Category Archives: expat
Mind the Gap: Violence-induced childhood and third-culture children.
I’ve been away from blogging a bit too long, and now, the opportunitiy to bring up my random thoughts on a very intriguing social issue, has arisen. The suggestion for this personal op-piece comes out as Michael Pick pokes us all this week, with the question: “Does watching violent movies inspire violence in the real world? “. In his own words, “When tragedies happen in the real world because of the violent deeds of a particular individual, the shock and horror that this happened very soon leads to trying to unravel the reason behind how it came to pass.
For some, the violence seen in films is taken as a catalyst or the inspiration for disturbing acts of violence in the real world. For others, blaming film violence for real life tragedies is cutting corners at best and “scapegoating” at worst — an effort to pin complex social or psychological issues on an enemy that can’t fight back…“
Violent? These are Super-Heroes, embedded with super-dupper powers, and any husband’s little boy’s dream!
Image downloaded from the site http://abduzeedo.com
As a parent, a traveler, a ‘serial expat’, and mother of 3 growing TCKs, I believe there are so many factors responsible for shaping up a child’s future – and this is especially true when we’re talking about raising well-adjusted, worldly citizens, well-rounded children, as products of hybrid cultures.
Some of these factors are culture, socialization and the own child’s experience; its perception of the world, and the child’s feelings and frustrations. Unfortunately, due to being exposed to a myriad of social situations and contexts, a so-called ‘third culture child‘ is also more vulnerable to external influences. One of the strongest influences relates to the common day-to-day aspects of life: the innocent act of ‘absorbing‘ images and concepts brought home through movies, TV shows, streamed videos, all the so-handy resources offered by the internet! And why not say, through the apparently harmless violence-based children’s video games… 
Oh, well… so then, what should we do, as parents? Others here already expressed their opinion that simply forbidding the child from watching potentially violent programs/movies, is not the solution, but it does have an impact on the developing mind – and the impact is unlikely positive, unfortunately…
Third culture children are in continuous need to understand the true origins of caring, the need to help others, and the strategies to display a nonaggressive behavior. The key players in order to achieve that level of self-knowledge, comes from parental socialization, the family system, schools and cultural influence. Currently, the easiest and quickest [albeit, not fully harmless!] avenues are the social media tools, television and movies. For younger kids, especially, the last two ‘avenues’ mentioned before, have both a fast and deep impact on the children’s minds, and the way they begin developing their own concepts, affirmations and perceptions about their surroundings.
Children who are growing up under this modern ‘violence-influenced’ scenario, will likely tend to develop the understanding that violence is a regular [and maybe necessary] part of life, which could be extremely dangerous for our future generations.
Again, as a parent, I’m concerned with the loss of sensitivity when it comes to publicly offering free violence viewing to our kids, as if it were part of a healthy environment.
Is reality really as cruel as it’s perceived through the movies? Is it all necessary? What good is it bringing to the upcoming generations?
Too many questions, and not on single answer – at least, not from my parental and confused mind.
We’re all just trying to get by surviving one day at a time, and hoping that our children will turn out to be well-balanced, responsible and loving adults. That’s simply my hope; as much as I’d like to, I don’t have control over my children’s future. I can offer them advice and love, but can’t hide them inside a bubble, making sure they won’t get hurt or even hurt others. This ‘motherly bubble’ doesn’t exist, thankfully… Kids need to be kids and yet, need to experience life. Life as it is. Holywoodian life is not life, it’s not real. The ‘reality’ portrait by movies is not, in fact, real. And the violence offered by movies should always be perceived as what it really is: fiction…
Related articles
- Writing Challenge: Media And The Real World (teeceecounsel.wordpress.com)
- Weekly Writing Challenge: Mind the Gap (codeforconfession.wordpress.com)
- A Rant About Violent Movies (melanielynngriffin.wordpress.com)
- Did Movie Violence Play a Role in “The Dark Knight Rises” Shooting? (everydayfamily.com)
- Can Video Games Cause Violence? (kidzedge.com)
- Film Violence is inspired by Real Violence in the Real World – DP Challenge (thegeekconduit.com)
- The Connection Between Violence and Movies. (sarinawhite.com)
- Mind the Gap: Violence-influenced childhood and third culture children. (3rdculturechildren.com)
- Stop Blaming Marilyn!!! (ardenrr.wordpress.com)
- Mind the Gap: Violence-induced childhood and third-culture children. (3rdculturechildren.com)
Snapshots of Artistic Expressions in La Paz. Part III: Mujeres Artistas.
Tomorrow, March 8, it’s Women’s International Day. Bolivia, like many other countries, is honoring all women with a full month of celebration and recognition. In the capital, La Paz, it’s possible to appreciate the artistic works of several gifted women, through painting and photography – and luckily, a couple of the artists presenting their pieces are friends of ours, and members of the US community here. Congratulations, ladies!
Sharing here a few images from the exhibit, at the Galeria de Arte Alternativa – by the neighborhood of San Miguel, La Paz – with art pieces [paintings and photography], courtesy of one of the participants, Mrs Susan Scanlon – my deepest appreciation to her as a wife, committed mother, artist and friend – thank you! ♥
Spanish: La galería Alternativa inauguró el sábado la muestra Mujeres artistas con obras pictóricas de Mirta Cwirko, Carolina Lovo, Mónica Rina Mamani, Rosmery Mamani, Guiomar Mesa, Laura Miller, Susan Scanlon y Cecilia Wilde, las esculturas en cerámica de Corina Barreto y los trabajos en metal de Marcela Mérida.
Con un total de 40 obras realizadas en diferentes formatos, técnicas y con una amplia variedad de temática, esta muestra estará abierta al público paceño hasta el 22 de marzo.
Related articles
- Snapshots of Artistic Expressions in La Paz. Part II: The Fighting Cholitas! (3rdculturechildren.com)
- Snapshots of Artistic Expressions in La Paz. A visit to the Museo de Arte Contemporaneo in La Paz. (3rdculturechildren.com)
- Photo Essay: People and Feelings of Copacabana, Bolivia. (3rdculturechildren.com)
‘Hardship Homemaking’: contributing to the collaborative blog…
Post originally prepared as a contribution to the Hardship Homemaking collaborative blog, which is a back to basics blog for recipes, tricks, and tips to make life overseas at hardship posts easier”. The blog is a collaborative effort, with several authors, each one sharing unique experiences and life backgrounds, most of them, with real examples of life in the Foreign Service, its implications, challenges and strategies to overcome them.
“Handling Fruits and Vegetables: Sanitary Tips
Living at hardship posts offers more than challenges to all ‘household managers’ out there. If offers us the opportunity to learn – through advice from our peers, through our own research, through experience and why not say, through mistakes – ours or someone else’s – while facing similar situations. A common concern among families living at hardship posts is ‘how to offer the best, healthiest diet to my family?’- and that includes not only how to “optimize” your grocery shopping budget, but how to ensure those beautiful fruits and veggies will be safe for consumption, even before they’re tossed in the fridge, or beautifully displayed on a fruit bowl!…” [continue reading]
Curious to learn more tips on this and other topics? Hope over to the Hardship Homemaking collaborative blog! Thank you for the interest…
A brief talk about ‘Diversity & Raising Children in the Foreign Service’.
Originally published as a Letter to Editors [The Foreign Service Journal, March 2013].
Diversity at State: Helping our Children.
The value of diversity promotion in the State Department was well emphasized by EEO Counselor Krishna Das (Letters to the Editor, January issue). As a parent, I see the discussion regarding how we bring up our children within the diverse Foreign Service lifestyle as equal parts interesting, challenging, and crucial. It is, of course, necessary to serve as role models for our children right from the start, particularly in teaching the lesson that everyone, despite appearances or stereotypes, deserves respect.
As noted, State Department children are highly exposed to diverse cultures, and we as parents should demonstrate why this is such an advantage to their own growth as human beings.
Building a culture of diversity starts at home, a literal reality for many State Department families. We speak different languages, come from distinct cultural backgrounds, and practice different religions. And yet in most cases, our children are growing up in a culturally richer environment than we (parents) were brought up. Children in the Foreign Service live the concept of diversity and its social implications – on a daily basis.
That said, it is often necessary for us to question what is our role as parents in this process? How can we assist our children regarding the issue of diversity? It would appear as far as diversity is concerned, we need to be extra involved in their lives: listening to their stories, learning about their ventures and challenges adjusting to new, countries, discussing their questions and social frustrations, establishing a healthy communication channel, building positive identities and respect for differences. Further, we should seek ways to insert these concepts into the routines of our children’s everyday lives and help convince them through our actions that a society without discrimination is possible. It is critical for us parents and caretakers to develop ‘cultural sensitivity’ regarding our surroundings; otherwise, without specific cultural information, we may inadvertently promote practices and approaches that could counter other parents’ efforts.
One great piece of advice I once received was to “encourage your child’s friendships with others across race, ethnicity, class, religious practices, background and ability.”
The more personal experiences children have with other groups, the easier it will be to dismiss stereotypes and misperceptions.
******
Want to add to the discussion? Please feel free to share your comments/opinions/suggestions here!
Related articles
- Embracing Diversity as an Expat: “How could we help our children around this issue?” (3rdculturechildren.com)
- Raising resilient expat children? (3rdculturechildren.com)
- Children: Of Mice and Men? (researchingreform.wordpress.com)
23 months of blogging, with over 120,000 visits… Thank you!
March 2011 marked my very first blogpost: shared impressions from the world’s largest street carnival. It was obviously in Brazil, the country that lives and breathes popular festivities, and our assignment with the foreign service from 2010 to 2012.From that point on, blogposts began to come out quite often, increasing the number of subscribers, comments, Facebook Page fans [over 230], Twitter followers [over 350], and blog followers [now at 983]. Being picked to be Freshly Pressed a couple of times by the WordPress editors was definitely a good burst on the social part of it, coupled with the recent popular vote for best Expat Blog about our current home, Bolivia; and the mention of being one of the best parental/family blogs for families wondering about life with kids in the foreign service, according to Gaddling, the world’s top travel blog. Many thanks! 
Today, another milestone was reached, having me surprised and pleased, finding out that our ‘family travel & photoblog‘ displayed over 120,000 visits.
