Drop in - The Baja Citizen

March 7th, 2011.
The Interview with
Yanet Colon Velarde
On Page 3
YEAR: 3 Nº: 53 PUBLISHER: Hally J. Productions S. de R.L. EDITOR: Gari-Ellen Donohoe
Drop in
Consumption
Of Antibiotics
Ramon Gaxiola
Before April of 2010, consumers in Mexico in need
of drugs were able to buy just about anything, other
than narcotics, over-the-counter at any pharmacy
all over the county. However, the Federal Minister
of Health and COFEPRIS (federal drug and food
watchdog) worked together to pass a law in
congress restricting what drugs could be sold overthe-counter.
What had changed? For the most part, the biggest
change for the consumer was the stricter control
of antibiotics, which include, bactrim, cipro and all
types of penicillin. No longer available over-thecounter, those in need of antibiotics must now visit
their physician to be prescribed such drugs.
One of the homes featured during the Todos Santos Historical House Tour held on February 27th, 2011 was El Perico Azul, a
building owned by the Salgado family. The building has been home to a number of things, including a cantina and a butcher
shop. It is currently an art gallery, with paintings by Nora White, Rafael Chavez, Michael Cope and many others on display.
Photo courtesy of Maureen Ryan.
Right in Our Own Back Yard
Ecology Project International hosts
its first event for English-speakers
Susan L. Starr
Some of the most exciting and innovative marine
research and conservation efforts in the world
are represented right here in La Paz. While many
English-speaking visitors and residents are aware of
Jacques Cousteau´s famous designation of the Sea
of Cortez as ¨the world´s aquarium,¨ very few of us
know that we are in a city where work on sea life
has global impact. A fascinating event on March 2 at
the Ecology Project International (EPI) campus (on
Prieto between Navarro and Encinas) alerted us to
yet another treasure in our midst.
The opening presentation by Brant Warren, Program
Director at EPI, gave the audience a brief glimpse
of the nonprofit, which provides field science
partnerships between experts and high school
students—both local and from the USA—to address
critical conservation issues worldwide. Students
learn how to conduct field science research and
actively help protect threatened species and habitats.
Southern Baja is one of three program sites, the
others being in Costa Rica and the Galapagos, with
EPI headquarters based in Montana. EPI maintains
Continues on page 6
Why did things change? Most of the infections that
are bacterias or microorganisms in the community,
were changing their behaviour and becoming more
resistant to antibiotics. In short, they had turned
multidrug resistant. Not good for public health
and it had become a major concern in the Mexican
medical community. This rise in concern over
multidrug resistant bacterias pushed the Federal
Minister of Health to act.
Therefore, it became necessary for the population in
need of antibiotics to visit their physician. With this
strategy, the Federal Minister of Health was trying
to establish an educational intervention between
the physician and general population.
And it seems to be working. With the change of the
new law concerning the restriction of antibiotics,
data has shown a 60% drop of sales of these drugs.
Still, there are a number of drugs you can get without
a prescription such as painkillers (such as tylex and
ibuprofen), antihistamines, cough medicine, as well
Continues on page 11
www.bajacitizen.com
2
March 7th, 2011
Gosh, so many things to talk about this
week so I am cramming in a few things
together that will hopefully all make
sense in the end!
I learned a few weeks ago that 9
tourist developments in the area,
EMPRHOTUR (the La Paz Hotel and
tourism enterprise association) and
the state tourism department have a
general understanding to join forces
and put forth a budget of 800,000 US
dollars over the next 3-years to market
La Paz internationally.
The sole
purpose of this marketing campaign
is to increase traffic to La Paz. Officials
are hoping to get the campaign started
by the end of 2011.
The Paolucci Group (a marketing
firm out of California) was in the city
last month, visiting with developers,
business owners and ex-pats living in
La Paz, looking for the answer to the
almost million dollar question, “What
is it about La Paz that attracted you to
stay here?” Think about it folks! Why
are you here?
It hasn’t been confirmed but Paolucci
seem to be the firm who will be
running the marketing campaign for
La Paz.
La Paz Mayor-Elect Esthela Ponce has
already surprised me, by putting out
a call for an open dialogue between
herself and the ex-pats living in
the municipality. She would like to
work together and have a better
understanding on how we can better
the community. In the past, most
public office holders will listen politely
to my concerns or ideas for slight
change but I know the truth; they
really don’t care what I think.
I understand. They are managing
a population of a couple hundred
thousand and as a member of the
English speaking community, I am
just one of a few thousand. Also, as
the saying goes, “If you don’t like it,
leave.” I know my place.
Why am I bringing all of this up? It
seems to me that maybe, just maybe,
the government and private business
owners are on the same page here in
La Paz. They all seem to agree that
tourism in La Paz should be put back
on the forefront and they would
like to work together to make La
Paz the destination place for both
family vacations and second-home
ownership in Mexico.
In the month of February, I have
entertained 4 sets of tios (aunts
and uncles) and my parents. So 10
Canadians, who probably would have
vacationed elsewhere, decided to
make the long and complicated trip
to La Paz to visit my 3 monsters and
myself. And they all had a wonderful
time. And they will all be back. One
set of tios have already made their
reservation with All Points South
Property Management for their
vacation home rental for 2012.
Why will they be back? The weather
was great, grocery shopping was a
breeze, they felt safe both walking
around and driving, not too much
traffic, they could get anywhere in
pretty much 15 minutes, the city
offered a variety of activities, the
locals were friendly and helpful, they
enjoyed meeting members of the expat community and surprised to see
they have their own little community
within the larger city of La Paz. And
there is more!
They all thoroughly enjoyed their time
here. When I asked them, “What is it
about that La Paz that you liked the
most?” They replied, “Everything.” My
family feels safe here and love visiting,
partly because they are out of the
snow. Other than one little incident in
30 days, which will be the topic for my
next letter, they enjoyed everything
La Paz has to offer, and some.
I am glad Mayor-Elect Esthela Ponce
is asking for open dialogue. I have
already made the first move to let
her know I am here and would love
to talk. We both want the same
thing, a safe La Paz for our children
based on sustainable development
and a healthy economy. That leaves
everyone happy.
Do you have anything to share with
the new mayor, who will be taking
office April 25th, 2011? Drop me an
e-mail and I would be happy to pass
it on. Better yet, wouldn’t it be great
for the mayor to have a round table
meeting with members of the English
speaking community to hear some of
our concerns and suggestions?
A new government of change is
getting ready to take over office and
the private sector is already making
moves. Could we soon be seeing
healthy change to our devastated
local economy?
Too many questions and not enough
space. Until the next
time folks!
Yours,
Gari-Ellen
Publisher: Hally J. Productions S. de R. L.
La Paz, BCS 23090 Mexico
Editor
Gari-Ellen Donohoe
[email protected]
Gari-Ellen’s cell (612) 159 13 88
Graphic Design
Gabriela Inzunza Salgado
The Baja Citizen is a free circulation community newspaper that is distributed in La Paz and
the communities of Centenario, Todos Santos, Pescadero, El Sargento/La Ventana and Los Barriles every second Monday.
The views of contributers to The Baja Citizen do not necesarily reflect those of the Publishers.
3
March 7th, 2011
An Interview With
Yanet Colon Velarde
Editor’s note: I met up with Cinepolis
La Paz General Manager, Yanet Colon
Velarde last week at her office in Plaza
Soriana. She is always busy, but she is
funny and sweet and I love grabbing
whatever time I can to talk with her.
She loves her job and it shows, as she
is very proud of her work at Cinepolis,
especially the community work she has
been able to contribute with through
Fundacion Cinepolis. Just recently,
I wrote about Cinepolis opening
their doors for children from local
orphanages for a private screening
of Sammy’s Adventures: The Secret
Passage. Enjoy our chat.
Baja Citizen: When did Cinepolis La
Paz open here in Plaza Soriana?
Yanet Colon Velarde: In 2003. Cinepolis
opened before Soriana did. People
come to the movie theatre whether
there is a mall or not. So I think
Dorian’s and Cinepolis opened first,
in the summer of 2003. After, the
rest of the mall opened up. I didn’t
open Cinepolis La Paz; I was at Plaza
Pabellon in Guadalajara working for
Cinepolis there. I arrived here a year
later.
