Welcome to the Raquet Club
Living in Mexico is an adventure, an adventure full of questions. Those of us who have arrived only recently and those who have been living here for many years have decided to compile answers to some of the questions that fill our lives in the Raquet Club. There are two free Lakeside publications in English that are good sources for events and services; be sure to pick up your copies monthly of “El Ojo del Lago” and the “Lake Chapala Review”. The Membership Directory of the Lake Chapala Society (LCS) includes "Yellow Pages", with classified advertizing for goods and services. All paid-up members of the LCS receive a current directory each year.
Additionally, the “Guadalajara Reporter” is an English language newspaper available weekly, late on Friday afternoons. There are many informative resources on the World Wide Web, of which “Chapala Living” and “Mexico Connect” are typical. The “Ajijic News” has a wealth of information about the Lakeside Area.
This Welcome Package includes the twelve categories above.
Disclaimer: The names of companies and service providers that appear in the following pages are suggestions only, based on favorable experiences from Raquet Club residents. They in no way imply a guarantee of product quality or service satisfaction.
We would like to extend our gratitude for their diligence in translating this document to Armando Estrada Nuñez, Sendy Hernández Orellana, and Linda Rudisell-Hines.
I. Fraccionamiento Raquet Club
History and governance:
The Raquet Club was first created on September 22, 1972 for Señor Louis Wertheimer Fuchs. Subsequently, it was granted an Acta Notarial on the 12th of November of 1979. It is referred to as a “Fraccionamiento” because when the land was divided into lots, the result was that each lot became a “fraction” of the whole. There are certain rules that apply to “fracs,” including regulations that appear in our Constitutional by-laws. The specifics are included in the accompanying page on Rules and Regulations in the Club. There are also rules that have been put into effect over the years that do not appear in the official by-laws. Generally, we are governed by an elected Board of Directors, who serve for a three-year term and, according to Mexican custom (not written rule), are elected as a slate at the Annual General Meeting (AGM), which takes place within the first ninety (90) days of the calendar year. From within the elected slate, persons are appointed to the various executive positions. These elected volunteers have to be aware that our Fraccionamiento is within the jurisdiction of the Municipality of Jocotepec and, as such, our rules have to conform to those of the municipality. The Raquet Club consists of four hundred and thirty-two lots (432) and each owner, regardless of how many lots he/she may own, has one vote at the AGM. These votes may be held by proxy, but make sure that you understand the conditions necessary for a valid proxy, so that it may be put into use at the AGM. For further information, please refer to the “Statutes, Rules, Regulations and By-Laws” for access to a copy of the Constitution and other important documents.
Facilities and services:
The Raquet Club facilities are open to all fee paying members of the Raquet Club. When you buy into the Raquet Club, you receive a folder which includes two vehicle identification passes, two permanent identification cards that are made for family members, and additional passes (explained in another sheet in this folder). In your folder, you will find important telephone numbers and the schedule of garbage pickup and water delivery; since these delivery days and hours are subject to change depending on the season, please check regularly with the office if you have any questions.
The Raquet Club is open six days a week, Tuesday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday from 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. The club house is open six days a week from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The office telephone number is 761-0129. The swimming pool hours correspond with the change in Daylight Savings Time. During the summer, the pool and common area are open from 9:00 a.m. until 8:00 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday. During the winter, the swimming pool is open from 9:00 a.m. until 6:30 p.m.
The Raquet Club includes 10 outdoor tennis courts, a semi-Olympic size pool, a wading pool, grilling facilities, tables, chairs, loungers, an indoor handball/racquetball court, a soccer field, a meeting room with a bar, a small fitness gym, a pool table, and an area for viewing television. Tennis balls, tennis racquets, and racquetball racquets are available in the office and can be signed out free-of-charge in the office. We have also created a self-serve lending library with over a thousand books and a hundred DVDs (and still growing!). The library is open when the Club facilities are open and is based on the trust that you will return any books that you take from the shelves.
Many of these facilities are available for rent, but rentals must be sponsored by a resident of the Raquet Club. For further information on availability and rates, please check with Dee Mistrik at 761-0041 or the office.
The swimming pool has thermal water pumped into it on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday mornings. Water aerobic sessions, lasting one hour and comprising aerobic exercises and full-body stretches, are led by experienced members on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays free of charge. There are changing facilities complete with lockers and showers at the club house. If you would like to have a locker assign to you, stop by the office and provide your own lock. Also available on the weekends are snacks and drinks from Tokin’s snack bar.
