El Ojo del Lago - July 2014 by El Ojo del Lago

Saw you in the Ojo

El Ojo del Lago / July 2014

Saw you in the Ojo

PUBLISHER Richard Tingen

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

Index...

FEATURE ARTICLES

Herbert Piekow introduces us to La Ola (The Wave), one of the most beautifully-run orphanages at Lakeside—and tells us what is so special about it. We encourage our readers to check it out for themselves, believing as we do that it might be in their own self-interest.

8 &RYHU E\ Dani Newcomb

11 HISTORY Dr. Lorin Swinehart takes us to the London of 1902, and what famous novelist Jack London found there. Posing as an unemployed seaman, London discovered the rancid underbelly of England’s Industrial Revolution.

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16 GROWING OLDER

12 Imprints

Sunny Glessner writes rather whimsically about the shock she has each morning as she sees this older woman peering back at her from the mirror.

27 STREET HISTRIONICS Teri Saya loves the street performers but as a relative newcomer to the city, she has no fondness for those who play like human blow-torches.

28 TRAVEL Carol Bowman has a well-earned reputation as a travel writer—and her destination this time was Albania, a country under the thumb of the USSR for decades. Though relatively free now, it seems old habits are hard to break.

36 MORE TRAVEL Gabriell Blair met someone in the Mexico City airport that brought to her mind an old quote by the famous writer Kurt Vonnegut: Peculiar travel arrangements are dancing lessons from God.

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

COVER STORY

z DIRECTORY z

El Ojo del Lago / July 2014

Editor’s Page

10 Anyone Can Train Dog

15 Uncommon Sense 18 Welcome to Mexico 22 Profiling Tepehua 26 Hearts at Work 32 Lakeside Living

LAKESIDE LIVING

VOLUME 30 NUMBER 11

42 Conservative Corner 44 Bridge By Lake 55 Internet Mail Bag 56 LCS Newsletter

Saw you in the Ojo

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

OSCAR LEVANT—The Irreverent Genius

omeone once said of him, “Had Oscar never existed, some screenwriter would have had to make him up.” Luckily, he did exist—and what a life he lived! Before it was over, he was known around the globe as a worldclass pianist (and the premier interpreter of the magnificent “Concerto in F” written by his close friend, George Gershwin), studied classical music with Copland and Schoenberg, wrote the musical score for more than 20 movies, was a charter member of the famed Algonquin Round Table, co-starred in two of the best musicals of the 1950’s, An American in Paris and The Bandwagon, and in Rhapsody in Blue, played himself in the film bio of George Gershwin—and was allowed to write his own dialogue in all three films! Levant also found time to complete three memoirs, (including the best-seller Memoirs of an Amnesiac), become a regular on the TV show Information, Please (where his inexhaustible erudition was a mainstay of the popular program) and became a compulsive hypochondriac, total neurotic and addicted to all sort of worthless panaceas. He also became famous for his scathing wit, as quoted in his lifetime as another Oscar (Wilde) was in his own. But as some punster once proclaimed, “For every pearl that comes out of Oscar’s mouth, another pill goes in.” Yet the number of those “pearls” is endless, though the following short list must suffice for now: I was thrown out of a mental institution for depressing the other patients. I knew Doris Day before she became a virgin. I don’t drink liquor. I don’t like it. It makes me feel good.

El Ojo del Lago / July 2014

(About a famous film producer) “He’ll double-cross that bridge when he comes to it.” I have given up reading books; I find it takes my mind off myself. Behind the phony tinsel of Hollywood lies the real tinsel. Every time I look at you, I get a fierce desire to be lonesome. A pun is the lowest form of humor—when you don’t think of it first. I’m controversial. People either intensely dislike me or hate me. There’s a fine line between genius and insanity. I have erased that line. I want my tombstone to read: I told them that I was ill! Now, here are two stories that very few people know. Many years ago, I had a young lady friend who was Levant’s private nurse in the last days of his life. By now, confined to the master bedroom in his home in Beverly Hills, he was addicted to the old daytime courtroom TV shows— and such was his guilt over one thing or another that every time the judge would slam down the gavel and ask the defendant to rise, my friend said that Levant would slowly come to his feet. During this same period of time, Oscar—now terminally depressed—would often threaten to end it all. One morning, the threat seemed more ominous than usual. Alarmed, my friend called his psychiatrist and made

an appointment to bring Oscar to Mount Sinai Hospital. Once there, she became alarmed again when the doctor—apparently having had his fill of Levant’s suicide threats— challenged him to step out on the balcony (which was on the seventh floor) and throw himself off so as to finally make good on his threats. With that, Oscar walked out, looked at the pavilion below, then turned to the doctor and said, “I can’t kill myself now. It’s lunchtime. Lots of people milling around down there. I’ll do it later.”

“Oh, come on, Oscar, why let a little thing like a bunch of people stop you?!” “Doctor, you know how I hate mixing with strangers!” At that, all three people in the room had to laugh. Wit, it seems, was the last thing to go when it came to the incomparable Oscar Levant. Alejandro GrattanDominguez

Saw you in the Ojo

THIS HOUSE IS A “HOME!” %\ +HUEHUW : 3LHNRZ

ecently some friends and I went to visit La Ola in Jocotepec, where I learned how a simple house is home for previously unwanted, unloved and abused girls. For the first time in their young lives these girls are learning about family structure and receiving genuine love. Three years ago a child was taken to the door steps of La Ola as a screaming, drug addicted baby who had been delivered on a Guadalajara street by a taxi driver. The addicted mother later tried to sell her baby for 250 pesos to buy drugs. Bob and Becky Plinke now have state custody of her. Today the child is a part of, “This crazy Mexican family,” says Becky. “She loves to swim in the family pool, go to the water park with everyone and she tries her best to stay up past her bed time.” Like all girls her age she also loves her dolls. This is the only home this child has ever known and she shares it with her “sisters.” This is a home for girls, though there is one young boy who is here with his sister and a cousin. Each girl has a story of tragedy, abuse or abandonment. One young girl told me that her father used to strap bags of drugs to her 12-year-old thighs, his hands would often stray to places no 12-year-old should be touched. Another girl was used for sexual purposes and... well, you get the picture; these girls know more about life on the streets than most of us could imagine. Privately, I asked each the same question. “Do you have a family?” Each one replied, “Yes.” Then I would say, “You have been placed by the State in this home. Where would you rather be, with our family, or here?” Without exception, the girls replied they would rather be in La Ola. Karla summed up their feelings. “Sometimes I miss my family and think of them, but I know I’m better

El Ojo del Lago / July 2014

off here. I have the opportunity to go to school.” Thanks to sponsors, some of the girls are able to go to private schools and currently there are 18 children in the house and 13 have learned to speak English. Several of the girls, sent by the State, came never having been to school or were quite behind. Some adapt because of their strong desire to have a life and education. It is difficult, but somehow most of the girls surpass even their own hopes and expectations. For the first time there is structure and love in their lives. They are required to help with chores for at least fifteen minutes per day. Homework is scheduled between 3PM and 6 PM; help is available. There is a small “classroom” with desks, computers and good light. Younger children color and draw while their “older sisters” solve math problems or write compositions. Each girl has hope for a future. Sixteen year-old Angeles would like to be an architect; some have expressed interest in teaching or nursing. One has her heart set on earning a Hospitality degree from nearby Jaltepec. Although State law requires the girls to leave soon after turning 18, La Ola does not set them adrift. Bob and Becky take personal responsibility for the future of their girls. One young girl is studying to be a beautician. A sponsor of La Ola helps her with rent for an apartment, as well as paying for a part of her schooling, “because she is a part of our family.” When I was talking privately to the girls, I asked; “What happens when you have a personal problem?” All

teenagers have personal problems; they let me know that there is always an advisor and that Becky is like their mother so they have adults to talk with. Later Becky told me that sometimes the girls arrive so damaged that it is impossible for them to adjust to a home life and that private help and housing is required, “because it can be too destructive to have one with too many severe problems.” Later I learned one girl who could not adapt had been both abandoned, abused and a sex slave from the time of her sixth birthday, so how could she possibly adapt? The girls live in dormitory styled rooms with bunk beds. They are involved with the Youth Group of the Presbyterian Church in Riberas, although some of the girls are Catholic and are free to remain so if they wish. Mostly they like to be with one another. The children are covered by Seguro Popular insurance and other donors to help with medical expenses. A psychologist and a social worker are contracted to provide these corresponding services. One sponsor pays for all the girls’ dental work, including orthodontics. He says a girl needs to be able to smile in order to gain selfconfidence. Before retirement, Bob Plinke was an Emergency Room Physician and Becky was a Trauma nurse. Now they devote all their time and much of their retirement income to looking after their family of young girls. Four state agencies work independently of one another, but each of them are calling frequently to see if there is room for another child. I asked how frequently the home is inspected and what did the process include. Procuradoria, which is like the domestic violence authority, appears unannounced once a year, usually with several inspectors and they spend a full day looking over the facility, kitchen, baths, dorms and interviewing the children. This last time the inspectors spent nine hours, took photos and wrote a 100-page report. The fire and civil

defense agency and d Consejo Estatal de C La L Familia also provide inspections. La v Ola O is considered a show place and in s fact fa other operators have been brought h here on occasion to h observe and learn. o IJAS, which is the IJ State Family Services S agency, supervises a and a licenses the care a La Ola and proat vides many other v support services. s “There is always a need for volunteers and funds are always scarce,” Becky said. “School will be starting back in August and we like to get new uniforms for the girls and of course they need lots of school supplies.” It takes quite an effort to take these girls from street kids to young women with hope. All contributions are tax deductible and help brings its own rewards. You can find out more about La Ola, which means “the wave,” by visiting their web site at: laolacasahogar.org. If you would like to drive out and volunteer, the best way from Chapala is: As you enter Jocotepec, turn left at the PEMEX station located just inside the city limits. Go two blocks on Colon to number 148, La Ola is a corner house surrounded by a brick wall. (Ed. Note: La Ola is but one of many well-run orphanages in the Lakeside area. Our readers are encouraged to visit them. As the Ojo slogan says: “For those who give as well as for those who receive, the key to a more meaningful life can be summed up in a single word: Herbert W. Piekow compassion.”)

Saw you in the Ojo

Anyone Can Train Their Dog %\ $UW +HVV artthedogguy@yahoo.com AC Chat ha t w with ith IIrvin r v in

while back I was sitting in the park enjoying the day and contemplating all the good stuff about my life with dogs when my old buddy Irvin came and sat beside my foot. During our chat I observed that actually dogs and people were pretty much the same and Irvin said that normally he wouldn’t disagree but I was way off base with this one. He went on to point out that dogs live in the present and aren’t judgmental. Dogs don’t care about what you used to be or where you’ve lived or visited or who you know or knew. They don’t judge you by your color or your opinion about politics or religion.

No, they just live in the present and love, trust, and respect you based entirely on who you are and how you act today. Forget yesterday and we’ll worry about tomorrow when we get there. And then Irvin went on and said “Since you opened this can of worms there’s something else that is the pebble in my shoe and really gets me where the sun don’t shine. You people think that any animal or other person or country for that matter that does things differently or has different beliefs of what is right or wrong, should do things exactly your way or else it’s wrong. Just because we do things that are

El Ojo del Lago / July 2014

natural to us like digging, chewing, barking, licking, or humping, but different from what you think we should do, it’s automatically wrong and you’re going to make us do it your way. On top of that you say we should change but you don’t show us what you want or how we should do it, just do it. Like your way or the highway.” Then he went on to say, “You know if you showed us what you want and how to do it and gave us a reason to do it and made it fun and told us when we did it right maybe things would be easier for both of us. Anyway, sorry to carry on but we’re buddies and I just thought you’d like to see things from our side. Gotta go, there’s trees for me to smell, we’ll have to chat again.” As I sat there and reflected on Irvin’s comments I was reminded of some thoughts I read by an old time trainer who said “forget the problems and train the solution.” He said quit nagging your dog about what you don’t like and start teaching him what you do like. Show him what you want. Break it down into small easy to learn pieces. Set yourself up to succeed and start in a quiet environment with no distractions. Make it fun and reward for doing what you want him to do. When you’ve got it right, reward and repeat.

Sounds like a winner to me. But wait, isn’t that exactly what Irvin was talking about? Damn, I love that smart little booger. Maybe we should spend a little more time learning from our dogs. And then I was reminded of a time when Irvin looked at me and winked and said, “You know, God is just Dog spelled backwards.” artthedogguy “The key to life is not accumulation. It’s contribution.” Art Hess

JACK LONDON’S PEOPLE OF THE ABYSS %\ 'U /RULQ 6ZLQHKDUW

he aged carpenter, well beyond his working years, foraged among the festering garbage in the urban gutter for a bit of orange peel, a few grape stems, a bit of moldering bread, bits and pieces to sustain life for yet one more day. Jack London, one of our greatest literary figures, witnessed this scene in 1902, posing as an unemployed American sailor among the teeming outcasts of industrial civilization in the notorious East End of London. The citizens of this City of Degradation lived in a brutal symbiosis, dog-eatdog Social Darwinism at its worst. Industry drew people to the impoverished city from the impoverished countryside. The Abyss, a human black hole, sucked in those no longer employable due to age, infirmity, industrial accident or illness. London tells of homeless people being rousted by police throughout the night for attempting to lie down for a few moments of tortured sleep. He observes men standing all the night in heavy rain waiting for the “casual house” to open, where one could earn hospital scraps and a filthy bed in return for degrading work. He witnesses emaciated children’s lives cut short from breathing the noxious, sulphurous air. He writes of thousands living in dread of old age, disease or incarceration in the purgatorial workhouses. At the time, five hundred hereditary peers owned one fifth of English farmland and spent 32% of the country’s gross national product on wasteful luxury. In contrast, the average citizen worked tirelessly in order to merely survive. London argues that an Inuit of the Far North produced much less than the average Englishman but seldom suffered any lack of necessities. The Englishman produced far more than the Inuit but continually suffered hunger, exposure, disease and job related injuries. One would be better off living as a savage. If this is the best that industrial society can do, he asks, what could be worse. Jack London attacks the callousness of those who profess belief in Christ but, “For the rest of the week they riot about on the rents and profits which come to them from the East End stained with the blood of children.” The people of the East End could also be their own worst enemies, producing large numbers of children but having no means to support them. Their meager incomes too often wasted in the pubs, where they drank themselves into

oblivion. Only one young fireman interviewed by London understands that he can barely sustain himself on his meager wages and could never support a wife and children. Conditions such as London observed continue to prevail in urban Petri dishes throughout the world today. Supply side economics did not work in London in 1902. Only despair “trickled down” to the people of the Abyss. The growth of labor unions, together with the reforms of the Progressive Era, the New Deal and the Great Society have somewhat ameliorated conditions in the US that equated with those of the Abyss. However, there are forces at work today that would recreate such abominable conditions and return us back to the days of Laissez-Faire economics, the slave-like conditions of child labor and the sweatshop. Even now, several multi-billion dollar corporations refuse to pay their employees adequate wages. We may not have a pub on every corner, as in the Abyss, but drug dealers prowl our streets and huge numbers exist in a drug infused limbo fueled by a pharmaceutical industry that corrupts the media in order to promote treatments for imaginary or exaggerated ailments. One can easily conclude that the votaries of Ayn Rand would derive some smug satisfaction from the massive human suffering rampant in the abysses of the future. Even more ominously, a recent NASA report concludes that industrial civilization itself will collapse in coming decades, as a result of unsustainable resource depletion and unequal wealth distribution. Perhaps the abyss awaits us all. Lorin Swinehart