Baja Citizen: How many viewing rooms
are there here? Is it enough to deal
with the demand of the movies?
Yanet Colon Velarde: We have 15
individual viewing rooms and yes, it is
just the right amount for the demand
we have here. For example, if we
have a movie like Harry Potter that
is very successful and the demand is
huge, we will have the movie showing
in 3 or 4 different rooms at the same
time, different times of the day. That
enables lots of people to see the movie
just during the first week of release!
We can adapt to the demand with all
the viewing rooms we have.
Baja Citizen: Are most of movies
shown in English?
Yanet Colon Velarde: Yes, the majority
of movies are in English with subtitles
in Spanish. Premiers and just released
movies are almost always in English.
The exception is children’s films like
Megamind or Shrek. These movies
are almost always dubbed in Spanish.
Children cannot read fast enough
to keep up with the subtitles or are
too young to read so the majority
of animated films arrive dubbed in
Spanish.
Baja Citizen: What night is cheap night
here at Cinepolis?
Yanet Colon Velarde: Wednesdays. It
is all day, the same price. 38 pesos on
Wednesdays. Regular priced tickets
are 55 pesos. That is the price after
6:00 pm on every other night. We
open everyday at 3:00 pm and have a
reduced rate from 3:00 pm until 6:00
pm and then the 55-peso rate after
6:00 pm.
Baja Citizen: How many people do you
have working here?
Yanet Velarde: We have 105 people
working here at Cinepolis.
The
majority are students.
Baja Citizen: You know, that is
something that I noticed, there are
several students working here at one
time. In most businesses here in La
Paz, you don’t see students working.
Do you look to hire students?
Yanet Colon Velarde: Yes, generally
Cinepolis looks to work with students.
Most students can only work certain
hours in the day and we try to support
them with their studies so they are
able to work a few hours and go to
school as well. Our schedule here
Yanet Colon Velarde
is very flexible and we work around
their school. That is very important to
us. We want them to be able to gain
experience working with the public
and gain general skills and at the same
time, go to school. We respect their
school schedule and they work when
they are available. It is a formula that
works for everyone. Many need the
money to be able to go to school, to
buy their books and bus fares.
Baja Citizen: I know Cinepolis is active
in the community here in La Paz. What
special events do you host here?
Yanet Colon Velarde: We are sponsors
of some important events here at
Cinepolis. For example, just a few
months ago we helped a local group
have a showing of Baja All-Exclusive,
a documentary about tourist
developments. We held a free viewing
for them in one of our theatres
for their documentary courtesy of
Fundacion Cinepolis. There were a
lot of people here to see Baja AllExclusive. The people here in La Paz
are very supportive of their region
and there is always lots of interest for
works about the area. We have helped
sponsor viewings for documentaries
about the whales, about stargazing,
different topics. I find La Paz really
Continues on page 19
March 7th, 2011
4
Proceeds from
CostaBaja’s first ever
Golf Tournament
presented to FANLAP
Judy Peterson, Trini Rios and CostaBaja’s Alejandro Yberri
TBC
On February 25, 2011 FANLAP,
Fundación Ayuda Niños La Paz,
A.C. received the proceeds from
CostaBaja’s first ever golf tournament
held at CostaBaja’s Golf Club on
January 8, 2011.
CostaBaja Golf Club is the first Gary
Player Signature golf course in Mexico
and Latin America. It’s an 18-hole par 72
golf course with a total length of 7,187
yards. The course features panoramic
sea views in 14 of its 18 greens. During
the tournament, many were happy
to see a rather large turnout from
the Mexican community of La Paz, to
whom golf is a rather new sport.
Costabaja’s Director of Operations
Arturo Peña, stated “Fifty-eight
golfers participated in the first golf
tournament held at CostaBaja. We are
extremely enthused about the large
turn-out and are confident the next
tournament will be even greater.” He
further stated that since the prizes
given to the first, second and third
place winners of the tournament did
not present any out of pocket cost
to CostaBaja, 100 % of the proceeds
collected for green fees were given to
FANLAP.
Judy Peterson, president of FANLAP,
and Trini Rios, a FANLAP board
member in charge of special events,
accepted the check. After expressing
her gratitude to CostaBaja, their staff
and those who participated in the
tournament, Judy was happy to inform
those present that the 27,000 pesos
received would be used to sponsor 6
students to junior high school.
It is important to note that FANLAP
is currently making lunches that are
served to 150 children at the Comedor
at Colonia Laguna Azul 5 days a week
during the school year. They also run
many other programs for children,
including a scholarship fund to keep
kids in school. You may read about
other programs supported by FANLAP
by visiting their website at www.
lapazninos.org.
Afterwards, Auturo Peña informed the
participants that other events would
be forthcoming to benefit the Children
of La Paz.
5
March 7th, 2011
Delikat Celebrates 11-Year Anniversary
A Taste of Elegance
TBC
Delikat, which is dedicated to the
elaboration and sale of cakes, pies,
pastries, cookies and muffins, has just
celebrated their 11th anniversary and
things just keep getting better for
the bakery. Delikat is a true Paceño
success story. In just over a decade,
poco a poco, the brand has grown
from 1 to 5 locations in Southern Baja.
Delikat also supplies local coffee shops
and restaurants with their commercial
baked goods line.
José Ramón Leal Hirales, a La Paz
native, studied to be a pastry chef in
the United States and spent ten years
working and learning in bakeries in the
San Francisco Bay area. However, in
late 1998, he felt it was time to follow
his dream. Jose and his wife, Patricia
Patron, a business administration
graduate, decided to come back to
their roots and families in La Paz and
open their very own bakery. For a
year, Jose worked on his recipes and
formulas, perfecting them for specialty
cakes, frostings and pies. He also built
his own reproduction workshop and
trained staff during that time.
or grab one from their
display case that is ready
to go.
Delikat’s top three must
try cakes? Mocha Cheese
Cake, Black Forrest with
Cherries and the best
Carrot Cake ever!
Cheese cake
Delikat opened in 2000 on Marquez de
Leon and over the past ten years, they
have expanded to other parts of the
city and to Los Cabos.
Their main store in La Paz is located
on 4495 Jazmin and Blvd. Colosio,
just up from Volkswagen. They are
also located on Lic. Verdad between 5
de Febrero and Navarro, and in Plaza
Sur, out past the state university on
Carretera Sur at km 8.10. You can
find Delikat in San Jose del Cabo at
Blvd. Los Agaves local 1 at Residencial
Monterreal. For March of this year,
they hope to have their new bakery
opened in Cabo San Lucas.
Whether you are
looking for your
once in a lifetime
amazing wedding
cake (like I was),
an
unbelievable
birthday cake or
you simply have
a craving for a
great cake for
dessert, head to
Delikat at any one
of their locations
and either order
your specialty cake
for the next day
Delicious Cakes
For more information
about Delikat and
their cakes, check
out their webpage at
www.postresdelikat.
com or call 123-3497.
All locations are opened 7 days and
week from 8:30 am to 8:30 pm.
6
March 7th, 2011
Carnaval Highlights:
Monday, March 7th - The Carnaval
parade will be on route on the Malecon
and scheduled to start at Márquez de
León and travel along to El Molinito
(the little windmill). Starts at 5:00pm.
The main stage at the Kiosko on 16 de
Septiembre and Malecon, will have
live entertainment starting right after
the parade and at 9:00 pm, the local
comedy team Los Huizapoles will
be performing concert with Banda
Sinaloense performing afterwards.
Tuesday, March 8th - The last night of
the Carnaval parade with be on route
on the Malecon and scheduled to
start at El Molinito (the little windmill)
and travel along to Marquez de León.
Starts at 5:00pm. The main stage
will start after the parade with local
entertainment and at 9 p.m. the
local Banda group Los Nietos will be
in concert with Banda Sinaloense
performing afterwards.
