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I just returned from a nice long four-day weekend, since my office gave us Thursday off as well as Good Friday, a national holiday. And I really appreciated it because it gave me enough time to make a dent in finally getting my apartment painted. But my relaxed and quite-pleased-with-myself Monday morning reverie ended with a jolt when I learned that I won’t see another holiday until September 16, five months from now! Ouch! What happened to long weekends every month during the summer like I’d been accustomed to in Canada? May 1 is a national holiday, Labor Day in fact. But guess what? It falls on a Saturday, so ironically we don’t get it. And when do you suppose the holiday after that one is? You got it. On a Saturday. So much for Revolution Day this year and the next one too, since we when we don’t get holidays that fall on a Sunday, either. Oh well, there’s always Christmas and New Year’s to look forward to two years from now, anyway.
So it's a good thing I love what I do, which is learning everything I can about this wonderful place and then sharing with readers what I and the Produciones Viva editorial board believe matters to them. And something that happened here recently reminded me how vitally important freedom of the press really is everywhere in the world, Vallarta no exception. People need to be able to depend on the forum it provides to say, without fear of retribution, what needs to be said from their perspective. In some instances letting off steam, in others applauding positive efforts, and so on. And I believe that wise people view all of it as feedback to be considered, compelled to neither agree nor disagree.
So it was disconcerting that at a weekly public meeting attended by several dozen people, someone was derided in front of the group and labeled a betrayer for writing a letter to the editor of a local newspaper that some of these people didn’t agree with. The idea that we all need to be on the same page about everything is dangerous enough. But on top of that, this person had no more to do with writing the letter than they did, 'guilt' assumed merely on the basis of where the scapegoat lived, in the same neighborhood as the real author, who signed off "A Resident of …."
On the other hand, I can say with gratitude that voices for the most dependent here are getting louder, inroads being made on behalf of our many homeless cats and dogs. Their plight has been getting a higher profile through increased media attention, more Web sites dedicated to this issue, and consistent hard work being done by our local animal welfare groups particularly The Friends of the Animals and S.O.S. Animal. More people are fostering or adopting, as well as coming here specifically to get companions to take back home with them. More local and visiting vets are spaying and neutering them at no or reduced cost. And then there are the kind-hearted individuals like Ken and Carol Seeley who have, this year alone, spayed or neutered and given medical attention to more than 80 cats, in many cases finding permanent homes for them as well. And perhaps the best news of all, the heads of each of the 199 neighborhood associations comprising Puerto Vallarta have begun working with some local vets and The Friends of the Animals to educate the public about everything from rabies to population control. And that process can get to the root of the problem and lead to a shift in the cultural awareness of just how valuable every one of these creatures is.
So all in all, things are looking good. According to business owners I've talked to, this high season was better than last. And new venues of all descriptions are opening, including themed nightclubs The Rex and Nikki Beach, transplanted here from jolly old England.
If you have any comments, questions or suggestions about what you’re reading, you’re encouraged to let me know at heather@mexmags.com.
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