Raffle

There are many charities operating here and a great many fundraising activities. We try to give some support to as many as we can. Recently, I was approached by a woman selling raffle tickets on a TV for Niños Incapacitados (Children with Disabilities). It helps families to deal with and get treatment for such children and also do horse therapy for some (it seems to be very beneficial for many kids). I bought a single ticket for 100 pesos without any expectations. About 2 weeks ago, I got a telephone call saying that my ticket had been drawn as the winning ticket and would I please come and pick up the TV! The TV is a 40” LCD made by Sharp (actually assembled here in Mexico); Bev, who I mention below, told me that it is the very model he has been lusting after. The surprise was great and provoked the issue of what to do with it. It wasn’t as easy as you might suppose.

When we moved to Mexico in May 2008, we fully intended to buy a TV--doesn’t everyone have one? However, we had to plan our priorities in line with our monthly income. A TV was several notches down the list of things that seemed more compelling. After some months, Barbara and I decided that we were not missing a TV, remembering that in Nova Scotia it had been difficult at times to find anything that we wanted to watch in spite of large numbers of channels via satellite. Besides, we would have to decide what route to take for TV service. Mexican cable has some English channels (all American) or one can go to satellite service. There are a couple of American companies or Canadian Shaw Direct (formerly called Star Choice). With new, more focused signals, the American services are more difficult to get as there is less spillover into Mexico. So far, Shaw has the best signal. Also, one has to decide if you are going to get someone to set up an illegal receiver or go for a legal approach.

Well, we have decided to keep the TV and have had to find out our options. Shaw is the best choice. There is a local outfit linked with a small company in Ontario that ships Shaw receivers and installs antennas. This is quite an expensive route. I found that I could buy the Shaw receiver I want at Futureshop in Canada, on sale for $150, but would cost close to $400 here. I have had Larry buy one for me. However, there is the process of getting an account with Shaw. Because Shaw allows more than one receiver on an account, it is the custom here to share an account with 2 or 3 others, which means that you also share the monthly cost. A couple of individuals were advertising for people to share their accounts and we have hooked up with one of them, Bev. With another couple, there will be 3 of us on the account. When I talked with Bev, I mentioned that we wanted a couple of extra HD channels. This has stimulated the others to think in this direction also. They have asked me to get 2 more HD receivers for them. I shall have to take a carryon suitcase to bring them all back! Fortunately, these new models are smaller than the older ones. I also managed to find a fellow in Chapala who has the antennas for Shaw (it is different from most satellite antennas because it has to pick up 2 satellites). He came and installed the antenna last week.

We have decided to put the TV in the guest bedroom. Few people are coming to visit us anyway and the TV is thin and doesn’t take up much room. Also, with curtains, the bed and a big new wall hanging, the sound should be improved as a result of fewer echoes than is the case in the living room. With all the hard surfaces in the latter, it can be difficult to make out dialogue, especially if the actors have accents.

I mentioned a new wall hanging. Barbara gave away the very cheap painting that had been in the guest bedroom since we arrived. Finally, she decided that we should get Mexican hand made carpet for the wall. She spent a lot of time looking around Ajijic last week. We also went to the 3 day Feria (fair) for artisans in Chapala. The latter brings a large number of artisans, some from as far away as Oaxaca, to show and sell their wares. Anyway, although there was nice stuff, we didn’t see exactly the right colours, size etc. On Sunday, our usual friends were not at Open Circle, just Barbara and I. We went to the Garden Restaurant, which is one of our favourites, but not of the others. Next door is a small shop with knitted stuff and lots of woolen rugs. We found one that is the right size (about 4’x6’), good colours and a nice scene (a tree with many different coloured birds. We bought it.

The annual festival for Ajijic’s patron saint, San Andres (St. Andrew), began on Sunday. We are having lots of rocket bangers, morning, noon and night. Mexicans really party; the different groups who each sponsor the festivities for a day (entertainment and fireworks every night) have been planning and raising money all year since the last festival. By the way, I have watched people launching the rockets from their hands; the rockets are over 6 inches long and go up more than 100 feet. The guys hold the rocket with one hand and with the other light the fuse with a cigarette! The rockets explode with a deafening bang so there is a significant amount of explosive. I’m sure that there must be accidents, but the guys are so casual about doing it.