December 13th, 2011 - Baja Citizen

December 13th, 2011
US Ex-Pats Get
a Chance to
Tell Mexican
Government
Representatives
What They Want
and Need
YEAR: 3 Nº: 71 PUBLISHER: Hally J. Productions S. de R.L. EDITOR: Gari-Ellen Donohoe
Susan Fogel
“Mi Casa es Tu Casa are words
imprinted on our DNA,” said President
Felipe Calderon. And Maestra Gloria
Guevara Manzo, the Secretary of
Tourism for the Mexican Government,
emphasized this in her opening words
to the 46 delegates representing major
centers for American retirees. At the
first annual Expat Forum, her mission
is to welcome people to Mexico and to
truly make her home their home.
Many of you may recall reading in
this paper that the International
Community Foundation (ICF) surveyed
US ex-pats about why they came to
Mexico and what they want to do here.
Several La Paz citizens took part in the
survey and follow-up focus groups.
The results of these surveys reached
the eyes and ears of President
Calderon, and he took them seriously.
The Mexican Government wants
foreign retirees here and they want
to make them welcome; he wants to
know what his government can do
Continues on page 6
Local artists and community members, including Frank Hills, Thomas Ireton, Mala Sorhuet, Andre Prefontaine, Lucia Frausto and Juan Manuel
Velazquez Lopez along with several school children are on hand to help inaugurate the very first “Urban Runway” project on 5 de Febrero and
Calle Rangel. The mural is named Mural de Héroes Marinos. Story on page 4. Photo courtesy of Francisco Solis.
The Law of Aguinaldo
Les Carmona
Roughly 90 years ago, Mexico adopted
the law of Aguinaldo, the formal
payment of Christmas bonus. As part
of the framework of the constitution
adopted in 1917, the worker suddenly
gained the right to be treated as a
freeman instead of a virtual slave
to the wealthy few. One of these
benefits was the annual payment of
extra money at Christmas time.
The concept of Aguinaldo is not unique
to Mexico. In some Caribbean and Latin
American countries, the Aguinaldo is
a token payment given to Christmas
carolers, or even the name given to the
songs themselves. The custom traces
back to the three kings, who brought
gifts to the baby born in the manger.
In early 15 th century Spain, the practice
became the duty of the citizen to pay to
the royalty, the disciple to the master
and the faithful, to the Church. Thus,
written into the post-constitution
anti-church labor laws, the Aguinaldo
became the burden of the employer.
The payment of Aguinaldo is
mandatory, due by December 20 th
every year and must be paid in cash.
Food baskets, gifts or warm clothing
do not fulfill the requirement although
are a much appreciated addition.
Domestic workers, those who clean
the home or tend the garden, are not
exempt from Aguinaldo, although
many foreigners
do not know
how to properly
calculate the
amount due. A
full-time salaried
worker receives
15 days pay but
for the maid or
caretaker, you
need to do the
math.
To calculate the
amount for a part-time employee, divide
the number of days worked during the
past year by 365. Multiply that figure
by 15 x the daily salary to determine
Continues on page 18

December 13th, 2011 2
Hello folks!
It’s Christmas time in La Paz, and even
though we don’t have the snow, we
do have the cold weather. Time to
bring out those sweaters and extra
blankets and the ice skates. The ice
skates?
Have you checked out the new skating
rink in front of the Municipality of La
Paz offices on Luis Donaldo Colosio,
between Carabineros and Ave. De
los Deportistas? With these chilly
winds and my switch from frappes to
hot chocolate, I guess what is
wrong with having a skating
rink in La Paz – other than
not being able to actually buy
skates in the city?
As a gift to the citizens of La
Paz, Mayor Esthela Ponce is
treating her constituents to
a month of skating on ice;
a first is this desert town.
According to officials, very
little of the cost of the ice
skating extravaganza is being billed
to local taxpayers. So naysayers who
wish the city would spend money on
other things, just imagine the look on
the faces of little kids ice skating for
the very first time. It maybe the only
opportunity they have to experience
such a beautiful moment.
Photo courtesy of the City of La Paz.
And although there are very few ice
skate owners in the city, skates will
be on loan at the ice rink at no cost.
will Care for Kids La Paz be able to
provide a special lunch and Christmas
toys to all the children – some who
would not otherwise have had a new
toy this year.
The CostaBaja family has on display
at their main entrance the Tree of Joy
with Toys, and will be donating
all gifts to FANLAP (Fundacion
Aydua los Niños). The gifts will
be given out on January 6 th ,
King’s Day in Mexico, at the
FANLAP comedor.
Also, Coca-Cola, the 5 Rotary
Clubs of La Paz, and the City of
La Paz are working together
this year to collect their goal of
500 gifts at the giant Christmas
Tree on the Malecon at the
corner of 16 de Septiembre.
More details for each gift collection
drive can be found on page 15 in the
Little bit of This section.
What a great gift to the citizens of
the Municipality of La Paz.
* * *
We sometimes forget what
Christmas is really all about with
December being a whirlwind of
activity, of parties and shopping,
and of eating too much. But if we
would just sit back, relax, and think
about it, it really is a time to give
and a time to share. Several readers
have been asking how can they
give this holiday season, and, as
the holiday season approaches, I’d
like to take this opportunity to list a
few organizations that could use a
helping hand this time of year.
Barb Spencer, the founder of Care
for Kids La Paz, is throwing her
annual Christmas party for the kids
of Colonia Vista Hermosa, located
on the outskirts of La Paz. Only with
the help of friends and volunteers
Last but not least, La Paz Ladies
Palermo’s, is taking a gift collection
for the women and children at the
Women’s Shelter of La Paz. Contact
Luncheon’
to be held
Christmas
on December
Dinner,
20 at
luizalanoy@yahoo.com for more
details.
There are other groups that collect
gifts; these are just the ones I have
been in contact with. Please do what
you can and give, whatever you can,
to make this year extra special for
someone else.
To all of our readers of the Baja
Citizen, we extend our best wishes
for a joyous holiday season and
prosperous New Year. Happy
holidays!
Yours,
Gari-Ellen

3 December 13th, 2011
So, Should US Ex-Pats Register with the US Embassy?
Susan Fogel
At a recent dinner in Mexico City,
some ex-pats living in La Paz met
Sara Craig, Director of Citizens
Services at the US Embassy. Her
response to the headline question is,
“Yes. Every citizen should register.”
The first question asked of Ms. Craig
was, “What about the IRS using
that information to harass us?” She
chuckled a moment, and then said
that the IRS has tried mightily to
pierce the right to privacy that every
US citizen has. The various embassies
have won the fight every time the
IRS tried to access information from
them.
Of course, most US expats pay their
taxes and have no fear of the IRS. But
it is always the most frequently asked
question: Exactly what happens
to our privacy if we register with
the embassy? She assured us many
times that our privacy is protected.
Well, it is protected unless you are a
wanted felon; then she is obligated
to turn you in. But a wanted felon
would most likely NOT register with
anyone.
2. In case there is an emergency
back in the US and family
members need to find you.
3. In case you are hurt, sick, or
dead, the embassy knows
who to contact to help you
or to transport your remains
home.
4. So that you can receive
email updates from the Department
of State and the
embassy regarding their actions,
and other information
that may be important.
5. In case of a weather or political
emergency, to offer
evacuation services. Not so
likely in La Paz, but other
places in Mexico have natural
disasters.
Ms. Craig mentioned more than once
that if someone turned up dead or
hurt and unable to communicate, the
Embassy would have no way to find
a family member, unless they were
registered. Even if you are traveling
in Mexico and something happens,
if your information is on file, your
friends or family in the old country
can be contacted.
Here is a quote from its webpage:
“You can’t predict when an
emergency will arise, but you can
plan and prepare for one before
it happens! We encourage all U.S.
citizens who are traveling or living
abroad to enroll with the U.S. State
Department through its Smart
Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP).
It is a fast and free world-wide service
to record information about your
upcoming trip or current residence
abroad and provide useful contact
information that can be used by the
nearest Embassy or Consulate in a
emergency or disaster.”
You can enroll online at: http://travel.
state.gov/step. Enter your relevant
contact information and the time
you will be staying in Mexico (for
long-term residents, enter 5 years). If
you want to receive up-to-date safety
and security information, please be
sure to provide an email address.
Susan Fogel is the broker/owner
of PrestigePropertyGroupLaPaz.
com and the Secretary of AMPI.
You can reach her at susan@
prestigepropertygrouplapaz.
com. Follow her Blog www.
mexicomusings.com. She is also the
author of Margarita Mind: How to
Avoid It; A Guide to Buying Mexico
Real Estate Safely & Sanely.
Why would you register with the
embassy? Here are some reasons:
1. To register a birth, death, or
marriage.
You can register on the US Embassy
website: http://mexico.usembassy.
gov/eng/citizen_services.html
Publisher: Hally J. Productions S. de R. L .
La Paz, BCS 23090 Mexico
Editor
Gari-Ellen Donohoe
gari-ellen@bajacitizen.com
Gari-Ellen’s cell (612) 159 13 88
Graphic Design
Gabriela Inzunza Salgado
The Baja Citizen is a free circulation community newspaper that is distributed in La Paz and
the communities of Centenario, Todos Santos, Pescadero, El Sargento/La Ventana and Los Barriles
every second Monday.
The views of contributers to The Baja Citizen do not necesarily reflect those of the Publishers.

