new orleans things to do – Latest new orleans things to do news – New Orleans Saints realize that there are no gimmes

Tuesday, December 8th, 2009 at 2:52 pm

If you've been keeping up with my blog posts lately you'll know I've come to adding a few news posts from around the web on this subject. I've got a couple more today that are new and updated, so let me know what you think of em...

New Orleans Saints realize that there are no gimmes

"We're not anywhere close to playing our best game, and we know there are a lot of things that we can do better. But it's not easy to win in this league. ... Read More...

New Orleans Saints' Defensive and Special Teams Player Grades @ Rams

Scott Fujita: C- (2.53) Fujita was feeling things out early and he seemed rusty in his first game back from a calf injury. He was juked a couple of times by ... Read More...

Adversity helps confirm elite status of New Orleans Saints

For most of the last 43 years, the New Orleans Saints and their fans couldn't turn their noses up at any victory, no matter how ugly. Now it's easy to do. ... Read More...
That's all the news for today guys, so until next time, thanks for stopping by.

Living Safely In Lake Chapala, Mexico

I just hate it when the U.S. media lumps all of Mexico into one big bad bowl. I loved what Linda Ellerbee said in her article “Mexico: One Journalist’s View:”
“Talking about drug violence in Mexico without naming a state or city where this is taking place is rather like looking at the horror of Katrina and saying, "Damn. Did you know the U.S. is under water?" or reporting on the shootings at Columbine or the bombing of the Federal building in Oklahoma City by saying that kids all over the U.S. are shooting their classmates and all the grownups are blowing up buildings. The recent rise in violence in Mexico has mostly occurred in a few states, and especially along the border. It is real, but it does not describe an entire country.”

We get questions occasionally from someone is thinking about booking on a Focus on Mexico program about the safety of Mexico in general and our area in particular.

One couple wrote that they wanted someone closer to their age to reply to them about their situation. I thought I would share my reply with you:

Hola,

Kristina Morgan, one of our team members at Focus on Mexico, asked that I write you about my particular circumstances and how I feel about living in the Lake Chapala area of Mexico. I am delighted to do so.

I can truly understand your fears and trepidations. I am 63 years old and my husband Bill is 67. We retired to the Lake Chapala area about five years ago without even thinking of the things that you're worried about...we were totally naive. And, just as unbelievable, we came on a Thursday, saw one house on a Friday and bought it on a Saturday! After returning home, in four months we sold two houses full of furniture, got married, retired and moved to Mexico! All these life-changing events in a few short months could possibly spell disaster for almost anyone. Add that to the fact that I had lived in Kansas City, MO my entire life (59 years!), and I had lived in the last house I owned for 27 years. You can't ask for a better candidate to have fear and culture shock! All I can say is we have not regretted one instance of our decision to move to the Lake Chapala area of Mexico!

We also live in a village about 10 minutes from Lake Chapala surrounded by Mexican
1000
families. We have never felt a fear of walking down to the Plaza for a fiesta and coming back in the middle of the night. I would never do that in Kansas City. I remember one time walking down to visit a friend during the day. Walking toward me were about 10-12 Mexican teenage boys. I had no worries whatsoever. I remember thinking at the time that if this were Kansas City, and I was headed toward 10-12 American teenage boys, I definitely would have felt some fear...when boys get together, sometimes they dare each other to do things they wouldn’t do if they were alone. All that happened in this particular instance was that I smiled and said, "buenos dias," and they all broke into smiles with greetings.

Now on to your specific anxieties. Believe me, I read the stories in my comfortable house 15 hours from the border, and think "holy cow...that's unbelievable! How shocking!" I'd like to put that in perspective.

The Top 5 Most Dangerous Cities in America 2008 are listed below. In parentheses next to them is how far Kansas City is from each of them:

1. New Orleans (13 hours 34 minutes)
2. Camden, NJ (18 hours 20 minute)
3. Detroit (12 hours 15 minutes )
4. St. Louis (3 hours 56 minutes)
5. Oakland (25 hours 58 minutes)

Except for St. Louis, to me those cities are a lifetime away from Kansas City. I have also visited New York and ridden the subways alone and never felt afraid (and this was as a single woman!). Some of our single women alumni have also driven from the Laredo border to Lake Chapala (by themselves), without speaking a word of Spanish and arrive just fine with no tales of fear on the roads of Mexico.

Unfortunately, there are drug wars everywhere, and, yes, it does sound like a total combat zone in the border towns. I probably would not go to Ciudad Juarez or El Paso because of all the stories I read. However, Bill and I have driven back to Kansas City three times since we've lived in the Lake Chapala area...once through Laredo/Nuevo Laredo and twice through our favorite town...called the 'best little border town in Texas,' Eagle Pass/Piedras Negras. You never hear anything about Eagle Pass because there's no sensationalism to report...there's no 'fun' in that for the media!! We have never once felt threatened or intimidated. On the contrary, the many times we've been lost (we're both directionally illiterate!), all the people who have put up with our minimal Spanish were kind, very helpful and many have gone out of there way to lead us through a labyrinth of streets.

I hope you do consider coming on a Focus program. There's nothing like 'seeing is believing.' You will also realize that the border is an incredible lifetime away from our little slice of paradise.

Hasta pronto! (See you soon!)
Karen

Please join us on a Focus on Mexico program. You’ll realize, after being here, why so many people feel safer here than in their own hometown.

By: Karen McConnaughey

Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com

Karen McConnaughey: Operations Manager for FocusOnMexico.
Focus On Mexico offers 8-Day Educational Programs to Ajijic and Lake Chapala, Mexico (2nd Best Climate in the World). Join us on a Focus program and learn why thousands of Americans and Canadians chose to retire in Lake Chapala.
Our programs offer the perfect balance; a wonderful vacation and an insightful, educational experience. Our expert speakers cover all topics: Health Care, Real Estate, Legal System, Immigration, Bringing Pets, Co

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