AROUND TOWN

Meetings & Lectures

Checkmate, chess in the patio

Free chess workshops begin Monday, December 3. Children 8 to 12 years old will meet 4–5pm in the Sala Infantil, and adults at 5–6:30pm in the central patio of the Biblioteca Pública, Insurgentes 25. The Biblioteca has chess sets, but bring your own if you’re fond of it, or if it’s charged with a mojo of good luck. Local chess master Francisco de Santiago will provide a few minutes of sage advice and underhanded tricks, and then you’ll have over an hour to practice them on your opponents. 

On November 26, Santiago played five games simultaneously in the patio and won all five games. Afterwards, Teatro Santa Ana showed The Luzhin Defense, a 2001 movie about a grandmaster driven mad by chess, set in the lush surroundings of an aristocratic resort hotel.

International Human Rights Day

In recognition of International Human Rights Day, philosopher Cliff DuRand takes a critical look at human rights today, particularly as practiced by his own country, at this week’s Unitiarian Universalist Fellowship meeting, Sunday, December 9 at 10:30 am.

In the wake of the horrors of World War II, the nations of the world came together and adopted a Universal Declaration of Human Rights. In the decades since, the United States has held itself up as a champion of these principles. But how well does the U.S. measure up to these standards, or even to its own Bill of Rights, which has also been a model for others?

A Civil Rights activist in the 1960s, Dr. DuRand was a professor at Morgan State University in Baltimore for 40 years.

The UU Fellowship meets every Sunday at 10:30 a.m. at La Posada de la Aldea, Ancha de San Antonio 15 and welcomes people of all ages, races, religions, sexual orientation, and gender identity. Visitors are invited to attend the service and then join the UUs in the hotel restaurant for brunch. 

Rotary, same day, new location

San Miguel Midday Rotary continues its weekly Tuesday meeting and lunch at the new location of “Hotel Real de Minas”, at the intersection of calles Ancha de San Antonio and Stirling Dickinson. 

Guest speaker, Tuesday December 11 is Chinese Medicine practitioner Dr. Denise Aughtman, D.O.M. Dr. Aughtman, a Master of Science in Oriental Medicine as well as US Certification in both Acupuncture and Chinese Herbology, has over 30 years experience. She practices the “Eight branches of oriental medicine” which includes meditation, Qi Gong, nutrition, Feng Shui, Herbology and Acpuncture/Moxibustion.

Guests are invited to arrive between noon and 12.25pm, the meeting begins promptly at 12.30pm. Visiting Rotarians and new members are most welcome. Rotary is an organization of business and professional persons united worldwide who provide humanitarian service, encourage high ethical standards in all vocations, and help build goodwill and peace in the world. For more information, visit www.rotarysma.org. 

Classes & Workshops

Your future is in your hands

Anabella de Corro speaks on Dharmic patterns and how most human beings repeat karmic patterns over and over again¸ 5 pm, Friday December 14, Sala Quetzal, Biblioteca Publica, Insurgentes 25. 

She discusses how the human hands are one of the most refined and direct analytical tools to indicate what life conditions exist. Learn about your karmic condition. Your hands are the windows to your subconscious. Annabella is an experienced alternative therapist with 20 years of practice in Mexico and the United States. Admission 60 pesos.


Cultural adaptations

Enrich your experience living in Mexico through our mind-expanding cross-cultural awareness course, during December. 

Mary Ellen Colón, founder of Intercultural Dimension, has been a consultant in intercultural communication for over 20 years. The Cross-Cultural Training Seminar is experiential training designed to develop cultural self-awareness, knowledge and skills to enable participants to more easily and effectively adjust to living and working with people of a culture other than their own. 

This dynamic, interactive seminar is specifically intended for foreigners living in San Miguel who wish to explore this phenomenon we call “culture” and understand how it can interfere with and influence our interactions.

For more information call Vivian Blair at 152-6898.



Tours & Excursions

Saturday Adventures in art

Saturday Adventurers, the weekly tour in benefit of the Centro de Crecimiento school for the disabled, visits the studios of San Miguel’s first family of art—the Kestenbaums. 

The late Lothar Kestenbaum, founder of the sculpture department at Bellas Artes, was renowned as the city’s finest sculptor. His widow, Mai Onno, is a bold colorist, whose works explode with color on large canvases. Her paintings have won many prizes both in Mexico and Europe. Exceptional works by both these artists will be on display.

Then on to the San Miguel Viejo foundry/studio of son David to view works of bronze, steel, clay and stone.

This tour is not to be missed, departure from the Jardin, across from the Parroquia, 10:30am, Saturday, December 8.



Performances & Events

San Miguel stories—live! 

Stories that range from the San Miguel writers’ mystique to a young woman’s coming to terms with an older, and fading, woman in a Mexican beach community will be part of the second reading from San Miguel’s new anthology “Solamente En San Miguel,” to be held Friday, December 7 from 5 to 6:30pm in the Biblioteca Publica’s Sala Quetzal. Reading from their short selections in the anthology will be Lou Christine, Andy Blair and Lynette Seator. 

Stories written by the late Charles Kuschinski and recently deceasesd Kendal Dodge Butler will be read in memoriam by Wim Coleman and Eva Hunter.

