ISSUE 315 www.pvmcitypaper.com Issue 315 Saturday 8 to Friday 14 Saturday 8 to Friday 14 November 2014 November - 2014 Need to Know 2 ISSUE 315 manners to present the check before it is requested, so when you’re ready to leave, ask В«La cuenta, por favorВ» and your bill will be delivered to you. MONEY EXCHANGE: Although you may have to wait in line for a few minutes, remember that the banks will give you a higher rate of exchange than the exchange booths (caja de cambio). Better yet, if you have a В«bank cardВ», withdraw funds from your account back home. Try to avoid exchanging money at your hotel. Traditionally, those offer the worst rates. I f you’ve been meaning to find a little information on the region, but never quite got around to it, we hope that the following will help. Look at the map in this issue, you will note that PV (as the locals call it) is on the west coast of Mexico, in the middle of the Bay of Banderas, the largest bay in this country, that includes southern part of the state of Nayarit to the north and the northern part of Jalisco to the south. Thanks to its privileged location -sheltered by the Sierra Madre mountains- the Bay is well protected against the hurricanes spawned in the Pacific. Hurricane Kenna came close on October 25, 2002, but actually touched down in San Blas, Nayarit, some 200 miles north of PV. The town sits on the same parallel as the Hawaiian Islands, thus the similarities in the climate of the two destinations. AREA: 1,300 sq. kilometers POPULATION: Approx. 325,000 inhabitants CLIMATE: Tropical, humid, with an average of 300 sunny days per year. The temperature averages 28oC (82oF) and the rainy season extends from late June to early October. allowed under certain circumstances but fishing of any kind is prohibited. Every year, the Bay receives the visit of the humpback whales, dolphins and manta rays in the winter. During the summer, sea turtles, a protected species, arrive to its shores to lay their eggs. FAUNA: Nearby Sierra Vallejo hosts a great variety of animal species such as iguana, guacamaya, deer, raccoon, etc. ECONOMY: Local economy is based mainly on tourism, construction and to a lesser degree, on agriculture, mainly tropical fruit such as mango, papaya, watermelon, pineapple, guanabana, cantaloupe and bananas. SANCTUARIES: BahГa de Banderas encloses two Marine National Parks - Los Arcos and the Marieta Islands - where diving is CURRENCY: The Mexican Peso is the legal currency in Mexico although Canadian and American dollars are widely accepted. Index BUSES: A system of urban buses with different routes. Current fare is $7.50 Pesos per ticket and passengers must purchase a new ticket every time they board another bus. There are no “transfers”. TAXIS: There are set rates within defined zones of the town. Do not enter a taxi without agreeing on the price with the driver FIRST. If you are staying in a hotel, you may want to check the rates usually posted in the lobby. Also, if you know which restaurant you want to go, do not let the driver change your mind. Many restaurateurs pay commissions to taxi drivers and you may end up paying more than you should, in a secondrate establishment! There are 2 kinds of taxi cabs: those at the airport and the maritime port are usually vans that Saturday 8 to Friday 14 can only be boarded there. They have pre-fixed rates per passenger. City cabs are yellow cars that charge by the ride, not by passenger. When you ask to go downtown, many drivers let you off at the beginning of the area, near Hidalgo Park. However, your fare covers the ENTIRE central area, so why walk 10 to 15 blocks to the main plaza, the Church or the flea market? Pick up a free map, and insist on your full value from the driver! Note the number of your taxi in case of any problem, or if you forget something in the cab. Then your hotel or travel rep can help you check it out or lodge a complaint. TIME ZONE: The entire State of Jalisco is on Central Time, as is the area of the State of Nayarit from Lo de Marcos in the north to the Ameca River, i.e.: Nuevo Vallarta, BucerГas, La Cruz de Huanacaxtle, Sayulita, San Pancho, Punta Mita, etc. North of Lo De Marcos, Guayabitos, La PeГ±ita, San Blas, etc. are on Mountain Time, i.e.: one hour behind PV time. TELEPHONE CALLS: Always check on the cost of long distance calls from your hotel room. Some establishments charge as much as U.S. $7.00 per minute! CELL PHONES: Most cellular phones from the U.S. and Canada may be programmed for local use, through Telcel and IUSAcell, the local carriers. To dial cell to cell, use the prefix 322, then the seven digit number of the person you’re calling. Omit the prefix if dialling a land line. LOCAL CUSTOMS: Tipping is usually 10%-15% of the bill at restaurants and bars. Tip bellboys, taxis, waiters, maids, etc. depending on the service. Some businesses and offices close from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., reopening until 7 p.m. or later. In restaurants, it is considered poor November - 2014 WHAT TO DO: Even if your allinclusive hotel is everything you ever dreamed of, you should experience at least a little of all that Vallarta has to offer - it is truly a condensed version of all that is Mexican and existed before В«Planned Tourist ResortsВ», such as Cancun, Los Cabos and Ixtapa, were developed. Millions have been spent to ensure that the original “small town” flavor is maintained downtown, in the Old Town and on the South Side. DRINKING WATER: The false belief that a Mexican vacation must inevitably lead to an encounter with Moctezuma’s revenge is just that: false. For the 21st year in a row, Puerto Vallarta’s water has been awarded a certification of purity for human consumption. It is one of only two cities in Mexico that can boast of such accomplishment. True, the quality of the water tested at the purification plant varies greatly from what comes out of the tap at the other end. So do be careful. On the other hand, most large hotels have their own purification equipment and most restaurants use purified water. If you want to be doubly sure, you can pick up purified bottled water just about anywhere. EXPORTING PETS: Canadian and American tourists often fall in love with one of the many stray dogs and cats in Vallarta. Many would like to bring it back with them, but believe that the laws do not allow them to do so. Wrong. If you would like to bring a cat or a dog back home, call the local animal shelter for more info: 293-3690. LOCAL SIGHTSEEING: A good beginning would be to take one of the City Tours offered by the local tour agencies. Before boarding, make sure you have a map and take note of the places you want to return to. Then venture off the beaten path. Explore a little. Go farther than the tour bus takes you. And don’t worry this is a safe place. ISSUE 315 Editorial So much going on, so little time …and not enough space! Firstly, I want you to know that I am truly pleased about and grateful for all the lovely, complimentary comments we’ve received regarding our first two printed issues of the season. I won’t take up much space, but there is something I’d like to express here and now: my warmest welcome to our new and returning contributors. Returning: Gil Gevins – his is the most widely read page in this publication and all his followers are very glad to be able to read his irreverent humorous columns once again. Crossword and Sudoku addicts are happy too now. A special welcome is extended to our two “newbies”, Todd Ringness and Tim Wilson, who will each be offering a new weekly column to this publication, very different from one another – yet all in keeping with the Mirror’s mission of offering “all the [local] news that’s fit to print” while mirroring life in Puerto Vallarta as accurately as possible, both the good and the not-so-great. We’ve tried to cram as much as possible in this issue, so please do go through it carefully in order not to miss the announcement of an event you’d really like to attend. I wish you a healthy, fun-filled week and if you’re not down here yet… C’MON DOWN! Allyna Vineberg Editor / Publisher Your Comments [email protected] Dear Editor, It is always wonderful to see your fantastic publication in print. It is good to see all your new associates painting the beautiful picture of our beloved Puerto Vallarta. Let me point out however that on Thursday night in probably the most beautiful venue in Puerto Vallarta, we have a market where you can find arts, crafts, foodstuffs, music and more all along our beautiful Marina Malecon with the sound of the sailboats halyards, the live music and the restaurants the surround our beautiful Marina. There is new additional parking off the main avenue for the vendors and for those who come the marina. So please make a point to come to the marina on Thursday afternoons and enjoy the sights and sounds. Please come support the local vendors. Joel Hart Dear Mr. Hart, The Thursday market at Marina Vallarta is listed along with all the other markets around the bay, but I thank you for the info regarding the additional parking. That alone should help bring in even more visitors. We love the Thursday market there! The Ed Continued on Next Page Saturday 8 to Friday 14 November - 2014 Sound Off 3 4 Sound Off ISSUE 315 Dear Editor, Glad to be back for our 18th season in Vallarta. Still waiting for the cooler weather but so glad that our print copies of the Mirror are back! We always check the letters section first since that reflects what is new & exciting in the area. We have received many tips regarding new restaurants and activities! We want to return the favor by letting everyone know about a new restaurant that opened last month in Old Town: Frankie’s Spaghetti House at 276 V. Carranza. This is true Italian dining with recipes from Frankie. The menu is mainly pastas, sandwiches, salads and pizza. Last night we ate there for the third time and he had a special of chicken Parmesan which was excellent. We have longed for thin crust pizza and Frankie has the best. His food and drinks are reasonable and the service friendly with Frankie there to answer any questions you might have. Give Frankie’s a try but be prepared to leave full and with a doggie bag! Looking forward to a great season in Vallarta! Mary & David Casanover Dear Editor, I would caution anyone not to purchase anything from Tienda de Muebles at Av Fco. Medina Ascensio 2556, across from Peninsula Plaza. I purchased a wooden base for a large earthen pot from them a couple of years ago. It was not level, but I was told it would be evened up when they delivered it. It wasn’t level when they delivered it. There was no way I could use it, so I returned it to them. They would only take it back as a consignment. I have gone back to their store numerous times and it has not sold. This was a base for which paid 4000 pesos. I believe they are disreputable and unprofessional in their dealings. Allyna Vineberg [email protected] Contributors: Anna Reisman Joe Harrington Harriet Murray Krystal Frost Giselle Belanger Gil Gevins Stan Gabruk Ronnie Bravo Tommy Clarkson Luis Melgoza Todd Ringness Tim Wilson Polly Vicars Christina Larson Pamela Thompson Office & Sales: 223-1128 Graphic Designer: Leo Robby R.R. Webmaster: PVMCITYPAPER.COM Online Team Cover Photo: “International Gourmet Festival” Charles Snyder Dear Editor, What an amazing evening on November 2nd, 2014, DГa de Muertos! I have to return to last year 2013, when we arrived early especially for the “Day of the Dead.” We had wanted a repeat of an amazing time, about four years before, when the Malecon was a maze of shrines from one end to the other. Families sharing the lives of a family member who had passed. I have to say our hearts shone after many вЂ�Spanglish’ conversations. Earlier that afternoon we had gone to a local cemetery , watched as families cleaned and decorated their ancestors graves with offerings вЂ�to keep the spirits alive.’ A different aspect , but we were excited to return to experience the shrines along the Malecon again. Starting our walk at the north end of the Malecon, by the historic Rosita Hotel. There was a small parade of Catrinas. Young women, faces made up to look like skeletons, dressed in all black outfits, large hats, carrying marigolds and accompanied by Mariachi players. But not one shrine along the whole length of the Malecon all the way to Los Arcos. Where were the past traditions? Again, this year we are here for this special day, and joined the street party around the municipal market, and that is where I came to understand that the younger generation has taken the past traditions and made them in their own image. The day is still important, with many of the older generation still having their own altars, including where we live, with a shrine to past employees and owners. But with the exuberance of youth, DГa de Muertos took on a new and different meaning, and I feel fortunate to have been a part of this celebration, and the remembering of past spirits. Barbara Warren Saturday 8 to Friday 14 Publisher / Editor: November - 2014 Dish photo by Ulf Hendriksson, background photo from archives. PV Mirror es una publicaciГіn semanal. Certificados de licitud de tГtulo y contenido en tramite. Prohibida la reproducciГіn total o parcial de su contenido, imГЎgenes y/o fotografГas sin previa autorizaciГіn por escrito del editor. An important notice The PVMIRROR wants your views and comments. Please send them by e-mail to: [email protected] 250 words max, full name, street or e-mail address and/or tel. number for verification purposes only. If you do not want your name published, we will respect your wishes. Letters & articles become the property of the PVMIRROR and may be edited and/or condensed for publication. The articles in this publication are provided for the purpose of entertainment and information only. The PV Mirror City Paper does not accept any responsibility or liability for the content of the articles on this site or reliance by any person on the site’s contents. Any reliance placed on such information is therefore strictly at such person’s own risk. Note: To Advertisers & Contributors and those with public interest announcements, the deadline for publication is: 2:00 pm on Monday of the week prior to publication. ISSUE 315 Within