Feb. 26, 2010 Friday

friday has crept up again ... this week was good - the bathroom at the Copa Cabana is moving along well.  The fish tile is gorgeous.  The white floor is gorgeous.  The trim they bought is nixed and we will try to find another color that works.

the man of the day: Bruce from Calgary, Canada, master tile maker of the Copa Cabana - yuuuuuuuuuuuhuuuuuuuuuu

Just heard that airlines are considering charging more for fatter passengers !!!  a HAHAHA !  I think this is only fair.  How funny though !!!!

We need doctors in La Bocana. We need permanent doctors. I am wondering if Cuba is the solution. They send doctors all over the world and they train doctors for free. They are making a huge difference ... we saw the most interesting news falsh on BBC yesterday. Anybody can go there to study on a scholarship, all they ask is that you go back to the neediest neighborhood to practice medicine.

The English classes with the doctors is going so well. They do not even realize how well they are doing. I am proud of them.

aquarium scene in the Copa Cabana

The meeting yesterday was intersting - the FUNDACION LA BOCANA is slowly going to get off the ground. The president is Nelo. The vice is Nael. The secretary is Oralia. The treasurere is Edith.  We forgot to include Luis and I am sure he left early because he was upset. I have sent messages to all. I would like him to be the vice president junior. REally, if he hadn't moved everyone and everything - nothing would have happened.  I am upset with Jose. I think he is a lot of blablabla and no team or community aciton. No matter what he says.  He is just not a team player.

Feb. 25, 2010 Thurs

We have a mission and we may have a mission statement:

MISION DE LA FUNDACION “LA BOCANA”

Esta fundación tiene el propósito de fomentar la evolución educativa, social, cultural, deportiva y de salud, para un mejor desarrollo de nuestra comunidad, lo cual impulsara que sus habitantes tengan una mejor calidad de vida, al contar con todos estos beneficios, promoviendo al mismo tiempo cuidar nuestro entorno ambiental.

The above is what Oralia put together after I gave her our notes .. today at 6 we have our 2nd meeting and we will see if everyone agrees with the above.  So many dreams:  medical center, ambulance, paramedics, firetruck, sports club, museum, elementary school, ATM and bill paying center ...

Rosie stopped by and I gave her the great news:  we got 2 windows for them at educacion inicial for 500 pesos. We got them redone for 1000 pesos.  Turns out her husband's son is the window maker so he can get them a good deal. They got the delegado to give them electricity. And I suggested requesting the coop to give them a functioning bathroom. Spread the cost and everyone comes out ahead.  She took the brownies, unfortunately, we ate one whole container ! Over 2 days between Les Bruce and myself - none of us could resist !

I made bacalhau yesterday - it looked fabulous and tasted insipid.  Hard to cook without salt. but Les eats the food without salt and this is a good thing !!  However, for the future, need to spice life up a bit.  Chiles. Tomorrow he is going to BBQ a tuna. Special request on my part is that we eat mroe fish - my hand joints are bugging me and I have heard that this is gout and is caused by too much red meat. finito. bring on the fish !!

Les  and I went to see the new bathroom at the Copa Cabana today....well.... it is chicano for sure but we are in Mexico sooooooooooooooooooooooo it is all good !

Monday at 11 a.m. there is a meeting with the biosphere - they are maybe going to give us some arts and crafts classes for free.  All environmentally friendly using recycled items. So wonderful.

Feb. 22, 2010 Monday

the couple of the day :)

Randy and Wayne left and the house is too far too quiet ...  i really enjoyed their company. he - quiet and a reader and loving the quietness of life with his whisky on ice in one hand and a book in the other !!  Randy and i talking away about a million different subjects under the sun ... she was a high school art teacher who managed to keep those kids under control, i take my hat off to her. her method was to be consistent and respectful, therefore expecting and usually getting, respect in return. freedom to explore and create art under her guidance.  and one of her students became a  poet. and mentioned owing thanks to her.   randy grew up in palo alto. she went to europe as a young teen and just absorbed so much information. her dad a psychiatrist.

Wayne who bought the surf contest t-shirt !!

talked to Su for the first time in absolute ages.  carol is doing so well. veronica is doing so well. Chico is working. norma moved to suely's street. she gave me guillermo's phone number so we can see about getting a cuban doctor to come to la bocana. tomorrow they will check into my retiring in brazil.  maravilloso seria !!

Randy went to Joaquin's for his famous dinner and ...... found her cousin from McCall's best friend who was camping on Bokanita. talk about a really REALLY small world

the most exciting news is the Luis, the police guy, has really come thru and tomorrow we are having our first ever foundation meeting - our first ever non profit la bocana foundation meeting :))))))))))))))

i am thrilled. i am absolutely positively amazed and happy about it. the meeting will be at 4:30  - here at our house - and the foundation will be created thru the ejido and therefore free.  not only that - we need the ejido involved. nothing and i mean nothing gets done without them. and if it does get done wrong without them, trust me, it will come back to slap you in the face !  the ejido is the power here, no ifs ands or butts

i heard that madeira island, that beautiful paradise, had rain and flash floods. 42 people died and they have 3 days of national mourning. so sad.