Being passionate about your life experiences, sharing images and impressions, reporting what one sees happening around, somehow, pays back. At least, in the ‘blogsphere‘… I’m inspired by the several bloggers who take part at the writing prompts, Weekly Photo Challenges, FrizzText and Jake Austria, probably being my very first inspiration (thank you both!); as well as, all the beautiful ideas shared by Ailsa, from ‘Where’s my Backpack?‘, with her travel theme challenges, and The Island Traveler, a parent, like many of us, who decided to share some beauty from their regular lives with the world…
Thank you all out there, parents, expats, bloggers, friends, for reading, commenting, following, and for offering a great deal of inspiration… blogging is fun!
What is your NEXT MILESTONE? Your Blog Milestone? Share here, if you care! Thanks!♥
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Happy Birthday to our Valentine’s Day baby girl!
Being born in South Africa
Baptism in Mozambique
African Bath
Mozambique
Wedding party in the US.
Folklore Day in Brazil
Modern Ballet Recital, Brazil
Carnaval in Brazil
June Festivities in Brazil
Halloween in Bolivia
Christmas in Bolivia
Hiking thru Isla del Sol, Bolivia
She’s not a baby anymore… better to say, she’s a young lady… a ‘señorita’…
Like her parents, this young lady has already moved quite a bit…
She was not born in Rio de Janeiro, like her momma, not in Virginia, like her daddy. She did not have her Brazilian ‘vovó and vovô’ to welcome her into this world, nor her American ‘nana and abuelito’ to greet her when she first smiled… She was born 5 years ago, while our family was stationed in Mozambique, and was fortunate enough to have the unique Pretoria (South Africa) as her birth place.
Despite not having our families around, she was [and still is!] surrounded by love, through her parents’ friends, the extended family, and her now, personal friends in Bolivia.
This morning, before getting ready for school, still recovering from the very intense and fun Carnaval in La Paz, our girl came to our bedroom, holding her index finger upright: “Mommmy, would you believe we’re only ONE DAY away from my cumple?” She’s right: Valentine’s Day is just around the corner, and she knows it! For our family, this particular day will aways transcends all the commercialism, the consumerism associated with the date – it goes beyond that, it’s definitely, truly, unconditionally related to LOVE. The love between parents and their daughter…
We’re pleased, lucky and grateful for all the experiences we’ve been through, and we’re grateful for having had this intense, warm, active and loving girl into our lives for the past five years… Half a decade ago, husband and I received the best gift one could ever expect for Valentine’s Day: the birth of a baby girl! ♥ And, for the ones who may find hard to believe that there are no boundaries, limits nor geographical barriers for friendships, that little baby girl got some visitors… friends from DC [pictured below] came to meet her, while visiting South Africa… Our deepest appreciation for such a great demonstration of friendship! ♥
Baie Dankie, South Africa for such a wonderful Valentine’s!
Raising resilient expat children?
I feel like I began this year on a very ‘introspective mode‘, rethinking life, our lifestyle, and the way we plan on leading it forward…
This is a third post on my ‘random thoughts‘ about bringing our children out [first one discussed multilingualism and its approach as parents; and the second one dealt with 'how to approach' diversity issues], especially when it comes to the heterogeneous society they [children] are about to face…. any moment from now… [find all interesting links to great discussions at the bottom of this post!]
For a child, especially the young ones, parents are their strongest link to the concepts of ‘reality‘ and ‘normalcy‘.
That said, I recently found from Expat Child, a fantastic site for inspirations for any parent out there, even if they’re not ‘serial expats’ like our family:
[and my deepest appreciation to the site authors for bringing out such an interesting discussion!]
Five Quotes On Resilience
It is not the strongest of the species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change. – Charles Darwin
Resilient children tend to have parents who are concerned with their children’s education, who participate in that education, who direct their children everyday task, and who are aware of their children interests and goals. Another important characteristic of resilient children is having at least one significant adult in their lives. – Linda F. Winfield
Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear, not absence of fear. – Mark Twain
There are two lasting bequests we can give our children: one is roots, the other is wings. – Hodding Carter
Self-esteem is the real magic wand that can form a child’s future. A child’s self-esteem affects every area of her existence, from friends she chooses, to how well she does academically in school, to what kind of job she gets, to even the person she chooses to marry. – Stephanie Martson
I don’t have answers for these questions, and maybe, secretly, would hope to find a few over here… from other expat/parents out there... I’m aware that we [parents] are all seeking answers, suggestions, so, I’ll echo my voice with many more… who knows? Comments/messages are very much appreciated, and more than welcome! “How are we [parents] working on raising more [socially] resilient children?”
Thank you!
Related articles
- Comments and extra thoughts on being a multilingual parent… (3rdculturechildren.com)
- Expat Families: Story Telling Can Be Key to Success in Raising Happy Children Who Grow Up Abroad, Parenting Expert Julia Simens Writes (sys-con.com)
- What’s a Third Culture Kid? (iwasanexpatwife.com)
- Diversity (resetparenting.wordpress.com)
- Language and TCKs (raisingtcks.com)
- Embracing Diversity as an Expat: “How could we help our children around this issue?” (3rdculturechildren.com)
- Home is where the heart is… (bxlsprout.com)
Photography: Isla del Sol, Bolivia.
Trying an unusual blogging experience here!
I hope you’ll enjoy this post. Before you begin reading, let’s try this: “what do you expect to see through this post? What type of images come to your mind when you read ‘Isla del Sol’? ‘Bolivia’? — please let me know your thoughts by dropping me a comment below: did the results live up to your expectations? – obviously, share your thoughts after checking all these beautiful images out! ♥ Thank you!
This is the third post of a series on our visit to the main Bolivian town on the shore of Lake Titicaca. The previous posts focused on people and our perception of their lives, as well as our ‘on-foot exploration’ of the Copacabana town [missed the great images? No problem! Just hop over to the posts using these links: stop 1 & stop 2!]
From our home, La Paz, to the town of Copacabana, we drove some 172 kilometers, route including a ride on a Ferry Boat! Once in town, we took a 2-hour boat, packed with tourists, families, kids, to the mystic Isla del Sol, for an exciting and exhausting challenging (!!) 3 hour hike through the rocky mountains, towards the pre-Inca ruins, the Sacred Inca Labyrinth, and a well deserved stop at the intriguing ‘floating islands’ [islas flotantes], artificially established fish farms, restaurants & rest areas, for some delicious trout lunch!
According to Wikitravel, “Isla del Sol (“Island of the Sun“) is the largest island on Lake Titicaca, and part of Bolivian territory. An ancient holy site of the Inca, it’s easily reachable from Copacabana“. Considering I love to search for meanings, reasons, traditional explanations, I really loved to learn that, “the Inca [people] legend says that Viracocha, the bearded god who created the universe, emerged from the waters of Lake Titicaca and created the sun at this location”… How can something get any cooler than this? That said, we’ve been to the place where it all began… or at least, the spot where the Sun was created! ♥
Lovely, right? And the images are a testimony of that… take a look and enjoy this journey with our traveling family!
The boat ride to the Isla del Sol…
…and snapshots of the floating islands and the fish [trout] farms!
The floating restaurant
The floating restaurant
Detail from the trout farm
The fish farm
The floating restaurant
view from the floating restaurant
Learning a bit about the island and its features:
A full-day tour took two hours to get from Copacabana to Cha’llapampa, two and a half hours to see the museum and make a round trip hike to the Rock of the Puma, and back to the Inca Steps and two hours for the ride back to Copacabana.
It’s possible to hike from the Rock of the Puma back to Yumani (three hours) and catch the boat from there. Our family just could not do this, and we skipped the extra 3-hour hike, due to exhausted kids… But, our adventure was well-worthy:
- Cha’llapampa, the town on the northern end of the island, is where the boat lets you off. The Gold Museum (Museo de Oro) displays Inca treasures which were discovered underwater off the island in the last decade.
- The sights on the northern tip are ancient Inca sacred sites. The Rock of the Puma, or Titi Kharka, after which the lake is named.
- A short distance from the rock is the Inca Table, a low platform fashioned of stone. which was supposedly used for human sacrifices. The Footsteps of the Sun nearby are a set of natural impressions in rock.
- From Yumani on the southern part of the island, the Inca Steps descend down to the water. At the bottom is the Fountain of Youth.
Finally, once at the island, our hiking adventure through mysticism, tradition & culture!
Aerial view from the villa
Pre-Inca Ruins
Pre-Inca Ruins
Entering the Sacred Labyrinth
The Table of Sacrifices
Sacred Labyrinth
Blessing the hikers
The youngest hiker
View from the top of the mountain
The Sacred Labyrinth
Sacred Labyrinth
Photo Journal: Cultural trip to Copacabana, Bolivia.
Typical lady of Copacabana, selling bread in front of the church. Photo taken at the Basilica of the Virgin of Copacabana
This is the second post of a series on the city of Copacabana, the main Bolivian town on the shore of Lake Titicaca.
The previous post focused more on people and our perception of their lives, the image on the right should give a pretty good first impression of what we found during our visit [if curious, hop over to the post using this link!]
Our path towards a very restful weekend. Bags packed, kids packed, car tank full. Let’s begin! ♥
172 kilometers to drive, route including a Ferry!
Leaving La Paz was a breeze! Not the heavy traffic we expected throughout El Alto, and as a bonus, some very interesting buildings along the way - see below!
Our kids simply loved their ‘new way of moving’ along the Lake!
Our ‘home away from home’, Hotel Rosario do Lago Titicaca, a welcome respite in this funky beach town …. heavenly views, spacious rooms very tastefully decorated, modern and spacious bath, comfortable and beautiful beds. Food is fantastic with beautiful views overlooking lake and lovely gardens… Here is what we spotted from our hotel, while enjoying a cup of coffee [me] or a chilled beer [husband] – the magnificent Lake Titicaca:
The city was completely ready for pilgrims and tourists coming from all sorts of places. People seeking blessings, people honoring promises, people of faith and tourists. The colorful city of Copacabana had a special place for each and every one of them!
The street markets were a sure hotspot for visitors! Clothing articles, leather-made products, typical food, ‘the famous tostadas’ were among the offers!
