CHIHUAHUAS Top Quality San Miguel de Allende Mexico Announcements & News
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| From the Vip Club Newsletter for San Miguel de Allende with information on discounts available for club members who have purchased the VIP Club Discount Card
November 30, 2006 Greetings:
Card Member Keith Thompson is no longer at Finnegans but has opened the Long Horn Texas BBQ, behind La Palapa. Because of the price structure, the card does not apply but consider giving Keith's new place a try. Card Member, Donna Drinnon, of the Drinnon Art Gallery, Sto. Domingo 42B, is having a mixed media show on Saturday & Sunday, December 2-3, from 12-5pm, featuring wall art of women and children Card Member Beatriz Orvananos is moving her VIP Club participating Ritmos Latinos dance lesson studio from Zacateros to La Carpa. Classes will resume January 8, 2007. Contact La Carpa for the new schedule. Club members Mort and Norma Erlick are having a garage sale, at their home, Cuesta de San Jose #29, on Saturday, December 16, 9am-1pm. They will be selling off Mexican antiques-Santos', Textiles, Folk Art, Oriental Rugs and many one of a kind items. Club members can come a week early if they call first at 152-8180. It was brought to our attention that a notice was posted on the "not-so-cool" list, a good idea gone bad where there is mostly whining, griping and back biting, and someone was braying the propane gas company does not show when called. I had a casual conversation with Jesus from Noel Gas and asked him if there was a problem. Do know, especially if it a large tank delivery, that if the trucks can't find a parking spot they cannot deliver. They do try coming back often during the course of the day but if they can't park they can't deliver. We would like to remind members that the VIP card does not apply to cover charges for entertainment. We post this information in our brochures and on our webpage but some members overlook the rule and occasionally they give door men a hard times. Stop it! The Club rules are but few but each member should know them. Restaurant wise the card is valid for food and drink off the menu; tobacco products, t-shirts etc. are never included as part of the discount. A member called our office and all the girls could make out is them saying they lost their card. They could not understand who they were because they were sneezing and coughing the whole time. But do know, if you misplaced or lost your card, contact us here for immediate replacement, no questions asked. BTW: with flu season upon us, know that VIP Club Members get a 20% discount at Chelos Faracia , off of pharmaceuticals and 15% off their retail products. Many members have written in for updates about member Arden O'Rourke who was in a bad accident up near the border. Seems our prayers and good wishes were answered. She is out of trouble, has come out of the coma, and has been taken off the respirator at a hospital in San Antonio, Texas. She has a long way to go to be her old self but she is doing better everyday. Arden and her family thank you all for your concern and prayers. The holidays are coming: Be nice to one another. Thank you for your continuous and loyal support. Your San Miguel VIP Club |
I’ve written quite a bit about The Ugly American Syndrome. In my columns, print and online magazines, and in every book I’ve written, I’ve mentioned this topic. I get a lot of mail from readers, either praising and agreeing with me or chiding and condemning me. As of today, I think I will begin cutting Americans some slack, especially American expats in Mexico, regarding The Ugly American Syndrome. My visit to the bank today convinced me that maybe I’ve been too harsh and need to lighten up a bit. I think my readers (the chiders and condemners) in San Miguel de Allende might breathe a collective sigh of relief over this announcement. What happened is something that should not have surprised or shocked me. I guess I simply have reached the end of my expat rope—at least today. When I get my quarterly royalty checks from my book publishers, I take them to my Mexican bank and deposit them. Because they are drawn on a foreign account in the States, there is understandably a hold on these checks. I get that and it doesn’t bother me one bit. But here is what I’ve been told ever since I began depositing royalty checks into this account: “There will be a two-week hold on this check.” At the end of two weeks, the wife and I go off to the ATM to check the balance and the funds are not there. We go back to the bank. The bank officer tells us: “Oh, there is always a three-week hold on foreign checks.” We wait another week, go to the ATM, and the funds aren’t there. So, we go again to the bank. “Oh, there is a 22-day hold on all foreign checks.” The next day, we go to the ATM and the funds are not there. We go into the bank: “There must be some mistake. There is always a 25-day hold on all foreign checks.” We