World AIDS Day
Ajijic Cares, an organization that promotes safe sex to Lakeside young people and seeks to destigmatize HIV/AIDS in the community while supporting awareness and treatment, will hold an event Friday, December 1, 5 p.m. at the amphitheater on the Ajijic malecon.
A brief presentation will demonstrate the need for ongoing education and provide specific examples of how your donation benefits the local community with free diagnostic testing and counseling. For more information or to contribute directly, contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..">This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Holiday fare
The Lake Chapala Society (LCS) is holding its annual Holiday Fair Friday and Saturday, December 1 and 2, from 1-6 p.m. Support local artisans and peruse the variety of beautiful handicrafts, just in time for the gift giving season.
Last year, 40 booths featured handmade goods, jewelry, paintings, candles, photography, pottery and more, all created by local and nearby artists. The LCS Children’s Art program will offer a selection of more than 80 cards from their holiday catalog, as well as other children’s art for sale. The CREM Music School will hold a performance December 1, 4 p.m. and the Lake Chapala Chorale will perform December 2, 5 p.m. Entrance to the Holiday Fair is 20 pesos, children aged 12 and under enter free.
Brits meet
The Lakeside British Society holds its monthly luncheon Saturday, December 2, 1 p.m. at Manix Restaurant, Ocampo 57 in Ajijic.
Menu choices begin with a small salad or carrot soup; choice of shepherd’s pie with chips and gravy or grilled fish fillet with almond sauce or spaghetti arrabiata or a large salad. Dessert is lemon tart. The cost is 150 pesos plus tip.
Contact Sue Morris at 766-0847 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to confirm your attendance and menu choice.
Run for love
Fundraising 5- and 10-kilometer runs will be held Sunday, December 3 to benefit the Casa Hogar children’s home and the Tepehua Community Center. The races start at the Chapala Malecon sail statue at 8:30 a.m.
First place in the 10K event wins 500 pesos, and 150 pesos in the 5K children’s run. Register (100 pesos adults, 20 pesos children) at the Clinic Ibarra or on the day of the event at 7 a.m.
Open Circle
Rev. Don Beaudreault presents “Variation on a Theme Called Life” at the next meeting of Open Circle at the Lake Chapala Society, Sunday, December 3, 10:30 a.m. to noon.
How might we live amicably with the paradoxes of human existence? In his book “The Denial of Death,” Ernest Becker writes that we are “out of nature and hopelessly in it … dual, up in the stars and yet housed in a heart-pumping, breath-gasping body that once belonged to a fish.” Some people, including our presenter, choose “mystical humanism” to help them with this paradox; it is a variation on the theme called life. Beaudreault will also share his jazz piano talent with us.
Beaudreault served as a minister to Unitarian Universalist congregations throughout the United States and England for nearly 40 years. Before that, he was an English teacher in the Philippines and Iran. He is a professional jazz pianist who has raised money for innumerable causes. He is also an award-winning author, actor, marathon runner, global traveler and addicted-to-karaoke singer.
For more information, go to opencircleajjic.org.
A bone for Xmas?
Lucky Dog Rescue and Adoption Center has booked Santa Claus to pose for holiday portraits. The dogs can be photographed by professional photographer, Cathie Simon, in Christmas or Mexican props. All proceeds go to the care of homeless street dogs found wandering in the Lakeside area.
The fun takes place Tuesday, December 5, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Yves Restaurant and again on Saturday, December 9, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Chapala Country Club, Vista del Lago.
Enjoy lunch in a beautiful setting while your pet’s photo with Santa is being printed.
The cost is 300 pesos for your choice of one 8x10-, two 5x7- or four 4x5-inch prints, and 350 pesos for two or more dogs in one photo.
Bring a small gift to be put under the Lucky Dog Christmas tree.
LCS seminar
Lake Chapala Society members are invited to attend a TED seminar, titled “Can We Break Habbits by Being More Curious About them,” Tuesday, December 5, noon to 1:15 p.m. in the LCS Sala.
Psychiatrist Judson Brewer studies the relationship between mindfulness and addiction. From smoking to overeating and beyond, Brewer looks at the many things we do that aren’t good for us and looks at how to curb the urge to do them.
Introduction to Spanish
The Lake Chapala Society offers this casual class for the beginner to members only. It covers the Spanish alphabet, simple vocabulary and phrases useful about town, and information about Lakeside and Mexican culture. The class starts Tuesday, December 5 and continues for three weeks. Due to popular demand, two sessions will be offered in December: noon to 1:30 p.m. and 2 to 3 p.m. Learning materials are provided and tuition is 175 pesos. Sign up at the LCS office or at www.lakechapalasociety.com.
Fashion Show
The School for Special Children in Jocotepec is holding its annual auction/fashion show and sale fundraiser Thursday, December 7, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Restaurant Las Caballerizas Coxal in the Raquet Club in San Juan Cosala. Tickets, 300 pesos including lunch, are available at Diane Pearl, Mia’s Boutique and Casi Nuevo. Email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to reserve tables of ten.