Hiking options were also available to all, and again, the reasons varied with the will: adventure, faith, curiosity, photography… you name it! The views from up top the Calvary Hill are definitely priceless, and made us forget the difficulties climbing up through the 14 Stations [of the Cross] with a bunch of little kids!
Detail: hiking and adventure see no boundaries… no age is too young!
Our youngest member of the hiking team: a 2-yr-old girl”
Detail from one of the “Stations of the Cross”
Detail from another one of the 14 Stations of the Cross
The beginning of the hike along the Calvary Hill
…and more kids along the way!
Entrance to the “Calvary”
The little members of our family’s hiking team – our kids!
Moms & Kids, resting at mid-point.
The city of Copacabana, spotted from our hiking mid-point
Once at the top of the Calvary Hill, we were introduced to the popular Alasitas! Miniatures representing a wish. It could be a house, a job, a diploma, a car…even money! [they actually had miniature copies of dollar bills!]
People would buy their ‘product of desire’ and have it blessed by a priest [at the Basilica of Our Lady of Copacabana] or by a native yakiri… Some people chose both options, why not? :o
At the top of the Calvary Hill, it was time to enjoy the magnificent natural beauty around us: the Lake seemed endless, powerful, and yet, soothing. The deep blue colors from the waters mirrored the blue ceiling the sky was offering to all the ones brave enough to accomplish the walk up… ♥
After all this, were we tired? For a bit, we were, for sure. But we found enough energy to keep moving on, and exploring… an island! The Isla del Sol [Sun Island], a 2-hour boat ride away from Copacabana, with occasional stops at the ‘floating islands‘… But this will be part of an upcoming post… For now, just get back to the images, enjoy them, and if you wish, let us know what you think! Thanks for tagging along with our ‘traveling family of 5′!’
[Spanish] Copacabana, región encantadora a orillas del Lago Titikaka, está situada a una altura de 3.841 m.s.n.m, y a una distancia de 155 km la ciudad de La Paz, que es la sede de Gobierno de Bolivia y la ciudad más importante del país.
El recorrido desde La Paz toma aproximadamente 3 horas y media por carretera asfaltada. Copacabana, casi es un paso obligatorio entre Cusco (Perú) y la ciudad de La Paz.
Related articles
- Photo Project: 52 Bolivian Sundays [week 4, 'Love']. (3rdculturechildren.com)
- Photo Essay: People and Feelings of Copacabana, Bolivia. (3rdculturechildren.com)
- Bolivia Vacations (orbitz.com)
Willing to travel? Check out this suggestion on cheap tickets from Flighthub!
Photo Essay: People and Feelings of Copacabana, Bolivia.
Typical lady of Copacabana, selling bread in front of the church. Photo taken at the Basilica of the Virgin of Copacabana patio, where she patiently waited for the Mass to end…
This is the first post of a series on the city of Copacabana, the main Bolivian town on the shore of Lake Titicaca. It’s an amateur attempt to capture more than just images, landscapes and hotspots from the enormous Lake Titicaca and its surroundings – it’s an experiment to enter people’s lives and understand their feelings… That’s why it’s being called ‘People and Feelings of Copacabana‘.
[Spanish] Copacabana, región encantadora a orillas del Lago Titikaka, está situada a una altura de 3.841 m.s.n.m, y a una distancia de 155 km la ciudad de La Paz, que es la sede de Gobierno de Bolivia y la ciudad más importante del país. El recorrido desde La Paz toma aproximadamente 3 horas y media por carretera asfaltada. Copacabana, casi es un paso obligatorio entre Cusco (Perú) y la ciudad de La Paz.
Religion, devotion, faith – many names for the several different ways of approaching what’s believed to be a stronger, powerful protective force… People seeking blessings, seeking help, seeking guidance…
The town has a large 16th-century shrine, the Basilica of Our Lady of Copacabana. Our Lady of Copacabana is the patron saint of Bolivia. As part of our trip, we also visited the Isla del Sol, and appreciated the long and heartwarming hike through the rocky paths, up to the pre-Inca ruins – sensations and feelings, were everywhere…
More still to come on our recent family 4-day road trip, but for now, let’s begin with these very personal and intimate photo shots… Hope you are all able to perceive the same sensations we got… ♥ Let us know!
Snapshots of Artistic Expressions. A visit to the Museo de Arte Contemporaneo in La Paz.
Art galleries in La Paz have been springing up like cactus flowers after the rains.
Many are within an easy walk from one another. Is there a better way for getting to know the beauties (and resources) this colorful city offers?
Now, that I’m comfortable enough to walk around the city, I’ve begun a series of posts about art in the city, this one being the result of an afternoon visit to a current Art Exhibit at the Museo de Arte Contemporaneo ‘Plaza’, in La Paz. Oh, the temporary advantages of being a ‘stay-home-mom’! ♥
Got some free time to explore, what about nicely educating yourself on the country’s history, art and endless man-made beauty? I’ve got, and I’m slowly educating myself... through art and history!
[All images provided here were taken by me - with permission].
Still curious for more?
Find below a list of gallery websites, and/or related resources:
Bolivian Painter Claudia Soria
Online gallery of paintings by Bolivian painter Claudia Soria.
Bolivian Painter Emma Rosario Imana de Murguia
Biography of the artist and some art work samples (Italian).
El Retorno de los Angeles
Amazing online exhibition of Bolivian baroque paintings (angels, archangels, virgins and saints).
Galería de Arte y Cultura de Bolivia
Art and culture gallery. Paintings, masks, enbroideries, books, and videos for sale.
Jorge Crespo Berdecio
Artist in metal work, serigraphy, xilography, and lithography.
Jorge Hurtado’s Fine Art Gallery
Works in fine arts, illustration, and graphic design. Nice site.
Mamani Mamani
Collection paintings catalogued by theme: mothers, flowers, archangels, birds among others.
Marcelo Videa – Surrealismo Apechurrado
Surrealist art. Paintings, drawings, sculptures, and ceramic.
Orlando Arias Morales
Creative ecstasy in the works of Bolivian painter Orlando Arias Morales. Portfolio.
Paula Lopez – Art Gallery
Resume, exhibitions and pictures.
Pedro Portugal
Bolivian artist. Paintings, sculptures, ceramics, and murals.
Sanjines Art
Website for Bolivian Artist and Photographer Marcelo Sanjines.
Taipinquiri
Culture, architecture, and arts center. Paintings, sculptures and books.
Photo Project: 52 Bolivian Sundays [week 3, 'Beyond']
With at least a post a week for 2013, which I’m calling “52 Bolivian Sundays”, I keep moving forward with the plan to share my [photo] impressions about our surroundings, the culture we’re currently calling ‘ours’, the place we’ll call home for the next year and a half…
Today, for the third Sunday of 2013, I’m sharing one of photo I snapped during a recent visit to a local Art Exhibit in town. The photo responds to the weekly photo challenge, “Beyond“, trying to answer to: “Do you have a photo which invites the viewer to look beyond?”
Leading the readers through the story in the photo. What do YOU SEE BEYOND the picture?
This is s very powerful picture, an oil painting, part of this months current Art Exhibit at the Museo de Arte Contemporaneo ‘Plaza’, in La Paz [more images from my visit to the museum to come later this week, after we return from our family escape to the Lake Titicaca!].
The image has many possible meanings/interpretations, although I believe there’s not doubt about its powerful impact/reaction… The picture portraits the image of a kid, maybe in despair? And, at the same time you find yourself looking at the helpless face of this boy, you discover the image is being ‘ripped off’ from its reality, which brings us to the questions:
‘Is it all real?‘ ‘Is all the pain portrait here, simply an illusion?’ Is the image a symbol of a lost childhood?’
What about you? What are you seeing beyond the painted image? ♥
Original posts from Photo Project:
- Photo Project: 52 Bolivian Sundays [week 1, 'Resolved']. (3rdculturechildren.com)
- Photo Project: 52 Bolivian Sundays [week 2, 'Illumination']. (3rdculturechildren.com)
Embracing Diversity as an Expat: “How could we help our children around this issue?”
I feel like I began this year on a very ‘introspective mode‘, rethinking life, our lifestyle, and the way we plan on leading it forward…
This is a second post on my ‘random thoughts‘ about bringing our children out [first one discussed multilingualism and its approach as parents], especially when it comes to the diverse society they [children] are about to face…. any moment from now…
The discussion on social diversity is not only part of our family’s daily life, but it also tailors the way we are raising our children, and the way we would like them to understand and perceive their surroundings.
Being a foreign-born spouse, who has moved out of Brazil over a decade ago, constantly traveling because of work and family life, I had to learn early that, the need to readjust and reinvent oneself is a critical part of the adaptation process in a foreign country. I’m also a parent, and often find myself trying to answer a few questions, to my own children, as well as, to other parents facing similar challenges: “What can I do to help my children around the issue of diversity?” And, in fact, how ready is our society to embrace diversity?
Life as an expat has shown me that we (parents) are the only ‘constant‘ on our children’s lives. Childhood friends come and go, depending on their parent’s jobs. Schools change. Countries, cultures, music, social patterns and expected behaviors last as long as one’s post assignment does.
For a child, especially the young ones, parents are their strongest link to the concepts of ‘reality‘ and ‘normalcy‘.
Over time, children will learn who they are and what to do through these experiences – absorbing a sense of their routines, traditions, languages, cultures, and national or racial identities – at their own pace, creating their very particular ‘hybrid culture‘, assuming their own identity, as unique social beings.
We are diverse, we speak different languages in our household, we come from distinct cultural and/or religious backgrounds… and our children could not be any different from that narrative. Our children are coming up as divergent individuals, in a much richer way than we (parents) were brought up. We are all very unique, and that notion needs to be reflected not only on the job represented by our officers (and their families) overseas, but also, through our own behavior as social creatures.
Diversity brings innovation and creativity. It’s important for us, parents, to add to our home environment, so it is reflective of other (cultural, racial, ethnic, family style) groups. It’s critical to express pride in our own heritage. Building positive identities and the respect for differences, would mean inserting these concepts to the routine of children’s everyday lives.
I don’t have answers for these questions, and maybe, secretly, would hope to find a few over here… from other expat/parents out there... I’m aware that we [parents] are all seeking answers, suggestions, so, I’ll echo my voice with many more… who knows? Comments/messages are very much appreciated, and more than welcome!
