Papirolas
The Expo Guadalajara hosts the 18th edition of Papirolas, a creative festival for children and young people, from Wednesday, April 24 to Sunday, April 28.
Through fun, innovative and educational activities, Papirolas aims “to contribute to the cultural, creative, educational, intellectual and physical development” of young people and “promote universal human values and social awareness.” Organized by the University of Guadalajara (UdeG), the event features art and comic exhibitions, animation, technology and 50-minute workshops.
The first Papirolas was held in 1995 as part of Guadalajara’s annual International Book Fair (FIL), and previous editions have been held in public plazas and the UdeG’s Calle 2 venue.
Tickets cost 40 pesos for adults and children over three years old. The event is open from 1 p.m. to 8 p.m. on April 24 to 26 and from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. on April 27 and 28. The Expo is located at Av. Mariano Otero 1499, corner of Av. de las Rosas. For more information visit www.papirolas.udg.mx.
Beware phony vets
If you take your pooch to the Metropolitano Park at the weekends – as hundreds do – beware of phony veterinarians offering anti-rabies shots. Neighbors suspect that two women dressed in white coats, who have been administering vaccines in and around the park, are not bona-fide vets.
According to some reports, when questioned, the women, who charge 80 pesos for the shots, have failed to explain which clinic they belong to. Neither do they carry identification showing that they are part of any government sponsored program.
Loving homes needed
A month-old, grey-eyed girl (pictured above) needs a home right away, says Santa Teresita veterinarian Juan Carlos Mora.
“Cats need to be socialized within their first few months,” says Mora, who worked for years at the Guadalajara Zoo. His son Emilio rescued the kitty from under a car and she and a handful of other pets now attract visitors into their small vet office. The kitten is playful and affectionate, but lonely at night in the office.
“Many people in Mexico think cats are bad, and even associate them with the devil,” says Mora. “People kill females more than males,” adds Emilio, thinking they will cause cat overpopulation.
The healthy kitten, still unnamed, is free to a good home. Mora hopes the owner will eventually sterilize and vaccinate the kitty, “but it doesn’t have to be with me.”
Mora is also offering for adoption a long-haired grey kitten, 4 months old, a two-year old black female toy-miniature poodle with very silky fur, and a beautiful frisky white adult rabbit. “Rabbits are clean and gentle and like to be handled. They can be paper or litter trained,” he said.
“People constantly abandon animals in front of my office,” he added. Bernardo de Balbuena 417 near Hererra y Cairo, (33) 3125-6076.
Empty bowls event
The American School Foundation of Guadalajara will host an Empty Bowls event on Thursday, April 25, 5-8 p.m.. Empty Bowls events are hosted around the world as part of an international campaign against hunger.
The idea is for American School students and staff to make hand-made ceramic bowls that will be sold during the event. Guests will then purchase a bowl and enjoy a delicious meal of soup and bread. The bowls are taken home to serve as a reminder of the hunger that exists in Guadalajara and the need for action.
Attendees will also have the opportunity to bid on bowls made by local artists during a silent auction. The proceeds will go to the Organismo de Nutricion Infantil (ONI), which is committed to providing children with the nutrition they need during their formative years.
Dance festival
Guadalajara’s second Festival de Danza kicks off Saturday, April 20, 5 p.m. at the Museo Raúl Anguiano (Mariano Otero 375, Colonia Moderna) with presentations by metro area dance groups, as well as troupes from Michoacan and Guanajuato. More than 60 groups will take part in the week-long festival at various sites around the city. The festival is organized by the Consejo Estatal para la Cultura y las Artes (CECA). Unfortunately, at press time (two days before the event) a full schedule had still not been released. Call CECA at 3614-6864 for more information.