December 13th, 2011 4
“URBAN RUNWAY”
PROGRAM INAUGURATED
TBC
With the participation of
Frank Hills, Thomas Ireton,
Mala Sorhuet and Andre
Prefontaine, the inauguration
of “Urban Runway” took place
on November 24th, a program
organized by the La Paz
Municipal Cultural Department
under the direction of Matilde
Cervantes Navarrete. With the
help of these important personalities
from the art scene, as well as Lucia
Frausto and Juan Manuel Velazquez
Lopez, who coordianted the first
work of art, Mural de Héroes Marinos,
school children in La Paz were given
the opportunity to learn about urban
expression and the need to respect
public spaces.
According to Uruil Eduardo
Santana Soltero, who was on hand
representing Mayor Esthela Ponce
at the event, the objective of “Urban
runway” and saving public spaces is
the homework of everyone, and a
consciousness needs to be created
in the children of La Paz that public
spaces belong to them and that they
must be maintained, cleaned and
respected with postive actions.
Frank Hills painting the face of a young student at
the Mural de Heroes Marinos
Matilde Cervantes of the program “Urban Runway”
All who attended the first “Urban T
runway” event clearly felt the impact
of the their first work, Mural de Heroes R
Marinos, and the commit involved tob
make the wall an expression of art. w
Artist Velazquez said, “this is focused p
towards children; with the end being o
able achieve communication throughu
the medium of art and painting of a
mural that is 100% urban expression.” I
With the help of the mentioned local t
artists, “Urban runway” hopes toc
conserve more public spaces andb
protect the environment. Creating p
a culture of recycling and general a
protection of public spaces is a
group effort and with the help and T
promotion of those involved in this d
first mural, a respect of public spaces S
and the commitment to conserve and i
protect these spaces has been planted o
in the minds of many.
P
a
All are invited to come down and g
check out this impressive mural on o
5 de febrero and Calle Rangel, in d
Manglito. The Cultural Department
has plans to continue with their H
“Urban Runway” program and r
rescue other public spaces. t
t
Photos courtesy of Francisco –
Solis.
m
–
p
t

5 December 13th, 2011
Tourism Associations Try
to Redirect Spending of 3%
Hotel Tax
TBC
Representatives of tourism and
business associations in the state met
with local congressmen last week to
present their plan for the redirection
of funds generated from the hotel tax
under the Ley de Ingresos for 2012.
In Baja California Sur (BCS), a 3% hotel
tax is applied to hotel guests, and
currently two percent of that tax is
being used for the marketing and
promotion of the state, both nationally
and internationally.
The remaining one percent is
designated for FOIS, or the Trust for
Social Works and Infrastructure. FOIS
is divided among the five municipalities
of BCS: Loreto, Mulege, Comendo, La
Paz, and Los Cabos. It is distributed
according to how much tax is
generated in each municipality. This
one percent is used for social works,
decided by each municipality.
However, tourism and business
representatives would like to see
the money that is currently directed
towards social projects
– estimated to be 36
million pesos annually
– redirected towards
promoting tourism in
the state.
several months, presenting their plan
to congressman and municipal officials.
According to 2010 data, the 3% hotel
tax represents about 94 million pesos
that year.
With the financial crisis still being
heavily felt in Mexico, businesses
would like to see more money spent
on bringing more visitors to the state,
and to making BCS a true tourist
destination. They feel the more
money directed towards tourism
promotion, the state’s number one
source of income, the better for all
Sudcalifornianos.
Congressmen Gil Cueva, Alberto
Treviño, Ernesto Ibarra, and Juan
Alberto Valdivia were in attendance,
as well as Secretary of Tourism Ruben
Reachi, and representatives of the five
municipalities of BCS.
Because it is the end of the year, the
tourism and business sectors have
until the 15 th of December to make
their case and have the Ley de Ingresos
of 2012 amended.
The idea of redirecting
all three precent of
the hotel tax towards
tourism promotion
comes from the
business sector and
tourism associations.
Both groups have
seen working on this
initiative over the past
Tourism Associations from the 5 municipalities meet with local
congressmen to discuss the 3% hotel tax.
Need an Ambulance, The
Fire Department or Police?
Call 066

December 13th, 2011
6
Continues from front page
better for foreign residents. Several responders to
the survey were invited to attend the first annual
Asamblea Nacional Jubilados Norteamericanos en
Mexico (National Forum for US Retirees) in Mexico
City last Thursday and Friday. Also representing the
president were: Nathan Wolf Lustbader, Director
of Exterior Relations, the department that makes
decisions about foreign residency rules, and
Fernando Olivera, the federal sub-secretary of
tourism.
Richard Kly, President and CEO of ICF and the
organizer of the event recapped the survey results
and added the results of the most recent survey.
Most retirees are looking for an active retirement
and several are opening businesses or re-inventing
themselves in other ways. Although no one knows
for sure how many Americans live in Mexico, it is
generally assumed that there are two million expats.
These people have, on average US$1,000
disposable income which translates into 20 billion
US dollars going into the local economies. By
contrast, income from “remitters”, Mexicans living
in the US sending money home, is US$18 billion. So
the foreign community has a real economic value to
Mexico.
Juli Goff, founder and owner of the Spanish
immersion school, Se Habla La Paz was also on the
dais representing the foreign community and said
she has a passion for Mexico and wants to help.
After the opening ceremonies, there were small
break-out groups where the real work was done.
The ex-pats were broken down by region; the two
states of the Baja Peninsula were in one group. All the
participants felt they were making history, starting
a discourse, and generally having input, and seeing
that what they had to say was important to Mexican
federal and state government representatives.
The government representatives attending the
Baja session were Cesar Rivera, Delegado of Playa
Rosarito and Ruben Reachi Lugo, Secretary of
Tourism for Baja California Sur. Also present in each
break-out group was a moderator. Our moderator
was from a Mexico City university. Interestingly, he
said he had never been to La Paz, he does his work
from Mexico City. But he said that he knew that La
Paz was beautiful and wanted to visit soon.
In fact, when anyone said they were from La Paz,
the various Mexicans in the group smiled and
said “Ahhhhh, La Paz.” The Baja group included
residents of Rosarito Beach, Ensenada, Mulege,
Ensenada, La Paz, and Todos Santos. The La Paz
contingent was the largest, including Judy Petersen,
Juli Goff, Maureen Ryan, Ira and Susan Fogel, Nancy
Fitzmorris, and Susan and Brian Key.
Can you believe that after plying the attendees with
food and wine on Thursday evening, the organizers
handed out homework? Well, they did! They wanted
us to consider four questions and discuss them in
the breakout sessions.
The questions:
1. How can the Mexican government and North
American expatriate community work together to
increase economic opportunities/benefits to local
communities, including tourism?
a. How can we best leverage the internal
market?
2. How can the Mexican government help the
North American expat community age in place (i.e.
housing, medical service, public transportation)?
3. How can the Mexican government improve or
expand civic engagement in local communities
(philanthropy, FM3 assistance)?
4. How can the American expat community help to
improve the image of Mexico outside the country?
a. Becoming ambassadors of the experience
of living and traveling in Mexico.
Each question was taken in turn and everyone in
the room was encouraged to respond. Then the
Mexican representatives gave their impressions and
responses.
The meeting was open and respectful, no one
made rude remarks, and most everyone had the
same concerns, including the Mexican government
representatives. Everyone came with their own
concerns and voiced them as well. While the
meeting was casual and cordial, the participants
took their homework seriously and made good
suggestions and voiced their concerns. Several
members of the Baja focus group worked for or
headed charities helping Mexican citizens. After
the breakout sessions, each group compiled a list of
their concerns and suggestions.
Interestingly, all of the break-out groups had the
same concerns.
• The government, businesses, and foreigners
need better communication
• Create channels and opportunities for foreigners
living and working in Mexico
• More and better infrastructure, including:
o Handicap access
o Bilingual nurses
o Home health care
o Sustainable communities
o Developers, municipalities, and
states to work together on what
people really want
• Certified service providers
• Willingness of foreigners to help other expats
• Make it easier to volunteer (not having to
change the FM2 or FM3)
• Foreigners would like to volunteer in the
schools
• Ex-pats would like to be ambassadors about
Mexico in their home countries.
•
Everyone agreed better air service and better
airfares would make a difference to tourism. Annual
renewal of FM2 and FM3 documents was a big
issue. The secretary of Exterior Relations said they
would consider a three or four year term, but the
fee would be higher. All-in-all, the participants felt
that their voices were heard.
In closing remarks, Nathan Wolf Lustbader, the
Subdirector of Exterior Relations said:
“…We accept these recommendations. We have
paved the road, and we will improve the road. This
was a positive experience and we have started a
constructive dialogue between you, the state, and
federal agencies; together we will build a better
Mexico…”
ICF will be issuing a report by the end of the year
and will make it available to the public. We will let
you know when it is ready.
her
prestigepropertygrouplapaz.com, Follow her Blog
www.mexicomusings.com She is also the author of
Margarita Mind: How to Avoid It: A Guide to Buying
Susan Fogel is the broker/owner of
PrestigepPropertyGroupLaPaz.com
secretary of AMPI. You can reach
and
at susan@
the
Mexico Real Estate Safely & Sanely.
La Paz’s Juli Goff pictured with Maestra Gloria Guevara Manzo and
Lic. Nathan Wolf Lustbader
La Paz Phone Numbers
Police, Fire Department,
Red Cross (emergency):
066
Highway Patrol/Federal Police:
122 0369
IMSS Hospital:
122 7377
Fidepaz Clinic:
124 0400
COPT (Port Captain):
122 0243
Immigration:
125 3493 or 124 6349
State Tourism Office:
124 0100 or 120 0199