Phone Bills
Your Telmex bill will be delivered to your house (often slid under your garage or garden door). However, since Telmex sends out its bills on the 16th of the month, if you wish to pay your bill sooner than the 25th, Telmex can supply a copy of your bill when you go to pay. The process is simpler if you take a copy of your previous month’s bill with you.
If you have an e-mail address, please write it out on a card along with your full names and address and give it to the Office for general mailings. Minutes of the Raquet Club Board are sent out monthly by e-mail; if you do not have e-mail the minutes are available in the office. Announcements of other events are sent out by e-mail also and those announcements are usually posted in the office. A Raquet Club Web Page is being developed and it will serve as a central repository for much useful information on the Raquet Club and living in Mexico. If you would like to be included in the directory of Raquet Club residents, please let the Office know. Inclusion in the directory is on a voluntary basis and you must request in writing to be included in the directory.
Pot Luck Gatherings
Traditionally, on the first Friday of a month, a Pot Luck is held at the Club under the palapa when weather allows and inside the meeting hall when it doesn’t. These run from 5:00 p.m. to around 8:00 p.m. Residents bring a covered dish to share with all along with their own table settings (plates, silver ware, glasses, napkins, table clothes) and drinks. Drinks are available, however, at Tokin’s snack bar. Since Tokin sets up the tables and cleans up after these Pot Lucks, a glass for tips is generally circulated for him. Following the Pot Luck, residents may join together for viewing a movie in our club house.
Special Gatherings
Some Pot Lucks are more organized and for these there is usually a small charge. The July Pot Luck is a celebration of Canada Day and the Fourth of July. The September Pot Luck is usually held closer to the 16th of that month in order to celebrate Mexican Independence Day. In December we sometimes celebrate the traditional Posada which is well worth attending; the food brought to this pot luck is some of the best. The Raquet Club does have a social committee which manages these and other events held at the club. If you wish to help, please call Pat Altman at 761-0324 or Blanca Favela 761-0893.
II. Utilities
Water
Water is included in the Raquet Club fees; water is distributed to different areas of the fraccionamiento on different days of the week. A list of the days of water distribution is included in each new member's information package. The water from our main well, just like most water in San Juan Cosala, is thermal water and it is pump at 140 degrees Fahrenheit.
An aljibe is a cistern, a water storage area; most Lakeside residents clean out their aljibes every six months. However, because water in the Raquet Club is thermal water, not all residents here feel it is necessary to clean aljibes that often. There are villagers who clean out aljibes for a living.
In addition to an aljibe, most houses have a tinaco on the roof. The tinaco acts as a reserve for the house and the garden and uses gravity to bring water into the house when electricity is out, and the pressurized pump system stops working. Most people add a chlorine tablet to their tinaco each week or every two weeks. Most houses have a water purification unit also. These systems differ according to make.
Bottled water and swimming pool supplies are also available at various suppliers at Lakeside. Garrafones (large plastic or glass bottled water containers) may be refilled.
You may also buy your bottled water where you shop for groceries. Prices usually include the return of the garrafón. Bottled water is also delivered door to door in the Raquet Club by several companies. Once again, the LCS, El Ojo, The Chapala Review, and phone directories are a good source of goods and services
Garbage Collection in the Raquet Club
Garbage should be separated into three categories:
organic, including food waste and garden refuse such as grass clippings, dirt and branches - - use a green bag, or tie a green ribbon at the neck of a normal bag
inorganic, including paper, cardboard, plastic, glass and ceramics - - use a blue bag, or tie a blue ribbon at the neck of a normal bag
sanitary, including toilet paper, diapers, bandages, and medicines - - use an orange bag, or tie an orange ribbon at the neck of a normal bag
The Raquet Club truck picks up garbage that is put out at the curb in plastic bags on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays. On Thursdays garden refuse is picked up and should also have a green tie on the bag. In some areas the truck arrives shortly after 8:00 a.m. to pick up while in others, the truck might not arrive until 11:00 a.m. or 12:00 p.m. However, the objective is to get our garbage out on the curb before 8:00 a.m., so make sure your garbage is available for early pick-up.
