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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:
- Lake Chapala: The Best Climate in Mexico
- IMSS: Documents needed for Registration in Lake Chapala
-
Sun and Our Health By Barbara Rotthaler
- Dermatologist in Lake Chapala or Don't make a mountain out of a mole-hill!
- Mexico City Christmas Tour
- Memory Menders and Simple Brain Exercises
- Tai Chi May Help Ease Fibromyalgia
- The Bottom Line on costs at Lake Chapala
- A funny moment at the Mexican Consulate in Seattle
- Spanish 101: Common Spanish Phrases
- Read about who was the first to make Chiles en Nogada and what it has to do with Mexican Independence
- A community comes together
- A note about Grupo Mexicana suspending flights
- Karen shares "stuff" in Karen's Korner...Citrus Peels, Drink Protectors, Protecting your identity and more!
All this and more await
you in this issue of the ...in focus
newsletter.
Enjoy! Read on...
Lake Chapala:
The Best Climate in Mexico
August 11, 2010 by Glynna Prentice
Mexico's climate is so varied that
there's pretty much something for everyone, no matter what your taste. But if
it came to a vote on the very best climate in Mexico,
Lake Chapala,
in central Mexico,
might well win out. If you're looking for a Mexico
retirement spot with a mild climate, Lake
Chapala is about as
perfect as it gets.
No less an arbiter than National
Geographic, which has covered more places on earth than most people ever visit,
ranks Lake Chapala's climate second-best in the
world. Temperatures here are pretty pleasant all year round, and--even
better--with no extreme highs and lows. Highs at mid-summer may reach the
mid-80s F; lows during the depths of winter may drop to the high 40s. Most of
the year, therefore, temperatures are in the 70s and 80s F. Add in the
location--a large lake surrounded by mountains and sitting at about 5,000 feet above sea
level--and you have a destination that's easy on the eyes and gentle on the
body.
Learn more about Lake Chapala's climate, and the comforts of
home...
IMSS:
Documents needed for Registration in Lake
Chapala
As you may know, IMSS insurance is available to all foreigners residing in Mexico.
The application process may be daunting, so especially for your first time, you
may want to go to an expert. Focus on Mexico
uses Julie Vargas with Intermex, one of our expert speakers during the Focus on
Mexico
8-Day Educational Program. There are others in the area, however. At that time,
you will also be required to fill out a health questionnaire disclosing any
pre-existing conditions. Julie completed our applications for us.
Okay, you're signed up for IMSS and you have your official card then learn what you're supposed to do next if you live in the Lake Chapala area...
Dermatologist
in Lake Chapala
Karen Mc Connaughey
Don't make a mountain out of a
mole-hill!
Focus on Mexico alumnus Jim
Vivian, originally from South Carolina,
shared his experience with a dermatologist in the area. I was very interested,
because I needed to make an appointment with a doctor, but wasn't sure who to
go to. Since Jim has had a lot of familiarity with dermatologists, I think
you'll appreciate his story.
He went to Dra. Andrea Biviana Ruiz Leal at Dermika Centro Dermatologico. He
was thrilled to give Dra. Andrea a strong recommendation. Her contact
information is at the end of this article.
"First,
Dra. Andrea interviewed me, eliciting and discussing my medical history
including all medications, vitamins, supplements, etc. that I take. I had to
spend NO TIME pre-discussing everything I was going to tell the doctor with a
nurse, a practice in the U.S.
that I always considered to be like confessing your sins to an altar boy while
you're waiting for the priest. (I'm not even Catholic; that just popped into my
head while I was writing.) Then we discussed my 11 prior carcinoma surgeries
and their outcomes. Next she treated about a dozen different skin eruptions,
including keratoses, skintags and a prior surgery not yet quite healed,
offering me a choice of "freezing" (liquid nitrogen) or
"scraping" (small curved scalpel). I said, 'I have a choice?' Yes...I
had a choice! Having had dozens of each in the past (but NEVER having been
given a choice before), I quickly selected the freezing. Everything she treated
is now healed nicely.
Judging from my many past experiences with dermatologists in Houston and Hilton
Head, SC, the charges in the U.S would have exceeded $200 (and I would have had
about six minutes with the doctor). For my visit and treatments totaling about
45 minutes (all with the doctor), Dra. Andrea charged me $350 Pesos. You do the
math. As a "veteran" of many dermatologists and skin
surgeons, I strongly recommend Dra. Andrea at Dermika! Oh! Almost forgot. She
was waiting for me when I arrived (slightly early) for my appointment.