Continues from front page
active educational partnerships with
80% of the high schools in La Paz.
www.ecologyproject.org
Next on the program was Hoyt
Peckham, PhD, who shared with
those in attendance in 20 minutes
more about sea turtles than most
folks learn in a lifetime. Hoyt is
Director of Fisheries Science for
Grupo Tortuguero, a La Paz-based,
community-led conservation network
that enables poachers to become
preservationists. Dispensing with the
common wisdom that conservation
depends on foreign experts and new
legal restrictions, Grupo Tortuguero´s
methodology is to build longstanding
partnerships with fishermen and their
families, including poachers, the real
experts on sea turtles. Together, they
conduct scientific research to develop
lasting conservation solutions. Many
of these local experts in turn lead their
communities to marine conservation
and more sustainable fisheries. www.
grupotortuguero.org
Chris Pesenti, founder of RED
Sustainable Tourism, wrapped up
the presentations with an exciting
alternative vision for tourism that
blends conservation with community
development along the Baja California
peninsula. Rather than investing in
Continues from page 3
unites around people who have
projects about the region to share. It
is something I love about La Paz and
the people here.
Baja Citizen: Cinepolis is opening up
another movie theatre complex at
The Shoppes at La Paz, out by Home
Depot?
Yanet Colon Velarde: Yes. Hopefully
by the end of this year, December
2011 there will be a new, more modern
theatre with better technology for
movie viewing. We are hoping to open
with another 10 viewing rooms with
very attractive imagining.
Baja Citizen: What is the best thing for
you as general manager of Cinepolis
La Paz?
Yanet Colon Velarde: There are so
many things Gari. This is the best
job I could have asked for in my life. I
love the movies, I love working with
people. I am a leader, a guide, and an
example to so many young people.
I often tell them, “You can do! Work
harder and you will see results! You
can do whatever you set your mind
megamalls, golf courses, and resorts,
RED develops community-owned
enterprises throughout the region that
let tourists participate in innovative
conservation projects like the Grupo
Tortuguero. The name RED comes
from the Spanish word, which means
‘net’ as in fishing net or ‘network,’
and symbolizes the network of
fishing communities where the RED
project was born. RED’s adventures
bring people up close to whales and
sea turtles, alongside researchers
and conservationists from the local
community. www.redtravelmexico.
com.
The success of this first educational
outreach to English-speakers in La
Paz was due in no small part to its
chief organizer, Jennifer Palmer,
who actually came to our city to
improve her Spanish at Se Habla La
Paz. An accomplished researcher
and conservationist in her own right,
Jennifer is also clearly skilled at casting
a wide net to gather resources for
the marine life so beloved to her and
the men who shared their passionate
commitment with a rapt audience.
TBC hopes to interview the presenters
individually to give our readers more
details about this work.
on.” It helps them grow as people.
That is my motivation. I am thankful
to be working for Cinepolis here in La
Paz, with this group of people. Can
you believe the only bad thing about
working here is that I don’t have time
to see all of the movies!! Really, it is
true!
Baja Citizen: You are a lucky girl. How
many of us get to say we love our jobs?
Yanet Colon Velarde: It is true. I am
very thankful and I invite all of your
readers to come out and enjoy the
movies here with us at Cinepolis. Soon
we are going to be showing the opera,
Carmen, in 3D. We are upgrading one
of our viewing rooms with leather seats
and newer technology for 3D movies
for a better viewing experience. This
will be something new for us and we
are excited!
Baja Citizen: Thanks for your time
Yanet!
Yanet Colon Velarde: You are very
welcome.
7
,
d
t
e
o
s
s Lee Moore
’
f Loteria is
D a Mexican
s game rather
d like bingo,
s except that
l it features
.c o l o r f u l
pictures
l instead of
a letters and
s numbers.
Loteria
,
o This game is a great way to learn
a Spanish. For example, you might get
r “La Bota” (the boot), next “La Sandia”
, (the watermelon), followed by “La
g Sirena” (the mermaid).
r
d Sponsored by the municipality, Loteria
e is played enthusiastically on the
. main plaza on 5 de Mayo on Friday,
s Saturday, and Sunday every week,
e from 3pm to 8pm.
Several dozen players are average,
but many more show up on Sundays.
I suggest you get there a little early,
while there still are seats. That
way you’ll have time to chat with
the people next to you and also to
familiarize yourself with the pictures
on your card.
La Paz Phone Numbers
Police, Fire Department,
Red Cross (emergency):
066
Highway Patrol/
Federal Police:
122 0369
IMSS Hospital:
122 7377
Fidepaz Clinic:
124 0400
COPT (Port Captain):
122 0243
Immigration:
125 3493 or 124 6349
State Tourism Office:
124 0100 or 120 0199
Jardin Velasco on 5 de Mayo
If you don’t speak a lot of Spanish, it’s
a little tough to play even one single
card in the beginning, for the caller
moves the game along very briskly!
Loteria costs only five pesos per card.
You should probably begin with just
one. (While you will see hard-core
enthusiasts playing two or three at a
time, they’ve been doing it for years.)
It costs two pesos per game, but most
people buy 10 games for 20 pesos.
If you’re lucky enough to fill your
loteria card completely, yell and wave
for a runner...she’ll come get it.
Take note: Bring your own poker chips
(or coins or stones) to mark each box
you have that has been called.
March 7th, 2011
March 7th, 2011
8
Alex
and
I
needed
a
vacation.
We
whined about
our
stressedfilled life to six
of our friends
who also live
in La Paz. They
said that they
needed a getaway,
too.
This gave me a
perfect excuse
to organize a
pre-vacation
planning party. We ate pizzas and
agreed on a departure date. Vacations
can be like pizzas. For some people
pepperoni is essential; others prefer
artichoke hearts, goat cheese and sundried tomatoes. And pine nuts. We
needed to find some common ground.
Ana and Steve don’t camp. Jeanette
and Mike love the mountains where
they can hike for miles. George
and Ros prefer the ocean but avoid
crowded resorts where waiters hover.
Alex and I favor indoor plumbing. I
looked at Alex and together we said,
ìMar Azul.î It meets everyone’s wants.
And it’s less than 1 Ω hours from La
Paz.
Mar Azul beach.
Ricardo and Cha Cha Troyo own the
concrete, geodesic dome, which they
call The Igloo, situated at the high-tide
line on a pristine beach 30 Kilometers
south of Todos Santos. Twelve years
ago Alex and I were invited to join the
family to spend the day there.
I remember that day clearly. We saw
the Igloo from highway 1. We drove
through the cement arch and as the
car approached the igloo, I heard the
surf. I inhaled deeply and felt my
shoulders relax.
Enjoying life.
I get that same feeling every time
I return to Mar Azul. And we’ve
returned every year. A few years ago
Ricardo built a larger, second igloo
near the first but that hasn’t affected
the feeling of seclusion.
In fact,
when Alex and I pick up friends at the
San Jose airport, we often arrange
to spend a night at Mar Azul. It’s a
wonderful introduction to Mexico.
In just two short days, our friends
who live busy and stressful lives in
the States, relax and unwind. Alex’s
daughter actually cried when she first
saw the beach.
The day after our planning party,
I called Ricardo on his cell
phone 044 612 141 18573 and
reserved both igloos for our
two-night vacation.
Last Monday we loaded our
cars with coolers, beach chairs,
books, bed linens, towels and
enough clothes to face any
type of weather. We stopped
at Karla’s Bakery for pastries
and warm rolls (because Pan
d’Les wasn’t open yet). It was
an easy drive on the new fourlane highway. We stopped in Todos
Santos to eat fish tacos and bought a
kilo of carnitas ìto goî.
As we passed kilometer marker 82,
my heart began to race. Excitement
with a touch of worry. Would my
friends love the rustic domes and
drop-dead gorgeous beach as much as
Alex and I do? Their smiles answered
my question. Then Steve shouted,
ìWhales!î We dropped bags and
coolers – we dropped everything and
began to point. Whales spouts were
everywhere.
Continues on page 14
9
March 7th, 2011
10
March 7th, 2011
ìcarne valeî as ì a farewell to the fleshî,
a phrase embraced by certain carnival
celebrations that encourage letting go
of your former (or everyday) self and
embracing the carefree nature of the
festival.
