Saw you in the Ojo
1
Saw you in the Ojo
3
D IRE C TOR Y PUBLISHER Richard Tingen
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Alejandro Grattan-Domínguez Tel: (01376) 765 3676, 765 2877 Fax: (01376) 765 3528 Associate Publisher David Tingen
Index...
FEATURE ARTICLES
8
COVER STORY
Margaret Van Every writes about random acts of kindness and gives us a most touching example.
COVER STORY
VOLUME 35 NUMBER 3
Graphic Design Roberto C. Rojas Diana Parra Morales
8 Cover By Maestros del Arte
Special Events Editor Sandy Olson
10 LOCAL LITERARY SCENE Antonio Rambles has established a way to aid and encourage many of Lakeside’s local authors, mainly through the Internet.
Associate Editor Victoria Schmidt Art Critic / Contributing Editor Rob Mohr
18 MUSICAL WORDS
Theater Critic Michael Warren Book Review Panel Margaret Van Every Margaret Porter Clare Gearhart Roving Correspondent Dr. Lorin Swinehart Sales Manager Bruce Fraser Carmene Berner Office Secretary Rocio Madrigal ADVERTISING OFFICE Av. Hidalgo # 223, Chapala Mon. thru Fri. 9am - 5pm Sat. 9am - 1pm Tel. 01 (376) 765 2877, 765 3676 Fax 01 (376) 765 3528
34 LAKESIDE LIVING
6
Editor’s Page
12 Front Row Center 16 Profiling Tepehua
20 THAT’S ENTERTAINMENT
Tom Nussbaum draws a fine line between a successful movie and a “good” movie. There are more distinctions than one might imagine.
22 Welcome to Mexico
24 FICTION
34 Lakeside Living
Celebrated author Rachel McMillen writes about an elderly married couple preparing to take a long trip, their conversation wonderfully catching the sort of code that such couples sometimes use to convey their deeper feelings.
40 If Our Pets Could Talk
46 POETRY
42 Bridge by Lake
Judy Dykstra-Brown’s poem Coping starts logically enough by hooking the title word to its opposite, moping.
Send all correspondence, subscriptions or advertising to: El Ojo del Lago http://www.chapala.com ojodellago@prodigy.net.mx Ave. Hidalgo 223 (or Apartado 279), 45900 Chapala, Jalisco Tels.: (376) 765 3676, Fax 765 3528 PRINTING: El Debate El Ojo del Lago aparece los primeros cinco días de cada mes. (Distributed over the first five days of each month) Certificado de Licitud de Título 3693 Certificado de Licitud de Contenido 3117. Reserva al Título de Derechos de Autor 04-2011-103110024300-102 Control 14301. Permisos otorgados por la Secretaría de Gobernación (EXP. 1/432 “88”/5651 de 2 de junio de 1993) y SEP (Reserva 171.94 control 14301) del 15 de enero de 1994. Distribución: Hidalgo 223 Chapala, Jalisco, México. All contents are fully protected by copyright and may not be reproduced without the written consent of El Ojo del Lago. Opinions expressed by the authors do not necessarily reflect the views of the Publisher or the Editor, nor are we responsible for the claims made by our advertisers. We welcome letters, which should include name, address and telephone number.
4
Mark Sconce believes that some languages are much more “musical” that others, and cites such logical choices as French and Italian—but believes the one that “sings” the best is Hindi. Mark should know, having served in Nepal as a Peace Corps volunteer.
COLUMNS THIS MONTH
El Ojo del Lago / November 2018
Saw you in the Ojo
5
COLUMNIST
Editor’s Page
By Alejandro Grattan-Dominguez
Reform Or Wither Away
S
everal years ago, this column reviewed the international best-selling book, In God’s Name, which was written by a New York Times journalist by the name of Philip Yallop. The book had to do with Yallop’s investigation into the death of Pope John Paul I, who died under mysterious circumstances only a few weeks after assuming the spiritual guidance of the estimated one billion members of the Catholic Church. After many months of searching for the facts behind the death of a youngish pope (who had been in excellent health), Yallop initially found that there had been no autopsy or even a formal Death Certificate. He also discovered a connection between the Vatican and the Italian Mafia, and actually disclosed the names of the people (in both camps) who were in charge of nurturing the nefarious relationship. As for the motive for the crime, if indeed there had been one, the facts were equally as stunning: the new Pope had previously gone on record as promoting the idea that the priesthood should allow women to be members, that the Vatican had become the largest art gallery in the world and that the Church should hold the biggest auction in history, sell many of the paintings and artifacts and triple the Church’s help of the most needy of its brethren. He also vowed to terminate the Vatican’s cozy relationship with the Italian Mafia, and voiced the opinion that the Church’s stricture on contraception was outdated and patently unfair to the poor Catholics of the world, especially those in Africa. Most striking of all, Yallop named the Vatican Secretary of State and other high-ranking Vatican officials as the perpetrators of the Pope’s death! (In all the years since then, there has not been a single lawsuit filed against either Yallop or his publisher.) I was reminded of that column when I recently read that a Grand Jury
6
El Ojo del Lago / November 2018
in Pennsylvania has uncovered child sexual abuse cases involving some 1000 children, crimes perpetrated by more than 300 priests all across the entire state—and that further, the hierarchy of the Church had been covering up the crimes for many years. Over the years, many priests have found a way to sublimate their sex drive and channel it into socially acceptable channels, but many others have not, finding release in unacceptable and even despicable ways such as sexually molesting children. Sigmund Freud warned us over a hundred years ago of the dangers in bottling up the sexual drive inherent in the human race. The solution seems simple if radical, bucking as it does hundreds of years of hallowed tradition: allow priests and nuns to marry, or at the least have loving sexual but discreet relationships with those of their own choosing. The extreme discipline of a religious calling is difficult enough without having to give up one of the most basic desires of human beings. As a rationale, we need look no further than the New Testament, for there is little if anything in that inspired book that indicated that Jesus Christ made chastity a precondition for any of his Twelve Apostles. Indeed, if memory serves, a few of them were married. Child molestation incidents have haunted the Church for centuries, and this latest scandal in Pennsylvania that involves a cover-up of the crimes at the highest levels of the Church in America now has millions of Catholics doubting the decency of its own spiritual leaders. Time to reform or continue to wither. The Church has come to one of the most fateful cross-roads in its entire 2000 year-old history. Alejandro GrattanDominguez
Saw you in the Ojo
7
True Giving Margaret Van Every
T
he phrase “practice random kindness and senseless acts of beauty” was written by Anne Herbert on a placemat in Sausalito, California in 1982. It was her answer to the phrase “random acts of violence and senseless acts of cruelty.” Herbert’s book Random Acts of Kindness, published in 1993, relates true stories of acts of kindness. Brady woke up one Saturday morning knowing this would be the day. He hummed a tuneless ditty as he opened his desk drawer and removed five small business envelopes. Sitting down at the desk, he took a clean sheet of paper from his printer and creased it into two horizontal sections and one vertical. With his pen knife he carefully slit along the folds yielding six uniform pieces of paper on which he would write his act of kindness message. He thought a moment, then wrote in legible block letters GOD IS LOVE. HAVE A NICE DAY. BRADY. But after writing the first note, he pondered a moment and had misgivings. It would come across as selfserving to include his name, as though calculated to elicit some kind of credit. Perhaps it would look like an attempt to personalize his connection with the recipient, in effect asking for a thank you and thereby aborting the intention. No, it was clear. The perpetrator of kindness had to remain anonymous and so he tore that trial note into pieces. Now he had five clean sheets of paper left and he confidently wrote
8
his unsigned message on those five sheets and put them in the envelopes along with a crisp $20 bill. He licked and sealed all five envelopes and laid them in a neat stack on the table next to the door. While eating his cereal he got to pondering again. Might it not frighten people to take an unmarked envelope from a stranger? These were scary times. A person might reject his innocent gesture for fear of anthrax powder inside or even an explosive. He retrieved the envelopes, then with a magic marker drew a flower on each and wrote BLESS YOU. He knew that his first impression could make or break his success in committing acts of kindness so he dressed himself clean cut as a Mormon missionary on house call duty... not including the tie for fear people would think he was out to evangelize. Potential beneficiaries might reject his AOK if he weren’t clean shaven or if he wore his usual weekend uniform of shorts, T-shirt, and shabby sneak-
El Ojo del Lago / November 2018
ers. True, he’d feel most comfortable in those clothes on this hot June day, but this day wasn’t about him. He knew he had to dress for them. He took stock of himself in the mirror and practiced his opening line with his most genuine smile. GOOD MORNING. PLEASE ENJOY THE DAY. Then picking up his five envelopes, he flew down the two flights of stairs, heart beating wildly in anticipation of randomly bestowing kindness. Stepping into the cool morning, he inhaled deeply. He was about to give away 100 hard-earned dollars to five strangers. Setting off in the direction of town, he passed two women walking arm in arm. GOOD MORNING. PLEASE ENJOY THE DAY, he ventured, smiling and extending his hand with two envelopes, one for each. The women refused to look him in the eye and kept on walking. He thought he heard a muffled snicker after they passed. Oh, well, rejection happens. He reassured himself it was nothing he did wrong and went on. He next approached a young man with some kind of device stuck in his ear, walking a bicycle. Brady seductively waved an envelope and proffered an invitation with raised, questioning brows and a nod, but the kid pointed to his ear by way of explanation and kept going. He saw a cop and knew he’d have his first taker, but the cop saw him coming and crossed the street. Multiple attempts ensued without success for more than an hour. Brady decided he’d have better luck if he went somewhere where people were congregated. A couple of blocks further and he could slip into the Hootspah Deli. It was getting near lunchtime and there’d be a sandwich line for sure. He slipped into the line like he was going to buy something, and started offering his AOK. Most of the prospects were dressed in their weekend comfy clothes—old teeshirts, shorts, and flipflops. He changed his pitch to HEY, ANYONE HERE WANT $20 FOR FREE? NO OBLIGATION. YOU’LL NEVER SEE ME AGAIN, I PROMISE. THIS IS AN ATTEMPTED RANDOM ACT OF KINDNESS . . . ANYONE? The guy behind the sneeze-guard constructing a Ruben looked up, “Hey kid, no soliciting here. Sorry, you’ll have to vamoos.” Brady left and offered an envelope to a customer leaving the Deli, opening the door of his Tesla. The man paused a moment, looked Brady over, and volunteered some advice, “You’re peddling to the wrong market, Kid. Hootspah clients have no use for your act of kindness. They have incomes way over $100 thousand. Give it to a down-and-outer who needs it. Why don’t you try the corner of 6th
and Grover? You’ll see, that’s a better location for giving stuff away. You’ll find plenty of takers there.” Brady realized his AOKs were becoming less and less random. “Who woulda thought I’d need demographers and marketers to tell me where and how to give free money away? Perhaps without the element of need, it’s not even kindness. It’s just a frivolous gesture to prove something inconsequential to myself.” He headed toward the less affluent part of town, determined that he would not give up until he had perpetrated all five acts of kindness. He realized his feet were tired, his clothes dripping, and he was getting real hungry, but worst of all, his spirits were flagging. He never anticipated that AOKs would entail such hard work and rejection. Nonetheless he slogged on, ten more blocks in the blistering noonday heat. The closer he got to the magic corner, the more debris cluttered the sidewalk and the stench of urine and stale alcohol fouled the air. He began passing sleeping, perhaps drunk or drugged derelicts here and there in doorways or stretched out on the sidewalk. Perhaps he could slip an envelope into the hand of an unconscious beneficiary who would then discover it on waking and rejoice, but he nixed the idea. It would probably get spent on more booze or drugs and he would be the enabler. It would be the exact opposite of an act of kindness. He trudged along until he came to a corner where four heavily tattooed young men with metal studs in their eyebrows were hanging out in their undershirts and low-low-slung jeans, talking loudly and laughing. Brady knew he didn’t belong in this neighborhood and his clothes were all wrong. He’d never have the nerve to open a conversation with these guys. He tucked his five envelopes in his shirt pocket and started walking faster. Having passed them, he heard that familiar contemptuous snicker. Picking up his pace, his adrenaline began pumping. Just as he broke into a run, a hand grabbed him by the shoulder and threw him to the ground. Pointing an open switchblade at Brady the guy said, “Hey, dude. Relax. Just gimme your wallet and all will be fine.” From where he was on the ground, Brady fumbled around in his pants pocket and fished out his near empty wallet and extended it to the young man. “Have a nice day,” said Brady. “Thanks,” said the thief, “you have Margaret Van Every a nice day, too.”
Saw you in the Ojo
9
Lakeside’s new “virtual bookstore” promotes local authors By Antonio Ramblés
E
nglish-language writers have been coming to Lake Chapala since D. H. Lawrence first visited and wrote about the area in 1923, but even many local writers are surprised to learn that nearly 200 books by over 50 Lakeside authors are currently available on Amazon. These numbers really shouldn’t come as a surprise. Amazon/Kindle’s online bookstore not only gives readers one-click access to more titles than in any previous generation, but is backed by an online publishing platform which enables writers to publish their work at no cost. One effect is that more than 300,000 new titles are independently published each year. The avalanche of new books makes Amazon a mixed blessing for independently published authors, who must struggle to promote readership without the backing of a commercial publishing house. As a consequence, most independently published titles sell fewer than 200 books. The challenge is even more daunting for English-language authors living in Mexico, arms-length from the sweet spot of the English-reading market and sometimes unknown as authors even to Lakeside friends and neighbors. Riberas Authors, an independent, non-profit initiative launched in August, is tackling these obstacles with Lakeside’s first “virtual bookstore”. Its focus is to promote readership of Amazon books authored by resident writers, and Lake Chapala as Mexico’s pre-eminent community of English language authors. Early indications are that the organization’s effort is filling a clear need. In its first 60 days, the RiberasAuthors. com blogsite attracted over 1,200 Visitors and generated over 3,000 Page Views. One-third of Visitors originate from English-speaking countries across the globe from the U.K. to Australia, for which native English speakers number over 400 million. Nearly nine in ten referrals to Riber-
10
El Ojo del Lago / November 2018
asAuthors.com originate on Facebook, where the Riberas Authors Patrons page reached nearly 8,000 people in its first month. In November, Riberas Authors launches its YouTube channel, which will feature videos of readings by - and interviews with –ten RiberasAuthors. In January, pieces written by Riberas Authors will begin appearing regularly in the Lake Chapala Society’s new monthly publication. In conjunction, Riberas Authors will also launch a monthly event dedicated exclusively to readings from Amazon-published books by its authors. Those interested in supporting these efforts are urged to: Visit the RiberasAuthors.com blog site and subscribe to updates (“Follow Us!”), or… …“Like” the Riberas Authors Facebook Page Patrons page on Facebook. Share Riberas Authors posts on books and authors with family and friends. Local authors of Amazon books not yet listed with Riberas Authors are urged to inquire about a listing through RiberasAuthors@gmail.com. Antonio Ramblés
Saw you in the Ojo 11
FRONT ROW CENTER By Michael Warren Clever Little Lies By Joe DiPietro Directed by Collette Clavadetscher
T
his play is described as a comedy, but it’s really a sad commentary on love and marriage. One of the characters says that the “pursuit of happiness” is the source of our problems – we think that we have a right to be happy. Just settle for what you have, and call it happiness. Joe DiPietro is a skilful author, and the play moves along at a good pace, but I wouldn’t call it a comedy. It’s a family drama. Collette Clavadetscher has a good cast, and she has them playing realistically. There are no double takes or pregnant pauses, which reduces any comic effects, but makes the play more meaningful and dramatic. In the opening scene Bill Sr (played by Zane Pumiglia) and his son Billy (played by Donny Bryant) are changing in the locker room after a game of pickleball. We are told that Bill won the game rather easily, which seems unlikely, but then we discover that Billy’s mind is on other things. Actually he is having a passionate affair with a very attractive 23-year-old female personal trainer at his gym club. All this while his young wife is at home looking after their new baby girl. Zane Pumiglia and Donny Bryant play this scene well, with Zane looking suitably confused and embarrassed by this
12
El Ojo del Lago / November 2018
unwelcome news. They deliver their lines without any gaps or pauses while dressing and tying a Windsor knot in their ties – quite an achievement! Donny Bryant is a newcomer to the stage, and he does a great job with an unsympathetic part. Then the scene shifts to the home of Bill and his wife Alice. Although Bill has been sworn to secrecy by his son, Alice has no difficulty worming the dreadful truth out of him. What can she do? Of course the young couple must come over for coffee and cheesecake. Barbara Pruitt lights up the stage as soon as she comes on, and is entirely believable as the bossy and very clever Alice. There’s a scene with Billy and his young wife Jane in the car, with baby Emily in the back seat, on their way over. I felt that this scene was too long – however, it did establish Jane’s obsession with her baby. It also contained a lot of swearing and cursing. Actually the whole play uses the F word as a normal adjective, by all the characters young and old. Jane is sweetly
played by M.A. Bruneau, also in her first appearance at LLT. I hope that we will see her again, perhaps in a more demanding role. At the end of the play, Alice reveals that twenty years ago, while married to Bill, she had a love affair with a young student. Although she remembers him fondly, she’s glad that she gave him up and stayed with her rather boring husband. Is this true, or is it a clever little lie? The author leaves the question open. Congratulations to Collette and her cast and crew for bringing us a
professional production of this sad comedy. Not many laughs but a lot of food for thought. Finally I must mention the amazing set designed by Sherron Brackenbury, and the clever use of the rotating stage. Debra Bowers was Stage Manager and Sherron Brackenbury was also her Assistant. Next up is “Proof” a drama by David Auburn, which opens on October 19. Michael Warren
Saw you in the Ojo 13
RAMBLINGS FROM THE RANCH By Carolyn Cothran
A
s Co-Manager of The Ranch, one of the things I like about my work is that no two days are the same. Each day presents a new experience or opportunity to help a dog in a different way. Recently I had a day that all volunteers hope for. It started pretty normally. Volunteers showed up ready to give the dogs love, walks and a good brushing or two. A friend had indicated that she would like to adopt an older dog. Some of our best dogs have been with us over ten years. There is no particular reason for their long stay, except they’ve just been overlooked. My friend took an interest in Lee, a Ranch dog for about eleven years. He is healthy and gets
14
El Ojo del Lago / November 2018
along well with other dogs. My friend wanted to meet Lee and showed up with her dog to introduce them. The two were indifferent about each other. My friend said that she would come back with her other dog to see how it would go. The dogs met and it was a great match. Off went Lee to his forever home. Later that day a volunteer brought us a dog best described as a skeleton with fur, in terrible shape. We get these dogs sometimes and can help them get healthy again, but being in a foster home speeds the process. Unfortunately, we had no available fosters. I was worried about making him comfortable and watched him closely. Out of nowhere a wonderful man
drove up to The Ranch, saying he would be interested in a long term foster. What miraculous timing! We sent this dog to his foster home where he enjoys a lake view, a great backyard and people attending to his every need. That day goes down as one of the best ever in my almost five years of shelter work. For more information on giving, volunteering and adoptions, visit our website at: www.adoptaranchdog@ outlook.com or call 331.270.4447. Follow us on Facebook: Lakeside Spay and Neuter Ranch and Adoptions.
