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...in focus
is Focus on Mexico's
informative and fun newsletter about living in Mexico on your own terms. You will
be receiving it the first Friday of every month. We decided to send it on
Friday so you'll have the whole weekend to take your time and enjoy the
articles and digest the news. We hope you like ...in focus. If you
have any questions, or would like to see more articles on a certain subject,
please write to us at newsletterteam@focusonmexico.com.
In this issue:
- Mexico Reports 27.5 Percent Increase in International Visitors
- Top 10 Places to Live and Retire in Mexico
- A Positive Attitude Is a Key Selling Too
- What?!? Sick Because Of My Teeth??? You've got to be kidding!
- Finding the Right Dentist in Lake Chapala
- Spanish 101: A few favorite slang phrases
- The Virtues of Asparagus
- The Day of the Dead Celebration in Mexico
- Read about Tere's Life and Yoga in Lake Chapala Mexico
- The Bottom Line on Costs at Lake Chapala
- Hispanic Heritage Month September 15 to October 15
- Karen shares "stuff" in Karen's Korner...5 Foods That Starve Cancer and the United Mexican States!
All
this and more await you in this issue of the ...in focus newsletter.
Enjoy!
Read on...
Mexico Reports 27.5 Percent Increase in
International Visitors
Published on: September 7, 2010
Mexico's Secretariat of Tourism announced that in July of this year, the number
of international tourists arriving in Mexico by air increased by 27.5 percent,
compared to July 2009. In
July 2010, the airports of the Mexican
Republic received 899,172
foreign visitors, a difference of 193,899 passengers in respect to the same
time last year. According to National Institute of Migration, the United States was the main market source for
travelers into Mexico,
with 583,732 Americans arriving in the country, an impressive 20.1 percent
increase in comparison to 2009.
Mexico also saw an increase
in Canadian passengers traveling into the country as 57,587 Canadians visited Mexico in July,
an increase of 22,864 passengers, or 65.8 percent more than the same time last
year. With the United States and Canada holding the top two spots in number of
visitors, Spain comes in at number three with 35,893 Spanish travelers visiting
Mexico in July, a 57.8 percent increase compared to 2009. France registered an increase of 39.4 percent,
with 17,564 French travelers arriving in July 2010, compared to the 12,597
French passengers that visited Mexico
in 2009
Read more about international tourists arriving in Mexico...
A
Positive Attitude Is a Key Selling Tool
by Karen McConnaughey
"Whether you think you can or you
think you can't, you are right." -- Henry Ford
Attitude breeds attitude, and if you are negative, the other person will be
negative. Positive thoughts lead to positive language, and this is the language
that sells. And that goes for your house.
Can you maintain a positive attitude in a negative market? First, what is your
definition of a negative market?
Did you know...
NEW RESIDENTIAL SALES IN AUGUST 2010
Sales of new single-family houses in August 2010 were at a seasonally adjusted
annual rate of 288,000, according to estimates released jointly today by the
U.S. Census Bureau and the Department of Housing and Urban Development. This is
unchanged (+/-16.7%)* from the revised July rate of 288,000 and is 28.9 percent
(+/-11.0%) below the August 2009 estimate of 405,000.
The median sales price of new houses sold in August 2010 was $204,700; the
average sales price was $248,800. The seasonally adjusted estimate of new
houses for sale at the end of August was 206,000. This represents a supply of
8.6 months at the current sales rate.
Not great numbers, but obviously people are still buying, and we want them to
buy your house.
First I have to share with you a story about Focus on Mexico
co-worker Kristina Morgan in her own words about the power of positive thinking
in selling her house.
After
my husband and I decided in October of 2001 that we wanted to move to Lake Chapala,
the next step was selling our house. There was only one small problem with
that. September 11, 2001, had changed everything in the U.S., and the real
estate market was frozen.
Our realtor told us that the house probably wouldn't sell for a while. I told
him that if he, as our realtor, didn't believe it would sell then maybe we
should get another agent! He quickly back-peddled and then I threw him another
condition.
"I want the contract to say that we will have the house on the market
until December 31st. If it hasn't closed by then we'll take it off the
market." That only gave our house 2.5 months to sell! Our agent glanced at
Joel with the classic look of pity and comradeship that says, 'Man, your wife
is nuts. I feel for you!' But I didn't back down. That just felt right to me
(plus I really didn't want to spend another entire winter in Colorado!)
