How to Stop Time?

When I was on leave last year from my university position, the days passed by slowly, allowing me to enjoy each of them as they came and went. Now that I have been back at work for four months, I miss those times.

On the last day of my 14-month leave in early August 2010, I wrote this…

I am sitting in my rented cottage in Negril, waiting for the driver, Leroy, to come pick me and my suitcase up. From where I am sitting, I can see abundant greenery – palm trees, ackee trees, and lots of small green bushes. The sky is clear, with just a few clouds floating overhead. It is a beautiful, calm morning in Negril. Negril is a truly fabulous piece of Mother Earth, and I have been very fortunate to spend these past two and a half months here.

It is hard to believe this year is over, just as it was hard to believe that I actually was going to do this – take my family to live in four different countries over a period of 14 months. When I applied for the funding, I thought I would never actually get it. When I heard I had been awarded the Fulbright-Hays Faculty Research Abroad Award, I still was not sure how I would pull it off. But, I did. We did – my husband and my three children survived all of our escapades. Survived, and even thrived.

As I am apprehensive about returning, I have to remind myself that I was apprehensive about leaving. Life is like that – things always seem different when they are actually happening. When faced with new situations, we adapt. Once we adapt, we just start living, day to day. Once life starts happening, we just get into the rhythm.

Looking back on this, I fear I allowed myself to get into the rhythm perhaps a bit too much. How can we enjoy life when it seems to fly by so quickly? Time, of course, cannot be stopped, but, surely there is a way to enjoy life more, to take pause each day and enjoy each passing moment.

The semester is over for me, and it has flown by all too quickly. I am now packing my bags to leave Lawrence for four weeks. During this time that I am on the road – in Washington, DC with my family, in Miami with friends, and in Negril, alone – I will reflect on how quickly life is passing me by and do my best to enjoy each passing moment.

Perhaps I will even feel inspired to post a blog entry about it….

Until then,
Tanya

Children's Museum in Kansas City: Wonderscope

This past weekend, I took the kids to Wonderscope in Shawnee, Kansas. They had a fabulous time!

We had been members before, when my twins were six and my younger daughter was four. So, I wasn't sure if it would still be fun for my twins who are now nine. But, it definitely still was appealing to them. We arrived at Wonderscope at 1:30pm, and they still were not ready to leave when it was time to go at 5pm!

Raymi had a blast in the building section. There are these huge blue building blocks, made of a soft, light material that kids can use to construct whatever they want to. Raymi and I made a fortress, and she is pictured here guarding it.

Tatiana and Soraya spent quite a bit of time in the "Garden to Farm" room. In this room, you can pretend to plant vegetables, and then take them to market to sell. Tatiana is pictured above on the left choosing which veggies to buy. There also is a chicken coop and a barn. Soraya is pictured above on the right with the barn owl. There were about a half-dozen other kids in the room with them, and that made it fun for the kids, as they had someone else to play with.

The art room was very cool. There are tons of recycled art supplies that you can use to make whatever you want. The girls spent at least 30 minutes in that room, making pictures and gluing things on them. I even tried my hand at it, trying to re-connect with my creative side.

To top it all off, we got to see a beautiful sunset on the 40-minute drive back to Lawrence, Kansas.

A few of my favorite things about Lawrence, Kansas

View of KU from Fraser Hall

I first moved to Lawrence, Kansas in August 2005. I have lived here off and on since then, with over two full years away from Lawrence. In August 2010, I returned to Lawrence after having been away for over a year. I was not very excited about moving back. However, I have been surprised at how much I like living here again.

Here are a few of my favorite things about Lawrence, Kansas.

1) The campus.
I work at the University of Kansas. Admittedly, the view from the 7th floor of Fraser Hall, one of the highest points in Kansas, is quite majestic. The campus has large limestone buildings and plenty of green spaces. It also has some pretty cool public art.

Public Art in South Park

2) Public Art.

The picture on the left is one example of the public art on the KU campus in Lawrence. I am not sure how to describe it, but it is basically a bunch of twigs wrapped together around a huge tree. Pretty interesting, eh?

Campus is not the only place that has public art made with dead trees. The picture on the right is the spiky entrance to South Park.

Castle Tea House

3) Cool buildings.
There are also cool buildings that are not on campus. The picture on the right is the Castle Tea House. I think it is pretty cool to live a couple of blocks from a castle!




















4) No big-city hassle. A big advantage to living in a small town like Lawrence is that you do not have many of the hassles of a big city. Grocery stores are never unbearably crowded. There is almost never anyone at the Department of Motor Vehicles. And, you hardly ever need a reservation to get a nice meal. In addition, the restaurants are remarkably affordable.

Pictured right are my and my husband's $10 lunches we had at the Eldridge hotel!

Lawrence, Kansas is not so bad after all.

Traveling without Writing: My first post in 90 days

I have been back in Kansas for nearly three months, and have not posted a single travel blog entry since my return.

It is not that I have not traveled - I conferenced in Toronto for a few days and went caving in Missouri not too long ago. Nevertheless, I have not had a word to write on this blog.

I thought about writing about the wonderful food and vibrant diversity in Toronto. I was particularly proud of myself for maneuvering public transportation to and from the airport, and thought of a whole blog post about that. But, I never wrote it.

I had a fabulous view from my hotel window in Toronto. I took a picture of the night-time view and shared it on Facebook, but I never wrote about all the delicious restaurants nearby or the amazing fresh fruit and vegetable stands in Chinatown.

I also never wrote about the camping trip I took with my family to Blue Springs Ranch in Missouri. I wanted to write about how nice the owner was and how friendly the horses were with the children.

Caving in Missouri was fabulous. I do have photos to prove it. We also went horseback riding and camping, and have plenty of wonderful memories of our short trip there. But, I never did post about it.

It's not that I haven't been writing. I have been writing - a lot! But, my writing has been academic or political. Nothing just for fun.

I did get an iphone since I returned to the US, and have been posting captioned photos to Facebook that provide quick snapshots into my life in Kansas. I keep thinking that I will go back to those photos and write up blog entries. But, alas, I have not.

Until now. Here it is: my first blog entry in 90 days.

Countdown: Four more days before I am back in the United States

My summer in Negril, Jamaica is nearly over. More importantly, my 14 and a half months outside of the United States will end in just four days.

This year has been fabulous. Changing countries every three months has its challenges, but it is also has been amazing experience. Three months in each country has been just enough time for me to get used to a place, to figure out how things work, and to gain insight into the local culture. To see and learn so much in three months and then to uproot myself and my family to an entirely different place is an eye-opening experience. At its base, it is an incredible sensory adventure: each place smells, feels, tastes, sounds, and looks different from the last.

When we first arrive in a place, we have had to figure things out quickly: school for the kids, public transportation, where to live, where the grocery store is, and how to get my research set up. In Brazil, research, school, and a house seemed like an unattainable trinity, but it eventually worked out. Once all that is done, we settle into our new life and try and make sure we take advantage of the best each locale has to offer. Living like this, life is full of surprises, of new experiences, of adventures, and challenges. Admittedly, fourteen months is probably enough of living on the edge.