PV Hair Spray Night 3 G et ready to be dazzled by imaginative hairstyle and outrageous fashions as “Tu Centro Comunitario” in Puerto Vallarta, the SETAC Community Center, brings the amazing runway spectacular “Hair Spray Night 3” to Mantamar Beach Club on November 8th. The idea behind вЂ�Hair Spray Night’ originated from the L’Oreal Paris Corporation’s Coiffeurs Fights AIDS initiative supported by UNESCO, which was presented as вЂ�Hairdressers Against AIDS’ in the Global Village at the 2008 XVII International AIDS Conference in Mexico City. From that point on, SETAC’s desire to implement the initiative in Vallarta was always present, so they decided to utilize the resources, initiative and creativity of SETAC, along with the commitment and support of the most renowned stylists and socially responsible sponsors in Puerto Vallarta, to make the event a reality. It took a while to get the project off the ground, but that’s just what has happened for the last two years. The first Hair Spray Night was held on September 29th, 2012, at Sky Mandala, raising just over $58,000. pesos for the SETAC Center’s fight against AIDS. The second annual event returned to Sky Mandala on October 4, 2013. This amazing runway spectacular raised just over $40,000. pesos for the SETAC Center’s mission. “It’s been a dream come true,” said SETAC Director, Paco Arjona. “This is something I really wanted to do and the response from the people of Vallarta has been really great.” This year’s event, scheduled to be held at Mantamar Beach Club on Saturday, November th 8 , at 7 p.m., promises to be another fabulous night filled with fantasy, magic and glamour, featuring a runway, fanciful hair creations, raffles and lots of surprises with the co-production of Stratos Media advertising agency. The fight against AIDS needs many voices, which is why we invite everyone to be a part of a great event in recognition and appreciation of the Puerto Vallarta stylists who have agreed to be the spokespersons of SETAC’s вЂ�Hairdressers Against AIDS Vallarta’ campaign. Don’t miss this amazing runway spectacular to benefit SETAC and their fight against HIV and AIDS in Puerto Vallarta. A donation of $250 pesos buys you a ticket, which includes complimentary hors-d’oeuvres and an hour-long open bar from 7 to 8 p.m. Tickets are also available at the SETAC Community Center on the south side of Puerto Vallarta. Note: Mantamar Beach Club is located at Malecon #169 and Los Muertos Beach on PV’s south side. SETAC Community Center, located at 427 Constitucion, corner of Manuel Dieguez on the South side of PV, is to provide essential services to the community, including physical and mental health treatment, referrals, and education in an atmosphere of safety, free from discrimination. For more information, please contact Paco Arjona at 224-1974 or www.setac.com.mx Saturday 8 to Friday 14 November - 2014 5 Within PV 6 F ISSUE 315 Market days around the Bay or those who missed our first publications, this is just a reminder that all the markets around the bay are alive and well. Every year, local vendors and businesses gather to sell their goods at those markets, ranging from local grown organic fruit and vegetables, homemade yogurt and cheeses, jams, local honey, soaps and lotions, fresh cut flowers, jewelry, shoes and clothes, art creations, etc. Different foods are always a big hit, as it’s fun to browse about while eating a homemade pickle, probiotics, an empanada, slice of pizza, tamales, salads, smoked meats or fish, cakes, breads, pastries, and just about everything inbetween. Most food vendors have a taste set out for you to sample. Mondays, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. BucerГas Monday Market at the Art Walk Plaza Thursdays, 6 p.m. Marina Thursday Night Market along the Malecon of Marina Vallarta. Fridays, Sayulita Market near the entrance to the town on RevoluciГіn. Saturdays, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. – La Luna Market at Venustiano Carranza in the Romantic Zone on the south side of town Saturdays, 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. – Puerto Vallarta’s Old Town Farmers’ Market at Lazaro Cardenas Park Saturdays, 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. – Lo de Marcos Market Saturdays, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. – Artisans’ Market in Nuevo Vallarta behind the OXXO by Villa Varadero Sundays - La Cruz de Huanacaxtle Market Great fun, tons of samples and treats …and a great way to support the LOCAL economy. Saturday 8 to Friday 14 November 19, 2014 – A date to save By Polly G. Vicars M ark Wednesday, November 19, 2014 for the first Becas Breakfast at the beautiful oceanfront bistro, Vitea. This is a time to greet old friends just back from summer vacation, meet newcomers who are just discovering Puerto Vallarta, help 400 young becados (scholarship students) keep receiving their scholarships and enjoy a delicious breakfast designed and prepared by the famous owner/chefs Bernard GГјth and Ulf Henriksson. There will be raffle prizes and a silent auction of beautiful art work and gifts from prominent restaurants and businesses in Puerto Vallarta who are always generous to help keep our students in school. Becas Vallarta, A.C. (America-Mexico Foundation, Inc.) is a foundation dedicated to raising money to provide scholarships to public schools for Puerto Vallarta’s young people, 8th grade through university. To qualify for a scholarship students must come from a Puerto Vallarta family of small economic resources, maintain a grade point average of 8.5 and be a good citizen in school and at home. Once they earn a scholarship we continue it as long as they meet the criteria. For junior high becados, we provide vouchers to cover their school uniform, their gym clothes, their school and tennis shoes. We also give them, in one of our four meetings with the young people, all November - 2014 of their school supplies pencils, notebooks, math tools, dictionary, calculator, etc. For high school and university becados we provide a monetary stipend given twice a year. Each high school becado receives a total of 5500 pesos a school year. Each university becado receives a total of 7000 pesos. They are at liberty to spend this money on their most pressing needs –whether if be bus transportation, tuition, books or in some cases food. The November 19th breakfast will begin at 9 a.m. The price is the same as always, $150 pesos shared equally by Becas and Vitea. Tickets must be purchased in advance and you may contact any member of Becas or call or write Polly Vicars at [email protected] or 223-1371 for your tickets. Here are the upcoming dates for Becas events. We look forward to seeing our Becas friends at all of these outstanding venues. Breakfasts: November 19, 2014 – Vitea, December 17, 2014, LaPalapa , January 21, 2015 – Daiquiri Dick’s, February 18, 2015– River CafГ© – March 7, 2015– Becas Ball, April 15, 2015 Coco’s Kitchen. House Hunters International Event: November 24, 2015 - Mantamar Beach Club on Los Muertos Beach. Tickets 300 pesos in advance and 350 at the door. Call Becas members or Polly at the number above for your tickets for this to be fun filled event. ISSUE 315 Within PV 7 PV Realty attends international real estate symposium in Dubrovnik, Croatia Silvia L. Elias, General Director/Broker for Network affiliates will convene again February 9-13, 2015 in Las Vegas for the LeadingRE Conference Week. PV Realty is the Real Estate representative of Leading Real Estate Companies of the WorldВ® (www.LeadingRE.com), the largest network of premier locally-branded firms producing over one million annual home sale transactions. Luxury Portfolio International® (www. LuxuryPortfolio.com) is the luxury face of Leading Real Estate Companies of the WorldВ®, marketing over 25,000 luxury homes annually to over three million high-net-worth visitors through its comprehensive marketing program. For more information on PV Realty, visit www.pvre.com or call (322) 222 4288 PV Realty attended the International Symposium hosted by Leading Real Estate Companies of the WorldВ® and Luxury Portfolio InternationalВ® in Dubrovnik, Croatia from October 16-18. The event attracted top real estate professionals from 13 countries worldwide: Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Mauritius, Mexico, Romania, Spain, Switzerland, Turkey and the United States. Symposium participants addressed global real estate issues and explored how real estate has become an increasingly international business. Speakers included esteemed Spanish political economist RamГіn Tamames, who spoke on the impact of environmental changes on real estate assets. Also featured were top real estate professionals who shared insights on real estate practices and trends in their local markets. “The International Symposium has become increasingly important to our membership as we continue to expand our coverage worldwide,” said Leading Real Estate Companies of the WorldВ® President/CEO Pam O’Connor. “By giving our brokerages the opportunity to come together to discuss cross-border business opportunities and pervasive market trends, we strengthen our position as a global real estate leader.” “Wonderful experience and lots of new ideas to implement” said Silvia L. Elias In addition to past International Symposiums held in Venice, Lisbon, Madrid, Rome, Valencia and Dublin, the network recently held its first Immersion Conference in Shanghai, China. The South Side Shuffle is on! The South Side Shuffle is about to start its 5 season! Time sure does fly. The Shuffle started as a little idea to put Old Town back on the map as a fabulous destination to come and experience in Puerto Vallarta. Fabulous because it offers the most interesting variety of galleries, restaurants and shops. Not only can you reward yourself with a beautiful piece of jewelry, clothing (from sexy beach wear to elegant resort attire), works of art in all mediums, sculptures, ceramics, native crafts and spa worthy lotions and soaps, you can also take in a fantastic dining experience at one of the many spectacular restaurants on the street. The Shuffle is one of the more popular events in Old Town, with live music and beverages being served by the 19 different participating businesses. The wide sidewalks are lined with bougainvillea draping over the street, which comes alive with hundreds of visitors taking part in what Basilio Badillo has to offer. Please come by and see what all the excitement is about. You will have a great time! Every second Friday from 6 to 10! th Saturday 8 to Friday 14 November - 2014 About PV Realty Puerto Vallarta Real Estate В® also commercially known as PV REALTY В® is one of the city’s oldest and most prestigious firms. The firm has successfully been operation since 1981 and is considered the Leading Luxury Real Estate Brokerage in the Region. It is operated by Silvia L. Elias who has established herself as the most respected luxury broker in Puerto Vallarta. 8 Within PV ISSUE 315 By Tim Wilson Puerto Vallarta leads Mexico in attracting the gay traveler Puerto Vallarta is leading all Mexican destinations in attracting the LGBT traveler. Everything sought by the gay traveler is here: Exciting nightlife with many well established gay bars and businesses, well developed art galleries, shopping and cultural events like the South Side Shuffle and the centro historico’s ArtWalk, outstanding restaurants and culinary events for every budget, and the fantastic weather found at the Romantic Zone gay beach, all combine to make Puerto Vallarta a great year вЂ�round attraction to the national and international gay community. However, not all destinations in Mexico are seeing the benefit of the gay spending power. This is in spite of the fact that the gay market generates 166% more income than the traditional market, and in 2013 the worldwide gay buying power was estimated at $830 Billion U.S. Dollars (Witeck Communications). Out and Now Consulting, a company specializing in the LGBT consumer, recently produced research data indicating Mexico generated only $4.7 Billion Dollars of LGBT tourism dollars in 2014 while Brazil generated $25.3 Billion and the US $56.5 Billion. The average daily spend per person per trip (2.5 days) from the LGBT market is $1600 USD compared to the traditional tourist spend of $600 USD (almost 3 times more) according to Mexico Ministry of Tourism studies. Currently, Puerto Vallarta and Mexico City are the only Mexican destinations with any infrastructure to attract the gay market at all. One important factor is Puerto Vallarta’s reputation for its friendliness and acceptance of all people. The LGBT segment is just one of several segments that Puerto Vallarta is seeking: the retiree, honeymoon couples, singles, medical tourists, and business travelers. In order for a city to be successful in attracting the LGBT market like US and Europe do, one of the things a destination must have is LGBT events (Gay Pride for example) and specific marketing of them. Successful Pride events in Madrid generate $50 Million Euros of economic benefit and Sydney Australia’s gay pride attracts 80,000 visitors annually. It will have a tremendous impact on tourism in Puerto Vallarta if we manage to do it correctly. The gay traveler is loyal to properties that market themselves gay or gay friendly. Here are some results for PV gay hotels for 2014: “Since December 2013, Casa Cupula, Puerto Vallarta’s luxury gay hotel, has had record occupancy every month, in fact the best in 12 years,” states Don Pickens, Principal of Milagro Properties. “With improvements in the economy and in airlift capacity to PV after the bankruptcy of Mexicana Airlines, plus new PR efforts by the city to reach the LGBT market, we see improved LGBT tourism across the board.” Casa Cupula recently launched a new campaign called www.UnplugWithUs.com to reinforce its sophisticated and savvy image, and it’s also broken records for reservations and website traffic. Paul Christ, owner of local gay hotel Mercurio (www.hotel-mercurio.com) and Denis Henry, administrator of condo hotel Torre Malibu (www.boana.net) both report that as of November 1, 2014, year-to-date occupancy Saturday 8 to Friday 14 November - 2014 has already exceeded total annual occupancy of 2012 