Well, if you can fit more into 3 weeks that we did with my folks, then you have my admiration. From Ajijic to Zacatecas we did pretty well what with sight-seeing, gastronomy, celebrations, social events and even cultural “stuff”.

Yesterday we planned to go to Magdalena to see the opal mines, but the Guachimontones in Teuchitlán proved to be a full day out in themselves. They date from around 1,500 BC and since no writings have been discovered are a fairly mysterious bunch of ruins. For the equinox (incidently, clocks go forward tonight I think, well they do in the States anyroad, and Mexico tends to be in sync just to harmonise business hours…*EDIT* nope, 1st of April…) there’s going to be all kinds of celebrations over that way. Get there by heading out of Gwod towards Tequila on the carretera libre and taking the Ameca turn off, then about 2km after Tala turn off right at the Pemex, and follow the signs to Teuchitlán and beyond up into the hills. We’ll definitely be back if only to try taste the wares at the pulqueria on the way to the site…

So, here’s a very public MUCHISIMAS GRACIAS to Mum and Dad from Sita and me for what I hope were mutually beneficial holidays giving us the chance to see no end of places we certainly wouldn’t have had the funds to visit and all in the finest of company. Have a lovely time with Sally, Martin, Atticus and the buns and we’ll skype yas soon 😀

In addition to the hour+ of slideshows set to music DVD (available from all good record shops) everything’s backed up over at Flickr… Tulum and thereabouts here and then Weeks 2 and 3 (Ajijic, Tlaquepaque, Tonalá, Zacatecas, La Quemada, Tequila, y mucho más…) here.

Not as windy as it sounds… similarly low-res video of Sita, Dad and dolphins coming soon. Off to Ajijic today. I think.

Really extremely busy, and there’s tons going on this month so I really want to get as much done as possible as we enter September so I can make it to all the patriotic nonsense going on. Mexican flag sellers are back with their surplus stock from the World Cup and everyone’s got one on their house or car. Upcoming festivities include the city center becoming a night-long fiesta zone, paper balloon and martial arts demos in Ajijic and its Fiestas Patrias 2006, mariachithons… you name it. In fact I haven’t got time to be writing this post really…

Found out today after a bit of research what those weird smelling fruit in the garden are. For a while before the tree produced fruit I thought it was a pitaya tree. Then Ana came round and grabbed a bagfull of what turned out to be guayabas. Only today thanks to wikipedia did I find out that guayabas are guavas in English. Not that I’d ever tried one before. They taste vaguely like pears to me and I’m sure that since my prolonged absence from the british isles, they’re staples of every middle-class meal and 1 quid for a dozen in Morrisons. But they still seem exotic things to be growing in the garden. Our little agave’s coming along great guns too. 8 leaves. Eight!

And finally, I very much doubt that my neighbour, Seora Tere, reads me blog but none the less here’s a shout out to her because when I was leaving the house this morning she told me not to shut the door and bustled inside to get something. She said she’d seen me so many times waving newspapers and tin lids and blowing at the BBQ to get it glowing that she bought me a special barbecue fan thing. Which was splendid of her. Fair warms the cockles, so it does. Anyroad, behold, a hand-made mexican barbecue fan.

I’m developing a new habit of writing about myself in the first person plural… Anyroad, just posting this as a SEO thing and it’s a handy article for people wondering how business gets done round my way. It’s on my main site in Spanish, but it doesn’t hurt to have keyword rich articles under the same domain name and since I wrote it in English first I’ll shove it up here. Still trying to summon up the critical skills for those films I mentioned a few posts back. There’s a good few books too, but they’ll get short shrift here.

How does the whole AgaveWeb design process work?

We don’t expect you to be experts in web design, that’s what you’re paying us for! However if you do know about the process so much the better! For that reason we encourage you to ask questions throughout the process if there’s anything you need clarification on. What follows is a description of how your site will be built from the initial ideas to going live and updates thereafter.

Hi, I’m Gwyn and I’ll be your bilingual web developer…

Firstly there is an initial meeting with the client, preferably in person but also by phone or email, during which we establish the goals of your site. Once we have discussed your requirements we can decide on a package or a bespoke solution. What we need to know before starting are the following:

The domain name you’d like, eg. www.midominio.com or www.minegocio.com.mx, etc.

We’ll help you decide on a good name. The best names are short and easy to remember. A name you won’t have to spend time spelling out for people, eg. http://gwyn2xyg.net.uk . If you already own a domain name you’ll have to give us the details of the company you bought it from so we can use it. If you don’t have one yet we can arrange it for you (prices vary according to whether it’s a .com, .org, .com.mx, etc.)

The full name of your company and tag line/ slogan.

All sites we produce are optimized for search engines, Google, Yahoo!, etc. This means including all kinds of invisible meta information which gets picked up by the ‘search robots’ that crawl the web in order to provide them in search results. Your company name will be prominently displayed on all pages in text and in the form of your logo.

