It’s not often that we have to write an adoption plea for a dog we know personally. In our inbox this morning was a very sad email from a young woman whose family can no longer keep the dog that has lived in their home for the last eight years. She is committed to ensuring that Nachito gets a good home, and frankly, so are we. If we could take him, we would, but, sadly, we have reached our dog-to-human ratio limit in the W.G. household.

The pictures of Nacho here are pretty cute, but they don’t begin to communicate the loving and joyful personality this dog has… happiness and joy exude from every fiber of his little energetic being. Nacho is used to being the only dog in the casa, but he gets along well with other dogs. He also gets along well with cats. He loves to chase a ball or anything else you throw for him, and when he’s not chasing something, he’ll investigate your yard and let you know if there is anything untoward happening. He loves to run and jump in the pool on a hot day (if you have a pool, that is…) and he promises to be loyal and true, of course. He’s small and easy to travel with… and he’s going to make some lucky family, couple or person very happy! IS it you??

If you are interested in adopting Nacho, please email Sarah Duneton at duneton [at] hotmail [dot] com or contact her on her cel phone: (999) 200-50-88 (Sarah speaks English, French and Spanish).

The Story of Mecanico and Why You Should Help

Jill Benson recently told YAPA (see below) this story of a dog named Mecanico…

His story is heartbreaking, and yet so typical of the many street dogs found here in Mexico. There are just so many dogs here suffering from malnutrition, disease and abuse – it can be overwhelming.  Mecanico is just one example, and while he is a success story, the tragedy is that there are hundreds more just like him who never get rescued.  They suffer and die in a world that never wanted them in the first place. Mecanico is currently available for adoption at Sanctuary Evolucion.  I volunteer at Evolucion and I assisted with this rescue.  I can tell you that the problem is real.  This story is real.  And this happens every day not "out there", but in our own neighborhoods.

Please help us stop the suffering.  We have already made great progress but there is so much still to do. We need people willing to donate their time.   We understand that:

It is not convenient to stop and rescue a dirty, sick animal.
It is not convenient to open your heart and your home to an animal in need.
It is not convenient to donate your time at a shelter or at a clinic or helping an organization such as YAPA.
It is not convenient to raise funds or ask strangers to constantly help. 
It is not convenient to do all this for animals we may never see again.
It is not convenient to take time out of your day to attend a meeting…

However, doesn’t the last picture make every bit of the inconvenience worth it?  YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE!!

P.S. – To help Mecanico,  you can donate by PayPal at the following link.  Remember, none of the shelters supported by YAPA receive ANY governmental assistance and rely solely on your generosity. Thanks so much for your support!
Together we CAN end the suffering. You can also adopt Mecanico if you want to… contact Jill Benson at snjbenson [at] yahoo [dot] com.

Please Support Yucatan’s Independently-Run Animal Shelters

Here are the two animal shelters in Merida that are mentioned above. If you want a new dog, please look here first. If you have lost a dog, look here first as well.

If you have found a dog you cannot keep, please contact them for instructions. If they are able to give the dog a temporary home, they will. We encourage you to be generous with a donation when you bring them a stray dog.

If you are visiting Merida and want to take a dog home, please know that this is NOT difficult and they can help!

For information about the situation of companion animals in Mexico, go to Companions to None.

Evolución

Evolución is located in Uman, south of Merida. Sylvia runs this large enclosed shelter like a bed & breakfast for dogs, giving them lots of space to roam free. Jill Benson helps out and will be the one talking to you if you wish to adopt a dog. Evolución has events, like dog baths, that you can participate in if you want to visit the dogs. Just give them a call! If you don’t see a pet you like on these pages, give Evolución a call and arrange to visit to find your perfect companion.
Website:  http://www.evolucionyucatan.com/        
Email: snjbenson [at] yahoo [dot] com (replies will be in English)
Phone: 9991-43-47-11

AFAD - Albergue Franciscano de Animal Desprotegido

The Franciscan Shelter for Unprotected Animals (ask for Lidia, who understands English, and many assistants/volunteers who speak English) AFAD has these dogs and more at their shelter in north Merida, just off the Periferico on the way to Cholul. They think it is very important that, if you want to adopt a dog or cat, you come and meet with them at the shelter. AFAD is very careful about the families that they allow to adopt dogs, and the conditions that the dogs will be kept in on a daily basis. If you know that you will give a dog a loving home for the rest of its natural life, please visit AFAD to find the dog that it is just right for you!

AFAD is only open Saturdays and Sundays between 11 am and 2 pm. This is when the volunteers are there to assist you with the dogs, and to explain the adoption process. AFAD is located almost opposite the University Modelo on the road to Cholul (orange fence and gate cafe).

You may not see a dog from AFAD on this page, but if you live in the North and want to adopt a dog, call or email AFAD right away and they will help you out! There are always more wonderful dogs and cats looking for a home than people to adopt them.
Website: http://www.afad.org.mx
Email: afadmerida [at] gmail [dot] com (replies will be in English)
Phone: 044-999-947-6319

YAPA – Yucatan Ayuda Para Animales

YAPA is a new organization, started by English-speaking expatriates to make it easier for those of us who don’t understand Spanish very well to organize, volunteer and share our skills to help the animals of the Yucatan.

Our next YAPA meeting has been scheduled for Thursday, September 9th at 7PM at Debbie Moore’s home.  Debbie is located Calle 66 #448-D x 49 y 53 in the pink house on the left side of the street right before Calle 53.  Please RSVP to debobway [at] gmail [dot] com or to this email as seating is limited.  Please bring a portable chair if possible to ensure you have a seat.

The shelters need pet carriers. If you have some to donate, please contact Jill Benson at   snjbenson [at] yahoo [dot] com  or call her on her cel phone: 999-143-4711.

YAPA is still urgently looking for foster homes to foster a number of abandoned kittens and dogs until we can find more permanent homes for them. If you haven’t already signed up for foster care opportunities, please email linda [dot] letcher [at] yahoo [dot] com and I will gladly add you to our Doggie or Kitty Foster care database.

Anyone interested in volunteering, donating or finding out more should please contact Debbie Moore at debobway [at] gmail [dot] com.

Star Medica Merida: First Implant Prosthesis Surgery in North America
Although the surgery has not yet been approved in the U.S., 70 patients have benefited from this new implant prosthesis surgery in Europe and now one American has come to Merida and is thriving with her newly implanted "above the knee" prosthesis, which she has named Super Heidi. The patient is 69 year old Uta Burrelli. The medical team consisted of Merida surgeons Dr. Carlos Reyes de Caceres and Dr. Ricardo Guillermo Yanez, along with German innovator, Dr. Horst Aschoff. The event was coordinated by Medical Traveler Yucatan, a Merida medical travel company. You can read more about the procedure and the doctors who participated here in this article about Medical Traveler Yucatan. Yucatan Living would like to congratulate everyone who took part in this groundbreaking event!

Baby Jaguar To Soon Be Named
A zoo in Chihuahua sent Merida’s Centenario a baby jaguar. She is now 5 months old and doing well, but the mayor decided to let children between the ages of 6 and 12 suggest a name for the youngster. What a hit that has been! Merida now has 200 letters from children as far away as Cancun and Campeche. The top 10 will be chosen and those children will get to spend time with the mayor and she will take them to lunch. Then, the winner will be announced on September 18th, which will be the 100th birthday of the Centenario Zoo. First place winner gets a notebook computer. Second place is an iPod, and third place wins a collection of children’s films. With 20 days left to go, and a drop-box in most of the parks around the city, we suspect there will be at least 400 contestants before this event comes to a close. We read the list of names and Pigtail sounded awfully cute to us. We can’t wait to see the final result of this contest! 

Lion’s Club To Host a Quinceañera in Itzimna
This is both News and an Event, but we are publishing it here in hopes that more readers will see it and – just maybe – it will inspire others to do look for even more ways they too can contribute to their adopted culture here in Yucatan. These are difficult times and we are constantly amazed by the good works of both the Lions’ Club and Rotary International, as well as other expat groups. In this case, the Lion’s Club Itzimna is providing a Quinceañera for young ladies who might not otherwise be able to afford such an event. We can hardly wait to see how it turns out. We are certain that all of the young ladies will be simply beautiful as they enter this next phase of their lives.
Date of Quinceañera: September 24, 2010
In Honor of: up to 50 young ladies who will turn 15 years of age between July 1 and Dec. 31.
Register: Sept. 11, 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM at Calle 15 # 534 x 20 y 22, Colonia Maya
Location of Quinceañera: Calle 15 # 534 x 20 y 22, Colonia Maya
Time: 8:00 PM

Tabasco is Flooded Again
This makes the third year in a row that Tabasco has had to endure huge floods. This time, on the first day the rivers came out of their banks, 122,000 people in 14 municipalities are already affected. This is what happens when six rivers all flood at the same time. Throughout August, Tabasco had double the normal levels of rainfall and its still raining there. Officials hope they will be able to keep Villahermosa from flooding again, but are cautious about making any promises. We will have Snowbirds on their way down within the month, so we will be watching this situation closely. If you want to monitor this situation for yourselves, you can do so by watching Tabasco’s Civil Protection site, but we’ve found the best resource to be the articles and videos on Tabasco Hoy. 

