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A friend in the Progreso area, who wishes to remain anonymous, gave us an important reminder this morning about maintaining safety and security while in Yucatan. In the middle of the night, at approximately 2AM, he was awoken by the sound of shuffling feet in his downstairs kitchen. A burglar had crept in through an unlocked second-story sliding glass door, and loaded a bag full of electronics, including two laptops (one of which had been physically locked with a cable), cash, and personal items. The scariest thing, to me, is that the burglar thought he had enough time and was casual enough to sample some snacks in the kitchen, before finally adding a 500g block of Edam cheese to his bag of stolen goods.

Our friend, being the brave soul that he is, caught the burglar in the act, startled him, causing him to drop the bike and bag of stolen items. He then chased the burglar down, pinned him to the ground, and hit him repeatedly, until the burglar wrested out of his grasp, and ran off, dropping the bag of stolen items on his way. The police have been contacted, though the thief remains at large.

The lesson here to all of our readers is simple: Though we live in one of the safest areas in Mexico, break-ins and home invasions like the one our friend experienced last night can and do happen. It's very easy to get lulled by the warm weather and ocean breezes into a sense of security, but a lapse in basic security precautions can be disastrous. Please, always remember to:

1. When leaving for the day or going to sleep at night, make sure all doors and windows are locked. An unlocked door or window is too great an invitation, even if it seems like a lot of trouble to get to (like on a second story). Thieves in the area typically do not break windows or doors. Consider putting iron protectores on ground floor windows for added security; they can be lovely decorative accents to your home
   
   
2. Consider putting an audible alarm, motion detecting lights, or security cameras on street or beach facing windows. If you have a car with an alarm, keep the panic button next to your bed. Hitting your car alarm and flooding the house with light is enough to send most would-be thieves scurrying.
   
   
3. Keep keys and important items away from windows. I have another friend who awoke early in the morning to find a long pole extending through their window, fishing for keys that had been left on a countertop.
   
   
4. If an incident DOES occur, notify police. Even if the crook manages to make an escape, always notify local police. They will want to know, and will give your area a few extra patrols for the next several days. We have heard many stories from people who had thieves get away, only to be caught a few nights later in another house.

It's common sense stuff, but as our friend in Progreso is sure to tell you after his adventure last night, it can be easy to forget...or in his case, relax precautions in the name of catching the cooling ocean breeze. Let's all watch out for each other, and keep our homes and our beaches safe!

We still haven't selected the new photo of the month for July, to run along the top of the site. If you haven't yet tried uploading a photo to Yolisto, now is the time! Click here to upload a photo, and if yours gets picked for July, you'll get your name and a link to your profile in lights, just like our friend Hammockman did this month. Upload a photo today!

In our "old lives" in the United States, one of my favorite things in the world was to sit down with a big book of classified ads.  Most areas in the USA have a dedicated, inexpensive book of classified listings, about the size "TV Guide" used to be, chock full of stuff for sale by the community. In Maine, it's "Uncle Henry's," a book so full of weird, inexpensive junk from other people's lives, that you can easily burn a Sunday afternoon just browsing through it.

 

The birth of the Internet carried with it the opportunity for a yard sale on a global scale. Of course, there's eBay, which started off as a little website for nerds to trade comic books, and the dead-simple Craigslist, which eschews pretty graphics for direct user-to-user transactions.

 

Unfortunately, while those are all great options for English speakers in the US or Canada, there has been no single "killer app" for classified listings here in Yucatan.

 

Craigslist deemed Yucatan worthy of a spinoff, which you can find at http://yucatan.en.craigslist.com.mx/. The trouble is, no one uses it, and most of the listings are from people in the States looking for housing swaps, or overseas scammers promising cheap electronics.

 

Ebay entered the fray with its acquisition of Mercado Libre (http://www.mercadolibre.com.mx/), a site that, unlike offering an auction format, seems to just offer a glorified message board for buyers and sellers to try and get in touch with each other. Not only is navigating Mercado Libre difficult for non-native Spanish speakers, but its national reach means few listings based here in Yucatan.

 

Even the otherwise-great Merida Insider (http://www.meridainsider.com/), with its incredibly active community, can't seem to get it together when it comes to classified listings. Their version is crammed into the site almost as an afterthought, and again, no one uses it, choosing instead to do their buying and selling via the forums.

 

Ever since we have lived in Yucatan, where it can be difficult to find a lot of things, and where sometimes business transactions in Spanish are just too complicated, it has been clear to me that a dedicated place for expatriates to buy and sell their old stuff would be welcome. In fact, that's why we started the original incarnation of Yolisto, which was, in essence, a clone of Craigslist. It didn't work, either; very few people listed items for sale, and then the spammers and hackers found it, making it even harder to use.

 

With the relaunch of the new Yolisto, we have again included our hope for what will become a vibrant, active place for buyers and sellers to meet to share their stuff. We've tightened it up to make it harder for spammers to crack, but still, there just isn't a lot of action on that part of the site. It's likely because our classified ads just aren't very easy or fun to use...check them out at http://www.yolisto.com/listing/ to see what I mean.