Your site objectives

This is the most important piece of information we gather. The more specific the objective, the better. For example, ‘increase sales” is a feasible goal, but it is better to define how to do this. For example, to provide an online catalog so that clients can see what products you offer and make it easier to contact you. Or to improve efficiency by reducing time on the phone explaining common questions such as your location or opening hours. This will help us decide the next point:

Pages / Sections in the site

On the downloadable form there is a list to give you ideas. We will suggest the main parts you need based on your answer to the last question. Pages or sections might include: Welcome, Contact Form, Gallery, Catalog, Blog, FAQs, etc.

Design information.

Is there an existing colour scheme for your organization?
Are there any competitor’s sites you like? Which elements?
What adjectives would you like to describe your site? eg. Modern, traditional, youthful, colourful, sober, exciting, etc.
Do you have a logo?

If you prefer not to have to think about this design information now, leave it to us! We’ll make sure the overall look of the site perfectly compliments your company’s image and objectives.

Hosting options.

All websites need a hosting service. This is where the files that make up your site are stored and are sent from whenever someone goes to your site. We can arrange this or we can recommend a hosting provider for you. We generally recommend paying for this annually for a reduced price (between 50 and 70 US dollars depending on optional extras)

Photos

Do you have any images, on paper or files to use for the site? If not we can arrange a time for a photo shoot.

Content

It is up to the client to provide the text for the site. We’ll need to have the contact details of the person who will be responsible for this. If your site is going to be bilingual we’ll also need to know who will approve the translations.

You can download the form that we use during this first meeting here. (PDF) Once we have all this information we can decide on which packet suits your needs and produce a timeline and cost estimate.

A typical timeline for a small to medium sized site looks like this:

• Day 1:Client pays 60% of the design total. We contract the hosting and domain name and forward payment details to client.
• Day 3:Photoshoot and delivery of text from client.
• Day 5: First page and one other section design ready for approval from client. Email accounts created.
• Day 6:Client approves, offers feedback about the design.
• Day 7:Changes made, client approves, rest of site built.
• Day 8:2nd meeting with client. Explanation and approval of each page. Any technical info explained, eg. How to set up email, access it, view statistics, etc.
• Day 9:Changes made. Site goes public. Site submitted to search engines.
  After the site is live 2 batches of minor revisions are included in the total price of the package. Any extra work after is contracted separately.

about the distinct lack of blogging of late, the blame lies with www.viveajijic.com now with less lorem ipsum and more English… Click on the pinche US of A’s flag for a preliminary English translation of the jewel of Lake Chapala’s premier events listing service… I’m chuffed with the guestbook and gallery. I’m also planning on having javascript see what language settings your computer has and sending you to the appropriate page. I’d really appreciate it if you could comment whether the photo gallery page works since I’ve had problems with simple viewer and cross browser compatibility before now. There should be 30 or so photos popping up to click on. Thanks in advance 😀

Coming soon to these agave/paint/bunny-filled pages, reviews of: Spanish film: Crimen Ferpecto (The Ferpect Crime), United 93 (Truly distressing ‘entertainment’), and if tonight goes as planned, ‘Good Bye and Good Luck’ which has only just come out in Mexico. Also a bit more info on Pocilga Fest 2006 from last Sat.

Lastly, I’m well happy with a new Flickr toy that “Hockneyizes” your photos. Here’re a couple:

Also considering a jaunt back to the UK in early December, anyone around then?

We made it to the end of another season of LOST, as usual with more questions generated than answered. I can’t remember the last time I was as gripped by anything in the cinema. TV is officially the new film.

If you didn’t make it last night to Santo Coyote, you missed a treat. And another round of las maanitas and some kind of liqueur filled chocolate cake. Pricey, but well worth it. Suffice to say, today we had salad for dinner.

Sneak peaks of websites in the making:
www.viveSNEAKPREVIEWajijic.com
www.divineSNEAKPREVIEWsalon.com.mx

and cheap, cheerful and designed with Yahoo! Sitebuilder (not recommended):
www.civilSNEAKPREVIEWmarriageceremony.com.

Delete the SNEAKPREVIEWS out and slap’em in the address bar if you’re beyond bored… or family.

Despite eight questions about 80s Mexican football… I can’t take too much credit myself though. The only question I got that no one else knew was “What was the title of Kiss’s first album with no make-up”. Comment if you’d like to know the answer… We met Memo who has an encyclopaedic knowledge of music. And a musical encyclopaedia in his backpack. “We’re going to win, even if we have to use PRI tactics” I was informed. Anyroad we raffled off the prizes between us: A DVD player, T-shirt, beer glass and baseball cap. And we kept their biro. We got the t-shirt which is what we wanted. Go us… It was a very different beast to your usual UK pub quiz, which is invariably held on a quiet night to try and drag people out. First off, multiple choice. Kid you not. 2ndly cheating is not frowned upon. 3rdly, the questions aren’t read out, you have a 2 page, Times New Roman, 12pt badly formatted question sheet and fill it in while the music blares out around you. 4thly, the 80s were a very different beast in Mexico / the US, the 80s I remember were all about one-hit wonders and pop tunes, last night we were tested on our knowledge of: Heart, Ratt, Asia, Rush, Kiss, Styx, Foreigner, Journey and any other powerchord obsessed hair band. A fun night all the same even if I was a little out of my league.