That said, what is our role as parents? How could we help our children regarding diversity? One of the suggestions is that we need to be constantly involved in their lives. Listening to their stories, learning about their ventures and challenges adjusting to new/unknown realities. We need to devote a great deal of patience for establishing a healthy communication channel within our household, and between all the levels of our (expatriate) community; opportunities will present themselves at the school, at the work level, at social events where children may take part… . It’s necessary to talk to our children about differences, in a very understanding and respectful way. Let us be resourceful and take advantage of the diversity around us.
One of the advantages this life as expatriates offers to families is the possibility to enroll our children in international schools. It’s already been discussed that students who attend schools with a diverse population (student body, faculty, staff) are capable of developing an understanding of the perspectives of other children’s backgrounds, learning to function in a multicultural, multiethnic environment.All of us are born free of biases, (un)fortunately, we tend to learn them as we grow. Is it a totally negative aspect of our lives? Could we turn our ability to make social judgments into a positive impacting tool? Let the discussion begin!
Related articles
- Comments and extra thoughts on being a multilingual parent… (3rdculturechildren.com)
- Expat Families: Story Telling Can Be Key to Success in Raising Happy Children Who Grow Up Abroad, Parenting Expert Julia Simens Writes (sys-con.com)
- What’s a Third Culture Kid? (iwasanexpatwife.com)
- Diversity (resetparenting.wordpress.com)
- Language and TCKs (raisingtcks.com)
The Big Move: shared from the HuffingtonPost
Moving homes can be one of the most stressful times in someone’s life. Does it always have to be such a nightmare, or can there be a breezy move?
Originally aired on January 14, 2013
Hosted by:
- Nancy Red
-
WOW: Moving is the 3rd Most Stressful Life Event Moving is a big source of stress for many Americans every year. And it’s listed as the 3rd most stressful life event.View Original
Photo Project: 52 Bolivian Sundays [week 2, 'Illumination']
Today, for the second Sunday of 2013, the chosen photo is inspired by the weekly photo challenge, “Illumination“, and is a little remembrance of the way the city of Nuestra Señora de La Paz greeted the New Year of 2013… Illumination brings rebirth, reinvention, rejoice!
“Lights are functional — everyday objects in our rooms and on our streets. Yet lights can be powerful symbols: signs of life, curiosity, and discovery…”
Original post from Photo Project:
- Photo Project: 52 Bolivian Sundays [week 1, 'Resolved']. (3rdculturechildren.com)
“You’ve been Freshly Pressed… Again!”
I’ve been blogging for exactly 22 months [the first post went live on March 11, 2011, about the Largest Street Carnaval in Brazil – and apparently, it didn’t take long to be picked up by Pop Pressed‘s radar, on March 2011. Link here for full post].
But it’s always nice to get that sweet email from the WordPress editors… Especially, for the second time.. what are the odds? Thank you all for reading! ♥
A bit of Math here [and my former Algebra students who thought they were free from this!]: The chances of being Freshly Pressed are, on any given day, about 12 per million. Well, considering that just happened for the second time, it brings the odds to… 1 in 6,400,000,000
Maybe I should move on to playing the lottery?!
Curious about the ‘map it out post’? HERE it is!
It’s [Girls Scout] Cookie time! [Sharing information from The Dinoia Family]
This community we’re part of [Foreign Service] is all about networking and sharing… sharing information, advice, comments, experiences… In sharing, we all become stronger, and able to keep moving forward! That said, I’m now sharing some information learned from The Dinoia Family‘s Blog, about this year’s Girls Scout Cookies Initiative, involving a couple of other very active ladies [and their daughters!] from the FS community – definitely, a great one! And I’m very grateful for the opportunity to be sharing their initiative and efforts!
Quoted from The Dinoia Family’s blog:
“Yep…it’s cookie time!
Girl Scout cookies are back and we are on those orders! In fact, this year, we are working together with Jill and Riley to spread the cookie goodness far and wide throughout the Foreign Service. We have made it terribly easy to enjoy those once-a-year treats that you buy en masse because they are so darn yummy (and ship well!).
To make it easy, I have copied the “how to” from Jill’s blog. Follow these simple instructions and you, too, could be enjoying those cookies very soon! And now…Spanish homework is calling again…
Want cookies? Read the excerpt from Jill’s post below and just follow the instructions!
First and foremost, we don’t want to step on anyone’s toes, so our joint efforts are focused on providing Girl Scout Cookies solely to our Foreign Service friends overseas, where we can ship to an APO/FPO/DPO or pouch address. If you are our family members or personal friends and want to buy from us rather than from the little girlies who are SURE to knock on your door sometime in the next few months, that’s great too. But we’ll take care of you outside of this joint venture.Just like the last few years, the cookies are only $4 / box … with all your favorites returning!
- Thin Mints
- Samoas
- Thank You Berry Munch
- Trefoils
- Dulce de Leche
- Tagalongs
- Do-Si-Dos
- Savannah Smiles
Here’s how to order:1) Attempt to narrow down how many boxes you want (versus how many boxes your eyes and stomach want.)2) Send an email to DSforGS@yahoo.com by Friday, January 18th, with …* Your Name* Your Post* Your Address* Exactly how many of each kind you’d like3) When the cookies come in, send us your payment via paypal, and we’ll get them out to you ASAP. We’ll send you an email invoice letting you know your totals.It’s THAT simple.We will be shipping the cookies in the USPS Flat Rate boxes. The current APO/FPO rate is $13.45 for a 12″ x 12″ x 5 1/2″ box … and we can fit 8 boxes of cookies in them. And as an incentive … you pay the first $10 / box, and we’ll pick up the rest!A wee bit of additional information …** If you are at a post overseas, pass along this information to any of your friends. We would LOVE to outfit your entire Consulate or Embassy.** Consider combining orders with your friends to help reduce shipping costs.** Between the two families, our girls sold over 1100 boxes of cookies to 50+ countries during the last two years to FS personnel.** We set up the DSforGS@yahoo.com email address so that we could make it easy to get more cookies shipped out to more places. If you know either of us personally and want our daughters to send out your cookies – no worries. Just say so in your email. Otherwise, we have divided up the world behind the scenes so that all you need to do is send in your order, and let us take care of the rest!Now what are you waiting for? Happy ordering!”
Please hop back to Jen Dinoia‘s blog for more information! Thank you!♥
{Weekly Writing Challenge} Map it out!
Moving as an expat…
[Backstory, inspiration from WP] “As bloggers, we scan through photos and descriptive tales from our fellow writers who share their travels with us… Maps symbolize the places we’ve been, the places we want to go, and the places we’ll end up, even if we don’t know it yet…”
That said, I’m taking up on the challenge, and ‘mapping out’ the places in my life. Just the important, ‘life event’ moves. A couple years back when I began blogging, I decided to name this blog, representing/expressing what my [now 3] kids are: the product of their mom’s and dad’s hybrid/joined cultures. Moving is part of our lives, and was part of mine way before meeting the so-called ‘best-half’. Maps are a frequent guest at my posts, and this time, responding to the challenge, I’m ‘mapping out my life’, the moves I’ve endured as a nomad child back in Brazil, the ones leading me to a new path as an expat, mother and ‘trailing spouse‘… ♥
The beginning: ‘this child is born’, in a small Japanese colony, in Southeastern Brazil:
Itaguaí, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
The original family moves to the nation’s capital, for a fantastic couple of decades of friendships, schooling, learning, growing, language, cultural and life experiences:
Professional opportunities keep leading that grown child to keep moving up… and North!
Life presents itself in very strange ways... and sometimes, love, personal life & work seem to agree with each other… a few fortunate moments, that one must take advantage of… and move on! Again, keep moving up… and North! The new home, now officially an expat, the “D” city indicated by the map – working as a foreign research fellow, in Davis, CA.
One day, we all come to the realization that it’s necessary to say ‘YES’ to a lifetime commitment… and so I did! And the acceptance brought me to a new address, some 2,800 miles away, to new work opportunities, to a new life as a spouse:
What happens when a ‘nomad child’ marries another ‘nomad spirit’?
Well, they move, together with their first ‘world citizen‘! This time, as a ‘trailing spouse’ and a mom, I’m going back South… to Southern Africa…
It came time to welcome our second child… so then we moved to a neighboring country, for a little while…
We were done with our work in Africa, and had to return to our original home. Back in Washington DC, before heading out to our next adventure… From “A” to “B”, landing in “C”, and welcoming our third child into the world [of traveling!]:
But since we’ve got ‘itchy souls‘, common to world travelers, we may not stop… We’re always moving, and as a result of work, lifestyle and adventurous minds, we find ourselves in a different place, the beautiful country of Bolivia… for now! Thanks for following us, and… what about you? What is YOUR JOURNEY? Feel free to leave a link at the comments section for others to ‘live thru your experiences’!!
Related: Writing Challenge: Map It | Fi’s Mutterings & Mumblings
Photo Project: 52 Bolivian Sundays [week 1, 'Resolved'].
Well, this is the time to come up with New Year Resolutions. I’m no different than many others, and since once of my resolutions is to get better at photoblogging, I’ve resolved to do something.
My resolution? Trying to blog better, more consistently… this year, I’ll see if I can abide by a weekly schedule… with at least a post a week for 2013, which I’m calling “52 Bolivian Sundays”, my plan to share my [photo] impressions about our surroundings, the culture we’re currently calling ‘ours’, the place we’ll call home for the next year and a half… Hopefully, I’ll stick to the plan, and have a photo post out every Sunday… 52 images of natural landscapes, people, culture, food, tradition, daily life, social events, artistic expressions… you name it! But each and every one of them need to represent the place we’re now calling home, the beautiful country of Bolivia! ♥
Today, the first Sunday of 2013, the opening photo is inspired by the weekly photo challenge, “Resolved“. My first resolution for the year: getting out [more] and exploring the country. We haven’t done a lot of traveling in these past 5 months here, but now it’s time to explore… and find out what’s hiding behind these mountains… or, what lies beyond these clouds…
- Weekly Photo Challenge: Resolved (hawth.me)
- Weekly Photo Challenge: Resolved (kncali.wordpress.com)
- Weekly Photo Challenge: Resolved (Organ Player Paris) (chrisbreebaart.wordpress.com)
- Weekly Photo Challenge: Resolved (scsurfbutler.com)
- Weekly Photo Challenge: Resolved (windagainstcurrent.com)
- Weekly Photo Challenge: Resolved (pilotfishblog.com)
- Weekly Photo Challenge: Resolved (artistoftheeveryday.wordpress.com)
- New post Weekly Photo Challenge: Resolved (thebeltanedaily.wordpress.com)
- Weekly Photo Challenge: Resolved (thepanamaadventure.wordpress.com)
- Weekly Photo Challenge: Resolved (myblogexactly.wordpress.com)
Snapshots of Artistic Expressions in La Paz. Part I: Paintings.
