Solstice Feast with Friends

Last week Rico and I were invited to a Midsummer's celebration at the house of new friends of ours here in Point Richmond. Lars is a labyrinth maker (what a cool profession, right?) and community organizer who I've been working closely with on Point to Point Richmond. Lars has Swedish heritage, and together with his fiancee Lissette, prepared an amazing solstice meal for us, complete with traditional foods (seed bread, smoked trout, pickles, salmon), seasonal decorations, and floral crowns. It was a great night, and it's exciting to have friends our age here in town!

Algarve

First impressions: Before coming to Portugal, the Algarve was the region I most wanted to visit. I envisioned sandy beaches, lingering Moorish influence, and a quiet, somewhat isolated place of natural beauty. This Algarve does exist, but it certainly wasn't the case of Portimão, the town where we stayed. Portimão was tacky, overbuilt, and the absolute definition of a tourist trap. For the "other Algarve" head up the Costa Vincentina and stop off at the small surfer beaches and quiet towns.

Tourism wins: We stayed in a very beautiful hotel, the Bela Vista Hotel & Spa, at one end of Praia da Rocha (visually the hotel was out of this world...but so was the sense of entitlement and snobbishness surrounding the other guests). Driving around the other parts of the Algarve was fantastic, and we discovered the little town of Salema where we'll most certainly stay if we ever go back. We also visited many other hole-in-the wall towns, stunning beaches with cliffs that reminded me of the Cape of Good Hope or California's Highway 1, and had a lot of fun driving aimlessly along back roads and tractor trails, just checking out the scenery (we had an old GPS, so this may or may not have been on purpose!).

Fails: Ugh, Portimão in general was a fail, at least for me. If you are in your late teens/early 20's, are from a place with no beaches or sun, are in need of cheap and plentiful alcohol, and are single...then maybe Portimão would be an exciting destination. Otherwise, steer clear. It's tacky, tacky, tacky.

If you go there do this: Visit Salema, with its perfect little beach somewhat protected from the wind (wind is a big thing in the Algarve, so strong and constant that it makes going to the beach impossible in many places).

Food and drink highlights: The family-run restaurant called U Venáncio, just along the river near the old bridge in Portimão. Perfect food, and you really feel at home. They grill fresh fish on charcoal, have house-made desserts, and the girl who waits the tables is really nice.

Interesting observations: Portimão really caters to tourists from the UK. It seems like every other tourist we saw was either British or Irish. Makes sense, as it's probably one of the closest and cheapest warm beach destinations for them to visit...although the Algarve in late May wasn't exactly tropical! Anyhow, English is spoken everywhere and it is a really easy destination even if you don't speak the language.

A selection of photos below...

This Tropical Life

April Showers Bring...May Showers.

I wish it would stop raining. We've had an atypically wet winter and spring here at Casa Cali and, while we're grateful for the full reservoirs and reduced fire danger, I find myself longing for sun and warmer temperatures. I am happier when it feels like summer outside, no question.

At least one upside to all this rain is that it makes for easier gardening. Rico and I are still waging a war on weeds, blackberry and ivy, those overly aggressive inhabitants of our backyard. We're making progress, though. We just covered a large portion of the big hill with a layer of weed-block fabric, burlap and bark chips. Hopefully it will do the trick and that part of the garden will remain clean.

We watched the final match of the Champion's League this morning with A. and D., a couple we've become friends with. He's a fanatic Barcelona supporter and a hilarious heckler, so it made for a really good time.

Later in the afternoon, Rico and I took the cats to the vet for a checkup. Never my favorite thing to do. Going to the vet stresses me out so much, I feel almost as worn out as the cats do once we are finished. Everyone seemingly has a clean bill of health, so we're hopefully good for another year.

We have a fire going in the fireplace this evening, complete with red wine and a game or two of Scrabble. Hard to believe given that it's Memorial Day Weekend, a holiday I associate with sundresses, barbecues and pool parties. Still, not a bad proposition at all...

Self-Portrait with Taro Fields

Kaua'i

The last time we were on this rainy island was 14 years ago. I was a teenager, upset that the rental car company wouldn't let me drive even though I had my license already in New Mexico, interested in, as my mom remembers it, virgin piña coladas and clothes shopping. Not that I was shallow, just 15.