7 December 13th, 2011
La Paz AMPI Members Raise the Bar of Professionalism and
Elect New Board of Directors
Susan Fogel
Back in 2001 when a group of real estate
agents started the La Paz chapter of
Asociacion Mexicano de Profesionales
Inmobiliarios (AMPI), they had a
laundry list of things they would like to
see accomplished. AMPI is the Mexican
equivalent of the National Association
of Realtors (NAR) in the United States.
Among those items:
• Exclusive listings
• A multiple-listing service
• Escrow
• Title Insurance
• Standardized contract
None of this seems very radical to
those that have sold or purchased a
home or practiced real estate in the US
or Canada, but these were contentious
issues in La Paz 10 years ago.
There were no franchises, like
Coldwell Banker, RE/MAX, or Century
21. Mortgages were unheard of.
Individual agents did not cooperate
and newcomers were not welcomed
with open arms. It was not unusual
to see a property for sale with several
different real estate agents’ signs
nailed on the fence or wall. There was
controversy over who had the right
to sell a property and who earned a
commission.
The local AMPI chapter expanded and
retracted as the real estate market
boomed or waned, but the steadfast
members were educating themselves
and the public about best practices. In
the past few years, the La Paz chapter
has grown and caught the attention of
people at the national and state level.
They paid a visit to La Paz to find out
what was happening here to make it
such a success.
Last month the La Paz AMPI members
elected a new board of directors and
“consejeros” or consultant members.
Their continuing mission is to raise
the bar of professional behavior. By
doing this, buyers and sellers can be
assured of proper representation, safe
handling of their money, and delivery
of a good title.
The AMPI members are self-policing
the Multiple Listing Service (MLS) to
ensure that all agents using the system
are following the strict rules. This also
means that agents will cooperate with
each other in showing listings and that
commissions will be shared. The new
board of directors will be meeting with
local agents and inviting them to join
AMPI and to help agents learn how to
use the MLS.
The La Paz chapter recently staffed
a booth at the Anaheim NAR expo
and increased awareness of La Paz
among 20,000 real estate agents in
the US. It is all about cooperation,
education, building its membership,
and making AMPI a trusted name.
Mortgage brokers and title company
representatives have been asked to
address the group and keep them
posted on new programs.
Two people that have been unfailing in
their support of AMPI are Linda Neil and
John Glaab. They have been named, by
unanimous vote, Consejeros Emeritus.
They were both founding members of
the Cabo San Lucas and La Paz AMPI
chapters. Linda works with AMPI and
NAR at the national and international
level. Their input will be invaluable.
Vice President: Victor Granados. Victor
is the broker of South Baja Properties
and was the treasurer last year. He
also accepts membership applications.
victor@southbajaproperties.com
Treasurer: Eduardo Ramirez. Eduardo
is the broker of Global Real Estate.
eduardo@globalrealestate.com.mx
Secretary: Susan Fogel. Susan is the
broker of Prestige Property Group
La Paz.com. Susan was a founding
member of the La Paz chapter. susan@
prestigepropertygrouplapaz.com
The consejeros are:
Brian Westerlund, broker of Diamante
Associates. Brian is the MLS committee
chair. brian@diamanteassociates.com
Gordon Herpst, Broker Omni Services.
Gordon is a founding member of the La
Paz chapter omnilapaz@gmail.com
Alonzo Stell, Realtor, past president
of the La Paz chapter. Alonzo.stell@
gmail.com
Luis Rojas Broker La Paz Baja Realty
lapazbajarealty@hotmail.com
Zulma Ramirez, Sales Agent at Costa
Baja. zulmar76@hotmail.com
Carolina Ortiz Canto, Broker Inmobilaria
Carolina. carolinayasociados@hotmail.
com
This is going to be a good year in real
estate in La Paz and the AMPI members
are prepared to help buyers and sellers
achieve their dreams. Please contact
any of the current board members
with any questions or concerns.
Susan Fogel is the broker/owner of
PrestigePropertyGroupLaPaz.com, she
is the author of Margarita Mind: How to
Avoid It; A Guide to Buying Mexico Real
Estate Safely and Sanely
You may email Susan at susan@
prestigepropertygrouplapaz.com
The new board members are:
President: Jose Luis Gaytan. Jose
is accepting a second term as the
president. He is an attorney and
closing agent. His company is Gaytan
& Associates and his email is jose@
gaytanlegalservices.com
Send it to: gari-ellen@bajacitizen.com

