Sunday Morning Presentations, 10:30 - 12:00

Featured Presentations Scheduled for Your Enjoyment in the LCS Gardens

In-person attendance is by prior reservation only. CLICK TO RESERVE MONDAY-SATURDAY



Loretta Downs Open Circle Ajijic

October 17, 2021
Presentation by Loreta Downs, MA CSA: Completing Your LCS Post-Life and Emergency Registry Form
YouTube link: Coming Soon

Most health care emergencies involve many people. Some are known to you, some are not. The more information they have, the better your outcome.

The process of handling a death in Mexico is very different from one north of the border. Whether you’re here full time, part time, or just visiting, registering your 2-page LCS Post Life and Emergency document will make a difference in your quality of life -- and death.

Instructor Loretta Downs, MA, CSA is a gerontologist, thanatologist, and certified senior advisor whose mission is to educate people on how to improve the end-of-life process.

Note: this Open Circle presentation will be an introduction to her upcoming 2-part workshop that will give you the valuable information, guidance, and motivation to complete your emergency registry document. The 2 part session to follow will be on Thursdays November 11 and 18, 11 AM TO 1 PM.

Collette Clavadetscher Open Circle Ajijic

October 24, 2021
Presentation by Collette Clavadetscher: Lakeside Little Theatre - Through the Pandemic and What is in Store
YouTube link: Coming Soon

COVID has had its effect on the entertainment industry globally, and Lakeside is no exception. Lakeside Little Theatre (LLT), the oldest English language theatre in Mexico, has tried to keep people in the loop through the past 18 months. Come and find out how the theatre has managed during this difficult period and the plans for navigating the future. You will also hear about the great shows that are coming up at LLT.

Collette Clavadetscher is the President of LLT since May 1, 2018. She has been a board member in various positions since 2013, acted in performances since arriving at Lakeside in 2010 and directed two plays in recent seasons.

Dr Enrique Lopez Open Circle Ajijic

October 31, 2021
Presentation by Dr Enrique Lopez: Maintain Your Brain
YouTube link: Coming Soon

A continuation from his March presentation. Dr. Lopez will provide practical tools and lifestyle tips for keeping the brain healthy and vital. Additionally, he will describe how the professional diagnoses and assesses cognitive disorders and differentiates between normal aging and a cognitive disorder such as dementia.

Dr. Lopez is a psychologist/neuropsychologist and has been an allied health professional at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center's Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences since 2004. He completed a post-doctorate fellowship in neuropsychology at UCLA's Neuropsychiatric Institute and Hospital in 2000. Dr. Lopez attended Occidental College in Los Angeles from 1985 to 1989 with a major in psychology and minor in Spanish literature.

Sydney Gay Open Circle Ajijic

November 7, 2021
Presentation by Sydney Gay: Lakeside Storytellers
YouTube link: Coming Soon

Who doesn’t love a good story? We can’t get enough of them. Sydney Gay, co-producer of programs at The Red Piano, La Bodega, Huerto Café and the Auditorio, has brought together eight talented friends to create a story-telling showcase. Open Circle is the debut performance of a series dedicated to giving ordinary people a place to tell their extraordinary stories.

Standing alone with only a microphone, each storyteller shares a five-minute, personal story, with topics ranging from life-threatening ordeals to the thrill of show business; from going to jail to escaping war and poverty. The twists and turns of life are many.

Each story challenges our understanding of human emotions and motivation. Taken together they attest to the startling varieties and travails of human experience, and the shared threads of love, loss, fear and kindness that connect us.
Jim Cook Open Circle Ajijic

November 14, 2021
Presentation by Jim Cook: Mexico Adventures
YouTube link: Coming Soon

Jim Cook retired after 30 years of work as a union and community organizer. He and his wife Carole moved from Oregon to Ajijic, Mexico in 2007. Since his arrival, Jim has made it a point to learn as much as possible about Mexican history and culture. He and Carole have visited many of Mexico’s colonial cities and ancient pre-hispanic ruins.

They chronicle their journeys in their photo-journal blog called Jim and Carole’s Mexico Adventure. Since 2007, the blog has attracted almost two million page views from people living in over 130 countries and territories on every continent in the world including Antarctica. Jim’s stories and photos have appeared in the Ojo del Lago and other lakeside publications. In addition, his photos have been published in several books in English, Spanish, Danish and Russian.
Kathryn Street Open Circle Ajijic

November 21, 2021
Presentation by Kathryn Street: Aging in place – What does that mean?
YouTube link: Coming Soon

Aging in Place is a Choice - you are choosing:
* How you want to spend your retirement years
* How you want your home to be set up
* What your health care choices will be
* What types of assistance are right for you
* What your wishes are for major life events (sickness, housing transitions, financial decisions)

Making these choices gives you control over your independence, quality of life and dignity. Aging in place does not mean you have to do everything yourself; that’s where a plan comes in. It means you get to plan how your needs are met.

