ISSUE 322 www.pvmcitypaper.com Issue 322 Saturday, Dec. 26, 2014 to Friday, Jan. 2, 2015 Saturday, Dec. 26, 2014, to Friday, Jan. 2, 2015 Need to Know 2 ISSUE 322 manners to present the check before it is requested, so when you’re ready to leave, ask «La cuenta, por favor» and your bill will be delivered to you. MONEY EXCHANGE: Although you may have to wait in line for a few minutes, remember that the banks will give you a higher rate of exchange than the exchange booths (caja de cambio). Better yet, if you have a «bank card», withdraw funds from your account back home. Try to avoid exchanging money at your hotel. Traditionally, those offer the worst rates. I f you’ve been meaning to find a little information on the region, but never quite got around to it, we hope that the following will help. Look at the map in this issue, you will note that PV (as the locals call it) is on the west coast of Mexico, in the middle of the Bay of Banderas, the largest bay in this country, that includes southern part of the state of Nayarit to the north and the northern part of Jalisco to the south. Thanks to its privileged location -sheltered by the Sierra Madre mountains- the Bay is well protected against the hurricanes spawned in the Pacific. Hurricane Kenna came close on October 25, 2002, but actually touched down in San Blas, Nayarit, some 200 miles north of PV. The town sits on the same parallel as the Hawaiian Islands, thus the similarities in the climate of the two destinations. AREA: 1,300 sq. kilometers POPULATION: Approx. 325,000 inhabitants CLIMATE: Tropical, humid, with an average of 300 sunny days per year. The temperature averages 28oC (82oF) and the rainy season extends from late June to early October. allowed under certain circumstances but fishing of any kind is prohibited. Every year, the Bay receives the visit of the humpback whales, dolphins and manta rays in the winter. During the summer, sea turtles, a protected species, arrive to its shores to lay their eggs. FAUNA: Nearby Sierra Vallejo hosts a great variety of animal species such as iguana, guacamaya, deer, raccoon, etc. ECONOMY: Local economy is based mainly on tourism, construction and to a lesser degree, on agriculture, mainly tropical fruit such as mango, papaya, watermelon, pineapple, guanabana, cantaloupe and bananas. SANCTUARIES: Bahía de Banderas encloses two Marine National Parks - Los Arcos and the Marieta Islands - where diving is CURRENCY: The Mexican Peso is the legal currency in Mexico although Canadian and American dollars are widely accepted. Index BUSES: A system of urban buses with different routes. Current fare is $7.50 Pesos per ticket and passengers must purchase a new ticket every time they board another bus. There are no “transfers”. TAXIS: There are set rates within defined zones of the town. Do not enter a taxi without agreeing on the price with the driver FIRST. If you are staying in a hotel, you may want to check the rates usually posted in the lobby. Also, if you know which restaurant you want to go, do not let the driver change your mind. Many restaurateurs pay commissions to taxi drivers and you may end up paying more than you should, in a secondrate establishment! There are 2 kinds of taxi cabs: those at the airport and the maritime port are usually vans that can only be boarded there. They have pre-fixed rates per passenger. City cabs are yellow cars that charge by the ride, not by passenger. When you ask to go downtown, many drivers let you off at the beginning of the area, near Hidalgo Park. However, your fare covers the ENTIRE central area, so why walk 10 to 15 blocks to the main plaza, the Church or the flea market? Pick up a free map, and insist on your full value from the driver! Note the number of your taxi in case of any problem, or if you forget something in the cab. Then your hotel or travel rep can help you check it out or lodge a complaint. TIME ZONE: The entire State of Jalisco is on Central Time, as is the area of the State of Nayarit from Lo de Marcos in the north to the Ameca River, i.e.: Nuevo Vallarta, Bucerías, La Cruz de Huanacaxtle, Sayulita, San Pancho, Punta Mita, etc. North of Lo De Marcos, Guayabitos, La Peñita, San Blas, etc. are on Mountain Time, i.e.: one hour behind PV time. TELEPHONE CALLS: Always check on the cost of long distance calls from your hotel room. Some establishments charge as much as U.S. $7.00 per minute! CELL PHONES: Most cellular phones from the U.S. and Canada may be programmed for local use, through Telcel and IUSAcell, the local carriers. To dial cell to cell, use the prefix 322, then the seven digit number of the person you’re calling. Omit the prefix if dialling a land line. LOCAL CUSTOMS: Tipping is usually 10%-15% of the bill at restaurants and bars. Tip bellboys, taxis, waiters, maids, etc. depending on the service. Some businesses and offices close from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., reopening until 7 p.m. or later. In restaurants, it is considered poor Saturday, Dec. 26, 2014, to Friday, Jan. 2, 2015 WHAT TO DO: Even if your allinclusive hotel is everything you ever dreamed of, you should experience at least a little of all that Vallarta has to offer - it is truly a condensed version of all that is Mexican and existed before «Planned Tourist Resorts», such as Cancun, Los Cabos and Ixtapa, were developed. Millions have been spent to ensure that the original “small town” flavor is maintained downtown, in the Old Town and on the South Side. DRINKING WATER: The false belief that a Mexican vacation must inevitably lead to an encounter with Moctezuma’s revenge is just that: false. For the 21st year in a row, Puerto Vallarta’s water has been awarded a certification of purity for human consumption. It is one of only two cities in Mexico that can boast of such accomplishment. True, the quality of the water tested at the purification plant varies greatly from what comes out of the tap at the other end. So do be careful. On the other hand, most large hotels have their own purification equipment and most restaurants use purified water. If you want to be doubly sure, you can pick up purified bottled water just about anywhere. EXPORTING PETS: Canadian and American tourists often fall in love with one of the many stray dogs and cats in Vallarta. Many would like to bring it back with them, but believe that the laws do not allow them to do so. Wrong. If you would like to bring a cat or a dog back home, call the local animal shelter for more info: 293-3690. LOCAL SIGHTSEEING: A good beginning would be to take one of the City Tours offered by the local tour agencies. Before boarding, make sure you have a map and take note of the places you want to return to. Then venture off the beaten path. Explore a little. Go farther than the tour bus takes you. And don’t worry this is a safe place. ISSUE 322 Editorial / Sound Off 3 Editorial Here we are, dear readers, one year later, a little older, but also bigger and hopefully better, gracias a Dios. It’s also been a promising year for Puerto Vallarta and the Bay of Banderas in general, with all indicators apparently on the upswing for this area. Mexicans are an optimistic people, a resilient people, folks filled with hope, who love life and sincerely believe in a better tomorrow. Viva Mexico! It’s about time! May it just keep on getting better. As always at this time of year (for the sake of our newcomers), I must point out that this issue includes December 28th, “El Día de los Santos Inocentes”. This is Mexico’s equivalent of April Fools’ Day in other countries, and makes for a rather strange combination of themes, to say the least. First we have all the special events associated with Christmas Day itself, followed by the pranks that have become the trademark of what used to be a sad reminder of a horrific passage dating back to biblical times. Since the Middle Ages, the sacrilegious have remembered this mournful event with humor - and the jovial tradition has continued to this day. On TV and in the newspapers throughout Mexico, bogus stories will appear (a UFO terrorizes the capital; all cars with registration ending in 7 must report to the police, etc., etc.), only some of which are later acknowledged to Los Santos Inocentes. As you leaf through this issue of the Mirror, please bear this unique event in mind, and don’t be “fooled” ...despite the fact that some of the surreal “news items” in our local papers could easily be construed as jokes at times, though they are not. On a more serious note, on behalf of all of us who collaborate to make the Mirror what it is, I wish everyone a New Year filled with happiness, good health and success. God bless us all. Allyna Vineberg Publisher / Editor Your Comments avineberg@yahoo.com Dear Editor, Maybe it’s not exactly an “only in Vallarta” story, but it fits that author Maurice Monette had the psychic space to write this gracious inspiring memoir in this uniquely tolerant and inspiring Catholic community. We encourage any and all to read “Confessions of a Gay Married Priest” to better understand the hope and the everchanging face of faith in humanity. Chris & Joanie Bruce Dear Readers, There are signed copies of Mr. Monette’s wonderful book in a few places around town, including A Page in the Sun and Cassandra Shaw Jewelry. The Ed. Dear Editor, First, I wish to thank you for the marvelous cover of the December 20th issue: “Magos en Navidad” by the illustrious and talented Ada Colorina. I cannot imagine a more suitable and lovely painting for the Holidays. As a writer who visits many eateries and promotes them, I commend you for printing the letter informing readers that some people got ill from some food at Joe Jack’s. By doing so, you enabled many other diners to put in their “two cents”. I have dined there with many friends over the years and have enjoyed the food, service and ambience with no problems. You have nothing to apologize. I feel it is your “duty” to print pros and cons and allow readers to respond. On a lighter matter, I want to discuss a new activity we have enjoyed. Each Saturday, we pick up three copies of the PV Mirror and our trio sits at Salud Super Foods on Olas Altas and work on the New York Times Crossword Puzzle. When we each get stumped, we compare notes, adding a word here, a letter there, correcting the ones which do not work. At the finale, we have almost every single letter correct plus we had Saturday, Dec. 26, 2014, to Friday, Jan. 2, 2015 good food, fun conversation and a satisfaction that we did well. As I left our condominium complex one day, at a table were seated three occupants doing exactly as we do! I had to laugh and thought I would pass this on to everyone. If you cannot find anyone to work with you, stop by and join our group. Gary R. Beck Dear Editor: “Mikki Prost: Shades of the Blues” was a great show for me! At 4 p.m. on a Friday afternoon, we decided “Why not have cocktail hour at The Palm and see an affordable show? Good way to relax and set the mood for our weekend of sailing.” Wow, this show is an absolute show-stopper. Mikki Prost may have been around awhile and may just be a solo act singing some songs from yesteryear; but Mikki Prost is a virtuoso entertainer. She swept out on the stage in a stunning big blue gown with diamonds dazzling and belted out Cry Me a River. Continued on Next Page 4 Within PV ISSUE 322 Continued letters to editor... My friend looked around the table with big eyes. We all smiled. First act sizzled by; second act, more big eyes. Black dress, more sedate diamonds. At one point you are transported to Argentina as this lady dramatically captures the Argentine tango in a way that kept my eyes glued on her. I was fascinated at the storytelling of this dance as much as the dancing itself. The show was over! Sorry to see it end. We stood, applauded and said: “this little lady deserves a big audience.” My hearty kudos to Puerto Vallarta for having the entertainment value provided in a resort town where everyone can find the moments that make a vacation memorable. My Best JoAnne Shanks Dear Editor, I’m writing to tell you how much I enjoyed the “Out and Proud” article in your November 15th issue. Having grown up in the very “politically correct” US West coast, it was a joy to read something that pokes fun at the uptight world we’ve become. Thank you, Tim, for keeping it fun… I look forward to reading more “Out and Proud”. W.H. Nuño Publisher / Editor: Allyna Vineberg avineberg@yahoo.com Contributors: Anna Reisman Joe Harrington Harriet Murray Krystal Frost Giselle Belanger Gil Gevins Stan Gabruk Ronnie Bravo Tommy Clarkson Luis Melgoza Todd Ringness Tim Wilson John Innocuous Janie Albright Blank Office & Sales: 223-1128 Graphic Designer: Leo Robby R.R. Webmaster: PVMCITYPAPER.COM Online Team Cover Photo: “Reaching for the Sky Towards Tomorrow” by Mike Vineberg PV Mirror es una publicación semanal. Certificados de licitud de título y contenido en tramite. Prohibida la reproducción total o parcial de su contenido, imágenes y/o fotografías sin previa autorización por escrito del editor. An important notice The PVMIRROR wants your views and comments. Please send them by e-mail to: avineberg@yahoo.com 250 words max, full name, street or e-mail address and/or tel. number for verification purposes only. If you do not want your name published, we will respect your wishes. Letters & articles become the property of the PVMIRROR and may be edited and/or condensed for publication. The articles in this publication are provided for the purpose of entertainment and information only. The PV Mirror City Paper does not accept any responsibility or liability for the content of the articles on this site or reliance by any person on the site’s contents. Any reliance placed on such information is therefore strictly at such person’s own risk. Note: To Advertisers & Contributors and those with public interest announcements, the deadline for publication is: 2:00 pm on Monday of the week prior to publication. Saturday, Dec. 26, 2014, to Friday, Jan. 2, 2015 ISSUE 322 December 28th - The Day of the Innocents The 28 of December is El Día de los Santos Inocentes, similar in spirit to the American April Fools’ Day. On this day, people play inocentadas (pranks or practical jokes) on friends and relatives: people make jokes hoping that the victim believes the false thing. When people get caught, the joker says: “Inocente, inocente!” (“Innocent, innocent!”). The newspapers (including this one) and other media are in on the joke as well, reporting false news for the people to figure out. This day recalls the killing of the “innocents” by King Herod whose intention it was to eliminate the recently born baby Jesus. Although the reference is to a most bloody event, the Day of the Innocents has turned into a festive tradition in Mexico and no one really knows its origin or how it became so. It is believed that in the Middle Ages, it was decided to combine the biblical event with another - pagan – known as the “Fiesta de los locos”, celebrated during the days between Christmas and New Year’s. It is said that that fiesta was so scandalous that the Church, in the hope of