240 - pvmcitypaper

ISSUE 240
SATURDAY 25
MAY - 2013
1918 - 2013
1968 - 2013
SATURDAY 25
ISSUE 240 | MAY - 2013
FRIDAY 31
FRIDAY 31
2
Need to Know
check before it is requested, so when
you’re ready to leave, ask «La cuenta,
por favor» and your bill will be delivered
to you.
MONEY EXCHANGE: Although
you may have to wait in line for a few
minutes, remember that the banks will
give you a higher rate of exchange than
the exchange booths (caja de cambio).
Better yet, if you have a «bank card»,
withdraw funds from your account back
home. Try to avoid exchanging money at
your hotel. Traditionally, those offer the
worst rates.
I
f you’ve been meaning to find a little information on the region,
but never quite got around to it, we hope that the following will help.
Look at the map in this issue, you will note that PV (as the locals call
it) is on the west coast of Mexico, in the middle of the Bay of Banderas,
the largest bay in this country, that includes southern part of the state
of Nayarit to the north and the northern part of Jalisco to the south.
Thanks to its privileged location -sheltered by the Sierra Madre
mountains- the Bay is well protected against the hurricanes spawned
in the Pacific. Hurricane Kenna came close on October 25, 2002,
but actually touched down in San Blas, Nayarit, some 200 miles
north of PV. The town sits on the same parallel as the Hawaiian
Islands, thus the similarities in the climate of the two destinations.
AREA: 1,300 sq. kilometers
POPULATION: Approx. 325,000
inhabitants
CLIMATE: Tropical, humid, with
an average of 300 sunny days per year.
The temperature averages 28oC (82oF)
and the rainy season extends from late
June to early October.
allowed under certain circumstances
but fishing of any kind is prohibited.
Every year, the Bay receives the visit
of the humpback whales, dolphins and
manta rays in the winter. During the
summer, sea turtles, a protected species,
arrive to its shores to lay their eggs.
FAUNA: Nearby Sierra Vallejo
hosts a great variety of animal species
such as iguana, guacamaya, deer,
raccoon, etc.
ECONOMY: Local economy is
based mainly on tourism, construction
and to a lesser degree, on agriculture,
mainly tropical fruit such as mango,
papaya,
watermelon,
pineapple,
guanabana, cantaloupe and bananas.
SANCTUARIES:
Bahía
de
Banderas encloses two Marine
National Parks - Los Arcos and the
Marieta Islands - where diving is
CURRENCY: The Mexican Peso is
the legal currency in Mexico although
Canadian and American dollars are
widely accepted.
Index
BUSES: A system of urban buses
with different routes. Current fare is
$6.50 Pesos per ticket and passengers
must purchase a new ticket every time
they board another bus. There are no
“transfers”.
TAXIS: There are set rates within
defined zones of the town. Do not enter
a taxi without agreeing on the price with
the driver FIRST. If you are staying in a
hotel, you may want to check the rates
usually posted in the lobby. Also, if you
know which restaurant you want to go,
do not let the driver change your mind.
Many restaurateurs pay commissions to
taxi drivers and you may end up paying
more than you should, in a second-rate
establishment! There are 2 kinds of taxi
SATURDAY 25
cabs: those at the airport and the maritime
port are usually vans that can only be
boarded there. They have pre-fixed rates
per passenger. City cabs are yellow cars
that charge by the ride, not by passenger.
When you ask to go downtown, many
drivers let you off at the beginning of the
area, near Hidalgo Park. However, your
fare covers the ENTIRE central area, so
why walk 10 to 15 blocks to the main
plaza, the Church or the flea market?
Pick up a free map, and insist on your full
value from the driver! Note the number
of your taxi in case of any problem, or
if you forget something in the cab. Then
your hotel or travel rep can help you
check it out or lodge a complaint.
TIME ZONE: The entire State of
Jalisco is on Central Time, as is the
southern part of the State of Nayarit
- from San Blas in the north through
to the Ameca River, i.e.: San Blas,
San Pancho, Sayulita, Punta Mita, La
Cruz de Huanacaxtle, Bucerías, Nuevo
Vallarta, etc.)
TELEPHONE CALLS: Always
check on the cost of long distance
calls from your hotel room. Some
establishments charge as much as U.S.
$7.00 per minute!
CELL PHONES: Most cellular
phones from the U.S. and Canada may
be programmed for local use, through
Telcel and IUSAcell, the local carriers.
To dial cell to cell, use the prefix 322,
then the seven digit number of the
person you’re calling. Omit the prefix if
dialling a land line.
LOCAL CUSTOMS: Tipping
is usually 10%-15% of the bill at
restaurants and bars. Tip bellboys, taxis,
waiters, maids, etc. depending on the
service. Some businesses and offices
close from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., reopening
until 7 p.m. or later. In restaurants, it is
considered poor manners to present the
ISSUE 240 | MAY - 2013
FRIDAY 31
WHAT TO DO: Even if your allinclusive hotel is everything you ever
dreamed of, you should experience at
least a little of all that Vallarta has to
offer - it is truly a condensed version of
all that is Mexican and existed before
«Planned Tourist Resorts», such as
Cancun, Los Cabos and Ixtapa, were
developed. Millions have been spent to
ensure that the original “small town”
flavor is maintained downtown, in the
Old Town and on the South Side.
DRINKING WATER: The false
belief that a Mexican vacation must
inevitably lead to an encounter with
Moctezuma’s revenge is just that:
false. For the 21st year in a row, Puerto
Vallarta’s water has been awarded
a certification of purity for human
consumption. It is one of only two
cities in Mexico that can boast of such
accomplishment. True, the quality of
the water tested at the purification plant
varies greatly from what comes out of
the tap at the other end. So do be careful.
On the other hand, most large hotels
have their own purification equipment
and most restaurants use purified water.
If you want to be doubly sure, you can
pick up purified bottled water just about
anywhere.
EXPORTING PETS: Canadian and
American tourists often fall in love with
one of the many stray dogs and cats in
Vallarta. Many would like to bring it
back with them, but believe that the laws
do not allow them to do so. Wrong. If
you would like to bring a cat or a dog
back home, call the local animal shelter
for more info: 293-3690.
LOCAL SIGHTSEEING: A good
beginning would be to take one of the City
Tours offered by the local tour agencies.
Before boarding, make sure you have a
map and take note of the places you want
to return to. Then venture off the beaten
path. Explore a little. Go farther than the
tour bus takes you. And don’t worry this is a safe place.
Sound Off
This being our last printed issue for the season, I want to thank
all our contributors, our advertisers and of course you, our readers,
for our best season yet! As I’ve mentioned before, we were able to
triple our circulation (greater than the next two English-language
publications combined) …and to continue printing for an extra
month. Thank you all!
We first began suspending our printed version during the summer
back in 2009, due to the H1N1 flu scare – which, thank heavens,
never did hit Puerto Vallarta. With time, we realized that it was better
to remain online-only during the summer as we were - and still are blessed with an average of 60,000 individual visitors per month to our
two linked web sites (www.pvmirror.com and www.pvmcitypaper.
com), not to mention the close to 5,000 “friends” who can read us
every day on Facebook, where we post day-to-day updates and news
that come in too late for our weekend issues.
As always, the mission of the Mirror is to focus on Puerto Vallarta
– its events, politics, etc., anything that might be of interest to both
residents of and visitors to this town. Obviously, should there be any
important events north of the Ameca River, or in Mexico, we will
publish them as well.
Locally, in addition to the usual ongoing events, plus Restaurant
Week, the big ones coming up this week are Vallarta Pride’s 1st, the
grand finale of the First Bougainvillea Festival and of course, Puerto
Vallarta’s anniversary party on the 31st. You’re in for a great time!
Also, if you’re in Puerto Vallarta as you read this, or if you’re
planning to visit us soon, please don’t forget to tell our advertisers
that you saw them in the PV Mirror (in print or on line)!
We thank you once again for your support and hope that you will
keep those posts, emails, and “letters to the Editor” coming. Everyone
loves them!
If you are in this wonderful town we call home as you are reading
this, you can enjoy the great food offerings during “Restaurant
Week(s)”, but do not forget the dozens of other excellent restaurants
throughout Puerto Vallarta, that are not participating in this yearly
event!
As always, we wish you good health, happiness, and a most
enjoyable Memorial Day weekend.
See you on line next week!
Allyna Vineberg
Editor / Publisher
Be careful out there.
P.S.: What is being done about the ATM
scanning around Olas Altas?
Heidi Snowden,
PV resident for 30 years
Last week, my house guests arrived at the
airport and paid for taxi service. They then
went to one of the ATMs to withdraw cash. As
the machine is slow to return the debit card,
they walked away, distracted by the taxi guy
yelling at them. There was an airport porter
stationed at the ATM during this time.
My friends returned to the machine and
asked the porter for the card. He adamantly
denied possession. Airport police were called.
They did absolutely nothing.
My friend speaks excellent Spanish. Finally,
he persisted in antagonizing the porter, saying
“Just give me my card, all I want is my card.”
The porter reached in his pocket and handed
him his card. It is clear that theses guys were
collaborating.
Catching up on back reading, I was looking
at a letter printed in the March 29th issue from
Ms. Colbert talking about the CC Slaughter
noise and the Local Government not having
the funds to deal with this problem.
I know of two smaller bars where the
Reglamentos have gone, one was closed that
night, the other told that if they did not stop
the music, they would be.
Why can’t they do that with CC? Does not
take any special funding from the City, if they
lost a few nights’ revenue, I think they would
do something.
Regarding her thoughts that property with
a certain value pay more in taxes, first, like
many Governments who collect taxes, there
is absolutely no guarantee what the money
would be used for, and second there are
people who have chosen Mexico as their
home because of low costs here.
SATURDAY 25
ISSUE 240 | MAY - 2013
Let’s not penalize the people who bring
money here and spend it enriching the local
economy.
Like I said, just catching up, so if someone
has already responded, sorry.
Realistic.
Dear Editor,
Dear Editor,
3
FRIDAY 31
Dear Editor,
I have two issues to share with you and
your readers.
First: The airport with its nice OXXO
store. Only in P.V. Like any airport, always a
shortage of convenient parking, but not here!
We have an OXXO store, nice and close to
the exit that all the timeshare goons use. Now
they can scoot to the OXXO, get their fix and
return to the secure area in the airport.
We normal people could never enter
the secure area, even if we had to meet
handicapped people, or seniors, or anybody
needing assistance… But, if you’re timeshare,
you’re above normal people. You can come
and go whenever and wherever you please.
