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sandykayak

Sep 8, 2003, 1:16 PM

Post #1 of 11 (1606 views)

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differing attitudes btw. SMA /Lake?

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the topic of discussion was "Have you read Tony Cohan's 'On Mexican Time'?"

the reply I got was something like "I didn't finish it nor have others I know and it was probably' because of

"the differing attitudes between SMA and the Lake."

Soooooo? can we have some discussion on these differing attitudes? What could be the inferences about this?

What kind of people would be more attracted to San Miguel de Allende that they would not like Lakeside and vice-versa?
Sandy Kramer
Miami, Fla & El Parque

Guapo Gabacho

Sep 8, 2003, 6:13 PM

Post #2 of 11 (1579 views)

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Re: [sandykayak] differing attitudes btw. SMA /Lake?

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Sandy,I’ve been lakeside Catemaco, lakeside Bacalar, lakeside Angostura, lakeside Patzcuaro, and even camped lakeside Dorado in S.M.A., but the best I have been in and around around Ajijic is sewerside.

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We do not inherit the Earth from our Ancestors, we borrow it from our Children.

johanson

Sep 8, 2003, 6:26 PM

Post #3 of 11 (1573 views)

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Re: [Guapo Gabacho] differing attitudes btw. SMA /Lake?

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Richard: I don't know whether to laugh or cry after your sewerside comment. I'm a snowbird and live on a lake up north that I use quite often. I go out in the boat, I sometimes go swimming, you name it. I could even drink the water, if I wished. I have to admit, I've only been on Lake Chapala 1 time in my seven years there, I had to drive a long way to the water's edge and once there they had to pole the boats out quite a distance from the shore before they could start their motors. It just wasn't very fun.

Yep if I were only coming to Lake Chapala because of the lake, I would be making a mistake, because there are a lot of other lakes that are one heck of a lot nicer. But I came to there because of the people and because it was 30 minutes away from an international airport that had good connections with Seattle, I was still commuting in those days. So I never even considered SMA, which might have been a mistake, I don't know.

Oh, from a distance, Lake Chapala is one of the more beautiful around

(This post was edited by johanson on Sep 8, 2003, 6:57 PM)

Jerry@Ajijic

Sep 8, 2003, 9:15 PM

Post #4 of 11 (1553 views)

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Re: [Guapo Gabacho] differing attitudes btw. SMA /Lake?

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Richard if you feel that way you certainly should not come back here. The lake is in trouble but the locals, gringo and Mexican are trying to improve it. The main reason for the contamination is that fact that with the low volume any impurities get concentrated. The good news is that right now the lake is at a higher level than it has been for some time and it is pouring down rain NOW.

As for a comparison we are from Jacksonville Florida, which I consider a very nice city but the water there was not too clean either. I can remember seeing people every day fishing at the foot of the Main Street bridge. The reason was that the sewer pipes came out there and the catfish loved it. BTWwe never eat catfish.

Guapo Gabacho

Sep 9, 2003, 7:30 AM

Post #5 of 11 (1536 views)

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Re: [Jerry@Ajijic] differing attitudes btw. SMA /Lake?

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Jerry,

I love Ajijic. The people (Mexicans) are very friendly and sure do know how to throw a party from the kiosko. I would consider it a single man's paradise. I send all my friends that I know couldn't really tolerate Mexico there when they insist I recommend a place.

Sandy insists on calling Ajijic "Lakeside" as if it were the defining word of the area. I would much rather live in S.M.A. if being near a lake was important to me.

Your comments about the water quality of Jacksonville, Florida is in my perspective quite self-delusional. Those storm drainpipes you refer to are very common all over Florida. You remind me of the people that live near a paper mill and say, "Oh that smell isn't bad, it smells just like money", or "The water that they put back into the river is cleaner than what they take out".

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We do not inherit the Earth from our Ancestors, we borrow it from our Children.

sandykayak

Sep 9, 2003, 8:20 AM

Post #6 of 11 (1524 views)

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Re: [Guapo Gabacho] differing attitudes btw. SMA /Lake?