Saw you in the Ojo 11

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Barbados’ Liquid Gold

Perhaps nowhere else on the planet has sugar so dominated a culture and economy as in Barbados, and the islanders learned more 'ULYLQJ WKURXJK %DUEDGRV¶ FDQH ¿HOGV than 300 years ago that cane syrup distilled into rum was worth far more per pound than the raw product. The syrup was at first shipped back to England for processing, but plantation owners and investors soon began building their own distilleries locally. The Mount Gay Rum distillery, opened in 1703, still survives and continues to produce one of the world’s legendary rums. It’s around midday on a sunny Sunday when I ask directions of the hotel clerk and set out with friends in a rented car into the island’s interior in search of Mount Gay. Outside of Bridgetown the roads quickly become country lanes that slice through acre upon acre of sugar cane which stands so tall that we seem often to be driving through green tunnels. The roads are deserted and 0RXQW *D\¶V IDPRXV UXPV RQ GLVSOD\ the directions seemed straightQHDU WKH JDWH forward enough, but over an hour later we’re still crisscrossing the cane fields on country lanes so familiar to the natives of an island just over 20 miles long and 15 miles wide that many highway intersections are unmarked. We’re just about to give up the search when we come upon a man walking along the side of the road carrying a sack over his shoulder. We pause to ask directions and he tells us – to our delightful surprise – that he works at the distillery and will gladly take us there in exchange for a return lift. This happy coincidence turns out to be only the beginning of our good luck, for although the distillery is This place is a time machine

El Ojo del Lago / July 2014

closed on Sunday he ushers us through a locked gate into an empty compound to begin a private tour. Our impromptu guide walks us around the yard before leading us into a laboratory-looking room where the progress of fermentation and distillation is monitored, and quality of the finished product is controlled. This is all very interest5XP LQ WKH PDNLQJ ing, but what I really want to see is some of this golden elixir in the making, and my wish is shortly granted. We head back out into the tropical sun, across the yard, and past the silent ruin of an old sugar mill. Under a simple canopy sit wooden vats that look a lot like giant hot tubs, brimming with a smooth, thick, brown mash. Its surface is broken from time to time by gently surfacing bubbles and the syrupy sweet smell of sugar hangs heavy in the air. I breathe deeply, taking in the exotic aroma until it seems to fill my head. On the way back we drop our guide at his destination and continue to marvel at the happenstance which created yet another of many memorable days. But there’s more yet to see on this island than its size might suggest. My next Caribbean post takes you along on a visit to Barbados’ Andromeda Botanic Gardens, where the tradition of English gardens meet a rainbow of tropical flowers to eye-popping effect. Antonio Ramblés

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THE MYSTERY OF THE LIP-LOCK %\ .DWLQD 3RQWLNHV

y first date was to attend a homecoming dance, which would be held at my Catholic girls’ school in Louisiana. Getting a date had not been easy, as the school system was structured to protect our virginity, and we had very little contact with the guys from our brother school. Fortunately, my girlfriend came to my rescue when she informed me that she had talked to her brother Jeff, and he agreed to escort me. This may have involved some cajoling. My dress was swingy silver lamé, and I eagerly awaited the opportunity to twirl and show it off to good advantage on the dance floor. While my heart wasn’t buzzing with eager attraction for my friend’s brother, I definitely had high expectations to ogle other couples’ behavior, particularly couples who were attracted for all the hot chemical reasons. Would they try and make out on the dance floor? The evening of the dance proved to be one long blur of watching other people do a lot of dancing. Jeff didn’t like to dance to the fast songs, to my dismay. When we danced to the slow songs, our steps were somewhat awkward and had a rocking style, reminiscent of how

El Ojo del Lago / July 2014

a two-year-old goes back and forth to cross a room. I was happy to limit toe bumping for each song. This required a great deal of concentration as I tried to anticipate which way Jeff was going to move next, my eyes closed, while I pretended to be transported by the slightly off-tempo garage band. I was relieved by the curfew. However, when we drove up to the curb to park, Jeff wasn’t in a hurry to get out of the car. And then it hit me, he was going to expect a goodnight kiss. I was mortified. I just wanted to get past the moment. How long would he want to engage our lips? The prospect was almost incestuous, as he was my good friend’s brother! He tilted his head and moved toward me in the faint light of the street lamp. I stayed still and hoped for a quick peck on the lips. He moved through the dark and placed his cool lips against mine, with no resulting quickening of my heart. The kiss was quite clinical. And then to my horror he stuck his tongue through my lips. I had not been warned about French kissing, and this was not a welcome development. I turned away quickly and expressed my thanks for the evening. I vaguely remember Jeff insulting my kiss, something about it not being very warm. Not warm, indeed! I was feeling positively icy. A long year elapsed before I was to be kissed again. This time it was by a neighbor on whom I had a serious crush. He visited me regularly on lazy summer evenings. The night he finally leaned down to place his warm lips magnetically against mine, I experienced an all over weakness, a dark fall. The instance was timeless, reflecting the secrets of the universe. Katina Pontikes

UUNCOMMON NCOM MM MON CCOMMON OM MM MON SSENSE ENSE %\ %LOO )UD\HU ELOOIUD\HU#JPDLO FRP

Ignorance Is Not Bliss %LOO )UD\HU

e are all very familiar with Gorge Santayana’s famous quote about those who forget history are doomed to repeat it. This quote may no longer be relevant, not because it is not true, but because we are so ignorant about history that we have little historical knowledge to forget! Perhaps I exaggerate. After all, many Ojo readers, being of a certain age, have an excellent understanding of modern history. Much of it, I dare say, we actually remember. Not so, unfortunately with many younger citizens. A Pew poll recently found that close to one half of Americans misunderstood the cause of the Civil War to be a dispute over federal authority, not secession over slavery; perhaps that’s a Tea Party spin, but factually inaccurate. A venture capitalist, Tom Perkins, recently compared the Democratic Party’s raising of taxes to Kristallnacht, hardly an apt analogy, but not very different from conflating Obama’s administration with Hitler’s Nazi Germany. Of course, both of these red herrings reflect a fundamental ignorance about World War II. Of course, that war was as long ago to contemporary college students as the Spanish American war was to us! Coincidentally, American’s ignorance about history is complemented by a lack of understanding about the Federal Government and how it works. A 2010 survey on the Federal budget, for example, found that a majority of Americans favored cutting foreign aid, which they estimated to be about 27% of the budget, and “waste,” which they estimated could reduce the budget by 50%. Some of this misunderstanding can be attributed to the poor job the mainstream media is doing focusing on dramatic political conflict rather than educating people about historical precedent and critical analysis. Part of the problem, obviously, is with the American highly decentralized education system which allows local communities to design and

implement their own educational standards, often reflecting cultural and political bias. With the postsecondary education concentrating on vocational training, the liberal arts are being ignored at our peril. The implications are disturbing. When a high percentage of Americans cannot explain the purpose of the Constitution and 44% cannot even identify the Bill of Rights, then we have a problem. How can we expect our citizenry to value the protection of constitutional rights when they barely understand how we got here or how our system is supposed to work? Many European people have a better understanding of history, perhaps because so much of it has occurred in their neighborhood. I suspect Canadians may have a somewhat better grasp of history than Americans. I am certain they understand the US form of government better than Americans understand the Canadian parliamentary system. (Disclosure: I was unaware, until I visited PEI, that the Canadian confederation took place in Charlottetown.) The big story here, of course, is how this high degree of historical ignorance has implications today. In addition to misunderstanding budget issues, many Americans overestimate American standing in today’s increasingly competitive world. The US, once the envy of Western democracies, is faltering in such fundamental measures as educational attainment, health care, and standard of living. How can we understand today’s income inequality if we have no understanding of the pre-labor union corporate exploitation at the turn of the 20th Century? How can we address fundamental poverty without understanding the legacy of Jim Crow or the Great Depression of the 1930’s? Ignorance, of course, leads to an oversimplified view of complex issues. As Alduous Huxley famously declared, “Facts do not cease to exist because they are ignored.”

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LOOKIN NG OLDER WIT TH ATTIT TUDE %\ 6XQQ\ *OHVVQHU

t’s almost a shock each morning to see that older woman’s face peering back from my bathroom mirror. Not that she’s that old, or looks as old as she is, mind you. The reason for the shock is that I feel younger inside than the reflection I see. I still think of myself as the 50-yearold who climbed Mt. Fuji and walked miles to work daily with a heavily loaded backpack. What happened to her? Twenty years later, I still exercise and walk regularly. I can touch my palms to the floor and nose to my knee—maybe that’s where those leg wrinkles come from. Biking and swimming keep my limbs working and improve my balance. I feel downright frisky as I dance to old time rock n’ roll. I take no meds, and only see my doctor for routine checkups. So that face feels like a betrayal after practicing good habits and eating healthily for decades. I don’t want to grow up, let alone grow older. Do men look into the mirror and think they look older than they feel? Obviously some do, based on the popularity of Rogaine and hair dye for men. Then there are men like Willie Nelson, who seems to wear his wrinkles proudly. I asked some male friends whether they think about looking older than they feel. My unscientific sample ended with split results—4 “yes”, 5 “no”, and 1 “it depends”. I have no doubt about my women friends, who are as dismayed as I am by this “normal” process of aging. Many of my friends bemoan the legs covered with crepe paper skin, arms like albino bat wings and the addition of another chin. None of us are obsessed with our looks, although I do co-ordinate my purple flip-flops with my varicose veins. Many of us seem as angry about the fading of our looks as any deterioration in our health. Having never been a beauty, I don’t have to deal with the blow like someone who’s always been pretty and admired. That must be quite difficult, especially for those whose beauty provided their living. I do know, however, what it’s like to see the loss of my best feature—my hair. It was thick, shiny and silky. Now it’s thin and wimpy. Coloring my hair is my main act of defiance against looking older, but I hope I won’t feel it necessary to dye it until I’m dead.

El Ojo del Lago / July 2014

Weight loss is supposed to make one look better, but tell that to the new wrinkles in my face. I know women who’ve put weight back on because they couldn’t stand how their face looked after the weight loss. I didn’t intentionally put weight back on, but when it happened, the face wrinkles stayed. So now I have the worst of two worlds. Researchers have discovered that coffee berries prevent new wrinkles, but better yet is a drug called Retin A that can help most people reverse skin wrinkles. Can we buy it by the gallon? A friend lamented the sagging skin on her arms after losing weight. She decided it was worth the UVA—or is it B—exposure to get some color as camouflage, which made me wonder about the sun-damaged skin on my arms. Maybe color would make it less noticeable. Since the cause of the damage was too much sun already, I chose a tinted moisturizer. It did mask the white patches, but with an awful, orange cast, so scratch that idea. Some women resort to surgery, such as a face lift, caps on their teeth, or Botox injections, but I won’t go that far. However, I do occasionally pull back the skin on the side of my face just to enjoy looking 15 years younger for a few moments. Looks are always relative, so hanging around with women a decade or two older helps the ego, but stay away from those toned 30- and 40-year olds. If I can’t avoid them, I console myself with the thought that they probably won’t look as good as me when they’re my age. Not that I’m wishing them wrinkles—or am I?

Saw you in the Ojo 17

%\ 9LFWRULD 6FKPLGW

Low Season

ere at Lakeside, we divide the year into two seasons: high season and low season. High season reflects that time when many of the “snow birds” return up north to the milder temperatures, and to qualify for their insurance. Low season is that time when the yearround residents welcome the “sun birds” who come to Lakeside to escape the heat of their part of the country. The problem for Lakeside is that there are many more people in high season. The economy at Lakeside is much better, although driving through Ajijic is more challenging, and we have to leave a little earlier to make our appointments. But this year’s high season didn’t seem to hit the high points in the past. Low season can be fun. We don’t fight as much traffic, but then, we get to deal with the potholes, and the rainy roads. We try hard not to splash the pedestrians as we drive by. The lines are usually lower, but the stock is also a little lower. Many merchants work very hard to make it through the low season financially. My husband and I save our money for our projects and our dining out for the low season. We avoid the longer lines and waits for tables in the high season. Now is the time we try to show our favorite vendors and restaurateurs’ our loyalty. We try to eat out more of-

ten, and do things we have been putting off. This year is particularly bad for our merchant friends. Rumors of businesses being down by 60% are running rampant. Restaurants are coming up with promotions to bring in business, while others are closing for a month to help save overhead. Some eateries are running two-for-one specials; others are running game nights, while still others are offering summer light specials, and light prices, or special music. This year seems to be more difficult because the Mexican community is having a more difficult time with joblessness. The peso is down. The prices are up. The new tax laws have driven many shops and restaurants out of business. The locals cannot afford as much, and businesses all over are suffering. Some owners are dipping deep into their own pockets just to make it through this low season. I know that these people work hard for their money. I know that these businesses support more than one family. I even know of employees who have offered to work a day for less money or for free to help the owners make it through. These are people who have little room in their own budgets. I’d like to take this opportunity to encourage all the sunbirds, and those who live here year round, if their own finances can afford it, to move ahead on that project you’ve been planning for your house, or car. Buy that house you’ve been discussing for the last few years. Visit your favorite eatery a little more often, and to expand your horizons and visit some you haven’t tired yet. Take in more movies, and some local events. Do what you can to support our business owners at Lakeside. With the new tax laws, and the economy, they are all suffering. If we want them to be here in high season we need to all do our best to support them, especially this year.