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December 13th, 2011 8
Las Pastorelas
Helga Kuhne
Among the Mexican
Christmas traditions,
the most fun to do or
watch are the Pastorelas, or Shepherds
Plays, staged throughout the
holiday season by both amateur and
professional groups. These theatrical
presentations, often improvised,
date back to Mexico’s colonial time,
when the catholic missionaries wooed
converts and taught doctrine through
dramatizations of the birth of Jesus,
the adoration of the Three Holy Kings
and the struggle between good and
evil.
The pastorals are named after the
pastores, or shepherds, because they
are the main characters in the play.
These plays, very light and full of
humor, tell the story of the shepherd’s
adoration of baby Jesus. First, they
are visited in the field by an angel
who announces the holy birth. They
follow a bright star leading them to
Bethlehem, but while they are on their
way they are plagued by a series of
evils and misadventures provoked by
the Devil. These are staged in a very
funny way with fights between the
angels and the devil. They tease each
other throughout the play, trying to
get the shepherds on their side. But
in the end, good always wins and the
shepherds reach their destination.
F
C
turned out to be an easy tool to teach r
t
This kind of theater originated in a
Italy in the XVI century among the5
Franciscan monks who brought it to s
Mexico during the evangelization after t
e
Friar Juan de Zum·rraga, who in 1530 t
staged the `Birth of Jesus,¥promoted A
the first pastorelas. After that, `The i
Adoration of the Magi¥, written in
H
chapels of the many convents whichR
t
In all the pastorelas, the characters are b
the same: Mary, Joseph, baby Jesus, T
the Three Holy Kings, the angels, the o
Devil and the shepherds like Gila, Bato, g
Blas and Bartolo. After conquering all (
the evils, the play ends with the birth ofo
Jesus and the happiness of everybody I
present. They share laughs and warm t
tamales, atole, ponche and traditionalv
stage a Pastorela at the end of theI
year and mothers and fathers dress p
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Mexican Indians liked these
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humor and pantomime in their own
celebrations and this way they felt they
were keeping their own traditions. It
Las Pastorelas.
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9 December 13th, 2011
Feliz Navidad, Happy Hanukah, Merry
Christmas and a Happy New Year. I
recently conducted a scientific survey
to determine how my friends felt about
the upcoming holidays. After careful
analysis the data clearly showed that
51% were looking forward to holiday
season, 52% wished they could sleep
through it, and 27% were undecided.
(Please note there was a 30% margin of
error). Like the agnostic I am, I fell into
the third, and least popular, group.
And, of course, like most children born
into dysfunctional families, I blame my
parents for that and everything else.
How can I describe my family?
Remember the movie “My Big Fat
Greek Wedding”? That was us – with a
twist. Like the movie, my parents were
born, raised and got married in Greece.
They immigrated to the U.S. and within
one year they managed to bring my
grandmother from the Old Country
(she lived with us until she died). We
owned a family-run restaurant, and
I even fell for a non-Greek but, unlike
the movie, my family did something
very unorthodox shortly before I was
born – they left the Greek Church and
joined a rigid, rule-loving, religion that
shunned all holidays.
I was a Greek raised on lamb, garlic and
pride. It’s easy to be smug when you
believe that your religion is the only
true one. Then, as happened to Eve
in Eden, one day temptation slithered
into my life. But while Eve succumbed
to an apple tree, I was lured by an
evergreen.
I wasn’t in a garden when temptation
hissed at me. I was merely walking
home from school, when a classmate
invited me to her home to see her
Christmas tree. I slunk past my house
and, in one city block, broke 100% of
three family rules: always come directly
home from school, avoid (whenever
possible) contact with people who
don’t belong to our church and do not,
under any circumstances, participate
in pagan holidays.
When I entered Janet’s house, guilt
tiptoed in behind me. The pungent
odor of cedar reminded me of my
mother’s closet. I hesitated – but only
for a moment. The tree nearly touched
the ceiling and the tinseled limbs
obscured the living room window.
Janet’s mother flicked the switch
and a happy explosion of colored
lights converted that humble room
into a fairyland. We sat on the floor,
drank hot chocolate, and listened to
Johnny Mathis croon carols. My hand
trembled when I reached for a reindeer
ornament; I was 92% certain that my
“jealous God” would send a lightning
bolt to strike me dead. Instead, I was
destined to lug around a heavy secret:
Pagan or not – I was 100% sure I wanted
to celebrate Christmas.
Twenty-one years later, when I was
33 years old, I got my chance. Alex
accepted a promotion which included
a transfer to Minneapolis. I kissed my
parents good-by and sped away from
the straight-laced religious life I’d
known.
Late on Christmas Eve, 1997, Alex and
I drove past the local hardware store.
A huge handwritten sign read “Free
Christmas Trees”. Alex looked at me
and raised his eyebrows. I refused to
leave the car but he quickly grabbed a
scraggly specimen and wrestled it onto
our roof rack. I smelled the pine all the
way home and I could see the tip of the
tree jiggle through the cold Minnesota
night. My nerves felt as jittery as the
tree; I searched the sky for lightning
but the heavens were indifferent.
We pulled into our driveway and our
neighbor, Tony, helped Alex carry the
tree into our house. We didn’t own
Christmas lights or tinsel.
Tony said, “Francis and I have
boxes of extra decorations; I’ll
be right back.” They returned
with boxes piled high.
Although I remained a safe
distance from the forbidden
tree, I was excited. This was
my very first Christmas!
Oh Christmas Tree.
Then Francis said, “Tony,
don’t just fling the tinsel onto
the tree in handfuls. You’re
supposed to hang it one
string at a time. No, no, Alex,
the lights are too far apart.”
No, don’t put two green
stockings so close together.”
Something was wrong. This
wasn’t anything like Perry
Como’s Christmas family. At
midnight, finally alone with
Alex, we switched on the
lights and, although I “oohed
and aahed”, my excitement was as
artificial as Rudolph’s red nose.
I decided I needed to try harder to
catch the holiday spirit. We were given
another opportunity to celebrate on
New Year’s Day. We joined my coworkers
for a Rose Bowl party. The
women were in the kitchen doing all
the work; the men drank too much,
ate with their eyes glued to the TV and
screamed at the referees. The women
watched the children – and the clock.
On our way home Alex said, “Well, that
was a complete waste of time.”
But I’m tenacious. For the last three
decades I’ve pretended my way
through the holidays always hoping
to experience the same Spirit of the
Season that I felt at Janet’s home
when I was a child. And this year I’ve
been very, very good, so maybe, if
there really is a Santa, he’ll bring me
the one gift I’ve been waiting for – a
100% enthusiastic holiday season.

December 13th, 2011 10
ANOTHER GREAT FANLAP
SUBASTA
It is all for the kids!
TBC
FANLAP’S 2011 (Fundacion Ayuda los
Niños de La Paz) edition of SUBASTA,
held Sunday, December 4 th at Marina
La Paz, was yet again a very successful
fundraiser for the non-profit. SUBASTA
included plenty of food and drinks, the
sale of used clothes, bakery treats and
a silent and live auction of varying items
donated by community members. A
kids corner was set up which included
face painting, craft making and a play
area for jumping! Other booths were
set up with people selling their wares
including art and knick knacks.
accomplish this by creating a network
of participation within the community,
the public and private sector and nongovernmental
organizations.
According to FANLAP president Judy
Peterson, after several months of
preparation with the help of several
volunteers, nearly 180,000 pesos were
raised for FANLAP programs.
“We had a wonderful event and did
much better than we expected given
all the other activities
going on this year.
There was an
excellent turn-out,”
Peterson explained.
Claudia at Subasta 2011
Some of the programs FANLAP provides
to children in the neighborhoods
Marquez de Leon, Laguna Azul, Villas
de Guadalupe, and Vista Hermosa
include a hot lunch program Monday
to Friday where they
feed over 150 kids with
the meal prepared by
volunteer moms from
the neighborhood.
Peterson also
stressed that
there would be no
SUBASTA without
the help of all those
involved. “We
need to thank all
those businesses
who donated prizes for the raffle,
and the venders who donated a
minimum of 30% to FANLAP, some
donated 100%. And our volunteers,
without whom we could never have
handled such an event. Of course, last
but not least all those who came and
spent their hard-earned money and
had a good time. SUBASTA has really
become a community event.”
They also provide
scholarships to over
200 students to help
them attend junior
high and high school.
Also, some university
students are being
supported by FANLAP.
The organization helps buy uniforms,
school supplies and bus fare to and
from school.
Judy Peterson at SUBASTA
You may read about the programs
supported by FANLAP by visiting their
website at www.lapazninos.org.
All proceeds from the SUBASTA “Fair
& Auction” go towards helping those
in need. FANLAP`s mission is to offer
children and adolescents who live in
marginal neighborhoods in La Paz an
essential base to develop a dignified
and responsible life by promoting
a nutritious diet and offering tools
to obtain a quality education and
physical and mental well-being. They
Molly, Donneley and Sharon

11 December 13th, 2011

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December 13th, 2011 12
The Adventures of Thomas Ireton
on Show at The Bagel Shop
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The Bagel Shop on 291 Belizario
Dominguez between 5 de Mayo
and Constitution is hosting the
photographs of Thomas Ireton, a local
talent in many realms of art.
Ireton, originally from the United
States but who know calls La Paz,
loves to just jump into an old jeep with
an artist or photographer friend in the
wee hours of the morning to one of the
outlying areas around La Paz and shoot
sunrises, the landscapes and any other
object that catches his eye. His safaris
have covered many of the wonderful
and more obscure haciendas, mines
and historic sites that Baja has to offer.
He admits his adventures
often leave him with more
questions than answers.
You can enjoy snapshots from
some of Ireton’s adventures
on the second floor gallery
of The Bagel Shop. The
photographs, which are for
sale, will be on display until
the end of December. For
more information, call Ireton
at 612 103 0495 or send him an
e-mail at iretontom@gmail.
com.
Tom Ireton

13 December 13th, 2011
My Love/Hate Relationship
with the Christmas Tianguis
TBC
I have a love/hate relationship with
the traditional La Paz Christmas
Tianguis. The Tianguis, or open-air
street stands, can be found right
downtown La Paz, on the streets
of Madero and Independencia.
Along several blocks of streets,
vendors are lined up selling toys,
clothes, shoes, backpacks, games,
Christmas decorations, gift wrapping
and plenty more for gift giving and
preparing.
I love the Christmas Tianguis because
it is one-stop shopping. You can find
almost anything, all with in a few
blocks. Park the car and just walk.
Some vendors sell hot and cold
beverages and traditional Christmas
treats such as buñuelos. If you haven’t
tried a buñuelo, you must try.
Christmas Tianguis Sign
Families are together walking around,
people are happy and the atmosphere
is filled with joy, as is should be over
the holidays.
The hate part? The traffic along
Madero and the entire vicinity of Jardín
Velasco almost comes to a halt. Traffic
police are usually working on the main
intersections this time of year, directing
traffic, but they actually manage to
slow things down even more.
Parking, so precious on a good day
in downtown La Paz, is almost nonexistent.
People are usually in a hurry
and when they can’t find a place to
park, frustration sets in and their
driving skills deteriorate. Beware of
the frustrated driver!
Christmas Tianguis
Several great stores, also perfect for
looking for that perfect gift, can also
be found in this area, including Casa
Parra and Sabores de Mexico.
The happiness and the craziness of the
Christmas Tianguis in this part of the
city will continue until Christmas Day.