You’re such up and coming honest souls.
Again: Only in P.V.
Please go to next page for continuation...
4
Continued from previous page...
I guess I’m finally understanding why
my family and many other “normal” people
are tired of and fed up with our marvelous,
modern OXXO- and timeshare-equipped
airport.
Second: May I suggest, if you’re short of
entertainment on a Sunday, why not go to
Costco?
I marvel at the number of shoppers that
go for there for their afternoon lunch. I
don’t mean in the lunch area. I’m referring
to the sample tables located around the
shopping area. Young and old alike, not just
a “sample”, but a handful, as many as you
can get in your mouth, piled on the kid’s
seat of the cart, etc.
We live very close to Costco, so only buy
items as needed. It’s not uncommon for us
to visit daily. Needless to say, Sundays are
very educational. We’ll all watch for y’all…
Love the PV Mirror.
4-year PV resident
Dear Editor,
In reference to the letter from Pablo
Gonzalez G. [see Issue # 239] You are right in what you said in your
letter. We all know there will be mud
coming down when it rains. We can hope
that next year they will solve the problem.
In the meanwhile, let us go look at a worse
looking problem that in the future will be a
much worse one to correct.
The very beautiful pier that is now
finished has a very impressive sail that is
lighted at night. This sail is supported by
an outstanding structure of stainless steel
tubing that will last many years. However,
when you look down at the pier bases that
must support the whole pier, you see base
plates and anchor bolts that are mild steel
with the white paint peeling off and they are
starting to rust. This is not a problem that
will be easy to solve and will be seen by
many more people over time, than will be
the tunnel.
Civil engineers and architects must work
with the builders who will want to use the
lowest priced materials to do the job. As we
can see in both of these cases.
The old gringo
Sound Off
First Bougainvillea Festival
ends this weekend
Friday, May 24th promises to be a true Fiesta Night, starting
with a Fashion Show at Lazaro Cardenas Park, followed by a
“Milonga” Tango Dance Party & Contest from 6 to 10 p.m.,
at Los Arcos Amphitheater.
Saturday, May 25th - The Bougainvillea Festival Closing
Parade & Party will depart from the Agustin Flores Contreras
Municipal Stadium car park at 5 p.m., on to the Hotel Rosita,
where they will be divided into two groups. Small decorated cars
& floats will travel along the Malecón and larger conveyances
will take the street behind the Malecón, reconvening at the
corner of I. L. Vallarta and Basilio Badillo, then down to Lazaro
Cardenas Park, where the Festival’s Official Closing Party will
be held from 7 to 10 p.m.
*****
Allyna Vineberg
[email protected]
Contributors:
Anna Reisman
Joe Harrington
Harriet Murray
Stan Gabruk
Giselle Belanger
Krystal Frost
Ronnie Bravo
Gil Gevins
Tommy Clarkson
Luis Melgoza
Office: 223-1128
Graphic Designer:
The Bugambilia Festival in Puerto
Vallarta has been a dream of the PV
Garden Club (PVGC), formed 3
years ago with a mission to beautify
and protect the environment through
civic planting projects and a vision
to enhance the natural beauty of
Puerto Vallarta for the benefit of the
community at large and to stimulate
business and tourism.
To date, the PVGC has planted over 200 Amapas and
Primavera trees and hundreds of
bougainvillea plants along Olas Altas, Basilio Badillo,
Insurgentes, Avenida Mexico and in the
Mercado Cuale area.
This year you can reap the rewards of our efforts as you
walk along Basilio Badillo or enjoy the renovation of Lazaro
Cardenas Park. Last year, over 30 volunteers showed up there to
clean, replant and revitalize this central park in Puerto Vallarta.
It is the goal of the PVGC and the Bougainvillea Festival
to bring awareness to the public of our continued efforts at
“greening” Vallarta. Our end goal is to plant over 5,000 trees
and at least as many bougainvillea throughout the city. We need
your assistance and continued support in order to continue this
work, to enhance the environment and natural beauty of Puerto
Vallarta.
The Puerto Vallarta Garden Club is grateful to all of
the volunteers and participant who have brought this first
Bougainvillea Festival from a dream to a reality. Our vision
is that the Bugambilia Festival will continue to grow every
year to become a world renowned festival bringing in art,
culture and tourism into Puerto Vallarta for the benefit of all its
citizens, businesses and visitors.
Join us in celebrating the conclusion of out First Annual
Bougainvillea Festival!
For more information, please visit VallartaGardenClub.com
or follow Bugambilia Festival 2013 on Facebook.
SATURDAY 25
Publisher / Editor:
ISSUE 240 | MAY - 2013
FRIDAY 31
Leo Robby R. R.
Webmaster:
PVMCITYPAPER Online Team
Cover:
Collage of archive photos
PV Mirror es una publicación semanal.
Certificados de licitud de título y
contenido en tramite. Prohibida la
reproducción total o parcial de su
contenido, imágenes y/o fotografías sin
previa autorización por escrito del editor.
Within PV
5
From the Saturday Market Co-op…
T
he weather is warming up and the humidity
is increasing! The Saturday Market Co-op is the
place to go for some cool and refreshing ideas.
The market is open year round, every Saturday,
from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m., rain or shine.
Too hot to turn on the oven? No problem!
Pick up a prepared quiche, some hummus,
smoked meats and cheeses for some light eating.
Rye bread and bagels – yum! How about some
homemade yogurt sprinkled with freshly made
spices? We even have ice cream!
For lightweight clothing, how about a snappy,
loose fitting and flowing top? Add some unique
earrings and bracelets and you’re set! If you’ve
not tried a cooling tie, now is the time!
With a superabundance of fabrics to choose
from, you just soak the tie in some cool water.
Shortly, because it is filled with special gel/beads,
it will plump up and then the small miracle is that
once you put it around your neck, it will keep
you cool for hours on end! They can be used
over and over. It’s best to have a few so that you
can mix and match them with your outfits. For
those who have dogs, you well know the heat
can be dangerous for them. Not to worry! The
FabFabricFellows have them for canines as well!
For the upcoming sultry and steamy nights when
you are tossing and turning because it’s so hot,
lay one of the cooling ties across your chest for
some refreshment.
The Saturday Market Co-op is located at the
Paradise Community Center where - under a
gigantic palapa with super-sized fans above - our
customers are able to move about comfortably,
out of the sun. That’s at 127 Pulpito, in the
Romantic Zone on the south side of town. We’re
proud to be open year-round so that we can
continue to serve our loyal customers.
And remember, no matter when you visit us,
COME HUNGRY!
5th Annual Gay march
for gender equality
Last week and in anticipation
PV’s hot LGBT party scene
Lonely Planet rates Puerto Vallarta as the world’s
6 most gay-friendly destination and TripAdvisor
users rate it as the #1 Gay Destination on the globe!
This once sleepy little fishing village on the
coastline of one of the most practicing Catholic
countries in the world has positioned itself as one of
the pre-imminent LGBT party destinations globally
and here are some of the hottest gay playgrounds in
Puerto Vallarta, including:
- Blue Chairs: A true legend on the LGBT
vacation scene, Blue Chairs rates as the world’s #1
gay vacation get-away according to TripAdvisor
because of its gorgeous beachfront location and
non-stop activities.
th
- Los Muertos Beach: Sunny, sandy and sexy, Los
Muertos beach is where you’ll find hot bodies and
cold drinks every day of the week.
- La Noche: The roof-top patio of this chic martini
lounge is the perfect place to party under the stars.
With cheap drinks and happy hours flowing 24
hours a day in Puerto Vallarta, a wild party scene and
a welcoming attitude towards the LGBT community,
it’s not surprising the Vallarta continues to build its
reputation as the one of the world’s best gay party
destinations. For more information, please take a
look at the calendar of events for Vallarta Pride on
our back cover, and visit http://gaypv.mx/ or http://
visitpuertovallarta.com/
SATURDAY 25
ISSUE 240 | MAY - 2013
FRIDAY 31
of the First Vallarta Pride events,
numerous demonstrators for
gender equality and against
homophobia marched along the
Malecon all the way down to Olas
Altas to the applause of diners
and passers-by on their route.
6
Within PV
Act II entertainment presents
Pride Concert of Vallarta
Act II Entertainment is proud to be producing the concert for Puerto
Vallarta’s First Annual Gay Pride Festival. The concert will be held in the
amphitheater of Lázaro Cárdenas Park (corner of Olas Altas & V. Carranza
on Sunday, May 26th from 5 to 7:30 p.m., immediately following the Pride
parade.
Danny Mininni directs the show, with vocal direction by Elizabeth
Ensor. It will be co-hosted by Supermana, the hilarious drag entertainer
from Mexico City, and local TV personality Edgar Sánchez. The concert
features 23 local Vallarta singers and dancers in a variety of musical genres
ranging from pop, to Mariachi-style music, solos, duets and full choral
ensembles. Efrén Muñoz’ Zumba Crew will dazzle the audience with their
high-energy routines, and Marcella Castellano’s Salsa Dancers will spice
up the show with their sensual rhythms.
The Pride concert is made up of all of Vallarta’s fan favorites: From
local TV personality Edgar Sanchez who will be hosting the event with
Supermana, to Diamante Negro and Pedro Islas - solo performance and
duets; Elizabeth Ensor will kick off the show with a new take on a classic
gay anthem; local singer/actor Juan Pablo Hernández with a show-stopping
talent, and Joan Houston with a favorite from one of Act II’s hot comedy
last season, Sordid Lives; Ryan Rigazzi with his spirited voice, and Sylvia
and Jorge with the Act II band; Daniel Portela with a dynamite high-energy
mix; a sneak-preview performance of Vallarta’s newest sensation, the “Five
Tenors of Vallarta”, who will have their debut concert in the opening week
of the new STAGES performance space with an ongoing concert series
next season. Act II Entertainment musicians Don and Rhonda will back up
vocalists with drummer Chuy Estrada.
Act II Entertainment was chosen to direct the show – the second concert
produced this year by Vallarta’s dynamic theatrical production company.
Rehearsals are being held in Act II Entertainment’s STAGES, the company’s
new theatrical venue space that is under construction at the corner of Basilio
Badillo & Insurgentes, scheduled to open in November 2013.
The Pride Concert is free, open to all the public, and will be followed by
various DJ’s sponsored by many of the local clubs, who will spin the crowd
into a frenzy from 7:30 till 10 p.m.
On behalf of the Pride Committee and everyone working on this historic
event in Puerto Vallarta, Act II Entertainment welcomes all - gay and
straight - to this entertaining and uplifting evening of entertainment.