Also the date has been announced for the next Pocilga Beat Fest party thing. Invite only I’m afraid. Looking forward to that one.

We didn’t make it to the Da Vinci Code the other night, more’s the pity . But it’s still looming, maybe tonight… Lots of design stuff on at the minute and a weekend getaway with horses, nature and jacuzzis is planned so we shall see. Latest project? ViveAjijic- click for the (pointless) flash header.

Ice cream in the shade in Ajijic, Jalisco

I’m not looking for sympathy here, and I know it doesn’t sound like hard work, but eating out, sight-seeing and cocktails every evening soon takes it out of you. It’s been a really fun week between Easter with its attendant activities and barbecues and travel, even fitting in an hour or so of lucha libre, but it’s time for a break of sorts. I could probably have handled it all before I turned 31, pero ya no…

Anyroad, yesterday Sally, Minnie and I did the obligatory Chapala, Ajijic trip, this time with added open house visiting goodness. There’s photos if you click around enough after clicking the photo above. Some very nice, newly-built places with jacuzzis, lake views, and neighbours from Ontario that won’t cost you much more than 275,000 of your Earth dollars. I’ve still yet to manage to drive back home from the chapala/airport road without taking the wrong turn off though and touring either the netherparts of Central Guadalajara or the Perifery delights of Gwod’s ring road. One day… It doesn’t help that if you want to get to the house you have to follow signs for cities hundreds of miles away like Puerto Vallarta and Nogales neither… Eeh well.

Sita’s had some great news on the academic/ financial front, email her for more info. Suffice to say we should be able to stay in MX longer than originally planned and we’re celebrating tonight. Not sure where yet though. I think the only place I could really handle would have to be an oxygen bar. And not if it’s even slightly crowded. Sometime this weekend we’re also going to celebrate by buying a lovely new kitchen bin which won’t overflow once you’ve put an avocado skin and a water bottle in. And Sally’s treating us to a microwave oven too so we can enter into a glorious new age of nachos and cheese, quesadillas and baked spuds. Thanks Sally & Martin : )

Also this weekend, time to stock up on DVDs again. Though I’ve just got myself season II of Monkey Dust which is proving to be as ascerbic and entertaining as ever. Any recommendations? (comments below, preferably recent releases or Mexican classics, cheers). Proof (2006)’s been getting good reviews, anyone seen it? It’s got my tocaya in it, Gwyneth Paltrow…

Alrighty, regards, I’m off to do my election sloganeering. The best one I saw yesterday was “He’s not a liar, He’s not a cheat, He’s Alberto Ramirez”, your candidate for Tlajomulco or some such.

And your pun for the day: Da Vinci Code II via B3ta

There’s a site that’s looking to find the most beautiful word in Spanish. I’ve got several for the list, which, while maybe not beautiful, are lyrical and pleasing in other ways. Here are a few of my faves. Spanish is such a great language, especially the Mexican variety.

Huitlacoche — it’s a black fungus that grows in maize that is specially harvested for pricey tacos/ quesadillas

Esperpéntico- An adjective that roughly equates to grotesque in English. It’s all about holding up a deformed mirror to society and describing the distorted view in order to better criticise it I came across it in my undergrad degree course in 20th century Spanish theatre.

Pendejadas- Acts performed by a pendejo (idiot/wanker/fool). Stupidities.

Olvidarse- In Spanish you can absolve yourself completely of guilt when you forget things. ‘Se me olvidaron mis llaves” is a common way of saying ‘I forgot my keys’, and literally translated means ‘My keys forgot themselves at me’. Brilliant!

Antojitos- Mexican (bar) snacks. Antojo is a wish, antojitos, little wishes, or things you just fancy nibbling. I’m fond of pretty much any word with the diminutive ‘ito” ending. Guerita, guapita, casita, abuelita, chiquitito, cosquillita.

To turn a noun into an assault/ explosion/ crash you tend to shove —azo on the end. So you get: bancazo- bank robbery, avionazo- a plane crash, and tequilazo- a night of binge drinking that did you no good at all, or the economic crisis when agave prices went through the floor. Fun for all the family.

Ajijic, Jocotepec, Zapopan, Tlaquepaque, – local places with names more colourful than Taunton, or Downey for example…

In French my favourite’s pamplemousse (grapefruit) and in English, it’s a toss-up between ‘arse’ and serendipitous. If you fancy sharing yours comment away 🙂