Are you in Mexico Illegally? You can Fix it.

There is good new for those of you that, after visiting our beautiful town of San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, decided to extend your stay and inadvertently allowed your tourist visas to expire.

Illegal immigrants in Mexico can fix their immigration status without fear of deportation. "Rather than deporting people who don’t have authorization to be in the country, there is a process for “regularizing” (illegal) immigrants. According the (Mexican) law...illegal immigrants are “never” arrested and sent to jail unless they have committed a crime in Mexico or in their home countries." The process includes paying a fine and filing the appropriate paperwork.

The bottom line: As long as the US Marshals are not after you, you can stay in Mexico.

Side note - Looks like the largest number of illegal immigrants in Mexico come from north of the border! Read more here.

San Miguel de Allende Artist Wendy Moyer wins at WOW in New Zealand

Our friend, textile artist Wendy Moyer, has won the 2010 Commended Award for the Bizarre Bra Section in the Montana World of WearableArt (WOW) in New Zealand with her entry shown above.

Wendy’s creations are made entirely from recycled materials taken from top-name designer “seconds” that have made their way to the Mexican markets. She cuts, singes and manipulates these materials into her one-of-a-kind creations.

Congratulations Wendy!

Visit her website at www.textileartistmx.com.

Check out the other winners here.

Independence Day in San Miguel de Allende

Some images from the Jardin in San Miguel de Allende on the night of September 15, 2010.

Mexican Independence in San Miguel de Allende

Lucy Nuñez, in her first term as mayor of San Miguel de Allende gave the traditional cry for independence "el grito" this year from the second story balcony of the historical home of Ignacio Allende, one of Mexico's heroes of the independence movement 200 years ago. This year, 2010, marks the first time a woman has ever done it. It's too bad the microphone was so low.

Watch the video all the way through to see the fireworks immediately following the Grito.

Laura Fraser Writes About the Media's Portrayal of Mexico

Here's an interesting article by Laura Fraser, a San Francisco based journalist living part-time in Mexico, about the media's portrayal of Mexico.

She writes, "The kidnapping and the narcotrafficante murders make for sensational news media, but it reminds me a lot of the media coverage after San Francisco’s last big earthquake: all you saw on TV were pictures of devastation, so that everyone thought all their relatives in San Francisco were dead. But the actual damage was small, it’s just that the media likes to focus on, and exaggerate, scary news."

We couldn't agree more!

San Miguel de Allende Light Show

Every Friday and Saturday at 9PM, San Miguel de Allende's iconic church, La Parroquia, lights up for 15 minutes in an impressive display of lights and images designed by the French artist Xavier de Richemont to celebrate Mexico's 2010 Bicentennial.

This is something that is best appreciated in person, but to give you an idea of what to expect, watch the video below.

We like to get there early enough to purchase a hamburger and a soft drink at the burger stand directly in front of the Parroquia for 35 pesos (about $2.70US at the time of this posting.) Where else can you get dinner and a show for under three bucks?

Visit a Taco Truck and Get a free Trip to Mexico

Who know that eating a taco at Los Compadres (good tacos, by the way) on Folsom Street in San Francisco could earn you a free trip to Mexico? All you have to do is use your mobile phone to check in using a location-based app like Loopt Star and Foursquare.

Read more about it here.