El Ojo del Lago - October 2011 by El Ojo del Lago

Saw you in the Ojo

El Ojo del Lago / October 2011

Saw you in the Ojo

Richard Tingen

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Alejandro Grattan-Domínguez Tel: (01376) 765 3676, 765 2877 Fax: (01376) 765 3528 Associate Publisher David Tingen Graphic Design Roberto C. Rojas Jazmin Eliosa Special Events Editor Shelley Edson Associate Editor Jim Tipton Contributing Editor Paul Jackson Contributing Editor Mark Sconce Drama Critic Michael Warren Art Critic Rob Mohr Staff Photographer Xill Fessenden Sales Manager Tania Medina (045) 33 1140 3570 ojodelago@gmail.com Office Secretary Iliana Oregel ADVERTISING OFFICE Av. Hidalgo # 223, Chapala Mon. thru Fri. 9am - 5pm Sat. 9am - 1pm Tel. 01 (376) 765 2877, 765 3676 Fax 01 (376) 765 3528 Send all correspondence, subscriptions or advertising to: El Ojo del Lago http://www.chapala.com ojodellago@prodigy.net.mx Ave. Hidalgo 223 (or Apartado 279), 45900 Chapala, Jalisco Tels.: (376) 765 3676, Fax 765 3528 PRINTING: El Debate El Ojo del Lago aparece los primeros cinco días de cada mes. (Out over the first five days of each month) Certificado de Licitud de Título 3693 Certificado de Licitud de Contenido 3117.

Index...

FEATURE ARTICLES

COVER STORY

David Harper writes up the XVI Pan American Games, which this year take place in Guadalajara, with one event, water skiing, happening at Lake Chapala. This will be a huge boon to our area, with 6,000 athletes from 42 countries bringing our beloved part of Mexico into the international spotlight.

8 Shutterstock images

20 A SHAGGY DOG STORY Landon Hollander relates a touching true story of a desperately poor old Mexican man, and the two loving animals he left behind. Any ex-pat who still feels the need to complain about his own life after reading this story is simply not paying attention.

COLUMNS THIS MONTH 6

Editor’s Page

Thunder on Right

Bridge by Lake

Uncommon Sense

Joyful Musings

Focus on Art

Welcome to Mexico

Anita’s Animals

The Poet’s Niche

Ken Clarke reviews The Spy in Love, written by former Lakesider John Hoopes, a tale of industrial espionage set right here in the middle of Ajijic.

Child of Month

Hearts at Work

La Vida Loca

34 HUMOR

New Lease on Life

Lakeside Living

Internet Mailbox

World of Ours

Stay Healthy

Crossword

LCS Newsletter

32 LOCAL HISTORY K. Pontikes makes the case that while many modern conveniences have made life easier here along Lake Chapala, several of the most charming things about our area have not changed all that much.

33 BOOK REVIEW

Kelly Hayes-Raitt has subtitled her article “Or the Trials and Tribulations of a pet/house sitter.” Luckily for Lakesiders, her true story is set elsewhere.

56 HOUSEHOLD SPANISH Margaret Sloan makes learning enough Spanish to communicate with your Mexican maid not only easier but a bit of fun, as well. It will also make your maid happier.

Reserva al Título de Derechos de Autor 04-2007-111412131300-102 Control 14301. Permisos otorgados por la Secretaría de Gobernación (EXP. 1/432 “88”/5651 de 2 de junio de 1993) y SEP (Reserva 171.94 control 14301) del 15 de enero de 1994. Distribución: Hidalgo 223 Chapala, Jalisco, México. All contents are fully protected by copyright and may not be reproduced without the written consent of El Ojo del Lago. Opinions expressed by the authors do not necessarily reflect the views of the Publisher or the Editor, nor are we responsible for the claims made by our advertisers. We welcome letters, which should include name, address and telephone number.

COVER STORY

PUBLISHER

El Ojo del Lago / October 2011

LAKESIDE LIVING

 DIRE C TOR Y 

36 MAGNIFICENT MEXICO

VOLUME 28 NUMBER 2

Saw you in the Ojo

Editor’s Page By Alejandro Grattan-Dominguez

The Electrifying, Yet Stultifying Thomas Edison

n any roll-call of the most important people in all of American history, Thomas Alva Edison (the “Alva” has been traced to Hispanic ancestry) would have to be ranked near the top. Edison was of an era, however, that saw Samuel Morse invent the telegraph and Alexander Graham Bell the telephone. Yet even against such scientific geniuses, Edison stands alone, and the company that he founded more than one hundred years ago is today among the largest and most influential in the entire world: General Electric. By the time of his death in 1931 at age 84, Edison had patented over 1,000 inventions, including (among his less-known devices) a stock market ticker, a mechanical vote recorder and a battery for an electric car. He also developed the crucial elements that would give rise to three enduring multi-billion dollar American industries: electrical power, recorded music and motion pictures. Edison is also given credit for inventing the electric light bulb, though historians are not so sure the first prototype was his; but certainly he developed the filament that could keep the light on for far more time than that of the original model. Moreover, he gave rise to the practice of bringing enormous collective brain power to the process of invention—and the effect that had on his nation’s progress is indisputable. By the end of the 20th century, of the 530 Nobel laureates in physics, chemistry and medicine, more than 200 had been Americans. For this reason and many others, the years from 1901 to 2000 has rightfully been called The American Century. In a way, however, the invention of the motion picture camera and its attendant device, a machine to project an image on a screen, tell us the most about Edison, the Man. To his discredit, he was to loathe to share

El Ojo del Lago / October 2011

the glory for the birth of the movies, even though there were many “obstetricians” to the event such as the Lumiere brothers in France and William Friese-Greene in England. But where Edison was monumentally short-sighted was in thinking that the future of movies lay only in his peep-show machine, with only one viewer at a time. Movies were, for Edison, a diversion from his other “more important” endeavors, and he left the bulk of his movie work to his chief assistant, William Dickson—who would become America’s first film director. In 1894, Dickson, basically a technician but with a flair for the dramatic, directed the first scripted film ever; yet Edison remained far more interested in the mechanics involved and dismissed the idea of movie stories and actors. For the next decade, Edison continued to dabble in motion pictures, though his main interest was in protecting his patents in the infant industry and in forcing various independent producers and directors out of business. Ironically, in trying to avoid subpoenas, several of these fledgling film-makers, (including Jesse Lasky and Cecil B. DeMille, who would later establish Paramount Pictures) were forced to move a continent away, where they finally set up a few tattered tents in a hilly section just northwest of Los Angeles. It was a sparsely-populated area called Hollywood— and needless to say, the rest is history. Alejandro Grattan

By Paul Jackson paulconradjackson@gmail.com

he scornful, caustic fellow insisted I name my favorite American political commentators. So, William F. Buckley being no longer with us, I named George F. Will and Charles Krauthammer as the top two. Add to this duo, Christopher Hitchens, Britishborn, but like Krauthammer, who is Canadian-born, a longtime resident of the USA. Hitchens, started out life as a Marxist and Trotskyite, but is now something completely different. All three are most knowledgeable and erudite commentators. But as my arrogant antagonist looked on, I named leftwing intellectual Michael Kinsley as my fourth favorite. Have never read a column by Kinsley which I could not only deeply absorb, and also eventually mostly agree with. Next, Alan Colmes, not quite as intellectual as Kinsley, but who was an entertaining foil to Fox News’ Sean Hannity, but then went off to make a million dollars and more a year with the Fox radio network. The Hannity show lacks a certain value without Colmes, a very personable fellow, but he has a huge audience with his radio show. Talking about being personable, although he’s not actually a political commentator, Congressman Dennis Kucinich is always worth an ear. Kucinich really is pretty far to the Left, but looking at his deprived background it’s easy to see why: One of seven children, his father a truck driver, with his family having to move an astonishing 21 times always looking for a cheaper home to rent. So, his philosophic stands are built on solid experience. I’d vote for him any time before I’d vote for Donald Trump. Now to Fox News’— Billy O’Reilly’s and Sean Hannity’s— line-up of regular Liberal guests— Dick Schoen, Bob Beckel, and Pat Caddell. You find it hard to believe Fox News welcomes Liberal viewpoints? Well, I as discovered while holding the Editorship of a big city daily newspaper you can have a certain shade on your opinion pages or TV shows, but you then go for the widest possible audience you can get. So here are my three favorites Liber-

Paul Jackson

al-Left commentators on Fox News: Dick Schoen - former top aide to Ed Koch, Bill Clinton, and who also worked on Hillary Clinton’s campaign - appears to be the deepest thinker of this trio. Bob Beckel - worked for Walter Mondale and Jimmy Carter - is the most amiable, and has a frame larger than life, but can never admit his party has ever done anything wrong. Enjoyable, though, so long as you take what he says with a chuckle. Pat Caddell - advisor to George McGovern, Jimmy Carter, Gary Hart, and Joe Biden - tends to be the most caustic. Caddell gives the impression that while he is still a dedicated Democrat, President Barack Obama is in the process of ruining the reputation of his party and taking it on a suicide mission that goes against all that true Democrats believe in. Perhaps it’s just sour grapes, or maybe he is, as I believe, right. Whatever, all of these individuals are quite rational and put forward their arguments with some reason. A person can be Conservative, Liberal - even somewhat Socialist - but while one may disagree with them on some issues - if they have a solid foundation behind their stands rather than knee jerk, shoot-fromthe-hip, top-off-the-head rhetoric they are surely worth a read, a listen, or a view. paulconradjackson@gmail.com

Saw you in the Ojo

XVI Pan American Games By David Harper â&#x20AC;&#x201D;Ojo Sports Editor

he 16th edition of the PanAm Games begins in Jalisco, Mexico in a few days. This will be the third time that Mexico has hosted the event, which makes it the first nation within PASO (Pan American Sports Organization) to host three times. Mexico City hosted them in 1955 and 1975. Like the Olympics the PanAm Games are held every four years. The first Games were held in Buenos Aires in 1951 and the 2007 Games were held in Rio de Janeiro. Guadalajara originally bid for the 2003 games but lost to Santo Domingo. PASO members agreed that Guadalajara would get the 2011 Games and so their bid was unopposed. The 2015 Games will be held in Toronto, Canada. Guadalajara and the State of Jalisco will host approximately 6,000 athletes from 42 countries. They will compete in 36 sports comprising 361 events. The biggest single sport is athletics where 47 events are contested and second is swimming with 34 events. There are 35 different venues and the majority of them are newly built just for the Games. They vary from the large Omnilife Stadium (49,500 seating) where the opening and closing ceremonies will be held, down to the still being constructed Stadium Tlaquepaque (seating 1,200) where the Rugby Sevens will be contested. All of the new construction will become part of Jaliscoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s improved athletic facilities and will benefit the city and the state for many years to come. Events are not limited to greater Guadalajara but will also be held in Puerto Vallarta (sailing, marathon swimming, triathlon and beach volleyball), Tapalpa (mountain biking), Ciudad Guzman (rowing and canoeing), Lagos de Moreno (baseball) and Lake Chapala will have the water skiing events (just east of Chapala). Among the lesser known games that will be played is Basque Pelota. This is a very old game originally, as

El Ojo del Lago / October 2011

the name suggests, from the Basque areas of Spain and France. It was contested once in the Olympics (1900) but it has a growing following and is now played in many countries. There will be 10 events in this sport with eleven countries, including the USA and Canada, having entrants. Mexico and Argentina will have the most competitors (18). It is also called Fronton and in the USA a variant called Jai Alai is played. Competitors for the PanAm Games had to qualify via the 2010 world championship in Pau, France. As is normal with huge events cost overruns are expected. Originally the building budget was US$250 million but is now expected to be over $750 million. This money is obtained from every available source and while much is provided by sponsors State taxes were also increased to help cover costs. The four principal sponsors are: Nissan, Scotiabank, Telcel and Telmex. Many second and third tier sponsors are also involved. The benefits to Guadalajara are multiple and various. For example the Omnilife Stadium is already the new home of the famous Guadalajara Chivas soccer team. In addition to the sports venues new hotels have been built because of the Games and available rooms have increased from 16,000 to 21,000. New road construction, the second terminal at the airport, a new bus system (Macrobus), Auditorio Telmex and a convention center are all tied to the Games. Some nations were worried about sending their athletes to Mexico because of the unfavorable press coverage of crime and drug gangs. Mexican officials have reassured contesting nations by beefing up security and the costs will be huge. It is expected that a force of 10,000 will be on patrol including all city and state police forces as well as army and navy personnel. Another huge cost is administering athleteâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s drug and doping tests. This is estimated at US$100 million with probably half coming from

sponsors. There was a scare recently that some Mexican meat contained the banned (for athletes) drug clenbuterol. Mexican officials had to assure competitors that such meat would not find its way into the eating halls in the athlete’s village. High performance athletes are very strict about diets and often teams, or even coaches, bring their own food for their athletes, even cooking it for them themselves. Direct revenue generation will be around US$70 million with $50 million of that being from TV rights, the remainder being ticket and official merchandise sales. This amount is not much compared to the outlay but, as mentioned, the new venues will add much to quality of life for years to come. At previous PanAm Games, the largest teams were usually from the USA, Canada, Argentina and Brazil but this time it is expected that Mexico will have a largest team. Most events are subject to qualifying, so a country can only send athletes who have made the qualifying standard. Also the Games are officially recognized as an event where athletes can use their performance here to meet Olympic qualifying standards.

Some of you may have seen the Games’ three mascots depicted locally. They represent Jalisco and Guadalajara. They are “Gavo” representing the Blue Agave plant, “Huichi,” a deer representing Huichol traditions and the female identity, and “Leo,” a lion representing the strength of the people of Guadalajara and it is part of the city’s coat of arms. Tickets are still available online from Ticketmaster Mexico and other local outlets. The writer has bought some through Ticketmaster and found the experience only slightly challenging.

Saw you in the Ojo

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

. Scott Fitzgerald once wrote that “The rich are different than you or me” to which his friend Ernest Hemingway retorted: “Yes, they have more money.” In bridge terms, we might say that the stars of the game are also different; they make plays that mere mortals may never contemplate. The illustrated deal occurred in the latter stages of the 2011 U.S. Seniors Bridge Championships. Long-time professional Fred Hamilton, sitting West, opened 2 hearts in first seat, showing a hand with between 6 and 10 high card points and a good six card suit. One might quibble about the quality of the suit in this case as most teachers require their students to have 2 of the top 3 or 3 of the top 5 honors to open a weak two bid, but in the modern game players try to get the opening bid in wherever feasible. North liked his hand sufficiently to offer a bid of 3 clubs, and although East might have ventured a weak 2 spade bid himself had he been first to speak, he did not have the values to enter the auction at this juncture. With a balanced hand, a full opening bid of his own, and hearts well stopped, South quite confidently closed the proceedings with a call of 3 no trump. Now the spotlight turned on Hamilton to find the killing lead. His own suit, hearts, being somewhat lacking in luster, did not stand out. His left hand opponent had bid clubs, so that was probably not the best opening salvo. For diamonds to be right would have required his partner to have considerable values and length. So by the process of elimination, spades seemed to of-

El Ojo del Lago / October 2011

fer the best chance for his side, especially as the enemy had made no effort to find a fit in that suit. But what spade to lead? We all learned in bridge kindergarten to lead low from a 3 card suit but West could see the problem this could pose – the suit could very easily block. So the only answer to this predicament was to lead a spade honor. As the cards lay, either would have fulfilled the function but Fred chose the king as least likely to confuse partner. And so it transpired – East was delighted to see his majesty hit the table and let West know by following with the very encouraging 10. West continued with the spade jack and East had to be careful to overtake it with the ace; when South produced the queen it was simplicity itself for East to cash the rest of his spades to set the contract by two tricks. It might appear that West was taking a big chance in his selection of opening lead but in team games it is more common to make risky leads as you want to defeat the contract at all costs. But in a duplicate pairs game one would be less inclined to make such a play as the objective is not necessarily to put declarer down but rather to score better than all other pairs holding your cards. In any event, the opening lead in this month’s hand was spectacularly successful and worthy of admiration. Any other lead would have resulted in the contract making easily. Questions or comments: email: masson. ken@gmail.com Ken Masson

UUNCOMMON NCOMMON CCOMMON OMMON SSENSE EENNSE By Bill Frayer billfrayer@gmail.com Can We Get Back to Civil, Thoughtful Dialogue? Bill Frayer

s I watch the travails of the US President, Barack Obama, I notice that, predictably, he is being attacked by conservatives. What may be more surprising is that he is facing withering criticism from the left as well. Many liberals think he has not put up enough of a fight for left-wing ideals. He seems to have few friends at the moment, and his reelection prospects are looking dimmer in light of the poor economy. I am not interesting in defending Obama’s presidency. But I cannot help but notice that the level of rhetoric, from both sides, is extreme and does not lead to thoughtful dialogue. In fact, it may be Obama’s efforts to engage in a civil dialogue which gets him into trouble. Let me explain. In critical thinking courses, we value a particular cognitive disposition called “fair-mindedness.” Although most people probably consider themselves fair-minded, most of us are not. Being fair-minded means that you honestly and thoroughly try to understand all points of view before you make up your mind. This means, of course, studying and understanding your opponent’s most effective arguments before you decide what the most reasonable position is. The dialogue in Washington, and in the media, is decidedly not fair-minded. How many politicians-- the people paid to make thoughtful, well-reasoned decisions--actually spend time thoughtfully considering their opponents’ positions? In fact, most politicians use developed talking points to spin the issues in their favor and do not really care about being fair-minded. After all, being fair-minded may put them in a weaker position. In a world where winning is everything, thoughtful logic and the creation of new ideas to solve our serious problems is not a priority. Of course, being fair-minded, understanding that both sides often have good arguments, may lead to using components of your opponents’ ideas in the final solution. This is called compromise and considered an anathema to “true blue” partisans. So where does such rigidity leave

us? Precisely nowhere. If both sides spend their time and energy simply standing pat and repeating the same talking points, then nothing gets done. The system fails, as it has in Washington. This brings us back to Obama. Like him or not, he has tried, in a very hostile environment, to practice fairmindedness. He is trying to reach a solution on the budget deal that includes components of Democratic and Republican ideals. He has asked for a “balanced” approach which involves what the Republicans want (significant budget cuts) together with what the Democrats want (revenue increases). He’s stuck in the middle and seen as weak by both sides. Yet, perhaps compromise is precisely what needs to happen. Compromise is how things always move forward politically. It is based on the concept that both sides in a struggle may have valid concerns. But to get to a solution, both sides have to work hard to understand the concerns of the other side. Perhaps the US political system can no longer engage in clear thinking and practice fair-mindedness. Perhaps the system will continue to be fiercely partisan and unable to reach compromise. Perhaps the system will break down and calamity will ensue. Perhaps Barack Obama was elected to address this. Perhaps he is trying to get beyond the shouting and bring fair-minded dialogue to the national debate. Perhaps he’s right.

Saw you in the Ojo 11

AINâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;T LIFE GRAND!

group of 40-year old girlfriends discussed where they should meet for lunch. Finally, it was agreed that they would meet at the Ocean View Restaurant because the waiters there had tight pants and nice arses. Ten years later, at age 50, the friends once again discussed where they should meet for lunch. Finally, it was agreed that they would meet at the Ocean View Restaurant because the food was good and the wine selection was excellent. Ten later, at age 60, the friends again discussed where they should meet for lunch. Finally, it was agreed that they would meet at the

El Ojo del Lago / October 2011

Ocean View Restaurant because they could dine in peace and quiet and the restaurant had a beautiful view of the Pacific. Ten years later, at age 70, the friends discussed where they should meet for lunch. Finally, it was agreed that they would meet at the Ocean View Restaurant because the restaurant was wheel chair accessible and had an elevator. Ten later, at 80 years of age, the friends again discussed where they should meet for lunch. FINALLY! It was agreed that they would meet at the Ocean View Restaurant because they had never been there before.

Joyful Musings By Joy Birnbach Dunstan, MA, LPC, MAC How Can I Help?

aybe it’s just my age, but lately it seems like I’ve been surrounded by more than the usual number of people with serious health issues. Even I endured my own health scare that was wonderfully relieved when five doctors agreed the original radiography report was in error. It’s difficult coping with your own infirmities, and it’s also difficult knowing how to support someone you love through theirs. Often, well meaning friends and family feel awkward and don’t know how to respond, or they say things that only make the patient feel worse. Asking “What can I do to help?” can sometimes be more of a burden than a blessing. Your friend may be hesitant to ask you to do a chore that feels like an imposition or be too distracted to think of what’s needed. Instead, offer to do something specific: “I’m going to the market. Can I pick up a few things for you?” “Can I take your dog for a walk? I’d like the exercise myself.” Or just do something helpful on your own. Bring a meal or some snacks. Wash the dishes or throw in a load of laundry. Clean out the fridge of the old food that’s grown fur since your friend got ill. Don’t inundate the patient with every miracle cure you may have seen on TV or read about in a magazine. Unless s/he has asked you for input on their medical care, don’t cast doubt upon the wisdom of what they’re doing. Hope and optimism for the future are prime ingredients for creating health. A person battling a life-threatening illness or serious accident needs uplifting encouragement not pity. They need honest support, not platitudes or hollow compliments. Don’t tell your friend how wonderful s/he looks when s/he’s laying in bed with tubes sticking out everywhere or clumps of hair falling out. Offer comments you really mean: “I sure admire the way you’re handling this. It must be really difficult.”“I’m sorry you have to go through this. You mean a lot to me.” Keep your visits short, generally 20 minutes or so, even less if the pa-

tient is tired or in pain. Visit one or two at a time, not in groups. It’s better to go when the person still has energy rather than leave them needing to recuperate from your visit as well. Be sensitive to whether s/he needs a sympathetic ear or chatty conversation. Coping with illness can evoke myriad emotions, and your friend may appreciate an opportunity to vent and express feelings. Or perhaps, s/he’d enjoy hearing from you about what’s going on out in the world. Talk about other things besides their illness, and don’t make your friend feel like s/he’s got to entertain you. Don’t speak to the person like s/ he’s a child. “How are we today?” can sound condescending. Someone who’s sick needs to know they’re remembered and cared about without being burdened or diminished by the gesture. If it’s appropriate, a hug or gentle touch can be therapeutic and help the person feel accepted and connected. It really is the thought that counts most. My mom once told me that it isn’t really the chicken soup that is curative, but that someone cared enough to make it for you. Who do you know who could use some chicken soup? Editor’s Note: Joy is a practicing psychotherapist in Riberas. She can be contacted at joy@dunstan.org or 765-4988.