Saw you in the Ojo 15
COLUMNIST
PROFILING TEPEHUA By Moonyeen King
President of the Board for Tepehua
moonie1935@yahoo.com
J
OURNAL OF ADOLESCENCE describes the developmental dynamics where parents of high risk adolescent boys reduce their involvement when confronted with the challenges of problem behavior. Observations show the deviant friendship process at approximately 14 years of age, with degradation of family management. It was shown 50% had unprotected sex by age 18. unquote. Girls are the same, with the exception they are more likely to join group activity in centers to meet peers, devious and otherwise, than boys are, especially if they have a problematic home. In 2017 in Mexico, 10,000 babies were born to girls of 10 to 14 years of age, with 70% of the pregnancies caused by someone over the age of 18 attached to the family group. Adolescents of Tepehua are no different. Unless there is full parental involvement and guidance, it is usually a time of bad choices that should be viewed as a learning curve. Unfortunately, it is not always the case and the “choice” is hard to drop. Especially in poor areas where choices are few and usually destructive. Since opening the gymnasium in the Tepehua Center there has
16
El Ojo del Lago / November 2018
been a remarkable change in the adolescents who come - bad attitude turns into a pride. Plus, there is an involvement of some mothers who bring their younger children, catching them whilst they are still influenced by a parent. For adolescents, their young bodies change quickly as they exercise and drop the puppy fat - they can actually flex their plex and it shows. The girls taking part in the program also begin to take independence and pride in self. The young trainer taking over as the influence and turning those bad choices around. He is the pivot of change. The light burns brightly for the future as opportunities are changing through education and communication, where we learn so much from each other. It is easier through technology than it ever was before. Even in the isolated Mexican vast barren waste, where life and water struggle to make it, the media breaks the silence. It will be a long time to achieve equality, but if just the few are liberated through choice and education, it can change the world. “Be ashamed to die until you have won a victory for humanity” Horace Mann.
Saw you in the Ojo 17
Sound, Rhythm, Meaning By Mark Sconce
L
et’s face it. Some languages sound better than others whether or not you understand the words and sentences. French comes to mind: Je t’aime. Je vous en prie, Si vous plait. Also Italian: Ciao Bella, Molto bene, Arivaderchi not to mention operatic arias that live forever… But of all the languages that best match sound to meaning, I choose Nepali and Hindi. Especially in the lyrics of songs. Take this Nepali ditty. Dhalaki, dhalaki na hirna nani. Roughly, don’t walk away swaying your hips like that. Dhalaki, dhalaki describes the hips he longs to see again. Nepalis like repetitions and rhymes, much like cockney. Here’s one: Rangi-changi means multicolored; Chili-milli means flashing lights. But the one I’ll always remember is Cheez- beez. Translation— tchotchkes, baubles, knickknacks, and gimcracks. And how do Nepalis say WOW? For nearly a thousand years, they’ve said Bhaprebhap! It’s fun to hear the schoolchildren walking home on a foothill path singing the Nepali alphabet, Ka, kha, ga, gha, na; cha, chha, ja, jha, ya; pa, pha, ba, bha, ma. As you can hear, all the letters end in ah. Same with Hindi. So we get Mahatma Gandhi, Buddha, Himalaya, Kamasutra (literally “Pleasure Manual,”) Raja, Karma,
Yoga and Ganga, the native name for the Ganges River. All melodious… even euphonious. In India you have a vast wealth of sounds and rhythms over the millennia. On the rupee note today, you will find fourteen different languages. Once in Calcutta I purchased an ayervedic medicine with the Sanskrit name Mrita Sanja Bhani—to be taken at the point of death. I took two aspirin instead… From Sanskrit to Hindi, ancient and modern, from the earliest Vedas to a Bollywood song and dance, expect conflicting perspectives. Sadhus meditating on Brahma, the Creator; gurus pondering Vishnu, the Preserver and his son Krishna, hero of the Bhagavad Gita and, of course, Shiva, the Destroyer, the swallower of Time and Ages. All these gods can come into focus when a devotee recites the universal mantra Om Mani Padme Hum. Om, a sacred symbol, Mani Padme, jewel of the lotus flower and Hum means something like the condition of Enlightenment symbolized by the lotus and the jewel of wisdom therein. By contrast, take a typical Bollywood song like Maito Deewana, Deewana. “I am a mad passionate lover.” Perhaps the Kamasutra comes to mind, perhaps not… Or take this popular song where charity has its rewards: Tum ek paisa dogi, O das lakh a dega. “If you give a beggar a single paisa, you’ll receive ten-thousand from heaven.” But a voice from the past, no less than the word of Krishna, comes with this admonition: On action alone be thy interest, Never on its fruits. Let not the fruits of action be thy motive, Nor be thy attachment to inaction Mark Sconce
18
El Ojo del Lago / November 2018
Saw you in the Ojo 19
And The Oscar Goes To... By Tom Nussbaum
T
he point of the Academy Awards is recognizing excellence in film. Not popularity. Not ticket sales. Not buzz. Other awards, like the Peoples’ Choice Awards, do that. As a result, the films with the most Oscar nominations or wins may be critically acclaimed, but are not well-known to the general public. That is because the masses go to the theater for escapism, not excellence. They go to see blockbusters, special effects bonanzas. They go to see action, adventure, violence, and asinine, unrealistic stories. But when Oscar nominations are announced, they feel left out. Their favorite films, their idea of excellence, are relegated to technical categories like sound or film editing. “Dammit,” they scream, “The Fast and The Furious XXXXVII” is the best movie EVER! It should have been nominated for Best Picture.” Oh, the poor fragile blockbuster films’ fans’ feelings have been hurt. They feel ignored and disrespected by the Association of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences. Pity. It isn’t enough that movie franchises like Iron Man, Avengers, and Mission Impossible are wildly popular, make enormous profits for their studios, or turn humdrum actors into superstars. Their fans want them to be considered—no, included—among
20
El Ojo del Lago / November 2018
the nominees for Best Picture even though they are not, for the most part, worthy of that title. So, AMPAS is considering how and when to create a new Oscar category, Most Popular Film. This, however, isn’t the first time in recent years the Academy has attempted to appease this bloc of movie-goers by including more popular, action-packed and/or science fiction blockbusters in the Best Picture category. In 2009, the number of films in that category was raised from five to ten although it was not required to name ten every year. This was done, I suspect, with hopes that a popular blockbuster would fill one of the added slots. These actions were, in my opinion, unnecessary, because worthy action films like Star Wars, the Lord of the Rings trilogy and Raiders of the Lost Ark have been included in the top category. Were these attempts to broaden the range of Best Film nominees beyond the usual art-house fare and critical favorites purely based on a sudden appreciation for the crowd pleasers? I don’t think so. The bottom line was, I’m afraid, the bottom line. In other words, it was driven by profit, business, and the buck. When Oscar nominations are dominated by films most Americans have not seen, let alone heard of, a small TV audience is likely on Oscar night. This impacts advertising rev-
enue. ABC does not air the Oscars as a public service; they do so because the lengthy program should be wellviewed and a cash cow for the network. Adding categories is not a bad idea when it is warranted. The Academy has added many categories since the first ceremony in 1929, like supporting performances, musical score, even costumes. They all impact the overall quality of a film. However, honoring popularity or box-office success does not. I think creating an Oscar category for Most Popular Film merely cheapens the other awards. Among past yearly box-office champs are Spider Man, Spider Man 3, Top Gun, and the controversial and violent Billy Jack. As films, are they on the same level of cinematic achievement as On the Waterfront, All About Eve, Gone With the Wind, Schindler’s List, and 12 Years a Slave. Popular fair like Home Alone and 3 Man and a Baby were the number one films of their release years. But were they great movies or merely entertaining fluff. Cotton candy is great State Fair food, but is it gourmet dining? Am I being elitist, a cine-snob? Probably. Admittedly, I am not a fair or qualified assessor of blockbuster action films or movies that rely on special effects for their appeal. The last one I
saw in a theater was 2008’s The Dark Knight and I went solely to witness Heath Ledger’s highly-acclaimed performance as “The Joker.” I hated everything else about the film. I don’t go to movies for the special effects or never-ending vehicle chases. I don’t go to watch cryptically symbolic tales of good versus evil, because I’ve seen them, read them, even lived them my entire life. I don’t go to have my senses simultaneously stimulated and numbed by a barrage of explosive noises and rapid-fire flashes and camera-cuts. I go to hear compelling dialogue. I go to see complex characters brought to life by gifted actors. I go to be awed by stunning, appropriate cinematography. I go to be taken somewhere I have never been before. I go to experience original stories that examine the human condition and challenge my brain and tug at my heart. That’s what, in my opinion, makes a film worthy of Oscar nominations. That’s what, I think, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences looks for in its Best Picture nominations. Tom Nussbaum
Saw you in the Ojo 21
COLUMNIST
By Victoria Schmidt
Lakeside Goes Green
T
he Jalisco Congress has approved its anti-plastic law. It gives businesses until 2020 to comply with new rules. I applaud their measures to protect the environment. When I see the terrible mess that plastics have caused in our oceans and on our lands, I am more than happy to try to use less plastic. The problem is how? I have my stainless steel straws and brushes to clean them, I carry a thermos jug for my water. I use cloth bags when I go shopping, but I have a terrible problem remembering to take them out of my back seat when I go into the store! Habits are hard to change. The government wants restaurants to use different materials for take out containers, which I think is wonderful. I’ve always hated those Styrofoam containers. I wonder what coffee drinkers from Starbucks to Oxxo will do? But this is all just a start on a very big problem. I recently purchased a universal remote. It was surrounded by so much plastic I’m sure an entire box of straws had lost their lives. It took me scissors and X-acto knife to get through the plastic. And there were other plastic boxes inside. I think the manufacturing industry must work hard to find other ways to package their material. I’ve seen an ad on television where an infamous company shows photos of the environment and talks about how much they care, and how they have reduced the plastic content of their water bottles by 40%. Wow. They are still plastic. And the company takes water rights away from the citizens. In the “good old days” we were all happy to recycle our milk bottles, soda bottles, beer bottles. Of course, they would mean a great deal of manufacturing changes. But I hear there is a shortage of jobs. I know that soda cans and
22
El Ojo del Lago / November 2018
beer cans have plastic tabs, but they are working on different packaging there as well. Which leads me to another step we all must make. It’s difficult. My husband and I have done it for years, and we had a system that worked, but implementing the system in Mexico may not be easy. It’s recycling trash. We sorted plastic trash in one container, aluminum in another, and organic in a trash can. Our community also provided the containers. A special truck made of three side compartments would collect the sorted recycling. And I know that here, the City of Chapala had advertised certain pick up days for each. But, I’m just not sure it worked out. It looked as if anything and everything was picked up all at once, and I believe that the program was never really successful on its initial trial. I know I certainly don’t have the answers. I’m so glad the Mexican Congress is beginning the process, and is forward thinking, but it is going to take the cooperation of all the people in all walks of life in order to make these changes. Many stores are changing to biodegradable. But do we know if these new biodegradable products really are? We will be finding out over the next year. Meanwhile, I’ve a collection of cloth bags from many vendors. Some have been given to me for free; other vendors sell them for a nominal fee. I find using them makes more sense. The bags are stronger, the handles don’t fall apart...but be careful, because they can stuff many items into those bags, especially the larger stores, and they can become very heavy to carry. Let’s all do our part to go green. Victoria Schmidt
Saw you in the Ojo 23
Albert’s Hat By Rachel McMillen
A
lbert Braithwaite folded his pinstriped shirt and placed it carefully into his old, brown suitcase. Mabel, his wife of almost fifty years, gazed at him steadily from her place on the bedside table and he could almost feel her nod of approval as he closed the lid. Albert and Mabel had planned this trip many months ago, spending the long evenings of the Pennsylvanian winter sitting at their dining room table looking at the maps spread out in front of them. Their neighbours, Fred and Sally Collins, had a daughter, Betty, who ran a Travel Agency, and when she had heard of their plans, she had sent them all kinds of glossy brochures for everything from imposing hotels, to glittering cruise ships to elegant trains, but in the end they
24
had settled for a guided bus tour. It was what suited them best, they said. They were simple folk and the glamour of those cruise ships would make them feel uncomfortable. And even the thought of taking a train made them a little uneasy: they had never been on a train before and couldn’t imagine sleeping in a little roomette as it clattered along the tracks. No, they would take the bus. They were familiar with buses. They liked them, and the drive up to Montreal would take them through places
El Ojo del Lago / November 2018
they had never seen before and let them sleep in a nice room in a regular hotel. Mabel had insisted Albert buy himself a new shirt. His clothes were starting to look their age, she said, and when he replied that he too was looking his age so they were a perfect match she had simply laughed. She had had a wonderful laugh. Sometimes while he was sleeping, he could still hear it. They had driven up to Pittsburgh and bought the shirt at Macy’s. He had argued about both the cost and the color, saying that a plain white shirt from Marshalls was good enough for him and was what he had worn all his life, but Mabel had convinced him that the blue suited him. “It brings out the color of your eyes,” she said, smiling the smile he had loved before she added, “This is our first ever holiday, and it will probably be our last. We’re not getting any younger, Albert. Your back has been acting up real bad these last few months, and my knees are getting worse. We’re going to make this trip something special—a holiday to remember.” In the end he had agreed to buy the shirt, but when she wanted him to buy a new pair of trousers too he had put his foot down. “Enough is enough,” he said. “I don’t need a new pair of trousers. The ones I have are just fine.” He regretted that decision a little now. He wanted to look nice for her on this trip, and since Mabel had gone, his best pair of trousers had seen a lot of use. He had worn them to the funeral of course, and to the memorial afterwards, but they had also been called into service when friends had come to visit, and for visits to the bank, and to the insurance agent, and even to the phone company and the supermarket, all places he had never needed to visit before
and all places he felt he should dress up for. The trousers were now a little shabby, but after he had taken them to the dry-cleaners he figured they didn’t look too bad. Albert closed the suitcase, picked it up and moved it over to the door where Mabel’s hat box still sat, right where she had put it in readiness for the trip. The hat box contained the hat she had purchased that same day in Macy’s, and Albert’s biggest regret — after losing Mabel of course — was that he had not complimented her on her purchase. Instead, he had mocked her, and the memory shamed him. “What in God’s name is that?” he had asked when she emerged from the store. “Have you lost your mind? We’re farmers, not city slickers. You think the chickens are going to want to see you in a hat like that?” “Never you mind, Albert Braithwaite,” she had replied, her tone more firm than he was used to hearing. “I’ve waited a lifetime for this holiday, and I’m going to enjoy it. I’ve been doing some research, and Montreal is very different from Pittsburgh. It’s French-Canadian, and they wear the latest fashions there. I’ve seen lots of photos in those magazines they have in the library, and every one of those women wears a hat. I’ve already got two nice dresses that will serve me well, but I need a hat.” Albert had given in — he really hadn’t had a choice — but he had been grumpy about it, saying something about feathers looking better on a bird where they belonged. He shouldn’t have done that. It had taken the happiness out of the day, and they had only had three more of those before Mabel had suffered the stroke and taken the happiness out of his life. The squeak of the gate opening caught his attention. That would be Fred come to take him to the bus. Albert blinked back the memories and opened the door. As he lifted his suitcase outside onto the stoop, his habit of 70-odd years kicked in and he reached out and lifted his brown felt fedora from its peg on the wall. But the hat box sitting there on the floor caught his eye and he stopped himself. Smiling, he bent down and lifted the confection of bright pink feathers from their nesting place and placed it on his head. This time his old fedora was going to stay home. He and Mabel were going to do this trip together. Rachel McMillen
Saw you in the Ojo 25
Night Watch Short Story by Rob Mohr
W
ith shock, John realized he had fallen in love with two women. “How could this happen?” he thought. Rebecca was due in a few minutes - worried he realized that he had no memory of what he had told Carla. I know I wrote it down somewhere. ‘Where is my pad? Did I scribble the information on scrap paper in the stack on my desk? Damn, I can never find anything. What did I tell her? Impossible what if they both showed up?’ John headed for his sun room where, through the double french doors, he would be able to see the mountains beyond, and more important, the road leading up to his house. Outside, clouds shattered, settled into white clumps of sadness, while echoes of the thunder that had been intense an hour ago filled the space around him. He sought
