Saying Goodbye: Our last week together in Rio

I remember the first time I stepped foot in this apartment. Gustavo had moved in earlier that year and, still, barely had any furniture. As a result, his place was a hub to gather before heading out to parties in the city. The wide-open layout meant everyone could drink, dance, and take pictures (god knows there were a lot of pictures) before heading out into the night.

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Brazil through the Movies

One of my favorite things (and possibly one of Gustavo’s least favorite) is comparing our favorite movies together. I’ve always been a bit of a film buff. When I was growing up, my dad had a video rental store, so I always had access to all kinds of movies. It didn’t hit me until later that my love for the movies was probably closely tied to being surrounded by them so often. Continue reading Brazil through the Movies

Reading Latin America: The House of Spirits

For something a little bit different than the norm, I just finished reading my first Isabel Allende book: The House of the Spirits.

I love Gabriel Garcia Márquez and, subsequently, quite like magical realism. Over the past year or so, I noticed a dearth of both fiction books and female authors in my roster of books to read. I picked up The House of the Spirits in paperback form in LA, at some point, and then purged it on one of my cleaning frenzies after never having read it. Continue reading Reading Latin America: The House of Spirits