Open Circle
Al Lopez will present “Mental Mechanics: Fast Track to Much Greater Mental Clarity and Life Enjoyment“ at the next meeting of Open Circle, Sunday, September 9, 10:30 a.m., on the patio of the Lake Chapala Society (LCS).
By the time you were three, you could understand and speak a language (and you could have learned more languages). Also, you had learned to walk and run (and you could have learned to swim and play an instrument, too). Can you imagine how much more you would have progressed in your life had you continued to learn at that rate every three years? What happened? At some point you started to blur and block your mind with tension, haste, anxiety and cluttered thinking. But Lopez maintains you can recover a lot of that amazing capacity you had as a child through a coaching process that he calls mental mechanics.
Information: opencircleajijic.org.
Chapala Birders
Monday September 10, the Chapala Birders will carpool at Donas Donuts, 8 a.m., leaving for the Sierra de Tapalpa (a 90-minute journey). Birding will commence at 9:30 a.m. and continue until 12:30 p.m. before the group has lunch in the town of Tapalpa and completes the bird list.
Expect to see higher altitude birds such as acorn woodpecker, slate-throated redstart and, possibly, a trans-volcanic jay. Bring your own refreshments for the morning. Return to Ajijic is about 5 p.m. E-mail John Keeling at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 48 hours ahead of time if you wish to go and mention if you can bring a vehicle.
Blood pressure
Blood Pressure screenings are available to the public Mondays, from 10 a.m. to noon, at the Lake Chapala Society.
U.S. Voter Assistance
Representatives of Democrats Abroad are available at the Lake Chapala Society every Tuesday through October 23 from 10 a.m. to noon on the Blue Umbrella Patio to assist any U.S. voter in making applications for ballots for the November midterm elections.
All U.S. and dual-U.S. citizens who will not be in the United States this fall need to request their absentee ballots before the general deadline of September 22 (for most states) to ensure ballot submission in time for the elections.
LCS TED Talks
Health Psychologist Kelly McGonigal will discuss “How to Make Stress Your Friend” at the next TED Talk, Tuesday, September 11, noon to 1:15 p.m., at the Lake Chapala Society Sala. LCS members only.
Stress makes your heart pound, your breathing quicken and your forehead sweat. But while stress has been made into a public health enemy, new research suggests that it may only be bad for you if you believe that to be the case. McGonigal urges us to see stress as a positive and introduces us to an unsung mechanism for stress reduction: reaching out to others.
Progressive Action Group
The 2018 U.S. mid-term elections are less than two months away.
“What can we do, as progressives, to make the ‘blue wave’ even stronger?” says Progressive Action Group President Chad Olsen. “As the right-wing of the Republican party grows stronger – at least louder – progressives must do everything we can to stop this movement toward authoritarianism. Let’s talk about what we can do.”
The group meets Tuesday, September 11, 4 p.m. at Sunrise Restaurant in Chula Vista to discuss actions they can take to influence the upcoming elections.
The Progressive Action Group is a gathering of like-minded people looking for progressive solutions to political problems. They meet the second Tuesday of each month. Facebook/ProgressiveActionGroup; e-mail: 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..
Consulate at Post 7
A representative of the United States Consulate in Guadalajara will be available at the American Legion Post 7 in Chapala Wednesday, September 12, 9 a.m. Questions concerning passports, visas or federal benefits can be addressed at that time. Please be prompt to sign up. All expats are welcome.
LCS bus trip
The Lake Chapala Society heads to downtown Guadalajara, Wednesday, September 12. Take a self-guided walking tour of the centro historico, admire the 17th, 18th, and 19th-century architecture, stunning murals and artwork. Enjoy lunch at the Plaza de los Laureles or the Hotel Mendoza. A detailed map will be provided.
The bus departs at 10 a.m. from the sculpture in La Floresta. Cost is 370 pesos for members and 470 pesos for non-members.
Tech classes
Lake Chapala Society members can take technology classes with Mike Goss Thursdays, 10-11:30 a.m., in the LCS sala. Sign up at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. with your membership number and expiration date.
September 20: Ebooks on your Kindle, iPad, tablet or laptop Why are ebooks so popular? How to read them and how to find thousands of free books.
September 27: Tech Security: Discuss viruses, protecting your data and VPNs.
Introduction to Lakeside
New to lakeside? You need this seminar. Topics include banking, shopping, medical services, transportation, housing, utilities, maid and gardening services, social protocols, fiestas, holidays and religious observations.
The seminar is held in the Lake Chapala Society Sala Thursday, September 13, 9 a.m. For LCS members only. Register in the office or on the LCS website.