26
solitude, a moment of quiet, where he could sort through his dilemma-riddled reality. But darkness, and absence, gripped his mind and left him unable to reflect. John’s tension dissipated as he slowed his breathing. He considered the soft grey walls, the glare off the crystal glass, the soft curve of the mountains worn down by millions of years under eroding winds and endless rains. Images of Carla invaded his mind. He saw her as she had been several days before, seated in his leather lounge chair, one arm carefully placed across the frame, her white face tilted toward him, eyes dark, reflective and inquisitive, black hair stunning against the grey wall. He had felt overwhelmed by her presence. “What are you up to now?” he had asked. “Painting, every day,” she had an-
El Ojo del Lago / November 2018
swered. An image of her standing in a paint splattered smock heightened his awareness of her studied intellect which had emerged in every aspect of their conversation. Independent, she occupied her own space. Under a calm surface she exuded wildness - a cat’s calm, purring presence, waiting for the right moment to jump. Just then she had looked at him with an intensity he had not experienced with other women. He knew that this woman would be important in his life. She, in turn, was drawn to him by his detailed, yet open, creative understanding of pre-Columbian peoples and their rich layered cultures. He was for her a proven scholar. In contrast Rebecca, with a head full of unruly curls, was last seen one arm wrapped around her head, laid back on the Moroccan cushions that lined the soft felt of his dark grey couch. Her long tie-dyed skirt which flowed over the curve of her thigh, and patterned blouse, melded with the pillows. She and the couch had become one - a source of comfort, a dream image for times past, a budding hope for the future. Rebecca was comfortable, no surprises, without the tension or the imminent air of surprise that surrounds Carla. Images of both women floated in and out as his mind drifted through a
blue mood, introspective visions, and emerging futures. He breathed as if the air had become precious nectar that would awaken and renew his mind, a source of atmospheric electricity that would enable thought. John, in that moment, without awareness of the time, fell asleep. ************ A persistent bell broke through the web of sleep. John jumped to his feet and headed for the door. “Rebecca, God, right on time. Come in. How are you?” His nervousness was apparent. “Were you asleep? You look as if you expected someone else.” She tossed her deep red shawl over his jade green chair. The effect was stunning. “Well, asleep, but just for a moment.” “What’s for supper? You said you were going to cook … I’m starved.” Would you like a drink while I get started?” “Love one. You remember - a gin and tonic with a twist of lemon.” Just then the doorbell rang with and unexpected urgency. “Is someone else coming?” asked Rebecca, curious. “I’ll get the door.” John, a stricken look on his face, called out, “No, I’ll get it.” But he could see that Rebecca was already at the door. In the next moment the two women stood
face to face. “Is John here?” asked the tall elegant woman, who as she spoke, walked through the door into the living room. “Oh, there you are,” she quipped as she smiled at the startled pair. “Carla, welcome, this is my friend Rebecca.” He watched as Carla studied the other woman who had walked over by the window for added effect. “Interesting. A meal for three, is it?” Carla’s question carried a subtle hint of her amusement. “Yes, wonderful ... I knew you two would enjoy each other. Carla would you like a drink?” He looked into Carla’s open gaze. Her eyes had the same intensity he had remembered from earlier. “Yes, dear John, single malt, neat with two cubes of ice.” Thankful for the reprieve, John ducked into the kitchen. “I will get the dinner started,” he called back. Both women, now with a drink in hand, began to study the other. Carla, her curiosity peaked, began to analyze Rebecca, aware of her sensuality with a suggestion of an experienced Jewish mother, which seemed to rationalize John’s interest in her. Not bad, she thought. And Rebecca, intrigued by the apparent delicacy and intelligence Carla radiated, considered just how she should interact with this new challenge. Clearly John had not intended this chance meeting. “Rebecca, how long have you known John?” “Several years now. We spend a lot of time together.” Not satisfied with her answer she rephrased, “we have had a steady relationship.” Carla was quiet, reflective, while analyzing Rebecca’s words. “And you, Carla, have you known him long?” “No, just a few weeks. But I enjoy his company.” She turned slightly to reveal the curve of her body. The chill in the room dissipated when the two women, now animated, began to exchange life experiences. John stuck his head out the kitchen door and asked, “You ladies need another drink. The salad is made and the steaks ready to go on the fire.” “No, we’re fine,” the women chimed in unison. John relaxed, began to hum as he worked, until he heard a chorus of laughter followed by the distinct click of the front door being closed. He realized that no matter what happened from here on out, the course of his future had been forever changed. Rob Mohr
Saw you in the Ojo 27
Benefits of Exercising for Older Adults By Mariana Macias & Jorge de Santiago
H
ave you ever wondered why you start to feel weaker, get tired easily and have become slower to perform your daily activities? Did you know that you can solve it by doing physical activity? It is very important for your body and health to perform some constant physical activity, regardless of age, since you will get almost the same benefits as a young person. Your exercise or physical activity should include strength training. Strength training delays the onset of sarcopenia or loss of muscle mass, reduces fragility, improves physical function, improves balance, and reduces the risk of falls and fractures. Strength training is
28
achieved through rapid repetition exercises, such as climbing stairs or these activities: • Stationary bike • Soft step elliptical • Treadmill • Outdoor walk • Exercises with weights The general recommendation is to train muscle strength first and then move on to cardiovascular endurance. Regular exercise also offers
El Ojo del Lago / November 2018
these benefits: 1. Increases energy and stamina 2. Improves self-esteem 3. Delays the aging of the brain, preventing neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s 4. Helps lower cholesterol levels 5. Improves blood circulation 6. Strengthens muscles and prevents injuries by increasing bone density 7. Decreases stress and insomnia 8. Improves psychological health 9. Decreases the risk of developing depression 10. It improves the immune system 11. Improves respiratory capacity and blood oxygenation 12. Increases memory function 13. Prevents some types of cancer 14. Improves sex drive Since aging produces changes throughout the body, bones, joints
and muscles and not all seniors can perform every type of exercise, it’s best to start training with a coach or therapist. Be aware of your physical limitations and start gradually. Before starting, consult your doctor or therapist. Stop exercising when you feel bad or have difficulties. To make it easier to begin and stay motivated, you can exercise with a friend or request the services of a personalized professional coach. A professional coach will help you gradually get stronger, will keep you motivated and will prevent you from getting injured. Improve your quality of life regardless of your age and live fully and energetically by strength training! Ed. Note: Mariana Macias & Jorge de Santiago are professional trainers. Mariana is a marketing student at the University of Guadalajara and has been a professional trainer for two years. Jorge has been a professional trainer for 15 years. Both are certified by the Asociacion de Fisicoconstructivismo y Fitness del Estado de Jalisco and the Federacion Mexicana de Fisicoconstructivismo y Fitness.
Saw you in the Ojo 29
ANNOUNCING CHRISTMAS FOR JALTEPEC
D
ue to demolition of the school and reconstruction, we are unable to hold our Christmas Event at Centro Educativo Jaltepec this year. The school itself is still in operation, with the students living, studying and working out of the lower building to the west and caring for guests in the two conference centers. Christmas FOR Jaltepec will be hosted and held at La Bodega in Ajijic. Thursday, November 29th the Dinner Event will start at 6:00 PM with a donation of $650 per person. Friday, November 30th the Luncheon Event will start at 12:00 Noon and the donation is $550 per person. Christmas Music will set the theme by the well-known DJ Walt during cocktails, hors d’ouevres prepared and served by the students, a three course Roast Turkey Dinner with all the trimmings, and for those who wish, dancing after. For more information, please contact Linda Buckthorp at buckthorplm@gmail.com or call her at 766-1631. We would also like to introduce Crystal Zapata, a graduate of Jaltepec and currently their Professor / Teacher of British Butler Service Style. Thanks to the generosity of many people who sponsored her, she was able to complete her studies at Jaltepec. The motto of the Jaltepec Educational Center is “a school for life” and every day Crystal feels this is true. As a student she received all
30
El Ojo del Lago / November 2018
Crystal Zapata the necessary tools to carry out her work professionally and learned to value punctuality, order, and teamwork but above all the great value of women and their irreplaceable role in the family and in society. Now that she is a teacher, she realizes the importance of her career and ability to train these young women who will then share everything they have achieved in Jaltepec with their family and friends. Today more than ever it is necessary to train women to be true leaders, who can positively influence society with their good example.
Saw you in the Ojo 31
Doorway
By Fernando Garcia
H
e walked through the kitchen door. He was happy, his small business was doing well; his four children were well behaved. All the work he and his wife had put into the old property they had purchased ten years before had paid off handsomely. He was respected professionally and on good terms with his neighbors. “Hi honey” She looked up from the table. “We need to do something; I can’t keep going this way” “You can’t keep going what way?” “I feel like I’m suffocating” “Suffocating? Suffocating on what?” “You don’t understand” Oh, oh, is it warm in here or is it just me? She had started counseling a month before. “Would you like me to go to counseling with you?” She thought it might be a good idea. “Oh crap.” Dutifully and a bit confused he went along. As the counseling proceeded and the emotional layers started to peel off he discovered a new phrase, ‘mid-life crises.’ She shared that she was tired of men dominating her life, her father, her brothers, her bosses, her mate. ME? But, but, but. As the days and weeks rolled by
32
El Ojo del Lago / November 2018
he found himself confronted with the darker sides of his personality; domineering, selfish, uncompromising, he realized he was on the verge of losing his life’s love. He was unable to sleep. Processing all the information he was learning from the counseling was daunting. He read self-help books, books on relationships, on communication, on selfexamination. He identified with David “Walking through the valley of the shadow of death.” Months of hard work began to bear fruit. Unhealthy old habits were shed, he listened to his partner, he didn’t need to control every situation, its okay to make mistakes, he had to learn to trust. Your spouse is your equal, your partner. “Honey, you seem to be coming out of your funk.” He remarked. “I have a ways to go,” she offered. Then slowly as if by magic their intimacy began to return, they were holding hands again. He had a dream, he stood at a doorway, behind him stood a pompous arrogant man, who looked strangely familiar. To his front he saw a beautiful peaceful garden, inviting but unfamiliar. A woman, an angel really, reached for his hand. Not sure what to do he allowed her to grasp his. “Come with me” she whispered and trusting he allowed her to lead.
Saw you in the Ojo 33
Sandy Olson
Phone: 331-283-8529 Email: sandyzihua@hotmail.com
IT’S THIS WEEK! Feria 2018 is November 9-11 this year. New hours are 9:30 to 5:30 Friday and Saturday and 9:30 to 4:30 on Sunday. Admission will be $80. The venue is Club de Yates on Ramon Corona just past the fish restaurants in Chapala. MUSIC CLOSE TO HOME If you don’t want to travel to Guadalajara, try these two Viva la Music events coming to the Auditorio. Performances are at 7 pm. Friday, November 9 The Nath Quintet playing Brahms Clarinet Quintet op. 115, followed by the Schumann Piano Quintet op. 44 Thursday, December 6 The Jalisco Ballet Gala Solo pieces, pas de deus, and ensemble pieces. “LIGHT AND DARK” That’s the theme for the fall Ajijic Society of the Arts show at the Ajijic Cultural Center. It opens on Saturday, November 10, with a gala from 4 pm to 6 pm. It will run until November 21, daily from 10 am to 2 pm. Also, ASA will have its garden shows this season at the Lake Chapala Society on the third Saturday of each month from 10 am to 2 pm through April. This is a great opportunity to see original art by local artists in a beautiful garden setting. OPEN CIRCLE Sunday morning finds many Lakeside residents at the Lake Chapala Society and Open Circe, a forum on a variety of stimulating topics. A social hour with coffee and snacks at 10 am is followed by an interesting lecture and discussion at 10:30. November 11 Songs of Remembrance Presented by Cindy Paul This Day of Remembrance at Open Circle, singeractress Cindy Paul presents a nostalgic musical tribute to Dame Vera Margaret Lynn. But what was it like to live in England during WWII? Blackouts, sirens, riveting Winston Churchill speeches, and Vera Lynn on the radio. This tribute offers a glimpse of how Vera Lynn helped pull an entire nation through the hell of war… and why we never want it to happen again. Cindy Paul is a well-known performer at Lakeside with a solid reputation of excellence. November 18 The Impact of Expats in Lakeside Communities: Can We Do More? Presented by Carlos Martinez We come to Lakeside to enjoy life. Great weather. Great food. Good prices. Lots of time. Do we have a new purpose in life? Are we the same after retireCindy Paul ment? There are many ways in which we can actually become part of the local community. We can actually change the world around us for this and future generations. We have a great responsibility as the largest expat community in the world. Learning how to make change is easy. Yes, we can do more. Carlos Martínez Escalona is Professor of Philosophy and Physics at Panamerican University, Guadalajara, with degrees in Philosophy, Engineering, Education, and Journalism. He is a syndicated columnist, a photographer, and speleologist (studies caves), and co-founder of CRYO.B, a cryogenic system to control chronic pain. He is co-founder of six schools in Mexico. November 25 Stroke—The First Four Hours Presented by Dr. Gabriel de J. Varela Rizo and Dr. José Ernesto Ledesma González Advances in knowledge, the development of new drugs and more advanced technology have increased hope for a better quality of life after stroke. But for these advances to be useful in practice, it is necessary for patients to be aware of them and act quickly in emergency. Our goal is to increase awareness so that you will know what to do immediately following the first signs of stroke and be able to avail yourself of timely therapy. Our presenters are Dr. José Ernesto Ledesma González, Neurointervention/Instituto Eneri Dr. Pedro Lylyk, Buenos Aires, Argentina, and Dr. Gabriel de J. Varela Rizo, Neurocirugia/Neurocologia, Instituto Nacional de Neurologia y Neurocirugia, Ciudad de Mexico, Revive Stroke Center. December 2 Playing Around—Creatively Presented by Rev. Don Beaudreault “The creation of something new is not accomplished by the intellect but by the play instinct acting from inner necessity. The creative mind plays with the objects it loves.” —Carl
34
El Ojo del Lago / November 2018
Jung When we retired to beautiful Lakeside, many of us embraced the creative activities we had denied ourselves earlier. Philosophy, psychology, theology, art—the major disciplines of the human intellect and heart —have extolled this need to create through playfulness. Don’s piano will assist this exploration. Rev. Don Beaudreault served as a minister to Unitarian Universalist congregations throughout the United States and England for nearly 40 years. FOR YOU FASHIONISTAS OUT THERE Here it is again, Cugini’s Fashion Show and Luncheon. This is a Ninos Incapacitados’ fundraiser. The event is on the Hotel Real de Chapala Patio on Wednesday, November 14 from noon to 4 pm. Lunch will be served at 1 pm. The ticket price, including lunch, is $350. See the latest fashions from Cugini’s Boutique and talented artist Lynn Gilbank, also one of a kind jewelry creations by Barbara Milagros. Lois Cugini Contact person: Jan Manning at 376-766-5278 or ppnitx@gmail.com. For tickets online, go to Ninos website at www.programaninos.com. I MISS HIM….. And so do others. Some of Jim Tipton’s close friends and associates and admirers have planned a memorial event for Friday, November 30th at La Nueva Posada, from 10 am to noon. Jim was a prolific and dedicated writer who strongly supported other Lakeside writers. Jim was a long standing columnist and Associate Editor for El Ojo del Lago. The memorial is open to all. Songstress, Cindy Paul, backed by her Starfire a cappella quartet, will lift the mood with a sixties sing along. Jim’s good friend Ilsa Picazo will dedicate an Italian cypress tree that’ll be planted on the hotel’s grounds. MIRACLE MAC MORISON REVUE There’s no doubt about it, Lakeside residents are there for each other. Local entertainer Mac Morison had a run of— shall we say?—luck recently when he ended up in the hospital with heart surgery, which wasn’t in his monthly budget. Jim Tipton His friends in the performance arts are throwing what promises to be a smashing event to help give to Mac what he’s given back to charities in the past.. Around 30 entertainers will be putting on a show on Tuesday and Wednesday, November 27 and 28, with a possible holdover for Thursday, November 29. It’s held at The Spotlight Lounge in San Antonio at 4 pm. The bar opens at 3 pm. Co-directors are Kristine Moily and Valerie Jones, with Assistant Director Alexis Hoff. Lots of talent and lots of love is going into this variety show. Tickets are available at Mia’s Boutique, Diane Pearl Colecciones, and the Spotlight Club. VIP tickets are $500 and general admission is $400. IF YOU WANT TO GET ON A BUS…. Viva la Music is running bus trips to the following events. Tuesday November 27 Live Opera: Turandot by Puccini, featuring Oksana Kramareva as Turandot, Riccardo Massi as Calaf, and the Zapopan Municipal Choir. The bus leaves at 5:30 for the 8:00 performance (($900, $1000 for non-members).