Biography: As a nurse with over 30 years of experience working in an assortment of departments in three different countries, I am happy to start the next phase of my career in Ajijic. Working as a global Nurse has given me respect for different cultures and personalities that I have encountered along the way. I am highly organized and confident in my abilities. I have spent the last 10 years teaching Nurses and Nursing assistants how to give quality care to the older generation, I believe the core values that we practice, Honesty, Integrity, Responsibility and Respect for all ages will be apparent in the care our residents receive in Ajijic.
Lila Wells Open Circle Ajijic

November 28, 2021
Presentation by Lila Wells: The Short Stories of Saki
YouTube link: Coming Soon

In the introduction to the 1958 edition of The Short Stories of Saki, author Christopher Morley writes of the British writer who was born Hector Hugh Munro, “Saki could show the conversation of a few ladies at bridge [to be] as deadly and quick on the trigger of concealed weapons as a Western bar-room brawl [ by American writer O. Henry.] Both were masters of surprise.”

The five little gems Lila will read at Open Circle are taken from the portion of the Saki collection entitled Reginald, which were first collected in 1904, and include, appropriately, Reginald on Christmas Presents.

Lila has been an amateur stage actor since the age of 16. Since moving to Lakeside in 2015, she has appeared in Nunsense at Lakeside Little Theatre, and has acted in and directed readings at Naked Stage Readers Theatre and Bare Stage Theatre. This is her fourth appearance at Open Circle.
 


If You Missed an In-person Presentation, You Can Still Enjoy It On-line.



Richard Clucas Open Circle Ajijic

October 10, 2021
Presentation by Dr. Richard Clucas: Breaking Children out of the Cycle of Poverty
YouTube link: Coming Soon

Children raised in deep poverty rarely see life’s opportunities. By broadening their beliefs in what they can do and teaching them how to reach their goals, children can learn how to leave poverty behind. Tomorrow’s Aeronautical Museum (TAM), a non-profit located in the impoverished, crime-infested city of Compton, California, has been doing just that. Using airplanes, they take children as young as seven for a flight and give them the controls of the airplane. The shock of having flown an airplane - something so far from their concept of what is possible - they begin to understand that they can be or do anything. The methods of TAM can be used to help young Mexicans escape poverty.

Clucas spent 40 years in marketing communications, advertising and public relations. He holds a Masters degree in Communications and a Masters and PhD in Education.
David Rodwell Open Circle Ajijic

October 3, 2021
Presentation by David Rodwell: Climate Change
YouTube link: [a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IOyMUpM93X8" target="_blank"]** CLICK HERE **[/a]

David first worked in the environmental arena with the Peace Corps with tropical infectious disease detection in Brazil.

Upon his return to the US, he reentered school, earning bachelor’s in environmental Geography and Environmental Biology. Mr. Rodwell then went on to graduate Engineering school to study Alternative Energy sources.

In 2017 David joined Former Vice President Al Gore for a face-to-face training by the Vice President earning him the title of Climate Reality Leader and certifying him to present The Climate Reality Presentation, made famous by the film “An Inconvenient Truth” that went on to win the Academy Award. Mr. Gore’s work for the environment won him the Nobel Peace prize.

David Rodwell has given this presentation across the US, Canada and even in Ajijic in 2019. He is one of 20,000 worldwide certified to do so.
Oscar Gómez Open Circle Ajijic

September 26, 2021
Presentation by Oscar Gómez: Trees and Humans, A Long Story Short
YouTube link: Coming Soon

They were there when we crawled out of the water and they will remain here once we pass away. Trees and humans have a long and intimate story that is worth remembering in times when urban dwellers need them most. Mexican cities lack of integral urban tree management plans, is the perfect opportunity for communities to integrate, co-create and become stronger. Oscar will take us into a historical journey from millions of years ago to today, concluding with a practical proposal.

Oscar is a mexican urban forester with a degree in architecture, a master in urbanism and an arborist certification by the ISA (International Society of Arboriculture). He cofounded Canopea in 2014 with the conviction that trees have the power to boost urban sustainability improving humans physical and spiritual quality of life.
Noris Binet Open Circle Ajijic

September 19, 2021
Presentation by Noris Binet: The Stage of Meaning: The Sunset of Our Lives
YouTube link: [a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vgdq7PxHaXg" target="_blank"]** CLICK HERE **[/a]

A fulfilled life is the result of finding meaning in the latest stage of our life. If we have come this far, life is telling us that we are having the privilege to discover a deeper understanding of what our life was for. We can redirect attention to see the threads that have run throughout our lives: forces, images, themes that can be traced from the beginning of our consciousness until the present. This reflective process allows us to comprehend the value of our lives not because of our accomplishments but because there were archetypal, unconscious forces guiding us (which we probably were not aware of as they happened).

This is the time for integration, to unite the opposites within, to resolve dichotomies, to embrace the internal, contra sexual aspects of our nature in an inner marriage. Now everything is internal to the same degree the first half of our life was lived externally.

