Around Town

Meetings & Lectures

Unitarian Universalist Fellowship

How to shape one’s own home care before it is needed? Julie Whitaker, PhD, a sociologist hired by the State of Wisconsin to set up home care cooperatives, talks on “Home Care Cooperatives: A Better Way” at Sunday’s Unitarian Universalist Fellowship. Dr. Whitaker is advising a group of 15 experienced San Miguel caregivers who are studying the feasibility of starting a home care cooperative. She is currently teaching a graduate course at the University of Jalapa by invitation of Mexico’s Minister of Education.

The UU Fellowship meets every Sunday at 10:30am at La Posada de la Aldea, Ancha de San Antonio 15. Visitors are invited to attend the service and then join in discussion with the speaker over brunch at the hotel restaurant. For more information about Mexico’s only chartered UU Fellowship, visit portalsanmiguel.com/lifestyle/Unitarians/Unitarians.html.

Classes & Workshops

East meets West

In this four-day experience from July 11–15 at Sagrada Wellness, we seek to provide a package designed to heighten your consciousness of your own health.
The retreat begins by delving separately into the worlds of Chinese Medicine and Western medicine. George Inglizian, MD, is the facilitator or health guide to “evidence-based medicine.” He explores how you have made use of western preventive medicine, and reviews the risks that your genetic load may be imposing upon you.

Eva Inglizian, L.Ac, helps you look at your well-being through the holistic lens of Traditional Chinese Medicine. She employs acupuncture, Reiki, acupressure and therapeutic-grade essential oils to harmonize the body and facilitate healing. Eva specializes in dietary guidance and educates her clients on Chinese Medical Nutrition.

Eva and George are pioneering a technique, “Acupuncture Modulated Psychotherapy” (AMP). Eva initiates the session by doing auricular (ear) acupuncture which calms the sympathetic nervous system. George than channels this peaceful state into an exploration of cortical functioning.

We are very excited about providing this unique experience at Sagrada. It is a technique that promises to combine Eastern and Western modalities, thinking states and feeling states.

George Inglizian, MD is a board-certified emergency physician practicing full time in Los Angeles, CA. He also is a licensed marital and family therapist, engaged in part-time counseling over the last 10 years. Eva Inglizian, Lac, has her Master’s in Traditional Chinese Medicine and is licensed by the National Certified Commission of Oriental Medicine and by the Acupuncture State Board of California.

Space is limited. Sagrada Wellness is offering special rates for San Miguel residents. To reserve, call 323-924-5950 or 044-415-101-8312. Visit www.sagradawellness.com 

Tours & Excursions

Audubon birdwalks

In July, the Audubon birdwalks resume their regular schedule of the third Sunday of the month. This month that will fall on the 15th. Transportation permitting, we will go to the new birding site on the other side of the dam, which, aside from being great bird habitat, is a lovely place to walk.

People wanting to take part should be in front of the Instituto Allende at 8am to sign in. Cars will leave promptly at 8:15. This event is gratis to members of this chapter of Audubon, and a donation of 100 pesos, or US$10, is asked of non-members.

Participants are encouraged to bring a hat and drinking water, and during the rainy season, old shoes are suggested. Binoculars and birdbooks are helpful, but not a necessity.

Anyone who can bring a vehicle will be greatly appreciated, as lacking sufficient transportation we will have to revert to going to the botanical garden, which offers excellent birding, but is more familiar to many of the regular birders.

People with questions may call Fen at 044-415-153-5438.

Saturday Adventurers

The Adventurers are going to see a most unusual gallery in regard to its construction, its exhibits and even its furnishings: Concrete “stars,” the gallery walls are rough, or painted white, kitchen counters are polished concrete, and so is an immense dining-room table. Upstairs, you may be startled by the placement of the bathtub, up further stairs, you will enjoy seeing Lothar Mueller’s superb cactus garden, one of the best displayed in all of San Miguel. Next we take a short ride through greening country-side to the 18th century ex-hacienda “La Landeta.” Take a note of the stone facade, built by the Otomí Indians, for the former Viceroy, or first governor of this area. There is an 18th century chapel, as all haciendas had to have a chapel and a school. We will visit the chapel, where frescos are still visible and the huge vaulted room, once a grainery, used for wedding receptions. On the walkways, we see more Otomí talent, in the laying of the stones with different patterns.

This tour leaves from inside the Jardín across from the Parroquia at 10:30am.

Instituto Allende hosts two field trips

Instituto Allende hosts two separate field trips on Saturday, July 14. The first outing heads to what is often referred to as the ghost town of Pozos and the surrounding area. This trip embarks at 8am. Pozos and Victoria are approximately 45 minutes from San Miguel. This adventure is a camera buff’s delight. The scenery is spectacular. There is some moderate hiking in order to view the ancient petroglyphs. Pozos was once a bustling silver-mining center. It has bottomless shafts and some of the ruins of the old mines will be explored. Pets and children are not permitted on this trip due to some dangerous areas. Sunscreen and wide brimmed hats are suggested. Other highlights of the outing will be to tour the remains of giant hearths built by the Jesuits in 1597 plus being treated to a concert at the old musical instrument store.

