Oido en la Calle

Let’s Party!

(Heard on the Street)

Just In.....The Asociación de Artes has announced that the 13^th Annual Festival de Artes will take place at Rancho Buena Vista on Sunday, April 2.  We hope you can join us as we continue to celebrate Rancho’s 54 year history. It’s not too early for artists and volunteers to let us know if you want to be a part of this event.  Email the Asociación de Artes at eastcapers@hotmail.com  and we’ll sign you up.  

Ba Ha-Ha golf is on for March 18.  This popular fund-raiser, sponsored by The East Cape Guild, is for  everyone who just likes to have fun! The price per player is $10 usd.  Proceeds go to the Guild’s Scholarship Program in East Cape. For more details call Frank and Margy Harper at  624-142-8014.  

Full Service Medical Clinic coming soon. The AmeriMed Clinic in Los Barriles, in association with the East Cape Community Urgent Care Clinic A.C., will be fully equipped with X-ray, lab, pharmacy and ambulance. The professional medical staff will include Dr. Marcial Cevallos Barreiro, Luis Villenueva RN and Charlene D. Wenger, NP. Char is a new board member of Amigos de los Niños which has expanded their support to include the children of the East Cape. Call Char at  044-624-119-0661 for more information.   

Barrels a Hit!  Carlos Arce Fregoso, is the architect who came up with the serendipity design for the new fountain at the entrance to Los Barriles. The fountain is totally great whether the water feature works or not! After all those years of seeing highway signs that didn’t even MENTION Los Barriles, people now know that we actually exist! Bienvenidos todo

Marathon Woman does it again! When Veronica entered the Maraton Pacifico, 2005  held in Mazatlan on December 4^th  she knew it would be tough since the competition included long-legged experienced marathon runners from all over the world. Well, our girl FINISHED the race!  She’s jazzed!

The Palapa Society  of Todos Santos A.C. will be presenting a group of restored historic buildings on their upcoming annual Home Tour on Sunday, February 26. Tickets will be on sale from 10am to 1pm at the Cultural Center. Homes are open from 10am to 3pm. The ticket price is $150 pesos or $15 usd.

Midsummer in Spring?  Baja Shakespeare will be back “on the boards” with Midsummer Night’s Dream featuring our famous troupe of local actors. “Midsummer” will take place at Hotel Palmas de Cortez on the evenings of April 6, 7,  8 and 9.  The Guest Director will be, Stephanie Shine from Seattle. Assisting her will be Leslie and Bob Currier as Artistic Directors. Call Scott at 141-0223 for up-to-date information.

Another car just drove up and parked near our driveway. I’ve counted about 10 cars now on our street. Our neighbor must be having a party. And I wasn’t invited!  Why not? Through our windows I hear raucous laughter and music. I put my earplugs in and try to concentrate on, “The World is Flat” by Thomas Freidman, feeling my mood get “flatter” by the minute.... The facts have been twisted a bit but, haven’t you gotten your feelings hurt by not being included in parties? Feelings like, “He/she doesn’t like me” or “What’s wrong with me?” or “I thought we were friends!”

Don’t misunderstand...we do get invited to parties. I go to just about every party I’m invited to....sometimes two parties in one night. Since my husband John generally turns down party invitations, I go with Heidi, my five year old, who loves parties. Heidi says they are fun because there are, “lots of people and you get to play with kids and piñatas!” But, when I’m getting ready for a party I try to cloth myself with model looks and a politician’s confidence and end up leaving with wet hair and a case of anxiety.

The truth is that when I go to parties I often feel shy and self-conscious. I haven’t mastered the flirty banter of parties. There seem to be rules of the game I’ve never learned.  Most parties seem to involve a lot of drinking and a lot of chatting over loud music. And, there are times when I think I’m having a good conversation only to see the person’s eyes scanning the room looking for the next base to land on. My mom says it’s good to go to parties once in awhile just to remember that we aren’t missing anything if we don’t go.

But, my problem is that I’m too involved with how I feel. I compare my feelings of nervousness and inadequacy with what I see as confidence and poise in other people.

There is a woman I admire who has a gift of making others feel at ease and of seeming to be at ease herself. She said she is just really interested in people. Dr. Laura once advised an anxious “party goer” not to be so selfish, to look around for someone else who looks uncomfortable and approach him or her and make them feel comfortable. I will try this approach rather than focus on how I look, whether or not people like me, if my skirt is wrinkled or my mascara is too cakey. I will focus instead on how generous we all are to dress up for each other, tidy our homes, make delicious dishes to share and add our presence to the mix.

So, thank you for having parties and for including me (or not) and for the chance to experience my imperfect humanity amongst you all.    

Camilla Ford