Saw you in the Ojo 13

Focus on Art By Rob Mohr robmohr@gmail.com Magic Realism: A Visual Poetry of Fantasy and Dreams

alvador Dalí wrote, “There is only one difference between a madman and me. I am not mad.” My recent interview with Jesus Lopez Vega brought into focus the evocative, revolutionary power of Magic Realism (MR) to impart a fresh perception of the world. Reviewing the development of MR reminded me that for the artist, their unique perception is everything. Their personality, perspective, subconscious, dreams, history, and culture - magically combine and flourish in their art. Henri Rousseau (1844-1910) awoke from a vivid dream in which a forest of overgrown tropical house plants was inhabited by a nude woman and a black snake charmer who stood hidden in the moon light, surrounded by animals of the forest, as his music calmed them. Rousseau that morning sat down at his kitchen table and painted his dream to perfection. In that moment MR was born. www.henrirousseau.org/ Rousseau’s vision was fulfilled when in 1924, Andre Breton, who had worked with Freud and Jung doing experiments with “automatic writing”, wrote the Surrealist Manifesto, which confirmed that unfiltered thought and vision could create societal and artistic change. The next year, Franz Roh’s essay “Magic Realism” in the “Revista de Occidente” formalized the movement. Both documents attracted a growing number of artists to mine the subconscious

El Ojo del Lago / October 2011

through dreams to create art. Surrealism, “beyond real” developed in two lines - narrative surrealism with artists such as Rene Magritte (1898-1967), http://www. rene-magritte.org/ and organic surrealism with artists typified by Max Ernst (1891-1976). www.fantasyarts. net/ernstpaint Oaxacan Rufino Tamayo (18991991), who painted in New York City from 1937 to 1949, added indigenous symbols to his narrative MR where men and women became spiritual objects rooted in the texture, earth and people of Mexico. www.rufinotamayo.org Tamayo’s success led Oaxacans Francisco Toledo (1940 - ) to use pre-Columbian understandings to depict magical narratives about rural life, and Rodolfo Morales (1925 - 2001), to write, “My paintings are unmistakably marvelous because of their altered reality (as miracle), revelation, and unexpected and juxtaposed scale, all imparting an extreme state of being.” www.indigoarts.com/gallery_oaxaca_main. html During the same period, Frida Kahlo (1907-1954) painted magical works that distorted scale and point of view to narrate her life. www.fridakahlo.com Her magical vision soared across Mexico. With influences from Mexico City and Oaxaca, MR put down deep roots in Lake Chapala, Jalisco. There Huichol artist Ramon Medina, followed by Eligio Carrillo, Jesus Sanchez and Jose’ Benitez Sanchez, created cloth paintings where indigenous symbols alone tell their story. In the enclosed yarn painting by Jose Sanchez, peyote “spiritual communication”, messenger birds in the four corners, and an anthropomorphic deer-man “spirit guide”, combine with other ancient symbols to tell a fantastic tale about humanity. Surrealism makes symbols out of everyday objects, while in Jalisco ancient symbols speak. Using known symbols to tell a story adds new dimensions to MR.

Jesus Lopez Vega and his brother Antonio, both students of the Neil James art school, have made significant contributions to this unique approach to MR. Jesus, a prolific Magic Realist and a serious student of the indigenous culture of Jalisco and Lake Chapala, is currently working on a book to chronicle the history, art, and life of the people. Jesus wrote in “Meretrices”, May, 2005: “In stories filled with details of rural life like Los de Debajo by Mariano Axuela, the vast, fertile world of Magic Realism comes into being.” In his superb painting “Infancia” (enclosed), Jesus Lopez Vega blends a narrative component with symbolic elements, as an indigenous couple surveys the home, community and universe they inhabit. This powerful image is the result of Jesus’ sensitive, psychological understating of his community and world. Jesus shared this story about Lake Chapala: “One May, when I was eight, a big cloud formed over the lake, and the elders saw that it was a snake when a water spout came down and moved across the lake to dump the pollution on Mezcala. The elders believed the gods were acting through the snake to clean the lake.”

http://arteajijic.net/biography. html Stories like these, when translated into paint, become both acts of revolution and magic as artists such as Jesus reveal a world not seen with everyday eyes, The greatest magic of all would be the realization of their dream for a healthy environment for all who share life around this ancient lake that has given life to animals for millions of years and to humans for thousands of years. Rob Mohr

Saw you in the Ojo 15

By Victoria Schmidt

What Makes a Restaurant?

efore moving to Mexico, I envisioned Mexican restaurants to be like the “Mexican Restaurants” in the USA. The one we frequented near our previous home sat about 200 people, at large wooden tables with large chairs. The bright décor was “traditional Mexican” and there were lots of sombreros on both the walls and the waiters. Mexican music played softly from the hidden sound system and the food was…well, as it turns out, not really Mexican. More of a hybrid. While in Mexico, we’ve found some restaurants that resemble this description, but the vast majority of them don’t. Some of the very best “Mexican” restaurants, well, aren’t restaurants. I define a restaurant as a building with four walls, a ceiling and floor with a working kitchen and a dining area. Here in Mexico, one of my favorite places to eat doesn’t meet this description. It doesn’t even have a floor! The tables are set on the dirt, a tent-top keeps out the weather, and the walls, if you could call them that, are really two fences with passion fruit growing along them. The tables are either metal folding tables or the plastic ones supplied by either a soft drink company or a beer distributor. The music comes from a juke box, which sits next to the TV which is on the counter behind which is the cooking area, never to be confused with a kitchen. Yet this little place serves the best food. Their shrimp tacos are beyond anything I’ve had yet, and are only $15 pesos each! Their serving sizes are generous. They even serve fresh coconut water…in the coconut. And you get to take the coconut meat home with you. And if you think I’m going to tell you where they are, or give you their name, forget it. Find your own! There are many “restaurants” like this in Mexico. They pop up everywhere. On my block, one family puts out a tarp that expands over two parking spaces in front of their house. Two tables hold their cooking utensils, and tamales, tacos, empanadas and more

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Moctezuma’s “Revenge” are sold right there. Further up the block, a woman opens up her kitchen on Saturdays and Sundays and serves up breakfast and pozole later in the day. Two blocks over, a woman sells fresh baked goods through her kitchen window. The food in these places has always been a delightful surprise. I think of all the overhead these people save by their ingenious ways of presenting their fare. When we moved to Mexico, we were warned not to eat in places such as these. There was concern that their food wasn’t handled properly, that they weren’t clean, and that if we ate there, we would be stricken with the dreaded “tourista” a.k.a. “Moctezuma’s revenge.” I can tell you, we’ve tried a number of these places, and haven’t been stricken yet. It could happen. But the treasures we have found far outweigh the risks we’ve encountered. There are some wonderful places that do meet my definition of restaurant that have also captured our hearts. These places usually have some form of live music, and there are no sombreros hanging on their walls. These restaurants simply give great food for a great value, and I have never experienced anything but courteous and friendly service by the staff. Mexican food isn’t the only offering in Mexico. I’ve seen restaurants offering Thai, Chinese, Arabic, Italian, Greek, British, French and American cuisine. This brings to mind a question asked by a friend before we moved. He said, “What are you going to eat in Mexico?” Apparently anything I want! Victoria Schmidt

Apocalypse A pocalypse N Now… ow… Grab G rab tthe he K Karaoke araoke M Machine! achine! Short review of Ed Tasca’s latest novel By Stan Hardy

his comic, cross-genre thriller flies from page to page and asks the question, what will bring the world to an end. All around her, Virginia, a conscientious, often paranoid spokesperson for the National Biodefense Analysis and Countermeasures Center (Agency of Homeland Security), sees an apocalypse unfolding behind the secret societies that may be involved in a biogenetic experiment on a strain of test bacteria gone wrong; while Bruno, a freelance writer, atheist and cynic, is trying to dig up incriminating info on Homeland Security against Virginia’s will. A mysterious feud is going on all around the couple as they reluctantly join up to investigate. The central conflicts in the narrative include their own constant quarrelling, skirmishes between unknown agents of different religions looking to invest bacterial DNA with their respective scriptures, spread their “Word” into the future and end the world. The oddball characters, obstacles and disasters our principals face at every turn, and most vividly, Virginia’s peculiar dreams, lead her to believe the world is ending and something must be done to stop it. The story is a comic take on the complications of Homeland Security interactions and the craziness of religious zealotry, climaxing with a confrontation and resolution that gives us a glimpse of apocalypse and how it might actually become reality. Virginia and Bruno wind up, in the most bizarre way, literally in one another’s arms and locked in an unholy embrace with a flayed decomposed corpse, surviving the mayhem and turning the whole tale into a surreal romantic adventure. Whether they have saved the world or not remains an unanswered question, but several compelling issues are raised about what could be the ultimate reason for any apocalypse to occur. Ed’s new book is currently available in e-book

format at all online bookstores. Published by Aardwolfe Books, September, 2011.

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Anita’s Animals By Jackie Kellum

ct. 4th is the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi and World Day For Animals, recognized universally by Animal Societies all over the world. At times it is hard to keep faith in humankind when you see cruelty in various forms in the treatment of animals here at Lakeside or elsewhere. One can only keep going forward, one day at a time, in the knowledge that there are many good people who not only show love and respect for animals, but act upon these good human traits by taking action like feeding a hungry animal or rescuing an animal that has been put in harm’s way. St Francis was said to say: If you have men who will exclude any of God’s creatures from the shelter of compassion and pity, you will have men who deal likewise with their fellow man. One of the unspoken benefits of having a family pet is they always listen to you when you talk, unlike a spouse or friend. They do not care if you tell them all about your problems, complain about things, repeat the same story again, etc. According to an Associated Press-Petside.com poll taken: A third of pet-owning married women, said their pets are better listeners than their husbands. And eighteen percent of pet-owning married men, said their pets are better listeners than their wives. Consider this a companionship plus of having a cat/dog in your family. Now, is the time to make plans for your pet in case you can no lon-

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ger care for your family pet. Please do not wait until the unplanned circumstances occurs. Check Anita’s website www.anitasanimals.com and click the tab: Pet Godparents. There is a form available that can be completed on the computer and printed out, giving detailed instructions about YOUR wishes for the care of your family pet[s] in the event of an emergency. This is a sad and staggering mathematical fact: One female dog and her offspring, can produce 67,000 dogs in 6 years time. One female cat and her offspring can produce 20,736 cats in 4 years time. Anita and her volunteers wish to acknowledge and express gratitude to the group of individuals, collectively known as Animal Buddies Campaign [ ABC ] for their support of spaying-neutering of some of Anita’s Animals. ABC is the only group / entity that supports Anita for this specific, much needed medical care. This group held two fund-raiser events, a March Bazaar in front of Vet. Pepe Magana. The other was a June spaghetti dinner, with live music event at Salvador’s restaurant-Ajijic. Because of the community’s caring, generosity, and desire to decrease pet over-population, these two events created a “credit “ for sterilization surgeries with Vet. Pepe who provide a discounted rate, and Anita was able to have twenty-two cats and dogs spayed-neutered. Everyone is aware of these difficult economic times we are all dealing with, and sadly, many more people are “turning-in” their animals due to finances and at times because of their own personal health problems. Due to the dramatic influx of in-coming animals, the need for donations has also increased. Donations that Anita receives in the form of pet food, items for “re-sale”, money, etc. it is especially appreciated during these times. Thank You for your help and caring!!

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ADIOS & FAREWELL, AMIGO MIO By Landon Hollander

e was there every day, at the main bus stop, in his plastic chair, newspaper on lap, reading glasses perched at the end of his nose, or chatting with passerby and chums. Wearing one of his Amigos de La Cruz T shirts. Because of his almost emaciated stature, most people would think him a street person perhaps needing food, maybe homeless, certainly jobless, no? He was Hector, last name not known, and his job was to “pace” the buses, ATM and Compostela, so that they weren’t on top of one another. He kept a clipboard and logged arrivals and departures. Each day, usually later in the afternoon, he would cross in front of the taxi stand to the Rosticeria and buy some chicken, and later he would cross the

highway and buy cigarettes and a Coke at Max’s tienda. When the long day was done, usually around 8:30 or 9:00 in the evening he would once again cross the highway and walk up the lateral, turn left and head up Calle Monte Calvario. About half way up the first block he would be enthusiastically greeted by two scruffy dogs who he called Bolita and Cachorra, the former a tad on the chunky side with a Border Collie relative somewhere in the distant gene pool, the latter forever the puppy by title, a classic tan, thin Mexican “criollo” -street dog. With the two dogs running happy, bouncy circles around him, Hector would fluidly dip his upper body and slide through the opening between the chest and waist high strands of barbed wire that

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encircle the vacant lot, of which he was the caretaker. He would stroll around the wood shack to the back extension that served as his home and emerge with a sack of dog food and two bowls. The dogs would receive their much anticipated dinner with joy and love, licking his face when he bent to serve the dishes. And he would grumble at them to cut it out, damned mongrels, but then he would scratch their bellies and everyone was happy. Now he would wander back to his room and a light would go on and, recently, a newly procured TV could be heard for an hour or so. Then lights out and silence, for a while. In the quiet neighborhood, the sound of passing trucks down on the highway and the occasional barking of ten scattered dogs were the only sounds to be heard. Until the coughing started. Each day, he would emerge, invariably shirtless, and his fly-weight boxer’s body would once again amaze. “Buenos dias, Hector!” I would shout across the street always to be met with, “Buenos Dias, Landon!” usually followed with a comment on the ever changing weather or the absence of water from the faucets that fed directly from the street, no tinaco here. Hector would gladly be the force

that kept our bougainvillas from overtaking the universe, and he would be the one who, when informed that we would be going to Guadalajara or back to the States, would make the forked finger pointing at his eyes and back in my direction: “I’ll be watching out for you, my friend.” On Thursday June 30th, Hector returned home as always, but before entering through the barbed wire, he walked over to inform me that he was going to Tepic, where his family lived, because he was sick and needed to see a doctor. I asked if it was serious and he refused the notion; no, but I need to go there. He then walked further down our street to inform Ruben & Adela, who were his friends. The following evening I received a text: From: Hector 07/01/2011 07:35 PM Te encargo los perros. (I charge you with the dogs/Take care of the dogs.) Two nights later, this message: From: Hector family 07/04/2011 06:03 PM Hi, just too tell you about my Uncle Hector he died today at 4 a.m. of morning Ok. Last night around 9:30, I was out front loading some things into my car, and down the street from further up the hill where they hang with Nacho & Henry, two other neighbor dogs came trotting beside Bolita and Cachorra. Side by side, staring straight ahead down the hill, the street. They stopped, still side by side, and sat, watching and waiting. Tonight we will gather with our neighbors and discuss their joint adoption. We will miss Hector every day and every night for the simple, real man he was, his selfless joy and friendship. Each time I glance across the street, each time I pet his dogs and each time I pass the bus stop, I will think fondly of my humble amigo and fight back the tears.

The Poets’ Niche By Mark Sconce msconce@gmail.com

nonymous (2200 B.C.—Present) This month’s column will exhume a body of poetry from the Tomb of the Unknown Poet. He’s written more lines than any other poet. His story begins over 4,000 years ago on the eve of the Bronze Age and the dawning of the Iron Age. He was probably sitting with the royal family around a palace fireplace asking his father what his father was like and his and his. Recounting their heroic deeds and honorable lineages grew tougher after a few dozen generations, so professional storytellers and poets took up the cause, keepers of the memories of their folk. Since rhymed and metered language is easier to learn than linear language, poetry began to take form, and it would be many, many centuries before prose took its place. Although these poems from antiquity are a little hard to fathom, we can be assured that poet Anonymous was searching for the truth of love, life and living. Psalm 137 (c. 530 B.C.) By the waters of Babylon we sat down and wept: When we remembered thee, O Zion. If I forget thee, O Jerusalem: Let my right hand forget her cunning. If I do not remember thee, let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth: Yea, if I prefer not Jerusalem in my mirth. Tr. by Miles Coverdale But listen now to a poem some fifteen hundred years older, washed up on the shores of Sumerian antiquity. From Tablet VII of The Epic of Gilgamesh. Then Shamash spoke and said to Enkidu: “Why do you curse the temple prostitute? Because of her you eat the food and drink the palace affords. Because of her you wear The garments suitable for a prince to wear; You sit in the place of honor nearest the king; The great ones of the earth bow down before you. Gilgamesh is your friend and your companion. Tr. by David Ferry Anonymity happens in various ways! Court poets, for example, like court jesters, were there to please royalty, not to promote their own names. The idea of intellectual property would have earned snorts of derision down royal hallways. Here’s some practical advice from an opinionated poet. Vietnamese ( 16th century) Good scholars make bad husbands. Girls, don’t marry students! Their long backs require great swaths of cloth. Well fed, they rest their lazy bones. In freezing winter weather, while you transplant rice for thirty-six coppers, They read books by the fire, waiting to eat your earnings. Tr. by Nguyen Ngoc Bich We owe a debt to those intrepid, determined, and very clever translators who bring us poetic news from the distant past. Pushkin once wrote that translators are “the post horses of civilization.” But one of my particularly persnickety readers (whose name shall remain anonymous) chides me for using translations claiming that “… it is almost impossible to translate poetry from one language to another” and would therefore have me not use translations. She sides with Robert Frost’s famously dismissive remark that “Poetry is what gets lost in translation.” She would do better to ponder Octavio Paz’s rejoinder: “Poetry is what gets translated.” Mark Sconce

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CHILD

of the month

By Barb Corol Julio César Blas Ramos

his good-looking guy is 12year old Julio César Blas Ramos who lives in Ajijic with his aunt and uncle and his five siblings. Julio César suffers from recent onset of A.L.L., Acute lymphocytic leukemia, also known as acute lymphoblastic leukemia or acute childhood leukemia. His diagnosis was made just last January and since then Julio César has been on chemotherapy, both I.V. and oral. This disease affects the white blood cells (lymphocytes) and is the most common type of cancer in children. The cause is due to a bone marrow cell developing errors in its DNA. These “errors” tell the cell to continue growing and dividing when a healthy cell would normally die, and thus blood cell production kind of “goes crazy.” The bone marrow produces immature cells that are incapable of functioning properly and end up crowding out healthy cells. We are accustomed to learning from some of our families that the father is “no longer” living with the family, but in this case it is the mother who abandoned the family and no longer lives with them. Julio César’s father lives and works in the States most of the time, so that it why his aunt and uncle are caring for the children. To the father’s credit, the moment he learned that his youngest son had been diagnosed with leukemia, he returned to

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Ajijic to help him begin treatment. It was the father who came to Niños Incapacitados seeking some financial help for the chemo treatments. Dad works as a landscaper in California, so only visits from time to time. It seems that Julio César’s leukemia was diagnosed early enough that his chemo treatments have been very effective up to this point; the dosage has been reduced as well as the frequency. One negative side effect has been weight gain, which the doctors and his family are attempting to deal with. You can see from the photograph that he is a bit big for his age. His other primary symptoms are fatigue, frequent infections and nosebleeds. As mentioned, we are hoping the early diagnosis will help Julio César fight off the unhealthy cells so he can return to a more normal and active life. Niños Incapacitados has paid for several chemo treatments as well as hospitalization during those treatments. Fortunately a few months ago the family’s “Seguro Popular” became effective and is now paying for the chemotherapy. Niños Incapacitados is staying involved by paying for other meds that the boy needs, as well as transportation costs to and from Guadalajara. With help from one of our volunteer doctors, Julio César’s weight is being checked and he has been given good advice on keeping his weight down. If you could like to learn more about Niños Incapacitados and what we do--and if you would like to meet one of the children in the Program--please attend our regular monthly meetings on the second Thursday of every month at 10:00 in one of the conference rooms at the Hotel Real de Chapala in La Floresta. We look forward to seeing all of our members and supporters who have been away for the summer.

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Hearts at Work A Column by James Tipton

“Ah so….”

have always loved the old Buddhist tale, “The Ah So Story.” Charming and instructive, it begins like this. Many years ago, in a little village in northern Japan, there lived a beautiful young woman named Kichi, daughter of the wealthiest and therefore—at least in the eyes of the other merchants—the most important man in town. Also in that village lived a handsome young man, Yukio, ambitious but poor, son of the least important man in town. Kichi and Yukio both liked to take long walks in the surrounding mountains, and naturally there they met and fell in love. Although for many months they kept their love a secret because of the social chasm between their families, eventually one thing could not be kept secret: Kichi was with child. Knowing that her father would kill the young man if he discovered the truth but also knowing her father’s deep regard for all things Buddhist, Kichi blurted out through her tears that the man responsible for her pregnancy was the young Buddhist monk who lived as a hermit high in the mountains and who spent his days in meditation in mountain meadows filled with flowers. The father with several of his men stormed up the mountainside and confronted the monk: “You have committed the greatest of sins against me and against my daughter. You, with your wild lust, have destroyed her, because now she is carrying your child! When the child is born we will bring it to you!” The gentle monk studied the eyes of the irate father. Then he pressed together the palms of his hands and nodded slightly as he said, softly, “Ah so, ah so.” The frustrated father turned his back to the monk, stood for a moment, and then with his men strode back down the mountain. A few months later, now with a new baby in his arms, the father and his men stormed back up the mountain and held out the bundle. “Here is your new daughter,” the father shouted. The monk reached out and tenderly took the baby into his arms. “Ah so,” he said smiling at the father and then at the infant, “ah so.”

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Yukio, the young man, shortly before his daughter was to be born, had left the village and not returned. Well, the years passed quickly and the little baby grew into a beautiful young woman, filled with a sweet nature. In fact, fifteen years had passed when one day a wealthy merchant, in his thirties and quite handsome, arrived to the village. A week or two later he bought a large farm and immediately established himself as one of the most important men in the community. He then sought out his old love, who because of her shame was still single. Together they went to her father and told him the truth. Shocked and embarrassed at the news, the father embraced his daughter Kichi and her love Yukio, and then all three journeyed up the mountain. “Forgive me,” the repentant father said to the monk, “I have sinned against you most grievously. To protect Yukio’s life and to protect her own life and the life of the child she carried, Kichi was not able to tell me who the true father was, and so she told me you were the man who had made her pregnant. The monk, his arm around the beautiful girl he had raised, looked at the father, smiled, and said, “Ah so.” With the monk’s blessing, the girl he had raised, after pledging to visit him regularly, walked down the mountain with her newly discovered mother and father and her now much humbled grandfather. Lots of us have had trying, even devastating, circumstances this year. Buddhism places a high premium on personal peace, on not becoming too tangled up emotionally in the complications that come toward us, and in accepting ‘what is.’ When life is particularly difficult for you, accept to whatever degree you can ‘what is.” And after a slow and gentle breath say… “Ah so…ah Jim Tipton so….”

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A NEW LEASE LEASE— —on Life! By Judit Rajhathy, B.A., RNCP, D.Ac. Are You Eating Cancer’s Favorite Food?

FCS is high-fructose corn syrup and it is the main ingredient in most soft drinks, fruit juices, sports drinks and many processed foods. Despite research that this particular sugar is indicated in many disease processess many health professionals as well as officials in the corn industry will tell you that fructose is safe. HFCS was introduced in 1967 as an alternative to sucrose (table sugar) because it was more economical, more stable, had optimal flavor and was easier to use in the processing of foods. Next time you are in the grocery store check out the labels that grace popular soft drinks along with your favorite fruit juice that you thought was ‘natural’. Then take a look at ketchup, cereals, and crackers. On a Relative Sweetness Scale where sucrose (table sugar) is rated at 100, HFCS is rated between120-160, the sweetest of all the sugars. Much of the time HFCS is hidden in many foods so we are often unaware we are even eating them. The problem is primarily in the amount of HFCS we consume today. One hundred years ago the average American consumed 15 grams of fructose a day, mainly in the form of fruit. Today many Americans consume more than 135 grams per day - at this high level it has become a huge health threat. In terms of obesity it can mean that just a single can of soda a day can result in an extra 15 pounds to your weight over the course of a year and

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increase your risk of diabetes by 85%! (mercola.com) Fructose Increases Increase Cancer growth In the complementary health care field it is a firm belief that sugar feeds cancer so all sugar is detrimental to health in general but fructose appears to be the most harmful. In fact this theory was born nearly 80 years ago yet most conventional cancer approaches ignore diet and the need to avoid sugar. I recall a cookbook put out by the Canadian Cancer Society as a fund raiser that was riddled with sugar laden recipes! Research published in Cancer Research shows that different sugars are metabolized differently in the body especially when it comes to feeding cancer and causing proliferation and that the cells use fructose for cell division, thereby speeding up the growth and spread of cancer, particularly pancreatic cancer which is the most deadly and rapid killing form of cancer. If this information is not convincing enough, the work of Dr. Richard Johnson published in his book The Sugar Fix explains how fructose metabolism - and only fructose not glucose - increases uric acid production which in turn, is a huge factor in hypertension, insulin resistance/diabetes, kidney disease and cancer. What About Fruit? Fruit in its natural state is abundant with vitamins and minerals that are beneficial to the body. However, keeping total fruit intake to around 15 grams a day is advisable. Knowing that one slice of pineapple is 4 grams versus a slice of cantaloupe that is only 2.8 grams is valuable information when attempting to maintain a low sugar diet - especially if you tend to gain weight easily. Better to be safe than sorry. (Ed. Note: Judit Rajhathy is the author of the Canadian best seller Free to Fly: a journey toward wellness and can be reached at: juditrajhathy.com or 765Judit Rajhathy 4551.)

