gringal

Good hearing aids are expensive, everywhere. I should know, since my spouse and I have worn them for years. A local audiologist is our choice: Polo Gonzalez, who works out of an office at the Lake Chapala Society. He can also do repairs and "tweaking" to get the fit and the sound right. Nice man; speaks excellent English. He's there on Mondays and some Saturdays. A sign up sheet is outside the office in the rear area of the grounds.

We used to go there occasionally, optimistically hoping that it would have improved since our last visit. Alas. Then, one Thanksgiving when we and a friend went there on a last minute basis (due to a culinary disaster), they had an outstanding buffet with the best turkey you could ask for. Went there again, assuming there was new management or something.........with the usual letdown result. It's not BAD, just not what it could be. Love the garden setting, anyway.

People do all the things you are referring to in your first sentences, but then they pray to an invisible being and believe that when they die, they will go to heaven. (or hell). We can't prove all the things we believe, or explain everything that we see. An open mind is a wonderful thing and a healthy curiousity should be nurtured, not condemned. I've never seen a UFO. That doesn't mean other people haven't.

I read the translated article which said nothing about chemo treatment which is usually done following colon cancer surgery. Another unfortunate friend had recent surgery for colon cancer under private insurance, and the enormous cost of the chemo treatments following would have broken anyone's bank account.

IMSS sends representatives on Monday and Tuesday a.m. to assist those applying. There are waiting periods for covering pre-existing conditions. It is NOT impossible to get, as one poster claims. Both my husband and I have carried it for over 8 years, although we have not used the services. It is not free: the cost varies, based on age. Seguro Popular costs less and depends on the individual financial circumstances. Anecdotal information: A friend's good friend has Seguro Popular coverage and has developed colon cancer. Seguro Popular does not cover the cost of chemo. treatment. Another Lakeside person who I used to know had all the costs of her breast cancer treatment, including hospice care, covered by IMSS. Good to know when making the decision between the two programs. Be sure to get all the details.

Where is Lakeside Clinic?

Speaking of fraud: the following scam has been attempted several times during my dozen years here. A doctor or group of doctors who have connections with a U.S. medical practice will treat patients in Mexico and bill the treatment through their U.S.group to Medicare. Once this is exposed, it is stopped. This may have been what you heard of. Trust the posters who are telling you this fraud is not the way to go. If you keep your multi part U.S.Medicare coverage, you can sign up with one of the "medivac" Insurance companies and you will be flown back to the States for care. First, you must be "stabilized" here before you fly. They advertise in the weekly Guadalajara Reporter. If you are under 70, there is private insurance available in Mexico. Bellon Insurace, across the road from Superlake, can advise you regarding some of these plans as can any other agent. IMSS has a waiting period for coverage of pre-existing conditions and charges yearly fees, but is worth looking into. Representatives from IMSS come to the Lake Chapala Society every Monday morning and can advise you. Not necessary to be a member of LCS to use their services. Medical costs such as office visits are so much lower in Mexico than in the U.S that many people sign up with either IMSS or Seguro Popular as a backup plan, but simply pay out of pocket for most medical care.

I agree with RV Gringo about Electroventa for sales and installation. Bear in mind that you might need to do some cosmetic work on the walls after they leave, since they have to cut into them to install the pipes. Yes, I believe the mini split is the way to go. The window A/C's are noisy and less energy efficient. Ours is installed in the bedroom which has no no natural cross ventilation, with the compressor on the roof. The part in the bedroom delivering the coolth is very quiet. The compressor is noisy enough that you don't want it anywhere near the window, especially if that's a sleeping room. It's a matter of individual heat tolerance. I like a cool room for sleeping and soon found that a fan doesn't do the job. YMMV.

You go, girl! Now, a question: That pencil chore in not only nasty, it pulls the skin in that sensitive spot, so I prefer the tiny brush with liquid eyeliner by Maybelline. Can't find any. Does anyone knew a source?

Let's face it ladies: The effects of just plain aging are a stone cold beetch, never mind the additional wear and tear ill health issues bring. Around here, there are those who have more or less given up on trying to look good; some so thoroughly that it's sad to see. I applaud the gals who are fighting the good fight to look as good as they can. On top of all the regular wear and tear of time, mother nature is much more kind to some women than others. We don't get to pick our parents, so some have to struggle harder than others to "keep up appearances". So.....hang in there, sisters and good luck to all. I know that having some bad luck in life can make a person cranky........but it will pass. Just don't rain other others' parades when you're feeling that way. As in, write the cranky post, but just don't press "send"..

Deena Hafker sells two kinds of kefir she makes up at the Tuesday Market. Through the door, turn right and go to the corner table at the end of the first row. Also has organic veggies from her garden. She might know where you can get Kombucha.

