Mexico

• The Unsung Mexican Heroes Of WWII -- Cover story --
  Until yesterday, I had never heard of Charlie Foster. Today, I'm writing about him. One of the benefits of being a writer is the fact-checking, because you can end up with provocative information. That's how I found out about Charlie Foster.
• Nine Steps To A Happy Life In Mexico
  Moving to Mexico isn't a matter of simply relocating to another country with your belongings. No indeedy. Of the many things you might expect to find south of the border, the most important can be Recovery from Cultural Shock. This generally takes three to six months, and constant vigilance is imperative if you wish to survive to enjoy your new life.
• Accommodations To Die For
  A report has been circulating in the newspapers about the crushing lack of space in Mexico City's public cemeteries. The solution currently being employed is to dig up the deceased after seven years to make room for newer tenants. It is estimated that a million and a half people (presumably dead) now occupy what are called "temporary graves."
• Meant For Each Other: A Love Story
  With Lake Chapala’s acceptance by Living Lakes of the World as a candidate for revitalization, the superhuman efforts of Aurora Michel, Sociedad Amigos del Lago De Chapala, and the many dedicated individuals who continually donate their time and money, have at last been rewarded.
• Josefina, a Woman of Mexico
  Living in New York and Los Angeles, while good for one’s metabolism, is not that great for one’s patience. Who has time to stop and smell the roses? Who stops? Who smells? What roses?
• Mextra-Sensory Perceptions
  Someone was playing a Spanish radio station full blast in the car next to mine as we stopped at a red light in Hollywood, California. The cacophony of Mariachi brass, not a shy sound, bombarded my ears with alacrity. Before I knew it, there I was, not at Sunset and Vine waiting for the light to change in the year 2003, but back in Ajijic eight years ago.
• Mrs. Baldwin of Missouri Teaches All About Mexico
  When sixth-grade teacher, Dorothy Baldwin, sent an email asking for permission to use my story, “The Day I Photographed Josefina’s family,” in a class project about Mexico, I said yes, and requested only that she forward the result for my files.
• There's Something About Mexico
  A Mayan myth, as recorded by Alfonso Villa R. in Quintana Roo and recently reported to me, tells us that God created a number of human couples, each with the racial characteristics of the group to which he was assigned. God “formed a Chinese, a Negro, and a Maya couple, and granted each one the portion of the earth in which they were to reproduce their kind and establish their rule.
• Where Did the Word “Gringo” Come From, Anyway?
  When expatriates leave their homes in Mexico to visit their places of birth, they sometimes playfully refer to their original country as “Gringolandia.”
• El Taxi, or El Toro?
  Hemingway said there are two types of spectators at a bullfight: those who identify with the bull, and those who identify with the matador.
• The Biggest Mistake I Ever Made In Mexico
  You might think the biggest mistake I ever made in Mexico was packing up and driving north to Taos to escape the cinder bearing, stinging hot winds from Chiapas. But you’d be wrong.
• The Five Senses of Frida
  Frida Kahlo was a captivating artist and an intriguing, seductive woman. If we hadn't figured that out from the many books written about her, we would certainly have gotten the point from the motion picture, "Frida."
• How to Correct Misconceptions about Mexico and Lose Your Friends At The Same Time
  We who live in Mexico, whether full- or part-time, have a duty to correct the enormous amount of misinformation perpetuated by foreign media. More creatures live with their heads in the sand than the ostrich.
• Las Posadas, 2001
  "What is Christmas like in Mexico?" asked my friend, Edward. It didn’t take much encouragement for me to eagerly share this experience:
• Mexican Village
  (winner, Best Article of the Year, The Mexico Network) -- Cover Story --
  This story could take place in any village in any state in the paradise that is known as Mexico. The names of the people may be different, but the stories will be the same.
• Dying To Be An American
  There's an easier way to become an American citizen than marching in emotional parades for immigration rights or studying U.S. history and being wait-listed for years, or even marrying into it.
• A History of Mexico in 2000 Words
  Taken with a grain of salt, this mixing of time and space history of Mexico makes it easy for students to understand why they're eating tacos instead of bon bons.
• Las Posadas, 2004
  Commercialization of Christmas reaches far ... but fails to grasp Mexico.
• Don Churrero
  The churro cannot be “made,” it can only be created. Further, the churro’s creator, the churrero, must be touched by the hand of God himself, for to partake of the delights of a churro is to know heaven on earth.
• The Corn is as High as an Elephant's Eye
  Is it unreasonable to think that the Mexican people should be able to have their customary corn tortillas at mealtime? No. Politics has again reared its ugly head, and this time, the platform is "Corn produces ethanol and ethanol fuels automobiles!"