Mexicana Stopped Flying – AeroMexico Steps In
This past Saturday, in the middle of the day and with no warning, Mexicana simply stopped flying. In press conferences, they said they had been flying at a loss for some time and simply could no longer afford to keep their planes in operation. Calls to the company go unanswered, but press releases say that applications for refunds can be made via the Mexicana website. In another press release, AeroMexico stated that they will service Mexicana passengers. That information is now on the AeroMexico website with complete instructions. Our thanks to AeroMexico for stepping up to the plate and helping so many people whose travel plans and financial arrangements would have been damaged without their intervention.

Saturday Bike Path in Valladolid
Merida has the Bici-Ruta every Sunday. Tizimin has the JAOO Bike Route. Now, Valladolid has a Saturday-only bike path, but with a bit of a twist. Instead of building a new bike path, they are simply closing off one lane of a wide avenue in one of their fraccionamientos. That’s a great idea, especially since students in the Nutrition Department at Valladolid University Center are working with a free medical program in Valladolid, whose purpose is to combat malnutrition and obesity. This is a great opportunity for the people of Valladolid, as well as for young health care professionals, to take the future of their state in their own hands and really make a positive difference in the lives of everyone in the area. Congratulations to everyone who rides a bike in Merida on Sunday and in Valladolid on Saturday!

Blah blah blah: Flavor Flashback…

He stands in front of me and, with a straight face, pushes a small, dark pharmaceutical vial into the palm of my hand. The young, clean-cut gentleman who has just handed me the vial is standing in my crowded bakery on a Saturday afternoon. His face is the face of a twenty-something but the graying at his temples is giving his age away. He must be in his mid-thirties. Nothing about his expression reads ironic or conspiratorial.

I look at him. He looks back at me. Probably I look puzzled. Probably he has no idea that as I stare at the vial in the palm of my hand that it has turned into a time capsule: I´ve just been transported to a disco-tech. Its 1982 and Madonna´s "Like A Virgin" is now playing in my head.

"It´s something I concocted" he says.

"You can sprinkle it on fruit or use it as a marinade for meat," he says.

Then he says, "Taste it!"

And then I did. As soon as I licked it off the palm of my hand, an immense, deep flavor filled my senses. It was earthy and heavenly at once. I felt pyrotechnical reaction-explosions in my mouth, my jaw tingled. I had a poetic verbal-vision flash through my head: "Autochtonous soup with a smattering of corpuscular sea pods." That was my indigenous thought and those were the very words that popped into my head. Promise.

As I became saturated with the top and bass notes of this strange concoction, he, a chef, told me what it was: "Its the scrapings of organic root vegetables (beets, carrots, yams…) that I roasted in a slow oven for hours until they were dehydrated. Then I ground them up in a mortal and pestle. I´ve been using it as a marinade, I rub it on chicken breasts, fish fillets before grilling…Its a shame to waste the best, most flavorful part of the vegetable."

Vegetable skin. I have just been shaken to the core by vegetable skin. I listen to the chef as he described his concoction and at once, I understood the intoxicating flavor. It is the essence of simplicity. It is simplicity reduced. It is slow food encapsulated. It is the replacement of recklessness with essentiality.

I put the vial away in my pocket. I give him a hug and tell him to go away now, I´m busy. But I´ll see you very, very soon, I say. As soon as I can figure out what exactly to do with all this overload of information…

The replacement of recklessness with essentiality. That´s what it means to be a mom. It was by far the most difficult transition of my life. The transition from single woman to wife was easy. My husband knew all about my cooking tendencies. He understood that I had a passion for cooking gourmet food occasionally and with scandalous mess. But he also knew about my loathing of daily cooking. I hated housework. I made art, I didn´t clean house. And, lucky for him, he mainly wore tee-shirts so the news that I could not iron a shirt didn´t cause any great panic. He seemed to think that it was a good idea of mine, my idea about telling people that we had just returned from the beach to explain all the other un-ironed shirts. None of this news deterred that silly Dutch boy from proposing marriage. He didn´t have the misguided idea that I would suddenly become a domestic goddess and start folding towels uniformly with all the seams tucked inside a la Martha Stewart. My role as woman was unchanged except for marital status. I was an artist, a writer, loyal to him and to the pursuit of my individual dream together with my husband, a research scientist, pursuing his individual dream while we co-habitate for life wearing wrinkled shirts in a messy house. It was a seamless melding, he and I. We were blissfully happy. We ate out a lot.

Then we decided to become parents and I wish someone had told me that I would need a doctorate in home economics, just to get three meals on the table. Motherhood converted me into a servant. My baby the master. I was brought to my knees in defeat. I had to learn how to cook. I had to learn to serve. I had to change my art form. I had to re-learn joy, what defines joy, what is it, exactly? It´s hidden at the bottom of the autochtonous soup, my joy. The making of a family became my new art, my new sculptural project. Emulating the patience of microorganisms and feeling myself rise like dough. Rituals became part of life. Bread making was a natural transition.

So, who is this mystery chef, our flavor connection? Chef Raúl Antonio Gómez de la Parra the owner of Galeria de Bagels, the only person in town selling kosher bagels. Why don´t you give him a call and find out where his little, tiny, itsy bitsy restaurant is located in colonia Santana? 0449992174772. If you say "Autochtonous soup with a smattering of corpusclular sea pods," then he´ll know its you and you´re ok. Sign up for his afternoon classes. They begin in October at my bakery. Schedule to be announced.

This week’s Blah Blah Blah by Monique Duval has been edited to make it just a little bit shorter so you’ll have time to cook your own dinner tonite. If you want the full Monique experience, go see her at her bakery on Saturday mornings at the SLOW Food Market (information on our Ongoing Events page).

New Research into Old Mayan Issues
Dr. George Bey, of Millsaps College of Jackson, Mississippi, is studying Kiuic, an archaeological site about 20 miles from Uxmal. His purpose is to uncover new information about the collapse of the classical Maya civilization. While Dr. Bey uses the term "collapse" more often than we are comfortable with, he does admit that the Maya did not simply disappear. Instead, they moved toward the coasts of Yucatan, where we find them today. They did, however, stop writing and this leads to a hole in the knowledge we have about the causes for the decline of the classical Maya that can now only be filled by ongoing research. Whether the Maya moved because of drought, war, crop failure, or for other reasons, we know that the Maya are still with us in numbers great enough to make them the virtual backbone of Yucateco society in the 21st century. We wish the archaeologists well when they return on their next visit, and congratulate the Maya of Yucatan as they proudly move into every cultural, social, and professional arena in the State of Yucatan.

Blog of the Week: Trans-Americas Journey
We found this blog when the authors posted an article about Yucatan’s flamingos at Ria Lagartos.The pictures are excellent and there is even a video. At the bottom of the page, we clicked on the title of their article describing their visit to Valladolid.That page also has beautiful pictures but the blog authors must not be well versed in the history of Yucatan because they seemed surprised to find a city with a European flavor to it. The most priceless part of the Valladolid page is their discussion of shower water. According to them, one needs to shower before 8:00 AM or after 7:00 PM in order to avoid the hot water coming from the tap. We read, laugh, and wonder if they really think we are going to light our hot water heaters when there is no need to do so. We also wonder how high their utility bills must be in the U.S. In the end, we’re glad we found Trans-Americas Journey, but we are even happier that we live in Yucatan.

Commentary: President of Human Rights Commission in Mexico City Gets It Right
During his speech at the Sixth National “Faces of Discrimination” Award evening, Luis Gonzalez Placencia asked that the media not only be respectful of differences – but he also stressed the responsibility of media professionals in creating a culture of respect. To those individuals who claim freedom of the press and freedom of expression as a basis for spreading all forms of hate, we respectfully remind them that just because you can does not mean that you should. Today, the citizens of entire nations are being driven to opposite ends of political, religious, and cultural issues. Neighboring nations that should be working together are developing active prejudices against each other. Much of this negative energy is flowing in a direct path from the poison pens and poison tongues of journalists and other media professionals who are so lacking in personal and professional ethics that they find it easier to tear down than to build up. We would like to congratulate Luis Gonzalez Placencia for saying what should have been said years ago and for calling journalists and other media professionals to task for having had a direct hand in creating the current difficulties found around the world.  