and 2013. The months of August and September 2014 were the highest August and September in the last 5 years. Rivera Del Rio (www.riveradelrio.com) -only open for 2 yearsmaintains a 75% annual occupancy. In October 2014, Oscar Moran repositioned boutique hotel Villa Mercedes (www.villamercedes.com) from a non gay hotel into a gay/straight friendly hotel and reports higher occupancy now than before. What is Puerto Vallarta doing to attract more LGBT visitors to the city? Fortunately, the Puerto Vallarta Tourism Board is marketing specifically to the the LGBT traveler. Beginning in 2011, PV’s Tourism Board became the first Mexican destination to join the IGLTA. Since then, they have sponsored events like the GLAAD Awards to the Puerto Vallarta Day at 2014 World Gay Pride in Toronto. People may not be aware, but most core press trips brought by the OCV include an LGBT media representative. Local Puerto Vallarta businesses are promoting events thru ACT LGBT (www. actlgbt.org) for the first time nationally because Mexico City and Guadalajara have large LGBT populations that visit our city. Many businesses inside the Romantic Gay Zone have been in major remodel projects, from Almar resorts (www.Almarresort. com) and its Mantamar beach club, to luxury Villa Savana (www.villasavana. com) offering same sex wedding celebrations. The little fishing village of Puerto Vallarta has been transformed into a new gay mecca for international sophisticated gay travelers. Puerto Vallarta, how far you have come! Tim Wilson Is owner and editor of GAYPV Magazine (www.GAYPV.mx) in Puerto Vallarta. This magazine features news, a complete list of gay and friendly businesses and events, interesting stories, and around town photos of gay and friendly businesses and people in Mexico. It is available in print, online and the new app on Apple newsstand in December 2014. Tim is an official member of NATJA where he and GAYPV contributors provide content and press releases about Puerto Vallarta as a “beyond Gay Friendly” destination to international LGBT media outlets. ISSUE 315 Veterans and Remembrance Day 2014 A lthough you are visiting Mexico or even making it your home, there are certain traditions you don’t want to lose. For many expats and members of American Legion Veteran’s Day is one of those traditions as is Remembrance Day (also known as Poppy Day or Armistice Day) is a memorial day observed in Commonwealth countries since the end of World War I to remember the members of their armed forces who have died in the line of duty. This day, or alternative dates, is also recognized as special days for war remembrances in many non-Commonwealth countries. Remembrance Day is observed on 11 November to recall the end of hostilities of World War I on that date in 1918. To honor service members of the U.S. and Canadian armed forces, the American Legion is organizing a Veterans’ / Remembrance memorial on November 11th. The event will take place at Steve’s Sports Bar on Basilio Badillo in Old Town at 10 a.m. There will be a small parade as well as music and time for remembrance. The American Legion Post 14 has been organizing this event for two years now and turnout keeps improving. To find out more about American Legion activities, please visit w w w.americanlegion14.org stop by the headquarters at Steve’s Sports Bar to ask for more information, or contact [email protected] Why November 11th? Remembrance Day (also known as Poppy Day or Armistice Day) is a memorial day observed in Commonwealth countries since the end of World War I to remember the members of their armed forces who have died in the line of duty. This day is also recognised as a special day for war remembrances in many non-Commonwealth countries. It is observed on November 11th to recall the end of hostilities of World War I on that date in 1918 “at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month,” in accordance with the Armistice, signed by representatives of Germany and the Entente between 5:12 and 5:20 that morning. (“At the 11th hour” refers to the passing of the 11th hour, or 11:00 a.m.) World War I officially ended with the signing of the Treaty of Versailles on June 28th, 1919. The initial or very first Armistice Day was held at Buckingham Palace commencing with King George V hosting a “Banquet in Honour of the President of the French Republic” during the evening hours of 10 November 1919. The first official Armistice Day was subsequently held on the grounds of Buckingham Palace on the morning of November 11th, 1919. This would set the trend for a day of Remembrance for decades to come. The red remembrance poppy has become a familiar emblem of Remembrance Day due to the poem “In Flanders Fields”. These poppies bloomed across some of the worst battlefields of Flanders in World War I, their brilliant red colour an Saturday 8 to Friday 14 appropriate symbol for the blood spilled in the war. In the United States, Veterans’ Day is observed as both a federal November - 2014 Beyond PV 9 holiday and a state holiday in all states. Though November 11th was formerly known as Armistice Day, it was given its new name in 1954 at the end of the Korean War to honour all veterans. Veterans’ Day is observed with memorial ceremonies, salutes at military cemeteries, and parades. 10 Beyond PV ISSUE 315 November 12 - El DГa del Cartero th P ostman’s Day in Mexico is a day of recognition of the work done by mail carriers, but it also recalls the pre-Hispanic message carriers of the Aztec people. Strong fast message carriers ran every 10 kilometers in a relay system to get messages through for nobles and kings. Horses were added to the system with the arrival of the Spanish. Message offices were established first in the Yucatan in 1579 and then in Puebla, Veracruz, Guerrero and Guanajuato. Mailboxes were later established by Maximilian and in 1910, Porfirio Diaz built the post office or Palacio Postal and expedited mail delivery through the railroad. Despite all the improvements in the system over time, the вЂ�last kilometer’ of delivery continues to be undertaken by an army of dedicated postmen on foot, cycle and motorcycle. El Dia del Cartero was first established in Mexico on November 12, 1931 and in 1947, the post office printed its first special stamp commemorating the work and efforts of the nation’s postal delivery men, labeling it “Anonymous Hero”. If you live in Mexico, it’s traditional to give your local postman a gift - usually a small cash tip - on this day, or a day near November 12 each year. This token of appreciation is an important cultural protocol as well as making a contribution to the people who serve your local community. Saturday 8 to Friday 14 From the organizers of the 20th International Gourmet Festival… From November 13 to 23rd, we will once again transform Puerto Vallarta and Riviera Nayarit into a Mecca for all gourmet enthusiasts! It is not without reason that our festival has gained cult status throughout the world. We will cause a delightful stir with exceptional invited master chefs and an unequaled multitude of events! Twenty years of avant-garde and evolution of local gastronomy. The first meeting between Thierry Blouet and Heinz Reize was in March, 1995. It led to the idea of promoting Puerto Vallarta’s vibrant and excellent restaurants on the world stage. The 10-day festival was meant to highlight Puerto Vallarta’s gastronomy on the local and international scene. It has exceeded those goals. The original format has remained unchanged: each host restaurant collaborates with a guest chef, but the number of selected participants has grown to over 30 in the last few years, with noted international chefs lining up for an invitation to participate. Consider their benefits: cooking in some of the world’s best restaurants, in a tropical paradise, for an enthusiastic and educated clientele! The incorporation in 2000 of Chef Roland Menetrey as an associate, and the extension of the event to the Riviera Nayarit and Tepic, allowed the festival to boost fine dining even more intensely. Today the festival is billed as the best gastronomic event in the country and also one of the most important on the continent. To the extent that the Gourmet Festival has gained in maturity, featuring several of the most renowned chefs in the world, the festival also introduced several of the most promising stars of the national cuisine. The festival’s reputation has allowed us to extend the impeccable credentials of the restaurants in Puerto Vallarta, the Riviera Nayarit and Tepic. But most important of all, it has provided an opportunity to honor you with the best gourmet experiences the world has to offer. For the complete list of events, participating restaurants, special events, guest chefs, menus, etc., please visit www.festivalgourmet.com th November - 2014 ISSUE 315 Dine OUT Tuesday, November 11th to support Puerto Vallarta Men’s Chorus W ow! One of the easiest fundraisers in all of Vallarta to support! Just invite some friends and go out to breakfast, lunch or dinner on Tuesday, November 11th at one of the fine restaurants participating in the Dine OUT. The more people the better because the restaurants will contribute a percentage of their income – a percentage of your bill - for that one day to help fund the chorus. Why support Puerto Vallarta Men’s Chorus (PVMC)? Aside from the cultural benefits to PV, a gay men’s chorus helps create a positive bond within the community and helps conquer discrimination. Wight’s story is a wonderful example. Wight is a retired doctor. Despite financial success, all his life he has felt like an outsider - through high school, medical school and on into his retirement. He tried 3 times to end his life, serious attempts, but was found by friends each time. Then his pastor suggested he volunteer at the local gay chorus and Wight found a family, acceptance, and a reason to live. Now you can find him licking envelopes in the chorus office, buying food for rehearsals, taking tickets at concerts, donating money - no task too small, no chorus request too large. Within 10 minutes of meeting him, he will tell you, “The chorus saved my life.” Although PVMC is only a couple of years old, we too have members who were isolated, even here in Puerto Vallarta! Many local gay people, both Mexican and gringo, continue to be afraid to share who they are with family, friends, employers or clients. Gay choruses help break down those barriers as people attend concerts and begin to recognize - we are all the same. Choruses create bonds within the organization and between family and community members. Choruses are doing this all over the US, Canada, Europe, and now, for the first time in Mexico! So whether you are a tourist or a local, whether you are dining with your partner or several friends, choose one of the restaurants below and choose Tuesday, November 11th to Dine OUT and support Puerto Vallarta Men’s Chorus! Participating restaurants and bars are: Vitea – Breakfast, El Mole de Jovita – Lunch or Dinner, Embarcadero – Lunch or Dinner, No Way JosГ©! – Dinner, Bistro 156 – Dinner, Trio – Dinner, Layla’s – Dinner, Salud Super Food – Breakfast, Lunch or Dinner, Nacho Daddy’s – Lunch or Dinner, Archie’s Wok – Lunch or Dinner, Hacienda San Angel – Dinner, Coco’s Kitchen – Dinner, Mister Pulpo – Dinner, Garbo’s Piano Bar and La Margarita Latino Bar. Please go to www.pvmenschorus.org for more information. Other upcoming events: Join us on November 15th at 7:30 p.m. in the Red Room at Act II Stages as we introduce our new Artistic Director with a coming out extravaganza, and preview our 2014 – 2015 concert season. Our winter concerts are on December 4, 12 and 13 at the Main Stage at Act II Stages. Saturday 8 to Friday 14 November - 2014 Good Bites 11 Good Bites By ISSUE 315 Krystal Frost The merry-go-round of Farmers’ Markets W e always loved the traditional public markets found in Latin America, Europe, Asia... just about everywhere. These markets are a sure hook-up for local fare, regional produce and colorful chatty artisans. The first time we presented as a vendor was in one of the oldest markets found in Mexico City, La Alameda. We offered Huichol knick knacks ...we didn’t sell much, however the experience was rich, being part of the vendor community in an ancient market. La Alameda market dates back to TenochtitlГЎn (the Aztec name for Mexico City) in pre-Hispanic times, it is still located in the historical center of modern Mexico City… not recommended for the faint of heart... Every Sunday, the streets are blocked around the center of the market, multicoloured shades are haphazardly draped over wooden or metal, what have you… structures in 4 lines stretching along the streets where wares, goods, food, tools, art, artefacts… a big ETC... are displayed on wooden pallets, tables, pinned up, folded up, wrapped up… There are the silver-braided ladies who spread out their garden produce and eggs on blankets to offer to the browsers. The rules are: Long standing vendors pass down the spaces as an inheritance right and everyone seems to know who they are... no bickering. If a new vendor pops in, they are quickly told where to go and where to set up by the same neighboring vendors… seniority has benefits. Park where you can… don t block the traffic. The markets start when you get there and end at 2 p.m. At 11 a.m., a market authority visits each vendor to collect a modest fee, I think we paid 50 pesos. The elders and silver-braided groups are not charged. This is what is known as FREE TRADE. In our area of Puerto Vallarta, Farmers’ Markets are not traditional, the locals preferring, if anything, short regional fairs and perhaps a display during fiestas patria or plaza spaces allotted by the church on special occasions, with proceeds flowing back to the church. The local farmers’ market concept was presented by the northern ladies and lovers of organization encouraged by the formation of farmers’ markets in the U.S. and Canada …a different breed of cat from the Mexican Wednesday market day in the plaza. The first attempt at a farmers’ market was actually at a horse ranch just east of BucerГas. It was fun, pretty, a good idea, but did not last long. The second market (El Mercado del Pueblo), which is still operating, was put together by the energy of 3 