![Quenua Tree [oil on canvas]](http://3rdculturechildren.files.wordpress.com/2012/09/img_4726.jpg?w=162&h=217 "Quenua Tree [oil on canvas]")
My most recent creation, showcasing the love affair with a unique tree – the Andean Queñoa, from my front yard!
Art galleries in La Paz have been springing up like cactus flowers after the rains. Many are within an easy walk from one another. Is there a better way for getting to know the beauties (and resources) this colorful city offers? Now, that La Paz is our home, and I’m comfortable enough to walk around the city, I’ve begun a series of posts about art in La Paz, this initial one is about ‘Painting’, bringing up a list of resources for other visitors/expats, like myself. Also, this month I’ll resume my painting classes – something I’d stopped while back in Brazil when my baby girl was born (2010). Here in La Paz I already got one canvas out, but still feel the enormous need to improve my skills, and learn more techniques… Oh, the temporary advantages of being a ‘stay-home-mom’! Got some free time to explore, what about nicely educating yourself on the country’s history, art and endless man-made beauty? I’ve got, and I’m slowly educating myself... through art and history!
[All images provided here were taken by me - with permission - at different art galleries throughout the neighborhood of San Miguel, La Paz].
Here, 3 of my “creations”…
Find below a list of gallery websites, and/or related resources:
Bolivian Painter Claudia Soria
Online gallery of paintings by Bolivian painter Claudia Soria.
Bolivian Painter Emma Rosario Imana de Murguia
Biography of the artist and some art work samples (Italian).
El Retorno de los Angeles
Amazing online exhibition of Bolivian baroque paintings (angels, archangels, virgins and saints).
Galería de Arte y Cultura de Bolivia
Art and culture gallery. Paintings, masks, enbroideries, books, and videos for sale.
Jorge Crespo Berdecio
Artist in metal work, serigraphy, xilography, and lithography.
Jorge Hurtado’s Fine Art Gallery
Works in fine arts, illustration, and graphic design. Nice site.
Mamani Mamani
Collection paintings catalogued by theme: mothers, flowers, archangels, birds among others.
Marcelo Videa – Surrealismo Apechurrado
Surrealist art. Paintings, drawings, sculptures, and ceramic.
Orlando Arias Morales
Creative ecstasy in the works of Bolivian painter Orlando Arias Morales. Portfolio.
Paula Lopez – Art Gallery
Resume, exhibitions and pictures.
Pedro Portugal
Bolivian artist. Paintings, sculptures, ceramics, and murals.
Sanjines Art
Website for Bolivian Artist and Photographer Marcelo Sanjines.
Taipinquiri
Culture, architecture, and arts center. Paintings, sculptures and books.
Comments and extra thoughts on being a multilingual parent…
“Are you curious?” We are!
**UPDATE: Follow-up post discussing thoughts on Diversity & Raising Children as Expats
I often talk about the challenges of parenting, especially considering the difficulties placed by language and culture, one of the many issues associated with moving to a different country, every couple of years. That said, I took a look back at the posts published in 2012, mainly on parenting & language, and found one that generated a very instructive feedback; working as a sort of a ‘discussion forum‘, that I plan on exploring/expanding at length, some time this year… [Another one of my New Year's Resolutions... Like everyone else, I know there'll be a great deal of 'procrastination' before I'll be able to cross tasks off my 2013 to-do list!]
Oh, well, at least, I’m taking the time to revisit thoughts/facts/articles… it’s the first step for the beginning of a good research!
The post that got me thinking was one related to a simple question: “What type of multilingual parent are you?”, pointed out by the Mumsnet Bloggers Network for 2012; that had been initiated by a clever quote about the experience of raising bi/multilingual children:
“…raising multilingual children is an adventure you share together – one that is a lot of fun, but for which you will need quite a lot of patience. Sometimes, linguistic development will not progress in the way you hoped. That is fine, and everything will eventually work itself out. Sharing my language with my children has been about sharing my heritage more than anything else. It might be difficult at times, but it is a gift that will last a lifetime“.
Last year’s blogpost provoked a very positive reaction, expressed through the number of visitors, and especially, throughout the comments, coming from parents, consultants, educators, expats like ourselves, or simply, other parents who echo our opinions about how challenging, adventurous and/or never-ending this experience should be.
Learning should never stop, and teaching our kids through example is the best way to keep ourselves current! At least, that’s the hope!
Here are some of the comments, and based on their [shared] experiences, it could be YOUR TURN to answer – what type of multilingual parent are you? Or, even better, what type of [multilingual] parent you hope to become?
But first, let me thank all the visitors/readers who shared a comment, or who sent me a message [with your opinion/suggestion] regarding this topic. It makes the blogging experience much richer, more productive, and way more enjoyable! My deepest appreciation to all of you! ♥
Visitor
My husband is a German TCK growing up in Taiwan, and thinks in English most of the time. He is fluent in German and can read fairly well – though he is more comfortable in English. We are living in a Chinese environment and have been since we’ve been married. We had high hopes of me speaking English and him speaking German, but that didn’t work out. I’d say mainly because he didn’t think in German when the oldest was born – he rarely spoke German to anyone. So, remembering to speak it at home was difficult. He did better speaking Chinese to them. On top of this, his family all speaks English fluently, so there was no pressure on us in that regard as well.
I do have a question, though that I’m wondering. Will you continue to educate your children in all three languages through middle school and high school or focus more on one language? I’m just really curious about this. You seem to be really doing a great job with them right now so that they master both written and spoken of the three. Great post to ponder on…
Visitor
In our house we speak English, Spanish and Dutch and the boys seem to know all three languages equally. My five year old is a dynamo with languages. He can switch, translate and think in all three. My two year old understands all three but is not as talkative as my five year old was. We lived in Mozambique with the older one until the age of three and he was able to speak 4 languages when we lived there. It is curious to see how the different children take to the languages differently. I thought for sure my two year old would be the same since we haven’t done anything really different, but I noticed he is taking longer to use his words, although you can see he understands all three. I call Dutch the secret language in my house, because only the boys (not me) speak it. So basically this is how it works: School = English, Language we speak as a family = English, Mommy = Spanglish to the boys (more spanish), Daddy = Dutch to the boys, Empleada/Nanny = always Spanish. The boys will also take Dutch lessons once or twice a week. It is definitely challenging, but so worth it. We don’t really think about it… just the way we live our life.
Visitor
Enjoyed your post! All the more so since /multilingual-multicultural life – as mentioned by Sakti above – is part and parcel of life in India! I think it is an advantage more than a challenge, an opportunity to broaden horizons!
Visitor I am probably not looking at it from a parents’ perspective. My challenge is to make sure some of our less spoken languages – that includes my mother tongue, that my grandkids can not speak! – do not become extinct!
Visitor
Very interesting. I am from India and we have a different challenge as India has more than 2 dozens of official languages. I studied a different language (Odia) than my mother tongue (Bengali) and now staying in a state, which speak another language (Gujarati). Everybody in India speaks English and Hindi. So my kids (both below 6 years) now have almost learnt to speak and understand all the above languages. Yes it is a challenge.
Visitor
Thanks for the mention of our upcoming session on Emotional Resiliency in Foreign Service Kids that will be held next week (*). Even though you won’t get to see it live, AFSA will upload the video to their website for worldwide viewing.
I wish I could comment on what kind of bilingual parent I am…. but mine would be more of what I failure I was! When my daughter was 2, we left Portugal, where we had spoken Portuguese in the home when our housekeeper was around. The housekeeper only spoke to my daughter in Portuguese from infancy, so our daughter understood Portuguese as well as English. When we left Portugal, I tried to continue the Portuguese with her, only – at the age of only 2! – she wouldn’t answer me in Portuguese and finally admonished me to “stop speaking like Dolores!” I finally gave up on it.
(*) Please refer to original post for the full text, and more details on the 2012 AFSA initiative.
Visitor
I’m inspired to speak spanish at home more now. My kids’ dad all speak Spanish and I beg them to speak Spanish to the kids but they haven’t. My mom was raised bilingual, I was until they couldn’t accurately diagnose my infant-aged hearing issues because they couldn’t tell if I didn’t hear them or didn’t understand them so they told my mom to stop speaking Hungarian to me and she did. But she still wishes she’d have kept up with it. Other countries are so great with this and the US doesn’t do enough!
Visitor
This is so interesting! We also got “moderate parent”. I try to speak spanish to them most of the time but sometimes forget. I also read to them in french and english is the main language in the household. I’m taking them to a spanish speaking playgroup in hopes Evan will be motivated by seeing other little kids speak spanish! Great post!
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Bolivian New Year’s Tradition: Underwear for Good Luck!
Learning a bit more about the Bolivian culture is definitely part of my ‘unofficial duties‘ as an expat and a mother… We have lived in different places, and each country has its own way to greet the coming year… in Brazil, our previous post, the New Year is celebrated in white clothes, and at midnight, asking for blessings from Yemanjá, the protector of the waters.
Regarding the many different traditions for welcoming the New Year, the beautiful country of Bolivia couldn’t stay behind others, and for sure, brings out its very own expression of ‘luck’…
This time, I was quite surprised to find out how: WEARING YELLOW (AND/OR) RED UNDERWEAR! Similar to countries like Mexico, where colorful underwear is a ‘must-have’ for the New Year’s Eve, here in Bolivia, it’s important when the underwear is changed.
People have to buy some yellow [or red] underwear piece and wait for midnight… When it comes, they just run to a place to change it and believe that their luck will change as well! It’s also believed that this practice helps them find a loving mate. Red means an amorous love life ahead and yellow expresses the desire to gain money and wealth. The wishes of the locals are expressed via their underpants.