Thanks, Jim
Having fair skin, I burn easily, so I am quite content to stay out of the sun.
However, I felt that I needed to make an appointment with the dermatologist
because of an article I read about skin cancer that appeared in one of the
English-speaking publications here. I had a scaly lesion on my face that's been
there about a year...it has never gotten bigger or smaller, but it still
worried me. I was thrilled to get Jim's advice, because he seems somewhat of an
expert, don't you think?
Read more about Karen's first visit with a dermatologist in Lake Chapala Mexico...
Sun
and Our Health
By Barbara Rotthaler
Aspects seen from the Natural Medicine point of view about exposure to the sun
WE NEED THE SUN ON OUR SKIN
It's a tragedy that dermatologists and sunscreen manufacturers have done such a
thorough job of scaring people out of the sun. Their widely dispersed message
to avoid the sun as much as possible, together with a cultural trend of
spending more time indoors, has greatly contributed to the Vitamin D deficiency
that's seen today.
Natural Medicine in its classic form only uses the five elements of Nature to
treat and to heal people: Water, air, soil (mud), medicinal herbs and ....sun.
Yes, the recommendation is: Expose at least 40 % of your body for 10 to 15
minutes daily to the sun. Without sunscreen, of course.
The sunlight exposure is part of the daily regimen in Vida Sana, the clinic for
Natural Medicine in Guadalajara.
Women and men at different times -- naked -- five minutes laying on the back,
five minutes on the abdomen, and five minutes on each side...20 minutes total.
Learn more about how the Sun is helpful to our body's...
Tai
Chi May Help Ease Fibromyalgia
Participants reported less
pain, a happier mood and overall better quality of life
(Reprinted from HealthDay News Wednesday,
Aug. 18 ) -- Fibromyalgia sufferers may find relief from the chronic pain
condition by doing tai chi, new research finds.
Researchers divided 66 people with fibromyalgia into two groups: one group did
hour-long sessions of tai chi twice a week for 12 weeks; the other had a
twice-weekly wellness education class followed by gentle stretching.
At the end of 12 weeks, the tai chi group reported improvements in their scores
on questionnaires regarding both physical and mental fibromyalgia symptoms.
That included decreased pain and increased ability to do daily tasks without
pain; less fatigue, depression and anxiety; and an overall better quality of
life. Patients also reported better sleep quality and improved physical conditioning.
The improvements were still evident at 24 weeks, according to the research
reported in the Aug. 19 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
Read More about how Tai Chi may help Fibromyalgia suffers...
The
Bottom Line on costs at Lake Chapala
This is going to be a semi-regular column in the inFocus 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 MXN = 0.0773938 USD
1 USD = 12.9209 MXN
Canada Dollars
1 MXN = 0.0814403 CAD
1 CAD = 12.2789 MXN
Dermatology Appointments
Read the Dermatology article for a breakdown of expenses:
Visit to
Dermatologist (Jim): $350 MXN
Visit to Dermatologist (Karen): $500 MXN
Dental visit:
Ultrasound on teeth, one x-ray, full cleaning: $500 MXN
A
funny moment at the Mexican Consultate in Seattle
Focus Alumna, Margaret Eberly shared a story with us recently about a couple
from her February 2010 Focus program:
Today Phil Newbold called me. He and Audrey sold their Seattle-area home and
are traveling to Ajijic next week to look for a house to buy. They are both
very excited, and I'm quite happy for them both. They will close on their house
sale at the end of this month and move ASAP.
Phil told me the funniest story about an encounter he had at the Mexican
consulate in Seattle.
I recapped his conversation as best I could remember it. It will definitely be
your laugh of the day.
Phil heard that in May the Mexican immigration requirements changed...that the
criteria for an FM3 visa had been relaxed. He decided to visit the Mexican
consulate in Seattle
to obtain a copy of the new criteria. When he arrived, there was a long line of
Mexicans. Being tall, he definitely stood out from the crowd. A woman who was a
consulate employee approached him and asked what he wanted. He explained his
mission, and the following is the conversation he had with her.
PN = Phil Newbold
CE = Consulate
employee
CE: Do you have an
appointment?
PN: No, I don't.
CE: Did you call the
consulate offices?