calming the eccentricities of the participants, decreed that it would be celebrated on the Día de los Santos Inocentes, and that this is how the pagan-religious union of the two th The Slaughter of the Innocents by Domenico Ghirlandaio - 1490 began. As a precautionary measure, so as not to fall prey to the pranks played on them by friends and relatives, people are reminded not to lend anything to anyone on that day: money, jewelry, books or any other object as they may be played for “innocents”. The joke consists in the person falling for the prank, lending something of his, and the item is not returned. Part of the tradition consists in the person who has been played for a fool, i.e. the “innocent”, receiving a little basket of sweets accompanied by a note saying: PV to host Superbowl By T John Innocuous he president of the National Football League announced today that Puerto Vallarta has been chosen to host the 2016 Superbowl. Puerto Vallarta was chosen over 12 other cites vying for the honor of hosting the greatest annual sporting event in the world. This will mark the first time in the history of Superbowls that it has been held outside of the United States, and will coincide with the entry of four expansion teams from Mexico into the National Football League. The four new expansion teams from Mexico will be the Cancun Conquerors, The Mazatlan Marauders, The Guadalajara Guapos, and the Puerto Vallarta Bull Throwers. The site of the new multi-purpose stadium has yet to be announced, but it will most likely replace the Marina Golf Course. The golf course area is an ideal location, according to city officials, who noted that there is sufficient room to build adequate parking lots around the new stadium. Also, the nearby hotels have sufficient rooms to house the huge crowds needed to fill the stadium during the American Football games that will be played there. Construction of the new stadium will begin in about three months, insuring that it will be completed in time for the kickoff of the first game in September 2015. As a multi-purpose stadium, it will also be used for futbol (soccer) games and bull fights. With a seating capacity of 127,500 people for bullfights, the new stadium will be the world’s largest arena. Saturday, Dec. 26, 2014, to Friday, Jan. 2, 2015 Within PV 5 “inocente palomita que te dejaste engañar, sabiendo que en este día nada se debe prestar?” (Innocent little dove who let itself be fooled, knowing full well that you should never lend anything to anyone on this day.) Other acts considered “inocentadas” are those by which false news are spread in a convincing manner and the fun is derived from those people who would believe them. The celebration of the Día de los Santos Inocentes goes back over two thousand years when King Herod, upon the counsel of his kingdom’s wise astrologers, found out that a new King of the Jews had just been born in Bethlehem - as prophesized by tradition. Consequently, Herod issued orders that all babies under the age of two were to be slain and ever since then, the date is known as “la degollación de los santos inocentes” (the slitting of the innocent saints’ throats). Nevertheless, the origin of the pranks associated with this date nowadays is uncertain. It is known that the order of the Bethlehemites established in Mexico in 1673 had been celebrating the day ever since December 28th, 1703. But when that order disappeared in 1820, the commemoration ceased to be related to King Herod’s actions and became what it is today. 6 Within PV ISSUE 322 Gay D-I-V-O-R-C-E already? By Tim Wilson We interrupt our normally scheduled article this week to bring you the latest trend from the LGBT community: Gay D-I-V-O-R-C-E. This week’s article is from the GAYPV bully pulpit and is the only time bully and gay are acceptable to be used together. GAYPV declares gay marriage is now old news. We haven’t even gotten everyone the right to legally married in every state before an interesting gay divorce case hits the docket. Where else but Florida? As of December 20, 2014, Florida does not even legally recognize same sex marriage. So how can the state grant gay divorce? Florida is listed as a state where same sex marriage is “under review”. Remember the 2000 US Presidential election results where the votes were “under review”? That term sends cold chills down my spine as to what can happen. What are they reviewing? Are they trying to decide if the couple is really gay and really love each other? Is Florida sending out its questionnaire asking if the couple will remain married until death do them part? GAYPV did a little investigating. Turns out the couple was legally married in a civil union in Vermont in 2002. So in effect, Florida is recognizing gay marriage in other states, but not recognizing it in their own back yard. How bizarre. So you can get gay divorced in Florida but not gay married! The circuit judge Dale Cohen dissolved the marriage between the two women on December 17, 2014, and on the same day US Chief Justice Clarence Thomas accepted the petition to rule on the Florida marriage ban stay. Cohen is also the judge that ruled the same sex marriage ban in Florida is unconstitutional. US Chief Justice Clarence “Mr No Questions Asked Conservative” Thomas is set to rule on the stay on January 5th, 2015. Thomas hears emergency appeals from Florida, Georgia and Alabama. So I am not holding my breath on that one! Only God knows what Thomas will rule. I will be standing by to get Thomas removed from the bench if he messes this one up. Now the sordid details of this unfortunate entanglement and dissolution. The couple is Heather Brassner who had been seeking to get an official divorce from her estranged domestic partner Megan Lade for 5 years, but the court needed to recognize the relationship as an out-of-state civil union first, in order to grant the divorce. This meant Cohen had to rule on Florida’s samesex marriage ban. After their separation, Lade disappeared. Brassner then hired a private eye to track her down, but that was unsuccessful. Brassner decided to file for divorce in Lade’s absence. For the divorce to be official, Cohen had to declare the ban unconstitutional so that Brassner and Lade’s Saturday, Dec. 26, 2014, to Friday, Jan. 2, 2015 civil union could be legally recognized and for the divorce to be official. What a wicked web of marriage woes they weaved! I am writing the couple now to see what it cost to split and if they will grant GAYPV an interview. Federal judges, out of state researching fees, and cross border complications... Image the cost of this divorce! Ironically, on December 10, 2014 - one week prior to the divorce - the Williams Institute sent GAYPV a press release stating the gay marriages are less likely to end in divorce that straight marriages. It also stated that lesbian women are more likely to get married than gay men (64% of all same sex marriages are women). Read the full report I received here bit.ly/gaypv023. I refused to print this press release in GAYPV. I sent it back with a note saying “Too soon to tell. Do more research”. Why? The gay marriages today are with well seasoned gay couples who have been together for many years. Trust me. If they wanted a divorce they would have left each other by now and not be “getting married”. Just wait until a young gay couple who has only been together 4 years gets married. The honeymoon will quickly move to divorce court. This rate will soar and I predict will exceed that of traditional marriage divorces. Bravos to the gay divorce lawyers. Wait and see! Tim Wilson Is owner and editor of GAYPV Magazine (www.GAYPV.mx) in Puerto Vallarta. This magazine features news, a complete list of gay and friendly businesses and events, interesting stories, and around town photos of gay and friendly businesses and people in Mexico. It is available in print, online and the new app on Apple newsstand in December 2014. Tim is an official member of NATJA where he and GAYPV contributors provide content and press releases about Puerto Vallarta as a “beyond Gay Friendly” destination to international LGBT media outlets. ISSUE 322 IFC January Calendar Full of fun & informative activities By Janie Albright Blank The International Friendship Club (IFC) is noted for its many and varied activities for members and guests. January 2015 is no exception. For complete details, times and prices, the IFC website has a full activities calendar that can be accessed online at ifcvallarta.com or come by the Clubhouse and look at the calendar. You may also call us at 222-5466. The IFC will be closed on New Year’s Eve, Wednesday Dec. 31 through January 2. Normal activities for everything listed below will resume on Monday, January 5th unless otherwise noted. The IFC has a number of reoccurring activities each week starting with a busy Monday that includes Bridge lessons outside in the courtyard beginning at 9 a.m. Lessons WILL be held on Dec. 29th then every Monday of the season - free to members or $50 pesos for non-members. Monday also includes Spanish Lessons. The IFC is known for its Spanish classes, also held on Tuesday and Thursdays. There are a number of different levels, from Tourist Spanish to Advanced. Check the website for details. Classes WILL be held on December 29th and 30th at the usual times. Monday evenings offer a Classic Movies series this winter with an Academy Award winning film being shown each week. Bar opens at 6:30 with movie at 7 p.m. Check the website for listings. Tuesday and Wednesday of each week, beginning again January 6 through March 25, features the signature IFC offering: their Home Tours. Home Tours raise money for the Cleft Palate Program and other charities supported by the IFC. Home Tours depart from the Sea Monkey (Aquiles Serdan at the beach) promptly at 10:30 a.m. with tickets going on sale at 9 a.m. or they can be purchased in advance at the IFC clubhouse or online at ifctoursforvallarta.com If you have never been on a Home Tour, this is a MUST activity in Vallarta. If you have, then come back and bring a friend! There are four different and fabulous homes toured weekly. There will be NO Home Tours New Year’s Week. Wednesday evenings this season bring something new: the Democrats Abroad Movie Series. This popular series has moved to the IFC and the bar opens at 6 p.m. with movies at 7. Again, more details and listings can be found at ifcvallarta.com Thursdays, in addition to Spanish lessons, the IFC plays Bunco at 10 a.m. at the Sea Monkey on their upper level. This fun game is open to members and non-members. Stop by and join in. It’s an easy game to learn and a fun way to meet new people. Fridays include Social Bridge from 2 to 5 p.m. and the IFC Social Hour from 5 to 6:30 p.m. Complete your evening if you like by going to one of our preferred restaurants. Enjoy a great dinner with the IFC discounted rate and receive your own individual bill. A different restaurant is chosen every week Finish out the week at the IFC with two very popular and relaxing activities each Saturday: Dharma Yoga 9:15 - 10:15 a.m. with Alberto Vargas, popular yoga instructor at FIT club. No prior training necessary. Chairs provided or bring a mat. Voluntary donation of $50 pesos minimum requested. Mindful Meditation 10:30 to 11 a.m. with Alberto Vargas and Dan Grippo. Free-will donation to the IFC. The IFC also has some Special Presentations and activities scheduled in January. On Tuesday evening, January 13th, the IFC will host an Open House & Chili Cook-off in conjunction with their General Meeting. This will be open to members and the public. Look for more details on this next week. On Thursday evening, Jan. 15th and again on Jan. 29th, the IFC will host Pam Thompson and her everpopular Medical Matters series. The former will be “Skin Care in the Tropics” with Dermatologist Patricia Garcia, introduced by Pam Thompson, while the latter features “Your Healthcare Options Saturday, Dec. 26, 2014, to Friday, Jan. 2, 2015 Within PV 7 in Puerto Vallarta” presented by Pam Thompson of Healthcare Resources, discussing information on hospitals, specialists, emergency care, insurance coverage, and other important topics. Donation: $40 pesos or 3 canned goods at the door (no advance tickets). Doors open at 6:30, talk begins at 7 p.m. On Thursday, Jan. 15th, the IFC will host Jeana Dunphy of Beyond Vallarta who will offer a Travel Presentation at 7 p.m. $40 pesos or 3 canned goods donation at the door. Also a reminder: The 2015 Provecho Restaurant Discount Card Decks are on sale at the IFC! The popular Provecho Card Deck offering $100-peso discounts on meals at many fine local restaurants as well as at other outlets is available at the IFC Clubhouse for $300 pesos. The IFC will receive $100 pesos on each deck sold at the Clubhouse, so if you are planning on buying a 2015 Provecho Deck, please consider buying from the IFC. The International Friendship Club is a registered charitable organization in Mexico listed as Club Internacional de la Amistad de Puerto Vallarta A.C., located at the northeast corner of the Rio Cuale Bridge above the HSBC Bank downtown. Phone: 222-5466. Website: ifcvallarta.com Email: ifcvallarta@gmail.com 8 Beyond PV ISSUE 322 New Holiday tipping regulation PVBS - The state legislature has approved a bill and sent it to the Governor’s office that will benefit restaurant and bar workers who have to work on national holidays. The Governor has endorsed this bill and is expected to sign it without discussion. People who have to work on national holidays will receive triple time pay for the hours they work. This bill, when enacted into law, will require that patrons of restaurants and bars give these hardworking employees triple tips on national holidays. The recommended tip for good food and service is 15% of the total bill. When this piece of legislation becomes law, the recommended tip for the same meal will be 45% on national holidays. A spokesperson for the Restaurant, Bar and Cantina Workers’ Union says that this is fair compensation for all those people who forego spending the holidays with their family in order to serve meals and drinks to tourists. Restaurant owners fear that this may cause patrons to go to less expensive restaurants on national holidays. A spokesman for the fast food restaurant owners (where employees don’t receive tips) says this will significantly bolster their business on national holidays. US-Mexico drug tunnel wins prestigious safety award SAN DIEGO (PVBS) — The Mine Safety and Health Administration awarded the Medal of Honor, its most prestigious safety award, to the US and Mexican conglomerate responsible for the recently discovered Tecate/San Diego drug smuggling and illegal immigrant tunnel. “The tunnel,” said David G. Dye, Acting Assistant Secretary of Labor for Mine Safety and Health, “is unusually elaborate, equipped with rails, electric lighting, and a ventilation system. Not a single safety violation has been reported in the history of the tunnel’s operation. Methane levels are controlled, there is no coal dust accumulation and the structure is properly shored-up against collapse.” In the unlikely