“For many of us, water simply flows from a faucet, and we think little about it beyond this point of contact. We have lost a sense of respect for the wild river, for the complex workings of a wetland, for the intricate web of life that water supports.” – Sandra Postel, Last Oasis: Facing Water […]
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In January 2010, I wrote in these pages about our visit to Xalapa, Veracruz, a city off the Gringo radar screen, and how it compared to Ajijic, a pueblo very much on it. This time, Patricia and I decided to sample a city on the Pacific coast — Manzanillo. It is a city certainly on […]
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Decorated evergreen trees, garlands of greens and ivy, yule logs, shiny glass balls, seasonal music, twinkling lights, special family meals, shimmering stars, brilliantly red poinsettias, silvery ribbons, mounds of presents, and Santa Claus are the vibrant heralds of the Christmas season in the United States and Canada. Few North Americans recognize that the roots of […]
Continue ReadingI saw My Big Fat Greek Wedding, and I thought, how different could a Mexican-American wedding be? Well, while there are many, many similarities, I overlooked the fact that my wedding is being held in a different country and in a different language. At least in the movie everyone is still in the United States, […]
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Whether you live in Oaxaca or vacation here on a regular basis, if you’ve begun to integrate into the community, eventually you’ll be asked to be a padrino or madrina (godparent) to an ahijado or ahijada (godchild), so you’d better familiarize yourself with “compadrazgo,” or co-godparenthood. In a nutshell, it’s a web of mutual rights and obligations of monumental importance throughout Mexico and […]
Continue Reading“What works here ought to work in Mexico.” Not so. You cannot transplant Canadian or US techniques, methods and management styles without adapting them and expect them to work successfully. “What is new and modern is the most effective.” What is new and effective in one environment, will not automatically work in a different culture […]
Continue ReadingAlthough the three countries that make up North America are physically close, Mexico is simply a different country than her northern neighbors. Mexico has a different history and thus a different culture and ways of doing and looking at things. Many people have assumed that things are the same “south of the border”, with sometimes […]
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Mexican schools will welcome you as a foreigner – to a certain extent. Your kids have had a blast in Mexico. You have as well. They’re sold, you’re sold. Everyone is caught up in hyper-speed towards relocation until you realize… yikes! It is time to pull back on the south-bound, super-shuttle throttle – your children […]
Continue Reading“But I haven’t played bridge since college.” “The last time I played bridge, Ely Culbertson was the authority.” “I’ve just been too busy earning a living to find time for Bridge.” Sound familiar? Well, join the club. The local Bridge Club, that is. The game of Contract Bridge (and its “big brother,” Duplicate) is experiencing […]
Continue ReadingOur cover this month is graced with a ceramic plate, lovingly created by local potter Marybeth Coulter-Best. Originally from Meno, Oklahoma, Marybeth makes her home at Lakeside. She credits her Mexican garden as the inspiration for all of her latest works. Marybeth is also a gifted photographer and painter; her work has been shown and […]
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