The Life of Carnival
Helga Kuhne
It is again Carnival time, but not
only in La Paz. Carnival is a festive
season, which occurs immediately
before Lent, the main events are
usually during February, but this year
running through the first week in
March. Carnival typically involves a
public parade combining elements of
circus, mask and public street party.
People dress up or masquerade during
the celebrations, which mark an
overturning of daily life.
A carnival is an annual celebration of
life found in many countries in the
world. By learning more about carnival
we learn more about ourselves and a
lot about understanding and accepting
other cultures. After all, we are
influenced by them in time and space
and shape us as a big world family.
These kinds of events are an example
of how the truly important things in
life that gives us meaning as humans
are the same all over the world.
Carnival is a festival, traditionally
held in Roman Catholic and, in lesser
extent, Eastern Orthodox Societies.
Some carnival traditions date back to
pre-Christian times like the ancient
Roman, Greek, Oriental and African
festivals.
Some of the best-known traditions,
including carnival parades and
masquerading, were first recorded
in medieval Italy. The carnival of
Venice was for a long time the most
famous Carnival and maybe still is.
From Italy, carnival traditions spread
to other catholic nations in Europe
and, with the Catholic colonization,
to the Caribbean and Latin American
countries.
The Lenten period of the Liturgical
year Church calendar, being the
six weeks directly before Easter,
was marked by fasting and other
penitential practices. The forty days of
Lent, recalling the biblical account of
the forty days that Jesus spent in the
wilderness, serve to mark an annual
time of turning. Traditionally during
Lent, no parties or other celebrations
were held, and people refrained from
eating rich foods, such as meat, dairy,
fats and sugar. In the days before
Lent all rich food and drink had to be
disposed of. The consumption of this,
in a giant party that involved the whole
community, is thought to be the origin
of Carnival.
It is suggested that the origin of the
name Carnival comes from the Italian
ìcarne levareî, meaning, ìto remove
meatî since meat is prohibited during
Lent. Another explanation states that
the word comes from the Late Latin
expression ìcarne valeî which means
ìfarewell to meatî, signifying that
those were the last days when one
could eat meat before the fasting of
Lent. Yet another translation depicts
In many parts of the world where
Catholic Europeans set colonies and
entered into the slave trade, carnival
took root. Important to Caribbean
festival arts are the ancient African
traditions of parading and moving in
circles through villages in costumes
and masks. Circling villages was
believed to bring good fortune, to heal
problems, and chill out angry relatives
who had died and passed into the
next world. Carnival traditions also
borrowed from the African traditionA
of putting together natural objects2
(bones, grasses, beads, shells, fabric,E
flowers, fruits, feathers) to create ao
piece of sculpture, a mask or costume,F
with each object or combination ofs
objects representing a certain idea orn
spiritual force. Also important is thec
adornment with paint of body andg
a
face.
c
Feathers were frequently used byo
Africans, and also by Mesoamericant
Indians, on masks or headdresses as aW
symbol of our ability as humans to risew
above problems, pains, heartbreaks,
illness, to travel to another world toF
t
be reborn and to grow spiritually.
b
African dance and music traditionsc
transformed the early carnival
celebrations in the Americas as drum
rhythms, large puppets, stick fighters,
and stilt dancers began to make their
appearances.
In México, carnival in celebrated in
many cities and towns, most notably
in Mazatl·n, Michoac·n, MËrida,
Sinaloa, Yucat·n, La Paz and the city of
Veracruz where carnival is celebrated
with traditional music, food, folklore,
arts, crafts and dances. People dress in
Continues on page 14
11
Palabra por Palabra
Book Club
March 7th, 2011
Lixhii Oaxaca – Authentic
Oaxacan Products Now in
La Paz
TBC
March Book Club
About 25 members met on March 1st,
2011 to discuss A Perfect Red: Empire,
Espionage, and the Quest for the Color
of Desire” by Amy Butler Greenfield.
From page 1, I was intrigued by the
story of the color red. The author
notes that “We roll out the red carpet,
catch crooks red-handed, and dread
getting caught in red tape. We stop
at red lights, ignore red herrings, and
celebrate red-letter days. Depending
on our political persuasions, we wave
the red flag or fear the red in the bed.
When hot rage overpowers us, we say
we see red.
From there, he author begins the
tale of the search for the perfect red
by placing the quest into historical
context:
how
cochineal
was
Continues fron front page
as anti-inflammatory drugs (naproxen,
piroxicam, etc), that can still be bought
without a prescription.
All narcotics, however, such as valium
and xanax continue to be regulated
by prescription only. It is important to
domesticated and cultivated by the
Aztecs in the New World; what dyes
were available in the Old World before
the discovery by the conquistadors
of cochineal; and why red fabrics
were held in such high esteem by
the Europeans of the era. All of that
is interesting, but it becomes truly
fascinating when the conquistadors
actually discover cochineal in the New
World. Great read!
The next book club meeting will be
held on Tuesday, April 5th at 2:00
pm at Jean’s house. If you are in
need of more information, contact
Allende Books on Independencia #518,
between Serdan and Prieto or e-mail
[email protected].
Lixhii Oaxaca opened its
doors on March 3, 2011,
offering La Paz a little touch
of Oaxacan food and crafts.
Oaxaca is one of the 31
states of Mexico, located in
the southern region of the
county.
Owners Raul and Magloria
Vega Benitez are originally
from the state and after
moving to La Paz several
years ago, they found
themselves missing Oxacan
food and its vibrant colored
handcrafts. They decided
that once Raul retired from
the federal government,
they would set up shop and sell their
beloved products from their homeland
here in La Paz.
note that not every doctor is registered
to prescribe narcotics. Ask your
physician if he or she is registered with
the Secretary of Salud to prescribe
such drugs.as anti-inflammatory drugs
(naproxen, piroxicam, etc), that can
still be bought without a prescription.
The ribbon cutting at Lixhii Oaxaca.
Mazunte body care products.
One of Oaxaca’s most vibrant and
diverse cultural aspects is its cuisine,
with its most notable treat being its
variety of moles. Oaxaca
is known as the birthplace
of the Seven Moles and
has the greatest variety
including negro (black),
colorado (colored) and
verde (green).
Lixhii
Oaxaca carries both black
mole and red mole, with
instructions on how to
prepare the flavourful
sauce with chicken or
pork right on the jar in
English.
Continues on page 23
March 7th, 2011
12
The website www.rozinlapaz.com
features a schedule of arts and cultural
events in La Paz. Here’s a sample of
what you’ll find there. On the website
you’ll find valuable updates, venue
information and listings for live music
and classes.
Tuesday, March 8
French film series: The Tuesday
night series at Alianza Francesa,
Revolución 635, starts at 6 p.m.
and admission is free. March 8: La
peau douce, by Francois Truffaut.
For more information, contact the
French cultural centre at Revolución
635 between Morelos and Guadalupe
Victoria. Phone number: 122-28-88.
Wednesday, March 9
International symposium on media
and marketing starts: Title of the
symposium at Teatro de la Ciudad
March 9, 10 and 11 is “The E-volution.”
For more information, go to the
website www.mediosymarketing.com
Rock-and-roll
film
series:
The
Wednesday night film series at Alianza
Francesa, Revolución 635, starts at
6 p.m. and admission is free. March
9: The Beatles, Yellow Submarine, by
George Dowing.
Friday, March 11
Film La Clave — (Todos Santos Film
Festival in La Paz): There are showings
at 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. in the Auditorio
de Ciencias Sociales - Bldg 2B of UABCS
(Universidad Autónoma de BCS). The
film is in Spanish with English subtitles.
For more information and to see a
trailer of the movie, go to the website
http://www.todossantoscinefest.com/
Music
school
performances:
Rehearsals of the Orquesta Juvenil de
la Escuela de Música del Estado from 5
to 8 p.m. at Sala de Conciertos La Paz
are free and open to the public.
