Hello world, meet Milan Pique Mebarak.

Shakira and boyfriend, FC Barcelona soccer player Gerard Pique, share the first photo of their baby boy Milan Pique through their UNICEF website.

Gerard is seen holding his two-week bundle of joy. The couple thanked fans with this special message on their UNICEF page:

“We hope that, in his name, other less privileged children in the world can have their basic needs covered through gifts and donations.”

“Thank you for sharing this unforgettable moment with us.”

Shakira, a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, is leveraging social media to raise funds for disadvantaged babies around the world. The Colombian singer and her fiance have a virtual baby shower, in honor of baby Milan Pique, through UNICEF where visitors can purchase “Inspired Gifts” varying in price.

Last week, the proud father posted a photo of baby Milan wearing white sneakers that have his name stitched into the shoes in blue and red colors on Twitter. The caption read: “Milan’s feet.”

The couple welcomed Milan Pique on January 22 at 9:36 p.m., in Barcelona, Spain. Milan Pique weighed six pounds six ounces.

Shakira wrote on her website that the name name Milan (pronounced MEE-lahn), means dear, loving and gracious in Slavic; in Ancient Roman, eager and laborious; and in Sanskrit, unification.

According to the Daily Mail, Shakira’s mother, Nidia Ripoll Torrado, said that her 35-year-old daughter was overcome with emotion upon giving birth to her son.

“It’s very emotional,” said Torrado. “I burst into tears.”

Torrado said Milan is a “beautiful child who doesn’t cry much.”

Shakira has been overjoyed by her new born baby and her new love.

As Shakira left the hospital after recovering from her planned cesarean, she told Hello Daily News reporters, “This man is the best thing that could have happened in my life. And now the baby!”

[readon1 url="http://www.voxxi.com/shakira-reveals-first-baby-photos-of-milan-pique/"]Source:www.voxxi.com[/readon1]

The world is filled with astonishing occurrences of coincidence and synchronicity that defy explanation. Are these incredible true stories of mere chance... or the hand of fate?

Finnish twin brothers, aged 71, were killed in identical bicycle accidents along the same road two hours apart, police said. "This is simply a historic coincidence. Although the road is a busy one, accidents don't occur every day," police officer Marja-Leena Huhtala told Reuters. "It made my hair stand on end when I heard the two were brothers, and identical twins at that. It came to mind that perhaps someone from upstairs had a say in this," she said.

Identical twins. Identical accidents. Identical deaths. Two hours apart. This astonishing coincidence was reported in newspapers and on newswires around the world in early March, 2002. The odds of it occurring seem remote in the extreme, and it causes one to wonder, as the woman did above - even for a moment - if there's more at play here than mere coincidence. Is it the hand of fate? Is it true, as author Elizabeth Kubler-Ross wrote, that "there are no mistakes, no coincidences. All events are blessings given to us to learn from."

History is full of amazing and sometimes bizarre coincidences that give us pause and keep us scratching our heads in wonder. Here is just a small sampling:

OTHER COINCIDENTAL DEATHS

This is a similar story of coincidence, not of twins but of two brothers. In 1975, while riding a moped in Bermuda, a man was accidentally struck and killed by a taxi. One year later, this man's bother was killed in the very same way. In fact, he was riding the very same moped. And to stretch the odds even further, he was struck by the very same taxi driven by the same driver - and even carrying the very same passenger! (Phenomena: A Book of Wonders, John Michell and Robert J. M. Rickard)

MYSTERIOUS MONK TO THE RESCUE

Joseph Aigner was a fairlly well-known portrait painter in 19th century Austria who, apparently, was quite an unhappy fellow: he several times attempted suicide. His first attempt was at the young age of 18 when he tried to hang himself, but was interrupted by the mysterious appearance of a Capuchin monk. At age 22 he again tried to hang himself, but was again saved from the act by the very same monk. Eight years later, his death was ordained by others who sentenced him to the gallows for his political activities. Once again, his life was saved by the intervention of the same monk. At age 68, Aiger finally succeeded in suicide, a pistol doing the trick. His funeral ceremony was conducted by the same Capuchin monk - a man whose name Aiger never even knew. (Ripley's Giant Book of Believe It or Not!)