So what do you think happened? We closed on December 31st in a frozen market
and got very near our asking price! I often wonder what would have happened if
I had said I wanted the house to close by November 30th!
I just never lost my focus and belief that we were meant to be in Mexico and we
have never looked back!
By not concentrating on "What If'," one begins concentrating on
"When."
Of course, we all have learned from experience that a positive attitude does
not work 100% of the time, but we also know that negative thinking and a
negative attitude never works! So the only choice you have in this market is to
approach selling a home with a positive attitude.
Read more about how a Positive attitude is a key selling
tool...
Sick
Because Of My Teeth
By Judit Rajhathy
What?!? Sick Because Of My
Teeth??? You've got to be kidding!
Editor's note: Judit's excellent article
will serve as a reminder to you about how important your teeth are. In this
same issue, please read "Finding the Right Dentist in Lake Chapala"
by Karen McConnaughey for information on dentists in Lake Chapala.
Did you know that gum disease is linked to heart disease and stroke? Research
also suggests that there may be a link between periodontal (gum) disease and
other health conditions such as chronic inflammation, diabetes, respiratory
disease, pregnancy problems, premature low birth weight babies and even
osteoporosis.
The American Academy of Periodontology (AAP) reports
that people with gum disease are almost twice as likely to have heart disease
compared to those without gum disease.
Read more about how important your teeth are...
Finding
the Right Dentist in Lake
Chapala
By
Karen McConnaughey
I was really pleased to read Judit Rajhathey's article in this issue of in focus ("What?!? Sick Because Of
My Teeth??") talking about taking care of your teeth. I will admit I've
gotten a little lax...I can't believe I'm putting that in print! I think of
brushing your teeth as getting rid of bad breath, and since I'm a big coffee
drinker, it seems as if I always have coffee breath and I don't think of my
teeth affecting my health other than that. Big mistake. Judit's article will
help you place the importance back on your teeth and how they affect the rest
of your body and your health.
So now you've read the article and you've been reminded how important your
teeth are. But... you've just moved to Lakeside
and you're wondering about a dentist. You can't seem to get over your fear of
finding a dentist in a foreign country. Have we got a treat for you!
Bill and I tried out two different dentists in the Lake Chapala
area, but it took us two years to do it, and that was because Bill was in such
pain, he finally got desperate. After polling our friends, and trying two
different dentists, we both ended up going to Dr. Haro's office and have never
tried another office since. We were happy; we never heard one bad thing about
his dental practice and we liked the look of his office and his staff. We felt
comfortable there and they spoke English.
Read more about what Karen has to say about dentists in the
Lake Chapala area...
The
Day of the Dead Celebration in Mexico
By Tere Ruiz
Every time someone we love departs from the physical life...our mothers, our
fathers, our children, our beloved ones...it breaks our hearts, leaving a void
of absence in our lives, bringing lots of feelings behind their departure.
Sometimes, we miss them. We need their presence, their love, their nurturing.
Other times we have feelings of guilt for what we did or didn't do while they
were still alive, for the mistakes committed on one side or the other, for the
words left unsaid, for the things left undone...
Depending on our religion, our beliefs, our faith, our culture, we can think
that we will never see our gone beloved ones, or we may think that they will
become Angels and stay beside us. We may also think that when we leave, they
will be waiting for us... But most of the time, this is uncertain, and what is
left is the absence, the sorrow for what was or for what was not. We will never
be certain of what happens when people die, until we cross the veil ourselves.
Read read Tere's insightful look at this celebration in
Mexico...
The
Bottom Line on Costs at Lake
Chapala
This is going to be a semi-regular column in the in focus newsletter just to update you on a few expenses
incurred during the past month (or since our last newsletter). Please let me
know if anyone wants to contribute anything for the benefit of our readers.
