Happy Holidays To You! November and Thanksgiving have already zoomed passed us and I can't believe that it is already December. Wow, to think that 2014 is literally just a few weeks away. This has been a terrific year and I have absolutely no complaints (unless being a year older so quickly counts). We have already shattered the record for resales since our sales department began many years ago - and I have very high expectations that 2014 will be even better! We will keep working harder then ever for the Sonoran Resorts. Reputation, innovation, experience, and proven results are all on our side.

Our Indian Summer is officially over. I can tell you almost to the minute when it ended. One week ago on Thursday night it started to rain, and rain. We don't get much rain here so when it comes down steadily for 2 days and nights it's a big deal. The streets were flooded and things kind of came to a standstill. Since the rain, the weather has been cooler and, even though the sun has been out every day, most of the time has been light jacket weather. Don't get me wrong - it is still beautiful and I can't think of anyplace that I would rather be.

Don't forget that our 3rd annual food drive is still ongoing through the end of this month. If you're in town, please try to stop by one of the Sonoran Resorts lobbies and drop off a few non-perishable food items. Stop in the sales offices to say Hello too if you have time.

We have some great new map books that we are giving away. Finally, a quality map book of Puerto Penasco to help you find your way around. All of our sales offices will have them on hand until we run out.

The Home Port ground breaking ceremony has been postponed (I don't know if it was ever officially scheduled, so postponed may not be the right word). It is still coming soon though and the good news is that they have officially signed contracts with the winning bidder to begin construction of the breakwater. Work is slated to start right away and the ceremony will be coming as soon as it can be coordinated between all those very important people who will be in attendance (not sure who all will be here). I promise that I will let you know right away and I will take lots of photos as soon as the activity begins.

Calle Trece (13th street) is open and looking good, complete with the new cement paving and nice sidewalks. There is still ongoing work on Calle 12, but it is getting very close as well. The city will continue its ongoing program of paving and street renovation (and some of the streets definitely need it). Also, lots more going on. Check out the stories below for some of the news...

As always, I'm here full time and I am more than happy to help you with whatever you need, whether Sonoran Resorts related or not. Just give me a call or send me an email any time and I will do my very best to help you. If I can't help you myself, I'm sure that I can point you in the right direction. 

Come and see us this month if you can. The town is quiet and peaceful this time of year and it makes a nice relaxing getaway. Amazing how different it can be from the busy tourist times. Stop in and say Hi if you get a chance.

 

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It's a sure bet that Marius Petipa, considered by many as the most influential ballet master that ever lived, the original choreographer  of The Nutcracker Ballet, never imagined that it would begin a Christmas tradition in a small beach side town in Mexico called Puerto Pe�asco. In fact, after the unsuccessful first run of his ballet in 1892, in spite of the musical score by none other than Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky, Petipa probably questioned any possible future for his work. Of course, the good news for all of us is that it did, over the years, become a holiday tradition around the world.

 

She was a 10 year old ballet student who excitedly performed in her first Nutcracker Ballet with the Ballet Arizona and loved it so much she continued performing in the  Nutcracker every holiday season for many years. After college she worked for Ballet Arizona and had the opportunity to manage 150 children who were chosen by audition to perform in their annual presentation of Nutcracker.

 

That little 10 year old girl is Marisa Arellano Vel�zquez, now all grown up, married and living in Puerto Pe�asco as an accomplished choreographer and the owner and director of Destiny Dance Academy, a rapidly growing, award winning studio grooming students who have been recognized internationally in major competitions such as the Hollywood Dance Experience and the Disney Talent Showcase, so far.

 

 Marisa's excitement about presenting The Nutcracker Ballet bubbles over as she talks about such aspects as beginning rehearsals back in September, choreographing and training her 60 students, ages 3 to 17 years, all of whom will be dancing in the production, and her emotions regarding which she likes more: having performed in the production for so many years vs. choreographing it.  When you watch her working with the kids during rehearsal as we did, it looks like choreography is winning over her preferences.

 

This production represents the first time The Nutcracker Ballet has been performed in its entirety in Puerto Pe�asco and everyone hopes it will become a holiday tradition as it is in cities around the world. There will be two performances on Saturday, December 14, 2013; a matinee at  1:00 pm and an evening performance at 6:00 pm. The venue is the Municipal Auditorium on Benito Juarez across the street from City Hall.

