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Readers’ Forum
By Jim Blakley April 25, 2008 San Miguel de Allende
Dancing in the streets: Safety tips for San Miguel
Dancing is a very important part of life in San Miguel and newcomers who do not quickly learn the necessary steps can be at a huge disadvantage. As a public service, this newspaper presents some of these dance steps to help newcomers cope with daily life here. Longer term residents have either adapted or, through Darwinian natural selection, have been eliminated already.
San Miguel Two-Step: When you walk on the narrow sidewalks here, you often need to take one step, and then a second down from the sidewalk onto the road to avoid other pedestrians, and then the next step back onto the sidewalk to avoid an oncoming bus or car. The San Miguel Two-Step must be executed fluidly and quickly with perfect timing to avoid being run over by the bus, crashing into an oncoming pedestrian, or both. You must continue walking forward while executing this step. Just remember: one-two, one-two, one-two.
San Miguel Tango: When two or more people moving in opposite directions meet on a narrow sidewalk at relatively high walking speeds, each person must throw back the left shoulder at the last possible instant to allow the other to pass. Premature shoulder-turning makes you look ridiculous and marks you as a “newbie,” while failing to turn your shoulder in time will leave you lying in the street with cobblestones sticking into your back. (Maybe this could be some kind of new massage therapy treatment: “the San Miguel Hot Rock Back Treatment.”)
San Miguel Cobblestone Salsa: When you step down from the sidewalk onto the cobblestones, you must look graceful at the same time that you are inwardly prepared to be pulled hard to the right or left depending on the location of the heel of your lead foot on the cobblestones. Just try to make it look like the Salsa and smile.
San Miguel Full-Twist Foxtrot: This alternative to the San Miguel Two-Step or the San Miguel Tango is used when approaching someone on the sidewalk, especially when the other person is standing still and chatting with a friend while blocking 95 percent of the narrow sidewalk. Stepping down off the sidewalk onto the street can be seen as admitting defeat and you will definitely not be respected. If you can only barely squeeze by, just fully twist the top of your torso a full quarter-turn to the left. For balance, stretch your arms completely out while not grimacing. If you happen to be carrying flowers, a rose in your mouth can add a bit of dramatic flair that won’t go unnoticed by the locals.
San Miguel Bolero: When you exit the narrow doorway of a store or when you come to a narrow, blind corner with a narrow sidewalk, throw caution to the wind. Jut out your chin and take three rapid steps forward. Locals are trained to anticipate these moves and they will easily accommodate you on the sidewalk while admiring your form as a real sanmiguelense. Even if you don’t understand Spanish, you can be assured that the rapid-fire conversation that you hear in your wake will be something like, “Wow, did you see that gringo? He really knows how to fit in here.”
I have perfected these and other critical dance moves. The perfect “dancing shoe” in San Miguel is a pair of hiking boots. In fact, I only have two pairs of shoes in San Miguel and both are hiking boots.
Jim Blakley will soon take his one-man dance revue for a summer season in Canada, but expects to slip back into town in late August.
A psychologist’s reflections: Dialogue for minds and hearts
By Dr. Icinda Siqueira-Darwin
“Tis the season….” In San Miguel and in the outlying areas, renewal is in the air, trees are budding, hills are covered with green brush and skies are clear. Spring brings with it the sense that there is much for which to be grateful. And gratitude brings the desire to share with others.
As a somewhat-new resident in the community, I observe my reactions to the impoverished conditions of the colonias surrounding “historic San Miguel de Allende.” It is what is not present there that is so astounding: health, the energy that comes from eating enough each day, children’s laughter.
Many members of this community serve as volunteers trying to improve life for all. Many come as visitors and are taken on visits or on tours as passive viewers seeing a movie of Reality, in the outside communities, in the city and the countryside. Visitors are charged fees for this experience, and pay those fees with the thought that those people who are visited receive benefits from the visits and the fees paid. This perception is not correct.
As we contact others, even though we may be trying to “learn” about life in Mexico, we are actually participating in Reality. Having strangers come into your environment to watch how you live when you are miserable does not feel good. To cook you meals while you are visiting, even though many did not eat yesterday, is not fun to do. The probability that they won’t eat tomorrow does not make people in the communities feel like they have had a good experience when we visit. It is a part of Reality that we don’t see on our visits and tours.
Residents of San Miguel make an effort to open their hearts as they open their communities to us. As we ride on little buses, or take taxis to visit and tour, can we imagine some positive impact we might have on the people we see? They are not there as objects on view for our learning experience. And we are not looking through a microscope. We are interacting in a chain of relationships with people. We touch their lives, as they do ours.
Can we do anything more than pay the tour fees to the organizations? I think we have much to share with those people who don’t frequent the galleries, the cafes, the libraries or parks. When we visit in a neighborhood or community, we can surely take things the members of the communities need: cans of food, bags of bread, dried milk, water, or bottles of disinfectant for the water. We can take pencils, notebooks and other school supplies, shoes, clothing and toys.
I have observed that learning about poverty in Mexico, or any other country, is not like going to a movie. It’s part of real life for most people. More and more, life on the small farms is over and families are forced to migrate to city edges, where they hope for jobs that will feed the family. When the head of the family has gone “up north” to seek work and no longer is sending money to the family because they have lost touch, survival in the colonias and small communities becomes a daily challenge.
Our visits can make a difference. Helping people survive for another day or week may not seem like much. In Mexico, as in many other places, life is now, the present, and we, as visitors in this country, can make a small impact. When we visit, we can take a small gesture of goodwill. It could make a difference in the lives of those we meet. And it could make our presence in those lives mean something more. We can bring hope. Even though we won’t come tomorrow, our gifts leave a positive effect on the bodies and spirits of those whom we visit.
