Quizzes
Niños Incapacitados del Lago has made the Trivia Quiz event an annual tradition. This year, the date is Saturday, January 15 at the Salon Eucaliptos at Hotel Real de Chapala in La Floresta. The afternoon quiz will begin at 2 p.m. and the evening quiz at 6:30 p.m. No food will be provided, so bring your own munchies. A cash bar will open 30 minutes before each quiz session.
Tickets for the afternoon quiz are 250 pesos each and for the evening quiz are 300 pesos each. All tickets must be paid for in advance. Contact Dawn McGinnis at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or Kari Higgins at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Tickets can be paid for and picked up at Riviera Alta on January 4, 7 and 9 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Contestants create a team of eight and give themselves a name or, if someone wants to come on their own or with a friend, Niños Incapacitados will seat them with another partial team. There will be a wide variety of questions projected onto easily visible screens around the room.
This is a very popular event. Reserve your tickets now!
Shopping spree
The Lake Chapala Society bus trip set for Wednesday, December 19 is destined for Plaza Galerias in Guadalajara.
The mall itself contains Liverpool, Sears, Best Buy and The Home Store, while Walmart, Sam’s, Costco and Mega adjoin the plaza. There are also dozens of smaller outlets for holiday shopping, including Sanborn’s, C&A, Radio Shack, Benetton, Arnoldis (fine chocolates), Juguetron (toys), an Apple Store and Mixup (CDs and DVDs). Restaurants include Applebee’s, Outback Steakhouse, Chili’s and Italiannis. There are two Starbucks, a Black Coffee, Krispy Kreme and a large food court. La Europea (liquor store) will be well stocked with seasonal options.
The bus leaves promptly at 9 a.m. from the sculpture in La Floresta and returns from Costco at 3:30 p.m. Tickets are 200 pesos. Sign up at the LCS table Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Cruz Roja bus
The next bus trip sponsored by Cruz Roja is set for Tuesday, December 18 to the exclusive Andares Mall in Guadalajara. The bus leaves from the La Floresta sculpture at 2 p.m., and returns at 8 p.m. There will be plenty of time for shopping and dining at the beautifully decorated shops, fine restaurants and boutiques. The price is 200 pesos and tickets are now on sale at the Cruz Roja table at the Lake Chapala Society.
Seminar
The Tuesday, December 11 seminar for Lake Chapala Society members will be chaired by Fred Harland at noon.
It will feature (via TED Internet podcast) entomologist Marcel Dickie, who asks, “Why not eat insects?” In this fascinating podcast Dickie argues that insects can be delicious, are eaten in 80 percent of the world, are very nutritious and could solve the problem of having enough food to feed the growing population.
Regalorama
St. Andrew’s Anglican Church is shouting a big “thank you” to everyone who helped make Regalorama 2012 such a huge success. They say thanks to the workers, cooks, bakers, jam makers, sales people in every department and those who went out into the community to truck in goods and spread the word. And, of course, thanks to all who donated goods. The proceeds from this giant sale will be to Lakeside charities.
Democrats
There will be no Democrats Abroad meeting in December. The officers are taking some time off after their big push to get folks registered and voting in November. The next meeting will be on January 14, 4 p.m. at La Nueva Posada in Ajijic. The purpose will be a call for volunteers to form a nominating committee in preparation for selecting new officers to serve for the next two years.
Lecture
“Modern Mexico – So Much More than We Think” is a free PowerPoint presentation open to the public on Monday, December 19, 2 p.m. in the LCS Sala.
Richard Rhoda will give this update of a lecture he gave last winter from the book “Geo-Mexico: The Geography and Dynamics of Modern Mexico” that he co-authored with Tony Burton in 2010. The lecture will cover the economy, social issues, drug wars, climate change, volcanoes, immigration, biodiversity, ethnic groups, monopolies and such. Contact Rhoda at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 766-4522.
Canadian Club
The Canadian Club of Lake Chapala will throw their holiday bash on Tuesday, December 11, 3 p.m. at La Nueva Posada in Ajijic. Rafael Buico will be on hand with great holiday music. Bring your own favorite holiday treats to share during the program. Yearly club fees are 180 pesos per person. This includes four 25-peso drink tickets for beer, wine or soft drinks. Guests pay 50 pesos each. Everyone is welcome.
Cancelled
The classes taught by Baruch Rand at the Lake Chapala Jewish Congregation have been cancelled due to Rand’s current health situation. Look for information on the continuation of these classes in this column next week.
