The month of May brings new things to MEL. Starting with the Cinco de Mayo celebration, which will take place this Saturday during Bingo Night with a taco, bingo and drinks night you won’t want to miss. We’ll also have a new class we believe you’d love to try and wonderful activities during Storytime.

We’d like to take this opportunity to remind you that MEL is open during its regular hours: Monday to Saturday from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM, and in the afternoons on Monday from 7:00 to 9:00 PM, and Wednesday and Friday from 4:00 to 7:00 PM.

This month, we’re adding a little laughter to the mix with a joke!

What do you call a Mexican drowning in mayonnaise?

 Want to know the punchline? You’ll have to check below the ads section to find out!

This Thursday, May 1st, the library will be closed in observance of Labor Day, which is a public holiday in Mexico. We will resume normal hours on Friday, May 2nd. Please consider this when planning your renewals and visits to the library.  Remember, you can return books through the slot in our front door at any time.

 

Join us for a special night of Bingo, on Saturday May 3 from 7:00 to 9:00 PM.  This festive edition features margaritas & tacos for sale.

This is how we play bingo:

Buy your bingo booklet of five cards for only $150 pesos. Each card has a color, we will play a different color during each of the five rounds. You can purchase multiple booklets if you want to play more than one card at a time.

We start drawing numbered balls from the bingo cage. Listen to the number and mark it if it’s on your card.

Each round we will play a different way: 5 in line, 4 corners, the letter X, the letter H, full card. Remember to say BINGO! when you win.

The winner gets 50% of the money collected per round, and the remaining 50% goes to support MEL. There may be more than one winner, if so, the money will be split between the number of winners.

Buy your Bingo Booklet and place your taco order online in the MEL Shop.

The Mérida English Library is happy to host this fabulous workshop where moms and their children can participate to enjoy Mother’s Day - Painting Experience with us.

Inspired by the beautiful details of the Yucatecan formal wear - el terno yucateco - we will paint a plant pot, guided by our volunteer Heather Laird, whose pieces you can find scattered around the library, hidden among the bookshelves. Be part of this experience where we will learn painting techniques, facts of the Yucatecan culture, and family stories.

All materials are included, along with a croissant, coffee-based drinks, fruit and orange juice.

Enjoy this artistic activity in the air-conditioned classroom with great music and friends of the library.

Saturday, May 10 from 11:30 to 1:00 pm

Mom’s with a child get a special price when sharing the materials.

$500 pesos per adult

$600 pesos (1 adult + 1 kid)

What time is it? It’s Storytime! 

In May, the stories continue with two special editions. Join us on May 10th for a Mother’s Day Special as we read the book “Gaston” by Kelly Dipucchio and Christian Robinson, and on May 24th for a magical Storytime, receiving a visit from our friends from the Harry Potter Club of Mérida. We will read some stories from the book “The Tales of Beedle the Bard” by J.K. Rowling.  We gather at the patio of MEL to sing a warm-up song, then a volunteer reads a fabulous story for us, and finally, we all participate in an special arts and crafts project called " Make your Own Wizard Wand." You can simply not miss it! 

This is a free program of MEL, and you can register online  

We are wrapping up another successful month of Group Pilates Mat at MEL!  Every month, the Pilates Community continues to grow.  We have watched students come to their first class with no experience and make achievements each week with their consistent practice.  This month, we saw a few students achieve their first "teaser"!  These same students help to welcome the new people to the community and provide words of encouragement.  If you haven't made it to a Pilates class yet, commit to come this month and see what it's all about!  Classes are held in MEL’s classroom each Friday at 11:00 AM.  Register online in the MEL Shop.

Instructor Richie Poe also has a Private Practice at his studio in Santiago.  Richie is a classically trained, 4th-generation Pilates instructor, certified to teach on all apparatus, with private sessions focused on the reformer and mat. With extensive experience working with a variety of clients—including those recovering from injuries, mature adults, beginners, advanced students, and athletes—each session is tailored to individual needs and abilities.  Richie is currently accepting a limited number of clients.  If you are a MEL Member, you receive preferred pricing as a benefit of your membership.  Your first session is always free.  Contact Richie directly to get your first session scheduled!  

Email richiepoe@gmail.com

WhatsApp +1-202-415-0646   

Join us for 75-minute yin yoga sessions based on the Seven Chakras. In weekly sessions, we will explore the meaning of each chakra and do gentle yoga to activate each chakra individually. The movements are slow and suit every level, from beginners to advanced yogis. This type of yoga focuses primarily on awareness, getting into the body and breath, while at the same time working towards gentle stretches. If you want to destress, find inner balance and tranquility, this is the right yoga class for you.

Julia is a certified yoga teacher (200h) focusing on Yin Yoga and Restorative Yoga. Her approach to yoga is not about the posture alone but about the union of breath, self-awareness and finding back into the body.

Her wish is to create a safe, grounded space where individuals can shift from overthinking to truly feeling—rediscovering the balance between body and mind as the foundation for holistic well-being.Julia’s yoga style is designed for EVERY BODY. She offers alternatives for poses that might be difficult due to injuries, stiffness or for people who have never tried yoga before. It is a moving meditation that helps to get back into the body and out of the head. Therefore, no prior experience is needed.

So, whether you are a complete beginner on the mat or an experienced yogi, you are more than welcome in her classes. All you need is a mat (yoga mat or sports mat) and yourself.

Julia has planned seven weekly sessions beginning on May 19 starting at 9:15 AM.  Register online in the MEL Shop.

