Category Archives: Cultures

11 Ways to Be Nice to Foreigners

There are those who want all immigrants to just go away. They’d rather not be bothered by their needs and by the effort it takes to get to know them. … Continue reading →

The Spectacle and the Sinner

Our team decided to attend Easter Mass at the Cathedral today. We’re not Roman Catholics, as many of you know. However, we live in a predominantly-Catholic country where Easter is … Continue reading →

House in the Grass

A couple months ago, Nate and I took a walk through the countryside here in Santiago. We saw this house in the grass and were fascinated by it: It was … Continue reading →

Dogs in Cafes

Dogs in cafes: they’re trained, cute, and slightly unsanitary. It’s European living at its best.  

So the Police Came Over Yesterday

We applied for our 5-year residency cards in August, and in September we learned there was a defect in our application: in a surprise move, the Spanish government requested a … Continue reading →

Mona Lisa Redux

Interpretations of Mona Lisa, faithfully drawn by 5-year-olds: Can I get a “Gah!”  

Eres de China!

There’s nothing like walking by a huge line of little Spanish kids, having one of them look at you and say, “Eres de China!”, and then having the rest snap … Continue reading →

A Highlight of European Living: Dead Kitty

I thought I’d gotten used to European living, what with the nude sunbathers, expensive clothes, bidets, and bizarre traffic laws – but recently we had a first. There are stray … Continue reading →

365 Foreign Dishes: Jewish Stewed Brains

We recently found this gem of a book, 365 Foreign Dishes: A Foreign Dish for every day in the year. It was published in 1908 in the USA by George … Continue reading →

Okay, These Things Did Not Exist 3 Years Ago…

…Or did they, and we just didn’t notice them when we were home last in 2009? Either way, these newfangled (to us) inventions intruded upon our consciousness while we traveled … Continue reading →

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