LCS bus trips
Thursday, December 7, LCS heads to Guadalajara’s upscale Andares mall. The cost is 350 pesos for members and 450 pesos for non-members. The bus leaves La Floresta at 10 a.m. Sign up at the LCS office. Upcoming bus trips include: Costco/Galerias Mall on December 18 and Tlaquepaque on December 27.
Toys
The 4th annual Lake Chapala Toy Run to benefit children in the Chapala barrio of Tepehua will be held Saturday, December 16, beginning with breakfast at the American Legion Post 7, 10 a.m. and then leaving at noon to bring the toys to the plaza in Tepehua.
Both cars and motorcycles from any club or group are welcome to the ride. Cash donations can be made at the Legion, the Iron Horse Bar, Just Chillin’ and Love and Fishes. Toys can be dropped off at the above-mentioned places and Perry’s Pizza, La Mision, Casa Domenech, El Jardin de Ninette, the Canadian Royal Legion, Have Hammers, Adelita’s Bar and Grill, Christine’s and Mama’s Bar.
All the proceeds benefit the children of Tepehua. Sponsors of this toy run are American Legion Post 7 and Los Güeros Motorcycle Club.
LCS Trivia Quiz
The Lake Chapala Society holds its annual “Judy King” Lakeside Trivia Quiz, a “fun”draiser for the LCS annual fund drive Sunday, December 17, 2- 5 p.m. on the Neil James Patio. This event is in the form of the popular trivia competitions held in the area, with one critical exception: all questions will relate to lakeside/Mexican trivia.
Sign your team of six up now in the LCS office for 250 pesos per person. Prizes are given for first and second place. If you don’t have a team, you can be paired with others. Test your knowledge and have fun competing with the smartest people in town.
King has challenged herself to help LCS offer this unique twist to the popular Trival Pursuit game. There will be more than 60 questions to tantalize even the most adept trivia whiz, sych as: “Who is the world’s leading authority on Mexican cuisine?”
Are you up for the challenge? Limited space, sign up now!
Garden Club
On Wednesday, December 20, the Lake Chapala Garden Club will celebrate Christmas in an ancient tribal setting at Tahawi, a luxury hotel and event complex in Riberas del Pilar founded on the site of the Wixarika (Huichol) tribe’s holy place. (Tahawi stands for the Huichol words for fire, earth and water.)
‘’As the finale of the club’s 40th year celebrations, we plan to make a major Christmas splash,” said Garden Club Events Director Karen Calderon, who chose the venue to hold the 2017 Christmas party for the club’s 147 members and their guests.
Set in luscious grounds with overtones of paradise, Tahawi is the brain child of two brothers from Guadalajara, Juan Jose and Juan Francisco Cordoba. “We aim to celebrate the past and raise awareness of a previous age here in Mexico by attracting a large international clientele, to enjoy all the luxuries of now,” said Juan Francisco.
Manix of Ajijic will cater the menu with traditional turkey and dessert. Tickets, 300 pesos, are on sale at Calderon’s home (Paso de la Colima 5, upper La Floresta) between noon and 2 p.m. Call her at 333-969-0464 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for more information.
Buddhists
The Heart of Awareness Insight Meditation Community offers meditation opportunities several times each week. December 3, the meditation center is open from 9 a.m. until noon for three rounds of sitting and walking meditation. Participants are welcome to come for all or part of this extended practice period. There are two additional hour-long silent meditation opportunities each week: Mondays, 9-10 a.m. and Thursdays, 11 a.m. to noon.
The Community’s regular meditation and teaching session is Wednesdays from 3:30 p.m. The formal schedule begins 4 p.m. Wednesday, December 6, meditation will be followed with reflections on the first of the four brahma-viharas (divine abidings), which represent the most beautiful and hopeful aspects of our human nature. They are mindfulness practices that protect the mind from falling into habitual patterns of reactivity which belie our best intentions. Beginning with loving-kindness, presentations at the community in December will focus on cultivating these mind states, which also include compassion, appreciative joy and equanimity.
For more information, see heartofawareness.org, or call Janet Reichert, 331-043-4669.
START YOUR BIDS
Bidding in a silent auction to benefit the Jaltepec Education Center for a sterling silver pendant, titled “Giving Hand,” begins Friday, December 1. Bids for this unique piece of jewelry, by Ajijic sculptor Estela Hidalgo, start at 5,000 pesos. Bids for the “Riding this New Wave of Life,” earrings by jeweler Helen Shepherd (above), begin at 2,500 pesos. Bidding will proceed at 100-peso increments. Send your bids to Linda Buckthorp at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..">This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Each day, bidders will receive a notice of that day’s highest bid via email. Once no more bids come in, the winning bids will be announced. The pieces are available for viewing with Maira, the receptionist at Multiva in Ajijic.