To be fair, I do recall being thrilled with those tall, adult-looking drinks and the shops filled with batik-print tops and colorful swimsuits. I remember many other things, too. The rainy day (always the rain, it seems) that we went to the farmers' market and high-stepped through the mud to the stand with the lady with ribbon-entwined braids who gave us samples of breadfruit. The fish taco truck near the river bank, and the endless spotted green of the taro fields in the Hanalei valley. I remember being shocked when my mom picked up a hitchhiker on the side of the island's main road (a harmless-looking hippie college girl from Santa Cruz, but a stranger with her thumb out nonetheless), and the hundreds of miniature shells you could find among the grains of sand if you just looked hard enough and trained your eyes to see the right shapes.

I don't remember that we'd vacationed here three times previously, not two. I don't remember quite as many chickens (they are everywhere, and lay the most delightful pale blue and reddish-beige eggs), or that there was ever a threat of flash floods as a result of so. much. torrential. rain. I don't remember there being so many sophisticated restaurants, or such an emphasis on local, sustainably grown food. Then again, my eyes were focused on different things back in 1997, I suppose, and nobody's memory is infallible.

What began as a tradition of mother-daughter vacations has now evolved into mother-daughter-Rico. Plus a husband or plus a son-in-law, depending on whose perspective. We were all in need of a vacation, some of us more desperately than others, but all definitely due for some time away from the weight of our obligations and routines.

This morning, our first full day on Kaua'i, we all went for a run towards Tunnels Beach. It was early, enough so that the sun was just beginning to scorch and mothers were still waiting with their children by the roadside for the school bus to pass. My mom, Rico and I ran in a line, our heavy breath and pounding footsteps broken only by the occasional rooster's cackling or the friendly aloha-good-morning of a fellow jogger. It felt communal, cleansing, satisfying. The perfect start to a holiday.

Rio-Style New Year's at Casa Cali

This year Rico and I decided to combine traditions and do a Rio-influenced Reveillon on the beach here at Casa Cali, joined by my mom and several neighbors. We wore white, or as close to white as possible given the constraints of a winter wardrobe, threw roses and agapanthus lilies into the ocean with shouted wishes for 2011, lit incense, and had a champagne toast at sunset. What a fantastic way to ring in the new year.

My wish? (Well one of them, at least.)

That we've started a tradition.

Happy 2011, everyone. May it be the best year yet.

Holidays

I am so grateful to be on winter break, although it hasn't really hit me yet that school is over and I can kick back and relax. Rico and I took one what we swear will be our last agricultural development consulting assignment, so the day after school was finished I had to get on the computer and write about program objectives and how to measure the impact of of our client's project in Mozambique. I've also been busy with holiday jewelry orders, which makes me very happy.

My plan for the next few days is to make some jewelry for myself, clean and organize my studio/office, read a book, do some gardening and in general just try to de-stress. The last two weeks of school really did a number on me, and I'm aware that I need to pamper myself a bit in order to be ready for the next semester.

Holiday Jewelry Giveaway

Hello lovelies,

To celebrate the holidays, I've decided to gift these luxe trade bead earrings to one lucky reader.


Subtle, unique and with just the right amount of sparkle, these earrings feature a pair of 300-year-old Mozambique Island trade beads flanked by pea green Swarovski pearls and faceted yellow quartz globes. They are connected with sterling silver wire and hang just over 2.5" (6.4cm) including sterling ear wires.

It took me over a year to find a matching pair of these clear trade beads, which were originally made in Bohemia and then brought to Africa to use as currency. Due to dozens of shipwrecks over the centuries, many of these old beads wash up on the shores of Mozambique Island, where they are collected and strung on fishing line by local boys. The strands are full of mismatched beads, and it is very difficult to find (nearly) identical pairs.

Contest Rules:

To enter the giveaway, simply submit a Contact Form on the Alexandra Amaro website and tell me what you are most looking forward to this holiday season.

Everyone who sends me a message using the Contact Form between Dec. 1st-5th will be entered in the drawing. On Dec. 6th, I will have Rico draw the winning name from a hat.

The winner will receive these earrings gift wrapped and in time for Christmas. Yes, I will ship internationally. No, I will not fill your inbox with spam and unwanted junk. You can expect an email newsletter from me quarterly at most.

Happy holidays, and best of luck to all!