Victoria Schmidt

El Ojo del Lago / July 2014

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“ENGLISH AS IT IS SPOKE” %\ 3HWHU ( *LEERQV

ometimes I wonder if there’s a similarity between an American immigrant learning to speak ‘’English” and ex-pats like ourselves learning to speak Mexican Spanish! Having bought an American company in 1980, I was required to employ Americans to qualify for my Green Card and temporary residence in the U.S. I also needed to prove I had sufficient income to support my family. Although not mandatory at that time, it was recommended that I learned “English.” Initially this rather puzzled me as I thought that was the language I’d been communicating in since I left my mother’s breast. It was also the language I used when completing the necessary immigration forms. Being a Brit, it took me a while to comprehend what the Immigration Department’s intentions were. They were not directed towards me specifically, but folks from countries whose mother tongue was something other than English. Having figured that out, I concentrated on the business I’d bought. It was an audio-visual entertainment rental system used in pizza parlors, restaurants, bars, river boats, day care centers, nursing homes and summer camp grounds located in numerous States. I had a U.P.S. pickup station for exchanging films. It was necessary to visit these outlets sometimes and sell the system to others . Very quickly I learned that my English was not always understood In fact I talked “funny” or was accused of having a “brogue.” Rather than acquiring the services of an elocutionist, like many other immigrants I used the television programs. Having a basic knowledge of the language gave me a distinct advantage over those that didn’t. From the many TV choices at that time, I chose what represented the all-American way of communicating, understandably, bearing in mind my business clientele. Henry Alfred Kissinger, former Secretary of State, topped my list, but I found his unique pronunciation a little difficult to master. On the other hand, the cast of All in The Family, the Honeymooners and Mel’s Diner seemed to fit the bill as a large number of those I did business with spoke in a similar way! Having almost perfected a new and varied way of communication was

El Ojo del Lago / July 2014

worthless, as within two years my audiovisual business was worth zilch, nada and a few other negatives around at that time. Video had arrived and the new kid on the block rapidly replaced my antiquated system. I wasn’t “needed no more.” I gave every piece of equipment to Florida Atlantic University’s Media Department and was told I’d enjoy a tax credit which was also worthless as I had no income. Having been involved in the end product of the movie industry for two years, I decided to get into the production end and became part of Disney and Universal Studios. My friends assured me that my “funny” British accent combined with the newly-acquired American one, I just couldn’t miss. There would be commercials and voice-overs in addition to the motion picture work. I was excited and motivated. Unfortunately, directors were neither. Talking “funny” and my “Americanize” didn’t cut the mustard. Undaunted, I became an “extra.” These are the people you often see in crowds, walking about, sitting down or silently talking among themselves but never ever looking into the camera. I wore the uniforms of a general and admiral. Also was a state prisoner, later a medical doctor. Some scenes were shot on sound stages and others on location. Even the commercials I did never required my linguistic talents, just how I looked, walked, drove a car or sat behind a desk. It was suggested that I did what most disillusioned Americans do; become a used car salesman or get a real estate license! And now after many years later, I am still talking “funny” because when pronouncing my name it comes out “Glibbons,” “Gibson,” “Glisson,” or “Gobonz.” I probably do need an elocutionist but with my background I’ll be speaking Esperanto. Peter E . Gibbons

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PROFILING TEPEHUA %\ 0RRQ\HHQ .LQJ PRRQLH #\DKRR FRP

epehua is home to many drug dealers and users. Many men, like Juan Jesus, fall into the seductive arms of alcohol/drug abuse. It makes them feel good - they own the world, they have no cares...until the sun peeks through the swollen lids, burning eyes and empty stomach. They awake to find they have lost their home and family, and possibly a front tooth, along with all the dreams they had when life was theirs. For Juan Jesus, reality came when he cared for a friend and watched her die the slow agonizing death of sclerosis of the liver. The doctors from the Tepehua Community Center made house calls to make the patient as comfortable as possible, and to help her let go of a life that had been so unkind. Juan Jesus administered medication until the end, then he checked himself into a rehab center: CRREAD (Centro de Recuperacion y Rehabilitacion para Enfermos de Alcoholismo y Drogadiccion Zono Uno A.C.) Juan Jesus took the Author through the center, with its high walls, deep in the heart of farm country in Santa Cruz. The facade of the building is forbidding but friendly. The Director, Alberto Hermosillo de Anda, was welcoming. The entire facility is run by inmates, each room housing around six men, with their own small locker. There is a holding room, where those picked up that day are on medication to ‘come down’...their glazed eyes fixed on a

El Ojo del Lago / July 2014

door to nowhere. Land was donated to the organization 25 years ago, by a man who lost his only son to addiction. The building was built by inmates. The men who run the center are all past/ present addicts. The youngest inmate a boy of 12 years...the eldest undetermined. It houses up to a hundred at any given time. Some stay as long as a year, some three months, like Juan Jesus. Because he ‘checked himself in’, he has a pass to find work and also to do ‘service’ work at the Tepehua Community Center. He does maintenance at Tepehua and keeps an eye on the older boys every Friday at the Center’s free brunch, where the playground allows them basketball, net ball etc. (Juan also had his front tooth replaced by the Center). C.R.R.E.A.D. organization needs help. They need clothes for the new pick-ups who have to be showered down and their cloths burnt. They improvise, as inmate Ernesto in the photo above demonstrates with a home-made dumbbell out of a steel rod and cement. They desperately need food...but they use whatever stores like Soriana’s throws out. It is a place of hope and pain shared, they are not alone or judged, they walk in each other’s shoes and possibly ours. This institution houses quite a few men from Tepehua. They have a chance to change...especially the very young. The Tepehua Community Center will help in every way it can. Should you have men’s clothing/shoes, gym equipment, please contact the author.

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SWEET MEXICAN MOMENTS %\ &DURO $ &XUWLV

wo hours. In just two hours, I was again reminded of the reasons I love Mexico. At 9:15 a.m. on a recent Friday morning, I set out to buy hamburger from the local meat market. Exiting my gate, I noticed the street had been wet down. Given we had no rain the previous night, I knew this meant something was soon going to take place on our road. Seeing a neighbor, I asked what was happening this morning. A procession to honor Good Friday would be coming through about 11:00 a.m. I knew what this meant. I needed to clean the sidewalk outside my home. As I went back to get the broom and dustpan, a few children came to help. Quickly we swept up the leaves and dirt, picked up the evening’s litter, placed palm fronds on the gate, and put fresh flowers by the wall mounted Virgin of Guadalupe. I paid those who helped a few pesos and started down the street to get the hamburger. At the corner, I came across a truck-bed float. Milling around were children in costumes excitedly waiting for the procession. I realized that the procession was going to be a communal Stations of the Cross. This was one of the stations that would be a tableau when the crowd came to it. A close examination showed several more trucks and costumed children tucked into the side streets. As I approached the meat market, I saw that I was out of luck. Doors closed … no hamburger today. Pausing to consider my options, one of my helpers came down and knocked on the door. He called to those inside to tell them that someone wanted to buy meat. The lovely proprietor came out and asked how much I needed. I explained that I would love to get a kilo of hamburger, but I realized she was closed today. I promised to come back tomorrow. She asked if I could wait an hour and she’d get the meat for me. Sure, no problem. A passing truck slowed down at her request; her husband leaped into

El Ojo del Lago / July 2014

it; and off he went. She asked my helper if he’d take the meat to me when it came. Then she sent me home to wait for the personal delivery of tonight’s dinner. As promised, shortly after 11 a.m. singing echoed through the street. The people stopped at one of the Stations of the Cross, and the priest led them in a prayer. Then the crowd moved toward my house. As they passed by, you could see several generations joined together in prayer and song on a day that is deeply rooted in their personal, religious beliefs. The children in costume quickly got into the tableau that represented the next station and stayed that way through the priest’s prayers. Once the large crowd had completely passed by, the children gave high fives and took off the uncomfortable helmets and hats. And at 11:15 a.m. my hamburger arrived delivered by a neighborhood boy who had respectfully waited for the procession to pass him before he dashed toward the popsicle I held. Looking at the children, I was reminded of my son. As a U.S. school administrator, I knew he had just dismissed the student body for the day – early dismissal in honor of Good Friday is traditional. But rather than the students spending a few minutes in prayer or thinking about how they might improve their community, I know from experience that most teenagers are off to the mall or group couch surfing and posting tons of new selfies. Any wonder I love Mexico moments? Carol Curtis

Saw you in the Ojo 25

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

If you change your perception you change your world.

have been re-reading Deepak Chopra’s Ageless Body, Timeless Mind: The Quantum Alternative to Growing Old, a book I might usefully have paid more attention to when I discovered it years ago. His insights come from both Ayurveda, “India’s ancient system of mind-body medicine,” and “modern particle physics.” “We,” Chopra boldly declares, “are the only creatures on earth that can change our biology by what we think and feel.” And “If you change your perception, you change the experience of your body and your world.” Your body is constantly changing. “The skin replaces itself once a month, the stomach lining every five days, the liver every six weeks, and the skeleton every three months. By the end of this year, 98 percent of the atoms in your body will have been exchanged for new ones.” When we live consciously, the tendency to age declines, but when we live unconsciously, numerous deteriorations set in. There are now abundant techniques to consciously influence our bodies. This knowledge has actually “been imparted for centuries through spiritual traditions in which masters have preserved the youthfulness of their bodies far into old age.” We are all familiar with the placebo effect. Give a patient a placebo, an inert or dummy drug, sometimes simply a sugar pill, and the pain stops, excessive gastric secretions stop, blood pressure drops to normal. This is the key point: “the body is capable of producing any biochemical response once the mind has been given the appropriate suggestion. The pill itself is meaningless; the power that activates the placebo effect is the power of suggestion alone.” Why not, then, simply bypass “the deception of the sugar pill and go directly to intention? If we could effectively trigger the intention not to age, the body would carry it out automatically.” Chopra suggests that “In place of the belief that your body decays with

El Ojo del Lago / July 2014

time, nurture the belief that your body is new at every moment.” The most valuable lesson to learn is that “If you want to change your body, change your awareness first.” Quantified research shows that “Biological age responds to psychological age”. Chopra offers techniques that will help us to gain clarity about “the mechanics of intention”, This is one of the exercises he suggests: 1) Sit quietly and relax your body using one of the methods given in the book. 2) “Intend the outcome you want. Be specific.” 3) “Don’t get bogged down in details. Don’t force or concentrate.” 4) “Expect and believe in the outcome. Know that it is certain.” 5) “Realize that doubt, worry, and attachment will only interfere with success.” 6) Let go of the desire. You don’t have to mail a letter twice…. 7) Be open to the feedback that comes to you either inside yourself or from the environment.” Chopra also discusses the importance of meditation (“Meditation lowers biological age.”) and also how to drastically reduce stress (“Stress always arises if you concentrate on how something has to turn out.”) Finally, “the most powerful and potent medicine” is Love. “Real love gains complete satisfaction simply by flowing out to what is loved; if love comes back, that is an added joy, but it isn’t required or demanded. In addition to his printed and electronic books, I also enjoy the various lectures and meditations by Deepak Chopra available gratis on YouTube. Jim Tipton

7+( 6 675((7 3 3(5)250(5 %\ 7HUL 6D\D

any of the major intersections here in Mexico have street performers. If you are the first car to hit the red light, you get the best seat in the house for these three to five minute shows. I’ve seen acrobats, dancers, drummers, jugglers, and fire-eaters. That’s just the line-up for intersections, there is so much more! In the El Centro (downtown) in Guadalajara on a weekend, you’ll see an amazing array of these performances. The performers themselves can vary greatly in skill. Some of them are just kids with hula-hoops and devil sticks. Devil sticks are fun; I bought some of these for my sons

when they were young. It’s a 3-foot long rubber baton that you keep twirling in the air with two sticks. These little street performers are really good at it! Their costumes range from a dirty T-shirt and torn pants to sequins and lace. Some of the acrobats and jugglers do elaborate “Cirque du Soleil” moves that are amazing! You’ll be walking along the square and come across a crowd of people. Suddenly a lithe teen-age girl pops ten feet in the air above the crowd, spins and drops back out of sight. You push your way in and find four acrobats pulling the corners of a large, thick cloth while the girl in the middle

bounces gracefully into the air, back flips twice and lands gently to be propelled once again. After several bounces, the acrobats drop the cloth and make a living totem pole. The brawniest guy at the bottom and the girl standing at the top, her arms outstretched. Around the corner, one guy dresses up as a Chinese monk with the conical hat and robes. He does a levitating act that is pretty cool! He sits on a mat in the lotus position. Then slowly rises about two feet from the mat and seems to float there. He has little silk flowers that he hands to anyone coming close enough to see how he does it. The traditional Concheros dancers are colorful and lively. They wear intricate Aztec style headdresses and costumes. Their indigenous instruments consist of drums, flutes, rattles, and ankle shells. The Concheros Dance is ceremonial and has been performed since the colonial times in Mexico. The brightly colored costumes of the tall stilt walkers billow in the breeze as they stride through El Centro square. Below them are clowns on unicycles circling and honking their little horns at the kids. Throughout the year, many of

these performances include images of skeletons to represent “The Day of the Dead,” which honors loved ones who have passed on. It’s a huge celebration in Mexico from October 31st to November 2nd. Sometimes, there is just one tall man dressed up as death leaning on a scythe. With a creep factor of ten, he stands still in the middle of a busy walkway turning his hooded head, watching people as they go by. His boney hand holds a small sack where people drop their extra change. Back at the intersection, a shirtless man carries a flaming stick. He takes a mouthful of flammable liquid and creates a three-foot blowtorch by spraying this stuff on the flame. If your car is one of those closest to this dragon act, some of the spray lands on your windshield. Hmmm, let’s think about this for a second. It’s an intersection, you’re sitting in a car carrying about sixteen gallons of fuel in your tank. Fumes are being spewed out of exhaust pipes all around you. Is it me or does anyone else feel a bit nervous? Teri Saya

Saw you in the Ojo 27

THE BUNKER MENTALITY IN ALBANIA %\ &DURO / %RZPDQ

rita lowered her head, trying to hide her tears. She stood in front of a mushroom shaped dome protruding five feet above ground. The deteriorated steel and concrete enclosure with a width of six feet at its broadest point caused many claustrophobic panics in times gone by. “I’m sorry. Whenever I speak about the past, I remember the pain that my family suffered,” our local guide admitted in near perfect English. A hush fell over the group, as Drita’s story unfolded and we stood silent, mesmerized by it. The horrific memories of ‘bunkerisation’ surfaced as she rehashed the harsh and punishing 40-year period from 1945-1985, when Communist

Enver Hoxha ruled Albania with brutal repression. Few visitors know of the cruelty Albania’s people have endured. Drita swallowed hard, pushing back the emotions and apologized for her momentary breakdown, then continued her story. Throughout his reign of terror, Enver Hoxha controlled the nation with a paranoid fervor. He brain-washed his people to believe that Greece would invade at any moment and that moderate Tito from next-door Yugoslavia planned on exterminating every Albanian. His insistence on total isolation from any outside influence plunged Albania into severe economic conditions for decades. Initially employing hard-line Stalin-style Communism, he switched to Mao Tse Tung practices when Khrushchev offered reforms. However, after Richard Nixon was invited to China in 1972, Hoxha discarded his alliance with Mao and developed his own brand of Communism with increased suppression against his subjects. To cement these xenophobic ideas into the minds of the people, between 1967 and 1985, Hoxha ordered the construction of 750,000 concrete and steel, rifle slatted bunkers in the middle of streets, in cemeteries, in the mountains, in people’s back yards; one bunker per every four inhabitants. All Albanian citizens, from age three, received training as civilian militia, which required regular participa-

El Ojo del Lago / July 2014

tion in civil defense drills and forced guard duty to be ready to repel ghost invaders. Each bunker came supplied with government issued guns minus ammunition, since the facilities were never used against any attack. Instead, they served their intended purpose of controlling the Albanian people through fear. “We had very little food, but we all had a bunker,” Drita explained. “No cars were allowed, so no roads were built, businesses were nationalized and we could not own any private property. Hoxha banned all religions, after he proclaimed Albania the world’s first Atheist State in 1967. Religious leaders faced imprisonment and torture.” Drita turned to her family’s personal experience.“ Both my mother and I had been trained as teachers. The school curriculum for all grades required the Communist Party Doctrine to be the primary, compulsory subject. A guard stood outside our home every evening to listen through the walls, monitoring if any family member ever criticized the government.” Drita’s voice turned softer, her tears of pain now streaming. “My mother loved Greek romance novels and a friend managed to sneak one over the border for her. My younger brother, a true comrade, told the local Party leader that our mother had the outlawed paperback. The police could have easily imprisoned my father for not controlling his wife better, but fortunately he was able to persuade the authorities that he had destroyed the book. I never trusted my brother again.” What does Albania do with 750,000 impenetrable bunkers now that it is a free, democratic nation, a member of NATO and European Union applicant? How does the beautiful Ionian Sea port city of Saranda, named the world’s most interesting getaway by Lonely Planet in 2011, explain the pervasive reminders of Hoxha’s rule? How

can a country, stunted by isolation and deprived of technological development for decades, become a tourist destination, with its poor system of roads, frequent disruption of electrical service and drab, Communist-grey appearance of the 1960’s? Construction of over 100 newly built, beach front condos and hotels, reportedly funded by the hard-line Russian and Albanian mafia, line Saranda’s coast. Drita explained that these lodgings serve European vacationers for two summer months, but remain empty the rest of the year because updated infrastructure to support this expansion has been ignored. It reminded me of ‘if you build it, they will come’ mentality. Albanian citizens, long suppressed by authoritarian rule, have blossomed into a band of innovative entrepreneurs with a shifted ‘bunker mind-set.’ Capitalizing on foreigners’ curiosity about these fear-mongering relics, every guided tour throughout the country now offers bunker-site visits. Drita, teacher turned guide, relives her raw memories with each excursion, but educating travelers eases the ache. Several larger constructions, designated to shelter past Communist Party leaders, have sprouted into cafés, while smaller bunkers function as hot dog stands, ice cream parlors and trysts for young Albanian lovers. Removing nearly a million bunkers could bankrupt the country, so these resilient people have incorporated them into their economic landscape. As we left Drita, I hugged her tightly, allowing my awareness of her pain to flow between us. Drifting down Saranda’s main street, we passed a souvenir shop. In the window, I spied pencil sharpeners, ashtrays and refrigerator magnets, all replicas of Carol L. Bowman bunkers!