New Ongoing Event: Yucateca Association of Cactus & Succulents
Last Thursday of Every Month
How to choose and grow them. What can be done with them. How to sell them. All this and more!
Location: CICY: Edificio Estudiantes, Salon 1, Calle 43 #120, Chuburna de Hidalgo
Time: 7:00 PM, Last Thursday of Every Month
For More Information: info.asycs[at]gmail.com or cactu[at]hotmail.com  or asycs[dot]weebly[dot]com

Municipal Fiestas This Week

Hunucma Fiesta at Sisal  7 Day Event: August 31 – Sept. 6
This fiesta is in honor of Cristo de Hunucma. The main artisan activities of the municipality are the preparation of typical clothes, the elaboration of henequén fiber shoes and coconut carving. The artisans here also excel in the making of jewelry and in leatherwork. Hunucma is close by and this should be an easy end of summer day trip.

Cuzamá Fiesta  8 Day Event: Sept. 1 – Sept. 8
This fiesta is in honor of the birth of the Virgin Mary. Here, you will find hammocks made of hemp and cotton, as well as embroidery by both hand and machine. Cuzamá is located just south of Acanceh and Seye, between Tecoh and Homun. This too would make a nice day trip. 

Sucilá Fiesta  9 Day Event: Sept. 2 – Sept. 10
This fiesta is in honor of the birth of the Virgin Mary. The main artisan activities of the municipality include the construction of furniture with bojom wood, the making of hemp hammocks, and the making of machine embroidered huipiles. Sucilá is located between Buctzotz and Tizimin. 

Sotuta Fiesta  5 Day Event: Sept. 4 – Sept. 8
This fiesta is in honor of the birth of the Virgin. In the municipal head (county seat) there are some wonderful things to see in Sotuta. There is la Casa del Señor de Sotuta, which is the old palace of Nachi Cocoom; there is a temple dedicated to San Pedro the Apostle, constructed in the 16th century; and an 18th century chapel in the hermitage that is dedicated to Santa Cruz. See Bicycle Yucatan’s wonderful article on their bike and bus trip to Sotuta Here.

In the City of Merida

Monday (Lunes) August 30, 2010

Through Sept. 5: Cosmogonia Maya and Intersticios
These expositions are by the talented artists Benjamin Ramirez (Cosmogonia Maya) and Miguel Angel Reyes (Intersticios).
Location: Centro de Artes Visuales (Calle 60 # 411 x 45 y 47, Santa Ana)
Time: During museum hours
Admission:  Free

Tuesday (Martes) August 31, 2010

Café Pena K’aay T’aan / Nuevos Valores
Tonight’s performance will include: the voice of Moises Rodriguez Camara, Trio Gozanova, and DCNCHF2, Traccion Acustica. This is your chance to see some of the best of the new voices, trios, and musicians in Yucatan’s cultural future, as well as many artist with whom we are already familiar.
Location: in Casa de la Cultura del Mayab, Calle 63 x 64
Time: 8:30 PM Tuesday
Admission: Free (cash café, of course)

Wednesday (Miercoles) September 01, 2010

Cinema Series: Divas, Vamps and Femme Fatales: Sunset Boulevard
(U.S. 1950) Director: Billy Wilder. Starring: Gloria Swanson, William Holden, Jack Webb, Cecil B. DeMille, Hedda Hopper, and Buster Keaton. A hack screenwriter writes a screenplay for a former silent-film star who has faded into Hollywood obscurity.
Location: Cineteca Nacional Manuel Barbachano Ponce in Teatro Merida, Calle 62 x 61
Time: 5:00 PM Wednesday
Admission: Free

Let’s Chat – About Mexican Independence Day
There always seems to be something interesting going on at Aany’s house. Now, Let’s Chat is being conducted in Spanish, primarily at an intermediate and above level, and will focus on speaking and listening skills, as well as vocabulary building. You can expect handouts providing vocabulary on the subject of the evening. This time, its Mexican Independence Day. Who was Hidalgo? What is the meaning behind the President’s words from the balcony? What else is he saying besides “Viva Mexico?” Carmen Pedroza will again be the facilitator.
Location: At the Sign of the Turkey (Anny’s house) Calle 43 #525 x 62 y 64 (Santa Ana)
Time: 7:00 PM Wednesday
Admission:  $50 pesos per person

Theater School
This is an actual school of theater that is open to the public and will run for several days. Since Yucatan has one of the best and most active theater programs in all of Mexico, we suspect that slipping into a seat for these classes and performances will be a treat we didn’t expect.
Location: Teatro Daniel Ayala, Calle 60 x 61
Time: 6:00 PM Wednesday
Admission:  Free

Telchac Puerto: 3rd State Contest for Interpreters of Popular Song and Trova Yucateca, featuring the Nuevas Voces del Mayab
This is going to be a wonderful event. We get to see these young people grow up in their careers here in the city. It is not often that we are able to see them as they begin their journey to stardom. Try not to miss this event if you are in the Telchac area.
Location: Telchac Puerto
Time: 6:00 PM Wednesday
Admission:  Free

Thursday (Jueves) September 02, 2010

Movie: TBD
You know how it is… they never want to tell us what’s playing until the last minute. But be assured, it will be something good! As soon as they let us know, we’ll update this page. So check back often!
Location: LA 68, Calle 68 at Calle 55, Centro
Time: Thursday, 9:00 PM
Admission: $30 pesos, $15 pesos students.

Theater School
This should make for quite an interesting morning.
Location: Teatro Daniel Ayala, Calle 60 x 61
Time: 9:00 AM Thursday
Admission:  Free

Cinema Series: Divas, Vamps and Femme Fatales: Stromboli
(Italy, 1950). Director: Roberto Rossellini. Starring Ingrid Bergman. Karen, a young woman from the Baltic countries, marries fisherman Antonio to escape from a prisoners camp. But the life in Antonio’s village, Stromboli, threatened by the volcano, is a tough one and Karen cannot get used to it.
Location: Cineteca Nacional Manuel Barbachano Ponce in Teatro Merida, Calle 62 x 61
Time: 5:00 PM Thursday
Admission: Free

First Regional Exchange of Clown Art
XV Anniversary of Eduardo Muñoz Carrillo “Payaso Bolitas”
Location: Teatro Daniel Ayala, Calle 60 x 61
Time: 6:30 PM Thursday
Admission:  Free

Yucateco Period-Photo Exposition: History of ICY
This exposition is sponsored by the Ayuntamiento de Valladolid and the National Archives of Mexico.
Location: Casa de la Cultura in Valladolid
Time: 7:00 PM Thursday
Admission:  Free

Friday (Viernes) September 03, 2010

TGIF (First Friday)(aka NAFTA Party)
This is the party that is held in La Hach Bar at Fiesta Americana on all First Friday nights. It is a time to visit with old friends and make new ones. There is nothing any prettier than the huge patio outside of La Hach, suspended between the stars and the lights of the city, in one of the finest hotels in Yucatan.
Location: La Hach Bar, Fiesta Americana Hotel, Calle 60 x Ave. Colon
Time: 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM, botanas (snacks) are provided.
Admission:  Free (cash bar)

Cinema Series: Divas, Vamps and Femme Fatales: All About Eve
(Sweden, 1951) Director: Joseph L. Mankiewicz. Starring Anne Baxter, Bette Davis, George Sanders, Celeste Holm, Gary Merrill, Marilyn Monroe, and Thelma Ritter. What a cast! An ingenue insinuates herself in to the company of an established but aging stage actress and her circle of theater friends
Location: Cineteca Nacional Manuel Barbachano Ponce in Teatro Merida, Calle 62 x 61
Time: 5:00 PM Friday
Admission: Free

Movie: TBD
You know how it is… they never want to tell us what’s playing until the last minute. But be assured, it will be something good! As soon as they let us know, we’ll update this page. So check back often!
Location: LA 68, Calle 68 at Calle 55, Centro
Time: Friday, 9:00 PM
Admission: $30 pesos, $15 pesos students.

Theater School
This should make for another interesting morning.
Location: Teatro Daniel Ayala, Calle 60 x 61
Time: 9:00 AM Friday
Admission:  Free

3rd State Contest for Interpreters of Popular Song and Trova Yucateca, featuring the Nuevas Voces del Mayab
This is going to be a wonderful event. We get to see these young people grow up in their careers here in the city. It is not often that we are able to see them as they begin their journey to stardom. Try not to miss this event if you are in the Buczotz area.
Location: Buczotz
Time: 6:00 PM Friday
Admission:  Free

Cine: Amor Añejo
A short film that was filmed in Yucatan by Raul Sosa and Arturo Sousa. This project is supported by the State of Yucatan through ICY. The topic is love with an unexpected twist. It is not likely to have English subtitles.
Location: Cineteca Nacional Manuel Barbachano Ponce in Teatro Merida, Calle 62 x 61
Time: 8:00 PM Friday
Admission:  Free

Saturday (Sabado) September 04, 2010

Movie: TBD
You know how it is… they never want to tell us what’s playing until the last minute. But be assured, it will be something good! As soon as they let us know, we’ll update this page. So check back often!
Location: LA 68, Calle 68 at Calle 55, Centro
Time: Saturday, 9:00 PM
Admission: $30 pesos, $15 pesos students.