WINNINGS' RIGHTFUL OWNER

In 1858, Robert Fallon was shot dead, an act of vengeance by those with whom he was playing poker. Fallon, they claimed, had won the $600 pot through cheating. With Fallon's seat empty and none of the other players willing to take the now-unlucky $600, they found a new player to take Fallon's place and staked him with the dead man's $600. By the time the police had arrived to investigate the killing, the new player had turned the $600 into $2,200 in winnings. The police demanded the original $600 to pass on to Fallon's next of kin - only to discover that the new player turned out to be Fallon's son, who had not seen his father in seven years! (Ripley's Giant Book of Believe It or Not!)

STRANGERS ON A TRAIN

In the 1920s, three Englishman were traveling separately by train through Peru. At the time of their introduction, they were the only three men in the railroad car. Their introductions were more surprising than they could have imagined. One man's last name was Bingham, and the second man's last name was Powell. The third man announced that his last name was Bingham-Powell. None were related in any way. (Mysteries of the Unexplained)

IT'S RAINING BABIES

In Detroit sometime in the 1930s, a young (if incredibly careless) mother must have been eternally grateful to a man named Joseph Figlock. As Figlock was walking down the street, the mother's baby fell from a high window onto Figlock. The baby's fall was broken and both man and baby were unharmed. A stroke of luck on its own, but a year later, the very same baby fell from the very same window onto poor, unsuspecting Joseph Figlock as he was again passing beneath. And again, they both survived the event. (Mysteries of the Unexplained)

SWAPPED HOTEL FINDS

In 1953, television reporter Irv Kupcinet was in London to cover the coronation of Ellizabeth II. In one of the drawers in his room at the Savoy he found found some items that, by their identification, belonged to a man named Harry Hannin. Coincidentally, Harry Hannin - a basketball star with the famed Harlem Globetrotters - was a good friend of Kupcinet's. But the story has yet another twist. Just two days later, and before he could tell Hannin of his lucky discovery, Kupcinet received a letter from Hannin. In the letter, Hannin told Kucinet that while staying at the Hotel Meurice in Paris, he found in a drawer a tie - with Kupcinet's name on it! (Mysteries of the Unexplained)

PAGING MR. BRYSON

While on a business trip sometime in the late 1950s, Mr. George D. Bryson stopped and registered at the Brown Hotel in Louisville, Kentucky. After signing the register and being given his key to room 307, he stopped by the mail desk to see if any letters had arrived for him. Indeed there was a letter, the mail girl told him, and handed him an envelope addressed to Mr. George D. Bryson, room 307. This wouldn't be so odd accept the letter was not for him, but for room 307's just-previous occupant - another man named George D. Bryson. (Incredible Coincidence, Alan Vaughan)

TWIN BOYS, TWIN LIVES

The stories of identical twins' nearly identical lives are often astonishing, but perhaps none more so than those of identical twins born in Ohio. The twin boys were separated at birth, being adopted by different families. Unknown to each other, both families named the boys James. And here the coincidences just begin. Both James grew up not even knowing of the other, yet both sought law-enforcement training, both had abilities in mechanical drawing and carpentry, and each had married women named Linda. They both had sons whom one named James Alan and the other named James Allan. The twin brothers also divorced their wives and married other women - both named Betty. And they both owned dogs which they named Toy. Forty years after their childhood separation, the two men were reunited to share their amazingly similar lives. (Reader's Digest, January 1980)

THE VENGEFUL BULLET

Henry Ziegland thought he had dodged fate. In 1883, he broke off a relationship with his girlfriend who, out of distress, committed suicide. The girl's brother was so enraged that he hunted down Ziegland and shot him. The brother, believing he had killed Ziegland, then turned his gun on himself and took his own life. But Ziegland had not been killed. The bullet, in fact, had only grazed his face and then lodged in a tree. Ziegland surely thought himself a lucky man. Some years later, however, Ziegland decided to cut down the large tree, which still had the bullet in it. The task seemed so formidable that he decided to blow it up with a few sticks of dynamite. The explosion propelled the bullet into Ziegland's head, killing him. (Ripley's Believe It or Not!)

