Yucatan Living

News: Bus Routes & Free Internet

News Starting October 04, 2010

Rap in Ixil and Chichen Itza
Obesity and diabetes are huge problems in both the U.S. and Mexico. The solution is simple, but tough to put into practice. It includes: eating less sugar, eating more fruits and vegetables, and getting more exercise. This summer, with the help of Tom McFadden, the kids of Proyecto Itzaes wrote a great rap song about nutrition and exercise. Instant translation is built in, so not to worry if you don't speak Spanish or Mayan. Tom McFadden is a biologist and Science Rapper from Stanford (see Regulating Genes). This summer, Tom worked with community health projects designed to prevent and fight Type II diabetes, as well as with Community Health Day in several villages. He also devoted a great deal of time and effort to helping Proyecto Itzaes' children this summer and their song writing and performance accomplishments have been stunning. We are pleased not only to be able to bring you Soy Yucateco.

Useful Links: Bus Stops in Centro
Its so easy for some of us to tell new folks to “just take a bus” but, to someone new to the city, that can be akin to an excursion to Mars. This week, we found some nifty inner pages to the Municipio de Merida's website. They actually have a complete list of bus stops in Centro and they also have a free shuttle service that has a stop within 2 blocks of any home in Centro. This is very useful information, so please open those links and save them in favorites. They will certainly make getting around easier in Centro and in Merida.

Yucatan Sends Aid to Veracruz
Thus far, Yucatan has sent 32 SEDESOL employees to aid in flooding in Veracruz. They were initially expected to be gone for approximately 10 days, but word now is that they may have to take on other rescue efforts in other places. In some cases, it is said that they may have to stay and help with repairs and rebuilding, so it is unknown when they will be able to return home. Please keep the citizens of other states in mind when you see an opportunity to donate to the relief effort. We seldom have a tragedy in Yucatan and it is easy to forget that others are not so fortunate. 

Bicentennial Photos from Around the Internet
Pictures of Bicentennial celebrations are being posted all over the Internet but we thought that this collection from the Boston Globe easily contains some of the best we have seen thus far. Many will, without a doubt, become classics. We hope you enjoy them and that you too catch the spirit of what is behind the rallying cry of “Viva Mexico!” 

Evolucion Interviewed on TV!
Grupo Sipse (tv) conducted an interview with Evolucion and they are currently in talks about the possibility of airing weekly videos of their Pet of the Week. They hope that, by appearing regularly before a wider audience, this will give a boost to their adoptions and increase public awareness of who they are and what they do. Please take a few minutes and watch the first ever television appearance of Evolution.

Laptops for Yucatan's Best College Students
Today's college students have been dubbed the Generation of the Bicentennial and the top 100 of Yucatan's college students have walked away with a prize – a brand new laptop. The Municipality of Merida is going to keep track of these students and make certain that they receive help when they need it and recognition for their success. Each of these 100 students is well aware that he or she is standing on the brink of a bright future that is totally different from the lives their parents lived at their age. They feel a sense of responsibility to make their lives better and to make the lives of all Yucatecans better as well. Congratulations to the 100 smartest college students in Yucatan and to those who honored them.

51 Parks with Free Internet
It has only been a couple of years since we heard that Merida's parks would be providing free wireless internet services. For a while, it seemed as if the project was moving slowly. Then there were a dozen parks with wireless access to the net – and then there were over 30! Now, there are 51 parks in Merida that offer free wireless Internet service and the Municipality has just approved the budget to continue to pay for them all. What this does is put Merida in a league that includes some of the most advanced cities in the world and clears the way for our capital to perform on the world stage of business and education. Even in the face of the odd setback here and there, it would do us all well to remember how far and how fast our city has come.

A New Program in the City: Improve T'ho
Yes – we still have a mystical mind when it comes to the City of T'ho, and we wonder what has taken so long for this upcoming incarnation of Greater Merida to get off the ground. After all, the location of the Olimpo was once turned into a parking lot – and look what has become of it now! It even has a Planetarium! A new paper has been presented by a 25 member team that includes individuals from the Municipal Urban Development Department, the College of Yucatecan Architects, student architects, and the Yucatan Association of Specialists in Restoration and Conservation of Historical Buildings, as well as architects who specialize in Urban Design. It looks as if Merida is going to be the epicenter of the Old World meeting the new head-on, and ending up with the best of both worlds. If you think you hear bells and whistles, you probably do. This project is totally “green” and preserves the Merida we all know and love. What could be better than that?

Two Young Yucatecos Earn Out of State Scholarships
Robert Coba Miss and Ivan Vargas Monsreal are UTM students who are not only the best in their class, but also in the right place at the right time. Mexico's technical schools now allow for transfers between schools in order for students to receive the specialized educations they need for their chosen professions. Robert and Ivan have been accepted at the technical school in Queretaro, where they will be working for a real company. Their degrees will be “Service in the Automotive Aftermarket.” By the time they graduate, they will have client-business skills and will be able to operate as professionals in automotive sales, service, and maintenance. We know their parents will miss them, but this is an opportunity to make the best education available for each student throughout Mexico, and we will be sure to use their services as soon as they come home to Merida.

A New Municipal Council By and For Disabled Persons
What an idea whose time has come! If you want to know what is needed to farm a crop, go and ask a farmer. If you want to know what people with different abilities need, form a Municipal Council for the Integration of Persons with Disabilities – then listen to them. It is amazing to us that many of those who make rules and regulations worldwide, have not a clue about the real needs of the people and situations those rules and regulations are supposed to serve. Before we leave this topic, we once again remind those who need extra hands for volunteer projects that Merida's Disabled community has many members who are more than willing to help. Please include them in your next call for volunteers. You'll be glad you did.

Jim Conrad's Naturalist Newsletter
We suggest that everyone sign up to receive Jim Conrad's Naturalist Newsletter. This week, its got adventure (army ants destroy killer bees, carry off the bees and eat the honey),strange creatures (young death's head cockroach inside of mosquito netting while Jim sleeps), a couple of interesting plants, a Mayan legend about a woman so depressed that she can actually provoke rain wherever she goes, and relating the writing of the Naturalist Newsletter to Plato's path to Heaven. Jim's talent runs from jaw-dropping suspense to instant giggles and all points in between. Please do Visit and Subscribe to Jim Conrad's Naturalist Newsletter. We know you will enjoy it as much as we do.

A Shout-Out to Rocky (the dog) in Canada!
Hey Rocky! We saw your interview online! We do admit to a chuckle or two when we saw that picture but – more than anything else, congrats on scoring your own backyard, grandchildren to play with, great groceries and even learning English! Boy! You're going to be the star of the show the next time you come to Chicxulub! …. and to the rest of our readers.... won't you please Read Rocky's Story and consider adopting a dog or a cat from Yucatan? You can always find an animal in need in Yucatan Living's weekly Adopt a Pet article on our front page.