Act II Entertainment invites the public to LIKE their Facebook Page to
stay up to date with information on upcoming productions.
Website: actiientertainment.com, Email: [email protected],
Facebook: facebook.com/ActIIEntertainment
SATURDAY 25
Brothers in Song
It’s another opening, another show!
The Puerto Vallarta Men’s Chorus is currently in production for their
2nd Annual Pride Concert entitled “Brothers In Song” to be presented at
the Boutique Theatre with 3 performances, Friday, Saturday and Sunday,
June 14, 15 and 16th.
Showtimes are at 8 p.m., except Sunday, when the start time is 5 p.m.
(for the “early folks”!) The Boutique Theatre is located in Old Town
Puerto Vallarta at 330 Naranjo on the corner of Basilio Badillo.
Tickets are limited, so make sure and get yours soon. All tickets are
$250 pesos and are available on the PVMC website, www.pvmenschorus.
org, at the Boutique Theatre website, www.boutiquetheatre.ca, cell
number (322) 728-6878 and “Flowers To Go” in the heart of the
Romantic Zone, 126 Rodolfo Gómez (www.flowerstogovallarta.com),
tel.: 223-5686. They will also be sold at the Saturday Co-op Market, 9
a.m. ‘til 1 p.m. This market is at the Paradise Community Center (www.
paradisecommunitycenter.com) at 127 Pulpito, cell: (322) 133-7263.
The Boutique Theatre is a new 120-seat performance space with stateof-the-art lights and sound, plus air conditioning, a delightful intimate
space to see one of PV’s newest and best arts organizations, the Puerto
Vallarta Men’s Chorus!
Please mark these dates on your calendar for a fun-filled performance.
The Puerto Vallarta Men’s Chorus marked its one-year anniversary
on April 1st. The group is made up of ex-pats and Mexican nationals
and most of the singers are gay. This is the first gay men’s chorus ever
formed in Mexico or Central America. There are over 40 singers in the
organization. The chorus is looking for more singers and for volunteers!
Contact email is [email protected], tel.: (322) 779-9935.
ISSUE 240 | MAY - 2013
FRIDAY 31
Within PV
7
Happy Anniversaries,
Puerto Vallarta!
This Friday, May 31st, 2013, Puerto Vallarta will celebrate
its 95th anniversary as a municipality and its 45th as a city.
There are usually civic activities throughout the day, in
addition to the usual festivities at Los Arcos Amphitheater
(across the street from the town’s main square)
and by the Seahorse Statue, starting in the afternoon.
As of this printing, we were not informed as to the location
of the traditional fireworks this year.
Photo by 420estudio on Facebook
A Little History
During the first part of the 19th
century, at the mouth of the Cuale
River -then inhabited primarily by
crocodiles- there were practically no
human dwellers. The hubs of economic
activity were up in the mountains, in
the towns of Cuale, San Sebastian and
Mascota, where silver mines abounded
but where salt, an essential element for
processing the metal, was nowhere to
be found.
In 1851, Guadalupe Sanchez, a
boatman from Cihuatlán who used to
bring salt from San Blas or the Marias
Islands to Los Muertos beach, became
weary of waiting for the muleteers
to come and pick up the load. As he
was still a young man of 19 and had
just gotten married, Guadalupe saw fit
to establish himself in this beautiful
place he would call Las Peñas. This,
in few words, Happy Anniversaries,
beautiful could very well be the
story of the founding of what we
now know as Puerto Vallarta. The
discovery of a lesser kind of silver in
the United States brought down the
price of the metal and old prosperity
became affliction. The miners left their
recently acquired trade to go back to
agriculture, this time in the fertile
valley of the Ameca River, so rich that
it produced three corn harvest per year.
The area was not only self-sufficient,
it even yielded enough surpluses to be
sold in other markets of the county. As
there were no roads out of Las Peñas,
the produce was sent out on boats by
way of Manzanillo and Mazatlan.
In 1918, through the efforts of its
population, Las Peñas was granted
the title of municipality, as well as a
new name: Puerto Vallarta, in honor of
Ignacio L. Vallarta.
About 20 years later, Vallartans
turned their eyes towards the ocean
where they found a new source of
wealth - in sharks. The fish’s fins soon
ended up on the tables of Chinese
SATURDAY 25
restaurants in New York. In 1942,
the first formal promotion of Puerto
Vallarta abroad appeared as an ad
in “Modern Mexico”, a magazine
published in New York. The text in
a sixth-of-a-page ad offered a flight
from Guadalajara to a “primitive place
of hunting and fishing” and was signed
by the Fierro brothers, founders of the
first airline service in the community.
Twelve years later, Mexicana Airlines
inaugurated its flight GuadalajaraPuerto Vallarta. Among the visitors
who started coming was Guillermo
Wulff, a Mexico City engineer, and
famous movie director John Huston.
With the filming of “The Night of
the Iguana” in 1963, the extraordinary
gathering of celebrities, captive in an
out-of-the-way spot, plus the scandal
caused by the famous Elizabeth
Taylor-Richard Burton affair- was too
tempting for the international press
that soon began arriving in hordes.
From that moment on, Puerto Vallarta
ceased to be “a secret hide-away
waiting to be discovered”.
Facing the growing demands of
tourism, the need for an adequate
response from authorities and investors
became urgent, and the Governor of
the State of Jalisco from 1965 to 1971,
ISSUE 240 | MAY - 2013
FRIDAY 31
Francisco Medina Ascencio, was there
to promote the change. Through his
efforts and vision, Medina was able to
infuse his confidence in the future of
Puerto Vallarta in the then President
of Mexico, Gustavo Díaz Ordaz, who
decided to take the gamble with the
Governor.
“If the governor of Jalisco and I
fail in our plans to make of Vallarta
a model destination and an example
of perseverance and vision, I will be
reminded of my dear mother and he of
his own. But we will start tomorrow,
hear me well: tomorrow!” - Gustavo
Díaz Ordaz.
Thus Puerto Vallarta ascended to the
category of City on May 31, 1968, and
was granted the financial resources
to build the bridge over the Ameca
River, the coastal highway from Barra
de Navidad to Puerto Vallarta, the
Compostela-Las Varas-Puerto Vallarta
road, and the international airport
named after the President himself.
Multiple events are usually scheduled
for the anniversary celebrations,
starting with a commemorative parade
and ending with a ceremony followed
by the cutting of a cake large enough
for 2000 people, and fireworks at the
main plaza across from the Los Arcos
Amphitheater at 10:30 PM.
8
Beyond PV
who died fighting in any war). It
is now celebrated in almost every
State on the last Monday in May
(passed by Congress with the
National Holiday Act of 1971 to
ensure a 3-day weekend for Federal
holidays), though several southern
states have an additional separate
day for honoring the Confederate
war dead. (Veterans Day, a day set
aside to honor all veterans, living
and dead, is celebrated each year
on November 11.)
In 1915, inspired by the poem “In
Flanders Fields,” Moina Michael
replied with her own poem:
Memorial Day
O
riginally called Decoration
Day, Memorial Day is a day of
remembrance of those who have
died in the service of the United
States of America. There are many
stories as to its actual beginnings.
There is also evidence that organized
women’s groups in the South were
decorating graves before the end of
the Civil War: a hymn published in
1867, “Kneel Where Our Loves are
Sleeping” by Nella L. Sweet carried
the dedication “To The Ladies of
the South who are Decorating the
Graves of the Confederate Dead”
(Source: Duke University’s Historic
American Sheet Music, 18501920). While Waterloo N.Y. was
officially declared the birthplace of
Memorial Day by President Lyndon
Johnson in May 1966, it’s difficult
to prove conclusively the origins
of the day. It is more likely that
it had many separate beginnings;
each of those towns and every
planned or spontaneous gathering
of people to honor the war dead in
the 1860’s tapped into the general
human need to honor our dead,
each contributed honorably to the
growing movement that culminated
We cherish too, the Poppy red
That grows on fields where valor led,
It seems to signal to the skies
That blood of heroes never dies.
in General Logan giving his official
proclamation in 1868. Memorial
Day is about reconciliation; it is
about coming together to honor
those who gave their all.
By 1890, Memorial Day was
recognized by all of the northern
states. The South refused to
acknowledge the day, honoring
their dead on separate days until
after World War I (when the
holiday changed from honoring
just those who died fighting in the
Civil War to honoring Americans
SATURDAY 25
She then conceived of an idea
to wear red poppies on Memorial
Day in honor of those who died
serving the nation during war.
She was the first to wear one, and
sold poppies to her friends and coworkers with the money going to
benefit servicemen in need. Later
a Madame Guérin from France
was visiting the U. S. and learned
of this new custom started by Ms.
Michael and when she returned to
France, made artificial red poppies
to raise money for war orphaned
children and widowed women. This
tradition spread to other countries.
In 1921, the Franco-American
Children’s League sold poppies
ISSUE 240 | MAY - 2013
FRIDAY 31
nationally to benefit war orphans of
France and Belgium. The League
disbanded a year later and Madame
Guérin approached the VFW for
help. Shortly before Memorial Day
in 1922 the VFW became the first
veterans’ organization to nationally
sell poppies. Two years later, their
“Buddy” Poppy program was
selling artificial poppies made by
disabled veterans. In 1948 the US
Post Office honored Ms Michael
for her role in founding the National
Poppy movement by issuing a
red 3-cent postage stamp with her
likeness on it.
To help re-educate and remind
Americans of the true meaning
of Memorial Day, the “National
Moment
of
Remembrance”
resolution was passed in December
2000 which asks that at 3 p.m.
local time, for all Americans “To
voluntarily and informally observe
in their own way a Moment of
remembrance and respect, pausing
from whatever they are doing for
a moment of silence or listening to
‘Taps.”
The Moment of Remembrance
is a step in the right direction to
returning the meaning back to the
day. What is needed is a full return
to the original day of observance.
Set aside one day out of the year
for the nation to get together to
remember, reflect and honor those
who have given their all in service
to their country.
The 7 Arts
by JOE HARRINGTON
Star Trek into Darkness
S
omething happened at the
theater I attended that is very rare –
there were about twenty folks in the
audience – five walked out before
the film ended, and I don’t mean
when the credits rolled, I mean
before the storyline of the flick
was over. When I reviewed The
Great Gatsby, I mentioned people
applauded at the end, something
that is also rare in a movie theater as
there are no actors, as in legitimate
theater, to appreciate the applause.
So there are two ends of a spectrum
- applause and leaving early.
On regular television last night
was the original prequel to the
Star Trek into Darkness, I’d guess
you could say, the early years.