Cinco de Mayo con Julieta

Tonight Rico and I are going to see Julieta Venegas' concert in Oakland. I am super excited, as she is one of my favorite artists and I've never had the chance to see her play live. Even better is that the concert hall is just a block from BART, so no need to drive or be paranoid about enjoying a beer or two.

Here are a couple of my favorite songs by Julieta Venegas. Wish y'all were here to join us!

Holiday Spirit

I'm not particularly into the holidays. I think it's because most of my Christmasses for the past decade or so have been spent in tropical splendor (or at least in Maputo, or on a plane on my way to tropical splendor). Being from New Mexico, I associate Christmas with cold weather, snow, luminarias, bizcochitos, fireplaces with piñon wood, posole, tamales, real Christmas trees and presents on Christmas morning. It seems that without those triggers, the holidays didn't feel "real".

I remember the first time I spent the holidays in the Southern Hemisphere. It was 1997 and I was living in Maringá, Paraná in Brasil. My host family had taken me to the beach in Santa Catarina state, and we celebrated with the traditional midnight dinner on December 24th (in this case, on the roof of the resort town's tallest apartment building), lots of drinking, card playing and samba dancing. There wasn't really a gift exchange, which made me feel a bit like the odd one out since I'd prepared a little something for each member of the family. Most of Christmas Day was spent sleeping, then when the effects of the previous night's festivities had worn off, we all went to the beach. It was so incredibly un-Christmaslike that I was actually quite sad.

At some point over the last 12 years, I got over it.

I suppose I spent so many Christmasses on a plane by myself (always the cheapest day to travel over winter break, and every year from 1997 - 2002 I went back to Brasil for the end of the year) that the absence of a holiday tradition ceased to matter. Holidays were in my head, were easily celebrated on off-days whenever family was together, and many times simply involved a phone call or small dinner celebration. I wasn't sad anymore at the absence of a traditional New Mexico Christmas, but I also ceased to get into the spirit that much.

Now that Rico and I are in Casa Cali, back in the "cold" weather and the land of the Christmas-obsessed, we've tried to resurrect some of the holiday excitement. We had grand plans to buy a Christmas tree - a live one with a root ball, of course, to be kept on the deck semi-undecorated until planting time thanks to our cats (they'd be up in the tree and knocking off all of my precious family ornaments in no time were it left indoors as a "present" to them) - but that just didn't happen. We had other priorities, I suppose, and got busy with things like work and driving a van full of furniture back from New Mexico. So no tree this year...

However we did manage to muster up a bit of Christmas festiveness: we bough red chile lights, and fully plan to put them somewhere visible before the actual holiday has passed. That, and I plan to bake a bazillion Christmas cookies to give as default gifts to our extended family and neighbors.

The big Christmas present, however, was one that Rico and I agreed would be our one and only gift to each other (we're not really into exchanging presents à la US tradition). We purchased a Sonos, a fabulous music system for Casa Cali that allows us to listen to whatever we want in different rooms. Music was definitely one of the things missing in our life (we sold our iPods and speakers prior to leaving Maputo), and we couldn't be happier now that we have a soundtrack available for working, cooking and entertaining. Amazingly, I actually listened to holiday music the other day: a Baroque Christmas, unearthed from my huge collection of classical cd's. Baby steps to full holiday spirit, I suppose. Baby steps...

Thanksgiving

This year I am thankful for many things, not the least of which that I was able to spend this most lovely of American holidays surrounded by family, a rarity with our geographically scattered lot. This year we spent Thanksgiving in Frisco, Colorado in a beautiful cabin in front of a nearly-frozen river, taking walks in the frigid air and enjoying the view of snow-capped mountains all around us.

It was really nice to be with family, but I have to confess that part of me longed to be back in Maputo to be able to enjoy the Thanksgiving tradition we established there. We'd cook a traditional turkey dinner for about 30-35 people each year, and let me tell you, the logistics of tracking down a turkey in Maputo without dropping $100 isn't that easy. I was always in charge of that part of the meal, and the logistical adventures were plentiful.

