Don "Adan" Adams currently lives in San Juan Cosala, Jalisco, Mexico with Pirata the One-eyed Wonder Dog, and Max and Mona the totally untrained but lovable brother and sister felines. Since the early 60's he has travelled in many parts of Mexico and finally after several years of living part-time in many places in Mexico retired to full-time Mexico living five years ago.
A Navy veteran who served in DaNang, RVN in 1966-67, he graduated from Midwestern State University in Wichita Falls, Texas after his discharge. He worked as a truck driver, an oilfield roughneck, a landscape company owner, an insurance adjuster, an auto-body shop manager, an ESL teacher in Mexico, and a coach and public school teacher of behaviorally disordered Special Education students in Texas.
He has published articles in specialty magazines, won awards for fiction, and currently writes a monthly column for the world's largest Mexico-related web site, www.Mexconnect.com. This is his first full length book. He is currently researching a book on the history and craft of the Zapotec weavers of Teotitian del Valle, Oaxaca, Mexico.
You may contact the author don@headformexico.com or visit the website, www.headformexico.com.
The Contributors
Teresa A. Kendrick is a professional journalist, writer, researcher, editor, and
publicist who has lived and worked full-time in Mexico since 1994. She is the
author of the book, "Mexico's Lake Chapala and Ajijic: The Insiders Guide to
the Northshore for International Travelers", numerous articles on travel, fine
art, folk art, health and culture, and is a former newspaper columnist, and
radio and television reporter. She has loaned her skills to create and expand
many cultural organizations throughout the years. She lives in Ajijic, Jalisco
and can be reached at http://www.chapalaguide.com and at
ajijic@chapalaguide.com.
Karen Blue, known by friends as "Blue," chucked corporate life in 1996 at age
52 to live and write in Ajijic, Mexico. She has published several articles in English
language newspapers and authors a monthly column on Mexico's largest
Internet site, titled "Living in Mexico - From a Woman's Perspective" at http://
mexconnect.com/mex_/travel/blue/askblue.html. In the late eighties, she cofounded
both the Silicon Valley and San Francisco chapters of the National
Association of Women Business Owners. Blue holds a BA in Business Management.
She held several corporate management and consulting jobs in Silicon
Valley in both business-to-business marketing and international customer
service organizations. She has two grown children and two young dogs. Her
days are spent enjoying the beautiful weather of the Lake Chapala region,
making soft-sculptured dolls, writing a novel - Leap Into Life - traveling, and
marketing Midlife Mavericks. She and her friend Judy King publish a monthly
newsletter, Living at Lake ChapalaÉMexico Makes Sense, and present weekly
newcomers seminars in Ajijic. She also plays bridge, Scrabble, Mah Jongg,
Pinochle, and Cranium when she can hogtie people into joining her. Blue welcomes
comments and questions. She can be reached by e-mail at:
mexicoblue@prodigy.net.mx. Visit her website at: http://
www.mexicoblue.homestead.com or at her newsletter website at http://
www.mexico-insights.com, e-mail seminar@mexico-insights.com.
Mark Farley made his first trip to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico in 1984, fell in love
with the country, and since then has lived in Morelia, Guadalajara, Mexico City,
Cuernavaca, Guanajuato, Merida, Xalapa, and San Luis Potos’. As a teacher
of English as a Second Language, Mark discovered how motivated students
can earn higher salaries as bilingual employees and feels that he is making a
valuable contribution to the country that has received him so well. Mark is
currently the Program Director for InternetWorks, a Guaranteed Placement
Program, and provides important job, housing, and travel information for The
Teach English in Mexico Newsletter. He is also the author of The Teach English
in Mexico Employment Guide. In 1993, Mark won 1st place for "Best TV
Commercial" in a large market at WSNS-TV in Chicago for a Spanish language
commercial he wrote, produced, and edited. Mark attended both the
University of New Mexico in Albuquerque and the University of Illinois in Chicago.
He graduated in 1984 with a Bachelor's Degree. Mark is a current member
of both CATESOL and TESOL organizations and his company
InternetWorks is a member of the Better Business Bureau of the Southland.
You can contact Mark at http://www.teach-english-mexico.com or e-mail him at
info@employnow.com.
Bill Haslbauer and his wife Neva retired to Mexico in late 2000. Bill graduated
from North Texas State University in Denton, Texas with a BBA in Management,
a BS in Industrial Arts and enjoyed a career in Purchasing and Material
Management with several companies, predominately Texas Instruments. He
has served as a school board member and as a representative to the Texas
Association of School Boards, on the county selective service board and the
economic development council, on the regional Junior Achievement board,
and at one time, the Greater Dallas Homeowners Association board, and as
president of his neighborhood homeowners association. The Haslbauers have
three grown children who were very supportive of their move to Mexico. Bill
enjoys meeting new people and seeing new things.
Judy King has carved her own niche at Lake Chapala to showcase the knowledge
gained from a dozen years of living in Mexico learning the "how-to's" for
expatriates and understanding some of the cultural differences that make Mexican
life a daily adventure. Her professional life focus has been designing and
writing projects and promotion for adult education, chambers of commerce,
newspapers, real estate sales and management to comfortably ease participants
into new roles.
In January 2002, she joined forces with Karen Blue to develop and present
newcomer's seminars and a fact and insight-filled monthly magazine, "Living
at Lake Chapala." Through these venues and from articles on http://
www.mexconnect.com, "The Lake Chapala Review" and speaking assignments
for U.S. and Canadian tour companies, she serves as a local resource for
writers. Judy provided information to the staff of Forbes for their 2000 and
2001 "Retirement" issues and International Living Magazine's Mexican buyer's
guide and real estate market updates. She is currently researching and writing
books on Lake Chapala construction tips and techniques and about the virgins,
saints and crosses. E-mail Judy King in Ajijic, Jalisco, at judy@mexicoinsights.
com or http://www.mexico-insights.com for information about the "Living
at Lake Chapala" magazine and seminars.
Bill O'Brien served with the 2nd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division in the RVN
where he spent 13 months as a machine gunner. He participated in 17
combat missions and was twice wounded in close quarter combat. He holds
numerous medals and decorations for his service. After his discharge he was
self-employed in the construction business for many years.
He is a service-connected disabled veteran as a result of his wartime injuries
and currently lives in the Lake Chapala region of Mexico. Bill rates the good
weather, the laid-back lifestyle, and the lower cost of living as the three major
reasons for his satisfaction with his life in Mexico.
Bill is a former Second Vice-Commander of the American Legion Department
of Mexico and currently serves as Alternate Department Executive Committeeman.
As a member of Chapala Post #7 he served as chairman of many
committees and as Post Service Officer. He is also a Life Member of the Disabled
American Veterans, and a member of both the Military Order of the
Purple Heart and the Veterans of Foreign Wars.
Georgina Russell was born in Guelph, Ontario, Canada and graduated from Guelph
Collegiate Vocational Institute and the Universit