PN: I tried several
times, but no one answered the phone.
CE: Did you call the
English number or the Spanish number?
PN: I called the
English number. No one answered.
CE: (long pause) We
are short of staff at this time.
PN: Can I call the
Spanish number and leave a message for someone to call me back?
CE: Yes, you can.
PN: Will anyone call
me back?
CE: (long pause) Sometimes.
They are not always good about that.
PN: Can I get
information today?
CE: No, you must have
an appointment.
PN: While I am here,
can I make an appointment?
CE: No, you must call
us to make an appointment.
This ended the
conversation. Phil returned home and made reservations to go to Ajijic and to
meet with Julie Vargas. I think this is a harbinger of what we can expect when
dealing with the Mexican bureaucracy....which is no better than the U.S.
or Canadian bureaucracy. A good sense of humor will definitely help!!!!
Memory
Menders and Simple Brain Exercises
By Karen McConnaughey
It's normal to forget where you've parked your car, or a person's name
occasionally, but it's also normal for the brain to slow down around the 40s,
making it harder to acquire and retrieve new information.
So..."Congratulations, you're normal," says Dr. Barry Gordon, founder
of the Memory Clinic at The Johns Hopkins Medical Institution, and author of Memory: Remember and Forgetting in Everyday Life.
"Our brains weren't built for perfect accuracy," he says.
"They're not tape recorders, which is pretty much what we ask of our
heads."
Don't panic, there are things you can do to improve your memory. And, that's to
our benefit, because we certainly want you to remember Lake
Chapala and definitely the Focus on Mexico team!
Actually, it's not necessarily lack of memory but a lack of concentration that
slows us down too!
Here are some ways to help mend your memory....
Mexico City Christmas Tour
By Karen Mc Connaughey
Best advice: Take a couple of pairs
of good walking shoes, so you don't have to miss anything on the tour!
Bill and I went on the Mexico City Christmas Tour in 2009 with Charter Club
Tours. We had an exceptional time. Rosie and Carlos and their whole team are
the perfect hosts. We know there are other tours available in town, but I
wasn't able to get information about what their tours are like. I just know
that this one is wonderful. We paid about $1,000 USD each and felt it was worth
every penny - one of the best tours we've ever been on.
We started inquiring about the tour in September before anything was posted. I
guess I wanted to make sure we had a seat. As it was, we had a full bus, plus a
van of people for the 9-day tour.
The tour bus was comfortable, first-class accommodations. However, it is an
eight-hour trip to Mexico City,
so it is still a little tiring. A couple of our travelers took the plane to Mexico City and a taxi to
the hotel. However, when I checked that option in August, your ticket could
cost between $200-$300, which could add another $600 to the budget. Therefore,
we probably would not opt for this if we take the tour again. But it is
something to consider, because it is a long trip. You also may want to take
sandwiches with you. You will make stops along the way, but they are your
typical road trip stops, and you know what kind of food is generally available
at those places, no matter whether you're in Mexico,
Canada or the United States!
We arrived at our hotel, the Sheraton
Maria Isabel
Hotel and Towers, around
4:30 p.m. It is centrally located on Paseo de la Reforma overlooking the
famous Angel of Independence and just two blocks from the largest Christmas
tree in the world, a fact that was certified by Guinness World Records. The tree
stood at 110.35 meters
high (362.04 feet),
had a diameter of 35
meters (over 114 feet) and weighed 330 tons. We had a
wonderful view from our window and could see both the Christmas tree and the
Angel glorieta. Reforma was closed every evening around 8:00, and crowds of
people would gather around the Christmas tree to celebrate its lighting.
Afterwards, the streets were full of people and performers reveling in the joy
of the Christmas holiday. It was absolutely magical! We enjoyed the experience
a few times while we were there. What fun everyone was having. It was the
perfect hotel to be in during the Christmas holidays in Mexico City.
Some tips and good advice about the wonderful things you'll see on the Charter Club Christimas Tour in Mexico...
Mexican
Independence day 2010
Bicentennial
of the Mexican Independence 16 de Septiembre 2010
Bicentenario del Grito de
Independencia
The year 2010 is the year of the Bicentennial Celebrations in Mexico. Mexico is commemorating 200 years of Independence from Spanish
rule and 100 years of its Revolution that began in 1910 and toppled dictator
Porfirio Diaz.
On this day Mexicans all over the world celebrate Mexico's independence from Spanish
rule.