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MY TOP TEN MOVIE CHOICES By Marni Johnson

he article in the September Ojo by David Harper entitled “My Top Ten Movies of All Time” listed three crime genre choices, two war stories, two westerns, one swashbuckler, one comedy, one drama, and one romantic comedy. That’s right—one romance. Male choices, yes? Here’s a list from the distaff side, based on the same criterion: films so enjoyable they can be watched over and over again. My list is headed up by the 1967 Stanley Donen film, Two for the Road, starring Audrey Hepburn and Albert Finney at the height of their attractiveness. The film is a romantic comedydrama about the ups and downs of courtship and marriage and Audrey’s only convincing film portrayal of a sophisticated adult. Francois Truffaut’s Jules and Jim (1961-France), one of the all-time greats, starring Jeanne Moreau as an almost unbearably appealing gamine with an unusual code of ethics loved by two men who happen to be best friends. The film’s last frame is a shocker. Romancing the Stone (1984), a throwback to the Saturday afternoon days serials a la Spielberg’s Indiana Jones movies, this “Perils of Pauline”type film stars Kathleen Turner as a romance novelist in the jungles of Colombia with Michael Douglas as her unwilling protector--until he discovers the treasure map she is hiding. Out of Africa, (1985), Sydney Pollack’s rendition of Isak Dineson’s book based on her years in Kenya as “Karen Blixen” and starring Meryl Streep as Karen/Isak and Robert Redford as her lover. Dazzling panoramic views of the Kenyan landscape combined with a great love story make this an exceptional film. Under Fire, (1983), starring Nick Nolte, Gene Hackman, and Joanne Cassidy as a love triangle and as journalists in the midst of a revolutionary war in 1979 Nicaragua. This realistic drama is enhanced by haunting pan-pipe music plus the dilemma of whether or not a journalist should sacrifice his/her integrity to help win a war. Although most film critics cite either Singin’ in the Rain or My Fair Lady as the best musical of all time, my preference is for the 1958 Vincente Min-

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nelli film Gigi, starring Leslie Caron and Louis Jourdan. Gigi, set in turn-of-thecentury Paris, features gorgeous costuming, an intriguing plot, great music, and two love stories. The Year of Living Dangerously (1983), directed by Peter Weir, co-starring Mel Gibson and Sigourney Weaver, is a political drama set in Southeast Asia during the reign of Sukarno. Linda Hunt won a well-deserved supporting actor Oscar for her portrayal of a male photographer. The film begins with a shadow puppet display backed by mesmerizing gamelan music. Hitchcock’s films are usually wellplotted masterpieces of suspense. My favorite Hitchcock film is fluffy. Entitled To Catch a Thief (1955) and set on the French Riviera, this film stars Cary Grant as an ex-cat burglar evading the police, and Grace Kelly as an almost irresistible beauty out to do the ‘catching.’ I’m very fond of film noir, my favorite being Robert Altman’s underrated 1973 film, The Long Goodbye, based on a Raymond Chandler novel, with Elliot Gould playing Philip Marlowe and also starring Sterling Hayden as a Hemingway-like writer. Gould plays a cat-loving, scruffy, gumshoe who winds up solving the mystery. Last but not least, The African Queen, John Huston’s 1951 tour-deforce depicting two losers (Katharine Hepburn and Humphrey Bogart) thrown together due to adverse circumstances on a trip down an unpredictable river (based on C. S. Forester’s novel). How can anyone not love this film? With the recent availability of Netflix in Mexico, the above films should be easy to access.

NEARLY MIDNIGHT By Allen McGill

alina led the way along the pathways between the headstones of the deserted cemetery. The air was clear, brisk with October chill. The trees were bare; the full moon shone coldly off the granite monuments. “Here,” she said to her companion, pointing to a spot on the ground. She stood still, her lank black hair hanging down her back. The white silk of her gown glowed silver in the moonlight. Her companion, a bent, simian-like male trudged behind her, lugging heavy buckets. When he reached the spot to which Salina had directed him, he lowered his burden to pry off the lids. Salina smiled, her lips dark and glossy. She let the gown slip off her shoulders and draped it across a

nearby headstone. “Hurry,” she ordered. “It’s nearly midnight. The others will be here soon.” “Yes, Mistress,” the male growled. When he’d opened one of the buckets, he stepped up onto the other and proceeded to pour the contents over Salina’s neck and shoulders. Flowing streaks, black in the moonlight, oozed down her body, dripping to pool on the cemetery grass. Salina writhed, spreading the liquid down the length and breadth of her skin. “Oh,” she moaned, luxuriating in the slick sensuousness. “The things I do to win ‘best costume’ for Halloween. Where’d you get all this stage blood, anyway?” The simian male stopped pouring. “You wanted stage blood?”

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AN UNCHANGED VILLAGE By K. Pontikes

f you looked at a stack of photographs of Ajijic, Mexico from the last decade, you wouldn’t see too many changes in the pictures as time progressed. There would still be horses ridden by unfashionable, dusty caballeros, riding alongside the main road, occasionally crossing at a red light in between the stopped cars. Local Mexican women, many with a square, Mayan build, carry plastic bags of fruit and cheeses as they traipse through a carpet of purple flower petals covering the walkways. And numerous gringos trot among the locals, wearing tennis shoes or sandals and hurrying along to no-

where special, transfixed by the local sounds and smells. The gringos all sport self-satisfied smiles as though they share a secret: They have found the key to happiness in this lazy, languid life. The local culture never ceases to throw small surprises their way, assuring continuous entertainment. An occasional artist has set up an impromptu studio and offers gloriously bright renditions of paradise for sale at reasonable Mexican prices. Scruffy young musicians from the surrounding hills of Mount Garcia play on wind instruments, duplicating the high-pitched, haunting music of their ancestors as their braids dance against their shoulders.

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Sometimes one can stumble upon something almost magical. One day, walking in town, we noticed a crudely-written sign “Visit the hummingbirds. Flossie’s Drive-By Fast Food Feeders. Ring bell loudly, I’m hard of hearing.” So we clanged the hanging bell really hard. An old, slightly stooped gray-haired woman in a blue floppy hat and mismatched printed clothes opened her gate and invited us into her garden. This was Flossie. In her garden, she had over twenty hummingbird feeders set up in front of four chairs. “Sit down and put your hands in your laps. No scratching your nose or fooling with your hair,” Flossie commanded. Hummingbirds were swooping and diving all around us. We could hear the droning sound of their wings going rapidly like helicopter blades as they changed feeders. She offered educational commentary and we realized there were several species having their sustenance, including one rare hummingbird. Flossie flashed photos from a book when a new bird joined the scene. We were mesmerized. This was the village my husband and I stumbled upon many years ago on a long-weekend vacation. We promptly made an email offer on a

house (email!) and never regretted what seemed an impetuous step at the time. We often acknowledge that this leap into a foreign culture gave us some of the best times of our lives. Of course, the argument could be made that a major change occurred when the “evil” Walmart came into town. But try as the store might to modernize the landscape, the local vendors are holding their own against this American giant of commerce. The weekly tianguis (a street market of just about anything you could want, sold under small blue tarps blocking the sun) is still well attended and bustling. Then, a few years ago, an ill wind blew across the border towns. The narcotics business, long a key enterprise in a country catering to America’s hunger for vices, suddenly started showing up as headlines in the American daily news. Weekly stories outline the hunger the competing narcotics operations have for one another’s territories, as the Mexican government clamps down on the trade. The U.S. newspapers delight in placing these stories on front pages, right alongside world war developments and disaster reports. And its citizens comment to one another over their morning coffee about how bad it has become “down there” and nod their heads in agreement that they sure are glad they went to Cancun before all this hit. There is no way they would go now. Family and friends worry about our regular trips down south of the border. Many of them no longer want to come down to visit. The bountiful flow of new retirees has stalled, in part because of a damaged U.S. economy. We ponder these issues as we admire another glorious, kaleidoscopic Mexican sunset. From our perspective, nothing has changed.

The Spy In Love By John Hoopes 170 pages - $15 US Review by Kenneth J Clarke

ohn Hoopes novel The Spy in Love is a tale of industrial and political espionage set on the shores of Lake Chapala as we entered this millennium. In July 2000, after ruling Mexico for 71 years, the political Party PRI (Institutional Revolutionary Party) is replaced by its right–wing opposition party, Pan (National Action Party) thus, as always, introducing opportunities of wealth and power for those with influential connections. It is in this environment that Young Fonzo Suarez, a junior member of the powerful Suarez Family of Chapala, appears to stumble through life seizing every opportunity that comes his way, and if they don’t he ventures out to find one. No matter if you are a chubby, bumbling fool, lacking all hint of sophistication, if you have ambition, determination, and the right connections, regardless of the society, Mexico included, you may still climb the chain of power and achieve wealth. At least that is the premise that I saw unfold in this wonderful tale, of a unscrupulous young man, deeply in love with an older gringa woman, climbing a web of intrigue as he ventures from one crisis to the next. Each new plot offers conflict upon conflict, until we finally believe he is about to achieve his objective, but as any great writer will do, John Hoopes sets yet another obstacle in our protagonists path, keeping his reader on edge. The author displays a strong knowledge of Mexico’s business culture and its contrast with that of her northern neighbor. He further allows that corruption may exist within either. John’s knowledge of the Lake Chapala region lends authenticity to his story, and for those of us familiar with this area, it brings a pleasant familiarity with his characters. His development of characters is care-

fully crafted; every detail of each scoundrel, and there are many, is inserted with such expertise that we must recognize each one as someone we have met. John Hoopes offers a literary experience to delight every reader, The protagonist begins his adventure displaying great naivety in love, business, and politics, though throughout the increasing levels of intrigue, he learns and matures. Towards the end his uncle, who as his chief overlooking his work as a spy, when he notices, Fonzo as a wounded animal, hungry, prowling, and determined, says, “You’re very clever, nephew, suddenly you have a lot of gusto for this kind of work. I think you will be doing well.” However, like most young men even through the end, he still maintains naivety in matters of the heart, and has many lessons to learn in the years ahead. I recommend this book to all at lakeside for a pleasant evening’s entertainment that may change the way we look at those around us in the future. John assures us this is pure fiction, but like us, John Hoopes lived here at lakeside, and worked in this environment. I don’t know, it is pure speculation, but most authors I know draw on real life when writing a novel. (Ed. Note: The novel can be found on amazon/Kindle.)

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THE BITCH AND THE CHOW

(Or the trials and tribulations of a pet/house sitter) By Kelly Hayes-Raitt

ext week, I was supposed to be dog/housesitting for Pixie, a chow-chow with separation anxiety so severe she once threw herself through a plate glass window. It did occur to me that watching this chow might be more than I could chew. However, Cheryl, the owner, assured me in her syrupy voice that Pixie had been through extensive therapy and was doing better. Good. She could not, however, be left alone for more than a quick grocery run. Figuring it was only for a week while Cheryl and her husband cruised to Mexico, I decided to hermit with Pixie and start my next chapter. After all, I hardly had left the Carson McCullers house in Columbus, preferring to hunker down and write. Even in urbane Decatur, I spent many housebound days writing with Bebe, a sleek grey cat who lobbied for an author’s credit by regularly sauntering across my keyboard before settling into my lap. I figured Pixie would be a blessing by forcing me to LEAVE the house twice a day for our walks. Cheryl was flatteringly insistent that I accept this housesit, and it fit my schedule perfectly, but still I hesitated until she offered me the phone number of a previous housesitter. But how would I gingerly ask this stranger if it’s the dog who’s neurotic, or the dog owner? Former Housesitter spared me by jumping right in: “Don’t get me wrong,” he said. “Cheryl is a nice person; Pixie is great.” The chasm between the lines echoed loudly. Since I would be spending the week with the “great” dog and not the “nice” dog owner, I agreed to this housesit in February and started arranging my travel schedule around Cheryl’s. Then the e-mails started. First it was web sites featuring photos of the chow, written in first-person from Pixie’s perspective. (No offense, but Pixie needs to keep her day job.) Then an e-mail titled “Gorgeous week here in NM” with a photo attached –

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I assumed it was of a glorious sunset or of a dashing roadrunner. Instead, it was an indoor close-up of Cheryl and Pixie. I now have more photos of that chow than I do of my own mother. And the questions. Cheryl wanted to know my height and was obsessed with my travel plans after I left her house. My height? Just how tall is this chow? Cheryl offered to have me spend the night with her and her husband after they returned home, so I could spend a “couple of hours debriefing” them. Debriefing them about their own house? Just how complicated is this house? My next housesit is in Buffalo in April, arranged around Cheryl’s schedule. Seems not many Albuquerquians want to fly to Buffalo (imagine that!), so flights are limited. I found a flight that left ABQ 4 hours before Cheryl’s flight landed. It was an ancillary bonus that I wouldn’t have to spend the night with this controlling woman. Now, you have to remember that I was not being paid to care for this dog. Knowing she’d want Pixie watched for those few hours, I emailed her before I purchased my plane ticket. That’s when I learned the depth of the dog owner’s separation anxiety. The frantic, panicked tone of her voicemail made me want to jump through a plate glass window. She told me she had lined up a girlfriend who was charging her to sit in her living room and watch her dog for 6 hours. Stephanie would come an hour before I was to leave so I could “debrief” Stephanie. Cheryl then shifted the conversation to when we would “debrief.” “Well, we can’t speak when you’re in the air,” she said in that breathy, saccharine voice, “Perhaps when you’re between flights on your way to Buffalo?” “How about the next morning?” I ventured. “Oh, yes, well let’s see. But then

you’ll be 2 hours ahead of us. Oh,” I could hear her hands wringing, “oh, we’ll just have to find a time.” Suddenly she got even more tense. “Oh, now I have to figure out when you and Stephanie can meet before we leave.” It wasn’t a total surprise when Cheryl called me two days before my arrival to sing-song that I was “free” and didn’t need to show up. Without a regard to my schedule, or anyone else’s that had been arranged around hers, and without even an apology, Cheryl was downright gleeful that she was stranding me with this eleventh hour cancellation. After uttering a string of epithets that made everyone within earshot suspect I’d suddenly contracted Tourette’s, I realized this was just another opportunity to find faith. I was being spared – or in Cheryl’s words “freed” – to allow something better to enter my life. I just needed to trust. Well, trust and a stiff drink. And chocolate. The next day my dear friend Janet offered an available bedroom in her ABQ house, presumably free from anxious chows, controlling bitches and beckoning plate glass windows. Life worked out. Still, I do secretly hope Cheryl’s

ship sinks. (Ed. Note: To finance writing her journalistic memoir about her experiences with Iraqi and Palestinian refugees, Kelly Hayes-Raitt housesits and lives in writing colonies. In 2009, she drove 4.5 times across the US through 24 states while pursuing housesits and writing fellowships, sleeping in 54 different beds and packing and unpacking 68 times. Albuquerque was supposed to be one of those stops. She blogs at www. PeacePATHFoundation.org.)

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in two words “absolutely delicious.”

Shelley Edson Phone: 376 – 765 – 4049 Email: Shelley.el.ojo@gmail.com

PAST EVENTS A cheerful crowd attended a storytelling event at LCS to benefit Jim Collum’s Education Fund, and listened to an afternoon of readings from Jim’s works by well-known community actors and writers Jim Tipton, Liz White, Fred Koesling and Mel Goldberg. Larry Reeves, Nancy Martinez and Mel Mel Goldberg, Nancy Martinez, Larry Reeves Goldberg, event coordinators, reported a generous take when the hat was passed for donations. Proceeds go to an education fund through the auspices of the LCS to help needy Mexican children pay their school expenses. The next event is scheduled for October 11.

Chuy Mariachi Band Pro Auditorio presented The Big Lip-Sync Show September 9 - 11 at the Club Exotica. Directed by Michael McLaughlin, the show was a big success, playing to full houses and raising 94,000 pesos for the Auditorio Upgrade Project. Twenty four acts included Kathleen Morris playing Lady Gaga in ‘Bad Romance,’ and Collete Clavadetscher as Christina Aguilera in ‘Nasty Naughty Boy.’ Choreographers were Val Jones and Barbara Clippinger; props and costumes were loaned by the Lakeside Little Theater. Club Exotica proved to be a super location - there is even talk of repeating the show in January. Lake Chapala Society Indepencia Celebration was a grand success. Hundreds of people ate, danced and celebrated with entertainment provided by the wonderful mariachi band – Chuy of Ajijic. The Belgian Chocolate Employment Agency is officially open. Rony’s office, La casita del Empleo, at the corner of Morelos and Zaragoza in Chapala, is open Monday – Friday 11:30 to 3 pm. If you need an employee, from office workers to gardeners to nurses and housekeepers, Rony can probably help with his free service. He pays his office expenses with the sale of Belgian Artisanal Chocolates available for sale in his office. If you have never tried his chocolate, it can be described

Rony

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FUTURE EVENTS Saturday October 8 from 2 to 4 pm Lake Chapala Society celebrates Oktoberfest. A delicious and festive German meal will be served and apfelstrudel desserts will be sold by Cruz Roja. Come and enjoy German polkas, drinking songs and Yodeling. Purchase tickets at LCS Cruz Roja 10-12 or LCS office from 12-2, or Diane Pearl. October 8 – Art Gallery Opening and Reception in Chapala: The new art gallery “Galeria Origen y Vision,” features paintings, sculpture, and limitededition original prints by numerous internationallyknown artists. The gallery is located at Hidalgo 229, Chapala and open 11 -7 pm, Thurs- Mon, or by appointment. In the future, the gallery will host other activities such as art classes, performance art, action painting, music, dance, literature and poetry readings and other happenings. The opening reception is Saturday evening, October 8 from 5 - 9 pm. All are welcome to join the party and enjoy the artwork. For additional information call 331148-8306. Sunday, October 9 starting at 1 pm –Come visit Lakeside Spay and Neuter Centre. As part of festivities to mark World Animal Day, you are invited to attend an open day at the Ranch – currently home to about 65 dogs looking for permanent homes. Hotdogs and hamburgers will be served. Donation boxes will be available; the donations received are used to help feed and take care of the dogs. Helping hands at the Ranch are also needed, and information will be available if you are considering volunteering. Directions: The Ranch is off the Guadalajara to Chapala highway. As you come into Chapala, just before the Libramiento (to Wal-Mart), turn right onto a dirt road which leads past a gravel quarry on the left. Go over a stream and around a tree in the middle of the road. Follow the signs right, through another stream to a gate on your right. Drive in - the sound of barking will let you know you have arrived and there will be a few friendly dogs (and people) outside to welcome you. For more information call 766-3813, 765-7681 or 766-0807 or go to www.lakesidespayandneutercenter.com Through October 10, visit the Ajijic Cultural Center to see Luz Preciado‘s exhibition, Without Taboos. With the vast range of bright colors, the strong and sure brush strokes, the talented Ajijic artist, Luz Preciado, gives us her interpretation of “Pop Art.” Included in the exhibition are sensuous clay pieces created by the multi talented José Meléndrez. The Ajijic Cultural Center is open Monday to Friday from 9am to 3pm, Saturdays 10am to 2pm. Through October 9, the Lakeside Little Theatre (LLT) presents “Kitchen Witches” directed by Roger Tredway. This hilarious comedy puts two rival cooking TV hosts with a rocky past together on one TV show and watch out! Purchase tickets at the Theatre from 10 to 12 noon. The performances start at 7:30 pm, and bar opens at 6:30 pm. October 15-16 Auditions for Lakeside Little Theatre’s musical, Without Taboos “A Taste of Broadway” Registration at 12:30 pm and auditions at 1pm on the main stage. For audition packets or information, contact Patteye at pnwmezzo@aol.com. October 26 – Fund Raising Dinner at Jaltepec Centro Educativo, a school dedicated to education and vocational training for women in hospitality services, has a fund raising dinner for the benefit of the students. The evening begins at 6:30 pm with a No Host Bar and beautiful botana’s prepared by the students, and Timothy Welch providing his magic, complimentary Cocktail Music. Dinner including dessert is served by the students at 7.30 pm. A tour of the facilities will be given to those inter-

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ested in learning more about the institute. A donation of 350 pesos is requested. For reservations or more information, contact Linda Buckthorpe at buckthorplm@gmail. com or 766-1631. Thursday, November 3 - Annual Cruz Roja Golf Classic will be held at the Chapala Country Club. Golfers get your 4-player team together for Texas Scramble! The entry fee of $1,400 pesos per player (with a 200 peso discount if paid before October 14), includes cart rental, continental breakfast, gift bags, BBQ Dinner, and a chance to win a car or hot tub with a hole in one. There will also be a 50/50 raffle and a silent auction. Non golfers are welcome to come enjoy the BBQ dinner for $250 pesos; tickets at LCS M-F at the Cruz Roja table from 10-2 or Chapala County Club. Golf teams must register at the Chapala Country Club Pro Shop by November 1. Proceeds benefit Cruz Roja operations and fund its lifesaving and prenatal classes. November 3, 4, 5, 10, 11, 12: “Senior Class,” a new My, My, How Nice! musical, is at Plaza Ribera (the old Sol Y Luna). Conceived by Peggy Lord Chilton, this musical ran successfully for 8 years in Phoenix AZ. It is unusual in that it is all music with no dialog. The cast sings show tunes and standards that reflect the journey good or bad - that has gotten us all to our “senior years” without too many dents and with our sense of humor and optimism fully intact. A portion of the proceeds benefits the Auditorio renovation project and the programs of the Baptist Church.

