It is my duty to report that Wednesday the 23rd of February found a number of colleagues gathered together at a pub in San Miguel de Allende - the cradle of Mexico's independence - and residence, or part time residence in exile, for a growing number of ex-Canadian foreign service types including: M-L Gagosz, the Doswells, Eytons, Winfields, McFarlanes, Bresolins, and Valentines.
It is my further duty to report that it was a balmy (23c) evening on the patio of this new restaurant and pub featuring very reasonably priced drinks and food. News of snow in Victoria and ice in Ottawa did little to cool the enthusiasm of the exiled.
An added feature was the background strings of renowned Canadian-Russian flamenco guitarist Andrei Krylov (see video - wow! - ed). Fortunately, our group was sufficiently distanced to not have all the nostalgic chit chat and guarded gloating interfere too much with his music.
I wish also to report that little damage was done to either establishment or guests and that this has nothing whatsoever to do with any age factor. Rather, it displays the refined comportment of the people present last Wednesday who, as you know, are not new to being guests in another country.
Finally, I would like to record that at no time throughout the entire evening was anyone offered recreational drugs (outside of tobacco and alcohol), forced to take marijuana, ecstasy, cocaine or heroine, shot at, beheaded, asked to join a cartel, raped, pillaged or assaulted with a high-powered weapon imported from the USA. Some may have been asked to buy one of Andrei's CD's.
Trust you are well.
Your esteemed colleague,
........................don