Electricity
Electricity coming into our houses is nominally at 110 Volts, although in practice, the voltage can range from 118 to 139, which can stress your appliances, designed as they are for 110 Volts. It is a good idea to install a whole-house regulator that keeps the voltage at a steady level. Some electric ranges and clothes dryers require 220 Volt supply, and the Electric Company (CFE) provides this by a three-phase service. Some houses here are wired in two different grids in case of black outs. When we have a black outs, you will discover that some of the receptacles in your house will have current while others don’t. In some kitchens, a single receptacle will have one outlet that has current while the other doesn’t; during a black out, you can switch your refrigerator plug from the non-functioning to the functioning outlet. It is always a good idea to have a flashlight (torch) or an oil lamp or two handy for such emergencies. Since flashlights may get only occasional use, check the batteries every once in a while. If your power is out for a lengthy period, you may want to telephone CFE at their office in Jocotepec at 01 387 763 0017.
There are also the inevitable electric surges; it is a good idea to use surge protectors on your appliances (especially your computer), including small appliances like irons and hair dryers. Surge protectors are sold at Soriana’s, Home Depot, Costco and Sam’s, Mega, Gigante, and most local hardware stores.
Electric bills are due every two months. Bills are not delivered to our houses but are held by the official who accepts payment at Restaurante Los Arboles (Lefty’s grocery store) located on the Carretera #31, about four doors down on to the west of the back gate to the Raquet Club.
The main Electric Company office for our area is located at Hidalgo Sur #220 at the corner of Vincente Guerrero in Jocotepec at the stop light going out of town towards Guadalajara. Payment months are February, April, June, August, October, and December on either the 27th or 28th. Your maid will be able to tell you when the official is in the office at the store in San Juan. The priest at the village church San Juan Buatista usually announces when the official will accept payments for electricity.
Telephone
Telmex is the main telephone company in Mexico and the only one for our area. The Telmex office is located at #133 on the Carretera in Ajijic, opposite Plaza Bugambilias. Usually, when you buy a home in the Raquet Club, a telephone line comes with that house.
The telephone bill comes out every month and is delivered to your home if your home address is what you gave Telmex when you did a name change for your service. The telephone bill is due on the 27th or 28th of each month. You may pay by taking your bill with you to the Telmex office and paying there or you may arrange to pay on line or through your bank. The process is easier if you take a previous telephone bill with you.
The telephone number for a Telmex operator who speaks English is 01-800-368-0500. If she cannot answer your question, she will transfer you to an English-speaking tech. The hours are 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Monday through Saturday.
Since the Raquet Club is in the municipality of Jocotepec, calling Ajijic is long distance and necessitates the use of the prefix (01) before dialing the area code for Ajijic (Chapala) (376). There are several long distance services here that make calling Canada and the United States less expensive. VOIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol) is also available and widely used now. You must have DSL in order for this to work. Telmex offers Internet services, both dial up and DSL. Vonage also offers special packages for discount telephone rates to the United States, Canada, and worldwide. Other wireless providers include Magic Jack, IChat, and others.
At Lakeside there are many computer technicians who can help you with computer concerns. Please check sources mentioned earlier for services and goods or ask your neighbors for referrals.
Taxes
Property taxes are due each year in January. The Raquet Club Office can provide you with your “numero de cuenta de predial” which is your tax account number as well as the amount due. The tax office is located in Jocotepec on the east side of the Main Plaza, which is the Tesoria Municipal, Oficinas Administrativas and their telephone number is (387) 763-2287; ask to speak to Isabel.
Gas
One of the most distinctive calls on quiet mornings in San Juan is the call of the “Gaz” man! Several Gas trucks patrol the Raquet Club and you will learn which you prefer to deal with. Some residents have observed that it is prudent to go to the gas tank before filling, record the current reading on the meter, then observe the process of filling the tank and record the meter reading after filling, to be sure that the amount billed on the gas provider's receipt agrees with the amount that was supplied to the tank.
If you have a gas barbecue grill and want to use a small tank for it, you will have to drive beyond Chapala to get the tank serviced so many of us have had our grills hooked up to our main gas tank.
