I Love My Work
dated 2009-12-15 | posted in columns | topic Culture | permanent link
Either Lisbon has changed, or I have. And I doubt if it’s the latter. Two days ago I went downtown for some holiday shopping in the Amoreiras Shopping Center, one of my favorites. I confess that I don’t get to the capital nearly s much as I should. Lisbon has all kinds culture, much more plentiful than in the sunny seaside of Cascais. My first stop came at the newly remodeled Cais do Sodré train station where I saw a well mounted exhibition of th ...
The NEW Portugal
dated 2009-10-09 | posted in columns | topic Culture | permanent link
Times are Changing
I call it the “ New” Portugal. If you have lived here for more than 10 years, or maybe even fewer, you must notice the changes too. Customer service is better, communication wider, culture abundant, and the range of services and goods greater. Portugal feels more modern. For example, in April 2008, Clinica Cuf opened in Cascais (www. saudecuf.pt). The facility contains five floors, 150 physicians, 30 nurses, and a ...
Cascais Grows Up
dated 2009-09-22 | posted in columns | topic Culture | permanent link
When I was young in bland Baltimore, Maryland, I used to tell my Mom, “It’s boring here. There’s nowhere to go.” Sometimes I felt the same about Cascais. I’m not a beach person and hate the malls. I longed for the bookshops of Paris and concerts on Sunday afternoons. Now, with the opening of the 3.6 million € Paula Rego Museum, Casa das Histórias , paid for entirely by the Cascais Camâra, there´s nothing to complain about. It opened ...
China Bound
dated 2009-07-03 | posted in columns | topic Culture | permanent link
China on My Mind
The dusty second grade classroom of the Guang Primary School in Xian, China overflowed with forty-five children. All had chairs but some had to share desks. When six of us from our Overseas Adventure Travel group (www.oattravel.com) walked into the room, the children stood up and stared. I asked the teacher, who spoke to us through our bi-lingual trip leader, if the kids had ever seen Europeans or Amerians before.
“Only o ...
Outliers
dated 2009-06-02 | posted in columns | topic Culture | permanent link
Não é Possivel?
Malcolm Gladwell is a bushy haired, brilliant, British and American journalist best known for his blockbuster non-fiction book, Blink. In it he explores how intuition works in a split second of inspiration and certainty. His book confirmed my life’s experience: in a “blink” I decided to become a teacher, move to Portugal, create the Pinetree Project and marry Don.
His most recent book, Outliers fascinates me even mor ...
Grey Matter Group
dated 2008-09-07 | posted in columns | topic Culture | permanent link
We’ll call ourselves “The Grey Matter Group.” Six of us will meet monthly to discuss articles from journals, newspapers, books and reputable websites. The topics will range from science to finance, education to government. Hopefully, by the end of our meetings, we’ll emerge more enlightened than when we began.
The idea for the group evolved spontaneously over lunch one summer afternoon at the Guia. Mary expressed her angst: “Portugal’ ...
The Paris Blues
dated 2008-07-30 | posted in columns | topic Culture | permanent link
I don’t expect sympathy. Let me stay with my melancholy commemorated in my poorly composed song devised the first night home after my recent trip:
I‘ve got the Paris Blues
But it’s no use
Cuz I’m in Cascais
And It’s real nice
But it ain’t Paree
Oh, dear, dear me
I’ve got the Paris Blues…
After several scintillating weeks in Paris I flew home to Lisbon leaving behind the shimmering Eiffel tower ( now ensconced in bl ...
Madame Butterfly
dated 2008-04-13 | posted in columns | topic Culture | permanent link
A Tale of Two Tickets
After 17 years of living in Portugal, I’m beginning to feel more at home here than I ever did in the USA. That’s why I reacted so strongly when our monthly book club conversation drifted from discussing Doris Lessing’s work to the Portuguese people. I felt my back tighten as one of the women, an ex-pat here of many years too, started in with the “ we” and “they” comments.
“ They never invite us over,” s ...
Trailing Spouse
dated 2007-12-10 | posted in columns | topic Culture | permanent link
Last weekend I was the “trailing spouse. “In case you’re not familiar with that somewhat pejorative expression, it refers to the partner of the spouse who travels, moves or works away from the home. And the other tags along.
Don had a stamp exhibition in London where he and 5 other Americans competed against 6 “Brits”. The show lasted only one very full day but the weekend included dinners, a West End comedy and other social and profes ...
The Empty Bench
dated 2007-10-23 | posted in columns | topic Culture | permanent link
Two weeks ago, while we were walking through my friend’s upscale condominium complex in a suburb of Washington D.C., she spotted a former neighbor. Gabriella had been living in Paris for two years and was now back home to resume her job in the US.
“ John,” She said. “I’m so glad to see you…and surprised. I thought you and Carolyn had moved away from here.”
“Yes,” he relied haltingly with his head drooped down into his book. ...
Il Conference Barcelona
dated 2007-09-11 | posted in columns | topic Culture | permanent link
On the Road Again
I’d been home from Paris for only eight days when I had to pack my bags and leave Cascais again. That was the last thing I wanted to do. But I’d made a commitment months ago to speak in Barcelona at International Living’s ( www.internationalliving.com) “Live and Prosper in Europe Seminar” , and I’m someone who honors my obligations. Plus, this was my first time working for the highly successful company that promo ...
Welcome Home
dated 2007-08-27 | posted in columns | topic Culture | permanent link
After 56 days of murky skies, frigid days and frosty nights, plus more rain in Paris than we had all last winter in Portugal, Don and I packed our clothes, cleaned up the 16th arrondisement apartment we had rented, prepared our two dogs for the long ride home and drove back to Portugal… two and a half weeks earlier than we had intended. Leaving Paris early would have been unthinkable, even heretical for me several years ago. It was my mecca, ...
Sunday at the Café Solferino
dated 2007-08-07 | posted in columns | topic Culture | permanent link
Paris… When I told family and friends that we would be spending the summer in Paris, many responded similarly: “Paris is beautiful, but what about the French people?” And I always answered the same way. “I have no problems with ‘The French’.” At least not until last week.
Our saga started last weekend when Don and I decided to have lunch on a Sunday afternoon. With France’s 35- hour work week, cafés typically close on “the d ...