Jerry Knipple, Donna Milne, Reny Newland, Allistair Milne practicing their golf swings in hope of getting a hole-in-one! Showtime is at 7:30 pm Thursdays and Fridays, and 3 pm on Saturdays. Tickets can be purchased for 175 pesos by email mymytickets@gmail.com, Mia’s Boutique and Diane Pearl Coleciones November 10: Celebrate Canadian Thanksgiving at the American Legion in Chapala. Tickets can be purchased at the American Legion in Chapala. November 18 – 20: The Feria Maestros del Arte Show will be held at the Chapala Yacht Club. This wonderful event is not to be missed! Local Viva Musica concerts at the Auditorio at 7:30 pm. Ticket prices are 250 pesos for members, 300 pesos for non-members. October 27, Piano “Four Hands”, Guillermo Salvador and Rosalinda Preciado December 1, Dolores Moreno, Soprano with the Chris Wilshere Chamber Orchestra For Live from the Met operas, Viva will take a bus to Guadalajara for the following operas. Ticket prices 320 pesos for members, 400 for non-members, and 1800 for member season tickets. October 15 Anna Bolena, Donizetti October 29 Don Giovanni, Mozart November 5 Siegfried, Wagner November 19 Satyagraha, Glass December 3 Rodelina, Handel December 10 Faust, Gounod Purchase tickets Friday mornings 10-12 at the LCS Ticket Booth. Pro Auditorio Events, to benefit the upgrade of the auditorium: October 12 at 7.30 pm Paco Rentería, well-known Mexican guitarist will play with his band “Free Play” in the Auditorio de la Ribera in Ajijic. Rentería is an outstanding internationally-praised guitarist who performs around the world. Tickets are 150-250 pesos. October 31 at 4.00 pm Halloween Dance Cruise, a four-hour boat cruise with a DJ and dancing, departs from the east end of the Chapala malecón. Halloween costumes are optional but there will be a prize for the best costume. Tickets 300 pesos, includes one drink. November 3 at 3 pm: Colores de Mexico, youth orchestra playing Mexican classical music with classical ballet dancers, performs in the Auditorio, Ajijic. Tickets 200

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pesos. November 6 at 3 pm: Piano and Harpsichord Concert by the highly talented Michael Tsalka, followed by a Gala Reception with champagne will be held in a private home. Tickets are 300 pesos for the concert, or 500 pesos including the Champagne Reception. November 16 at 4 pm, Nov 17 and 18 at 7.30 pm: Comedy Capers – Music Makers, a series of comedy skits, songs, and dance routines directed by Patteye Simpson and David McIntosh, will be at the Auditorio. Tickets 150-200 pesos. Tickets to all Pro Auditorio fundraising events are available at LCS 10 to 12, Diane Pearl’s, Charter Club and the Auditorio. Music Appreciation Society (MAS) Concert Season begins in November: November 15, Blas Galindo Orchestra Featuring the Concierto Andaluz December 8, Children’s Choir of Morelia January 19, Orquesta Filarmonica de San Luis Potosi February 14, Classical FX Quartet of Paco Rentería Kennedy Center Opera Company March 13, Compañia de Danza Clasica y Neoclasica de Jalisco Season tickets are available October 17 – 28 from 10 to 12 M–F at LCS for 1700, 1400, and 1100 pesos. Individual tickets are available two weeks before each concert. February 10, 11, and 12, 2012 is the date for the 35th annual Mexican National Chili Cook-Off, lakeside’s largest charity fund raising event. More than 5,000 paid admittances were recorded last year, the largest to date, with more than 200 volunteers on hand to assure a great, safe time. New to this year’s event is the People’s Choice Margarita Tasting contest on Friday, February 10th. For each competition, entries are limited to 10 participants so early sign-up is important. For the margarita competition, please contact Bobby Lancaster at 7665635. Entries are also being accepted for the Best Salsa competition on Friday, the 10th, Home Cook Chili competition on the 11th, and Restaurant Chef Chili competition on Sunday the 12th.. Contact Don Howse 766-5784 for additional information. The Lakeside Spay and Neuter Center needs volunteers for the upcoming November spay and-neuter-campaign, to be held in Chapala, the exact location and date is to be determined. Volunteers are needed to transport animals to and from the clinic; bilingual help is need for hands-on help during the clinic; and catboxes and dog-cages (to be returned after the event) old blankets and towels, newspapers are needed for the event. For more information, call 765-7681. December 9 at noon is the deadline for interested directors to submit plays for Lakeside Little Theatre (LLT) 2012 – 2013 Season. If you are interested, you need to complete a submission form together with a copy of up to three scripts: one comedy, one drama and a third genre of your choice. Submissions will be reviewed by the LLT’s Play Reading Committee and approved by the LLT Board of Directors. For a submission form, please contact Emma Bergh-Apton at 766-1545 or emma@ embacom.com February 16-19 2012 The Creative Crossroads of the Americas – a writers conference and literary festival is in San Miguel. The largest of its kind in Latin America, the conference draws both faculty and participants from Canada, the U.S., and Mexico, for a rich cultural mix. The conference is simultaneously translated, and smaller workshops are offered in both Spanish and English. In addition to nine keynote addresses by distinguished writers, the conference includes 42 workshops for writers on a wide variety of topics from fiction and non-fiction to poetry to publishing options; one-on-one pitch sessions with agents; open mike opportunities; and individual consultations with experts. For details, go to www.sanmiguelwritersconference.org Ajijic Wednesday Market Day change: Due to some Pan-American Olympic events here locally, the Wednesday Ajijic October 12th market will not happen on this day. The new day that week only, for the Ajijic market will be changed to: Tuesday October 11th.

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Nudine The Quiver Queen By Bob Tennison

“

exas is the Bible belt and Dallas is the Buckle.” This stupid song was sung by the gospel choir that came on the radio just before the noon news. TV had not as yet taken over our lives. Luckily I never heard the song again, so I surmised that one of their five or six listeners wrote them that it was really too dumb even for them. Many of my classmates, including my closest friend, were Baptist and, as a Catholic, I was looked upon as different. One of the most outlandish things my friend’s mother told me was that the reason our priests wore long black cassocks was to hide the forked devil’s tails underneath. Sadly, she believed this. When I told her I could hardly wait to be a priest and grow one, she avoided me forevermore. The parents of many of these friends did not believe in movies, so when my friends went with me, which they did very often, they never had to worry about being seen by anybody they knew. Downtown Dallas offered about three blocks of theatres, from the elegant Majestic, the Palace (where an organ rose from the pit and was played for fifteen minutes before the show began) to the lesser exotic Melba, Rialto and, lastly, the Queen, before hitting the bottom of the barrel, the Fox. It was truly a fleabag left over from any glory days it may have had, and catered to those who didn‘t mind paying a quarter to enter and being swept away by the smell. Those not wishing to be seen could turn up their collar, don dark glasses and hurry in, mostly at night. The real shocker came when The Dallas Morning News began advertising in the Entertainment Section the forthcoming appearance at the Fox of a stripper going by the name of Nudine, the Quiver Queen. Never before did I remember ads like this one. There were even trucks going up and down the city streets with signs advertising her. Even soft porn had never hit our screens before, so this was also a first. Needless to say, many members of our little group were hot to trot to the Fox. Supposedly limited to only persons twenty-one and over, the spooky lady

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in the box office was not remotely interested in all of us being under age. She just wanted to sell tickets. Of course we had to crash a picket line to reach the box office and, as luck would have it, the gossip bag who lived across the street from me put her picket sign down long enough to give me the “shame on you” sign with her fingers, and I well knew that my mother would have a lecture waiting for me. The movie deserved an Academy Award for being the worst ever made and about as risqué as one called Don‘t Take Your Shoes and Socks Off in Public. It was only a miserable hour long, and then came Nudine. GASP! She was wearing a small black G-string and matching brassiere with silver tassels. She was not a bad looking old doll. A tad tired around the edges, but she could still move. After a few bumps and grinds, she had those tassels spinning around like a top, and the next thing we knew they were spinning in the opposite direction. We had never seen anything like this and we were impressed. We were not the only ones, as the old fellow across the aisle from me was playing with himself. A few more bumps and grinds, and then came The Quiver. Unreal. It was like somebody standing naked on an iceberg with a light snow falling on them—amazing, to say the least. After the dim lights came on, we made a quick exit and headed for our favorite hot spot, La Villa Roma, where the friendly waitress led us to a back booth in order to serve us an illegal beer. The only bar drink allowed in Texas was 3.2 beer, as grim as it sounds, but we were ready to feel grown up. One of our buddies had promised to help his parents entertain their visitor from Albuquerque who had come to Dallas to attend the Texas Centennial. She was our version of an old maid schoolteacher, almost thirty, never married wearing horn-rimmed glasses. His parents had to attend a business conference that evening, so she was invited to go with us. She declined Nudine but took in a movie and would join us later at La Villa. We were watching the front door and, when Clarice came

in and stood looking around, I stood and called out, “Back here, Nudine.“ Every head in the place swiveled toward the front door, and the poor fellow at the end of the bar jazzed around so fast his elbow sent his bottle of beer sailing across the room. Poor Clarice, red face and all, headed in our direction. If looks could kill, I would have been dead immediately. We did try to make it up the next day by taking her to the Expo and taking pictures of her getting an autographed photo of Hollywood’s current new star, Linda Darnell. We knew her from high school as Monetta. She was in the middle of an extremely

successful career when she died in a hotel fire at forty-two. She was in Dallas to promote her first movie Daytime Wife at the Majestic. Yes, we took Clarice. Years later, in this ever shrinking world, I ran into Clarice when I was on a business trip to Albuquerque, having dinner at a downtown restaurant. The greeting given me was so cold I had to brush the icicles off my sleeve before taking a table near the rear and ordering a Martini (legal in New Mexico). I watched her pay her check, take her broom from under the table and fly out the front door.

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RAYNMOND K. MULHERN b. 6 October 1921 d. 18 August 2011

Ray Mulhern was born and raised in Woodward, Iowa, in 1921, Ray enlisted in the U.S. Coast Guard and served in the original Underwater Demolition Teams, forerunners of today’s Navy Seals. A long term Lakeside resident, until shortly after the death of his second wife, Ray was an active member of the American Legion Post #7 in Chapala. Over a life-long career as a marketing executive with Ford Motor Company he lived in Detroit, Green Bay and Pittsburgh. He is survived by a son and a step-daughter. Ray’s battle stars while serving in UDT-10 included the bloodbath of Peleliu/ Angaur, the capture of Ulithi Atoll, the Philippine landings at Leyte Gulf and later, Lingayen Gulf and the final assault on Manila. He and his team were ashore at Leyte to witness General Douglas MacArthur’s famous photo-op performance when he waded ashore from a landing craft at Leyte. MULHERN, Raymond K. B.M. 1c [Boatswain’s Mate, First Class], USCGR Bronze Star For meritorious achievement as a member of an assault unit participating in the landing on Angaur, Palau Islands in September 1944, when in the face of enemy rifle, machine gun and mortar fire he bravely prepared the way for the operations of combat troops contributing greatly to the success of this hazardous mission. On Thursday October Sixth at 3pm at the Chapala American Legion there will be a last tattoo for Raymond Mulhern. He would have been 90 years old.

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

WELCOME TO MEXICO - JUNE 2011 * Wes I’ll buy that loose change off you by the pound if you live in the US and the price and shipping is right. I collect coins, so hoarding them is a terrible habit of mine. Let me know. Wes THE BEAT GOES ON - FEBRUARY 2011 * Gris Thank you Miguel for always finding beauty on the odds, for challenging our minds and spirits, for deliver ing love in your words. THUNDER ON THE RIGHT - SEPTEMBER 2011 * Dann Alexander Chretien finally admitted recently he was inspired by Preston Manning to try and spend money better in the public interest. Guess he and Martin forgot about him come sponsorship scandal. LAKESIDE LIVING - JUNE 2011 * playercasino

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Have you ever tasted the spaghetti with meatrolls?? it’s something really special, it is a typical Italian recipe and it is well known also in the major countries of the world. My suggestion is to ask for this dish and to enjoy it looking all around the beautiful landscape. And take some pics!! A NEW LEASE—ON LIFE! - JUNE 2011 * Alba Casson I know that feeling, volunteering was the best thing could happen to me :) cheers Alba PANCHO VILLA’S GRANDDAUGHTER - OCTOBER 2010 * Car lockout Jacob She seems to me like a very interesting person who comes from an extraordinary background. As I can see, it didn’t affect her too much, and that is good, at least in my opinion.

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OUR TWISTED WAY OF SPEAKING By Tommy Clarkson

t would “appear” as quite obvious, to those who know me, that I like to play with words. Accordingly - in an attempt to, again, apply logic to our English language - if that lack of awareness, on their part, were to go away, said cognition would “disappear.” Thus, does not sound logic dictate that if I were to not “play” with words, I’d then be “displaying? As now noted, the object of today’s prattling is the prefix “dis” . . . and “dat” is a fact! We can lovingly “agree” or passionately “disagree”. We may “establish” something but later decide to “disestablish” it. We “arm” and “disarm” for wars. We “connect” with folks and then – a few bad experiences later - we “disconnect”. We “regard” ourselves to have good intentions only to “disregard” our doctor’s advice about our favorite bad habits. We “charge” and then, with a literal, figurative or financial bang, we “discharge”. I’d be “disappointed” if this all were not so patently obvious to us all! (But, if I wasn’t would I have been merely “appointed”? And, if so, to what by whom?) Perhaps as parents, at a time or two when a daughter was an hour or more late in meeting her

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“be home by” curfew, we may have been somewhat “distraught”. However, for the life of me I don’t remember being consciously “traught” before such. And, if there is a “distinct” possibility that may not have been, then what is the condition of “tinct”? Increasingly, getting my mental arms around this seems to be a bit of a “disaster” –apparently, preceded by a blissful condition of “aster”? Maybe we should just commence “discarding” these ruminations and get along with “carding” our lives. (Which, by the way, probably happened to no few of us when trying to buy beer back in high school?) But “disjointed” nostalgia notwithstanding, let us make a “joint” effort to get a handle on this “dis” deal. We understand: please/displease; continue/discontinue; favor/disfavor; gorge/disgorge; infect/disinfect; mount/dismount; prove/disprove; order/disorder; parity/disparity; organize/disorganize; integrate/disintegrate; lodge/ dislodge; place/displace and the good old stand-bys of like/dislike. So, as we read these printed words and begin to feel a degree of “closure” to understanding this confusion, “disclosure” must be raising its ugly head when the following come to mind: cuss/discuss; gust/disgust; patch/dispatch; tend/distend; tort/distort; and tract/distract. (Did I “miss” something when learning to read and write or should I just give up and consider “dismissing” these convoluted ponderings?) Now, have these strange thoughts caused a bit of “discord” and “dispute” in your life? If so I heartedly apologize. Please go back to your normal, day to day, “cord” and “pute.” I “disregard” any “regard” for further elucidation, elaboration or mental convulsions and “solve” this confusion by dissolving any further discussion.

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THIS WORLD of OURS By Bob Harwood bharwoodb@hotmail.com Planning For The Future

s new paradigms continue to transform our world we cannot plan for the future looking in the rear view mirror. Nor should analysis of issues be distorted by four year election cycles or by lobbyists and deep pockets financing those elections. In my lifetime world population has grown from two billion to seven billion. Door step farming and cottage industries have been replaced by agribusiness and ever more distant enterprises in a globalized economy. We live in a new, interdependent world. When the Great Depression was followed by World War II, women supplied much of the work force on the home front and families were put on hold. Now the post war baby boomers are entering retirement. As a shrinking work force cannot support more seniors living longer lives in already stretched systems, the retirement age must be raised to more equitably distribute the growing cost of systems on which all of us depend. As emerging nations compete as consuming societies the era of cheap goods from China must end. Yet within this global transition to greater affluence billions go hungry while obesity is a growing health issue elsewhere. Addressing global warming becomes more urgent as developing societies add to the strain on the finite resources of a threatened planet. I deem paying back through my taxes a privilege but we must balance incentives and disincentives to encourage those activities that benefit society as a whole and discourage those that do not. Consumption taxes do influence personal choices. Through taxes Europe has doubled the end price of gasoline and steered a continent to public transit and more fuel efficient vehicles to counter global warming. America must move beyond a dysfunctional system of government and its inherent tax aversion. Avoiding outright bankruptcy will require both major tax increases and major spending cuts including big cuts to public sector workers in unions’ last bastion. In an earlier time,

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unions did much to get children out of mines and factories and curb the greed of employers. Now unionists have become privileged members of the upper middle class with income and retirement benefits not available to most. Now, a wave of public sector strikes threaten vital services at national and local levels. Often negotiations founder not on near in concerns but on unions’ resistance to changes even in the distant future. Should pensions define benefits or define contributions? Should wages and benefits now enjoyed be guaranteed in perpetuity to new hires? If equity is the issue surely this zeal would be better directed to the vastly greater numbers on meager minimum wages or without employment at all in the here and now? As Warren Buffet points out, upper echelon incomes must pay significantly higher taxes to enhance the fairness of the economic pyramid of society as a whole. In August global markets were in turmoil with alternating days of huge gains and huge losses in response to deficit concerns in America and Europe. The final straw was Standard and Poor’s downgrading of America’s credit rating after protracted highly public debate among partisan politicians and ideological extremists. This market turbulence was exacerbated by questionable practices in the financial sector. Some European countries imposed a temporary ban on the practice of short selling in which speculators bet against specific stocks in hopes of repurchasing at bargain levels. Regulatory controls must achieve a more sane balance. My generation is without question the most privileged generation ever, more so than any generation that preceded it and, ominously, more so than any that will follow. We are challenged to broaden our viewpoint and extend our planning horizon on societal, economic and environmental issues. That is the least we can do for those who will follow. Bob Harwood

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A CHANCE TO DO GOOD By Herbert W. Piekow

n 2010, the Auditorio de la Ribera, our local auditorium, hosted 94 various events from international virtuosi to traditional Jalisco Mariachi, Ballet Folklorico and school graduations. This aging auditorium is in dire need of a more balanced air conditioning system and the stage lighting has been declared inadequate and unsafe. Both the Mexican Federal and Jalisco State governments have promised to pay two thirds of the required $4,700,000 peso upgrade IF the local community can come up with the balance of $1,500,000 pesos by the end of November, 2011. Already there have been a series of fund raisers and there are two upcoming events that I encourage you to attend, not only will you be entertained but you help the community raise much needed funds. Sunday November 6th, there will be a harpsichord and piano concert performed by the internationally acclaimed keyboardist Dr. Michael Tsalka, who will have just completed two master classes here at Lakeside. He has literally performed around the world. The newspaper El Siglo of Argentina says; “Tsalka demonstrated control of a pearly, brilliant touch, as well as a subtle phrasing full of nobility and expression.” Tsalka´s November 6th concert promises to be one of those special events both entertaining, and the price of the ticket will aid a truly worthy cause.

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Another event to put on your date calendar is called, What´s The Big Buzz? This comedy caper will be a fun filled event featuring singing, laughter and much merriment. The show features local talent from Los Cantantes de Lago and performers from Lakeside Little Theater as well as Rafael Buccio on the keyboard. Lalo Muñez, a singer from Guadalajara will add his talents by serenading the audience with his powerful voice. Those attending will appreciate the gracefulness and professional style of two noted dancers. Alexis Hoss and Christa Halby , of New York, will perform an exciting professional dance routine. If you are unable to attend these two events there is another way to support this important cause. You can become a Benefactor, a Patron or a Partner and receive public or anonymous recognition while receiving either Mexican or US tax breaks. Contact John Keeling, Director of Pro Auditorio at (376) 766-1801 or email ProAuditorio@yahoo.com and he will gladly explain about using Paypal, writing a check, using your credit card or simply donating cash. Whatever you decide, remember this is truly a worthy cause with a deadline of Wednesday, November 30´th, 2011. But why not do both, enjoy some excellent entertainment and donate a little extra. This is an opportunity to help your community, show the Mexican government and the people of Jalisco that we are truly a proud part of this community.

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Cuarto a Cuarto en la Casa (Room to Room in the House) By Margaret Sloan Speaking Household Spanish with the Household Help

o you have telarañas (spider webs) in the corners? Las migas (crumbs) in el comedor (dining room)? Polvo(dust) coating all horizontal surfaces? For those of us, living in Mexico, there is an answer we can afford: hire some help. El servicio doméstico is a time honored tradition in many Mexican households (anyone who can afford it has at least one muchacha (girl) in the house). Often she may become like part of the family. For us gringos, the muchacha or mujer (woman) we hire might be our first contact with the Mexican culture, as well as an intimate chance to practice applied Spanish. You only need a few words and expressions to get started. You’ll need to practice housecleaning verbs. Limpiar (to clean), lavar (to wash), barrer (to sweep). The command forms? Limpie, lave, barra. And don’t forget, even when using the command form, as in planche los vestidos (iron the dresses) to say por favor (please). Mueve los muebles (Move the furniture) Use la aspiradora (use the vacuum cleaner) Recoge los juguetes. Pick up the toys. Por favor. Quiero que is the softer way to say I want you to do something. Just couple it with the correct form of any verb. Por ejemplo (for example): Quiero que barras el patio. (I want you to sweep the patio.) Quiero que bañes a mi hija. (I want

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you to bathe my daughter.) Quiero que laves los trastes. (I want you to wash the dishes.) And don’t forget to say por favor! With these few verbs you can start a list of jobs for the ayudante. (My mother always said it’s hard for two women to share one house -and don’t think the trabajadora won’t have her own ideas about priorities.) En mi casa, primero, lave la ropa (first, wash the clothes) and then la cuelga en el tendedero (hang them on the clothesline). If you have una lavadora (a washing machine), make sure she knows how to use it. Llénela hasta aqui con la ropa. Fill it up to here with the clothes. Póngala en means set it at; fría (cold), caliente (hot), delicado (delicate), planchado permanente (permanentpress). If you have una secadora (a dryer), póngala en bajo (low), llama baja (low heat), mediano (medium), or planchado permanente (permanent press). I always ask her to cambie las camas (change the beds), so she can wash las sábanas (sheets) and las fundas (pillow cases). Our coastal climate is muy húmedo (very humid); things get mohoso, or enmohecido (musty) in a hurry, so every so often we put the almohadas (pillows) en el sol (in the sun) to freshen them. El sol es un desinfectante muy fuerte (the sun is a very strong disinfectant), and after an afternoon in el sol tropical, las almohadas huelen muy dulce (the pillows smell very sweet). Occasionally even los colchones (the mattresses) are lugged outside for a natural “dry cleaning.” Segundo, limpie la cocina. (Second, clean the kitchen.) In the tropics it’s very important to keep this room as spotless as can be, as to cut down on leggy little visitors like the monstrous tropical cucarachas and hormigas. (Okay, okay, so bugs are a fact of life.) Once a month or so I have my ayudante limpie todos los

gabinetes: Saque todo (take everything out, lave los gabinetes, (wash the cabinets), and busque los huevos de los insectos. (Shiny brown Cucuracha casings are easy to spot; about 1/4” long, they are oblong and usually stuck to the undersides of things.) I then have her sprinkle a light coating of acido bórico (boric acid), or, as she calls it, el polvo azul (it’s blue powder, alright), along all the cracks in los gabinetes. This workslike a charm; I am rarely bothered by insectos. Sometimes she cleans el refrigerador, and defrosts it (descongela) as well. You will want to make sure she doesn’t take un picador de hielo (ice pick) to the built up hielo. (This is not a joke; it really happened to my mother-in-law’s freezer.) You probably won’t have to tell her to friegue los mostradores (scrub the counters), but make sure she knows you expect her to limpie el horno (clean the oven). Tercero, los sanitarios. (Third, bathrooms.) Use una esponja en el lavamanos (or lavabo). (Use a sponge on the sink.) Limpie el excusado con blanqueador. (Clean the toilet with bleach.) Friegue la loceta en la ducha (o la regadera) bien. (Scrub the tile in the shower well.) Luego, quiero que cambies las toallas.(Later, I want you to change the towels.) She may ask for guantes de hule

(rubber gloves) when she has to work with harsh cleaning chemicals. Get them for her; after all a woman’s got to keep lasmanos looking presentable. Cuarto, Desempolva los muebles(Fourth, dust the furniture.) Desempolvar is an easy verb to rememberpolvo is nothing more than a little dust (I remember polver means dust because it sounds like pulverized.), and when you desempolver-ize something, you’re just undusting. “Desempolve los adornos, por favor” means dust the knick knacks, pIease. Tenga mucho cuidado (please be very careful) around the fragile clay tigres from Chiapas, and the old family china. The last mujer who worked for me took great delight in arreglando (arranging) all my adornos, and truthfully she did a better job than I ever did. Por favor, quiero que muevas todos los libros de los libreros y desempolves cada uno. The first time I asked to la ayudante to take all the books off the shelves and dust each one, I thought l’d be looking for a new trabajadora that very day. Cleaning the biblioteca (library) is a time- consuming job (we have quite a large book collection). I also asked her to quiero que busques insectos y los huevos, as las cucurachas and hormigas (ants) can make quick work of any library in the semi-tropics.

By the end of the day my libreros (bookshelves) were clean and in order. Only problem was, they were in her order. I had failed to realize that although she could read, she couldn’t read English. She had re-arranged them all by size and not (as I had arranged them) by subject. Medical books were next to travelogues, and fiction was intermingled with history, philosophy with gardening. I have to admit, although I couldn’t find anything, the library looked great. Barre toda la casa (sweep the whole house.) Barre la sala (the living room), las recámaras (bedrooms), la cocina (the kitchen), el comedor (the dining room). Remember the word broom by that sweeping sound it makes in Spanish: la escoba Can you hear the slide of the straw over the floor? As the last tarea (chore) of the day, she takes un trapo (rag) and una cubeta (bucket) and cleans el piso. If she finishes early, we might have something cold to drink and a little chat before she goes home. I ask her questions and she corrects my grammar, puts into order my confused conjugations, directs my indirect objects. After all, as I told her when I hired her, part of her job is to help me with my Spanish.