40th Anniversary of Ballet Folklorico del Estado de Yucatan and the Orquesta Jaranera del Mayab
The title of this performance is A Window To The Past of Yucatan. With 40 years to perfect their craft, these two groups are the best of Yucatan’s cultural ambassadors around the world. They have even played in Bejing! Please make an effort to attend this wonderful event and let the Folkloric Ballet of the State of Yucatan and the Orquesta Jaranera del Mayab know just how much they are appreciated.
Location: Teatro Peon Contreras, Calle 60 x 57
Time: 9:00 PM Saturday
Admission:Free

Cinema Series: Divas, Vamps and Femme Fatales: A Streetcar Named Desire
(U.S. 1951). Director: Elia Kazan. Starring: Vivien Leigh, Marlon Brando, Kim Hunter, and Karl Malden. Disturbed Blanche DuBois moves in with her sister in New Orleans and is tormented by her brutish brother-in-law while her reality crumbles around her.
Location: Cineteca Nacional Manuel Barbachano Ponce in Teatro Merida, Calle 62 x 61
Time: 5:00 PM Saturday
Admission: Free

Cinema Series: Divas, Vamps and Femme Fatales: Niagra
(U.S. 1953). Director: Henry Hatada. Starring: Marilyn Monroe, Joseph Cotton, Jean Peters, Max Showalter, and Denis O’Dea. As two couples are visiting Niagara Falls, tensions between one wife and her husband reach the level of murder.
Location: Cineteca Nacional Manuel Barbachano Ponce in Teatro Merida, Calle 62 x 61
Time: 8:00 PM Saturday
Admission: Free

Sunday (Domingo) September 05, 2010

Second Race with a 10K and 3K Walk – Sunday September 5
This event is sponsored by Telcel and exersite.com.mx. Proceeds will go toward supporting the needs of children with cancer and their families. The slogan for this race is “Now is the time for Heroes!” Won’t you be a hero for children with cancer?
Sign Up: You can sign up to participate in this race by calling Exersite: 167-9257 and 167-9258. 

Cinema Series: Divas, Vamps and Femme Fatales: The Rose Tattoo
(U.S. 1955). Directed by Daniel Mann. Starring: Anna Magnani and Burt Lancaster. An Italian-American neighborhood in Louisiana is disturbed when truck driver Rosario Delle Rose is killed by police while smuggling…
Location: Cineteca Nacional Manuel Barbachano Ponce in Teatro Merida, Calle 62 x 61
Time: 5:00 PM Sunday
Admission: Free

40th Anniversary of Ballet Folklorico del Estado de Yucatan and the Orquesta Jaranera del Mayab
The title of this performance is A Window To The Past of Yucatan. With 40 years to perfect their craft, these two groups are the best of Yucatan’s cultural ambassadors around the world. They have even played in Bejing! Please make an effort to attend this wonderful event and let the Folkloric Ballet of the State of Yucatan and the Orquesta Jaranera del Mayab know just how much they are appreciated.
Location: Teatro Peon Contreras, Calle 60 x 57
Time: 8:00 PM
Admission: Free

Coming Soon

Yoga Kundalini: Sept. 7 and Sept. 11
Location: Villa Serena, Calle 24 # 201 x 23 y 25, Garcia Gineres
Time:  On the 7th: 7:00 PM to 8:30 PM; On the 11th: 8:00 AM to 9:30 AM
Admission: Call (999) 920-5611

Celebrate Mexico’s Bicentennial and Hotel Zamna’s 3rd Anniversary – Saturday September 11
This will be an evening of live music under the stars, along with a 3-course dinner with wine, a Zamna Prize Quiz, and free local beers, spirits & wine throughout the night. There will be a charge for imported drinks and wine. The menu includes roast pepper and carrot soup with bread, pork in a creamy Xcatic sauce, spring vegetables and rice, plus simply divine peaches & pears marinated in brandy with limon sorbet. If the weather does not cooperate, this event will be moved inside. 
Location: Hotel Zamna, Calle 53 # 547, Barrio de Santiago, Merida Centro
Time: Doors open at 7:30 PM, Dinner is served at 8:00 PM, Concert at 9:30 PM
Admission: $220 pesos, but tickets must be picked up and paid for in advance because of the need for catering. There is a limit of 40 guests, so please pick up your tickets early.
For more information, Call: 999-924-0103

Texas: Fiery Pool: The Maya and the Mythic Sea:
August 28, 2010 through Jan. 2, 2011
If you live in Texas, or if you are passing through on your way to Yucatan, try to get over to Ft. Worth to see this exhibit. All of the pieces belong to reputable museums in nations with significant Maya populations. The exhibition is organized by the Peabody Essex Museum, Salem, MA, and is made possible in part by the National Endowment for the Humanities. Additional support is provided by ECHO (Education through Cultural and Historical Organizations), a program of the U.S. Dept. of Education. The exhibition is supported by an indemnity from the Federal Council on the Arts and the Humanities.
Location: Kimbell Art Museum, Fort Worth, Texas
For More Information, Please Visit Kimbell Art Museum’s Website

Hacienda Santa Cruz: A Unique Promotion:
September 1 through September 30
You are invited to enjoy a 3 course dinner with a welcome cocktail and a glass of wine
Price: $450 pesos + 15% service charge
More Information: Hacienda Santa Cruz Blog 

10th International Festival of Choirs Yucatan – October 9 & 13
Concert under the direction of maestro Electo Silva (Cuba). This is a 6-month-long festival that begins on April 8th and travels from Jalisco to Merida and on to Colombia and Venezuela before its final performances in Merida in October. Visit the MySpace page of Conjunto Vocal Yucatan for a complete listing of the international dates. In case there is anyone who doesnt believe that a voice is the equivalent of a musical instrument or that a choir is the equivalent of an orchestra, we invite you to listen to samples of their work on their MySpace page. We especially liked A una dama que iba cubierta and La Cochinita Pibil. Performance dates in Merida are:
October 9 & 13: 10th International Festival of Choirs Yucatan and 25th Anniversary of Conjunto Vocal Yucatan
Location: Teatro Peon Contreras, Calle 60 at Calle 57
Admission: Tickets available at the box office

Yucatan 2010: Short Film Festival – November 12-21

The Yucatan 2010 Short Film Festival is calling for submissions. It is open to any non-professional resident of the Yucatan to submit their short films, and cash prizes will be awarded. Selected films will be exhibited during the festival. Films submitted must be digital videos, made in Yuca tan and produced after Jan 1 2009. One person can submit unlimited number of films. The themes must touch on mexicanidad, identity, revolution, independence, liberty and/or democracy. There is even a category for one-minute cellphone films, as well as one for films in the Mayan language (with Spanish subtitles), and the films can be up to thirty minutes.
Screening:November 20 & 21. The public will select the winners.
Prizes: Cash prizes of $4000 and $5000 pesos for each category
For More Information: ICY Direccion de Artes Visuales, 930-4700 Ext 54035 and 54019
Submission Entry Fee:Free

Multimedia: 200 Years of Being A Proud Mexican – November 19th & 20th
This wide screen event will have it all: the history of Mexico on a screen that is 11 meters long and 6 meters high, as well as books on art and history that are being taken house-to-house already.
Location: Parque de la Kukulcan, Circuito Colonias
Time: 8:30 PM and 10:00 PM
Admission: Free

Taste of Playa – November 21, 2010
This is a huge annual event where over 40 restaurants are highlighted in a one day event. It was a great success last year, so be sure and put it on your list for Fall travel must see and do.
Location: Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo
Time: 2 PM to 9 PM
More Information: Check the details on the Taste of Playa website.

Day of the Dead Spanish Immersion Course: October 25 – 29 and Nov. 1 – 5.
This is going to be a great event for anyone who wants to not only visit Yucatan, but take a wonderful course in Spanish while they enjoy their visit. Habla is going to have a 2 week Spanish immersion course the last week in October and the first week in November. Students can take one week or two and have the option to make this a real immersion by taking advantage of a homestay. Since Day of the Dead is one of the best holidays of the year in Yucatan, this is one of the best ways to see and do it all!
Location and Information: Habla
Information on Habla’s Website 

Have an event you want us to publicize? Just email the information to info [at] yucatanliving [dot] com. We publish every Monday night.

(Para leer este artículo en español, haga clic aquí.)