Noris Binet is a psycho-spiritual counselor in Ajijic and abroad. Her work is directed toward guiding and supporting people in their personal investigations, aimed at finding the deeper meaning in their relationships, talents, and challenges. The foundation of her work lies in the fundamental understanding that every human being has the capacity for wholeness. Her methodology includes using dreams as a direct pathway into finding one’s own inner guidance while catalyzing emotional and psychological health. “A cross-cultural and Jungian approach”. A visual artist, poet, and writer, Binet offers ongoing Satsang (a gathering in association with truth) wherein she facilitates meditation and self-inquiry for the exploration of one’s true nature.
Olga Kaplounenko Open Circle Ajijic

September 12, 2021
Presentation by Olga Kaplounenko: Popular Music of the 1960's
YouTube link: [a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_znM5ltAjJ8" target="_blank"]** CLICK HERE **[/a]

In this presentation we will talk about popular music from the 60-s. This decade gave us wonderful singers and groups like the Beatles, Beach Boys, Carpenters, Cliff Richard, The Four Seasons, Connie Francis, Matt Monro and many, many more. We can even share together our favorite songs from back then by Elvis Presley, Frank Sinatra, Everly Brothers, The Shirelles, Toni Bennett, Doris Day etc.

Born and raised in Moscow, Russia. Olga graduated from one of the Moscow universities with the Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering. While working in research, she got a degree in music and jazz vocals from the Moscow Jazz College. Later worked as a guest researcher in Denmark and Sweden, then moved to the Silicon Valley, California. While in the US, she sang solo and in different choirs. When her husband was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, she decided to move to Lakeside, and became involved with Los Cantantes del Lago for three years. At the same time participated in the Little Theater productions Drowsy Chaperone and Tickle Your Fancy. She also likes dancing tap and Zumba classes and teaching. She speaks Russian, English and Spanish and understands Swedish and Ukranian. She plays piano and guitar, but singing is her passion.
Gala De Ballet Open Circle Ajijic

September 5, 2021
Presentation by Suzanne Salimbene: Keeping Dance Alive: During Covid and Into the Future
YouTube link: [a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UeZnksMO4kM" target="_blank"]** CLICK HERE **[/a]

As everyone knows, the Pandemic has been a disaster for all members of the performing arts, but especially so to professional dancers. The dancers of Ballet de Jalisco have had a particularly difficult time. They have not performed since December, 2019. Assisted by several of the dancers, you will learn how they, like many ballet professionals worldwide, have kept their craft alive and how they are preparing for the future. The dancers will will describe and demonstrate first working alone in their homes, then taking classes on zoom, finally back in the studio. Finally, there will be a glance of a very positive future growth for dance in Guadalajara with new opportunities for both dancers and audiences.

Suzanne Salimbene is one of the Ballets strong supporters here at Lakeside and will share with you the joy of ballet and how you can become involved and enjoy their performances.
Werner Ruzicka Open Circle Ajijic

August 29, 2021
Presentation by Phil Rylett: Why are Vaccines So Controversial?
YouTube link: [a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V0LWqsFTk3U" target="_blank"]** CLICK HERE **[/a]

Are vaccines a victim of their success, or is there something that warrants the controversy today? Phil will take a look at the history of vaccines and their rocky history to the present. Since their advent, their has been opposition, but there was one case in recent history that spawned an entire movement of distrust. What was the story behind this particular case? We will follow the science – and the money.

Phil Rylett has a degree in Pharmacology and worked as a pharmacologist for several years until leaving and becoming a nurse. Later, a third career change saw him move to computer programming and database management. He finished his working life running a system for the early detection of breast and cervical cancer in uninsured women for the state of California.
Dra Coppelia Velez Open Circle Ajijic

August 22, 2021
Presentation by Dra Coppelia Velez: At The End, There Is Still A Lot We Can Do
YouTube link: [a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_logT97HtIc" target="_blank"]** CLICK HERE **[/a]

Nobody wants to die alone at an old age in intensive care. While we are healthy and totally aware, we can decide on our own in which way we want to be treated at the end of our lives. We must avoid the creation of false hopes which lead to "futile life support", which result in unnecessary expenses for doctors and hospitals, in many cases causing pain and suffering without providing a basic quality of life. If we take the right decisions today, we can die with dignity in the future. We all will die someday. Many expect this moment to be kind of romantic, that we will close our eyes and not wake up again. Nevertheless, according to recent statistics, 80% of the population will suffer from a terminal illness. It could be a heart disease, illness of lungs, kidneys or the feared cancer.

No biographic details.
Dr. Ellen Sharp Open Circle Ajijic

August 15, 2021
Presentation by Dr. Ellen Sharp: The Majesty of Monarchs: Challenges to their Conservation in Mexico
YouTube link: [a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fTmaLH46znA" target="_blank"]** CLICK HERE **[/a]

Many have misconceptions about Mexico’s monarch migration, including where they go, what they do when they’re here, when the best time to see them is, and why their forest is in danger. I’ll talk not only about how to see the butterflies, but also about how to help them, as I explain why monarch conservation must be radically re-envisioned if this fragile phenomenon is to survive.