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STAY HEALTHY! By J. Manuel Cordova, M. D. Internal Medicine & Geriatric Specialist Mdjmcordova1204@yahoo.com

The Later Years: “The Great Golden Time“

e continue with demographic data about later years and aging, just when in industrialized societies we can expect the increase in the proportion of elderly to continue. Even if we assume that medicine will make certain advances in prolonging the lives of this age group, a large segment of the existing population is about to reach their later years. In this year 2011, the post war “baby boomers” will start turning around their 65-70s. In this year, and for each of the 20 years that follow, we can expect these elderly population to increase by about one million people annually. At the start of the new century, some countries, for example, Canada, faces significant aging of its population as the proportion of seniors increase more rapidly than all other age groups. In 2001, one Canadian in eight was aged 65 years or over. By 2026, one Canadian in five will have reached age 65. The growth of the senior population will account for close to half of the overall population in the next four decades. The fastest growth in the senior population is occurring among the oldest Canadians. One principal factor is the increase in life expectancy. In 1997, life expectancy for Canadians reached 75.8 years for men and 81.4 years for women. Life expectancy at birth is expected to continue to grow, albeit more slowly, reaching 81 years for men and 86 years for women in 2041. (Interdepartmental committee on Aging and Senior Issues). In coming decades however, Canada´s population is expected to age more rapidly that of the other industrialized countries as the large segment of baby boomers has an impact. For example, the proportion of seniors in the overall population in Canada should be nearly the same in the United Kingdom by 2030, despite being one fifth less in 2000. Geographic variations across Canada :

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There are notable variations in the aging of the population across Canada. Five out of six Canadian seniors live in Canada’s four most populated provinces: Ontario, Quebec, British Columbia, and Alberta. Like the rest of Canada’s population, the majority of seniors–some three out of four live in a metropolitan or urban area. Women form the majority of the Canadian senior population (56% in 2001) and their proportion increases with age. In 2001, women made up 60% of seniors aged 75 to 84, and 70% of seniors aged 85 or older. Veterans War Service Veterans (veterans of the Second World War or the Korean conflict) account for a significant segment of the senior population. In Canada, approximately one senior in ten is a war service veteran, with one in five senior men having served in wartime. Nevertheless, the veteran population is aging and declining in size. The average age of veterans in 2001 was 78. The total war service veteran population of nearly 357,000 in 2001 will decrease by nearly 37% to 42 % from 2001 to 2011. Your physician has become accustomed to dealing with the problems of the elderly and is helped by a large and growing body of scientific research that almost daily is discovering more about the aging process and how to go about living a longer, healthier life; nobody knows more about the medical problems of ageing like a Geriatric Specialist. Dr. Cordova

Lake Chapala Hospice

ake Chapala Hospice is a community based, nondenominational, non-profit organization, which offers in-home hospice and palliative care to the English-speaking community. Palliative care shifts the focus away from treatment and healing, and onto symptom relief, pain management, and comfort care. Such care has only been legal in Mexico since 2009. Patients whose life expectancy does not exceed six months are eligible for hospice, regardless of age, race, gender, religious beliefs, sexual orientation, disease, or ability to pay. In addition, hospice offers comfort and support to the families and/ or loved ones in their tasks as caregivers, and will act as liaison contacts with family members who are not here at lakeside. Lake Chapala Hospice grew out of a Conscious Community meeting, held earlier this year, whose task was to find ways to create a more caring and supportive community here at lakeside. Since that time, Erik Slebos, who is a certified grief counselor, has pulled together a team of dedicated volunteers, several of whom have NOB hospice experience. In addition, the Articles for Incorporation as a non-profit (AC) have been drafted; By-Laws are in place, as is a Board of Directors. A local business in Chapala has offered meeting space and telephone answering support, and a team of nurses are prepared to provide bedside assistance to patients. Protocol and the patient care-plan will be developed on an individual case basis by the interdisciplinary hospice team, which meets weekly. The hospice physician will, of course, be part of that team. The group of 15 volunteers continues to meet twice monthly, and is expanding in number with new volunteers. The December 2010 issue of International Living Magazine cited Lake Chapala as the largest ex-pat community in the world. The need for hospice care seemed obvious to those of us involved in the effort to bring it into exis-

tence. However, Lake Chapala Hospice will rely for its funding on donations from members of the community it serves. This makes community input a top priority. During the month of October, readers will encounter a Lake Chapala Hospice table at both the Eco Organic Market in Centro Laguna Mall and at the Lake Chapala Society Health Fair. In addition, volunteers from Lake Chapala Hospice have been (and will continue to be) surveying individual members of our lakeside community. The survey questionnaire asks only five questions and takes less than three minutes to complete. Readers are invited to visit www.lakechapalahospice. com to take the survey. There is a space on the survey form to ask questions or leave comments, all of which are most welcome. If the survey results support the need for Lake Chapala Hospice, the AC Articles will be filed, an intensive (3 day) training course will be given to all hospice volunteers, and fund raising will begin. Reader participation in the survey is vital. You will determine whether the English-speaking community in Lake Chapala can obtain hospice care for the foreseeable future. Valerie Siegel Vice President, Lake Chapala Hospice info@lakechapalahospice.com

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SURVIVORS By Patricia Hemingway

oy M. Crandall, M for Marion, was my mother’s father. He showed up at our door when I was thirteen, and he was broke and sixty-five and couldn’t work anymore. I don’t believe he had anywhere else to stay while he waited for his old age pension, so he came to San Antonio, Texas, to the duplex of his oldest daughter and her three kids. Granddaddy was a man from the depression. Everything about him said so: his thin face and the way he never ate much; the way he wore his brown felt hat in the summer, when anybody else would have left it back home; and the pipe he treasured, practically his only possession. When he came to stay with us he had one penny in his pants pocket. My mother told us. He was still nice looking, and sported a pure white mustache. Wearing his hat, his pleated pants hanging on his slender frame, his was a pleasing silhouette. He neither stooped nor asserted himself unnecessarily. Granddaddy joined us in our regular family entertainment: watching tv. On the ‘good program’ nights, it was mandatory that we all sit down together in the living room. Nothing like a good drama. That’s how my mother raised us. Granddaddy sat right there, with tears rolling down his cheeks, when it was a really good one. My mother told of Granddaddy when he was young, set up in a business of his own. He had a full head of auburn hair and wore a nice tweed suit with a belt in the back. Granddaddy never met a stranger – male or female. He would start up a conversation with whoever was waiting for the bus beside him, and by the time the bus got there, he would have a name and phone number on a scrap of paper, with promises to get in touch. But he didn’t have much to say to children. He and I walked to the Piggly Wiggly many an afternoon. The only words Granddaddy would say, when we got there, were “Well, we’re half way”. Being a man of the depression, maybe he figured his thoughts weren’t

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a fit topic for kids. He’d had four of his own, and my mother was the first. She recalled the nice house they’d lived in when she was still the only child, and the well-off family next door who treated her like one of their own. The way she told it, I could tell that was the greatest time of her life. When Granddaddy got his pension, he left on the bus for Guadalajara, where he could live on his few dollars, and be around Mexican people. He especially loved Mexican women, my mother said. She also said Granddaddy liked to sip brandy in the afternoons. She found out one evening when she went to offer some to a friend--she rarely drank unless she had company: Granddaddy had been getting into it while she was at work, and filling up the dark-colored bottle with tap water. When I was 35 I took a plane trip to Guadalajara and stayed for a week. I wanted to see the plaza full of roses Granddaddy had described to us, and in 1980 they were still there. He spoke often of ‘Tilackey-packey’, that’s how he said it. Like a wooden cart coming down a cobblestone street, one turn of the wheels at a time. Granddaddy always said he boarded at Miz Whitehouse’s. Where Miz Whitehouse’s was I never knew. My sister says he fished the lake in Jocotopec. All I knew was Miz Whitehouse favored him; she kept his room for him while he came back up to stay with us for a month at a time. He brought us a serape made of rough, dark gray wool with colored stripes across the top and bottom. We kept it for as long as I can remember, even though the wool was scratchy. It was from a place none of us had ever been to. Our world was small, neighborhood-bound. No car to travel even to the other side of town. Granddaddy had actually lived in a Mexican city with a beautiful plaza, its shrubs cut delicately into the shapes of animals, where he sat on benches

between beds of roses and watched another world go by. While I was in Guadalajara, I took a bus tour around Lake Chapala. The bus stopped in several small towns, and we were allowed time to shop. In Ajijic I found what I was looking for: a beautiful white wool serape. I made the bus driver wait while I paid for it in a tiny shop that had a dirt floor swept clean and a manual device for running through credit cards. I can still hear the click-smack! as they made an impression of the raised plastic numbers, and the serape was mine. Granddaddy lived with us for several months before his first pension check arrived. He smoked a tobacco that smelled sweet, like burning cherries. When he turned his pipe upside down and tapped it on the ashtray, I pretended to empty it but instead I put the small wad of tobacco in a fruitcake tin I kept under my bed. After Granddaddy left us for Guadalajara, the house was empty. I got out the tin and sniffed the sweetness of the tobacco and cried for him. Granddaddy loved to tell about a parrot that lived in the bar around the corner from Miz Whitehouse’s: Whenever anybody in the bar would use a ‘cuss’ word, the parrot would squawk: “shee—wha—whaa!!” Granddaddy

told and retold this story, and whoever was over that day would die laughing. Granddaddy would slap his thigh and tilt his head back and laugh out loud, showing his tobacco-stained teeth. “Shee—wha—whaa!!” He would say at least one more time. I can see him in that bar overlooking the lake. After a day of fishing, he goes there. Everybody knows him: “Ola, Raoul.” He sits down and orders a glass of brandy and pays for it with his pesos. He has enough left over to buy a drink for the beautiful woman who slides into the booth beside him. The parrot perches nearby, and waits for

someone to speak.

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THINGS THAT CRAWL By Lucille van Straaten

eading Victoria Sc S Schmidt’s chm hmid dt’ ts story about ‘Things ings ng g th that hat a Crawl’ I was amused, but saddened. Why do humans want to “viciously stomp” on creatures they are not familiar with? Those creatures were here long before we arrived, and are valiantly trying to survive in the world we have created for them. I admit, I have an advantage – I grew up on a farm in the backwoods of South Africa where everything that crept and crawled came right into the house. Even as a five-year old I was fascinated by a snake that lay curled up on the lawn. I still have this fascination, and will do my utmost to save them. During hurricane season on the Caribbean coast snakes become disorientated and crawl into any space they think is safe. My neighbour found a boa in his washing machine. I asked him what he had done with it. “Killed it!” he replied, and when I groaned with dismay, he said, “You’re damn right I did”. I found a boa in my kitchen drawer – quite a strange encounter. With the help of my neighbour we caught it in an empty paint bucket, put the lid on and hopefully it is still living in the Botanical Gardens where we released it. I found a smaller snake in an ornamental tub outside, and by placing a cat basket over it, allowed it to curl up inside. Then I shook it out into my waiting paint bucket and liberated it in the mangroves. We rescued several snakes this way. The god, Quetzalcoatl, must have taken note because during my years working as a tour-guide in Mexico and regularly coming across snakes, I had narrow escapes with the deadliest, a ‘coralillo’, a ‘fer-de-lance’ and a yellow-and-black variety – never did find out what it was. On each occasion I had a distinct message which made me stop and look before stepping on it. With the yellow-and-black it might have been too late. As I leapt aside, I thought ‘not far enough’ and waited for the sting. Stopping at a safe distance, we looked at each other, said hullo, and it departed, slithering under a log. The Yucatan scorpion is an impres-

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ssi ive ve b lack lack la ck tthing, hing hi ng, b bu ut iit t’ss n ott d ead eadl ea dlly. sive black but it’s not deadly. W Wh Whe hen en I eencountered n ou nc o nter ntter ee ed do n , wh ne hic ich h ha h app When one, which happened regularly in a thatched-roof house, I took the dustpan, swept the fellow into it, and flung it over the fence into my neighbour’s yard. If it was territorial, it would probably come back, but so what. At night I would spread a mosquito net over my bed, and for a while I saw a very large 7-legged spider sitting on a ledge. He had probably had a run-in with a scorpion so I asked him please to keep guard. One night I woke, and for some reason switched on the light. There, just above my head, inside the netting was a huge scorpion. Not caring for such a crabby bedfellow, I crawled out, fetched my trusty dustpan and took it outside. Cockroaches have intelligence. Many years ago, living in a bed-sit in a run-down apartment building on Durban Beach, I had regular cockroach visitors. In the evenings, at a certain time I would hear their pat-pat steps on the wooden floors. They would stop at the entrance to the little porch where I sat and waved their feelers at me. When I told them it was OK, they would run across the floor to the woven Zulu baskets in which I kept pot-plants. There they played catch, running round and round the basketwork. I felt such a traitor when I was told by the management one day that the building was to be fumigated. Mum and Dad had an evening ritual. Just before six, Dad would prepare ‘spots’ (drinks) and Mum would put out snacks. Punctually at six, a cockroach would come walking down the river stone chimney and nibble at the cracker crumbs Mum sprinkled on the floor. When it had had enough, it went its way up the chimney again. If you’re bothered by an insect, try using a dustpan or small basket with a lid, sweep it in and toss it outside. No Raid or Doom necessary and it gets easier every time. I admit ants and aphids are a nuisance and sometimes one really does not have a choice. But I suggest that while we are here sharing the planet with ‘bichos’ (insects) and snakes we might as well make friends with them and make the best of it.

THE SCHIZOID FACTOR By Fred Mittag

chizoid contradiction is the characteristic affliction of today’s conservatives. Every Republican voted against the stimulus bill. Glenn Beck said it was a secret attempt by Obama and Pelosi to make America “socialist.” Then Republicans returned to their districts to bestow stimulus checks before God and TV cameras. Like deluded poseurs, they became the saints who made these benefits possible. Psychiatry treats this type of disorder. Conservatives are now opposed to measures that they themselves introduced only a short time ago. Paul Jackson is among these conservatives, as may be discerned from his column in El Ojo del Lago. Jackson boasted in August, and not for the first time, of the scholarly works that “line” his shelves. And also not for the first time, he cited Glenn Beck’s “impeccable research.” It’s not possible to reconcile this incongruity. If Jackson’s library contained any “scholarly works,” he would be obliged to declare Beck a charlatan and a rogue. Beck is hawking gold for a sponsor who is under investigation, and he lately peddles “Beck University.” For $79 dollars you can order course materials to learn that people who say the Constitution provides for “separation of church and state” are liars, just like Joe Wilson shouted to President Obama, “You lie!” Beck is in cahoots with David Barton, who has appeared on his Friday night “Founding Fathers” series as a guest “expert.” Barton is a lecturer for Beck University. Barton invented quotes that he attributed to the Founding Fathers. These were widely cited by other religious writers to prove that America is a Christian nation. But then historians exposed Barton’s citations as counterfeit. Barton is the author of The Myth of Separation, in which he states his belief that Christians were the ones who were intended to hold public office. Uh, oh. Barton was listed as a “new and special speaker” at a retreat sponsored by a far right Christian ministry called “Scriptures for America.” They are virulently anti-Semitic and racist. They spread hysteria about Jews

son admits he has surrendered his brain to Beck’s care: “ ... Beck has destroyed my long-term admiration for President Woodrow Wilson, a fellow I now view as an out and out elitist. . .” Among conservatives, “elitist” is an accusation of being educated. Beck, a troubled youth, barely made it out of high school. Woodrow Wilson had an extraordinarily successful academic career. Historian Arthur Schlesinger in 1948 asked 55 prominent historians to rank the presidents of the United States. Wilson ranked in the first quartile. C-SPAN, almost 60 years lat-

er, asked the same question of more than 60 historians in 2006. Woodrow Wilson ranked number six from the top. Beck has misled Jackson, and now Jackson is misleading his readers. Beck is emotionally unstable, a tearful buffoon who appears not to have recovered from his drug and alcohol addiction. He is promoting racial hatred and political division. Freedom of the press permits schizoid behavior, so a free citizenry must apply the necessary critical thinking skills to combat it.

Glenn Beck and homosexuals and are linked to neo-Nazi groups. Jackson boasted of his pro-Jewish credentials (El Ojo del Lago, Dec., 2009), and now eerily praises Glenn Beck, whose university faculty is demonstrably anti-Semitic. Jackson writes that he has met “many a pontificating professor” and that he had rather the U.S. government be run by the first 400 names in the Boston telephone directory than by the faculty at Harvard. If Jackson owns “scholarly works,” they were assuredly written by Harvard faculty and other “pontificating professors.” Jackson himself pontificates when he talks about “reaching out.” He wrote, “If you denigrate ... your political opponents you can never then seek an accommodation with them ....” Nice platitude, except that his hero is openly racist. Beck stated that Obama has a “deep-seated hatred of white people.” Beck accused the NAACP of racism. As one commentator put it, “Beck lecturing about racism is like an arsonist discussing fire safety.” Newsweek ran an article about Beck simply titled “Hate.” Cokie Roberts called Beck “worse than a clown” and “more like a terrorist.” Time Magazine accused Beck of coming close to treason. A science magazine, Discover, called him “an idiot.” History professors have commented on Beck. Steven Marks called Beck’s assertions “a complete lie.” Alan Wolfe said Beck “lives in a complete alternative universe.” Joseph Palermo analyzed why Beck is dangerous, even though he’s a joke. It’s slapstick humor to proclaim Beck’s research “impeccable.” If scholarship were analogous to marksmanship, Glenn Beck couldn’t hit the side of a Texas barn. Jack-

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The Ojo Crossword

ACROSS 1 Bang down 5 Unwilling 9 High ranking man- used formerly 14 Acquire 15 Fencing sword 16 Convent 17 Cutting tools 18 Movie ___ 19 Journalist’s question 20 Gather 22 Fire starter 24 Exercise place 25 Clergyman 27 Gambol 31 South American country 32 Madagascar franc (abbr.) 34 Legume 35 Capital of Norway 38 Flightless bird 40 All 42 Sell illegally 44 Compass point 46 Uncanny 47 Monte ___ 48 Billion years 50 Order 51 __ of the covenant 52 High-school club 55 Lone 57 Lay 59 Brand of frozen dough 61 Scientist’s office 64 Giant’s wife 66 What babies do

El Ojo del Lago / October 2011

68 Swimming stroke 71 Brand 73 Giant 74 Mush up 75 Yes 76 Court 77 Strict 78 Path 79 Join together

DOWN 1 Canned chili brand 2 Not strictly 3 BB Player Abdul Jabar 4 Tableland 5 Lower limb 6 Nocturnal marsupials 7 Chompers 8 Of this 9 Chess piece 10 Hate 11 South by east 12 That woman 13 Yes 21 North by east 23 Revolutions per minute 26 Anger 28 Musical production 29 Be worth 30 Recipient 31 Opinion sampler 33 “To the right!” 35 Sesame Street’s grouch 36 Frighten 37 Sprees 39 Avail 41 Exact 43 Dada 45 Mountain man 49 North northeast 53 Make a mistake 54 Poisonous acid 56 Acid drug 58 Bell riser 60 Japanese city 61 Mountain peak 62 Main artery 63 Sound 65 Dale 67 Poles 68 Cycles per second 69 Trail 70 To be 72 Sight organ

THAI YOGA MASSAGE IS UNIQUE! By Julie D’Costa dcosta.julie@gmail.com

hai Yoga Massage is an ancient healing tradition. Performed for centuries by monks in Buddhist temples, it still retains its spiritual and meditative aspects. More than a purely physical practice, a crucial aspect of Thai massage is the intention with which it is given. Breathing, chanting and meditation help to prepare the practitioner to center and calm the mind so he can enter a state of awareness and mindfulness and develop a clear intention. Practiced with the intention of loving kindness, Thai massage becomes “the physical application of loving kindness.” By being totally present in the moment the practitioner is able to develop a connection and an intuitive awareness of the needs of the receiver. This connection enables both practitioner and receiver to experience a feeling of relaxation, well-being and calm energy during and following the massage. The practitioner also prepares himself physically. Practices such as yoga, chi gung or t’ai chi further help the practitioner to relax, get “out of his head,” increase flexibility and initiate the flow of positive energy. Before beginning the massage the practitioner takes a moment to silently express gratitude to those who have contributed to his training and a humble request for guidance. The massage ends with a “Namaste” and a prayer of gratitude for the privilege of helping another. There are many other aspects that make Thai Yoga Massage unique:

Both practitioner and receiver are fully clothed, ideally in light cotton clothing. The massage typically takes two to two-and-a-half hours to complete . The massage is carried out on a mat on the floor rather than on a massage table or chair. This setup is very relaxing for the receiver and allows the masseur the space required to implement the many moves incorporated into the massage including passive yoga stretches, acupressure, trigger points and “kneading” movements. Thai Yoga Massage starts with the feet, working on the major energy lines to balance the flow of energy in the body and ends with the head and face. A distinctive feature is the choreography of the massage. The basic massage incorporates a set sequence of approximately 100 different moves. Incorporating passive yoga poses and stretches, the masseur manipulates the receiver’s body into position while conscious of the client’s limits in each stretch and allowing for individualized attention as required. An example of applied yoga can be seen in the kidney stretch. The soles of the client’s feet rest on the knees of the masseur, stimulating the acupressure points on the soles of the feet. The masseur then grasps around the person’s bent legs to lift the client up and back for a gentle stretch of the kidney area with virtually no effort on the part of the receiver. The result is a stretch that the receiver could not accomplish on his own. The masseur does the work

and the client benefits from the gentle stretch which also helps to massage the internal organs. Synchronized breathing is intrinsic to the rhythm and effectiveness of the massage and contributes to the receiver’s feeling of being cared for. Another distinctive quality of the Thai Yoga Massage is the benefit to both the client and the masseur. Rather than feeling stressed or tired after a “workout”, the masseur ends the massage feeling relaxed, energized, and connected with the client. The client is left with a profound sense of relaxation, energy, balance and well-being.

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WARSAW vs. KRAKOW: Opt for the Cash Cow By Carol L. Bowman

his is a tale of two Polish cities: the country’s present capital, Warsaw, and the medieval center of government until 1596 A.D., Krakow. They’re as different as the negative and positive poles of a magnetic field. Warsaw left me feeling empty and wanting, as grey skies, constant drizzle, and an early May raw chill gnawed into my bones. Fifty years had passed since the Nazis had systematically destroyed 85% of the city, blew up centuries-old buildings, irreplaceable architecture, heritage and culture and exterminated 20% of its population. Yet, a sense that, “it just recently happened” hangs over the city like a blanket of

El Ojo del Lago / October 2011

morning fog. The phrases, ‘Second World War, Warsaw Uprising, Jewish Ghetto and Communist Take-over’ persist. One hears them over and over while wandering through various museums that chronicle the multiple foreign occupations, horrors and devastations Warsaw and its people have suffered. City tour companies have few options. Our guide stopped by a 3x5 foot fragment of an original brick wall to proclaim that “this” was the train station where the Polish Jews boarded enroute to concentration camps. Seeing ‘What’s not there’, produced a profound emotional impact. Most obvious in the “Old City Sector,” ironically every building

has been constructed within the last 15 years. The attempt to replicate ancient structures that lined the cobblestone, pre-1939 streets, unfolded as we entered the large plaza surrounded by outdoor cafes. Although the efforts to authenticate reconstruction must be applauded, for me, a make-believe Disney World village resembling a movie set resulted. Rebuilt to appear old, it looks like what it is- an imitation town. The people carry an invisible heaviness, even hanging from the young Poles who never experienced the atrocities and the denial of freedom. Could the past’s darkness be creating a pessimistic view of the future? Is tragedy anticipated to strike again? I can’t remember hearing laughter in Warsaw. The wounds run deep and the scars endure. Tourists become swept up in their mantra: ‘Never forget what happened here.’ I welcomed moving on to Krakow, the oldest city in Poland. It escaped the World War II bombing raids, original Renaissance, Gothic and Baroque architecture remained intact and 20th Century generations were spared the physical destruction of their city. After 1939, the Nazis turned the city into the Capital of the General Government. With Auschwitz/Birkenau camps a short distance from central Krakow, SS officers took up residence in area mansions, giving the Germans reason to save the city from pillage. Positive energy flowed and the sun beamed as we neared Krakow. Walkers sauntered along, nontraditional bikers, business suited men and smartly dressed women in heels, briefcases slung over the handlebars, rode to and from and customers sipped cappuccino at sidewalk cafes, as early 20th Century refurbished street cars clanged by. I couldn’t wait to be a part of this idyllic scene. It’s the ‘Pope’s town’ after all and Pope John Paul II had just been beatified a week before our arrival. I anticipated an uplifted and proud populace. Krakow, Eastern Europe’s Cash Cow, which entertains over seven million European and international visitors a year, beckoned us to get crackin.’ With 6000 historic sites emanating from the Main Market Square of the medieval Old Town and over two million works of art on display, we hit the streets immediately for our tourist work-out. Krakow grew from a Stone Age settlement in the 7th Century to a World Heritage UNESCO site, and has been named the official European Capital of Cul-

ture. With much of the historic center auto free, for six hours, we walked, explored, marveled and enjoyed the delights of Krakow. Every block another ‘must see’ sprang into view: Cloth Hall, the oldest shopping center from 1555, St. Mary’s Basilica and tower from where a trumpeter announced the passing of every hour, Wawel Castle, where most of the Polish Kings are buried and the float of European river cruisers down the Vistula River. Mid-point, we rejuvenated famished stomachs with Polish home cooking at a local ‘Milk Bar’. These cafeterias, known for their comfort food at ridiculously cheap prices are trendy with college students, locals and tourists who know where to find them. A government subsidized, Communist era enterprise, these establishments provided the local people with an economical place for dining. They were so popular, after the Communists left, the Milk Bars stayed. We ended our self guided exploration of Krakow, sipping hot, mint dark chocolate that tasted like a melted Hershey bar, at a sweet café on the square. Totally sated, we understood why Krakow is Poland’s Cash Cow and why Warsaw isn’t.