December 13th, 2011 14
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15 December 13th, 2011
ICE SKATING AT THE MUNICIPALITY
UILDINGS IN LA PAZ
kating in La Paz??!! For the first
ime
EVER in La Paz history, you will
ave the opportunity to skate on ice;
ou will have to see it to believe it!
ast Sunday, an ice skating rink at the
alacio Municipal on Luis Donaldo
olosio between Carabineros and Ave.
e los Deportistas has opened and will
e in use for the next month from 3 to
1pm. No charge for using the
rink. It’s
gift from the Municipality of La Paz to
he people.
OTARY CHRISTMAS TREE
otary Christmas Tree will be installed
his week at the Kiosko on the Malecon
cross from 16 de Septiembre. Bring a
mile to a child with a new Christmas
ift for a child of any age. Please, no
attery operated or military toys. Gifts
ill be distributed by the five Rotary
lubs of La Paz to children in vulnerable
ircumstances. La Paz Rotary Clubs
ork in such communities in the
reater La Paz area and beyond and
nows which communities are most
n need of this special boost for La Paz
rea children. This tree is provided by
oca –Cola and the project is supported
y the H. XIV Ayuntamiento de La
az. Goal is 5,000 presents! Contact
aureen Ryan morene4@yahoo.com,
12-157-7101.
ARE FOR KIDS LA PAZ CHRISTMAS
IESTA
are for Kids La Paz is a charity helping
n the colonia Vista Hermosa on the
utskirts of La Paz. Every year we
hrow a Christmas fiesta for about 150
ids. This year it will be Sat. Dec 17 at 11
m. For many of the children, this gift
ight be the only one they receive for
hristmas. If you would like to donate a
ift and bring joy to a child, &/or join us
or this wonderful celebration, please
ontact Barbara Spencer at 125-3980
r careforkidslapaz@yahoo.com.
CHRISTMAS CONCERT AT COSTABAJA
Costabaja invites everyone to join
them on December 16 th at 6:00 pm for
a Christmas Carol Concert performed
by the Coro Romance and the Coro
Juvenil from the State’s Music School.
The concert will be directed by Omar
Ramirez. Hot cocoa, churros and
buñuelos will be served. For further
information, please call 612 175 0100
ext. 6401 or e-mail Valeria at vrivera@
costabaja.com.
GALA CHRISTMAS FESTIVAL AT
TEATRO DE LA CIUDAD
Alegría del Mundo 2011 (Joy to the
World) is being regarded as those in
the “know” as the most important
gala Christmas festival in the history
of the city of La Paz. Participating in
one of Mexico’s most famous tenors,
Fernando de La Mora as well as Olivia
Gorra (Soprano) and Camerata de Las
Américas Director is James Demster.
The performance begins at 7:30pm at
Teatro de La Ciudad. Admission is 100
pesos.
ENJOY CHRISTMAS EVE AT PALERMO’S
Remember, most restaurants in town
will be serving traditional Christmas
Day turkey dinners on the Eve of
the 24 th , which is more commonly
celebrated here than the 25 th . Call your
favorite local restaurant early to makes
plans if you hope to dine out on the 24 th
or 25 th . Palermo’s on the Malecon will
be serving an octopus and shrimp salad
along with your choice of rhombus
shape pasta filled with cranberry,
ricotta cheese, parmigiano reggiano,
pork ossobuco stew or stuffed turkey
breast with duck meat and fresh herbs
and cranberry cream sauce and for
dessert, Italian Christmas Cake with
strawberry pasrty cream and white
chocolate sauce. All for only 420 pesos.
Please call Palermo’s for a reservation
at 123-1222.
FANLAP AND COSTABAJA’S TREE OF
JOY
Come with your family to CostaBaja and
donate a new toy to their Tree of Joy,
located at the main entrance fountain,
during the month of December. All toys
will be given to the children of FANLAP
and will be delivered to their comedor
in January for King’s Day. FANLAP and
CostaBaja thank-you for helping them
bring smiles to the children of La Paz.
Arbol de la Alegria-ingles-curvas.pdf 1 12/8/11 1:05 PM
FARMER’S MARKET – TUESDAYS AND
SATURDAYS
The tianguis natural farmers market
has returned to Tuesdays and
Saturdays. Fresh greens and seasonal
offerings, organic eggs, jams, sauces,
german sausages, baked goods
including Sharon’s goodies and Pan
D’Les artisan breads. Handicrafts and
items for mind.body.spirit. 9:30 am
start time, the market is at the corner
of Constitucion and Revolucion de 1910
in the little park across the street from
the post office.
PALABRA POR PALABRA BOOK CLUB
– SHANTARAM
Do you enjoy reading books and want
to share your thoughts with others?
The Palabra por Palabra book club
will be getting together on Tuesday,
January 9th, 2011 starting at 2:00 pm
at the house of Jean D. The group will
be discussing Shantaram by Gregory
David Roberts. Please remember all
are welcome. For further information,
contact Elia at rubyredfield@gmail.
com.

December 13th, 2011 16
LATE SEASON SURPRISES!
http://fishreport.jonathanroldan.com/
Property Tax Discount Until
End of December, 2011
The City of La Paz will continue with its
temporary tax discount program for
2012 property taxes. This temporary
discount, which began on October
16th, 2011, will run until the end of the
year. If you pay your 2012 property
taxes before December 31st, 2011 in
one payment, you will receive a 30%
discount on the total amount.
The Municipality of La Paz offices are
located on Blvd. Luis Donoldo Colosio
and the corner of de los Deportistas.
There will also be a 20% discount
honored on payments of all property
taxes that were not paid prior to 2012.
In addition, an 80% discount is available
on all fines that were applied for not
paying your taxes on
time in previous years.
The total property
tax payment must be
made in one payment
for the discount to
apply. Have your clave
catastra or cadastral
number handy to
help you with the process at Servicios
Catastrales offices on the second floor
of the Municipality of La Paz building.
This number can be found on your
notary papers of the properties you
have in La Paz. Also, you can head to
the City of La Paz webpage www.
lapaz.gob.mx to make your payment
on-line.
As I’m writing this, it’s raining in La
Paz. It’s been an up-and-down week
for weather, which has reflected in the
fishing. Although this is the first real
rain, it’s been threatening some days.
Other days it’s windy. Other days it’s
bright, sunny, perfect.
This is pretty typical for the changein-season,
but I had to say, it’s gotten
cooler faster than I remember. Many
of us locals are already wearing jackets
and long pants and it never hurts to
keep a sweatshirt handy if the winds
come up and it gets a little chilly (chilly
for us…the tourists think we’re nuts!).
Anyway, the fishing is pretty much
dictated by the weather conditions,
which obviously dictate the water
conditions.
I’m not so worried about a little bit of
rain. Yea, it’s cooler and you might get
a bit of wet…it never lasts long. But,
even when it rains, normally, there’s
not a lot of wind so you can still get into
some decent fishing. If there’s wind,
that’s when things are not so good.
Wind churns up waves and chop. Wind
brings surf and turns up the water,
especially in the areas where we have
to look for bait in the shallow areas.
If the winds are over a few days then
the water can get really turned up
and green and cloudy. Not so good
for fishing…at least not for pelagic
species like the dorado and billfish and
maybe even some tuna that are still
out there…if you can get to them…if
the conditions are right…if the water
is not turned up and if you can get bait!
That’s a lot of “ifs”.
But even when it’s windy, at least
there’s some good inshore fishing to
be had. This past week, we still got into
good numbers of sierra, cabrilla and
snapper. Some of the sierra this year
are already some of the larger sierra I
think I’ve seen in awhile. I kid you not
when I say, they look like baby wahoo!
Sue Paul and
her wahoo.
Teeth and sleek! Some 5-pound sierra
are not uncommon. That’s a nice sized
fish, especially on light tackle. We’re
seeing more and more pargo as well…
mostly the barred pargo and yellow
pargo/ snapper, but all tough in the
rocks and great eating.
There were some nice surprises. A few
times, we still got into dorado. Good
spots are east of Espiritu Santo Island;
the south end of Cerralvo Island and
around Punta Perrico especially on the
south end in the ensenada curve by
the old Hotel Las Arenas. If you can’t
get bait, then trolling smaller feather
or skipping the small plastic hoochies
on the surface chop gets the strikes. If
you only have a little bait, then get a
hookup on the trolled lures or feathers
then draw the fish in with the live bait!
Also, if you’re willing to “go long”
and maybe “get wet and bounced,”
the north and south end of Cerralvo
Island has kicked our some wahoo.
That’s a big surprise since this year the
wahoo have been around, but just not
biting. I think this year we only saw a
handful. However, the last week or so,
there were a few caught, but everyone
talked about the long bumpy ride out
there and the erratic seas and strong
winds while trolling around. For
some…it was worth it!
Hope your Holidays are off to a good
start! That’s our story from Jonathan
and Jilly at Jonathan Roldan’s
Tailhunter International.