A few days ago, my husband and three kids went back to Kansas. I stayed behind in Negril to finish up my work here. My Fulbright-Hays award started on August 13, 2009, so I have to stay out of the United States until August 12, 2010 to finish the full 365 days abroad. It turns out that my last few days of solitude have been a very good thing for me.

As my family was planning to leave Jamaica, I was worried about how I would feel once they left. I anticipated missing them tremendously and being lonely during my last few days in Negril. I thought I might overwork myself because of boredom and return to the United States frazzled. However, it did not work out that way. When they left, I was on the phone constantly with my husband helping him get settled and doing online research and transactions for them. The constant phone contact helped me to miss them less.

When my husband and children left, I expended quite a bit of energy getting them packed and then making sure they would be able to get settled back into Kansas. They left on Tuesday. I spent nearly all day Wednesday online and on the phone doing things for them. Thursday and Friday were a bit less intense, but I was still involved. By Saturday, I had recovered from their move and had done most of what needed to be done.

Now, I have Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday to reflect on life and take care of myself. I will dedicate Wednesday to getting ready for my own move. Thursday morning, I am on a plane to Atlanta for a five day conference. Then, back to Kansas for the start of classes, meetings, and more meetings. My upcoming very busy schedule means that I really do need these next few days to relax, recover, and recuperate.

Having ten days in Negril to myself has meant that I have been able to relax and recuperate, as well as to prepare for my return. As we have already been in Negril for two months, I already have things figured out and have settled into a routine. Now that I have fully recovered from the family’s move back to Kansas, I can enjoy my last few days of this amazing year. I need and deserve a break, so am glad to have one!

Letter from Raymi, my six year old daughter, to Grandma

Monday, July 26, 2010

Dear Grandma,

I am in Jamaica. Here in Jamaica, we met Chucky. He is a nice guy. Chucky has a dog that is named Blondie. She had four puppies. Sally, the other dog, had four puppies. We only get to pet Blondie and Sally. The puppies are too little to pet. Whitey, the other dog, had four puppies before we got here. Chuck gave two away. One of the other two died, and the other disappeared. We don’t know what happened to her. It is a mystery.

First we went to Jamaica, then we went to Guatemala, then we went to the Dominican Republic, then we went to Brazil, then we went back to Jamaica. We had a cool vacation.. Soon we are going back to Kansas. When we go back to Kansas, my birthday is almost coming. Today, we are going to the water park.

In the Dominican Republic, I went to school. At school, you could buy stuff in this place called the coffee shop. There wasn’t any coffee there. There was one thing that all of the class liked - pica piedras - (Fred Flintstone) it has candy inside. My favorite thing from the coffee shop was Fred Flintstone candy.

I am so happy we are in Jamaica. I have two friends here named Nikaya and Jayim. But, I don’t really play with Nikaya; sometimes she is a little mean. She likes my sister Soraya but she likes me too. Jayim, yeah, he plays with me. Sometimes I go to his house. Sometimes he comes to my house. He has a friend named Kayim. We really play a lot inside my house.

Grandma, are you going to visit us in Kansas? 

In Guatemala, I had lots of friends. I had eight puppies, one dog, two turtles, and two rabbits. At first, we couldn’t pet the puppies. Then, the other day, she let me pet them. Then, we could take them outside. When we were first in Guatemala, I had school. Then, we moved and I didn’t have school anymore.

Our other cousins who live in Miami have a playground at their house. We visited them on the way back from Guatemala.

In Brazil, we had school and I talked Portuguese there. Now, I know how to Portuguese and I never forget: “eu pode falar portugues.” My teacher is named Renata. She was my best teacher. I had my best friend there, her name was Isabelle, well Isadora in Portuguese. In Brazil, I only had one friend. In Brazil, I had six pets - two dogs, one cat, one chick and one duckling. One duckling died because our friend dropped it when we first got it. It wasn’t running from me anymore because it was sick. We put a blanket on it and buried it. One chick died because the cat got it. The other chick died because Manchas, Spots, the dog, he ate it. We thought they were going to grow, and the chick and duckling that didn’t die did grow. The chicken grew bigger than the duck. The chicken was very fat. The chicken was Soraya’s and the duck was Tatiana’s.

Grandma, are you going to send me a message?

I love you Grandma, bye.

Raymi

Kool Runnings Water Park: Sun, Splashing, and Dance Contests

On Tuesday, I took the kids to Kool Runnings Water Park. After being in Negril for two months, my daughters, aged 9, 9, and 6, often complain that we always do the same thing – go to the beach. I decided that before we left Negril, we could splurge a bit and take the kids to Kool Runnings.

We arrived right at 11:00am, opening time. The admission price is US$28, and we wanted to take full advantage of our tickets. Unfortunately, the staff members were not ready to receive us at 11:00am, and a line formed behind us while they got themselves together. At about 11:20am, we finally were able to buy tickets, except for that they had a problem with my credit card, which took another twenty minutes to resolve. Finally, at 11:40, we were able to get into the park!

Kool Runnings Water Park has just a few main attractions: 1) Seven water slides; 2) A Lazy River; and 3) An interactive children’s area. My kids were too big for the children’s area, and the Lazy River is not very fun, so we spent most of our time on the water slides.

The water slides are divided into two structures. You walk up the stairs of either of the two structures and choose which waterslide you want to go on. Two of the water slides are with floatable rafts only, and the others are without rafts. Kool Runnings provides rafts for one person, for two persons, and for three. It was fun for me to go down the rafts with my daughters.

We spent most of the morning running up and down the stairs of the waterslides and sliding down. I used to love the very fast and scary rides when I was younger. Not anymore. I stuck to the slides that are less exhilarating and where your heart will not rise to your throat as you go down. My kids, in contrast, tried all of the slides, many, many times. Perhaps because it was a Tuesday, the park was not very crowded, and we rarely had to wait more than a couple of minutes to get on the slides.

When I first saw that the water park is fairly small, I was disappointed. However, as the day wore on, I realized two things: 1) A small park makes it much more relaxing for me; I could see the kids from most vantage points, and 2) The seven slides provided plenty of fun for the kids. The kids, of course, have a lot more energy than me. Thus, when I tired of running up and down the stairs, I could sit in the shade and relax while watching them run up and down the stairs.

Before going to Kool Runnings, I was worried that lunch might be expensive. I packed a few snacks just in case. I was pleased to find out that the lunch is both reasonable and tasty. I had a jerk chicken lunch for JA$380 – less than US$5, and the kids had hamburgers for the same price.

After lunch, it was more slides and slides for the kids. I spent most of the afternoon relaxing and listening to the reggae music blasting from the speakers. However, I had a second wind when the sun began to go down and it was not as hot, and got on the slides again. The Lazy River is also much more enjoyable when the sun is not blazing on you, so I floated around that a few times with the kids.

