AROUND TOWN

Meetings & Lectures

Unitarian Universalist Fellowship

Retired Baptist pastor and acting Unitarian Universalist minister Dennis Hale explores the core beliefs of the Christian faith relative to Jesus of Nazareth in a sermon titled “Why I Won’t Give Up On Jesus” at this week’s Unitartarian Universalist Felllowship Service. It seeks to answer the question, “If all the supernatural is stripped away and the biblical historical data critically questioned, is there anything left worth considering?”

Hale, a regular summer visitor to San Miguel, is a graduate of Samford University and the New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. He served 25 years in Europe as fraternal representative to Spain’s Baptist Evangelical Union and is now a freelance Spanish interpreter/translator.

The UU Fellowship meets every Sunday at 10:30am 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. For more information about Mexico’s only chartered UU Fellowship, visit www.portalsanmiguel.com/lifestyle/unitarians/unitarians.html. 

Midday Rotary Club

On Tuesday, July 17, the guest speaker at the Midday Rotary Club is Dr. David E Rowe, President of Patronato Pro Niños. Dr. Rowe speaks about the role of his organization in our community.

The Rotary Club of San Miguel de Allende-Midday meets every Tuesday, 12:30pm at the Villa Jacaranda Hotel, Aldama 53, Centro. Visiting Rotarians and others interested in Rotary are invited to attend this meeting. 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. Lunch follows at 1:30 in the hotel dining room. For more information, please go to the website: www.rotarysma.org.


Audubon General Assembly Meeting

On Tuesday, July 17, at the Villa Jacaranda, Audubon in conjunction with their monthly presentation series holds their annual General Assembly Meeting for members of Audubon. The General Assembly meeting will start promptly at 4pm followed by the showing of Richard Attenborough’s “Fly or Not to Fly.” All members are urged to attend and to vote on the proposed new amendments. For the members attending the meeting Audubon is going to have a drawing for two free yearly memberships. Members only are invited to attend both the General Assembly Meeting and the presentation.

Globetrotters

On Wednesday July 18 at 1pm in the Sala Quetzal of the Biblioteca, the monthly meeting of the local chapter of Globetrotters (a club for independent people with a passion for travel) will hear two presentations. Richard and Laura Lau, residents of Abu Dhabi speak on “God, Black Gold and Glory—The United Arab Emirates Today.” Michael Sudheer speaks and shows his film entitled Om Sweet Om, A Tour Director’s Journey to Northern India. All are welcome. Admission is 30 pesos, all of which goes to the library.

Garden Lecture Series

Come and learn all about nopales from our special guest presenter and sample some nopal salad. Victoria Challancin, owner of Flavors of the Sun International Cooking School, has lived in the Middle East, Europe and Mexico, giving her a broad base for her food knowledge and passion for food, anthropology and ethnobotany. During her 19 years in San Miguel, Victoria has given Mexican cooking classes, some of which have been featured on the Fine Living Channel. As a member of the International Association of Culinary Professionals, she has studied with world-class chefs and teachers.

Mario Mendoza, Assistant Director of El Charco, also tells us about other edible plants, some of which we can see in the garden.

The presentation (and food sampling) is held on July 20 at 9:30am under the bóveda at the Plaza of the Four Winds in the Botanical Garden, so you may want to bring a cushion. Cost for members of the garden is 70 pesos, non-members 100 pesos. Reservations can be made by contacting Naomi at nzerriffi@yahoo.com. 

Classes & Workshops

Aerial dance with Gravityworks

The School of the New Circus Arts at La Carpa is holding aerial dance workshops. Learn at your own pace. All ages are welcome. Weekly workshops this summer are held from July 9 thru August 16. Classes for children from ages 8 to 13 are held Mondays to Thursdays from 4 to 5:30 pm. Classes for people ages 14 and up are held Mondays and Wednesdays from 5:30 to 7 pm. The cost for the workshop is 350 pesos per week.


La Cocina cooking classes

Tuesday, July 17, from 4–7pm is devoted to naturally healthy Mexican cuisine, some of which dates back to pre-Hispanic times. The menu includes guacamole made in a molcajete, chicken with roasted tomato-poblano salsa, shrimp in pumpkin seed sauce, cactus salad and mango mousse.

On Wednesday, the 18th, from 2-5pm, savor some traditional dishes made with corn—the soul of Mexican cooking. This popular class, taught by Mercedes Arteaga, owner of La Bugambilia restaurant, features pozole, tamales, quesadillas and corn flan.

Fridays are now market day at La Cocina. Peruse the colorful stalls while learning about local fruits, vegetables and chiles, followed by an afternoon of making salsas and incorporating them into tasty lunch. The class is from 11am-2pm and costs US$50.

