Saturday 30th November 2019...a special day for me!!

It has been 13 years since I officially retired and let me tell you....what a 13 years it has been.......the blog started and I ventured forth on a journey that is still in full swing.

Met some amazing people and so blessed to have so many fantastic friends!!!

Yashi Kochi!!!

Friday 29th November 2019....I am lucky....

I took these shots from my roof top terrace...

The street next to mine..

I am lucky enough to have a 360 degree view...

The sunset....

The main church in the Jardin....

The church next to where I play tennis

I then went into Centro to a small plaza and they were waiting for a wedding ceremony to begin...

The ceremonial donkey..

Across the street I attended this concert..

I grew up with the Beatles music and love all their songs....so many hits but never heard their songs performed this way before..

Four very talented young men, three on violins, one on cello and to round up the group an amazing percussionist.......

They just kept playing one hit after another....so lucky to live in a town where there is so much to do and see and to hear ..this was a special concert and it was FREE!!!!

Yashi Kochi!!

Thursday 28th November 2019....a happy day!!!

A Happy Thanksgiving to everyone!!!

there was a lot of low cloud this morning but it cleared away in time to play tennis and the sun shone the whole time.

I came home and after a light bite to eat put on my hiking shoes and went off here...

This is a very beautiful area with many paths and plants and wonderful views!!!

Stopped by a local restaurant on my way home and took a take out full turkey dinner with all the trimmings!!

It was delicious and I have enough for two more meals in the freezer!

Going to settle down in a little while and watch my show....not a terribly exciting day but a good one all the same!

Yashi Kochi!

Wednesday 27th November 2019....a full day!!

I think you know my Wednesday routine by now...

it starts off with an hour session at the gym where Aaron gives me the full strenuous workout...followed by going to poker and taking some of my friends money..it happened again this time 150 pesos....

Finally my day ends with my English class..bit of a change in venue tonight..the school where we normally have the lessons were closed today so I met my students at a near by hotel and we sat out by the pool and had class....it was a wonderful change and we all sat around a 5able and I just grilled them with questions......what a difference I see in everyone of them since the start of the semester...their are amazing people and I am so proud of them all!!

The sunset from my balcony tonight!!

Wish all my American friends a wonderful,  safe and happy Thanksgiving tomorrow!!

Yashi Kochi

Tuesday 26 th November 2019...a request!!

Three Kings Toy Drive update..

there have been so many generous people both here and in the USA and Canada donating to this amazing project.

465 soccer balls have been ordered and paid for and I will take delivery just before Christmas.

300 small purses for the girls have been ordered and a part payment has been made.

Next week I will start on the 100 gifts for the Kindergarten girls...

As Thanksgiving approaches I believe we have so much to be thankful for not the least living in this amazing town of San Miguel de Allende.

Could I ask on the 28th November as you celebrate Thanksgiving with your family and friends you place a small bowl on the table for donations...

I also have a GOFUNDME  account

https://www.gofundme.com/f/three-kings-day-toy-drive

Remember if you do donate here the funds are in Canadian dollars.

If you live in San Miguel I am more than happy to come to you and collect the donations.

Thank you and best wishes les Pearson

mexicokid77@yahoo.com

Yashi Kochi!!!

Monday 25 th nov 2019...more of the same!!

It seems to be another soccer day.....

I was at the gym for my 10.30am session with Aaron which again was an extremely hard one hour but I know it is doing me some good...he knows how far to push me and he is very diligent and always keeps his eye on me.

Had to go into Centro and do some banking and then came home around 1pm and had lunch and then did odd jobs around my casita, laundry, watering plants a bit of cleaning and some accounting work for the Three Kings Drive..

At 4 pm I went to the big stadium to watch this game..

There was maybe around 500 spectators and it was not a bad game the pitch looked a little uneven 

which made the ball bounce, hard for ball control.

On the way back into town stopped and took this shot from the Mirador, lookout!!

I went straight to my class, eight students tonight and their homework assignment was to be teacher for five minutes.....they like this homework it gives them a chance to express themselves and each one of them did a wonderful job, very proud of them indeed.