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AA- Meets daily at 10:00 am. Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday at 4 pm. Marcos Castellanos 51-A. 766-5961. Meets every Wednesday 8 am for breakfast at La Nueva Posada. AA Lakeside- M+TH 4-6 Gazebo at the Lake Chapala Society. AA Women- TH 10:30-12 Sala at the Lake Chapala Society. A COURSE IN MIRACLES- Meets on Saturday at 2:00 at # 17 B Nicholas Bravo. For information email: clarecgearhart@gmail.com AIR FORCE ASSOCIATION OF CANADA 904 WING- from September to April we meet the 2nd Thursday 2pm at La Nueva Posada. Contact Don Slimman 765-4141. AJIJIC QUILT GUILD - Meets second Tuesday monthly at 10 am. Guests & New Members Welcome. ajijicguild@gmail.com AJIJIC SCRABBLE CLUB- Tuesdays and Thursdays noon-3 pm at LCS Ken Gosh Pavilion. Dan Stark 766-0411. AJIJIC WRITERS’ GROUP- Meets 1st and 3rd Fridays at 10 am. Nueva Posada. Coffee. Meeting followed by lunch at the Nueva Posada. AXIXIC MASONIC LODGE #31- Meets 2nd and 4th Wednesday of each month at LCS 5:00pm. Contact the Secretary at (387) 7610017 for details. AL-ANON- Step study, M 4:30-5:30 Ken Gosh Pavilion at the Lake Chapala Society AL-ANON- Sat. 10 am, Club 12, Marcos Castellanos 51-A, Ajijic Contact (376) 766-5975. AMERICAN LEGION OF CHAPALA POST- #7 General Membership meets 11 am 2nd Thursday. Tel: 765-2259. AMERICAN LEGION, FRANK M. VALENTINE POST 9 - (Located at Fito’s Restaurant in Riberas Del Pilar) Gen. membership 3rd Wednesday of the month 12:30 pm. Exec. Com. meets 2nd Wednesday12:30 pm. Additional info Call Vince 765-7299. AMIGOS INTERNACIONALES- Every Wednesday 6 to 8 pm, Nueva Posada; informal friendly group meet to make new friends. AMIGOS DEL LAGO A.C.- Working to improve the ecology. See www.amigosdelago.org or contact us at info@amigosdelago.org. AMITIES FRANCOPHONES- Meets every 3rd Saturday at 1 pm contact: Roland and Camille at 766-0149. rvanhoudt@prodigy.net.mx. ANIMAL SHELTER- Provide shelter and new homes for dogs and cats. Tel: 765-5514. ANITA’S ANIMALS- Free loving dogs and cats. call (01 387) 761-0500. www.anitasanimals.com. ASA- Ajijic Society of the Arts. Meets every 1st Monday of the month at Nueva Posada, 10 am. ARDAT (Ajijic Rotary Dog Assisted Theraphy)- Therapy dog visits & Children Reading to Dogs program. Julianna Rose 766-5025, rotariojrose@gmail.com BRIDGE AT OLD POSADA- Monday 1:15 check in. Mary Andrews 766-2489. BRITISH SOCIETY- Lunch meeting the 1st Saturday of each month, 1pm at Manix Rest. 765-4786, chapalainn@prodigy.net.mx. CARD & DOMINO CLUB- Wednesday, Friday & Sunday. Call for times. We will teach; make friends! Tel. 766-4253, Cell: (045) 33-1295-6485. CANADIAN CLUB OF LAKE CHAPALA- Meets on the 2nd Wednesday of the month, September through April. Social hour: 3:00 pm, program 4:00 pm. Visit www.canadianclubmx.com. CASA DE ANCIANOS- Provides support for elderly citizens, 765-2497. CENTRO DE DESARROLLO AJIJIC- Provides family planning and reproductive health education. 766-1679. CHILI COOK OFF- Providing a carnival for residents raising charitable funds, 763-5038. DAR- (Guadalajara)- Daughters of the American Revolution, meets monthly Sep. through June. Cell:333-897-0660 or Tel: (376) 766-2284. DAR- (At Lakeside)- THOMAS PAINE CHAPTER meets every 3 Wednesday at 12:30 noon, September thru June. Tel: 766-2981 or 762-0834. EASTERN STAR ESTRELLA DEL LAGO CHAPTER #10- 1st Wed. at 1:00 pm at Hotel Monte Carlo. 766-3785, www.oesestrelladellago.org. ECO ORGANICO MARKET- Tuesdays,10 am-12-30pm, Centro Laguna Mall at carretera and libramiento. DEMOCRATS- Meets 2nd Thursday 4pm at La Nueva Posada FRIENDS OF VILLA INFANTIL (FOVI)- Provides financial support for children: www.friendsofvillainfantil.org. Contact Lisa Le: (387) 761-0002 or email : lisale888@gmail.com GAMBLERS ANONYMOUS- Wednesday 11:30-1:30 Ken Gosh Pavilion at the Lake Chapala Society GARDEN CLUB- Meets the 3rd. Wednesday 11 am for lunch at La Nueva Posada. GARDEN GUILD- promoting the interest in the development of local gardens with an accent on the exotic species available in central Mexico. GERMAN MEETING- 2nd Thursday, 1:00 pm. La Nueva Posada. Call Thea 765-2442 or Werner 763-5446. GOLDEN STRINGS OF LAKE CHAPALA, A.C.- Rehearsals at auditorio de la Floresta. Tuesday & Friday, 3-6 pm. HASH HOUSE HARRIERS- Every Saturday at 8:30 am at La Nueva Posada. HUMANE EDUCATION ALLIANCE (HEA)- Fostering the ethical treatment of animals and nature. John Marshall, 766-1170, alianzaeducationhumanitaria@ hotmail.com JUNIOR LEAGUE DE GUADALAJARA A.C.- Av. San Francisco #3332. ligagdl2@prodigy.net.mx, Guadalajara, Jal. Tel. (33) 3121-0887. LAKE CHAPALA DUPLICATE BRIDGE CLUB- Meets every Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday at 1:15 p.m.. www.chapalabridge.com. LAKE CHAPALA GARDEN CLUB- Gardening at Lakeside with garden tours and meeting 3rd Wed of every month at Nueva Posada for noon lunch and program. Contact sandy_feldmann@yahoo.com. LAKE CHAPALA GREEN GROUP- Sustainable living for a better tomorrow. Meets first Tuesday of each month, September through May. Lake Chapala Society, 3:00. Everyone is welcome. www.lakechapalagreengroup.com. LAKE CHAPALA SHRINE CLUB.- Meets the 3rd Tuesday of every month at 1 pm in the Nueva Posada. Perry King at (376) 763-5126. LAKE CHAPALA SOCIETY - LCS- 16 de Sep. # 16-A Ajijic, Open Monday - Saturday, 10 am to 2 pm. www.lakechapalasociety.org. 766-1140. LAKESIDE COMMUNITY AWARDS- We benefit all the community by honoring lakeside’s most talented. 766-3232. LAKESIDE FRIENDS OF THE ANIMALS- Board meets 1st Thursday every month 2:45-4 LCS Gazebo info@lakesideanimalfriends.org LAKESIDE LAUGHTER CLUB- Meets every Wed. from 9 am - 9:40 beginning September 29. For information call Charlene 766-0884. LAKESIDE LITTLE THEATRE A.C.- Balanced theatrical entertainment, English-speaking, 765-5942. LAKESIDE SCHOOL FOR THE DEAF- The 4th of each month. Nueva Posada 10:30 am. Call 766-2280, www.lakesideschoolforthedeaf.org. LAKESIDE WILDLIFE RESCUE & REHABILITATION- Rescue & rehabilitation of wild animals. 765-4916. LAKE SPAY AND NEUTER CENTR A.C.- Provides shelter and helps curtail the over-population of animals. 766-3813. LCS EDUCATION CENTER- Provides classes in language and other topics for both Anglo and Mexican community. 766-0499. LCS STUDENT AID FUND- Provides financial support to area students to enroll in university, vocational and high school program. 766-0716. LITTLE BLUE SCHOOLHOUSE- Provides financial assistance for students at school for disabled children in Chapala 766-1552. LOS NINOS DE CHAPALA Y AJIJIC, AC Providing educational scholarships to Lakeside children 376-765-7032, www.lakesideninos.org. LOVE IN ACTION- Shelter for abused and abandoned children. For volunteers and donations. Anabel Frutos 765-7409, cell: 331-351 7826. MAS- Music Appreciation Society. Concerts from fall to spring. Classical music and dance concerts. For info call Beverly Denton, 765-6409. MISION SAN PABLO- Helping 60 orphaned children ages 2-14 yrs, Bonnie Shrall - Bonnie@shrall.com #766-0009. www.misionsanpablo.org. NAVY LEAGUE, LAKE CHAPALA COUNCIL- Meets the third Saturday for lunch at 1 pm, Manix Rest. 766 4750 or 766-1848. NEEDLE PUSHERS- Sew dresses, knit or chet sweaters for local kids. Every Tues. 10 am at LCS. Call Linda at 766-2086. NIÑOS Y JOVENES CARAVAN- Delivers foodstuffs and used clothing to orphanage in San Juan. Call Reuben Varela, 01-387-761-0828. OPEN CIRCLE- Fostering body, mind & spirit, every Sunday at the LCS from 10 am to 12 noon. 765-3402 or frankdburton@yahoo.com. OVEREATERS ANONYMOUS- Every Tuesday & Friday 12 pm at Marcos Castellanos 51-A, in Upper Ajijic. Tel: 376-766-5975 or 766-1626. PROGRAMA PRO NIÑOS INCAPACITADOS DEL LAGO AC.- Assisting Lakeside disabled children www.programaninos.org , 763-5010. PASOS MILAGROSOS (MIRACULOUS STEPS.)- Helping Handicapped Children Through the Magic of Horses. Saturdays 8-2. www.pasosmilagrosos. com. RED CROSS VOLUNTEERS- Meets 1st Wednesday at 1:30-4 Gazebo at the Lake Chapala Society. New members welcome. ROTARY CLUB OF AJIJIC- Meets Tuesdays. Fellowship at 12:30 p.m., meeting at 1:00 p.m., Hacienda Ajijic Steakhouse, Carretera Ajijic Poniente #268-7. http://www.rotaryajijic.org. SAILING LAKE CHAPALA- Meets for lunch/drinks - 1 pm the 1st Thursday of the month at Club Nautico in La Floresta near Ajijic, Paseo de la Huerta No. 57. Learn how to sail the lake. Visit www.sailinglakechapala.com for info and updates. SCIENCE OF MIND STUDY GROUP- Discussion group every Tuesday at 10:30 AM Lake Chapala Center for Spiritual Living at Nicolas Bravo #17 Ajijic; contact Rev. Tim at 766-0920 or tim@revdoctim.com. THE GENEALOGY FORUM- Meets monthly on the fourth Monday in the Sala at LCS, from 2:00 to 3:45. UVA - University/Vocational Assistance (Little Chapel by the Lake a.c.)- Sue Torres, 766-2932 or Lynn Hanson 766-2660. VIVA LA MUSICA - Bus trips to the symphony, summer concert series, call Rosemay Keeling 766-1801. www.ajijicviva.org. VOLLEYBALL IN CHAPALA- At Cristiania park Tues., Thurs., Sat. mornings at 10, 333-502-1264. VOLUNTEER HEALTH RESOURCE GROUP- Meeting last Saturday of each month at LCS in sala, 10:30. VOLUNTEERS OF THE CRUZ ROJA- Sponsors fund raising events and provides administrative and support services to the Delegation. (NOTE: If there is any change in the above, please advise us so that corrections may be made. Call: 765-2877)

El Ojo del Lago / October 2011

All Saints Lutheran Church Worship Service 11:00 am 4600 Avenida Tepeyac, Guad. Tel. (01 333) 121-6741. Abundant Life Assembly of God Carr. 140 next to Mail Boxes etc, Tel: 766-5615. Center For Spiritual Living Celebration Service, 5pm Fridays, Nicolas Bravo #17 Ajijic. 7669020 or tim@revdoctim.com. Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints Services in English and Spanish, 10 am, Riberas del Pilar Bishop Wyvell Tel. (376) 765-7067, Bishop’s residence (376) 766-1532. Church of the Holy Spirit Services Sun. 10 am, Albaro Obregon #119, Chapala Tel. (376) 7654210. Christ Church Anglican Fellowship Eucarist 10am upstairs in Manix Restaurant Ocampo #57 Ajijic. Rev. Danny Borkowski at (376) 766-2495 or Jim Powers t (387) 761-0017 Grace Baptist Church 5th Sun. Evening service 6 pm, Pedro Buzeta No. 970, Guad. Tel. (013) 641-1685. Lake Chapala Baptist Church Mid-week service, 9:30 am, worship service, 10:45 am. Santa Margarita #147, Riberas del Pilar, Tel. (376) 765-2925, 765-3329. www.lakechapalabaptist.com. 7th Day Adventist meet at Camino Real #84 in La Floresta, 9:30 am, Potluck follows, Tel: 7665708 Little Chapel by the Lake Sun. services 11 am, Chula Vista,. Jal, Tel. (376) 763-1551. Lake Chapala Jewish Congregation Santa Margarita 113, Riberas del Pilar, Tel: 765-6968. For information and service times, please call Pres. Elliot Gould. contact us@ lakechapalajews.com. Web site: www. lakechapalajews.com. Lakeside Fellowship Sun. worship 11 am, Javier Mina #49 Ajijic, Tel. (376) 766-0795. Lakeside Presbyterian Church Worship-Sunday 10 am; Bible Study-Friday 10 am; Hidalgo 231A, Carr. Chapala/Joco; Riberas del Pilar Tel. Pastor Ross Arnold at 376-766-1238, or Norm Pifer at 376-766-0616 Website at www.chapalalakesidepresbyterian. org Saint Andrew´s Anglican Church Calle San. Lucas 19, Riberas del Pilar, Sunday 1 services, 10 am. Rev. Winston W. Welty Tel: 765-3926. www.standrewsriberas.com San Andres Catholic Church Services 9:00 am. Ajijic, 766-0922. St. John’s Catholic Church Between Av. Vallarta & Av. Lazaro Cardenas, Guad. Sun. 11am. (013) 121-8131. The Lake Chapala Unitarian Universalist Fellowship Meets Sundays at 10:30 a.m. Sta. Margarita #113 in Riberas del Pilar (on the SW corner of Santa Clara) For additional information call 766-1119 or email to lcuufinfo@gmail.com. We are a Welcoming Congregation www.lcuuf.org

The

LAKE CHAPALA SOCIETY

News

October 2011

Oktoberfest October 8, 2:30 - 5 pm Beers, Brats & Bands is the theme for this Bavarian party featuring music, drinks and good food. It’s a good chance to experience this lively holiday. Bratwurst and bun with German mustard, red cabbage, potato salad and sauerkraut. Keg beer will be served along with an assortment of beers, wines, beverages and desserts. Don’t miss it!

~ REMINDER ~ Renew your LCS membership by December 15, 2011 to be in the 2012 Directory.

LCS HEALTH FAIR Tuesday 11 & Wednesday 12 October 2011 10 AM - 1 PM

The semi-annual Health Fair offers various health screenings, lab tests and presentations from medical and health professionals. Open to all Lakeside residents and LCS members, so please take advantage of these health services and seminars. This year’s Health Fair, under the auspices of the LCS’s new Health Program Manager Hebina Hood, will include the traditional screenings as well as vendor booths occupied by healthcare providers including Lakeside and Guadalajara hospitals and clinics, physicians, pharmacies, spas, fitness centers, organic health stores, insurance agents and retirement and convalescence facilities. The representatives will be available to answer your questions and share tips on how to live a healthy and active lifestyle. Many free health care screenings will be available, including blood pressure checks, diabetes testing and hearing tests. Various cancer screenings as well as lipid profile and HbA1c tests will be offered by Care Lab. Lake Med Pharmacy will be offering pneumonia, tetanus and flu shots for a small fee. Two lectures offering specific health information for Lakeside residents will be presented. On Tuesday, Dr. Bernie Metcalf will discuss “Immunizations for the Elderly”. Dr. Metcalf, who specialized in family practice and emergency medicine in Arizona before retiring to Lakeside, will discuss considerations for seniors relating to various immunizations, as well as specific recommendations for living full-time in Mexico. On Wednesday, Erik Slebos will present “End of Life Planning: Four Essential Documents.” Erik’s specialty, thanatology, is the science of the social and psychological aspects of death, dying and grieving. Erik provides guidance to individuals and families relating to end of life issues, as well as proper arrangements individuals and family members can make in preparation for the last phases of life. There is no entry fee for the Health Fair and all Lakeside residents are encouraged to attend. You can find a complete schedule on LCS’ website. Interested vendors not yet registered for a booth at the fair should contact Lorena Rule at (376)765-7777.

www.lakechapalasociety.org

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CELEBRATING THE LCS CHILDREN’S ART PROGRAM The recent construction of a wall located on the Children’s Art Patio celebrates the Children’s Art Program that continues to thrive in its 55th year and to recognize Neill James and the many artists who developed their talent as a result of her vision. Represented are the figures of Neill James, Mildred Boyd and teacher Angelica Aldana who were all leaders in the program. The mural will depict some of the local artists who attended the Program and scenes of children working in the art class. The bottom part will explain the history of the program in both Spanish and English. The project will recognize Ajijic artists, educate the community about the Program, encourage cross-cultural relationships and inspire the children who come to the art patio every Saturday morning. The Ajijic Society of the Arts has donated money for supplies, LCS is covering the costs of the preparation of the wall and local artist Jose Duran is contributing the scaffolding. Javier Zaragoza and Jesus Lopez Vega will begin work on the mural in October. By the time the mural is finished a larger collective of artists will have added their own touches too. LCS members and visitors can see the mural in progress as the artists work.

A prototype watercolor of the new mural. FROM THE DIRECTOR’S DESK This month there is little room to write, demonstrating just how much is going on at LCS! First, please welcome Karen Blue to the LCS board, which is now complete, without vacancy. I want to thank Hector España for throwing a great Independence Day party! What a wonderful day we all had, good food, great entertainment and a cross-cultural attendance the likes of which may have set a new precedent for LCS. Congratulations to all of us! As many have noticed, the new paint job is almost complete, only details remain. Wear your sunglasses! Thank you to Cate Howell and her committee for the new look! The Library Committee has asked me to remind everyone that they are desperately seeking some one with eBay proficiency to help them with a special project. Speak to Cate or Brenda for details. Don’t forget to take advantage of the FAM TOUR to Tepatitlan, I’ve seen a lot of pictures of the town and it looks great! Hope to see everyone at Oktoberfest.

El Ojo del Lago / October 2011

Lake Chapala Society Membership Survey The Lake Chapala Society (LCS) will be conducting a survey to assess services provided to members, as well as the entire Lakeside community. Services include: libraries, films, lectures, health services, newcomer info, as well as English, art and computer classes. The information will be used to better understand the needs and desires of current, former and potential new members. Responses to the survey will be confidential and used by the LCS Membership Committee to make recommendations to the Board of Directors to improve our delivery of services. An email will be sent to members and former members this month with a link to an online survey. Paper surveys will be available at the LCS for your convenience. Survey results and LCS Board recommendations will be published in the LCS Newsletter and official web site later this year. If you have any questions or could help distribute paper copies, please contact Ben White at ajijicbenitoblanco@gmail. com.

MEXICO VEHICLE ACCIDENT KIT BEING DEVELOPED Two members of LCS are preparing a Mexico Vehicle Accident Kit that will be available for free. The kit provides nonMexican vehicle owners/drivers with information about how to be prepared should they become involved in a motor vehicle accident in Mexico. The kit will deal with subjects such as insurance requirements and limitations, what documents and emergency items to carry in a vehicle, what to do if an accident happens, and a discussion about how to deal with the issue of paying bribes if it arises. The authors are now at the point where they need to gather factual information from non-Mexicans who have had the unfortunate experience of being involved in a vehicle accident in Mexico. They want to conduct anonymous one-on-one interviews. The names of the individuals interviewed will not be kept on record. If you have been in a vehicle accident in Mexico within the last three years and you are prepared to share your experience, please contact one of the authors to schedule a confidential interview: Bud Gallagher (376) 766-1127; email: geebudgee@gmail. com David Bryen (376) 766-4755, email: davidbryen@gmail.com

CASI NUEVO THRIFT SHOP HELPS MANY... In August, the Lakeside Community made generous donations to the Casi Nuevo Thrift Shop and most of the items were sold by early September. The wide range of donations ran “from soup to nuts” and will go a long way to helping the three charities that are the beneficiaries of the Shop. They are Lakeside School for the Deaf and Children with Special Needs, Have Hammers Will Travel, and LCS Community Education Program. The all-volunteer shop’s merchandise serves all age groups and covers everything from clothing to small furniture. It is one of the main fundraisers for these charities. Because of these generous donations, the shop has been given a facelift. It has been newly painted, the bathroom/ changing room has been remodeled and we have new cabinets, a jewelry holder and shoe racks.