Kool Runnings has a DJ, and he attracted the attention of the crowd a few times through contests. My kids just love to participate in contests, so they were eager to get on stage. The first contest was a hula hoop contest, and all three participated. Unfortunately for them, there was a hula hoop expert in the competition who more than outlasted everyone else. After that, there was a reggae dance contest. Of course, we are in Jamaica, but I did not dare tell the kids that their chances of winning a reggae dance contest were slim to none. Soraya and Raymi rushed to the stage. Tatiana decided to sit this one out.

The DJ decided that each kid would dance for thirty seconds. Despite my high expectations for the Jamaican-American contestants, they actually were not that good. The DJ put on popular dancehall songs that have a dance that goes along with them. The older kids did the dance choreographed in the music video, but without much grace or style. Raymi and Soraya were not privy to the choreographed dances, so just did their thing. Raymi did some foot-kicking moves and Soraya did her Michael Jackson-esque routine. The winner, however, was the two-year old who really shook her thing. When it was all over, Raymi asked me why they always let the littlest one win. At least she did not take it as a blow to her self esteem. Raymi also pointed out that the little one copied her moves! When they get older, I will have to remind them of how they bravely participated in a reggae dance contest in Negril, Jamaica!

When I tell them that story, I might also tell them that I participated in a cumbia dance contest in Peru. A couple of years ago, when I was in Piura, I went to a technocumbia show, and they called people on the stage to dance. Thinking it would be fun, I went on stage. The show was in the rural part of Alto Piura, where there are few to no white people or foreigners. I won the competition, by popular vote. I am sure the cheers were more out of surprise that a) there was a white woman in rural Piura and b) she got on stage to dance!

All in all, Kool Runnings was a good way to spend the day. The crowd there was nearly all Jamaican and Jamaican-American. I suspect that most foreign tourists would rather spend the day at the picturesque beaches than at the water park. I, too, would have preferred to be at the beach. My kids, of course, would disagree.

Fourteen months in four countries - from a nine-year-old's perspective

This is a letter from Soraya, my nine-year-old twin daughter to her grandmother, telling all about our fourteen months in four countries. She told me I could post it online.

Saturday, July 24, 2010


Dear Grandma,


We went to lots of countries. First we went to Jamaica. Then, to Guatemala, then,  Dominican Republic then we went to Brazil. We rode on the horse all the time in Brazil. After Brazil, we went back to Jamaica. I had lots of fun. my favorite one was Jamaica. I met the owner of Chucky’s Island, he had 4 dogs, then there were these goats. There were 7 goats. Lasco  is the owner of the goats. Every day I help Lasco feed the goat. 2 goats had babies. 2 dogs had puppies. We live in a cottage . We have a secret door. We have 3 fans. We have lots of friends. Mia was are favorite friend. We borrowed lots of her games for the computer. The mouse of our computer got broken, but we bought a new one. We have a black mouse now. 


In Guatemala, we lived in the city. In the city we lived in an apartment. In the apartment lived an old lady. The old lady had a dog named Cuchi. I liked Cuchi and Cuchi liked me. Cuchi is still a kid. Did you know that in Guatemala they let dogs in the bus? We took Cuchi to school! But then we moved to another part of Guatemala. We stayed at our friend’s house. In the house they had 6 pets. They had 2 turtles, 3 bunnies and 1 dog. The dog had 8 puppies. And then they had 14 pets. We made friends. We made a collection. It was fun. 


Next we went to the Dominican Republic. It was fun. We went to Jumbo. Jumbo is a very fun place. There was bumper cars. I went on a merry go round. We went on a thing that goes up and down. It was fun. Remember that you came to the Dominican Republic? I had fun with you. Thank you for all the presents. I always wanted a DS. Are you going to come to Jamaica or Kansas to visit us? I hope you do.


Next we went to Brazil. In Brazil, we had so much fun. We had a school and I made a lot of fake friends. Once when I cried, they started being my friend. Sometimes they are my fake friends. Sometimes they are my real friends.


Once we took our dog to school. And, did I forget to tell you about our pets? We had three ducks, three chicks, and one dog. But, then things started to change. First, one of the chicks got robbed by the cat. Then, another chick died because our dog ate the chick. It was chasing it. Then, the ducklings. First of all, one of the dogs was tortured by our friends. Well, they weren’t fake friends. Then, we met a kitten. It was annoying our neighbors. They said, “please get that kitten off of your roof.” We kept it; its name was Michi. Then, we found a dog on the street. We found his owner. He said we could keep him and his name was Nick. We called him Nick. We had to tie him on a leash because he did not behave so well. Then, there was a man that let us ride the horse. But, we had to pay. When we left Brazil, we gave our pets to our friend, Peruca. In Brazil, they speak Portuguese. It is like Spanish a little bit, but some words are confusing. “Oi” means “Ola” or “Hi.”


Next, we moved to Negril, Jamaica. It was so much fun in Negril. It took very long for the car to get there. Finally, we got there. Then, we met Chuck, the guy I told you about. He is a very nice old man. He owns Chucky’s Island. He also had two puppies. One was named Gateway. The other was named Pinky. But, one day, one of the puppies, Gateway, died because he didn’t give him shots.  Then, Pinky got lost. I felt sad and I almost cried when Gateway died. But, things started to get luckier - baby goats! First, the goat called Isabelle had one baby goat. Then, the goat named Sara had two babies. They are so cute. We only got to pet the baby Isabelle made. That baby goat is called Brownie, because it is brown. There is a rule with the baby goats: You cannot touch its tail because the mother will not feed it and you will have to feed it. Then, the dog named Blondie and the dog named Sally had puppies at the same time. They are so cute, but we can’t touch them.


In Negril, we play with our bestest friends - Nikaya and Jayim. They are little. Nikaya is four, and Jayim is five, I think. Then, we had our other friend named Mia. She is so awesome, I tell you! She even lent us her games for the computer. Then, she let us play her DS game. Once, my little sister lost her DS game, but Mia found it thrown outside on the floor. In Negril, we went to the beach and a really cool place called Xtabi. There is also a really cool place called Rick’s Café, but my mom likes Xtabi better because there are not so many people. At Rick’s Café, there are lots of Rasta men that do flips off of the cliffs. They do lots of cool stuff. One of them did a flip over another person. There is also a place called Margaritaville where they have big nachos - like six inches high.


My favorite parts of Negril are when we rode the horses, when we had nachos and when we met two twin girls that look like me and Tatiana from behind. Thank you for listening to my story. I love you Grandma. Say to Grandpa that I love him too. 


Love, 
Soraya

Tatiana's letter to Grandma about Our 14 Months Abroad

As the last assignment in their home schooling for the year, I asked my three daughters to write a letter to Grandma telling her about their fourteen months abroad. I wanted to see what they found most interesting about the year. I asked Tatiana if I could post hers online. She agreed. This is the letter from Tatiana, one of my nine-year old twins, to Grandma.

Saturday, July 24, 2010

Dear Grandma,

We are on a vacation. We traveled in 5 countries. First Jamaica then Guatemala then Dominican republic then brazil then the last is Jamaica. The name of this place is called Chucky’s island. In this place there is a man named Lasco. He has seven goats. Two of the goats had babies. One of the goats named Isabelle had 1 baby. Another goat named Sara had 2 babies. Chuck had 2 dogs and they each had 4 babies. In a few days we are going back to Kansas. I can’t wait!