So I watched it again to refresh
my memory. This is a very well
done SciFi movie, full of action,
conflict and tension. Two people, a
Romulan named Nemo and Spock
are hurled back in time to when
Spock is a young officer. What I
liked about that movie is none of
that namby-pamby great friendship
stuff – Kirk and Spock hate each
other. And this hate runs so deep
that Spock – as acting captain –
maroons Kirk on an ice frozen
planet that is populated by some
of the most ferocious critters ever
to come out of a screen writer’s
demented mind.
Wonderful. Took me completely
by surprise.
One thing I couldn’t figure out in
the first one was Spock’s mother
being killed – sucked into a black
hole. I’m getting up there in years,
but I seem to remember in The
Search for Spock that Jane Wyman
was alive and kicking and tutoring
her son – who had lost his memory
mainly because he mind-melded
with McCoy, a.k.a. Bones.
SATURDAY 25
9
This sequel approaches nausea
in its depiction of not just a great
friendship between the Vulcan and
Captain Kirk, but a deep love that is
what writers call jumping.
Take for instance Who’s Afraid
of Virginia Wolf. One of the best
acting jobs Elizabeth Taylor ever
delivered. She was directed by
Richard Burton. It is obvious from
the very beginning that this couple
has a very weird relationship.
They bounce back and forth from
being arch enemies with vitriolic
tongues honed sharper than Satan’s
pitchfork – when it suits them –
to joining forces to attack other
people. The heart of the play is why
they are the way they are and we
don’t learn that until it is revealed
that they lost a child. That’s not
jumping, that’s great screenwriting.
Another example: watching the
transformation between the two
men in My Dinner with Andre. That
is a fantastic example of a shift in
power that is developed slowly
through the course of the film.
Star Trek into Darkness jumps
from the end of the first when two
men have buried the hatchet to two
men who should be off in Hawaii
or Puerto Vallarta sitting on a beach
holding hands. I have seen all the
films involving these two men,
meaning the ones with William
Shatner and Leonard Nemoy.
They had a man’s man friendship
– think George Clooney and Brad
Pitt, or Dean Martin and Frank
Sinatra.
It gets old real fast when over and
over the scenes in a movie keep
trying to drive home a point that is
being stated way over the top.
Yes, the film has action, action,
action. But some of the sets are
ridiculous. This is supposed to
take place decades earlier from the
Shatner episodes yet the spaceship
looks ultra modern.
I suppose if you are a Trekkie
you will stand in awe of this movie,
which just as well could have been
called True Love Conquers All.
ISSUE 240 | MAY - 2013
FRIDAY 31
To me the best part of the movie
was Scotty.
He has the best
throwaway lines, the best scenes
and captures his character from the
first movie perfectly – no jumping
here. On another note, I am having
cataract surgery this week – the
recovery time between the operation
until I get a new set of specks is
about two weeks. Meaning I will
be on holiday from the movies for a
couple of weeks. I will miss either
one or two columns.
That said, have a great Memorial
weekend celebrating freedom, but
take a moment to remember those
who bought this liberty with their
lives.
Joe is an internationally published
author and a documentary
film maker. He can be reached
with suggestions or criticism at
[email protected].
Artwork by Bob Crabb.
10
Good Bites
What’s new at Los Mercados
NEW SUMMER HOURS! Monday thru Saturday 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Now that it is warming up, the last thing you probably want to do is
cook and that is where Mikey’s comes to save the day! If you have not
been to see us recently, we have a bunch of new items in our prepared foods
section, from entrees to sides and plenty of cool
summer salads. Some of our new items are stuffed
bell peppers, hot wings, grilled vegetables with tons
of flavor and poached salmon with a yogurt dill sauce
and lemon. Of course, we have all of your favorite
gourmet and local cheeses, top-quality deli meats
that pair perfectly with wines from Cork+Bottle.
Our fresh salad selection includes chef salad, Caesar,
Greek salad chock-full of feta, fresh veggies and
black olives, and our popular slaw and potato salads
- plus many more.
Super Spring & Summer Special! From now until the end of August, we are
offering 25% OFF all of our sandwiches at Mikey’s from 3 p.m. to
close. (Does not include “Build Your Own”) To see the Mikey’s Sandwich Menu please visit www.losmercadospv.
com/images/mikeys_menu_2012.jpg No coupon required. Just order your
favorite sandwich for here or to go and enjoy!
Come chill out in the coolest produce section in town at Don Fresco!
Select the best of the bunch, from fresh lettuces, yellow lemons to organic
baby spinach, asparagus and Granny Smith Apples. Best yet, fresh herbs in
small packages with small prices - from only 3 to 15 Pesos each.
Rainy season is right around the corner and there is no better time to
get your creative juices flowing. Join us and your friends at FireWorks!
and get your paint on! Pick a plate, a mug, a candle holder or one of
100 other items and create something to treasure. Prices start at only 50
Pesos and this includes everything - the piece you pick, paint and firing.
Fun for people of all ages and skill levels. Best yet, you can enjoy lunch
and a glass of wine as you paint your piece. Come and unleash the artist
in you! Summer Hours: Tuesday- Saturday 11
a.m. to 5 p.m.
The A/C is on and the table and chairs are
inside of Cork+Bottle. We sell wine by the glass
and always have bottles ready to pour you a taste
if you’d like to try a new wine. We also carry a
large selection of spirits and bar supplies including
bitters, Mr. & Mrs.T Bloody Mary Mix, Rose’s
Lime …and more.
Did you know we have indoor seating with
A/C in k’ rico:)? Enjoy your hot coffee in cool
comfort, or a smoothie, espresso or other gourmet
hot or cold coffee drink. Prefer tea? We have that
too, including iced. Our fresh baked pastries are
heavenly as well as our berry tarts, individual cakes, lush desserts and
delicious donuts! Swing in from 4 p.m. to closing time and get 2x1
pastries!
Want to know more about Los Mercados? Visit our website at www.
losmercadospv.com
To keep up with the latest news, info and promotions at Los Mercados
and engage with us socially - please LIKE us on Facebook. Want to
talk to us? Call us at 223-0383. Los Mercados is located at 265 Aquiles
Serdan in the Romantic Zone on the south side of Puerto Vallarta. There’s more to our history than just great flavors
S
ometimes we all need more than just chips,
guacamole and margaritas. Archie’s Wok is
your haven for bold and innovative flavors when
you are looking for a change from that Mexican
groove.
Since 1986, Archie’s Wok has been legendary
in Banderas Bay for serving-up original cuisine
influenced by the exotic flavors of Thailand, the
Philippines and the Pacific Rim. Archie’s helped
establish the culinary foundation of Puerto
Vallarta and continues to be one of the bay’s
most beloved, longtime established restaurants.
It all began in 1976 when Archie was asked
to become Hollywood director John Huston’s
private chef at his personal retreat on Banderas
Bay’s south shore. Only reachable by boat, Las
Caletas (The Coves) was John Huston’s rustic jungle
villa by the sea.
John’s 75th: The largest fiesta was for John’s
75th birthday - 112 guests, with Lola Beltran “La
Grande” singing accompanied by the Mariachi
Vargas de Tecotitlán - what a show! Archie did a
lechon, the Filipino-style pig roast, which required
putting the word out to the local ranchers to find the
right pig, not too large and fat, but large enough to
feed 100+ carnivores. The pig was then turned by
hand on a spit for about 8 hours over a deep bed
of hot coals, until the skin crackled crisp and the
meat tested done. It was a pagan ritual, and John
loved it - he was in his element. Today, Archie’s
SATURDAY 25
ISSUE 240 | MAY - 2013
FRIDAY 31
family upholds his legacy of welcoming guests
for celebrations of all kinds to this tranquil Asianinspired restaurant.
So when you finally say “let’s try something
new,” head on over to Archie’s Wok and discover
a world of flavors. Named “Best Asian” in
Vallarta since 2005. Ask about their “gluten free”
options. Open Monday through Saturday from 2
to 11 p.m. The ever-popular d’Rachael continues
to perform classical and contemporary music on
harp, flute & vocals each Friday evening from
7:30 to 10:30 p.m. Located in Vallarta’s South
Side at 130 Francisca Rodriguez. You know the
street, the one that meets the new pier. Tel.: 2220411. No reservations needed.
Legal Matters
For additional information, you can
email: [email protected].
mx or [email protected].
mx; or, call: 01 (800) 463-6728 from
within Mexico or 1 (877) 448-8728
from the US or Canada.
Ask Luis
by LUIS MELGOZA
If a temporarily imported vehicle
is stolen, making it impossible to
take it out of Mexico, the importer
must still apply for the cancellation
of the temporary import permit, after
reporting the crime to the federal
or state district attorney (Ministerio
Público).
After filing the report, the importer
must apply for the cancellation of the
temporary import permit at the nearest
Customs office, where a verifier will
determine the import taxes, duties and
Customs fees applicable to the stolen
vehicle.
Once the above import taxes, duties
and Customs fees have been paid by
the importer at any authorized bank,
the importer will submit the following
to the Customs officers assigned to
the Center for Vehicular Temporary
Importation (CIITEV for its Spanish
initials: Centro de Importación e
Internación Temporal de Vehículos) at
Banjército:
a)
Free-style letter, addressed
to CIITEV, explaining the situation
and indicating an address to receive
notifications.
b)
Verified copy of the bank
receipt covering the payment of the
import taxes, duties and Customs fees.
c)
Copy of the report filed with
the state or federal district attorney.
d)
Copy of government issued
picture ID.
e)
Account Statement issued by
Banjército.
The importer will be sent back to
Banjército to cancel the temporary
import permit and to have the bond
refunded if applicable.
If a temporarily imported vehicle is
stolen abroad, you may still recover
your bond by sending (a) and (d) above,
11
plus an apostilled certified copy of the
police report and either the original
sticker and permit, or an affidavit
explaining why the sticker and permit
are not sent, affidavit available at all
Mexican consulates, to:
Administración de
Operación Aduanera “3”
Ave. Hidalgo No. 77,
Módulo IV, 1er. piso
Col. Guerrero
06300 Mexico, DF
If a temporarily imported vehicle is
declared a total loss by an insurance
company, the importer doesn’t have
to pay import taxes, duties or Customs
fees if the importer surrenders the
vehicle, where-is, in writing, with a
copy of the accident report to Customs
within five days of its destruction.
