The Guadalajara Reporter

City Living - February 25, 2012

Home at last

Chuy, the pet crocodile, rescued from a home in Tlaquepaque February 8, has been absorbed into the Guadalajara Zoo’s reptile house. Zoo officials say he appears to be in good general health, if overweight from his lifestyle confined to a patio. So far, he seems to be adjusting to his new habitat. The zoo has plans to breed Chuy with Luisa, a female of the same species, when he is healthy. As Crocodylus acutus, or American crocodiles, they are listed as vulnerable on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) threat scale.

City Living - December 3, 2011

New stores

The upscale Andares Mall in Zapopan was all abuzz Thursday as consumer electronics chain Best Buy opened its third store in the Guadalajara metropolitan area.

City Living - February 18, 2012

Gourmet coffee expo

Coffee lovers are in for a treat. The Gourmet Coffee Festival will take place at the Expo Guadalajara for the second year running from Thursday, February 23 to Saturday, February 25.

City Living - November 26, 2011

Mass moon gazing

Guadalajara will take part in a new effort by Mexico to enter the Guinness Book of World Records for the most people simultaneously looking at the moon through telescopes next week. On Saturday, December 3, from 5 p.m. lunar lovers will gather on the corner of Avenida Mexico and Chapultepec, one of 36 sites across the country taking part in the record attempt.

City Living - February 11, 2012

Food for love

The American Society of Jalisco (AmSoc) is turning its weekly Thursday luncheon on February 16 into a Valentine’s Day feast. On the menu is lasagna, garlic bread and dessert. Cost: 100 pesos for members, 120 visitors.

City Living - November 19, 2011

American Night

The restaurant Entre 2 will host two book signings by U.S. authors the same evening an exceptional Thanksgiving dinner is on the menu and a guitarist performs easy listening rock music in English.

City Living - February 4, 2012

Borrow a book

A new kind of library is open at the Plazoleta Libertad, two blocks east of Chapultepec (also one block from the U.S. Consulate). There are no membership cards, no checkout policies, no return policies. Instead, anyone can donate books and pick up others as they so choose. The library is the brainchild of the Colectivo Triciclo, a group of architects and designers who briefly tried the idea near the Basilica in Zapopan before being joined by Colectivo Americana and moving for government support.

City Living - November 12, 2011

Art Fest

An institution at the American School since 1978, the annual Art Fest offers professional artists a space to showcase and sell their work. The festivities begin with a formal auction on Friday evening November 11, from 7 p.m. to midnight, while on Saturday from midday until 4 p.m. the booths will be brimming with the works of local and international artists, accompanied by music, food, children’s art workshops, and students’ artwork exhibitions. The art fest takes place at the American School on Colomos 2100. For more information visit  www.asfg.mx/artfest

City Living - January 28, 2012

Jewish Convention

Guadalajara is host to the 13th international convention of the Jewish Union of Latin American and Caribbean Congregations (Unión Judía de Congregaciones de Latinoamérica y el Caribe—UJCL). The conference began January 25 and runs until the end of Saturday, January 28. The convention brings together representatives from 16 countries to participate in seminars and workshops tackling issues such as the Jewish diaspora’s relationship to Israel, pluralism and contributions to society.

City Living - November 5, 2011

AMSOC

The American Society of Jalisco (AMSOC) enjoyed a successful Halloween bash on Saturday October 29. About 50 people attended the social event, which was held jointly with the English-speaking NECC Toastmasters group that holds its weekly meeting at the AMSOC clubhouse each Saturday. Toastmaster member Dagmar Ford won the prize for the best costume – she came dressed as the crocodile that ate Hewlett Packard. Partiers stayed up until the wee hours playing dominos, poker and boxing on a Wii video game console. A pot luck buffet was enjoyed by all.

City Living - January 21, 2012

Swimming with the sharks

No we’re not talking about hanging out with narcos at the local bar, we mean the real bad boys.The Guadalajara Zoo is charging up to three people a modest 200 pesos for 15 minutes immersed with the toothy tankmates at the Aquarium. The cost includes the loan of a neoprene wetsuit, a towel and a facemask. Even those who can’t swim can enter the water, as they are standing  in a special shark cage and a bubble of air fills top third of the cage. Sessions are every half hour from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Wednesday to Sunday. To make reservations call Danae o Ambar at (33)3674-4488, extension 135. You need to bring a swim suit, sandals and personal grooming items. Changing rooms and showers are available.

City Living - October 29, 2011

Altares de Muertos

Many cultural spaces in Guadalajara will be erecting altars in honor of dead souls next week. Here’s a quick rundown of some of the best.

City Living - January 14, 2012

Joe Montana in Guadalajara

Retired NFL quarterback Joe Montana will make a public appearance in Guadalajara Saturday, January 14. The four-time Super Bowl champion will deliver commentary from the Calle 2 venue near the Auditorio Telmex for the 3:30 p.m. New Orleans Saints vs. San Francisco 49ers divisional round playoff game. Montana played for the 49ers for 14 years, helping build that team into a dynasty during the 1980s. In addition to numerous NFL and Super Bowl MVP awards, he is ranked by NFL.com as the number four greatest player of all time.

City Living - October 22, 2011

Catrinas

Day of the Dead is just around the corner and city hall has given its blessing to another public display of catrinas in the downtown area. These are skeleton figures, often dressed in uptown attire, which reflect Mexico’s tongue-in-cheek, undaunted close relationship with death.

City Living - January 7, 2012

Last chance saloon

Guadalajara rhythmic gymnast Cynthia Valdez has a chance of qualifying for the 2012 London Olympics after bagging an invitation to a pre-Olympic event in the British capital from January 16-18.  Ten gymnasts will vie for the four wild card slots for the July/August games in the rhythmic category.

City Living - October 15, 2011

Tequila bound

The Tequila Express tourist train will add extra days to its regular schedule during the Pan American Games to cater to the large number of visitors expected for the event. The all-day train ride to Amatitan and Casa Herradura’s Hacienda San Jose del Refugio tequila distillery will run five days a week (Wednesday through Sunday) from October 14 through the end of the month.

City Living - December 17, 2011

A cappella group to perform

The distinguished, 10-member, a cappella group Cantabile is set to perform a free Christmas concert on Sunday, December 18, 8 p.m., at Nuestra Senora de Loreta, on Avenida Circumvalacion Agustin Yanez, one block from Avenida Arcos (near the Minerva glorieta). The singers will do 18 Christmas songs, many in English, said director Jesus Chavez. The group was founded as a children’s group by American musician John Brown. It has been directed for several years by Chavez.

City Living - October 8, 2011

New linear park

Cybernauts can take advantage of free wifi access in the new lineal park that opened this week in the central divider on Avenida Lazaro Cardenas, between Niño Obrero and San Ignacio.

Telmex is providing the service in the so-named Paseo San Ignacio, which runs above the new tunnel on the busy thoroughfare.  The park measures more than one kilometer in length and includes some 50 benches, walkways, trees, two basketball courts, a children’s play area and a space for cultural activities.

City Living - December 10, 2011

St. Mark’s

St. Mark’s Anglican Church is hosting an Ecumenical Festival featuring lessons and carols on Sunday, December 11, 5 p.m.

City Living - October 1, 2011

Sports stars

A selection of local athletes who will be competing in the Pan American Games demonstrated their sporting abilities before hundreds of excited kids at the American School last week.

The athletes, several of whom had studied at the elite school, took part in an exhibition of a range of sports, including badminton, fencing, karate and archery.