Semana Santa, a moment of wide-eyed wonder
Photos by Deborah Whitehouse, April 13, 2007

The Easter professional at La iglesia de San Juan de Dios

“Best of Burros,” the best of family fun in the campo
By Dorothy Glenn, photos by Murray Friedman

Who could ever imagine having a sumptuous, Mexican comida in the ruins of a vicarage said to have been constructed in the 1700s—preceded by a Best of Burros competition? It all happened Saturday, March 26, in the village of Jalpa, a half-hour drive from San Miguel.

Forgotten Child International thanks everyone for coming out and making the event such a success for the kids. The ride out was, as they say in Spanish, vale la pena (worth the trouble). The many enthusiastic guests gathered under a canopy or spilled out across the soccer area for good camera shots or simply the enjoyment of watching this unusual spectacle, as the children proudly paraded their very own family burros adorned, in their very own way, in front of the audience.

There were Burro’s wearing skirts, trousers, hats, jewels, flowers, painted or glued on eye lashes, hair do’s, lipstick, long stockings, streamers, dummy riders, caged animals, beauty queens and so on. Each one, along with their owner or ‘decorator’ was introduced by Master of Ceremonies, Roger Jones of Casa Angelitos in SMA and Ernesto Rodriguez Lopez, long time resident of the area. Each child won a new soccer or basketball for various categories from the fattest, to the best teeth, to the most colorful and an overall prize of a bicycle that went for the People’s Choice.

After all of the excitement, laughter and applause, the guests made haste down to the ruins of the vicarage for a sumptuous feast of homemade Mexican dishes, prepared by the mothers and women of Jalpa, with the event’s sponsor, Forgotten Child International providing the rice, beans and refreshments. Many guests lingered to talk with cooks, teachers, mothers, the kids and other locals.

This special event was sponsored and staged by Forgotten Child International, working to create leaders within rural community children. Proceeds are for the kitchen sponsorship and matched funds for the continued needs of the school projects such as the school center, the library, the RuralEnglish Program and more.

We especially want to thank our volunteer team for all they do for the children and the San Miguel Land and Cattle Company, Sensual Chocolatiers and many others. A special thanks to the school children of Jalpa, women of Jalpa, the teachers at the primary school, Father Vincente, and Norma, the Jalpa delegate.

Yes, we are already planning our second Best of Burros event! To learn more, please visit our website at: http://www.forgottenchild.org .

To be or not to be…prepared!
By Natalie Hardy

Absolutely nothing had prepared me for the moment of my husband Derrick’s death here in San Miguel almost three years ago. Not the prior three years of his illness nor the doctor’s pronouncement that his diagnosis of Lou Gehrig’s disease was “guaranteed” to kill him; not my close contact as primary caregiver nor the visible physical disintegration of his functions and body. While he became ever weaker, we always believed in some “midnight hour pardon,” some last ditch miracle, something so that this thing called “death” would be put on hold. On May 20, 2004 at about 5pm, shortly after feeding him, the nurse said that Derrick was not responding. I looked at her uncomprehending. I stood there feeling stunned and immobile, not wanting to understand what she was saying. The fact, nonetheless, was that he had passed away. At that moment I shifted into a surreal frame of mind. This could not be happening! I could not take it in. The nurse called her brother, who was a friend of mine. He came with another of our bes
t friends. They started making phone calls to the doctor, to the Red Cross paramedics, and to the 24 Hour Association. I stood around vaguely hearing and seeing what was going on. More and more people filled the house and they seemed to know what to do. The paramedics left. The funeral director arrived. I remember looking at him with confusion. He made clear what his responsibilities were. My husband’s body was removed from our home. I was in shock and passively let these activities take place. My closest friend stayed the night, saying I should not be left alone. 

The next morning Bonnie Bisnett from the 24 Hour Association called me and asked how I was doing. She explained the activity of the night before and asked what else she could do. Family had been notified. Friends were staying with me. Bit by bit I would take in fully the events of the preceding 24 hours. What I knew for sure was that the best thing Derrick and I had done to prepare for this traumatic moment of need was to join the 24 Hour Association. We had planned ahead and been members of this special support group long before Derrick’s death. In retrospect, I cannot imagine going through that night and the next few days without the guidance and professional direction of this fine support group. Indeed, my gratitude knows no bounds, and now, 3 years later, I serve as a Board Member with 24 Hour.

The 24 Hour Association is not-for-profit, and legally registered as a Mexican asociacion civil. The group formed in 1965 when a certain Admiral Alex Charlton, USN, sent out a memo to the foreign community: “As most of you know, Mexican law requires burial within 24 hours of death. This presents immediate problems which cannot await the arrival of executors no matter how carefully pre-arranged. Therefore, a committee of year-round residents is being set up to take action in accordance with directions available on a card file specifying all wishes of the deceased who will have deposited in the Association a sum sufficient to cover the type of services required.” And so a committee of 11 was selected to see to the final wishes as indicated on the member’s application form, including handling of the remains, communicating to the Mexican officials to obtain the required Mexican legal documents; communicating with relatives and friends in San Miguel de Allende and abroad, and even arranging for funeral or shipping 
services as specified.