When we were at Guatemala we had 14 pets. We had 3 bunnies, 8 puppies, 1 dog and 2 turtles. One of the puppies knew how to shake hands. One of the bunnies that was white was named Violet. One of the puppies was named Mr. stomach. We named him that name because he was a fat little puppy.

In the Dominican republic we had two friends. One was a girl and the other was a boy. The boy had a PSP. it’s a type of DS. We loved it when they came to are house to play. They were really good friends.

In Brazil we borrowed a house to stay in. in school I didn’t have any real friends. But there is one boy that is in artist and he is nice to me. His name is Andrew. He never did anything mean to me. When we had our birthday it was really fun. The cake was really delicious, and now I am nine. But I still miss Kansas a lot like really a lot.

Last summer in Kingston, Jamaica I didn’t have a school. I was in summer camp. In summer camp I got to beat up boys. The boys were also scared of me. Almost every boy in summer camp was scared of me. Can you believe that a bunch of boys would be afraid of one girl? I liked it a lot when a bunch of boys are afraid of me.

Right now I am in Negril, Jamaica. There is this boy named Jayim and he is 5 years old. He has a sister who is three years old and her name is Nikaya. Here in Negril, there is a place called Xtabi. It is fun and once my sister Raymi said they saw an octopus coming up on the side of the wall from the water. Xtabi is really beautiful and you can take a really good look at the sunset. Xtabi has a cliff that I can jump off. I am not scared to jump off. Raymi is scared, and Soraya only jumps from like one inch lower than me. There is this guy here. His name is Deano and he taught us how to fish. He said that when you feel the fish biting, you don’t pull. You have to wait until the fish pulls. Then, you have to pull. One day we caught three fish. We mostly catch squirrel fish. The rest of the family eats them except for me, because I don’t like fish.

Here in Negril, we have a friend named Mia. Mia was our bestest friend we ever met in Negril. She has a DSI that takes pictures. Mia is not mean to us. She liked Raymi for a little while, then she noticed Raymi was annoying, then she didn’t like her any more. Mia is like two days older than us. Mia is like Soraya and me. She likes to beat up boys like us. And, also she bit a boy and he was bleeding. She loves insects. We also do too. That’s why we like Mia so much. One day Mia got hurt on the leg and we thought we would never see her again. Then, one day, her father came and said that Mia was going to come and visit us. We were really happy we got to play with her. She forgot to bring her Nintendo DSI but we still had fun.

This letter is closed just for you.

Love,
Tatiana

How I ended up at Margaritaville, Negril

The ideal beach for me has clear sea water, white sands, plenty of greenery in view, and is isolated. I like to relax on the beach and contemplate its beauty, so I prefer empty beaches.

Unfortunately, my three daughters do not share this preference. In Negril, they shun the secluded, empty beaches, and prefer places such as Margaritaville and Rick’s Café - tourist traps full of people and loud music. They like the fact that there are a lot of people because it ensures that they will find a playmate. At Rick’s café the other day, they met a few teenage girls who chased them around the pool. At Margaritaville, they met three young men who helped the girls arrange a chicken wrestling match. Each girl got on the shoulders of a boy and tried to knock one another off. Fun was had by all.

Thus, although I prefer the secluded spots, I often have to entice the children with the offer of Margaritaville or Rick’s Café to get them out of the house. This is how I found myself at Margaritaville last Saturday afternoon, eating nachos and sipping on margaritas. The beach itself at Margaritaville is stunning - with a turquoise sea and white, powdery sand. But, so is the rest of Seven Mile Beach.

One advantage to Margaritaville is that it has plenty of shelter. So, when the thunderstorms came pounding down, as they often do, we could wait out the storm under shelter. Well, I sought shelter while the girls danced in the rain. There is also a little playground at the Negril Margaritaville, which, it seems, is more fun in the rain.

Once the rain passed, at least I had a table, chairs, and a good view of the beach. I addition, I could observe with fascination the groups of tourists who happened upon Margaritaville that afternoon. I soon tired of that, however. Fortunately, my husband arrived not too long afterwards and I could leave them at Margaritaville and take a long walk along Seven Mile Beach and linger in the more isolated parts.

A Hook, a Fish Line and an Air Mattress: Improvised fishing with the kids in Negril

I am very happy with my daily routine in Negril this summer. For me, this routine involves happy writing each weekday morning, then having lunch with the family, and going to the beach in the afternoons. Being able to swim in transparent waters every afternoon is blissful for me. I have not missed a day at the beach in the six weeks we have been in Negril. Even when it rains, I will at least go for a long walk by the sea when the rain clears.

My three kids, however, have decided that they need more entertainment than simply going to the beach. Their morning routine starts with home schooling for two hours with their tutor, then playing in the yard with their friends until lunch is ready. There are two small children who live in front of us and they often catch butterflies or other small creatures together. My daughters also love to help our neighbor herd his goats and take them out for grass each morning. After lunch, they play video games, read, or play outside or inside. When I ask if they are ready to go to the beach, they often claim they do not want to go. Without exception, they have fun when we get to the beach; so, often the trick lies in getting them there.

Our latest “trick” is the promise of going fishing. The first time the girls went fishing, it was with some friends who invited them to go on a boat early in the morning. That boat trip costs US$50, so that was the only time they did that. Instead, now we rely on my husband, Fernando’s ingenuity, and the kids can go fishing whenever they want, practically for free. This is how it works.

Fernando buys some hooks and fish line for a few cents at the hardware store. They go to the nearby beach and look for sand crabs and snails for bait. Nando sets up the rudimentary hook, line and sinker. Then, he paddles the girls out on our air mattress to where the fish are. We have one of those inflatable air mattresses, and it works great as a raft! (You can see our fishing equipment in the photo behind us!)

The girls put on their face masks which allow them to see the fish underwater. Tatiana and Soraya – my nine year old twin daughters – love fishing like this. You can see when the fish begin to nibble at the bait. When you see them nibbling, you just pull a bit, and there you have a fish. When the girls catch a fish, they yell out in excitement. Nando pulls in the line and puts the fish into a plastic bag that he keeps on the raft. Then, the girls go back in for another fish.

The other day, they caught sixteen little fish, giving us plenty of fresh fish for dinner. The fish are small – so it is quite a bit of work to clean and de-scale all of them. But, it is definitely worth it to have the tasty, fresh fish. Plus, it is our best way to get the kids out of the house - for now, at least. I am sure that soon they will become bored with this and we will have to find a new way to entertain them soon.

Sundays on the Public Beach in Negril, Jamaica

If you are looking for the “real Jamaica,” you will have a hard time finding it in Negril – a touristy town on the westernmost end of Jamaica. That said, there is one beach in Negril where you will find more Jamaicans than foreign tourists – the public beach at the south-westernmost tip of Seven-Mile Beach.