 

Tai Chi classes with Mónica González will be taking a break in May. But don’t worry—if you enjoy her classes, Mónica will be back starting June 3rd, following her regular schedule on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. in the air-conditioned room at MEL. Mónica offers 8 classes per month for 500 pesos, or if you prefer, you can pay for individual classes at 100 pesos each. You can now register at our MEL SHOP.

Conversaciones con Amigos is an activity for English and Spanish practice that takes place every Monday 7 to 9 PM on the patio.No matter the level, join us for practicing conversation, meet new people, and make more friends! Do you want to be a host? Read more here

If you are a teacher and would like to visit MEL with your class, don’t hesitate to contact us! Join our school visit program—we have available dates from April to June. Please check the complete information and requirements here.

Join fellow amateur writers at MEL for prose and poetry readings.  We’ll gather in the MEL classroom on May 20 starting at 6:15 PM to share ten-minute excerpts of our work.  This is a once-a-month meeting, and the next event will be on June 17.  Visit our website for more information.

The Spanish Lessons at MEL continue during the months of May and June. Visit MEL on Wednesdays and Fridays and jump in the ongoing courses in the air conditioned classroom.

4:00 pm Basic Intermediate Spanish Level 2

5:00 pm Intermediate Spanish Level 3

We invite you to take a free trial class, and then you can register for a month ($800 pesos) or two months ($1200 pesos). Materials are included. 

Are you interested in English lessons? Meet Casa de las Rieles and enroll in your program of choice https://meridaenglishlibrary.com/asesoras-de-idiomas-mrida?rq=aseso# 

If you have more questions about the class, your level or the program, feel free to contact the teacher Alfonso López via Whatsapp +52 999 968 6984 or to asesoriasdeidiomasmerida@gmail.com.

All writers living in Mérida's vicinity, regardless of level of experience, are welcome to attend the Writers Group meetings in the classroom at MEL, alternate Wednesdays, including May 7 and May 21, at 11:00 AM.   Come join other enthusiasts for an exchange of ideas.

AA in English meets every Thursday at 7:00 PM at MEL.

The Fiction & Friends book club will gather on May 29 to discuss Orbital by Samantha Harvey— ideal for readers who appreciate reflective, lyrical explorations of humanity's fragile beauty and existential musings, framed through the lens of everyday life in extraordinary circumstances.

Fiction & Friends meets on the last Thursday of each month starting at 10:00 AM.  Please visit our website for more information or to join the club,

Calling All Lovers of Mother Earth!  Are you ready to do something decisive about climate change? 

The intention of the newly formed Climate Solutions Study Group at MEL is to inspire a growing community of people to actively engage in learning about and supporting climate solutions locally and globally.  We want to do that in smart ways. We want to learn about and address the most crucial issues, like reducing our use of fossil fuels to help the Earth’s atmosphere thrive. We want to advocate for sustainable energies like solar, wind, and water power. We want to ally with local environmental leaders in ways that support the best solutions. We want to contribute meaningfully as guests, residents, and citizens of this beautiful Yucatán. And we want to do this with fun, curiosity, hope, cooperation, and civility.

Join us on May 16 at 11 AM at MEL to contribute your goodwill, skills, and energy to care for our precious collective home: Mother Earth. Please visit our website for more information.

One of MEL’s longtime volunteers ( the nice guy who recreated many missing puzzle pieces) who has also been working closely with the charitable organization Amistad Erie-Yucatan AC.  They run a daily, seven-hour after-school program called Neuva Vida, which provides guidance and education for pre-teen girls who are living just below the poverty line. They are teaching STEM classes, as well as developing the self-esteem, social skills, and attitude necessary to move their families up to the middle class.

There is, as you can imagine, a lot of bureaucracy and compliance requirements to deal with, and a burdensome dependency on donations to support this program.  We’re participating in an effort to raise the funds needed to hire a professional fundraiser for the next year.  They have raised most of the salary, but need an additional US$4,500 to round it out.

You can make a donation through Paypal or Benevity, which often offers corporate matching funds. If you are a Benevity user, search for “yucatan erie amistad”.

If you have questions about the program or this fundraising effort, please send an email to Tim Kolar.

At the recent 2025 Chili Cook-Off event, MEL raised funds to support charitable causes for children. The proceeds have been allocated to MEL’s children and teen collection, as well as to support individual cases of children in vulnerable situations, such as María Fernanda May Sosa.

Marifer is a very sweet girl who has arthrogryposis multiplex congenita, a group of congenital disorders that cause stiffness and contractures in the joints. She is hopeful that the Mérida English Library can help her obtain a wheelchair. 

MEL and Teletón CRIT Yucatán have previously collaborated to support Jorge Munguía, to whom we had the pleasure of delivering the wheelchair he needed. (Read his story here) 

With everyone’s support, we hope to repeat this noble act. The Mérida English Library has designated $7,000 pesos to this cause and our goal is $10,00 pesos. Please consider making a donation to support this cause by using the link below. Our deadline is May 31st.

Link https://www.alcanciadigitalteleton.mx/pagos/0/10770/ayudemos-a-mara-fernanda-may-sosa.html

Jim Rees - Mónica Allen - Brigid Burns - Alvah Hanrahan - Debora Benedict - Janelle Masden - Ricardo González - Thomas Ryan - Bettina Hirschi - Ximena Gallegos - Betty and Tom Barton - Dwight Wagner - Elsa Ortega Ramirez - Itza Mendez - Lisette Rejón - Elizabeth Walser - Tim Culhan - Joan Farrell - Maureen Blackstock - Sandra Sunderlage - Phil Gillete - Larry Peterson.

Download it now