Two years ago, I couldn't find a turkey in Maputo to save my life (other than the horrendously overpriced ones at Talho Polana and SuperMares), so I gave money to a colleague at Hugh Marlboro's banana empire, who gave the money to a friend who was going to Johannesburg. That person then gave the money to an auntie who bought two frozen turkeys, only to pass them off to someone else who was taking the overnight bus back to Maputo. I got a call around 7am from an unknown number two days before Thanksgiving saying could I please go down to the bus station, that there was a package waiting for me. I sent Zeca, the taxi driver, who arrived at our flat with two completely thawed turkeys in plastic grocery bags. The person who had brought them on the bus had neglected to put them on ice, or even in a cool box. The turkeys were still somewhat cold to the touch, so I decided to cook them anyway and taste them myself prior to serving to the Thanksgiving crowd. I figured that if I got ill, then we'd have roast chicken or matapa or some alternate main dish for the holiday. If I didn't get sick, then I'd serve the two turkeys and simply not tell anyone of their thawed adventure on the bus until well after the meal was over. In fact, this is the first some people are hearing of the story, I imagine. I'm happy to report that Thanksgiving 2007 did not involve any food poisoning, and all were treated to two beautifully cooked, tasty turkeys. :)

Last year there was drama as well, of course. I ran out of cooking gas halfway through turkey #2, prompting Dona Lidia to run to the outdoor market near our house and haul a new canister home balanced carefully on the top of her head. On the heels of that fiasco, the gas ran out at K and M's house, so Rico dashed home and hoisted our new gas canister on his head and brought it over to save the day in their kitchen.

It was a very special tradition, our Maputo Thanksgivings. Somehow we always managed to get all of the traditional foods on the table - turkey, cranberries, stuffing, giblet gravy, sweet potatoes, green beans, mashed potatoes and pies galore - as well as some great multi-cultural contributions from our guests. Only a couple of us were actually from the US, but somehow everyone got into the spirit of the holiday and pitched in to make a great meal happen.

My favorite part both years was the spontaneous prayer circle that happened in the kitchen prior to serving the food. People from 20 different countries or so joined hands and said a few words about how thankful we were for the family we'd found amongst our newfound friends in Maputo, how nice it was to feel at home and part of a tradition despite being so far away from our own relatives and holiday celebrations. It was really special, something I will never forget.

This Pagan Life

After having spent the bulk of the day translating the most boring document I've ever encountered (Small Grants Management Policies and Procedures Manual), I'm about ready to kick up my heels and join Maputo's finest Scots for a Beltane celebration.

I am going as a White Lady (or so my friend Helen has instructed me), which involves a white dress, a red sash, flowers and greenery in the hair, and a white face with great, dramatic makeup. I am doing the makeup for my girlfriends (several other White Ladies and a May Queen), and honestly can't wait to party.

Watch this space for some great photos sometime next week.

The Chicory Way

All I wanted was a nice, strong coffee. Espresso, preferrably.

We were pleasantly tired from a long weekend at Tofo, and had a six hour drive ahead of us back to Maputo. We'd heard good things about a litte breakfast spot in Inhambane city, however it being a Sunday (and the end of a holiday at that), nearly everything was closed. We searched for Verdinho, but no luck. We drove by Maçaroca, only to be greeted by iron bars across the door. Finally, we settled for the only open place we could find in the city: Tic Tac snack bar.

I must say, I can't give old Tic Tac a rave review. The only other patrons were beyond drunk at 10am, and still pounding the beers (perhaps this should have been a clue as to what we could expect from the place). They argued passionately but aimlessly, as only the inebriated can do. I snickered to myself as they discussed with slurred voices whether or not one's Mother is mere family or, in fact, closer to God.

The waiter finally came around, and we had some severe lost in translation moments. For a while, I thought it was our accents, with each person at the table speaking a different version of Portuguese (brasileiro, portunhol, gringo-total). After a while, we agreed that the difficulties were, in fact, not language-related. The guy was simply quite thick - or perhaps recovering from a massive night of drinking - either one a plausible scenario.

We asked for coffee, and after many attempts back and forth, the waiter finally understood what we wanted. However, instead of a strong cup of brewed bliss, we received a pitcher of hot water, a rusted can of Ricoffy and a tin of leite condensado. There was a plastic lid over the condensed milk that looked to be cultivating some mold, but I chose to ignore the moist greenish spots. I needed the stuff to make the Ricoffy palatable. Of all the foods/beverages I've tried in Mozambique, Ricoffy is most certainly in my top five most despised.