“Spiking fever, searing muscle and joint pain, blood seeping through the skin, shock and possibly death—the severest form of dengue fever can inflict unspeakable misery. Once rare, dengue fever now threatens more than 2.5 billion people.” (1)

“Dengue is the most rapidly spreading mosquito-borne viral disease in the world. In the last 50 years, incidence has increased 30-fold with increasing geographic expansion to new countries and, in the present decade, from urban to rural settings…” (2)

History of Dengue Fever

People’s stories from hundreds and thousands of years ago tell the origins of ka-dinga pepo: the “disease of the devil” (in Swahili), a.k.a. Dengue Virus. Roughly 2000 years ago, one species of mosquito (Aedes aegypti) found new hosts. Those hosts lived in cities and villages along the Nile, and they recorded their experiences for us to read today. They told tales of a terrible illness that started with a fever and often a rash and easy-bruising. It caused unbelievable pain in the bones and joints, with a special pain emanating from behind the eyes. In its worst forms, the suffering included bleeding from the eyes and oozing blood from the pores. Some recovered, some died. (1)

These entrepreneurial mosquitoes spread across the tropical and sub-tropical world, eventually stowing away on ships with slave traders and rum-runners, and making their way to 17th century Boston and Philadelphia. By 1780, the famed Dr. Benjamin Rush (a signer of the Declaration of Independence) reported treating an outbreak of “Bone Break Fever” among Philadelphia residents, and the name stuck.(1)

Dengue Virus (DV) infections continued to plague much of the Tropical New World until hemisphere-wide mosquito eradication efforts in the 1950’s and 1960’s nearly exterminated it in the Western Hemisphere. 1945 marked the last Dengue epidemic in the United States. Unfortunately, Cuba did not eradicate their Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, although Castro maintained an official public façade that Cuba too should be certified as a Dengue-free nation. Cuba’s living population of Aedes aegypti mosquitoes and their accompanying Dengue Virus apparently provided an ongoing reservoir of Dengue Virus for re-infecting all the Caribbean and Central American and South American nations. (2,3)

Dengue in Mexico

Dengue virus re-appeared in Mexico in 1968 and has spread across almost of Mexico as Aedes aegypti mosquitos moved inland from the Gulf Coastal regions. Since that time, city-loving Aedes aegypti mosquitos and the Dengue Virus have basically been endemic to the Yucatan Peninsula, with confirmed Dengue Virus cases peaking and increasing the past 3 years in Yucatan State. (3)

This year, the Federal Government of Mexico has announced that overall cases of the milder, classic form of Dengue have fallen slightly in Mexico since 2009. "But the more serious hemorrhagic form has spiked to about 1,900 cases this year, compared with about 1,430 in the same period of 2009. Only 16 people have died this year from the hemorrhagic form, but the seriousness of the disease makes it a concern." For the first time in 64 years, there is evidence of Dengue in the United States as well (in Key West, Florida).

Dengue Fact Sheet

• Dengue infections in Merida and the Yucatan beach areas are 4 times higher this Spring 2010 than they were a year ago.
• Current rate may result in over 120,000 new Dengue Virus infections in Yucatan in 2010.
• The recent rates of Dengue Hemorraghic Fever as a percentage (%) of total confirmed Dengue virus infections have exceeded 50% across most of Mexico,  which means that more than 50% of the confirmed Dengue virus cases proceeded to Dengue Hemorraghic Fever symptoms.
• 2.5 billion people – two fifths of the world’s population – are now at risk from Dengue.
• 50 million new Dengue Virus infections occur annually.
• Dengue Virus is transmitted only through being bitten by Dengue-infected female Aedes Aegypti (silent) mosquitoes in the Americas.
• Infection by 1 of 4 Dengue strains gives protection against only that strain for 4 months.
• Infection by the other 3 strains are possible during the meantime, and re-infection by the first strain is possible after 4 months.
• There is no such thing as "Dengue H".
• All four Dengue Virus strains (DV-1, … , DV-4) are circulating in and endemic to the Yucatan Peninsula.
• Prior Dengue infections seem to almost universally interfere with your subsequent immune responses to new Dengue infections, with each new infection producing more and more severe symptoms, increasing the likelyhood of the possibly fatal Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever (DHF) & Dengue Shock Syndrome (DSS).
• Dengue infections take several forms. Infections can present no symptoms, mild symptoms like just a rash, flu-like symptoms, distinctive pain behind the eyes, high fevers (104ºF or 40ºC), and sometimes fatal Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever with bleeding from the eyes, under the skin, and into the Gastro-Intestinal Tract.
• There is often a 3-week delay between the mosquito bite and onset of Dengue symptoms. There are anecdotal reports of as little as 4 days between being bitten and the onset of symptoms.
• The key days for getting Dengue testing are DAYS 4 – 6 after onset of fever/symptoms.

Different Types of Dengue Infections

It is important to understand the different types of infections so that you will know how to treat yourself and your loved ones.

• Primary Dengue Infections (First-Time Offenders): The commonly-used lab tests do not detect Dengue until Day 4 – Day 6 after the onset of symptoms. Waiting to get a tested during Days 4 – 6 will not change either your symptoms or medical treatments, unless your symptoms progress to DHF or DSS around Day 6.
• Secondary Dengue Infections (Infected people who have already had a prior Dengue Infection): The commonly-used lab tests do not detect Dengue until Day 10 after onset of symptoms, because prior Dengue infections heavily interfere with the patient’s immune response to the new infection.

How Do I Know if I Have Dengue?

Yucatan has only two labs that do Dengue testing: a Departmento de Salud lab and one at Universidad Autonoma de Yucatan (UADY). Turn-around times (TATs) for Dengue test results CAN be 1 day. Free Physician Evaluations and Free Testing are available at UADY’s  Centro de Investigaciones "Hideyo Noguchi" research laboratory, across Calle 59 from the Merida Centennario Zoo, on the NE corner of  Avenida Itzaes and Calle 59.

Park across the street at the park (Parque de la Paz) in front of the old jail/penitentiary.  Walk into the building that is across from the Park on the northeast corner of Itzaes and Calle 59. Walk up to the front desk as you enter the Research Center, and explain that you need to be checked for Dengue.

"Ayudame, por favor." (Please help me)
"Yo penso que yo tener una infeccion de Dengue Virus." (I think I am infected with Dengue Virus)
"Aqui se realizo pruebas de diagnostico de Dengue." (I understand you can test for Dengue here)

The Mosquitos that Carry Dengue and How to Get Rid of Them

The Dengue carrying mosquitoes Aedes aegypti (A.ae.) mosquitoes need only a teaspoon of water that doesn’t evaporate for one week to convert eggs to free-flying adults at Yucatecan temperatures. With the kind of rain that this area has been experiencing over the past month, imagine all the teaspoons of water that might be lurking in your garden and your yard.

They (A. ae.) prefer clean water (or rain-water) residues, like those found in tinacos, flower pots, rubbish piles, old tires, old pipes, junk, rain water in unattended swimming pools, sink & floor drains, etc. The best methods for reducing Dengue risks are to kill and exclude mosquitoes from any areas where people live.

Other prevention ideas?

• When you are outside, wear long pants and socks or use a repellent.
• Put screens on your windows and doors to keep mosquitoes outside, especially at night.
• Seal or invert containers that might be outside in the rain, or which have water in them
• Put mosquito larvae-eating fish like gambusia or guppies into ponds or fountains
• Treat your fountains with chlorine to kill larvae at least weekly, plus use a copper algaecide to protect the chlorine. Since chlorine levels rapidly drop to ineffective levels when algae grows, especially after a rain, adding copper sulfate as an algaecide protects the chlorine.
• Typical larvicides (like Abate (Temephos) or copper salts : a.k.a. Paris Green) kill larvae for a long period of time, unless you drain the water. The old time larvicide Paris Green is a mix of Copper Arsenate and Copper Acetate, called cardenillo, verdigris, or aerugo in Spanish. It should be used as a dry powder at 1% – 3% levels that floats on the surface of the water. Various formulations of Temephos are sold under the trade-name “Abate” and are reported to work for at least 1 month and up to a year, depending on the application.
• Eliminate even small amounts of water that stand for a week or more

The adult A.ae. mosquitoes live roughly 1 month “in the wild” (normal conditions). Under better conditions, (like a nice laboratory with 3 hot meals and a cot), they can live for 6 months. Once an A.ae. adult mosquito gets Dengue Virus, they can transmit it for the rest of their little lives: 1 month – 6 months.

More About Larvicides

Larvicides are generally considered to be more effective at controlling mosquito populations than spraying to kill adult mosquitoes. Larvicides are also typically less toxic to humans than adult mosquito sprays, since they are usually applied to water that humans do not drink.

Maintaining sufficient free chlorine in a swimming pool or fountain also acts as a larvicide. When free chlorine levels fall in a pool or fountain, then mosquito larvae thrive. Copper Sulfate is one compound commonly used as an algaecide in swimming pools, because Copper Sulfate is nearly permanent (works until you drain the pool), and it protects the free chlorine from being chewed-up (consumed) by algae blooms that come after a rainfall(s). Rainfalls inject our swimming pools and fountains with algae-spore-laden dust, and the rainfall here is also generally basic (pH up to 9). Both the algae injection and pH increase reduces the amount of free chlorine very rapidly, reducing disinfecting power and reducing chlorine’s effect as a larvicide. (Now you know why your pool turns green faster after a rainfall!)