CHILDHOOD RETURNED

While American novelist Anne Parrish was browsing bookstores in Paris in the 1920s, she came upon a book that was one of her childhood favorites - Jack Frost and Other Stories. She picked up the old book and showed it to her husband, telling him of the book she fondly remembered as a child. Her husband took the book, opened it, and on the flyleaf found the inscription: "Anne Parrish, 209 N. Weber Street, Colorado Springs." It was Anne's very own book. (While Rome Burns, Alexander Wollcott)

AND FINALLY, TWO MORE TWINS

John and Arthur Mowforth were twins who lived about 80 miles apart in Great Britain. On the evening of May 22, 1975, both fell severely ill from chest pains. The families of both men were completely unaware of the other's illness. Both men were rushed to separate hospitals at approximately the same time. And both died of heart attacks shortly after arrival. (Chronogenetics: The Inheretance of Biological Time, Luigi Gedda and Gianni Brenci)

[readon1 url="http://paranormal.about.com/od/humanenigmas/a/Amazing-Coincidences.htm"]Source:paranormal.about.com[/readon1]

Hong Kong authorities said Friday that they had confiscated $1.4 million worth of ivory that arrived smuggled in a shipping container from Africa, the second large seizure of tusks at the busy port in the past month.

Customs officials discovered the 1,330 kilograms (about 2,900 pounds) of illegal ivory Thursday in a container from Tanzania that was marked as carrying sunflower seeds, authorities said.

The 569 tusks, worth 10.56 million Hong Kong dollars (about $1.4 million U.S.), were in the back of the container, buried under hundreds of bags of the seeds.

The Hong Kong government said customs officials are investigating the case and are still trying to find "the smuggling syndicate members." The container had been picked out for inspection based on "risk assessment," authorities said.
Poaching on the rise in Africa

The seizure follows the roughly $3.4 million worth in ivory found in two shipping containers last month, one of the largest amounts ever seized in Hong Kong.

Those containers arrived from Tanzania and Kenya, according to Hong Kong customs officials. The agency seized 1,209 pieces of ivory tusks and 3 pounds of ivory ornaments from the two containers, discovered over a period of two days.

In that case, Hong Kong customs officials were on alert after a tip-off from officials in Guangdong, China.

Seven people, including one Hong Kong resident, were arrested by Chinese officials in connection with the case, authorities said at the time.

Hong Kong is viewed as a transit point for the illegal ivory trade, feeding into increasing demands in China, according to a Time article published last month.

Elephants are being killed in Africa at an alarming rate as international demand soars for ivory. Much of the demand comes from increasingly affluent Asian countries, particularly China and Thailand.

Before this year, the most recent major bust in Hong Kong occurred in 2011, when officials seized a shipment of ivory and rhinoceros horns valued at $2.2 million Hong Kong dollars.

With the presence of important panelists who will address issues on the growth of airport infrastructure, from 11 to 13 November, Puerto Vallarta will host the XXI Annual General Meeting Airports Council International-Latin America and the Caribbean (ACI-LAC ) event to be held at the Sheraton Buganvilias.

The Pacific Airport Group (GAP) through the International Airport of Puerto Vallarta, will host the 21st General Assembly of ACI-LAC, an event where they will discuss various topics that are related to the growth of this important sector in the country.

The event will be held from 11 to 13 November at the Hotel Sheraton Buganvilias, which will feature panelists Tewart important Steevens, CEO of Nassau Airport, Bahamas, Arthur J. Tomo, American Airlines Vice President Latin America & Caribbean, among others.

It is expected that this year's Assembly has the support of the governor of Jalisco, Emilio Gonzalez Marquez, as well as state and federal authorities, and that the opening ceremony would be on Sunday November 11th at 5:30 o'clock pm in the exhibition area of the host hotel.

On Monday, at 8:45 am, we have scheduled a formal event, where he has seen the participation of Eduardo Sanchez Navarro, Chairman of GAP, Fredrick Piccolo, vice president of ACI World, Philippe Barl, president of ACI-LAC, and Mohino Fernando Bosque, CEO of GAP.

