeks and in good condition. Price: $200 Pesos, Buyer Collects. Email: louis.solo@live. com. FOR SALE: 8Ft. Tall Xmas tree ($2.000 MXN); 11 clay Nativity Figurines 2Ft. Tall (500 MXN); other Xmas decorations. Slow cooker (350 MXN); ladies cocktail dresses and other Size 12; home decorations; men’s clothes Size 42L inc. Tuxedo; speakers; wigs; misc. fine crystal inc. punch bowl w/cups; Wedgwood china setting for 12; suitcases; hard cover books (English authors); arm chair and many other items. Email: aivarsamy@gmail. com. Tel: 766-2225. FOR SALE: Santa Fe Advanced Basement/House Dehumifier. Pumps 90 pints of water per day and covers 2200sf. Includes pump which is normally $120US. This is the bestin dehumidifiers but am moving and cannot lug it around. Asking 20,000 pesos or best offer. Normally 1500US without the pump. Located in West Ajijic. Email: jausten09@yahoo. com. FOR SALE: General commercial meat grinder GSM50 as new, used only once. $10,000 Pesos. Email: jausten09@yahoo. com. FOR SALE: We have to move back to Canada and need to sell our home furnishings and appliances. All items are only about a year old. This includes LG French Door fridge, 18 kilo LG washer/dryer (Lavadora/ Secadora) single unit as well as living room and bedroom furniture. We also have a woman’s (used) and man’s (brand new) bikes for sale. Please contact me via email: shireen_ stangl@yahoo.ca. WANTED: I would like to buy a dehumidifier, Iprefer a smaller unit for a bedroom but will consider any size. Email: schraderlarry@ rocketmail.com. WANTED: MAN’S KILT - good condition, Must fit 6’ man. Phone: 766-3170 and leave message if no answer. Email: rmswinburne@ gmail.com. FOR SALE: Sunbeam Heated Throw Blanket, twin size (60”x50”), beige colour, automatic 3-hour shutoff. Hardly used - like new condition, perfectly clean in a smoke and petfree home. Asking $300 pesos. Please email arjay333@gmail.com or phone 376-766-3103 and leave clear message. FOR SALE: C MAX Extruded Carbon Filter Cartridge, Model MAXETW-975 (Economical Thick Wall). I also have a filter wrench to fit this cartridge. $100 pesos. Please email me at arjay333@gmail.com or phone 7663103 and leave a clear mes. FOR SALE: Two sets of 6 silver plated coasters, each with its own stand. Good condition - they just need a bit of cleaning or polishing. The brown colouring on the photos is not tarnish but just a reflection off the camera. Please email me at arjay333@gmail.com or phone 766-3103 and leave a clear message.
WANTED: Wanted used 50-65 tv. Call Kim 333-496-8417. I am in San Antonio. FOR SALE: One Dunlop Grand Trek PT3 steel belted radial tire for sale. 225/60R17 99V. Used for 11,000 kilometers. In good condition. Call: 333-723-0376. Price: $1,000 pesos obo. FOR SALE: Printmaking Press. It’s perfect for smaller prints and greeting cards. Also included are: a table for mounting the press, carving tools with extra blades, 24 full size sheets of Reeves printing paper, carving plate, blotting sheets and pads, a clothesline for drying prints, assorted lino blocks for carving, 2 printmaking books, AND a lesson to teach you how to use it. $5,000 Pesos. Call: 765-6161. FOR SALE: Desk Chair. Adjustable height swiveling armless desk chair. It has cushioned black fabric back and seat. $600 Pesos. 765-6161. FOR SALE: Architect style desk lamp. The lamp head is adjustable with tension spring arms. The maximum extension is 24”. Lamp uses one 100 watt standard medium base bulb and has an on-off switch on top of the lamp head. Also included are 3 soft natural light bulbs. Price: $800 Pesos. 