United
States Dollars
1 USD = 12.5760 MXN
Canada Dollars
1 CAD = 12.2164 MXN
(Rates checked September 27, 2010)
One of
our regular readers offers his recent annual physical experience:
Physical:...$200mxn
Lab Tests:
Blood Counts (Biometria Hematica), Blood Chemistry...incl Lipid Panel (Quimica
Clinica), PSA (male prostate), CA 19.9 (Immunologia Pancreas y Colon),
Urinalysis (Examen General de Orina), & Stool Analysis (Estudio
Microscopico)...$2500mxn
Other costs:
Dental Visit
For $500 pesos (roughly $40 USD): teeth cleaned, an ultrasound and an x-ray
Top 10
Places to Live and Retire in Mexico
The World of
Living in Mexico According to Johnny Punish
August 13, 2010
by Johnny Punish
MunKNEE.com
I’ve read many articles about living and retiring in Mexico. A good number of them tell
of the good and focus on a specific market. These are mostly written by local
business people aiming to attract you to a certain project to purchase.
As an artist who is neither a real estate salesperson or travel agent pushing
an agenda, I felt it’s time to have a real discussion and look at the very best
places to retire with real Pro’s and Con’s so the reader can really make an
informed decision on where to go that serves their needs, interests and
ambitions.
First to put this comprehensive report together, I have consulted with highly
experienced Ex-pats who have lived and/or live in the places that I rate here.
For me, through my travels, I have met these amazing people who really know and
walk the talk and it’s been an eye opening experience.
Read what else Johnny Punish has to say about the best place to
live or retire in Mexico...
My
Life and Yoga in Lake
Chapala
By Tere Ruiz
I'm a person who basically never did any exercise in my life, besides what
school required of me and the holidays I spent swimming at my dad's pool in the
state of Morelos. Add that to the 19 years I spent sitting in front of a
computer, and you can imagine how at age 42, my joints were aching, my muscles
didn't exist, and my back was totally unhealthy. Besides the above, I never
realized how my neuralgia, digestive discomfort, skin opacity and much more
were also signs of an unhealthy physical behavior. Yoga Group at Lakeside
AreaAround May 2009, I was lucky enough to find out that in my own town,
Ixtlahuacan de los Membrillos, lived a 69-year-old woman who had moved from Mexico City and who was giving
Yoga classes very close to my house. I had been taking Yoga classes in Mexico City for a couple of months before I moved to the Lakeside area and was really looking forward to getting
back to motion through Yoga.
I immediately enrolled in the classes, but to my surprise it was nothing close
to easy, enjoyable or fun, no matter how excited I was when I wrote my first
blog on Yoga, a week after I started my classes.
Want to know
more about Tere's experience with Yoga, read more...
The
Virtues of Asparagus
By Karen McConnaughey
Did you know that asparagus is considered one of nature's most perfect foods? I
love it, and since Bill's the cook in our house, I'm glad he loves it too!
Asparagus is one of the most nutritionally well-balanced vegetables in
existence. It leads nearly all produce items in the wide array of nutrients it
supplies in significant amounts for a healthy diet.
Asparagus is the leading supplier among vegetables of folic acid. A 5.3 ounce serving
provides 60% of the recommended daily allowance for folacin which is necessary
for blood cell formation, growth, and prevention of liver disease. Folacin has
been shown to play a significant role in the prevention of neural tube defects,
such as spina bifida, that cause paralysis and death in 2,500 babies each year.
Its wealth of nutrients, fiber and very low sodium and calorie content make
asparagus a nutritionally wise choice for today's health-conscious consumer.
Asparagus is a member of the lily family which also includes leeks, garlic and
onions.
Learn more about the virtues of Asparagus...
Spanish
101: A few favorite slang phrases
by Karen McConnaughey
After our articles about slang in Mexico, I started noticing more
phrases as I walked around town. I thought I would share with you the ones I
heard most often. It never hurts to study the most-used phrases again and
again.
Ni modo
Literal meaning: no way
Meaning: There's nothing we can do about it.
Example: El Banco esta cerrado, ni modo; regresamos manana. (The bank is
closed; there's nothing we can do about it; we will come back tomorrow.
Orale!
Meaning: Right on! Cool!
Examples: Orale, guey! (Right on, dude!)
Buey / guey (written
both ways)
Pronunciation: Pronounce like "way" of "My Way"
Literal Meaning: ox
Meaning: Dude!
Examples: Callate, guey! (Shut up, Dude!)
Learn more common Spanish phrases...
'STUFF' that fascinated
me during the last month
Since I've been with a parent for the last three weeks who is suffering from
ovarian cancer and has, at 84, decided not to do chemo, I'm a little obsessed
with this subject lately... I thought this was an excellent article by Dr.