The Mexican Independence Day is a major holiday in Mexico;
the celebration begins every September 15th at 11 pm in every single city and
town in Mexico.
In Mexico City,
the President, following the ritual, rings the historic liberty bell that
Father Hidalgo rang to call the people. Then gives the "El Grito"
(The Cry). He shouts "Mexicanos, Viva Mexico" and the crowd echos
back, establishing the tradition that has been solemnly followed every year
thereafter. And it is echoed by the governor of each state throughout the country.
History is very important in Mexico.
To the Mexican people, "It is not only the story of how the present came
to be, but the explanation of present realities and future possibilities."
Learn more about this important holiday...
Chiles en Nogada and Mexican Independence
By Tere Ruiz
Chiles en Nogada, one of the most typical dishes of Mexican Gastronomy, is
called the "platillo poblano por excelencia" (poblano dish par
excellence). This
dish is made with Poblano Peppers stuffed with a mixture of meat and fruits,
and covered with "nogada" (walnut cream) sprinkled with sweet
pomegranate seeds.
There are two different stories about who created the original recipe of the Chiles en
Nogada. One says that it was created by a family from Puebla, the Traslosheros and the other one
by the nuns of the convent of Our Mother of Santa Monica, back in the mid
eighteenth century.
The story says that this dish was served by the nuns as a tribute to Agustin de
Iturbide when he came back to Puebla (in those
days, the capital of Mexico)
after signing the declaration of Independence of Mexico. Just in case, there
are a few of you out there who don't know who Iturbide is, Agustin Cosme Damian
de Iturbide y Aramburu built a successful political and military coalition that
was able to march into Mexico City on 27 September 1821 decisively ending the
Mexican War of Independence. He was also the Emperor of Mexico from May 1822 to
March 1823.
Learn more about the first Chiles en Nogada and why, plus a really great recipe...
Spanish
101: Common Spanish Phrases
Spanish is the third most widely spoken language after Chinese and English.
There are 350 million speakers of Spanish among many different countries and
cultures. Here are some of the most common phrases used when you're visiting a
Spanish-speaking country. This list consists only of several words and phrases
that are most common when you visit a Spanish speaking country.
Spanish is probably the easiest language to learn because almost every sound is
the same in every word. Definitely not like English. I thank my lucky stars I
didn't have to start learning English at age 59!
Learn more common Spanish phrases...
A
community comes together
We received an email from the Rotary Club just recently:
As
you may have heard, there was a weather-related disaster in the village of Atotonilquillo,
in the Municipality
of Chapala, over the
mountains from San Nicholas de Ibarra and Tlachichilco. It occurred in the
early morning hours on August 11. Over 1000 people were devastated completely.
We have been asked, by the Presidente,
through Sandra Loridans, to help the villagers.
The first priority need is food, in the
form of dry beans, rice and bottled water. These may be dropped off at the law
offices of Henri Loridans and Enrique Chanon, on the Carretera at number 58-A,
across from the TelMex office in Ajijic.
Also needed are blankets and clothing,
and furniture. These folks have lost everything, and they are our neighbors.
Please respond with action, more than
sympathy. The needs are real and immediate.
Thank you.
In Rotary,
Mike McCarthy
President 2010-2011
and
Sandra Loridans
President-Elect
Rotary Club of Ajijic
We sent it out to all our Focus alumni, as well as others in the community, and
here’s the ‘rest of the story,’ as related by Sue & Greg Ochs, with photos;
Subject:
Community help is Atotoniquillo
Today's campaign to help the flood
victims in Atotoniquillo was an unbelievable success. With the help of our
Mexican housekeeper, her husband, father-in-law, son and his two cousins we had
quite the team. The donations of food, water, clothing, blankets and shoes were
incredible. We packed our car to the roof with clothes and a truck bed full of
food. Upon arriving in the town, we asked around to find the hardest hit area.
There were two major areas devastated. We headed to the more remote area and
found a street that had been covered by over one meter of water rushing down
and through the houses.
I feel pretty good about the fact we
handed the food, supplies and clothing directly to the people most impacted by
the flood. We were told the DIF office is being very selective with their
handouts and seem to be hoarding much of the donations for themselves. The
women of our area could not receive any help even though the gringos who
brought the supplies wanted these women to have it. It felt good to see the
items get into the right hands.
