Dr.
Brian Gibbs and Jane Benjamin recently visited Plan
Ayala Secondary School to donate two microscopes to
the sciences laboratory at the school.. The
pictures show students lining up to get a first look
at the tiny world of bug parts! The two
microscopes, brought from the University of
Saskatchewan through the Casita de La Peñita School
Project, will give students hands on experiences.
Dr. Gibbs and Mrs. Benjamin also brought a supply of
support material such as vials, collection tubes,
petri dishes, slides and sample dye to the school
lab. Also shown are Brian, Jane and Genoveve, one
of the teachers, getting a look while the lab
teacher looks on. 
inutes
before our scheduled departure time we were told that ‘there will be no
buses today....come back tomorrow’. We told the bus agent that we needed
to get to Jala; he shrugged in that very Mexican manner that signified
mañana, tomorrow. In limited Spanish I told him that we had
‘reservations’ and could not go mañana. Thankfully, in English he gave
us our new travel directions. We could get directly to Jala via Tepic
but suddenly a 2 hour bus-ride had become a 5 hour trip. 
Hola Bill Thanks for the e-newsletter
We are back in Canada and it is a balmy 13 degrees!!!!
It was great getting to know you ad Dot a little better
this season
Thanks for printing my Pics and we are looking forward
to seeing you again next year
All the best to you and your family
Dianna and Larry Belitski
|
Learn
Spanish Today 
- Learn Spanish on-line for free, using interactive audio/visual lessons.
Photography by Bill Bell to view Mexico Photography click below
Colonial Cities and Towns Archeological Sites
Great Medical Care and Support for Carl Rogers
Dear Friends:
Last Saturday, Doreen and I went to the hot springs with Dan and Lisa and
the grandson, Cameron. To compress this story, I'll get right to the
point: I felt a severe discomfort in my chest, took a couple of Aspirins
and said if no improvement within fifteen minutes we would have to leave.
We did that and went immediately to Dr Raoule's office in LaPenita(right
next door to Guayabitos where we stay). He did some tests and said that he
was suspicious of the results. He contacted Dr. Swindle, a heart specialist
in Puerto Vallarta, dispatched me by ambulance to the receiving hospital
there immediately and I was forwarded to the San Javier Marina Hospital
(which has a fully equipped OR). I had had a heart attack resulting from
the complete blockage of one artery. I was able to watch most of the
angioplasty procedure on the monitor, at least until my heart stopped. The
paddles did the restart, the stents were positioned, a temporary pace maker
was attached to ensure the arythmia didn't recur. Two days in the ICU there
followed and then two more days at the initial hospital, Amerimed. I was
discharged on Wednesday, the 25th and came back to our suite here with no
bandages, no pains, and no discomfort.Dr Swindle assures me that now I am
considerably better than before as the blockage was of a type that is often
lethal. No other constrictions exist, cholesteral is not elevated and was
not before, blood pressure is normal and heart beat is fine. We will do
followup to try to determine the cause of the arythmia but present thinkng
is that it may have been triggered by activities of the Friday and the
Saturday.
We were most fortunate to have been where we were when this all happened.
The quality of care, the expertise of the practitioners - from the
ambulance people to the specialists, the amazing vigilance of the nursing
staff were on a level that I have only seen in Rochester, at the Mayo
Clinic! Thankfully, we were in Mexico!
There have been so many expressions of concern and support that I must admit
it is overwhelming, not to mention - humbling. I am sending this out to
assure my friends that there is no need to worry on my behalf, and that my
recovery is indeed proof of the blessings that have been bestowed upon me.
The recuperative period will last for 6 weeks and by then we hope most of
the snow will be gone at home. At that time we will head north.
That's it for now,
Carl
San Pancho AA
Alanon Monday at 5:00pm, CoDA Wednesday at 5:00pm, and AA Friday at 6:30pm in San Pancho in the museum on main street, between Galeria Corazon and San Pancho Cafe. Info at devasaya@gmail.com email or 311-258-4243.
Speak Spanish - That Should be Your Goal!
Learn Spanish Today Make 2009 the year that you learn Spanish
Can you Speak Spanish? How long have you been studying Spanish? Between high school classes, college classes and you own efforts you could easily have a couple years already under your belt. During this time you have likely built up a good Spanish vocabulary, along with a basic understanding of Spanish verb conjugation. But can you speak Spanish?
Why is speaking Spanish so hard? Would you feel comfortable approaching a native Spanish speaker and starting a conversation? Why not? Why is it so hard to speak Spanish even after years of study?
Beginning high school and college Spanish classes, as well as most self study Spanish courses start off by teaching vocabulary and verb conjugation. You practice speaking, but the focus is on the individual word or phrase. Lists of words are memorized and tests are given on verb conjugation. So when it comes time to speak, the words and phrases are separate in your mind. It becomes a matter of trying to pull all the pieces together and form them all into a sensible sentence, not just speaking.
The key to becoming more comfortable in speaking situations is to practice and learn the sentences as a whole, not in separate pieces. This way when you are trying to remember what to say, the whole sentence pops in your mind, not just one word. You will speak Spanish more correctly, more fluently and more confidently than ever before.
The Visual Link Spanish Course allows you to utilize this effective way of learning and practice speaking Spanish. In our
free online demo lessons, you can see how we utilize these strategies to truly teach you to speak Spanish. You will be able to recall everything you learn and words will come into your mind as a complete sentence not separate individual words. You will already be on your way to speaking Spanish more fluently and more confidently.
