AJIJIC VILLAGE HOMES    

 "Celebrating Lakeside"
By Bob Harwood
El Ojo Del Lago, April 2004 Guadalajara-Lakeside

Volume 20, Number 8

[reprinted in full with the kind permission of Bob Harwood & El Ojo del Lago]

     This month I am setting aside global geopolitical issues to celebrate that, after all, "This World of Our's" begins on our own doorstep in Ajijic, our winter home since 1990. Here, on the shores of Lake Chapala, climate and altitude combine to produce one of the world's most perfect climates (National Geographic Magazine). Life is lived outdoors. A stroll through the cobbled streets to the plaza or the Wednesday market is a social occasion as we interact with Mexican and expatriate friends alike. The amenities that accommodate our every need are but pedestrian minutes away from our home with its walled garden and modest view of the lake over the rooftops of the village.

We enjoy the warmth of the Mexican community. Communication is animated and good humored as we interact with Petra and Fidel, our maid and gardener with the gatehouse family at the entrance to our privada with the third generation of Danny's and the family members who constitute his staff as we observe our Saturday morning ritual of Breakfast at Danny's as we pause at the picture framing emporium of Ricardo Gonzalez to congratulate international mountain marathoner Ricardo on winning yet one more contest to become Ajijic's new Delegado on the Chapala Municipal Council.

We feel privileged when Mexican friends treat us as honored guests on special occasions, a christening or first communion, a Quince Años ceremony or a wedding. When we embark on home improvement projects, there are refreshing elements of informality, of trust, and of artistry. Much of our furniture has been custom-made. A plan is sketched on the spot. There is no other documentation. There are no formal receipts as we make progress payments to facilitate the purchase of materials. And Mexicans are superb mechanics, accustomed to improvising, to having to repair rather than replace.

Fellow expatriates add another significant dimension to the richness of our time here. We treasure friendships with people who have lived and done fascinating things in virtually every part of this world of ours. Volunteers freely contribute impressive professional backgrounds and artistic talents to the enrichment of community life. There are endless opportunities to be of service to others rather than succumb to slothful idleness in retirement. Stimulating programs on offer at the Lake Chapala Society are open-ended in their variety and scope. Every interest is catered to. For more than a decade I have been a privileged participant in the Ajijic Writers' Group. Twice monthly 60 or more writers, many of whom are published authors, hear each other read short passages, offer constructive criticism on what is read.

During this period, helped in very specific ways by the Group's process, I have written my monthly El Ojo columns, articles for a variety of Canadian publications and two books. The second, Seeking Common Ground in a Troubled World, is in the process of being published.

The works of talented artists in every media are on display at special exhibits or in galleries throughout the village. Local authors' books are to be found in Lakeside stores and the LCS library. We are treated to a steady diet of theatrical and musical productions that could grace the stages of Broadway or London's West End. In recent weeks our calendar has been filled with these offerings at the Auditorio, the Lakeside Little Theatre, or in the more intimate settings of St. Andrew's Anglican Church or the garden of La Bodega. For the superb production of My Fair Lady literally dozens of on-stage and back-stage artists contributed world class talents and long weeks of rehearsal and preparation.

The vibrancy of the congregational life we find at St. Andrew's Anglican Church, and others find at other churches in the area, would be the envy of congregations north of the Rio Grande. Here, as at the LCS, as at the Canadian Club, as at other service organizations in the area, the commitment and enthusiasm of highly talented volunteers knows no bounds. I take particular satisfaction in the manner in which all of these organizations have placed a high priority on their outreach to our host Mexican community. There is an appropriate focus on education and health initiatives as offering the greatest potential for generation over generation transformation in that community, the community from which we receive so much.

We feel privileged to be part of one of the most unique expatriate communities anywhere in this world of ours. When we are at home up north we often have difficulty explaining to friends why we spend so much time in a remote area of inland upland Mexico. When we are here we have difficulty explaining to friends why we go north at all!