Fresh from Washington, D.C., and on the incoming edge of his three-year U.S. Foreign Service assignment, new press and culture consul Christopher Teal seems poised to apply his considerable abilities here in Guadalajara and in the seven Mexican states in his bailiwick.

When foreigners started arriving in San Miguel in large numbers about 50 years ago, it wasn't uncommon for them to marry Mexicans and to immerse themselves in local culture and traditions.