I've heard that eye exercises can have good results for strengthening your vision, but cataracts are a different problem altogether. I went to Dr. Vargas, who sees patients at the Ajijic clinic on Tuesdays, and he did cataract surgery at the very impressively equipped eye surgery facility in hospital Puerto de Hierro. The surgery was successful, and I can now see well. Caveat: In my case, I was very nearsighted. They put one lens in for reading and another for general vision. I've talked to a number of others who had "bifocal" type surgery, and most of us need glasses for reading or computer work. Same for me. I'd advise anyone to have a long talk about it with the doctor, and if I had to do it over, I'd opt for simple vision lenses and get a good prescription for reading.

If you enter the name of the drug in your search engine: i.e. "premarin in Mexico", you will find the name used in Spanish.

I think we've had enough posts to conclude that the amplified sound is the guilty party. We also have a place to complain about it. What more can we say?

Now there's an image: A delegation of disgruntled gringos going to the church and telling the padre they're unhappy about the cohete situation. Please, someone, make a video.

I agree with what Ezpz says, in general. However, I doubt there is anyone who is not aware of the problem and its causes: amplified sound, which didn't exist many, many years ago and is misused by many bands. At the same time, I think most people are aware that the cohetes are something we must get used to, move away from or find sound cancelling plugs for. It's TRADITION, and such is life when you choose to move here. It definitely is time to have enforcement on the worst offenders with the Amplifiers from Hell. I won't comment on the "music" itself: tastes differ. I'm one of the lucky ones, since I have only the cohetes to disturb my sleep: about a block from the church. It's funny how you do get used to it in time.

"The power of the middle class and upper middle class is growing even though they are a minority. Pólice and gov´t. officials keep away from messing with them more each year." (Alan Mexicali) It is said that "the thousand families" own Mexico. Probably an exaggeration, but "democracy" doesn't work the same here as it does NOB. Point being that ordinary Mexicans learned long ago to shut their eyes and ears and tell others very little about what they really think. So, as one poster continually repeats in CAPS, it was Mexico that passed a noise ordinance, no doubt following the wishes of the Upper Classes who had "had it" with the amped up music in their neighborhoods. Just for comparison, consider how quiet it is in upper class neighborhoods in the States, as compared to the noise level in the slums. The one equalizing factor in humanity is the ability of individuals to make noise, regardless of family income or status. Freedom to shout. I think the assertion that expats have anything to do with passing the ordinance or with it's selective enforcement is ridiculous. We just aren't that important, even though we have little hesitation about shooting our mouths off rather than closing our eyes and ears to annoyances as the working class Mexicans have done from time immemorial. Unless you're married to a Mexican, you have no idea what your "friends" and neighbors really think. And even then, you may know less than you think you do. That is the deepest difference in our cultures.

Some people saw too many movies about a Mexico that may exist somewhere, but not here at lakeside. You know, the ones with big ranchos and horsemen and senoritas dancing with big skirts and off the shoulder blouses to the music of mariachis under the light of the moon......until all hours. Off-screen Mexicans have to go to work in the morning and/or get the kids off to school; all at an early hour. ("Juniors" from the city with fancy cars and buckets of dinero who come visiting our night clubs don't have to do anything the next day.)

When I read a post celebrating the noisiness of Mexico (as though the alternative would be joining the living dead) I wonder how the poster reached the opinion that this is a traditional part of living here. The question is: HOW noisy and from what source and at what hours? It is one thing to not only tolerate, but enjoy hearing a weekend party with acoustic music from a live band, and quite another to have huge speakers blaring techno rock "music" late on a weeknight when most residents of any ethnicity would like to get enough sleep to function normally the next day. I love music; particularly classical music, but I would not love having Mozart at a painful decibel level assaulting my senses at 2 a.m. on a Monday night. I, too, have things to do the next day as do my working neighbors and school kids.

How about that church broadcasting all over the neighborhood in the morning? Anybody having any luck with effecting a "separation of church and the state of peace and quiet" in that area?

Talk about mixed assessments! All over the block from happy to very, very unhappy. As for me, $1250 for a hair treatment/cut strikes me as expensive. I'd appreciate hearing what other salons charge, on the average.

Thanx! My hair is turning a tad too silvery for my liking......so the time is coming. I've seen some pretty gruesome results coming out of the local salons, so I'll go for "panache". Some of those coloring jobs resemble carrots or radishes. I'm hoping for almond or chocolate lab.

A question: does this hairdresser (or another) deal successfully with coloring long hair? I'm looking.

This is a joke, right? "Apply mouse to front of hair"