OCTOBER ACTIVITIES CRUZ ROJA Cruz Roja Sales Table M–F 10-1 Cruz Roja Monthly Meeting 1st W 1:30-4 HEALTH INSURANCE IMSS M+T 10-1 NYLife/Seguros Monterrey Insurance T+TH 11-2 TioCorp M 10:45-12:45 HEALTH & LEGAL SERVICES Becerra Immigration F 10-1 Blood Pressure M+F 10-12 Blood Sugar Screening 2nd+3rd F 10-12 Diabetes Management 1st +3rd W 1-2:50 Sign-up Hearing Aids M & 2nd+ 4th SAT 11-3 Sign-up Optometrist TH 9-5 Information Desk M-SAT 10-2 Loridan Legal T 10-12 Skin Cancer Screening 2nd+4th W 10-12 Sign-up US Consulate 1st W 10:30-12:30 Sign up at 10 LESSONS Children’s Art SAT 9-12 Country Line Dancing T+TH 10-11:30 Exercise M+W+F 9-10 Members Have Hammers T 10-12+ TH 3-5 Intermediate Hatha Yoga T+TH+SAT 2-3:30 Spanish Conversation Club M 10-12 LIBRARIES Book & Video M-SAT 10-2 Talking Book TH 10-12 SOCIAL ACTIVITIES Beginner’s Digital Camera W 12-1 Computer Windows Club F 10:30-11:45 Digital Camera W 10:30-11:50 Darts TH 3-4 Discussion Group W 12-1:30 Everyday Mindfulness M 10:30-12 Film Aficianados 2nd+4th+Last TH 2-4:30 Genealogy Last M 2-4 Great Books 1st & 3rd F 2-4 Ipod/Iphone F 9:30-10:30 Mac OS 1st M 12-1:30 Mac User 3rd W 3-4:30 Mah Jonng F 10-2:30 Music Jam W 2-3 Needle Pushers T 10-12 Origins of Mind & Brain M 2-4 Scrabble M+F 12-2 Tournament Scrabble T 12-3 SERVICE & SUPPORT GROUPS AA Lakeside M+TH 4-6 AA Women TH 10:30-12 AL-Anon/Al-aTeen M 4:30-5:30 Ajijic Society of Arts 1st M 9:30-12 Breast Cancer Support 2nd+4th M 11:30-1 Cancer Support Group 1st+3rd M 11:30-1 Caregiver Support 2nd +4th W 10-11:30 Gamblers Anonymous W 11:30-1:30 Green Group 1st T 3-4:30 Green Transition in Action 2nd M 12-1:50 Los Niño’s de Chapala /Ajijic F 10-1:30 Masonic Lodge #31 2nd + 4th W 4:30-8, 4th T 3-4:30 MS Support Group 3rd W 3-4:30 Open Circle SUN 10-12:15 TICKET SALES M-F 10-12

VIDEO LIBRARY New Additions for October Biography - THE WHOLE WIDE WORLD Ref. #5503 In Texas in the 1930s, young schoolteacher Novalyne Price meets a handsome, eccentric, and interesting young man named Robert Howard. He’s a successful writer and she’s an aspiring one. A friendship develops into a sort of courtship. Renee Zelwegger, Vincent D’onofrio. 7.1 on a scale of 10 Comedy - MIGHTY APHRODITE Ref. #5515 Lenny and Amanda have an adopted son Max, who is brilliant. Lenny, thinking his real parents must be brilliant, too, is disappointed when he discovers that Max’s mother is a prostitute and porn star and quite possibly the dumbest person Lenny has ever met. Interwoven is a Greek chorus linking the story with the story of Oedipus. Woody Allen, Mira Sorvino 7.0 on scale of 10 Drama/History - SECRETARIAT Ref. #5518 Housewife and mother Penny Chenery agrees to take over her ailing father’s horse stables, despite her lack of horse racing knowledge. Against all odds, Chenery -- with the help of veteran trainer Lucien Laurin -- manages to navigate the male dominated business, and fosters the first Triple Crown winner in twenty-five years, the famed Secretariat. Diane Lane, John Malkovich. 7.1 on scale of 10 Romance/Foreign - BROKEN EMBRACES Ref. #5516 The past comes rushing in when Harry Caine, a blind screenwriter, learns of the death of Ernesto Martel, a wealthy businessman. In a series of flashbacks to the 1990s, we see Harry, who was then Mateo Blanco, a director, fall in love with Ernesto’s mistress, Lena, and casts her in a film, which Ernesto finances. Ernesto is suspicious, jealous and obsessive. A collision course ensues. Penelope Cruz, Lluis Homar. 7.2 on a scale of 10 Drama/Western - TRUE GRIT Ref. #5501 Following the murder of her father by hired hand Tom Chaney, 14-year-old farm girl Mattie Ross sets out to capture the killer with the assistance of a tough US marshal, a man with “true grit,” Reuben J. “Rooster” Cogburn. Cogburn, a drunk and slothful character. Texas Ranger LaBoeuf, who wants Chaney for his own purposes, joins them in their trek into the Indian Nations in search of Chaney. The unlikely trio find danger and surprises on the journey, and each has his or her “grit” tested. Jeff Bridges, Matt Damon. 7.9 on a scale of 10 Series - BURN NOTICE Ref. #5521 Year One – 12 episodes. Michael Westen, a seasoned US spy, is suddenly ‘burned,’ i.e. discredited, without any form of procedure. He survives by doing impossible jobs for desperate people in Miami with a former FBI informer Sam and his ex girlfriend Fiona. Jeffrey Donovan, Gabrielle Anwar. 8.1 on a scale of 10

2011-2012 ESL Volunteer Teachers

September was the start of a new school year… for students AND teachers. Nearly 20 enthusiastic volunteer instructors met on August 31 at the Wilkes Education Centre (WEC) to participate in a seminar on Lesson Planning. The group was a mixture of experienced WEC veterans and eager new folks. They brainstormed, shared tips and techniques and had a few laughs. Volunteer instructors are encouraged to contact Inez at inezme@gmail.com.

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LCS Mix & Match Singles Group Social October 6 - Come sail with us on the Batur cruise ship for a lake excursion to Scorpion Island. LCS members and non-members. Sail at 2 PM from the pier in front of La Palapa del Guayabo at the east end of the Chapala Malecon. $180 pesos - includes one complimentary drink, music and dancing. 2 ½-hour cruise offering spectacular lake views. Meet at the pier at 1:45 PM. Carpool will be available at the sculpture at La Floresta at 1 PM. October 20 - GO Restaurant - Join the M&M singles Group at the famous GO Bistro Restaurant on Calles Encarnacion Rosas and Emiliano Zapata in upper Ajijic. 5 - 7 PM - Enjoy cocktails, great ambience & an extraordinary view of the lake. Pedro will blend his celebrated raspberry margaritas especially for the occasion; 6 pm optional dinners will be served. Tickets are available now at LCS Office and Diane Pearl. http://groups.yahoo.com/group/lcsmixandmatch/ For further information contact Walt Bowker at (378) 766-5710 or waltajijic@ netzero.net.

The LCS Learning Seminars Resume on November 15 The seminars are hosted by Fred Harland and Bill Frayer and will consist of interesting lectures by world-renowned experts via podcast from the TED conference, followed by a group discussion. Upcoming seminars will be announced.

“Origins of the Mind and Brain” Through selected video documentaries, this series recaps evolutionary processes, reviews aspects of the brain’s function, and explores some possibilities for its use now and in the future. Monday: Oct. 3, 17, 24; Nov. 7, 14, 21; Dec. 5, 12, 19 The Sala 2 – 4 PM. Open to the public at no cost. Jim Spivey, who has had a long-time fascination with this subject matter, will be presenting the material followed by an open discussion. Contact Jim at - (376) 106-0908

The Ofi Press Online Literary Magazine Jack Little, the editor, is looking for new submissions with a connection to Mexico. Poetry, Fiction and Reviews http://www.theofipress.webs.com

Film Aficionado Showings There are two showings in October - 2 pm in the Sala. LCS members only. Oct. 13 - MADE IN DAGENHAM, 2011 - United Kingdom You want to see how a determined group of working class people can band together and defeat powerful interests? This is your movie! And, it’s a true story. Oct. 27 - POINT BLANK, 2011 - France With crackerjack pacing and a driven, no-frills script, this French thriller clocks in at 76 minutes...a veritable adrenalin rush! Many critics are calling this the best film of the year.

Care-Giver support group

Being a care-giver can be an overwhelming responsibility. Managing all of the day-to-day chores and caring for the ill person gives you little time to meet your own needs. A care-giver support group is forming this month to help relieve some of the stress, and provide ways of coping & taking care of yourself. The group is run by a professional counselor with extensive group experience. No fee will be charged. Please contact: valerie_rhoda@yahoo.com, (376) 7664522.

A Special Invitation!

LCS Members are invited to learn more about Mexico and a nearby community. The City of Tepatitlan, about an hour away, has invited you to take a “FAM TOUR” which they are hosting. No charge to you, for an exciting trip that includes breakfast and lunch. Saturday, October 15. Be prepared for a long day. Town, tequila factory and museum tours all part of the fun. 8 AM - Leave from the sculpture in La Floresta. More information available in the LCS office. Sign up in the LCS office. Maximum of 40 persons, first come first served.

October Computer Basics Class (BEGINS OCTOBER 11) Tuesdays and Thursdays, 3 - 4:30 PM, 3 weeks (6 classes). $450 pesos. Room for 5 students only. Classes in the LCS Wilkes Center, sign-up and get more details in the LCS office.

LAKE CHAPALA SOCIETY 16 de Septiembre #16-A, Ajijic, Jalisco LCS Main Office: (376) 766-1140 Office, Information and other services open Monday – Saturday, 10 to 2. Grounds are open until 5. LCS BOARD OF DIRECTORS President - Howard Feldstein (2012); Vice-President - Fred Harland (2013) Treasurer - Paula Haarvei (2013); Secretary - Lynn Bishop (2012) Director - Lois Cugini (2013); Director - Aurora Michel Galindo (2013); Director - Cate Howell (2013) Director - Tod Jonson (2012); Director - Wallace Mills (2013); Director - Mary Alice Sargent (2012) Director - Sharon Smith (2012); Director - Ben White (2013); Director - Karen Blue (2012) Executive Director - Terry Vidal

◊ THE LCS NEWSLETTER IS PUBLISHED MONTHLY. ◊ DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSIONS IS THE 17TH OF THE MONTH PRECEDING PUBLICATION. ◊ NEWS ITEMS CAN BE EMAILED TO MARGARET JOHNSTONE AT MARGARITAJOHNSTONE@GMAIL.COM NOTE: THE EDITORIAL STAFF RESERVES THE RIGHT TO COMPLETE EDITING PRIVILEGES. ARTICLES AND/OR CALENDAR OF EVENTS WILL BE INCLUDED ACCORDING TO TIME, SPACE AVAILABILITY AND EDITORIAL DECISION.

El Ojo del Lago / October 2011

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Service

EMERGENCY NUMBERS

www.tel.chapala.com

DIRECTORY * ADVERTISING

* BEER & LIQUOR STORES

- EL OJO DEL LAGO Tel. 765-3676

* ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS - ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS Tel: 766-5961

Pag: 07 Pag: 58

* BLINDS AND CURTAINS Pag: 77

* ANIMAL CLINICS/PET SHOP - DEE’S PET CARE Tel: 762-1646 - SALUD ANIMAL Tel: 766-1009

- BETO’S WINE & LIQUOR Tel: 766-5420, Cell (045) 333-507-3024 - MODELORAMA Tel: 766-2678, 765-2055

- HUNTER DOUGLAS Tel: 766-0026

Pag: 27

* BOOKSTORE Pag: 69 Pag: 71

* ART GALLERIES/HANDCRAFTS - DIANE PEARL COLECCIONES Tel: 766-5683 Pag: 47 - EL PALOMAR Tel: 01 (33) 3635-5247 Pag: 71 - MEXIXIC- La Mancha Pag: 50 - SOL MEXICANO Tel: 766-0734 Pag: 18 - THE AJIJIC ART HOUSE Tel: 765-5097 Pag: 26, 28, 59, 64

- SANDI Tel: 01 (33) 3121-0863

Pag: 51

- ARATI Tel: 766-0130 - CUGINIS OPUS BOUTIQUE Tel/Fax: 766-1790 - FIAGA BOUTIQUE Tel: 766-1816 - LA BELLA VIDA Tel: 766-5131

Pag: 30

- SUPER PESCADERIA PACIFICO Tel: 766-2203

Pag: 03

* FINANCIAL

Pag: 13, 70

* CASINO - FOLIATTI CASINO Pag: 60 Pag: 15

Pag: 78

* CEILING FANS - VENTILADORES DEL OCCIDENTE Tel/Fax: (33) 3631-6619, 3634-9982

Pag: 15 Pag: 59 Pag: 49, 63 Pag: 32 Pag: 14 Pag: 16 Pag: 34

Pag: 39

Pag: 45

* FITNESS - CURVES Tel: 766-1924 - FIT FOR LIFE Cell: (045) 331-546-0228 - ZONA FITNESS GYM Cell. 33-1094-6637

Pag: 33 Pag: 49 Pag: 34

* AUTOMATIC DOORS * CHIROPRACTIC - AUTOMATIC GARAGE DOOR OPENERS Tel: 766-4973 Pag: 65

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

Pag: 28

* BANK INVESTMENT * COMMUNICATIONS - ACTINVER Tel. 766-3110 - INTERCAM Tel: 766-5978 - MULTIVA Tel: 766-2499 -O&A Tel: 766-4481

Pag: 19 Pag: 25

- AJIJICNEWS.COM - MAILBOXES, ETC. Tel: 766-0647, Fax: 766-0775 761-0363, Fax: 761-0364

* GARDENING

Pag: 12

- L & R WATER GARDENS Tel: 766-4386

Pag: 29

Pag: 13

* GRILLS

* COMPUTING SERVICES

- BRENDA’S BAKERY BOUTIQUE Tel: 765-2987

- CAFE INTERNET AJIJIC Tel: 766-3626 - NEW WORLD TECHNOLOGY Tel. 766-4343

Pag: 11 Pag: 55

Pag: 17

* HARDWARE STORES

Pag: 57 Pag: 33 Pag: 55 Pag: 15

* BED & BREAKFAST Pag: 49

- ARELLANO Tel: 766-4696 Pag: 40, 41 - ARQUITECTO JUAN JOSÉ ARRAIGA Cell: (045) 33 -3270-9072 Pag: 63 - CABO DO MUNDO- INTERIOR DESIGN Tel: 766-0026 Pag: 27 - CONSTRUCTION & REMODELING Tel: 766-3626 Pag: 11 - EDIFIK ARQUITECTOS Tel: (045) 33-1431-2687 Pag: 55 - JP HOMESERVICES Tel: 766-1569 Pag: 45 - WARWICK CONSTRUCTION Tel: 765-2224 Cell. (045) 331-135-0763 Pag: 30

Pag: 15

* DENTISTS Pag: 27 Pag: 25

Pag: 47 Pag: 70 Pag: 60 Pag: 62 Pag: 56 Pag: 67 Pag: 03 Pag: 35 Pag: 31 Pag: 72 Pag: 25

- EDGAR CEDEÑO - MEXICO PROTECT Cell: (045) 33-3106-6982 - LAKECHAPALAINSURANCE.COM -O&A Tel: 766-0152, 766-3508 - LEWIS AND LEWIS Tel: (310) 399-0800, (800) 966-6830 - PROTEXPLAN U.S. Toll Free 1-800-608-5743 Mexico Toll Free 01-800-681-6730 - RACHEL’S INSURANCE Tel/Fax 765-4316

Pag: 16 Pag: 52 Pag: 23 Pag: 54

Pag: 58 Pag: 56

* INTERIOR DESIGN - ELEMENTS Tel: 766-5826 - TENERIFE CENTER Tel: 33-3640-1283 - SOFA-COMPANY.COM Cell: 331-576-6974

Pag: 23 Pag: 37 Pag: 18

- REGIS LAVANDERIAS Y TINTORERIAS Cell: (045) 33-1603-0345 Pag: 55

LEGAL SERVICES - FERRETERIA Y TLAPALERIA GALVEZ Tel: 766-0880, Fax: 766-2440 Pag: 66

* BEAUTY

- CASA DE LAS FLORES Tel: 766-5493 - CASA DEL SOL Tel: 766-0050 - CASA TRES LEONES Cell: (045) 331-350-6764 - VILLA SAN FRANCISCO

- NAPOLEON Tel: 766-6153

Pag: 32

* CONSTRUCTION - GLORIOSA SALON Tel: 766-3372 - JAMES DON SALON Tel: 01 (387) 763 1933 - NEW LOOK STUDIO Tel: 766-6000 - PERMANENT EYE LINER Tel: 765-3502

Pag: 20

LAUNDRY

Pag: 23

* BAKERY

- SOFA-COMPANY.COM Cell: 331-576-6974 Pag: 18 - STRESSLESS Tel: 33-3640-1283 Pag: 37 - TEMPUR, MATTRESS AND PILLOWS Tel: (52) 333-629-5919, (52) 33 3611-3049 Pag: 51

Pag: 20

- ADOBE WALLS INN Tel: 766-1296 - BALNEARIO SAN JUAN COSALA Tel: 01-387-761-0222 - DOLPHIN COVE INN Tel: 314-334-1515 - HOTEL CIELO ROJO Tel: 311-258-4155 - HOTEL LA ESTANCIA Tel: 766-0717 - HOTELITO ESCONDIDO Tel: 01 33-3719-2395 - LA MANSION DEL SOL Tel: 01-800-715-9339 - LA NUEVA POSADA Tel: 766-1444, Fax: 766-2049 - QUINTA DON JOSE Tel: 01-800-700-2223 - VILLA BORDEAUX Tel: (01-387) 761-0494 - VILLAS DEL SOL Tel: 766-1152 - VILLA SAN FRANCISCO

* INSURANCE

* FURNITURE

Pag: 06

766-1760 765-4444 766-5555

* HOTELS / SUITES

- PROFESSIONAL TRADER

Pag: 49

066 765-2308, 765-2553 766-3615

Pag: 09

* FISH MARKET

* BOUTIQUE / CLOTHING STORES

* AUTOMOTIVE - GRUPO OLMESA Cell. (045) 33-3806-9231 - LINEA PROFESIONAL Tel. 766-2555, Fax. 766-0066

- C.D. MARÍA LUISA LUIS VILLA Tel/Fax: 766-2428 - C.D. SANDRA ANAYA MORA Tel: 765-3502, 765-5444 - CENTRO DENTAL Tel: 766-2911 - DENTAL EXPRESS Cell: (045) 331-121-6518 - DENTAL HEALTH ONE Tel: 1060-826 - DR. ALBERTO DON OLIVERA Tels: 765-4838, 765-4805 - DR. FRANCISCO CONTRERAS Tel: 765-5757 - MB AJIJIC Tel: 766 5050

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

- AJIJIC DENTAL Tel: 766-3682

El Ojo del Lago / October 2011

Pag: 13

* HEALTH - SAVIA Tel: 766-0087

Pag: 46

* HEARING AIDS - LAKESIDE HEARING SERVICES Cell. (045) 33-1511-4088

Pag: 72

Pag: 10 Pag: 56

* MALL / PLAZA - CENTRO LAGUNA Tel: (376) 766-5514

* HOME APPLIANCES - ELECTROVENTA Tel: 765-2222 - KITCHEN AID Tel: 01 (33) 3610-1474

- MAGO’S OFFICE Tel: 765-3640 - LAW OFFICES Tel: (322) 222 0499

Pag: 79

* MEAT/POULTRY/CHEESE - TONY’S Tel: 766-1614, 766-4069

Pag: 12

Pag: 32

* MEDICAL SERVICES

Pag: 47

- BERNARDO LANCASTER JONES MD Tel: (33) 3813-2090 Pag: 11 - DERMATOLOGIST Tel: 766-1198, 765-2400 Pag: 50

- DERMIKA Dermatologic Center Tel: 766-2500 Pag: 18 - DRA. MARTHA R. BALLESTEROS FRANCO Cell: (045) 333-408-0951 Pag: 17 - ESCHLEROTHERAPY Tel: 766-5513, 36 160 501 Pag: 53 - ENDOSCOPY ASSOCIATES Tel: 766-5851 Pag: 20 - HOSPITAL ANGELES DEL CARMEN Tel: (01) 3813-0042 Pag: 08 - INTEGRATIVE MEDICINE - Dra. Maria Guadalupe Haro Villaescusa Tel: 766-1198 Pag: 57 - INTERNAL MEDICINE SPECIALIST & GERIATRICS Dr. J. Manuel Cordova Tel: 766-2777 Pag: 58 - ISILAB Tel: 766-1164 Pag: 48 - PINTO OPTICAS Tel: 765-7793 Pag: 12 - PLASTIC SURGERY-Dr. Benjamin Villaran Tel: 766-5513 Pag: 53 - PLASTIC SURGERY-Sergio Aguila M.D. Tel: 766-2500 Pag: 22 - PLAZA MONTAÑA HEALTH & BEAUTY CENTER Tel: 766-5513 Pag: 53 - RECONSTRUCTIVE & PLASTIC SURGERY - Dr. Manuel Jiménez del Toro Tel: 766-5513 Pag: 53 - RED CROSS Tel: 765-2308

Pag: 14

Cell: (045) 33-3841-8867 Pag: 24 - COLDWELL BANKER CHAPALA REALTY Tel: 766-1152, 766-3369 Fax: 766-2124, Tels: 765-2877 Fax: 765-3528 Pag: 80 - DOTTIE SLAIMAN Tel: 765-2326 Pag: 55 - EL DORADO Tel: 766-0040 Pag: 02 - FOR SALE BY OWNER Tel: 766-5429 Pag: 66 - FOR SALE BY OWNER Cell: 33-1139-0066 Pag: 52 - FOR SALE BY OWNER Tel: (376) 766-1660 Pag: 54 - FOR SALE BY OWNER Tel: 333-955-7215 Pag: 67 - FOR SALE BY OWNER Cell: 33-1354-2075 Pag: 77 - FOR SALE BY OWNER Tel: 765-7376 Pag: 22 - FOR SALE BY OWNER Cell: 33-1335-2660 Pag: 35 - FOR SALE BY OWNER Tel: 01 (387) 761 0829 Pag: 61 - FOR SALE BY OWNER Tel: (044) 333-137-7175 Pag: 62 - GEORGETTE RICHMOND Tel: 766-2129, 766-2077 Pag: 11 - JUAN JOSE GONZÁLEZ Cell. 33-1113-0690 Pag: 29 - LLOYD REAL ESTATE AJIJIC Tel: 766-3508 Pag: 23 - MEXICO PROPERTY RESOURCES Tel: (315) 351-7489 Pag: 56 - MYRON’S MEXICO Tel: 765-2191, Cell: 33-1065-7688 Pag: 30 - PETER ST. JOHN Tel: 765-3676 Pag: 26 - RAUL GONZALEZ Cell: 33-1437-0925 Pag: 03

Pag: 17

* RENTALS/PROPERTY MANAGEMENT

* MOVERS - BALDERAS Tel: 01 (33) 3810-4859 - LAKE CHAPALA MOVING Tel: 766-5008 - STROM- WHITE MOVERS Tel: 766-4049

Pag: 08

* SOCIAL ORGANIZATIONS Pag: 49 Pag: 71 Pag: 30 Pag: 07

* SOLAR ENERGY Pag: 31 Pag: 15 Pag: 78

- JUSTUS HAUSER Tel: 763-5333, Fax: 763-5335 Emergencies: 01 (33) 3441-8223 Pag: 05 - NEWCOMERS ILSE HOFFMANN Cell: 33-3157-2541, Ilse40@megared.net.mx www.mexicoadventure.com/chapala/guadalajara.htm Tel: 01 (33) 3647-3912

- COLDWELLBANKER CHAPALA REALTY Tel: 766-1152, movile: (045) 33-1175-9632 Pag: 64 - FOR RENT Tel: 01 (313) 326 4283 Pag: 65 - FOR RENT Tel: 011-52-387-761-1003 Pag: 70 - HOMES AND APARTMENTS FOR RENT Cell: 33-1163-9686 Pag: 42 - MANZANILLO VACATION RENTALS Tel: (314) 100-6773 or (314) 125-2817 Pag: 65 - RENTAL LOCATERS Tel: 766-5202 Pag: 52 - ROMA Tel: 766-3163 Pag: 10 - SANTANA RENTALS Cell: 315-104-3283, Pag: 56 - VILLAS DEL SOL Tel: 766-1152 Pag: 72

Pag: 69

Pag: 06 Pag: 27

* SATELLITES/ T.V.