Satellite Television
Satellite Television service is available in the Raquet Club from a number of companies. Ask your neighbors for suggestions about reliable providers
Septic Tank
Most of Raquet Club homes are on a septic tank; however several pre-existing as well as all the new homes have a treatment plant instead. Many people here in Mexico do not flush their toilet paper; you will find trash cans for toilet paper disposal in most public restrooms and in the Raquet Club restrooms also. Certainly, the septic tank does not fill up as quickly or run the risk of clogging the registros (collection points in the plumbing system) if toilet tissue is not flushed down but this custom is a matter of choice. There are products available to encourage bacterial work in the septic tank, available at some hardware and water services stores in the towns.
Also recommended is cleaning and servicing the septic tank once a year. There are different companies that can be hired in Guadalajara and at Lakeside. To locate a company for this service we recommend you call The Office of the Municipality of Jocotepec at 763-2287 and ask to speak to a representative of Simapas.
III. Insurance
House insurance is available here. Many do not use house insurance because construction precludes the threat of fire. However, you may want to insure your household contents; those who have had a fire appreciate the fact that there is a fair amount of combustible material (doors, frames, kitchen cupboards, etc), so you may want to consider some coverage. Additionally there is the possibility of mud slides during rainy season. Insurance can be bought on household possessions. Insurance may be found on the Internet.
IV. Medical Help
There are many doctors and dentists in Ajijic and in Jocotepec. If you are a U.S. citizen and a veteran, you will want to contact the American Legion in Chapala for information because there is a reciprocal program with the Mexican Army Hospital in Guadalajara.
Mexican law allows anyone living in Mexico under the age of 70 to sign up for IMSS (Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social). IMSS is the Mexican social security system and it offers health care to anyone living in Mexico. The emergency coverage is well worth the (fee) charged yearly. Because the Raquet Club is in the municipality of Jocotepec, signing up for IMSS is done at their Jocotepec office located on Calle Donato Guerra, just opposite the end of Calle Independencia. Lucy Velez is at the Lake Chapala Society on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. to help/advise on IMSS and Immigration.
Since there are so many doctors in the area, it might be best to ask neighbors and friends for suggestions. Most of us have had good experiences here at lakeside.
NY Life/Seguros Monterrey Insurance is at the Lake Chapala Society on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m., and TioCorp Bupa and Plan Seguros are there on Mondays from 10:45 a.m. – 12:45 p.m... These companies may provide viable alternatives to IMSS and other private plans.
Hospitals and Clinics:
There is a hospital in Ajijic; Ajijic Hospital Center, located on the Carretera # 33. The telephone number is (376) 766-0500.
Clinical Ibarra de Especialidades
This clinic is located two blocks past the bus central in Chapala on Miguel Martinez #530 and their telephone number is (376) 765-4001. This is a 24 hour clinic with hospital and pharmaceutical services available. Several specialists are also available during the day. For more information please call the clinic.
Maskaras Clinic
Maskaras Clinic on the Carretera in Riberas del Pilar offers 24 hour emergency service and a plan that covers all doctor visits including two house calls for a reasonable fee. English is spoken by all the physicians (or a translator is provided by the clinic), including the night shift physicians. Maskaras has an extended staff including dermatologist, dentist, cardiac specialist, urologist, and radiology is done on the spot. The telephone number is (376) 766-4805.
Nuñez Clinic in Jocotepec
The Nuñez Clinic in Jocotepec has five rooms and an operating room. It is located on Vincente Guerrero #25 (just past CFE). The telephone number is 387-765-0770. English is spoken, although Spanish is appreciated by Dr. Nunez. The visiting specialist speaks English.
Clinic in San Juan Cosala
The clinic in San Juan Cosala has immunization services, dental, medical, and four beds for hospitalization if needed. The medical services/equipment includes basic emergency treatment (i.e. sutures for wounds, treatment for dehydration, and treatment for stings by scorpions). It is located on Avenida La Paz #90. The telephone number is 761-0092. Only Spanish is spoken by employees, although Dra. Liliana Garcia speaks a little English. Treatment is free and open to everyone.
Emergencies:
There is a 911 service in Jalisco: the number is 080. In case of an emergency, call the guardhouse at 761-0080; they will contact an ambulance for you. If you prefer, you may want to call one of the following ambulance services:
Also available are several individuals who can give injections, and do simple home health care.
Ask your neighbors if they know the names of nurse aides who have been trained by AMSIF, an organization run by women in the Raquet Club and operating in San Juan Cosala.
