Recent columnist articles
Tropical blues: ornamental plants and flowers of tropical Mexico
Blue can be compelling as the neon flash of a bird's wing, or quiet as a cloud, but it is never unnerving, always drawing the viewer to relax and witness its timeless grace.
In music, blues are associ...
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Ask an old gringo: symbolism, police, education, and the Virgin
This old gringo, from time to time, receives a flurry of comments and questions. Many are predictable. Where should I visit? How much does it cost? How's the weather in January? Is it safe to drive?
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Million Americans in Mexico? Just guessing
Last year, the Dallas Morning News reported that more than a million Americans live in Mexico. It didn't say how many more or where the heck are they.
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Politics and women's changing role in Mexico
In Talpa de Allende, there is a neighborhood girl who calls me her quasi-godmother. We have studied English together for the past few summers, but I find her attention span jumping about like a monkey....
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Josefina: you got to know when to fold 'em
When Kenny Rogers sang, "Ya got to know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em … " in his hit, "The Gambler," he was singing about more than playing cards, he was singing about life with Josefina.
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An immigration success story
A funny thing happened the other day to one of my favorite Mexicans. He was invited to speak at a college, which, once upon a time, slammed the front door in his face.
Rodolfo Calva Marquez
© Marv...
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Mexico faces an uphill fight against malnutrition
More than 190 countries, including Mexico, have now signed up to the UN Millennium Development Goals, originally agreed in the year 2000.
There are eight key goals (see table) and Mexico is well on...
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Desert rose, dracaena and pothos: ornamental plants and flowers of tropical Mexico
Three beautiful options for your tropical garden in Mexico are the desert rose, dracaena and pothos.
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Mexico report, fair and balanced
Having been accused by two cynical readers of putting a smiley face on everything Mexico except lirio (water hyacinths) and topes (speed bumps), here is a feeble attempt to be fair and balanced.
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Tianguis: itinerant traders in a traveling Mexican market
In Talpa, we have tianguis or street markets. Every two weeks, venders come from Guadalajara with their trucks loaded with fresh vegetables and fruit, herbs, ornate plants, cell phones, hair dryers and CD players. We can buy a galvanized milk can or rubber boots to wear in the milking lot. There are clay bean pots, stone metates for grinding the spices for savory salsas and machetes to clear the path through the woods.
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