Still, coffee is coffee, even when it comes in dehydrated granular form and is mixed with chicory and potentially spoiled milk. I drank away, as did my travel companions, trying to ignore the desire to gag.

Something about the experience left me oddly satisfied, as if the disappointment of the coffee and frustratingly slow waiter magnified that which was beautiful about the moment. I was among friends, the taste of the sea still on my lips. I was surrounded by faded colonial architecture and blue skies. Stress had melted away over the course of the weekend, and I'd done much reflection on the fact that Rico and I are fast approaching the end of an era with our September departure from Mozambique, and how the prospect of finite goodbyes actually spurs me to fully enjoy every remaning moment of the experience.

What importance could possibly be held in a stale-sweet cup of Ricoffy and lamentable service? It was a good reminder about not taking things for granted, not setting expectations. Deixe andar. Seja o que for. Venha o que vier. Increasingly, I am convinced this is a key mindset to finding happiness.

Friends, Felines and Férias

A few photos from our life these days...

My childhood friend Hallie and her friend Cheryl came to visit over the holidays, fresh off working on the Obama campaign. We kicked things off with the requisite meal at Costa do Sol.

We also showed them a braai, in good South African style. We had a great afternoon with swimming, meat, wine and karaoke.

The food was delicious - the right mix of spicy and sweet, perfect for summer.

While the girls were here, we took them to the beach at Macaneta. It was a beautiful day, full of sun, with just a touch of wind to keep things comfortable. At one point, we spotted something strange wash up on shore. Upon closer inspection, it was a turtle shell. The insides were definitely rotten, but it was super interesting to have a look at the turtle nonetheless.

We spent New Year's in Maputo, which was pretty low-key compared to previous years in San Francisco, Rio and Cape Town. Still, we had a good time celebrating with friends. I wore white, holding up the Brazilian tradition, but was definitely not in the majority...

Hallie and Cheryl enjoy some champagne in our living room prior to hitting the town.

Ready to be out with the old, and in with the new!

Happy 2009!! (Though I must say, this toast was deceptively early. This was still around 10pm, prior to going out, though we were ready to kick things off with style.)

Onto other news, I realized yesterday marked the 2-month anniversary of Parceiro's death. It seems like it was a year ago. So strange how time works when you suffer a loss. Rico and I think of him often, and how he must be enjoying himself in the land of fleece and treats.

Much of Parceiro's spirit has been captured in our little ones, Mano and Nina. Here we are - the entire cat fam - enjoying some tv on the bed. Pria continues to be a stellar momma cat, keeping the kittens clean and sleeping with them in a protective heap. It is incredibly cute. :)

Holiday Musings

- It was a funny holiday. It seemed very short, and very surreal. We didn't do much in terms of traditional celebrations (no tree, no wrapped gifts, no travel, no family), so I'm sure that contributed to it. Still...it was a bit of a weird one.

- I made a list prior to going on vacation of all the things I wanted to do. I accomplished about 1/4 of them, though it wasn't really that type of list where you must tick off each little thing. What they say about lists is true - keep a master list full of dreams and large-scale goals, then make smaller ones that are actually feasible for a day, a holiday, etc.

- Regardless, we did managed to go to the beach at Macaneta, go to the pool at Terminus, buy new sheets and towels, and go to Núcleo de Arte to see local paintings and sculptures.

- Maputo isn't the easiest place to have end-of-year guests, as most of the restaurants and tourist attractions are closed for the holiday season.

- Nearly a week of solid rain during said holiday season makes it even more difficult to entertain in the city.

- Despite all the challenges, it is still possible to have a great time with out-of-town visitors. You just have to enjoy drinking.

- The owners of Dolce Vita are keen businesspeople. They were just about the only bar in town consistently open. We had Christmas Eve nightcaps on the verandah there, despite the rain.

- I believe it is the first time in my life I've actually gone out for a drink on Christmas. Perhaps it will become a tradition.

- Speaking of Christmas, I learned (to my embarrassment) that it is a Christmas tree and the act of physically wrapping a stack of gifts that triggers me to remember my Dad's birthday on December 29th. As we did "virtual" presents this year - all ordered online and shipped without us seeing them - I didn't realize that something was missing until much too late. I feel terrible, but my Dad is being quite a good sport about the whole situation, saying that technically this means he is still 62 and not 63, and that perhaps he can do his own take on "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button".

- I will not forget next year, no matter where we are or how we celebrate.