It is quite remarkable that most tourists in Negril tend to stay within a 100-meter radius of their hotels. There are the adventurous few who take it upon themselves to walk up and down Seven-Mile Beach. Some of these tourists make it to the end where the public beach is, but almost none of them swim in this part of the beach. Because of this self-segregation, the public beach almost always has only Jamaicans. People who are not Jamaican at the public beach are almost always expatriates who are living in Negril – usually North American and English women with Jamaican boyfriends.

The public beach is about 200 meters from the closest hotel, thus making it beyond the normal radius of most tourists. It is the closest beach to the Negril River, which, at times, can make the water quite unpleasant. However, most days the water at the public beach is crystal clear, just like the water in the rest of Seven-Mile Beach. Unlike much of the rest of Seven-Mile Beach, the public beach has several trees which offer ample shade.

On Sundays, the public beach is a lively place where local DJs set up enormous speakers that blast out dancehall tunes for the listening pleasure of beachgoers and anyone close enough to hear. Families sit beneath one of the many trees and picnic. Kids jump and play in the water and teenagers show off their gymnastic abilities on the sand.

There is a restaurant/bar on the beach, currently operated by Sanchez, who is from Sav-la-Mar. Sanchez’s place serves up delicious food and ice-cold beverages at a fraction of the price of most places on the beach. You also can try the conch soup which is served by a local man right off of his bicycle. He has a gas tank on the back of the bicycle and a burner on the front, which ensures that the tasty soup is steaming hot all afternoon long.

Last Sunday, we spent a couple of hours at the beach with my kids. They had a great time running around with all of the other children there. This was a nice change, as we often go to the beach in Negril and there are few if any children around.

River Water: Negril’s Dirty Little Secret

In the center of the town of Negril there is a wide river. I imagine once upon a time, long ago, it must have been lovely to swim in the place where the cool river meets the warm sea. Today, however, there is nothing lovely about the Negril River. It is covered with grease and when it pours into the ocean, turns the clear sea waters brown and green. (The river is naturally dark in color due to it passing through peat bogs upstream, yet the motorboats have rendered the waters less pleasant.)

Sometimes the river water stays put and barely affects even the closest beaches. However, after a good rain upstream, the river water pours out into the sea and ruins the water for a few hours. During my month in Negril, I have noticed a few patterns with regard to the river, and I will point those out here.

The river sits at the westernmost tip of Seven Mile Beach. Thus, when it rains even a little bit, it tends to muddy the waters at the public beach just to the north of the river. When it has not rained at all, the public beach is one of the coolest places to hang out in Negril – as it has a laid-back, inexpensive, open-air restaurant with good local food and cold beers, and is where locals are most likely to go for a swim. When the river water stays put, this beach boasts transparent, warm waters. However, when the rain comes, this water takes on a greenish color, and sometimes a smell, making the whole experience quite a bit less pleasant.

The river water rarely makes it down to One Mile Beach, and even less frequently to the north end of Seven Mile Beach where Margaritaville, Sandals, and Coco La Palm are. Because many tourists never leave the pristine beaches of their all-inclusive resorts, many are likely unaware that there even is a river in Negril. It is only when it rains a tremendous amount up in the mountains and in Negril that the river would make it this far. Thus far, I have not seen it happen.

The river does not only flow north, of course. It also makes its way up to the West End of Negril. Close to where we are staying – Silver Star - there is a lovely beach where Canoe Bar sits. One of my favorite things about this beach is that, when you swim out about a hundred meters, you can see the foothills to a mountain range in the distance. The problem, however, is that, during the rainy season, the waters of this beach are often less than pleasant. Whenever it rains, the river water comes to this beach, muddying the waters and bringing lots of floating seaweed with it. Before swimming in these waters, I always check to make sure the river water has not made it down.

Farther up West End Road (or One Love Drive), you come to Xtabi Cliffs. The river water rarely makes it this far. Every so often, in the evenings, the waters at Xtabi get a bit greenish, or the sea brings lots of sea grass. Those times, it is best not to get in the water, as the sea grass brings sea lice, which make you itch. Nevertheless, Xtabi is nearly always nice and the waters there are a clear, turquoise blue.

Rick’s Café sits near the end of West End Road, and thus the river water nearly never makes it this far. So, the waters at Rick’s are always a deep blue color. When the weather is a bit rough, however, the waters at Ricks do get rougher than in other parts, making it a bit difficult to swim.

Negril is renowned for its laid-back atmosphere and clear, transparent waters. At present, those waters are more often transparent than not. However, something really must be done about the Negril River or Negril will lose a whole lot of its charm.

I am no environmental expert, but I am aware of other cases of rivers and other bodies of waters being cleaned, so I am sure it is possible. And, I hope it happens sooner rather than too late. Please note: The state of the South Negril River has been an issue at least since the 1990s, according to this website.

I don’t want to go to the beach today!

I always want to go to the beach. Although we have been in Negril, Jamaica for 22 days, I still must go to the beach at least once every day. Even if it’s just for an hour, I have to see and feel the sea. For me, it is a great privilege to be so close to such an amazing sea and I can’t bear not to go daily.

How, then, is it that my daughters (Tatiana – 9; Soraya – 9 and Raymi – 6) often claim they do not want to go to the beach? Granted, they do have to walk 15 minutes to get there. But, they always have a great time there.

Since they insist daily that they do not want to go to the beach, sometimes we let them stay home. Here in Negril, they usually get up around 6am when the sun rises. Their teacher comes at 8am, and they have two hours of lessons. Actually, that aspect of our life – home schooling – is going the best it has all year. I finally figured out the keys – 1) It has to be early in the morning; 2) It should be for a short, intensive period of time and 3) It is best if the teacher is not me. So, we have hired a college student to give the girls lessons and that is going quite well.

After home schooling, the girls are allowed to play until lunchtime. Sometimes they play in the yard with the children who live across from us. Sometimes they play inside with their Legos or other toys. Other times, I let them watch a movie, play the Internet, or play with their Nintendo DS. Then, we have lunch together. By the time lunch is over, it is 2pm.

At 2pm, it is too hot for me to work anymore, and I usually am mentally drained and ready to go to the beach. Most days, we find a way to convince the kids to come to the beach. Other times we let them stay home and I will just go for a long walk on the beach alone.

On Tuesday, I was able to convince Tatiana to go with me to the beach. We walked the 15 minutes from our cottage to the beach. When we got to the beach, we saw that the close beach was polluted with river water, so we decided to walk farther down to the clean part. Tatiana and I had a nice walk. Along the way, I explained to her the history of slavery, as, for some reason, she was asking about it. Once I got to the end of the story, she wanted to hear stories of times that I had embarrassed myself. I thought of a few.

When we got to the nice part where the water is transparent, Tatiana and I went for a swim. Unfortunately, after about five minutes in the water, Tatiana began to fuss that something had bitten her leg. I rushed her out of the water and found that she had two wounds on her leg. They were about 1 cm. across and one was deeper than the other. The deeper one was bleeding quite a bit. A boatman came over and went back for his First Aid kit. He put a bandage on her leg and the bleeding stopped. No one seemed to have any idea what could have happened to her. We were in fairly deep water, so it is unlikely that a piece of glass cut her. I suppose it could have been a fish bite, but the marks were so far apart. Needless to say, we went home. The next day, Tatiana did not want to go to the beach.