[readon1 url="http://www.vallartatoday.com"]Source:www.vallartatoday.com - Translation by Suyapa Ajuria Nov. 10, 2012[/readon1]

MEXLend is pleased to announce that Peso Loans are now available for Foreign or Mexican Nationals or for those individuals who for the most part have officially expatriated to Mexico. While the interest rates are a bit higher than US lending counterparts, they are becoming more and more competitive. Most require lower down payments and the monthly payments become much more attractive when you convert from dollars to pesos.As the only Gringo company doing Pesos loans, MEXLend can offer their award-winning personalized service guiding you through the steps of obtaining a Peso loan. MEXLend currently works with 7 different banks that offer the Peso loan ensuring that they will find you the right program to fulfill your needs.

Peso loan rates start at 9.99%, only a point or two higher that US rates, and are available for purchase, re-finance, land or construction. Available in 5, 10, 15 or 20 years, this Peso Loan Program available through MEXLend offers the flexibility and accessibility that many people have been waiting for.

"These loans have become extremely popular among those who have more-or-less moved to Mexico on a permanent basis or for US and Canadian citizens who are seeking smaller loan amounts," stated Terence Reilly, CEO and co-founder of MEXLend. "Many people that work in the local community including hotel, restaurant or timeshare, have been asking for a loan program. We are pleased that we can deliver a program that offers so many options for them."

MEXLend is not limited to mortgages for Puerto Vallarta, as they can offer their award-winning services for purchasing property in any city, town or resort area throughout Mexico – in US Dollars, Pesos – to purchase, refinance your current loan or simply cash out on existing equity. MEXLend, Inc. is a Mexican mortgage brokerage that currently represents 15 different lenders offering 200 different loan options in Dollars and Pesos for buyers looking to purchase vacation or investment property throughout Mexico – including two new products specifically for Canadian citizens!

In recently announced results based upon post-closing client interviews conducted by Mexico's largest US lender, MEXLend won the #1 mark of distinction for both client satisfaction and fastest closings for the second straight cycle. MEXLend can be reached at 322-132-7991 (in Vallarta), 917-779-9061 (while in the US or Canada) or go online at www.mexlend.com.

MEXICO CITY -- Mexico's notoriously unreliable postal service is getting the shock treatment - shocking pink, that is.

Infamous for lost packages and tardy delivery, the postal service is getting a hot-pink makeover to try to brighten up its image, win back customers - and pull it out of the red.

Changes include a new logo, new uniforms and pink-and-lime-green painted post offices. Some will also sell cut-rate rice, beans and powdered milk alongside stamps. Coffee mugs and envelopes - something the post office didn't sell before - will also be available, but only in hot pink and lime green.

The service's new symbol - a white carrier pigeon holding a letter in its beak - hit the streets Tuesday, a day after President Felipe Calderon unveiled the new look at a gala ceremony. The government hopes the new image and services will help the post office break even next year, after annual losses of up to $50 million.

Officials promise high-speed Internet access at post offices where clerks still struggle with manual typewriters and sort mail by hand.

Out are the dingy blue-and-white paint and threadbare uniforms the postal service has used for decades. The trendy new color scheme was chosen because "we want to be very visible ... in colors as brilliant, as vibrant as Mexico," said Purificacion Carpinteyro, who oversaw the remake and wore a hot-pink dress to Monday's ceremony.

All 1,450 post offices will be painted with the new colors, both inside and out.

But in a country where mail theft is widespread and letters often arrive weeks after they're sent, the public is skeptical.

"I don't trust it," Mexico City resident Beatriz Stern said as she mailed a "very important letter" at a post office sporting a fresh coat of pink paint. She said she went there only because she doesn't believe anyone bothers to collect mail from the country's red street-corner mailboxes.

"They say it was faster in colonial times, when they used horses and carriages," Stern said.

The new name, Correos de Mexico, or Mexican Mail, is actually a throwback to the days of the early 20th century, when the service was trusted and the government built a main post office meant to look like a Renaissance palace.

While there will be no horses, the new postal uniform unveiled Tuesday - a visored cap and shirts of lime green, hot pink and white - look like something jockeys would wear.

Alberto Izquierdo, a native of Madrid who was waiting in a long line to mail a letter at the main downtown post office, wasn't impressed.

"I think they're focusing a little too much on appearances and not substance," he said.

Mexico's postal service delivers only about seven pieces of mail per inhabitant per year; Americans get an average of 700.