Continued on page 38
Saw you in the Ojo 35
36
El Ojo del Lago / November 2018
Saw you in the Ojo 37
Sunday December 9 Baroque Fest: Vivaldi, Geminiani, Gabrieli, Bach, Lully. The bus leaves at 10:30 for the 12:30 performance. Thursday December 13 Ballet: Nutcracker by the Ballet de Jalisco. This plays to sell-out audiences every December. The bus leaves at 6:00 for the 8:30 performance. ($700, $800 for non-members). Viva bus trips to the Jalisco Philharmonic concerts are $450 ($550 for non-members). The opera and ballet performances are individually priced above. Tickets are available at the LCS ticket area Thursdays and Fridays 10 to noon, or by calling Rosemary Keeling at 766-1801. WHAT’S GOING ON WITH THE NAKED STAGE We hear from Diana Rowland: “The Naked Stage presented its first show in September 2009 and its last one in September 2018. Nine years of producing one play a month has been an exciting but tiring experience and we are taking a break.” The Naked Stage will be back in the fall of 2019 in the new, splendidly renovated, auditorium at Lakeside Little Theatre. She wants to thank us theatre goers for all our support over these years, which allowed the theatre to donate all their profits to Cruz Roja, averaging about $80,000 pesos a year . Their last show was dedicated to raising funds for Mac Morison, who still needs a few more funds to pay off his “get out of hospital” card, LET’S GET BAWDY She Stoops to Conquer is the next Bare Stage presentation, running November 23, 24 and 25. It’s directed by Roseann Wilshere. The show starts at 4 pm. Here’s a review: “… A bawdy satire about society, fashion, mistaken identities and 18th century upper class snobbery full of wit, fun and comedic mishaps…” The theatre is at Hidalgo #261 on the mountain side of the carretera in Riberas del Pilar, across from the Catholic Church. Parking is available in the parking lot of the Baptist Church, behind the theater. Donation is $100. The Box Office and bar open at 3 p.m. Reservations are by email at: barestagethThe Cast: Bottom, Ricardo Perez and Lila Wells. eaatre2018@gmail.com. Middle, Emily Crocker and Damyn Young, Top, A MOVEABLE FEAST Centro Educativo John Ward, Jayme Littlejohn and James Viers Jaltepec is reconstructing and remodeling and will therefore move its annual Christmas dinner and luncheon to La Bodega this year. The date is Thursday, November 29 at 6 pm, for Christmas dinner. The donation is $650 per person. The luncheon is on Friday, November 30 at noon, with a donation of $550 per person. DJ Walt will be providing Christmas music during cocktails. Jaltepec students will prepare and serve hors d’oeuvres and a three course turkey dinner with all the trimmings. Dancing will follow. For more information, contact Linda Buckthorp at buckthorplm@gmail.com or call her at 766-1631. A BEVY OF BEAUTIES Lakeside has a bright new addition with Starfire Quartet, a collection of four great singers who love barbershop and popular a cappella choral arrangements for women. The group will dress up your gallery opening, wedding reception, private party, or any other special event, offering music with rich harmonies, ringing chords and totally unexpected musicality. It’s something unique here at Lakeside, so go hear them if you get the chance! Singers are (left to right) Mary Cordes, Cindy Paul, Kieta Fox and Sonya Gerisch. More information at StarfireQuartet@
38
El Ojo del Lago / November 2018
Front: Donna Burroughs, Taylor Shouldice, Mark Donaldson, Pamela Johnson, Back: Linda Freeman, Fred Koesling, Keigh Donner, Suki O’Brien, Wayne Willis Waterman. gmail.com. TRIPPING OVER MURPHY’S LAW The next show at the Lakeside Little Theatre is Noises Off. It’s directed by Dave McIntosh, assisted by Ann Swiston. Life in the theatre meets Murphy’s Law. A review: “Noises Off presents a manic menagerie of itinerant actors rehearsing a flop called Nothing’s On. Doors slamming, on and offstage intrigue, and an errant herring all figure in the plot of this hilarious and classically comic play.” Show dates are November 30 to December 9. Tickets are $250 and are available at LLT’s Box Office from 10 to noon, every Wednesday and Thursday, also one hour before curtain. The evening shows are at 7:30 pm and matinees are at 4 pm. The first Saturday and both Sundays are matinees. For email reservations, email tickets@lakesidelittletheatre.com or call 376.766.0954. VIVA LA MUSICA AND “LIVE AT THE MET” Here is the last bus trip for 2018 planned by Viva for opera at the Teatro Diana. Saturday December 15 La Traviata (The Fallen Woman) by Verdi. The famous opera of love and misunderstanding, set in Paris with Diana Damrau as Violeta and Juan Diego Flores as Alfredo (187 minutes). The bus leaves at 10:30 for the noon show. Viva bus trips to the Met Opera are $450 and $550 for non-members. Tickets are available at the LCS ticket area Thursdays and Fridays from 10 to noon, or by calling Rosemary Keeling at 766-1801. BRING YOUR OWN MUSIC STAND Local and expat musicians who play an orchestral instrument “to a reasonable standard” are welcome to come and join the new Lake Chapala Community Orchestra. Rehearsals started in October and will continue on Saturdays from 2 pm to 4 pm at The Spotlight Club, San Antonio Tlacayapan. There is no audition. The conductor is Michael Reason, who has had a long career as a professional conductor and pianist in Canada, running orchestras such as the Niagara Symphony and the Hamilton Philharmonic. He has also conducted numerous Mexican orchestras. including the State of Mexico Symphony and the Monterrey Symphony. The orchestra’s first concert, A Celebration of Christmas, will be performed at The Spotlight on Sunday December 16 (check the December Lakeside Living column for specifics). Anyone wanting to be a part of this new orchestra can just attend a rehearsal or contact Christine Philipson, the orchestra’s General Manager, at southbound2017@hotmail. com or phone her at 33 1570 0829.
Conductor Michael Reason
Saw you in the Ojo 39
If Our Pets Could Talk By Jackie Kellum
Y
es, cats and dogs do grieve. We do know that they mourn the loss of their owner. But they also are saddened when a pet-mate has died. All house members are “family” and they see each other, and us, that way. Even cats are affected by a family member’s death. While no-one will ever know if a pet understands death, they certainly do know that a fellow housemate is missing and that something has changed in the house. Some pets may cry, calling for the lost pet or for your attention because they are upset. Some pets deal with it by becoming closer to you or possibly become more distant. You might find your pet checking spots in your home where your late pet liked to hang out. She’s searching for her companion and doesn’t understand where he’s gone -She may even stare out the window looking for the deceased pet outside. The grieving process can last longer if your pet was particularly close to the pet-mate that died. The owner’s distress at the loss of a pet may also be communicated to the surviving pet adding confusion to how she is already feeling. While we obviously can’t ask our pets how they feel, there are often visible signs of depression in bereft cats and dogs that are similar to the ones we see in a recently bereaved person. Some behaviors will be unique to your
40
El Ojo del Lago / November 2018
pet. Some signs are: lack of energy and interest, absence of play, listlessness, moping, whining, loss of appetite, weight loss, reduced social interactions, increased daytime sleeping , and nighttime restlessness. Some have behavior reversal, such as : previously demanding pets may become distant; or distant pets may become more needy. There are things that you can do to help your pet and yourself work through the grieving process. Try to keep the previous daily routines as much as possible. Also try making as few changes to the environment as you can. Talk to them and try to be positive around your grieving pets. They may not understand the words but will pick up on your emotions. Simply being with them for extra one-on-one time can help. When there are more than two pets in the family, each member of the group has a specific relationship with every other member of the group. When one member dies, it creates temporary instability within the group. This can result in conflicts that are disturbing to human family members, but unless one of your pets is becoming a danger to the others, it’s best to let them re-establish group dynamics on their own. Dealing with loss and grief is a process that is individual for each of us and each of our animal companions. Don’t automatically assume that acquiring a new pet to “replace” the lost pet is the answer to fill the “void.” While some family members may be ready immediately for a new pet, others may not be which may cause further stress for your grieving pet. Our grief is part of how we honor someone’s passing and is a testament to the depth of our love. While every person and pet will grieve in their own way, the most important thing is to not let it become all-consuming. Part of honoring someone in our life who has died, is finding joy in life’s simple things and remembering happy past memories of the one who has left us. Jackie Kellum
Saw you in the Ojo 41
COLUMNIST
BRIDGE BY THE LAKE By Ken Masson
D
uplicate bridge has seen many innovations in recent years as computer technology has added to our enjoyment of the game. One of my favourites has been the introduction of The Common Game where the same hands are played at many clubs at the same time across the United States, Canada and Mexico. Participating players can then have their results emailed to them, along with comparisons to the thousands of people who played at other sites. Another bonus is that some of the deals are then analyzed by experts which can be a great benefit for advancing players to see how they might have bid and played better. Herself and I played the illustrated hand at one of the clubs we belong to in the Toronto area. I opened the bidding 1 diamond as I am sure every other South did (unless they were playing a strong club system such as Precision). Herself responded 1 spade and I now bid 3 clubs, a jump shift showing 19 to 21 points and forcing to game. Herself promptly raised my club bid to the four level (knowing I could not pass) after which I made a cue bid of 4 diamonds showing first round control in that suit. Now Herself made
42
El Ojo del Lago / November 2018
the all-important cue bid call of 4 hearts which was music to my ears and led me to place the contract in a small slam. There was little to the play - this contract was virtually laydown losing only one spade trick and it wasn’t long before we were putting 1370 into our score cards. This turned out to be a top board among the 18 tables at the location where we played and was only achieved by 2% of the 3,000 declarers across North America which was definitely a surprise to us. In analyzing the deal later we came to the conclusion that most Souths must have bid 3 Hearts at their second turn and the clubs got lost in the shuffle! Now most North players would have bid 3 no trump which only made 10 tricks and a duplicate score of 630, a long way short of the available slam in clubs I can sympathize with newer players bidding like this as it has been drilled into them that they should always try to find major suit fits but there were a sufficiently large number of experienced players who also managed to avoid bidding the humble clubs and thus a small slam went a begging. Of course I can’t say with certainty that the bidding went that way but it does seem most likely. Even the Common Game expert who gave an overview of this hand got it wrong IMHO, as he also recommended the most popular sequence of South showing hearts at the second opportunity. You will notice that if by chance Herself had held hearts instead of clubs she would have been able to bid them at her second turn without going past 3 no trump and we would have headed for a heart slam instead of clubs. Questions or comments: email: masson.ken@gmail. com Ken Masson
Saw you in the Ojo 43
The Door To Nowhere By Katina Pontikes katcpon@yahoo.com
T
he church bells tolled the midnight hour. No noise at all came through Jack’s open window. Not even nature seemed to have any comments to offer him through the heavy black blanket of night. The hot air was sticky, and would surely cause the air conditioning to hum without pause, much to the dismay of his mother when she received the utility bill for the month. But Jack had to keep the window open or he would surely suffocate from the dullness that pervaded his every waking moment. La Puerta, Texas had the inference of possibility, translating to “the door.” But to Jack the name was a blatant lie, as nothing in this town led to anything but dead ends. The population was only 837 people, per the welcome sign on the highway. Most of the inhabitants were ancient, over forty years old, and dull and close-minded. He was going to change that number on the sign tonight, make it one less person. His plan was loose, but he was willing to take chances to take control of his destiny. Jack had taken care of his mother since he was ten years old, and his funloving father left town to chase after an English girl whom he met when she came to town to work as a nanny. He was never seen again, and Jack always had understood that although his mother had been hurt by the abandonment, his father had been escaping a fate akin to
psychological death. So Jack loved his mother as best he could, made her proud with his accomplishments, and acted as the man of their house. But now he was sixteen years old, and felt that he was a real man, ready to go out in the world and taste the life of a bigger city. His ticket out was quite a surprise. He liked to offer comments on Facebook when topics caught his interest. One day when he was chatting a defensive retort to an insult about New Orleans, a pretty woman had sent him a message to connect. She offered to host him at her apartment in the French Quarter, if he ever made his way to the city. Her photo looked nice enough, her smile warm and her age indeterminable. A free place to stay, with probable food and liquor. And a female friend to keep him company. He was motivated, and had started planning his escape that very day. The woman had provided a phone number and an address, and Jack had stayed in touch with her for over three months now. She was eighteen and she danced in a club and made really good tips, but the men were disgusting and she wasn’t going to work at the job for much longer. Once she saved enough money, she was going to leave the business. She needed a trustworthy male to accompany her on her next project. Jack just might be that guy. She offered a trial period where they could see how they got along, and whether they could come up with a plan that would work for both of them. A dream was what they needed. Jack switched on his flashlight and checked his duffel bag one last time. He had everything required to hitch his way to New Orleans: fruit, cans of Coke, fifty dollars and a change of clothes. He walked slowly through the dark on his way to the window, barely visible as it was backlit by the streetlight. Suddenly he heard a faint cry, his mother’s. “Jack, help! I can’t breathe!” He froze in place, paralyzed by indecision. Katina Pontikes
44
El Ojo del Lago / November 2018
Saw you in the Ojo 45
Coping Judy Dykstra-Brown When I’m in the mood for moping, with no energy for coping, reticent to kowtow to boss or parent or guru, when I’m feeling less than zealous, down-at-soul, depressed or jealous, concerned with what I seem to lack, I go and lie upon my back in bed or hammock or in pool in water steaming, tepid, cool. The point is getting horizontal on a surface that is fontal, foam or tightly woven and hung in a garden, loosely slung. And there I dream or inspect trees for butterflies or birds or bees. I watch their habits, or I dream joining that unconscious stream that says the world is not my biz. Only what is closest is. And I pull inward to a world where all the universe lies furled. Then, enlivened, I get up to write or play with dogs or sup, rejoining that space and clime I’m meant to live in for a time. I do what I have power to to civilize this human zoo. “Think globally,” they used to say. “Act locally.” Still true today.