wait three more days and go to the ATM to check things out. There are no funds. We drag ourselves into the bank with the wife trying to talk me out of murdering someone. “Oh my, my! There is always a 30-day hold on all foreign checks.” In Mexico, as I have written before, nothing, and I mean absolutely nothing, is as it seems. Nothing will work with any degree of logic or reason known to the rest of the world. Here two weeks can mean pretty much any amount of time. In Guanajuato, Mexico, two weeks means many things. It can mean three weeks, twenty-two days, twenty-five days, or thirty days. And let me tell you, each bank employee will tell you something different each time you make a deposit. They will look you straight in the eye and tell you whatever comes to their minds, whether it is the truth or not. What I do not get is just why no bank employee knows how anything works! This brings me to a conversation with an American expat who has lived in Mexico much longer than I have. She said once that what Mexico needs is a Business Manager. These people need a Business Manager in everything that has to do with anything to show them how things work. This is because in all aspects of life, at least in Guanajuato, no one who does anything that has to do with something knows just how it is suppose to work. Trying to do banking in Guanajuato is not the only thing that doesn’t work. I would love to tell you that this is so but I would be lying. Once we tried going to the movies. The theater manager was at a party and was having too good of a time to show up with the keys to the box office to sell tickets. She sent word that someone was welcome to come and get the keys and sell tickets, otherwise we would all have to wait. Can you begin to imagine what would have happened in America when this movie theater manager finally showed up? She or he would have been lynched by the crowd. Here is the really bad thing. This sort of “Qué Será, Será, whatever will be, will be…” service is vastly tolerated all over this country. The Mexican nationals, at least from my observation, seem to tolerate a level of service from providers that Americans and Europeans would not tolerate for a second! Only those who have spent time internationally seem to be perturbed by those of their fellow countrymen who settle for or offer this, “The future’s not ours to see, Qué Será, Será…” service. Well, the next time I see some American tourist or expat acting out The Ugly American Syndrome, I am going to march up to them, pat them on the back, and tell them, “I feel your pain, Bubba!” by Douglas Bower Article Source: EzineArticles.com |
| IGLESIA DE LA CONCEPCION. It was begun in the mid-17th century and financed partially through the support of the Canal familiy, who figured prominently in the town's ealy history. The domed roof, one of the largest in Mexico, wsa not completed until 1891. Supported by elegant Corinthian columns, it is believed to be the work of La Parroquia architect Zeferino Gutierrez.
IGLESIA DE SAN FRANCISCO. Build in the late 18th century, it is thought to be the work of Eduardo Tresguerras, who contributed to the design of many churches in central Mexico. Construction was financed through donations from wealthy families and the proceeds from bullfights. The intricate stone carvings gracing the exterior are a fine example of the ornate Churriguerreque style. The high-ceilinged interior contains statues, paintings and more carved stone. La Parroquia. The many-steepled church towers over the plaza and dominates the city. It was originally built in the late 17th century in a plain Fanciscan style, but 2 centuries later an Indian architect, Zeferino Gutierres, gave the church an imposing facelift. With no formal training, he added the tower and Gothic-style facade of pink-hued sandstone, supposedly using postcard pictures of French Gothic cathedrals as his inspiration. Inside, neoclassic stone altars have replaced earlier gilded wood ones. A statue of St. Michael the Archangel, namesake of both town and church (its official name is Parroquia de San Miguel Arcangel), adorns the main altar. Chapels are located to the side and behind the main altar. The original bell, also referered to as St. Michael and cast in 1732, begins ringing early in the morning to summon parishioners; La Parroquia is still an active house of worship. MUSEO CASA DE ALLENDE. The birthplace of Ignacio Allende now houses a historical museum. A plaque hanging ove the front door reads, "Here was born the one who was famous". Allende was one of the few early leaders of the War of Independence with actual military training. Together, he and Father Miguel Hidalgo organized a ragtag army and plotted strategies for overthrowing Spanish rule. Museum exhibits chronicle the region's history abd Allende's role in the struggle for freedom. ORATORIO DE SAN FELIPE NERI. It was build by San Miguel's Indian population in the early 18th century. The original structure's facade of pink stone is still visible at the church's eastern end, along with a figure of Nuestra Senora de Soledad (Our Lady of Solitude). The southern exterior is newer and incorporates a baroque style. The church is notable fir its many domes in different shapes. The adjoining chapel, Santa Casa de Loreto, is behind the church. A grating blocks the chapel entrance, although its gilded altars can still be seen. Text from "AAA Mexico Travelbook 1998" |