 

I have been giving this problem a lot of thought, motivated by the fact that I am sure all of us have something to sell (and I need furniture). I am thinking right now, of turning the classified listings into more of an auction format...kind of an "eBay Light" dedicated to expatriates here in the Yucatan. Users with something to sell would choose the length of their auction, their minimum reserve prices, and their "Buy it Now" price for each item they would like to sell.

 

The problem is...is this a good idea? Wouldn't a classified system of this type require a lot more users to be successful, since listings would expire and not get as much exposure on the site? Or would the existence of such a system bring in even MORE users? Would the urgency created by an auction format make buying and selling more exciting? Or more annoying?

 

As you know, we started Yolisto with the goal of building a website that the community would flat-out love to use. It's a lot to think about, and I want to hear your ideas. How can we make a classified advertising system that people will actually USE? What features should we include? eBay-auction style or Craigslist-listing style? Basically, what would make YOU list items to sell on Yolisto?

Tags: Classified

If you couldn't make it to my birthday event a week or so ago, you missed what may just have been the first semi-official gathering of Yolisters out here on the beach. Thanks to all who made it out! Here are a few quick snaps...and if you missed it, don't worry; there are more Yolisto events to come!

 

 

 

 

 

 

All photos courtesy Randio...thanks for the photos!

Tags: Birthday Gathering

Beginning tomorrow, Yolisto will start running our first regular weekly column. Comida Listo will be authored by Theresa, author of both ¿What do I do all day?, a blog detailing retirement experiences in Yucatan, and Theresa's Cooking Blog, which describes the highlights of cooking and eating in a foriegn country.

 

By means of introduction, we asked Theresa a few questions about her life and her experiences in Yucatan thus far:

Q: In one sentence what do you actually do all day?

A: I am driven to create, so my days are devoted to filling that need, tempered by a tendency to procrastinate.

 

Q: Do you cook more now that you live in Mexico?

A: I don't cook more, but I cook better. There is a big difference between cooking as a hobby and producing meals because you have to feed your family. When I was getting home from work and getting dinner on the table for 3 kids, my priorities were different from when I was 12 and learning to cook.

 

My cooking style really has changed now that I am, "retired". I have always been interested in process. I loved those Mr. Rogers episodes when he showed the crayon factory and stuff like that. When my girls were in 4-H, I was one of the project leaders for the crafts and the cooking projects. That was tremendous fun, one year we did chicken around the world as our theme (my co-leader was also the poultry project leader, so we had a "surplus" of chicken.).

 

Q: Do you prefer to follow recipes or improvise?

A: If it's something that I have never eaten before I usually follow the recipe to the letter. If I have either made the dish before or eaten it, I feel safe substituting. If it's someone's favorite, I don't dare change it!

 

Q: What is your very favorite food in the whole wide world?

A: Tostones, but I also really like spaghetti aglio e olio.

 

Q: Where do you like to buy produce in Yucatan?

A:If I had to say just one place, it would be Megabalcones. They usually have good produce, with a nice variety. Wednesdays, they have the produce on sale. If I run out of something like onions or tomatoes, I usually run across the street to the little tienda and buy it, that's also where we usually get bananas.

Q: When it's just too hot to cook, what then?

A: Generally, our main meal is lunch, so I am usually done cooking before it gets too hot, but preparing food doesn't need to involve cooking. We've had antipasto for lunch with bruschetta. I don't like tuna fish but I do keep canned chicken breast in the pantry, so Waldorf salad is a tasty cold lunch. There is always a jar or two of pesto, and pasta with pesto is quick and easy.

 

Occasionally, I keep frozen shrimp on hand for shrimp cocktails. Some chili sauce mixed with fresh tomatoes makes a good sauce. In the evenings, we like to go to San Sebastian and eat at La Poderosa when it's hot. There is a little lecheria down the street that also has a hamburger cart. Great burgers for 15 pesos.

In her weekly column, appearing each Tuesday, Theresa will provide fresh commentary on all aspects of cooking and recipe creation in an area where the availability of certain specialized ingredients are not as widespread. Theresa will teach you how to fake it, make it, and enjoy it...it's easy! Welcome, Theresa...and good luck with the new column!

Yolisto is now actively seeking talented writers and authors for regular contributions or columns for this website and its readers. Do you have a passion or hobby that you love, including cooking, model rocketry, or gardening? We want to hear about how you've adapted your hobby from "back home" to fit with your new life here in Yucatan. Are you a night owl, constanly sniffing out new hotspots in Merida or Progreso? We want to hear your reviews and thoughts. Are you in the middle of rennovating or building a home, and feel like documenting your experience? Others want to hear from you, too. Are you a master of technology, and interested in helping newcomers navigate the Yucatan's truly confusing technological landscape? A recurring column on Yolisto is perfect for you. Above all, we want to hear what YOU think would be appropriate for a weekly column, and if it makes sense...we'll do it!

Now, about compensation. Of course, all members are welcome to post any bits of content they'd like, at any time. It's part of what makes the Yolisto world go round. But for our featured columnists, we would like to offer some type of compensation for your time and troubles. This will be different for each writer, and depends largely on the type of column you would be interested in writing, but in general, we can offer the following, ranked in order from least to most real-world value:

1. Your chest will swell with pride at having been chosen to be a featured columnist on Yolisto, the single greatest website the world has ever seen.
   