The low volume reflects a lack of confidence. Federal officials acknowledge most businesses won't send bills, statements or receipts through the mail, preferring pricey but safer private courier services, about 4,000 of which have sprung up here, according to industry estimates.

Then there's crime.

In 2003, police captured a gang of thieves who stole thousands of U.S. Social Security checks bound for retired workers in Mexico.

And in February, legislators demanded a federal investigation after police found several tons of opened and undelivered letters, most from the United States, at a home in the border town of Ciudad Juarez. Three postal workers were charged with stealing the correspondence, some of which dated back to the 1990s.

Just a couple of years ago, the entire postal system had only seven inspectors. Now, 170 inspectors are on duty - many with new pink-and-green bicycles or motorcycles to help chase down fraud, Carpinteyro said.

Many expatriates don't even bother with Mexico's postal service. Chris Davis, an English teacher from Philadelphia who lives in Mexico City, said he doesn't "even take the risk" of having packages sent from the United States.

"I ask people who are coming down to bring things," he said.

Those who do use the service tend to be like Jorge Garcia, 38, who sees it as an affordable alternative to courier services for the few personal letters he mails.

"It's slow, but it's cheaper," he said.

By Wendy Wilson

Living a life in a foreign country does have its challenges. Recently, I realized that my California driver's license was about to expire, and, due to a new law to presumably protect the world from my terrorism, I had to physically show up at the DMV to renew it. What is an ex-pat to do? Spend mucho dinero to get to the nearest California airport (San Diego), spend a night or two in a motel, rent a car, dine out, etc., or get a Mexican license? The best option became instantly clear. And so, as with my new visa status that brings me as close to being a Mexican as an American citizen can be and still collect social security, I chose to become even more Mexicanized.

But, "hello", the driver's test is in Spanish, and no booklet to read. I started checking around. Surely, I am not the first gringa to face this problem.

As with most things Mexican, the system is a bit loosey goosey. I could pay someone else to take the test for me. PERFECT! You got that right...pay someone else to take the test for me. I can't say it is an "accepted" practice, but it apparently happens all the time. OK. No problema here.

So, on the scheduled date, Jimmy, our male maid and all around lovely person, and I set out to acquire said license. We show up at "Transito" about 12:30PM. Sorry, lady, you cannot take the test until 2PM. Get in line with tens and tens of other people now sharing the same steamy boat.

Now, it is a cultural blind spot that Mexicans simply don't know how to "queue up". More than once I have been aced out of my place in line by someone who simply believed that his bubble belonged ahead of mine for whatever the reason. I am now acutely aware of this pattern, and always ready for bear. My antennae were swinging so wildly that I almost lost my balance.

Finally, Jimmy and I are led into a dungeon of a test room with no windows. But wait. Before the test was given, we had to sit through one hour of a bureaucratic Napoleon with thick lips who read to us, excruciatingly slowly, a five page memo in eight point font on God knows what. Picking up words here and there, I believe it was the history of how Transito got started, where it stands on the food chain of the Mexican government, and a few basic traffic laws to be followed. At one point, Napoleon got out of his chair and began waving his arms and blowing a whistle so loudly that I thought my eardrums would rupture. But being the only gringa in the room, I was under intense scrutiny by everyone, including Napoleon, and I did my darnedest to look alive with intense interest.

Finally, the test was handed out. Jimmy and I openly discussed each question in Spanglish. Nobody blinked an eye.

Odd those questions! Nothing about how many feet (or meters in my case) that you must park away from a water hydrant, or how fast can you drive through a school zone? No questions about dotted lines, or double lines. Not a hint of concern over who has the right of way. Rather, the one question that really stuck out for me was, "What do you do when the hood of your car flies up, and you cannot see out your windshield"? W-H-A-T???? I flew into hysterical laughter and responded to Jimmy, "the same thing you do when the motor drops out of your car, you idiots." Well, that was the end of it for both of us. We had to ask for Kleenex to wipe away our tears. Napoleon was not amused.

Well, "I" passed the test with flying colors, paid my 350 pesos (about $33US), had my picture taken, produced copies of my entire life, e.g., passport, visa, telephone bill, California driver's license, and away I went for four more years. No driver's test, no eye test, no proof of insurance, none of that.

So, dears, what DO you do when the hood of your car flies up in your face?