Since Aedes aegypti mosquitoes need one week for eggs to hatch and larvae to mature into free flying adults, if you maintain sufficient chlorine levels at least once a week, and suppress algae with an algaecide, then you effectively interrupt the mosquito’s breeding cycle by killing the larvae. Copper Sulfate (Tri-Hydrate) is available locally at places like Home Depot or the Baroso pool supply stores, and it only takes 34 grams (roughly 5 level tablespoons) of the pretty blue Copper Sulfate Tri-Hydrate salt to treat 50,000 liters of water (13,200 gal.).

A different form or type of larvicide, Paris Green (also using copper salts), is used for treating old tires, unused swimming pools, and other unused water features. In Spanish Paris Green is called cardenillo, verdigris, and aerugo. Paris Green is a toxic double salt of copper arsenate and copper acetate that floats on top of the water, which is why it is only typically used in old tires and other sources of unused standing water. It may also be worth considering using a synthetic organic pesticide larvicide like Abate (Temephos) .

Abate can be applied in various forms and concentrations, lasts a long time, and seems appropriate as a larvicide for non-drinking water supplies, based on USEPA reports. The USEPA reports that:

“Temephos, applied according to the label for mosquito control, does not pose unreasonable risks to human health.” (5)
“Temephos is not expected to have a direct impact on terrestrial animals. Risk quotients for freshwater fish only slightly exceed levels of concern; no acute toxicity data are available for marine fish species. Field monitoring data indicate little impact on birds. Aquatic invertebrates, particularly Daphnia magna, are extremely sensitive to temephos.” (5)

One final option of larvicides for mosquito control are natural pesticides that utilize bacteria spores to kill the larvae. Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis (called Bti for short) is a naturally occurring soil bacteria spore used to control mosquito larvae by releasing toxins into the mosquito’s gut, causing the larvae to stop eating and die. Since the larvae must eat the spores, Bti is only effective against actively feeding larvae, and does not affect mosquito pupae or adults. Because of its mosquito-larvae-only specific way of action, the USEPA reports that microbial larvicides (including Bti) are “essentially non-toxic to humans”, and that “microbial larvicides do not pose risks to wildlife, nontarget species, or the environment, when used according to label directions.“ (citation here)

There is one significant drawback to using Bti; it is reported to last only seven days in some applications. We hear Bti might be available here in Merida, but we cannot tell you where… yet!

What About the Neighbors?

If you think your neighbors are raising and herding mosquitoes in their backyard, there are a few measures you can take. First, do your best to contact them, and ask them to clean up rubbish & debris, and ask them to treat or drain standing water.

US and Canadian snowbird properties are some of the worst offenders, especially if there are no responsible and active property managers and the owners are absent. Snowbird-owned properties are notorious mosquito breeders because NOB folks love water features like pools, fountains, decorative troughs, hollowed-out stones and potted plants. These collect rainwater – and it only takes a tablespoon of residue that doesn’t dry to breed A.ae mosquitoes.   The problem is aggravated by local property managers who are hesitant to do anything new or different, particularly if the owner has not directly ordered it.

Property managers are notorious for letting fountains and pools get super nasty for months, and then making a big effort the week before the owner returns to clean things up. Consequently, the owners suspect nothing, because they return to sparkling pools, while their neighbors suffered with months of mosquitoes.

In a case such as this, do your best to educate your neighbors directly and voice your concerns, and get their property manager’s contact information from them. (Send them this article!)

Finally,  Mexican health authorities really have no authority to enter properties without the owner’s consent.

Dr. Fry had a friend in the centro who persistently tried to get various government agencies to help with their New York City neighbor’s algae/mosquito swamp-like swimming pool, with no success.   In a case such as this, we suggest discreetly throwing a nylon stocking with granulated/powdered chlorine, which would work for a while, or with the aforementioned Paris Green, which would work nearly permanently.

Traps and Repellents

Mosquito traps (that emit CO2 from propane) or the UV light+fan ones work well at trapping just mosquitoes, but the ones that use a UV light attractant and electrical grids indiscriminately kill lots of many types of bugs, thereby reducing bat populations. This is not a good thing when you want to reduce the mosquito population.

There are, of course, many ways that mankind has devised to keep mosquitoes at bay. The easiest methods to come by here in the Yucatan are in the grocery stores: sprays and pumps of liquid repellant, mosquito coils that burn like incense and mosquito "cards" that are inserted into special holders that plug into the wall and emit mosquito hormones that keep them away. There are candles with citronella to burn on your patio. This year, we’ve also seen mosquito bracelets that emit citronella to keep the wearer mosquito-free.

There are devices that emit sounds that are supposed to repel mosquitoes, and there are bug lights, as well as "tennis rackets", nifty devices that allow you to swat at the mosquitoes and give them a deadly electrical shock when you get one (these, we hear, are available at the Chinese restaurant on Calle 47 at Parque Santa Ana).

Nothing is failsafe, and in our experience, using multiple methods is probably a good idea.

The Dengue Transmission Chain

Dengue Transmission occurs as a chain of events. Break just one link of the chain and Dengue transmission ends.

1. Uninfected female A. ae. finds febrile Dengue infected Human.
2. Female A. ae. bites the febrile Dengue Human.
3. Female A. ae. mosquito hides and rests for 3-4 days.
4. Dengue virus moves into the A. ae. mosquito’s salivary glands.
5. Female A. ae. mosquito lays eggs in water.
6. The now Dengue-infected female A. ae. mosquito finds human and bites human.
7. Mosquito eggs hatch and develop into adults in 7 days at Yucatan temperatures.
8. Newly hatched female mosquito has sex with male mosquitoes.
9. Male mosquitoes feed on nectar and plants.
10. Newly hatched A. ae. female mosquitoes search for their first blood meal, and if successful, they bite a human for their first blood meal, continuing the cycle.

If you break or interrupt any single link in this chain of mosquito activity, (1-10), Dengue transmission stops, which makes mosquito control our best proven way to control the spread of Dengue virus.

How to Eliminate Mosquito Breeding

Eliminating or treating mosquito breeding sites is highly effective and our best current solution. As you read through this list, you will undoubtedly find a few things to do that you haven’t thought of yet, as well as more than a few suggestions for some of your neighbors.

• Clean up rubbish piles & drain standing water
• Drill holes in the bottoms of all outdoor flower pots
• Cover household drains tightly, or treat with ammonia to kill larvae
• Maintain sufficient free-Chlorine levels in swimming pools to kill larvae
• Dispose of old tires, buckets, & plastic items that retain even small amounts of rain water
• Drain unused swimming pools to total dryness, and consider using a larvacide like Copper Sulfate to treat any rain water that accumulates during the owner’s absence.
• Treat fountains and pools with chlorine, copper, or add mosquito-eating fish, like Gambusia or guppies, mollies, and other live-breeding fish.
• Flush unused guest bedroom toilets weekly, or treat, or seal them with plastic wrap
• Flush all sink, shower or floor drains inside the house weekly,  and cover or seal unused drains

Don’t Worry… Be Happy

And after all this, don’t worry about it too much. After living here for over eight years, we know a few people that have contracted Dengue while living here. We also know a lot of people that have not. Some of our friends who came down with Dengue suffered greatly, and some seemed to have a mild case. Take the precautions listed above and enjoy yourself. If you feel you might have Dengue, get yourself to a doctor as soon as possible and get tested. If you do have it, stay hydrated and stay in touch with your doctor. Luckily, the doctors here are not only competent, but they give you their cel phone numbers to call if you need them. Take advantage of the great healthcare here if you need it, and otherwise, don’t worry! Enjoy the Yucatan!

References:
(1) “The Devil’s Disease, Dengue Fever”, P. McGuire, Johns Hopkins Public Health, Spring 2010 Ed., 2010, pp 16-21.
(2) Dengue: guidelines for diagnosis, treatment, prevention and control — New edition, WHO and the Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases (TDR), 3rd Edition report, ISBN 978 92 4 154787 1, 2009.
(3) A Timeline for Dengue in the Americas to December 31, 2000 and Noted First Occurrences”. J Schneider, MPH and D Droll, Pan American Health Organization: Division of Disease Prevention and Control, June, 2001, 99 1-20.

(4) Mexico Worried by Rise in Hemorrageic Dengue by Mark Stevenson, Associated Press, July 21 2010.