7656161. FOR SALE: Artist Drawing Table. The table is a functional fold-away table with a 1.5” tubular steel base and telescoping legs adjust from 30” to 40”. The table top angle adjusts from 0° to 45°. This unit sets up and folds away in minutes - folds flat to 5”. Features a white melamine warp-free drawing board. Includes a side utility tray that is great for organizing markers, pens, pencils and erasers without sacrificing valuable work space. It features Sixteen (16) compartments in variety of sizes and depths. $1800 Pesos. 765-6161 FOR SALE: Single chair on wheels, the wicker needs repair. Price: 15 pesos. Email: elzear.swain@gmail.com. FOR SALE: Compact computer desk, 33 inches wide. A place for tower, screen, keyboard and CDs. On wheels. 333-723-0376. $200 pesos. FOR SALE: Thule roof carrier, 14.5 cubic feet of storage. Excellent condition. $175.00 USD. Call 376-108-2518. WANTED: I´m looking to buy a tow dolly in good condition to tow a car behind my motorhome, if you have one or know of one, please PM me or call or send text to me at 331-692-5187. FOR SALE: Shaw 630 PVR complete with remote, power cord and HDMI cable. Free and clear to be activated. This is the one that records. $4500 pesos. 376-766-4032. WANTED: I wish to buy good used lawn and garden equipment. Gas mower; electric bougainvillea clippers; weed wacker; and all sorts of hand tools. If by any chance you have same for sale, please give me a call? Carrol 766-4338. WANTED: Want to buy a table saw or chop saw, Either one in good condition. Email: wolfsburg4wd@gmail.com. FOR SALE: GE Profile 30” gas wall oven - like new. Model # GE5500HO - gas with digital display - installation opening measurements: 76cm wide, 69cm high, 53.5 cm deep - door measures 79.5 cm wide, 70cm high x 4 cm deep. Two shelves. Price: $14,000. Email: robbinmoore326@gmail.com. FOR SALE: Fabric Sofa (chesterfield) 7 inches wide. I don’t know the name for the fabric but it is a complex pattern. Maroon, green, yellow and blue. Good condition. Price: $4,000 pesos OBO. 333-723-0376. FOR SALE: Shaw 600 receiver with remote and power cord. Free and clear to be
activated. Price. $2500 pesos. 376-766-4032. FOR SALE: WARREN HARDY flash cards & 501 verb book, make an offer, Iain 766-0847 or 331-793-2625. WANTED: I have space to add to additional receivers. They need to be in the 600 to 800 series. Please PM me for additional info. Email: sandraspencer@gmail.com. FOR SALE: Small pump 4.5 watts, max 80 gal p hr. Paid $25 USD Asking $300 pesos OBO. 766-4360. FOR SALE: Fine China, Mikasa Black Chrisma, set of 8, 40 pieces in all. Asking $4000 pesos for all OBO. 766-4360. FOR SALE: Lowepro Portable Office, padded computer bag for 2 computers plus or full portable office. $400pesos. Like new $400 pesos. 766-4360 FOR SALE: Professional Microphone Audio Technica Cardioid Condenser Mic with phantom power box. Rarely used $2000 pesos. 766-4360. FOR SALE: Talavera Ceramic medium sized bathroom sink $400 pesos OBO 7664360. FOR SALE: Zoom 16 channel portable professional recording studio. Nearly new, $4000 pesos or Best Offer. Paid $400 USD. 766-4360. WANTED: The Joco police dept. needs office chairs. Donation greatly appreciated, but have a small budget to buy..can anyone help? send a PM if you have even one available. Email: chapala45900@prodigy.net.mx. FOR SALE: Hunter 140 Daysailer. Fully
