New stores
The upscale Andares Mall in Zapopan was all abuzz Thursday as consumer electronics chain Best Buy opened its third store in the Guadalajara metropolitan area.
The U.S. firm currently employs 1,000 people at its eight stores in Mexico. That figure should double by the end of next year, when Best Buy expects to have 16 outlets operating throughout the country.
Best Buy boasts that it offers around 25,000 products in its stores. The existing outlets in Guadalajara are in the Plaza Galerias and the Ciudadela Lifestyle Center at Avenida Patria and Moctezuma.
Meanwhile, Wal-mart was not to be outdone, opening a new Superama store in the Bugambilias subdivision.
Monster trucks
Veteran U.S. drivers will be at the wheel as the Monster Showdown Backflip Tour comes to town on Saturday, and Sunday, December 10 and 11 at the VFG Arena.
There will be various race categories for the monster trucks, which can weigh up to 4.5 tons.
Sometimes described as motorized professional wrestling, monster truck shows are designed to set the adrenaline running and inevitably feature dozens of unpredictable and heart-stopping moments.
The Guadalajara show will showcase the usual kind of monster races that are so popular in the United States, as well as a thrilling freestyle finale. And, of course, there will be the amazing truck backflips.
The action begins on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 1 p.m. The VFG Arena is located on the Guadalajara-Chapala highway at kilometer 16, about five miles past the city airport. Tickets cost 190 to 470 pesos. They are available at the door or from www.ticketmaster.com.mx or (33) 3818-3800.
Heartbreak
Tapatia Cynthia Valdez may have stolen local hearts after winning two gold medals in the rhythmic gymnastics competition in the recent Pan American Games but she may be facing heartbreak as far as the 2012 London Olympics are concerned.
The Mexican Gymnastics Federation (FMG) applied for Valdez to be given one of four wild-card entries into the Olympics based on her success in the Guadalajara games. The International Gymnastics Federation, however, apparently is not so impressed and says her less-than triumphant showing in the recent World Championships is a more important factor to consider.
Valdez is ranked 38th in the world and there are several other gymnasts above her who may be deemed as more deserving of a place in the Olympics.
Julie Zetin of the United States, who won three golds at the Pan Ams here in October, is ranked 34th in the world and is more or less guaranteed one of the four wild-card picks. One must go to a gymnast from Africa and another to one from the Oceania region. The final pick is categorized as a “political” decision but despite making a strong case to the International Federation, Gustavo Salazar, president of the FMG, admits there’s only a “very small possibility” of Valdez getting chosen. Valdez has missed out on the previous two Olympics, even though she has won more Pan American Games medals than any other gymnast.
Darkness Dinner
La Cena en la Oscuridad (the Darkness Dinner) took place November 30 in the patio of the Cabañas Cultural Institute. Distinguished guests were given blindfolds to wear to recreate the sensation of being blind. The aim of the dinner was to create awareness about the disability. Of the 290,000 Jaliscienses with a disability, an estimated 19 percent suffer from some kind of visual impairment.
Hunger Banquet
The 20th annual Hunger Banquet took place this week to raise money for the 600,000 people in Jalisco in need of proper nutrition.
The banquet is organized by Guadalajara Food Bank (BDA) to raise awareness in society about poverty and raise funds to provide food assistance in the state.
The attendees, who included Government Secretary Fernando Guzman Perez Pelaez and Cardinal Juan Sandoval Iniguez, paid 1,500 pesos for a simple plate of refried beans, nopales and panela cheese.
BDA President Jose Luis Ramirez Pelayo said the statewide network of 16 food banks currently serves just ten percent of people who live in hunger in Jalisco, while Sara Topelson, the assistant director of the Ministry of Social Development, added that hunger is a nagging problem that requires coordinated action between the state and civil society.
Social awards
The Jalisco Institute of Social Welfare (IJAS) held its eighth annual awards ceremony at the University of Guadalajara Auditorium this week, with the three winning charities each receiving checks for 300,000 pesos.
The award for Regional Social Institution went to the Casa de Niños Corazón de Ángel, which was founded 20 years ago to provide support for victims of child abuse.
The award for best Metropolitan Area Social Institution was won by the Organismo de Nutrición Infantil (ONI), which has supplied nutritious milk to children living in extreme poverty for 57 years. The agency helps around 6,500 children a month in its 64 centers.
Finally, the Social Benefactor Award was presented to Irma Levy Salido, president of Pro Salud Mental Jalisco, which supports people with mental disorders and their families.