Democrats Abroad
The Chapala Chapter of Democrats Abroad meets Monday, September 17, 4 p.m. at Fonda Doña Lola’s Restaurant, (across from La Casa del Waffle) in West Ajijic. A cash bar will be available.
The program will provide an update on current chapter activities and will feature a video presentation on “The New Seven Dirty Words” by Bari Weiss of the New York Times. All members, visitors and new residents at lakeside are welcome to attend all monthly meetings and special events.
Lakeside Freethinkers
At the next meeting of the Lakeside Freethinkers, Wednesday, September 19, 4-6 p.m. at La Nueva Posada,, the group will consider the following question: Eastern thinking and Western thinking … is there a fundamental difference between the two? If so, what would it be? Valerie Edwards and Phil Rylett will debate whether this difference exists and its impact.
The Lakeside Freethinkers define a “freethinker” as a person who is an atheist, agnostic, secular humanist or skeptic. Freethinkers reject supernatural and other unsupported claims, and rely instead on reason applied to evidence to guide their lives.
Information: lakesidefree 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..
Fiesta Mexicana
The Lake Chapala Society will hold a Mexican Fiesta September 21, 4-7 p.m. as a fundraiser for Fiestas Patrias Ajijic events. Tickets include a Mexican meal, complementary drink, mariachi and ballet folklorico. Tickets, 250 pesos, are at the LCS office from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Cooking class
The Culinary Arts Society of Ajijic (CASA) hosts cooking classes with guest instructor Marie-Lyse, an award-winning Cordon Bleu chef from Sri Lanka, Monday and Tuesday, October 1 and 2, noon to 5 p.m. The classes are limited to 16 people each.
The menu to be created includes potato Bhaji Pakoras, rice vermicelli Buriani, two chutneys, Sri Lankan prawn curry and poached Ataulfo mango mousse.
To register or for information: 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..
Grant applications
The Outreach Committee of St. Andrew’s Anglican Church will accept applications for grants from Lakeside charities through September 24. These grants will be awarded in October.
Grant application forms are the same as used in the past. For forms and instructions, 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.. This round of grants is made possible by the success of the resale/consignment store Todo Bueno in Riberas del Pilar.
Mexican holidays
Author, journalist and long-time Ajijic resident Judy King will teach an LCS Personal Enrichment Program course on Mexico’s Winter Holidays and Traditions Wednesdays beginning October 10, 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m,. in the LCS south campus board room. King will help you understand the fascinating traditions surrounding Mexico’s winter holiday season. Minimum enrollment is 11 students. Sign up at LCS office by October 4.
Insight Meditation
The Heart of Awareness Insight Meditation Community offers multiple opportunities each week for silent meditation: Sundays, 9 a.m., Wednesdays, 4 p.m., and Thursdays, 11 a.m. All sessions are open to the public regardless of experience or affiliation. Chairs and cushions are provided as well as brief written instructions on meditation for beginners.
Wednesday, September 12, the meditation period will be followed by by an audio from the “Waking Up” series. Sam Harris and Joseph Goldstein answer the question “Why Meditate?” Harris is a best-selling author and the host of the Waking Up Podcast, covering a wide range of topics but generally focus on how a growing understanding of ourselves and the world is changing our sense of how we should live. Goldstein has been leading insight and lovingkindness meditation retreats worldwide since 1974.
The meditation center is at Guadalupe Victoria 101, Ajijic. Information: heartofawareness.org.
Forest Grill food truck
Chef Emmanuel Campoy, owner of Forest Grill food truck in West Ajijic, will be highlighting different regional Mexican dishes each week during September. The first week celebrates cuisine from the state of Oaxaca. Saturday, September 8, stone broth – including shrimp and fish – will be served tableside in a bowl with a very hot rock placed inside to cook the seafood. “To celebrate our Mexican Independence, I decided to create classic regional dishes so people can learn about other foods from our wonderful country,” said Campoy. “Stone broth is an incredible dish with a lot of history. It is a symbol of coexistence, unity, respect and peace between our people.” According to a National Geographic article by Rachel Link written in October 2015, the soup originated in a remote ritual site in the Papaloapan River basin in the highlands of the Sierra Madre mountain range. Chinantec ancestors developed an elemental way to cook their food using fire and stone. Other Mexico area dishes to be highlighted this month will be from the states of Chiapas, Hidalgo, Mexico City, Durango, Puebla and the Yucatan. Diners are invited to come each morning at 11:30 a.m. to hear a short talk about the history of the weekly dish. The regular menu will also be available. Forest Grill is open Monday to Saturday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. and is located in West Ajijic just off the Carretera. Head north on Calle Rio Bravo, then take an immediate left. For reservations or more information, call 332-486-7433.