event of any problem, tunnel users had access to 200 pounds of top quality marijuana with which to amuse themselves while rescue operations got under way. Mexico joins Western Treasury Federation In an unexpected move last (LOL); (3.) The Return of Offshore week, the Mexican Government agreed to join the Western Treasury Federation, a newlyformed conglomeration of Central American and South American countries with a number of financial and fiscal goals. According to Juan Jose Cabrillo Zapeda, a spokesperson for the Western Treasury Federation, “The WTF has five specific short term and long term goals. These are: (1.) Moving all countries to a common currency, called the Western Currency (WC), similar to the very successful Euro; (2.) The Legalization of Omnibus Leverage Saturday, Dec. 26, 2014, to Friday, Jan. 2, 2015 Transaction Funds (ROTF); (4.) The Legitimization of Management Assests Overseas (LMAO); and (5.) The realization of Offshore Monetary Gains (OMG).” Señor Cabrillo went on to say that the primary department in WTF, the Ministerial Fiscal (MF), will have evaluators of regional support (ers) to ensure that these goals are achieved in every country within the WTF. He stated, “WTF and the MFers will oversee LOL, ROTF and LMAO until OMG is achieved. Then we can use the WC.” (Source: www.pvbs.org) ISSUE 322 ...but why? “Happy New Year!” That greeting will be said and heard for at least the first couple of weeks as a new year gets under way. But the day celebrated as New Year’s Day in modern America was not always January 1. Ancient New Years The celebration of the new year is the oldest of all holidays, first observed in ancient Babylon about 4000 years ago. The Babylonian new year celebration lasted for eleven days. Each day had its own particular mode of celebration, but it is safe to say that modern New Year’s Eve festivities pale in comparison. In order to set the calendar right, the Roman senate, in 153 BC, declared January 1 to be the beginning of the new year. But tampering continued until Julius Caesar, in 46 BC, established what has come to be known as the Julian Calendar. It again established January 1 as the new year but in order to synchronize the calendar with the sun, Caesar had to let the previous year drag on for 445 days. The Church’s view Although in the first centuries AD, the Romans continued celebrating the new year, the early Catholic Church condemned the festivities as paganism. But as Christianity became more widespread, the Church began having its own religious observances concurrently with many of the pagan celebrations, and New Year’s Day was no different. New Year’s is still observed as the Feast of Christ’s circumcision by some denominations. During the Middle Ages, the Church remained opposed to celebrating New Years. January It’s Another New Year... 1 has been celebrated as a holiday by Western nations for only about the past 400 years. The beginning of the new year has been welcomed on different dates throughout history. Great Britain and its colonies in America adopted the Gregorian calender in 1752, in which January 1st was restored as New Year’s Day. Ways of celebrating differ as well, but whatever the custom, most of people feel the same sentiment: With a new year, we can expect a new life. We wish each other good luck and promise ourselves to do better in the following year. Auld Lang Syne “Auld Lang Syne” is sung at the stroke of midnight in almost every English-speaking country in the world to bring in the new year. At least partially written by Robert Burns in the 1700’s, it was first published in 1796 after Burns’ death. Early variations of the song were sung prior to 1700 and inspired Burns to produce the modern rendition. An old Scotch tune, “Auld Lang Syne” literally means “old long ago,” or simply, “the good old days.” Traditions Making New Year’s resolutions is another tradition dating back to the early Babylonians - whose most popular resolution was to return borrowed farm equipment. Unfortunately, by the time the end of the month rolls around, most resolutions made on December 31 have been subtly forgotten and placed in a cupboard marked “maybe next year.” However, all hope is not lost, as there’s a second chance to start afresh with the celebration of Chinese New Year which will fall on Thursday, February 19th, 2015, ushering in the year of the Sheep. The tradition of using a baby to signify the new year was begun in Greece around 600 BC. It was their tradition at that time to celebrate their god of wine, Dionysus, by parading a baby in a basket, representing the annual rebirth of that god as the spirit of fertility. Early Egyptians also used a baby as a symbol of rebirth. Although the early Christians denounced the practice as pagan, the popularity of the baby as a symbol of rebirth forced the Church to reevaluate its position. It finally allowed its members to celebrate the new year with a baby, which was to symbolize the birth of the baby Jesus. The use of an image of a baby with a New Year’s banner as a symbolic representation of the new year was brought to early America by the Germans. They had used the effigy since the 14th century. Peruvians wear yellow underwear to welcome the new year, while Scots wish for a dark-haired visitor to cross their threshold soon after midnight, regardless of the color of his or her briefs. In Italy, Neapolitans toss pots and dishes out their windows to bring good luck, although presumably not Saturday, Dec. 26, 2014, to Friday, Jan. 2, 2015 Beyond PV 9 to the innocent passersby on the street below. Similarly, Muscovites crowd Red Square, then risk serious hangover complications by tossing emptied vodka bottles overhead at midnight. In the category of only slightly less hazardous, Danes leap off chairs at the stroke of midnight so they can “jump” into the new year. And Korean girls seesaw standing up. Why? It seems centuries ago, women there were not allowed any outdoor exercise. If they wanted a glimpse of love interests beyond the courtyard wall, bouncing up on their seesaws was just about the only way. At midnight, Buddhist temples toll their bells 108 times, symbolizing the 108 human frailties in Buddhist belief. Once listeners have heard all 108 chimes, they’ve been relieved of each sin — and their hearing if they’ve been celebrating near the world-class 74-ton bell of the Chion-in Temple in Kyoto. As colossal diversions go, Brazilians are among the best. Each year, thousands of whiteclad Rio de Janeiro residents gather at beaches and plunge noisily into the sea at midnight bearing offerings of flowers, candles, candies, cigars and sugarcane alcohol for the ocean goddess Iemanja. In Mexico, a more modern, and possibly more perilous approach, is to fire rifles into the air. Of course, in keeping with the electronic age, millions of people worldwide celebrate New Year’s Eve in a wholly modern way. They turn on their TVs or iPads and watch other people celebrate. Happy New Year! 10 The 7 Arts ISSUE 322 By A nother Christmas has come and gone already. I hope you or someone special decked your halls with some figgy pudding or other holiday food favorites. It was a busy week for my wife and me as well. We really enjoyed meeting up with our friends at the Sunset Christmas Party at the Mangos Beach Club. The joint was jumpin’ with servers scurrying with loads of libations in every different direction. Hats off to Edgar and Warren at Stratos Media for their efforts to send just about everybody out the door full to the brim with Christmas cheer and a few with great prizes! We also had some excitement with our business, Vallarta Tickets and the biggest Saturday morning two-for-one tickets promotion to date. Many thanks go to our newest marketing partner, Vallarta Today. We look forward to a great future together! People often ask me how Vallarta Tickets got started. Back in 2006, the Palm Cabaret was alive and well, and the only theatre on the south side of town was located on Olas Altas. Todd Ringness The Santa Barbara Theater was owned by Ed Hutmacher and it featured a huge variety of performances… and eventually, something different most every night of the week. I had the opportunity to work with Ed for a time, and that’s when the idea first came to start an online ticketing agency to make it easier for people to get their show tickets. The name was conceived, the logo was designed, the domain was secured, a service provider was contracted, and the proposal was presented. But it was not to be, because we couldn’t agree on a pricing model that would make the business viable with only one small theatre supplying ticket inventory. So Vallarta Tickets was off, and life went on. Fast forward six years. I was running the Paradise Stage and it quickly became apparent that customers wanted an easier way to get their show tickets. Along with The Palm Cabaret, we began experimenting with online ticketing options and found early success. And then the news came. A new south side theatre was the talk of the town. The arrival of two more venues pretty much sealed the deal - it was time to revisit Vallarta Tickets. So everything was literally pulled off the shelf and out of the hard drive back-ups. Negotiations ensued with each venue… now numbering FIVE on the south side alone! One by one, each venue signed on, giving us the right to sell their tickets online. Elizabeth and Danny from the Main Stage and the Red Room (Act II Entertainment), Tracy from The Palm, Ken & Karrie from Boutique Theatre, and Ric & Joy from the Paradise Stage. All of them recognized the cross-marketing potential of a cooperative online ticketing agency, and everyone joined us for our debut. What a blessing of encouragement that was for us and our new venture! Quite simply, Vallarta Tickets wouldn’t be here today with you, and my wife Sandra Gaye and I will remain forever grateful to each one of you. On October 22, 2013, we finally threw the switch, and VallartaTickets.com roared to life. Within minutes, we received our first telephone order from Mikki Adams… a very proud mama who wanted the best seats to cheer her daughter on in Act II Entertainment’s debut and opening night extravaganza for A Chorus Line. In most ways, it’s hard to believe that all happened only 14 months ago. Since day one, one thing has not changed. You, our ticket-buying customers continue to visit our website week after week to buy your tickets online. You’ve put up with all the glitches and more. And you keep coming back, and you keep telling your friends about us, and you keep US going… day, after day. THANK YOU for your support… we really do love serving you! We truly hope that our convenient service gives you a little extra time to do what YOU truly love. A woman who also loves what she does is our newest event partner Saturday, Dec. 26, 2014, to Friday, Jan. 2, 2015 this week. You can join Catherine Beeghly as she takes you on a guided Saturday tour of three very different public Markets. The Puerto Vallarta Saturday Markets Tour will give a great feel for all three markets as well as some personal shopping/snacking time. Catherine also shares some inside tips and info along the way. It’s a perfect way to explore our town with your visiting friends or family AND get some great shopping in! Ask Catherine to tell you about her latest finds that helped spruce up her winter wardrobe. The Puerto Vallarta Saturday Markets Tour is a walking tour with some bus transportation included. Get details and tickets under the TOURS tab at VallartaTickets.com or call Sandra at our service center at 222-4198. Tour sizes are limited, so book early! Catherine is also the director behind the Puerto Vallarta debut of The Odd Couple - Female Version at the Boutique Theatre above Nacho Daddy on Basilio Badillo on the south side. The original stage version of the comedy starred Sally Struthers and Rita Moreno. This production features local talent and is presented entirely in English. Enjoy the play with a 3-course Filet Mignon dinner from the same table you enjoy the show, for US $37 or take in the show only for just US $16 at VallartaTickets.com (seating is VERY limited, so don’t wait!) I hope you ring in 2015 either doing something or being with someone YOU love. As the years whiz by faster and faster, it seems only the most special of memories of shared love remain. And as always, blessings upon you! Todd Ringness Along with his wife Sandra Gaye are the founders of Vallarta Tickets, a Canadian online ticketing agency serving the Banderas Bay region and beyond. You can usually see this man about town, or you can email: Todd@VallartaTickets.com ISSUE 322 EXTENDED! ‘Greater Tuna’ and Latcho & Andrea: The Blond Gypsies at The Palm Cabaret Vallarta has fallen in love with the colorful characters in the hit comedy stage production of ‘Greater Tuna’, and with the earthy sounds of Latcho & Andrea - The Blond Gypsies and their Spanish Guitars. Added dates will now extend both shows well into the new year. ‘Greater Tuna’ - With twenty characters (played by just two actors) and 42 costume changes, Tracy Parks and Chaz Weathers, who star in the play, have had their work cut out for them in this labor of love. “It has been a dream of ours for many years to play these characters, and we are thrilled that so many people are enjoying it just as much as we are!” said Tracy Parks, who plays Aunt Pearl, along with a host of others in the production. Audiences are raving about ‘Tuna’ and reviews have been excellent, with some folks returning for a second and even a third time to see it. ‘Greater Tuna’ is a big comedy about a small town, small minds and big hearts. Set in the fictional, yet typical small town of Tuna, Texas, ‘where the Lions Club is too liberal and Patsy Cline never dies’, Tuna is rife with a wide-range of colorful characters and storylines. Written by Joe Sears, Jaston Williams and Ed Howard, the original production ran for more than 30 years all over the world and played two command performances for US Presidents in Washington, D.C. Due to its overwhelming popularity, ‘Greater Tuna’ is now playing through January 20th. Latcho & Andrea - The Blond Gypsies have also enjoyed widespread popularity at The Palm, having appeared recently in two very successful shows, with a third scheduled on Christmas Eve at 7 p.m. Latcho & Andrea are European recording artists who perform Gypsy Rumba and Flamenco Guitar music. Both of German descent, their music takes influences from around the world and back through time, authentically producing the mysterious and passionate sounds of Gypsy Flamenco music. They have recorded nine albums and a DVD chronicling their long musical career. In 1996, Latcho & Andrea decided to leave Europe and relocate to Puerto Vallarta. Since then their local popularity has soared and they have been consistently performing throughout Puerto Vallarta and other parts of Mexico, the United States and Europe. Due to overwhelming demand, additional dates have been scheduled on January 5 & 26 matinees at 4:00 p.m. and February 14th at 9:30 p.m. & 28th at 7:00 p.m. (see the link below for tickets). Holiday Schedule - Christmas