Dr Sharp presented a number of photos and graphics during her presentation. You can download them [a href="../documents/PresentationMaterials_2021_08_15.pdf" target="_blank"]** HERE **[/a]

When Dr. Ellen Sharp first saw the monarch migration in 2011, she fell in love, both with butterflies and with her guide. In the years since, she and now-husband Joel Moreno Rojas have launched JM Butterfly B&B, an ecotourism business in Joel’s hometown of Macheros in the State of Mexico, as well as created the forest conservation non-profit Butterflies & Their People, which employs six full time forest protectors in the Cerro Pelón Monarch Butterfly Sanctuary.
Dr. Kelly Bennett Open Circle Ajijic

August 8, 2021
Presentation by Dr. Kelly Bennett: Perspective Brief
YouTube link: [a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LVdu-n1ABsQ" target="_blank"]** CLICK HERE **[/a]

In an earlier Open Circle meeting, someone asked the question: How can I integrate Mental health with Body health? Learn today how you can manage your energy field. A simple perspective helps. Designate yourself as a Self. Four beautifully-integrated aspects to the Self energy field consist of Soul energy, Brain energy, Mind energy, all contributing to Body energy. What are these energies and how do they interact for your welfare? Learn today how to mobilize the complexity of these energy interactions to produce a healthy, joyous life.

Remember that you are in charge of your life energy and how you use it. We need to energize our health, not our sickness. When we hold a conviction that energy Wholeness is our true state of being, this directly reduces our vulnerability, and protects us from dis-ease. Learn today how to make Wholeness of the Self your more effective focus.

Dr. Kelly Randolph Bennett began his career as an Astronautical Engineer and then as a Psychologist. Over the past 50 years, he has helped individuals and businesses around the world flourish by applying Clinical and Developmental Psychology, Brainwave Optimization™, Meditation, and Prayer as a psychologist and professor. He has lived and practiced professionally while credentialed in the United States, Australia, Ecuador, and now resides with his wife Cheryl (“Charlie”) in Ajijic, Mexico.
Dr. Beatriz Gallagher Open Circle Ajijic

August 1, 2021
Presentation by Dr. Beatriz Gallagher: My COVID Experience So Far
YouTube link: [a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YOhC2ymyhwY" target="_blank"]** CLICK HERE **[/a]

The Covid-19 pandemic has changed us in more than one way. By now, we all know of several friends, family or acquaintances who have had the infection and recovered, but some who have died as well. What determines who survives and who doesn't? In this lecture I will share my personal experience about prevention treatments, protocols for the different stages of the infection, some of the co-infections that complicate the disease. The internet has become a great source of information, but also of misinformation. In this lecture I will mention some topics that cover both, true and false based on published science. For the second wave of COVID-19 what makes this new variant more difficult, who is more at risk and what to do to reduce the risk of infection. Finally, how to build a first aid kit to have at home, just in case.

Beatriz Gallagher, CNS, PhD (Certified Nutrition Specialist and Doctor in Integrative Medicine and Clinical Nutrition)

Received a Bachelor’s Degree in Science from University of Connecticut, a Master’s degree in Human Nutrition from the University of New Haven, a Diplomat in Chinese Medicine and a PhD in Integrative Medicine at Capital University of Integrative Medicine in Washington DC. Beatriz has continued studying many aspects of clinical nutrition including nutrition for ADD, Women’s issues, The Biochemistry of Addictions, Functional Medicine and now, a distance learning at Bastyr University in Nutrigenomics (how food affects your chemistry). She has been in practice for over 30 years.
Michael McLaughlin Open Circle Ajijic

July 25 2021
Presentation by Michael McLaughlin: Reefer Madness
YouTube link: [a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pWjgEepGWeY" target="_blank"]** CLICK HERE **[/a]

Cannabis legalization has exploded in the United States, Canada and around the world. More and more US states are legalizing medical and recreational use. Projected sales in the US are expected to hit 23 billion dollars by 2023. For Canada, a much smaller country, it is 8 billion this year alone And now reefer madness comes to Mexico. Soon Mexico will become the world’s largest free cannabis market by population. What does this mean for Mexico and the world industry? Michael will present a fast paced overview of the plant, the US and Canadian industry and possible scenarios for legal marijuana in Mexico.

Michael has lived in Ajijic for 17 years with his artist wife.
Ricardo Fletes Corona Open Circle Ajijic

July 18, 2021
Presentation by Ricardo Fletes Corona: Street children - populations, experiences and reflections
YouTube link: [a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MJEsdLR-2ZM" target="_blank"]** CLICK HERE **[/a]

The street children population is the result of a complex network of social, community, family and individual determinations, as well as a historical background. Direct contact with this population and that of the people and institutions that direct their actions to assist street children is a necessary condition to better understand the relationship between them, the dynamics of this relationship, how it changes over time and what gives the best results in the interaction between street children and the people and institutions that assist them. Although this is a complex social problem, we can all do something to reduce and contain it, from the micro or individual level, through the family level, to the community level.