In case of a death, call your physician rather than an ambulance; a physician can issue a death certificate but an ambulance service is required by law to notify the police who can demand an investigation and refuse to have the body removed for some period of time. The Lake Chapala Society also has created a Post Life Planning Program in conjunction with the San Miguel Funeral Home, in Guadalajara, to facilitate the legal disposition of deceased members.
V. Household Help (Maids, Gardeners and Handymen)
One of the delights of living in Mexico is having a maid (trabajadora domestica). Most of us use women from San Juan Cosala. You will find them friendly and pleasant; most of them have their own routine of cleaning, but are willing to change their ways if you can show them an easier way. There are many women in the village who need and want to work. AMSIF, an organization which trains women, is an excellent source of contacts, if you need help with your home.
Many people who employ maids and gardeners have them sign for their pay when it is received to ensure that both parties are aware that the weekly payment is the extent of the employer’s obligation and there is no possibility that the worker has not been reimbursed for his/her services.
Another Mexican delight is having a gardener (jardinero). It is also a necessity in the rainy season when everything grows like crazy. Again, most of us use gardeners from San Juan or the small towns just beyond it like El Limon. AMSIF is, again, a good source of recommendations for gardeners. Please note that Mexican Law has certain requirement for the payment of Christmas bonuses and severance pay for both maids and gardeners.
There are several handymen in the village also who can repair and paint. Once again, contact AMSIF for recommendations.
VI. Local Transportation Services
Taxis
If you need a taxi to take you to the airport, or other important appointment, it is a good idea to go to the town square “plaza” in San Juan or Jocotepec, where the taxi drivers usually park, the day before the appointment, and arrange with a taxi driver to come to your home at the appropriate time.
Buses
The small buses start to run at or a bit before 6:55 a.m. on the carreterra. They go into the towns, but they stop doing the town routes at 5:20 p.m. The large buses start at 5:30 a.m. and run every half hour on the carreterra until 9 p.m.. As an experienced rider explained, the amount of time it takes to get from any point along "the run" depends on how many stops the bus makes between your boarding the bus and your destination.
The "last bus" time depends on whether the driver lives in Chapala or Jocotepec, as he will make his last "run" home!
VII. Shopping
Tianguis
Tianguis are the local street markets and almost every town around the lake has a tianguis once a week. Here are the local ones.
We highly recommend that you wash all your vegetables and some of your fruits in a solution like microdyn before eating.
Lettuce, cilantro, parsley and spinach especially if to be eaten raw, should be soaked in microdyn for approximately 5 minutes before draining and drying.
Fruits that grow on trees and must be peeled do not need to be soaked.
The vegetable vendors in San Juan, Blanca and Carlos, will take orders for a particular vegetable that they will bring the following week. For example, eggplant is not a vegetable often consumed in San Juan so if I want an eggplant, I order it the week before and if possible (which it usually is), the eggplant will be on hand the following Tuesday.
Panaderia
San Juan has a Panaderia, a bakery one block off the Carretera down the first street to your left after our back gate at Juarez #50. Maria Guadalupe Gonzales Reyes or more simply, Lupita, and her husband, Manuel, offer in addition to dulces (sweets), fresh baked bread, bolillos that are ready every Monday through Friday at 5:00 p.m. The bakery doesn’t open until 4:00 in the afternoon. Lupita’s phone number is 761-0562 and she will take orders and bake such delights as apple raisin strudel. Be sure to walk through the first room and into the courtyard where you can see the baker putting in and taking out the bolillos from the wood burning oven.
The bakery in Ajijic, Panaderia Rojas, is in a lane off Calle Juarez, Privada Angel Flores. From the carretera, walk northward on Calle Juarez, a few meters to a lane on the left, with a brick arch, immediately opposite Calle A. Flores. The bakery is on the right, near the head of the lane. If driving eastward, left turn off the carretera is not permitted. Breakfast rolls, bolillos, are ready at 7 a.m. and loaves, multigrano and cactus among others, pan dulce, cinnamon rolls, croissants and other pastry, are available at 12:30 p.m. Don't delay - it all goes very quickly, but you can order bread to be made for you and they'll keep it for you on the side, 376-766-0635 or 766-0347.
San Juan has several butchers. One where English is spoken is Carnicera Donã Kary, run by Ray who has recently returned to Mexico after 20 years in the United States. His well-equipped store is on Porfirio Diaz, near the junction with Vicente Guerrero Sur.
