Thomas journals

 A few days ago I walked to the nearby Pasteleira Park, planning to visit the city museum at the Reservoir.  Walking through the park I noticed a large group of young people gathered in a circle, engaged in team-building activities.   My days in education attuned me to the spectacle and piqued my interest, so I sat on a nearby bench and watched as a succession of enthusiastic students ran to the center and started an activity, which all the others joined enthusiastically.  What sort of group would this be?  A typical high school class would include a portion of disinterested teens, and others only half-heartedly participating.  This crowd was unanimous in their excitement.   I also noted that the leaders were speaking in English, though the breeze muffled the words.  I walked around, found a couple of older participants on the side, with official-looking lanyards, and asked:  this was an activity of European Youth Parliament , similar to Model UN (which I started or chaperoned in four

March 25 late afternoon we both received an e-mail from the Portuguese consulate informing us that our visa application was approved and authorized.  Tomorrow morning I will take the train in to the city and hand-deliver our passports to the VFS office!  Typically it takes 4 working days to put the visa sticker in the passport.  We have learned to not count on the timing -- don't hold your breath.  After all, we applied for the visa last December 4th, and other later applicants already got their visas!  And I had purchased a cheaper round-trip ticket, expecting to return to Porto on the 24th of March.   When the visa notification still had not arrived by last Friday, I worried about changing the ticket: what date would I change it to?  We cannot be sure when the notification will arrive, and when we will get our passports back.  Fortunately, they can suspend the itinerary for successive five-day periods.  What a relief!  Now we truly will not schedule our flight back until we have

Now starting our time in Porto for finding an apartment and signing a lease.  We have engaged RelocateToPortugal to help us.  We booked a flight from JFK so we could be in Porto from 23 October to 04 November (we need to be back in NY in time for Coleman & Joyce's run in the NY Marathon!). First we drove from Carol Stream on Friday afternoon, just after Barb's long-awaited dermatology appointment -- only a few skin things frozen off, no problem.  Overnight at Toledo, then back in Ossining by 7pm.  Oct23 we took a 6pm Brussels Airlines overnight flight, no problem, connecting to another flight to Porto that arrived Tuesday noon (local time -- jetlag was tough.  I slept 4 hours in the plane seat--Barb just occasionally dozed, little sleep).  Relatively easy, though 15-20 minute waits at passport control at Brussels (our entry to the Schengen area) then for our luggage (it all arrived fine!), then to buy a metro ticket to take us from the airport downtown!  That last bit was e

  The Valle del Maiz festival, based in one of the oldest parishes of San Miguel, parades throughout the city on successive weekends in May.  Sunday the 28th it paraded through the central Parroquia , where we chanced upon it.  The seemingly never-ending sets of dancers were mostly representing indigenous groups in varied costumes, some maize-like, some skeletal, some more typical Indian dress, all dancing to drumbeats.  We first notice that the drummers were strangely not-costumed, as if they were randomly recruited at the last minute.  The dancers were mostly seriously focused on their synchronized dance – each group had a slight different step-pattern.  But we also notice the syncretism between the Church and the local culture, wherein all the banners had a cross and holy phrase – and each group, no matter the costume, paused when it passed in front of the Parroquia church, took off their hats and knelt in homage, most making the sign of the cross as well.  Then they stand up, the

  Factors typical for settling in Latin America: Studied Spanish language in school Longtime affinity for latin america & the culture Friends or family in or from latin america Living & working in latin america Wonderful past vacations in latin america We have had none of those.  Our attraction to latin america is only that it: Is exotic, not US Is inexpensive Is relatively close to the US Has same timezone as US The language is not difficult      We have personally checked Panama, Costa Rica, Medellín, Mexico City, and San Miguel de Allende.  We agreed that Panama, Costa Rica, Mexico City are not for us; probably Lake Chapala also, though we may try a house-sit there.  (I still like Medellín, and it is lowest-cost)        SMA is the most likely agreeable place in latin america for us, because it is amenable, pretty, walkable, artsy, and still less expensive than the US.  However, we have concerns about the inequalities that show up in the barbed-wire, walls, and gated housing

 Valentine's Day is quite well advertised in Porto, in many shops and restaurants, as a Day of Love.   About 9:30 we took metro to the João de Jesus stop at the El Corte Ingles department store for some shopping then meetup with expats in the restaurant: about 15 men at one table, and 25 women at another table!  I met Ron, who started the group–I added my number to his whatsapp group.  Also there was Bob and Victor, from church.  A nice mix of newbies and old-time expats, discussing visas, property, and general topics.   Barb met with the women.   At noon we took the 903 bus many many stops west to Arabbiada Shopping Mall, for the long walk down narrow streets to the riverfront village of Afurada.  We found the FCPorto Afurada restaurant!  Cooking fresh fish over charcoal stoves outdoors – dourada and salmon, beer and wine and salad and bread, totaling $40.  Afurada is very picturesque fishing village, but completely remote from public transport.  We walked along the riverfront a w