A heartfelt request for any golfing related items

Alfredo Cervantes (known as Charlie to his Gringo friends) has a passion for golf and for teaching. A native of Mexico, Alfredo and his young family returned to Puerto Vallarta after 17 years of living in Southern California. Shortly after returning to the city that he loved in 1997, a tragic head-on collision with a local Vallarta bus occurred, and forever changed Alfredo's life. Alfredo awoke from a 42 day coma to learn that his 11 & 14 year old boys and golfing partners were killed. His wife was severely injured as well and his hopes and dreams were shattered. Golf he says "is the only thing that takes my mind off of the pain."

So now, six days a week at 4:00 o'clock in the afternoon, a humbled and modest Alfredo closes his taco stand and heads to the Municipal Stadium in Puerto Vallarta behind the Sheraton Hotel to give free golf lessons to any person wanting his coaching and swing critique. Alfredo says "with the rise of the superstar golfer Lorena Ochoa, kids of all ages are lining up at his makeshift chain link swing cage. Lorena Ochoa is to Mexican kids, what Tiger Woods was to American kids in the 1990s." Many of the kids he works with have natural talent and clearly enjoy the sport but just cannot advance beyond anything else but the cage at the stadium. "I just do not have enough clubs or the resources to meet the demand, neither do these poor local kids."

How can you help? Donate your old or second set of golf clubs, bags, shoes, gloves, balls, tees, shirts & hats or any other golf-related items! Whether or not you are planning to golf during your next vacation, just pack your clubs on your next visit to Puerto Vallarta and leave them here in the hands of a potential pro. Your clubs will be matched to specific person or refurbished to fit a boy or girl when possible. In addition, some equipment will be consigned and sold at various local used sporting goods stores to pay for special kid-sized clubs & greens fee at local courses.

Don't have a 2nd set? You can still give by donating cash or green fees gift certificates at any of the local courses in the Banderas Bay Area. Just drop us an email to coordinate the details. We'll come to you! We make it easy to donate. We will come to your hotel, casa, condo, or any other location of convenience, pick up your donation and thank you personally. It's that easy! Simply e-mail This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and we'll take it from there. Additional details can be found online at www.clubsforkidsmx.com.

Coach Max Valencia of Kevin's baseball team at De La Salle High School was a big help as well, urging his players to add to the donations. The school is located in Danville, California, just east of San Francisco and is where the Peters family lives.
Kevin began to assemble three duffle bags that contained 20 aluminum bats, mostly Easton, which sell for $150 - $350 per bat when brand new. These bats only were used for one season. Baseball gloves totaled 15 and also were used for only one season and I remember it took me almost half a season to get a new mitt in game condition. New team hats totaled 20 and an additional two full sets of catcher's gear was included.

It was initiated by Kevin Peters, who decided to donate equipment that he had, as he had been to Puerto Vallarta before and knows that baseball bats and gloves are quite expensive and public schools would not likely have the money in their budget to spend on bats, balls and mitts. Kevin then started to ask friends to donate their equipment and the response was great.

ThankS Kevin, his brother Jake, their friend Patrick and their Mom and Dad for being so thoughtful and bringing along the three extra bags to donate while on vacation.

The youngsters from Northern California that put it all together. From left to right, Jake Peters, Kevin Peters and Patrick Pezet.

Interview: Manolo Cardona

Studio Expects 'Breakout Role' for Columbian Actor Manolo Cardona. Liv Boughn sat down with him at "La Terazza di Roma" restaurant in the Marina during his final week of shooting in Vallarta.

Manolo Cardona, the ruggedly handsome thirty year old Columbian actor perhaps most well known for his role in the critically acclaimed "La Mujer de mi Hermano,"
sat across from me wearing a trendy western-style plaid shirt and green oversized movie star shades.
Having been one of People in Español Magazine's 50 Most Beautiful People and having seen him already on the set I expected his dashing looks. What I was pleasantly surprised to discover, however, is that beneath those tinted glasses was a very intelligent, articulate, and deep actor. The following interview took place over breakfast.

VT: How did you get started?

MC: I was living in Cali (Columbia) and I always loved theatre...I started working professionally at a very young age...17...[later] a couple of friends and I created a theatre company, then I moved to study, and I realized I wanted to do this for the rest of my life.

