Yucatan News: China and Soccer
Current Weather: Hot and Sunny – But…
Please take an umbrella because it will probably rain before you get home. That is the best and most accurate weather report anywhere in the tropics this time of year, and it is certainly the forecast here in Yucatan for the next week or so. We loved the recent video of some young kiteboarders board surfing on some of Merida's flooded streets! (You can see it on our Yucatan Living Facebook page) In the meantime, congratulations to all of the young people who are working so hard to practice their “in case of a hurricane” skills. They really do a great job of keeping Civil Protection running well at the scene when hurricanes strike. Hopefully this “sun and rain” forecast will be the only weather inconvenience we have this year.
President of China Visits Yucatan
On June 6, Governor Rolando Zapata Bello received Xi Jinping, President of the Republic of China, Enrique Peña Nieto, President of Mexico, and their wives at Chichen Itza. It has since been announced that Governor Zapata Bello and President Xi Jinping were able to begin a conversation that is destined to benefit both Yucatan and China. They announced intentions to forge agreements regarding renewable energy, industry, education and tourism. It is a source of great pride, throughout Yucatan, that our state offers such a degree of safety, health care and cultural offerings that presidents from around the world have felt secure enough to travel here for decades.
China Daily Distributed in Merida on June 6, 2013
On the occasion of the visit to Yucatan by the President of the Republic of China, 10,000 copies of the June 6, 2013, edition of China Daily were printed and distributed in Merida. Half of the papers were distributed by a company allied with Megamedia, in major hotels and restaurants. The other half were distributed to El Diario de Yucatan subscribers and/or at newsstands that sell El Diario de Yucatan. Since 1981, China Daily has been the national newspaper in English in China. It is aimed at groups who make financial, political and social decisions, and is circulated in both the United States and Hong Kong, as well as in China. The China Daily Group has a total of 13 English publications and an online news portal. The group is well known for publishing China Business Weekly, and a number of educational journals. China Daily is one of the most prestigious newspapers in Asia. Two thirds of its daily readers in China are government officials and people who make decisions in strategic areas, as well as senior executives of multinational corporations. The distribution of China Daily at this time in Merida, Yucatan, is meant to encourage entrepreneurs to consider doing business in China and to forge bonds between the decision-making sectors in both nations.
Yucatan’s Cuisine Set to Become A Cultural Intangible
The Standing Committee on Economic Development and Employment Promotion received a proposal, presented to them by the Government of Yucatan, to declare Yucatecan Traditional Food as part of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of the State (Gastronomía Tradicional Yucateca como Patrimonio Cultural Intangible del Estado). The proposal has already been signed by the Governor and by the Secretary General. As the President of the Commission distributed the document, he asked the deputies to read, analyze and make suggestions they consider important in enriching the initiative so that they can discuss and approve it in a work session. We think this is a wonderful idea. With the influx of immigrants over the course of the past almost 500 years, there is little wonder that foods from other places often leave us wondering what traditional Yucatecan food really is. It’s time to get out those cookbooks and get ready to participate in celebrating the real Gastronomía Tradicional Yucateca. As we speak, a group from the Tourism department in the State Government is bringing Yucatan cuisine to the Food and Wine Classic in Aspen, Colorado.
Hunucma Soccer Player Waiting for the Call
Gael Lara Ek is a 5th grader in Hunucma and is already one of the best soccer players in all of Mexico. Young Gael plays in the Rogers School of Merida league and is a member of the state soccer team. The state team will be playing in the national games in Tepic, Nayarit, from October 28 to November 3. Last week, Jesus “Chucho” Ramirez, who is the technical director of Mexico’s player selections worldwide, was in Merida to scout for the eventual dozen children selected to travel to Spain in hopes of being observed by foreign teams and possibly selected to become part of the group of children who will eventually feed into these prestigious teams. Chucho Ramirez took videos of Gael with him when he left and, now, all that remains is for this young Yucateco and his parents to wait for that call. Gael is determined to become one of the best soccer players in the world and we think he is well on his way!
Flooding in the Southern Cone (and in Merida)
Please keep the people of Tekax and surrounding municipalities in your thoughts as they wait for flood waters to go down so they can see how much damage has been done to cornfields, citrus trees and the suburbs of local towns. In addition, remember the people of Sisal, who had a prolonged power outage due to lightening and heavy rains. Sometimes, the most damage that occurs with all forms of tropical weather is from rain that just seems to sit on one area for days at a time. We hope everyone is oayk and that this doesn't cause too much damage to anyone's fields. ...and yes, it flooded in Merida as well and the living proof is now on YouTube. Search for "wakeboard" en calles de Merida.
Math For Journalists: Not a Math Class
Thank you so much to Gaspar Lopez Pobeda, head of the Megamedia Institute, who spoke at the recent "Communication at the Turn of the Century" at the University Center in Valladolid. This wise teacher is making the point to students who aspire to become communication professionals, that developing their math sense is crucial to knowing when data is missing significant parts and/or twisted to reflect a certain point of view. This is one of the fundamental building blocks of responsible journalism and we are so thankful to know that these young people are in good hands at the Megamedia Institute (Instituto Megamedia).
X-kan-chan Cenote Needs Help
The folks in Nolo, Tixkokob, are asking the state and municipality for assistance in clearing the land around the X-kan-chan Cenote. Once that is done, they can take care of the rest. The Civil Protection Director says the cenote is beautiful, has crystal-clean water and it is not more than an eight foot slope to get from the top to the water. This cenote even comes complete with its own legend. Supposedly, a person came to bathe in the cenote and the currents dragged him all the way from the outskirts of town to the cenote in the main plaza. X-kan-chan sounds wonderful and we do hope the people get the help they need.
Health Alerts in Yucatan
This latest round of rain and flooding has brought with it increased risks for dengue fever and hepatitis. Both are on the rise in several outlying areas of the state. We hear a lot about dengue fever prevention, but very little about Hepatitis A. According to the Mayo Clinic, Hepatitis A virus can be transmitted several ways, such as:
- When someone with the virus handles the food you eat without first carefully washing his or her hands after using the toilet
- Drinking contaminated water
- Eating raw shellfish from water polluted with sewage
- Being in close contact with a person who's infected — even if that person has no signs or symptoms
- Having sex with someone who has the virus
- Until these rains and floods are over, please redouble your efforts to safeguard your health and the health of your loved ones.
Without getting too worried about it, we and the State of Yucatan, encourage you to be informed and careful.