Tuesdays and Thursdays are not just a cooking class, but a fun evening out with a dinner and margaritas. The cost is US$45 per person. For more information and registration, stop by El Buen Café, Jesus 23, between 9am and 4pm or go to www.mexicocooks.com.  

Mexican culture—Behind the mask in truth and pride

The culture of Mexico and its people today has roots in that of pre-Hispanic Mesoamerica, remolded by the Spanish invasion and presently influenced by the US.

Many people who visit Mexico see the ancient ruins, indigenous people walking around selling their crafts, markets full of folk-art, popular dishes such as tacos, enchiladas and tamales and soccer, the most popular sport in Mexico. But far more significant and important are the fundamental values, the shared attitudes and the deeper, more complex way of behavior that are the heart and soul of the country.

Mexico embraces strong family ties and this can been seen in both the way people work and how they socialize. This way of being comes under stress due to increased migration, such as a man leaving his family to seek work in the US. The impact is not only on the wife and children of that one family, by the attitudes towards family in general as well.The Spanish influence can be see in Mexico’s religious affinities, approximately 92 percent of the population are Catholic. Bullfighting and the Marachi’s too are traditions brought to this country by the Spaniards.

As we are living in a time of rapid change and in the face of globalization, the Mexcian culture is also redefining identity and cultural preservation. Many of us in San Miguel de Allende are feeling the impact of this tipping of the scale before our eyes. Join me in this talk in learning some of the historical and psychological roots of attitudes and behavior of the Mexican people and how to work together and restore this ancient root of truth and pride as we move into a bigger community of integration.

2008 acting class

Due to the success of the 2007 acting course taught by Jerry Phalen, an encore session for advanced students is being planned from February 4 through February 28, 2008. Jerry’s classes will be held on Mondays and Thursdays from 9:30am until 12:30pm at the Rehearsal Hall of John Wharton’s Shelter Theater. He will begin with sight reading, monologues and scene study for advanced students. Only positive comments from students to other students will be permitted and the instructor’s critiques will be couched in a sensitive and helpful manner. Scripts will be provided. Students should dress comfortably and bring a notepad.

Jerry Phalen has been a professional actor for over 25 years and has appeared in over 60 plays and numerous playreadings in Chicago, Miami, Wisconsin and San Diego, where he is an active member of The San Diego Actors Alliance. He has been in several plays and playreadings here in San Miguel having last appeared as Norman in The Dresser at the Angela Peralta Theater. He played George in The Mysterious Mr. Love in two seasons at the Santa Ana Theater. He acted in and directed a number of playreadings for the Playreaders of San Miguel.

Jerry attended the University of Illinois and graduated from the Chicago Academy of Fine Arts. He later graduated from the renowned Angelo Karas School of Acting in Chicago and also studied with the award-winning Kyle Donnelly and Mary Ann Thebus.

He has continued to participate in acting workshops, including The Old Globe of San Diego and the Ruth Forman Theater of Miami, Florida. He was an assistant instructor in the acting classes of the late Jack Banning of San Diego.

Jerry looks forward to working with actors at the advanced level to help them arrive at their best potential—actors who are willing to work hard and dedicate themselves to their craft. He welcomes any and all questions before the class begins. 

Class size is limited to ten students only. Tuition is 1,000 pesos (the proceeds will benefit L’Alianza, a bicultural organization of producers, directors and performing artists that maintains a bodega of set pieces, costumes, props, wigs, makeup and a library to assist the community in producing artistic events). To reserve a space in Jerry’s class for the coming winter, please contact Jerry Phalen at: 152-2117 (before July 25) or email him at: azizi3@msn.com any time.

Tours & Excursions

Instituto Allenede trip to Mexico City

Instituto Allende leads an overnight field trip to Mexico City and the nearby pyramids on Saturday, July 21. The Mexico City trip includes a tour of the historic downtown of the nation’s capital including the impressive Bellas Artes, presently featuring a special Frida Kalho exhibit, el Caballito Monument, the Zocalo, Cathedral and the National Palace. 

The valley of Mexico was, as it still is today, the center of Mesoamerica’s high civilization. For centuries has been considered the richest of all zones. It is said one cannot know the history of America without viewing the major sites and museums in what is now Mexico’s Federal District. 

Participants visit the site of the great temple, which was once the heart of the Aztec ceremonial world. The temple was completely buried and was almost extinct for 270 years after the conquest. Since the rediscovery, artifacts have come to light like the eight-ton statue of the Moon Goddess and a 24-ton calendar stone. There’s an adjacent museum that houses a magnificent collection of Aztec art including altars, statuary and weapons of the time. The quantity and quality of finds far surpasses anything previously discovered from this period of Mesoamerican history. 