Eve, Day & New Year’s Eve, Day will see shows in full-swing at The Palm. On December 24th, Latcho & Andrea will play at 7, followed by the ever popular Dragapella Quartet - The Kinsey Saturday, Dec. 26, 2014, to Friday, Jan. 2, 2015 The 7 Arts 11 Sicks, with their holiday comedy classic ‘Oy Vey In A Manger’ at 9:30 p.m. On Christmas Day ‘Simply Barbra & Friends’ starring acclaimed Barbra Streisand impersonator Steven Brinberg, who sings everything live with accompanist Chris Denny at the piano, will play at 7 p.m. followed at 9:30 by stand up Comedienne Shawn Pelofsky stars in her popular show ‘Here Comes Shawn-A-Claus - Stand Up Comedy To Jingle Your Bells’. On New Year’s Eve, ‘Greater Tuna’ will play at 7 p.m. Then on New Year’s Day ‘Simply Barbra & Friends’ will play at 7:00 p.m. followed by The Kinsey Sicks at 9:30 p.m. The Palm, currently celebrating its 15th Anniversary Season, is well-known for bringing top notch, cutting-edge entertainment to Vallarta. Inside you’ll find an intimate, completely refurbished 90seat theatre with outstanding sound and lighting, creating the ambience of cabarets from days gone by. Shows are scheduled seven nights per week, with two different shows nightly through April 2015. The Palm is non-smoking (a patio is provided for smokers) and is located at 508 Olas Altas, in the heart of the Romantic Zone on the south side of town. Tickets may be purchased online 24 hours a day, and at The Palm’s box office, open at 11 a.m. daily. A full calendar of performances and online tickets are available at www.ThePalmPV.com You can also find The Palm on Facebook at The Palm Cabaret and Bar. 12 The 7 Arts ISSUE 322 of Hatshepsut. Although the word “pharaoh” may have been used at that time as title for King Ramses, the word “king” was definitely used throughout much of Egyptian history.” By Joe Harrington Thanks Gretchen for the info and mea culpa, mea culpa, mea maxima culpa. The title of this column is “Gods, Kings and Insanity.” Gretchen took care of gods and kings; now I take ecently, I reviewed Moses: UCB and subsequently traveled to on current bedlam. The flick currently ensconced Gods and Kings writing: “The title Egypt many times. Studying the annoyed me. Using God as singular history of Egypt, I learned the word in international political lunacy is is capitalized, gods are not. And “pharaoh” means “great house,” called The Interview. Plot in 14 there are no kings in an Egyptian referring to the palace, i.e., the words: “Two dumb and dumber tale, only pharaohs.” I was wrong; government (comparable to our use types are recruited by the CIA to assassinate Kim Jong-un.” That the word “gods” used in a title is of the “White House”). dictator, with the worst hair since “The word “pharaoh” was not capitalized. My gaff regarding “kings” drew used for an Egyptian king until after Medusa quit combing hers, didn’t an informative response from a the middle of the 18th dynasty, after like this idiotic comedy. According reader named Gretchen who wrote: the death of Queen Hatshepsut. to the F.B.I., Kim, funding a group “I enjoyed reading your review Hatshepsut birth was 1508 BC. who piously call themselves after having made a decision not Moses birth is alternately given as “Guardians of Peace,” hacked to see this film. Years ago I took 1592 and 1572 BC, putting him in Sony Picture Company’s files and Egyptology extension courses at the 18th dynasty and after the death released sensitive documents, then threatened to blow up theaters daring to air the film. Sony caved. Hello and goodbye to the First Amendment of the Bill of Rights. What critiquing power! Just think what Muslim radicals can do with Sony’s capitulation. Some Muslims believe women should not expose their winsome faces, come hither curves, fluttering eyelashes, and moistened lips -- even though these enticements were created by the Intelligent Design Designer to guarantee the survival of the species. What happens when other terrorists with a gripe against another film’s content demands a halt to distribution with the threat of bombs in movie houses? Using the standards that women should not show any feminine charms means every movie ever made is offensive to radical Muslims. A ludicrous and farfetched example: Sahara, not Matt McConaughey (2005), but Humphrey Bogart (1943). There is no actress in this movie. Plot: In Gods, Kings and Insanity R Saturday, Dec. 26, 2014, to Friday, Jan. 2, 2015 a desolate desert in North Africa, a tank crew holds off thirst parched Germans from getting non-existent water from an oasis’ well. A captured Italian soldier who, in a desperate plea to save his life, shows Bogart a photo of his Sicilian wife and – horror of sand driven dervish horrors – her loving face wears no hihab, al-Amira, Shayla, Khimar, Chador, Niqab or any other type Burka veil. That photo of a woman’s face is offensive in the minds of some. If a stupid comedy can be forced to the editing room trashcan, why not any movie that shows a woman’s face? Somewhere in the Middle East a member of ISIS, wearing a black ski mask and holding a quivering in anticipated use quill pen dipped in the blood of a throatslashed goat, salivates with the thought of his newly anointed editorial power. This Muslim remembers movies that offended him. Insults attacking his cherished beliefs painfully throb in his skull as he remembers the faces of women in A Christmas Carol or It’s a Wonderful Life or The Nativity as the celluloid clicks by at 24 frames per horrific and sacrilegious second. Get a bomb. Buy a movie ticket. No more shall the infidel be allowed to spread these disgusting images. Why stop at movie theaters? Why not threaten Netflix or HBO office headquarters? Think I fantasize? Think it can’t or won’t happen again? If someone a week ago told me this threat was going to happen to Sony Pictures and they would fold, I would have guffawed. I ain’t laughing now. Happy New Year to all, the Brave New World is upon us. Joe Harrington Is an internationally published true crime writer and documentary filmmaker. Send comments or criticism to JoeMovieMadness@Yahoo.com Artwork by Bob Crabb. ISSUE 322 The Dueling Drag Divas - Chi Chi Rones and Joanna bring their smash hit all-live comic celebrity impression show “Celebrity Smackdown” to the newly remodeled “Chandelier Room” at the Blue Chairs Resort opening New Year’s Eve and playing thru April 5th, 2015 (Sundays and Wednesdays at 8 p.m.) with a bonus show added for January 2nd @ 8 p.m. E m m y - Aw a r d Winner Chi Chi Rones (Peter Garcia) and NY Times acclaimed impressionist Joanna (Joe Schmitz) bring you a night you will never forget. Come see these two great entertainers as they duke it out onstage (singing live) with back to back comedic impressions of Dueling Tina Turners, Barbra Streisand vs. Bette Midler, Battling Judy Garlands, Adele vs. Amy Winehouse, a wicked/frozen Mash-up, Cher, Katy Perry, Bette Davis, Eartha Kitt, Dame Dueling Drag Divas land at Blue Chairs New Year’s Eve thru April 2015 Shirley Bassey, Billie Holiday, Ursula from The Little Mermaid and a male medley with Johnny Cash, Neil Diamond, Bruce Springsteen and Elvis! This high energy comedy show is not to be missed. Come see why it is TripAdvisor’s #1 Best Reviewed Drag Show 2013/2014 for both Puerto Vallarta, Mexico and Ogunquit, Maine! Joanna and Chi Chi Rones first met working the same venue in Puerto Vallarta a few years ago. They decided to put together a show titled “The Taco Belle and the Dairy Queen” (since Joanna is from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and Chi Chi loves Taco Bell) but changed the title at the last minute to “Dueling Drag Divas”. Word about their partnering quickly spread amongst the locals and tourists and all six shows quickly sold out. Success followed them to Ogunquit, Maine where they have played to sold out houses the past two summers at Mainestreet. “We are very excited to be kicking off the season at the Blue Chairs Resort with a Rockin’ New Year’s Eve Party complete with a 3 course meal, champagne toast and private fireworks! The evening will also be about helping those less fortunate as the Dueling Drag Divas and The Blue Chairs Resort have partnered with the Casa JoJo Foundation”, says Chi Chi Rones. $5us from each Full Price ticket sold will go directly to Casa JoJo, benefitting minority children helping them get a primary education and assist families with Saturday, Dec. 26, 2014, to Friday, Jan. 2, 2015 The 7 Arts 13 basic living needs. Casa JoJo’s current projects include “Christmas at the Dump”, “Corazon de Niña” - Girls Orphanage, “Christmas at Quimixto”, “Cheryl’s Shoes”, and “Adopt a Family Project”. http:// casajojofoundation.org “Juan Alvarado and Bill Williams, who spearhead Casa JoJo, have always opened up their hearts to the people of Vallarta and we are proud to include their foundation in what will be a magical New Year’s Eve atop Blue Chairs”, say the Dueling Drag Divas. In addition to performing summers and winters in Ogunquit, Maine, and Mexico respectively, the Dueling Drag Divas also perform throughout California, DC, Florida, New Hampshire and Maine. The Dueling Drag Divas will be performing two shows weekly in the Chandelier Room at the Blue Chairs Resort on the 6th floor thru April 5, 2015. Wednesdays and Sundays at 8 p.m. Only 150 Pesos! Tickets available at The Blue Chairs Resort located at: Malecon and Almendro No. 4 Puerto Vallarta. Phone: 222-5040 or online at www. bluechairsresort.com 14 The 7 Arts ISSUE 322 The New Year starts out with Music, Comedy and Murder at ACT II Entertainment’s Main Stage The Musical Comedy Murders of 1940 Secret passageways, Nazi saboteurs, and dead bodies combine to create a blizzard of mayhem in this sidesplitting comedy. Poking antic fun at the more ridiculous aspects of “show biz” and the corny thrillers Les Femmes de Serge Back by popular demand! Don’t miss this totally original, wonderfully eclectic show. The harmonies of Les Femmes de Serge will knock your socks off! French-Mexican quartet “Les Femme des Serge” revisits popular French music (chanson française) from the second half of the 20th century. Originated in Guadalajara, Mexico, Les Femme de Serge explores beautiful melodies that take listeners out of everyday reality, plunging them into a colorful pool of varied emotions. Some of the songs are funny, others full of melancholy. Florence and Mary introduce elements of performance that enlighten us or expand upon the context of the lyrics, all sung in French. DATES: December 25, 26 & 27 at 8 p.m. of Hollywood’s heyday, the play is a non-stop barrage of laughter as those assembled (or at least those who aren’t killed off) untangle the mystery of the Stage Door Slasher. New York Magazine hails Murders as “the intelligent person’s kind of nonsense.” Ringing in the New Year on January 2nd! A hilarious “whodunit”, the name says it all. Music, comedy, and murder. The Musical Comedy Murders of 1940 is set in the mansion library of Elsa von Grossenkneuten in Chappaqua, NY, in 1940. She has invited the crew of a musical that had a series of murders associated with it to her home to consider a new show which she will produce. This is actually a ruse to reopen the cold case of the Stage Door Slasher. To tell you any more would spoil the fun. This Murder Mystery is a nonstop ride of laughs and mystery, directed by Danny Mininni. This is Danny’s second time in the director’s chair for this show. In 1990, his California production was honored by The Voice of Vallarta Season 2 The Voice of Vallarta returns to the Main Stage! Week four features the songs of 2014. Once again, the highest attend show in Vallarta history is looking for the best singer in the Bay of Banderas, hosted once again by Juan Pablo Hernandez who turns SPANGLISH into an art form! This year taking the judges chairs are: PVMC Choral Director Alfonso Lopez and returning to the table, Kharla Barragan, Carlos Santana and Elizabeth Ensor. The Voice of Vallarta will run every Sunday till the big closing night, March 29th. A Voice of Vallarta Pass is now available at www.vallartatickets.com. This pass will get you into all auditions, seats in the first three rows, one cocktail per show and seats for the big closing night. Check it out! DATES: Sunday nights at 8 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 26, 2014, to Friday, Jan. 2, 2015 winning the L.A. TIMES Best Pick of the Week with extended runs and sold out shows. MCM of 1940 will be starring many of Vallarta’s favorites: Act II founding member Elizabeth Ensor, Mary Amelotte, Anthony St Martin, Roger Uscila, Stephanie Wright Watts, Adam Bishop, Salvador Ruiz, Cherry De Lorenzo, Heidi Pitts and Hal Bonta. DATES : January 2, 3 7, 8, 9, 10, 14, 15, 16, 17. ISSUE 322 The 7 Arts Puerto Vallarta’s ArtWalk (boardwalk) can be found on the cobblestone streets of Centro Histórico, the original site of Puerto Vallarta, settled on December 12, 1861. Visitors will find a variety of art, gourmet restaurants, unusual jewelry and unique stores in this area. Café des Artistes and River Café, two highly ranked restaurants, have consistently supported the ArtWalk for several years. As well as enjoying art at participating galleries on Wednesday nights, visitors can also have a fantastic culinary art experience at one of these restaurants. A rtWalk’s nineteenth season begins October 29, 2014 and ends May 27, 2015 in the Centro Histórico (downtown) area of Puerto Vallarta. The purpose of the ArtWalk is to exhibit exceptional national and international artists. Art collectors, art patrons, local residents and interested visitors will discover the great variety and exceptional quality of art available in Puerto Vallarta which rivals any city in Mexico. Remarkable paintings, exceptional sculptures, fine ceramics and noteworthy art in many diverse forms – these are the experiences of ArtWalk. Because all the galleries involved in the ArtWalk are located in the Centro Histórico, walking from one gallery to another is an easy, enjoyable experience. Participating galleries offer exhibitions and cocktails every Wednesday evening from 6 until 10 p.m. The amount of time you spend at each gallery is optional. Join us at ArtWalk in Centro Histórico and enjoy a piece of the history of this city. The church and crown of Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe which is the famous icon of Puerto Vallarta, the city hall and plaza and the malecón Art Walks from Oct. 29, 2014, to May 27, 2015 During New Year festivities, the Art Walk will be held on Tuesday, December 30th, 2014, instead of Wednesday. The rest of the year most of the galleries remain open. Saturday, Dec. 26, 2014, to Friday, Jan. 2, 2015 15 16 Map ISSUE 322 Saturday, Dec. 26, 2014, to Friday, Jan. 2, 2015 ISSUE 322 Saturday, Dec. 26, 2014, to Friday, Jan. 2, 2015 Map 17 18 The 7 Arts / Good Bites ISSUE 322 Catch Los Bambinos’ last show of 2014 Los Bambinos present their last concert of 2014 this Tuesday December 30th, 8 p.m. at Roxy Rock House. The unforgettable harmonies of the Beach Boys come to life as the talented Morales brothers bring their heart and soul to the stage. “I always look for Los Bambinos when I come back to Vallarta. Their music just makes me feel good,” comments Sandra of California. “This show brings out the best in the group, with their fabulous harmonies.” For the first time ever, the group dedicates a complete set to their original songs. They have received positive response. A long-time listener shared after the show. “These guys have come a long way. I used to see them playing in the restaurants like fifteen years ago. We called them ‘the kids.’ We always bought a couple Mexican songs. I am delighted to see them on stage, performing their own music. It really makes them shine and I am so happy to be able to support them as original performing artists.” Los Bambinos’ Friday night show is a hit for Latin music fans! It brings an easy-listening selection of Latin & international rhythms to the stage. Alongside tastefully selected international songs, the group performs a mellower selection of their original music, perfect for the refined listener. Come alone or bring all your friends. Los Bambinos will resume their Friday night UNPLUGGED show on January 9th, 2015, at 8 p.m. The Beach Boys show will continue Tuesday nights, 8 p.m. Reserve your seats now! Concerts are held at Roxy Rock House cabaret-style venue at 217 Ignacio L. Vallarta in the Romantic Zone on the south side of town. Reservations at 222-4357. English spoken. Visit losbambinosmusic.com Roxy has live music every night beginning at 11 p.m. See you there! New Year food traditions A s with many holidays, food plays a special role at this time of year. Traditional New Year foods are also thought to bring good luck. Many cultures believe that anything in the shape of a ring is good luck, because it symbolizes “coming full circle,” completing a year’s cycle. Thus the Dutch believe that eating donuts on New Year’s Day will bring good fortune. Many parts of the U.S. celebrate the new year by consuming black-eyed peas, typically accompanied by either hog jowls or ham. Black-eyed peas and other legumes have been considered good luck in many cultures. The hog, and thus its meat, is considered lucky because it symbolizes prosperity. Cabbage is another “good luck” vegetable, considered a sign of prosperity, being representative of paper currency. In some regions, rice is a lucky food that is eaten on New Year’s Day. Norwegians have a traditional lutefisk meal: mashed green peas, bacon, mustard, boiled potatoes and, of course, lutefisk. For those not in the lutefisk loop, it’s a dried cod fish treated with caustic soda. Yum. Tastier, but trickier, are the 12 grapes Spaniards rush to devour at the start of the new year, popping one with each chime of the clock. Peruvians do the same, only swallow the grapes whole while sitting underneath a table. It’s not just the what of food, but also the why and the how. Foods eaten for their symbolic meaning play a large part in Japan’s several-day-long celebration. Herring roe [fish egg] is eaten for fertility, black beans for health, dried chestnuts for success and prawns as omens of happiness. Offerings of food are also the norm. Scottish children traditionally make the rounds of local homes on New Year’s Eve to collect oatmeal cakes. And in Armenia, families take turns having feasts around their hearth, as neighbors lower baskets of presents down the chimney. Saturday, Dec. 26, 2014, to Friday, Jan. 2, 2015 Good Bites ISSUE 322 Your Comments avineberg@yahoo.com Dear Editor, We have been spending the Christmas season in Puerto Vallarta for many years and especially enjoy all the great restaurant choices here. We appreciate the restaurant reviews and customer experiences we see in your paper. Recently we tried a small place off Basilio Badillo on Ignacio L. Vallarta called Bistro Balsamar. We ordered the Chicken Mole and it was the best we’ve had anywhere. An additional plus for us is that my wife is Celiac and their version is gluten free. They have many other interesting items on their menu that we look forward to trying. Charlie M. Boulder Colorado Dear Editor, For many years here we have been starved for good old Chinese food. I have found what I have been craving at last. It’s not gourmet, it’s not Szechuan (although they have some Szechuan dishes), but it’s all good, fresh, well prepared Cantonese. It’s called Fei Long, and the chef-owner is Chinese. The menu is very complete: Chop Suey, Chow Mein, crunchy fresh veggies, delicious sauces, and my personal favorite, the half duck in your choice of styles, is a huge, generous, perfectly cooked portion, big enough to share. My husband loves the Fu Yong, and it’s excellent as well. When you want a Chinese ‘fix’ I recommend Fei Long. It’s in 5 Diciembre at 378 San Salvador downtown. Very reasonably priced as well. It’s clean and comfortable, good service. No delivery yet, but you can call and order for carry out 223-5665. The waiters speak English. You won’t be disappointed. Estelle Eisen Dear Editor, I am so happy to be staying in Vallarta for three months this winter! While walking on the Malecon to the south side, I happened to notice a yoga class taking place on the grass next to Oscar’s restaurant. The next week I joined the class and afterward went with the group to Oscar’s for breakfast. What a great experience! The food was delicious, the service impeccable and the location next to the river was serene and beautiful. I highly recommend both the yoga and Oscar’s! Ruth Dear Editor, When I returned “home” in October, one of the many surprises that met me was on the corner of Badillo and Pino Suarez. Instead of the small white structure whose facade was mainly Fajita Republic on the Badillo side, there was a huge hole. From the rumours rampart in town, I learned that the property was sold and that it would become a condo building with the restaurant on the first floor. Over the next few weeks, construction went very quickly and a sign confirmed that the restaurant was coming back on November 15. Although the work seemed to be nonstop, I doubted that opening day as Mexican time is certainly different than I am accustomed to in the US. November 15 came and went, but work continued at a rapid pace. We tried to peek into the fence to see how much progress was being made, but were never quite sure how far along they were. To my great delight, last Wednesday, Fajita Republic opened for dinner. The staff was back ready to take orders and deliver food and drink. Patti and Fernando greeted all with wide smiles. The space is absolutely gorgeous - very much in the same style, but beautifully appointed. Most importantly, the food was delicious, plentiful and wonderfully Mexican. Welcome back!! Paulina Saturday, Dec. 26, 2014, to Friday, Jan. 2, 2015 19 20 Good Bites ISSUE 322 Rules for enjoying the holiday season 1. Avoid carrot sticks. Anyone who serves carrots knows nothing of the holiday spirit. In fact, if you see carrots, leave immediately. Go next door, where they’re serving rum balls. 2. Drink as much eggnog as you can. And quickly. Like fine single-malt scotch, it’s rare. In fact, it’s even rarer than single-malt scotch. You can’t find it any other time of year but now. So drink up! Who cares that it has 10,000 calories in every sip? It’s not as if you’re going to turn into an “eggnog-aholic” or something. It’s a treat. Enjoy it! Have one for me. 3. If something comes with gravy, use it. That’s the whole point of gravy. Gravy does not stand alone. Pour it on. Make a volcano out of your mashed potatoes. Fill it with gravy. Eat the volcano. Repeat. 4. As for mashed potatoes, always ask if they’re made with skim milk or butter-and-cream. If it’s skim milk, pass. Why bother? It’s like buying a sports car with an automatic transmission. 5. Do not have a snack before going to a party in an effort to control your eating. The whole point of going to a holiday party is to eat other people’s food for free. Lots of it. Hello? 6. Under no circumstances should you exercise between now and New Year’s. You can do that in January when you have nothing else to do. This is the time for long naps, which you’ll need after circling the buffet table while carrying a 10-pound plate of food and that vat of eggnog. 7. If you come across something really good at a buffet table, like frosted cookies in the shape and size of Santa Claus, position yourself near them and don’t budge. Have as many as you can before becoming the center of attention. They’re like a beautiful pair of shoes. If you leave them behind, you’re never going to see them again. 8. Same for pies. Apple. Pumpkin. Mincemeat. Have a slice of each. Or, if you don’t like mincemeat, have two apples and one pumpkin. Always have three. When else do you get to have more than one dessert? Labor Day? 9. Did someone mention fruitcake? Granted, it’s loaded with the mandatory celebratory calories, but don’t turn up your nose and attempt to avoid it at all cost. I mean, have some standards… try some with a BIG dollop of Cool Whip! 10. One final tip: If you don’t feel terrible when you leave the party or get up from the table, you haven’t been paying attention. Reread tips: start over. But hurry, January is just around the corner. Remember this motto to live by: “Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, chocolate in one hand, martini in the other, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and yelling ‘WOO-HOO what a ride!’” Happy Holidays (all of them)! (Thank you, Christine!) About those 12 traditional Mexican grapes J ust as bells announce that an old year has ended and a new one begun, many Mexicans are accustomed to eat 12 grapes to enjoy happiness and prosperity in the year to come. But more than that, the little fruit are also good for your health as they provide antioxidants and elements that eliminate parasites from the organism. In fact, this fruit of life provides many benefits. Apart from their pleasant taste, shape, texture and seductive freshness, grapes also embody the saying that states: “Let your medicine be that which you eat.” Grapes are basically made up of water (80%), and although their nutritional value varies according to their color, they are generally rich in hydrocarbons such as glucose or fructose (17%); they also contain fiber and its laxative properties. With regard to minerals, potassium is the most abundant, especially in red or black grapes, but all grapes contain phosphorus, calcium, magnesium, manganese, copper and boron. Also, they are rich in vitamin B-6 and contain small quantities of B-1, B-2, B-3 and C, along with folic acid and retinol that both help metabolize sugars by “burning” them so that the energy they contain may be used more easily. There are practically no proteins or fat in grapes. Notwithstanding the preceding, the highest benefits of this fruit, especially the dark ones, come from another series of elements whose properties for our organisms have been the subject of many studies recently: flavonoids, antocianos and tannins, that are antioxidants (helping to eliminate free radicals or molecules that cause aging or cancer) or others such as resveratrol, that gives color to grape skins and is an antimicótico (preventing the growth of fungi). Saturday, Dec. 26, 2014, to Friday, Jan. 2, 2015 ISSUE P. V. Garden Club – Beautifying Vallarta 322 21 Sunset Christmas Party big success! By Bob Price, Curator of the Botanical Gardens, was our featured guest speaker last Thursday. We met at !No Way José! for our regular third Thursday meeting. Bob spoke on the topic of orchids and the exciting new addition to the Gardens of the Orchid Pavilion. He brought a plant trivia quiz and prizes. Did you know that the official flower of Mexico is the dahlia? It SHOULD be the bougainvillea! Our President, Bonnie Mott, explained our need to raise money for poles to support our growing bougainvillea and trees throughout town. When these went in the ground two to four years ago, they were self-supporting. But we live in the glorious tropics where plants grow vigorously. Some of them have tipped over and broken. Preventive action is called for immediately. Installed, these poles are 1500 pesos a piece. Three generous members stepped up and bought a pole, but many more donors are needed. We received a promise of matching funds for these poles, so your gift is worth more than the face value. Please contact Bonnie Mott at bonmott@hotmail.com, or Matthias Vogt, Treasurer, at matthias.vogt@usa.net with your pledge and we will happily arrange to pick it up. Beautification of our city through plantings on the following streets is solely the project of PV Garden Club. The city does not help; and we are NOT part of the Botanical Gardens. Our contributors paid for, planted, maintain and water all the bougainvillea and primavera trees on Basilio Badillo, Olas Altas, Pino Suarez, Ave. Vallarta, Insurgentes, Ave. Mexico (from Leys south) and the streets adjacent to the Mercado. Everyone living here, visiting for a few months, and of course all the businesses depending on tourism, benefit from the efforts of our 57 members and our donors. Please join us. Become a member, buy a planter tile or make a contribution. The Pier street – Francisca Rodriguez, is now available for sponsorship tiles. $5,200. pesos can buy a memorial tribute of your choosing. By the way, on Sunday mornings, look for Babe the Blue Ox, our Watering Truck. Wave hello! www.vallartagardenclub.com Facebook: P.V. Garden Club Vallarta Voices Anna Reisman T his year went by way too fast for my liking. And my youngest turned 39. Now he’s the same age as me… I still don’t understand that. And my other children are sooo much older than me now! Very strange. Some of you may recall that I made a New Year resolution last year, for the first time in a long, long time. I decided that instead of watching news programs when I wake up and get ready for the day, I was going to set my TV to the Comedy Network from then on. A couple of nights earlier, I had been watching a movie on that channel so when I woke up the next morning, it was still on. I ended up laughing myself silly for over a half-hour, first thing in the morning. What a wonderful, fabulous way to start the day! Definitely better than the «news»! Well, guess what? It is with pride that I can say: I kept my resolution! And I think I’m a healthier person as a result of it - mentally. Last year, I went to see «Les Femmes de Serge» at Act II. Well, they’re back and I cannot urge you enough to go see this unique group’s performance. It doesn’t matter whether you understand or speak French. Their show is extraordinary – pure entertainment. It is so different from anything you’ve ever seen that you may find yourself at a loss for words, like I did. Please believe me when I tell you that the combination of the beautiful women’s voices is indescribable. And the group uses the strangest combination of «instruments» to accompany them in some of the songs. Anyone who loves music, who appreciates something truly unique and ohso beautiful, must absolutely catch Les Femmes de Serge - at Act II’s Main Stage this weekend only! As usual, we had to decide whether we were going to publish