We first met Job Ramses Camacho through a friend of his at a local computer store. I love his name--what a wonderful combination of two ancient traditions, Biblical and Egyptian.
Job is a local architect who works with his partner Antonio Perez here in Puerto Peñasco. We expressed interest in seeing some of his work, and so he arranged to take us on a tour the next day. He brought along his fiancée, Hilda, a beautiful and intelligent young woman who is an architecture student at the University of Baja California in Mexicali. When they are married, they will share their profession as well as their personal lives.
Job first took us to see Keno's, the newly completed building on Calle 13 near Plaza las Glorias that will house a convenience store and a fast food restaurant on the lower level and a more formal restaurant on the upper level. The building looked good, solidly built with finishing details well executed.
Job showed us a house he is building in Las Conchas. It's a two-story design with parking underneath. In addition to the usual views of the sea from the front windows, this home featured equally beautiful views of the mountains from the windows of the master bedroom.
Job's most ambitious project is the new building for a restaurant and bar to be called Latitude 31.(We learned that this is the official latitude for Puerto Peñasco.) It's up on the hill to the left just after Blvd. Juarez turns west to go to the Old Port. This building is still under construction and is really impressive. Built on 2 levels, it has lots of space and views of the city and harbor from the windows on 3 sides of the upper level. There will be an immense bar, the longest in the city. We certainly want to visit this bar when it opens, which won't be for several more months.
We went to see Job again the next time we were in Puerto Peñasco. This time we found out more about his family and his background. His office is on a side street, behind his father's store, Galindo's on Ave. Campeche. We talked to Galindo while we were waiting for Job. We found out he has been a resident of Puerto Peñasco for 45 years and has had the shop for 17. It's a snack shop, with soft drinks, candies, chips, and similar items. We watched Galindo wait on one customer, a very young girl, and could immediately see why he is successful. He had just the right mixture of business-like manner, concern, and humor to put her at ease and help her get what she wanted.
Galindo and his wife Leoby have 5 children, 3 boys and 2 girls, who live in such places as Culiacán, Hermosillo, and Reno, Nevada. One daughter is still in high school. Galindo was a butcher for 14 years and then a manager for Corona beer for 16 years. He opened the store at its current site in 1983 and expanded it 5 years ago. Leoby worked at the City Hall for many years, but she is also a professional tailor and couturiere. Job says she can make anything out of fabric.
Job learned English in high school and has had chances to practice it in his father's store, waiting on American customers. He also has good friends who are Norteamericanos and learned a lot of English from them. Once when he was staying at their house, he found that there was no fork at his place. He didn't know the word for fork, and when they asked him why he wasn't eating, he couldn't tell them. When they finally realized what he needed, he learned a word he will never forget.
Family and reputation are very important to Job. He said to us, "My father made my reputation." Now, of course, he has to live up to it. His mother taught him not to be afraid to take risks. To be best, you have to take risks, she always said, and she wants him to be best. She says, "I can't believe in anyone if they don't believe in my sons."
One of Job's desires as an architect is to be able to take risks with design and materials, but his clients are often more conservative than he is. No doubt, as he does more work and becomes better known in town, he will be able to be more creative.
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