Saturday, March 12
Farmer’s market: A sidewalk market
of natural foods and crafts starts at
9:30 a.m. in the park on the corner of
Constitución and Revolución, across
from the post office and Corazón
Café. There’s also a market Tuesdays
9:30 a.m. on Madero Street between
5 de Mayo and Constitución. Both
markets end at about 11:30 a.m., but
sell out of some foods earlier. For
13
March 7th, 2011
contact the French cultural centre at
Revolución 635 between Morelos and
Guadalupe Victoria. Phone number:
122-28-88.
more information, visit Corazón Café
or Sabores de México.
Children’s library workshop: The
“Library workshop” from 10:30 a.m. to
12:30 p.m. offers stories and crafts and
the cost, including materials and light
refreshments, is 80 pesos. It’s one
of several activities at AbraPalabra,
a non-profit children’s library on the
grounds of the Galería Galería art
gallery on Revolución at the corner of
Juárez. See the CLASSES page for a full
list of activities at AbraPalabra.
CineClub at Centro Cultural La Paz:
This week’s Saturday movie: 5 Días sin
Nora, an outstanding Mexican family
drama with touches of comedy about
the reaction of family members to a
sudden death. The movie starts at 6
p.m. at the cultural centre on 16 de
Septiembre near Belisario Dominguez.
There is no mention of English subtitles
— inquire about this at the cultural
centre. Admission is by donation.
Sunday, March 13
Children’s Carnaval 2011: The parade
of floats along the Malecón starts at 9
a.m. at Obregón and Juárez. At about
11 a.m. (after the parade), Zaico Circo
performs an entertaining show of
music, puppets, masks, juggling and
stilts. At noon there will be a costume
competition and awards for children.
All activities are free.
Sunday theatre: The theatre group
La Hostería performs La Zapatera
Prodigiosa
(the
shoemaker’s
wonderful wife), by Federico García
Lorca, at 6 p.m. in the open-air patio
at Centro Cultural La Paz. The play is
directed by Diego Barajas. Admission
is free. There are also performances
March 20 and 27.
Tuesday, March 15
International monologue festival
begins: The festival March 15 to 31 will
present events at several locations
around La Paz. For more information,
call 612-122-2888.
Music
school
performances:
Rehearsals of the Orquesta Juvenil de
la Escuela de Música del Estado from 6
to 8:30 p.m. are free and open to the
public.
French film series: The Tuesday night
series at Alianza Francesa, Revolución
635, starts at 6 p.m. and admission
is free. March 15: Chair de poule, by
Julien Divivier. For more information,
Wednesday, March 16
Rock-and-roll
film
series:
The
Wednesday night film series at Alianza
Francesa, Revolución 635, starts at 6
p.m. and admission is free. March16:
The Doors, by Oliver Stone.
Piano concert: Pianists Daniel Rodrigo
Lluch Sicard and Jonathan Caravantes
de Jesús perform at 7 p.m. at the music
school’s Sala de Conciertos La Paz.
Admission is 20 pesos. They will play
works of Bach, Haydn, Castro, Satie,
Piazzolla, Mozart, M. Ponce, Chopin
and Gardel.
Thursday, March 17
Photography exhibition opens: El
Paisaje Sudcaliforniano, Visiones y
Recreaciones is the title of this show
by local photographers. The opening
is at 7 p.m. at Centro Cultural La Paz.
Admission is by donation. The show
continues until April 14.
St. Patrick’s Dinner: Club Cruceros
sponsors this traditional corned beef
and cabbage dinner, prepared by the
club’s best chefs. For more information
drop by the clubhouse during coffee
hour, Monday to Saturday, 9:30 to
10:30 a.m. or visit the Club Cruceros
website at http://www.clubcruceros.
org/
Friday, March 18
Film Los Herederos — (Todos Santos
Film Festival in La Paz): There are
showings at 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. in the
Auditorio de Ciencias Sociales - Bldg
2B of UABCS (Universidad Autónoma
de BCS). The film is in Spanish
with English subtitles. For more
information and to see a trailer of the
movie, go to the website http://www.
todossantoscinefest.com/
Video presentation: As part of the
Festival Internacional de Monólogos
(monologue
festival),
Alianza
Francesa is showing a series of videos.
Admission is free. March 18 at 10 a.m.:
Todo Buffo, by Howard Buten (RussiaFrance-England).
Music
school
performances:
Rehearsals of the Orquesta Juvenil de
la Escuela de Música del Estado from 5
to 8 p.m. at Sala de Conciertos La Paz
are free and open to the public.
Dinner with cookbook author Diana
Kennedy: There is a dinner event at
Continues on page 23
March 7th, 2011
Daylight
Savings
Time
(DST)
starts in U.S.
and Canada
March 13th
Just a reminder to you folks that the official start of DST begins at 2 a.m. on
Sunday morning, March 13th in the U.S. and Canada, so our northern neighbours
set their clocks forward (spring forward) one hour and lose an hour of sleep. Be
aware that the northern border cities of Mexico, including Tijuana, also switch
on the 13th; however, most of the rest of Mexico (including us here in La Paz) will
begin Daylight Savings Time April 3rd.
14
Continues from page 8
For three days we: watched whales
breach, walked the beach, talked,
played games, took photos, and read.
And we ate. We warmed my chicken
mole on the stove and toasted the
rolls in the oven. At night we could
read or play Mexican Train because
the igloos have 12-volt electricity. We
made campfires and roasted sausages
on sticks. At low tide we explored a sea
cave. We walked to the top of Monkey
Hill and watched the waves pound the
rocks far below. At night the moon lit
up the ocean. I fell asleep to the roar
of the surf and awoke to the smell of
cowboy coffee.
But good food, conversations, and
beautiful surroundings don’t make
memories. No, memories are created
by the unexpected. And I had wanted
something memorable to happen
although I never imaged that I would
be the subject of the memory. It
began so innocently. I was sitting
outside reading and noticed that I
began daydreaming about a cup of
coffee so I took a short-cut around the
back of the igloo and, in full sight of
my friends, I tripped, knocked over the
Continues from page 10
bright-feathered costumes resembling
the indigenous traditions, and create a
series of performances on the streets
as well as on stages. In most cases
there is a large set-up of fair games and
roller coasters. Each city will include
many regional food dishes, drinks and
music.
The history of carnivals in La Paz can
be traced to the early 19th century,
a time when the wealthy families of
the region held the festival within the
grounds of their properties, where
they named their youngest or prettiest
girl as the ìQueen of the Carnivalî. This
changed as years went by, leaving the
confines of their private properties;
to be held on the public streets were
the carnival belongs. Nowadays, any
beautiful young woman can be voted
for and elected the ìCarnival Queenî.
There is always something to do or
watch during the carnival, ranging
45-pound propane tank and landed
on top of it. As it hit the ground, it
hissed in protest and released a cloud
ofÖsomething. Alex rushed over,
grabbed my hand and dragged my
prostrate body about seven feet –
yelling the entire time, ìGet back, get
back, get back!î In a flash Steve and
Mike turned off the gas nozzle. While
the men concentrated on the propane
tank, my female friends concerned
themselves with the state of my body.
No blood. No scrapes. No dislocated
arm. I could be wrong, but I think I
managed to create a memory.
As we headed back to La Paz
Wednesday afternoon, we agreed
that we got a $600 peso (per night)
bargain. We decided that the next
time we’ll call Cha Cha’s son, Juan
Pablo, who offers his guide services
into the nearby Sierra Mountains.
Next week we’re going to have a postvacation party. We’ll make each other
copies of the hundreds of photos we
shot. And of course, we’ll order pizza.
Maybe we’ll plan another vacation.
Life is good.
from La Paz Carnival ìLa Quema del
Mal Humorî (The Burning of the Bad
Mood), which consists of literally
incinerating a human shaped figure
that symbolizes a ìBad Moodî, to an
award ceremony for the Best Parade
Float, which is the last event of the
carnival.
Carnival arts offer all of us a
dynamic tool for self-expression and
exploration, a tool to seek out our
roots, to develop new forms of looking
at the world and its cultures, to unite
the world, to discover what we all
have in common and to celebrate
what makes us different. The power
and creativity that underlies these art
forms can transform lives.
Lets all burn the bad mood during
carnival and, always, dance the song
of life!