Chanukah celebrations

Shalom San Miguel hosts their annual Chanukah party 6pm, Friday, December 7, Hotel Quinto Loreto, calle Loreto. This festive event promises singing, dancing, candle lighting and a full course chicken dinner with (of course) lots of latkes! Children of all ages are welcome.

Call 154-67-60 or 154-54-38 for reservations, entrance 120 pesos for adults and 50 pesos for children.

Manuscript Critique Opportunities at San Miguel Writers’ Conference

Participants in this year’s San Miguel Writer’s Conference (February 22, 23, 24) have a chance to have 30 pages of their manuscripts reviewed by literary agent Theresa Park, proprietor of a New York based literary agency.

Jamie Raab, executive vice president and publisher of Grand Central Publishing will also meet with eight conference participants on a first-come, first-served basis. For more information, go to www.sanmiguelworkshops.com .

Films & Videos

Adyashanti on After Awakening

The Meditation Center presents a filmed talk by Adyashanti: The Journey After Awakening, 5:30pm, Thursday, December 13.

Awakening to our true nature does not mark the end of the spiritual path. It is just the beginning. In this intimate and compelling dialogue, Adyashanti and Loch Kelly explore the journey after awakening, sharing insights gained from their own lives and through working with hundreds of people in this mysterious, subtle, and sometimes precarious territory.

After a series of transformative spiritual awakenings, Adyashanti began teaching in 1996 at the request of the Zen teacher with whom he had been studying for 14 years. For those seeking a path of simplicity, not bound by the trappings of spiritual practice, Adyashanti brings a fresh and humble approach to Zen wisdom. Loch Kelly began practicing Vipassana, Dzogchen, and Advaita 25 years ago in Sri Lanka and India. Asked by Adyashanti to share the direct path, Loch offers a unique experiential teaching style to assist in the recognition, realization, and full embodiment of our true nature.

The Meditation Center, located at Callejon Blanco 4 near Quebrada, is open to all forms of silent, still meditation. (See the Religious Meetings box for timings.) All meditation sittings are offered freely to one and all in the Buddhist tradition of generosity. The video begins promptly at 5:30. Requested donation 20 pesos.



Volunteer Opportunities

Does your nonprofit need hands? Send your short requests to edit@atencionsanmiguel.org  with “Volunteer Opportunities” in the subject line.

Save A Mexican Mutt (SAMM) is a charitable organization that rescues, spays/neuters, provides veterinary care, socializes, and transports highly adoptable Mexican street dogs to the United States for adoption. We need volunteers to foster dogs for up to six weeks and to transport dogs to the United States. If you live here full or part-time and can provide a temporary loving home for one of the many dogs in line to be transported to their forever homes or are traveling to Texas, New Mexico or Colorado by car and can transport one or more dogs with you, please contact Kelly Karger at info@saveamexicanmutt.org and see our website at www.saveamexicanmutt.org. (Save A Mexican Mutt is a US 501c3 charitable organization. Donations to SAMM are tax deductible on your US federal tax return.)



Field volunteers needed for Patronato Pro Ninos

PPN, one of the oldest and most vibrant charities in SMA, is looking for a selective group of volunteers who would be willing to dedicate two or more mornings per month to go out to the outlying areas of the municipality of San Miguel de Allende to visit schools, talk about the work that PPN is doing to assist children with medical and dental problems, and to invite those children who need medical attention to the office of PPN for evaluation and assistance at little or no cost to the family. The volunteers ideally would either be reasonably fluent in Spanish and/or have a car/truck/SUV which can withstand the back (mostly unpaved) roads of the municipality. If interested, please contact Steve Livingston at steve@stevelivingston.com  with your name and contact information. 


Feed the Hungry looking for screening volunteers

Feed the Hungry is looking for volunteers to help with the preventive medical screening of our school children. We are looking for persons with one or more of the following skills: Bilingual persons, drivers with access to vehicle with high ground clearance willing to drive out to the ranchos, computer data input persons. This medical work is being conducted in cooperation with Patronato Pro Niños for the children our organizations serve. For more information please contact us on 152-2402 or contact@feedthehungrysma.org. 



Volunteers needed to help organize San Miguel Walk 2008

The 5th Annual San Miguel Walk Against Domestic Violece takes place on January 24, 2008. The San Miguel Walk funds the Violence Prevention Program at CASA, Centro Para los Adolescentes de San Miguel de Allende, A.C., a local non-profit organization that has been serving the poor, particularly adolescents, rural women and their families, through health, social service, education, and environmental outreach programs since 1981. We are looking to form a team of dedicated volunteers to help out with advertising, publicity, fundraising and outreach. Please contact Shelley at shelleybull@gmail.com  or 044 415 114 8648 for more information.



Pro Musica

Pro Musica de San Miguel AC puts on more than 30 classical music concerts throughout the year in the city. We are looking for volunteers to fulfill various roles. These include helping out as ushers at St. Paul’s church and other venues during concerts, selling tickets prior to the House and Garden Tour at the Biblioteca on Sunday mornings, helping to organize suppers in private homes after concerts for our musicians and patrons, and assisting with publicity, marketing and fundraising. We are a fun group of people to work with and the music is fantastic! Contact Pro Musica’s President Michael Pearl at 152-2688 or email him at mpearl5493@aol.com.