17 December 13th, 2011
Home Buyers Beware! Margarita Mind Is a Financially Fatal
Disease!
Susan Fogel
Margarita Mind: Please leave home
without it! What is Margarita Mind
and why do you have to be inoculated,
prepared, and ready to resist it? Let me
relate a conversation with a friend of
mine, an insurance broker and Realtor
that has lived in Mexico for over 20
years.
“I have a great idea for a business: I am
going to set up a locker system at the
border in Tijuana. You know, like they
have at bus and train stations? Well, my
lockers will be small, about the size of
a melon, a cantaloupe, or honeydew.
Foreigners coming down to buy real
estate can check their brains and then
go happily south and muck around,
listening to every Juan, Jose, and
Maria about the way around the rules
of buying property. Then, when they
have been parted from their money
and signed away their rights, if they can
find their locker key, they can retrieve
their brains just before returning to the
US or Canada.”
“What a great idea,” I said. “Those
people can wander around in a daze,
and since there are no brain waves and
no lights on upstairs, we can identify
them as fools and work with only those
with their brains intact.”
That’s Margarita Mind―doing things
in a foreign country you would never
do at home. Buying a house when
all objective indicators say it’s a bad
deal—just because you love it. Last I
checked, you can’t bank love.
Now we know that none of you, our
readers have Margarita Mind, but just
in case you have a friend that might
catch it, we are warning you. There
has been a rash of potential buyers in
La Paz making the rounds of the real
estate offices and asking for particular
kinds of hard-to-find properties.
Somehow, they think that contacting
every agent in town is a good way to
work. Wrong! And here is why.
1. You are taking a risk if you are not
working with an agent that is a
member of A.M.P.I. (the Mexican
Realtor Association) and the Multiple
Listing Service. These agents
adhere to a higher level of business
practice and a code of ethics
that protects buyers. The Multiple
Listing System (MLS) has money
fines built in for member agents
that misbehave. So you know they
are going to do a good job for you.
2. The word gets around that you
are shopping every agent in town,
so the agents will not expend the
energy to really find you a property
that suits your needs.
Now that we have the MLS, one agent
can help you look at any property in the
entire state. Any agent can show and
sell any other agent’s listed property. If
the property is listed on the MLS, then
the agent has the required documents
and you are assured that the seller is
the legal owner and can sell you the
property, and you know what you are
buying because it is in writing. And by
working with one agent you get their
100% undivided attention.
When shopping for property in
Mexico, follow this rule:
If you would not do it in the old
country, why would you do it in a
foreign country where you do not
speak the language and you do not
know all the rules? If it doesn’t feel
right, get more information or just
don’t do it.
Because most agents you might work
with are either Canadian or American
and we now have escrow and title
insurance, and a property search
feature identical to those in the other
two countries of North America, you
might be lulled into thinking that
real estate practices are the same
here. It isn’t the same. Yes, you can
make an offer and the seller may
counter it, just like up north, but the
closing of the real estate transaction
is complicated, paper intensive, and
time-consuming. And that is why we
have specialized closing companies
that exist just to shepherd your papers
and those of the seller’s through the
system. In the case of Stewart Title
Latin America in Cabo San Lucas, the
settlement company with offices in La
Paz and Cabo San Lucas and Jose Luis
Gaytan a closing attorney in La Paz
your funds can be safely escrowed in
the US, your Mexican papers handled
promptly and properly and your title
insurance issued at closing. All of the
closing entities have lawyers on staff
to review everything and they are
approved to work with those lenders
that make loans to foreigners. There
are no shortcuts, better ways, or
secrets deals to get your transaction
closed faster.
Here are some key phrases that should
make the little hairs on the back of
your neck stand up:
1. “That’s the way it’s done
here.”
2. “There’s a way around it.”
3. “You don’t need escrow; just
pay the seller in cash.”
Buying property in Mexico, and
especially in La Paz, is safe. You are
protected when you follow these
steps:
1. Work with one agent and
make sure they are members
of A.M.P.I and the MLS.
Continues from page 18

December 13th, 2011
18
Continues from page 17
2. Scan your passport and driver’s
license; they will be needed
for many steps of the process.
3. Bring proof of funds to close:
bank statements, bank letter,
pre-approved loan.
4. Don’t let “house-love” blind
you to faults with the paperwork
or the condition of the
property.
5. INSIST that your Good Faith
Deposit be deposited in an
escrow account. This will be a
trust account in the US.
6. Ask for an estimated closing
cost statement before you
make the offer; this will help
you know how much money
you will need.
7. NEVER allow any money to go
to the seller before the closing.
8. If you are buying in a planned
development, ask about the
homeowner’s dues, review
the CC&Rs, and ask to see the
budget and proof of insurance
on the common areas.
9. If you are building, ensure that
dates are set for progress in
construction and don’t release
any money unless those dates
are met.
10. Go ahead! Take the leap to
owning a home in paradise,
just do it with your brain fully
engaged.
Now, you or your friends are inoculated
against Margarita Mind. Go… have a
nice cold one!
Susan Fogel is the broker/owner of
PrestigePropertyGroupLaPaz.com,
she is the author of “Margarita Mind—
How to Avoid It: A Guide to Buying
Mexico Real Estate Safely and Sanely”
You may email Susan at: susan@
prestigepropertygrouplapaz.com
We are headed to Palermo’s
ladies!
hef Alessandro Mancuso cordially
nvites you to the December edition
f the La Paz Ladies Luncheon at
alermo’s, located on the Malecon
etween Morelos and Hidalgo. A
raditional Christmas turkey dinner
ill be served. The luncheon will be
eld on December 20 th , 2011 starting
ith the meet & greet at 12:15pm
ollowed by the main event at
:00pm.
end in your reservations now to
uizalanoy@yahoo.com. All are
elcome. It is a great way to catch up
ith friends both new and old!
Bring a gift!
Manager Israel Perez and Chef Alessandro Mancuso
There will be a 50/50 draw for the
Shelter for Women and Children. They
are hoping to raise enough money to
pay for the installation of the hot water
boiler gifted by a friend. Also, please
bring a gift for the women and children
of the shelter. Details will be sent out
with your reservation if you would like
to participate.
See you on the 20 th . It will be fun!
Continues from front page
the amount of the Aguinaldo. As an
example, once a week at $200 pesos
per day, Juana Fulana gets a bonus
payment of $427.68.
one time per week, 200 pesos and 52 days
52 days divided by one year is 0.14256
0.14256 times fifteen days equals 2.1384
2.1384 times 200 pesos is 427.68 pesos
You will also most likely be approached
at your home by the sanitation workers
who pick up your discards. They will
ask you for an Aguinaldo. You are not
legally required to give them anything
at Christmas, but ask yourself what
is a few pesos compared to strewn
garbage or crushed or stolen trash
bins?
On a related note, effects on the
economy:
Every December, the local economy
shifts. Imperceptible to the casual
tourist, the business owners face a
huge drain on their pocketbooks,
hopefully to be replenished with the
sales generated by folks who suddenly
have cash a-plenty.
Some of the money goes to pay back
debt, what is left over goes to buy gifts
and traditional holiday foods such as
dried cod and rompope. For those
who have credit cards, they often
become once again extended to the
maximum limit, leading to the “cuesta
de enero” or the January economic
slowdown when the paycheck again
does not stretch far enough to meet
basic needs.
The President of Mexico, Felipe
Calderon, recently took a bold step
to stimulate the country’s economic
picture. During the holiday weekend
of November 18 th to 21 st , Revolution
Day, he released to federal employees
40% of their Aguinaldo and convinced
manufacturers and retailers to offer
discounts and incentives to shoppers.
Naming the campaign El Buen Fin, or
the great end [of the week and of the
year] merchants were provided special
signage and participation guidelines.
A website was created, www.buenfin.
org, to promote the movement.
On the grand scale, success was
declared. Bancomer bank reported a
65% increase in credit purchases and
other entities also reported percentage
increases.
At the local level, a newspaper
editorial columnist suggested that the
campaign was poorly represented by
local businesses, citing scant discounts
on closeout merchandise, rather than
the grand promises of incredible
bargains. Other critics suggested
that the featured products should
have been limited to domestically
produced items, rather than the vast
number of plasma televisions that
were purchased for their holiday joy
value. And the question remains, now
that only 60 percent of the Christmas
bonus remains to be delivered, what
will the rest of the year bring?
Contributing writer Les Carmona bakes
artisan breads and pastries for his shop
Pan D’Les bakery while assimilating to
the pace of La Paz. The bakery is on
Madero Street between Degollado
and Ocampo, two short blocks from
the Malecon.
www.bajacitizen.com