Tony's Carneceria is on Carr.Chapala-Jocotepec#147, San Antonio Tlayacapan (by SuperLake) 01-376-766-1614 (English spoken, many imported meats and cheeses). The restaurant is noted for its ribs.
Pescadorias
Try to go before noon. There is both fresh and frozen stock and it is NOT from the Lake. The fish has been of excellent quality and the prices are reasonable. The names and addresses are as follows:
Provisions, Cash and Other Items
Inside of Wal-Mart (San Antonio Tlayacapan) and Soriana (Chapala) you will find one or two ATM machines past the customer service desk. Guadalajara Pharmacy, beside Lloyd's in Ajijic, sells groceries and other household items, as well as drugs and medication. The ATM, beside the Photo counter, dispenses 500 peso bills, as well as the smaller denominations. Guadalajara Pharmacy has a branch in Jocotepec, on the right just past the traffic light, on entering town from the east. Here there is no ATM. However, there is one just across the street in Bodega Aurrera, a branch of Wal-Mart, where competitively priced produce, meats and dairy products are available, in addition to household goods, clothes, and pharmaceuticals. Banco Santander a block east of the Jototepec square on the right of the main street, Calle Miguel Arana, has two ATMs.
ATMs are also located at the front of El Torito in Ajijic and Super Lake in San Antonio Tlayacapan; both are small supermarkets that stock many food items imported from across the world.
VIII. Spanish Language Learning
Learning Spanish is not always easy but there are teachers here who are a delight and have helped a lot of us. Lake Chapala Society has Spanish classes for different levels; check their calendar of events for times and prices. In San Juan Cosala directly across from the town square is the yellow and blue building which houses AMSIF, the organization which helps our town’s women. In the AMSIF building Spanish lessons are offered (check with AMSIF for schedule of classes). There are a good many private teachers also.
IX. Holidays
Mexican Holidays are listed with comment in the Lake Chapala Directory.
San Juan Cosala has two big holidays with parades well worth attending.
The patron saint of San Juan Cosala is Saint John the Baptist whose June 24th birthday is celebrated for a full nine days. During that period of time, rockets and fireworks are shot off every morning and every evening there is a fiesta down on the town square, usually with live music. On the 24th of June, San Juan holds a parade which begins around 5:00 p.m. in the town square and winds its way through the village and up the Carretera (all traffic is stopped during that time), back into town and finally ending up at the church. The parade includes pick-up truck floats, most depicting the life of John the Baptist, including his beheading. Along with the band marching, dancers dressed as Aztecs appear in really colorful costumes. Behind the parade, most of the town people of San Juan march; doing penance wear blind folds and march barefooted, led by family members. If you can, try to see this parade; it is moving to watch and you will see and be seen by your gardeners and maids who appreciate your being there
Every town in Mexico celebrates the Virgin of Guadalupe whose Feast Day is December 12th. San Juan Cosala has a parade in her honor on the 12th of December which usually forms at the town square around 5:00 p.m. Young children are dressed for the occasion, the boys as Juan Diego, the peasant to whom “Our Lady of Guadalupe” first appeared in the 1530’s. The boys wear white pants and shirts, with tiny black mustaches painted over their top lips, and have tiny wooden crates filled with corn strapped on their backs. The girls dress as peasant women with tiny cages on their backs holding live birds. The village trucks are pressed into service as floats, each depicting the story of Juan Diego and the Virgin of Guadalupe, mother of Mexico. The parade travels through the back roads of the town and onto the Carretera, and back to the church. Again, the entire town’s people march behind the floats and bands and dancers. It is the highlight of nine days of celebration in early December and is marked with more fanfare than Christmas Day itself. Interestingly enough, your maid and/or gardener may come to work on Christmas Day if you do not tell them not to come. Most of the all Mexico celebrates “El Dia de los Santos Reyes” or Three Kings Day on January the 6th, but most have a family Christmas dinner on Christmas Eve and then attend mass.
There are several traveling Virgins who also make the rounds of all the small towns around the Lake. The Virgin of Talpa comes sometime in the last of July, for example. The Carretera is decorated with blue and white, the Virgin’s colors. Balloons, paper cut-outs and streamers and traffic breaks to a crawl as the Virgin enters San Juan in her own automobile. The statue stays overnight in the town’s church before moving on to the next town. To welcome her visit and to say good-by becomes a fiesta complete with fireworks and rockets fired off in multiples.