excellent American women in Sayulita. There have been a number of location changes over the years, and some community retro reaction, but all in all, they offer a friendly and entertaining atmosphere where the locals can offer goods to locals and Saturday 8 to Friday 14 tourists. This is a seasonal market that is open each Friday morning until early in the afternoon. Then… the Saturday Market at the Paradise Community Center started up each Saturday morning. This was a mixture of northerners and a few anxious national vendors. It split up after 2 years, with one group staying at the Paradise Center, and the other –the Old Town Farmers’ Marketgoing to a number of locations, which now seems to be settled at the Lazaro Cardenas Park by Olas Altas. This is a super organized seasonal market, with nearby parking. The Paradise Community Center Market, organized by Americans, is the only market that runs all year вЂ�round. It has recently relocated to the LUNA Restaurant space on Venustiano Carranza. This is a friendly bunch of full time residents offering locally grown food, cheese, clothes, jewelry, soaps, bakery and baked goods, etc. In my opinion, the best Sunday Market is organized by nationals at La Cruz de Huanacaxtle. This is a colorful blend of vendors from most of the other markets, set in shady areas around the Marina. You can eat everything from tamales to Italian sausage, organic salads and bakery goods. There is an abundant offering of food, jewellery, clothes, and a large stretch of sandy beach, bar service, and the makings of a fun family day. This is well run with not too many rules and regulations (one of the mentioned markets has 17 pages of regulations...) We consider November - 2014 this to be the best one in our area as the organizers are friendly and not over controlling and it draws people from all the way from San Pancho to Conchas Chinas with plenty of parking. A couple of things on my mind about these markets: Why do the organizers control what can be sold? I agree that offers should be kept local, and at least national products that cannot be found in our area. Those of you who know the farmers’ markets in the north are familiar with the amounts of varieties of the same type of product… for example, one can find 20 farmers selling whatever they are harvesting, 20 cheese makers, 20 honey vendors, 20 cherry vendors and it’s free trade for all. I think it is healthy and more interesting to NOT be limited TO one person selling honey... one selling bread... one selling yogurt... Variety is the spice of life... right? And where is the line drawn? There may be 3 bakers, but why can only one sell chocolate cake? I do agree that vendors should be registered with a tax number. Many of the vendors are seasonal residents who are not registered with the right to work and pay taxes as the local residents who have the obligation to report income, pay rent and services. In any case, please drop in and check out the local markets. They’re better and much more fun then buying from a super commercial outlet, and you never know what you’ll find or who you will run into. Krystal Frost Is a long time resident of Puerto Vallarta. Graduate of University of Guadalajara, and specialized in cosmetic acupuncture at Bastyr University in Washington State. She is the owner of Body & Sol for over 15 years where she practices traditional Chinese medicine, acupuncture, massage therapy, yoga, meditation and nutritional counseling. She has created healing programs for individuals, retreats and spas. Questions and comments may be directed to [email protected] ISSUE 315 The 7 Arts Celebrating nine great years at the Loft Galeria T his season marks The Loft Galeria’s ninth year in Puerto Vallarta as well as, proudly, our ninth year of membership in the Centro Historico ArtWalk. We are very grateful for the support of our friends and clients and we are celebrating. Over the course of the next several months, the gallery will be continuing its tradition of exhibitions focusing on various disciplines and will include new paintings and drawings of gallery favorites. Beautiful new realist paintings by Bill White as well as new works of Carlos Cortes, Mario Cinquemani and Zenen Vizcaino Ortiz, are in store for this season. For the discerning collector, The Loft Galeria has proudly shown from its outset works of truly important Latin American artists such as Gunter Gerzo, Wifredo Lam and Rodolfo Morales. Now we are excited to add a lovely drawing by Francisco ZuГ±iga from an important local collection. We also are excited to feature our expanded selection of Jewelry! Anne Marie Changon, La Vie and Aid Through Trade continue to be gallery favorites. Wosene Kosrof continues to be a gallery favorite and he will be visiting us over the New Year. We plan a small reception for him on Wednesday, January 7, at 7 p.m., so please mark your calendars to come by and say hello. Visit us in person at 176-A Calle Corona (upstairs) or call 222-6353. Please stay tuned to our website at: www. TheLoftGaleria.com and please like us on Facebook at: The Loft Galeria John C. Strawn Director/Owner The Loft Galeria Saturday 8 to Friday 14 November - 2014 The 7 Arts 14 By 315 Joe Harrington John Wick Rotten ISSUE Tomatoes Meter gave this an astonishing 92%. Why astonishing? Because I am part of the 8% who did not like this flick, and was stunned when I looked up the score. John Wick is the name of the character Keanu Reeves plays. With the exception of the first eight or so minutes, where this actor is actually asked to act, he carries a face that competes, as far as emotion goes, with those carved on the face of Mount Rushmore. While watching I couldn’t help wondering if I have ever seen a movie with a body bag count as high as this one. Die Hard II comes to mind. And maybe the first act of Saving Private Ryan. If you like movies with non-stop action involving people getting shot in the chest, then the head as the coup de grace, this is for you. In screenwriting there’s a rule of thumb that one page equals approximately one minute of screen time. Dialogue takes longer, describing action much shorter. In this movie’s case, whose running time is one hour and 36 minutes, that would mean a 96-page script. But, because this thing is non-stop mayhem for about 85 minutes, the script might be only be 12 to 15 pages long. There are murders in Macbeth and every one of them necessary to deliver on the plot. One of the first violent scenes in Mr. Wick involves 12 assassins entering our hero’s home, an invasion on a grand scale, whose sole intent is to murder our hero. A few minutes later a disposal company is called to haul away 12 bodies. How were they dispatched? The method is in almost every violent encounter that follows. Reeves shoots 11 of the bad guys, runs out of bullets, and has to go man-to-man on the final guy, killing him in a personal way. Imagine if he had run out of bullets with two assassins left? Both armed. Try doing your black belt stuff with two guys toting Uzis. Saturday 8 to Friday 14 Kick one and the other pumps you full of lead. This movie’s sole purpose is to deliver the maximum in death and destruction. What’s Reeves’ motive? His wife died, from illness, not violence. Her last gesture towards her husband is to give him a dog. He runs into the head honcho bad guy’s son, a psycho. He wants Reeves’ car. It is not for sale. Next up, playing with his dog at home Reeves is caught unawares. He gets the tar beat out of him, his dog murdered, and his car stolen. Hell hath no fury like an ex-assassin who’s lost his pet mongrel. And when hell comes, it comes in a fury of impossible violence. Part of the sub-plot is the existence of an association of assassins – like a union – who have a safe house where it is against the rules to act violently. The association was something Dan Aykroyd tried to talk John Cusack into in Grosse Point Blank, except that he couldn’t pull it off and ends up wearing a television set as a hair piece. Back to Reeves. He checks into this hotel that’s supposed to be a safe harbor for the union of assassins. Of course, a female breaks the rules and tries to kill him. Kind of illogical, but nowhere near as illogical as when viewing this thing from a few steps back. November - 2014 There are a couple of things I liked. One: there are some very well done overhead shots, actually spectacular. Two: Reeves does dispatch his enemies exactly how Eli Wallach tells an enemy to do in The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly. Eli is in a bathtub covered in soap bubbles. The enemy enters and starts to tell him why he is going to kill him. Eli, who has a gun hidden under the bubbles, shoots the guy and say, “If you’re going to shoot, shoot, don’t talk.” Reeves doesn’t do much talking in the movie. He does dispatch enough people to keep a morgue the size that Manhattan has busy for months. I like a lot of movies Reeves has made. This is not one of them. I look forward to next week and the opening of Interstellar. Haven’t seen a SciFi flick since Gravity and I like the genre. Hopefully, my next column will be uplifting, Lord knows Mr. Wick and last week’s Annabelle weren’t. Joe Harrington Is an internationally published true crime writer and documentary filmmaker. Send comments or criticism to [email protected] Artwork by Bob Crabb. ISSUE 315 By E arly this morning, I was walking along the Rio Cuale Malecon bridge with my dog Chica. On the beach in front of Sea Monkey, we spotted four dolphins about 15 metres out, gracefully gliding northbound through the still-warm waters of the bay. Strangely, nobody else seemed to take notice today. But we enjoyed the view of these wonderfully wild creatures just doing their thing… and then they were gone. It was one of those special moments this town offers plenty of, IF you can see them… and then take them. Do we take moments, or do we make them? What do you think? There are many moments to enjoy this week as local theatres launch their Winter schedules in this preThanksgiving period. The new Boutique Theatre re-opened this week in its new home perched in the upper branches above Nacho Daddy in the middle of Basilio Badillo, across from Steve’s Sport Bar on the south side. Boutique co-directors Ken & Karrie Sebryk have done it again… a special space to enjoy theatrical thespians and other performers playing to appreciative audiences.В We’ve got some wacky nuns on the loose around town, because the Boutique Winter season opened with the return ofВ Nunsense on Vacation in Vallarta.В NunsenseВ is a VERY fun musical comedy about some sisters who run into trouble while here in Vallarta, and they need your help. В NunsenseВ is packaged with a 3-course dinner Todd Ringness making it a fully enjoyable night out for you and your friends, at a great price. I’ve had the opportunity to work many times with the show’s director and costar Federico Fonseca over the years; “Freddy” hits a home run EVERY time. Tickets range from US $16 to $39 (front row table with 3-course dinner) and are on sale now at VallartaTickets.com, but don’t delay… NunsenseВ closes on November 22nd, and limited seating makes sell-outs more than likely towards the end of its run. The Act II Stages center is now open for its second Winter season on the corner of Basilio Badillo and Insurgentes on the south side, and is featuringВ Assorted Fruits and VegetablesВ on the Main Stage.В Assorted Fruits and VegetablesВ takes place in the first Midwestern United States all-gay retirement community where one man’s irreverent attitude and turbocharged sex drive wreaks havoc when fuelled by a handsome, young Latino caregiver. This certainly does appear to be a love story like nothing we’ve ever seen!В Assorted Fruits and VegetablesВ is written and directed by Vallarta resident, Ron Spencer. Tickets range from US $17 to $31 for VIP seating (includes 2 drinks and stage-front seating) and are available at VallartaTickets.com Next week, The Palm Cabaret and Bar launches its 15th Winter season with the return ofВ Spencer DayВ on Monday, November 17th. “Audiences regularly rave about Saturday 8 to Friday 14 Spencer’s performances at The Palm. His great stories and velvet voice appealed to everyone and we’re thrilled he’s back to open our 15th season!” says Tracy Parks, Palm entertainment director. My wife and I had the opportunity to catch Spencer last season; he is quite simply a born entertainer who is passionate about his music, and is equally talented on vocals and the keyboard (the latter being quite a surprise when Spencer gave his accompanist what appeared to be a surprise break… just delightful!) В Spencer DayВ tickets range from US $23 to $27 (with a two-drink minimum purchase) and are available now at VallartaTickets.com We’ve been hearing about a pretty exciting event coming to Nuevo Vallarta. It’s the firsteverВ Vallarta-Nayarit Classic Rock Festival, featuring Cheap Trick, Jefferson Starship, Fabulous Thunderbirds, Foghat, Kansas, with performances by various musicians from the Stray Cats, Little River Band, Journey, the Monkees, and Grand Funk Railroad. TheВ Classic Rock FestivalВ runs December 11th through the 15th. Organizers say the event also includes a showcase gallery of famous album cover art and concert photography, a charity golf event to raise money for the DIF (local Family Services Dep’t), as well as several parties around the bay. The daily concerts are scheduled to take place near the Hard Rock Hotel in Nuevo Vallarta.