15
CABO MARINE SHOW 2011
THE NAUTICAL EVENT OF LOS CABOS
The Cabo Marine Show returns this
year to the Marina Golden Zone, on
the Cabo San Lucas Marina, with new
vendors, more entertainment and the
allnew La Paz Pavilion. This year’s products and services reflect an ever‐growing segment of Baja California Sur businesses.
“The show definitely has grown from
last year, including new vendors from
the La Paz area, as well as mainland
Mexico,” said Sergio Igartua, organizer of the second annual Cabo Marine
Show. “Last year we received more
than 3,000 visitors and showcased
more than 40 local and foreign vendors during our 3‐day event. This year
we will be Expanding the number of
booths at the show to include new participants such as FONATUR and a more
prominent presence from IGY Marina
Cabo San Lucas, among others.”
One target for growth this year is adistributor of marine products and accessories, as the Show continues to gain
popularity and fill a gap in the marine
industry in the Baja Sure region. Brands
will include Village Marine Tec, Parker
Racer and Performance Boats. Plus,
Toady Yachts will show its charter fleet
with some of the largest luxury yachts
located in Baja Sur.
Some of last year’s favorite exhibitors
will also be returning for the second an-
nual Cabo Marine Show, including Cabo
Riviera, Specialized Marine Services,
Maui Jim and Los Cabo Winery. Many
more are soon to be listed. Show
dates and times are Thursday, April 21st
through Saturday, April 23rd, 2011, from
1:00 pm to 9:00 pm, on the spectacular
Marina waterfront promenadeby Puerto Paradise Shopping Mall, Luxury Avenue Boutique Mall and Marina Fiesta
Resort & Spa commonly known as the
Marina Golden Zone of Cabo San Lucas,
Mexico.
“As usual, the sounds of great live entertainment will fill the air during the
early evening hours of the three day
event,” said Sergio. “Bands will include
Los Cabo’ favorites, The Cosmopolitans, as well as new and exciting performances by Rancho from Monterrey
and Bluz Explozion from La Paz.”
One more improvement for this year’s
second annual show is the Semana
Santa calendar dates, taking advantage of one of Mexico’s most important holiday weeks, which is sure to
bring an excellent turnout for Cabo Marine Show 2011.
For more information please visit
www.cabomarineshow.com or contact
[email protected]
March 7th, 2011
16
March 7th, 2011
Property Management Done Right at All Points South
TBC
Are you not sure you want to commit
to owning your own home, but you
have decided on spending some time
in La Paz long-term? Do you have
family or friends visiting the area, and
you need to find them a place to stay,
to take the stress off you?
All Points South Property Management
is a property management company
that is associated with Linda Neil
properties. Owned by Terry and
Paulette Scheffer and Amber Neil,
the idea of All Points South was
conceived by Amber, who while living
in La Paz, found a need for property
management done correctly.
Before All Points South, Amber says,
there was not an agency available
in the city that worked with legal
documents, paid property rental taxes
Loek and Ans Verburgt, Amber Neil and Terry Scheffer.
or supplied clients with checklists
and property up-dates. “Property
management has been tuned
differently in other countries of the
world and our clients have experienced
that. They appreciate us because
we are managing properties the way
properties need to be managed.”
Commonly, there are two types
of property managers in Mexico.
There is the full-service property
managers who take care of all of the
details, including property care, tax
payments and finding safe and reliable
renters through a screening process.
Secondly, there are the finders fee
agencies, which basically find a renter
for the property and do very little in
terms of property services.
All Points South is a full-service
management company that deals with
both vacation and long-term rentals,
utility bill payment and house visits.
While the Scheffer’s and Amber live
in the San Jose, California area, they
have a managing team of Loek and
Ans Verburgt here in La Paz, handling
the day-to-day operations.
“What sets us apart from any other
property management company here
in La Paz is our 3rd party escrow, which
refers to money held by a third-party
on behalf of transacting parties, and
our tax program. We charge taxes on
property rental payments and pay it to
the government, which is the law here
in Mexico,” Amber explains.
Amber finds that the hardest thing
about being a pioneer in La Paz in
terms of property management is
the educational aspect of their work,
not only to the public but also to their
colleagues.
What does the future hold for All Points
South? “We are trying to grow into a
good, viable, stand-alone business.
There are lots of variables out there
to get us to that point and only so
much we can control. We can exceed
in our expectations of our renters and
rentees, but a lot also depends on the
economy and unfortunately, that is
out of our hands,” Terry replied.
For more information about All Points
South, head to their website at www.
apsbaja.com or call their offices on the
malecon, above the immigration office
at 612 122 5672.
17
March 7th, 2011
Shopping 101
With Donneley Mccann
Of course you know
that
psychology
is used to arrange
items in any store so
that you, the buyer, is enticed into
purchasing? Milk, as an example, is
not conveniently located near the
entrance but near the back of the store
in an attempt to lure shoppers into
purchasing other carefully displayed
items along the way. Shopping carts,
on the other hand, are conveniently
located near the entrance and have
the magical effect of making you take
one just in case you remember there
are other items you may find and
usually do! The most expensive items
are put at eye level. Reaching up or
bending down low is just not as easy
to reach for.
Grouping - pasta and sauce in the same
aisle may tempt you into purchasing
an entire meal. Points cards and
memberships encourage loyalty. All
those goodies at the checkout? What’s
one more small item? Bottom line?
If you bought it, you were probably
influenced.
Sauntering the aisles of City Club I
found several new-to-me products that
I could not pass up. One of these was
a no trans fats, no cholesterol cooking
spray by the makers of Vegalene.
This Garlic Mist (garlic buttery flavour
spray) is all natural and perfect for
creating garlic breads and croutons.
Can be used for grilling or pan-frying
and adding flavour to salads, pasta,
quiche, crepes and casseroles. I also
intend to spray ready to roast cornish
game hens, chickens and turkeys to
assist in browning and flavouring the
skin.
I saw very accommodating beach
bags, 20 X 14 X 9”, with 5 inside pockets
aside from those on the exterior. Two
colours available - orange or brown
- with beige trim. Great for picnic
supplies, beach towels and sand toys
and priced reasonably at 159.90 pesos.
Mosquito repellant coils to your liking?
A big box of 24 can be had for 40.90
pesos.
When we invite a big bunch of friends
to come potluck or party or potluck
party the choice is usually to use
plastic table and glass ware... who
wants to spend hours cleaning up? If
you do please write me and I will invite
you to my next soiree! Chinet is now
making more sturdy plastic glasses
that resemble crystal and are ever so
much more elegant than the usual
offerings. Available where Chinet is
stocked.
Although I make regular rounds of
all the supermarkets I am currently
favouring the Chedraui (Palacio) store
as I find more imported, unusual and
what I have been looking for items
than many of the others. In the unusual
category ... SLICES of Philadelphia
cream cheese and Coronado cajeta
(caramelized goat’s milk)!!
I used
a package of 8 of the cheese in a
breakfast casserole and was very
impressed! The cajeta would be great
on anything toasted or in a sandwich
to satisfy that sweet tooth craving.
ground, packaged and labeled it for
me. For 38 kgs. at 42.00 per kilo I went
away happy for 16.21 pesos! Just ask
for molida de pollo.
In the meat department I asked
for ground chicken or turkey and
volunteered that many of us would
like this to be readily available. To my
surprise the butcher asked if chicken
breast would be satisfactory and with
my agreeing that it would, he grabbed
three of the finest and promptly
If you need to check food labels,
especially for health related reasons,
be very careful to peel back any
overlap that translates the contents
of the product into Spanish. I bought
a huge can of pomegranate green tea
mix enticed by the new label showing
0 azucars and 1 g carbohidratos.
When about to store this purchase
for the upcoming hot summer I slowly
removed the new label and found the
original to say 18g of sugar and 18 g of
carbohydrates per serving. ‘nuff said.
Have trouble finding a product that
I may just discover or uncover while
shopping - write me!
[email protected]
18
March 7th, 2011
Foreign Owned Businesses
Les Carmona
The casual visitor to La Paz may hear
of a recommended business owned by
non-native Mexican persons, especially
in the fields of real estate, hospitality
and service. Some of the clues to
discovering immigrant businesses may
be the spoken Spanish with an accent,
or really good English language skills.