2. Each article you submit will carry a short, 2-3 sentence biography of you, the author, where you are free to link to personal projects and increase exposure for those projects.
   
3. If you have an offline business, or other website, we can discuss free banner advertising placement on Yolisto.
   
4. We will even consider honest-to-goodness cash payment for dedicated columists. Please remember, though, that for now, this will be purely a bonus, and certainly not enough money for you to earn a living.

If you're interested, leave a comment, and I will contact you via PM to work out further details. Thanks for your interest!

It's official. Yolisto has officially broken the 100-member mark, just two short weeks after the launch of the site, with the addition of "beachluvrj." Thanks to your help and support of the site, we are well on our way to building one of the most complete, friendliest websites for the Yucatan expatriate community available anywhere online.

We currently have advertisements running on Yucatan Living, as well as the online edition of Yucatan Today. Our rack cards are at the printer, so soon we will be starting a "real-world" marketing campaign, in order to let more people know about the site and grow it even further. We are marketing our little pants off, because, hey...more Yolisto members means more fun for all involved.

We are well on our way, but we're not there yet. We are still having a nagging problem with the forum integration, and a lot of members are getting caught in an endless login loop. All we've figured out so far, is that this is definitely cookie-related, and we are working to make the problem go away as quickly as we can. We are also building several enhancements to the site, including a "getting started" tool which will help new users have an easier time of diving into and using the site. We've got a few more surprises feature-wise up our sleeves, as well, so stay tuned.

Thank you all for being early-adopters of Yolisto. From the very beginning, our goal has been simple; to provide a friendly, easy-to-use community website for members of the expatriate community, where our collaborative efforts and knowledge prove to be greater and more vital than anything we could accomplish ourselves. The site is growing every day, and it's thanks to the support of all of you.

To get the most out of Yolisto, it's worth the time to dive into the profile system. Your Yolisto profile drives a lot of the other content and connections you will make here, and will enhance your enjoyment of the site.

To start getting your profile up to snuff, click on the "My Account" link at the very top of the site. This will take you to your main account page. From here, you can do almost anything, including setting up your profile.

The first step to getting your profile healthy is to upload a picture. It can be a picture of you, or of anything you like! This will help other members to get to know you, will become your avatar on the forums, and help your offline friends recognize your smiling face. Click here to upload a profile picture now.

After you get your picture uploaded, tell us a little about yourself! Your profile has spaces to list your likes and dislikes, your favorite movies, books, a general "about me" overview, and more. This will help people decide whether or not you have anything in common, and whether or not to add you as a friend. Click here to update your profile with your likes and dislikes.

Finally, now that you've got your profile all set up, get out there and make some connections! Begin by browsing the list of members on the site. When you see someone you know (or would like to know), click on their picture. You will be taken to THEIR profile, where you can add them as a friend by clicking the "Add to Friends" link in that member's Contact Panel. Adding another member as a friend displays their picture on your profile, and begins updating your "Friend's Activity Feed" (on the home page) with their activity on the site. This way, you'll always know when a friend has uploaded a photo, written an article, or done anything on the site.

That's it! You've set up your profile and added a few friends! And as veterans of social networking sites know...the more friends you have, the better a person you are.  Happy hunting!

At Yolisto, we believe that the best way to build an online representation of our community, for newcomers, those who have lived here for years, or for those interested in making the leap into the Yucatan, is through collaboration. There are many, many fantastic bloggers out there, painstakingly documenting the day-to-day of their existence here, with photos, videos, and personal anecdotes.

It got us thinking. What if we could build a site that would harness the collective power of our research, the things we have learned through the course of living here, and the photos and videos we have taken? And what if every single expat living here were to do the exact same thing? We would have an amazing resource for everyone interested in moving to or retiring in the Yucatan.

Yolisto is not the only game in town, when it comes to websites trying to organize the expatriate community here in Mexico. Some of you may remember version 1.0 of Yolisto, which was essentially a Craigslist clone with a few more local features. It was a good start, but buying and selling old futons wasn't enough. There is also the consistently amazing Yucatan Living blog, our own magazine, Dropped In, and the awe-inspiring Merida Insider, whose volumes upon volumes of information can't be matched anywhere online.

With Yolisto, our entry into the expat community online world, we want to establish a complete resource for anyone interested in moving to the area, as well as sophisticated features for those of us already here to meet and connect. Through video sharing, photo sharing, event planning, real-time chat and instant messaging, blog-like articles and discussion, as well as the classified ads that were such a major part of the original site. In short, if you want to know what's going on in our community, we hope Yolisto will be the website you visit.

All guests are welcomed with open arms in the Yucatan, and so it will be on Yolisto. There is no question too complex or too basic, and even if we've heard it a thousand times, we'll give you the answer. Stick around, and I think you'll find our online community to be one of the friendliest around.

Now, let's have some fun.

Tags: Yucatan Community Design Sitenews