- As for celebrations, Maputo is a bit of a dud as far as New Year's is concerned. Maybe it's because I've had the privilege of passing Reveillon in Rio and San Francisco, two of the most fun cities ever as far as these things go.

- I did wear white, though. At least one tradition managed to creep through!

- We went to a house party, then tried to go out dancing. Coconuts, the only nightclub that was open (and not charging US$90 for a package dinner/dance thing), was completely empty and nonetheless charging $40 per person to get in the door, with no drink credits. I wouldn't pay that to get into most clubs, much less Coconuts! We milled around the parking lot a bit, drove around searching for something else to do, then got frustrated and went home.

- Along the way, we got into a bit of a stressful situation with some acquaintances. I won't go into it, but suffice to say it's crystal clear who "nossa gente" is here in Moz, and who isn't. Again, the fact that Rico and I are not part of any of the usual expat cliques/crowds here is very apparent.

- I am not at all sad about this.

- However, I could do with having some more good Mozambican friends. I know that quality is much preferrable to quantity - at least it is in my book - but it always surfaces during party times and holidays (and when we have guests) that we don't have that many local friends. We do have a few - and they are good ones - but it is complicated. I've hashed over many times in my mind the reasons I believe are behind this, and it is pretty damn complex.

- Still, it is what it is. I'm over trying to overcompensate and force friendships, and I'm also over believing that just because we have a few local friends and are mostly loners here, we aren't having an "authentic" experience in Mozambique.

- I think with each year that passes, I become more of a loner.

- Cats, however, always cheer me up and keep me wonderful company. Especially little 9-week black and white ones, and a big black boy-cat who makes the funniest meows ever.

- As does my husband (not that there is any order to this list). It was wonderful to spend our first Christmas and New Year's together, despite the somewhat anti-climactic nature of it all.

- I didn't make any specific resolutions for 2009. The principal theme that occurred to me is that I want to be a better person than in 2008. I want to be a better wife, a better professional, a better friend, a better daughter, a better cook, a better writer, a better dancer, a better citizen of this world. Not because what I do now is insufficient or unsatisfying; I want to be better in the sense that I want to learn from my mistakes, take risks, reach new heights.

- I am fundamentally happy in Maputo, with our life as it is at this very moment, though sometimes I am at a loss to explain exactly why. We are far from family, far from friends, living in a bit of a bubble. Still, it is home, and perhaps that's what it comes down to in the end.

Happy Tropical Christmas

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas with family, friends, good food, and lots of counted blessings despite the difficult times many are facing.

Here in Maputo, it simply didn't feel like Christmas at all. It was unseasonably cold, but still, it is summer. No matter how many decorations are out, and how much holiday music is playing, tropical Christmas just doesn't feel like the real thing. Also, we weren't with family, and since Rico and I aren't really into holidays in general, we didn't do that much celebrating.

We did go out for a nice dinner with friends on the 24th. Not much was open in Maputo, but we managed to have appetizers and cocktails at M and K's house, then go for dinner at Hotel Rovuma, and later out for drinks at Dolce Vita. It's certainly the first time I've spent a good part of Christmas Eve having mojitos in a bar!




Christmas Day was spent quite lazily. Rico and I stayed in our pajamas all day and watched reruns on the Style Channel and ate leftovers. I cleaned out my closet while he napped. We played with the kittens and the big cat. It was a very relaxing day - that is, until around 3am when our upstairs neighbor had the fabulous idea to turn his stereo on full volume blasting hip-hop, then leave the house. Our ceiling was vibrating with the bass, and the music was so loud it woke me up. We ended up switching his electricity off with the support of another neighbor when we finally realized what the situation was. The disrespectful neighbor is the son of our landlady, so good old Dona Flávia will be getting a phone call later today...not only is this the second time this guy has blasted the stero then left the house, we found out he is stealing water from our tank. Grrrrrrrrrr. I'm trying to remember the Christmas message and love my neighbor, but it's hard!

Countdown to Férias

Or perhaps I should say countdown to holidays, for the non-lusophone out there. Whatever the language, the point is I CAN'T WAIT!

The office where I am currently doing long-term consulting (so long-term it resembles a full-time job) is closing for 2 weeks, so that means I get to work from home for a few days to wrap up a couple of reports and proposals, then take the rest of the time off.

