During the Great Depression of the 1930s, the American people, desperately in need of relief from fears about the future, turned for escape to movie stars Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers for champagne and chiffon, horseracing icon, Seabiscuit, for inspiration and heart, and heavyweight boxer, Joe Louis, for action and grace. Similarly, Americans in 2006, […]
Continue ReadingMario Mareno Reyes was the sixth son of 15 children, who became a world-wide cinema super star, was married to the same woman for more than 30 years, and made enormous financial contributions to the Mexican poor. You may not think you know of him, but you do. He was known as Cantinflas. There are […]
Continue ReadingIt’s unusual for me to write about anything other than Mexico as seen through the eyes of a humorist. But this month’s article is different, because someone familiar with the culture around which Gibson’s film revolves, has passionately commented on its alleged authenticity, and her opinion should be available to expatriates living in Mexico. The […]
Continue Reading“What is Christmas like in Mexico?” asked my friend, Edward. It didn’t take much encouragement for me to eagerly share this experience: Once upon a Christmas nighttime, in a tiny village on the shores of Lake Chapala in the State of Jalisco, began las posadas, which means “the inns.” At the shy invitation of my beloved housekeeper, […]
Continue ReadingWe who live in Mexico, whether full- or part-time, have a duty to correct the enormous amount of misinformation perpetuated by foreign media. More creatures live with their heads in the sand than the ostrich. For your personal enlightenment, if not to increase your popularity, I’ve prepared a list of common misconceptions and corrective responses. […]
Continue ReadingThere’s been a big U.S. flap over the fact that honeybees seem to have gone missing. North Americans are becoming alarmed that, without pollination, foods such as almonds, apples, blueberries, peaches, and other goodies, will vanish, too. Honeybee pollination is also needed to make alfalfa and clover which feeds beef and dairy cattle. The New York […]
Continue ReadingIt may be time to add one more famous face to the posters hanging on my wall, the ones of Brando, Depp and Jim Morrison. Someone new may be exciting enough to be placed among them. I know because I heard all about it from Juanita, the Mexican cashier who snatched the special Obama issue […]
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Ever since Al Gore sounded the alarm about global warming, everyone on earth is aware that mankind (an oxymoron if ever I heard one) must preserve itself and the environment if it is to survive. We must waste nothing. These days, you don’t have to be a member of the Corleone family to be in […]
Continue ReadingGlobal economy just can’t be ignored any longer, no matter how hard I try. To keep up with the times and learn at least one more language while still keeping things simple, Spanish seemed a good choice because our alphabets are the same. Besides, each Spanish word is pronounced phonetically. What you see is what […]
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Many of us don’t spend enough time really delving into the heart of a Mexican city — the open-air market (mercado). Fresh fish caught that morning, fresh produce, beautiful cloth, sweet bread and wonderful food like chile rellenos on a stick and roasted pork — all are available quite inexpensively at the mercado. Venture into the mercado […]
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