Think I’m just making it up? Take a look at the largest open market in Achumani, a residential area in La Paz, and tell me what you spot from the selling stands! ♥ The Cholitas selling their articles probably thought I was another ‘crazy foreigner‘ when asked them for permission to snap these shots… and they were a bit disappointed when learned I wasn’t gonna buy any pieces… ‘aren’t you concerned about your good fortune for next year?’ And with a smile, I just kindly thanked them for their time and help, and for explaining the meaning behind the colors; but told them I was happy with my present fortune… and that I’d be okay for the New Year’s, despite lacking a piece of undergarment displaying a money sign…
Wishing all a very HAPPY, COLORFUL & LUCKY NEW YEAR!
[even if you could not get your red/yellow piece of underclothing for good luck!]
Related articles
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2013 arrived in style… 80s Style!
Image Credit: http://stuckonthe80s.com/
So, 2013 is here… and we got to celebrate it’s first hours surrounded by great music, yummy food, good friends, all of our kids, who joined us for the midnight celebration (yeap, kids were too excited to fall asleep, or even, take a short nap!); while we all watched the fireworks happening throughout the city of La Paz…♥
Earlier, I’d shared that a couple of our expat friends here had decided to put together an 80s party to welcome the New Year! Everyone had a blast, and here are some of the images from the last day of 2012, and the very first hours of 2013.
That’s what the New Year’s Celebration brought out! The best? Definitely the 80s hair styles… look at what people came up with!
Someone else who wrote about ‘Style’ for the New Year? Here!
Saying ‘Goodbye 2012′ in style. 80s Style!
Image Credit: http://stuckonthe80s.com/
Celebrating the arrival of 2013, and bidding farewell to a dear 2012… All with style – 80s style! Could there be a more fun way to do it?
[A confession, thank you very much, Robert Smith, for not only making my high school/early College years bearable, but also for helping me endure my recent parenting years, as a mother of 3 little ones...
Only another tired mom would understand the calming and motivational power of an 80s song...
Especially if, that same mom is ready to give up on her first-grader's homework on a Saturday morning!
Somehow, the 80s music finds a way to 'reach out to me', and bring me back to reality... Not in high school anymore... the sleepless nights are not due to some term paper or exam...
now, the short nights usually come from a crying kid with fever, or, another one having a nightmare; or simply, missing my well-deserved beauty rest by having a couple of extra 'bodies' in our bed... every single night, since 2005! ♥
But well, that's the path we chose, and the 80s music have always helped me thru 'tough times'... ♥ My favorite, without question, The Cure...
Wonders that only a blond wig can do! 5 years later, 3 kids, 2 more countries under the belt… the forties have arrived… let’s see what type of hairstyle this mom will bring out!
Let’s see what the New Year’s Celebration brings!
Now, not only I’ll go to a party with ‘my guy’, but a handful of other ‘accessories’, which will include a 7-year-old boy, who loves 70s & 80s music; an almost 5 year old girl who loves to dress up [like her mother!] and is ‘addicted’ to dance… and a 2-year-old girl, which’s still a bit young to define her style… time will tell…
Image Credit: http://www.spirithalloween.com
That said, getting these bad boys out of the closet [I mean, the leg warmers! mine are pink with white stripes], making sure the hair will be ‘par’ for the celebration, check the clothing colors [lots of them, and they better be bright!], accessories, make-up… and head to the party humming my favorite tunes!
NOW: on my way out to the local market, trying to find some ‘miracle hair products’ for tomorrow night’s bash!
Happy New Year to all of us!
2012 in review, according to the WordPress stats helper monkeys…
The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2012 annual report for this blog. Here’s an excerpt:
19,000 people fit into the new Barclays Center to see Jay-Z perform. This blog was viewed about 68,000 times in 2012. If it were a concert at the Barclays Center, it would take about 4 sold-out performances for that many people to see it.
Click here to see the complete report.
A look back at 2012: why people came to this blog? At the end, we’re all stats junkies!
Image Credit: http://blog.hubspot.com
2012 will be over in a couple of days!
A very intense year, in many levels, scenarios… Our family moved several times throughout the year… we got to live in 3 different countries [Brazil, USA, Bolivia}, lived out of suitcases for a long time; kids had to say goodbye to their dear friends, and say 'hello' to the ones becoming their new friends and teachers, adjusting to a new school, new cultures, and now, we're happily settled in Nuestra Señora de La Paz, capital of Bolivia...
At this moment, looking back at 2012, and preparing the 'retrospective': popular posts, interaction with other bloggers, popular searches/forums... good discussions... Good therapy, some may say - and I'm glad to agree - when it came to blogging, got a lot done this year, sharing our experiences, challenges regarding parenting, multilingual living, cultural adjustments... work... expatriate and family daily life.... So, why visitors, readers, commenters, came to this blog? Most of them are expatriates, like our own 'nomad family', some belong to the Foreign Service community, and are well familiar with the challenges faced by the 5 of us. Others, are parents, travelers, adventurers, looking for images, photos, tips about travel options, or simply... curious eyes in search of a good reading, or a funny/intriguing/amazing image from our travels and/or not-so-fantastic daily life!
Image Credit: http://www.seomoves.org
Now, I find myself with some time after the Christmas holidays, and with a chance to pull together the ‘highs and lows’ of 2012, displaying my gratitude to the readers, commenter, frequent visitors, who always enrich this blogging journey! A big thank you to all!
For a ‘visual summary‘ of 2012, please hop over to this other post, especially crafted for WordPress‘s weekly photo challenge, the last one of 2012: A year through images!
For all the ‘fellow stats junkies’ out there [don't pretend you don't know what I'm talking about! ] here it is, this past year, through numbers… Who came in, looking for what, and the most popular posts…
Top visitors {countries}:
United States
Brazil
Canada
India
Australia
Popular Posts/Articles
2012 displayed an average of 246 blog comments/month, averaging 186 views a day.
Here are the ‘top commenters‘ [thank you for the very positive interaction!]
journeyman1977 - Lucid Gypsy - colonialist - eof737 - fgassette - travelgardeneat |
And which ones were the most commented posts? The ones with the strongest human interaction? [Again, my deepest gratitude for all the feedback received!]
See you all back in 2013! Let’s all have a great, peaceful and successful New Year!
Thanks for stopping by!
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[Backstory] I initially began this blog to share my impressions, observations and along-the-road experiences with our families and friends, and later, with other expats experiencing similar challenges/adventures…
…so, the blog morphed into more than just a quasi-travel and photo journal. I liked the idea of organizing not only our travel notes, but also providing resources for other parents, and encouraging an exchange of ideas through comments, questions and suggestions from viewers. The name for the blog came from the term itself: “3rd Culture Children” (TCKs, more information here) are children whose parents come from distinct cultures, and grow up under a hybrid environment, experiencing diverse cultural growth.
Travels in Brazil, posts related to outdoors activities, cultural events, such as attending the world’s largest open air theater for the Re-enacting of the Passion of Christ, as well as the ones showing scientific investigations and natural discoveries, seemed to be quite popular! 
‘Adventure‘ popular posts:
Visiting the Archipelago of Fernando de Noronha, swimming along with marine dolphins (Brazilian Atlantic coast, World Heritage Site, according to UNESCO)
Builiding a Hanging Garden using Recycled PET Bottles - teaching the importance of respecting the environment.
I’m grateful to Ruth Bailey, for the recent nomination – the 7 x 7 Link Award, where one’s supposed to highlight 7 recent important blogposts. Many thanks to Cyclingrandma, for offering the Good Apple award.
Nominated by a couple of bloggers in 2011 & 2012
Thank you, ClaudiaJohnson, for the nomination!
For a working mom, juggling with the work-life balance, in charge of anything from grocery shopping to planning trips, I’m honored. I’m so pleased to share with other expatriates, parents, and traveling families, the beauty and excitement of traveling, exploring nature (I’m a biologist!), languages (we’ve got Spanish, Portuguese and English in our household!), social/cultural adjustments, and our not-so-professional advice as “parents-on-the-go“ - imagine hauling this family of 5 around, raising multi-language TCKs, and keeping the passion for photography and story-telling?!
Weekly Photo Challenge: My 2012 in 12 Pictures.
June 2012: After 2 years at post, our family says goodbye to Brazil in style, surrounded by friends & family!!
2012 will mark the 12th New Year’s Eve with my guy… yeah, the one riding the Peace & Love 70s van with me, just pictured above… ♥ And this December we celebrate 110 months of married life… it sure goes by pretty fast!
How was the year of 2012?
Apparently, we all did okay through the Mayan quasi-apocalipse, so, that’s a pretty positive point!
It’s often said that images speak more than words, so…. Considering that during 2012, we had homes in three countries, it was a bit of challenge to pick an image to represent each month, but, why not give it a shot? :
Here is our 2012, through photos!
August 2012: New life, new school, new friends. School kids receive their ‘welcome’ with a traditional ‘Salteñada’.
July 2012: Spending Home Leave in the USA. During a family Reunion, kids get to ‘show their colors!
September 2012: Learning about our new home, the beautiful country of Bolivia. First stop: the traditional architecture of the San Francisco Church
October 2012: Halloween at the USAID/Bol Compound
“November 2012: Celebrating the Anniversary of the Marine Corps. “Who doesn’t like a Ball?”
January 2012: Beginning the year cooking: a typical Portuguese/Brazilian dish: Shrimp casserole, here, with an added hint of…. beer!
June 2012: After 2 years at post, our family says goodbye to Brazil in style, surrounded by friends, family and co-workers!
March 2012: A trip full of adventure to the Archipelago of Fernando de Noronha, Northeast of Brazil.
May 2012: A visit to the Rainbow Warrior, ship from Greenpeace on Brazilian Waters.
February 2012: Enjoying the largest street carnival in the world – Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil.
December 2012: Scenes from old homes and present home. The warmest wishes for a fantastic New Year!
April 2012: Visiting the mystic city of Brasilia, capital of Brazil, for a USA/Brazil summit. Here, the architecture, lighting and unique beauty of the Metropolitan Cathedral.
August 2012: New life, new school, new friends. School kids receive their ‘welcome’ with a traditional ‘Salteñada’.
July 2012: Spending Home Leave in the USA. During a family Reunion, kids get to ‘show their colors!