Fortunately, Soraya and Raymi did want to go. Raymi even agreed to walk. This was remarkable, because Raymi almost never wants to walk. So, Soraya, Raymi, and I set off on our one-mile hike to the cliffs at Xtabi. To entertain the kids on the way, I told them a variation of the story of the Loch Ness Monster. I told the story such that the existence (or not) of the Loch Ness Monster remained doubtful. However, Soraya wanted a happy ending so made me change the story such that the two main characters finally got to take a picture of the Loch Ness Monster and everyone believed them that it really existed.

When we got to Xtabi cliffs, the sun was behind the clouds and it was cooler than usual. We swam for a bit, but, it began to drizzle. Determined to stay seaside a bit longer, I decided that we would order some food at Xtabi. I ordered a hamburger and a conch burger – which was quite tasty. The food took a long time to come out, and Raymi and Soraya played darts while we were waiting. I used the time to sit atop one of the cliffs and contemplate the beauty of the sea.

After we ate, the sun peeked from behind the clouds and we got back into the sea. Other guests arrived and Soraya and Raymi quickly made friends. The highlight of the afternoon, however, was that Raymi spotted an octopus! There was an octopus by one of the cliffs, trying to scale the side of the cliff using its suction cups. It was quite a sight! Eventually, however, it fell back into the sea.

The girls and I snorkeled and spent some time in the caves before deciding to head back home. We walked back and talked about all sorts of things on the way back. They wanted me to tell them a story, but I was having trouble being creative. One story a day is enough for me!

When we got home, Tatiana was quite upset that she had missed out on the excitement. So, perhaps today we will have an easier time getting the girls to go to the beach!

Two of my favorite ways to relax in Negril

We have now been in Negril for two full weeks, and I have two favorite ways to relax in this laid-back town.

The first is at Xtabi - which I raved about in my last post. If you go to the left side of Xtabi, and swim across the clear blue sea, you will find a small cave - about 20 meters long and 10 meters wide. You can swim right in and hoist yourself up onto a rock that has been smoothed out by centuries of waves crashing on to it.

I love to sit on that rock, inside of the cool cave and listen to the waves crashing into the cave. The waves crash onto the rock and the warm water tickles my toes. The waves crash behind me, making reverberating, echoing sounds throughout the cave. I can sit on the rock for a good while, thinking about life and the beauty of mother nature.

For a while, I might reflect on mother nature, on the centuries-old coral imprints hanging above me, on the life of the stingrays and tropical fish below me, on what might be beyond the horizon that fades away into a blue mist. Then, I will get to thinking about my own life, my own hopes and dreams. Even something as mundane as my plans for the next day is good food for thought inside this cave. Finally, I will tire of being alone in the cave, and will swim my way back out into the sunshine, temporarily blinded by the glaring sun.

My other favorite way to reflect on life is to walk down seven-mile beach just before dusk on an overcast afternoon. This is the rainy season, so it rainshowers for a bit many an afternoon. This leaves the beach nearly empty. All of the tourists flee and the vendors also disappear. For me, however, this is the perfect time to walk and walk and walk down seven mile beach without having to worry about getting a sunburn or heat stroke and without the constant offers for a boat ride or jet ski tour.

When the sky is overcast in Negril, it almost is never fully covered with clouds. So, you have bits of blue sky to look at. And, the horizon constantly changes with the moving cloud formations. As dusk nears, the horizon begins to show its wide array of sunset colors.

I walk along the beach barefoot, allowing the warm sea to caress my toes. I think about all I have done for the day, the week, and the year. I ponder a theoretical question I have. I make plans for what I will do if and when a friend comes to visit me in this little piece of heaven.

These are two of my favorite ways to think, reflect, meditate, and relax in Negril.

Seven Reasons the Cliffs are Better than Seven Mile Beach in Negril

Negril is divided into two areas – the Seven Mile Beach and the Cliffs. Our cottage – Silver Star – is right between the two areas, giving us great access to both. From my front step, it is a twenty minute walk to either Seven Mile Beach or Xtabi – my favorite place to hang out at the cliffs.

The Seven Mile Beach is great because it's, well, seven miles of sandy beaches. However, after our first few days of sea, sun, and more sun, we decided to try out the cliffs area. We haven't been back to the beach since. This past week, it was all cliffs, every day. Why do we like the cliffs? Let me count the ways.

1) At Xtabi, where we have been going, there are far fewer people. Many an afternoon, we have the whole area to ourselves. (Note: Rick's cafe – another cliff spot – does NOT have this benefit.) If you like to swim in the sea alone, Xtabi is the place.

2) Walking to and from the cliffs, there are far fewer people trying to sell you something. On the beach, you can barely take two steps without someone trying to get you to jet ski, go for a boat ride, or buy some crafts. At the cliffs, there are far fewer sellers.

3) The sea is clearer at the cliffs. When it does not rain for a few days, Seven Mile Beach boasts clear waters. At the cliffs, the water is clear every day, even when the water is relatively rough and it has been raining.

4) There is more shade at the cliffs. We have found a couple of spots with a bit of shade on the beach. But, it does not come close to the tranquility and coolness you feel when you sit in a cave at the cliffs and feel the sea tickling your toes.

5) Cliff jumping is fun. Or, at least it looks fun, as I have only jumped off of the smaller cliffs. But, those people jumping off of the big ones look as though they are having a good time doing so.

6) The snorkeling is better. You can snorkel on Seven Mile Beach on a good day. But, at the cliffs, you will see much, much more marine life. All you have to do is get in the water, put your mask down, and look around you. The snorkeling is amazing.

7) It's cooler at the cliffs. Because of the ocean breeze blowing on you at the top of the cliffs, it is quite a bit cooler out of the water, especially if you can find a bit of shade.

We will be in Negril for another two months, and I am sure we will go back many times to Seven Mile Beach. But, there are many reasons to stay close to the cliffs.

Negril, Jamaica: Sea, Sand and Fun

We have been in Negril, Jamaica for nearly a week now.

We are staying in an inexpensive cottage called Silver Star. It is located a fifteen minute walk from the famous Seven Mile Beach and a five-minute walk from a smaller beach that is great for snorkeling. As someone who loves to be able to walk to the beach and on the beach, this is fantastic.

The accommodations are quite modest, but they are clean and comfortable, so we are happy. The small size of the cottage just means that we have to make sure and keep it tidy and keep everything in its place.

It is very hot here in Negril so we take advantage of the relatively cool mornings to do work and do household tasks. I spend my mornings writing in my office (whish is just a separate hotel room) and the children are doing their schoolwork in the mornings. We have hired a tutor to give the girls lessons, and that is working out great so far! After lunch, we are all free to spend the afternoons as we like.

Of course, most days we go to the beach. If you can believe it, some days the kids complain about going to the beach. Mostly, they are not keen on the 15 minute walk in the hot sun. However, once we arrive at the sea, they have a blast.

