COLUMNISTS/The Gangs of San Miguel de Allende
By Richard Lander

Richard Lander joins the ranks of Atención feature writers with excerpts from “Gangs of San Miguel de Allende.” He responds on his website to anyone who might question his confrontational style in exposing these Gangs: “I enjoy San Miguel and this is simply my take on what I saw. If I didn’t like it, why would I keep coming back?”

Clothing and Gangs

She stands in the doorway. Her friend is in the store buying her new Gang clothes. Decisions, decisions, decisions… Should she join a Gang, or should she keep her old identity? She doesn’t know who she is anymore.

She was a small-town accountant back in the States, but who will she be here? Will she be an actress or a sculptress? Will she have been the mistress of a famous shoemaker or Don Knotts? Will she tell people she has to avoid Doc Severinsen in the Jardín? Oh, which Gang? Is she a rug girl, a false-boy girl or a classic girl? (Definitions of each may be found at my blog.) Does she have the flair to wear a tablecloth? Can she get a love slave? Life is hard for the newly arrived.



Where to buy Gang clothes?

Several people have asked where Gang members get their clothes. Often they are right in front of you. Some Gang members are able to use wall hangings very successfully.

Other Gang members see something fetching hanging on a shop door and just know it is for them.



Downsides to wearing household items

It is not always easy for Gang members. One poor Gang member was wrapping herself in a chair throw when her love slave started to escape. As she ran to catch him, the open weave of the chair throw got caught on a doorknob, and he got out the door. Since she can’t leave the house without wearing her Gang outfit, she tied it loosely around her hips and began to run after the escaping love slave. He had a good head start though. Again another Gang member has experienced the downside of open weave.

Lost and Found in San Miguel is an interesting short film by Caren Cross. I had a tough time figuring out in the film who was Lost and who was Found. I wasn’t sure if the Lost part happened before they came or after they came to San Miguel, and I was even more confused about what they had Found. As I looked around to see what they had Found, my blog was formed.

The Found have discovered a sense of belonging that manifests itself in what I call joining a Gang—a Gang you can’t find at home. Each Gang has its colors and dress code and unique behaviors.



Help identify this Gang

Some Gangs are easy to identify, but the Gang member pictured has me puzzled. I see a bag (…but everyone has a bag.) I see a tablecloth. I see a Mexican blusa. I see little dolls sewn on the blusa. But I don’t see the theme. I don’t get this Gang. Maybe she is Mexican, but that answer seems too obvious. Help!


This article is published with permission from Richard Lander’s blog, “Gangs of San Miguel de Allende.” Visit http://richland.wordpress.com/  to learn more about the numerous “Gangs” running rampant in San Miguel.