46
El Ojo del Lago / November 2018
Saw you in the Ojo 47
LIFE ON-GOING: Questions of Conscience By Christy Wiseman christywiseman@me.com
W
e are now in Fall and the rains have come just as the rain birds promised they would. One year, fortunately an anomaly, was very dry and the lake was down, but Ann Whiting and Aurora Michel, ever the activists for helping us at the lake, brought in a rain dancer. He whooped and danced and people laughed and guess what? The rains came. The next year Ann wanted to bring him back, but he had died. I told Ann to call in his spirit and save the airfare. She wasn’t happy, but I wasn’t joking and the rain has been coming regularly ever since. Now we watch the countryside
48
green up and the flowers bloom and in my own little gardens, my herbs and flowers will thrive; another beautiful season and so much for which to be grateful. Life goes on and the body breaks down, one part at a time. Now my hair is even turning grey. I kind of like it. My children are grown and have their own problems to deal with. 23 And Me has put us into a whole new world and my adopted son just had his biological parents revealed to him and is trying to absorb it all while assuring me of his love and loyalty. I’m not worried about that. We have a good history and we love one another and always will. He is my beloved
El Ojo del Lago / November 2018
son. Biology is limited, feelings aren’t. I am concerned for the unwed mothers who may now be hesitant to put their babies up for adoption, wanting anonymity, but knowing their personal lives may likely be impacted with DNA advances. Thinking about this, I turn on my TV to see yet another vile tirade and a call for harming others; only to be followed by news of what some idiot did in following that advice. Seems we don’t need firearms to kill someone anymore. An unsubstantiated smear will do the trick and there are those who can live with that. The difference is that the body may survive, but the spirit becomes mortally wounded which compromises the mind and let’s face it, we need all three to be really healthy. Personally I want the news in facts and I want the freedom to sort out how I should think about it left to me. My good friends and I have decided that it’s O.K. to be individuals because what we love about one another goes far beyond our political views or any insistence of walking in lockstep as a requirement for friendship… similar values, different paths. As an Independent, I think almost all in this current debacle are victims. Dr. Ford, who obviously has had some abuse in her life, but nothing to substantiate that it was visited upon her by Kavanaugh. Kavanaugh, who by all accounts has led an exemplary life for the last 36 years, but can’t disprove negatives about his high school behavior. His family who have been torn apart by this and yes even the members of Congress who were NOT told of this in a timely fashion so that they could handle it with the proper discretion. As for those who prematurely judge based on gender, race or whatever may have happened to them in the past by someone else, They are victims too, of their wounded spirits which cannot heal. It is a sad day when an unsubstantiated smear can
destroy a person, regardless of one’s political ideologies and it is as well a very sad day when someone has been traumatized and has had her or his life forever altered with no satisfactory remedy. It reminds me of Pastor Niemöller’s poem: “First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out— Because I was not a Socialist. Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out— Because I was not a trade unionist. Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out— Because I was not a Jew. Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.” The caveat being, no telling who will be next if smears are allowed to condemn without evidence and if accountability for the accuser is absent. To me it is a very scary turn of events. How would you want to be judged, if you had your druthers? Opposing someone because of their personal views and worrying that he or she may make legal decisions based on them rather than on the facts or precedence in a case, is a whole different issue so if that is the true concern behind all this current trash, look at the records and that person’s previous decisions and draw your own conclusions, and vote, write your senator, whatever, but let us not lose our humanity in the process. Our Southern neighbors have it right. They always bless someone before they gently drive home their annoyance. “Why, bless his heart, he’d do better if he knew better.” We all know better. Let’s all do Christy Wiseman better.
Saw you in the Ojo 49
Intrusion And Recovery By Bernie Suttle
T
he pay from my after high-school job delivering furniture for Corben Co. helped me on my way to college. I got to drive the flatbed, Ford delivery truck. At five-three I barely reached the pedals. After two-weeks experience I deemed myself driver and quiet Charles Smith, my six-feet-four-inch classmate as helper. With one of us on each end of a couch we were a bi-racial “Mutt and Jeff”. Stacked perfectly, the truck’s flat bed would hold four rooms of low-end furniture. We could make several afternoon deliveries on one trip. Fast. In 1951 Monrovia was a segregated town. The Southeast quarter housed
50
people of color. Syl Fisher was the only black person on the Monrovia Police force. He lived there and the southeast quarter was his beat. Our first delivery on Tuesday was in the Southeast quarter on East Walnut Street. The house was a small, grey frame home like mine, typical for Monrovia. I pulled up to the curb, sent Charles to announce our arrival and untied the load. We
El Ojo del Lago / November 2018
wedged the front door open. A young mother and two children inside stared in disbelief. We placed the new divan with its back to the front window. The woman looked worried and the children appeared to be frightened. I asked the woman to sign the delivery receipt. She was reluctant but scribbled a mark on the paper. Charles and I left the house and re-tied the remaining load. I placed the marked receipt in the back of my clipboard and we sped on to the next of five stops. We got back to the store as night came on, brought the blankets, ropes and dolly into the back room and turned in my clipboard to the office. “Hey, Bernie. You finish all your deliveries?” Irv Corben asked. “Sure did. Here are the receipts.” After checking all the signed receipts Irv said, “You’ve got the one for Mrs. Washington here but she just called and said she hasn’t received her divan. Take Charles, find the house you delivered the divan to, check the number against the sales slip. If it’s different pick up the divan and take it to Mrs. Washington.” It was dark as I drove the truck along Walnut with Charles. He said, “It’s hard to read the numbers but there’s the house that has the divan. Let me get out and check the address against the delivery sheet.” Charles looked grim when he returned, “That’s not Mrs. Washington’s house.” Together, we went up and rapped on the door. When it opened we saw an agitated looking black man. He stood squarely, like a guard in the doorway. The woman who marked the receipt and the two young girls were behind him. All three appeared frightened and at a loss. “Hi, I mistakenly delivered that divan here today instead of to Mrs. Washington, your neighbor here on Walnut,” I said, looking stupid and pitiable. The man grimaced and shouted, “What?”
In response, I meekly repeated my original statement while shrinking my posture and nearly dropping to my knees. He glared at me, the invader of his home, his right cheek twitching, his eyes burning at me, the disrespectful, stupid, offay who was putting him to the test before his family. “Please, Mister, forgive me. I made a terrible mistake by delivering Mrs. Washington’s divan to your home and upsetting your family. Please forgive me and let Charles and me remove this wrong furniture from your house.” I was oblivious to the power this man must yield to me before his family because of my blue eyes and white face. With his squinting eyes searing my shaking countenance he took half a step back out of the doorway and gave me the strongest dismissive sign. He snapped his fingers at me. I got the message. Charles and I picked up the couch and guided it out of the small living room. “Thanks, Mister, you saved my job,” I told him as we were leaving. As if he would care! He just dropped his head and glared at the spot the divan had occupied. As we took the divan to the right house I said, “Charles, I thought that guy was going to kill me.” “Bernie, he was more afraid of you than you were of him.”“Why?”“Because you’re white.” We stood back with Mrs. Washington to admire her new divan, the centerpiece of the modest living room. With sparkling eyes and broad smile she said, “You boys were so late getting here I thought you had given my divan to somebody else.” “No way, ma’am, this divan was meant only for you,” I said, as I asked her to sign the delivery slip. Going over the day’s events I concluded that college was a good idea because I wasn’t smart enough to make a living delivering furniture. Bernie Suttle
Saw you in the Ojo 51
THE JEW’S BETRAYAL By Herbert W. Piekow
I
n 1580, before the Puritans colonized New England, the Spanish King Philip II appointed Luis de Carvajal governor of all the lands from Tampico to what today includes parts of Texas and New Mexico. Carvajal was a rich, powerful man with royal support; but also with strong, envious enemies. Before Carvajal was granted his territories he had to recruit one hundred soldiers and sixty married craftsmen willing to bring their families. At his own expense he bought, supplied and commanded several merchant ships. Although Carvajal was a recent convert to Catholi-
52
cism the king waived the requirement that Carvajal and his followers be “old” Christian. However as a “converso,” he was suspect and shortly after beginning his colonization of territories he had to fight a three-year legal battle with the courts in Mexico City. His victory was short lived because a new viceroy was appointed and in 1595 Carvajal was arrested and accused of being a Jew. Part of the evidence against him was his use of clean clothing and of changing his bedding on Friday evenings. His dietary restrictions and fasting were brought into evidence that he was not the Catho-
El Ojo del Lago / November 2018
lic he professed to be, but the Jew that he was. While in jail he began to secretly record not only his life, but to write about his Jewish practices and his faith. He recorded his thoughts in 180 pages, in three small three inch by four inch books. He used a quill pen and wrote in such a tiny script that one can barely read the words, many of which are in gold leaf that he scrapped from the pages of the bibles which were supplied to him. His thoughts, prayers and emotions are recorded in both Latin and Spanish. In order to be able to deny the books were his, he used the pseudo name of Joseph Lumbroso, or Joseph the Enlightened. No one knows where or how he hid these miniature books from his enemies, but most suspect he kept them hidden under his hat. After his death the three small documents were found in a jacket pocket. He recorded how he was tortured until he gave up the names of 120 practicing Jews, which included his mother, five sisters and their children. His sisters and mother were tortured separately in a cell that adjoined Carvajal´s, so that he could
suffer the guilt of remorse and the pains of his betrayal. Two of his sisters died by suffocation when a metal collar was tightened around their necks during torture, the other three sisters and his mother were burned at the stake along with an effigy of his deceased father. In his diary Carvajal laments his own weakness, particularly when he listens to the inquisitors as they stretched his mother on the rack, her agonizing screams ripped at his heart. The guilt of his confession and betrayal were so great that he tried unsuccessfully to commit suicide. Within a year of being imprisoned Carvajal met the same fate as his family and several of the friends he had betrayed. He was burned at the stake. The Auto de Fe was just the beginning of the Inquisition in Mexico, the institution and practice that lasted until 1820. For many years the delicate documents were kept in Mexico´s National Archives, but in 1932 the diaries disappeared. They were quite small and easy to smuggle. In 2016 the 16th century documents were put up for sale by a London auction house. In 2017 these now verified documents were once more put up for auction and the transcripts were purchased and donated to Mexico. Today, the story of early Mexican Jews is safely stored in a special climate-controlled vault in the National Library of Anthropology and History in Mexico City. These rare miniature books that chronicle the lives of early Mexican Jews can once more be appreciated by scholars and the public as well as the 50,000 practicing Mexican Jews. Herbert W. Piekow
Saw you in the Ojo 53
Absolution
By Armando García-Dávila
I
drove down the street toward my house after an appointment with my therapist. Would I ever get over my past transgression? I wondered. I sang along with the radio. “Something’s happening here, what it is isn’t exactly clear.” A bright luminous swirling flash dropping from the grey, clouded heavens over the roof of my house caught my eye. I turned to catch it but it disappeared fast as the flutter of a hummingbird’s wing; here, not here. What the heck was that? I parked and picked up my phone from the passenger’s seat. It lit up— 11:53 a.m., September 6, 2017. I walked to the front door in the dim light growing dimmer by the moment. The house was quiet and dark as today was my
54
wife’s day for grocery shopping, and she always pulled the shades shut. I inserted the key into the lock-plate, and it sparked making me jump with a start. “Ouch!” I said more surprised than hurt. I opened the door and froze. The figure of a young man stood in the living room, his face hardly visible in the darkened living room. “Hey, Tino,” he said. “I knew that you’d be here soon, and let myself in.” His voice sounded familiar, a very distant familiar. “How’d you get in?” I asked. My voice nervously quavered. “Where I come from there’s no need for keys, or even doors for that matter,” the young man said. “You seem to be a little scared, hombre. Don’t you recognize an old friend? Step closer and get
El Ojo del Lago / November 2018
a good look. I promise you won’t be harmed.” I stepped forward. He came into focus. I felt as though I would lose control of my bladder. “Gi, Gi, Gilbert?” He smiled and said, “Boy, you’ve really aged.” My head spun. I braced myself against the sofa. “How can this be?” His smile faded. “It’s been fifty years to the day and hour, and minute that I was hit outside Da Nang. I never heard the shot or even felt the bullet that tore through my brain, made a bloody mess. I’m just grateful that they were able to load my body onto the helicopter and send me home. The military funeral was nice, twenty-one-gun salute and all. And thanks for going. It was comforting for my Ma and Pa that you were there since you and I grew up together.” “Yes Gilbert, we serving our first mass at Saint Jude’s as altar boys” “Ha! You were so nervous that your hand was shaking and you missed Father’s chalice and spilled the wine on the floor. Remember going to confession for the first time to have our sins absolved? I mean what kind of sins can boys that age commit that need forgiving?” “Yeah,” I said. “I had to make up sins.” Gilbert’s mood turned dark. “I committed some terrible sins in Nam.” “This can’t be happening. Is this a dream?” “Not a dream,” Gilbert said. “Give a hard pull to the hairs on your forearm.” I did. “Ouch! But Gilbert, how? I mean where did you…”He raised a hand stopping me in midsentence. “It doesn’t matter “how,” or “where,” the point is that I’m here with you. I need to tell you that you made the right decision by not joining the Marines with Gary. Otherwise you’d have wound up like him, all shot up, or like me, just another name on a dark wall in Washington D.C. Because of what happened to me, I never knew what it was to love a spouse, never knew what it was to have
children and raise them. You did a great job raising your kids. The greatest gift that a person can give to the world are good and loving children, and you did it very well, hombre.” “This is too much for me to take in, Gilbert. This is impossible.” “Enough!” Gilbert said sharply. “I’m here, and you’re here, and that’s all that matters right now, and I’m telling you that you did the right thing by not serving in that damned war and instead becoming a family man. That was much more productive.” “Okay,” I said. “I’ll go along with you. Thank you for saying that about what I’ve done, but because I didn’t serve someone else served in my place and was either a casualty or forever changed by the war, and in the worst sort of way.” Gilbert raised his hand again stopping me. “Some guys were able to deal with war. The guys who couldn’t wound up killing themselves, or tried to deaden the pain with alcohol and drugs, a lot of them went crazy and living in the streets.” “Knowing you as well as I do, there’s no doubt that if you had survived, you wouldn’t have gotten over it. You were the sensitive type, wanting to help anybody who was hurting. I always liked that about you, Tino. Going to war would have been the biggest mistake or your life. You did what you were supposed to do. You’ve beaten yourself up about not joining up for too long.” Gilbert raised his hand once again, but this time he made the Sign of the Cross toward me and said. “I absolve you.” “But…” Gilbert snapped to attention, saluted, and morphed into a milky white swirl that dissipated into the ether. The drapes flew open with the swish of air. An overwhelming sense of relief filled me; a terrible weight lifted. Tears flooded my eyes. Rays of sunlight shone through the window brilliantly lighting up the room.
Saw you in the Ojo 55
THE CAMPFIRE AND THE CLOISTER WALK: A Mystical Episode at Lourdes By Lorin Swinehart
T
he sharp peaks of the Pyrenees stabbed into the crystalline blue heavens on that March day, their snow-capped tips reflecting the bright sun of early spring. The little town of Lourdes basked in the warmth of that alpine sun, the rosy tile roofs of the houses standing out against the bucolic countryside of southern France. I strolled in silent solitude along the clear waters of the Gave de Pau, the river that flows through Lourdes on its route to the sea. An imposing castle stood watch over the valley, the Chateau fort de Lourdes, its foundation dating back to Roman times. Throughout its history, it had traded hands many times, having been restored and renovated in the Eleventh and Twelfth Centuries, belonging at one point to the Spanish kingdom of Navarre, then to the English
in 1360, and handed back to France in the early Fifteenth Century. It has at various times served as a prison for criminals, political opponents, and POW’s. It is now a museum. And then I came to the Grotto of
Massabielle, a cleft in the rocks, not unlike any other cleft in the gray rocks of that special place. A tiny spring bubbled from beneath the rocky overhang. On a narrow ledge stood a statue of the Virgin Mary, marking the spot where on 18 successive occasions the Mother of Our Lord appeared to an impoverished 14-year old French peasant girl named Bernadette Soubirous. Every pilgrimage is a pilgrimage of one, as are our individual journeys through life. Those who accompany us on our journeys—priests, poets, monks, friends, brothers-- fulfill a role, sometimes a vital one, but the journey itself is still ours and ours alone. We make choices, some better than others, take wrong turns, often follow false trails, wander off into the woods of error, plead for rescue or surcease. I don’t remember what I expected to find on my pilgrimage to the grotto on that sunny mountain morning. It was anticipated that each pilgrim would leave an offering, light one of the candles from the selection available and leave it to consume itself at the foot of the ledge where an icon of Mary stands in silent vigil. I always experience a sense of confusion at such moments, uncertain as to what a proper amount should be. Found myself totally at sea many years earlier when I stood in the
cramped confines of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem, fearing that my candle would set the Orthodox priest’s beard aflame and befuddled by the three Israeli currencies available at the time. Nevertheless, I selected a huge candle, left what I hoped was an appropriate offering, and proceeded to light the wick. I had anticipated no holy vision on that day, expected no new revelation, and yet I received two. They were unsolicited and unexpected, and they lasted for only a fraction of a second, but they were real enough and stamped indelibly on my memory. Concurrently, there appeared to me a campfire inside the fire ring at a place deep inside Mohican-Memorial State Forest in Ohio, a place my backpacking friends and I have called Brown Bat Spring because of the pristine water that gushes from beneath the roots of a huge hemlock that marks the spot and because of the friendly little creature that has flitted amongst us there on so many occasions. At the very same moment, there appeared to me the cloister walk into the sanctuary of the Cistercian monastery of Our Lady of the Genesee, in Piffard, New York, a place of comfort where I have spent many a spiritually enriching retreat over a span of years. I do not know the meaning of the visions or why they appeared to me at that time and place. Perhaps the campfire represents friendship or fellowship. Perhaps the cloister walk symbolizes quiet, contemplation and prayer, entering into a serious dialogue with the Creator of it all. Perhaps I can only accept it for what it was, that we mere mortals, composed of dust and the incandescence of stars, are intended to understand only so much and no more. I know that the visions have brought me comfort over the years since. Lorin Swinehart
MID-MONTH BONUS! Chuck Bolotin takes on a tour of one of the most unusual spots in the entire state of Jalisco: the Abastos Market in Guadalajara—where food is displayed in a manner most people from North America have never seen before. “Quest” can be found at http://chapala.com/elojo/index.php/midmonth-articles Each mid-month, we offer superb articles that while a bit too long for our print version are perfect for our digital format. Check it out!
