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LAKESIDE LIVING

Sandy Olson
Phone: 331-283-8529
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

June 2018

 

OPEN CIRCLE
Sunday morning finds many Lakeside residents at the Lake Chapala Society and Open Circe, a forum on a variety of stimulating topics. A social hour with coffee and snacks at 10 am is followed by an interesting lecture and discussion at 10:30.
June 10  Experiences with Sathya Sai Baba
Presented by Michael Warren
This is a story of an academic and spiritual journey. Michael and his late wife Marianne were devotees of the Indian guru Sathya Sai Baba for almost two decades during the 1980s and 1990s. Their first of eight visits to his ashram near Bangalore was in 1980.  At that time, Marianne was working on her PhD and her topic was the enigmatic saint Shirdi Sai Baba, who died in 1918.  Sathya Sai Baba claimed to be his reincarnation. Michael will talk about life in the ashram, classical Indian philosophy, and the charismatic guru Sathya Sai Baba himself.
Michael is a poet and playwright and has published his collected poems under the title A Particular Blue. He is a member of the Not Yet Dead Poets Society and is also a contributor to their 2017 anthology Romancing the Muse. Michael and Marianne were among the original founders of Open Circle—a spin-off from the New Dimensions group—in 2001.
June 17  Gratitude, Forgiveness, and the Spiritual Path
Presented by Gale Park


Gale Park


This presentation explores the subject from the viewpoints of several traditions, including Buddhist, Native American, Christian, and New Age thought. It delves into the ways gratitude and forgiveness enhance spiritual growth, personal health and happiness and suggests ways to begin to forgive the seemingly unforgivable.
Gale Park is a writer and artist who particularly enjoys writing and teaching about spirituality. She has studied and drawn inspiration from many spiritual traditions but has focused on the study of shamanism and druidry since the year 2000. Her shamanic teachers have included a Peruvian curandera, a ceremonialist in the Native American tradition, an eleventh generation Siberian shaman and an internationally known Peruvian shaman.
June 24    Rementia: New Choices for New Agers
Presented by Kassandra King, BA, NHA, RCFE


Kassandra King


Kassandra’s presentation will focus on creating new possibilities outside the traditional clinical model of care for those wishing to stay at Lakeside throughout the travails of aging.
She will introduce options based on communal cooperation and the individual’s psychosocial needs.  
Kassandra’s interest in this field began as a volunteer at a young age. She enjoys the wisdom of elders and uses her natural abilities to connect with the cognitively impaired. With a BA and certification in longterm care administration, Kassandra has worked as a nursing home administrator at Alzheimer’s care facilities.  As Public Policy and Education Director, Kassandra served at two chapters of the Alzheimer’s Association. She spends her time between San Diego and Lakeside, doing private consulting and rementia care training. Her first published book Getting REAL about Alzheimer’s—Rementia through Engagement, Assistance, and Love, comes from 25 years of experience.
July 1  Who are you going to believe?  Me or your own eyes? Attention today.
Presented by Phil Rylett
We don’t pay that much attention in our daily lives. Why should we? It’s exhausting!  And distractions are fun! But whether we are enjoying having our attention misdirected in a magic show or having our attention manipulated by crafty politicians, our attention is very important to a lot of people we interact with. Someone is paying attention. But it is not us.
Phil Rylett is chair of The Lakeside Freethinkers and regularly presents topics on how we think. And how we think we think. A native of UK, Phil has an accent which gives him more credence than he deserves. Don’t be fooled.
VIVA LA MUSICA GOES TO THE PHILHARMONIC
Here is the schedule for the next two months for the Jalisco Philharmonic performances at the Teatro Degollado.
Sunday, June 10 Balakirev Oriental Fantasy. Also Rimsky-Korsakov, Khachaturian, and Aruthurian: trumpet concerto. Marco Parisotto conducting. The bus leaves at 10:30 am for the 12:30 pm performance.
Sunday, June 19 Gustav Mahler Sixth Symphony. Marco Parisotto conducting. The bus leaves at 10:30 am.
Friday, June 29 Gustav Mahler Ninth Symphony.  Marco Parisotto conducting. This concert is in the new Conjunto de Artes Escenicas. The bus leaves at 5:30 pm for the. 8:30 concert. The ticket price for this trip is $600 and $700 for non-members.
Thursday, July 5 Mozart Concert for Three Pianos. Liszt, Beethoven (Wellington’s Victory).  The group stops for dinner in the restaurant district of Guadalajara. The bus leaves at 4:30 pm for the 8:30 performance.
Sunday, July 10.  Brahms Violin Concerto, and Bartok. Marco Parisotto conducting. The bus leaves at 10:30 am for the 12:30 performance.
Tickets will be available at the Lake Chapala Society Thursdays and Fridays from 10 to noon or  call Rosemary Keeling at 766.1801. The cost for Viva bus trips to the Degollado is $450 ($550 for non-members), except for the June 29 concert at the new Conjunto.  Buses leave from the carretera near Farmacia Guadalajara.
LOCAL BOYS MAKE GOOD
Two Have Hammer Will Travel alumni have found full time employment.  President Michel Ouimet tells us that Calvin Reyes, who was a student in the HH carpentry shop for three years, is working for Honest Abe, a shop on the carretera on the way to San Nicolas (next to Oh Shirt!)  Calvin is working there on furniture repair, kitchen renovation and shelf construction, under the supervision of Maestro Abráham Cortés.
Michel praises Calvin: “He’s very smart and focused, a quick learner and is extremely mature.”