Let us imagine what it would be like if no such support group were available. The survivor may or may not be functional in that critical moment. Who does what? Perhaps a doctor will be called. They can pronounce the person deceased, but they are not there for what follows. Now imagine a friend walking into this situation, who is uninformed of procedures. What if there is no friend or relative present at the moment of dying? Put simply, it is a terrible situation for friends or relatives. How can we navigate the correct procedures in a foreign country with its own laws and requirements? Being a member of the 24 Hour Association answers those needs and takes stress off the survivors and friends of the deceased.

I am always astonished at how expatriate communities see the needs of their fellow men and make happen what is necessary in a foreign world, those needs which we would take for granted in our own country of birth. I have lived many years in various communities abroad, and I must attest that here in San Miguel de Allende, the best of the best caring organizations are in place to serve such needs as “what happens if I die here?” If you are thinking of joining the 24 Hour Association, now is the time. A fee hike will be in effect as of May 1, 2007. At our recent Board and Annual General Meeting, it became clear we must increase prices due to increased expenses for disposition of the body and other procedures beyond our control. We want to give a little time to those who would like to join but have been procrastinating. The 24 Hour Association has the generous policy of refunding your fees should you change your mind or be out of the area when death occurs, so absolutely nothing is lost. To apply for membership o
r for more information, please contact the executive secretary, Bonnie Bisnett at 152-3536, or on her cell at 044-415-100-3842. She carries her cell phone with her 24 hours a day. She is ready for you. Are you prepared?

Amnesty on overdue and “over-borrowed” books

From Ali Zerriffi
President, Biblioteca Pública de San Miguel de Allende

Last week I addressed the most pressing problem faced by the Biblioteca Pública—book theft. It is a problem that decimates our inventory and insults the mission of a public library and the generosity of people who support it. The financial impact of book theft is enormous, as the book facts sidebar clearly indicates.

In response to the general support of the newly implemented security measures to protect the library’s extensive book collections the Executive Board announces a general amnesty on all overdue books. The amnesty will last for the month of April.

Such amnesties are immensely successful in other libraries around the world, and we hope the community responds positively to our intent to recover lost inventory.

We invite the general public to review their personal book shelves and collections and return all overdue library books before the end of the month. To all owners of tourist accommodation businesses we make a special request to revise the books left by their guests.

Returning the overdue books is quite simple-special boxes are placed at the entrance to the institution and no questions will be asked. If during this time you also wish to donate books please be selective of the quality of the book. Consider the value of the content and the physical quality to our book collection. And, of course, Robin Velte of the Book Committee is always willing to accept sponsorship for a particular book collection. She can be contacted at 154-4661.

In the meantime, we have no choice but to continue protecting our collection until we have the funds to purchase the very expensive equipment that can provide us with the necessary electronic security. We would also welcome any donations toward the purchase of the security system, electrical system and a centralized computer system—all major infrastructural investments that can be aquired with your financial assistance.

To end, I wish to thank the community for their continued support of the events and activities of the Biblioteca Pública, and above all for helping us protect the invaluable community of investment in the book collections.




Dear members and users of the Biblioteca Pública:

We wish to advise you that we are obliged to implement new security procedures in an effort to protect the invaluable book collection of this institution.

The new policy as of March 30, 2007 prohibits the introduction of tote bags, schoolbags, suitcases or packages in general to the interior of the Public Library.

The Library will, however, permit members and users to enter with handbags, no larger than 12 in2 (12 x 12 centimeters).

We request your kind cooperation when security staff may request to check your handbag upon leaving the library.

In the interest of general security we recommend that users not leave valuable objects in their bags. Please take your valuable objects such as wallets, cameras iPODs and cell phones with you. 

For laptop users, we ask you to leave the case at the front desk. 

A charge of 200 pesos will be implemented for loss of your package identification number.

We thank you for your comprehension and cooperation to protect this invaluable investment in the library

Atte.

Biblioteca Pública A.C.



Biblioteca Pública book facts

December 2005 to December 2007

*Nearly 400 catalogued books in both English and Spanish were stolen.

*Approximate value of these books US$15,000

*There is no estimate available for total stolen books paperback section nor their value as this section remains uncatalogued in the current system

*Annual budget for new books US$20,000 plus cash donations

*Yearly income from membership dues: approximately US$12,500



Proposed security investment

*Bilingual library catalogue system Abyss US$75,000 with US$50,000 donated by the supplier and US$5,000 by a library member (already installed, and ready for launching at the end of April)

*Proposed library security system (including magnetic bar codes and metal detectors for both library entrances) US$30,000