56
El Ojo del Lago / November 2018
Saw you in the Ojo 57
The Ojo Crossword
58
El Ojo del Lago / November 2018
ACROSS
DOWN
1 “Remember the __” 6 Due 10 Demonstration 14 Slaw 15 Reason 16 Smooth 17 Suggest 18 Sailors 19 Mob activity 20 Abdominal muscles (abbr.) 21 Trade 23 Lucre (Sp.) 25 Ruler 26 Free of 27 Ritually fit 30 Cooking aid 34 Adios 35 Uphold 36 Expression of surprise 38 Doesn’t win 39 Raised Threads 40 Throat infection 42 Time period 43 Beats 44 Young Horses 45 Neglects 48 Morally clean 49 Dynamic__ 50 Penury 51 Save 54 Cross 55 Ship initials 58 Fake butter 59 Shoddy 61 Tip over 63 Believers 64 Tides 65 Vassal 66 Lock partners 67 Ascend 68 Make a present of
1 Continent 2 Baby sheep 3 Swiss Mountains 4 Bad (prefix) 5 Mythical sea traveler 6 Award 7 Buckle 8 Stretch to make do 9 Found on morning grass 10 Full skirted dress 11 Canal 12 Anchor 13 Upon 22 Battle of nations 24 Three 25 Biblical “you” 27 Cabbage cousin 28 Smells 29 Strong rope fiber 30 Legumes 31 Representatives 32 Dukes 33 Gone With the Wind’s Mr. Butler 35 Loop 37 Recess 40 Plan 41 Frog’s cousin 43 BK burger 46 Fools 47 Chicle 49 Executive director 50 North Germanic 51 Shoe’s partner 52 Hint 53 Depend 54 Loots 55 Secondhand 56 Sego lily’s bulb 57 Slowly Cooked Dish 60 Kimono sash 62 Brooch
Saw you in the Ojo 59
Over 60 years of “People Helping People”
The
Lake Chapala Society
News
www.lakechapalasociety.com
November 2018
Payment for any course must be received in the LCS Service Office seven days prior to the class. You may pay in person or online using Paypal.
An Exciting Opportunity for Your Business
LCS has finally outgrown its four- page monthly newsletter. We’re going to publish a free 32 page full-color magazine beginning in January 2019. Two thousand copies will be distributed at LCS, hotels, local businesses, and across lakeside. It will also be sent to over 2000 members monthly as an electronic file. Finally, it will be posted to the LCS website, making its total reach an enormous number of potential customers! We’re very excited about this new project and are letting you in on the ground floor. January ads are on sale now: orders must be in and paid for by November 15.
Ajijic Society of the Arts Sale in the Garden
Every third Saturday of the month from 10 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. October and through March, members of the Ajijic Society of the Arts (ASA) will be exhibiting and selling their artwork in our gardens. The Ajijic Society of the Arts (ASA) is a major sponsor of the popular LCS Children’s Art Program. Several of the children participating in the LCS Children’s Art Program will be attending class and selling their work.
ATTENTION ARTICLE CONTRIBUTORS! Due to circumstances beyond our control, we have had to change our deadline for all articles of whatever nature from the 15th of each month to the 10th. We hope that will not inconvenience our many wonderful contributors! 60
El Ojo del Lago / November 2018
LCS Language Classes
LCS offers a variety of Spanish language courses and classes for those of you who want to learn Spanish or brush-up on your language skills. Classes include Introduction to Spanish and Warren Hardy Spanish classes, one of them is sure to suit your needs and your schedule. For more information about costs and schedules contact the Service Office or visit our website at www.lakechapalasociety.com.
Bus Trips November
Tuesday, November 20 Home Depot/Costco Shop Home Depot for home and garden needs, then on to Costco and Mega. Cost is $370 pesos for members and $470 for nonmembers. Bus leaves promptly at 9:30 a.m. from the sculpture in La Floresta. Friday, November 23 Guadalajara Zoo The world-famous Guadalajara Zoo is our destination.The cost of $540 pesos for members and $680 pesos for non-members includes bus transportation, admission plus train ride, safari and aquatic show. Cable ride is extra at $43 pesos. Bring bottled water and a light lunch. Food and drink will be available for purchase inside the park. Tickets are at the LCS Service Desk. Bus leaves the sculpture in La Floresta promptly at 9:30 a.m. Wednesday, December 5 Andares Mall Upscale Andares Mall features fashionable merchandise in boutiques and major stores and fine dining. Tuesday, December 11 Tonala Shop Tonala for colorful home décor and wonderful Mexican handicrafts.
Volunteers Needed
If you are interested in any of the volunteer positions indicated below, or if you would like to offer your skills and time to LCS’ many programs and activities, contact volunteer@lakechapalasociety.com, fill out a form on the LCS website, or pick up one at the Service Office. LCS needs docents to work a four and a half hour shift, from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesdays and Fridays, helping members and visitors navigate the LCS campus and guiding them to our services, campus programs, and special events. The ESL program especially needs volunteer instructors. Our gardeners need help maintaining our lovely campus. LCS needs an experienced person for our Marketing Department who can write press releases. We need a knowledgeable able-bodied volunteer with construction/technical experience who can maintain and repair buildings on the LCS campus. Requires up to ten hours a week. Must be reliable. The LCS library needs volunteers who are computer literate, in good physical condition, and love to read. We also need a volunteer to repair books. Talking Books needs volunteers who can be on call from 10 a.m. to noon on Thursdays. The Chess Club needs bilingual volunteers to work with young chess enthusiasts. We need event volunteers to help with the set up and breakdown of community events. Include decorators, bartenders and servers.
British Consular Officer Now at LCS
British Consular Officer Ceri Dando will be at LCS the last Saturday of each month from 10 a.m. until 12 noon. Call 333 139 4314 or email cpdando2000@yahoo.com. Free Friday Family Films for November Free Spanish language films for the family are shown every Friday evening at 7 p.m. at Wilkes Biblioteca Pubica de Ajijic at Galeana #18. Open to the public. Bring the family. November 6 Hotel Transylvania 3 Mounstros vacaciones November 16 Un Giro En El Tiempo A Disney production with Oprah Winfrey and Reese Witherspoon November 23 Un Camino a Casa starring Nicole Kidman and Dev Patel November 30 Talentos Ocultos with Octavia Spencer and Taraji P. Henson
New to Lakeside? This is For You.
“Introduction to Lakeside” classes are held the second Thursday of every month in the Sala at 9 a.m. Topics include much of the information you need for living at Lakeside. Open to members only. Class is November 8. LCS membership must be current during the classes. Cost is $250 pesos. Register in the office or on the LCS website.
Saw you in the Ojo 61
November Activities *Open to the Public ** US Citizens (S) Sign in (C) Member card Health Insurance * IMSS & Immigration Services Mon+Tues 10-1 Lakeside Insurance Broker Tues+Thur 11-2 San Javier Hospital last Fri 10-12 Health and Legal Services * Becerra & Galindo Services Thurs 10:30-12:30 Blood Pressure Screening Mon+Fri 10 -12 British Consulate last Sat 10-12 Glucose Screening first Tues 10-12 Hearing Aid Services (S) Mon+Sat 11-4 Ministerio Publico Wed Nov 21-28 10-2 My Guardian Angel Tues 10-12:30 Optometrist Claravision (S) Thur 9-3 Skin Cancer Screening (S) 2nd + 4th Wed 10-12 US Consulate** (S) Wed Nov 14 10:30 register 10 Lessons(C) Basic Yoga Wed 2-3 Beginner’s Photography (sign up email) 2nd+4th Mon 12-2 Cardio Dance Exercise Fri 12:30-1:30 Chair Yoga Fri 2-3:30 Children’s Art* Sat 10-12 Children’s Chess Club* Sat 12-1 Children’s English Class* Sat 9:30-10:30 Exercise Mon+Wed+Fri 9-10 Exploring Spanish Wed 12-1:30 Sat 11-12:30 Fitness Thru Yoga Mon 2-3:30 Intermediate Hatha Yoga Tues+Thur 2-3:30 Introduction to Basic Drawing (sign up email) Mon 11:30-1:30 Introduction to Lakeside (S) 2nd Thurs 9-1 register+cost Introduction to Portraits (sign up email) Thurs 12:30-2:30 Introduction to Spanish Tues 12-1:30 register+cost Line Dancing Tues+Thurs 10-11:15 PEP and Prueba Mexico Series(S) register and cost; check office Photography Club 1st+3rd Mon 12-2 Scottish Country Dancing Thurs 11:30-1 Stretch and Balance Exercise Tues+Thurs 8:45--9:45 Tai Chi Chih Beginners Fri 10-11 Tai Chi Chih Continuing Fri 11-12 Taller Comunicacion Ninos de Mexico Sat 11:30-1; check office Tech Help Desk Thurs 12-2 Warren Hardy Spanish Classes (S) Mon-Sat register+cost Write-to-a-Prompt Writers’ Group Thurs 10-12 Zumba Gold Wed 10-11 Libraries Book & Video Mon-Sat 10-2 Library of Congress Books**/ Talking Books,Audio Thurs 10-12 Wilkes Mon-Fri 9:30-7, Sat 9:30-1* Social Activities (C) All Things Tech Fri 10-11:30 Bridge 4 Fun Tue+Thurs 1-5 Conversaciones en espanol Mon 10-12 Discussion Group B Wed 12-1:30 Everyday Mindfulness Mon 10-12 Film Aficionados Thurs 2-4:30 Games Group Mon 1-4 Saturday Afternoon Matinee Sat 2-4 Scrabble Fri 11:30-1:30 Spanish/English Conversation* Sat 11-12:30 TED Talk Learning Seminars Tues 12-1:15 Tournament Scrabble Tues 12-1:50 Community Ticket Sales Mon - Fri 10 a.m. to 12 noon
62
El Ojo del Lago / November 2018
Video Library November
All video rentals are now for five days. The Video Library needs couriers to bring us DVDs. We pre-pay them and have them shipped to the address of your choice. Contact: keanhombre@prodigy.net.mx
Tech Classes Return in December
Our popular and informative tech classes will return later this fall. Sign up by email only with your member number and expiration date at lcs.tech.training@gmail.com. Membership must be current. Classes will be held In the Sala from 10 to 11:30 a.m.
Glucose Screening Returns
Glucose screening will be held the first Tuesday of the month beginning November 6. Fasting is preferred; diabetics should stay with their usual routine. Open to the public.
Blood Pressure Screening
LCS’ blood pressure screening program is on Mondays and Fridays from 10 a.m. to noon. Look for us on the back patio.
Follow-up for Flu Shots
LCS will have another Health Day for flu and other shots you may have missed. Look for more information in an upcoming edition or the website.
LCS Service and Support Groups Free and Open to the Public
Al-Anon (in Spanish) Mondays 6-7:30,Wed 5:30-7:30 ASA Garden Show 3rd Sat 10-2 Lake Chapala Painting Guild Second Fri 1:30-3:30 Lakeside AA Monday +Thursday 4:30-5:30 Needle Pushers Tuesday 10-12 Open Circle Sunday 10-11:30 Toastmasters Monday 7-8:30 p.m The Ranch Adopt a Dog 1st Thurs 10-1 Veteran Assistance Tues10-2
Veterans’ Outreach Program
The American Legion Post 7 and LCS will sponsor a veterans’ outreach program providing news and information about services available to veterans and their dependents every Tuesdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the ticket table. Contact Roger Van Parys at (376) 766 4720 or email rvanparys@hotmail.com. Open to the public.
Follow us on Facebook
For all things LCS, you can like us at www.facebook.com/lakechapalasociety. Check It Out! Our amazing website is a place where you can register and pay for our many classes and events. www.lakechapalasociety.com
TED Talks
Tuesdays In the Sala 12 noon to 1:15 p.m. Members only. Bring your card. November 6, Hosted by Fred Harland. Julia Galef addresses “Why You Think You’re Right -Even If You’re Wrong”. Perspective is everything, especially when it comes to examining your beliefs. Are you a soldier, prone to defending your viewpoint at all costs -- or a scout, spurred by curiosity? Julia Galef examines the motivations behind these two mindsets and how they shape the way we interpret information, interweaved with a compelling history lesson from 19th-century France. When your steadfast opinions are tested, Galef asks: “What do you most yearn for? Do you yearn to defend your own beliefs or do you yearn to see the world as clearly as you possibly can?” November 13 Hosted by Ron Mullenaux, features explorer Mark Pollock and human rights lawyer Simone George: “A Love Letter to Realism in a Time of Grief”. When faced with life’s toughest circumstances, how should we respond: as an optimist, a realist or something else? In an unforgettable talk, Mark Pollock and Simone George explore the tension between acceptance and hope in times of grief - and share the groundbreaking work they’re undertaking to cure paralysis. November 20 Hosted by Pete Soderman, features Stephen Webb: “Where Are All the Aliens?” The universe is incredibly old, astoundingly vast and populated by trillions of planets, so where are all the aliens? Astronomer Stephen Webb has an explanation: we are alone in the universe. In a mind-expanding talk, he spells out the remarkable barriers a planet would need to clear in order to host an extraterrestrial civilization -- and makes a case for the beauty of our potential cosmic loneliness. “The silence of the universe is shouting- ‘we are the creatures who got lucky”. Webb says. November 27 Hosted by Clive Overton. Yuval Harari: “Why Fascism Is So Tempting and How Your Data Could Power It”. We think of ourselves as an intelligent species and that our progress is constantly guided by reason, but as Harari has pointed out in previous lectures, we have a great capacity for believing myths. This can sometimes be an advantage, but not always, and the current worldwide fascination for populist leaders has some alarming dangers.
Thursday Film Aficionados
Open to LCS members only. Bring your card. All films shown in the Sala from 2 to 4 p.m. No food. No pets. October 31 Le Brio 2017 France After an incident in a classroom goes viral on the internet, a brilliant professor is called to task and forced to mentor the student he wronged. Starring Daniel Auteuil. November 8 The Importance of Being Earnest 1959 UK The greatest comedy ever put on stage. Oscar Wilde’s words are exquisitely spoken by the English cast that made this definitive version of the play. A classic. November 15 Departures 2009 Japan A cellist finds himself unemployed after his orchestra disbands. This film follows his profound and sometimes comic journey as he uncovers the wonder, joy and meaning of life. First shown here about ten years ago to great acclaim. November 21 Bacalaureat 2016 Romania Being a parent can have its complications. This Academy Award considered film is about the compromises and implications of the parent’s role. November 29 Once Again 2018 India After a chance phone call leads to daily conversations, a widowed restaurant owner and a lonely actor plan to finally meet in person. Marvelous lead performances. All showings are followed by a discussion. Note: The first and fourth showings are on a Wednesday.
Saturday Matinee Classic Films
LCS’ Saturday Matinees feature some of your all-time favorites. On November 3, we’ll show “The Man Who Invented Christmas”, the story of Charles Dickens, the author of “A Christmas Carol”. On November 17, we’ll be showing a perennial holiday favorite, the 1951 film version of “A Christmas Carol” . Real buttered popcorn and water are available at the concession stand. Admission is free. Bring your LCS membership card to obtain your ticket. Ticket sales will start at 1:30 p.m. Doors will open at 1:45 pm. This activity is for LCS members only and their guests. Only one guest seat per person can be saved. Contact Michael Goss at lcs.tech.training@gmail.com. All films are shown in the Sala from 2 to 4 p.m.