Ricardo Fletes Corona has worked with the poor, street and excluded population since 1985 in Guadalajara; with children in shelters in the state of Michoacán. Also, in Rio de Janeiro trying to better understand the relationship between institutions, street children and street educator.

In addition, he has visited different programs of attention to analogous population in Girona, Spain; La Paz, Bolivia; Bogota, Colombia and also in several cities of Mexico.
Anthony Bogart Open Circle Ajijic

July 11, 2021
Presentation by Anthony Bogart: Yoga for Stress Relief
YouTube link: [a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uw-nuUT-Eb0" target="_blank"]** CLICK HERE **[/a]

Anthony will speak about applying the techniques of traditional spiritual discipline in a practical manner to deal with the negative effects of stress in the modern context. He will offer simple ideas you can start to use immediately.

Anthony Bogart began practicing Hatha Yoga in 1972 after fracturing a cervical vertebrae in a surfing accident. Yoga seemed to give some relief from pain, rebuild strength and surprisingly provided some peace of mind. He practiced for 17 years before teaching his first class. Within 3 years he had become a full time professional teacher in 1991. During the next 30 years Anthony opened three yoga centers in Colorado and became a teacher trainer. He traveled to teach in seven countries including giving workshops coast to coast in the United States. He is the author of "Moving Toward Health and Freedom" a guide to the practice of Hatha Yoga. A new book, Shiva Dance will be complete this fall.
Steve Nousen Open Circle Ajijic

July 4, 2021
Presentation by Steve Nousen: Interpreting Benjamin Franklin for 21st Century Audiences
YouTube link: [a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tBTuRQjidpo" target="_blank"]** CLICK HERE **[/a]

Dr. Benjamin Franklin of Philadelphia will present his interpretation of the Declaration of Independence on the 245th anniversary of the creation of the United States of America as a free and independent nation. Dr. Franklin (Steven Nousen) will speak at the Open Circle gathering at the Lake Chapala Society (LCS) on Sunday, July 4, 10:30 a.m. You will be transported back in place and time to Philadelphia on July 4, 1787. Dr. Franklin is currently at work in the State House, along with delegates from 12 of the 13 states, revising the Articles of Confederation. Although Dr. Franklin is prohibited from talking about the secret work of these delegates, he is at liberty to discuss how he and 55 other men came to declare independence from Great Britain 11 years earlier.
Sydney Metrick Open Circle Ajijic

June 27, 2021
Presentation by Sydney Metrick: Designing Your Life
YouTube link: [a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eNPo-y2284k" target="_blank"]** CLICK HERE **[/a]

Playwright George Bernard Shaw said, "Imagination is the beginning of creation. You imagine what you desire, you will what you imagine, and at last, you create what you will."

We all experience many changes throughout our lives, some by choice and other changes and challenges happen to us. However, we all have the ability to make choices. Imagining what we want to have, do or be is the first step. Designing your life and living by design is not always easy, but always worth it.

Dr. Sydney Metrick, coach, teacher and author of five books on life passages, offers unwavering support, enthusiastic encouragement, and practical tools and resources to others.

Rob Hernández Open Circle Ajijic

June 20, 2021
Presentation by Rob Hernández: LGBTIQ + Human rights?
YouTube link: [a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48IDz0R7e8w" target="_blank"]** CLICK HERE **[/a]

Many of us want to support the effort for the rights of LGBTIQ + people but we do not believe that activism is for us. However, there are many ways in which we can help and collaborate with civil organizations or in a personal way, to start a cultural change in our environment. From the "like", supporting LGBTIQ + artists, we report in reliable sources, to demonstrate in the streets.

Rob Hernández presents a panoramic view in which all of us can be part of the creation of a more inclusive society, in which no matter your sexual orientation, you have the freedom to be and to live your way.

Rob Hernández is a Mexican cultural manager and promoter. Committed to the fight for the recognition of LGBT + rights, he has managed and produced national and international projects that promote respect and non-discrimination. He has worked with civil organizations for 10 years in the area of ​​communication and cultural management. He is the winner of the Mexican National Youth Award and 2019 fellow of the State Council for Culture and the Arts. He works in the development of projects of social innovation, artificial intelligence and digital transformation of cities.

CREM Open Circle Ajijic

June 13, 2021
Presentation by CREM Music School: Changes lives through Music
YouTube link: [a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=illcT8R6MVw" target="_blank"]** CLICK HERE **[/a]

The Ajijic music school CREM offers musical education, fosters culture and contributes to forming sensitive, proactive and solidary youth for a better society. It was founded in 1990 By maestro Victor Manuel Medeles, an Ajijic local and a composer known and admired in the state of Jalisco and beyond. CREM has been operating from the Auditorio at Lakeside.

Various first generation students are now part of the Jalisco Philharmonic or are professional musicians elsewhere. Most students are children or teenagers. When Victor Manuel Medeles passed in 2009, his son Emmanuel Medeles took his place as director of CREM continuing his father´s legacy.