Now time for my show!!!

Yashi Kochi!

Sunday 24 th November 2019....another trip down memory lane!!

It was fun and nostalgic for me to watch my boyhood

soccer team Sheffield United live on TV  against one of the icons of the league Manchester United...

A pulsating game in which my team went ahead by two goals and then with a few minutes remaining trailed by one goal before levelling the score with a few minutes to play

I used to work at these games on crowd control with Sheffield City Police force!!

This game also involved this young lady. The first female to officiate in the English Premier league...good for her!!

Canada Pension Plan’s investment board racks up 8.9% return, more than enough to sustain fund until 2090

CPPIB adds $35.9 billion to assets

CPPIB's fiscal fourth quarter showed a recovery from a weak return of 1.1 per cent in the third quarter that was affected by a general downturn in stock markets in December.

TORONTO — Canada Pension Plan Investment Board recovered from a weak quarter in late 2018 to produce a solid 8.9 per cent net return for its most recent financial year.

The Toronto-based investment manager for the Canada Pension Plan said its CPP Fund had $392.0 billion of net assets as of March 31, up $35.9 billion from the end of the 2018 financial year after all costs.

The fiscal fourth quarter also showed a recovery from a weak return of 1.1 per cent in the third quarter that was affected by a general downturn in stock markets in December.

CPPIB’s five-year real rate of return, which adjusts for inflation, was 8.9 per cent as of March 31 while the 10-year real rate of return was 9.2 per cent.

Those returns are well ahead of what the Chief Actuary of Canada has determined to be necessary to sustain the Canada Pension Plan to at least 2090.

This is great news for me although I don’t need it to last that long!!!!

Yashi Kochi!!

Saturday 23 November 2019.... as the song goes!!!

A short post today on this sports day...

Played tennis this morning then came home and watched three live soccer games from England....am I bad or what!!!!!

Yashi Kochi!

Friday 22 Nd November 2019...a day to relax!!!

Friday is my day of no planning, no appointments 

and just a day to relax...which is what I did!!

Enjoyed my breakfast out on my small deck watching the sunshine on the mountains.

I then decided to leave Little Bluey

And Little Yella

 at home and walked into Centro......come along and enjoy the scenery with me!

I always like to stop here and sit on one of the benches and stare at this magnificent building and just wonder how a kid from a huge big steel town in England finished up living here in this amazing town!!

I was gone about three hours and it was a great walk!!

On the way back to my place this is the view of the building...

I have the top penthouse floor with all those windows and the 360 degree rooftop view!!

Life is good..have a great weekend !!

Yashi Kochi!

Thursday 21st November 2019....just a lovely day!!!

It was such a beautiful morning and a joy to be out

on the tennis courts..it was a really good match and so much fun.

They are building a large condo block right next to the courts and the whole time we were playing these guys were up and down on that makeshift ladder hauling buckets of cement..

..such hard work especially in  this heat and they took very few breaks..it does not seem fair!!!

Did a little shopping after tennis including treating myself to this lovely Poinsettia....the garden centres are full of them now and can you believe this one cost me 35 pesos...do the conversion!!

I then went and got my car and picked up the dogs and took them for a great long walk outside the fences of the Botanical gardens..they love to come out with me and scenery was lovely!!!

We were gone three hours.

The radio in Little Bluey has not worked for a long time and I stopped at two places in the States to try to fix it one guy checked the fuses and said they were fine and suggested I go to a VW dealership....

I also checked with two repair shops in town here and they said the same thing.

Finally I asked the guy that takes care of my mechanical needs for the car and he told me of a guy just out of town that he uses....so I went there today and I had the code for the radio.....he got in the car turned the ignition punched in four numbers from the code and it WORKED!!!!

It was impossible for me to give him any money he simply refused!!!

Chalk up another reason why I love living here!!!

Tonight I went to a security lecture in one of the local hotels....

This man has served many years in prison for house breaking and bank robberies but is now a model citizen....he was a great speaker and a very interesting evening.

Time now for the usual tea, cookie and show!!!!

Yashi Kochi!!