The first day we got to Negril, the sea was amazing. It was absolutely transparent, even up to about 30 feet deep. Snorkeling in that water was fantastic. However, the next day it rained and the water has not been the same since. There are two reasons for this. One reason is that when it rains the sea gets more turbulent and brings the sand up into the water, making it less transparent. The other, less pleasant, reason, is that the rain means that the muddy, dirty river water gets into the sea, turning it a brownish color.

We have found thus far that we can walk or take a taxi about another mile down the beach - away from the river - and get to the clean part when the river comes into the sea. Hopefully it will not rain much and we can enjoy the transparent water once again. Honestly, this year, after seeing so many amazing beaches, we are getting harder to please!

None of the beaches we have seen so far in Negril have any waves to speak of. The girls complain that this makes it boring. However, it also makes it easier for us as we do not have to worry about the girls being pulled out to sea. Yesterday, I went snorkeling with Tatiana and Soraya - my nine-year old twin daughters - and we were able to get pretty far out without me being worried. However, as it was our first time, I did not stay too long. I was worried they (or I) might get tired.

I am looking forward to spending the next two months in Negril, and, slowly but surely, getting to know the rest of the Seven Mile Beach.

Five ways to keep safe in Guatemala City (and other high-crime areas)

Welcome to the second Blog Carnival of the Lonely Planet bloggers from the Blogsherpa program. This carnival centers around Travel Safety. The Carnival will be a traveling carnival that will be hosted on a different travel site every two weeks.

When I lived in Guatemala City, people constantly told me how dangerous it was. My friend who works for the United Nations told me when she got here, all she heard were warnings about street crime; she doesn’t walk on the streets. At all. Our landlady warned me about most places in the city except for the neighborhood we live in – Zona 9 and Zona 10. She was robbed in the city center, and doesn’t go there. My other friend had her cell phone stolen at knifepoint on the bus three times in six months.

I was not going to avoid going outside. Venturing out of the house was a fundamental part of my job. Plus, I’d go stir crazy. So, I did what I could, within reason, to be safe.

For example, one day, I had to meet my research assistant downtown to catch a bus to our interview in Zona 6. Unfortunately, I was twenty minutes early, and she was twenty minutes late. So, I had to stand outside at the corner of 9th avenue and 9th street in Zona 1 for forty minutes. A gringa standing outside on a corner in Zona 1 is something of a sitting duck. My strategy to avoid being robbed was first to try and stand near other people.

There was a bus stop on the corner, so I made my way over there, and stood between the other people waiting for the bus. I was constantly aware of my surroundings, although I tried not to appear too paranoid. When three fairly unsavory-looking characters crossed the street towards me, I walked a few yards down, and went into a store. I pretended to browse until they got on a bus and were off.

Once they were gone, I realized I could stand in the very large storefront door and that I was fairly safe there. After about twenty minutes of waiting, I began to let my guard down. There were plenty of people milling around, and there were lots of interesting things going on.

For example, two gay men walked by. One playfully jabbed the other, and then put his arm around him. It was nice to see that they felt comfortable expressing their sexuality in public.

Across from me, there was a large metal door. Every so often, people would approach the door and knock. Someone would open up a small opening and let people through. I have no idea what was going on inside, but it was easy to imagine all kinds of things that might be going on behind that large, metal, unmarked door.

Couples, mothers, children, families strolled by. Others waited for their bus and then were off. I noticed that almost all Guatemalan men use hair gel. Funny how I never noticed that before. I focused my attention on trying to find a man who didn’t. Finally, a hippie couple walked by that was gel-less. They were both super skinny. The girl had her dark brown hair in two plaits, and the guy had big, curly hair that clearly didn’t have an ounce of gel in it.

After forty minutes on the corner, my friend showed up and we got on Bus #3 to go to Mega 6 to meet an interviewee. This experience has me thinking about a few tips on how to keep safe while traveling in high-crime areas.

1) Always carry the least amount of valuables possible on your person.
2) Avoid carrying a purse or bag with valuables inside. Instead, keep valuables in a small bag inside your shirt or in a money belt.
3) Be attentive – do not wear earphones while walking down the street, for example.
4) Do your best not to be worried about what might happen. If you are noticeably scared, it will show and make you a more likely target.
5) If you really are scared and can’t hide it, sometimes it is best to just run. For example, if you accidentally come upon a dark street, one strategy is to just run down that street until you get somewhere that is well-lit.

Goias, Goiania, Brasilia, and back to Goiania: Our last few days in Brazil

Monday, May 24, is our last day in Brazil. So far, despite having to get all five of us and our many bags to the airport, everything is going remarkably smoothly. These past few days have been very hectic, so this is a very welcome change.

We left Cidade Goias at 4:30am last Thursday so that we could spend the day in Goiania on the way to Brasilia. I spent Thursday morning at Universidade Federal de Goias with my research assistant, Anna Laura. She had a film featured in an ethnographic film festival, and we watched her film about transvestite prostitutes in Goiania and participated in the debates afterwards. On Thursday evening, I had two interviews on the other side of Goiania, so Anna Laura and I made our way over to Campinas, a commercial district on the edge of Goiania. The interviews went well, but we did not get home until 11:00pm. And, we had to wake up at 6:00am the next day to go to Brasilia.

We arrived in Brasilia at noon, at the Hotel Nacional. After a very brief rest, I met Cristina and Joaze – two professors at the University of Brasila – for lunch. It was great to meet them and to talk about sociology and anthropology in Brasil and to learn about the University of Brasilia. After lunch, we went across town to the University of Brasilia, where I was scheduled to give a talk. I began my talk around 4:30pm. I was very tired and was amazed at my ability to speak coherent Portuguese for most of my presentation. The talk went fairly well, and the audience members had interesting questions about the US and immigration laws.

After my talk, we met up with my husband and kids and went out with Cristina and Joaze and their kids to a pizza restaurant. The restaurant – Pizza a Bessa – has a rodizio de pizza, which means that waiters pass by the table every few minutes with a different selecion of pizzas. They have everything from pepperoni to pizza with dried beef to pizza with ice cream (for dessert). My three kids fell asleep in their chairs by the time we left the pizzeria. I managed to stay awake, but was very tired when we got home at 10pm.

The next morning, fortunately, we did not have anything planned. Nevertheless, we all got up before 7am. In a hotel room, when one person gets up, it is hard for anyone else to remain asleep. We packed our bags and checked out of the hotel by 9:30. We were planning on going out for breakfast when we found out that the Hotel Nacional has a fabulous spread that is included in the nightly rate. The breakfast buffet was great – they had fresh fruit, yogurt, a variety of breads, omelets crepes, waffles, and several fresh fruit juices. We ate as much as we could and then set out for our day sightseeing in Brasilia.

We heard that there was a free bus that would take you to the Centro Cultural de Banco do Brasil (CCBB), so we went to wait for it by the Hotel Manhattan. We waited a long time for the bus, but it finally came and we went to the CCBB. The CCBB had four different expositions, and the kids' favorite was definitely OSGEMEOS – installation art by twin brothers that is very creative and colorful. After a couple of hours at the CCBB, we went back downtown.