Other hints to the origin of your host
may be in the facial features or just the
uniqueness of the product or service
offered.
For countless dozens of people, La
Paz is a haven from the rigor and
stress found “back home”, a new
beginning, or a chance to reinvent
oneself. The exact reason for coming
to La Paz? Perhaps it is the inexpensive
medical care available or the nearness
of the ocean with its recreational
opportunities. Or maybe this is where
the car broke down or the money
ran out. For whatever private reason,
businesses owned by immigrants is on
the rise in La Paz.
Becoming a businessperson in La Paz
is not complicated but has several
factors that must coincide and interact.
Actually, It is easier to own ones’ own
business that to be on someone’s
payroll, which is why many foreigners
choose to start their own. The first
can i set up shop here?
step is to obtain legal permission
to earn money in Mexico, obtained
through the National Immigration
Institute. Once this process is well
underway the next step is to register
with the Secretary of Finance and
Public Credit to obtain a CURP number
and apply for a RFC number. Both
are Federal identifying numbers and
their initials translate as Federal tax
contributor registry and registry code
for individual persons.
All that remains is to register the
business entity at the state and
local levels, paying for the annual
business license and arranging for
the payment of state taxes. In
the case of a business with one or
more employee, the Mexican Social
Security Institute assigns an employer
number and enrolls the employee in
its medical insurance program as well
as a government housing assistance
program.
What then, is the biggest challenge
to success for the immigrant
businessperson? In a random nonscientific survey, the response was
unanimously given as, answering
the same question time after time,
“So where did you come from?”.
No matter where someone is from,
they all chose to live here now and the
past is well put behind.
19
March 7th, 2011
Big Changes in Store for
BCSs Civil Servants?
TBC
All seems quiet
on the political
front after the
February
5th
elections, but
trust, it is not.
Most of the big
campaign signs
are down, the
loud music and
throngs of party
supporters in
the streets has stopped and there
are no more political flyers littering
the streets but politically, things are
happening. Big changes are in store in
Baja California Sur and up until now,
all the action has been taking place
behind closed doors. Soon, however,
the doors will be opening and we will
soon see the new face of both the
municipal and state governments, and
their administrations that complement
them.
Our only glimpse of Governor-elect
Marcos Covarrubias of the National
Action Party, or PAN, as of late has
him meeting with federal Secretaries,
such as the heads of SEDESOL (Social
Development) and Trabajo (Jobs)
to ask for their help is providing
more support for the families of
Baja California Sur. He is meeting
all the players, introducing himself
and getting support federally, which
should be a bit easier for him as he is
from the same party that is in control
nationally.
Covarrubias and his slate of Secretaries
and advisers will be taking over office
on April 5th 2011 and now, behind the
scenes, his administration is taking
form. Which has the general public
wondering who is going to be in what
position during the next 4 and a-half
years.
After an election in Mexico, like
elections in Canada and the United
States, there is always a major shakeup in congress, on who heads what
departments, the heads of each
Secretary, and even the faces around
the city council table.
But one thing that sets Mexico apart
is that the civil service also receives a
big shake-up.
Marcos Covarrubias Campaña
It became apparent that after Vicente
Fox (PAN) won the 2000 Presidential
elections after almost more than 70
years of single party rule in Mexico, that
the administration of the government
was unable to help facilitate change
in the country. Civil servants during
1929 until 2000 were often given their
positions as gifts or as payback for
favors. Many who were in positions
of power were simple unqualified for
their job.
With its change to a democratic state
in 2000, Mexico completely had to
reinvent how the civil service works.
Slowly things are changing and some
Secretaries, including the Secretary
of External Relations for example,
has established a professional
environment within its administration,
where civil servants don’t change
with each election and continuity and
impartiality in civil service is celebrated.
Other Secretaries are also making
strides to promote lifetime careers in
the civil service with training programs
and pay and benefits schemes in place.
However, even after the state elections
on February 5th, many current state
workers, especially those is higher
level positions, were wondering if
they would be out of a job when the
new government is ushered is, a new
government from a different political
party.
So behind closed doors, all the
action is taking place. Hopefully,
the government-elect will be
establishing an administration of civil
servants where professionalism and
qualifications take precedent over
loyalty and favoritism. We will soon
find out when the new faces roll out
and take control.
35 pesos each from Monday to Friday.
43 pesos each from Monday to Sunday.
March 7th, 2011
20
STREET MARKET IN LA PAZ
A fledgling organic/natural product
market took its first flight Tuesday,
January 8th in La Paz. Three vendors
participated and everything sold
out in an hour. The call is out for
producers (as opposed to resellers) to
bring their ware to the market. Fruit.
Veggies. Lettuces. Flowers. Bread.
Herbs. Poultry. Eggs. Cheeses. Plans
are to have a market every Tuesday,
from 9:30 am until 2 pm. The location
is the length of Madero street from
Cinco de Mayo to Constitucion. For
information, call 612-142-0725.
WOMEN’S GOLF CLINIC
Costa Baja Golf Course will now be
offering golf classes for women on
Mondays and Thursdays for groups
of 5 to 8 women. Cost is 400 pesos
per person per class. For information
and to reserve a spot, call 175-0122 or
e-mail reservation@costabajagolf.
com
BOOK SIGNING WITH COOKBOOK
AUTHOR DIANA KENNEDY
Allende Books in La Paz, in
conjunction with CostaBaja presents
Oaxaca Al Gusto: a book signing
with Diana Kennedy on Thursday,
March 17th, 2011 at the main entrance
fountain at CostaBaja. She has been
called the “Julia Child of Mexican
Cuisine” and she will be discussing
her adventures traveling through
Mexico studying cuisine. For more
information, including the time of
the book signing, contact Allende
Books: phone 125-9114, e-mail
[email protected] or visit the
bookstore at Independencia #518,
between Serdan and Prieto.
FREEDIVERS COURSES AND DAY
CLINICS
The only Master instructors of A.I.D.A.
in Mexico, Aharon and Maria Teresa
(MT) Solomons, are offering courses
21
March 7th, 2011
and 1 day workshops teaching the
secrets of freediving. breathing
techniques and better underwater
security. For more information, call
612 132 8572
Amarillas at (612) 125-3306, cel. 1418554 or by e-mail at hector_manuel_
[email protected].
LAST CALL FOR LA PAZ LADIES
LUNCHEON
Artists
Luis
Diaz
Infante
(photographer)
and
Edmundo
Pedraza (painter) with be showcasing
their works under the theme 4
Elements at Galeria Nautilus, located
on 1640 Marcelo Rubio downtown
La Paz. The exhibit opened March
4th and will be running until the end
of the month. For more information
please call 185 2729.
The La Paz Ladies Luncheon March
edition will be held at Caffé Milano,
on Esquerro Street downtown La
Paz on March 10th, 2011. All women
are welcome. The meet and greet
begins at 12:15 and Mexican and
expat women business owners are
encouraged to come to promote
their businesses. Lunch will be served
at 1:00 pm. It is important to note that
you must make your reservation with
Luiza at [email protected]. If
you find that you cannot attend after
making a reservation, a cancellation
notice is required to give notice to the
restaurant.
BAJA FOREIGN BUSINESS OWNERS
GROUP MEETING
Due to the conflict with our meeting
and the Carnaval Parade, we are
going to move our meeting 1 week
forward to MARCH 15th, Dinghy
Dock Restaurant at 6:OO PM. We
will be hosting a representative from
the Mexican Immigration Offices to
present new rules and regulations and
a Q&A, especially relating to business
owners. If you have colleagues who
are interested in attending or need
more information, please contact Juli
at [email protected].
SPRING CLASSIC AND ANTIQUE CAR
SHOW
The Spring Classic and Antique Auto
Show will take place on March 19th
and 20th on the Malecon from 10 in
the morning until 8 o’clock at night.