We probably helped 20 to 30 of the
hardest hit families. We handed out food, laundry soap, bleach, milk, water and
lots of beans and rice. The kids got pencils and notebooks for school and
someone was thoughtful to make little bags of candy. A big hit. Even the dogs
were covered. Ten bags of dog food were distributed as well. We broke out the
large packages and re-packed a variety of items in plastic bags. Creating a
variety pack ahead of time would have been much better. We could then simply
hand out completed bags more easily but packing things at the site was kinda
fun. What positive energy. We had bulk items like rice, beans and soap. In some
cases the women brought us cups and bowls that we filled.
I was particularly struck by one old
crippled man. He was in his house at a level below the street and his house
flooded over 2 meters.
He was rescued but he lost everything including his wheelchair. I'd like to
make a plea for anyone who has a wheelchair to contribute. This man has
suffered much and what a wonderful gift this would be for him. Please let me
know at gregochs@gmail.com or 766-5519.
I can't thank Veronica, Alejandro and
family enough. They got us to the right location and pretty well handed out
everything in an efficient and controlled manner. Alejandro suggests for anyone
else planning to take donations out to Atotoniquillo, perhaps wait until Monday
especially for food. The current food supply should last a week and around
Monday of next week these people will be in need again. I asked what the
biggest need is now and beds and bedding was the answer along with shoes.
Everyone who helped and contributed to
the effort should feel pretty good about themselves. You've done a pretty cool
thing.
Greg
Atotonilquillo Donations Photos:
http://picasaweb.google.com/SueOchs/AtotonilquilloDonations?feat=email#
More 'stuff' that fascinated me
during the last month.
Citrus
Peels
We don't have a fireplace, but I would love to try this one, so let me know if
this works...sounds wonderful! This would be a great one for the list of Memory
Menders in this month's newsletter too: Kick-start a fire with citrus peels.
Leave orange or lemon peels on the counter for several days to dry out. Then
use the pretty pieces as kindling in your fire pit or bonfire for a fragrant
flame starter.
Source: realsimple.com
Drink
Protection
Protect your outdoor drink from pesky flies, etc., by pushing a straw through
the middle of a coffee filter. I also read in Martha Stewart Living a much
prettier solution...cupcake liners...much better idea for a party!
Reach
for Red Wine
This is from the August 2010 issue of Martha Stewart Living, so it HAS to be
true. Best information I've read in a long time: Drinking one and a half to
three glasses of red wine every day not only keeps a woman's heart healthy, it
also may prevent excess weight gain through adulthood, according to a 13-year
study of 20,000 women at Brigham and Women's Hospital, in Boston.
Hmmmmmmmmmmmm...I always heard one
glass a day for women. I like this study better. :O))))))
Protect
your identify. Don't worry; just be vigilant!
Don't know if this is true or not, but it's something to think about
A man at
a local restaurant paid for his meal with his credit card.
The bill for the meal came, he signed it and the waitress folded the receipt
and passed the credit card along.
Usually, he would just take it and place it in his wallet or pocket. Funny
enough, though, he actually took a look at the card and, lo and behold, it was
the expired card of another person.
He called the waitress and she looked perplexed.
She took it back, apologized, and hurried back to the counter under the
watchful eye of the man.
All the waitress did while walking to the counter was wave the wrong expired
card to the counter cashier, and the counter cashier immediately looked down
and took out the real card.
No exchange of words --- nothing! She took it and came back to the man with an
apology..
Verdict: Make sure the credit cards
in your wallet are yours.
Check the name on the card every time
you sign for something and/or the card is taken away for even a short period of
time.
Many people just take back the credit
card without even looking at it, 'assuming'
that it has to be theirs.
FOR YOUR OWN SAKE, DEVELOP THE HABIT
OF CHECKING YOUR CREDIT CARD EACH TIME IT IS RETURNED TO YOU AFTER A
TRANSACTION!
Good advice!
With Mexicana Airlines suspending operations passengers with tickets on the
airline have been in limbo. For those who have booked on a Focus On Mexico
program and have made reservations that may in part be on this airline, we
wanted provide you with a couple of links that discuss what to do if you hold a
ticket on this airline;
What Mexicana ticket holders can do after suspension of
operations...
Questions and Answers on Yahoo.com about ticket holders on
Mexicana Airline...
If you have additional questions, that Focus On Mexico may be able to answer,
please contact Kristan at Kristina@focusonmexico.com