Monthly Archives: May 2008
What was that you said about lemons and lemonade?
If life gives you lemons, make lemonade. You can catch more flies with honey than with vinegar. Over the course of our lives, we hear hundreds of kernels of advice packaged up into pithy, well-worn adages like these. You can probably reel off 10 of them without thinking. Like stereotypes, these sayings endure for a … Continue reading
Do You Roux?
In just a few days, Francisco and I will be headed to New Orleans, where we’ll be joining up with the Culinary Corps, “The Peace Corps for Cooks.” Francisco will be forming part of the Corps’ chef team, working with local cooks, restauranteurs, volunteers, students, and community members, while I document the group’s work and … Continue reading
Book Review: A Camera, Two Kids, and a Camel: My Journey in Photographs
Me? I’ve always had an ambivalent relationship with photography (see previous post). I love a picture that captures the essence of a person or a place suspended in a particular moment, but I dislike carrying a camera on a trip, especially because I perceive it to be intrusive. In fact, I have few, if any … Continue reading
How I’m Making Peace With My Camera… and How You Can, Too
My friend, photojournalist and fellow writer Lola Akinmade, has written a great series of informative articles about how to take better photos. Trouble is, I haven’t been able to use Lola’s tips. I’ve long had an ambivalent, conflicted relationship with my camera. Fifteen years of travel–Costa Rica, England, France, Switzerland, China, Canada, The Netherlands, Portugal, … Continue reading
Tango Caribeno/Caribbean Tango
Our Friday night tradition, when we lived in Old San Juan, Puerto Rico, was to sit on our balcony and toast our friends, Arturo and Violeta, as they sat on their balcony across the patio. Many nights, we’d eventually wander our way over to Arturo’s apartment or they’d wander their way over to ours and … Continue reading