THE LAKE CHAPALA SOCIETY, A.C. 16 de Septiembre #16-A, Ajijic, Jalisco LCS Main Office: (376) 766-1140 Office, information and other services - Monday-Saturday, 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Grounds open until 5:00 p.m. LCS BOARD OF DIRECTORS
President - Carole Wolff (2020); Vice-President - Sandra Britton (2019); Secretary - George Radford (2020); Treasurer - Tim Boardman (2019); Elizabeth Villaseñor (2020); Gin Pelzl (2020); Howard Feldstein (2019); Janis Sirany (2019); Mac Whyte (2020); Nicolas Hanson (2019); Philip Newbold (2020); . Immediate Past President: Ben White * Executive Director - Terry Vidal
The LCS Newsletter is published monthly. Deadline for submissions is the 14th of the month preceding publication. Submit all news items to newsletter@lakechapalasociety.com Note: The editorial staff reserves the right to edit all submissions according to time, space availability and editorial decision.
Saw you in the Ojo 63
64
El Ojo del Lago / November 2018
Saw you in the Ojo 65
Service * ADVERTISING / DIRECTORY - EL OJO DEL LAGO Tel. 765-3676
* ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS - ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS Tel: 766-5961
* ART GALLERIES/HANDCRAFTS Pag: 49 Pag: 14 Pag: 13 Pag: 17 Pag: 63 Pag: 53
* AUTOMOTIVE
* BAKERY Pag: 49 Pag: 43
Pag: 08 Pag: 56
Pag: 12 Pag: 19 Pag: 11
* BEER & LIQUOR STORES - BETO’S WINE & LIQUOR Cell: (045) 333-507-3024 - VINOS Y LICORES PAZ Tel: 766-0292
Pag: 63 Pag: 42
* BIKE SHOP - NEW LINE BIKE SHOP Tel. 766-4857
Pag: 41
* BOUTIQUE / CUSTOM SEWING - BOHEMIA Tel: 322-602-8487 - CUGINIS BOUTIQUE Tel/Fax: 766-1790 - FROM MACY’S OF NEW YORK Tel: 331-335-8342 - MI MEXICO Tel: 766-0133
Pag: 53 Pag: 03 Pag: 55 Pag: 32
* CASINO
- AXIXIC SPRING CLEANING Tel: 766-5140- Cell: 33-1075-7768 - SUPERIOR CLEAN Tel: 331-837-2086
- ISHOPNMAIL
Pag: 11 Pag: 13
Pag: 27
Pag: 20
Pag: 30 Pag: 54
Pag: 07
Pag: 59
Pag: 18
El Ojo del Lago / November 2018
- FERRETERIA Y TLAPALERIA GALVEZ Tel: 766-0880, Fax: 766-2440 Pag: 70
DENTISTS
- DOLPHIN COVE INN Toll free in Mexico: 01-800-713-3250 U.S. Toll free: 1-866-360-9062 Pag: 47 - HOTEL BALNEARIO SAN JUAN COSALA Tel: (387) 761-0222 Pag: 51 - LA NUEVA POSADA Tel: 766-1444, 766-1344 Pag: 03
- C.D. SANDRA ANAYA MORA Cell: (045) 331-218-6241 - DRA. ANGELICA ALDANA DDS Tel: 765-5364, Cell. 331-351-7797
Pag: 17 Pag: 43
* HEARING AIDS - M.D. CARLOS ALONSO FLORES VALDOVINOS Tel: 765-4805, 33-1350-1156 Pag: 21
* HOME APPLIANCES - EL TIO SAM Tel: 766-5664, 766-5923
Pag: 45
* HOTELS / SUITES
* INSURANCE - STEREN Tels. 766-0599, 766-0630
Pag: 41
* FISH MARKET - COSTALEGRE Tel: 108-1087
Pag: 57
* FUMIGATION - MOSQUITO CONTROL Cell: (045) 331-498-7699
Pag: 33
- ONE OF A KIND Tel: 766-5680 - UOU Tel. 106-1618 ,Cell: 331-149-4536
Pag: 41
- KITCHEN & HARMONY Tel: 766-2954, Cell: (045) 331-444-8582
Pag: 59
* LEGAL SERVICES - SOLBES & SOLBES Tel: 331-520-5529, Cell: 333-676-6245
* GARAGE DOORS OPENERS
- ATLAS COUNTRY GOLF COURSE Tel: 33-3689-2620
Pag: 46 Pag: 12
- BAJA GRILLS Tel: 106-2430 - NAPOLEON Tel: 766-6153
Pag: 47
Pag: 43
* LIGHTING - L&D CENTER Tel: 766-1064
* GARDENING - AJIJIC WATER GARDENS Tel: 766-4386 - GARDEN CENTER Tel: 765-5973
- HEALTH INSURANCE Tel: 766-0395, 1-888-449-7799 Pag: 26 - LAKESIDE INSURANCE - EDGAR CEDEÑO Cell: (045) 33-3106-6982 Pag: 30 - PARKER INSURANCE SERVICES Tel: 765-5287, 765-4070 Pag: 22 - PROTEXPLAN U.S. Toll Free 1-800-608-5743 Mexico Toll Free 01-800-681-6730 Pag: 10 - TIOCORP Tel: 766-4828 Pag: 17
* KITCHEN / CLOSET / BATHROOM
Pag: 63
Pag: 39
* LUMBER
Pag: 24
- REAL ORTEGA & SONS-Hardware for Carpenters Tel: 765-2404, 765-3404 Pag: 17
* MALL / OUTLET Pag: 32
* GRILLS
* CONSIGNMENT SHOP - CASI NUEVO Tel: 106-2121 - TEPEHUA TREASURES Tel: 763-5126
- CONFORT SOLUTIONS Tel: 33-1228-5377 Pag: 44 - GENERAL HOME SERVICES - Amancio Ramos Jr. Cell: (045) 331-520-3054 Pag: 62 - PISOS Y AZULEJOS DE LA RIBERA Cell: 331-250-6486 Pag: 63 - ROOFING & WATERPROOFING SPECIALISTS Tel: 766-5360 Cell: 331-282-5020 Pag: 42 - ROBERTO MILLAN - ARCHITECT Tel: 766-3771, Cell: 331-340-3758 Pag: 21 - SIKA Tel: 766-5959 Pag: 32 - SOUL Tel: 376-108-1632, 33-1465-7646 Pag: 55
* GOLF
Pag: 12 Pag: 42
766-1760 765-4444 766-5555
* HARDWARE STORES
- AUTOMATIC GARAGE DOOR OPENERS Tel: 766-4973 Pag: 18
* COMPUTERS - BENNO COMPUTER SOLUTIONS Tel: 33-2340-7501, 766-5933
066 765-2308, 765-2553 766-3615
* CONSTRUCTION
* FURNITURE
* CANOPIES - LONAS MEXICO Tel: 766-0045, Cell: 33-3956-4852
EMERGENCY HOTLINE AMBULANCE - CRUZ ROJA FIRE DEPARTMENT POLICE Ajijic Chapala La Floresta
* ELECTRONICS/ TECHNOLOGY
* COMMUNICATIONS
* BEAUTY
66
Pag: 46
* CLEANING SERVICES
* BANK INVESTMENT
- CHRISTINE’S Tel: 106-0864 - EDITH’S Cell: 33-1310-9372 - GLORIOSA Tel: 766-3372
- CASA DEL SOL Tel: 766-0050 - CASA FLORES Tel: 766-5493 - CASA TRES LEONES Cell: (045) 331-350-6764
- FOLIATTI
- FRATS Tel: 765-2505, 765-3946 Pag: 16 - MULTISERVICIO AUTOMOTRIZ ESCALERA Tel: 765-4424 Pag: 47
- INTERCAM Tel: 766-5978 - MULTIVA Tel: 766-2499
- HAIR BY SASHA Tel: 765-2223, Cell: 33-3362-1272 - HILDA WORLWIDE Cell: 33-3676-2514 - NEW LOOK STUDIO Tel: 766-6000, 33-3950-9990
* BED & BREAKFAST
- CATS LOOKING FOR PERMANENT HOMES Cell: 332-1665-863 Pag: 20 - CLINICA VETERINARIA SAN ANTONIO Tel: 766-0808 Pag: 23 - DEE’S PET HOTEL Tel: 331-765-7074 Pag: 61 - LAKESIDE FRIENDS OF THE ANIMALS AC Tel: 765-5544 Pag: 15 - MASKOTA’S LAKE Tel: 766-0287 Pag: 62 - PET PLACE Cell: 333-1964-150 Pag: 14 - PET FOOD AND GROOMING Tel: 766-3062 Pag: 60
- COLIBRI GARDEN Tel: 765-4412, Cell: (045) 333-156-9382 - ROCHATAS Tel: 387-763-0295
DIRECTORY
Pag: 62
* ANIMAL CLINICS/PET SHOP
- ART21STUDIO Tel: 33-3170-6135, 33-3677-3482 - AZTEC STUDIO - DIANE PEARL COLECCIONES Tel: 766-5683 - LA BELLA VIDA Tel: 766-5131 - RIOS ART Tel: 33-1115-7116 - SOL MEXICANO Tel: 766-0734
www.tel.chapala.com
EMERGENCY NUMBERS
- CENTRO LAGUNA Tel: 766-5514
Pag: 02
* MEAT/POULTRY/CHEESE Pag: 59 Pag: 14
- PURITAN POULTRY Tel: 765-4399 - TONY’S Tel: 766-1614
Pag: 52 Pag: 20
* MEDICAL SERVICES
* RENTALS/PROPERTY MANAGEMENT
- DR. BEN - CERTIFIED PLASTIC SURGEON Tel: 766-4871, Cell: 333-105-0402 Pag: 25
- COLDWELLBANKER CHAPALA REALTY Tel: 766-1152, Cell:(045) 331-386-7597 Pag: 58 - FOR RENT Cell: 333-667-6554 Pag: 61 - FOR RENT Cell: 333-461-6017 Pag: 63 - HERNANDEZ REALTY GRUOP - Jorge Hernandez Tel: 766-2103 Pag: 45 - SANTANA RENTALS Cell: 315-104-3283 Pag: 42 - ROMA Tel: 766 3163, 766 5171 Pag: 53
* MOVERS - BEST MEXICO MOVERS US/CANADA: (915) 235-1951 US Cell: (520) 940-0481 - LAKE CHAPALA MOVING Tel: 766-5008 - STROM-WHITE MOVERS Tel: 766-6153 - THE CRONER’S
Pag: 54 Pag: 06 Pag: 14 Pag: 55
* MUSIC / THEATRE / EVENTS - BARE STAGE THEATRE - D.J. HOWARD Tel: 766-3044 - FERIA MAESTROS DEL ARTE - THE SPOTLIGHT CLUB Tel: 331-845-1523
Pag: 46 Pag: 62 Pag: 40 Pag: 35
* PAINT - QUIROZ-Impermeabilizantes Tel: 766-2311 - QUIROZ-Pinturas Tel: 766-2311
Pag: 60 Pag: 20
* REAL ESTATE - ALL-IN-1 Tel. 766-1161 Pag: 23 - AJIJIC HOME INSPECTIONS Tel: 766-2836 Pag: 61 - ALTO LAGO Tel: 33-3627-6437, 33-3627-6438 Pag: 31 - ARELLANO CORPORATION GROUP Cell: 331-331-0249, 333-667-3122 Pag: 51 - BETTINA BERING Tel: 766-1049, Cell. 33-1210-7723 Pag: 29 - CHULA VISTA NORTE Tel: 766-2177, Cell: (045) 33-1892-2194 Pag: 07 - CIELOVISTA Tel: 33-2002-2400 Pag: 05 - COLDWELL BANKER CHAPALA REALTY Tel: 766-1152, 766-3369 Fax: 766-2124, Tels: 765-2877 Fax: 765-3528 Pag: 72 - CONTINENTAL REALTY Tel: 766-1994 Pag: 17 - CUMBRES Tel: 33-2002-2400 Pag: 05 - EAGER & ASOCIADOS Tel: (376) 766 1917, 1918 Pag: 71 - FOR SALE BY OWNER Tel: 762-1516, Cell: 333-452-9448 Pag: 57 - FOR SALE BY OWNER Tel: 33-1347-3765 Pag: 54 - GEORGETTE RICHMOND Tel: 766-2077 Pag: 11 - JUDIT RAJHATHY Cell: (045) 331 - 395 - 9849 Pag: 15, 27 - LORI FIELSTED REALTY Cell: 331-365-0558 Pag: 39 - MICHAELA SIRBU Cell: 333-141-5979 Pag: 30 - MARGARITA AVILA Cell: (331) 268-3927, 765-2877 Pag: 48 - MPR REAL ESTATE Tel: (315) 351-5167 Pag: 42 - RADISSON BLU - Ajijic Resort, Spa & Residences Tel: 766-4525, Cell: 332-255-5972 Pag: 02 - RAUL GONZALEZ Cell: 33-1437-0925 Pag: 03, 25 - TRUDIE NELSON Cell: 331-074-3308 Pag: 30 - VISTA ALEGRE Tel: 33-2002-2400 Pag: 05
- LA BELLA VIDA Tel: 766-5131 - TOTAL BODY CARE Tel: 766-3379
* SATELLITES/ T.V.
- ARTURO FERNANDEZ Cell: (045) 333-954-3813
Pag: 70
- AJIJIC ELECTRONICS S.A. DE C.V. Tel/Fax: 766-1117, 766-3371 - SHAW SATELLITE SERVICES Te: 33-1402-4223
Pag: 42
* SELF STORAGE
Pag: 16
- SELF STORAGE-BODEGAS CHAPALA Tel: 766-0661, Tel/Fax: 766-1045 Pag: 28
* RESTAURANTS/CAFES/BAR - AJIJIC TANGO Tel: 766-2458 - ALFREDO’S CALIFORNIA Tel: 33-1301-9862 - ARMANDO’S HIDEAWAY Tel: 766-2229 - C2 Tel: 766-1300 - CASA LINDA Tel: 108-0887 - EL ANCLA Tel: 106-2011, Cell. 33-1552-8014 - ELEGANTE Tel: 766-1066 - GO BISTRO Cell: (045) 33-3502-6555 - GRUPO PASTA Tel: 33-3615-4952 - HUERTO CAFÉ Tel: 108-0843 - LA CASA DEL CAFE Tel: 766-2876 - LA CASA DEL WAFFLE Tel: 766-1946 - LA GRAN MURALLA CHINA Tel: 766-2636 - LA HACIENDA DE DON PEDRO Tel: 766-4906 - LA NUEVA POSADA Tel: 766-1444, 766-1344 - “LA TAVERNA”DEI QUATTRO MORI Tel: 766-2848 - LOBO DE MAR - LOS MOLLETES Tel: 766-4296 - MANIX Tel: 766-0061, Cell: 331-0650-725 - MEDITERRANEO Tel: 765-5719 - MOM’S DELI & RESTAURANT Tel: 765-5719 - PANINO Tel: 766-3822 - PIAN – Cocina Thai Tel: 766-2881 - SIMPLY THAI Tel: 766-4767 - SOUTHERN SISTERS RESTAURANT Tel: 688-1525, Cell: 331-329-8748 - TEPETATE THAI RESTAURANT Tel: 766-2020 - THE HOT DOG SHOP Tel: 766-3807, Cell: 333-662-9990 - THE PEACOCK GARDEN Tel: 766-1381 - TONY’S RESTAURANT CAMPESTRE Tel: 331-433-6112 - TRIP’S BURGER - XOLO Tel: 108-2352 - YVES Tel: 766-3565
- EL CHANTE ASSISTED LIVING Tel: (387) 763-2555, Cell: 332-163-2309 Pag: 49 - HAPPINESS - Care Residence for Elderly Cell: 33-3137-9604 Pag: 16 - LA CASA NOSTRA Tel: 765-3824 Pag: 03 - NURSING HOME LAKE CHAPALA Tel: 766-0404 Pag: 18 - OHANA Tel: (01387) 761-0403 Pag: 24 -THE MOON Tel: 331-357-4205 Pag: 55
Pag: 33 Pag: 19 Pag: 61 Pag: 43 Pag: 06 Pag: 23 Pag: 42 Pag: 62 Pag: 11
Pag: 21 Pag: 62
Pag: 17 Pag: 22
* STREAMING TV - 7000 CHANEL TV Tel: 387-761-1101
Pag: 51
* TAXI / TRANSPORTATION Pag: 14
* TREE SERVICE - CHAPALA TREE SERVICE Tel: 762-0602
Pag: 60
* TOURS
* SEPTIC TANK PUMPING - JP HOME SERVICES Tel. 766-1569, Cell: 333-968-2938 - REYNOBAÑOS Tel: 763-0879, Cell: 333-815-1775
Pag: 50 Pag: 52
* SOCIAL ORGANIZATIONS - FAR Tel: 331-321-6969 - LAKE CHAPALA SOCIETY Tel: 766-1140 LOS NIÑOS DE CHAPALA Y AJIJIC Tel: 765-7032
- CHARTER CLUB TOURS Tel: 766-1777 - LYDIA’S TOURS Tel: 33-1026-4877, 765-4742 - TIA STEPHANIE TOURS
Pag: 09 Pag: 57 Pag: 28
* WATER - TECNO AQUA Tel: 766-3731, 108-0808
Pag: 57
Pag: 61 Pag: 60-63 Pag: 64
* SOLAR ENERGY
Pag: 43 Pag: 53 Pag: 03 Pag: 30 Pag: 32 Pag: 63
- OPIERE SOLAR Tel: 766-6148, 01-800-099-0736 - SUN QUEST ENERGY Tel: 766-1761, Cell: 33-1603-9756
Pag: 51 Pag: 33, 39
* SPA / MASSAGE - HOTEL BALNEARIO SAN JUAN COSALA Tel: (387) 761-0222 Pag: 51
Pag: 14 Pag: 40 Pag: 07
The Ojo Crossword
Pag: 25 Pag: 61 Pag: 60 Pag: 44 Pag: 44 Pag: 56 Pag: 10 Pag: 22 Pag: 41 Pag: 48 Pag: 28
* RETIREMENT/REST/NURSING HOMES - CASA ANASTASIA Tel: 765-5680 / 33-3452-5864 - CASA LA VIDA REAL Tel: 108-2506, Cell. 33-2804-3892
Pag: 16 Pag: 45
Saw you in the Ojo 67
CARS
FOR SALE: Chevy Traker 2006, we are selling this little SUV, new tires, good overall condition. 150km. We will park it at WalMart today in case you want to look at it. Info. 333-494-8191. FOR SALE: 2007 Pontiac G3, GLS, 5 Speed. Mexican Car, 188 kms. Price: $59.99, Call: 322-100-9681. FOR SALE: Selling banks turbo kit for 6.9 diesel, this is a Banks turbo kit that costs $3,000 u.s. dollars, asking $1,000 u.s. or peso equivalent for the kit. Email: schraderlarry@rocketmail.co FOR SALE: This camper can be used on a one ton truck or for a completely self contained guest area on the ground. Air conditioned, Forced Air Heater, Hot Water Heater, Solar Panels, Generator, Dry Shower, Fridge (3 way) with large freezer, 3 Burner Stove and oven, Microwave, Stereo (cassette deck), Queen Size Bed, 2 6 Volt Batteries (charged by solar), One slide out in kitchen area. Email: mrippel@live.com FOR SALE: 1995 Ford Windstar. Mechanically it’s great. A/C needs recharging. Took out both rear seats to make it a traveling camper or bordello. I’ll send lots of pictures if you want. Currently Mexico/Jalisco registered and insured. $3,283.90. Email: 1988jeopardychampion@ gmail.com. FOR SALE: 1994 Mazda Miata MX-5. 5 speed stick (one of the best ever) Air Conditioning, Great condition all around, 166k miles, runs perfect, Many new parts, $5900,
68
Call: 331-000-7777. WANTED: Moving here Sept 22 from U. S. need a small Suv. or Crossover for 5 to 8000 $US. number is +190-4859-1622. FOR SALE: 2012 Ford escape, Auto/4 cyl with 66kmile or 106km, excellent condition, power and air, 2 wheel drive. Have pix, at sundevil306@gmail.com or 331-7357066, asking $130k mx. FOR SALE: motorcycle: 2017 Pulsar 200 AS, black - perfect condition, 18,700 Km, $38,000 pesos firm. Mexican title (factura) paid and clear. cglane2007@yahoo. com – 376-766-1218 “Chris” FOR SALE: 2007 Ford Mustang, New Paint, Mexico City Plates, $100,000 -mxn. Email: redsfv89@gmail.com.