This is the first year since moving to Moz that Rico and I will spend the holidays here. We usually either visit family (in the US or Brasil), or take a trip on our own, like we did with the Great South Africa Road Trip of 2006/07. This year, however, with all the traveling we've already done for the wedding, our honeymoon and for work, neither of us is particularly in the mood to venture far from home. I have no idea what Maputo is like for the end of the year, but I am looking forward to it.

Here is a list I made the other day (bored at work!) of things I'd like to do while on holiday:

• Eat at the fish market
• Go to Catembe
• Go to Inhaca and Ilha dos Portugueses
• Read Nikon camera manual
• Do a photo excursion day in Maputo
• Finish Rico’s birthday dhow mosaic collage
• Bleach shower curtain
• Eat at Tio Jorge’s on road to Boane
• Go to the pool at Terminus
• Read “The Kite Runner”
• Buy small plant pots – replant herbs on verandah
• Make bulk cat food
• Blog Vietnam photos
• Exercise daily – pilates, walk/jog, squash
• Clean out closet for donations
• Hang art in guest room
• Frame Vietnam prints, rest of Dad’s photos, mirror
• Go to Núcleo de Árte
• Go to National Art Museum
• Go to National Geology Museum

In addition to all the things on this list, I'm quite excited about having friends visit over the New Year. My childhood friend H. and her friend C. - both fresh from having worked very, very hard on the Obama campaign - are coming to Southern Africa for a holiday of their own. They will spend a couple nights in Maputo, and I'm already planning the places we will visit together. It's always fun to play tourist in the city where you live!

It's funny, I can already feel the city shifting into end-of-year mode. Parking lots and offices are noticeably emptier (nearly everything grinds to a halt in Maputo between 15 December and 15 January), there are throngs of people on the beaches during the day thanks to school holidays, restaurants and malls are packed, and there are already lots of tourists milling about - mostly South Africans stopping for a jaunt in ex-LM before heading up to the beaches in Gaza and Inhambane.

Only 2 more days!

Peru Preparations

"Peru" is how you say turkey in Portuguese. We are definitely getting ready for Thanksgiving, though we are about as far away from the US as one can possibly get, geographically speaking.

Rico and I managed to find turkeys this year at our favorite local butcher, Talho Polana. The turkeys came from Brazil, specifically from the massive poultry company Saida. I know my carbon footprint this Thanksgiving is not wonderful, but we are compensating by not traveling internationally this holiday season.

Anyhow, we got two 10-pound birds to serve at our second annual jointly-hosted Thanksgiving party. We are expecting about 30 people, so this will barely be enough for everyone. We are supplementing with roasted chickens, but still, it is nice that we will have turkey at all. I know a lot of people who have given up completely on procuring the birds here and are going with fish and prawns for the holiday. But for us, it's turkeys, through and through.

Of course, while turkey #1 was in the oven, the cooking gas ran out after the first hour. Dona Lídia had to run out post-haste and buy a new canister. In all, I don't think the delay negatively affected the bird. From the smell and the crispy brown exterior, it seems absolutely delicious. Rico and I were tempted to dig in tonight, but we practiced restraint and ate bread rolls with prosciutto instead.

This evening I also made stuffing from scratch (so easy, but SO much butter, my God!), giblet gravy (yum) and chopped vegetables in preparation for turkey #2's stuffing tomorrow afternoon. It's a shame we don't get the day off tomorrow, but I think I'll be able to slink off a few hours early to go tend the bird while it cooks.

I'm really excited for our dinner gathering tomorrow. Not often I get into holidays, but Thanksgiving Maputo-style is sure to do it every year.

Desert and Dial-Up

We are at an internet cafe in Los Lunas, New Mexico taking advantage of hot drinks and fast bandwidth. I purchased the cowboy boots for my colleagues, bought a pair of running shoes for myself, and Rico downloaded iTunes and a couple of language packs from Microsoft.

Yesterday we went for a drive with my dad to Bosque del Apache wildlife refuge, then around to Quarai at the Salinas Missions. We got hit by a blizzard while in the middle of the red flagstone church and pueblo ruins at Quarai - definitely a memorable experience for two people who have been living in the tropics for quite a while.

Here are some photos from our day trip:

Best wishes to all of you - I hope you are enjoying the holiday season with loved ones just as much as we are.