Yucatan News: Healers and Ambassadors
Weather: Hot and Wet
On August 16, more rain fell in Merida than in all of June and July put together. Streets in many low-lying areas were flooded almost immediately. Since then, temperatures have continued to hover around 100 F, with locally heavy rain almost every day. With Hurricane Danny in the Caribbean, temperatures are expected to drop somewhat, but it is a safe bet to count on rain continuing for some time. If you must drive in the rain, please be aware that some streets may continue to flood. The wave action created by your vehicle can send water into homes that might have otherwise escaped flooding. Watch for bicycles and motorcycles, as they are especially vulnerable when it is raining. Last, of course, do check on your neighbors and pets to make sure that everyone is safe and dry.
New Mexican Ambassador to United States
Miguel Basanez, currently an adjunct professor at Tufts University’s Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, has been named as Mexico’s new Ambassador to the United States. Basanez replaces Ambassador Eduardo Medina Mora, who was nominated to serve on Mexico’s Supreme Court this past March. Ambassador Basanez is a member of the PRI (Institutional Revolutionary Party), and was the driving force behind the introduction of opinion polling for elections in Mexico. Ambassador Basanez intends to promote the empowerment of the Mexican community in the United States during his tenure as ambassador.
New U.S. Consulate General and Principal Officer in Merida
David Mico arrived in Merida, Yucatan, this month as the new Consul General and Principal Officer with an impressive resume. Prior to his posting in Merida, he served as a Division Chief in the Bureau of Consular Affairs in Washington DC from 2012-2014; as Consul in Tashkent, Uzbekistan from 2009-2012; as Consul in the US Consulate General in Barcelona, Spain from 2005-2008; and as Deputy Chief of the Consular Section at the US Embassy in Kyiv, Ukraine from 2002-2005. His other postings include the US Embassies in Hungary and El Salvador. He earned a BA and an MA in International Affairs from The George Washington University, and an MS is National Resource Strategy from the National Defense University. Every member of the expat community in Yucatan looks forward to meeting C.G. David Mico and personally welcoming him to Merida.
Detecting Cancer With a Smartphone
When Amit Safir, a Mexican, graduated from Tecnológico de Monterrey as a biomedical engineer, none of the research projects that were going on in Mexico captured his imagination, so he headed off for Israel. Little did he know that Israeli researchers Ariel Perry and David Levitz would think so highly of him that they would enlist his aid as their mentor and head of their lab on their own project. The results are in and, now, cervical cancer can be affordably diagnosed with what is termed a MobileODT, which is a flashlight and lens that captures images of the cervix that it links via Bluetooth to a smartphone. The cost savings alone ($1,800 vs $8,000 to $14,000) for equipment is making it possible for developing countries to finally stem the tide of one of their most common and deadly cancers. The device has been tested in 70 countries, is being marketed in Kenya and Europe, and is set to arrive in the U.S. following FDA approval in 2016. Not a bad day’s work for a young biomedical engineer from Mexico. Congratulations to everyone who worked on this project, especially since it has the potential for its effect to be felt, quite literally, around the world.
Mexico Invests Heavily in Education
If well-educated human capital is what it takes for a nation to secure its future, then Mexico is on its way to greater prosperity than ever before, and Yucatan is leading the way. The State of Yucatan is one of the first states in the nation to distribute digital tablets, which will go to every fifth grader in the state. This program will change the lives of 39,487 students and 1,667 teachers. These tablets are fully loaded with Windows 8.1, MS-Office, libraries, and MX Learn, which gives them extra help in the areas of Natural Sciences, Arts Education, Physics, Civics and Ethics, Spanish, Mathematics, History and Geography. This program is particularly valuable for outlying municipalities, since digital classrooms allow students to share every advantage with students in larger cities. This is great news and serves to underscore the determination of all of Yucatan to not only pull into the 21st century, but to surpass anyone it finds along the way.
Certification of Traditional Healers Begins in Yucatan
Several months ago, Mexico announced that it would begin programs to certify traditional healers in indigenous populations. That program has now begun in Yucatan and a total of 500 participants are currently working toward certification so that they can work independently. In many rural communities, these healers and midwives are the first contact that residents have with any kind of medical assistance. They must be able to work within the confines of cultural acceptability, as well as providing what assistance they can and serving as a triage professional for those who will need to travel farther for more modern medical assistance. Those who devote their lives in service as traditional healers are one of the treasures of Yucatan and it looks as if even patients from around the world will be coming to take advantage of their knowledge. The biggest surprise was to find that there are actually medical doctors among the students in this program. This gives the few physicians who devote their time to serving rural Maya populations an extra layer of understanding. The first of these traditional healers will be hanging out their shingles in September and the authorities are cautioning the public to make sure of their certification before blindly following their plan of care to avoid becoming the victim of a charlatan.
Chichen Itza: What’s Under the Pyramid?
In early June, CONACULTA authorized UNAM to conduct a 3-D Electric Tomography project at Chichen Itza. No one could have predicted the results. What they found inside and under the largest pyramid will keep researchers busy for a very long time. The 3-D Electric Tomography results show that there is a staircase inside of the largest pyramid, and it leads down to a cenote. Researchers now want to know: Did the ancient Maya know the cenote was there when they built the pyramid? Or, did the cenote open up after they began using the pyramid? And what are the dimensions of this cenote? One of our readers points out that Chichen means “wellhead” and Itza means “Water Witches,” and that the Chac Mol (God) figure is inside the pyramid, suggesting that the people who built the pyramid knew exactly what they were doing. This is going to be a wonderful story to watch unfold over the coming years.
A Month of Yucatan in Los Angeles, California
The Magic of Yucatan is being brought to Los Angeles, California, by Mercado La Paloma in historic South Central L.A. Since this is a cultural event, a group will present lectures and demonstrations of architecture, fashion, dance and cuisine. The biggest night will be August 25, when there will be a demonstration of how to cook Yucatan’s beloved Conchinita Pibil. Many thanks to chefs Gilberto Cetina and Gilberto Cetina Jr. for making this part of the event a memorable occasion for everyone who attends. Mercado La Paloma is located at 3655 S. Grand Ave. in Historic South Central Los Angeles. If you live in LA, go get a taste of authentic Yucatan!
A.F.A.D. Receives Donations of Paint
The animals at A.F.A.D. deserve a clean, fresh place to live. The staff and volunteers deserve a working environment that is comfortable and a source of pride. Visitors and potential adopters deserve an experience that shows how much these animals are loved and what it takes to provide a good home for them. However, A.F.A.D. survives on donations, with no help from any government agency. This means that funds are always in short supply and paint takes a back seat to dog food and vet bills. Enter DIF Yucatan and SEDESOL, who arrived at A.F.A.D. with a joint donation of enough paint and supplies to give the entire shelter a fresh new face. DIF Yucatan is the state’s public health agency. SEDESOL is the umbrella agency for social programs related to housing, food and employment. A.F.A.D.’s mission is in keeping with the goals of both DIF and SEDESOL. Quality of life in Merida, and in all of Yucatan, is better because these three organizations take their work seriously. A.F.A.D. is deeply thankful for the paint and the opportunity to update the face they show to the world.
Take Our Poll: Where Do You Live in Merida?
Expats are beginning to spread out across the City of Merida. When a reader asked “Where do you live in Merida?” we thought that was the perfect time to create a new poll. Please take our poll: Where do you live in Merida? Check one neighborhood, click Vote and you are done. We will publish the results in a future edition of Yucatan Living.
Posted By Khaki Scott
