Columns

Most foreigners at lakeside probably know that Mexico celebrates Independence Day on September 16, the date in 1810 when the national struggle against Spanish rule began. Some may not be aware that the Guerra de Independencia dragged on until 1821, when freedom from the Gachupines was finally achieved.

I had the free time and inclination to attend two out of the eight “Understanding Mexico” conferences presented between August 4 and 14 under the auspices of the Lake Chapala Unitarian Universalist Fellowship. Being there turned out to be a good judgment call, as I left each of the three-hour sessions fully satisfied with new insights on contemporary Mexico and clamoring for even more understanding of my adopted home.

There’s nothing quite like a food fair to get even reluctant cooks excited about experimenting with new or unusual ingredients. That’s what happened to me after a family excursion to Ixtlahuacán de los Membrillos last weekend for the town’s international quince festival.

Gentrification—the process of renovating urban areas that leads to the displacement of the original population by newcomers with greater purchasing power—sparked a rowdy protest last week in Mexico City.

Last week, a local resident uploaded a photo on Facebook showing a small reptile that had appeared on her patio, asking, “Does anyone know what this guy is?”

Most responses gave the correct answer: a harmless spiny lizard. Some folks said they had found look-alikes in their homes and gardens. Several even mentioned giving names to their uninvited house guests, underscoring their beneficial dietary habits of feeding on unwanted mosquitoes, cockroaches and spiders. 

Some local folks were overjoyed last weekend over the unexpected arrival of rainfall. In truth, it was nothing more than some light sprinkling detected in some isolated Chapala neighborhoods, lasting no more than 15 minutes.