* PHARMACIES

* REPAIRS

- LAKESIDE LITTLE THEATRE Tel: 766-5986 Pag: 61 - PRO-AUDITORIO - AUTUM ARTS FESTIVAL Tel: 766-5986 Pag: 22 - THE NAKED STAGE READER’S THEATRE Tel: 766-5986 Pag: 27

* PERSONAL ASSISTANCE

Pag: 70 Pag: 60 Pag: 56 Pag: 71

* POOL MAINTENANCE - EQUIPMENT AND POOL MAINTENANCE Tel: 766-1617 Pag: 26

* REAL ESTATE - AJIJIC HOME INSPECTIONS Tel: 766-2836 Pag: 09 - ALL IN ONE REAL ESTATE SERVICE Tel: 766-1161 Pag: 05 - ARELLANO Tel: 766-4696 Pag: 40, 41 - ARGOS RENDON Tel: 765-3672 Pag: 46 - BEV. & JEAN COFELL Home Tel. 766-5332 Office Tel. 765-3676 Pag: 50 - CHULA VISTA NORTE Tel: 766-2177

- TV REPAIR SERVICIO BELTRÁN Tel: 765-3949 - WATCH & CLOCKS Tel: 765 5190, Cell: (045) 33-1331-9226

- DIELEP Tel: (33) 3122-2311

Pag: 28

* SPA / MASSAGE

Pag: 31

- AJIJIC ELECTRONICS S.A. DE C.V. Tel/Fax: 766-1117, 766-3371 - SERVICIO BELTRÁN Tel: 765-3949, 766-4586

Pag: 59

Pag: 71

* RIDE PARK - SPECTRA Tel: 766-3001

- E2 ENERGIAS Tel: 01 (33) 3673 5499 - ESUN Tel: 766-2319

Pag: 12

* RETIREMENT/REST/NURSING HOMES - LA CASA NOSTRA Tel: 765-4187, Fax: 765-5815 - LA VALENTINA Tel: 766-5179

- LAKE CHAPALA SOCIETY Tel: 766-1140 Pag: 69-72 - LAKESIDE SPAY & NEUTER CENTER, A.C. Tel: 766-3813 - LOS NIÑOS DE CHAPALA Y AJIJIC Tel: 765-7032 Pag: 51

Pag: 21

- BALNEARIO SAN JUAN COSALA Tel: 01-387-761-0222 - CHARLIE’S MASSAGE Cell: (045) 331-044-4834 - LA BELLA VIDA Tel: 766-5131 - RESPIRO SPA Tel: (045) 33-3157-7790 - SPACIO ANGELICAL Tel: 766-0955 - TOTAL BODY CARE Tel: 766-3379 - VILLA BORDEAUX Tel: (01-387) 761-0494

Pag: 47 Pag: 54 Pag: 49 Pag: 23 Pag: 47 Pag: 21 Pag: 31

* THERAPISTS Pag: 13 Pag: 71

* SECURITY SYSTEM

* MUSIC/THEATRE

- FARMACIA CRISTINA Tel: 766-1501 - FARMACIA EXPRESS II - FARMACIA MASKARAS Tel/Fax: 765-5827 - FARMACIA MORELOS Tel: 765-4002

- LOS MOLLETES Tel: 766-4296 - MADRE TIERRA CAFE - MANIX Tel: 766-0061 - MOM´S DELI & RESTAURANT Tel: 765-5719 - NUMBER FOUR Tel: 766-1360 - OASISCLOUD INTERNET CAFÉ Tel: 766-1360 - PANINO Tel: 766-3822 - SUBWAY - TONY’S Tel: 766-1614, 766-4069 - TWO SPOONS Tel: 766-5089 - ZONNA ZERO Tel: 765-4219

- PROFESSIONAL REHABILITATION Tel: 766-5563 - RESPIRO SPA Tel: (045) 33-3157-7790 - ULLOA Tel: 765-7777

Pag: 17 Pag: 23 Pag: 45

* TOURS Pag: 65

* SCHOOL - OCTAVIO PAZ INTERNATIONAL ACADEMY Tel: 766-0903 Pag: 24, 48

* TREE SERVICE

* SEEDS - CEREALS - EL GRANERO

- CANADIAN CLUB OF LAKE CHAPALA Tel: 765-2547 Pag: 34 - CHARTER CLUB TOURS Tel: 766-1777 Pag: 09

Pag: 69

- CHAPALA TREE SERVICE Tel: 762-0602

Pag: 72

* SELF STORAGE - SELF STORAGE-BODEGAS CHAPALA Tel: 766-0661, Tel/Fax: 766-1045 Pag: 33

The Ojo Crossword Pag: 71

Pag: 72

* RESTAURANTS/CAFES/CLUBS - AJIJIC TANGO Tel: 766-2458 - BRENDA’S BAKERY BOUTIQUE Tel: 765-2987 - CASA DEL WAFFLE Tel: 766-1946 - DAVID’S CAFE Tel: 766-2341 - EL JARDIN DE NINETTE Tel. 766-4905 - EL FIGÓN Tel: 766-5468 - GO LE CLUB Cell: (045) 33-3502-6555 - JOLANDAS Tel: 315-351-5449 - LA BODEGA DE AJIJIC Tel. 766-1002 - LA NUEVA POSADA Tel: 766-1444, 766-2049 - LAS MICHE

Pag: 35, 73 Pag: 32 Pag: 03 Pag: 69 Pag: 29 Pag: 35 Pag: 27 Pag: 65 Pag: 61 Pag: 03 Pag: 17

Saw you in the Ojo 75

CARS

COMPUTERS

WANTED: Need to purchase Box Trailer. 6 x 8 or 6 x 10. Prefer USA license plate. Contact pamjavazon@gmail.com FOR SALE: Bombardier 200 Rally ATV like new. Used Only 20 hours. $2,000 USD OBO. Contact by email if interested: pamjavazon@gmail.com FOR SALE: Chrysler Sebring 1996, Excellent Conver ble. Imported, Mexican plates, 6 cylinders, motor 2.5 gives 12Km/lt same as a 4 cylinder, new res, new shock, magnesium rims, $35,000 pesos. For appointment. Cell: 33-1113-6192 FOR SALE: 2006 NISSAN SENTRA 4 doors, car in excellent condi on, has new res, alarm system. This car is ready to drive all over Mexico!! Also has 5 months of insurance. 88,000 pesos. Call: (376) 766-1604 WANTED: Mexican plated car, 2000 to 2003, I’m looking for a well maintained 4 door car. It doesn’t have to be fancy, just reliable. I can have a friend come look at it prior to my arrival at Lakeside on Nov 1st. $4,000 USD. Contact: Kathy Mackenzie WANTED: Am looking for box trailer to purchase. Call: Randy at 376-106-0904 FOR SALE: Chuck wagon by Honda from USA. Asking $4,500 USD. Larger than golf cart or smart car, has roll bars and dump truck style back end. Will consider RESONABLE oﬀers. Moving back to US. Call a er 9:30 a.m. 766-6051 FOR SALE: 1999 Jeep Wrangler, Great car for Ajijic and take of the top for sunny season. Mexican plated. Would trade for Honda Accord or SUV or Nissan SUV. Call: (376) 766-3052 FOR SALE: 2003 Chrysler, PT Cruiser, 4 door. Excellent condi on. Mileage 47,300, $6,000 USD. e-mail: il3queen@yahoo.com FOR SALE: Great 98 Subaru outback legacy, good working condi on bought in the States and legalized it now has Jalisco plates everything in order and paid. $36,000 Call: (33) 3288-7874 FOR SALE: CRV 2003 $8,750 USD O.B.O. Leaving Mexico in October, must sell well maintained CRV, perfect for Ajijic streets and topes! Roof rack, cruise control, nted windows, rain visors, USA plates. Contact: Mark Villeneuve FOR SALE: Car Dolly, new condi on, electric brakes, radial res c/w spare, led lights, e downs and locks $18,,000 pesos, call: (376) 766-7028 WANTED: I’m looking for a reliable Dodge or Chrysler Neon sedan w/ Standard transmission, A/C, clean looking. Contact by email: jimw2030@gmail.com w/asking price & where to view your ride. FOR SALE: Willing to trade 1999 Chevy van and 6X12 enclosed trailer. California Title. 42000 original miles for a Jeep or Jeep type vehicle or small SUV. Contact: Michael Hodge. FOR SALE: Motorcycle 2009 Dinamo Custom 150cc like new. Less than 3000 km, never wrecked. All taxes paid. Includes two helmets. $21,000 pesos. Check out at www. dinamotos.com for specs and pictures. Call: (376) 766-1757

FOR SALE: Rose a Stone Spanish Learning so ware helping me become bilingual in Spanish. I don’t need it anymore, so I’m selling it: Version 3, Levels 1-5. Paid $500 USD. Yours for $155 USD. Call: 331-147-4118 or wheelbarrowman@hotmail.com FOR SALE: Laserjet Color MFP Printer Like new. Performs perfectly. Beau ful color. Excellent condi on. Mul funcion printer, fax, copier, scanner. Price $300 USD. Four extra toners in original boxes; cost: $200+. Call: (376)766-2304 FOR SALE: Mac PowerBook G4 15”, 1 GB ram, 80 GB hd, 8X Superdrive, built-in wired and wireless internet, OS X Leopard. Excellent condi on. $485 USD or peso equivalent. Contact: Michael McGrath FOR SALE: Magicjack allows you to make unlimited calls to the united states, canada and many other countries for one year. $650 pesos. Call: (376) 765-2326

PETS & SUPPLIES FOR SALE: Adorable female black and white Shih Tzu puppy, nine weeks. Registered with ACA. Father is AKC. Mother ACA. She has had her shots and is wormed. $450 USD. Call: (376) 763-5301 FOR SALE: I have mature and baby guppies for sale. Call: 331-330 1050 FOR SALE: Miniature Schnauzer. Lovingly home raised, with all their shots, de-wormed, and with docked tails now interviewing for their forever-homes with endearing, loving families. $2,500 pesos. Call: (376) 765-3305 FOR SALE: Large cocka el cage on stand with storage shelf and all accessories, plus extras (food, treats, toys). Large enough for one or two birds. A steal at $500 pesos. Call Graham or Don at 765-3693. FOR SALE: Dog bed for large dog, plaid washable/removable cover, sold by Kirkland Cost Co, New, $450 pesos. Call 01-(387) 7632962 WANTED: looking for used quality western saddle size 16 to 17. Call: Brian 766-3387

GENERAL MERCHANDISE FOR SALE: Pain ng by Lester Russon 1925-1988, Pain ng acrylic of a nude female in dancing posi on surrounded by bright abstract colors $3,700 USD. Call: Paul at (376) 765-6791 or 331396-0615 FOR SALE: Persian rugs, excellent condion bought at Bloomingdales in the US, Sell one or both for Best Oﬀer. 49”X92”= $2600 USD, 52”X92”= $3560 USD Call: Paul at (376) 765-6791 or 33-1396-0615 WANTED: food processor that works well. bells and whistles not important. Won’t be used for food. Must work very well, but doesn’t have to look spiﬀy. Contact: Jan Manning WANTED: small sofa or loveseat, comfort main thing. Color not so important Contact: Jan Manning FOR SALE: HONDA PILOT CARGO TRAY Like new. Fits all Honda Pilots from 2003 to 2008. Call: (376) 763-5401 FOR SALE: IFIT folding treadmill. Pro-

El Ojo del Lago / October 2011

grammable. In perfect condi on. $300 USD or Peso equivalent OBO. Contact by email. pamjavazon@gmail.com FOR SALE: Water so ener filter system. Two func on tanks and a large salt reservoir. These units sell for about 13,500 pesos new. I’ll be happy to send a photo. Contact: Robert Branson WANTED: Set of drums needed. Call: (376) 766-0059. FOR SALE: 2 Ver cal Blinds 104 in. X 84. Blinds are co ag White. One is new, s ll in box. Other slightly used. $900.00 and $850.00 Pesos. Call: 01-(387)763-0908 FOR SALE: 110 volt electric soldering iron $200 pesos. Please contact owner at lindarose51@hotmail.com FOR SALE: T.V. Daewoo, 13”, color, $500 pesos, wall mount available, for sale with the TV $750 pesos or alone $300 pesos. Call: 01 (387) 763-2962 FOR SALE: Hall or side Table, glass topped with wrought iron base, 52”L x 32”H x 13”W asking 1100.p Nightstands, 2 matching oak, 2 drawers, made in USA, 22”H x 2 H x 18”deep, 950 p for the set. Call: 01 (387) 763-2962 FOR SALE: Wheelchair, light weight, collapsible, easy to use for transport of pa ent, $1050 p. Walker with wheels and seat, storage under seat, adjustable height, handbrakes, excellent condi on, 1200 p Call 01 387 763 2962 FOR SALE: Whirlpool washer-dryer stack, heavy duty, mul -cycle, gas dryer, white. $8,000 pesos. Call: 01 (387) 763-2962 FOR SALE: Hydropool Hot Tub H300. 3 person/above ground Desert Horizon. 230 volt input. Cedar cabinet/steps /blower with aromotheraphy/stainless steel jets/cover li er/new cover. We are up grading. $4,000 USD. Call Pancho 765-6455 or 333-723-0640 WANTED: I need a person that can repair an electric sewing machine-Sears model. Loca on from Chapala to west Ajijic. Call: 766-5592 FOR SALE: Ba ery powered tool set, 1 sawzaw, 1 cicular saw, sabor saw, and new ba ery and charger, please call a er 9:30 a.m. $175.00 for set. Call: Jerry at (376) 7666051 FOR SALE: Dining Suite for 6 people. 2 extra wide arm chairs and 4 side chairs. All chairs have camel corduroy cushions. Asking $15,000 pesos. Call Marty at 766-5174 to view. FOR SALE: New VHS Tapes. New in Original Packaging never opened VHS Tapes 3 Maxell Premium Grade and 3 TDK HS all 8 hours. $10 pesos each. Call: (376)765-4590 FOR SALE: Tap/jazz shoes, unisex, oxford style, size 10W, with padded soles and dance rubber. So leather, very comfy. Like new. $500 pesos. Call: (376) 766-4106 FOR SALE: Kenmore Elite Convecon Technology Speedcook Oven. Model 363.63673201. Capable of Microwave Cooking, Convec on Baking or Combina on Baking. Excellent working condi on, have manual in PDF format can email to you. $3,000 pesos. Call: (376)766-5686 FOR SALE: Custom Bar Cabinent, space

for 30 wine bo les, the middle sec on is the bar - all mirrored with a drop down door, the top sec on is for displaying glasses, has glass all around and 2 shelves. Asking $4000 pesos. Call: (376) 766-4636. FOR SALE: Beau ful Lounge Chair - newly upholstered - excellent quality – clean. $1,500 pesos. Call: (376) 766-0789 FOR SALE: Rocking Chairs-Pair. Excellent Quality - well built - like new - sold as pair or individually $2,000 pesos each. Call: (376) 766-0789 FOR SALE: New Shaw (Star Choice) 75cm Ellip cal dish c/w LNB. $220. Call: (387) 763 1805 FOR SALE: Large blue pa o umbrella with stand. Very good condi on. $400 pesos. Contact: Robert Pe us FOR SALE: Rayo 24” Bike w/basket. Duel suspension, 12 speed twist grip, padded gel seat, excellent condi on, midnight blue. $135 USD. Contact: Robert Pe us WANTED: Share my Mailboxes, Inc. box. SAVE $$$$ Year Contract your share $200 USD/year (equiv. of $17/month). Call Adolf at (376) 765-3796. FOR SALE: 4 cameras with 60 feet cabling each, infrared, see up to 60 feet in total darkness, cables to connect and record to your computer and see all 4 at once. $2,500 pesos Call: (376)765-7553 FOR SALE: Beau ful Baby Grand Piano. Excellent condi on, black lacquer, with bench, Kohler & Campbell, hardly used, purchased in U.S. $5,900.00 USD. Contact: Martha Real FOR SALE: S ll in box, never used. Poland Pro chain saw, extra chain included. $250 USD. Please call a er 9:30 a.m. at (376) 7666051 FOR SALE: Two Very Nice, Lightly Used Acous cal Guitars from US. Name Brands, One is an ova on. Excellent condi on. Includes case, stands & straps. 595.00 USD for both, or 300each. Call Jerry at (376)7666051 FOR SALE: Power Inverter, never used. Changes 12v to AC electric. $50 USD. Call Jerry a er 9:30 a.m. at (376)766-6051 FOR SALE: Metal detectors, rarely used. 90.00 one needs head phones to hear sound. Other is perfect. 1-300 USD and 1-90 USD. Call Jerry a er 9:30 a.m. at (376)7666051 FOR SALE: Dewalt electric power saw, works good. $40 USD. Call Jerry a er 9:30 a.m. at (376)766-6051 FOR SALE: Nice, aprox. 7sq.feet freezer chest, runs great. $200 USD. Call Jerry a er 9:30 a.m. at (376)766-6051 FOR SALE: GE Washing Machine, we’ve had one year, rarely used because we brought our own washer from the states. $350 USD. Call Jerry a er 9:30 a.m. at (376)766-6051 FOR SALE: Kindle Reader, Brand New! Purchased in US. Never been used! Original receipt available. Complete with Deluxe Leather Cover and reading light! $215 USD. Call: (376) 766-2304 WANTED: We are looking for two, 2-drawer filing cabinets in good condi on. Contact: Donna Esposito Vernet

FOR SALE: Great camcorder in excellent condi on. Hitachi model DZ-MV780A. Includes case, 2 pkgs DVDs ba ery/charger. All in excellent condi on. Check it out here- h p://www.amazon.com/Hitachi-DZMV780A-1-3MP-Camcorder-Optical/dp/ B0007XGA36, $1,500 pesos. Call: (376)7661756 FOR SALE: Steel Bunkbeds w ma resses. Good condi on. Great for extra visitors. $1,500 pesos. Call: (387) 761-0125 FOR SALE: Crystal glasses, Empire Gold, 4 of each water, wine, hi-ball and aper f, all gold rimmed, set for $3000 pesos. Assorted baking sheets and pans from cookies to roasts, priced individually. Call 01 387 763 2962 FOR SALE: Over the toilet storage unit, 3 shelves, metal and plas c construc on, $150 pesos. Christmas decora on, ornaments, ar ficial tree 6 tall with stand $500 pesos. Call 01 387 763 2962 FOR SALE: Wall mounted holder for TV, black metal, swivel, expandable for large TV, $200 pesos. Wall mount CD holder, black metal holds 40 cd´s, $100 pesos. Call 01 (387) 763-2962 FOR SALE: CD holder floor stand, 1 meter height, aluminum, holds 50 cd´s, $200 pesos. Call 01 (387) 763-2962 FOR SALE: Only 1 rd old, 1100 litre black naco with stand, excellent condi on, Can arrange delivery & installa on by my trusted contractor for good price. Check prices & compare- this is a steal. $1,200 pesos. Contact: Sherry Hudson WANTED: Looking for lightly used bunk beds. Call: 331 017-0323 FOR SALE: Sonicare brush replacements (2) for sale. Advance Model “works with all original sonicare and Advance series handles”. $250 pesos for 2. Call: (376)766-4106 FOR SALE: Outdoor cast aluminum table, round 40” diameter w/ 4 chairs and cushions, includes 8 umbrella and stand, $3000.pesos, Bar caddy cart, white heavy duty plas c with wheels, 2 levels, push handle,$700.pesos,Call: (387) 763-2962 FOR SALE: FirePit, custom made, steel 22”x22”, 4 x4 table top led, seats 8, great for entertaining on a cold nite,$2000.pesos, Fountain with pump, pedestal style, decorave 150 p, Pressure washer Arbruder, max PSI 2900, $600 pesos. Call 01-387-763-2962 FOR SALE: Cold water dispenser, Kelvinator electric, holds large bo le, $600 pesos. Call 01 (387) 763-2962 FOR SALE: Wine rack, 6 tall, twisted wrought iron decora ve, holds 10btls, 700.p, Meat slicer deli style, metal and plasc, paper thin to 3/4”, $500.pesos, Roas ng pan and lid, steel, knives and turkey li er, $350.peso. Call 01-(387) 763-2962 FOR SALE: Roas ng pan lid and li er, aluminum, $200 pesos, Fondue set, electric Cuisine art, brushed stainless steel w. 8 forks, $450 pesos, Chafing dish, brass and copper, 10”, wood handle, lid and base. $400 pesos. Call 01 (387) 763-2962 FOR SALE: Transdermal Electrolysis System for Permanent Hair Removal. Includes fully-adjustable medically-regulated precision power system, panel meter, swab electrode, galvanic tweezers, hand-free clip, dermal contact electrode a achment assembly, and more, $2,800. Call Janet (376) 766-1069 FOR SALE: Upholstered equipale living room set. Sofa, love seat and arm chair. Very good condi on. $2,000 pesos. Call Lilia (376) 766-1069 FOR SALE: Like new American queen sized

red and black futon/sofabed, very comfortable. $6,500 pesos. Call: (376) 766-7028 FOR SALE: Leather Tools & Books. $1,000 pesos OBO. Contact: lindarose51@hotmail. com WANTED: Mexican Swords and Knives over 100 plus years old. Call: (376)765-2891. WANTED: Looking for a used exercise bike in good condi on. Call Mike @ (376) 766-2275 FOR SALE: Ver cal CD Player MP3 ready for USB connec on Digital Clock illuminated Modern styling counter top or wall mount out of box once $1,000 pesos Call: (376) 766-4474 FOR SALE: Cement mixer, gas motor, 9 HP, bought new used only 6 months. Call Mike: (376) 766-2829 FOR SALE: Protect your electrical and electronic equipment with a Delta Lightning Silicon Arrestor model LA 302R and a Delta Surge Capacitor model CA 302R. Both items are new and in original packaging. Call: (376) 766-3335 FOR SALE: We are mo vated sellers of a STI model KEHR-ECO 58-1800-30 large solar water heater. It is a 340 litre, 30 tube unit suitable for family of 8 using a pressurized water system. $1225 USD. Contact: Walter Corol FOR SALE: Arbor 4 string elec base w/ strap & carrying bag. $1,500 pesos. Samick AG-10 26w guitar amp & amp cord. $700 pesos (IF sold seperately). Contact: Jeﬀ Gillihan FOR SALE: Many, large and small plants in wonderful Mexican po ery. From $50 pesos to $1,300 pesos Call: (376) 765-7648 or email: il3queen@yahoo.com FOR SALE: 1983 Correct Cra , 18’ 9” (5.72 m), “Air Nau que”. Customized, restored, and fully na onalized, $85,000 pesos. Contact: C. Hunter @ (376) 766-1718 FOR SALE: Mexican Po ery Lamp. Base is vase shaped. Shade is po ery too with decora ve cutouts through which the light shines. Terraco a color. $15USD/190 pesos. Please reply to ccalfapietra@hotmail.com FOR SALE: Three Piece Living Room or Veranda Set. Occasional chair, love seat, sofa. Mexican made, Victorian style. Upholstered in burnt orange. $150 USD/$1,300 pesos. Please reply to ccalfapietra@hotmail.com. FOR SALE: Harley Davidson touch lamp, new in box $400 pesos. No email, Please Call Lee Borden at 333-496-5883 FOR SALE: Bar Style Table. Round 30” diameter laminated top on 42” high metal pedestal base. Includes 3 tall, wooden, swivels stools w/back rests and brass foot rails. Excellent condi on, $3,500 pesos. No email, Please Call Lee Borden at 333-496-5883 FOR SALE: This is just the LMB for a dish to get Dish Network. 3 years old. $150 pesos. Call: (376) 765-4590

COLLECTIBLES WANTED: Those who have items related to the brand of Whiskey Jack Daniel’s If you have things you want to give away or sell. Contact: Jorge Del Arenal FOR SALE: Box cameras(early 1900s), the very first Polaroid Model 95 (1948), German Fine a 1950 35mm, Eumig C3 Austrian 1959 3-lens turret 8mm with case & instrucon manual. Contact: Ron Russell FOR SALE: Incredible collec on of 750 diﬀerent Mexican stamps, all pictorial, all mint and never hinged, only $200 USD. Call James Tipton, (376) 765-7689.

Saw you in the Ojo 77

El Ojo del Lago / October 2011

Saw you in the Ojo 79