January 30 2008 Page 2

Jaltemba Features

Some Great Photographs from Diana Belitski

Helping the Community through the Gift of Language:

Jesus E. Montes

By Tara Spears

 The first thing that one notices when meeting this soft spoken man is his sincerity. Growing up in La Peñita, Jesus “Chuy” Montes has experienced the growth of the area from sleepy rural Mexican village to an international mecca where presently on a walk down the main avenida one can overhear Spanish, English, French, and other languages.  “My friends would say, ‘If only I could speak English, I could get a better job’ and since I knew English, I started teaching them informally,” explains Chuy. “Four years ago I opened a language school in order to offer more than tutoring: to provide an affordable, long-term opportunity for the townspeople to study a foreign language.”

  The name of the school is CIENI, which is the abbreviation of ‘Centro de Ingles y Espanol Nuevo Idioma’ but also reflects Chuy’s philosophy.  He believes that people working together to embrace a second language benefits the individual, the community, and the visiting foreigners. It is his dream to foster comfortable communication between various cultures because that is how true friendship can be formed. To achieve this goal, CIENI offers a broad range of class times to accommodate work schedules and personal preferences: from 8 am to 9 pm, Monday thru Fridays.  In addition to the schedule options, CIENI provides various levels of language instruction, from basic, introductory  lessons through advanced study. 

Chuy grew up in a family of mechanics, but he decided early that he enjoyed academics more than working with his hands.  He has been self supporting since he was 16, first learning mechanics with his father and two brothers, then trying sales before achieving his dream of teaching.  “I continue studying language because I want to provide the best quality instruction to my students” he replies earnestly.  It is Chuy’s dedication to the students and their future that sets CIENI above other schools in the area.

Director Chuy in the CIENI language school office at Martin Pinzon Calle #3,  La Penita.

(The street is next to the Coca Cola Company on the east side of highway 200 on the south end of La Penita)

“I enjoy meeting people and getting to know them,” said Chuy.  “It is so exciting when a student says ‘I get it!’ and achieves understanding.  For many people, especially older people, learning another language is very difficult.”  As an educator, Chuy suggests beginning as early as possible to acquire another language. All of his classes, from age 6 through adult, practice conversational English and Spanish.  “I don’t accept ‘I can’t’ in myself or from my student,” he says. “Learning a language is often a slow process.”  Chuy’s goal for the future is to expand CIENI to provide additional language instruction in French and German.

Chuy has actively volunteered at La Mision Church, serving as its coordinator of religious lessons for years. In addition, lately he has been doing translations for the Los Amigos La Penita civic group as a means of giving back to the community.  When Chuy is not teaching, he relaxes by playing in the band “AS”.  He first learned to play guitar in secondario and continued practicing.  Over the next twelve years Chuy has taught himself to play keyboard, drums, bass- and he is presently learning violin!

This dynamic young man puts his heart into whatever he does, whether it is teaching, music, or volunteering. Chuy’s vision and commitment to his hometown guide his life, and make living in the Riviera Nayarit a better place for everyone.

Spanish lessons: Mon/Wed/Fri 8, 9, 10, 11 am or

                           Tues/Thurs 8-12 am.

English lessons: Mon thru Fri:  1-9 pm

Instructional materials provided.

Spanish/English Translation by appointment.

Contact Chuy:  322-274-2197 or email:

cieni@live.com.mx

            Incoming!

Pacific Ocean Brown Pelicans

                   Tara Spears

     First in a series of four seabird articles

One of the first things a visitor to the Pacific Ocean notices after the dazzling water color is the seabirds.  Whether flying in dense formation or bobbing in flocks on the water, the chunky pelican is distinctive.  The Riviera Nayarit is home to many permanent resident species of seabirds besides being in the migratory flyway for dozens of other types of migratory birds.  One doesn’t need to be a serious bird watcher to enjoy the antics of these amazing creatures.

As a group, seabirds almost always have webbed feet that aid their movement on the water’s surface as well as aid diving for dinner. This is an example of adaptation to living and feeding in the sea. All seabirds have evolved physiologically and behaviorally due to their ocean diet. Many seabirds feed on the ocean’s surface, as the marine currents often concentrate food such as krill, fish, squid or other prey items within reach of a dipped head.  The plumage of most seabirds is less colorful than that of land birds, being restricted to variations of black, grey, or white. Another survival adaptation is to live in colonial groups, so seeing a solitary pelican is usually an indication of illness or injury.

Pelicans are easily identified by their large bills and stretchable pouches. The pouch is used to capture fish, which the pelican usually swallows immediately. Although the brown pelicans are the smallest of the pelican species, they are still large seabirds and can weigh up to eight pounds (almost 3 kilos), with a huge wingspan of over 6 feet (2 meters)! Males are usually larger and heavier than females. Adults are gray to brown with white and yellowish heads. Sexual maturity is reached after three to five years. In the wild, brown pelicans may live 15 to 25 years.  The sexes look similar, though males are slightly larger, with short, dark legs, long, broad wings, a large, heavy all-brown body, white neck, pale yellow face, and a huge bill that is paler at the base and tipped with yellow. The pelican picture at the beginning is a sexually active adult, while the picture to the right of this paragraph is an immature bird, but both are the same species of brown pelican.

 The pelicans primarily eat fish of little value to humans, as well as salamanders, shrimp, and crayfish. During breeding season, the birds often forage at night, locating fish by touch. While small fish are the major part of their diet, they can eat surprisingly large ones. Brown pelicans also eat some invertebrates, such as squid. They are a familiar sight around fishing ports within their range, where they roost on piers, docks, and fishing boats, ready to catch fish scraps. White Pelicans are notable for their habit of cooperative foraging—coordinated flocks of swimming birds encircle fish or drive them into the shallows where they become concentrated and are more easily caught. Brown Pelicans are highly social year-round and breed in colonies of up to several thousand pairs. While some American White Pelican populations in Texas and Mexico are permanent residents, most are migratory, moving in daytime flocks.

Local island sanctuary: Isla Peña

 We are very fortunate to have a beautiful little island in Jaltemba Bay that is a breeding spot for several species of seabirds, including the brown pelican. Pelicans nest in colonies for safety. Both sexes build the nest which is a scrap or debris mound on the ground, or a stick nest in a tree. Nesting on islands is preferred. Pelicans usually lay two or three eggs. Both parents care for the naked, helpless chicks. They feed their chicks by regurgitating a kind of “fish soup” until the chicks are two weeks old. During breeding season, pelican colonies are sensitive to disturbance by tourists and fisherman. Adult birds can be frightened off their nests, and newly hatched chicks can die quickly in the blazing sun. Their skittishness is understandable: For centuries, many fishermen have considered the birds as competitors for fish, and in the past, the fishermen often raided pelican colonies to kill the birds.                   

Pelican Myths:

The indigenous peoples of Mexico revered many birds as ancient gods, and pelican feathers have appeared in many carvings and ritual garments. Additionally, because of an early Western Christian myth that the birds split open their breasts to feed their starving chicks, pelicans have long been a symbol of mercy and altruism.

Contact Tara: tara.sprs@yahoo.com