The second field trip departs at 9am. There will be an in-depth tour of Guanajuato’s Corralejo Tequila factory. The process of harvesting blue agave and parlaying it into the nation’s national drink can be seen first hand. The area also has rich archeological sites in the vicinity and they too will be visited and further insight will be given about the rich history of the area.

Each Wednesday at 4 pm Instituto Allende provides a free lecture previewing the weekend’s up coming field trips. Bilingual, native speaking guides lead all Instituto outings and field trips in a safe environment. Cost for this all-inclusive trip is US$55. Visa and Mastercard accepted. Instituto Allende, Ancha de San Antonio 20, 152-0226.

Performances & Events


Homage to Frida Kahlo

The National Palace of “Bellas Artes” is hosting the largest exhibition of Frida Kahlo’s works to commemorate the 100 years since the birth of the most famous Mexican artist of contemporary times. The work is being shown in eight rooms of the museum and is the largest exposition ever put together.

The show is displayed so viewers can find out the many secrets of her life and work and to know why she became a feminist icon. The exhibition displays 340 pieces of her total production. There are 60 oil paintings, 44 drawings, and many water colors and lithographs. Personal documents, handwritings and 100 personal photographs are intended to show a vision of the social and political context that the artist lived.

The exposition is divided in themes that explain the creative process and her didactic work so the public can learn about her intellectual potential and her reflections going through her political and social background.

Frida Kahlo began painting at a very young age while convalescing from a horrific tram crash in 1925 in which she broke her spinal cord. Twice married to Mexican muralist Diego Rivera, who was nearly 20 years older, Frida Kahlo also reportedly had an affair with revolutionary Leon Trotsky after he fled the Soviet Union. 

Most of the material was locked away in trunks and cabinets that were covered in tape and dispersed through “the Blue House.” Her husband left instructions asking the caretakers of his trust not to open the trunks and cabinets until 15 years after his death in 1957.

But Mexican society woman Dolores Olmedo, left them closed, believing the material could contain personal information that would hurt the couple’s prestige, said her son, Carlos Phillips Olmedo, who runs several museums, including the Blue House. Curators of the show opened the trunks and cabinets in 2004, a year after Olmedo died. Curators also found 30 photos of Frida’s father, Guillermo Kahlo, that he had taken himself, possibly giving inspiration to Frida Kahlo’s self-portraits that she used to deal with the accident, her tumultuous marriage and her inability to have children. 

Frida Khalo died in July 1954 after suffering a bout of pneumonia. Diego Rivera died in 1957.

Instituto Allende offers two overnight field trips to Mexico City, Frida Kahlo’s exhibit in Bellas Artes palace and the archeological site of Teotihuacán. The trips are on July 21 and 22 and August 11 and 12, with preview lectures taking place on Wednesday, July 18 and Wednesday, August 8 at 4pm at the Instituto Allende. For more information, go to the Insituto Allende tour office or call 152-0226.

Rubber bridge

Every Friday at noon, several people gather together in the gazebo at the Villa de Jacaranda Hotel on Aldama 53 for a friendly game of rubber bridge. The only cost is 10 pesos that is donated to one of several charities, under the auspices of the Tuesday Social Club, and lunch or a tip to the waiter for taking up space and getting free iced tea. No partner is needed, and it is a good way to hone up your skills from college bridge, or if you don’t want the structure of duplicate bridge. Please come and join us, and if you need more information, call Jean Schickel at l52-0934.

Volunteer Opportunities


Casas Hogares volunteers needed

San Miguel’s three children’s refuges—casas hogares (Mexiquito, Santa Julia, and Sollano)—need the help of the community in order to meet their many volunteer and special event opportunities this summer. Please call 152-3709 in SMA, 925-418-8003 from the US, or email robin@robinloving.com,  if you might be able to oversee an event or coordinate volunteers. You would be working with English-speaking volunteers and event participants and Spanish-speaking directors of each children’s home. Thank you!

Volunteering at the Biblioteca

If you would like to volunteer to assist in any of the following departments, please see Elia in the Sala Infantil, Monday-Friday, 4–5pm, or send an email to volunteers@bibliotecasma.com  and Judy Boston will get back to you. The departments with the most need are La Tienda, teaching English to kids, the Book Committee, English conversation with students, the computer room, the Sala Infantil with literacy programs and painting, administration, the Café, the House and Garden Tour, and Atencíon. A minimum commitment of 3 months is requested for most of these positions.

See you in the funny papers

Mark Saunders, creator of Atención’s “Más o Menos” cartoon, invites suggestions from readers for funny material about living in San Miguel that would lend itself to a cartoon. Selected ideas will be drawn by the cartoonist, and authors will be given credit as well as a signed copy of their cartoon. Please send your “expat” cartoon ideas to edit@atencionsanmiguel.org.