Singles
Lake Chapala Society (LCS) Singles will host a Holiday Bash on the back patio of LCS on Sunday, December 16 from 3:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. A light holiday buffet will be served featuring petite turkey sandwiches, meatballs, quiche dips, chips and holiday treats. Live music will be provided by The Gene Rivers band for dancing from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.
Tickets for the event are 100 pesos in advance and 150 pesos at the door and will include one free drink. There will also be a no-host bar throughout the evening. Purchase tickets at a table set up at LCS for the purpose from December 3 to December 14, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. or at Diane Pearl Colecciones.
Flyboys
The “Flyboys” of 904 (Lake Chapala-Mexico) Wing of the Air Force Association of Canada recently held their annual Welcome Back Snowbirds BBQ. The event was held at the San Pedro Restaurant at Plaza de la Ribera. One hundred and five people attended, thanks to the hard work of President Ron Hudson and his executive board.
The affair was catered by Chef Hector España of Manix Restaurant and everyone loved it. Daniel Ibarra and his staff did an excellent job with the set up and bar service.
Canadian Consul Yvonne Chin and her husband David Gauthier attended as did Rafael Hernandez Rivera, president of the Asociacion de la Escuela Militar de Aviacion and several members of their group.
Support group
There will be a Fibromyalgia/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome support group meeting every second Thursday of the month, 2 p.m. at the Lake Chapala Society (LCS). The first meeting will be on December 13. All are welcome.
St. Andrew’s Anglican
Every year on this third Sunday before Christmas, even as we light the candle for peace on the Advent Wreath, John the Baptizer turns up with a very un-peaceful and un Christmas-y message: REPENT! Is he raining on our holiday parade? Or is John’s message the very one necessary to guarantee the authentic joyfulness of the season? These questions lie at the heart of this week’s sermon at St.Andrew’s, “Jesus and the Dust Bunnies.” Worship at St. Andrew’s begins at 9 a.m. or 11 a.m. every Sunday. Between the services there is a time of fellowship, welcome and refreshment to which all are invited. St. Andrew’s is located at Calle San Lucas 19, just one block south (toward the lake) of the Carretera in Riberas del Pilar.
Unitarians
The Lake Chapala Unitarian Universalist Fellowship meets each Sunday at 10:30 a.m. at Sta. Margarita 113 in Riberas del Pilar. The presentation on Sunday, December 9 will be given by Mary Helen Montgomery. It is entitled “What is Community? How do we make it happen? What is co-housing? Is there co-housing in Mexico?” What is an ecovillage and are there any in Mexico?” There will be a coffee hour following the service. For more information please call 766-1119 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Christ Church Anglicans
Christ Church will celebrate the Second Sunday of Advent on December 9 with the Holy Eucharist Rite II at the Little Chapel by the Lake at 9:30 a.m. The theme of Father Danny Borkowski’s sermon is “Repentance,” based on Luke 3:1-6. There will be a time of joint fellowship for the congregations of Christ Church and the Little Chapel by the Lake after the 9:30 a.m. service and before Little Chapel by the Lake’s 11:15 a.m. service.
Many folks from each congregation and their friends will meet at the Little Chapel by the Lake at 12:15 p.m. to go to San Juan Tecomatlan in convoy. This village is a mission of the Little Chapel. Join in the fun for the wonderful posada planned there.
Presbyterians
The title of Pastor Ross Arnold’s December 9 sermon at Lakeside Presbyterian Church is “Al Light in the Darkness,” based on Luke 3: 1-6. The message will be about the enormity of what it means that God came into the world as a baby at Christmas and how much more significant it is than Santa, pine trees, midnight sales and all the rest that most of us have come to think of as Christmas.
The Sunday worship service begins at 10 a.m.. The free lunch after the service will begin about 11:15 a.m. There will also be a free luncheon on December 8 between noon and 2 p.m. for those who want to view the nativity scene collection that’s being exhibited at the church. The last day of the display will be Sunday, December 9.
Pastor Ross and his wife Carolyn Hansen will host a Christmas Open House on Sunday afternoon, December 16 between 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. at Ocampo 200 in Ajijic. Everyone is welcome. Mark your calendars for the community Christmas Eve service at 4 p.m. on December 24. There will be carol-singing, a children’s Christmas pageant and lots of holiday goodies.
Lakeside Presbyterian Church is located on the mountain side of the Carretera in Riberas del Pilar next to S&S Auto and Bubba’s Restaurant.