Saw you in the Ojo 29

%\ 3K\OOLV (ZLQJ

y parents divorced when I was eight years old. In those days it was unusual for a woman to stand her ground and step out on her own, especially with a child to support. Women were entering the work place in force and my mother became one of them. We left my father just before Christmas, 1953. I finished the school year in Fort Worth and that summer the two of us took a Continental Trailways bus to Sacramento to visit my grandmother. Texas summers are incredibly hot, so we packed accordingly. We

El Ojo del Lago / July 2014

were fine until my grandmother decided on a side trip to San Francisco. These two Texans thought we had just stepped into a walk-in-freezer. My mom immediately started shopping for coats. I remember the coat she bought for herself was short and made of rust-colored cloth. My grandmother offered to keep me in California for a year so my mom could organize her new life before bringing me home. While getting herself settled, she met her soon-to-become second husband. My stepfather was a man who knew how to spend money and my mom

knew how to manage it. In the years to come her short, rust-colored cloth coat began to show signs of real wear. I could see it, but she never complained, as her family always came first. By the time I was 13, I decided I wanted money of my own and she helped me find a Saturday house cleaning job. I earned $3.00 a week and completely supported all my girlish needs. At the end of my 13th year, I decided that my mom needed a new coat. There was a family-owned and operated dress shop that offered layaway. They kindly and patiently helped me buy mom a leather coat. Every Saturday, she would drive me to the bus which would take me to my house cleaning job. After work she would pick me up and take me directly to the dress shop where I made my $3.00 payment and collected Green Stamps, which I obediently handed over to her. She knew I was buying something for her, but thought it might be a pantsuit. I said nothing. On Christmas Eve we opened our gifts. To her complete surprise she saw the most beautiful cream colored leather coat she had ever seen. She hugged it and cried. No one, but her daughter, had noticed that her short, rust-colored cloth coat was slowly wearing away. She wore that leather coat for many, many years until the cream coloring started to wear off and signs of the dark leather beneath shown through. The next year was the year of the mouton fur coat. All my friends and probably every girl in school had one. I begged for one, but there simply was no extra money for such an extravagance. That Christmas my gift under the tree was a small box. Whatever was in that box was heavy and when handled, slid from side to side and end to end. My parents made me wait until all the gifts were opened before I was allowed to open my â&#x20AC;&#x153;mystery box.â&#x20AC;? When opened, I was puzzled to see a used book in a Christmas card box. My face dropped. My stepfather went into their bedroom. Mom followed and then called me to come to them. It was the most beautiful mouton fur coat I had ever seen. They laid it out on the bed and I flew from the bedroom door onto the bed, wrapped myself around that lovely, silvery, charcoal grey coat and cried. I finally had a mouton fur coat! The two coats were given from the heart with love and sacrifice and for different reasons. She had done the same thing I had: layaway.

Saw you in the Ojo 31

Sandy Olson

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

PAST EVENTS

$ -2<)8/ (6/ &(/(%5$7,21 Twenty two teachers, along with 300 students, family and friends, celebrated another completed school year of the Lake Chapala Societyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s English program for the Mexican community on May 24. Pictured are Nestor Solano and DiUHFWRU ,QH] 'D\HU Says Inez, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Nestor is a third level student who works as a gardener, has perfect attendance for the year and does all of his homework promptly and perfectly. He is just one of many students who make teaching so rewarding.â&#x20AC;? Interested in teaching as a volunteer? Email Inez at inezme@gmail.com. The next school year starts in mid-September. :+((/&+$,5 7(11,6 ANYONE? The Racquet Club of San Juan Cosala recently VSRQVRUHG WKH ÂżUVW :KHHOchair Tennis Tournament at Lakeside. The name of the wheelchair team is called Club -DOLVFLHQFH GH 7HQLV 6LOOD GH 5XHGDV There were a total of twenty-four players and seventy spectators. The club is promoting wheelchair tennis throughout Mexico, and is also providing new and used wheelchairs for people in rural Mexico. There are over 100,000 people in Mexico who are home bound and in need of a wheelchair. If you can help or know of someone that can donate a wheelchair (s) please call Tito or Richard: titoeltapatio34@gmail.com LIGHT SENSITIVE The Naked Stageâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s June show was Light Sensitive by Jim Geoghan. It was directed by 5RELQ /DZUDVRQ BIRTHDAY GETThe cast, left to right: Georgette Richmond, TOGETHER FOR ELLiz White, Jim Ryan, Fred Koesling, with EGANT SENIORS

Director Robin Lawrason. Longtime Lakeside resident Ross Brownridge celebrated his 85th birthday on May 31 with a festive noontime party at the Happiness Garden above Casita Montana in Ajijic. Also honored were six other â&#x20AC;&#x153;elegant seniors,â&#x20AC;? ranging in age from 80 to 93â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Mimi *DUGQHU 0LFKDHO +DOO 5XWK :HKHOP 1RUGD 3DXO *XGUXQ -RQHV (representing husband 'U\GHQ), and /LOL .DZDQDNRD

COMING EVENTS

$&7 12: The /DNHVLGH /LWWOH 7KHDWUH is planning two summer offerings in July. On Monday, July 7, there will be a Volunteer Expo coordinated

Ross Brownridge, The Birthday Boy

El Ojo del Lago / July 2014

by LLT Production Manager .DWKOHHQ 1HDO Then, starting on Wednesday, July 9 there will be a three-week Actorsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Workshop coordinated by 5RVHDQQ :LOVKHUH The Volunteer Expo is intended for those who would like to be crew members or otherwise help backstage. The free three-hour session will be followed by a theatre tour and a chance for participants to visit with department coordinators on the terrace afterwards. There will be a sign-up sheet at the door, starting at 9:30 a.m. The Actorsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Workshop will consist of lectures, experiential exercises, scene runthroughs with feedback from the facilitator, Roseann Wilshere, and independent work on scenes and rehearsals. She will teach techniques based on the book Audition by Michael Shurtleff. This book is a must-read for all would-be actors. Teams of participants will either choose or be assigned a Director Roseann Wilshere scene of approximately 10 minutes, and after rehearsals the intensive will culminate in on-stage performances at the theater on July 26 and 27. For preregistration sign-up for the Actorsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; :RUNVKRS JR WR WKH //7 H PDLO DW ODNHVLGHOLWWOHWKHDWUH#JPDLO FRP DQG HQWHU 3UHUHJLVWUDWLRQ RQ WKH 6XEMHFW OLQH RU phone Collette Clavadetscher DW Payment for enrollment and membership is due on July 9, from 10 to 11. The 150 SHVR IHH LQFOXGHV OXQFK WKH ÂżUVW GD\ DQG //7 PHPEHUVKLS &XUUHQW //7 PHPEHUV SD\ only 50 pesos. LEARN TO SHOOT (PHOTOS, THAT IS) Jill Flyer has just announced a fascinating summer schedule of photography and Photoshop classes. She is going to teach four classes of camera basics and composition combined with travel photography (sights, scenes and people portraits). The classes will be held on Wednesdays at 2 p.m., July 9, 16, 23 and 30 in Mirasol. The cost for all four classes will be $550 pesos. If someone misses a class, Jill is always available for a make-up session. Jill is also offering three followup classes, in Photoshop. For more information and enrollment, and directions to the class and how to get copies of Photoshop installed, SOHDVH ZULWH -LOO DW IRWRĂ&#x20AC;\HU #\DKRR FRP RU FDOO DW 766-3025. ITâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S A BUSY MUSICAL SEASON Photographer Jill Flyer -RKQ .HHOLQJ 9LYD 0XVLFD 3UHVLGHQW has announced the summer program for Lakeside music lovers. 6XQGD\ -XO\ ,PSUHVVLRQV RI ,WDO\ (Conductor: John Nelson) Verdi: Four Sacred Pieces; Puccini: Edgar; Giordano: Fedora; Mascagni: Cavalleria Rusticana; Respighi: Roman Festival. )ULGD\ -XO\ 18 Homage to RichDUG 6WUDXVV 1R (Conductor: Marco Parisotto) Strauss: Jalisco Philharmonic Orchestra Der Rosenkavalier; Schumann: Cello Concerto; Strauss: Thus Spoke Zarathustra. Ticket prices for all bus trips are 250 pesos for Viva members and 350 for nonmembers. Tickets are available at LCS Thursdays & Fridays 10-12. Friday trips leave at 4.30 p.m. and stop at a better restaurant in Guadalajara before the concert. Sunday trips leave at 10.30 a.m. Buses leave just east of Farmacia Guadalajara. Seats are reserved only when tickets are purchased. Viva orders the symphony tickets ten days ahead, so please make your purchase before that time. Viva Summer Concerts

Saw you in the Ojo 33

Sergio Medina and Hugo Ernesto Gracian

6XQGD\ -XO\ &HVDU %HFHUro, bass baritone, singing operatic music, accompanied on the piano by 7LP :HOFK. He is another Viva scholarship winner and will be studying voice in Mexico City. 6XQGD\ $XJXVW Guitar recital by Duo Medina-Gracian, a virtuoso guitar duo from Guadalajara playing wonderful music arranged for two guitars. These concerts will be in the Auditorium at 4.00 p.m. Tickets are 200 pesos and will be on sale at the Auditorium, Diane Pearl Colecciones, and LCS ticket booth Thursdays & Fridays 10-12. These concerts will be in the Auditorium at 4.00 p.m. Tickets are 200 pesos and will be on sale at the Auditorium, Diane Pearl Colecciones, and LCS ticket booth Thursdays & Fridays 10-12. 7KLV SURFHVVLRQ 0DVV DQG Âżesta include numerous groups of Azteca Danzantes from different regions and attendance from all nine of the Lakeside villages.

THIS RACE IS A BIG DEAL â&#x20AC;Śâ&#x20AC;Śand fun to watch, too Top-notch extreme terrain runners from Mexico, Canada and the United States come together at the Ajijic Plaza on Sunday, July 20 for the North American Central American Caribbean (NA2014 Team Members CAC) Mountain &KDPSLRQVKLS 5DFH For the past eight years, the NACAC Mountain Championship has been held on a rotating basis between the three North American countries. This year Ajijic was selected as the Mexico venue. Fittingly dubbed as the 6ROR 3DUD 6DOYDMHV (for savages only), the main Chupinaya event is a one- loop race following a 13.8-kilometer (8.57 miles) course. It starts in the Ajijic Plaza at 1,550 meters (5,020 feet) above sea level and climbs up to 2,400 meters (7,875 feet) before descending back to the starting line. The competition also encompasses a recreational race, open to joggers and hikers opting for a less taxing 6.5-kilometer route that turns back at the halfway point of the long course. A former participants shared these words. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The race was over two and a half hours IRU VRPH RI XV DQG SXVKHG WKH OLPLW RI P\ DELOLWLHV 7KH ÂżQLVK ZDV SHUIHFW DV WKH FURZG FKHHUHG IRU HYHU\RQH WKDW ÂżQLVKHGÂ˛WKDQN \RX &KXSLQD\D Â´ Spectators also enjoy this raceâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;they can get in on the race energy without having to do the work! Look for where to register and the starting time in the Guadalajara Reporter. IS IT ART, OR ISNâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;T IT? In July The Naked Stage will present Mass Appeal, directed by *UDKDP 0LOOHU Cast members are Allen McGill and -RKQ -RQHV This is a play about the many levels and meanings of friendship. It tells the story of the relationship between Tim Farley, a popular parish priest, and Mark Dolson, a young ÂżUHEUDQG VHPLQDULDQ ZKR FKDOOHQJHV FKXUFK SRVLWLRQV LQ JHQHUDO DQG )DWKHU )DUOH\ LQ particular. As the play progresses, each man is profoundly changed by the experience of knowing the other. The production will run July 25, 26 and 27. The e-mail address for future reservations: nakedstagereservations@gmail.com. Reservations guarantee a seat until 3:50, after which seats will be sold to those waiting without reservations. The Naked Stage is located at #10A Rio Bravo. Directions: west on the carretera from Ajijic, south on Rio Bravo, about two blocks down behind Danielâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Restaurant

El Ojo del Lago / July 2014

Left to right: Darlene Webb, Britt Proud, Susie Wagner and Judy Kells on the east side. Danielâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s is open for lunch and dinner with a no host bar available at S P 7KH ER[ RIÂżFH RSHQV DW DQG WKH VKRZ VWDUWV DW S P :+(5( <$ )520" All of us expats are from someplace else, mostly Canada and the US. We can idenWLI\ RXU FRXQWULHV RI RULJLQ EXW ÂżQH WXQLQJ D GHÂżQLWH DQVZHU WR ÂłZKHUH DUH \RX IURP"Â´ gets hard. Lately a group of four ladies having lunch tried to answer the question. First they looked perplexed. The next question is, â&#x20AC;&#x153;You mean originally? Or do you mean the place I lived the longest? Or most recently?â&#x20AC;? And so on. Like manyâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;or even mostâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;of Lakeside residents, the four have moved multiple times. Judy, for instance, has lived in eight provinces of Canada. Swedish Britt lived for eleven years in Indonesia, and too many other places to mention. Susie and her late husband traveled widely for his work and she still has that momentum going. Darlene, the Maine snowbird at the table, says she once moved eight times in two years. Whatever their backgrounds, these women are representative of a lot of Lakeside residents. Even those who have been here a long time hop on planes or sign up with tour companies or even travel around Mexico on their own, by car or bus. A LIVELY BUNCH OF BRIDGE PLAYERS The 0RQGD\ %ULGJH *URXS that meets at Maria Isabel Restaurant on Mondays at 1:30 has been going for over ten years. Some of the original members are still playing. All levels of bridge players are welcome, although those who havenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t played since college might want to brush up on their game, since the group plays six rounds of four hands. Each round has to be completed in half an hour. Given that advice, interested Alicia Salcido and Kathy Kuntz, people can join the group for a yearly membership of eighty pesos a year. Co-Chairs Daily games are twenty pesos for members and thirty pesos for guests. Twice a year the club has social get-togethers, one at Christmas and another a going away party for snowbirds. If youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re interested, drop in some Monday at one oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;clock and talk to either .DWK\ .XQW] RU $OLFLD 6DOFLGR Co-chairs.

