New Cooking Club
Do you like to cook? Do you crave a taste you remember from up north? Would you like to meet others who share your passion?
A group of people who enjoy cooking have formed a club to meet once a month for a pot-luck extravaganza.
Members will prepare and share entrees and desserts based on an established theme. Some of the members might be gourmet cooks, some might not. All levels of culinary skills are welcome. The dishes are not judged; organizers say the idea is simply to cook, eat, talk about food and enjoy each other’s company.
The next gathering will be held Tuesday, April 8 at the American Society of Jalisco (Amsoc), at Avenida San Francisco 3233, Colonia Chapalita. The theme for entrees is vegetarian or Asian; the dessert theme is tropical. Set-up is at 11:30 a.m and the buffet will open at noon.
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Film Festival
The official program and screening times for the 29th Guadalajara International Film Festival, running from March 21-30, is now up online at the excellent website www.ficg.mx.
More than 1,500 movies will be screened during an event that has turned into Latin America’s largest cinematic festival and gathering place for producers, directors and distributors. While mainly showcasing Latin American films, there are many options for English-only speakers.
Venues for films include Cinepolis Centro Mango, the Universdad de Guadalajara’s Cineforo, Teatro Diana, the Larva cultural center and Expo Guadalajara, the headquarters of the festival.
Amsoc turns 69
Chefs John Griffen (left) and Cliff Esser cooked filet mignon at the American Society (Amsoc) St. Patrick’s Day luncheon, when members also celebrated the society’s 69th birthday.
‘Cantinflas’
The world premiere of the movie “Cantinflas” takes place on Monday, March 24, 6:30 p.m. in a big tent soon to be erected in Zapopan’s huge Plaza de las Americas. The drama focuses on a period in the Mexican comedian’s early life when he was struggling to make his mark in show business.
Zoo concert
The Orquesta y Coro Comunitario Lomas del Paraíso, a community choir and orchestra made up of children and youth from one of Guadalajara’s most economically challenged neighborhoods, will give a free concert at the Guadalajara Zoo on Sunday, March 23, 3 p.m.
The orchestra and choir were formed six years ago and have grown from 70 to 180 members over this period. Observers say this activity has significantly increased the youngsters’ social, emotional and intellectual health.
The orchestra and choir has performed to large audiences, both in and outside of Guadalajara. Crowds have appreciated their talents at concerts held in the city’s fabled Teatro Degollado and Plaza de la Liberación, while they have also performed in the Mexico City zocalo and in Sonoma, California.
Musical director José Antonio Herrera Ramírez is both an accomplished tenor and violinist. A founding member of the Orquesta Sinfónica Juvenil de Zapopan and Orquesta de Cámara Blas Galindo, he has a degree in Gregorian Song from the Escuela Superior de Música Sacra de Guadalajara.
Sunday’s concert will be held in the zoo’s covered auditorium (auditorio techado). Basic entry costs are 66 pesos for an adult and 40 pesos for a child. Additional attractions (the aquarium, sky zoo, safari masai mara, panoramic train) cost more. The zoo is located at Paseo del Zoológico 600, just off the Calzada Independencia after the Periferico in Colonia Huentitán el Alto.
Rambla Cataluña
The Rambla Cataluña (named after a famous zone in Barcelona, Spain), the pedestrian precinct that adjoins the old Universidad de Guadalajara (UdG) rectory on Avenida Juarez (one block from Enrique Diaz de Leon), is becoming a cool hangout for young people on Thursday evenings now that the university is organizing regular cultural and informative events.
Thursday, March 27, from 7 p.m., a “Big Band” from the UdG Music School will be giving a free concert in the precinct. A week later, April 3, at the same time, there will be demonstrations of contact sports such as mixed martial arts, judo and taekwondo. On April 10, experts in their field will offer a conference about the new tax reforms and obligations that came into effect at the beginning of this year.
Jalisco Open
Tennis fans should head over to Guadalajara’s Centro Panamericano de Tenis (next to the Metropolitano Park) for the ATP Jalisco Open, which takes place from Tuesday, March 25 to Sunday, March 30. Play is scheduled each day at 2, 4, 6 and 8:30 p.m., except on Sunday, when the doubles final begins at noon and the singles final at 2 p.m.