 

Tickets are $100 pesos until December 13th and can be purchased at Destiny Dance Academy studio located in Plaza Fremont on Fremont Blvd. The studio is located across from Bancomer located in the Plaza. Tickets will be $120 pesos at the door on the 14th.

 

Destiny Dance Academy is working with DIF and will be donating a portion of the proceeds to the DIF organization. The additional profits from the show will go toward the purchase of a dance floor for the studio which will cover the hard tile surface currently used. The new rubberized flooring is necessary to protect the dancers' bones as they grow and become more  advanced.

 

Raffle tickets are also being sold for a chance to win some nice donated prizes as  another way to raise funds for the new flooring. Tickets can be purchased for $5.00 USD at the dance studio when you buy tickets to the ballet. They will also be available for sale at the auditorium before the show and during intermission.  Marisa included that anyone who would like to donate a prize for the raffle can call 638-384-3403. So far the prizes include a wine basket, a nicely framed work of art, a MAC makeup gift basket, and a Mary Kay makeup gift basket.

   

Marisa is presenting the full version of the ballet which was brought to renewed life in America in 1954 when George Balanchine considered to be the father of American ballet, introduced his version in New York. The cast includes all 60 students, some performing multiple roles and dances, plus 11 more volunteers made up of eight dedicated parents (four couples) who will dance the parents waltz in the opening scene, and three boys aged 7-11 will be playing party guests.

Though Christmas is celebrated almost all over the world, Mexico does so at great length and with its own special style in a variety of activities that span the period from December 16th to January 6th.

 

Las Posadas

Perhaps the best known manifestation of the Christmas spirit in Mexico are the traditional Posadas. One is held each night on the nine days between December 16th and Christmas eve. The Posadas are a re-enactment of Saint Joseph and the Virgin Mary's pilgrimage seeking a place to stay and the birth of the baby Jesus. In olden times, a boy and girl were chosen to represent the Virgin and Joseph, but nowadays a group of people carrying candles visits several houses asking for lodging with a traditional question/response song. The people inside the first two houses refuse them, and at the third one the group is invited inside. Commonly, the procession heads to church for mass, followed by a party. There is music, pi�atas, a variety of foods, and the adults are often served a thick fruit punch with a little alcohol to ward off the cold.

 

The origin of the Posadas is said to date back to 1587, when Friar Diego de Soria, in the monastery of Acolman, obtained a Papal Bull from Pope Sixtus V to celebrate "Aguinaldo" or Christmas gift masses from December 16th through the 24th in New Spain. As part of the evangelization process, these masses, held in the church atriums, were interspersed with scenes alluding to Christmas. To attract a crowd, the Augustinian missionaries used sparklers, fireworks, Christmas carols and pi�atas.  

 

The Pi�ata

The Pi�ata is a must at Posada time. There are several stories regarding its origin. Many people say that it is derived from the Italian custom of giving out clay pots of gifts during lent or carnival - pignatta means pot in Italian. Probably the name is derived from this, but there are also similar Pre-Hispanic customs. A clay pot was decorated to look like a cloud for some of the rites honoring Tlaloc, the Rain God. When it was broken, it would shower down food and good things to the ground, much as the rain brought crops and flowers to the people.

 

In any case, the missionaries, determined to convert the Indians to Catholicism, adopted the pi�ata as a teaching tool. The decorated pot was said to represent the devil, who tempts mankind with a glittering exterior. And the blindfold was used to show that blind faith is the path to achieving the good things hidden from view. Thus the converts and curious were asked to strike the devil, following the new faith, and were rewarded with good things to eat.

 

Nowadays, the pi�ata is a game enjoyed by children and grownups alike. It is usually filled with fruits, nuts and candies; sometimes small toys are added. The pi�ata has become another wonderful expression of Mexican folk art. Figures ranging from the traditional Star of Bethlehem to action figures based on hit international films are hand crafted with great skill and ingenuity.    