The blooming of spring makes me reflect that this season of renewal is an opportunity for all of us to give, just as we receive by being guests here. What do you think?
Dr. Icinda Siqueira-Darwin is a clinical psychologist who volunteers in outer colonias of San Miguel. Email at dr.isd@hotmail.com.
Opinion
By Juan Villaseñor
About the PEMEX debacle
Mexico is experiencing nationwide controversy due to the ongoing petroleum issue. This is a subject I would like to discuss, but making clear that I am not an expert in the area. However, I am a person who remembers broken government promises and continues to be vigilant.
On the issue of petroleum, I remember when ex-president José López Portillo used to promise all Mexicans that the concentrated wealth would be redistributed, but in the end, the wealth remained in the hands of the few—very few!
In those times, it was argued that the petroleum platform in Mexico should not exceed a million and a half barrels per day; production would be irresponsible otherwise. Currently, Mexico is producing about three and a half millions barrels per day, and it is not perceived as irresponsible.
Petroleum is a nonrenewable resource and the Mexican government currently is trying to over-exploit dwindling reserves at the same time other developing countries are trying to conserve.
PEMEX presented a 120-page diagnosis in which there is only one note about the corruption in the company, when all Mexicans know about the true holdups of which PEMEX has been victim. We have seen the guilty ones punished only two times and such punishments have been more political revenge than anything, and the punished ones are now free and enjoying their enormous wealth.
The government is blinded by the historical prices that petroleum has recently reached in the international markets. I ask myself if in some 10 years or so, petroleum will cost less or more. If I use logic, I would say that much more, but Mexicans would have almost run out of it, since our current authorities want to over-exploit it.
The government argues that it does not have money to save the petroleum industry, but this is a big lie. Money exists and has existed, but in the hands of that deplorable administrator which is the government, who does not want to invest in the most profitable industry in the country. Last year, there was a superávit (surplus) of US$22 million, which if invested in the petroleum industry, would have helped it a lot. When we speak of such amounts, we often do not know what to do with them, but 2,200 houses could be built with a value of 100,000 pesos each.
The image that comes to my mind when I hear about the privatization of PEMEX is the one of a father giving money to his addict child. He knows that this will not solve the problem but will calm it temporarily. But sooner or later, he will have to take the child to a doctor, who must attack the problem from the root. In this case, as we have always known, the root of the problem is corruption.
I invite the community to be more informed and to not take account of the tantrums we have seen on TV. In this country, nobody is responsible for anything. What happened with the Bribiescas? Encyclomedia? Biblioteca José Vasconcelos? Vamos México? With 28 dead people on a PEMEX platform in Campeche, where was the investigation? They promised they would have it in three months. Let’s stop being a country without historical memories.
Juan Villaseñor is a board member of the Biblioteca Pública.
On the Street
People mad at PEMEX
Atención went to the streets to learn the point of view of sanmiguelenses on the latest PEMEX developments in the Chamber of Deputies and the controversy that erupted over energy reform.
Most responses included uncharitable remarks about the corruption of Mexican politicians, but the basic three questions were:
1. What do you think of the energy reforms of PEMEX?
2. What would you propose to reform PEMEX?
3. What do you think of the attitudes of the Deputies who have taken the podium?
Antonio (51) plumber
Always the same thing happens in Mexico, the rich get richer and the poor poorer.
They must stop the corruption.
The Chamber of Deputies always do what they want and do not represent the population.
Rogelio (57) driver
I agree with the reform if it is for our good.
The deputies are only abducting democracy.
Rodrigo (43) restaurant owner
PEMEX has the capacity for drilling deep wells which should eliminate the vices that impede.
What we should do is reorganize PEMEX.
They are just attacking the symptoms and not the disease.
Manuel (54) employee
What PEMEX should do is to reform the union and the corruption problems.
The government should stop spending all resources and reinvest in this company.
The Deputies just want to draw attention; they better work.
Joseph (48) teacher
I believe that this energy reform is illegal.
All they want is to misinform us.
They should work and stop distorting information.
Olivia (42) housekeeper.
PEMEX is for all Mexican people and it should not be sold.
The capital invested in PEMEX should be national, not foreign.
It is a shame they are not working.
Juan Carlos (26) student
It is a misconception; Deputies just want to confuse us. There is no privatization in the government proposal.
PEMEX requires investment, either privately or publicly.
The takeover of the Chamber of Deputies is unconstitutional.
Armando (20) student
They are just lying.
PEMEX should rent the necessary equipment; PEMEX doesn’t need other investments.
This is a barbarity.
Ramiro (56) maintenance chief
I am not aware, but if the government is involved some corruption is involved, too
To eliminate the union
Work! We are paying for that, not for their graft.
Alma (28) janitor
I do not understand what the government wants.
The corruption will stop.
Deputies and Senators do whatever they want.
Leticia (36) gallery dealer
PEMEX has had surrogate services for a long time.
Open politics and agreements to be transparent to public opinion.
The Deputies are paid a lot to not work, are not aware of policy and do not care about the country.
Luis (67) plumber
They do what they want.
What we should do is remove the union.
It is pure corruption and misinformation.
Jorge (45) waiter
We no longer believe anything they say; they always lie to us.
To rent the necessary equipment as they have been doing for years and take away the union power; the PEMEX union is a cancer.
I do not think it will be a great success.
John (78) retired
Mexican people don’t have good communication and many of them do not understand what is really happening.
Investing in PEMEX is for the benefit of all the country.
They believe that they are defending Mexican rights.
Diana (57) photographer
The government spends resources instead of investing.
The problem is the PEMEX union.
They should talk.