equipped and re-finished Hunter 140 (14 Ft) daysailer sailboat. Asking $1,950 US. Location: San Juan Cosalá on the lakefront. Includes hull, all fittings - lines - mast with top float - mainsail - roller furling and jib - Honda 2 HP outboard - trailer with spare tire AND new cover made of weather resistant Sunbrella material. E-mail me at hw4310@yahoo.com or call 954-288-4541. WANTED: Anyone have a table saw for sale at a reasonable price? 10” blade would be fine. must have a good fence. Will be ripping plywood. Nothing crazy. Email: daviesgareth@gmail.com. FOR SALE: Todo Bueno resale shop just got in two king bedroom sets, one with two side pieces and dresser. Hidalgo 231 Riberas next to S&S auto 331-016-0619. 4 blue doors, next Have Hammers carpentry school. WANTED: looking for the following Nikon prime lenses in excellent condition: 35mm f/1.8G AF-S DX. 50mm f/1.8G DX. 85mm f/1.8G AF-S. FX. Please reply with condition and asking prices. If you have additional Nikon or Sigma lenses (for Nikon mount) please let me consider them also. Email: pohlmanjb@gmail.com. WANTED: I’m looking for a lightweight, possibly foldable wheeled cart to transfer my groceries from my car to my apartment. Anyone have one i can buy? Anyone know if there’s a store in town that sells them? Email: jsilverman01@live.com. FOR SALE: Outdoor Coffee Table, Resin (stone lookalike). 43” W x 26” D x 20”
H. Perfect Condition. $2500 pesos. Call 7665856 or tucantalk@gmail.com. FOR SALE: 4 and half Bikes, Yellow trek bike, $5000 pesos (see bike #4.5 for special offer). Blue and silver trek bike, $3000 pesos. Adult Tricylce workmen brand, Tandem attachment bike, Canadian made. This bike is for a child to attach on the back of a full adult bike. Both bikes are $6500. Text or call or Whatsapp Evan 333-174-0397. FOR SALE: Beautiful bowl style hanging swing chair. It is only 7 months old. Has an extra-large cushion in periwinkle color. It is made of light bamboo and comes with the black metal support stand. It was special made for us in Chapala. Serious buyers only. $4000 pesos. New $7000. Evan 333174-0397. WANTED: 2 bicycles, we’re looking for two. A standard sized one for a man, and a short one for a woman, happy to borrow, rent, or buy. Any leads appreciated! stymiebopcaretakers@gmail.com. FOR SALE: Two outdoor brown wicker Pacific Sun Loungers, like new, still in box. $3000 pesos for both. 762-1695. FOR SALE: Large Bernhardt sectional, Comfortable, Caramel color, leather, excellent condition. Includes ottoman. $21,000 pesos. Email: zebra@cryptogroup.net. FOR SALE: 14 foot sunfish with center board and trailer. $500.00 US. Email: ianandjen88@gmail.com or 766-5896. WANTED: Several years ago while we lived in Ajijic we acquired a pair of wall-mount-
ed horse heads constructed out of sheet metal. During a recent move one of them was lost. We are seeking a vendor who might be able to supply a replacement and ship it to us stateside. Its dimensions are roughly 17” x 20“. Email: warren@warhow.com. FOR SALE: 2004 RV refrigerator Norcold 1200 LRIM electric and propane had been upgraded with an Amish cooling unit 2 years ago and since then the refrigerator door gaskets have deteriorated but freezer doors are good. Price is $6000.00 pesos. Contact info plthiessen@gmail.com or 331-069-8292. WANTED: Looking to buy a used, small, outdoor storage shed. Prefer plastic. With shelves. Roughly 6’ x 5’, or smaller. Need it delivered and assembled. Email: v.v.kaskow@gmail.com. WANTED: Open type utility trailer for use on the farm, not on the highway, so plates do not matter. Email: schraderlarry@rocketmail. com. FOR SALE: Logan Intermediate Professional 40.5 Inch Mat Cutter, only very slightly used. $2500 pesos or best offer. Call: 7662722. FOR SALE: Original Prada Shoes, size 24.5 mexican, Only 1 time was used, price $3000 pesos. Call to Alma 331-005-3109. FOR SALE: Individual Brass Headboard, Price $2,200.00 pesos. Call to Alma 331-0053109.
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El Ojo del Lago / December 2018