VT: Which actors inspire you?

MC: There are a lot...Sean Penn, Johnny Depp, Javier Bardem...

VT: You have two production companies with your brothers, "11-11" and "Miramas." Can you tell us about what you're currently working on?

MC: We have a movie in development and a documentary.
The movie is a black comedy that will come out in November about two inseparable friends, the antihero, love and friendship.

VT: What is it like working with your brothers?

MC: We always do everything together.

VT: What did your parents have to do with your choice to become an actor?

MC: My parents really didn't have anything to do with it, but they support me. Especially my mom at first, and then my father too after a while.

VT: I hear you're passionate about soccer. Who is your favorite team?

MC: América de Cali, a Columbian team [not to be confused with Mexican team, Club América]

VT: How do you feel about Vallarta?

MC: [nodding, satisfied] I like it: Being in Vallarta meeting amazing people, having adventures...

VT: What are some of your favorite spots in Vallarta?

MC: Tacos Marlín, Archie's Wok, the Blue Shrimp...

VT: It sounds like you like food. Do you cook?

MC: I love food...yes, I cook... [but not as much as he would like while filming on location].

VT: What has your experience on SOTB been like?

MC: I've worked with such beautiful human beings.
Everybody from every department is looking out for each other...

VT: And working with a mixed Mexican/American crew?

MC: It was pretty much the same...Sometimes it can be difficult for the ones that don't speak both languages...for me it's fine...

VT: Some people are saying that this is your "breakout role". What do you think?

MC: This isn't really my breakout role, but it is a huge opportunity for people in the American market to get to know me more. It's my first English speaking movie, my first kid movie...I have two nieces and one nephew, so they are really going to like it... [He went on to say] I never go for the gold, I just enjoy the ride.

VT: Tell me about your character, Sam.

MC: He is a landscaper... [the love interest of the ingénue played by Piper Perabo] passionate...noble.

VT: How are you and Sam alike? How are you different?

MC: We have the same loyalty for people and life...we love to work, to be happy, to bring happiness to people around us. But we have different points of view. Sam is more pragmatic: I am more spiritual.

VT: One of the things I heard from various crew members is how "down to earth you are" for a movie star.

MC: (a smile,) Stars are in heaven...

VT: They were particularly impressed that you brought your own car all the way to Vallarta...

MC: I am very familiar with Mexico, and very independent so I drive and get to know cities. I like to get lost, drive...I love driving.

VT: What do you think of the Hollywood Scene? Do you try to keep it "low key" there too?

MC: I live in Venice Beach, California right now, so it's very different from the Hollywood style. I can walk out of my house, walk to my friends´... I'm very happy to live there, in an old neighborhood and not be stuck trying to ´be somebody´ in Hollywood...

VT: What was it like working with dogs?

MC: They're amazing. It's amazing what they can do...so trained, so well behaved, they're like people. Also, as an actor I have to be more aware of things. In a perfect world everything is quiet. In this case you're in the middle of the scene and they're yelling commands at the dogs. It's been an interesting experience and I've learned a lot.

VT: Do you like dogs?

MC: I love animals...and dogs. [went on to say that he doesn't currently have one because of his hectic travel/work schedule].

VT: For your female fan base: How does it feel to have been one of Latin People in Español Magazine's 50 Most Beautiful People several times now?

MC: [He briefly winced, then modestly answered:] I've been trying to understand in these years...I try to keep my life, things private. For me it's just work.
If I don't have a story to share I prefer not to be in magazines...

VT: Do you have any words of advice for young Latin boys who want to become actors?

MC: First, study. The opportunity to prepare is an
important process in your career. But most
important: Believe in yourself. If you don't believe in you, nobody else will. [Lastly,] Never stop. It's not about who gets there first; it's about who stays.

VT: Vallartans are very loyal, so most likely everyone will go see the movie because our beloved town is a backdrop, but why do you recommend we see South of the Border?

MC: It has something for grown ups and kids both...young and old... It has the ingredients of comedy, action, adventure, animals. The subtext is about how you can really change, no matter who you are, and that you can change for the good. Chloe [lead dog, voice played by Drew Barrymore] reflects the typical Beverly Hills girl, and by the end she really changes for the better. For parents, it's about what's
real: when you breathe, the sunrise, being with people you love...