anything «special» for the Day of the Innocents this year. One year, when I was writing for the Tribune, they published an article that said something about the PV airport being closed permanently. Well, the publication was deluged with e-mails (AND phone calls!) from panicking readers who were asking if they should cancel their reservations for next year. Saturday, Dec. 26, 2014, to Friday, Jan. 2, 2015 T he spirit of Christmas and its fiestas was evident last Friday, December 19th, during the grand fiesta organized by Stratos Media at Mango’s Beach Club. Guests enjoyed a wonderful ambiance filled with music, prizes and much fun, as well as a wide variety of dishes and drinks, along with Italian sweets from Sapori de Sicilia. There is no doubt that this event offered tourists and locals a truly enjoyable and different kind of entertainment option. Stratos Media thanks all its sponsors that made the event possible, as well as the valued participation and collaboration of VallartaTickets.com as sales representative. Some of the e-mails were downright nasty, even though that same issue contained an entire page at the very beginning explaining exactly what the Day of the Innocents was in this country. They even received phone calls and e-mails from our friends at Vallarta Lifestyles (definitely the No. 1 magazine in this destination) to tell us of all the calls THEY had gotten about that article. We all arrived at a unanimous conclusion: some readers only read headlines. So... this year you may not find any prank-style articles for El Día de los Inocentes. But on the other hand, you might. Truth be told, some of the surreal «news items» in our local papers could be construed as jokes at times anyways... If you’re going to be driving around on New Year’s Eve, please be careful. If not, please make sure you make transportation arrangements ahead of time. Local taxi drivers have a habit of disappearing off the streets around 11:30 p.m. or so in order to welcome the New Year with their families… I never forget the time I had to drive some friends back to their hotel in Nuevo Vallarta after an evening of celebration. Not a single taxi to be found between downtown and their hotel! I will never forget driving back home that night, alone, in the dark, at 3 a.m. I wish you a New Year filled with love, joy, fulfillment, peace, and most of all… good health! Without it, we cannot enjoy all the rest. God bless us all. sheis@ymail.com 22 By Health Matters ISSUE 322 Krystal Frost The Power of Now It happens that a New Year is upon us... time seems to fly between one year and another these days. Recently we have come to spaces in our lives long waited for. Like a second chance to make things right with a loved one, be at home in our bodies, be blissful, be at peace with a particular situation. At the moment we are enjoying living that manifestation of the NOW. This brought to mind all the pain involved in the waiting process. Waiting for something to give, someone to appear, a certain situation to arise, waiting for the energy to bring about change. I thought about this a lot. When I first remember waiting for something, I was 9 years old and was told I had to wait 3 years to be a Girl Scout… man, that seemed like a lifetime to me... a third of my life. Then, waiting for my body to catch up with all my girlfriends to be a woman. Then, waited to finish school, meet someone, have a relationship, have kids, the list goes on and on. Then, it occurred to me if one is not waiting for change, one is looking back and regretting some situation. Boy, we are masters at fitting ourselves into the pain mold, and even better at avoiding the joys of being present, in the NOW. Have you heard of Eckhart Tolle? His name has come up lately in a number of conversations with friends, so I had a reread. He wrote a book a while back called the Power of Now. He was quite popular for a spell (still is) due to his new age revealing of spiritual awaking and the process of living in the NOW without pain attached to the past and the waiting game. He presents a method of self observation and behavioral realignment. Here is what he says about the game… Check it out. Identification with thoughts and the emotions that go with those thoughts creates a false mind-made sense of self, conditioned by the past: the little me and its story. This false self is never happy or fulfilled for long. Its normal state is one of unease, fear, insufficiency, and nonfulfillment. It says it looks for happiness, and yet it continuously creates conflict and unhappiness. In fact, it needs conflict and enemies to sustain the sense of separateness that ensures its continued survival. Look at all the conflict between tribes, nations, and religions. They need their enemies, because they provide the sense of separateness on which their collective ego depends. The false self lives mainly through memory and anticipation. Past and future are its main preoccupation. The present moment, at best, is a means to an end, a stepping stone to the future, because the future promises fulfillment, the future promises salvation in one form or another. The only problem is the future never comes. Life is always now. Whatever happens, whatever you experience, feel, think, do - it’s always now. It’s all there is. And if you continuously miss the now – resist it, dislike it, try to get away from it, reduce it to a means to an end, then you miss the essence of your life, and you are stuck in a dream world of images, concepts, labels, interpretations, judgments – the conditioned content of your mind that you take to be yourself. And so you are disconnected from the fullness of life. When you are out of alignment with what is, you are out of alignment with life. You are struggling to reach a point in Saturday, Dec. 26, 2014, to Friday, Jan. 2, 2015 the future where there is greater security, aliveness, abundance, love, joy. Food for thought Well, I cannot claim that my experience has been as Mr. Tolle describes, certainly there are moments of conflict, doubt... etc., etc., however these moments seem to pass easier with less pain attached to them. One thing is for sure, reactions boils down to stemming from FEAR or LOVE… so you can decide next time the stuff hits the fan, where it came from, fear being negative, possessive, fearful… or love, being positive and all the good stuff. For the most part, and, for the moment, I am content to be in the moment. I have waited a LONG time for its coming. Krystal Frost Is a long time resident of Puerto Vallarta. Graduate of University of Guadalajara, and specialized in cosmetic acupuncture at Bastyr University in Washington State. She is the owner of Body & Sol for over 20 years where she practices traditional Chinese medicine, acupuncture, massage therapy, yoga, meditation and nutritional counseling. She has created healing programs for individuals, retreats and spas. For questions and comments - Cell: 322 116-9645, Email krystal.frost73@hotmail.com ISSUE 322 Do you have the courage to change? By W Giselle Belanger hether you are trying to improve a relationship, get through a divorce, heal past traumas, resolve family of origin issues, heal the inner child, confront an addiction, you are suffering and seeking change. Some people try to handle everything alone, while others turn to friends, some attend support groups, and some enter therapy. There is a common tendency in all of us to make huge efforts to avoid facing our emotional pain. We really don’t want to do the work to process our feelings. How many times have you thought or said, you “don’t want to look back,” to remember the pain from your childhood or past traumas, or “that’s just how I am and I’m not going to change now”? Some of you rhetorically ask “what good will it do now?” and affirm that you are “over it.” Basically, you don’t want to re-live it. In some cases this is best, but in many cases it is very beneficial to heal the pain. It takes courage to seek help, to admit your truth to someone else, to enter therapy, to walk into a 12-step meeting, to check into a treatment center. To consciously choose to heal and grow is a big step, and often a huge leap that requires a RN, LCSW serious commitment, as well as a willingness to go through the pain. John Bradshaw says, “in order to heal it, you must feel it”. Fear of change Fear can either be a huge obstacle that obstructs your path or you can acknowledge it and allow it to accompany you along your path, aware that you are afraid and aware that fear serves a purpose; to keep you alert and warn you of danger. Fear can paralyze you if it loses proportion. It is helpful to name the fear, to know exactly what you are afraid of, and to determine the severity, the immediateness, or even if it’s real or imaginary. Scott Peck, author of The Road Less Traveled, wrote, “Courage is not the absence of fear; it is the making of action in spite of fear”. Life is a Game, These are the Rules addresses it and defines courage as “finding the inner strength and bravery required to confront” something and says that it is the “energy current behind all great actions”. She reminds us that courage “resides deep within us” and that it is the “intangible force” that propels us forward. She states that “courage is learned in the moment that you take a leap of faith and take action” and recommends that you “banish” your fears so that you may “learn the lesson of courage and create the life you desire.” (pp104-5) Healing is the goal “Healing” is defined as a restoration to a state of wholeness and well-being. It is a lifelong process. Healing takes courage. It is a process you must go through, not around. In order to heal and restore balance, we must heal emotionally, mentally, physically, and spiritually. The healing process is a process of letting go, which requires forgiveness and compassion of yourself and others. Forgiveness Tian Dayton devoted an entire daily affirmation book to this process, entitled, Forgiving and Moving On. In it, she reminds us: “Forgiveness and letting go are part of our road to happiness. We deserve to move on. We need not be held Courage to change and heal Courage is such a necessary component of healing, change, and personal growth that it can be found throughout books written on these subjects. A very famous book written for survivors of child sexual abuse written by Ellen Bass and Laura Davis, is actually entitled “The Courage to Heal”. Cherie Carter-Scott, author of If Saturday, Dec. 26, 2014, to Friday, Jan. 2, 2015 Health Matters 23 hostage to our pasts. Only we can ultimately free ourselves. To forgive someone else is to forgive myself. We forgive because it restores to us a sense of inner balance. The process of forgiving, letting go, and moving on requires a willingness to know one’s own truth and the courage and strength to feel pain that has been hidden in silence.” Integrate thoughts and feelings True healing takes place from the inside out; not just on the surface. Healing isn’t just the scab that forms over a cut. Emotional healing requires the connection and integration of the mind and the heart; of the thoughts with the feelings. Healing brings resolution, relief, and peace. The burden is lifted and things are lighter. Lessons, insights, and personal growth are its gifts. Change is good Change is inevitable. It is a fact of life. We have a choice to fight against the current or accept and go with the flow; to fight it or embrace it. Change must be faced with an open mind and an open heart. Giselle Belanger RN, LCSW (psychotherapist) is available for appointments in person, by phone, or by skype webcam. Contact info: ggbelangerpv@gmail.com Mex cell: 044 (322) 138-9552 or US cell: (312) 914-5203. 24 Legal Matters ISSUE 322 Ask Luis By Luis Melgoza Dear Luis: Last July, I think, you wrote a very interesting column about why so many restaurants fail in Puerto Vallarta year after year. Is it possible to publish it again? Dear Reader: I believe you are referring to my column in the PV Mirror issue #297 (July 5 through 11), published online only and available at http://www.pvmcitypaper.com/ download/297.pdf Here it is again, as published then: It is sad that so many upscale eateries downtown and in Olas Altas choose not to cater to Mexicans — whether locals or tourists—, in what can only be described as financial suicide, simply by closing during Mexican meal times and having all exterior signage in English. Why do I call this financial suicide? After all, it is foreign tourism and expats that keep PV alive, right? WRONG! For starters, it is a confirmed fact that domestic tourism will spend an estimated $38 Billion USD in 2014; European tourists, while fewer than the total between US and Canadian visitors, will spend an estimated $14 Billion USD… while the tourism originating between Canada and the United States (which is the overwhelming majority of the foreign tourism in Puerto Vallarta), will spend only an estimated $6 Billion in the year 2014. These figures represent the totals for the entire country. (Source: Mexico’s Secretariat of Tourism, SECTUR). In other words, US and Canadian visitors spend only 11.54% of these three categories of tourism, without even taking into account the tourism from the rest of the world. True, there are many domestic tourists that travel on a dime, spending as little as they can whenever they travel. But it is also true that the bulk of foreign tourism arriving in Puerto Vallarta spend very little, too. From those staying in allinclusive properties and not spending a dime in town; to those arriving on cruise ships (with far less combined financial impact per year than a single home built in Punta Mita; between design, construction and maintenance costs, property taxes and operating staff salaries for a year), all the way to those expats living on reduced fixed income. When an establishment chooses to shut down during Mexican mealtimes and features all exterior signage in English, it is proclaiming that they don’t care to serve those that bring the lion’s share of tourism income: the domestic tourists. The Mexican public gets the message and avoids that establishment, forcing it to either incur in operating losses from May through November, or to go out of business. Wait staffs, however, simply love to cater to affluent Mexicans because they tend to tip a minimum 20% for expected service and much more for above average service, on the bill after taxes. Generally, foreign tourism and many expats struggle figuring out whether to tip 10 to 15% of the total before taxes. (As a general rule, a minimum $2. USD, or its equivalent in pesos should be tipped, even if the tip is higher than the bill; unless a tip is not deserved at all, in which case you should complain to the manager. If $2. dollars per person is less than 15% of the bill after taxes, the minimum tip should be 15%). In many Mexican cities and resorts, eateries have wised up and stay open during Mexican meal times too (Breakfast: 8 to 11 a.m., Dinner: 2 through 5 p.m., Supper: 8 p.m. to midnight) throughout the year and make a point to cater to domestic tourists, laughing all the