CREM´s activities are directed at children and teenagers of Chapala Lakeside from all socio-economic levels and backgrounds. It is our mission that music education be accessible to anyone with an interest in music regardless of their family or economic situation.
CREM Open Circle Ajijic

June 6, 2021
Presentation by Ilona de Borhegyi: Living with the Vatican
YouTube link: [a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8QaQoxpuY7Y" target="_blank"]** CLICK HERE **[/a]

Working for the United Nations in Rome, Italy for 30 years, included living through many historical highlights of Vatican influence on Italian culture and international politics. Papal activities were part of everyday Italian news and the Holy See spoke at all of our international meetings. As a foreigner myself, it made watching three foreign Popes operate at global level more personal. This will not be a talk about religious issues. Instead, it will include personal observations, humorous anecdotes, and some history on the Vatican and the Holy See, and how the Vatican interacts with Italy and the European Union.

The speaker is a retired Information Officer of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and still maintains a home in Rome. She began visiting Lakeside in 1998 and has been an active member of the community since 2014.
Ed Tasca Open Circle Ajijic

May 23, 2021
Presentation by Ed Tasca: Gun Violence
YouTube link: [a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F36mlh22gOI" target="_blank"]** CLICK HERE **[/a]

Ed Tasca, local humor writer, novelist and playwright, will deliver a presentation, both comic and serious, on the complex story of gun violence, focused mainly on U.S. lust for possession of firearms and the psychology of their misuse, beginning with the U.S. Constitution's 2nd Amendment. It includes a discussion of the psychopathology behind hyper-rage and gun violence, regardless of race, nation, religion or culture. And offers a view of the mental health awareness and treatment requirements that can help identify and treat those who act out violently using firearms, from pistols to military-grade weapons. Because of the controversial nature of the subject, Ed asks that you bring questions only, and check all guns at the door.

Betty Steinhauer Open Circle Ajijic

May 16, 2021
Presentation by Betty Steinhauer: The Nomadic Intern, Creating My Own Adventure
YouTube link: [a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cOX6kjFK3hU" target="_blank"]** CLICK HERE **[/a]

After being hit by a car not long after retiring, I had an epiphany: I had embarked on my own spiritual journey following my first trip to India in 1990. The years that followed, I traveled to 155 countries, sometimes as a tourist, sometimes on business, sometimes for my charity…meeting remarkable souls who became global friends. And the moment finally came when I decided to sell everything, pack up my life and travel the world - not as a tourist - but as a student of cultures and communities and people, spending large chunks of time in each place I visited. In essence, I became a nomadic intern, learning about humanity.

I documented what I learned from people I interviewed from around the world and from all walks of life. And so was born my new book, In Search of Spiritual Intelligence.
Kat Miller Open Circle Ajijic

May 9, 2020
Presentation by Kat Miller: Inside Out Aging
YouTube link: [a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_jgJ1tFNdU4" target="_blank"]** CLICK HERE **[/a]

The truth is—if we are fortunate, we will have the opportunity to grow “old,” experiencing along the way inevitable losses and increasing limitations as well as progressive refinement of what is essential. With aging we can see our life as from a great altitude as a sort of landscape with all its diverse parts connected. From here we can harvest wisdom, acknowledge resilience, and discover peace, compassion and gratitude at the heart of our lives. Join Kat for some ageist repudiation and to learn more about how we can cherish the beauty of life, not despite its perishability but precisely because of it.

Kat Miller has an MA in Spiritual Psychology and is a counselor here in Ajijic and abroad. She currently plays with photography and writing as ways to express her perception of today’s topic.

Michael Reason Open Circle Ajijic

May 2, 2021
Presentation by Michael Reason: A Melody for Change
YouTube link: [a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wd5yowP6L7k" target="_blank"]** CLICK HERE **[/a]

Throughout history music has often reflected social and political change. However, since the beginning of the 20th Century and the advent of recorded sound music has become a catalyst for change. Pianist and conductor Michael Reason will lead us on a journey to discover how music has become a driving force in shaping the world for the past 100 years.

After leaving music college, Michael worked on numerous theatrical productions as Music Director in England during the 1980s and emigrated to Canada in 1991. Since then he has had a highly successful career as a professional orchestra conductor working with orchestras across Canada, Mexico, Europe, and Asia. In addition, he has held the position of Music Director for the Prince George Symphony, the Niagara Symphony, and the Hamilton Philharmonic in Canada. He now lives in Ajijic where he helped found the Lake Chapala Community Orchestra in 2018 and has assumed the roles of conductor and artistic director. He is also the Music Director for the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship in Riberas.
Daniel Medeles Open Circle Ajijic

April 25, 2021
Presentation by Daniel Medeles: Spring Mariachi Music
YouTube link: [a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BEmv9J9wh04" target="_blank"]** CLICK HERE **[/a]

Mariachi is both culture and tradition. In this concert, Mariachi Real Axixic will explore the diverse sounds of Mexico in their own unique style. Although they’ve been performing together for only a couple of years, they’ve distinguished themselves from all the others. Under the baton of Daniel Medeles, classically trained member of the renowned musical family by that name, the instrumentalists have extraordinary technique combined with Medeles’s original arrangements. A perennial favorite at Open Circle. Dany is the Music Director behind Musica Para Crecer, the San Juan Children’s Orchestra and Chorus. He dedicates so much of his time to offer safe alternatives in Music to the children of San Juan Cosala. Come and enjoy his Mariachi band that is so well known throughout all of Jalisco and beyond. This is your opportunity to show your support for his year round efforts and contributions to Lakeside.