Luma Leading Trend

According to several major U.S. publications, there is a burgeoning trend of American retirees buying property in Mexico. Luma Living, an active adult community on the Bay of Banderas, is at the forefront of this movement, with groundbreaking set for late this fall.

One of the most recent major magazines to cover the development is Kiplinger's Personal Finance. Its Retirement Planning 2007 guide feature titled, "The Lure of Living South of the Border" discusses the trend in depth. The article states, "Seeking a year-round tropical climate and a relatively low cost of living, U.S. retirees are flocking south of the border," and goes on to say Mexico is a "perennial favorite."

The Kiplinger's article, which also ran on Yahoo! Finance, profiled Luma as a new active living community being built in Nuevo Vallarta, naming it "the first U.S.-developed active-adult community in Mexico." Lee Ratta, senior vice president at Front Porch, the organization behind Luma, was quoted in the article as saying, "Luma has all the advantages of a Mexican lifestyle and the convenience of American-style living."

Earlier this spring, The Washington Times published an article, "Mexico's Pacific Coast Beckons Retirees" (April 1, 2007), describing Mexico as being in the midst of a "building boom" and listing Luma as one of the new developments under way. RealtyTimes also ran a story, "Retiring in Mexico: No Longer Just a Dream," on April 23, 2007.

Designed for residents aged 50 and over, Luma offers a unique blend of setting, style and services, including a Lifestyle Concierge Program. The first phase of residences are set to open spring/summer of 2009 and will feature designer kitchens, soaring 11- to 13-foot high ceilings, glass walls and large terraces for indoor/outdoor living. Pricing for Luma residences range from the $400,000s to $1.8 million.

Alex Urrutia, Luma sales director for Prudential California Realty, Vallarta Division, said buyer interest in the property is high: "The response is an excellent confirmation of baby boomers' desire to live in beachfront active adult communities in Mexico."

A Front Porch Development Company project, Luma will be built in partnership with Mexico-based Grupo Krone. Front Porch Development Company is the real estate development partner of Front Porch, California's largest nonprofit provider of senior living communities. When completed, Luma will showcase bold contemporary Mexican design by the renowned Ernesto Del Castillo Marquez Architecture Firm and offer over 400 stunning residences, 264 of which will be beachfront.

When the summer student travel industry seems to be shrinking or perhaps going to new destinations, why is it that GradCity's number of travelers to Puerto Vallarta during summer high school graduation time are growing? "We attribute it to our training, our destination knowledge and our passion to celebrate youth through travel," says Director of Business Development for GradCity, Barbara Hooper. "Having been part of the Student Travel Industry for almost 20 years I have never been part of a company that cares more about who they surround themselves with, how well them train their representatives and how passionate they are to provide ultimate experiences for both students and concerned parents and faculty.Puerto Vallarta is a perfect destination for us to focus on for safety, value and amazing cultural opportunities. We have strived to educate our customers on our "Break Smart Program" and PV again makes the destination decision and easy one to make." More information is available on "Break Smart" via www.gradcity.com.

"Our reps enjoy representing Puerto Vallarta because they are so well versed on the facts that this destination has to offer. We actually certify our reps to be Travel Specialists during our training. The relationships our on site staff has with locals and vendors only reinforces to our nationwide force how thoughtful and amazing the people of Puerto Vallarta are," adds Jennifer True – Director of GradCity Operations.

When parents and students ask where they should choose to celebrate high school graduation, Puerto Vallarta is now one of the favorites to offer for GradCity. In addition, GradCity's gateways out of the western US have exploded, they expect their 100% growth year after year for PV to continue. "Our numbers doubled from last year to this year and we expect double that number for next year's 2008 Summer Program. This plus our impressive Spring Break numbers through our college division, StudentCity.com, makes PV extra exciting for us!" concludes Adriane Carozza, Director of Grad City.

GradCity is the high school division of First Choice Student Travel. First Choice Student Travel is the nation's leader in young adult travel, events and promotions and has successfully provided over 250,000 vacations this year alone. Since 1987, they have marketed, sold and operated more international and domestic event and vacation packages than any other company in the youth travel industry.