ONGOING EVENTS

+2: '2(6 <285 *$5'(1 *52:" Join others every third Wednesday at 10, to share your expertise on growing vegetables and herbs in the Lake Chapala area. The next meeting will be on July 16 at Azul Frida Restaurant, Carretera #61 New members can contact John McWilliams at mcwilliamsmx@gmail.com or by phone at 376-766-0620. 648($.< :+((/ 5($',1*6 La Rueda (the wheel), a new coffee/gallery in San Juan Cosala, stages monthly UHDGLQJV LQ (QJOLVK 7KH\ DUH KHOG RQ WKH ÂżUVW :HGQHVGD\ RI HDFK PRQWK 7KH QH[W reading will be on August 6. Directions to La Rueda : at the only stop light in San Juan Cosala, turn towards the ODNH *R RQH EORFN DQG WXUQ ULJKW DW WKH SOD]D RQ 3RUÂżULR 'LD] 'ULYH WZR EORFNV RU VR past Viva Mexico restaurant on your right. Please arrive at 3 pm to order refreshments. The readings begin at 3:30. Writers who want to read, or those needing further information, can contact Judy Dykstra-Brown at 387-761-0281 or email her at jubob2@hotmail.com. AMERICAN LEGION IN CHAPALA Saturdays: 3:30 - 6:30 p.m. Fish Fry Sundays: Burgers & Dogs 12 - 3 p.m.

Saw you in the Ojo 35

Dear Sir: I cannot believe the article by R Nipper in the May 2014 issue of El Ojo! Not only is he a bigoted jerk, he has no knowledge of North American history other than the idiotic teachings of the B . . . . . . . who wrote it. Columbus, Plymouth Rock, Jamestown, are all complete myths! These arrogant jerks come down here and act like the ugly Americans they are. (I did not capitalize for a reason). They want to “educate” everyone on their lack of history and make the same mess here as they have up North. You jerks need to go

back up North and crawl into what ever sewer you crawled out of and stay there. Mexico is not about you and the Mexicans seem to be very happy with the way things are. It is not about you jerks and I point out, it is against the law for you to stick your nose in Mexican politics. Rita Golden Gelman has already responded to your ridiculous article and I hope I have added to her response. You are the epitome of the Ugly Gringo. Go back where you came from and stay there! Ed Knudson edrasa2@outlook.com.mx

An Angel In An Unexpected Place %\ *DEULHOOH %ODLU

eculiar travel arrangements are dancing lessons from God — Kurt Vonnegut He wasn’t that young - late fifties perhaps. We were late arriving at Mexico City, our plane having been delayed in Toronto for nearly an hour. We knew it would be tight crossing from Terminal 1 to 2 for our connection to Guadalajara. To add to our distress, the conveyer belt had broken down, so instead of our luggage being automatically transported to Aero Mexico, allowing us to hop on the rapid train transit, we were forced to take the slow bus, heaving four heavy suitcases and hand luggage with us. His hair was grey, his eyes sparkled and with a winning smile, he heaved all the luggage onto his cart and rushed with us to the check-in counter. Too late! “So sorry, but the cut-off time for boarding with luggage is forty minutes!” We had got there with only thirty-five minutes to spare. No matter. Still smiling, trundling the luggage and with the two of us in toe, we headed for the Aero Mexico booking counter to change our tickets for the next flight. “So sorry! We can’t help you. You booked through Air Canada. You must go back to terminal 1 and get Air Canada to change your tickets.” He rushes with us to the lockers where we leave the luggage. Porters are

El Ojo del Lago / July 2014

not allowed on the inter-terminal trains, so we board the bus again. At terminal 1, we find that the Air Canada office closed 3 hours ago and won’t open until the next day at 6 a.m. We’re getting desperate, but he is not. He helps us find a pay phone. It won’t accept our credit cards. He waits while I buy a phone card, waits while I call to delay our ride that was just leaving Ajijic to pick us up. “What did you do before becoming a porter?” I venture to ask this kindly gentleman. “I was a notary public”. Even with our poor Spanish, we understand that three years ago the firm went broke. The pay’s bad but he’s been a porter ever since. We board the bus for the third time in three hours. Back at terminal 2, he accompanies us to the Aero Mexico booking office where we buy two new tickets. “Take it up with Air Canada”, they say. “They may reimburse you.” He accompanies us to the lockers and hauls the luggage to Departures. “What’s your name?” I ask him “Miguel Angel”, he smiles and points to his name tag. We tip him very well and with gratitude he hugs us and fervently crosses himself. Perhaps the whole point of this seemingly futile exercise was to have the privilege of spending three hours with the Airport Angel.

Saw you in the Ojo 37

A LETTER FROM HELEN KELLER 0D\

o the Student Body of Germany: History has taught you nothing if you think you can kill ideas. Tyrants have tried to do that often before, and the ideas have risen up in their might and destroyed them. You can burn my books and the books of the best minds in Europe, but the ideas in them have seeped through a million channels and will continue to quicken other minds. I gave all the royalties of my books for all time to the German soldiers blinded in the World War with no thought in my heart but love and compassion for the German people. I acknowledge the grievous complications that have led to your intolerance; all the more do I deplore the injustice and un-wisdom of passing on to unborn

i h stigma i d generations the off your d deeds. Do not imagine that your barbarities to the Jews are unknown here. God sleepeth not, and He will visit His judgment upon you. Better were it for you to have a mill-stone hung around your neck and sink into the sea than to be hated and despised of all men. Helen Keller

Chapala Smart friends will think youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re rather chic When you retire to Ajijic. Theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll know thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s â&#x20AC;&#x153;where the water runsâ&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Neath temperate skies and gentle suns. May even know Chapala Lake Invites retirement for its sake; Where anytime you might request a Margarita and siesta. Soft zephyrs blowing off the lake Confirm again a temperate clime, And gentle native folks partake Of slower life, maĂąana time. Sure, Lake Chapalaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s northern shore Will teem with life forever more, With weary folks from distant shores, With wounded veterans of lifeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s wars. Medley birds and crowing cocks, Tethered horses, cherished rocks. Magazine â&#x20AC;&#x153;Ojo del Lago,â&#x20AC;? Guacamole, avocado. Tianguis market beckons me, Your Wednesdayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s camaraderie, Your vivid palette to behold, Your produce ripe, your colors bold, Your spirit young, your manners old. Utopia and Shangri-La And then, of course, Valhallaâ&#x20AC;&#x201D; While living though, weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll stake our claim Near lovely Lake Chapala, Then thriving there, Inshâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ala.

Mark Sconce 38

El Ojo del Lago / July 2014

Saw you in the Ojo 39

%XW :KDW , 5HDOO\ 0HDQW :DV« %\ .DWK\ .RFKHV

everal years ago, before moving to Mexico, my husband and I took a vacation in the Yucatan. We thought we spoke a little Spanish, because I had taken several years of it in school and my husband worked in a Mexican restaurant for many years. Now the only Spanish he learned there was about food, and, of course, how to swear! We had rented a Volkswagen bug and while driving across the Yucatan peninsula we decided to stop for a few nights. We found a charming little Mexican hotel in Valladolid and checked in, parking our car in the secure parking lot. We took our luggage, consisting of several suitcases, into the room and enjoyed a good night’s sleep. The next morning we decided to go for a swim in a nearby cenote we had read about, so packed a small tote bag and went out to our car. As we were backing out of the driveway, the manager of the hotel came running out, waving his arms and yelling loudly in totally incomprehensible (at least to us) Spanish. We saw that he was waving a paper in his hands as he came closer. When he got about 10 feet from the car he stopped for breath, and I asked him, in Spanish, to please repeat what he had said more slowly. I was able to figure out that he thought we were leaving

El Ojo del Lago / July 2014

without paying our hotel bill. When I explained all this to my husband, he leaned out the window of the car and said, in his very best Spanish, “Dos mas nachos!” The hotel manager just stood there, eyes wide, with his head cocked to one side, saying “Que?” I was laughing so hard that I could not correct his mistake. Finally I gasped out, “No, honey, it’s “noches” not “nachos!” (noches means nights, nachos are a tortilla type snack!) We decided that from that point on I would do the talking. I told that story to a friend of mine, mentioning that I had also made another huge mistake in Spanish. I told someone that I was “embarazada.” I thought I was saying I was embarrassed – and boy was I ever embarrassed when I found out that it means “pregnant!” My friend told me that she had gone into a restaurant to order a drink (bebida) and instead had told the waiter she wanted a “bebé” (baby!) Not sure what he thought about that!! That same friend had also tried to order a diet coke (Coca lite) and instead had asked for a cola lite (a tail light). I wonder what he brought her! She also ordered “bistec con camionetas” (beef steak with pickup trucks) instead of “champiñones” (mushrooms) for dinner one night. This same friend, when trying to buy a new mattress, asked for “un matriz” (which means womb.) I can only imagine the look on that salesman’s face! I have suggested to my friend that perhaps she might want to take a few classes in Spanish in the near future. Some other friends have related a few of their mistakes to me. One man was trying to compliment a Mexican woman on her cute little girls, and told her “Sus chicas son muy limpias” (Your girls are very clean!) instead of “muy linda” (very pretty!) Another friend of mine told her Mexican hostess that she was a “buena cochina” (a good pigpen) instead of cocinara buena (good cook). I’m not sure if she was ever invited back!

Saw you in the Ojo 41

THE CONSERVATIVE CORNER Stealing an American dream one national monument at a time %\ 0DULWD 1RRQ

hanks to the EPA’s announcement of the new C02 regulations and the Bergdahl prisoner swap, excessive executive power has been prominently featured in the news cycle. Yet, just last month another story of executive overreach got little coverage. On May 21, President Obama signed an order creating, what the Washington Post called: “the largest national monument of the Obama presidency so far.” After years of heated local debate, and despite polling that shows the people are not behind the president, he declared the Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks region of New Mexico, nearly 500,000 acres, a national monument— his eleventh such designation of this type “so far.” Ranchers and off-road vehicle users have opposed the large-scale monument. The Las Cruces Sun-News (LCSN)

states: “In particular, ranchers have been concerned about impacts to their grazing allotments on public lands in the wake of the new monument.” The LCSN reports: “Republican Rep. Steve Pearce, whose congressional district covers the region, issued a statement taking issue with Obama’s use of the 1906 U.S. Antiquities Act, saying monuments created under it are supposed to cover only the ‘smallest area compatible’ with the designation. He contended the approval ‘flies in the face of the democratic process.’” Pearce’s statement says: “This single action has erased six years of work undertaken by Doña Ana County ranchers, business owners, conservationists, sportsmen officials and myself to develop a collaborative plan for the Organ Mountains that would have preserved the natural resource and still provided future economic opportunities.” The law Pearce is referencing is known as the Antiquities Act, signed into law by President Roosevelt in 1906. The Act for the Preservation of Antiquities limited Presidential authority for National Monument designations to Federal Government-owned

lands and to, as Pearce referenced, “the smallest area compatible with the proper care and management of the objects protected.” The Antiquities Act also authorized “relinquishment” of lands owned privately, authorizing the Federal Government to take land. The Constitution’s Fifth Amendment requires owners be compensated by the rest of us taxpayers. But fair market value can change dramatically when a policy change triggered by laws such as the Antiquities Act modifies the broad multiple use category for large segments of the federal estate to limited—rather than multiple—and recreational use. While the Federal Government owns much of National Monument land, private, tribal, and state lands are often enclosed inside new designations. Essentially, an Antiquities Act presidential proclamation transfers valuable “multiple use” land into a restricted use category as management plans can disallow historical use. History shows that in cases where the Antiquities Act has been used— whether for a National Conservation Area, a National Park, or a National Monument—mining claims were extinguished, homes have been torn down, communities have been obliterated, and working landscapes have been destroyed. The impact goes beyond ranching. The LCNS reporting says: “the proclamation prevents the BLM from selling or getting rid of any of the land, allowing new mining claims or permitting oil and natural gas exploration.” At the signing of the Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks National Monument Declaration, Obama repeated his State of the Union Address pledge: “I’m searching for more opportunities to preserve federal lands.” It is New Mexico today, but other communities will be impacted next. Hundreds of millions of acres have been set aside with the stroke of a pen. Each designation provides a photo op featuring a smiling President. All while somewhere someone’s access is taken, hunting and fishing grounds are gone, land has been grabbed, life’s work is wiped out, and opportunities for the American dream of a future rancher, farmer, or miner are dashed. The author of Energy Freedom, Marita Noon serves as the executive director for Energy Makes America Great Inc. and the companion educational organization, the Citizens’ Alliance for Responsible Energy (CARE). Marita Noon

El Ojo del Lago / July 2014

Saw you in the Ojo 43

BRIDGE BY THE LAKE %\ .HQ 0DVVRQ

as Rudyard Kipling a bridge player? There is no evidence that he was but his immortal words: “If you can keep your head when all about you are losing theirs” came to my mind while playing the diagrammed hand in a match-point duplicate game. East dealt and opened the proceedings with a bid of 1 diamond, I passed and West bid 1 no trump. At this point my partner (not Herself!) interjected with a frisky takeout double showing at least a tolerance for the 3 unbid suits. Now, while I am a great believer in getting into the bidding whenever feasible, I must confess that it would not have occurred to me to enter the fray here with just 8 high card points, especially when we were vulnerable and the opponents were not! East, who had been planning on raising her partner to the no trump game, now saw the possibility of more substantial rewards and promptly redoubled to show her powerful holding. While this bid in theory negated an obligation on me to bid, it so happened that I only had four cards in one of partner’s advertised assortment so I really had no choice but to bid 2 clubs. I thought I detected a slight smile on West’s countenance as he lowered the boom with a penalty double to close the bidding. West led the jack of hearts and I tried to sound upbeat as I thanked partner when she displayed her wares for all to see. I could see the likelihood of losing 3 spades, 2 hearts, 1 diamond and 2 clubs which would give the opponents 800 points and us a guaranteed zero in

El Ojo del Lago / July 2014

matchpoints. However, I had no option but to stay as confident as Kipling so I called for the queen of hearts from the dummy and this was covered by the king. East now continued with the heart ace and a third round of the suit. Although I could have ruffed this card it was patently obvious that West would over-ruff so instead I pitched a spade as West won the trick with a low trump. West now continued with a low spade and when I called for the 3 from dummy. East erred by putting up the ace for the defence’s fourth trick, fearing I now held a singleton queen. She now returned her last heart on which I pitched a diamond and West won with a trump to cash the diamond queen and continue with the jack. At this point I had lost the first 6 tricks but was suddenly in control. I ruffed the diamond in the dummy, played a club to my hand and another back to dummy drawing all the enemy trumps, cashed the long heart and the spade king and still had two good trumps in my hand for a total of 7 tricks. Down 1 doubled was 200 away and close to a top on the board as nearly all the other East-Wests had made at least 400 points in no-trump contracts. So the next time you find yourself in a bind at the bridge table try to look confident as you say to yourself: “If I can keep my head …” Questions or comments: email: masson.ken@gmail. com Ken Masson

Saw you in the Ojo 45

Dear Sir: Congratulations on your thorough debunking of the “American Dream.” Your undeniable statistics speak for themselves. I have always felt that the so-called “American Dream” was nothing more than a wet dream that adolescents have before the real thing. The only question remains: Why don’t more

US citizens see or acknowledge it? Is it willful ignorance or have they been so brainwashed by political ideology and biased media that they continue to believe in the fairy tales of Lalaland? When will they wake and grow up? Karl Homann dm-209742.khh@live.ca lakemonk41@outlook.com

Dear Sir: I want to congratulate you on and thank you for your excellent editorial in the June issue of El Ojo. Although it was not your stated intent, and may not have been your intent at all, by pointing out the low rankings of the U.S. in the 2014 Social Progress Index and the Princeton-Northwestern study showing that the U.S. has become a plutocracy, you very effectively rebut-

ted the frankly ridiculous article on Constitutional Conservatives by Robert L. Nipper in the May issue of the magazine. I must say, however, that Cesar Cisneros rebutted Nipper even more effectively, saying what we gringos could not say. Sincerely, Kenneth G. Crosby San Antonio Tlayacapan

LETTER TO THE EDITOR To the Attention of Mr. Lorin Swinehart: Just a brief note to say that after having lived in Mexico for twentyseven years and read (probably) hundreds of articles on its history, I truly enjoyed (and learned) from the one you just had published in the OJO.