There is a visit to the renowned Anthropological Museum, a hallmark location, dedicated to the study of humanity in this part of the world. The Anthropological Museum is an in-depth complex that perpetually educates and inspires a nation and its people. Explanations of all artifacts and installations are printed out next to each exhibit in Spanish and English. At night we tour Mexico City’s nightlife. On Sunday there’s a trip to Teotihuacán, Mexico’s unsurpassable pyramids, a true wonder and maybe alone worth the trip. The cost for this trip is US$225, all-inclusive.

Instituto Allende tours are all-inclusive; including transportation, museum fees, and meals. Native-speaking, bilingual guides lead all tours and offer further insight within a secure environment. A free preview lecture of upcoming weekend field trips takes place each Wednesday at 4pm. at Instituto. Reservations are a must and fees must be paid in advance. Visa and MasterCard accepted. For more information, visit or call 152-0226. Instituto Allende, Ancha de San Antonio 20.

Botanical Garden tour

Every Tuesday morning, discover the marvels of cacti and other Mexican plants as well as the history of El Charco with Mario Mendoza, Assistant Director of the garden. The tour includes a visit to the nursery that contains many rare species and is not usually open to the public.

Entrance fee is 30 pesos (waived for members) and the tour is 50 pesos. All proceeds benefit the garden. The tour is in English and starts at the main entrance at 9am, lasting about 2 hours. Bring a hat and water. Space is limited, so reserve by calling 154-8838 or email charcodelingenio@gmail.com. 

Saturday Adventurers

This week the Adventurers are going to one of the best papier mache factories around. The maestro shows us the method of doing the various types of papier mache. Of course it all begins with paper—newspaper, sanitary paper, brown paper, most made into a gooey mush. Using flour, water and glue, the mush is put into the mold of whatever they are making that day, un-molded, hung to dry before coats of paint and lacquer are applied. In their show-room you will be tempted by the mouth-watering pan dulces and other impressive creations.

Now we head off through lush landscape to the 17th century ranch La Capilla. In the fresco filled chapel, the restored stables and the centuries old stone houses, now converted to guest cabins one recalls all the charm of colonial Mexico. Expert horsemen can take you out to see the real Mexico. Kathy and Steve will invite you to see their charming home, a mix of ancient and modern.

Lions Club trip

On Wednesday, August 8, the International Lions Club is sponsoring a one day shopping and sight-seeing trip to León. A first class bus will be leaving from St Paul’s church on Cardo at 9am. When they reach Leon, they will be stopping at the main plaza to see the 18th century cathedral, and the government building, then they will explore the Temple Expectoria where they can visit a series of underground chambers and will stop for lunch (not included).

They will be spending the afternoon shopping for shoes, purses, leather bags, leather jackets and boots. León is known as the shoe capital of the world. The cost is 400 pesos, including a donation to the Lions Club which donates glasses to the needy and does diabetes testing at 63 Correo on Thursday mornings. For more information and reservations, call Jean Schickel at 152-0934.

Performances & Events

San Miguel Croquet Club celebrates the fourth!

The San Miguel Croquet Club held its annual Fourth of July Tournament last Wednesday. Each of the eight competing teams played seven preliminary games on Saturday, Monday and Tuesday, with the semi-finals and the finals taking place on the Fourth. It narrowed down to the last two pairs with the team of Gerry Siskin and Jackie Hall the victors. The competition was followed by a gala Fiesta attended by club members, their families and guests.

The festivities also included the continuation of a tradition begun four years ago. On that occasion the late Louise McGann brought to the Club an article written by commentator Paul Harvey. It described what happened to the 56 men who signed the Declaration of Independence. Some lost their lives during the Revolution, a few were hanged by the British, most lost all their property, and almost to a man, died in poverty. The piece has been narrated at the Tournament each year by TV veteran Gene Crane. It’s a fascinating story and can be found at the website http://bessel.org/declsign.htm.

Officers of the Club want San Miguel to know that that new members are always welcome. If you are interested in information about the San Miguel Croquet Club, call Jean Crane at 120-0827, Allan Crockett at 152-5401, or Gerry Siskin at 152-5210.

Films & Videos

Shalom San Miguel Forum

How about a little summer afternoon fun? The Jewish Forum is proud to offer the 1972 Academy-Award-Winning musical, Cabaret directed by Bob Fosse on Monday, July 16.

This film, starring Liza Minnelli, Joel Grey and Michael York, is set in that most decadent city, Berlin, during the closing days of the Weimar Republic, just prior to the rise of Adolf Hitler and the Nazis. This film is just good entertainment. Come join us on 4:30pm, Hotel Quinta Loreto TV Salon, Loreto 15. Suggested donation: 50 pesos.

Volunteer Opportunities

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.