Calvin Reyes and Maestro Abráham Cortés


Calvin was born in the US and spent his early years there. He’s almost 15 years old. Here, he had a little shop at home while he was a student.  He produced and sold such items as shelves and double toilet paper holders at the Great Chili  Cookoff
Another success story is Jorge Andres. He started in classes around age 10 when they were held at the Lake Chapala Society. HH member Richard Banbach says, “I remember him vividly. The kids were always poking each other.”
Jorge works for Maestro Lalo Robledo and has been there for over a year.  He was born in Ajijic. His father died about ten years ago.


Jorge Andres and Maestro Lalo Robledo


He is a jack of all trades, according to Richard.  “Lalo gives him a job and he works very well without supervision. He’s very focused and responsible.”
Note: Swing by the Have Hammer workshop in Riberas del Pilar  some morning  and take a look at their furniture catalogs. Lalo is a master craftsman and can replicate anything you may want to order.
SHUT UP AND & WRITE!
One of the books aspiring writers turn to is Writing Down the Bones, by Natalie Goldberg.  One of her phrases is an effort to encourage writing by saying “Shut  up and write!”
That inspirational comment led to the formation of popular SUAW groups all over the world  For instance, in my home town of San Francisco there are 5683 members. How it works: people get together at cafes for timed writings, two or three for 25 minutes each. (I don’t know of any cafes that hold 5683 people but they get that handled, somehow).They normally meet once a week.
Here in Ajijic the group meets on Wednesdays from 1-3 pm at LA133 in San Antonio, at Independence 133 by the plaza.  New members are welcome.
Organizer Joanna Babiak says, “We welcome all writers of any ilk. No prompts, critiques or instruction. Just two or three 25 minute sessions of writing. That’s it, that’s all, besides an initial meeting and greet before we set the timer and totally optional sharing or other writer talk between sessions. Writers are free to join us for 1, 2 or all 3 twenty five minute sessions.”


Left to right: Joaanna Babiak, Carol Vandenheuvel, Gale Park, Camala Devi and Jeremy Monroe.


Check the main website: www.shutupwrite.com.  For local information, call Joanna at 331.739.8479 or email her at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
LOOK UP!
Patrons of Luz (aka the “dollar store”), on the south side of the Ajijic Plaza, will notice a new mural recently unveiled as a celebration of the Lake Chapala Garden Club’s 40th birthday.
Artist Isidro Xiloti , who created this  bright new work,  is the author of some of the best murals to be seen around town. ‘He is a highly talented man. He is certainly the best choice of artist for the job,” said Beto Munoz, Director of the Centro Cultural Ajijic.
Juan Manuel Briones, owner of Luz, thanked the Garden Club for choosing his business. ’’We are now a big attraction for tourists with their cameras.The new mural has been a great boost for our business.”


Isidro Xiloti, Juan Manuel Briones, Judie Keck, President LCGC, Beto Munoz (Photo by Amanda Murray)


ROMANCE IN THE VILLAGE
Viva la Musica begins its summer concert series, “Romance in the Village,” at the home of Rosemary and John Keeling  on Thursday, June 21 at 4 pm.  A champagne reception at 3:30 will be followed by a program featuring The Marval Duo, Roberto Markus on violin and Rosa Maria Valdez, piano.
He is from Slovakia and she is from Sinaloa, Mexico. They will be playing a program of music from Mexico, Spain and Slovakia.
Tickets will be available at the Lake Chapala Society Thursdays and Fridays from 10 to noon and also at Diane Pearl Colecciones and Mia’s boutique, The cost is $500.  The address and map will be on the ticket.
WE GET TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENED
The play by Lucas Hnath, A Doll’s House, Part 2, picks up where Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll’s House leaves off.  The protagonist Nora slams a door shut at the end of Ibsen’s play and now we find out what happened next. She has become successful and now wants a divorce. Her husband Torvald needs to sign the legal papers.  This play received eight 2017 Tony Award nominations.  We won’t want to miss this one.
It’s directed by Lila Wells.  The show runs June 29, 30 and July 1.


Fred Koesling, Kathleen Pharis, Sharon Lowry, Jennifer Wisniewski, director Lila Wells


The Box Office and bar open at 3 p.m. Reservations are by email at: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..  For those who use Facebook, look for The Naked Stage for breaking news and updates. 
The Naked Stage is at Hidalgo #261 on the mountain side of the carretera in Riberas del Pilar, across from the Catholic Church. Parking is available in the parking lot of the Baptist Church, behind the theater.
PAT Y PACO
If you happened to be strolling on the beach near Maria Isabel restaurant last month you might have seen the filming of the final stage of a 40-minute narrative film titledPat y Paco. It is, to oversimplify, the story of two boys and a stolen bicycle and what happens next.
Director John Friesen says. “Pat y Paco unfolds in the magical realism Latin storytelling tradition. It’s an authentic community project with an all volunteer cross-cultural cast and crew—Mexicans, Americans and Canadians.  It’s a true labour of love, with everyone including the director, writer and a top, award-winning cinematographer contributing their professional skills and talent without pay.”
In the pictures taken during camera rehearsal are (left to right) actor Yves (well known restaurateur), director/writer John Friesen, and camera operators Lawrence Matez and Brad Gorman, Missing from the picture is Jennifer Munoz, the production co-ordinator who has been with the project since filming began two years ago.


Director Friesen tells us the film will be completed some time in 2019. It’ll be shown in various venues in the Lakeside area and in film festivals in Mexico, Canada, United States and Europe. Check this interesting website: patypacoproject.com. It’s updated regularly.
MARK YOUR CALENDARS
We’ve heard from the planners of Feria 2018, which is November 2-11 this year. The feria is where shoppers find high quality Mexican folk art:  clothing,  alebrijes,  pottery, jewelry and lots of other goods. Artists come from all over Mexico for this event.
Feria Maestros del Arte’s website www.mexicoartshow.com gives information on all aspects of the Feria - even hosting.
For Feria questions (general information, volunteering, artists), contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

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