El Ojo del Lago / July 2014

The many reasons, I won’t go into, but your style (factual and informative, while retaining descriptive clarity)—in other words, your fine writing— resulted in a most enjoyable read. My thanks, Allen McGill 765-5627

Saw you in the Ojo 47

ESCAPE %\ 5RQ .QLJKW

any people have hav ave awakened from the he American Dream, and sororry to say, they have “mornorrn ning breath.” Mostly, because caause e we wonder what happened d to o our country, no matter which hich hi h side of the body politic you are on, left or right. It’s not about the left or right anymore, it’s perhaps deeper than that. As ex-pats, I think that most of us have heard and read about the end of the American Economy, or just felt it was all some big mistake, this America that got handed to us from our parents’ parents who came to the America where everyone had a chance, but you had to scramble like a maniac to become something better (note: wealthier, that’s the fundamental battle call of Capitalism) than our poor, working immigrant parents. Interesting is that our poor, working immigrant parents and the descendants before them were rich in story, love, matters of the soul and heart, spirit, humor... and community. So we leave America, and hope to find something richer, in other ways. In many ways, we decide that in being tired of America, we do leave it. Love it or Leave It. Okay. Thanks. I got the TShirt. You’ve given me a choice. I’m doing what you’ve advised. I’m leaving it. Okay? Oh, now you tell me I’m a bad guy, because I quit and left. Some people stay in touch. Skype is great for that. If we are trying to leave America, the thing is: America has expanded. It is everywhere now. Whether it’s the IRS and the U.S. Feds having closed all loop-holes and non-reporting from all foreign or offshore banks, regardless of prior privacy policies or tax haven se-

El Ojo del Lago / July 2014

crecy locales, successfully demanding fully compliant reporting from all international banks accounts, even from retirement incomes and collecting penalties of up to 30% for non-reports, to even having the U.S. military parked off the coast in Costa Rica. The globe really is the United States’ oyster. And wherever you go, whatever you are escaping, keep in mind that other Americans who have also left, follow you, or are before you. When Rush Limbaugh claimed he was so mad at Obamacare, he threatened that he was leaving for Costa Rica. One half of the media watching populace said “Yes. Good riddance.” I know another half of us that exclaimed, “Oh no! Well, that takes Costa Rica off my map!” When I was in Vallarta years ago during the Obama-Hillary playoffs, I was sitting with people who said “Damn, if Obama gets elected, I’m moving here full time to Mexico!” and others who said “Damn it, if Hillary gets elected, I’m moving here full time to Mexico!” and “Damn! If McCain gets elected, I’m moving here full time to Mexico!” So guess what? No matter where you move to, if it’s still too damn close, no matter who gets elected, you’re still living with the people you want to get away from! That can be an issue when opting to move next door, just one country away. Most people here and elsewhere think of America North as being a massive, gargantuan conglomerate, an impenetrable infrastructure; in comparative relation, you feel, like a tiniest dust off the back of a little gnat, where if you do make a statement or accomplishment, it comes off as a small puff of a miniscule dent in the machine. In the grander scheme of things. Yes, as the credo says, you can do it. But at the end of the day, you ask yourself if it was worth it. From the Kindle Book Escape from the American Scheme Ron Knight

ESCAPING THE CLICHES %\ 5RELQ /DZHUVRQ

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irst published several years ago, but with a story that will always be relevant as long as people come to Mexico with the dream of becoming writers.) ters.) How can I escape the clichés chés in writing about my new life e in Mexico? All gringos who arrive here seem fated to dream of writing. For some it’s about precious memories of their colorful life before Mexico. Others begin immediately to chronicle the sights and sounds of the new life they discover here in a strange new world. I brought my brand new Pentium-loaded with programs to write and spell and scan and surf my way through recording the delights of simple village life in Ajijic. But what comes to mind and heart after the vivid colors of bougainvilleas or the peaceful clip clop of horses’ hooves on century’s old cobblestones grow commonplace? Are the quaint customs of the natives really any more odd than those of people in downtown Philadelphia? Life and love in the tropics really any more glamorous or seamy than the soap operas played out in Hollywood or Washington? Here I am now, eight months into retirement, with only a few hackneyed musings to my credit. Where is the novel the world is waiting to read? Where are the bright, insightful commentaries on dropping out early to find a passionate new life south of the Tropic of Cancer? And what of restful days learning Spanish, so that I can converse more comfortably with our architect, the local trades people, or Tapatio friends? Nothing! Nowhere! Nada! Ninguna! “Discipline yourself, son! Take eight hours a day and simply write,” advised one local author who opted out of a high profile professional life to take on a new persona here. But with 200 or more others huddled at their keyboards in this sunny paradise, where do I begin? Do other writers find nuggets of glistening clean prose so easily between their keys while I strain to

find the time, let alone the inspiration?! The excuses fall from my mouth like those heavy drops of rain we dream about during the dry season. “We need milk and bread from the tienda.” “It’s time to pick up today’s mail at the correo.” “Let me check my E-mail first.” “What time do you want to do lunch?” “The architect will be at the new house today and the carpenter and iron man need further instructions.” “Where is that guy who promised to repair the hot water heater?” “It’s time for Juana to dust my desk.” “Let me check that E-mail again.” “How many raffle tickets should we buy?” “Is it time to decide where we’re going for dinner tonight?” “Oh, I forgot to update dear Aunt Eleanor in Hamilton on our progress in Lotus Land.” “Let me help you with your lines for the next Little Theater production.” “You need me to volunteer to do what!?” And so the excuses grow. All to avoid the keyboard and the creative urges that somehow get drowned out in well-meaning activity on every perfect day after another perfect day in paradise. The sun shines, the breezes blow, the sights and sounds tempt me beyond my dreary desk. A place not so very different from that dreaded cubby-hole I just escaped at a large and impersonal university in Philadelphia. But others nag and coax and shame me to set the creative juices free. To turn the joy of a new life into prose that can illuminate or at least amuse. Find the time. Find the muse. Find the Ajijic Writer’s Group to share the pain and blocks. Find your freedom. And so on first and third Fridays every month, I will struggle to perform for others and . . . for myself.

Saw you in the Ojo 49

WHO KNOWS WHAT THE FUTURE HOLDS? )LFWLRQ %\ 0HO *ROGEHUJ

he small wooden box flickered like an old time movie and then disappeared. An instant later it reappeared and Fernando crawled out. He smiled like when we were children and he scored on me at futbol. A strong odor of ozone permeated the room. Fernando’s neat black hair looked as if he had been in a windstorm. And there was no clunking of the iron leg braces that he has worn since he was sixteen. “What happened?” I asked. “I have been healed.” “What do you mean?” He spoke louder and in Spanish. “Quiero decir que mis piernas sean curado.”

For the past three years, Fernando and I have been researchers at the Agencia Espacial Mexicana near the city of Chetumal on the Yucatan Peninsula. The Mexican Space Agency was started by deputy economy minister Francisco Pimentel in 2008 and built with the help of NASA astronaut Jose Hernandez and engineer Fernando de la Pena. As children, we developed an interest in time travel after we read H. G. Wells’ The Time Machine. Fernando’s interest became his passion after a bicycle accident left him partially paralyzed. Our fascination led us to study astrophysics in Phoenix. Now many years later, Fernando still speculates about time travel. “If

El Ojo del Lago / July 2014

I could travel into the future, I might be helped by the advances in spinal cord injury research. Einstein hypothesized that time and space could be distorted by the super gravity of a black hole.” “Yes, the future is a hope. But you have become completely obsessed with this time travel nonsense.” “Why nonsense?” “Because black hole technology has not yet been invented. Do you know that an astronaut who spends two years on the space station traveling 17,500 miles an hour moves only 1/50th of a second into the future?” The moment those words left my mouth I felt ashamed. The following week at lunch, he showed me a copy of The Astrophysical Journal with an article by Tulane professor of mathematical physics, Frank Tipler, who believed that if matter rotates fast enough, a distortion in space-time occurs. The rapid rotation of a cylinder twists space and time, allowing movement in time. I knew Fernando would never stop until he believed this was all science fiction. As his friend, I decided to help him. Who better to show compassion when the endeavor failed? Using the super-computers we had access to at AEXA, we designed a model to simulate Tipler’s rotating cylinder. Our prototype looked like a small freestanding closet. “It would be pointless to send a mouse,” said Fernando. “I should be the one. If it explodes, I will miss life much less than you.” In all the years I had known him, I could never change his mind once it was made up. We reinforced the walls and attached a monitor screen. “Just enough room for me,” said Fernando. He planned to take a reading as the cylinder began rotating, which would allow him to return at least as closely as possible to the moment he

left. I would work the computer controls. I laughed. “Find out about future investments.” “Always the bolsa, Carlos? He hobbled to the door, unlocked his leg braces, and dragged his body into the box. The box flickered and disappeared and reappeared a few moments later. “It worked just as we planned,” he said on the floor, still smiling. “Do you know what this means? We’ll be rich.” “I don’t think so.” My eyes widened. “What do you mean? We have discovered time travel.” His smile disappeared. “They were not expecting me. They said time travel shouldn’t have occurred until. . . . I do not remember.” “What do you remember?” “Very little. I know I stayed a long time.” “Well, what were the people like?” “They spoke with soft music in my head. They had dark skin like us and invited me to stay. They said I was lucky to have come through their time-port.” “I don’t care what they said. We did it. We will be rich.” “No, others might not be as lucky. Mira, they fixed my legs. My muscles are strong again. I can walk. There was no disease.” “What about poverty?” I thought about the car washers and the boys selling strawberries. “They told me after I returned home the time-port would be terminated. I would forget everything.” “¿Te olvidarás de todo?” I nearly shouted. “Sí, claro. Pero ¿me pregunto por qué?” (“True, but why did you ask Mel Goldberg me?”)

GETTING IT RIGHT! %\ 0RUULV 5HLFKOH\

he showed up at our front door one October evening and after dinner she told us about her new home in Mexico, We should come down soon, it was beautiful. Were we thinking Mexico? We bit. We flew. We were conquered. Nine trips and nine years later we were still in the throes of trying to be retired and still trying to sell the second home and still wondering if we should sort our stuff. Then our theoretical timetable turned into a dominating tyrant with the realization that these people were serious and really wanted to pay all cash for the townhouse and we had better start packing. We should have been prepared, I was unloading a truck that I had just finished loading in the heat of the day before and which I was going to have to load again in forty-eight hours as soon as I took care of some paperwork. I was certain that some where we did something wrong. We had paid extra to get passports in a hurry, we acquired FM-3s in a week’s time, but now we still had to go to the Mexican Consulate to get our list of stuff approved. I leaned my sweaty head against the side of the truck and recalled that someone had said that nothing good came easy. After hitting more than a few bumps in the road to our personal paradise we were sitting on our veranda watching the sun set over Lago de Chapala I still felt that we had not gotten it right. Maybe it was all those unpacked boxes. Our so-called freedom was compromised by—stuff. I know when I looked into my three... that’s right, three tool boxes, I found tools I had used once and never would again. I found tools I forgot I had. I found one tool that I hadn’t the slightest idea what it was for. The other day we saw an old man slowly, painfully crossing the highway. The traffic had halted to let him cross and cars were stacking up behind the first car that stopped. No one honked. When the old one made it to the opposite curb, the drivers all headed on to their destinations without complaints. Now there’s a tool I almost forgot—pa-

tience. I realized I didn’t have to beat every train to the crossing any more. Anyway, Ajijic is a town where, when we pass through, we have to drive slowly to miss the bumps so we might as well smell the flowers and see the people. It’s the only way. A few years ago an engineer in one of my workshops latched on to a beautiful contract job in Germany. He received per diem, travel expenses, extra time, plus a guaranteed ten thousand dollars for a two-week programming job that he could do blindfolded. I got a call from him after the first five days. The only subject he discussed was how he hated German food. This man didn’t get it. He couldn’t cope with even temporary dislocation. That triggered a thought. We were planning to be expatriates in Mexico; therefore we would have to deal with that not on our terms but on Mexico’s terms. This is why I hate to hear expats suggesting that things should change here. Change will happen here without our instigation. I wonder if the space between their ears is so full of where they came from that they can’t see where they are. One early dawn, just as daylight grayed the sky, a mischievous cloud ripe with rain hovered over the lake and threatened to gloom our day. The sun however took a look over the rim of a mountain and colored the cloud with assorted pinks and reds and oranges. Having met its match, the cloud, sullenly, with great reluctance, headed west and let us have our day. Like the cloud change here will, in its own time, slowly overtake the present. It will happen to Lakeside on its own terms. We don’t need to accelerate it. We are happy with what we see and feel here now. The magnificent trees that form an arch over the road at La Floresta greeted us the other day when we drove into Ajijic as the setting sun sketched patterns on the road. This was our personal Arc De Triomphe. We were here. We didn’t have to chase the clock. We did get it right after all.