COMPUTERS
FOR SALE: Zoom 16 channel portable professional recording studio. Email: $4000 pesos or best offer Nearly new, paid $400 USD. Call: 766-4360. FOR SALE: ASUS Motherboard & Processor. Had these listed separately. Motherboard and Amd FX 6100 processor with fan. Upgrade your system. Check out earlier listing for all the details. Price for all $1,900 pesos. Email: peteredwards052@gmail. com FOR SALE: Apple Macbook. Price: $199 US only. 2 gb. Great condition, in Chapala. Call: 322-100-9681. FOR SALE: Apple MacMini Computer, Package includes the MacMini with 1TB
El Ojo del Lago / November 2018
storage and 8G RAM, a 24” Samsung TV monitor with remote, wireless US keyboard and mouse, and a Logitech camera. Sold as a package for $350US or $6,250 pesos - price is firm. Contact David Dennis at 333441-4003 or ajijicvideoproductions@gmail. com. FOR SALE: Mac Os High Sierra, 8 gb, 13 inches, mint condition, call if u want to buy it 322-100-9681 in Ajijic. $599 us. firm.
PETS & SUPPLIES
FOR SALE: I need a dog trainer. Does anyone know how to get in touch with A. Hess or someone who can help me?? Email: richernow@hotmail.com. FREE: 2 large (about 6-8 inches) pleicos and 5 small spotted fish (no clue other than small). Call: 332-617-3588. FOR FREE: One small male poodle, I might even pay you to take him if his mother agrees. Please email: 1988jeopardychampion@gmail.com. I’m in Chapala Haciendas #2.
GENERAL MERCHANDISE
FOR SALE: 8Ft. Tall Xmas tree ($2.000 MXN); 11 clay Nativity Figurines 2Ft. Tall ($500 MXN); other Xmas decorations. Slow cooker ($350 MXN); ladies cocktail dresses and other Size 12; home decorations; men’s clothes Size 42L inc. Tuxedo; speakers; wigs; misc. fine crystal inc. punch bowl w/ cups; Wedgwood china setting for 12; suitcases; hard cover books (English authors); arm chair and many other items. aivarsamy@gmail.com. Tel: 766-2225. FOR SALE: WARREN HARDY flash cards & 501 verb book, make an offer, Iain 766-0847 or 331-793-2625. WANTED: I have space to add to additional receivers. They need to be in the 600 to 800 series. Please PM me for additional info. Email: sandraspencer@gmail.com. FOR SALE: Small pump 4.5 watts, max 80 gal p hr. Paid $25 USD Asking $300 pesos OBO. 766-4360. FOR SALE: Fine China, Mikasa Black Chrisma, set of 8, 40 pieces in all. Asking $4000 pesos for all OBO. 766-4360 FOR SALE: Lowepro Portable Office, padded computer bag for 2 computers plus or full portable office. $400 pesos. Like new $400 pesos. 766-4360 FOR SALE: Professional Microphone Audio Technica Cardioid Condenser Mic with phantom power box. Rarely used $2000 pesos. 766-4360. FOR SALE: Talavera Ceramic medium sized bathroom sink $00 pesos OBO 7664360. FOR SALE: Zoom 16 channel portable professional recording studio. Nearly new, $4000 pesos or Best Offer. Paid $400 USD. 766-4360. WANTED: The Joco police dept. needs office chairs. Donation greatly appreciated, but have a small budget to buy..can anyone help? send a PM if you have even one available. Email: chapala45900@prodigy. net.mx. FOR SALE: Hunter 140 Daysailer. Fully equipped and re-finished Hunter 140 (14 Ft) day sailer sailboat. Asking $1,950 US. Location: San Juan Cosalá on the lakefront. Includes hull, all fittings - lines - mast with top float - mainsail - roller furling and jib Honda 2 HP outboard - trailer with spare tire AND new cover made of weather resistant Sunbrella material. E-mail me at hw4310@ yahoo.com or call 954-288-4541. FOR SALE: One Dunlop Grand Trek PT3 steel belted radial tire for sale. 225/60R17 99V. Used for 11,000 kilometers. In good condition. 333-723-0376.
$1,000 pesos obo. WANTED: Anyone have a table saw for sale at a reasonable price? 10” blade would be fine. must have a good fence. Will be ripping plywood. Nothing crazy. Email: daviesgareth@gmail.com. FOR SALE: Todo Bueno resale shop just got in two king bedroom sets, one with two side pieces and dresser. Hidalgo 231 Riberas next to S&S auto 331-0160619. 4 blue doors, next Have Hammers carpentry school. WANTED: looking for the following Nikon prime lenses in excellent condition: 35mm f/1.8G AF-S DX. 50mm f/1.8G DX. 85mm f/1.8G AF-S. FX. Please reply with condition and asking prices. If you have additional Nikon or Sigma lenses (for Nikon mount) please let me consider them also. Email: pohlmanjb@gmail.com. WANTED: I’m looking for a lightweight, possibly foldable wheeled cart to transfer my groceries from my car to my apartment. Anyone have one i can buy? Anyone know if there’s a store in town that sells them? Email: jsilverman01@live.com. FOR SALE: Outdoor Coffee Table, Resin (stone lookalike). 43” W x 26” D x 20” H. Perfect Condition. $2500 pesos. Call 7665856 or tucantalk@gmail.com. FOR SALE: 4 and half Bikes, Yellow trek bike, $5000 pesos (see bike #4.5 for special offer). Blue and silver trek bike, $3000 pesos. Adult Tricylce workmen brand, Tandem attachment bike, Canadian made. This bike is for a child to attach on the back of a full adult bike. Both bikes are $6500. Text or call or whats up Evan 333174-0397. FOR SALE: Beautiful bowl style hanging swing chair. It is only 7 months old. Has an extra large cushion in periwinkle color. It is made of light bamboo and comes with the black metal support stand. It was special made for us in Chapala. Serious buyers only. $4000 pesos. New $7000. Evan 333174-0397. WANTED: 2 bicycles, we’re looking for two. A standard sized one for a man, and a short one for a woman, happy to borrow, rent, or buy. Any leads appreciated! stymiebopcaretakers@gmail.com. FOR SALE: Two outdoor brown wicker Pacific Sun Loungers, like new, still in box. $3000 pesos for both. 762-1695. FOR SALE: 100 Warren Hardy Verb Cards. Email: v.v.kaskow@gmail.com. FOR SALE: Large Bernhardt sectional, Comfortable, Caramel color, leather, excellent condition. Includes ottoman. $21,000 pesos. Email: zebra@cryptogroup.net. FOR SALE: 14 foot sunfish with center board and trailer. $500.00 US. Email: ianandjen88@gmail.com or 766-5896. WANTED: Several years ago while we lived in Ajijic we acquired a pair of wallmounted horse heads constructed out of sheet metal. During a recent move one of them was lost. We are seeking a vendor who might be able to supply a replacement and ship it to us stateside. Its dimensions are roughly 17” x 20“. Email: warren@warhow.com. FOR SALE: 2004 RV refrigerator Norcold 1200 LRIM electric and propane had been upgraded with an Amish cooling unit 2 years ago and since then the refrigerator door gaskets have deteriorated but freezer doors are good. Price is $6000.00 pesos. Contact info plthiessen@gmail. com or 331-069-8292. WANTED: Looking to buy a used, small, outdoor storage shed. Prefer plastic. With shelves. Roughly 6’ x 5’, or smaller. Need it delivered and assembled. Email:
v.v.kaskow@gmail.com. WANTED: Open type utility trailer for use on the farm, not on the highway, so plates do not matter. Email: schraderlarry@ rocketmail.com. FOR SALE: Logan Intermediate Professional 40.5 Inch Mat Cutter, only very slightly used. $2500 pesos or best offer. Call: 766-2722. WANTED: Gazelle Glider. Email: ShalomBeWell@gmail.com. WANTED: Nordic Track Ski Machine. ShalomBeWell@gmail.com. WANTED: Schwinn Aerodyne Exercise Bike. ShalomBeWell@gmail.com. FOR SALE: Nikon D3300 DX-format DSLR Kit with 18-55 mm DX VR ll & 55200mm DX VR ii Zoom Lenses and Case (Black), 24MP CMOS DX-format sensor, 5 frames per second continuous shooting, 11 AF points with 3D tracking, ISO 100-12,800 (expandable to 25600), Autofocus System 3 inch LCD with 921,000 dots, Accessories: AN DC9 Strap, EN-EL 14Rechargable Liion battery, MH 24 Quick Charger, UC-E6 USB Cable, BF-1B Body Cap, DK-26 Eyepiece Cap, DK-17 Eyepiece, Shoot Shutter Remote, Batteries Lithium Metal Batteries required (included) (331 customer review. Date first listed on Amazon 5 Feb 2015. $599.00 new, a steal at $450.00 USD, $8530 pesos, $580 Can. Call: 331-0231848 or patriciapulczinski7@gmail.com FOR SALE: Air compressor with paint attachments. “WOLFOX’ brand. Has hose, paint sprayer and some other fittings. Paid
$2,499.90 in Chapala. Asking for $2,000. 4000 Watt gasoline generator. Just had oil changed; air cleaner cleaned and spark plug sparked. Costs today in Chapala, $8,936.00. I’ll sell for $7,500.00. 1995 Ford Windstar. Mechanically it’s great. A/C needs recharging. Currently Mexico/Jalisco registered and insured. $3,274.90. Zmodo security system, Has 3 cameras but you can add more. Have cables and flat screen monitor. Cost US$400 in California. Will sell for US$325 or pesos. Please email: 1988jeopardychampion@gmail.com. I’m in Chapala Haciendas #2 FOR SALE: King-size Bedspread; 2 pillow shams; 3 decorative pillows; bedskirt (7 pieces in all) Green colour; well-made; freshly dry-cleaned. $950 MXP. I also have one set of king-size flanelette sheets with pillow cases to match. $400 MXP. I can email pictures if you wish to see them, or send me a PM if you wish to arrange a time to see the items. Email: poole.sheila2010@ gmail.com. FOR SALE: SAMSUNG 60 inch HDTV. Not a SMART TV. Dimensions: 55” wide 36” tall and 21” deep. Bought TV 8 years ago in US. Have owners manual. Bought a bigger curved screen TV. Don’t need two large TVs. Big TV screen for a small screen TV price. Asking $3,500 pesos. Call: 766-4928. WANTED: Any recommendations for a good place to buy a mattress and frame? We’re wondering if it’s better to shop GDL and pay for delivery or buy locally such as Costco? Email: lizelliot33@yahoo.com.
FOR SALE: Original Prada Shoes, size 24.5 mexican, Only 1 time was used, price $3000 pesos. Call to Alma 331-005-3109. FOR SALE: Individual Brass Headboard, Price $2,200.00 pesos. Call to Alma 331-005-3109. FOR SALE: 125 piece Craftsman mechanic’s tool set for sale. $3000 pesos. 7621695. FOR SALE: I have two new tubes of hollister karaya5 stoma paste purchased two months ago in original packaging. $500 pesos for both. Email: derekyoungmex@ gmail.com. FOR SALE: Frigidaire upright freezer, new from TioSam in November of 2016. $11,000 pesos new, asking $3500 or best offer. Email: pablosemanas@gmail.com. FOR SALE: Collection of about 90 flags from various areas. Some beauties: 333723-0376. FOR SALE: Mio GPS. Best buy says it is the best one for Guadalajara. New $3,000 pesos Selling for $700 OBO. Hardly used. Call: 333-723-0376. FOR SALE: I am selling a Sonos Play 5 (2nd generation) speaker. It is less than a year old. I brought it with me when I moved here 2 months ago. The speaker was purchased for $550usd new. I will let it go for $425 usd. If you are interested in seeing and hearing it, please let me know. Email: mexicanmahayana@gmail.com. FOR SALE: Custom-Made Tournament-Sized Pool Table. Three-piece slate table with playing area of 50 in by 100 in.
Premium felt replaced 17 months ago, as were several pockets. Accessories include balls, triangular game rack, rotating cue stand, seven cues (including two shorter cues for tight shots), bridge, wall rack for balls, custom leather cover, and a nearly full box of tan chalk to match the felt. $25,000 MXN. Please email InsightSolutionsPublishing@gmail.com or text 331-325-0552 for more information. (I usually have my phone on silent, so I’ll see a text before I realize a missed call). FOR SALE: Small, aluminum cargo trailer made in the U.S.A. by TOWBLAZER online see, the U.S.A. trailer store for specifications and prices. The trailer can be towed by motorcycle or automobile and is rainproof. $15,000 pesos. Email me at lawandrew29@outlook.com or text only to 333-949-8770. WANTED: In search of about 40 Hardcover Law Books or other books that look like law books (such as an Encyclopedia set) for use as props in a Lakeside Little Theatre production in February 2019. Would need to use books for about 3 weeks (From February 4th thru 25th, 2019). The photos are some examples of the type of books that would work for this production. Email: shellie@checkoway.com. FOR SALE: 3 Wheel Scooter, Battery operated 3 wheel Tzora scooter. $8000 pesos. 331-330-1050.
Saw you in the Ojo 69
70
El Ojo del Lago / November 2018