(5) USEPA Pesticides: Reregistration: Temephos RED.  http://www.epa.gov/oppsrrd1/REDs/temephos_red.htm 

Links of Interest:

Center for Disease Control and Prevention – About Dengue in Tropical and Subtropical Regions

About Dengue in the United States by Ali Khan

Baroso Pool Supply is at Calle 51 #532-A x 74 y 76 in the centro

Editor’s Note: The facts of this article were painstakingly gathered by Dr. Steven Fry who lives in Merida, Yucatan with his wife. Dr. Fry is a doctor of Chemistry, and spent 27 years in Environmental and Public Health in the United States before coming to Merida. He was the first Western scientist invited into the former Soviet Union, (after its break-up) to evaluate public health & environmental issues in Ukraine, as a consultant to the US Agency for International Development. His wife is a laboratory director at UADY, specializing in Dengue and West Nile Viruses – and Dr. Fry developed a bit of a background from helping evaluate her data, and helping write her dissertation on Dengue and West Nile Viruses.  She is a full-time UADY researcher working on various joint projects with the Dept. of Health and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

You can read more about Dengue and more writings by Steven Fry at his website. Specific Dengue articles can be read here and here.

Information about Paris Green here (Foundations of Community Medicine, 2′nd Ed.  page 160) and here (Malariology: page 283).

When Summer Vacation is over, we continue to strongly recommend that you nap fast because the Fall Cultural Festival will soon begin in Yucatan. In some years, this means over 1,000 events in less than one month – bridged by the Day of the Dead to the State Fair, with another 1,000 events or so – until the Fiesta of the Virgin of Guadalupe, which will take us on toward Christmas. This year, imagine the usual cavalcade of events, and then throw in anything special for the Centennial and Bicentennial Celebrations! In effect, after these next couple of weeks, you will have zero time off from great events in Yucatan until Christmas!

Municipal Fiestas This Week

Don’t forget to check back on our events for last week and the week before. There are still plenty of Municipal Festivals that began during those weeks and will continue until the end of the month.

Seye Fiesta: 5 Day Event: August 23 through August 27
This fiesta is in honor of St. Bartholomew. If you are looking for a fine hemp hammock, you can find one in Seye. If you are looking for a great place in the country, Seye is close enough to Merida to ride out to the fiesta and take a look around. This is old henequen country, the very spot where much of Yucatan’s 19th and early 20th century history took place. In addition, did you know that Yucatan has an endangered species of hairless pig? They are being raised by 8 farmers in 3 communities, one of which is Seye. Read all about them here.

Muxupip Fiesta  One Day Event: August 25
This fiesta is in honor of Santiago Apostol. Muxupip is not too far from the city. It is located just to the southeast of Motul. Things to see in Muxupip include the Temple of Santiago, the Chapel of Santa Cruz (constructed in the 17th century) and the principal residence of the former hacienda Casa Catzmil.

Tekanto Fiesta  3 Day Event: August 26 through August 28
This fiesta is in honor of San Agustin. Tekanto is located just north of Izamal and to the south of Suma and Teya. It is just past Bokoba. Artisans in this area make huipiles decorated with cross-stitched embroidery. They also make hammocks of sisal fibers. Tekanto is very proud of its 18th century church in honor of San Augustin. This is the church that is the destination of the Black Christ of Citilcum, in the Municipality of Hoctun.

In the City of Merida

Monday (Lunes) August 23, 2010

Photographic Exhibition: Francisco Balderas
Although this show began on August 21, we feel it is worthy of mention again this week. The name of the show is Sight and it is about seeing with one’s heart what is invisible to the eye. This is an important concept and one with which everyone needs to spend a bit of alone time.
Location: Galeria Maya: Calle 72 N. #464 x 51 y 53
Time: During gallery hours
Admission: Free

Meditation
Location: Villa Serena, Calle 24 #201 x 23 y 25, Garcia Gineres
Time: 6:00 to 7:00 PM Monday
Admission: Call (999) 920-5611

Tuesday (Martes) August 24, 2010

Café Pena K’aay T’aan / Nuevos Valores
Tonight’s performance is a Tribute to the Beatles with a performance by the Rubber Soul Band.
Location: in Casa de la Cultura del Mayab, Calle 63 x 64
Time: 8:30 PM Tuesday
Admission: Free (cash café, of course)

Cinema: Taking Woodstock
(U.S. 2009) Director: Ang Lee. A man working at his parents’ motel in the Catskills inadvertently sets in motion the generation-defining concert in the summer of 1969.
Location: Centro Cultural Jose Marti, Av. Colon x Calle 20, Garcia Ginerés
Time: 8:00 PM Tuesday
Admission: Free

Tribute to Dance: Danzart
This performance is under the direction of Abril Ferraez.
Location: Teatro Merida, Calle 62 x 61
Time: 5:00 and 9:00 PM Tuesday
Admission: $50 pesos

A Tribute to the Beatles
Featuring Colectivo La Caverna
Location: Teatro Daniel Ayala, Calle 60 x 61
Time: 9:00 PM Tuesday
Admission: $50 pesos

Wednesday (Miercoles) August 25, 2010

Cinema Series: Divas, Vamps and Femme Fatales: Double Indemnity
(U.S. 1944) Director: Billy Wilder, with Barbara Stanwyck and Fred MacMurray. An insurance representative lets himself be talked into a murder/insurance fraud scheme that arouses an insurance investigator’s suspicions.
Location: Cineteca Nacional Manuel Barbachano Ponce in Teatro Merida, Calle 62 x 61
Time: 5:00 PM Wednesday
Admission: Free

Season III: Independent Dance Groups
The first performance tonight is by Azzara Belly Dance Company, under the direction of Giselle Amaral.
Location: Teatro Merida, Calle 62 x 61
Time: 5:00 PM Wednesday
Admission:$50 pesos

Season III: Independent Dance Groups
This is a performance by the Ballet Folklorico Nuevo Sol, under the direction of Maria Jose Palma.
Location: Teatro Merida, Calle 62 x 61
Time: 7:00 PM Wednesday
Admission:$50 pesos

Benjamin Ramirez: Cosmogonia Maya
What a wonderful treat! Sometimes, the best thing in life is a second chance and we’ve got a second chance to see Cosmogonia Maya. On the opening night of this exhibition, Benjamin Ramirez was so busy that he did not have time to answer many of the questions that were put to him. In addition, several people were unable to attend that night. To rectify this situation, the artist is going to give a private tour of the show. The one-hour tour will be in English. He will speak about the inspiration for the show, Mayan symbolism and ideology, provide technical information, and will answer any questions. If you do not know Benjamin Ramirez and his work, read our interview with him.
Location: Centro de Artes Visuales, Instituto de Cultura de Yucatan, Calle 60 #411 x 45 y 47, Centro
Time: 7:00 PM Wednesday
Admission: Free

Remembering the Composers
Remember, this is the 3rd Wednesday of the month and its time for Remembering the Composers in Merida. These concerts are always very special and something that, if you love the music of Yucatan, you should always try to attend.
Location: Museum of Yucateca Song, Calle 57 x 50
Time: 9:00 PM Wednesday
Admission: $10 pesos

Thursday (Jueves) August 26, 2010

Movie: TBD
You know how it is… they never want to tell us what’s playing until the last minute. But be assured, it will be something good! As soon as they let us know, we’ll update this page. So check back often!
Location: LA 68, Calle 68 at Calle 55, Centro
Time: Thursday, 9:00 PM
Admission: $30 pesos, $15 pesos students.

Season III: Independent Dance Groups
This is a performance by Baatsil Contemporary Dance Company, under the direction of Betsabe Castillo.
Location: Teatro Merida, Calle 62 x 61
Time: 7:00 PM Thursday
Admission:$50 pesos

Cinema Series: Divas, Vamps and Femme Fatales: Mildred Pierce
(US 1945) Director: Michael Curtiz, with Joan Crawford and Jack Carson. After her cheating husband leaves her, Mildred Pierce proves she can become independent and successful, but can’t win the approval of her spoiled daughter. Joan Crawford at her best!
Location: Cineteca Nacional Manuel Barbachano Ponce in Teatro Merida, Calle 62 x 61
Time: 5:00 PM Thursday
Admission: Free

Friday (Viernes) August 27, 2010

Season III: Independent Dance Groups
This performance is by the Ariadne Fuszion Dance Company, under the direction of Ariadne Montilla.
Location: Teatro Merida, Calle 62 x 61
Time: 7:00 PM Friday
Admission: $50 pesos

Cinema Series: Divas, Vamps and Femme Fatales: The Postman Always Rings Twice
(U.S. 1946) Director: Tay Garnett, Starring: Lana Turner, John Garfield and Hume Cronyn. A married woman and a drifter fall in love, then plot to murder her husband… but even once the deed is done, they must live with the consequences of their actions.
Location: Cineteca Nacional Manuel Barbachano Ponce in Teatro Merida, Calle 62 x 61
Time: 5:00 PM Friday
Admission: Free

Movie: TBD
You know how it is… they never want to tell us what’s playing until the last minute. But be assured, it will be something good! As soon as they let us know, we’ll update this page. So check back often!
Location: LA 68, Calle 68 at Calle 55, Centro
Time: Friday, 9:00 PM
Admission: $30 pesos, $15 pesos students.