Once the vehicle has been
surrendered to Customs, the importer
may request the cancellation of the
temporary import permit and the refund
of the bond at any Customs office, or
by mail to the Administración Central
de Operación Aduanera also located at
the street address above. The request
must include:
a)
Free-style letter, addressed
to ACOA, explaining the situation
and indicating an address to receive
notifications.
b)
Certified copy of the accident
report.
c)
Copy of the letter surrendering
the vehicle to Customs.
d)
Original sticker and temporary
import permit, or explanation, under
penalty of perjury, of why these are not
attached.
e)
Insurance company letter
detailing the vehicle’s location,
condition, make, model, model year
and VIN.
SATURDAY 25
Dear Luis:
Our status just changed to Residente
Permanente. We had temporarily
imported our 2007 car, VIN starts with
2, under our former status. Can this
vehicle be permanently imported? How
do we proceed —locally or physically
driving out of Mexico then re-entering
with the vehicle? If leaving the country
with the vehicle is this an immediate
return or a long involved process?
Robert
Dear Robert:
If you temporarily imported your
2007 North American car under a “No
Lucrativa” or “Rentista” FM2 or FM3,
an exception to the 8 or 9 year rule
applies when your status changed to
“Residente Permanente”.
If this is your case, you would need
to contact a Customs Broker at any USMexico border crossing point (Customs
Brokers are authorized only for specific
points of entry).
Most of the process can be done
long-distance, but at some point you’d
have to take your car to the border and
complete the process in one day in
most cases, without actually leaving
Mexico.
There are a few entities advertising
that they can complete the process
without a trip to the border; to my
knowledge, none of these are legitimate
ISSUE 240 | MAY - 2013
FRIDAY 31
and my advice is to stay away from
them.
Retaining a Customs Broker for this
process is mandatory and unavoidable.
The two organizations I mentioned last
week, CAAAREM and CLAA, will
provide you with contact information
for one or more brokers licensed in the
border-crossing point of your choice.
Unfortunately, if your former FM2
status was anything other than “No
Lucrativa” or “Rentista”, your vehicle
may not be permanently imported
and you’d need to either take it out
of Mexico or donate it to Hacienda
following the process I described here
last week.
Dear Luis: I’m having trouble
downloading the PDF for the “Retorno
Seguro” from you website.
Dear Laura: Please make sure that
the URL is typed exactly as printed,
without any spaces: www.pvgeeks.
com/downloads/Safe_Return_
Petition_Letter.pdf
Send me your questions to askluis@
pvgeeks.com
Luis Melgoza is a former PRI (Mexico’s
ruling party) Head Counsel and Legal
Adviser to the Mexican Congress. Although
retired from the legal profession, he is a
highly respected consultant for both the
foreign and Mexican communities in Puerto
Vallarta, and he provides professionally
certified commercial and residential
computer and networks solutions locally
through his company, PVGeeks. You can
reach Luis at [email protected]
12
Map
SATURDAY 25
ISSUE 240 | MAY - 2013
FRIDAY 31
Map
SATURDAY 25
ISSUE 240 | MAY - 2013
13
FRIDAY 31
14
Health Matters
Body & Sol
by KRYSTAL FROST
[email protected]
Another Year
Vallarta is full of Geminis. It
happens that I am turning a year older
Saturday. My reflective review of
this last year brings up the closing of
some cycles, the opening of others, all
in all, a pretty productive year. There
was growth, love, pain and tears…
what more could a girl ask for? And,
of course, one must adjust to having
to answer the question of ¨how old are
you??? I am still stammering getting
out 50… something… We all want to
turn the clock back, or at least slow it
down. Here is a little inspiration for
all my Gemini sisters and brothers.
It seems that aging can turn into an
act of grace with a little adjustment
in your mind set, so says Deepak
Chopra .M.D.
“If I know my biological potential
is 130 years, then I don’t consider
myself middle-aged until I’m 65…
One of the great principles of mind/
body medicine is that expectancies
determine outcome. If you expect to
remain strong in your mature years,
you will.” - Deepak Chopra M. D.
As a society and as individuals, we
can expect that our notions of aging
will continue to change dramatically
in the years ahead. Leading pioneers
in the field of mind / body medicine
- such as Deepak Chopra, M.D.,
endocrinologist, best-selling author
and
internationally
recognized
authority on how our consciousness
affects our health - urge us to consider
the power that our beliefs about aging
have over us. The latest research
shows that how we age has more to
do with our belief system and mindset
about aging than any other factor.
In the last several decades,
gerontologists have proven that
remaining active throughout life halts
the loss of muscle and skeletal tissue.
The news is spreading among older
people that they should continue all
the activities they enjoyed in earlier
years, walking, hiking, bicycling,
gardening, golf, tennis, karate,
swimming, lovemaking, dance and
consciousness disciplines such as
yoga, tai chi, and the softer marital
arts. Not long ago, I read about a
wild, 100-year old daredevil, whose
name I do not know, defying age,
common sense and the fears of his
doctors and children, making his first
bungee jump from a 210-foot tower…
Then of course there is that snapshot
of the sisters… aged 102 and 104,
one practicing a shoulder stand, the
other stretching in a yoga pose with
one foot behind her head. Sounds a
bit extreme?
What happens when we change
our expectations about aging? Tufts
University found out when they put
a group of the frailest nursing home
residents, ages 87 to 96, on weighttraining regimen that included Hatha
yoga.
Traditionally, doctors believed that
this type of elderly person belonged
in bed, in a rocker or wheelchair
out on the porch or in front of the
TV. Exercise would exhaust or kill
these fragile people. Well, they
thrived. Within eight weeks, muscle
tone improved by 300 percent,
coordination and balance improved as
well. Most importantly, these folks’
confidence in being active returned.
Some of them who had not been able
to walk unassisted could now get up
and go.
SATURDAY 25
Hatha Yoga slows down and
reverses the aging process
What is Hatha Yoga? O.K., now
pay attention. I get this question A
LOT, especially with many new styles
of yoga… Astanga, Inyengar, flow,
dance yoga… kick yoga, it’s really
all the same. Hatha means union, a
physical discipline that explores the
connection between the body, mind
and spirit. The goal of yoga is to
balance and unify the positive and
negative energy flows (ji, chi, life
forces) within the body. Using the
flow of the breath and the internal
flow of these energies, yoga helps us
to realize our potential for health and
self-healing.
All of the approaches to Hatha
yoga involve the practice of various
movements and postures.
In
general, they consist of forward
bends, backbends, twists, inversions,
standing and balancing poses as
well as relaxation and breathing
techniques.
These postures or
‘asanas’, along with conscious use
of the breath, remove stiffness and
tension from the body, restore vitality,
strength and stamina, and improve
balance and coordination; they also
promote the efficiency of the body
processes of digestion, assimilation
and detoxification. Then there is
the mental-emotional side. A short
meditation clears out negative
emotions and helps focus the mind.
According to yogic tradition, the
years after 50 are the ideal time for
psychological and spiritual growth.
The practice of yoga not only restores
the health and vitality of the body,
but the philosophy behind yoga
aims to open and expand a human
being on all levels so that aging can
become a time of greater perspective
and illumination - this is when grace
appears.
I have to say I am rather fond of
the yoga discipline. I have taught
here in P.V. for over 20 years and
have practiced twice that long... but
who’s counting, right? I have found
that women who practice have little
or no menopause symptoms, keep
their weight in line, energy levels up
and generally have a more positive
outlook on life.
ISSUE 240 | MAY - 2013
FRIDAY 31
The men are coming around, and
when they do, they fall fast and hard
into the yoga tract. A yoga practice
helps bring about balance to a modern
fast-paced life by giving your mind
and body a chance to come together
in harmony …and a moment or two of
stillness. That stillness is the birthing
place of inspiration and creativity.
You can find a studio close to
home by checking the Bay Vallarta
magazine. All teachers have their
own take on teaching, so if you try
one and don’t like it, try another one.
So, with grace, turn off the TV, get
up out of that comfy chair, get rid of
the canned multi-vitamin and mineral
shakes by eating real food and GET
GOING! You have another 50 years
or so to embrace.
At the moment, I am enjoying the
song birds over the river this morning,
my loved one still in bed, getting
ready to do my wheatgrass shot and
off to morning yoga.
Feeling thankful I am.
Also, Dear Readers, as this is the
last printed edition of the PV Mirror
for the season, I want you to know
that I have enjoyed all the mail from
you. Thanks for keeping me on track,
in line and in the moment. I will keep
up the column during the summer
season, so we are in the loop with
www.pvmcitypaper.com on line
publication. Stay in touch - it gets
real lonesome this time of year...
Thanks for the read!
Krystal Frost
Krystal Frost is a long time
resident of Puerto Vallarta. Graduate
of University of Guadalajara, and
specialized in cosmetic acupuncture
at Bastyr University in Washington
State. She is the owner of Body & Sol
for over 15 years where she practices
traditional Chinese medicine,
acupuncture, massage therapy,
yoga, meditation and nutritional
counseling. She has created healing
programs for individuals, retreats
and spas. Questions and comments
may be directed to
[email protected]
Health Matters
We inherit our family
by GISELLE BELANGER
RN, LCSW
W
e all have a family of origin whether we grew up with them or
not, whether we get along with them now or not, or even if we are
in contact with them or not. No family is perfect. All families have
varying degrees of dysfunction; it’s just that some function better in
their dysfunction.
Family system
The family is a system. Each member is interconnected to the other
and affected by the other both positively and negatively. Think of a
mobile, when one piece moves, all the pieces move. This is especially
true when you are growing up and living in the same household, but it
holds true long after everyone has moved out and gone their separate
ways. Of course, it also depends on how much you stay involved in
each other’s lives. Some people have to completely cut themselves off
from their family in order to survive and heal.
Multi-generational
Families pass so much down from one generation to the next. Think
about how much is determined by our families’ traditions, values,
beliefs, interests, activities, and behaviors. The language(s) we speak,
ethnic and cultural foods we eat, values and beliefs attached to our
family’s culture and religion, interest in a certain sports team, passion
for a certain social cause, are all strongly influenced by our family of
origin.
We also learn to value family or not, how to treat our parents and
grandparents, our siblings, friends, neighbors and community. What
is the degree of respect in your family towards each other? How were
the boys in your family taught to treat women? What was expected
of them; to help around the house, to excel at sports, to receive high
grades, to have lots of girlfriends or get a lot of women (sexually)? What
was expected of the girls; to serve the boys and men, to get a higher
education, to marry and have children, to travel and be independent?
