Ever have one of those days where it feels like you just can’t do anything right? That you have to scrap everything and just start from zero again? Yeah. Me too. Today was one of those days. I pulled my car to the curb and sighed one of those sighs that wheeze out of your …
Happy International Women’s Day! So why is a male politician talking?
It’s International Women’s Day! Hooray! We don’t celebrate it much in the United States but every Latin-American country I’ve visited takes it really seriously. Good for them! So here I am in a school presentation about how marvelous women are, and I can’t help but think to myself: Why, but WHY, is the airtime today, of …
Happy International Women’s Day! So why is a male politician talking?Read More
When 1 + 1 Doesn’t Equal 2
Oh, these Brazilians do love their English. They’ll put it on anything. Sometimes they like to mix and match. They often have no idea what they’re actually saying. So I had a good chuckle when my very god-fearing in-laws checked in on Facebook at the “Top Less” Restaurant for lunch in São Paolo. oh. MY. It’s funny …
The Reza
We went to a Reza last night. What’s a Reza? It’s an old, old Brazilian tradition. I discovered that this particular one has been going on for over fifty years. Rezar means “to pray,” so I guess you could translate it as a “prayer circle.” But if you’re from the US you probably haven’t ever seen a …
Saturday Night Cruisin’
Saturdays are tough, man. It’s the day where our week SHOULD be ended, but we both drag ourselves through one.more.day. In our little town, it’s the day that all the folks come in from the hills to sell their vegetables at the market and run their errands. So Mr. Crônicas has to open the store, come hell …
Elevator Talk
They were all waiting for the elevator: a businessman, a young man and his stylish wife. Three in a row, all staring at their cell phones. The young man sighed and reached out to impatiently tap the “Up” button again. The tall, thin Steve Buschemi look-alike in the business suit looked up. “It’s on strike,” …
Racial Panels and a Drop of Blood
I have this cringeworthy memory where I’m pretty sure I offended a whole roomful of people of color repeatedly. I mean, it’s one of those really bad memories where it flashes back and I mentally go: “LA-LA-LA-I-CAN’T-HEAR-YOU. LA-LA-LA-I’M-STILL-A-GOOD-PERSON-SO-GO-AWAY-LA-LA-LA-LAAAAA!!” Sigh. It’s an “oops!” memory of Epic Proportions. All of us probably have them (well… everyone except maybe Donald Trump, …
Zika Madness
I get a lot of questions from people in the States about how people here in Brazil are dealing with all the Zika craziness. Americans are absolutely freaking out about the problem. And Brazilians? My answer always is: “They shrug.” It’s true. Ask any average Brazilian their opinion about Zika, and they’ll lift their shoulders …
Bucket Brigade
We have endless water at the farm. Most of the time. It’s a true luxury. It runs day and night, and we do our best to route it to the most useful places so that its abundance isn’t wasted. It’s easy to be casual about it, because if it isn’t used it just means that …