way to the bank. The weird hours of operation kept by so many eateries in town are precisely the cause of so many of them going out of business year after year. Looking for the always elusive foreign tourism dollar while ignoring the big-spending domestic tourism is anything but a path to success. Domestic tourism is, financially speaking, the most important of tourisms. Domestic tourism income brings between 60% and 76.8% of all tourism income to Mexico annually (and to those who choose to cater to this group.) Even Las Vegas, NV, does all it can to attract Mexican tourists; why is it that Puerto Vallarta doesn’t? So many suffer from May through November, many even closing for good, unnecessarily. The fact is that the only slow month in the region, for those who choose to integrate —businesses and individuals— is September (this said, PVGeeks has not had a slow month, since we opened for business locally almost five years ago, thanks to our many snowbirds, full-time immigrants and Mexican clients). Saturday, Dec. 26, 2014, to Friday, Jan. 2, 2015 My experience as a lawyer and business owner lets me state – unequivocally - that poor business planning equals doom. I’ve yet to see a business, any business, that chooses to ignore the majority of their potential clientele, thrive. I’m sorry that your in-laws, as so many of my friends and relatives throughout Mexico prefer that you visit them, instead of coming to what would be Paradise if only we could find more upscale places to eat at Mexican hours. Dear Readers: My best wishes for 2015 to be the best year yet for you and your loved ones. Send me your questions to askluis@pvgeeks.com, I am not able to answer each message privately due to the volume of mail I receive. I do not take legal cases, I am retired from the practice of Law. Luis Melgoza Is a former PRI (Mexico’s ruling party) Head Counsel and Legal Adviser to the Mexican Congress. Although retired from the legal profession, he is a highly respected consultant for both the foreign and Mexican communities in Puerto Vallarta. Luis’ PVGeeks is the premiere wireless high-speed Internet provider in Puerto Vallarta. For Internet service, you can reach Luis at lumel@pvgeeks.com ISSUE 322 Real Estate 25 VIEWPOINT By Harriet Murray Who am I? “Sometimes when I consider what tremendous consequences come from little things… I am tempted to think…. there are no little things.” - Bruce Barton T he three countries of North America share similarities and differences. There are many Canadian and US citizens vacationing and buying properties in Mexico. We all experience a convergence of these different cultures when we have an exchange, whether it is social or business. How we handle situations and form our thoughts involves cognitive and value systems. One of these is how we accept what is the truth… How we organize and process information is our cognitive processing. Our values systems establish for us what is right and what is wrong. Our cultural orientations show in general how we can differ. Who in general is this citizen of North America. Information is readily accepted for purposes of discussion, but little movement in attitude is seen. These persons process information subjectively and associatively, as most of their education is by rote. They become personally involved in each situation and look at the particulars rather than using a rule or law to solve problems. Subjective feelings form the basis for the truth, and this leads to the truth changing depending on what one is perceived to want. Faith in the ideologies of their religious faith, though pervasive, does not greatly affect their perceptions of the truth. Objective facts are often used by those with a higher education. The individual is responsible for his or her decisions, but the best interest of the family or group is a dominating factor. One must know a person before doing business with him or her, and the only way to know a person is to know the family. Expertise is less important than how one fits into the group, so it is extremely important to cultivate personal relations with the right people in the right places. It is one’s role in the social structure and the presence of the extended family, which gives a sense of stability to life. However, families exert pressure on the behavior of their members. Group members are bound by intense friendship and personal relations, and commit themselves to assisting one another in case of need. This network of relatives, friends and memberships is crucial to class affiliation and social mobility. All of these expect mutual support - a lifelong commitment. Machismo is very strong. For women, femininity is stressed in dress, makeup and behavior. Each of us is a mixture of our own personal experiences and Saturday, Dec. 26, 2014, to Friday, Jan. 2, 2015 cultural influences. When we make friends or do business with persons from another country, we need to realize that the way of approaching issues, from etiquette to negotiating a lease or a purchase, will be affected by our own perspective. Our counterpart’s perspective can be very different, not wrong, and just different. Information is from authors Morrison, Conaway, Borden. I recommend that each potential buyer or seller conduct his own due diligence and review when contemplating a purchase or lease. Harriet Murray Can be contacted at: harriet@casasandvillas.com 26 Fish Tales ISSUE 322 Deep water locations breathing Tuna, Marlin, Sailfish By T Stan Gabruk his week, the title may be a little confusing; breathing is in reference to the hot and cold situations we’re experiencing at the deep water locations of Corbeteña and El Banco. Some days are on fire, other days are just slow at best. On the positive side, we have the Big 3 Marlin, Blue, Black and Striped right now. Sailfish are here to stay, Dorado move in and out, and Rooster fish return to the Marieta Islands. Abundance of bait was an issue last week, too much to choose from makes your presentation (bait) look weak and feeble, but things change. Right now, an experienced and proven captain will always come in with fish, this is where the ¨Walk Meets The Talk¨. The real players step up, the others never shut up! Puerto Vallarta is world famous when it comes to many things, fishing being just one of them. You can’t go wrong fishing in or around the Bay of Banderas with many species to choose from and many forms of fishing. For the moment, I don’t care what your situation is, if you can find a way on the water, you will have experienced PV in a way many won’t. For now, inside the bay, the local guys are ecstatic. Bonito to 35 lbs., Dorado to 40 lbs. in some instances, Skip jack Tuna 25 lbs., Jack Crevalle to 40 lbs., Sierra Mackerel to 25 lbs. and good tasting. Rooster fish for the surf fishing guys are very possible. With a bit of a stretch there are still sailfish chasing abundant bait into the bay around La Cruz marina and (Owner of Master Baiter’s Sportfishing & Tackle) off the Los Arcos rocks. Not normal, but we’ll take all donations when it comes to fishing! The Marieta Islands are breathing again with the arrival of Sardines (sardinas in Spanish) with ¨some¨ Rooster fish averaging 35 lbs. chasing them around. There are the reliable Bonito, Jack Crevalle, small Snapper, Sierra Mackerel, Sailfish off the island a bit, again life is coming back to the Marieta Islands. Trolling down the channel between the Marietas and the point of Punta Mita has also produced some nice sized Dorado on slow days, it’s an option to remember, keep this as our secret. For the big boys, the ones that are looking for world class game fish, then the deep water locations of El Banco and Corbeteña are running hot and cold. At Corbeteña, the number of Marlin is a bit lower this week. Mostly Marlin, Sailfish, Dorado to 35 lbs. here with all the arm burning action you need! It seems like the area is breathing fish as they come in and then, like a breath, blow out. What this means is you better have some fuel in those tanks and be on a boat that will be willing to chase the birds off in the distance. Experienced captains can make a difference coming in with ¨Fish or Wishes¨! At times like now, when experience counts and there are Big Black marlin (400 lbs. plus), Big Blue Marlin (400 lbs.), Striped Marlin (250 lbs.), Yellowfin Tuna Monsters (60 to 250 lbs.), Sailfish, Dorado (35 – 50 lbs.) and more out there. This is fishing at the highest level and can be dangerous with inexperienced crews where you have a sword-faced fish swing that thing around like Zorro, you need experience, make sure you choose a real fishing company, choose wisely. El Banco is ¨breathing” as well, but if you’re going to find fish here you need to start your ¨hunt¨ four to five miles off the high spots, west northwest, and work your way out in the direction of diving birds. The biggest reason to hit The Bank is 60 to 250-lb Yellowfin Tuna. Yes, there are Marlin, Sailfish, Dorado here as well, all about the same size as Corbeteña, the only difference worth making the extra two-hour excursion is YF Tuna! Fanatics, hit it now because we have a few more weeks before you’ll have to hit the Tres Marias Islands for your fix - at twice the cost and double or triple the time. Whatever the species is, they’re always bigger at El Banco. Fishing conditions this week are as they were last week and the week before, perfect may be too strong a word but the conditions are close. Plenty of bait, in fact almost too much bait and that is most likely the reason the fishing is hot and cold all at the same time. If you’re a fish and you have options, then as a fisherman you better be presenting something that will attract their attention. What that might be is what experience will dictate and that’s the reason you got a superior equipped captain, boat and Saturday, Dec. 26, 2014, to Friday, Jan. 2, 2015 crew. Local baits include Flying fish 4 to 6 inches, Bullet Bonito, Goggle Eyes, Skip Jack Tuna, Sardines (why Roosters are here) and the list goes on; it’s incredible. Bait balls at El Banco and Corbeteña are massive and will blow your mind. It’s funny, people read articles like this, thank you for that by the way… and they get things in their heads and think they’re experts because they read it somewhere. Then tourists come armed with this information and dictate how the crew does their job on their day fishing. The crew can suggest, they can beg, but they will follow directions from the client, no matter how wrong they are, until finally the clients decide to ask what they should do. Normally this is at the end of the fishing day when clients are now desperate to catch something, anything! The bottom line here is you are paying for this knowledge and experience, which of course will cost money to get talent. Forget the cost of the boat, the cost of fuel, and the money you have in your pocket. Pick the captain first, equipment second and boat third. Then let them do their job. When you hear the screaming reels, you’ll stop thinking about if everything is going the way it should be, you’ll be jumping to action! The moral of this story: you get what you pay for, even if it’s an expensive boat ride. Until next time, don’t forget to kiss your fish and remember: at Master Baiter’s Sportfishing & Tackle “We Won’t Jerk You Around!” Master Baiter’s has changed locations in Marina Vallarta, now between docks A and B on the boardwalk. Email your questions to me at: CatchFish@ MasterBaiters.com.mx Web page: www.MasterBaiters.com.mx , local Phone at: (044) 322 779-7571 or if roaming: 011 521 322 779-7571 cell phone direct. Facebook: http://www. facebook.com/pages/Master-BaitersSportfishing-Tackle/88817121325 The trade name Master Baiter’s ® Sportfishing and Tackle is protected under trade mark law and is the sole property of Stan Gabruk. ISSUE 322 Oddly enough By A Gil Gevins very nice woman walked in the shop recently holding a red binder in her hand. Whenever I see people enter the shop holding binders or folders, my whole body trembles with fear - no matter how charming and attractive the person is, and this young woman was all of that. The reason the binder-holders frighten me so much is that invariably their plastic receptacles contain reading material - reading material meant for my personal perusal. For most of my life I’ve been a ravenous reader, gobbling up books like they were so many M&M’s. But lately I seem to have lost the urge. Along with a number of other urges. In fact, the only urge which seems to be increasing with age is the urge to urinate. But getting back to this particular binder person. She was affiliated with the Boutique Theatre, which performs their plays next door to my wife’s shop, at Nacho Daddy’s. Nacho Daddy’s, by the way, is a terrific place to spend an evening. A great Tex-Mex restaurant/bar, which is also a blues club, as well as a live theatre venue. Oddly enough, back in the Eighties, my wife and I lived in the very same house which today is the home of Nacho Daddy’s. Many of the wild stories in my first book (Puerto Vallarta On 49 Brain Cells A Day) take place in that house. This fact alone - along with the great food, the terrific live music, the charity bingo (and now) the wonderful live theatre - makes a visit to Nacho Daddy’s all but obligatory. But getting back to the nice woman. She wondered if I would consider reading the play they were about to put on, and maybe write a review, or do something (anything) to help promote the production. In actual fact, I would have been delighted to do anything to promote her production. Except read the play. Nonetheless, I took the plastic binder home and, over a bowl of Blue Bell pistachio mint ice cream (currently on sale at Sam’s), and three lactase pills, I went to work. Everyone remembers The Odd Couple - first the movie, and then the television show. And that (the TV show) is in fact what I turned to, after ten minutes of attempting to read the play. At this point, there must be people out there thinking to themselves, “Why is this fellow, who is supposed to be a writer, so averse to reading? He certainly isn’t opposed to people buying and reading his books.” True! I am all for, one-hundred per cent in on, and an enthusiastic supporter of reading my books. My psychiatrist, Dr. Seymour Mendoza Mendoza, believes that the reason I react so adversely when an unsolicited piece of reading matter is thrust upon me, has to do with my fear that aliens are taking over my brain. What an idea! Aliens could not possibly take over my brain; my wife beat them to it years ago. But getting back to the play. The idea was that instead of having a mismatched pair of male roommates, there would be a mis-matched pair of women. Kind of like my idea for turning the Vagina Monologues into the Penis Monologues. By the way, you can read my version of the MonoIogues on my website - once it is released by the Chinese cyberthugs who are holding it hostage. Fortunately, these soulless commie hijackers only get to keep my website for a year, and there is no way I’m paying them three hundred dollars to get it back sooner; not when it only cost them fifteen