All of this influences what we are raised to believe is “normal”
or “acceptable.” This includes the dysfunction and often damaging
ways that we learned to think and behave regarding abuse (sexual,
physical, emotional, or verbal) and domestic violence, addiction and
co-dependency. The need to have power and control over someone,
intimidating them with anger, manipulating them with guilt, or
controlling them with fear, may have also been present in your
family system. Addiction (including alcoholism) is also passed down
genetically and generationally through learned behavior. The codependent reaction to addiction is also a learned response passed down
through the generations.
SATURDAY 25
15
Familiar vs. unfamiliar
Quick! What word do you see in the word “familiar?” That’s right
“family.” Therefore, that which is “familiar” is “family” and that which
is “unfamiliar is “un-family.” We stick with what is familiar even if it
isn’t good for us because it is taught to us and established as normal. It is
also “comfortable” in the sense of knowing what to expect, how to react
and manage situations and people, and we know all too well how it feels.
This is not a conscious decision or choice, but rather a repeated pattern
of what has been normalized. A battered woman does not intentionally
look for a second or third abusive relationship even though she finds
herself in one after the other. Sometimes she justifies that at least this
relationship isn’t physically abusive, for example; A daughter of an
alcoholic doesn’t intentionally look for an alcoholic or addict to marry,
nor does she say to herself as she’s growing up in an alcoholic home,
that “this has been so much fun I can’t wait to do it all over again when
I grow up.”
This is also true for the batterer or the addict. The abusive husband
witnessed and was most likely victim to abuse as a child, just as the
addict observed that turning to drugs and alcohol was a way to escape
and cope with life. Neither of them grew up thinking that it was fun or
admirable to watch their Dad beat their mom or throw and break things,
or call them names and tell them how worthless they are. Nor did they
think it would be fun to spend their adult life being drunk and hung-over
or high on drugs with major personality changes, not remembering what
happened for hours at a time, or crashing their car, or spending all of
their money just to support their habit.
Inevitably, we end up repeating the same familial patterns. We resist
change; it takes us from the familiar into the scary unknown world
of the unfamiliar. Sometimes we go to extreme lengths to hang on to
the familiar even when it makes us miserable or destroys us. Just the
thought of leaving our comfort zone can be paralyzing. It takes a great
deal of strength and courage to step out of our comfort zone and enter
the unknown. However, it is necessary in order to break the cycle, and it
will be painful as well as liberating.
Giselle Belanger, RN, LCSW (psychotherapist) is available for
appointments in person, by phone, or by Skype webcam. Contact info:
[email protected] Mex cell: 044 (322) 138-9552 or US cell:
(312) 914-5203.
ISSUE 240 | MAY - 2013
FRIDAY 31
16
Gil Gevins’ Page
Crossed Fryers
by GIL GEVINS
www.gilgevins.com
One part tropical paradise, one part
fishing village and one part loony bin:
in all the world there is no place like
Yelapa. Road-less and timeless, it sits
at the back of a small bay on the mouth
of a meandering river. All around, lush
tropical vegetation climbs up and up,
until the green hills merge with the
Sierra Madre.
Aside from its beauty, what makes
Yelapa so unique is the improbable
blend of people who live there.
The locals are mostly simple folk,
fishermen or vendors who eke out a
living selling their famous coconut
pies on the beach.
The North Americans are a little
more complicated: some are artists,
many are “eccentric” and most seem
to be on disability.
For many years my wife and I
have been making the short boat ride
from Vallarta to spend the occasional
laidback weekend there. Our friends
own a small house in Yelapa, which
they have made available to us
whenever it happens to be empty.
They won’t allow us to pay for this
privilege, but ask instead that on each
visit we give a nice tip to Elodia, their
long-time housekeeper. Elodia is a
total gem and over the years we have
become good friends.
Upon our arrival in Yelapa last week
we found the small casita clean and
tidy, but no sign of the housekeeper.
Elodia was always short of money, so
we were anxious to pay her as soon
as possible. Once we’d unpacked,
we set out for her house. On the
way, walking along the bumpy trail
that winds upriver, we ran into Irma,
Elodia’s emotional niece. Irma was
feeding some chickens which had
taken over the first two floors of a
large unfinished house. The third
and fourth floors were occupied by
pigeons. The wealthy owner of the
place had, after spending half a million
dollars, apparently gotten bored with
the project and simply abandoned it,
returning to his home in Philadelphia.
“Gosh, Irma,” Lucy said, “what
happened to Bernie’s house?”
“Bernie went back to the United
States,” Irma said. “The house was
just sitting there, so we decided to
fill it with chickens and pigeons. It’s
cheaper than building a coop.”
Irma, apparently, did not see the
SATURDAY 25
irony in this situation, but she did look
a little sad. “Is something wrong?”
Lucy asked. “You seem upset.”
“I feel terrible,” she said, and began
to cry and talk at the same time.
Although her speech was largely
incoherent, we did manage to make
out the words: “…Elodia … d i e d …accident…” Then, weeping with
abandon, she rushed off.
Lucy and I were devastated. When
you are devastated in Yelapa, the thing
to do is buy yourself a liter of Raicilla,
which I did at once. The plan was to fill
my flask and take a long hike upriver
to… uh… whatever. Lucy said she’d
stick to tequila, as the fiery, corrosive
Drano-flavored moonshine did not
agree with her.
Back at our friends’ casita, I could
not locate a funnel with which to fill
the flask, so Lucy and I set out for the
mysterious little store presided over by
a woman named Doña Gorgonia.
Her store was a dark, tiny cavelike space which somehow seemed to
stock everything. That was why it was
so mysterious. It didn’t seem to matter
what you asked for. Doña Gorgonia
would disappear into another room
and after a respectful interval emerge
with the item in hand. “We need an
embudo (funnel) that fits this flask,”
I told her. She nodded her head, went
into her back room (which no one ever
saw but which had to be half the size
of Wal-Mart) and emerged a minute
later with a bright pink funnel.
Apparently, I’d been hitting the
Raicilla pretty hard already, and was
feeling a little silly, so for no intelligent
reason I decided to give Doña Gorgonia
a list of diverse unrelated items, just to
see if she’d live up to her awesome
reputation.
“Okay,” I said, “in addition to the
funnel, I’ll need a pair of women’s
underwear, a screwdriver, a kilo of
ant poison, a potato peeler, a can
of Hershey’s Chocolate, a bottle of
Maestro Limpio (Mr. Clean), a needle
and thread, a head of lettuce and a
comb.”
While she was gone, my wife asked
me if I was out of my mind. This was a
question I heard with some frequency,
so I had a ready reply: “Yes, honey.”
Ten minutes later, the propiretress
ISSUE 240 | MAY - 2013
FRIDAY 31
returned with every single item I’d
asked for. She’d even bought four
pairs of underwear of different colors
and sizes so we could choose the most
appropriate pair.
“Incredible,” I told my wife in
English.
“Now what?” Lucy asked. “Are you
going to buy all this stuff?”
“Listen, Doña Gorgonia,” I said,
“I’m a little short of cash right now, so
all I can buy is the funnel and the ant
poison.” In Yelapa, you can never have
too much ant poison.
Unfazed (she was used to customers
who couldn’t pay for what they
wanted), she rang us up and we went
home to drown our sorrows.
Despite the alcohol we’d consumed,
we spent a miserable night, crying and
lamenting the loss of our friend. But
what kind of accident had it been which
had claimed the life of this wonderful
woman? We decided to seek out Irma
and get the answer.
We located Irma the next morning
feeding the chickens as they pecked
and clucked their way around the
unfinished basement of their half
million dollar mansion. I was brutally
hung-over, so Lucy did the talking.
“We know you’re upset, Irma,”
Lucy said gently, “but we’d like to
know about the accident.”
“Well,” Irma said. “It wasn’t her
fault. It was Elodia’s turn to feed the
chickens and pigeons. It’s a community
effort, you see.”
“Yes, we understand,” my wife said.
“Well, somehow the birdfeed got
mixed up with some rat poison that was
lying around. Must have been Elodia’s
grandson that did it. He’s two years old
and he gets into everything. Anyway,
before she realized her mistake, she’d
accidently killed half my chickens. I
was going to sell them, trade up for a
pig. That’s why I’m so upset.”
“But what about Elodia? How did
she die?” “Elodia died?” Irma asked in
astonishment.
Gil Gevins is the author of four books,
including the hilarious cult-classic, PUERTO
VALLARTA ON 49 BRAIN CELLS A DAY, and
the equally laugh-filled novel, SLIME AND
PUNISHMENT. All of Gil’s books are available
on Amazon and Amazon KINDLE.
Vallarta Voices
by ANNA REISMAN
There are many people in Puerto
Vallarta, Mexicans and foreigners
alike, who truly love this town, and
who sincerely want to see it grow
and prosper. Some work with the
authorities, trying to convince them
to accomplish certain things they
feel are necessary to maintain the
attractions that help lure tourists
here, while others use the media,
and still others work in silence,
altruistically and anonymously.
I’ve had the honor to know many
of them, and I have the highest
respect for them all.
One of these is Kelly Trainor,
the U.S. Consular Agent who’s
been organizing the Altruism
Festival for the last decade or so.
Another is my friend Bob Price,
visionary, founder and creator of
the Botanical Gardens, and active
force behind PV’s Garden Club and
the Bougainvillea Festival itself.
Like architect Abel Villa, owner
of the Hacienda, Premiere and
Buenaventura hotels, this gentleman
is a pro-active promoter of Puerto
Vallarta and its surroundings. Many
years ago, Sr. Villa created a group
of concerned citizens with a view
to beautifying the downtown area
of the city. Back then, he was one
of the many who wanted to close
off the Malecon area and turn it into
a pedestrian mall. For his part and
with similar goals, Bob came up
with the concept of a Bougainvillea
Festival to rival Washington’s
Cherry Blossom Festival. He and
his group are responsible for all
the bougainvillea trees planted
along the main drive into town and
Basilio Badillo Street, among other
locations.
I was glad to see
people slowly fill Lazaro
Cardenas
Park
last
Saturday evening, where
there were very few during
the afternoon. The whole
place looks fabulous, so
colorful, with flowers
everywhere, unusual foods
and handicrafts, etc. If you
haven’t gone there, or to
Hidalgo Park, or to the
main square yet, you can
still do so this weekend. It
is not to be missed.
While at Lazaro Cardenas Park, I
ended up chatting with Rosa Niño,
wife of one of Vallarta’s most
famous artists, Javier Niño. She
was running the painting workshop
for children there. Rosa used to
have a flower shop on Lazaro
Cardenas. Turns out that she is
now a cancer survivor, after two
years of scary health issues and
treatments. Now Rosa wants to do
something for the community. Her
goal is to raise enough money to set
up a shelter for the homeless people
SATURDAY 25
17
of Vallarta. She says that “there are
organizations that help children and
seniors and animals, but nothing to
help the homeless people! And the
DIF [family services]
ignores them!” Talk
about altruism! Bless
you, Rosa.