Saw you in the Ojo 51

Dear Sir: Please accept my letter in response to the article by the conservative faction of the community of Ajijic. I’m here to dispel a few conservative beliefs and enlighten them of their future. First, can we all agree: Obama is NOT a Kenyon Socialist Communist Muslim? If you cannot agree to that, then read no further. Please skip to The Future heading directly below. Exceptionalism and Divine Intervention: Most conservatives believe that the people of the United States of America have been ordained by GOD (no less) to be the leader of the world. Of course that belief is naive at best and arrogant at worst. What happens to people who believe they are made exceptional by God? Sorry to say it is a short hop from there to believe they are entitled to tell everybody what and how to do everything. First of all conservatives, religion and religious leaders have already used exceptionalism for centuries. Give it up. Conservatives, can we think of Americans not as exceptional by the hand of God, but—just damned good friends to the world with some good ideas. If we Americans are exceptional, just how do you American conservatives deal with the conservative Canadians in Ajijic? Let’s not forget those less exceptional Canadians whipped our arse in hockey in the Olympics. I guess exceptionalism does not include hockey. Likewise, God did not guide the hands of our Founding Fathers. Thank you, but our Founding Fathers were smart enough by

El Ojo del Lago / July 2014

themselves without God’s help. Stop stealing the true genius of these men with a silly notion GOD pushed their pens for them. There was no Divine Intervention. These were men of the enlightenment and if they believed in God, it was not the definition of a Christian God. You do know that our constitution and Bill of Rights does not mention Jesus or Christianity? OWG-One World Government: So who are the puppet masters in this brave new world of the One World government?! Come on conservatives, name some names. Don’t keep it a secret. Jewish bankers? The Illuminati? College professors? OWG believers have a dementia that the world is full of sinister forces bent on world domination. Do you really believe in black helicopters in the night taking Americans to reeducation camps where they are forced to watch Jane Fonda movies until they become brain-washed liberals?! The Future: There is a lyric from a Door’s song. Something like, you got the guns but we got the numbers. The “old angry white vote” is dwindling in numbers. The ethnic makeup of the voters is changing. Even the red states demographics are reflecting this shift. The trend is not your friend, conservatives. Now conservatives let me give your political, shock-therapy future: Alienate the minorities, women and educated voters and, well, uh…if you think taking orders from the “colored guy” was bad…can you say Madam President in 2016? I believe in the final analysis conservatives are afraid of change. And they have the right to feel afraid. There is no debate that social change is everywhere and it is just too much for the conservatives. If it isn’t gay marriage, it is abortion rights, or Obama care, or some crazy wild, liberal hoax like climate change. To paraphrase Darwin, it is not a question of survival of the fittest; it is a question of survival of those who can change. And those that cannot change go extinct. See dinosaurs for that, unless you believe humans and dinosaurs lived at the same time . . . and then there is no hope for you. Sincerely, Michael G. McLaughlin

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ho hasn’t sunburned on a prized vacation? What can you do for protection? With over 1700 products on the market which ones really work? Skin cancer is increasingly common so choices you make could have real impact. How are suntan lotions, sunscreens and sun blocks different? What exactly do you need protection from? All products offer some level of protection; the important difference is in how much protection. Your goal is protection from the sun’s harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays. There are two types: UVA and UVB. UVA rays are “ultraviolet A” rays. These penetrate the skin, break down collagen and can trigger connective-tissue damage resulting in wrinkles and skin cancers. UVA rays are present all day and penetrate clouds and glass. UVB rays are “ultraviolet B” rays. These cause sunburn on the surface of the skin. Most sunscreen products focus primarily on blocking UVB rays. You want protection from both UVA and UVB rays. A suntan lotion (sunscreen) offers less protection than a sunblock; it is used to tan without burning. A sunblock will block as much as possible. Galt Technology, established 1995, has one of the oldest web sites on the web and has distinguished themselves in their studies. They review, test and rate products of all kinds including sunscreens. With skin cancer sharply increasing a report released in 2010 by EWG drew much attention. The year-long study showed many of the products on the market may actually accelerate cancer by increasing the speed malignant cells develop and spread. The ingredient blamed is Vitamin A labeled “Retinol” and “Retinyl palmitate.”

The study showed the inclusion of Vitamin A caused tumors and lesions to develop up to 21% faster in lab animals than in creams Vitamin A free. The FDA (USA Food and Drug Administration) appears to have known for over a decade yet released no guidelines or warnings. In June, 2010, Senator Schumer asked the FDA to share data on the possible sunscreen chemical-cancer link. Squamous Cell Carcinoma - Usually found in places on the body that have been exposed to the sun, like ears, the face and the mouth. Symptoms include a bump that turns into an open sore, gets larger and a sore that won’t heal. Untreated, it can spread quickly to other parts of the body (lymphatic system, bloodstream, and nerve routes). Basal Cell Carcinoma - Causes more than 75% of skin cancers, it is the most common skin cancer. Most commonly found on the face, neck, and hands. It is highly treatable and rarely spreads. Symptoms include a sore that oozes or bleeds, a redness area that is irritated, a yellow or white area that resembles a scar, and a pink pearly bump. Melanoma The most dangerous and deadly; it can develop on any part of the body, but arms, legs and trunk are the most common areas. Detected early, it is highly treatable. Symptoms include a mole, freckle, or new/existing spot that changes color in size, shape, and color. It may have an irregular outline and possibly be more than one color. Is a product a drug or a cosmetic? It is often determined by its intended use and any manufacturer claims. If a claim is made that indicates a product is a drug it cannot be marketed as a cosmetic. If the drug-related claim is removed the product may be classified as a cosmetic.

Saw you in the Ojo 53

The Ojo Crossword

ACROSS 1 Treed (2 wds.) 6 Central Intelligence Agency 9 Alcoholic 13 Hindu religious teacher 14 Cooky 15 African nation 16 Cop car topper 17 _ Squad (TV show) 18 Similar to oak 19 After awhile 20 Soften 22 Electroencephalograph (abbr.) 23 Shekel 24 Munch 25 Person, place or thing 27 Wilting 29 Relies, with â&#x20AC;&#x153;onâ&#x20AC;? 33 Street abbr. 34 Large vehicle 35 Stuck up person 36 Sheer 39 Male Cat 40 Stone 41 Arabian 42 Relation 43 Southwestern Indian 44 Gas like cloud 46 Not happily 49 Lone 50 Monosodium glutamate 51 Lumber 53 Compose

El Ojo del Lago / July 2014

56 Empty _ 58 ChristÂ´s gift bringer 59 With 61 Rowing tool 62 MonkeyÂ´s cousin 63 Economizes 64 Microgram 65 Speak angrily 66 Frozen rain 67 Stretch to make do 68 What a house cleaner does '2:1 1 Analyze ore 2 Twisted together 3 BaronÂ´s domain 4 Prayer ending 5 YangÂ´s partner 6 HaleyÂ´s is one 7 Teen hero 8 Book appendix 9 Expression of surprise 10 Body of water 11 Leg joint 12 YinÂ´s partner 15 Risen (2 wds.) 20 Storm 21 Opp. Of yeses 24 Covet 26 Got comfy, like a bird 28 Verse meter 30 Compass point 31 Pain unit 32 Compass point 34 _bon (sweet treat) 36 Group admirer 37 Wrath 6FLHQWLVWÂ?V RIÂżFH 39 Dreary 40 Red deer 42 Vegetable 43 Russia 45 Wants 47 Horse-like animals )UXLW Ă&#x20AC;DYRUHG GDLU\ SURGXFW 50 Unify 52 BoysÂ´ counterparts 53 Enact 54 Dash 55 De _ (anew) 57 Rein 58 Restaurant listing 60 Pristine 62 Acid drug

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

UNCOMMON COMMON SENSE - MAY 2014 Margaret Larson Unfortunately, the pay rates for baseball players vs. doctors vs. teachers vs. social workers are apples, oranges, pears and bananas. As much as we all like fruit salad, indeed you can mix it together but each fruit retains its flavor. The pay level of jobs must be considered within the context of its respective ‘professional segment,’ or ‘professional community.’ In a capitalist country driven by market forces, to be considered within each ‘professional community’ are: experience and educational merit; revenue type/source and liquidity; competition for talent; and, unfortunately, plain old ‘who’s your Daddy.’ All that said, the real reason that CEO pay is so high is because of the rise in the power of the mutual funds,

which has allowed boards of directors to maintain cozy relations with their superstar CEOs via a ‘sky’s the limit’ compensation policy, with little interference from the average dazed-andconfused investor (a majority of us). Most public company boards of directors are stocked with wealthy individuals whose only real talent is wielding a rubber stamp, and without overseers imposing limits, pay rises beyond what is rational.

As far as sports stars go, the American public is willing to pay hundreds of dollars per game to watch them play, are willing to contribute a large share of their local taxes to build them arenas in which to play, and then gobble up the endorsed products. If no one showed up for the game in protest of high salaries, or they forbade the tax bonds used to pay for the arenas (and instead insisted on the bond money going to schools), things would change. Surely, we need a correction on the minimum wage in the USA, because recent history has shown that market forces do not support the standard of living that anyone would want for a fellow American ... without a minimum wage, the poor would be exploited within their poverty just as easily at $3.00 and hour as they can at $7.50. But otherwise, I fear that we’re stuck with the high pay rates until there is some committed civic action on the matter, within the ‘professional community’ (for the underpaid), and with those who access it as a client (for the overpaid). Seems that the responsibility of a democracy strikes again!

Loved this article! Thank you. I am writing a historical novel about the Inquisition in Mexico and when it ended. Some dispute the 1834 date b/c renegade priests kept it going decades longer. Do you know anything about this? My novel, THE BLIND EYE--A Sephardic Journey, a 1st prize winner, deals with this topic. I have been touring with the Jewish Book Council speaking about hidden Jews. I appreciate your time. Marcia Fine www.marciafine.com

A BRIEF HISTORY OF JEWS IN MEXICO Marcia Fine

Saw you in the Ojo 55

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

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News

www.lakechapalasociety.com

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Message from the President

In July, most Lakeside children will be out of school for the summer - many with nothing special to look forward to. However, up to 125 of these youth, ages 3 to 18 can participate at LCS in a week of enriching, enlivening art workshops, coordinated by LCSâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Children's Art Program (CAP). (Children age 5 and under must be accompanied by an adult.) From Monday, July 21 to Friday, July 25, 10 am to noon, the Second Annual Summer Art Camp, offering week-long ZRUNVKRSV LQ -HZHOU\ 0DNLQJ DQG %HDGLQJ 3kSLHU 0DFKĆĄ Watercolour, and Clay. Volunteer workshop coordinators include Maestros Antonio Lopez Vega (legacy artist) and Dan Williams, ASA members Deena Hafker, Bobby Lancaster, Anita Lee, Barbara Passarella, Flo Rhodes and Libby Shipman, along with Lois Schroff from the Lake Chapala Painting Guild. Materials are generously provided by ASA, LCS and private donors. (See wish list below). Each day, children will receive healthy snacks and drinks thanks to Margaret Lawson and Jennifer Stanley. Camp concludes on Friday with lunch for the participants. Saturday, July 26, is slated for a big sale of the childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s work. Each child artist receives 50% from each piece s/he sells. An undertaking like this requires a lot of coordination of many helpers. While most of last year's Art Camp volunteers are participating again, we still need more helpers for any or all RI WKH ÂżYH GD\V Âą ZKR HQMR\ ZRUNLQJ ZLWK NLGV Join us for a fun and gratifying experience.

Have you noticed the improvements being made to the gardens at the LCS? Thanks to our cadre of volunteer gardeners the grounds look great! Our gardening team, directed by our only fulltime gardener Mauricio, and the volunteer team headed by Natalie Neal, have made huge strides with cleaning up and thinQLQJ RXW WKH EHGV DQG KDYH UHFHQWO\ EHJXQ WR SODQW QHZ Ă&#x20AC;RZHUV If you would like to become a volunteer gardener or would like to donate money to purchase plants, or to purchase or donate equipment, contact Terry Vidal. See the article on page two for more information. Thanks go out to Byron Cranston for completing the lighting installation in the Neill James Library and for the other repairs he has undertaken to improve LCSâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; buildings. The bathroom next to the CafĂŠ has recently been remodeled. &RPPHUFLDO JUDGH Âż[WXUHV KDYH EHHQ LQVWDOOHG DQG WKH EDWKURRP is now handicap-accessible. As other parts of the campus are updated, handicapped access will be incorporated in the design. The Chupinaya footrace is scheduled for July 20th. This half marathon race over the mountains north of Ajijic is an international event. The LCS is supporting this event by providing water for competitors. Board member Lois Cugini has arranged for volunteers to transport the international guests to and from the airport as well as to distribute bottles of water with the LCS logo on them during the race. Mauricio, our gardener, is running in the race and is being sponsored by the LCS in the 50 year old plus category. Mauricio has previously won this race category and we are pulling for him to win again this year. The race starts in the Plaza on Sunday morning and is always a fun event.. Finally, on July 21st the Childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Art Program will kick off its annual Childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Art Camp. Over 100 children from Ajijic and the surrounding area will participate in various art projects during the week. Local artists will also participate as instructors to guide the budding artists. On Saturday, July 26 there will be an Art Open House on the LCS grounds and the work of the students will be on sale. Fifty percent of the proceeds will go to the individual artists and 50% will go to support the Childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Art Program. Please plan to come to the open house to support this event. If you would like to volunteer to help at the Art Camp contact childrensart@lakechapalasociety.com. See the article to the left.

:LVK /LVW IRU WKH &$3 6XPPHU Art Program paper towel rolls toilet paper rolls bottle tops of any size blow dryers extension cord glue gun toaster oven watercolor paper watercolor and acrylic paint fabric paint tissue paper buttons and beads clay modeling tools white glue If youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d like to volunteer or donate supplies, contact: childrensart@lakechapalasociety.com.

July 2014

El Ojo del Lago / July 2014

1RWH 'DWH &KDQJH IRU 8 6 &RQVXODU 9LVLW The American Citizen Services team (ACS) from the U.S. Consulate in Guadalajara usually visits LCS the second Wednesday of each month. In July, the ACS team will visit on -XO\ WKH WKLUG :HGQHVGD\ of the month.

(6/ 5HFRJQLWLRQ &HUHPRQ\ On June 4 more than 300 family and friends, along with 22 teachers, gathered to celebrate another successful year for the students of the Lake Chapala Society's English as a Second Language 3URJUDP 3URXG VWXGHQWV UHFHLYHG FHUWLÂżFDWHV RI FRPSOHWLRQ IURP their teacher and enjoyed cookies and punch as part of their celebration. If you are interested in teaching our eager students, contact Director Inez Dayer, at Inezme@gmail.com

2XU *DUGHQ RI (DUWKO\ 'HOLJKW You may have noticed the improvements in our wonderful gardens, but we need more help bringing the gardens and the pools in line with our vision of their potential. ,WÂśV RIÂżFLDO /&6 QRZ KDV D WHDP RI YROXQWHHU JDUGHQHUV El Equipo Voluntario del Jardin ,Q OLWWOH PRUH WKDQ D PRQWK RXU ÂżYH member team clocked in more than 112 hours in the garden. Our ÂżUVW WDVN KDV EHHQ SUXQLQJ YHJHWDWLRQ DQG FOHDULQJ RXW GHEULV DQG overgrowth. LCS Gardener Mauricio is teaching us how to compost and mulch the material we accumulate. Some of the plants we will transplant, propagate, and eventually sell to raise funds, perhaps in a nursery area on the LCS campus. This is an ongoing, cyclical project that requires regular attention. We put in new sod in the front garden, on the back lawn, near the gazebo and next to the Childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Art Patio which had to be watered daily for three weeks. We began the installation preparing for the LCS Garden Tequila and Wine Tasting Party and the CanAm Celebration. We hand water the garden until the rainy season began. This is a peaceful task which can take a fair amount of time. Let us know if watering is something you can do to help our garden grow. We welcome donations of tools, hoses, and equipment. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re developing a wish list of items needed. Please check with Equipo Coordinator Natalie Neal at saucony33@verizon.net if you have time, tools and/or materials that can be donated to maintain the gardens.