Oz... I loved the thought of starving cancer! He talked about it on the Oprah
Winfrey show and I grabbed the information below from his web site:
5 Foods That Starve Cancer
New research indicates that preventing cancer cell growth can be as simple as
eating the right foods. Improve your nutrition know-how. Fill up on the
following foods that starve cancer.
Disturbing new research suggests that microscopic cancer, small cancer cells
that can only been seen under a microscope, is widely prevalent. A recent study
of women in their 40s indicated that 40% of them had microscopic breast cancer.
Even more shocking, almost 100% of people in their 70s will have microscopic
cancer in their thyroid glands.
A microscopic tumor can grow up to 16,000 times its original size in as little
as 2 weeks. But new groundbreaking research from The Angiogenesis Foundation
proposes that you can stop cancer before it begins to grow. This new preventive
approach is called anti-angiogenesis. To learn more about anti-angiogenesis and
the groundbreaking research at The Angiogenesis Foundation, click here.
Anti-angiogenesis encourages that, by changing the way you eat, you can change
your "internal environment," thereby depriving cancer cells the
opportunity to grow and multiply.
Certain foods, eaten in the correct portions and frequency, can provide
cancer-starving benefits. Below are 5 foods to eat that can prevent cancer
growth:
- Bok Choy This type of Chinese cabbage
contains brassinin; a powerful cancer-fighter, also found in broccoli,
cauliflower and Brussels
sprouts. Bok Choy should be eaten 3 times a week, in 1/2 cup servings to
obtain its full benefits.
- Cooked Tomatoes have more cancer-fighting
properties than raw tomatoes. Both contain the molecule lycopene, but
heating the tomato changes its chemical structure and makes the benefits
more readily available to your body. You should eat 2-3 (1/2 cup) servings
of cooked tomatoes a week.
- Flounder This fish is rich in omega-3
fatty acids and low in mercury. Three 6-ounce servings a week is ideal.
- Strawberries The antioxidants in this
berry help fight cancers. You should eat 1 cup a day, including the juice.
- Artichokes contain 3 different
cancer-fighting molecules. Enjoy 1/4 cup of hearts per day.
United Mexican States
(Estados Unidos Mexicanos)
Did you know that Mexico
has 31 states? Can you name them all? This is a cool web site where you can
place the states. Copy and paste the link in your browser. This site has a
multitude of geography games that can keep you entertained for hours!
http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/Mexico_Geography.htm
Have fun!
Bacteria on Purses
C’mon, ladies. We know this…let’s be careful out there! How many times have you
walked into someone's house and plopped your purse on the table where everyone
will be eating? Would you do this with your shoes?
A study was performed on women's purses. A health team went to a local mall and
took samples from the bottom of 50 women's purses. The purses were swabbed with
cotton swabs along the entire bottom of the purses and placed into special
containers. The swabs were then processed at a local laboratory.
The Health Report also showed where women place their purses: public rest-rooms
(on the floor beside the toilet…who does THIS anymore?), kitchen counters and
kitchen tables, on tables and chairs in restaurants, etc. The results of the
laboratory tests contained the following most serious result: 1 out of 4 purses
— E COLI. Other extremely serious bacteria also were listed, including
Hepatitis.
They recommended that women should DAILY wipe their purses (particularly the
bottom) with a disinfectant wipe and to be extremely careful where you set your
purse. Most important, do NOT place your purse on a table (anywhere) where you
will eat or on a kitchen counter and do not put it anywhere close to a toilet.
How hard is that anyway?
A Nursery Rhyme about
Health Care
The best six doctors anywhere
And no one can deny it
Are sunshine, water, rest, and air
Exercise and diet.
These six will gladly you attend
If only you are willing
Your mind they'll ease
Your will they'll mend
And charge you not a shilling.
An old college saying?
And, last but not, least, told to me by my friend, Debbie...a statement I've
never heard before. Is it true???
Beer before liquor, never sicker!
Liquor before beer, never fear!
Of course, I had to add my own "Beer before wine - so fine." :-D
The things I learn from my friends. See you next month!
Hispanic Heritage Month
September 15 to October 15
Hispanic Heritage Month honors the diverse people of Spanish-speaking
backgrounds in the United
States. Hispanic Heritage Month is the
period when people recognize the contributions of Hispanic Americans to the United States
and to celebrate Hispanic heritage and culture.
Read the entire article about Hispanic heritage from coast to
coast...