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SHE SAID…
July 6, 2003
When I was little, my mother always
used to call me “tziganka” (which means
gypsy in Romanian) because I always walked barefoot,
something she was never able to accept. I always thought
she called me that as a form of endearment so gypsies
have always been a beautiful people to me… However,
when I grew up and began to travel, I realized that
gypsies were a most unwelcome lot nearly everywhere
I went. I began to read up on them - not that there
is very much fact to be found. It appears that the history
of these exotic, dark-eyed Roma people is a rather secretive
one. Perhaps that is why they’ve maintained that
mystery around them. I began to feel sorry that they’ve
earned such a bad rep for themselves and needless to
say, I was horrified to learn of their fate at the hands
of the Nazis.
Why am I writing about gypsies here,
in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico? Because one day last week,
while I was having some of that decadent, luscious Chocolate
Fudge Brownie ice cream at my favorite ice cream shop
(Once Upon A Time…), the young owner told me how
he had been accosted by what he thought might be a gypsy
woman in the parking lot at Sam’s. I looked at
him incredulously. But the very next day, there was
a headline in one of the local papers that read “Inconformidad
por Presencia de las Familias de Hungaros”. People
complaining about the presence of Hungarian families
in Vallarta? They had to be kidding. They must be referring
to the gypsies the ice cream fellow was talking about…
Now I was curious. It turned out that the residents
of a colonia called Villas Río had complained
that some families of “Hungarians” had taken
refuge on a vacant lot to spend the night and dry their
belongings in the sun the next day. Officers from the
Department of Permits arrived on the scene where they
found out that there were only women and children there,
who told them that the men had gone in search of an
appropriate place where they could set up camp - like
they do everywhere they go. I just hope that the Mexican
hospitality Puerto Vallarta is so proud of will prevail
with regard to those folk, regardless whether they are
“Hungarians” or gypsies.
One day last week, the MSN site had
a little banner that read: “Life’s a Beach.
Put one on your PC.” It showed a pretty picture
of a beach. I thought to myself, “How lucky we
are, we who live here, all we have to do is look out
our window or at worst, walk down to the beach. We don’t
even have to turn on our computer, or download anything.
Wow!”
Having lived most of my adult life
in Montreal, I am proud of anything positive coming
out of the province of Québec. One of its most
famous recent exports (apart from Céline Dion
of course) is the Cirque du Soleil. Some of you may
have had the pleasure of seeing one or more of the movie
versions of their shows. If you never have, L’Opéra
is showing one of them this Thursday. If you can possibly
catch it, you won’t regret it. Anyways, I just
read that this amazing group of artists will be starting
its 2003 season by returning to Mexico City in October
with a brand new presentation entitled "Dralion".
According to the previews I’ve
read, "Dralion" is a fusion of ancient Chinese
theater and the Cirque’s own avant-garde vision.
The name comes from traditional symbols of the two different
cultures: the dragon (Dra) and the lion. It demonstrates
the Oriental philosophy and its eternal quest for harmony
between man and nature, while celebrating life and the
four elements that maintain the natural order: water,
fire, earth and air. I understand that the music for
this latest Cirque du Soleil performance blends Hindu
melodies with classical sounds from Andalusia, Africa,
Central Europe and the West. It should be something
to behold!
And on the topic of pride, for the
first time since I’ve been here, I received an
e-mail petition asking the municipal authorities to
stop the destruction of the forests that surround this
town. As a foreigner, a guest in this country, in order
to obtain a working visa I had to promise never to get
involved in any political matters whatsoever, in any
way. Consequently, I could not add my name to the petition
but I am truly impressed by its creators and it gave
me great pride to read it. Tip ‘o the hat to you
guys! I hope you get thousands of signatures.
More or less verbatim, the petition
states: “These green mountains covered with trees
are not only the setting we need for our city to be
a picture postcard destination with sustainable tourism,
but they are also climate regulators that ensure that
the temperature here never reach extremes. They are
the habitat of hundreds of species of flora and fauna
that are of utmost importance for our region, a great
wealth and potential for our people. Most importantly
perhaps, these forests maintain our ability to store
water and keep it in the ground and the rivers. To destroy
them would be an attack against ourselves as Vallartans.
The risks of erosion, loss of the fertile earth layer,
floods and mudslides that cause civil disasters would
become more probable, as well as those related to water
shortages, something that already exists in Puerto Vallarta.
The City Council’s authorization
to modify the city limits violates the State laws on
Urban Development. We are against this authorization
that puts the future of our community and its natural
environment at risk and we demand that its implementation
be delayed and rectified, and that it be submitted to
public consultation in order to establish a viable alternative
to the pressure for urban expansion.”
At this point, I must add a personal
comment on this matter. When my friend and I were driving
up towards El Nogalito a few weeks ago, we noticed an
inordinate amount of refuse along the dirt road that
leads up to that little haven. We asked the folks up
there where it all came from. Their answer surprised
us. According to them, the bathroom countertops, the
empty vats of paint, the decomposing mats, etc. all
came from local hotels whose employees come during the
night to dump those items that the city’s garbage
collectors do not pick up. And because there’s
no one around at those wee hours of the morning to catch
them in flagrante delito, they continue their evil ways…
How shameful!
I’m sorry that the Tribune
goes to press on Wednesday evenings so that I cannot
tell you all about the Fourth of July celebrations at
Collage. It’ll have to wait ‘till next week’s
issue. In the meantime, you can all get ready for the
Jour de la Bastille celebration at La Petite France.
Forget about the whole political thing, the French restaurants
in Puerto Vallarta have absolutely nothing to do with
U.S.-France politics. The only common denominator is
the incredible French cuisine and who would want to
boycott that? So think about “Les Misérables”
and Cosette and the French revolution and the taking
of the Bastille and all that other exciting stuff, then
come join us at La Petite France on Saturday night.
And then, starting on the 14th, you
get one more chance to see and hear the Tibetan Monks
and participate in a Buddhist purification ceremony
that you will never forget. These can certainly be called
multicultural weeks, can’t they?
Have a great time. Enjoy the
sunny days and the electrical thunderstorms at night,
and do take care of each other.
Hasta luego
pvmomto3@hotmail.com
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