В This is a pretty large event for our area, and it’s expected to bring in lots of new business for the region. В Classic Rock FestivalВ tickets range from US $95 for a day pass to $350 (allinclusive pass for the entire festival with meals and beverages and private VIP seating and festival t-shirt). Discounted room rates are November - 2014 The 7 Arts 15 also available from official hotel partners. More info and tickets are at VallartaNayaritClassicRockfest. com. Whether you take or make your moments this week, I hope your holiday planning is coming together nicely. It’s fun seeing our friends return one by one, week by week. There is a great sense of anticipation in the air that this is going to be another great season around town. One burning question… WILL the new Fajita Republic open this month on Basilio Badillo, beneath the construction of the condos above??? lol Blessings upon you! Todd Ringness Along with his wife Sandra Gaye are the founders of Vallarta Tickets, a Canadian online ticketing agency serving the Banderas Bay region and beyond. You can usually see this man about town, or you can email: [email protected] 16 Map ISSUE 315 Saturday 8 to Friday 14 November - 2014 ISSUE 315 Saturday 8 to Friday 14 November - 2014 Map 17 The 7 Arts 18 ISSUE 315 Los Bambinos 2014-2015 season features The Beach Boys By Christina Larson Puerto Vallarta’s own Los Bambinos launch the 2014-2015 show season with their forte: vocal harmonies and rock n’ roll with a remarkable Latin twist. What better group to feature than The Beach Boys and their 1961 album Surfin’ Safari?! The Morales Brothers bring the famous surfer-rock harmonies of the Wilson brothers to life at Roxy Rock House, Tuesday nights from 8 to 10 p.m. “The Beach Boys have really fun material for us to work with,” laughed Carlos Morales, the eldest of the Morales Brothers. “We are able to play with their vocal arrangements and rhythm for a вЂ�good vibration’ show that is really danceable.” Help Me Rhonda, Little Surfer Girl and Little Deuce Coupe are just a couple of the famous selections you will hear at the show. Los Bambinos’ emerging goal this season is to share their original sound. Over nine years playing together, Los Bambinos’ original style has morphed into what they can now confidently describe as W hat does one do when the charges under you up and drown? That is the position Mother Mary is in in the hit play NUNSENSE... On Vacation in Vallarta. It seems the insistent Mother Mary wanted her charges to experience the Banana Boat ride off the new pier. Lo and behold, four Sisters drowned! What is she to do? There is no money to bury them so she stows them in a freezer at Nacho Daddy. There is a play being rehearsed upstairs so she devises a way to crash the set and appeal to the audience for funds to help get the corpses out of the restaurant’s freezer! (Note: this is NOT the same freezer Nacho Daddy is using for the delicious meals being served to the audience Thursdays to Saturdays upstairs at the Boutique Dinner Theatre.) Come and enjoy a wonderful evening of food, fun and frolic. Tickets available online at our website: www.boutiquetheatre.org or directly at www.vallartatickets.com. The box office at Nacho Daddy is open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Come play with us! Saturday 8 to Friday 14 November - 2014 Show Tuesday nights 8-10 p.m. at Roxy Rock House 217 Ignacio L. Vallarta, Old Town Show Reservations: Call 222-4357 (English Spoken) Visit www.vallartatickets.com Latin Rock Fusion. They have matured and found harmony within their original music composition process, allowing for each of them to express his talent. Their original sound is replete with their signature four-part harmonies, and electric and acoustic instrumentation. “Their outstanding characters come through in their original music; it just makes you feel good each time you play a track, like you do when hearing them live. I can’t wait to hear more of Los Bambino’s original music!” describes a fan. “Different from The Beach Boys, whose songs were mainly about a culture of beach – cars - surf, our music sets vocal harmonies and Latin Rock as the stage for songs about current social topics as well as life’s sweeter themes,” says Carlos of their original sound. Make sure to check out Mundo Ideal, their most recent album now available on iTunes or at the show. See you there! More information about Los Bambinos at: www.losbambinosmusic.com ISSUE 315 JosГ© Strimiling Nov. 14th - JosГ© Echeverria art opening at Galleria Dante D espite being born in Quito, capital of Ecuador, José’s life developed in a small city called Riobamba. After his high school graduation, he moved to Quito to enter University there, in the field of Sociology, a study he found very gratifying. It’s in Quito that his love of art began to develop. He started as a selftaught artist. Once his university studies completed, and because things happen that guide us down one way or another, his path became clear. He was offered a scholarship to study art by the French government. Thus began his occupation, for what would become his profession and passion: painting. It is very hard to say with absolute certainty under what influence his work developed, but in any case, he admired the work of the following artists: Amadeo Modigliani, with simple lines but great expressive capabilities; Vermeer and his scenes of daily life - chromatic and paradoxical; The English painter, Francis Bacon with his scenes that interpreted the psyche of the human being; Picasso, who allowed him to relive childhood in his creation. JosГ© visited small towns that have not lost their charm, where people show even their souls through their expression and where their greatest wealth is their memories …and nature, which is their source of work. He grew up watching Mexican movies - among others the great Cantinflas, which he watched many times over. His readings are those that help him understand the world in a at Mundo de Cristal F reflective mode, but magically, humorously, as opposed to the highly intellectual and even heartbreaking violence. His work, like any creative process, has changed in its technical aspects (use of color, material, etc.), even with attempts to dabble in the abstract; but always as a reoccurring element: the being. “The overwhelming need to express myself has led me to capture in my work, characters reflected in our condition of human beings: a plethora of feelings, emotions, love, heartache, dislikes, nostalgia, absences... in short, everything that shapes our inner self. The generosity with which nature provides its colors, it is a vital part of my pictorial language. My hope is that all that I have experienced in life provokes thru my work: reflection, sensations, emotions, good or bad, that would depend on each spectator, each human being.” Come meet this talented artist from Ecuador at Galleria Dante on Friday, November 14, from 6 to 10 p.m.! ine artist JosГ© Strimiling will be visiting Mundo de Cristal on Friday, November 14th, to exhibit his fall & winter collection entitled “Ventanas” (“Windows”). He will speak on his conceptualization and work this past year. This visit has been organized thanks to his connection and friendship with Mundo de Cristal which is now evolving into decoration and blown glass items, fine Talavera from the State of Puebla, baked glass, and all made by hand …in Mexico! JosГ© Strimiling is a self-taught artist who has spent the last twenty years creating contemporary frames and art objects. He has been invited to exhibit in art galleries in New York, Atlanta, Las Vegas, Frankfurt, Havana and Mexico, always receiving a great response and recognition. The artist has developed new methods for working with glass, creating works that reflect unique feelings. On October 31st, he participated in the Ikus International Arts Festival Mexico 2014-2015 at the Cuernavaca City Museum; the theme of the exhibit was “Morte per Acqua” (Death by Water). Strimling was chosen among 1,300 candidates to make up the 70 artists invited from over 20 countries. The event at Mundo de Cristal will be held from 6 to 10 p.m. on Friday, November 14th. For more information, please call 2224157 or email [email protected] Mundo de Cristal is located at 333 Insurgentes, corner of Basilio Badillo. Galleria Dante is located at 269 Basilio Badillo. Saturday 8 to Friday 14 The 7 Arts November - 2014 19 20 Health Matters ISSUE 315 HealthCare Resources November Newsletter By A Pamela Thompson great big welcome to our returning “snowbirds”. Hoping that you had a marvelous summer! It’s amazing how many people now live here full time and it was a busy summer as we continued our regular monthly clinics, etc. - hot and humid, but beautiful! Please take your time and read through the newsletter completely. If you would like an appointment or have any questions for any of the clinics or Hot Topic Mondays, please send me an email at pamela@ healthcareresourcespv.com Hot Topic Mondays are at 11:15 a.m. at Hospital Amerimed – 3rd floor meeting room. No Charge. Monday, November 10th: Dr. Carlos Garcia – Urologist - “Everything You Need to Know About HIFU” (Highintensity focused ultrasound). If you have prostate problems, prostate cancer, then you will want to attend this talk as Dr. Garcia explains the procedure, what’s involved, costs etc in simple terms. Learn about prostate health as well. Monday, November 24th: Jean Martin – Psychotherapist - “How to Empower Our Emotional Health”. November Clinics Remember: Our clinics are screening clinics. There are no procedures performed at the clinics. By appointment only! Skin Clinic - Nov. 12 & 26 Cost: 300 pesos – PLUS members: $250 pesos. An oncologist (not a dermatologist) will examine your skin from your scalp to your toes looking for skin cancer. Mammogram Clinic – Nov. 13 & 20 Cost: 920 pesos – PLUS members: 820 pesos. Digital Mammogram, Ultrasound (if deemed necessary) and a manual exam. We work with a breast specialist (radiologist) and an oncologist. We will completely review your mammogram studies with you – so you are able to understand everything! Vascular Clinic – Nov. 14 - Cost: 400 pesos – PLUS members: 350 pesos. Have your blood flow evaluated by a vascular specialist including specific evaluation of legs (varicose veins, clots, etc.) Foot Clinic – Nov. 18 - Cost: 300 pesos – PLUS members: 350 pesos. Performed by a podiatrist, a complete evaluation of your feet. Ear Clinic – Nov. 19 - Cost: 375 pesos – PLUS members: 325 pesos. Our ENT doctor will “look inside” your ears with his specialized Saturday 8 to Friday 14 equipment. He will also clean your ears if necessary. Cardiac Clinic – Nov. 21 - Cost: 550 pesos – PLUS members: 500 pesos. A cardiac evaluation (including an EKG) and consult. *We recommend specific lab work prior to the clinic which we have a very good discount. Time to check that cholesterol! Women’s Clinic – Nov. 25 - Cost: 775 pesos – PLUS members: 690 pesos. Pap smear and pelvic exam -plus consultby our female gynecologist. *Optional lab work prior to the clinic available (hormones/thyroid) if you want to do that at a very discounted price. Men’s Urology Clinic – Nov. 25 – Cost: 700 pesos - PLUS members: 650 pesos. Bladder, prostate and urinary evaluation by a urologist. *Labwork recommended prior to the clinic at a special discounted price. Eye Clinic – Nov. 26 - Cost: 400 pesos – PLUS members: 375 pesos. Vision evaluation, eye pressure check (for glaucoma) by an ophthalmologist. We have an audiologist that comes once a month from the U.S. If you need a hearing test, hearing aids/hearing aid repair, please contact me and I will coordinate an appointment for you. We have ongoing Complete Men’s and Women’s Check-ups, Colonoscopy, Endoscopy. If you need any specific labwork, MRI, X-rays, CT scan – whatever – just let us know! We work with a wide variety of bilingual, board-certified physicians of all specialties and handle the appointments for them. (Note there is never a referral fee!) Contact us if November - 2014 you are looking for a specific type of physician. We have a large variety of people that we work with including acupuncture, acupressure, physical therapy, Hyperbaric chamber, Stem Cell, PRP – the works! Just send an email! We are more than happy to set up a one-on-one meeting to talk about your personal healthcare needs. (No charge of course). For an appointment, please send me an email. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE! Do your homework! Plan ahead! It is so very important to make sure you have the proper insurance coverage – whether it be a travelers insurance, international insurance, air evacuation policy or a Mexican (private) policy. We do not sell insurance but we do work with a wide variety of agents. For further information/question, please send an email. HealthCare Resources has grown by leaps and bounds the past few years with the number of people attending our clinics and receiving assistance more than doubling each year. We love what we do and are thrilled with the feedback that we receive. We are so very proud of the physicians that we work with and we are here for you for any of your healthcare needs! Here’s to a super “high season”!!! Pamela Thompson HealthCare Resources Puerto Vallarta [email protected] Cell: (322) 107-7007 ISSUE 315 Do you have attention deficit? By Giselle Belanger It shouldn’t be any surprise to me that since a large percentage of people I see in therapy are over 50 years old, that we are discovering that many of them have ADD or ADHD and have never been diagnosed. “Attention Deficit Disorder” or ADD is a fairly common diagnosis in school-age children, especially if it is combined with hyperactivity or ADHD. However, 30, 40, 50 years ago, it lurked in the classrooms and no one knew what to call it or what to do about it. They didn’t even know what “it” was. The children suffered, the teachers complained, and the mothers agonized. As you may remember in your elementary school days, there always seemed to be one kid disrupting the classroom or bouncing off the walls or who could never sit still, which was an unmistakable sign of hyperactivity. They were the only ones likely to be diagnosed and back then and put on Ritalin. They were the lucky ones. The rest went undiagnosed and slipped through the cracks. Instead, their symptoms were labeled as negative attitudes or behaviors and they were accused of “not paying attention” … “not trying hard enough”… “not being interested”… “daydreaming” … “always interrupting”… “procrastinating”. As the years passed, many of these children continued struggling through school, being scolded and punished by their parents for poor grades and bad behavior and being shamed by their teachers and classmates. Eventually, their self-esteem sank causing them to believe they were stupid, incapable, and inferior and their self-worth was based on non-academic activities like sports, music, art, sex, and drugs. RN, LCSW Growing up Does any of this sound familiar? Who does this remind you of: your partner, your sibling, your child, or