 

Pastorelas

Pastorelas are another version of the theatrical representations used by the missionaries to impart religious knowledge to the indigenous peoples of Mexico. These may have been based on the auto sacramental performances which became popular about the time of the conquest and reached their peak during Spain's Golden Age, with playwrights such as Pedro Calder�n de la Barca. He is famous in the Spanish-speaking world for juxtaposing infinite good to the confusion of human life in works such as The Constant Prince (El pr�ncipe constante), written in 1629. This theatrical genre in turn was probably based on the Passion Plays which were popular throughout Medieval Europe to depict the Passion of Christ, but later incorporated the Devil and became increasingly more vernacular. The Pastorelas in Mexico followed this tradition; starting as simple parables of the struggle of good against evil, ending with the triumph of good represented by the birth of Christ, these plays became increasingly playful and irreverent. Nowadays, the Pastorelas, performed in various forms in church atriums, town squares and theaters, range from political satire, commentary on the evils of modernity, or even bawdy scenes, to school plays of na�ve simplicity.   

 

Poinsettias

These beautiful red flowers which have become a symbol of Christmas are native to Mexico. In N�huatl they were called Cuitlaxochitl or star flowers, and in Spanish they are known as Noche Buena or Christmas eve. The English name of Poinsettia was adopted in honor of a US diplomat named Joel Poinsett, who took cuttings back to North Carolina with him after his stay in Mexico, and began cultivating them in the United States. They come in several colors, white, yellow, though the most well-known is a bright red. Pre-Hispanic Mexicans also used the flower for medicinal purposes: the red blossoms were believed to stimulate circulation to the heart if placed on the chest, and were also crushed and applied to skin infections.  

 

Nacimiento

The birth of Jesus is also commemorated with nativity scenes, called nacimientos, which means births. Although this tradition comes from Europe, where it is still widespread, in Mexico it has also become a thriving source of handicrafts; nativity scenes in wood, clay, metal, glass, wax, straw and almost any material you can think of, are another rich expression of popular art. Although the scene is set in advance, the baby Jesus is placed in the manger on Christmas eve. It was considered an honor for one of the children to be selected to place the main figure in the manger.

 

Christmas and New Year

Christmas itself is usually celebrated on Christmas eve in Mexico with a midnight mass and a late dinner. More modern influences have introduced the Christmas tree and Santa Claus along with the traditional cr�che. The New Year is welcomed in with a big party, and tradition calls for each guest to eat a grape with each tolling of the church bell at midnight to sweeten the twelve months to come.

 

D�a de Reyes

There are many names for the festival which arrives on the Twelfth Day of Christmas (actually after Christmas), Twelfth Night, Epiphany, Three Kings Day, January 6th. The tradition in Mexico for Dia de Reyes, Kings Day, is for children to leave their shoes outside the door so they can be filled with gifts from the Magi (Three Kings). This is also the day the nativity scene is taken down. Rosca de Reyes is a special bread made for the occasion in the form of a crown, decorated with dried fruits and hiding in its midst one or several little dolls (now usually plastic). At this fiesta each guests cuts his own piece of this coffee cake because tradition demands that the guest who finds the doll (representing the infant Jesus) in their slice of Rosca give a party on February 2nd, Candlemas, with tamales and atole for all.

 

The Pre-Hispanic peoples learned the cultivation of wheat from the Spaniards and quickly acquired quite a taste for bread. Combining the Arabian, Jewish and Christian recipes used by the conquerors with indigenous ingredients and methods produced a rich variety of local breads. Convents in Mexico were an important source of culinary creativity. The nuns not only baked breads to accompany hot chocolate --cocoa being native to Mexico and a favorite drink of the Mexica-- but invented breads to aid in evangelization by commemorating religious holidays. Thus they developed the famous bread for day of the dead and the Rosca de Reyes.

 

Sonoran Spa Pilgrims Give More than Thanks This Thanksgiving  

 

If you've been looking for Pharmacist Iorby Santiago since he left Guadalupana recently, well, you've found him! And it's in his own  recently opened pharmacy, Santiago's Farmacia on Benito Juarez a block and a half south of the Burger King, same side of the street.

 

Iorby had been with the Guadalupana pharmacy on Benito Juarez since the location opened nearly seven years ago. During that time he developed quite a following of loyal customers, probably due not only to his true bi-lingual skills as a result of living and going to school in San Diego from the 3rd grade to the middle of high school, but also because of his in-depth knowledge of pharmaceuticals and the differences between U.S. and Mexican brands and ingredients.