Season III: Independent Dance Groups
This performance is by Grupo + Danza, under the direction of Gina Pedraza.
Location: Teatro Peon Contreras, Calle 60 x 57
Time: 9:00 PM Friday
Admission:$50 pesos

Salma la Bicentenaria
This performance is under the direction of Raul Niño
Location: Teatro Daniel Ayala, Calle 60 x 61
Time: 9:00 PM Friday
Admission: Tickets Available at the box office

Yo Soy Sanando (I Am Healing)
Location: Villa Serena, Calle 24 #201 x 23 y 25, Garcia Gineres
Time: 9:00 AM to 10:30 AM
Admission: Call (999) 920-5611

Saturday (Sabado) August 28, 2010

Movie: TBD
You know how it is… they never want to tell us what’s playing until the last minute. But be assured, it will be something good! As soon as they let us know, we’ll update this page. So check back often!
Location: LA 68, Calle 68 at Calle 55, Centro
Time: Saturday, 9:00 PM
Admission: $30 pesos, $15 pesos students.

Season III: Independent Dance Groups
The program is called tres + tres (three + three) It includes the work of three choreographers from three contries: Eun Jung Choi (originally from Korea and living in the U.S.A. since 1992); Manuel Fajardo from Venezuela and myself from Catalonia (Spain, living in Mérida since 2002). The three works have in common the collaboration with the yucatecan composer Manuel Estrella.
Location: Teatro Peon Contreras, Calle 60 x 57
Time: 9:00 PM Saturday
Admission:$50 pesos

Cinema Series: Divas, Vamps and Femme Fatales: Gilda
(U.S. 1946) Director: Charles Vidor, with Rita Hayworth and Glenn Ford. The sinister boss of a South American casino finds that his right-hand man Johnny and his sensuous new wife Gilda already know each other. This is Rita Hayworth’s most famous role.
Location: Cineteca Nacional Manuel Barbachano Ponce in Teatro Merida, Calle 62 x 61
Time: 5:00 PM Saturday
Admission: Free

Cinema Series: Divas, Vamps and Femme Fatales: The Killers
(Australia 1946) Director: Robert Siodmak. From a story by Ernest Hemingway. Starring: Ava Gardner, Burt Lancaster, and Edmond O’Brien. Hit men kill an unresisting victim, and investigator Reardon uncovers his past involvement with beautiful, deadly Kitty Collins.
Location: Cineteca Nacional Manuel Barbachano Ponce in Teatro Merida, Calle 62 x 61
Time: 8:00 PM Saturday
Admission: Free

Season III: Independent Dance Groups
This is a performance by Grupo Folklorico Raices, under the direction of Adrian Cerda.
Location: Teatro Merida, Calle 62 x 61
Time: 7:00 PM Saturday
Admission: $50 pesos

Salma la Bicentenaria
This performance is under the direction of Raul Niño
Location: Teatro Daniel Ayala
Time: 9:00 PM Saturday
Admission: Tickets Available at the box office

Sunday (Domingo) August 29, 2010

Cinema Series: Divas, Vamps and Femme Fatales: Enamorada
(Mexico 1946) Director: Emilio Fernandez, Stars: Maria Felix and Pedro Armendariz.. During the Mexican Revolution, a guerrilla general (Armendáriz) and his troops take the conservative town of Cholula.This film is in Spanish and may not have English subtitles.
Location: Cineteca Nacional Manuel Barbachano Ponce in Teatro Merida, Calle 62 x 61
Time: 5:00 PM Sunday
Admission: Free

Season III: Independent Dance Groups
This is a performance by the, under the direction of Meilyn Fuentes.
Location: Teatro Peon Contreras, Calle 60 x 57
Time: 9:00 PM
Admission: $50 pesos

Season III: Independent Dance Groups

This is a performance by Echoes Experimental Dance Company, under the direction of Alfonso Garcia.
Location: Teatro Merida, Calle 62 x 61
Time: 7:00 PM Sunday
Admission: $50 pesos

Salma la Bicentenaria
This performance is under the direction of Raul Niño
Location: Teatro Daniel Ayala
Time: 8:00 PM Saturday
Admission: Tickets Available at the box office

Coming Soon

Yoga Kundalini: Sept. 7 and Sept. 11
Location: Villa Serena, Calle 24 # 201 x 23 y 25, Garcia Gineres
Time:  On the 7th: 7:00 PM to 8:30 PM; On the 11th: 8:00 AM to 9:30 AM
Admission: Call (999) 920-5611

Second Race with a 10K and 3K Walk – Sunday September 5
This event is sponsored by Telcel and exersite.com.mx. Proceeds will go toward supporting the needs of children with cancer and their families. The slogan for this race is “Now is the time for Heroes!” Won’t you be a hero for children with cancer?
Sign Up: You can sign up to participate in this race by calling Exersite: 167-9257 and 167-9258. 

Celebrate Mexico’s Bicentennial and Hotel Zamna’s 3rd Anniversary – Saturday September 11
This will be an evening of live music under the stars, along with a 3-course dinner with wine, a Zamna Prize Quiz, and free local beers, spirits & wine throughout the night. There will be a charge for imported drinks and wine. The menu includes roast pepper and carrot soup with bread, pork in a creamy Xcatic sauce, spring vegetables and rice, plus simply divine peaches & pears marinated in brandy with limon sorbet. If the weather does not cooperate, this event will be moved inside. 
Location: Hotel Zamna, Calle 53 # 547, Barrio de Santiago, Merida Centro
Time: Doors open at 7:30 PM, Dinner is served at 8:00 PM, Concert at 9:30 PM
Admission: $220 pesos, but tickets must be picked up and paid for in advance because of the need for catering. There is a limit of 40 guests, so please pick up your tickets early.
For more information, Call: 999-924-0103

10th International Festival of Choirs Yucatan – October 9 & 13
Concert under the direction of maestro Electo Silva (Cuba). This is a 6-month-long festival that begins on April 8th and travels from Jalisco to Merida and on to Colombia and Venezuela before its final performances in Merida in October. Visit the MySpace page of Conjunto Vocal Yucatan for a complete listing of the international dates. In case there is anyone who doesnt believe that a voice is the equivalent of a musical instrument or that a choir is the equivalent of an orchestra, we invite you to listen to samples of their work on their MySpace page. We especially liked A una dama que iba cubierta and La Cochinita Pibil. Performance dates in Merida are:
October 9 & 13: 10th International Festival of Choirs Yucatan and 25th Anniversary of Conjunto Vocal Yucatan
Location: Teatro Peon Contreras, Calle 60 at Calle 57
Admission: Tickets available at the box office

Yucatan 2010: Short Film Festival – November 12-21

The Yucatan 2010 Short Film Festival is calling for submissions. It is open to any non-professional resident of the Yucatan to submit their short films, and cash prizes will be awarded. Selected films will be exhibited during the festival. Films submitted must be digital videos, made in Yuca tan and produced after Jan 1 2009. One person can submit unlimited number of films. The themes must touch on mexicanidad, identity, revolution, independence, liberty and/or democracy. There is even a category for one-minute cellphone films, as well as one for films in the Mayan language (with Spanish subtitles), and the films can be up to thirty minutes.
Screening:November 20 & 21. The public will select the winners.
Prizes: Cash prizes of $4000 and $5000 pesos for each category
For More Information: ICY Direccion de Artes Visuales, 930-4700 Ext 54035 and 54019
Submission Entry Fee:Free

Multimedia: 200 Years of Being A Proud Mexican – November 19th & 20th
This wide screen event will have it all: the history of Mexico on a screen that is 11 meters long and 6 meters high, as well as books on art and history that are being taken house-to-house already.
Location: Parque de la Kukulcan, Circuito Colonias
Time: 8:30 PM and 10:00 PM
Admission: Free

Taste of Playa – November 21, 2010
This is a huge annual event where over 40 restaurants are highlighted in a one day event. It was a great success last year, so be sure and put it on your list for Fall travel must see and do.
Location: Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo
Time: 2 PM to 9 PM
More Information: Check the details on the Taste of Playa website.

Day of the Dead Spanish Immersion Course: October 25 – 29 and Nov. 1 – 5.
This is going to be a great event for anyone who wants to not only visit Yucatan, but take a wonderful course in Spanish while they enjoy their visit. Habla is going to have a 2 week Spanish immersion course the last week in October and the first week in November. Students can take one week or two and have the option to make this a real immersion by taking advantage of a homestay. Since Day of the Dead is one of the best holidays of the year in Yucatan, this is one of the best ways to see and do it all!
Location and Information: Habla
Information on Habla’s Website 

Have an event you want us to publicize? Just email the information to info [at] yucatanliving [dot] com. We publish every Monday night.