Nando thought it would be a good idea to have lunch in the Rodoviaria (the bus station). The food did not look appetizing to me, so I just had a mango smoothie. We decided to go back to Goiania after that, as the kids were very tired, and Raymi seemed to be coming down with a fever. I am glad that we saw Brasilia, but there was no good reason to stay for another day.

When we got back to Goiania, we went to our friend Gabriel's house. He had a few guests over, and they were enjoying churrasco and red wine. We readily joined them. After a few glasses, at 11:00pm, I was ready to go to sleep. The kids were already sleeping on Gabriel's couch, so we decided to spend the night there. I got a reasonable amount of sleep, but had to get up at 6am when the kids woke up to make sure they did not cause too much trouble in Gabriel's house. We had breakfast there and took the bus to Anna Laura's house.

When we got to Anna Laura's house on Sunday morning around 10am, the only thing I wanted to do was to relax. Fortunately, Anna Laura lives in a rural area of Goiania, so it feels like you are in the countryside. I spent the better part of the morning in Anna Laura's hammock enjoying the bucolic atmosphere while the kids played in her huge yard. Nando and I also did some last minute laundry and got our bags ready for the next day. Our friend Izabel came over in the afternoon, and we spent the afternoon chatting with her, her husband, and Anna Laura. Not too long after they left, Soraya fell asleep on the couch. It was only 7pm, but I decided to let her sleep.

By 8pm, the whole family was asleep. I could not believe it. Even better, I did not have any nightmares about missing the plane. We were completely packed, and our plane did not leave until 11:00am the next day. We woke up at 6:00am, with plenty of time to do our last-minute packing of our pajamas and toothbrushes and make it to the airport. This allowed me to remain very calm and to not get stressed at all. Amazing. We called our taxi at 6:25 – knowing that it would take a while to get all the way to Anna Laura's house. The taxi showed up at 7:40, and we got to the airport at 8:15 am for our flight.

Some people might find it a bit extreme to be completely packed and to go to sleep at 8:00pm in preparation for a flight that leaves at 11:00am the next day. But, the difference a few hours makes is remarkable. Right now, it is 10:00am, and, so far, everyone is in a good mood, well-rested and ready to face a very long trip.

We will be in Negril, Jamaica in a little more than 24 hours from now. We shall see how well-rested and calm we are by then! Either way, at least we are starting out on the right foot.

Can you learn (or re-learn) Portuguese in three months?

I hoped our three kids - aged 9, 9, and 6 - would pick up some Portuguese during our three-month stay in Brazil. As we are preparing to leave Brazil, the kids are able to communicate wth their playmates. But, they are far from fluent.

Raymi, my six-year old daughter, has learned the most. This is interesting because she was the most resistant at first. When I spoke to her in Portuguese when we first arrived, she once replied "Don't talk to me in THAT language!" That said, when Raymi wanted an ice cream a few days later, she mustered up the Portuguese words to order one. Now, when Raymi is with her teachers and friends, she puts together full sentences in Portuguese and gets her needs and wants across.

Tatiana and Soraya - my nine-year-old twins - were more keen on learning Portuguese, or so it seemed. Tatiana would ask me to talk to her in Portuguese before we came to Brazil. Now, however, when the twins talk to their friends, it is almost always in "Portunhol." They do manage to communicate and will laugh at television shows in Portuguese, but still use a lot of Spanish in their conversations. Nevertheless, every so often, they will play translation games with me.

We are getting ready to leave Brazil (in less than two weeks!!), so I don't know how much longer it would take for them to become fluent. I am sure, however, that they have learned some of the language and that next time we are in a Lusophone country, they will have a head start.

As for me, my Portuguese is still not at the level of fluency it once was. But, it has improved quite a bit. I can even understand people on the phone now. The main reason my Portuguese is not up to par is that I do not speak Portuguese every day. I only engage in extended conversations in Portuguese when I travel out of town to visit friends. When I stay in Cidade Goias, I spend most of my day alone writing or with my family.

It is much quicker to learn (or re-learn) a language when you have full immersion. The kids are only getting full immersion four hours a day at school. (If you look closely at this video, you can see Raymi at her school.) And, I am only getting it when I leave the house.

Cooling off in Rio Vermelho in Goias, Brazil

The Rio Vermelho runs right through the center of Cidade Goias (also known as Goias Velho). During the rainy season, the river is full of a reddish mud – thus giving it its name the Red River. However, as soon as the skies clear and the rain ceases in early April, the river begins to run clear.

By mid-May, you can see right to the bottom of the Rio Vermelho. There is a bridge in the center of Cidade Goias – you can stand on it and watch fish swim by. The fish seem to have learned that people often throw goodies down for them and congregate in a pool right below the bridge.

If you follow the river upstream, you will come to the Fonte da Carioca – a popular bathing spot for townspeople and visitors alike. Fonte da Carioca is a small waterfall that pours down into a shallow pool. It is perfect for cooling off on a hot day in Cidade Goias – which happens to be just about every day.

We usually take the girls to Fonte da Carioca after lunch. They enjoy walking on the rocks of the small waterfall, swimming in the shallow pool, and looking for baby fish. As we are in the dry season, you can see the fish swimming by. Fortunately, they are not very easy to catch. Fishing in the Rio Vermelho is a federal crime, and we wouldn’t want our daughters to be arrested for violating the law.

Downstream, the river leads to the city park. The city park has a trail where residents walk the 1km path each dawn and dusk.

The Rio Vermelho is definitely one of the highlights of Cidade Goias.

Walking around the Park in Goiás Velho

Nearly every evening, here in Cidade Goiás, I take my three kids to the park at the end of the Centro Historico. This park is a great place – at dawn and at dusk. The rest of the day it is empty because the sun glares down and the lack of shade makes it uncomfortable and hot. However, around 5:30pm each evening, residents descend on the park for their evening stroll or jog. Most people, including me, walk around the 1km trail. There are just a few people that actually run.

The trail is made of gray bricks and winds along the river and then circles back around the periphery of the park. The park itself has a playground, a skateboard ramp, and a bar. The playground and skate ramp are small, but serve as a point where kids from the town can meet up and play. The middle of the park is empty, making it a good place for little ones to learn how to ride a bike.

For me, it is great that the kids have a place to play while I do my evening exercise. This means that we all can get out of the house and get some fresh air while I unwind from the day.

The bar sometimes has a trampoline and, for R$2 (US$1), the kids can jump to their hearts’ content for ten minutes. The bar also sells tasty meat skewers, and sometimes I let the kids convince me to buy some for them. Most times, however, the kids sit on the skate ramp and play games with the other kids at the park.

As for me, I usually walk about 3 miles. One of these days I’d like to be able to run those three miles, and I sometimes work toward that goal by jogging part of the way. However, the most important part of the evening walks for me is the chance to think and reflect and get any stress out of my system. The fact that I get to walk next to a bubbling river amidst verdant pastures and trees makes this all the more relaxing.

I also think it is great that my three daughters see me and others exercising each day. At their age, they get plenty of exercise running around all day. However, it is important for them to learn the importance of exercise and to see how exercise can be incorporated into one’s daily routine.