 

Another highly probable reason for the number of customers looking for him is his naturally courteous nature and genuine concern for his customers' well being. That concern, with regard to U.S. citizens, includes  making sure they understand the differences as well as the similarities in the drugs made in Mexico and those made in the U.S.  Of course this takes more than just concern for the customer.  It takes thorough up-to-date product knowledge. It is in this area that the young Mr. Santiago is most impressive.

 

He credits his grandmother for leading him to this career choice.  After virtually growing up in San Diego, Iorby longed to rejoin his family in his hometown of Tijuana. In the middle of high school he moved back to Mexico and lived with his grandmother while finishing his schooling. She "took a lot of medications herself", says Iorby, "and kept pushing me to get into the business."

 

 It so happened that she had a good friend who owned 20 pharmacies in Tijuana that catered to Americans shopping for cheaper medications in Mexico.  His grandmother personally introduced Iorby to the owner who hired him immediately because of his English fluency. Iorby worked in this high volume chain for six years taking advantage of the learning opportunity of selling the gamut of medications popularly prescribed by U.S. doctors.  During that period he discovered that the pharmaceutical business was where he belonged.

 

He attended the International Institute of Medicine in Baja and became a licensed pharmacist in 2005.  Iorby encountered more luck shortly after he came to Puerto Pe�asco and fell in love with the destination. A long time friend, also in the pharmaceutical business, called him about the new Guadalupana pharmacy opening and thus began his final step toward owning his own pharmacy.

 

The new Santiago's Pharmacy is open from 8:00 am until 10:00 pm every day. You'll find Iorby there from 8:00 am until 6:00 pm  every day.  He tells us that he has enjoyed reuniting with many of his former customers since opening and looks forward to serving many more as they discover his new location

Iorby explained, "Since I don't have the overhead that burdens my competition,  I can offer discounts of up to 50% on many medications and we accept Visa and MasterCard for our customers' convenience. I also have a gift for everyone on their first visit."

 

You can call Santiago's Farmacia at 388-5000 or his cell at 638-384-6965. Iorby's email address is: [email protected].

 

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The ocean in our front yard is home to both the dolphin and the porpoise. You will primarily see dolphins playing off shore but, it is also possible that you could see porpoise. The differences between the dolphin and porpoise are not at first obvious, but the two species are not difficult to distinguish between once you know the key points of difference.

Feature	Dolphin Characteristic	Difference in a Porpoise
The nose	A dolphin usually has a pointed snout (beak)	A porpoise snout is short and blunt like a cartoon fish sketch (never strongly pointed)
The fin (Some species of both have no fin on their back)	The leading edge of the fin on a dolphin's back is shaped like a curling wave (Called the dorsal fin)	The leading edge of a porpoise's back fin is straight. The porpoise's fin is also triangular like a shark's
The teeth (The difference in teeth between dolphins and porpoises reflects the difference in the fish that they catch)	Dolphins have pointed cone-shaped teeth	Porpoise teeth are flat, spade shaped, with upper edges that are long and sharp
Size	Dolphins grow up to 12 feet long	Porpoises are usually less than 7 feet long
Shape	Dolphins are longer and sleeker in shape	Porpoises are shorter and more compact
Sounds	Dolphins produce sounds we can hear (and are talkative!)	Porpoise sounds are inaudible to us
Behaviour	Dolphins have much less fear of humans - will ride the waves alongside boats	Porpoises are shy - you are much less likely to see one - wild or captive. Rarely seen at surface unless up to breathe.
Groups	Dolphins live in large groups	Porpoises live in pods of 2 - 4
Lifespan	Dolphins can live for more than 50 years	Porpoises do not live long past the age of 15

 

As mammals both dolphins and porpoises have lungs and they breathe air through their blowholes, but although they have no gills they can still dive for up to 20 minutes.

 

Another characteristic as mammals is that dolphins and porpoises give birth to live young which they nurse, and which are born with hair!

 

Dolphins reputedly spend one third of their day sleeping, one third eating and one third playing or making love. No further comment needed...