Which brings me back
to the recent Altruism
Festival… Have you
driven through Marina
Vallarta lately? It looks
as if they’re finally
trying to do something
about the place formerly
known as Plaza Iguana,
that white elephant,
that eyesore that was
abandoned and has been
falling apart there for
the last decade or so. The building
that used to be there was built as a
shopping center, with some 140,000
sq. ft. of commercial spaces,
most of which were never used.
According to the representative
of the Residents’ Association of
Marina Vallarta, the property was
sold - again – but I’m not sure
about what they’re going to put up
there. Lots of folks suggested that it
should be used to build a convention
center, but those suggestions went
nowhere back then. Maybe they’ll
have more influence nowadays.
ISSUE 240 | MAY - 2013
FRIDAY 31
I have a little bit of May trivia
for you. Did you know that within
any calendar year, no other month
begins on the same day of the week
as May? Or that the bird of May is
the nightingale? Or that May is the
only month of the year in which a
President of the United States has
not died?
Now you know. As we used to
say, “It’s May... Let’s Play!” Enjoy
yourself, have fun, get out there!
And during this second part of our
famous “Restaurant Week”, please
don’t forget all the other wonderful
eating establishments that are not
participating, but whose offerings
are sometimes just as delicious.
Until next week, when we’ll be
back together ONLINE only! I
wish you all a fabulous week.
Hasta luego. [email protected]
18
Calendar
SATURDAY 25
ISSUE 240 | MAY - 2013
FRIDAY 31
Fish Tales
Summer currents increase
as warm water species increase
Written by STAN GABRUK
of Master Baiter´s Sportfishing and Tackle
W
hen we hit this time of the
year, we know things in the fishing
world are usually all mixed up.
We’re seeing warm water species
like Needle Fish and Sierra
Mackerel moving in, which acts as
leading indicators of warm water
arriving, not just warm streaks
or currents. We find there is an
over abundance of bait in bay and
at the deep water locations. Bull
Dorado still hanging at El Banco
and Corbeteña. The humdrum days
of spring are finally changing to
summer fishing conditions, right
on time I might add. Welcome
to summer fishing, amigos. Just
around the corner you’ll be seeing
Black Marlin moving in, so stay
tuned! No real Yellowfin Tuna to
report this week, not surprising.
Those looking for Yellowfin Tuna
action still need to take the long
haul to the Tres Marias Islands,
a.k.a. the Prison Islands. They’re
restricted, know the rules and make
sure your provider is not risking
your safety… Enough said.
As you would expect from
the headlines, water temps
are hanging in the upper 70s
and increasing with the longer
days and northern currents
from the south. As a result,
we’re seeing Striped Marlin
hanging out at El Banco and
Corbeteña. Bull Dorado are
still off the high spots or
The Rock at Corbeteña, but
they’re looking for a free
lunch and the poor fish have
almost nobody offering them
up a free meal! Imagine
that, the fishing is great, the
sportfishing companies are
putting themselves out of
business trying to appeal to
the lowest bidder client …and
even they don’t exist. You can
also have Cubera Snappers up
to 60 lbs. for those who jig,
Bonito, Jack Crevalle, scattered and
smaller Black Marlin. Yellowfin
Tuna, Footballs running up to 50
lbs. with the spinner Dolphin, and
that’s about it, amigo, at these
locations for now.
SATURDAY 25
19
Dorado has also increased in
numbers around Punta Mita, so 4
hours off the beach in this area may
be worth a cheap boat trip. Sailfish
are here, but sparse at best. Striped
Marlin sightings off the point about
12 miles. Maybe even see a Striped
Marlin in the area.
The Marieta Islands this week
are still weak with thinning Jack
Crevalle, Needle fish, Sierra
Mackerel increasing in numbers.
Still a shot at some Snapper and
Pompano, but no Rooster fish at
the moment. Plenty of bait, Google
eyes mostly in the water, but
they’re everywhere. Sailfish are in
and out, your best option here this
week is smaller Dorado in the 25-lb
range, but worth the time and effort
to get there. Mike’s Fishing party
is always an option, special priced
for $170 dollars, there isn’t a better
fishing deal in Marina Vallarta,
contact me for details.
In the bay we’re still waiting for
fish. Needle fish are moving in as
stated earlier, they will take over
the bay in the next few weeks.
Sierra Mackerel are picking up in
numbers and great taste, but still
only about 15 lbs.
ISSUE 240 | MAY - 2013
FRIDAY 31
Jack Crevalle chasing bait balls
and there are always Snook at the
river mouths. But beware, crocs are
in the area so keep this in mind and
keep your hands in the boat!
All in all, there really isn’t that
much to report with so few people
heading out. The best options for
now are long range and the Marieta
Islands. In the bay is not the best,
but if you’re on a boat that will
actually take you to the area around
Yelapa, there are all kinds of Skip
Jacks and Bonito. There is fishing
in the bay, but if you’re one of those
bargain hunters, remember for a
cheap price you can cruise a super
panga from the Los Arcos to Nuevo
Vallarta and catch whatever the fish
gods put in front of you. Because
this is not a productive area to fish
right now, and these prices, for the
product you are getting, with no
fuel usage, you’re being gauged,
amigo, you’ve been warned…
Until next time, don’t forget to kiss
your fish and remember: at
Master Baiter’s Sportfishing
& Tackle “We Won’t Jerk
You Around!”
Master
Baiter’s
has
changed
locations in Marina Vallarta
and are now near Victor’s
Café Tecuba. Look for me
at the least traveled end of
Marina Vallarta and I will be
there in my new place. Email
your questions to me at:
CatchFish@MasterBaiters.
com.mx Web page: www.
MasterBaiters.com.mx
,
Local Phone at: (044) 322
779-7571 or if roaming: 011
521 (322) 779-7571 (this
is my cell phone directly
until the shop phone is
working) Facebook: http://
www.facebook.com/pages/
Master-Baiters-SportfishingTackle/88817121325
The
trade name Master Baiter’s ®
Sportfishing and Tackle is protected
under trade mark law and is the sole
property of Stan Gabruk.
Hi-Tech
20
Internet Phone Calls…
It’s
called VoIP, which stands
for Voice over Internet Protocol. To
understand how VoIP works, you’ll
need to understand the basic concept
behind regular (analog) phone calls
as well, since this is what laid the
groundwork for VoIP today.
Regular land-line phone calls are
actually made via fiber optic networks
by digitizing your voice to send the
signal across thousands of miles,
countless circuit switches and once it
gets to the final destination, the signal
is once again converted to analog.
During these calls, the line remains
open even while no conversation is
taking place; the circuit is also open
in both directions even when only
one party is talking and the other is
listening. This isn’t terribly efficient
and adds to being more expensive by
way of resources needed for the call.
VoIP works on a different basis it uses data packet switching which
sends and receives information only
when you need it, instead of in a
constant stream. It also sends the data
packets along the internet by whatever
open channels are available rather than
a dedicated line, which is much more
efficient.
This can happen from computer
to computer, computer to regular
telephone, or from a phone through
VoIP to a regular phone. The data
packets are simply reassembled at the
destination. This is why VoIP is so
inexpensive; it uses the network of the
Internet that is already in place.
Thousands of people around the
world each month, are subscribing
to a VoIP service and having their
regular telephone line disconnected.
In Vallarta it’s more of an addition to
our regular phone service, to eliminate
the hefty long-distance charges that
still exist here. Internet phone service
is a HUGE deal for us in Vallarta,
as it provides us with a super cheap
alternative to traditional long distance
service, and gives us something very
important here in Vallarta: CHOICES!
For the first time, the 65-year old
monopoly that is Telmex is not in
control over us keeping in touch with
friends and family back home.
SATURDAY 25
Not long ago, a $100-peso Telmex
phone card yielded 10 minutes of
calls to the US or Canada - $1US per
minute! Now with VoIP you can have
up to unlimited monthly calls for
$24.99 US (or what used to yield only
25 minutes).
VoIP operates in different forms.
For instance, you can use VoIP for free
when you use an Instant Messaging
program with voice on your computer,
available from Yahoo, AIM, MSN
Live or Google Talk or Skype - the
most popular. The benefits of these
programs are that they are free to
download off of the Internet.
By using your microphone and
speakers/earphones, or a USB internet
phone, you can talk over the Internet
with anyone, as long as your friends or
family members have a computer and
use the same program. You’ll be able
to talk with them as long as you like
no matter where they are in the world,
for FREE!
Skype has become the standard for
VoIP phone calls over the past few
years. It was originally developed by
Estonian developers in 2003. In 2005,
eBay bought Skype for $3.1 Billion
US and more recently, Microsoft
bought Skype for $8.5 Billion US in
2011. Many were worried Microsoft
would tinker too much with Skype and
ruin it. But so far, so good.
As of earlier this year, Skype had
31 million users of which 8 million
were paying users to call land lines
and/or receive calls from landlines.
Full integration of Skype with
Live Messenger is starting and will
eventually be complete - good or bad.
Another method of VoIP technology
is to use a VoIP service provider such
as Magic Jack Plus or Vonage among
many.
By connecting their VoIP phone
adapter directly to your modem and
a standard phone, you are able to use
your VoIP service and your telephone
like normal. During a telephone call,
your conversation goes through the
VoIP adapter and is routed over the
internet to its final destination. With
this type of VoIP, you can call any
regular phone anywhere in the world.
The person you are calling does not
have to be using an internet phone.
As wonderful as all this is, there are
some disadvantages to VoIP. Unlike
land line phones, power is required
in order to use internet phone service.
Without power, your cable/DSL
modem won’t work, and your VoIP
adapter won’t work – you will have no
phone service.
Also a “live” internet connection is
required in order to use VoIP, because
calls are transmitted over the internet.
This can present a problem when your
internet service is down or your speed
may not be up to snuff. Ever noticed
an odd echo or broken call? That’s
probably due to your internet speed
not being at where it should be.
But overall, as a cost saving long
distance option, you can’t beat VOIP.
I even have Skype on my iPhone - and
my mother is happy to receive weekly
calls again!
That’s all my time for now. See you
again next week... until then,
Remember: only safe Internet!