LCS SPANISH CLASSES :DUUHQ +DUG\ 6SDQLVK /DQJXDJH &ODVVHV LCS Spanish summer classes run from Monday, July 7th through August 23rd. The LCS Spanish program uses the Warren Hardy four-level language course designed for the adult student. Registration for these upcoming classes is currently under way at the /&6 RIÂżFH ZHHNGD\V Sign-up will also by held the week of June 30th to July 4th from 11am to 1pm at the LCS campus on the blue umbrella patio. The instructor will be available to evaluate the level of instruction appropriate level for you. Classes are $750 pesos. The required text and additional support materials are also available. Introduction to Spanish: This is a casual class offered for the beginner that covers the Spanish alphabet, simple vocabulary and phrases to use about town for shopping, and other useful information on our area and the Mexican culture. &ODVVHV DUH KHOG WKH ÂżUVW 7XHVGD\ RI WKH PRQWK DQG UXQ IRU IRXU weeks at the LCS campus from noon until 1:30 pm. Materials are SURYLGHG DQG WXLWLRQ LV SHVRV 6LJQ XS DW WKH /&6 RIÂżFH IURP 10 am to 2 pm Monday through Saturday.766-1140. lakechapalasociety.com

L C S Un v e i l s Experimenta Mexico A new multi-cultural, program open to the Mexican and expat communities is being developed and offered at the Lake Chapala Society. You are invited to indulge in a deep sensory experience of the lavish gifts from Mexicoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s soul - its natural beauty, rich heritage, cuisine, art, and muVLF DOO UHĂ&#x20AC;HFWLQJ KHU customs, traditions, sounds, tastes and sights. Through a series of program offerings participants will learn about Mexicoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s rich traditions while experiencing some of them ÂżUVW KDQG 7KHVH WZR KRXU SURJUDPV ZLOO H[SORUH DVSHFWV RI Mexico in an educational and entertaining way. August will feature at three Saturday afternoon sessions. August 9, 5-7 pm Dinero, Tequila y Amor....ÂĄNo hay otra cosa mejor! LCS Members $200, non-Members $300. August 23, 3-5 PM - Mi mero mole - Mole, the national dish of old Mexico, (English pronunciation: [mol-aye]; Spanish, from 1DKXDWO PÇ&#x20AC;OOL ÂłVDXFHÂ´ LV WKH JHQHULF QDPH IRU D QXPEHU RI sauces originally used in Mexican cuisine, as well as for dishes based on these sauces. Experience it! August 30 5-7 PM - (To be announced)

Experimenta Mexico Dinero, Tequila y Amor....ÂĄNo hay otra cosa mejor! [Money tequila and love, there is nothing better!] This typical Mexican toast begins the festivities! Tequila is the national beverage of Mexico. Do you know that Tequila is made nearby, practically Lakeside?! - Yes! 7KHUH DUH DJDYH ÂżHOGV WKH VRXUFH RI WHTXLOD ZLWK WKRXVDQGV RI agave plants, just over your shoulder. Lakeside entrepreneurs Sandy Y Daniel will take us on a sensual trip discovering the KLVWRU\ LQJUHGLHQWV IDEULFDWLRQ DQG Ă&#x20AC;DYRU WKDW PDNH WHTXLOD D WUXO\ PDJQLÂżFHQW FRQFRFWLRQ 6HH WRXFK VPHOO WDVWH DQG OLVWHQ 5HJLVWHU DQG SD\ LQ WKH 6HUYLFHV 2IÂżFH E\ $XJXVW 7KLV program requires a minimum of 30 participants and a maximum of 50. Time and date: 5 pm, August 9 on the Neill James Patio and in the Sala. $200.00 pesos for LCS members, $300 pesos for non-members.

%RDUG PHPEHU $QG\ +RXFN 5HVLJQV The board and management of LCS received Andyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s resignation with sorrow and thanked her for her service over the past several years. Andy cited personal reasons for the resignation and wishes LCS the best of luck as we pursue our strategic goals.

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JULY ACTIVITIES

*Open to the Public ** US Citizens (S) Sign in required (C) Membership card required &58= 52-$ Cruz Roja Sales Table CRIV Monthly Meeting

M-F 10-1 2nd W 2-5

+($/7+ ,1685$1&( IMSS & Immigration Services Met Life Health Insurance San Javier

M+T 10-1 T+TH 11-2 Last TH 10-12

+($/7+ /(*$/ 6(59,&(6 Acupuncture 1st +4th + Last F 9-2 Becerra Immigration F 10:30-1 Blood Pressure F 10-12 Diabetes Screening (no sign up) 2nd+3rd F 10-12 Hearing Aid Services (S) M+2nd+4th SAT 11-4 Ministerio Publico W July 9 10-2 Loridans Legal T 10-12 Optometrist (S) TH 9-5 Pharmaceutical Consultation 2nd + 4th M 10-12 Skin Cancer Screening (S) 2nd + 4th W 10-12 US Consulate 3nd W 10-12 /&6 3$7,2 LCS Patio, Bus Trips & Sales Table

M-F 10-1

LESSONS Childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Art SAT 10-12* Chidrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Reading Program SAT 9-10* Exercise M+W+F 9-10 HH Workshop Demo W 10-12* Intermediate Hatha Yoga T+ TH 2-3:30, SAT 1-2:30 Line Dancing T+TH 10-11:15 LIBRARIES Audio Book & Video Talking Books Wilkes

TH 10-12 M-SAT 10-2 TH 10-12 M-F 9:30-7, SAT 9:30-1

SOCIAL ACTIVITIES All Things Android F 11-12 Beginners Digital Camera W 12-1 Bridge 4 Fun M+W 1-5 Conversaciones en EspaĂąol M 10-12 English/Spanish Conversation SAT 11-12 Genealogy Forum Last M 2-4 iStuff Discussion Group F 9-10 Mac OS 1st Mon 12-1 Mac User Group 3rd W 1-2 Needle Pushers T 10-12 Open Gaming (open to the public from 2) M 1-3:45* Pathways to Inner Peace SAT 2-3:30* Scrabble M+F 12-2 Summer Film Festival TH 1-3 Tournament Scrabble T 12-2 Windows Discussion Group F 10-11 6(59,&( 6833257 *52836 Gamblers Anonymous W 11-1 Information Desk M-SAT 10-2 Lakeside AA M +TH 4-6 Open Circle SUN 10-12:30 SMART Recovery W 2:30-4:30 7,&.(7 6$/(6 0 ) The discussion, philosophy, digital camera, and mah- jongg sessions will be postponed until September.

El Ojo del Lago / July 2014

New for Juy See the Video Library bulletin board and the bindHUV RQ WKH FRXQWHU WR ÂżQG ÂżOPV RI LQWHUHVW Last Vegas # 6500 Three sixty-something friends take a break from their day-to-day lives to throw a bachelor party in Las Vegas for their last remaining single pal. Robert DeNiro Samuel L. Jackson Michael Douglas Kevin Kline Margarita # 6556 Behind the facade of a beautiful urban home, a combination of complacency and bad investments has left power couple Ben and Gail disconnected, resentful and just about broke. When the cashVWUDSSHG \XSSLHV ÂżUH WKHLU WHHQ DJHG GDXJKWHU V OHVELDQ 0H[LFDQ QDQQ\ Margarita, they set off a chain of events that lead to her deportation. Nicola Correia Damude Patrick McKenna. $XJXVW 2VDJH &RXQW\ # 6552 A look at the lives of the strong-willed women of the Weston family, whose paths have diverged until a family crisis brings them back to the Oklahoma house where they grew up, and to the dysfunctional woman who raised them. Meryl Streep Julia Roberts Driving Lessons # 6554 A coming of age story about a shy teenage ER\ WU\LQJ WR HVFDSH WKH LQĂ&#x20AC;XHQFH RI KLV GRPLQHHULQJ PRWKHU +LV ZRUOG changes when he begins to work for a retired actress. ,I , :HUH <RX # 6563 When a woman tries to outwit her husband's sexy young mistress, the unexpected consequences include starring as King Lear in a very amateur production - with the mistress, an aspiring actress, playing The Fool. Marcia Gay Harden Leonor Watling A Simple Life # 6571 (Foreign) Ann Hui's "A Simple Life" is a poignant DQG PHODQFKROLF ÂżOP DERXW WKH UHODWLRQVKLS EHWZHHQ D VXFFHVVIXO ÂżOP SURducer and an old servant to whose family the servant has dedicated her OLIH ,W LV D EHDXWLIXO WRXFKLQJ DQG PRUH LPSRUWDQW KXPDQ ÂżOP ,W OLYHV DQG breathes its own life. Cantonese with English subtitles Control Room # 6568 A chronicle providing a rare window into the international perception of the Iraq War, courtesy of Al Jazeera, the Arab world's most popular news outlet. Roundly criticized by cabinet members DQG 3HQWDJRQ RIÂżFLDOV IRU UHSRUWLQJ ZLWK D SUR ,UDTL ELDV DQG VWURQJO\ condemned for frequently airing civilian causalities as well as footage of American POWs, the station has revealed everything about the Iraq War that the Bush administration did not want to be seen. 7KH :DU 5RRP # 6570 A behind-the-scenes documentary about the Clinton for President campaign, focusing on the adventures of spin doctors James Carville and George Stephanopoulos. Bill Clinton himself is rarely seen. 6WDWH RI 3OD\ #6572 & 6573 A thriller set in London. A politicianâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s life becomes increasingly complex as his research assistant is found dead on the London Underground and, in a seemingly unrelated incident, a teenage pickpocket is shot dead. Bill Nighy John Simm Kelly MacDonald This is a partial list of the new additions for July. See the green catalogs at the LCS Video Library or the LCS web page for the complete list. If you have any VHS tapes that you would like to have transferred to DVD GLVFV WKH 9LGHR /LEUDU\ FDQ GR WKDW IRU \RX IRU SHVRV D WDSH Âą WKDWÂśV cheap. Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t forget: we rely on couriers to bring in our new DVDs. Ask the volunteers on duty for details or contact keanhombre@prodigy.net.mx. We welcome suggestions for new movies from YOU, the viewers. When you come by to rent movies, please mention to the volunteer on duty the title of any movie or series that you think LCS members might enjoy. Thank you.

New Date to Report Crime Ministerio Publico Date to visit in July has changed to Wednesday July 9 ZLWK D EL OLQJXDO DWWRUQH\ SUHVHQW WR DVVLVW \RX LQ ÂżOLQJ denuncias (criminal FRPSODLQWV GXH WR VFKHGXOLQJ FRQĂ&#x20AC;LFWV ZLWK &DQ $P 'D\ DQG WKH 8 6 consulatesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; change in schedule. They will visit LCS only once in July.

Casi Nuevo News Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re here to help. Casi Nuevo Consignment & Thrift Shop can quickly sell your unwanted household items on consignment. We can handle everything from the smallest item to a full household of furniture. Do you need help with transporting those items to our store in Riberas Del Pilar? No problema! We can arrange transport for you. Maybe you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want to wait until the items are sold to collect the money for them? Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve got you covered! We are now buying items for cash. Please contact Jacqueline Smith at smithjacqueline55@gmail. com or 766-1303. We can arrange a visit to your house to appraise your items, pay you cash, and remove the items from your house. $OO SURÂżWV JR WR VXSSRUWLQJ Casi Nuevoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s three childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s charities: The School for Special Needs Children (formerly School for the Deaf), LCS Educational Program, and Have Hammerâ&#x20AC;ŚWill Travel . We are the red store with the corner door across from 7-Eleven in Riberas de la Pilar. Our hours are from 10 am to 3 pm Monday through Saturday. Call 376 106-2121 for more information.

Costco Returns to LCS Costcoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s next visit to LCS will be on Tuesday and Wednesday, July 8 and 9 from 10 am to 2 pm. Check out their special offers, sales and discounted items offered each month. Open a new account or renew your membership for great deals on stuff you need and want. Look for the Costco representatives at Blue Umbrella Patio.

Ninos de Chapala Fund Raiser Ninos de Chapala, which provides student aid for local primary and secondary aged students will be conducting a fund drive at LCS on Friday, July 11. Ninos de Chapala supports education for children who have achieved an 80% or better grade in school.

Please Note: There will be no Cruz Roja General Meeting Wednesday, July 9. Check the Cruz Roja desk at the Cafe Patio for the new date.

/&6 6XPPHU )LOP )HVWLYDO Schedule

+RVWHG E\ $UQROG 6PLWK LQWURGXFHV ÂżOPV ZLWK KLVWRULFDO DQG VRFLDO VLJQLÂżFDQFH July 3 7KH .LQJ RI 0DVNV . A psychological drama of human relationships in China. July 10 :RRGURZ :LOVRQ 3DUW , 7KH ÂżUVW RI a three part history of the 28th President of the United States. July 17 :LOVRQ 3DUW ,, July 24 :LOVRQ SDUW ,,, July 31 :DUP 6SULQJV The story of President Franklin Roosevelt's struggle with polio. $OO ÂżOPV VWDUW DW SP /&6 PHPEHUV RQO\

WK $QQLYHUVDU\ RI :RRGVWRFN Save the date: Saturday, August 16. From 3 -7 pm we LCS be hosting the 45th Anniversary Celebration of Woodstock, the festival that changed the music world forever, here on our grounds. Get your â&#x20AC;&#x153;hippieâ&#x20AC;? on and dress for it. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll have wall-to-wall music, featuring a live rock band playing the music from this seminal event and recorded hits by the original festival artists like Jimi Hendrix, (et al). There will be food- even brownies, a cash bar, dancing, a costume contest and great vibes. Look for more information in next monthâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s edition or contact Pattileecombs@gmail.com.

IT Position Open

:H QHHG D TXDOLÂżHG FDQGLGDWH ZKR KDV H[SHULHQFH LQ EXLOGLQJ computers, installing software, working with networks including overall trouble-shooting. Position requires climbing stairs several times a day. Please contact Robert Katz at bobkat1226@gmail.com

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Childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Art Cards Available Our wonderful childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s art cards are again available at the CafĂŠ 3DWLR WDEOH <RXU WZHQW\ ÂżYH SHVRV ZLOO KHOS VXSSRUW RXU SRSXODU Childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Saturday Program. Contact childrensart@lakechapalasociety.com for more info.

:H QHHG YROXQWHHUV LQ WKH RIÂżFH ,I \RX KDYH SHRSOH VNLOOV ZHÂśG like to see your smiling face at the front desk assisting members and guests. If you have computer experience, we need data entry volunteers for our membership and post life programs. See $GHOD $OFDUD] LQ WKH VHUYLFH RIÂżFH

THE LAKE CHAPALA SOCIETY, A.C.

16 de Septiembre #16-A, Ajijic, Jalisco /&6 0DLQ 2IÂżFH 2IÂżFH LQIRUPDWLRQ DQG RWKHU VHUYLFHV 0RQGD\ Âą 6DWXUGD\ DP WR SP *URXQGV RSHQ XQWLO SP

LCS BOARD OF DIRECTORS President - Ben White (2016); Vice-President - Cate Howell (2015); Treasurer - Michael Searles (2015); Secretary - Carole Wolff (2016); Directors: Lois Cugini (2015); Ernest Gabbard (2016); Aurora Michel Galindo (2015); Fred Harland (2015); Keith Martin (2016); Wallace Mills (2015); Pete Soderman (2016); Executive Director - Terry Vidal

The LCS Newsletter is published monthly. Deadline for submissions is the 17th of the month preceding publication. News items may be e-mailed to Reba Mayo rebaelizabethhill@yahoo.com; cc to Terry Vidal tqv56431@yahoo.com Note: The editorial staff reserves the right to edit all submissions according to time, space availability and editorial decision.

Saw you in the Ojo 59

El Ojo del Lago / July 2014

Saw you in the Ojo 61

EMERGENCY NUMBERS

Service

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