It's almost impossible to spend any amount of time in Mexico and not hear some of those exceptionally Mexican words that typically end in "-le". Many times these words sound alien even to a native Spanish speaker from outside of Mexico. Words such as �rale, h�jole, �ndale, etc. are as authentically Mexican as mezcal, taco, or pi�ata, and are yet absent from most Spanish language dictionaries. If you don't understand these words, making sense of most street conversations in Mexico would be nothing short of challenging as they are generously peppered all over the fabric of Mexican Spanish. I'll try to make a little sense of this jargon for you. Only exposure and practice will ultimately show you what works and what doesn't in any foreign language.

�rale

Well, �rale actually means a bunch of different things and in order to truly understand them in various contexts, you need to step out and take a walk down the streets in Mexico.

Before we actually get down to what it means, it's important to understand where it comes from. The Mexican Language Academy pegs the word as a derivative of ahora (now) with its first letter somehow lost in transit. The suffix, "-le," is just that - a meaningless suffix. How it came to be is neither widely known nor terribly important for your Spanish unless you are working on some linguistic research, but it's there nonetheless.

So, what the heck does it mean anyway? �rale seems to have little to do with its origins in ahora at first glance. And that shouldn't bother you either because certain things exist in every language for reasons best left unexplored. Moving on, this word has come to acquire several connotations in Mexican Spanish completely dependent on the context and even the speaker.

One of the ways it's commonly used is to exhort some action - "let's go," "hurry up," or "come on."

It's also often used as an interjection of surprise, excitement, or shock - "wow," "oh my god."

Yet another usage is as a term of affirmation or agreement - "yes," "fine," "ok," etc.

Lastly, it can also function as a standalone greeting, not different from "what's up" in English. This one is pretty commonly used by the Mexican Americans in the phrase, �rale vato (What's up, man). The vato in this phrase comes from the gitano lingo as a northern Mexican slang for man.

Must you memorize all these forms? Absolutely not! The closest coverall for this term in English would be "whoa." Typically, wherever you use "whoa" in English, you can use �rale in Spanish. Apart from that, it's best to let the context guide you.

Let some examples illustrate its usage in various contexts:

Speaking of �rale pues, the phrase could also have a subtle sarcastic undertone (something like, "yeah right, whatever") depending on the context and mood.

�ndale

It won't be wrong to assume most of us English speakers grew up on the never-ending antics of Tom 'n' Jerry. Well, our Mexican friends, too, happen to have their own cat-mouse entertainer in the form of Speedy Gonzales (the fastest mouse in Mexico) and Sylvester (the tuxedo cat) in Warner Brothers' Looney Tunes. The word, �ndale, features as the most prominent cheer throughout the show and the mice are often heard shouting, "��ndale! ��ndale! �Arriba! �Arriba�..." The prominence is so strong that Speedy has invariably come to be associated with the word now.

Now, just as �rale, �ndale is a very versatile word. It can pull off a range of different meanings. Almost similar in usage to �rale, this word can be used for encouragement, surprise, disappointment, affirmation, etc. depending on the speaker's mood and tone of voice. We have already seen how it can be used as a shout of encouragement in Speedy's case. So, basically, you can use �ndale almost everywhere you use �rale.

Also note that the sense of "hurry up" is conveyed by �ndale more so than �rale. On the other hand, surprised exclamations take �rale better than �ndale.

Used with pues, it takes the meaning of, "well, then," or something similar, not any different from �rale pues. �ndale pues or �rale pues can be used, for instance, at the closure of an informal conversation as a sign of mutual agreement or understanding. Other than a conversation ender, �ndale pues is also an phrase of strong approval, more like, "I totally agree," or "that's right."

Let's see if these examples help illustrate all that �ndale means:

As far as �ndale pues is concerned, it can also be used in the sense of, "I told you so!" For example, you're tired of asking your son to study but you he never listens and stays up watching TV all night; next day, he has a test which he obviously fails and returns home disappointed. That's when you would say something like, "�Ves? �Te lo dije!" And you'd most likely yell, "��ndale! �Te lo dije!"

I came across this video that makes fun of how many differences there are in Spanish between different Spanish speaking countries and even areas within Mexico. I thought it was funny and it does make a some good comparisons:

Oh, how hard it is to speak Spanish!