yourself? Think of that person or consider yourself as you read this. (I will now refer to the person with ADD as “you”) Growing up, did you feel like: you didn’t fit in… no one understood you… that you were stupid… why bother… you shouldn’t have the same dreams and goals as your friends… university was out of the question… you shouldn’t expect much success??? Did you go through life feeling like everyone was aggravated with you and annoyed at your irresponsibility, forgetfulness, tardiness? Did you come to believe that you are the screw up they kept accusing you of being? Socially, you may have suffered as well. Your choice in friends probably changed. You may have started hanging around with the bad crowd, or maybe you isolated. Maybe you lost interest in things that used to be exciting. You may have become much more negative and irritable. You may have walked around angry and defensive. You may have been depressed. How has your undiagnosed ADD (or ADHD) affected your adult life? Often times, you don’t realize that your general behavior or way of doing things isn’t normal. I hear those affected with ADD, comment all of the time that they had no idea other people weren’t like that or that they have always thought their partner nagged for no reason. Does your partner, boss, or friends accuse you of any of the following? Being disorganized… not finishing projects at all or not on time… not following instructions… not Saturday 8 to Friday 14 paying attention to detail… making careless mistakes… shifting from one project or task to another without completing them. Do you misplace things: sunglasses, car keys, reading glasses, wallet, cell phones? Do you lack organizational habits like always putting such things in a specific place every time? Do you toss things into a junk drawer and then frantically look for it later on? Is your purse a mess? In conversations, are you accused of interrupting, not letting someone finish their sentence or thought, and/ or not listening to what other people are saying? Is it difficult to tolerate opposing opinions? Are you easily distracted? Scattered? Are you forgetful? Do you always need reminding? Do you keep an agenda or calendar? Do you have a routine? Do you plan ahead or hate to plan? Do you manage time well? What have you learned to do over the years to compensate for any of this or are you still scattered and provoking a lot of negative response from others? Is all of this the source of many of your relationship issues, disagreements, fights? Have you sabotaged job opportunities or lost a job due to this? Has your school and/ or job performance suffered because of this? Here is an excellently written illustration of what it is to experience an ADHD thought process. Let’s take a sneak peek: “Good morning mind, wait, let me catch-up with you. Let me have the first cup of coffee before I begin my day! Ah, coffee helps me focus on today’s plans... Oh, the dog has “the look” and it’s time to take him to the dog park... e-mails oh e-mails… someone might be e-mailing me! Leash, where IS the leash? Where is the coffee?... gotta have coffee… where is the dog? … oh yah, dog, dog park… gotta get off the computer…no time for that now…I do wonder what the annual rainfall is in Chile in October… travel sounds great right now! Oh, I need to see the Chiropractor today… what time? Dog…leash…out the door… Oh no, NO laundry soap… ANOTHER trip to November - 2014 Health Matters 21 Costco, takes all day and I don’t have any time. The phone, did I forget my appointment… which appointment? Missed call… wonder who called. Could call back, but not now, I don’t have time. If it is important, they will leave a message. Car keys… did I leave them in the dog park??” Those of us who have no idea of what is to experience this are probably laughing out loud. It is truly incredible. I can’t imagine trying to filter all of that and focus. Those of you with ADD, probably aren’t laughing at all. You are probably thinking that “this sounds just like me”. Over the years, it is likely that you’ve adapted and learned how to compensate for many of these things or learned how to manage them, so that they have less of an impact on your daily life. Even with the compensatory skills, life is still way too difficult. Get diagnosed It is not necessary for you to tolerate living like this any longer. Getting diagnosed (by a psychiatrist) and onto medications can be life changing …seriously. Children and adults notice changes within hours and over the course of several days or weeks; they can’t imagine their life without it. Students’ grades improve dramatically. Take the following quizzes and as you answer them, consider how different your answers would be if you were to think back to your school years? http://www.addvance.com/help/ women/girl_questionnaire.html http://pediatrics.about.com/cs/ adhd/l/bl_adhd_quiz.htm http://www.fmsnutrition.com/ adhd_self_testing_or_test.htm Giselle Belanger RN, LCSW (psychotherapist) is available for appointments in person, by phone, or by skype webcam. Contact info: [email protected] Mex cell: 044 (322) 138-9552 or US cell: (312) 914-5203. 22 Vallarta Voices By ISSUE 315 Anna Reisman T wo weeks ago, we were reminded of the twelfth anniversary of Hurricane Kenna’s passing along the Pacific coast of Mexico. Now it’s time to recall that it’s been a little over four years since the collapse of one of the bridges over the Rio Ameca – the river that separates our state of Jalisco from our neighboring state of Nayarit. The tragedy happened during one of those typical summer storms that supporting concrete pylons / pillars had simply given way under the force of the Ameca’s current. Following the horrific collapse, which occurred in the dark of night, a French firm was contracted to install a temporary bridge, which would later be replaced by a permanent one built according to the latest available technology. I sure hope someone is giving proper maintenance to that one and the older cause the rivers that pour into the bay to grow very strong and sometimes overflow their banks. Turned out that no one authority had wanted to assume responsibility for the bridge’s upkeep over the years and the one whose traffic goes in the opposite direction, so that neither will collapse any time soon. Still on the topic of “infrastructure”, the City sent a work crew to fix Jacarandas Street. Someone took a photo of the crew and the City proudly posted it on its Facebook page on October 24th. We who live in the area were very happy and excited. Then the workers left …and haven’t returned to this day. Some of the comments I’ve seen allude to the fact that work is being done in nontourist areas in order to garner votes from the residents. That may or may not be true, but if our visitors notice the bad condition of the streets in the “tourist” sections of town, and accumulated garbage in way too many places, they won’t return and the consequences will affect those residents with nice streets, but lowered income. Oh well, what can one person do? Not much other than vote I suppose. At least they haven’t messed around with the borders of voting districts here – yet. My winter “roomie” is arriving this week, so I’ll be able to share my airport news with you then, if any. I hope she will join me at Mike Pohl’s annual Oktoberfest at his Hacienda Alemana. That place always fills up for this celebration. No wonder, the food –as always- is great, with the platters being refilled as soon as they’re emptied, i.e.: very often. I’ve also got reservations at Sol Rosen’s CafГ© Bohemio, finally, and AГ±ejo Limon. I wonder if the Botanical Gardens will have a Pig Roast for their 9th Anniversary… There are new shows opening at our 3 theater / cabarets… the 9th I Madonnari Chalk Art Festival in the main square this weekend (incredible artists creating masterpieces on the pavement), the International Gourmet Festival, and so on and so forth… So much to do, not enough time… And on the topic of time… I really dislike these seven weeks or so, as the days get shorter and shorter until the winter solstice, and it gets dark really early, messing with my body clock. On the other hand, if I am to base myself on the past 20 winters I’ve spent here, I think that we should be blessed with less hot sunny days from now until next May – unless the damage we’ve done to Mother Earth causes her to make more drastic changes… Although the official whale watching season won’t start until some time around mid-December, there has already been one sighting of our beautiful humpbacks that I know of. That’s great news! Well, that’s all I’ve got for this week, folks. Please note that if you’re not in PV, you can still read this and all the other columns you enjoy in the PV Mirror at www.pvmcitypaper.com If you want to write to me directly, my email is [email protected] May your Mirror always reflect a happy, healthy you! Hasta luego. Dentalcent r Saturday 8 to Friday 14 November - 2014 ISSUE 315 “Texting Woman Impaled in the Buttocks” By S Gil Gevins ome headlines really do their job: you have no choice; you must read the article. Unfortunately, the story about the impaled buttocks was on the thin side, containing few facts and leaving all sorts of lurid details to the imagination. In fact, it was so uninformative, I smelled a rat. Between the texting, the impaling and the buttocks, something did not add up. As a formerly unemployed investigative journalist, I knew I had to get to the bottom of this obscure affair, remove the drawers of deceit (so to speak) and assemble the facts of the case. Though brief, the article did give the woman’s name and home town: Celine Bartkowski, from Sheep Dip, Nebraska. Amazingly, in the town of Sheep Dip there was only one Celine Bartkowski, and I soon had her number. “What in God’s name are you doing now?” my wife asked. I’d set up camp in the living room with a thermos of coffee, a legal pad, six pens, a Google map of downtown Sheep Dip, and a salami sandwich. The television was tuned to a Mexican morning talk show, so that it would sound to Celine as if I were in a bustling newsroom. Or at a crowded taco stand. If, by the way, you have never watched a Mexican morning talk show, consider yourself fortunate. “I’m investigating,” I told Lucy. “Investigating what?” “The mystery of the impaled buttocks.” My wife rolled her eyes and said, “That’s nice. Could you please turn down the TV? It’s giving me a headache.” “Sorry, honey, I can’t do that. I’m about to make an important long distance call, and it’s imperative that the formerly impaled woman on the other end believes that I’m calling from a busy newsroom. Or a taco stand.” “All right,” my wife said, “as long you weren’t the one doing the impaling.” Two minutes later I was live, on the phone with Celine Bartkowski. “A collect call, operator?” Celine was saying. “From who?” “Sean Innanity from Fox News.” “Fox News? Oh, my God! Yes, operator, I’ll accept the charges!” “Miss Bartkowski?” “Yes?” “The same Miss Bartkowski who was recently impaled in the buttocks region while texting?” “Yes, yes! Am I really speaking to Sean Hannity?” “You heard the operator.” “Oh, my God! I watch your show every day, Mr. Hannity. But… why are you calling collect?” “Oh, that’s SOP here at Fox. Just submit a notarized copy of your phone bill and our accounting department will reimburse you. Now, Mrs. Buttkowski, I am thinking of having you on my show, but I need to gather a little more background before I make a decision.” “Oh! Oh!” “First of all, how tall are you and how much do you weigh?” “I’m five foot five, and I weigh… um…” “Tell the truth, Miss Barkowski. We’ll find out anyway; we always weigh our guests before they appear on the show.” “All right… a hundred and eighty-five. But I’m on a diet.” “I see, and what percentage of that poundage would you estimate is situated in the buttocks area?” Saturday 8 to Friday 14 “Why do you want to know how big her butt is?” Lucy asked. “Quiet!” “Is something wrong?” Celine asked. “No, no, just one of my production assistants. There seems to be some breaking news, or something.” “Oh, do you have to call me back?” “No need, it’s a story that makes the Democrats look good, so we can’t put it on the air. Getting back to your buttocks…” “Yes, Mr. Hannity, I am kind of large in that department. But some men like that.” “I see. And where approximately in that general region did the utility pole make its entrance. In the geophysical center, perhaps?” “No, nothing like that. I was impaled in the left cheek.” “Holy Rupert, Irene! I can call you Irene, can’t I? It must be quite the expansive cheek, to be capable of accommodating a utility pole. And, what exactly were you texting at the time of the incident?” “I was texting my cousin Norma what I had for breakfast. I just took my eyes off the road for a second, I swear. Um, Mr. Hannity… who is Irene?” “I see. So it was a small breakfast, then?” “Well…” “You’re a Republican, aren’t you, Miss Bumkowski?” “Bartkowski. Yes. How did you know?” “Lucky guess. So, would you say that, all things considered, your accident was President Obama’s fault?” “President Obama?” “Yes, you see, if we can’t blame it on Obama, I can’t have you on the show. Were you possibly so angry at Obama’s war on religion that you just had to send that text, even though you were driving?” “The text was about what I had for breakfast, Mr. Hannity, and…” “And that would have been cucumber juice and organic lettuce, just like Mrs. Dictator-In-Chief is November - 2014 Smile! 23 forcing the down the threadbare throats of our hungry young schoolchildren?” “Well, no. Actually, I had breakfast at IHOP: Pigs-in-a-blanket and strawberry waffles, with coffee - no cream. I told you I was on a diet.” “Yes, well, getting back to how your accident was Obama’s fault, I’m afraid you’ll have to come up with a believable scenario in which the Muslim-In-Chief is somehow, even if only indirectly, responsible for your misfortune. And the misfortune, I might add, of Freedom-Loving Americans Everywhere!” “Believable? I don’t know, Mr. Hannity.” “Believable, Irene, is the most relative word in the English language. When I say, believable, I don’t mean believable to an elitist Harvard professor. I mean, believable to someone like you, someone who watches my show. In others words, Irene, here at Fox News, where Accuracy is our middle name, we’re setting the bar as low as it will go. One more question, and please think about this before you answer: Was it painful?” “Was it painful getting impaled in the butt by a utility pole?” “I wouldn’t know, Irene, I’ve never voted Democrat.” Gil Gevins Is the author of four hilarious books, including the cult-classic, PUERTO VALLARTA ON 49 BRAIN CELLS A DAY, and his latest and greatest, SLIME AND PUNISHMENT. Signed copies of all Gil’s books are available at LUCY’S CUCU CABAГ‘A, located at 295 Basilio Badillo; or as E-Books on Amazon. 