September 2012: Learning about our new home, the beautiful country of Bolivia. First stop: the traditional architecture of the San Francisco Church
October 2012: Halloween at the USAID/Bol Compound
“November 2012: Celebrating the Anniversary of the Marine Corps. “Who doesn’t like a Ball?”
January 2012: Beginning the year cooking: a typical Portuguese/Brazilian dish: Shrimp casserole, here, with an added hint of…. beer!
June 2012: After 2 years at post, our family says goodbye to Brazil in style, surrounded by friends, family and co-workers!
March 2012: A trip full of adventure to the Archipelago of Fernando de Noronha, Northeast of Brazil.
May 2012: A visit to the Rainbow Warrior, ship from Greenpeace on Brazilian Waters.
February 2012: Enjoying the largest street carnival in the world – Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil.
December 2012: Scenes from old homes and present home. The warmest wishes for a fantastic New Year!
April 2012: Visiting the mystic city of Brasilia, capital of Brazil, for a USA/Brazil summit. Here, the architecture, lighting and unique beauty of the Metropolitan Cathedral.
This week’s photo inspiration is to portrait 2012 in pictures… one per month… Let’s see how good of a job I did over here!
Happy Holidays to all!
Related articles
- Weekly Photo Challenge: My 2012 in Pictures (littlemuddyboots.co.uk)
- Weekly Photo Challenge: My 2012 in Pictures (travel-monkey.me)
- Weekly Photo Challenge – My 2012 in pictures (hereismy365.wordpress.com)
- Weekly Photo Challenge: My 2012 (joyandwoe.wordpress.com)
- Weekly Photo Challenge – My 2012 in Pictures (largeself.com)
Getting ready to look back at 2012, remembering the most popular post in 2011!
Image Credit: http://blog.hubspot.com
2012 is almost over! A very intense year, in many levels, scenarios… Our family moved several times throughout the year… we got to live in 3 different countries [Brazil, USA, Bolivia}, lived out of suitcases for a long time; kids had to say goodbye to their dear friends, and say 'hello' to the ones becoming their new friends and teachers, adjusting to a new school, new cultures, and now, we're happily settled in Nuestra Señora de La Paz, capital of Bolivia...
At this moment, looking back at 2012, and preparing the 'retrospective': popular posts, interaction with other bloggers, popular searches/forums... good discussions... Good therapy, some may say - and I'm glad to agree - when it came to blogging, got a lot done this year, sharing our experiences, challenges regarding parenting, multilingual living, cultural adjustments... work... expatriate and family daily life....
Image Credit: http://www.seomoves.org
Before I get a chance to pull together the ‘highs and lows’ of 2012, displaying my gratitude to the readers, commenter, frequent visitors, who always enrich this blogging journey, I remembered last year, WordPress came up with a great initiative for all bloggers and readers: the year in blogging… That said, I thought it could be a great way to get ready for this year’s review. Post write-up is both in English and Portuguese, since we were living in Brazil, at that time… Maybe, if I’m gutsy enough, I could try to prepare this year’s review post in English and Spanish (Bolivia’s official language)??
************************
Here’s this blog’s ‘first year’s review’ [2011], according to WP: [Anxious to know what's in store regarding 2012's review, as well as the plans for 2013!]
For some reason, according to the WP blogging annual report (shown/posted yesterday), today I’m sharing the post that got the highest number of unique views (over 2,500 views in one day, September 2011), surpassing the one that’d been Freshly Pressed (about children and folklore in Brazil).
I had no idea that “directing” the photo shoot of my husband jumping into the paradisiac Blue Lagoon in Jericoacoara (Ceara, Brazil, one of the 10 most beautiful beaches in the world, according to the NY Times), could be so intriguing!
Anyway, thanks for checking it out, and here it is: The Blue Lagoon: Executing his best jumping, flying and diving moves!.
[Portugues] Depois que o jornal Washington Post, em 1994, incluiu Jericoacoara entre as dez praias mais bonitas do planeta, a pequena aldeia de pescadores, 300 km ao norte da capital do Ceará, mudou bastante. Jericoacoara não é simplesmente encantadora pelas suas dunas, praias e lagoas, mas também pelo seu vilarejo tranqüilo. O lugar era uma antiga vila de pescadores e até hoje conserva as ruas de terra, a arquitetura antiga e principalmente a paz de uma cidade que se esconde atrás de enormes dunas. O nome Jericoacoara deriva do tupi-guarany: yuruco (buraco) e cuara (tartaruga). Buraco das tartarugas, que seria uma referência a uma praia onde acontece a desova das tartarugas marinhas. Além de tudo isso, Jeri, como é chamada pelos moradores, oferece diversas opções para prática de esportes como windsurf, vela, trekking, cavalgada e outros.
Ending the 20 days of a Joyful Christmas… our wishes for a very happy holiday season!
Front & Back
Our Family’s ‘Happy Holidays’ Card
Image #20: 20 Days of a Joyful Christmas: Our Happy Holidays Card!
Early Christmas gift: …and the winner of the 2012 Expats Blog Awards Bolivia is…
… this blog! Gold it is!
I’d like to thank you all for reading, suggesting, commenting, checking the blogposts out… Thanks for the positive feedback!
Thank you for showing support through the great comments you’ve written.
One fan says: 3rd Culture Children has a wonderfully diverse mix of cultural posts, photography, food, local and daily life, and just general musings on life. It is a blog that gives you a glimpse of life as an expat, not life as a tourist living temporarily somewhere other than “home.”
If there are any suggestions or questions, please feel free to give me a shout… or Tweet along, or check the Facebook page [see right sidebar]… but I do believe the easiest way will continue to be this one over here: leaving your usual thoughtful comments at this blog… Thanks!
Now, as the tired involved mom I’m, back from the last day at the kids school, enjoying their end-of-the-year stage performance, the best way to celebrate this achievement is hiding from the kids and taking a nap, enjoying a glass of wine, bragging about it sharing the good news with my fellow bloggers!
Thank you very much for the ‘serial expats’ and friends in the Expat & Foreign Service community for taking the time to read the blog and leave comments… Much appreciated! ♥
Related articles
- This blog has been nominated for the Expats Blog Awards! (expatsincebirth.com)
- Expat Blog Awards (bestofbrusselsblog.com)
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- The wide world of expat blogs (internationalmanofmystery.typepad.com)
10 days to a ‘possible White Christmas’. Colors from The Bolivian Folkloric Ballet of Potosi.
Image #10: 20 Days of a Joyful Christmas: The Ballet Folklorico de Potosi, Bolivia.
Twenty days until Christmas – through twenty images of joy… We’ll get a bit closer each day that goes by… Previous image here.
Related articles
- Identity, Traditions & Folklore in Bolivia: Saya Ceremony honoring Pachamama and blessing a new home. (3rdculturechildren.com)
12 days to a ‘possible White Christmas’… not quite your regular ‘Elf on the shelf’!
Image #9: 20 Days of a Joyful Christmas: Not quite your regular ‘Elf on the shelf’… more like ‘a non-stop climbing pre-toddler’! Climbing on the half-desk… going up the stairs… just got caught, while, quietly, trying to move on… Oh, the perks of being a mother of 3 little ones! Who needs adult supervision, anyway?
Twenty days until Christmas – through twenty images of joy… We’ll get a bit closer each day that goes by… Previous image here.
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- What is ‘Elf on the Shelf’? (newsnet5.com)
13 days to a ‘possible White Christmas’…making my wish for 12.12.12: to witness their shared passion!
my two boys after the match
Image #8: 20 Days of a Joyful Christmas: My two boys on a regular Saturday morning…
While many are still sleeping in, my boys head to the soccer field at the kids’ school… The ‘older one’ is the player, but my ‘youngest boy’ has to be there to support his dad… I couldn’t be any happier when looking at their faces… That’s a good wish for this 12.12.12: I’ve got 2 girls and 2 boys, and being able to witness their happiness is priceless… Today, I’m sharing the joy these boys bring to my life, through their shared passion: sports!
Twenty days until Christmas – through twenty images of joy… We’ll get a bit closer each day that goes by… Previous image here.
14 days to a ‘possible White Christmas’. An evergreen centerpiece as a keepsake…
Image #7: 20 Days of a Joyful Christmas: Evergreen centerpiece.
There’s a bit of backstory to this branch of evergreen. It used to belong to a much larger tree, in front of the Radiation Treatment Facility here in La Paz. The tree has been trimmed to offer space for a canopy, where patients and patients-to-be would benefit from some much deserved shade, while waiting to be called into the facility. Several branches were cut down, and a few of the volunteers decided to take them home, using them as part of a unique Christmas decoration…
Two weeks later, one of the branches still exists as my dining table centerpiece… beautiful… a keepsake of a day of work, but most importantly, reminding us about how blessed we’ve been… There’ll be no holidays at a hospital facility for our family… we’ll spend these holidays together, as a family.. we’re all healthy and grateful…
Twenty days until Christmas – through twenty images of joy… We’ll get a bit closer each day that goes by… Previous image here.
15 days to a ‘possible White Christmas’… Driving among the clouds…
Image #6: 20 Days of a Joyful Christmas: Literally driving among the clouds, outside the city of Nuestra Señora de La Paz… And we DID GO through this ride [or at least, the fab hubby did... all the driving!]. Here is the link for the complete Photo Essay!
Twenty days until Christmas – through twenty images of joy… We’ll get a bit closer each day that goes by… Previous image here.
16 days to a ‘possible White Christmas’… Joy after the hail showers!
Image #5: 20 Days of a Joyful Christmas: Joy after the Hail Showers…
Twenty days until Christmas – through twenty images of joy… We’ll get a bit closer each day that goes by… Are we gonna get any snow?! Who knows… maybe! Previous image here.
17 days to a ‘possible White Christmas’… Making fun Science with… Snow!!!
Image #4: 20 Days of a Joyful Christmas: Let it snow in school… if [natural] snow doesn’t fall down from the sky, the solution is… let’s make it! [nothing wrong with having fun with school-made artificial snow!]
Makes Fluffy Artificial Snow in Seconds!
Twenty days until Christmas – through twenty images of joy… We’ll get a bit closer each day that goes by… Are we gonna get any snow?! Who knows… maybe! Previous image here.