From the Vip Club Newsletter for San Miguel de Allende with information on restaurant discounts available for club members who have purchased the VIP Club Discount Card
Notice: Certain Restaurants and Businesses may have restrictions that do not appear on this website. Please contact The Restaurant Club directly for a complete list of participating businesses and restrictions. |
In central Mexico, San Miguel de Allende is virtually the only place where you will find English spoken so massively that you will not have to learn how to say two words in this beautiful language. If the rest of central Mexico looks interesting then you are going to have to get bilingual and learn to speak Spanish. What happened in San Miguel is beginning to happen where my wife and I have lived since 2003. Gentrification is happening at such a high rate of speed that I see Guanajuato turning into an other San Miguel in less than five years. The locals are beginning to sense the handwriting on the wall and are scrambling to hire Mexicans that are bilingual to accommodate the Americans and other English only speakers who are moving into Guanajuato. This is how it began in San Miguel de Allende. When the word got out that it was cheap to live in beautiful San Miguel de Allende, the Americans swarmed in like locusts. They ran up the prices of everything you can imagine. And soon, the locals became bilingual. They had to in order to offer their services to the Gringo population that now numbers in the tens of thousands. That’s why you can go to San Miguel and live perfectly well (that is if you are Bill Gates rich) and never have a problem with the language. That’s happening now in Guanajuato. There are real estate agencies that are scrambling to hire bilinguals. There is also a fellow, with a website, who will, for a price, negotiate anything and everything for you since he is bilingual. If you do not speak a word of Spanish (a tragedy) and want to move to Guanajuato (an even bigger tragedy) then this guy is your man and he will take care of all of your Spanish needs. I list him for you as a matter of courtesy. I do not know him. All I know is that he offers this service: Want to Buy a House in Guanajuato City? Don’t have any ideas how to approach and deal directly with Mexican People? Afraid of being "abused" because you are not familiar with Mexican and Guanajuato Business Culture, Laws, Locations, Neighborhoods, and Language? Don't worry!, we have the solution for you by offering: REAL ESTATE CONSULTANCY (We are NOT a Real Estate Agency, We work FOR You) Our Services Include: · Arrangement of appointments, directly with Owners. · Visits to the properties. · Simultaneous Interview Translation (English to Spanish and Spanish to English). You can ask about anything that concerns you. · Assessment on area or neighborhood growth potential, accessibility, communications and services. · Assistance in value assessment. · Price Negotiation assistance and advice. · Information concerning repair and remodel. · Advise on Security and Safety issues in relation to locations. · Services for coordinating purchase and the legal process. Price: Free initial interview (10 to 15 minutes). $15 US Dollars per hour, a partial hour counts as an hour, cut off on a daily basis. $15 US Dollars per week to local phone calling to coordinate appointments and search properties. Taxi fees when necessary. (From $3 to $6 US Dollars one way trip). Payments must be made on Fridays. We accept U.S. Dollars, Euros and Travelers Checks, no personal checks nor credit cards. Special rates apply for written translation and other services, please ask. Contact: Hugo Rodriguez. / Phone: 73 22383 (Within Guanajuato City) 011 52 473 73 22383 (From The U.S. & Canada) (+) 52 473 73 22383 (From Other Countries) English, French and Spanish Spoken. We accept U.S. Dollars, Euros and Travelers Checks, no personal Checks nor Credit Cards. I imagine more and more of these services coming up in the weeks and months ahead. I was told recently that the list of gringos waiting for properties is longer than the available supply. It is sad. What will happen is the same identical thing that happened to San Miguel de Allende. The culture will be transformed by most rich monolingual Gringos who cannot, because they want not, to learn Spanish. The wife and I are looking for a place where Gringos would fear to tread as a new home. It ought to be very interesting. by Douglas Bower Article Source: EzineArticles.com |