X. Customs
In Ajijic, the bell tolls the hour and the half hour, but in San Juan Cosala, we hear the bells far more often. At first, it is difficult to figure out, but this should help:
The bells are usually used to call the people to worship. Thirty minutes before the service, the bell will give 3 distinct peals, followed by an undetermined number of chimes and then 3 distinct peals at the end.
Fifteen minutes before the service, there will be 2 distinct rings followed by many tolls and ending with the 2 distinct rings. At the time of the service, there is 1 distinct ring followed by the peeling bells and ending with 1 ring.
A slow peeling of the bells in mid morning or afternoon indicates a funeral and the number of rings indicates the age of the person who has died.
A cheery chiming of the bells indicates a wedding or a baptism.
Usually when someone passes away the body remains in their home and in the cities most are taken to “Salas de Velacion” for what is called “velar el cuerpo”. Family and friends gather together in prayer usually late into the night and early morning; hot drinks such as coffee, canela, and hot chocolate are offered along with sweat bread; and on some occasions tequila and soda are also offered. This is followed by a mass service; the church bells will indicate such service. Once the mass is over the casket is put back into the mortuary car which then drives to the cemetery. Traditionally, most if not all attendees follow the mortuary car on foot and not by car, regardless of the weather, and also depending on the family’s wishes a “Banda or Mariachi” will also perform from the church to the cemetery. The following nine consecutive days after the burial service, family and friends come together for what is called “The Novenario” which is a nine day period for mourning and prayer of the deceased. It is customary for the family to offer dinner to those whom attend.
XI. Lake Chapala Society
Most of us who settle Lakeside have become acquainted with the Lake Chapala Society long before we buy here. The Society which is located in Ajijic at 16 de Septiembre #16-A and whose telephone number is 01-376-766-1140 provides a directory of members, and gives various information on a wide range of useful topics from conversion tables for oven temperatures to telephone information. Most of us use LCS’s library and video/DVD rentals and depend on buying our tickets for charity and cultural events in LCS’s garden. LCS also holds lectures, classes, and clinics. On the first Wednesday of every month, the U.S. Counsel General for Guadalajara comes to the Society so members can ask questions and have their problems investigated. It is well worth the yearly membership to belong.
Committees
In order to assist in the administration of the club and fraccionamiento, and to give more residents the opportunity to become involved in activities, the following committee structure has been set up. The Board representative is responsible for maintaining a sufficient number of members on the committee.
Committee proposals and recommendations need to be approved by the Board of Directors, and no action should be taken prior to approval.
It is suggested that the committees form sub teams as appropriate, meet on a regular basis and provide periodic reports to the Board through their representative.
RESPONSIBILITIES
COMMUNICATION
To provide information to all residents and owners with general newsletters, reports on board meeting activities and special notices concerning problem areas. To maintain communications on what is happening at the club and provide a schedule of any events taking place. To maintain current email addresses for all owners and residents for distribution of information. To maintain a newcomer informational package for all new residents of the Raquet Club, and to personally deliver welcome packages to new residents.
SECURITY AND SAFETY
To propose and oversee improvements to security within the fraccionamiento. To establish general admission procedures to the club. To address safety concerns brought forward by residents and propose solutions to these issues.
SOCIAL AND EVENTS
To arrange for and manage Raquet Club social events such as the Posada, Independence Day celebrations, pot luck dinners, and other social and/or fund raising events desired by the residents and other committees and approved by the Board. To schedule and coordinate monthly pot luck dinners and the other events and providing notices of these activities to the office. To determine the rules for club usage and set a proposed fee schedule and process for events held by residents. To oversee all sporting events held on club facilities such as soccer, tennis tournaments. As appropriate, to maintain financial records of income and expenses associated with each activity.
FACILITY IMPROVEMENT (ACTION TEAM)
To propose plans and oversee activities associated with renovation and improvement of common facilities within the fraccionamiento, including the club house, swimming pool, soccer field, tennis courts and other common areas. To prepare and present project plans together with estimated costs to the Board. To support and propose improvement projects as submitted by residents, such as vacant lot clean up, road improvements and other general appearance enhancements to the community. To maintain financial records for all activities approved by the Board and undertaken by the committee, and to report periodically to the Board on approved projects and activities.
By-Laws
To solicit suggestions, and recommend amendments to the By-laws for presentation to the Annual Assembly.