Category: Reflections

This conversation happens a lot in my capoeira academy: Me: “So, where are you from?” Visitor: “I’m from , and I’m visiting Bahia for 3 weeks. What about you?” …

Thanks to the generosity of my BFF, I am now the owner of a two-generations-old iPhone. Okay, so it’s not exactly cutting-edge – but it’s my first smartphone, so …

Your English teacher hates it when you… 1. Constantly mess with your cell phone in class. Unless you are consulting a dictionary app on your phone – which I …

When we Americans hear the word “suburbs,” we picture a comfortable lifestyle with sizable houses, spacious yards, and safe neighborhoods full of two-car families. Not so with the Brazilian …

Another student of mine left for a trip to the U.S. this week – that’s the third one in three months. It evokes a strange blend of emotions in …

Portrait 1 Salvador is a dirty and violent city. I have to clean the house several times a week because of all the grit that blows in from the …

I’ve always heard that men are more oblivious to the presence of dirt than women. That they’ll think nothing of wearing the same underwear for a few days, that …

A lot of people have complicated relationships with their mothers. I’m often amazed by the powerful influence mothers have even on their adult children, whether for good or ill …

A couple weeks ago, I went to get some documents for my visa notarized. In order to avoid long lines, I resolved to arrive at the office exactly when …

While walking down Jaffa Road in Jerusalem, we passed a young man just as he was showing a glimpse of something – rather secretively – to a friend. “Congratulations, …