No biographical information available.
Tran Dang Open Circle Ajijic

April 18, 2021
Presentation by Tran Dang: Leave No One Behind
YouTube link: [a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HNGfSLGXNvg" target="_blank"]** CLICK HERE **[/a]

Tran and César will join us April 18 for a discussion of ongoing U.S. immigration reform efforts with a focus on the right to return and its relevance for Jalisciense families. Mexico has always been the country most impacted by deportation and is now home to more deported spouses, parents, and children of U.S. citizens; deported veterans; and exiled Americans than any other country in the world. In light of the millions who could benefit from the right to return, The Rhizome Center for Migrants is now leading a binational effort to reunite deported loved ones with their families. Join Tran and César to learn more about these efforts and what you can do individually to support The Rhizome Center for Migrants' #right2return campaign.

No biographical information available.
Phil Rylett Open Circle Ajijic

April 11, 2021
Presentation by Phil Rylett: Don’t Learn Spanish! (Do this instead).
YouTube link: [a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NDOnaMUU9YE" target="_blank"]** CLICK HERE **[/a]


Do you want to learn Spanish? Or do you want to speak and understand it? We have been told that the path to speak and understand a second language is by learning it. But what if this is not the case? Have we been taken on the wrong path? What can we learn from the latest studies that will help you communicate in Spanish? Phil will relate the latest studies that shed doubt on learning Spanish and, in its place, the alternative of acquiring Spanish.

Phil Rylett spent years studying Spanish before coming to Mexico. Classes, books, courses, schools, etc. He was extremely disappointed when arriving in Ajijic to find out he could understand very little. Some of his Mexican friends, however, spoke reasonable English, without much formal instruction. This led him to investigate alternate paths to speaking and understanding Spanish.

David Ellison Open Circle Ajijic

April 4, 2021
Presentation by David Ellison: It is only by leaving your home that you find it.
YouTube link: [a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NS2JfRV6mUs" target="_blank"]** CLICK HERE **[/a]

> In his next Open Circle presentation, retired history teacher and raconteur Dave Ellison will continue to share what he’s been discovering while researching his upcoming book: Niños Héroes: The Fascinating Stories Behind Mexican Street Names. This time, Dave will focus on the convoluted story of the Mexican War for Independence and its tortuous aftermath, comparing it to the United States’ Revolution: “By studying Mexico’s history,” Dave explains, “I’ve finally begun to understand and appreciate my own.” Want to learn the stories behind so many Ajijic streets such as Castellanos, Guadalupe Victoria, Insurgentes, Matamoros, Galeana, Hidalgo, Morelos, and Guerrero? Come listen to Dave’s engaging walk through Mexico’s history...and come home again to yours.

David Ellison recently retired after 36 years in education. He was a teacher (History his favorite subject), mentor teacher, school administrator, education columnist and community activist. He was honored as the New Haven Unified and the American Council of School Administrators Region VI Teacher of the Year in 1996.
Michael Warren Open Circle Ajijic

March 28, 2021
Presentation by Michael Warren: Shakespeare & Fermat: Two Fascinating Enigmas to Ponder
YouTube link: [a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PfY6g26J7ao" target="_blank"]** CLICK HERE **[/a]

Michael Warren will intrigue us with two enigmas from the 17th century. First he will discuss the dedication of Shakespeare's Sonnets, published in 1609: "To the only begetter of these ensuing sonnets Mr. W.H. all happiness and that eternity promised by our ever-living poet wisheth the well-wishing adventurer in setting forth T.T." All sorts of theories have been advanced as to the meaning of this dedication and the identity of Mr.W.H. Michael will proffer his own interpretation.

Second, he will discuss Fermat's Last Theorem, a mathematical puzzle of historical importance first set out by Pierre Fermat in 1637. For 350 years it has defied solution and prompted extraordinary advances in mathematics.

Michael Warren is a poet, actor, and mathematician. For the last several years he has been writing the theatre reviews for the Ojo del Lago.
Dr. Todd Stong Open Circle Ajijic

March 21, 2021
Presentation by Dr. Todd Stong: Update of Conditions of Lake Chapala & Area Villages Infrastructure
YouTube link: [a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mVBzZOhAvmo" target="_blank"]** CLICK HERE **[/a]


Todd will present on: (1) the initial year’s update of Covid-19 comparison of Mexico to the USA/CAN and Europe as requested last March,
(2) the state of the nation's largest lake and various projects in the villages about the lake plus a focus on the 3 key water project actions needed in our region, and
(3) an update on childhood kidney disease in the villages from Chapala eastward to the end of the lake that may be impacting the lives of about 30,000 children.

