Que Pasa? January 6th, 2010

IF YOU GO DOWN TO THE PARK TONIGHT there's something you have to see. At 7pm the Puerto Morelos Circus Club will give a little demonstration of what they have learnt in the their 6 workshops with Serge Roy, Creative Director Cirque de Soleil. My friends Serge and his wife Joan Dufours, are holidaying in Puerto Morelos, to rest after the opening of their latest show, Banana Shpeel, in Chicago. The charity and Casa del Cultura joined forces again to host these sessions and Nadja Billard was the co-ordinator. Nadja is a wonderful photographer, the best shots of the children and of New Year's Eve are HERS so if you need a family portrait, wedding photos or record of a special event she's your woman (nadjabvd@gmail.com, 998 1437014). Serge and Joan, the children, parents and the many helpers had a wonderful time together and we hope to convince them to return soon. Thursday night, Richard Kaplan, documentary film director (http://richardkaplanproductions.com) is putting on a free screening of his film King: A Filmed Record for which he won an Academy Award Nomination and the critics sighted as "Possibly the best filmed documentary ever made". Starts 5pm in the front right hand side beach front house of Ocean Homes (Star Wars) , all welcome, bring your own drinks and snacks. Friday night, Jeronimo Aviles is screening his documentary about the discovery of various crustaceans in the cenotes of the Yucatan Peninsula, made with the co-operation of Jill Yager our celebrated ecological cave diving neighbour. 6pm Casa del Cultura free entry. Saturday night, 7pm, at David Lau's courtyard the return of The Men in Blues Band from Montreal. Seen arriving yesterday, definitely in need of some sun, they will play there every Saturday through high season and will also appear at Peskayitos (Wednesdays at 9.15pm) courtyard where a new French restaurant has opened call La Cantine, great addition to the restaurants of PM they offer light food like quiches and baguettes packed with goodies and toasted. Turning into quite a strip for restaurants with Peskayitos next door, the best shrimp tacos and Chimmichurri's delicious steak, sausages and empanadas always a great favourite. A little further down the road Spagettino's has reopened with a lovely open air setting, show them your support and drop in! Sorry to tell you that Cactuz is not reopening but Miguel Saad has reopened his restaurant with light nutritious food behind Mayan Riviera Properties on the town square and on the strip north of the Police Station after Pizza 'n Love is the new Tacos.com which always has people so that's a good sign of their food popularity. For a change Panza es Primero will surprise you, they have really interesting Mexican food with a twist, very very reasonable prices, the staff really try and help, the charming Alex during the day and lovely Janelly at night (ex-Habaneros), it is a simply great setting. My favourite is the Pollo Huitlacoche (easy for me to say) . He's even put in some bar stools as they want locals to hang out there. They are digging a hole across the road to get rid of kitchen water, very very deep. Keep an eye out on February 2 and 3 - there will be 60 international journalists meeting here to study with the Authentic Journalism School, I have been helping the founder Al Giordano (http://narconews.com/) try out various eateries for them (I get all the hard jobs) and he's been filling me in with the stories on some of the radical young writers who will be attending and the quiet revolution in Mexico, a beginning of a new age. We're having lunch at La Petita on Friday if you want to meet him. What a great New Year's Eve it was here in Puerto a sweet little event in the Town Square, Vertigo at Habaneros, open house at Amber and Josh's, we danced and danced! and party on the beach courtesy of Gabo, Bara Bara which brought in the dawn, sun rising as the full moon was setting. El Mundo para Puerto Morelos has finally launched the charity web site - have a look and please let your guests and clients know about it - www.emppm.com. We are also now full registered as a charity in the USA in our own right. We had Patricia Liesch here from Vancouver, who gave up a day of her holidays to teach a Burn Clinic to our firemen and Civil Protection boys in the Ejido Hall, some much needed emergency treatment information was disseminated. Thank you to everybody who has bringing useful things for the schools, you are making a big difference to the children and services here. We have some big projects this year and will need to raise some serious funds to help build a wall around the school (to keep the drug peddlars at bay). to build a school cafeteria, to buy computers and air conditioners, to supply equipment to the rehabilitation centre and day care centre and assist the Senior Citizens. Our first event is the BAZAAR on March 13th, so start hoarding things up and closer to the date we will announce where you can take things for us to sell. If you have a way to raise funds please let us know or if you can help out by volunteering, we really need the help! This year we will be working with Rotary and the Humanity Exchange and need volunteers to co-ordinate with them. The Little Mexican Cooking School has really taken off, we have received rave reviews (click HERE to read reviews) from our students and bookings are rolling in through to May - but next week is really quiet so if you know anyone in town who wants a fun day cooking and learning Authentic Mexican food then please let them know about the School. We will be bringing in a celebrity chef from Canada next month - will keep you posted on that! The parents of Lucy who made the cooking school aprons bring in hand ground pepper and chile powder from Palaban in the Yucatan, delish and we sell it in our little shop. We are now #7 of 22 attractions in Puerto Morelos. CLANdestino is the name of the new art shop that Patti and Adriana have opened, a little north of Mama's Bakery - where they have some great original artwork and jewellery for sale, some very fun paintings at reasonable prices. Sorry to say I can upon a dead pelican on the beach in front of Ceiba del Mar, its beak had been cut open by a fish hook and of course it then cannot eat and dies, the guard said it was the second one that week and at the Park office they told me there had been 2 the day before in front of Pelicano's strangled with fishing line, so sad for such beautiful creatures. Mauro Jaramillo has returned from Santa Fe and opened up his centre for Corrective Myotherapy in the light house street down from La Petita - look for the AQUI sign. All our bones and muscles will shout for joy. The charity worked with Jonathon Katz to celebrate the end of the school year - he did 2 free performances at the Kindergarten and Primary school of his great show based on international percussion instruments, his company Mystic Drumz is working with the kids clubs at hotels and is available for children's parties too, 998 196 6230 , mexico@mysticdrumz.com . We were holding our breaths in disbelief and excitgement - finally we have soem new roads THANK YOU Francisco - large parts of Ninos Heroes and Quintana Roo and now smooth riding and dust free - our lives have changed!
So Happy New Year to everyone, here are some more jolly shots to brighten your day