Solution to crossword on page 22
Solution to Sudoku on page 22
ISSUE 240 | MAY - 2013
FRIDAY 31
Ron can be found at CANMEX
Computers. Sales, Repairs, Networking,
Wi-Fi, Hardware upgrades, Graphic
Design, Data Recovery, house-calls.
www.RonnieBravo.com Cellular
044-322-157-0688 or just email to
[email protected]
Real Estate
by: HARRIET MURRAY
If we live here or own real estate,
we have the opportunity to become
bilingual and bicultural
W
e have enough nationals,
Americans and Canadians living here
that we may very well be considered
a smaller version of North America.
We have notices in the local papers
for sports, cultural, and charity events
from hockey games, to soccer, to the
American Academy Awards.
This
Cultural
Orientation
Comparison* is written on how we
organize and process information,
what we accept as evidence, and our
value systems.
A. Canadians in general are
well-informed and open to reasonable
discussions. They are quite analytical
and prefer objective information over
subjective. They act on problems more
from the perspective of universal rules
than from the particular perspectives
of the people involved.
B. Mexicans accept information
for purposes of discussion, but little
movement in attitude is evidenced.
They process information subjectively
and associatively.
They become
personally involved in each situation
and look at the particulars rather than
a rule or law to solve problems.
C. Americans
are
very
ethnocentric, and so the US is closed to
much outside information. Americans
are very analytical and concepts are
abstracted quickly. Innovation often
takes precedence over tradition.
A universal rule is preferred, and
company policy is followed regardless
of who is doing the negotiation.
Differences in how
we accept evidence
A. Canadians accept facts as the
primary evidence in negotiations, with
little credence given to feelings. There
is strong ethnocentrism which leads
to a faith of self-determination which
may underlie behavior in negotiations.
B. Mexicans use subjective
feelings to form the basis for the truth.
This leads to truth changing depending
on what one is perceived to want.
Faith in the ideologies of the Catholic
Church though pervasive, does not
greatly affect their perceptions of the
truth. Objective facts are used by
those with a higher education.
C. Americans make points in
negotiations using an accumulation
of objective facts.
Points are
sometimes biased by faith in the
ideologies of democracy, capitalism,
and consumerism, but seldom by the
subjective feelings of the participants.
Value systems which are the basis
for behavior: Methods of dividing
right from wrong, good from evil, and
so forth.
A. Canadians
have
high
individualism in decision making, but
one must follow company policy. They
do not find it difficult to say “no.” An
objective approach to life allows the
use of social organizations and other
external structures to provide stability
and insulation from life. Emotion is
SATURDAY 25
21
not to be shown in public Competitive
behavior is expected, since recognition
is one’s greatest reward. Time is
money. Experts are relied upon at all
levels.
B. Mexicans can be suspicious
of the USA because of its closeness
and the history of “bad deals.” The
individual is responsible for his or
her decisions but the best interest
of the family or group is a dominant
factor. One must know a person
before doing business and the way to
know this about a person is to know
the family. Expertise is less important
than how one fits into the group.
One’s role in the social structure and
presence of the extended family, give
a sense of stability of life. Families
exert pressure on the behavior of their
members. Group members are bound
by intense friendship and personal
relations to commit themselves to
assisting one another in case of need.
This network of relatives, friends, and
memberships expects mutual support,
which is a lifelong commitment.
C. Americans have moved from
the Judeo-Christian values of behavior
to ego- and ethnocentrism. Although
the US is one of the most individualistic
of all cultures, individuals can become
replaceable in an organization. There
is a high self- awareness emphasizing
individual initiative and achievement.
Americans do not find it difficult
to say ‘’no.’ Anxiety is developed
over deadlines and results because
of recognition of one’s work are the
greatest reward. The work ethic is
very strong and it appears one lives to
work. There are established rules for
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FRIDAY 31
everything and experts are relied upon
at all levels.
Issues of Equality / Inequality
A. Canadians give emphasis
to one’s ability. Although there are
inequalities in roles, equal rights should
be guaranteed to all, as superiors and
subordinates are all “people like me.”
Material progress is as important as
humanistic progress.
B. There are extreme contrasts
between rich and poor, but Mexico
has one of the largest upper classes
of all Latin American countries. This
class is interrelated in one way or
another. Machismo is very strong and
stereotypical roles for men and women
are prevalent.
C. The US has structured
inequality in the roles people take but
personal equality is guaranteed by law.
There can be considerable ethnic and
social bias against some minorities.
Competition is the rule of life, but there
is a strong feeling of interdependency
of roles. Excellence and decisiveness
are prized characteristics. Material
progress is more important than
humanistic progress.
Next week we will discuss
examples of how to avoid cultural
misunderstandings
whenever
possible. Look for us online at www.
pvmcitypaper.com
* Cultural Comparison study done
by Terri Morrison, Wayne Conaway,
George Borden.
Harriet Murray can be reached at
[email protected]
22
Brain Teasers
The New York Times Tuesday Crossword Puzzle
Solution to Crossword
on Page 20
SUDOKU!
Sudoku is a logic-based placement puzzle.
The aim of the puzzle is to enter a numerical digit from 1 through 9 in each
row, column and group of squares enclosed by the bold lines (also called a
box). Each box must contain each number only once, starting with various
digits given in some cells (the “givens”). Each row, column, and region must
contain only one instance of each numeral.
Completing the puzzle requires patience.
It is recommended as therapy because some studies have suggested they
might improve memory, attention and problem solving while staving off
mental decline and perhaps reducing the risk of Alzheimer’s disease.
Solution to Sudoku on Page 20
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ISSUE 240 | MAY - 2013
FRIDAY 31
Nature’s World
23
Planting Roots in Mexico
by TOMMY CLARKSON
Cherry Tomato
(Esculentum lycopersicum)
Family: Solanaceae
Also known as: Mexican Midgets
Y
es, these Cherry tomatoes are,
indeed, an important part of the Ola
Brisa Gardens plant family. Why
you ask? Well, firstly and quite
simply, I love to pick and eat fresh
tomatoes right off the vine!
(It’s a delightful vice that I first
learned from my cousins Jeanette,
Dick and Cindy back on their
parents’ farm in Western Kansas.
During those early Eisenhower
Whitehouse years, we’d grab a salt
shaker and race into their mother’s
large garden to munch on vegetables
that we’d pull up from the dirt or pick
right from the bush or vine. Among
them, wonderfully sour rhubarb
stalks, crisp, crunchy carrots, fresh
lettuce, tangy radishes, and yes, lots
and lots of tomatoes!)
The second reason for their
inclusion along with the several
other hundred tropical palms, plants
and flowers in our gardens is that
these hardy little guys are native to
and grow wild here in Mexico! In
fact, their ancestors were savored by
the Aztecs and whatever was good
enough for Montezuma is durned
straight good enough for me!
Those that vigorously grow next
to our infinity pool – and on which
I stop and chomp during my daily
pool exercises - did not come from
any store bought seeds. No way,
José! (Conveniently, that’s also our
gardener’s name.) These are the real
things!
In fact, I first found these tiny and I mean small, little, iddy biddy –
As can be seen these are no
monsters but make up for their small
size in gigantically good taste!
cherry tomatoes growing wild in the
Sierra Madre Occidental Mountains
in the southern part of the State of
Jalisco during one of José’s and my
botanical treks into the “interior’!
About the size of my little finger
tip, there they were growing in a
clustered clump, right next to some
large boulders about sixty meters
from heavy tropical overgrowth.
A few botanists contend that they
originated in Peru, Ecuador and
Northern Chile. (But I think that may
be the tiny-fruited currant tomato
Lycopersicon
pimpinellifolium).
And, I just gotta’ ask, “So just
how’d these, that I found, get here
in the wild?” Hence, I concur with
those who believe that this variety
originated here in Mexico… but I’ve
gotta’ admit that the pictures I’ve
seen of those more southerly currant
tomatoes look a lot like mine what
with their delightful trusses of sweet
tiny fruit!
With so many cultivars now out
on the market, it’s a bit confusing
sorting out what variety stemmed
from what and where. Historically,
tomato seeds appear to have been
taken to Europe from Mexico
after Cortez wreaked his havoc on
the natives in 1519. And though
originally from the New World,
it was only introduced to the
gringo palate in the U.S. in the 18th
Century. (I’d like to think that these
domesticated ones may have been
distant relatives to my wild ones!)
Growing cherry tomatoes is pretty
SATURDAY 25
Easy to grow. Come by Ola Brisa
Gardens and I’ll give you a
few for seeds!
Yep, these are those wonderful
- native to Mexico - cherry
tomatoes that flourish right next
to our infinity pool and that were
mentioned in last week’s column.
easy – perhaps more so than the
regular, larger ones as these guys
produce copious blossoms allowing
a good chance some will set fruit.
But for the best results with prolific
yields, give them what they like best
– lots of full sun (at least eight hours
per day), fertile, well-draining soil,
and evenly applied moisture.
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FRIDAY 31
Cherry tomatoes often remain
productive in very hot weather
when the blossoms of larger-fruited
varieties call it quits and drop off. As
to how much water is needed depends
both on the rainfall received and
the type of soil. With fast-draining
soil, one needs to water often if
the weather’s been dry. But before
watering, check the soil for dryness
– down a bit, not just the surface. If
the foliage looks limp – as I often
do after a full day in the gardens you’ve neglected them too long.
Once your cherry tomato plants
are
established
and
around
a foot tall, I’d encourage
mulching them with compost.
Just as in familial situations, strong
support is important! Plant-wise,
prune the vines to two or three
major branches. I prefer caging
inside a rounded portion concrete
re-enforcing wire “screen” which
allows good air circulation and
easy access to the fruit. But, make
sure you stake them firmly into the
ground. Those wimpy inverted
conical cages sold commercially
all too often bend and may collapse
under the weight of mature plants
with all those yummy “maters’.
Beyond standing by the bush
and simply savoring them on the
spot as I do, a bit more cultured yet simple - way to enjoy them is
to roast ‘em in a pan with a little
garlic, salt and pepper. Or, as mix
with chopped onion, fresh basil,
fresh mozzarella, balsamic vinegar,
olive oil, and a bit of salt. Now that
is one heck of a great tomato salad!
(Now that I’ve fully warmed to the
subject, next week we’ll discuss
growth of tomatoes as a whole.)
In Manzanillo, visit Ola Brisa Gardens,
Tommy and Patty’s verdant, multiterraced tropical paradise nestled on a
hill overlooking the magnificent vista of
Santiago Bay. Leisurely meander its curved,
paved path, experiencing, first hand, a
delicious array of palms, plants and flowers
from all over the world. Or, e-mail questions
to him at [email protected]
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