cents. Doing the Odd Couple with a pair of women turned out to be a great idea. The play opens with four women playing Trivial Pursuits (I would have had them playing Mahjong). By the time I finished page three of the play, I was laughing so hard I had to put down my pistachio ice cream. Which is when the panic attack hit me like a tsunami. Popping an extra-strength Xanax, I called Dr. Mendoza. Dr. Mendoza had a new theory: When I was a very young boy, he believed, a pervert had attempted to lure me into his car with a magazine or a book, thus traumatizing me for life. “Where in God’s name do you get these screwy ideas, Dr. Mendoza?” I demanded. “With you Freudians everything is kill your father, youknow-what your mother, traumas, molestations. There’s more to life than repressed sex, Dr. Mendoza.” “Vhat about dhat dream,” Dr. Mendoza asked, “vhen you vere in zhat spaceship?” “I keep telling you, that was a fun dream. Riding through space…” “Sure, sure,” Dr. Mendoza said, “you keep telling yourselves zhat.” The next day, I did an hour of meditation to prepare myself for pages three through six. The adaptation, I had to admit, was totally hilarious. Nonetheless, I felt another panic attack coming on, so I put an old episode of the Odd Couple on YouTube. But it was so awful I decided to look for the original Neil Simon play, instead. Unfortunately, there was no way Solution to crossword on page 31 Saturday, Dec. 26, 2014, to Friday, Jan. 2, 2015 Gil Gevins’ Page 27 to watch it for free, so I gave up on that and went back to reading pages six to nine of the script. Page eight was so funny it made me choke on my pistachio ice cream! My wife came home, found me turning blue on the living room floor and called Dr. Mendoza. The reason she called him (and not a real doctor) is that he had informed her previously that all of my seeming ailments were psychosomatic in origin, and that whenever I displayed symptoms of being ill, she should ignore me. And she would have ignored me on this occasion as well, except that she was a little concerned over the blue tint to my complexion. At any rate, the pistachio eventually melted and I was able to breathe again. The minute I recovered, I went online and bought two tickets to the Boutique Theatre production of the ODD COUPLE, which premieres on January 2, at Nacho Daddy’s, located in my old house on Basilio Badillo. Gil Gevins Is the author of four hilarious books, including the cult-classic, PUERTO VALLARTA ON 49 BRAIN CELLS A DAY, and his latest and greatest, SLIME AND PUNISHMENT. Signed copies of all Gil’s books are available at LUCY’S CUCU CABAÑA, located at 295 Basilio Badillo; or as E-Books on Amazon. Solution to Sudoku on page 31 28 Calendar / Directories ISSUE 322 Saturday, Dec. 26, 2014, to Friday, Jan. 2, 2015 ISSUE 322 2014… What a Year! W ell, it’s time to say goodbye to 2014 - some say good riddance! It has definitely been an up and down year in the tech world and even more so in the real world. Let’s take a look back at some of the highs and lows of 2014 in tech. Early in 2014, TV manufacturers decided “we needed” 4K or Ultra HD TV’s. Full HD TV’s have 1080p resolution while Ultra HD TV’s have 4 times higher resolution. Up north, cable providers may give decent HD TV content, but down here in paradise we are still waiting. Short of Bluray DVD, there is not much to shout about here for true HD content. So manufacturers were seeing the writing on the wall that consumers (even up north) were not buying the Ultra HD sales pitch and prices. What to do? Let’s convince consumers they “need” curved TV screens! Curved is the latest trend and comes with a nice price tag as well. I don’t think they will convince any of us this is a necessity, except the few consumers that want the newest and latest technology. 2014 saw the predicted passing of a pioneer technology in TV’s. The plasma TV was relegated to the history books when the final 3 manufacturers retired all plasma development and production. Plasma technology blazed the trail for LCD, LED and future generations of TV’s, without question. R.I.P. Speaking of screens, laptop manufacturers also decided we need touch screen on our laptops. All major manufacturers now have touch screens in their line-ups. I for one am still on the side of keyboard/mouse use on a laptop. To work at a 75° angle on the screen of your laptop is ridiculous and does not fit the way our wrists are made. On a tablet or smartphone I think the touch screen is great, but not on a computer. With regards to tablets, 2014 saw a definite leveling off of new tablet sales. Since the introduction of the first Apple iPad in early 2010, annual sales sky-rocketed year after year with over 52% growth per year! 2014 tablet sales are projected to be around 250 million units which is just a 7% growth over 2013. The biggest explanation of this leveling off is that tablets last longer and don’t fall behind as fast as computers do. Advancement of tablet programs doesn’t demand bigger and better hardware like computers do. People are using their tablets for much longer than manufacturers would like. Good for us! 2014 also marked a couple of important birthdays. The World Wide Web (www) celebrated 25 yrs old! The World Wide Web was originally created to connect academics, scientists, and corporate researchers. By 1993, two million computers were connected to the Internet and were navigated by text based commands. It wasn’t until a graphics based browser was developed, that the www caught on with the rest of us. The 33rd birthday of the personal computer as we know it came and went this year as well. It’s hard to imagine the world today without the internet and a computer in almost every household. Tablets, smartphones and Wi-Fi would not be around if it were not for these early technologies. This past year we were treated to amazing sights when NASA setup and started broadcasting the International Space Station HD Earth Viewing Experiment. You can still watch it at www.ustream.tv/channel/iss-hdevpayload. If it happens to be black when you go to view it, it may be that the Space Station is on the dark side of the earth. Check back often, as there is a sunrise or sunset every 45 minutes - it is a truly amazing sight. September saw Apple finally listen to its customers and introduce larger screen iPhones. Sales have been record breaking for both the iPhone 6 at 4.7” and the iPhone 6 Plus at 5.5”. Introduced at the end of September, supply is just starting to catch up with demand, with 1-3 working days ship times, compared to 3-4 weeks back in October. In October, Microsoft introduced the world to its upcoming next operating system - Windows 10. Microsoft is skipping Windows 9 altogether. (I wrote about those theories previously). We can expect to see an improved Windows compared to the current Windows 8, sometime in the summer of 2015. Earlier in December I wrote about the unprecedented hacks of both JPMorgan and Sony Pictures. While fallout from both is still coming to light, hackers of Sony Pictures (backed by the North Korean government, as now confirmed by the FBI and President Obama) have managed to basically “censor” a private US company. Sony decided, after threats of violence at theatres that showed the upcoming Sony Saturday, Dec. 26, 2014, to Friday, Jan. 2, 2015 Hi-Tech 29 movie “The Interview”, to cancel release of the movie all together. We’ve all heard in the news the past weeks about the theme of the movie being of a CIA plot to assassinate the current “dear leader” of North Korea. For a private company to give in to state-sponsored cyber terrorism, is a sad precedent. Even President Obama called the cancelled release of the movie a mistake. But in these uncharted waters, what is a right and what is a wrong response? It’s hard to say. Well good or bad, it has been an eventful year in technology. I can’t wait to see what 2015 brings us! That’s all my time for now. I wish you all a safe and happy New Year! See you again next YEAR... Until then, remember: only safe Internet! Ronnie Bravo Ron can be found at CANMEX Computers. Sales, Repairs, Data Recovery, Networking, Wi-Fi, Hardware upgrades, Graphic Design, House-calls available. www.RonnieBravo.com, Cellular 044-322-157-0688 or just email to Canmex@Gmail.com 30 Nature’s World ISSUE 322 Planting Roots in Mexico By Tommy Clarkson Ruffled Fan Palm Licuala grandis Family: Aracaceae (Also known as Ruffled Fan Leaf Palm, Ruffled Lantan Palm, Palas Palm or Vanuatu Fan Palm) R eading the locales from which the 108 members of the lush Licuala family come is like thinking back to those faraway places, from our youth, that were featured in National Geographic: New Guinea, Borneo, Sarawak, Vanuatu, Sumatra, Moluccas-Sulawesi, Viet Nam, Indonesia, Malaysia, Bougainville, Java, India, the Solomon Islands, Southern China, New Britain Island, the Philippines, Australia and the Northernmost coast of Scotland… “naah” on the latter. I just wanted to see how closely you were reading! They are generally understory palms but – in the wild – may “colonize”, dominating whole areas of vegetation. Depending upon variety, they may be single trunked, clustering or acaulescent - meaning that its trunk is subterranean.) The Ruffled Fan Palm is small to medium in size and palmate-leaved. It is has an attractive, small, single trunk (once in a while found in a clustering form) palm and can be enjoyed in a variety of venues - both indoors and out. Originating in the Republic of Vanuatu, as well as San Cristobal Island and the Santa Cruz Group in the Solomon Islands, one of the foremost reasons for its popularity are those gorgeous, medium to dark green, bright and shiny, undivided, almost circular, notched margin, leaves – 12 to 20 per palm tree. Its Latin name “Grandis”, obviously, means “grand or spectacular.” Appropriately, one of the foremost authorities of palms, Robert Lee Riffle, described them as “among the choicest in the world (with) an elegance matched by few.” Pretty heady compliment I’d say! As a rule it grows up to two to three meters (8-10’) in height. But in its native habitat it may be found at nearly seven meters (30’) tall, with a top width of 2.4 meters (8’). As a rain forest palm, it likes moist, fertile, well draining, sandy/loamy soil. It appreciates high humidity and shade and needs protection, especially from wind, which will tear up its large, corrugated/pleated fronds. Its smooth, gray to almost white trunk is covered in tight, brown, leaf base fibers and is slender – around 3-4 inches (7½ - 10 cm) in diameter. It is marked by closely set leaf base scars in a semicircular ring normally (in “captivity”) not exceeding three meters (10’) in height. This palm’s crowning glory, its fronds, can be up to three feet wide on long, heavy petioles of the same length which, by the way, are armed with small, curved barbs on the lower margins. Its hermaphrodite (bi-sexual) inflorescence is often not seen as it rises from a six inch stalk among the leaves, the berry appearing fruits are round, marble sized and bright red when ripe with only one seed per fruit. This should not be planted as an isolated plant. They are particularly pleasing looking as a multi-height grouping or when planted with complimentary palms and plants. We have two. One is nestled in a more shaded beneath a King Alexander Palm (Archontophoenix alexandre) from The Ruffled Fan Palm is a most desirable addition to your home and garden. The berry appearing fruits of the Licuala grandis are round, marble sized and bright red when ripe with only one seed per fruit. from South-East Asia surrounded by some Tropical American Pepperface (Peperomia obtusifolia) – a delightful shrubby groundcover – and some Australian Xanadu Philodendron beneath a Medjool Date Palm (Phoenix dactylifera) from Iraq and a Bismarck (Bismarchia noblis) that, originally, came from Madagascar. If you try to grow one from a seed, be patient as it may take up to a year to germinate. Once sprouted, it doesn’t gain momentum and is still slow growing. But, one of a bit of size does make a wonderful potted specimen when used as an accent plant indoors or on the courtyard, patio or by the pool – but ensure you give it ample space and indirect sunlight … though once established, it can tolerate considerably more sunshine. I have read about – but never seen – a beautiful variegated leaf variant that grows in Singapore and which I’d dearly love to have in Ola Brisa Gardens! Particularly indoors, the Ruffled Fan Palm may be a bit prone to scale and spider mites however, generally speaking, it has few pest or disease problems. And I suggest that you not only feed your Licuala grandis monthly with a water soluble fertilizer – consider a fish emulsion – but that you clean its leaves occasionally with a damp cloth. It’ll love you for that! Tommy Clarkson One of the foremost reasons for its popularity are those gorgeous, medium to dark green, bright and shiny, undivided, almost circular, notched margin, leaves Australia and an Arikury Palm (Syagrus schizophylla) from Eastern Brazil. The other, receiving more sunlight, is next to its spine-bearing cousin, a Mangrove Fan Palm (Licuala spinosa) Saturday, Dec. 26, 2014, to Friday, Jan. 2, 2015 In Manzanillo, visit Ola Brisa Gardens, Tommy and Patty’s verdant, multiterraced tropical paradise nestled on a hill overlooking the magnificent vista of Santiago Bay. Leisurely meander its curved, paved path, experiencing, first hand, a delicious array of palms, plants and flowers from all over the world. Or, e-mail questions to him at olabrisa@gmail.com For back issues of “Roots”, gardening tips, tropical plant book reviews and videos of numerous, highly unique eco/adventure/ nature tours, as well as memorable “Ultimate Experiences” such a Tropical Garden Brunches and Spa Services, please visit www.olabrisagardens.com ISSUE 322 Brain Teasers The New York Times Tuesday Crossword Puzzle by Kevan Choset / Will Shortz ©New York Times Solution to Crossword on Page 27 SUDOKU! Sudoku is a logic-based placement puzzle. The aim of the puzzle is to enter a numerical digit from 1 through 9 in each row, column and group of squares enclosed by the bold lines (also called a box). Each box must contain each number only once, starting with various digits given in some cells (the “givens”). Each row, column, and region must contain only one instance of each numeral. Completing the puzzle requires patience. It is recommended as therapy because some studies have suggested they might improve memory, attention and problem solving while staving off mental decline and perhaps reducing the risk of Alzheimer’s disease. Solution to Sudoku on Page 27 Saturday, Dec. 26, 2014, to Friday, Jan. 2, 2015 31 ISSUE 322 AEROTRON 226-8440 AIR CANADA 01 800 719-2827 AIR TRANSAT 01 800 900-1431 ALASKA 01 800 252-7522 AMERICAN 01 800 904-6000 CONTINENTAL See United DELTA 01 800 266-0046 FRONTIER 01 800 432-1359 INTERJET 01 800 011-2345 NORTHWEST 01 800 900-0800 UNITED 01 800 864-8331 US AIRWAYS 01 800 428-4322 AEROMEXICO 01 800 021-4000 Saturday, Dec. 26, 2014, to Friday, Jan. 2, 2015
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