19 December 13th, 2011
his is a calendar of arts and cultural
vents in La Paz, México. Schedules
an change, so if your heart is set on a
articular event, best to double-check
lace and time. For more information,
lease head to the website www.
ozinlapaz.com.
ECEMBER CALENDER
ONTINUING
ntil Dec. 24 (opens Dec. 10), art show:
econstrucciones is the title of this
xhibition of paintings by the talented
oung painter Gabriel Rodriguez
t Centro Cultural La Paz, on 16 de
eptiembre near the corner of Belisario
ominguez.
ntil Dec. 31, art show: Danish artist
irsten K. Kester has a show at the
estaurant La Pazion de La Pazta,
llende 36 (in Hotel Mediterrane, a half
lock from the Malecón). This show
eflects her experience of the beauty
f Africa, where she has travelled and
ainted. For more information, visit
ww.kesters-kunst.dk or e-mail info@
ester.dk
ntil Dec. 31, student art show: A
ollective exhibition of student work is
t Teatro Juárez, Belisario Domínguez
etween 16 de Septiembre and
ndependencia.
ecember, street market: The tianguis
street market) are open for business
o Christmas shoppers at Jardín Velasco
n Revolución between 5 de Mayo and
ndependencia and adjoining streets.
arking in that area can be scarce this
ime of year and traffic congested.
adero Street from 5 de Mayo to 16 de
eptiembre is blocked to cars.
ecember, photography show: “The
mage Makers” is the title of this
xhibition of photographs by Gary
atha and Tom Ireton. The show, which
pened Dec. 3, is in the upstairs gallery
f The Bagel Shop Gallery, Belisario
ominguez 291 (between 5 de Mayo
nd Constitución, a block up from the
Malecón). Admission is free. No closing
date for the show is listed.
Permanent, exhibition of photography
and video: The collective exhibition
Hombre, Naturaleza y Cultura (man,
nature and culture) in the CÓDEX
Península salon of the Centro Cultural
La Paz is a permanent photography
show that highlights the special
characteristics that make up the
cultural identity of Baja California Sur.
A video showcasing BCS complements
the photographs. Photographers are
Elizabeth Moreno Damm, Enrique
Hambleton, Alejandro Rivas Sánchez,
Carlos Navarro Serment, Carlos
Aguilera Calderón, Miguel Ángel
de la Cueva and Fernando Sánchez
Bernal. Text is in English and Spanish.
Admission is free.
TUESDAY, DEC. 13
Fieldtrip to Centro Cultural La Paz: Se
Habla La Paz language school sponsors
this fieldtrip to the cultural centre on
16 de Septiembre for a fieldtrip on
Las Posadas de México. For more
information, call (612) 122-7763 or
e-mail info@sehablalapaz.com
WEDNESDAY, DEC. 14
Christmas recital for voice and piano:
Loyda Vázquez (soprano) and Cruz de
La Paz (pianist) perform at 20:00 in the
Salón de usos múltiples at the Centro
Cultural La Paz, 16 de Septiembre
near Belisario Dominguez across from
Sears. Admission is free.
THURSDAY, DEC. 15
Christmas music festival: The Sala de
Conciertos La Paz presents Festival
Navideño, performances by soloists,
ensembles and choral music from the
Escuela de Música del Estado (the state
music school). It starts at 7 p.m. at the
Sala de Conciertos SCON, Morelos
1055 on the corner of Marcelo Rubio.
Admission is 20 pesos.
Theatre: Curvas Peligrosas (dangerous
curves), performed by Grupo Altaira
and directed by Alfonso Álvarez
Bañuelos, starts at 7 p.m. in the patio
of Centro Cultural La Paz. Admission is
free.
FRIDAY, DEC. 16
Pro Conciencia International Festival:
Events in La Paz begin at 19:00 at
the Centro Cultural La Paz, on 16 de
Septiembre near Belisario Dominguez,
across from Sears. Admission is free.
Tonight’s program: 19:00, Brass
concert by the state music school;
20:00, ethnic-world music by Jaya,
Coyote & Macehual; 21:00 “Good
Vibration” concert by the Starship
Monkeys.
Gala Christmas festival: The poster
describes Alegría del mundo (Joy to
the World) as “the most important
gala Christmas festival in the history
of the city of La Paz.” Participating are
Fernando de La Mora (Tenor), Olivia
Gorra (Soprano) and Camerata de Las
Américas Director is James Demster
The performance begins at 19:30 at
Teatro de La Ciudad. Admission is 100
pesos.
Jazz concert at Tonantzin: Seven
Clouds to Heaven performs at 8:30 p.m.
in the intimate setting of the courtyard
of Galería Tonantzin on Constitución
320 between Revolución and Aquiles
Serdán (a few doors down from the
post office). For more information and
for advance tickets, visit the gallery or
phone 122 76 25 and cel. 612 154 86 25.
Film night: The Dancer Upstairs,
directed by John Malkovitch (2003),
starts at 19:00 at Galería La Encantada,
on Belisario Dominguez 1245 (between
5 de Mayo and Callejón Constitución).
Admission is free. Tel: 1853469; web
page www.galerialaencantada.com
SATURDAY, DEC. 17
ExpoFest at Instituto Tecnologico
de La Paz: The school is celebrating
the semester’s end from 10 a.m. to
noon with short presentations by its
English and French students. There
will be food, music, dance and lots of
history and culture from 20 different
English- and French-speaking countries
represented at the event. The school
is hoping for good attendance from
the La Paz foreign community so that
students can demonstrate in English
and French what they’ve learned to
people who will understand them. The
TEC (ITLP) is at Forjadores and Colosio:
travel on Colosio away from the city
toward the hills (on the highway to
El Sargento) and make a right at the
first stop sign onto La Paz Street. It’s
a dirt road. Go to the end (one block)
to enter the campus and make a left
when you enter to go to the gym.
Christmas bazaar: The event is from
3 to 8 p.m. at the Casa de Cultura
Municipal, the city’s cultural centre
on Independencia 807 between
Altamirano and Gómez Farías. For sale
are works of art, crafts, books sweets,
toys and more. For information, e-mail
culturalapaz01@gmail.com or call
Bernardo Valadez at 612-104-8352
Chamber music concert: The group
Trío con Brío plays beautiful music
with a sometimes surprising twist —
Baroque, romantic and classical — in
this free concert at 19:00 in the Salón
de usos múltiples at the Centro Cultural
La Paz, 16 de Septiembre near Belisario
Dominguez across from Sears.
SUNDAY, DEC. 18
Family event: It starts at 19:00 at
Parque Revolución, Félix Ortega and
Nicolás Bravo, across the street from
Chedraui.
WEDNESDAY, DEC. 21
Symphony orchestra concert: The
Sala de Conciertos La Paz presents
the Orquesta Sinfónica de la Escuela
de Música del Estado in concert under
the direction of Luís Peláez García. The
program includes works by Haydn,
Chávez, Beethoven and Tchaikovsky. It
starts at 19:00 at the Sala de Conciertos
SCON, Morelos 1055 on the corner of
Marcelo Rubio.
Admission is 100 pesos.

December 13th, 2011 20
Two New Family Restaurants Now Open
For You to Check Out!
TBC
Dining out has been fun
lately. New restaurants
always seem to be
opening up this time of
year and I love checking
them out and seeing
what new offerings can
be enjoyed in La Paz.
Last week my family
and I were invited to the
grand opening of two
very different but equally
delightful restaurants;
one featuring Italian
cuisine and the other; 100% Mexican!
Mis Amores Wine & Steak House
First off is the restaurant Mis Amores
Wine & Steak House, on Marquez
de Leon, between Aquiles Serdan
and Guillermo Prieto. Opened for
breakfast, lunch and dinner, 8:00 am
to 10:30 pm, daily.
Mis Amores comes to us from the
owners of La Cava del Patron, Andres
and Mirza Peñaranda and their son,
the writer of the Sudcaliforniano Wine
Club that is featured in this paper,
Andres Jr. Mis Amores Wine & Steak
Mis Amores on Marquez de Leon, next door to La Cava del Patron
House is located right next door to
their wine store.
Mis Amores, with the help of Chef
Aaron Beltran, will be featuring fine
Mexican cuisine, including ceviches
and tostadas for lighter fair and ribeyes
and pork ribs for main dishes.
Desserts include crème brule and
sweet tamales with banana.
Breakfasts, which include gourmet
tamales, chimichanges (delicious) or
gorditas with your choice of toppings
start at 50 pesos. Ceviches and Tosadas
start at 60 pesos, Rib-eyes - 3oo pesos.
But what really sets them apart from
other restaurants in La Paz is their
One of the many beautiful dishes at Mis Amores
pricing on bottles of wine. The bottle
of wine you order for dinner is priced
the same as if you bought the wine at
La Cava del Patron. No mark-up!
So take out that special birthday gal or
your partner in life and enjoy a beautiful
and relaxed dining experience out
at Mis Amores in their beautifully
decorated, open air patio. A real treat.
Sapori d’Italia
The second place
you need to
check out, and my
daughter Molly’s
favorite, is Sapori
d’Italia, located
on Guillermo
Prieto, between
Reforma and
Independencia.
Opened from 1:00
pm to 11:00 pm.
Closed Mondays.
Sapori d’Italia just
opened their doors
last week but they
have already become a neighborhood
favorite. Owners Salvador Yee and
Rosa Elena de Yee and daughter Rox
have found Pizzaiolo (pizza chef)
Antonio La Monica and together,
delicious pizza, pastas and salads and
are being served at very reasonable
prices.
M
o
h
h
T
o
p
S
brand of flour from Italy. Top that with t
their newly built wood burning, brick
pizza oven, and you have a crust that
is crispy and tender with a light and
chewy texture.
T
i
Pick out any combination of toppingsA
or try out one of Sapori’s 12 different c
combinations. Prices range from 99 C
pesos for a margherita pizza to 160a
pesos with several toppings. o
t
Their 14 inch pizzas can be baked in less c
than 3 minutes so so long to waiting 20o
minutes for your pizza to bake. You canc
just grab a stool and watch Pizzailoao
Antonio whip you up and pizza and e
bake it in just minutes. Indoor
and patio dining also available.
Pizzaiolo Anthony
e
b
p
a
What makes Sapori d’Italia’s pizzas
and pastas so special is that they are
using a highly refined and soft quality
Yee de la Toba family and friends

