-
The Mystery of the Selk’nam
Genocide. This is a word that, in today’s environment, conjures up division. For some, the term and its application have strict, defined parameters. Others may find its use as a way to draw attention to a cause. And still, others may simply use the term and apply it to call out any injustice in the…
-
A Glimpse into a Forsaken Land
It’s near sunrise on June 21st, 1532 A.D., in an area known as Ollantaytambo, a large valley in Peru. The sounds of stones being chipped, dragged, polished, and set in place can be heard. Thousands of people are toiling, set in their work – their annual tribute, to create a new structure overlooking the valley…
-
Adventureland: The Final Stop?
“I’m either really stupid or lucky,” I thought to myself. I was on a mountain bike, pedaling my way over the Portachuelo Pass at approximately 15,700 feet, and I hadn’t seen a single soul on this dirt road; outside lone car, and my guide about a 500 meters back, in his old Suziki 4×4. We…
-
Suco do Brasil
“You’re from Brazil? That’s amazing, you’re so lucky, it has such beautiful beaches!” This was the oft-repeated phrase we would hear when I introduced Marilia to people early on in our relationship. Admittedly, I’m surprised these comments weren’t accompanied by descriptions of monkey butlers regaling them with jungle stories. To be fair, and more kind-hearted,…
-
Voltamos: A Brief Interlude
I walked into the Padaria trying to hunt down some primo corn juice, or suco de milho. I have come to love all things corn as a dessert: corn juice, corn popsicles, corn ice cream, corn liqueur, which coincidentally, you can put on ice cream – it’s all delicious. The local corn store was closed…
-
What Bob Dylan taught me about Portuguese, ChatGPT, and the future of creativity
“Your debutante just knows what you need, but I know what you want.” This lyric from Blonde on Blonde has been bouncing around my head over the last week. No, minha esposa and I are not going through a crisis, nor am I feeling existential in my musings, but rather I’ve been thinking about the…
-
Superb Owl & The Globalization of American Culture
“Voce gosta dos Bengals?!” I said to the man in a Bengals hat. “Go 49ers!” He replied, leaving me perplexed. This is a perfect example of NFL culture in Brasil & South America. No allegiance, no knowledge, simply wearing whatever colors you think are cool, and making this author feel like John Madden. ‘Go Team!’…
-
Entry to the Andes
“Colombia is pretty safe, as long as you’re not looking for drugs or prostitutes,” I said to two young men as we waited for our luggage. They sheepishly looked at one another, not saying anything but saying everything. Marilia and I exchanged glances, with a smirk of an eye roll. We were at Viracopos International…
-
Slowly But Surely
“O-bri-ga-do!” “O-bri-ga-da!” At dinner with her parents, Marilia was mimicking the Brazilian and Quebecois women sitting behind us on our flight from Bogota to Sao Paulo who decided that a seven-hour flight that landed at 2:00am was a great place for an impromptu language exchange. Marilia contined – “As mulheres falaram por cinco horas –…
-
AI is Coming for Our Dignity
In the last few weeks, I have begun to dive headfirst into coding in Python and Generative AI. As I have mentioned in previous posts on my language journey, I find that structure and daily repetition are the best ways for me to learn. I’ve also learned, and I cannot stress this enough, that Reddit…
-
Subscribe
Subscribed
Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now.
topagraphy 