There will be an assortment of classic
autos on display as well as live music,
inflatable attractions for kids to play
on and remote control car races! For
more information, contact Manuel
4 ELEMENTS ART EXHIBITION
2nd ANNUAL STUDIO TOUR
Sponsered by ARTS (Artists of Todos
Santos). Sunday, March 20th twentythree artists will be opening up their
studios from 10am - 5pm in Todos
Santos. For more information, please
contact Diane Knight, dianekknight@
hotmail.com or check out the
webpage www.artistsoftodossantos.
com.
CHRISTIAN WORSHIP IN ENGLISH IN
LA PAZ
Crossroads Christian Worship has
worship services every Sunday at
9:00 am. Bible study classes are
also available. Everyone is welcome.
Crossroads is located on Abasolo
between Sonora and Sinaloa. For
more information, please contact
Milton and Susu Sanders at 122 5538
or check out the Crossroads webpage
at www.crossroadslapaz.org.
INFORMAL ART GROUP
Frank Hills and Patricia Solem
encourage all artists to them on
Thursday mornings at the new space
at Mariana de La Paz, for informal
painting, conversation and coffee.
They usually meet at around 9:00 am
until 1:00pm. For information, Frank
can be reached at 612 154 1050 or
[email protected]. There are
no rules, no membership fees and no
classes. Everyone welcome.
March 7th, 2011
22
Just to let you
know…
Banks, most government offices
and some businesses will be closed
to celebrate the birthday of Benito
Juarez on Monday, March 21, 2011.
The holiday has been lately observed
on the third Monday of March — this
year, it falls on his actual birthday.
Benito Juarez, 1806-1872, is a national
hero and was President of Mexico
from 1861-1863 and 1867-1872. He
was also Governor of his home state,
Oaxaca (1847). During his terms as
President, he sought to establish
a balanced economy & carried out
numerous public works. He may be
most commonly known for, however,
of separating church and state in
Mexico.
Continues from page 11
Also available at Lixhii
Oaxaca is just add water
Horchata, complete with
almonds and walnuts,
classic or semi bitter
chocolate, perfect for
making hot chocolate,
spicy salsas, honey and
the food staple that is
synonymous with Oaxaca,
the grasshopper, prepared
with chile and salts!
Affordable and beautifully presented
all-natural body products are also
on sale at Lixhii Oaxaca, including
shampoos and conditions, lip balms,
soaps and my favourite, calendula
cream, which is made from natural
products that penetrate the skin
and help disinfect and heal scrapes
and burns from the sun. Sold in
presentations of 25 and 60 grams.
Continues from page 13
Costa Baja’s Azul Marino restaurant
with Diana Kennedy, featuring recipes
from her latest cookbook, Oaxaca al
Gusto. For more information, contact
the restaurant at 612-106-7009.
Voice and guitar in concert: Soprano
Loyda Vázquez and guitarist Mauro
Rodríguz perform in the Salón de Usos
Múltiples at Centro Cultural La Paz.
Admission is by donation.
Saturday, March 19
Casa de Artes Tour in Los Barriles: The
tour is 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., sponsored by
the East Cape Arts Association. For
more information, contact JoAnn at
[email protected]
Video presentation: As part of the
Festival Internacional de Monólogos
(monologue
festival),
Alianza
Francesa is showing a series of videos.
Admission is free. March 19 at 10 a.m.:
La Tragedia de Hamlet (the tragedy of
Hamlet), by Peter Brook (England).
Children’s library workshop: The
“Library workshop” from 10:30 a.m. to
12:30 p.m. offers stories and crafts and
the cost, including materials and light
refreshments, is 80 pesos. It’s one
of several activities at AbraPalabra,
a non-profit children’s library on the
grounds of the Galería Galería art
gallery on Revolución at the corner of
Juárez. See the CLASSES page for a full
list of activities at AbraPalabra.
Musical performance: Academia
Musical Bustamante performs at 11
a.m. at Teatro de la Ciudad. Admission
is 50 pesos.
CineClub at Centro Cultural La Paz: This
week’s Saturday movie: Amelia, by
23
March 7th, 2011
Traditional dress of Oaxaca.
No Oaxacan boutique would be
complete without brightly woven
table clothes, pillow shams, scarves,
bags or embroidered shirts. Magloria
personally visits with local Oaxacan
craftsmen and women to find just the
right pieces to share with her clientele.
Lixhii Oaxaca is located on Jalisco,
between Independencia and Josefa
Ortiz de Dominguez, in front of
Baja Pack.
Indian filmmaker Mira Nair. The movie
starts at 6 p.m. at the cultural centre
on 16 de Septiembre near Belisario
Dominguez. There’s no mention of
language and/or English subtitles.
Admission is by donation.
Magic show: The star of La magia de
Sterling is described as “the best young
magician in the world.” Performances
are scheduled for 6 p.m. and 9 p.m. at
Teatro de la Ciudad. Admission is 150
and 100 pesos. This event is not yet
confirmed.
Grupo Pesado in concert: The show
starts at 9 p.m. at the stadium Estadio
Arturo C. Nahl. One place to get tickets
is the restaurant La Camorra Cantina,
on Madero between 5 de Mayo and
Constitución. Grupo Pesado is one of
Mexico’s top norteño groups. Their
recent album, Desde la Cantina, was
recorded live at Pilo’s Bar, a celebrated
cantina in Guadalupe, Nuevo Leon,
where the band was joined on stage
by a host of regional Mexican legends.
Sunday, March 20
Artists’ Studio Tour in Todos Santos: The
tour, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., features
23 studios. For more information,
e-mail Diane Knight at dianekknight@
hotmail.com or visit the website www.
artistsoftodossantos.com
Sunday theatre: The theatre group
La Hostería performs La Zapatera
Prodigiosa
(the
shoemaker’s
wonderful wife), by Federico García
Lorca, at 6 p.m. in the open-air patio
at Centro Cultural La Paz. The play is
directed by Diego Barajas. Admission
is free. There is also a performance
March 27.
Carnaval is back !
A Christian and a non official catholic tradition! Yes, catholics know how
to have fun. Holydays and celebrations are countless in the calendar,
and many of these celebrations are related.
Why is Carnaval not always at the same date? My answer is: how is Easter date
calculated?
In the Roman Catholic calender (ours) Easter is the first Sunday after the
first full moon coming after the vernal equinox. To help you, the vernal
equinox is the 21st of March. You need to look for the next full moon, this
year April 18th, so Easter this year is on April 24th.
The Sunday before Easter is Palm Sunday. Palm Sunday minus 40 days,
the 40 days of Lent (cuaresma), is Ash Wednesday (cenizas).
The day before Ash Wednesday is the famous Mardi-gras, (mardi is
Tuesday in French) last day of Carnaval. And it’s every year the same
calculation, so remember: first full moon after March 21st, then the
Sunday right after = Easter – 48 days= Mardi Gras, last day of Carnaval.
Fun !
Unscramble these Spanish words all related with Carnaval.
1. nfaatiz
2. dfelies
3. camraas
4. tcifone
5. smaebautln
6. irisvdeón
7. sradifz
8. cscntorioe
9. tsfeia
10. roonuccs
11. eirfa
12. aeahclrtsna
13. músaic
14. beali
15. arnei
16. argleía
17. nesdrvoede
18. cverzae
19. soegju
20. mdiaoc
Valentine’s Day related and scrambled vocabulary : answers
These words are in Spanish and are related to Valentine’s Day
1. egrlao
3. aronaomde
5. ctviniiaón
Regalo (present)
Enamorado (in love)
Invitación
(invitation)
2. omráticno
4. pearaj
6. ncea
7. erflos
Flores (flowers)
9. artaejt
Tarjeta (card)
11. rjoyeía
Joyería (jewelry)
12. nilaol
13. inavo
Novia (girlfriend)
14. lideidfca
15. ossepa
Esposa (wife)
17. moraid
Marido (husband)
19. uesño
Sueño (dream)
8. coctlhseoa
10. zcraoón
16. ctai
Romántico (romantic)
Pareja (couple)
Cena (dinner)
Chocolates (do you
need a translation ?)
Corrazón (heart)
Anillo (ring)
Felicidad ( Happiness)
Cita (date)
18. saaocd
Casado (married)
20. ldiaedifd
Fidelidad (fidelity)
March 7th, 2011
24