24 Legal Matters ISSUE 315 Ask Luis By Luis Melgoza Dear Luis: Air travel was a major part of my professional life for over twenty-five years, not to mention over fifty years of air travel for personal business and pleasure. I have been on everything from military transports to the Concorde, helicopters to hot air balloons... and have even had the nasty experience of landing in foam when the landing gear on a Sabreliner didn’t lock into place. However, my most terrifying experience in air travel happened just a few days ago... a short flight: just from Mexico City to Puerto Vallarta, on Viva Aerobus, advertised as the “Low Cost Mexican Airline.” The introduction to this ludicrous excuse for an airline is online at vivaaerobus.com where, if not for the fact that Interjet’s and Aeromexico’s flights were full on the day I had to be in Puerto Vallarta, I would have exited without purchasing a ticket because of their nickle-and-dime-ing the passenger into paying considerably more than the cost of a full-price ticket on either of the aforementioned airlines. Having paid extra to check one bag and take a carry-on weighing up to 15 kgs. (they billed my credit card twice for this “privilege”, by the way), I arrived two hours early to the airport, where Viva Aerobus had exactly two agents for checkin and documentation of baggage. I had paid an extra $95. pesos for Viva Express - a special line for express check-in - but there wasn’t one. When I mentioned it to someone with an ID from Viva Aerobus, she found it funny. So I waited in line for over 1ВЅ hours. Finally, an agent checked me in, documented my bag and made me weigh my carry-on AND purse. Since I had paid extra for a carry-on up to 15 kgs., I was not limited to the 10 kgs like the passenger before me in line, whose carry-on weighed 11 kgs. and for which he had to pay an extra $1,000. Pesos. Since there are no assigned seats on Viva Aerobus, I had also paid $360. Pesos for a boarding pass to be among the first 25 passengers to board and choose a seat. The agent wrote VIP on my boarding pass and told me to go to Sala B. In Sala B, the flight was not on the board. I asked the airport information person, and she said that Viva Aerobus didn’t always announce flights, and to listen carefully for a last-minute announcement. It finally came, and I ran to gate 4, where a woman was lining people up, as they arrived running, by boarding groups to board the plane. I walked up and showed her my VIP boarding pass, and she let group one board while she insisted I show her identification to be sure it really was my boarding pass (none in the following group had to show IDs). Finally I board, and find myself on a Boeing 727 with six seats per row (727’s were designed for 5 seats per row), so there was barely room for passengers to walk down the aisle. The seats were shabby leather and there was trash in the seat pockets from former flights. Viva Aerobus advertises new planes. Boeing stopped making 727’s in 1984, so this particular “new bus” is at least 30 years old (when I purchased my ticket I was told I’d fly in an Airbus A320, a fairly new airplane). When it finally took off, it rattled and shook and trembled and I silently questioned if their geriatric plane maintenance was any better than their customer service! After a turbulent flight and a fourbump landing, we finally arrived in Puerto Vallarta where I eventually found my checked bag, and ran gleefully from the airport, feeling lucky to be alive. Luis, what can I do to get the ball rolling for the government to check out this airline, and hopefully, close it down? I do not want to see a friend or foe make the mistake of flying in these dangerous old planes, not to mention the fact that the mere existence of such an airline is degrading to the image of Mexico. If I were a tourist and this was my first flight in Mexico... believe me, I would never come back. Dear Reader: Viva Aerobus declined to comment when I called them. I had a similar experience with the now fortunately defunct AirTran several years ago. Saturday 8 to Friday 14 November - 2014 You should complain about this travesty to: SecretarГa de Turismo (Mexico’s Secretariat of Tourism) DirecciГіn General В de VerificaciГіn y SanciГіn Presidente Masaryk 172, Piso 5, Col. Bosques de Chapultepec 11580 MГ©xico, D. F. e-mail: [email protected] Telephone: (55) 3002-6300 Extensions 2380, 2381 y 2393 ProcuradurГa Federal del Consumidor (a.k.a. PROFECO, Mexico’s Consumer Protection Agency) DirecciГіn General de Quejas y ConciliaciГіn Av. JosГ© Vasconcelos 208, piso 6 Colonia Condesa, Del. CuauhtГ©moc 06140 MГ©xico, DF. e-mail: [email protected] In PV: Avenida Francisco Villa 900, Col. Las Gaviotas. DirecciГіn General de AeronГЎutica Civil (Mexico’s Civilian Air Traffic Administration) Avenida Xola, esquina con Eje Central S/N Col. Narvarte, Del. Benito JuГЎrez 03020 MГ©xico, D.F, Tel. (55) 5723-9300 Web contact: http://www.sct.gob. mx/index.php?id=16 Send me your questions to askluis@ pvgeeks.com, I am not able to answer each message privately due to the volume of mail I receive. I do not take legal cases, I am retired from the practice of Law. Luis Melgoza Is a former PRI (Mexico’s ruling party) Head Counsel and Legal Adviser to the Mexican Congress. Although retired from the legal profession, he is a highly respected consultant for both the foreign and Mexican communities in Puerto Vallarta. Luis’ PVGeeks is the premiere wireless high-speed Internet provider in Puerto Vallarta. For Internet service, you can reach Luis at [email protected] ISSUE 315 VIEWPOINT By Harriet Murray Exclusive listing agreement with sellers A n exclusive listing is NOT an agreement to cut out other agents. An exclusive listing agreement between a seller and an AMPI Associate (broker) is an arrangement to market and sell the owner’s property. The seller gives the Associate the right and responsibility to represent the seller to promote the sale or exchange of the property for an agreed-upon period of time. The listing is “exclusive” because a named Associate has the primary obligation to represent the seller. This Associate agrees to offer the property for sale to active members of AMPI. The exclusive Associate agrees to promote the property through different methods of advertising, including AMPI MLS. The listing agent may also agree that the listed property can be promoted on member websites by way of cooperation and use of the AMPI MLS software. The website will say this listed property may not be the exclusive of the host site, but is listed by a member of the AMPI MLS. Co-operating in this way reaches more potential buyers for the property, and still protects the listing Associate and benefits the seller. The seller agrees to pay the Associate a sales commission if the property is sold or exchanged during the listed period or any extension. The fee is due, if during the term of the contract or extension, the property is withdrawn from the market, transferred, sold, leased or rented without the consent of the Associate or made unmarketable Saturday 8 to Friday 14 by voluntary acts of the Seller. The listing fee becomes due and collectable at the moment any of these events happen. The seller is not released from his obligation to pay the fee, without the written consent of the listing Associate. The seller is not released from his responsibility under the contract, should he change his mind or try to break the contract or voluntarily damage the property in an attempt to break his agreement. These conditions may appear harsh, but they have come into being from prior experiences with contractual agreements. The real estate fee agreed upon is due if the property is sold within 180 calendar days after the termination of the contract (or extension between the buyer and seller), if such a sale is made to an individual or legal entity to whom the Associate or his sub-agent have shown the property during the term of the agreement. The fee is due if the sale is made to persons with whom the listing Associate has had negotiations prior to the termination date of the listing agreement (or extensions), provided that the seller has received a prior notice in writing from the Associate stating the names of the prospective purchasers. The seller authorizes his representative (exclusive Associate) to divide with other November - 2014 Real Estate 25 Brokers the real estate fees in a way which is acceptable to said brokers and in compliance with the AMPI MLS rules and regulations. In the event of a trade or exchange, the Seller agrees the Associate represents both parties and will collect the real estate fee from both owners after the trade or exchange. There has to be, however; full disclosure to all parties that the Associate mediated in the transaction. The Associate is authorized to divide this fee with other Associates who are party to the transaction in a mutually agreed upon manner. This article is based upon legal opinions, current practices and my personal experiences in the Puerto Vallarta-Bahia de Banderas areas. I recommend that each potential buyer or seller conduct his own due diligence and review. Harriet Murray Can be contacted at: [email protected] 26 Calendar / Directories ISSUE 315 Solution to crossword on page 31 Solution to Sudoku on page 31 Saturday 8 to Friday 14 November - 2014 ISSUE 315 Yellowfin Tuna at El Banco, Sailfish & Marlin increase By W Stan Gabruk e all know that predicting what will happen in the world of Sportfishing is almost impossible. Now we can tell you what happened yesterday and what we ВЁthinkВЁ will happen tomorrow, but in the end we’re just throwing out a best guess when targeting gamefish. The only thing that balances out fishing predictions is if it happened ВЁthereВЁ yesterday, it could still be happening ВЁthereВЁ today. Of course you’re always disappointed when you visit yesterday’s spot and your targeted fantasy fish is nowhere to be found. What is exciting is when you catch a species that you didn’t expect and right now, that’s Yellowfin Tuna. That’s right, I used the ВЁYFВЁword, but it’s far from automatic, amigos, though the chance is there! Anyone who knows fishing in PV knows that if you want big, world class fishing, you have to be at either CorbeteГ±a or El Banco (or anywhere in between). Both are our famous deep water, deep sea star fishing grounds - especially at this time of the year when anything impossible can become possible as screaming reels announce ВЁFish OnВЁ. As mentioned earlier, El Banco has shown ВЁsomeВЁ signs of life in the form of Yellowfin tuna in the 100 to 150-lb range. So you have a chance, how much of a (Owner of Master Baiter’s Sportfishing & Tackle) chance you may ask? Well, if you’re in the area, the chances improve. Black and Blue Marlin, mostly Blue, are also around the area, running anywhere from 350 to over 800 lbs., just depends on your luck. And for the present, Dorado in the 35-lb range are moving into the area as well. With Rainbow runners, Cubera Snapper and Sailfish, there aren’t many species you don’t have a shot at right now! Oh, if targeting Yellowfin, make sure you’re using a kite, keep that between us! CorbeteГ±a is about the same, but for now the Yellowfin Tuna are yet to arrive. Still the Sailfish, Marlin, Dorado and Snapper are plenty of fish to catch your attention. CorbeteГ±a is a little cheaper trip, a little closer and for my money, may be a better choice for the next ten minutes or so. If you’re around the Marieta Islands there is finally some signs of life with some, I said some Rooster fish in the area, tons of Bonito 20 to 45 lbs., Needle fish in the 40lb range. Maybe a slight shot at Dorado. Sailfish are close to El Moro and I see no reason why they’re not closer to the Marieta Islands, but there you are. Heading out towards CorbeteГ±a trolling, Blue Marlin have been hanging out around the area, so being in the area is the first requirement, amigo! Now if you’re in the area off the point of Punta Mita, you’re still boating Sailfish and Dorado, nothing new since it’s been like this all summer. If you’re looking at only 8 hours, then these two places will get you some armburning action. Inside the bay is great with Saturday 8 to Friday 14 massive amounts of Bonito, Skip jack Tuna to 50 lbs. around Yelapa still, Needle fish, Jack Crevalle are here as well, and they’re primarily a winter fish. Sailfish are still being boated by the lucky few in the bay, to me this is unusual, but lately it’s been kinda normal... go figure. So you pretty much can’t lose when it comes to fishing for the time being. Water temps are slightly cooler, but not cold. Northern water temps around California are dropping quickly so we’re expecting to see Yellowfin Tuna numbers pick up for the late season, same for Dorado. With this being an El NiГ±o year, our fish have been vacationing in Southern California so we’ll welcome them back with open arms and a gaff. Blue water and smooth seas have been the norm, but we’re always on the watch for late season hurricanes. The full moon will be on us soon, so be aware and have some fun. November - 2014 Fish Tales 27 One last thing, some days it seems that Dorado are only taking lures, so have some blue, silver and pink lures at the ready. Live bait is plentiful with bullet Bonito, Google Eyes, Flying fish and the list of course goes on… Until next time, don’t forget to kiss your fish and remember: at Master Baiter’s Sportfishing & Tackle “We Won’t Jerk You Around!” Master Baiter’s has changed locations in Marina Vallarta, now between docks A and B on the boardwalk. Email your questions to me at: CatchFish@ MasterBaiters.com.mx Web page: www.MasterBaiters.com.mx , local Phone at: (044) 322 779-7571 or if roaming: 011 521 322 7797571 cell phone direct. Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/ M a s t e r- B a i t e r s - S p o r t f i s h i n g Tackle/88817121325 The trade name Master Baiter’s В® Sportfishing and Tackle is protected under trade mark law and is the sole property of Stan Gabruk. 28 Hi-Tech RIP Plasma This past week, LG Electronics announced it would shut down its remaining Plasma TV production in November. Earlier in the year, Samsung and Panasonic also announced November 2014 would mark the end of their plasma TV production as well. These last 3 big names pulling out, means the last nail in the coffin for Plasma TVs. After this holiday shopping season, you will be hard pressed to find a plasma TV in stores. Plasma TVs are made up of millions of pixels filled with gas between two layers of glass that light up in different colors when they are hit with an electrical current. Meanwhile LCD televisions use screens made of liquid crystals that are lit up from behind to create images and it is less expensive to make than Plasma TVs. ISSUE 315 Plasma TVs offered what many TV geeks and experts considered to be the best picture quality on the market in the past few years. Purists claimed Plasma TVs have better blacks, brighter overall images and warmer tones than the less expensive LCD and LED TVs. In a related death, it seems the “miracle” of OLED TV is also facing a slow death - even before it became mainstream! OLED technology uses an electroluminescent layer of film of organic compound which emits light in response to an electric current. But the high costs of OLED screens never came down much in its evolution. Scaling up to mass production has been the biggest downfall of OLED. Sony announced earlier this year it was halting development of OLED in favor of 4K Ultra TVs. But let’s get back to the memorial of Plasma TV’s. The very first prototype for a monochrome plasma display monitor was invented in July 1964 at the University of Illinois. This led the path to 1999 when the first 60-inch Plasma TV prototype was unveiled. Saturday 8 to Friday 14 It gave size with high resolution while relatively thin compared to the tube TVs of the day. But the early ideas back in the 1960s of a Plasma high resolution TV was the solution - but a solution to no real problem. In 1968, color TVs were still a premium in the consumer market, let alone the idea of HD. Besides, where would you get content in HD in the 1960’s??? US TV companies soon passed on the idea of bringing Plasma TVs to mass market in the 1960s. The main thought at the time for Plasma screens were for computer display in education and possibly military use. Interestingly, Japanese companies sent many engineers to the University of Illinois’ Plasma TV labs, to study this new groundbreaking technology. They soaked it all in and Japan later became leaders in the field for many years. IBM took an interest in this new screen technology and paid $1 Million US Dollars for licensing rights. That license lead to1983 and the IBM 3290 Information Panel, “the industry’s first mass-produced, large-screen plasma display terminal for commercial use,” according to an IBM advertisement. TV companies including RCA, Zenith, and General Electric took notice of early press reports about plasma displays as potential “hang-on-the-wall” TVs. Japanese companies were also interested and began buying licenses for their own plasma display research with help of the Japanese government broadcasting system. In contrast, the US government in the 1960’s seemed more interested in getting to the moon and “policing” the world rather than encouraging development of a new form of TV. One of the disadvantages of early Plasma technology was the “burn-in” problem where, after prolonged use, you could get a permanent ghosted image burned into the screen. Later Plasma evolution minimized this problem, but nonetheless, the same problem did not happen on tube-style TVs of the day. November - 2014 In 1997, Philips introduced a 42-inch Plasma TV, with 852x480 resolution. It was the first plasma TV to be displayed to the retail public and only in 4 Sears stores in the US. The price was $14,999. Dollars, BUT did include in-home installation!!! For that price, you should have gotten a full-time employee changing the channels for you! In the early 2000s, the Plasma TV ruled the large screen TV market. The TV industry even gave an Emmy award in 2002 for technological achievement to the original University of Illinois inventors of the plasma display. But by 2007, LCD technology had evolved to be very good at larger sizes like Plasma. Falling prices of LCD technology where dramatic, while Plasma technology prices had not fallen anywhere near as much, keeping Plasma as an expensive option. The largest plasma display in the world was shown by Panasonic at the 2008 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. At 150 inches, it stood at an astounding 6 feet tall by 11 feet wide. By 2010, Plasma TV sales peaked at around 20 million units, but have been on a sharp decline ever since and has now led to the market all but abandoning the technology. RIP. That’s all my time for now. See you again next week... Until then, remember: only safe Internet! Ronnie Bravo Ron can be found at CANMEX Computers. Sales, Repairs, Data Recovery, Networking, Wi-Fi, Hardware upgrades, Graphic Design, House-calls available. www.RonnieBravo.com, Cellular 044-322-157-0688 or just email to [email protected] ISSUE 315 First Vallarta Garden Club Meeting – Meet “Farmer” Krystal Frost Nature’s World 29 The Vallarta Garden Club kicks of its season with Krystal Frost, founder of Organic Select, an on-line Farmer’s Market, as its speaker. Krystal is one of the most knowledgeable people in Vallarta to ask questions about nutritious food – how to shop, what to look for, what to avoid, how to grow it. She’s a long time resident of PV, and has a resume ranging from cosmetic acupuncture, massage therapy, yoga, nutritional counseling, and now farming! Check out Organic Select’s website to learn more about this grass-roots movement at www.organic-select.com The meeting is Thursday, November 20th at 11 a.m. at Coco’s Kitchen, 122 Pulpito in the Romantic Zone on the south side of town. Come early and mingle. Stay after the meeting too and socialize for lunch. At the Vallarta Botanical Gardens… T he Gardens are getting ready to receive approximately 60 visitors from the SantaВ Barbara / Puerto Vallarta Sister Cities Organization on Saturday, November 8th, from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. At that time, the visitors will be treated to a presentation andВ a tour of the new Vallarta Conservatory of Orchids and Native Plants, as well as other highlights of the Vallarta Botanical Gardens. Sunday, November 9th marks the Gardens’ 9th Anniversary! That celebration will be rung in with aВ celebration at 2 p.m. which will include a complimentary slice of cake for all whoВ join in at that time. Garden Amenities and Services Visit the Gardens’ Hacienda de Oro Restaurant for authentic Mexican food and brick-oven pizza. Our new menu includes delicious dishes such as fish and shrimp tacos. Hike the Gardens’ nature trails and bask in tropical mountain scenery. Experience the Orchid Conservatory, Gift Shop, plant nursery, tequila tasting and more. You can even shop the Gardens remotely through our online store. The very best of Vallarta! Saturday 8 to Friday 14 Spend the day in the Gardens for only $60 pesos. The Gardens are about a 30-minute drive south of Old Town, Puerto Vallarta, on Carretera a Barra Navidad at km 24, just past Las Juntas y Los Veranos, all easily accessible by public transportation. Our world-class plant collections, miles of hiking trails through native forests and a host of special activities give you countless reasons to visit us soon. Telephone (322) 223-6182. Open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday to Sunday. Web site: www.vbgardens.org November - 2014 30 Nature’s World ISSUE 315 Planting Roots in Mexico By Tommy Clarkson Asparagus Fern Protasparagus densiflorus вЂ�Sprengeri’ Family: Strelitziaceae What we commonly call Asparagus Fern is, in fact, neither – not an asparagus as we think of them (though in the same family) and not a fern! Truth be known, they are actually members of the Lily family, native to the coastal areas in the southeastern part of the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa. The Protasparagus densiflorus вЂ�Sprengeri’ is one of the most popular. These are for visual enjoyment as - the name notwithstanding – you should not try to eat them because all parts have an unpleasant toxicity. Regardless of that fact, several different varieties of Asparagus Fern have been grown as house plants since the late 19th century. They are favorites for such in that they grow fast and need little attention or maintenance. The вЂ�Sprengeri’ has its dense fern-like foliage which forms an arching mound that matures to one to three feet (30ВЅ 91ВЅ cm) tall, spreading to three to four feet (91ВЅ - 122 cm) wide and which can be trained to cascade down from a hanging planter, or to grow somewhat like a vine. Upon first perusal of them one might wonder about those needle-like leaves. Actually, they are cladodes which perform the necessary process of the plants photosynthesis. Its actual leaves are quite tiny, scale-like and appear where the cladode meets the stem. Sprenger’s Asparagus is a branching perennial with wiry green stems that are sparsely covered with clusters of three to four, ¾” (1.9 cm) in size, cladodes along the stem. They produce small white or pinkish-white flowers in the spring, followed by green berries that will turn red by mid-winter and which birds love! Now if you are near a Sprenger’s Fern please don’t read the following out loud for fear of hurting its tender feelings. This particular variety has actually been declared a noxious weed in the States of Florida, Hawaii and in New Zealand. But in locales like ours where we enjoy and appreciate them, they, like the more conventional ferns, require the same basic care whether grown indoors or out. They prefer bright, indirect sun. Direct, hot sunlight will scorch its needles. Conversely, insufficient sunlight will cause theme to yellow and drop off. And, if given the choice, they would prefer temperatures between 70 -75 degrees Fahrenheit (21 -24 Celsius) during the day and ten degrees cooler at night. Rich, well-draining (perhaps slightly acidic) soil is its preferred growing medium. It can tolerate short periods of drought but thrives when given plenty of water and occasionally misted. While in its growing mode it also likes a liquid allpurpose fertilizer. And remember that easy to maintain fact? To maintain the desired plant form, merely pinch Saturday 8 to Friday 14 They produce small white or pinkish-white flowers in the spring, followed by green berries that turn red with time. What we commonly call Asparagus Fern is, in fact, neither asparagus nor fern. Don’t try to eat them because all parts have an unpleasant toxicity. back stem tips as needed to promote dense foliage growth. Be aware that, as a result of their developing large tuberous roots, Asparagus Fern can become pot-bound rather quickly. While they will generally grow and flower more in this condition, it is imperative that they be given regular drenchings of water. Beyond that, plan on re-potting every three to four years. If pruning is necessary, cut the entire stems back all the way to the base of the plant rather than November - 2014 merely shortening them. While they have no major insect or disease problems, Asparagus Ferns are slightly susceptible to spider mites, scale insects and mealy bugs. If an infestation has gotten out of control, simply cut off the stems all the way back to the soil line and carefully discard the infested foliage. New stems will then rapidly grow back from the bulbs. They can develop yellow needles for many different reasons, including a change in light, rapid temperature change, over watering, under watering, and spider mites. The easiest and fastest way to propagate new Asparagus Ferns is by division. Just slice the root ball into half or quarter sections with a sharp knife or pull the tubers apart by hand. Asparagus Sprengeri produces small bulblets which also can be planted. These plants are dioecious (meaning that both male and female plants must be present to produce). If your plant has berries, you can harvest a single seed from each one. Remove the pulp and soak them in room temperature water overnight. Then plant them ½” (1Вј cm) deep in a tray or pots. Strive to maintain a temperature in the planting medium at 70В°-80В° until the seeds germinate. This takes about four weeks. Tommy Clarkson In Manzanillo, visit Ola Brisa Gardens, Tommy and Patty’s verdant, multiterraced tropical paradise nestled on a hill overlooking the magnificent vista of Santiago Bay. Leisurely meander its curved, paved path, experiencing, first hand, a delicious array of palms, plants and flowers from all over the world. Or, e-mail questions to him at [email protected] For back issues of “Roots”, gardening tips, tropical plant book reviews and videos of numerous, highly unique eco/adventure/ nature tours, as well as memorable “Ultimate Experiences” such a Tropical Garden Brunches and Spa Services, please visit www.olabrisagardens.com ISSUE 315 Brain Teasers Solution to Crossword on Page 26 SUDOKU! Sudoku is a logic-based placement puzzle. The aim of the puzzle is to enter a numerical digit from 1 through 9 in each row, column and group of squares enclosed by the bold lines (also called a box). Each box must contain each number only once, starting with various digits given in some cells (the “givens”). Each row, column, and region must contain only one instance of each numeral. Completing the puzzle requires patience. It is recommended as therapy because some studies have suggested they might improve memory, attention and problem solving while staving off mental decline and perhaps reducing the risk of Alzheimer’s disease. Solution to Sudoku on Page 26 Saturday 8 to Friday 14 November - 2014 31 ISSUE 315 Saturday 8 to Friday 14 November - 2014
© Copyright 2024 Paperzz