Dr. Todd Stong's 27 years in humanitarian service have focused on water-related projects in rural Africa, Asia, and Latin America. As a West Point graduate, Colonel Stong served as a construction engineer for 15 years in Korea, Vietnam, and Germany, followed by 15 years directing research in federal laboratories. He has six engineer sons.
Daniel Acuff Open Circle Ajijic

March 14, 2021
Presentation by Daniel Acuff: Your Life Is a Battlefield. Your Weapons: Power, Control, and Domination
YouTube link: [a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9bpe_oBrWtc" target="_blank"]** CLICK HERE **[/a]


Dr. Acuff will explore how you and the important others in your life use power, control, and domination to win, get ahead, and avoid losing in the game of life. He will analyze each of the weapons that you and others utilize in this battle, and will show how you also apply your physical body along with intellectual, emotional, social, and ethical powers to gain control. You'll be surprised to discover how these forces play out consciously and subconsciously in your everyday life.

Dr. Acuff's Ph.D. is in philosophy, sociology and education. He has been a seminar leader, radio talk show host and marketing consultant for more than 40 major corporations. He is author of fifteen books including three philosophical/spiritual works of fiction: God Lied - What's Really Going on Here, The Mysteries of Quan, and Golf and the Zen Master.
Dr. Enrique Lopez Open Circle Ajijic

March 7, 2021
Presentation by Dr. Enrique Lopez: How to Maintain Brain Wellness
YouTube link: [a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=STBZxgB3AXA" target="_blank"]** CLICK HERE **[/a]
[a href="../documents/PresentationMaterials_2021_03_07.pdf" target="_self"]** CLICK HERE FOR PRESENTATION MATERIALS **[/a]

Dr. Lopez will provide practical tools and lifestyle tips for keeping the brain healthy and vital. Additionally, he will describe how the professional diagnoses and assesses cognitive disorders and differentiates between normal aging and a cognitive disorder such as dementia.

Dr. Lopez is a psychologist/neuropsychologist and has been an allied health professional at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center's Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences since 2004. He completed a post-doctorate fellowship in neuropsychology at UCLA's Neuropsychiatric Institute and Hospital in 2000. Dr. Lopez attended Occidental College in Los Angeles from 1985 to 1989 with a major in psychology and minor in Spanish literature.

David Bryen Open Circle Ajijic

February 28, 2021
Presentation by David Bryen: Inside Wood
YouTube link: [a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ex1ZVnfwu4s" target="_blank"]** CLICK HERE **[/a]

What is it that shines through wood and smites the heart? Wood’s exquisite patterns, fragrances, textures, and musical tones are locked inside until human activity releases them. Not unlike human life, a wound is often required to reveal the character and splendor of wood. A craftsman hears the sawn tree as it sounds its invitation: “Stay awhile… you too have come into the world to go easy, to be filled with light, and to shine” (Mary Oliver). To open wood is to discover the Beauty that feeds the soul and summons us back to the home inside ourselves.

This presentation reflects David Bryen’s fall into wonder with wood’s beauty. A retired psychotherapist, writer, craftsman, builder, and long-term collector and admirer of exotic hardwoods, he will explore the hidden marvels in wood and compare their extraction to the unfolding drama of the human soul.
Loretta Downs Open Circle Ajijic

February 21, 2021
Presentation by Loretta Downs: When Vulnerability Become Strength: From Care Giver to Receiver
YouTube link: [a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bP3zKOBb50Q" target="_blank"]** CLICK HERE **[/a]

How do we adjust when health challenges upend our independence? Whether parent, child, spouse, partner, friend or neighbor, we face vulnerabilities while adapting to role reversals from care givers to care receiver. Being vulnerable is never welcome yet receiving care provides opportunities for developing compassion, expressing love, achieving personal growth, and finding grace. Learn ways to welcome your vulnerability and surrender to 'what is'.

Loretta Downs, MA, CSA, has been companioning people at the end of their lives for nearly 40 years—listening, serving, and observing the many ways we die. She sees natural death as a sacred passage deserving of recognition and fervent support. Loretta founded Chrysalis End-of-Life Inspirations, is a member of a hospital ethics committee, an Advance Care Planning Facilitator, and a Certified Senior Advisor. She has a masters degree in gerontology with a major in thanatology. In summer she raises Monarch butterflies in Chicago; in winter she hibernates in Ajijic.
Sandy Britton Open Circle Ajijic

January 10, 2021
Presentation by Sandy Britton: Why Do We Do That?
YouTube link: [a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmPo31lUes4" target="_blank"]** CLICK HERE **[/a]

We humans have a lot of strange behaviors—some that we share with other animals, some we don’t; some that science can explain, some that it can’t; some that are voluntary, some involuntary. For instance, why do we laugh? Gossip? Talk to ourselves? Why does every human culture have some form of music? Join Sandy at Open Circle to explore the quirkier side of human behavior.

Sandy Britton is from northern California where she raised a family with husband Phil and had a career in Information Technology. She enjoys exploring aspects of what makes us human, and sharing the more interesting discoveries with Open Circle audiences.