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Richard said "Sandy insists on calling Ajijic "Lakeside" as if it were the defining word of the area. >>

I was under the impression that the term Lakeside pretty much covers the areas from Joco to Chapala and since not everyone actually lives in Ajijic (tho they may go in for LCS etc.) this was an OK term.

What's your take on it?

<<I would much rather live in S.M.A. if being near a lake was important to me. >>

I did, in fact, kayak on the lake just outside of SMA, but the town itself didn't grab me like the Ajijic area did and there was no actual view of the lake from the town.
Sandy Kramer
Miami, Fla & El Parque

jennifer rose

Sep 9, 2003, 8:33 AM

Post #7 of 11 (1518 views)

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Re: [sandykayak] differing attitudes btw. SMA /Lake?

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"The Lake" and "Lakeside" are terms which have absolutely no meaning beyond Lake Chapala. Lake Chapala is by no means the only lake in Mexico.

Most of the subscribers to Mexico Connect's forum are NOT from Lake Chapala.

When you mention "Lakeside," for all anyone knows -- even those of us who live elsewhere in Mexico -- you could be referring to a zillion other lakes.

Gary Anderson

Sep 9, 2003, 1:05 PM

Post #8 of 11 (1492 views)

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Re: [sandykayak] differing attitudes btw. SMA /Lake?

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Sandy -

Are you starting to get a feel for how attitudes differ between SMA and "Lakeside?" :-)
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Sep 9, 2003, 11:01 PM

Post #9 of 11 (1457 views)

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Re: [sandykayak] differing attitudes btw. SMA /Lake?

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Quote

"sandykayak" writes:
...I was under the impression that the term Lakeside pretty much covers the areas from Joco to Chapala and since not everyone actually lives in Ajijic (tho they may go in for LCS etc.) this was an OK term...."

Like "The City", "Lakeside" is a term used by locals in a given area, when talking to other locals. When taken out of either of these contexts at best the term is confusing, and it can be downright annoying.

Carol Schmidt

Sep 10, 2003, 2:07 PM

Post #10 of 11 (1425 views)

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Re: [sandykayak] differing attitudes btw. SMA /Lake?

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I prefer SMA because of all the activities. It's a town of around 70,000, or 100,000 if you count the countryside, and something like 3,000 gringos live here permanently and another 3,000 might be rotating through at any time for vacation or classes.

And we are a busy bunch--the weekly English-language newspaper lists probably 5-15 events for every single day, including international chamber music festivals and jazz festivals. Most of the latest big U.S. movies are shown at the twin cineplex in their original English with Spanish subtitles (not true of some big children's movies because the kids can't read the subtitles so these films get dubbed into Spanish, too bad for me), and three places in town show art films in English as well.

Within a half block of my house is an opera house that has something every night, two Mexican restaurants with live jazz or salsa and dancing after 9 each night, Belles Artes which has performances and exhibitions and classes going on constantly, and a couple more restaurants and art galleries--all within half a block! The paper lists probably 200 classes in every imaginable subject for each week. I have my choice of several dozen watercolorists to study under, to find someone perfect for me.

I know the people around Lake Chapala are just as involved in charitable organizations and support of health and scholarships and other volunteer activities as San Miguel residents, but there is something going on to support the local community at all times as well. And that is why I picked San Miguel--to which I return within a week, hurrah!

Carol Schmidt

sandykayak

Sep 10, 2003, 2:18 PM

Post #11 of 11 (1418 views)

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Re: [Carol Schmidt] differing attitudes btw. SMA /Lake?

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thanks for proffering your reasons, carol.

I was only in SMA for a few hours and it did feel like a large town. I preferred the small-town (village!) feel of Ajijic. But I'm the outdoorsy type - camping and kayaking.
Sandy Kramer
Miami, Fla & El Parque