21 December 13th, 2011
Healing Arts Center of Todos
Santos
Centro de Terapias Alternativas
PrestigePropertyGroupLaPaz.com
Beach Community Homes
& Land For Sale
More people every year are seeking
out vacation destinations that offer
healthful amenities such as day spas,
hot springs, yoga and massage.
The Baja California Sur area has all
of that and more with the healing
practitioners and teachers of Todos
Santos & Pescadero coming together
to form the new Healing Arts Center.
The center is being called forth
into reality by Jane Sipe, Licensed
Acupuncturist. Jane has served the
community with acupuncture and
Chinese herbal treatments for 6 years,
and is now enlisting practitioners
of other modalities and disciplines
to join her in offering a diverse and
comprehensive set of treatment
options as well as some fascinating
classes. Those who have visited her
office on Cerro La Poza will know
exactly where to find the newly
expanded clinic. If you haven’t
been there, any of the teachers and
practitioners can provide directions
and a map.
The new Healing Arts Center of Todos
Santos starts off this month offering
the following:
• Acupuncture & Traditional Chinese
Medicine
Jane Sipe, L. Ac.: jasi57@
juno.com
www.
nccaomdiplomates.com/
janesipe 612-151-7026 and
Barbara Elsner 1sheurchin@
gmail.com
• T’ai Chi & Qi Gong Classes
Rhoda Jacobs: barakabaja@gmail.
com 612-157-6088
• Reiki Treatments & Chakra
Balancing
Allison Eaton: info@allisoneaton.
com www.allisoneaton.com
612-152-3896
• Massage
Odile “Deedee” Muller: odile.
muller84@orange.fr 612-119-
4158 and Kurtis Parsons:
puravidahealthfood@gmail.com
612-169-2095
• Healing with Acutonics (Sound
Healing)
Lynn Wedekind: Tuneintoit@
gmail.com
• Kinan (Ancient form of Mayan-
Toltec Yoga)
Daniel Camargo: daniel@
ancestralmessenger.com www.
ancestralmessenger.com
• Transformational Breathwork,
Yoga, & Biomagnetism
Genevieve Laquerre: genevieve@
mahalayavida.com or www.
mahalayavida.com
SOLD! Beachfront home 2 bed 3 bath &casita $599,000
Beachfront 3 bed 2 bath, casita w/income $599,000
Near beach 3 bed 3 bath, office, $400,000
Private 2 bed 2 bath patio bar, heated pool $325,000
Gated view homes new, built for you $200-
350k
Beachview 2 bed 2 bath 2 car garage extras $218,000
Beach view 2 bed 2 bath Jacuzzi tub $218,000
15 View lots owner financing $30-55k
Ofc: 612 125 1894 Cell: 612 141 9173
Susan@PrestigePropertyGroupLaPaz.com
All properties listed on MLS
• Counseling & Psychotherapy
(Individuals & Couples)
Shawna Owen: harmonywithall@
mac.com 612-151-7728
• Feldenkrais
Dinah Hornung: dinahbyron@
gmail.com 612-136-9075
Some of these teachers and
practitioners are full time residents
of Todos Santos and will be here
throughout the season, if not the
whole year. There are others who are
here for a shorter time. Be sure to take
advantage of their services right away
so you don’t miss out. Also, watch
for who and what kind of support will
come in next. There will be an everchanging
flow of resources available
as we go along.
encouraged to contact any of the
teachers and practitioners with their
questions about: particular health
challenges, the treatments and classes
that are offered, and for scheduling
Visitors and residents alike are
sessions.
Let’s put Todos Santos on the map for
health and healing, right along with
our incredible artists and surfing!

December 13th, 2011 22
CULTURAL PRESENTATIONS
AT SE HABLA…LA PAZ
J
Se Habla La Paz invites you to
their Tuesday afternoon cultural
presentations in easy to understand
Spanish. The following topics will be
covered:
Jan 3 Día de reyes magos
Jan 10 Calendario Azteca at the
Anthropology Museum, 5 de mayo &
Altamirano
Jan 17 El Chocolate
Jan 24 Fechas importantes para los
Mexicanos
Jan 31 Estado: Coahuila
All of the presentations start at 1:15
and last 45-60 minutes.
The presentations are given in simple
Spanish and there are handouts for
each presentation available. Unless
stated, all presentations are in La
Biblioteca of the school:
Francisco I. Madero #540 between
Guerrero y Republica
For questions or more information,
the office phone is 122-7763, email
info@sehablalapaz.com or SKYPE
julidelapaz.
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23 December 13th, 2011
VALIDITY OF DOCUMENTS
IN MEXICO
Jacques-Edouard Beaulne
Many foreigners who immigrate
to a different country rely on other
compatriots to find out what is what
and most of the time, ready to help
locker room lawyers do the same thus,
perpetual misinformation is given.
In Mexico, a document sent by fax or
e-mail is NOT a valid document as the
only recognized document by law is
the ORIGINAL or a certified copy.
This is extremely important when one
is doing CLOSINGS on a real estate
property since every document from
the time of when the closing process
begins to the time the final document
“Fideicomiso Traslativo de Dominio”
(FTD contract) or “Escritura” (Writing)
is signed in front of the “Notario
Publico” (Contract lawyer), is part of
the chain of events and can be used
in litigation. In other words, a promise
of sale and purchase, addendum(s),
certificates of no leans and/or water
debt and/or no debt of property taxes
and “Evaluo” or appraisals, must be
presented as originals and not as fax
transmitted or e-mail attachment
documents.
Because people live in different
countries, some contracts are signed
in different countries and on different
dates; when this is the case one must
follow the rules where one signs so as
to validate his signature.
For example, a buyer and seller in
different countries with a contract
which originates in Mexico: The
contract which is signed in Mexico must
be signed IN FRONT of two witnesses
who are NOT part of the deal, who
are NOT members of the family(ies)
or working for the Real Estate broker
or agent. In the USA or Canada, the
person(s) who signs the contract must
sign in front an authority who will
recognize the signature(s), in the USA
and in Canada, except Quebec, one
must sign in front of a notary who will
appose his seal and note, in Quebec
the person who does this is called
“Commisaire à l’asermentation”. Once
this is done, the document has to be
legalized before returning to Mexico.
The proper steps for a document which
originates in Mexico are:
A)After signature(s) are received one
must obtain an “Apostille” from the State
government.
B)In the event that the document is sent
to the United States of America: Signature
is done as said in the previous paragraph
and then must be presented to the
nearest State Department to receive an
“Apostille”.
C)If the document is sent to Canada, once
signed, it must be declared legal in Mexico
thus the document must be presented to
the nearest Mexican Consulate to receive
a seal.
D)In the event that the document is not in
Spanish, one must have the document plus
the “Apostille” or seal translated by an
official translator (recognized by Superior
Tribunal in Mexico or Government in
Canada or USA ) in Spanish.
When a document originates in a
foreign country, the procedure is the
same. Signatures are done as per the
local law and presented to either State
Dept. or Consulate and translated in
Spanish by an official translator.
For any comments or questions on
this or any other legal matter, send
an e-mail to can-am-mex-law-firm@
hotmail.com.
For Rent
Residence in Comitan beach
front community for rent.
1 large bedroom, 3 baths
with large outdoor living
space including pool, palapa,
bbq, bar and jacuzzi. Pool
maintenance and gardener
provided.
Call 612 140 2871
or Email marthamagda87@hotmail.com for details.

December 13th, 2011 24