18 days to a ‘possible White Christmas’… each day, an image of joy! You know you’re in Bolivia when…
Image #3: 20 Days of a Joyful Christmas: Getting ready to enjoy the holiday season dinners, nights-out, get-togethers… That’s when you know you’re IN BOLIVIA… it’s possible to find PEPTO BISMOL [or any similar!] in a LADY’S PURSE… hummm, wonder why!
Let’s enjoy the holidays!
Twenty days until Christmas – through twenty images of joy… We’ll get a bit closer each day that goes by… Are we gonna get any snow?! Who knows… maybe! Previous image here.
19 days to a ‘possible White Christmas’… each day, an image of joy!
Image #2: 20 Days of a Joyful Christmas: Hang on… we’re almost there… The family is ready!
In order to celebrate our “non-tropical season of joy”, we’ll continue to share images that showcase how we’re seeing and enjoying this time of the year. Today, a ‘snapshot of our family’… aren’t we the best looking family in town?!
Twenty days until Christmas – through twenty images of joy… We’ll get a bit closer each day that goes by… Are we gonna get any snow?! Who knows… maybe! Previous image here.
Snapshots of the 2012 International Day at School [or 'when you've got more than one Country in your heart!'].
This past International Day at the kids school made me remember a post I wrote some time back, about raising our children with a sense of different cultures… honoring and loving their unique background…
Picking their ‘home countries’ up for the 2010 World Cup!
When you’ve got more than one place in your heart …you’re expected to love, honor and respect them both [or the 3, 4... of them!]
Living in-between cultures, besides being an exciting experience, could be pretty challenging, as well.
Raising children from hybrid cultures offers countless possibilities to keep traditions alive, maintaing memories and links to the home country always fresh. It takes a great deal of effort. But it’s worth the trouble.
Witnessing your kids cherishing different traditions, honoring and respecting your and your spouse’s home countries, is worth any extra work. It’ll pay forward, we hope! ♥
They are learning to love and respect their mixed culture. They’re beginning to understand historical events, their causes and consequences. They’re learning that any country is not just about land, but also, its people, their beliefs and their sense of social respect. Hybrid cultures are a rich experience. Hopefully, our three TCKs will grow up comprehending that the world they live in is much bigger than geography may present itself. And a country’s boundaries go as far as its people. We bring our culture with ourselves. Our traditions, our honor, our respect to others. Wherever we are. Wherever we move to. It’s good to know that some of us ‘serial expats’ bring more than one country in our hearts!
Related articles
- Identity, Traditions & Folklore in Bolivia: Saya Ceremony honoring Pachamama and blessing a new home. (3rdculturechildren.com)
- Stranded in my own culture (swissexpatcoach.wordpress.com)
- In Honor of International Education Week: A Global Blogger’s Needs Assessment (humantriumphant.wordpress.com)
Is it really about Thanksgiving? or “Why I’m boycotting ‘Black Friday’…”
Credit: Someecards.com
Well, the Season to be thankful has began, and its greatest day is already here. Thanksgiving day is all about family, friends, cooking, sharing, enjoying each other’s company and football! Be Thankful. It’s the word for the Season.
“Thanks. And a whole lot more.”
That said, I think I just got tired of being bombarded by the commercialism associated with the upcoming holidays… somehow, even though we’re living overseas, the commercial holidays and their unique products, find a way to come to us….Thanks to our Direct TV routed signal from Puerto Rico (which I’m deeply thankful for!). It’s great being able to watch our favorite shows, movies… but it comes with a price: you also get all the commercial, car & medicare adds, sales specials… the whole nine yards that make this end of the year period Merry & Bright!!!
Please, don’t get me wrong, I love the holidays, need the holiday spirit around my house, love to cook for my family, trying new and improved recipes… But, come on! Witnessing Christmas trump over Thanksgiving, having suggested ‘Thanksgiving gifts’ for our children… seems a bit too much… But again, maybe, it’s just me…
Credit: http://blogs.clarionledger.com
I’m a bit overwhelmed by what the holiday season (and all the commercial adds around it!) has turned into!
If you like to shop, go for it. Enjoy your time. I myself like shopping as much as the next person, but this year, I’ll be passing on the ‘early Black Friday‘. Not only there’s the option to shop online for pretty much, the same products, but one could also begin his/her shopping ventures as early as [Thanksgiving] Thursday, at 8 pm! Go, have your dinner with family, grab your purses, and head to the mall, walking off all that turkey, trading the very-much-needed nap for long walks through the stores! If one likes it, go ahead, have a great time window shopping, talking to other customers at the stores, finding the latest, coolest, brightest, piece of clothing! Forget about doing the dishes – they can happily wait in the crowded sink – call your friends, get into your car, pack an extra dose of patience and kindness for the parking lots, and… Go shopping!
Once more, not for me.
And I’m fully aware that by now, I may have gotten several readers errr, upset with my take on the whole thing… Apologies. If you dearly love the madness that comes with the strongly suggested shopping” the day after Thanksgiving Day, good for you. Just don’t keep reading. I respect people’s opinion and they’re unexplainable desire to shop, but, it’s not for me. And why all this?
The explanation is actually, quite simple, and it involves no previous frustrations with this time of the year, nor any bad memories from any childhood. Holidays are fun, and mine are always filled with great moments of joy. The reason I began to boycott the Black Friday madness comes from answering a few simple questions:
Image Credit: http://pigtown-design.blogspot.com
“Do I have money for this, or I’d need to dive into our Christmas budget?”
“Do I have space in our house for that?”
If it’s a decorative piece, “what am I gonna do with this after the season is over?”
“Do I have storage space?”
Don’t know about y’all, but because we’re a ‘nomad’ family, moving every so often, due to work and lifestyle, my answers were all ‘No’… Besides, this year, husband and I spent a good hour explaining to our [7 years old and younger] children the meaning behind the celebrations, why we need to be thankful, the meaning of gratitude… Why it’s necessary to share what we have with others, and why give not because you have to, but because it truly makes you feel good about yourself and about life… Not sure if the kids grasped all the information that was thrown upon them, but at least, got them understanding what Toys for Tots is, and the importance of volunteering when yo have a skill and time to share…
Image Credit: http://inhabitat.com
After our ‘quasi-family meeting’, I realized that the post-Thanksgiving shopping idea runs completely opposite to these ‘freshly-developed’ concepts! How could I explain to my children that, despite all the ‘teachings’, I needed to go out and guess… go shop for more stuff!
I’d be contradicting myself, and jeopardizing the ideas I’d just planted into my children’s minds and hearts… So, I decided: we’ll be passing on the Black Friday madness shopping. Right now, don’t really need any new sweaters, decorative pieces, nor the newest-coolest talking toy…
Today, it’ll be about cooking, family and friends. We’ll enjoy our Thanksgiving Day. And a restful evening with our kids.
Tomorrow, we’ll be enjoying the day off. Far away from the malls, stores, or even, clicks away from any dot com attractive store website… Maybe, we could even take a short road trip? Since we’re not in the US, roads shouldn’t be packed with cars coming and going from who knows where… We’ll enjoy our ‘Black Friday’, hopefully, keeping our wallets safeguarded from any ‘shopping madness’!
Wait!! Just remembered something: I forgot to mention “Cyber Monday” is also coming… be aware… be careful… together, those two ‘shopping days’ will find a way to get ya!
What about you? Looking forward to Black Friday shopping or… just relaxing and staying as far away as possible?
You already know my answer! Happy Thanksgiving to us all!
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Identity, Tradition & Folklore in Bolivia: The Challa Ceremony honoring Pachamama and blessing a new home.
Learning a bit more about the Bolivian culture – part of my ‘unofficial duties’ as an expat and a mother… The harmonious relationship between the Indian population and the Mother Nature is very present in the handycraft industry, the musical folklore, and the religion. The worship dedicated to the natural divinities influences the daily life of the Indian community on the altiplano. Bolivians have a great respect and veneration of Pachamama, the goddess of the Earth. In her honor, offerings (challa) of small object with symbolic value are deposited or burned in the medium of incantations and prayers. There are lots of rituals dedicated to Pachamama, as for example, the construction of a new house must be preceded by a small blessing ceremony; another common ritual is before swallowing a glass of beer or liquor, one must honor Pachamama, while pouring a few drops on the ground.
Recently, our family was invited to a friend’s house warming. The original couple has moved to Bolivia over a decade ago, and are strengthening their roots with this beautiful country, in more ways than one… They’re a loving, caring family, who has elected Bolivia as their home, and the home for their children.
As part of the ‘open house’ celebrations, the guests could appreciate a Challa Celebration, in honor of the new house, a new home for years to come. Sharing here are a few snapshots of this folkloric celebration, and wishing our friends and their family many years of happiness at their new home! ♥
Guests and their family members were invited to participate in the ceremony.
Ashes are buried in the house yard for happy and peaceful years to come…
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- Snapshots of the Ballet Folklorico de Potosi, Bolivia. A dinner and dance presentation in La Paz. (3rdculturechildren.com)
- Pachamama: Mother of All (takingtotheopenroad.wordpress.com)
Everyone loves a friendly match…
…especially if it’s followed by a more than friendly picnic, where not only the players, but also their kids, were able to enjoy the after-match luncheon! Congratulations to both teams, the US Embassy and the Embassy of Japan, for their good athletic performance, and most of all, for displaying a great example of camaraderie!
Twenty months of blogging, and the 100,000 hits milestone is reached. Thank you!
Credit: Google Images
March 2011 marked my very first blogpost: shared impressions from the world’s largest street carnival. It was obviously in Brazil, the country that lives and breathes popular festivities, and our assignment with the foreign service from 2010 to 2012. From that point on, blogposts began to come out quite often, increasing the number of subscribers, comments and blog followers. 
Today, a great milestone was reached, having me surprised and pleased, finding out that our ‘family travel & photoblog‘ displayed over 100,000 visits.
Being passionate about your life experiences, sharing images and impressions, reporting what one sees happening around, somehow, pays back. At least, in the ‘blogsphere‘… I’m inspired by the several bloggers who take part at the WordPress writing prompts, Weekly Photo Challenges, FrizzText and Jake Austria, probably being my very first inspiration (thank you both!); as well as, all the beautiful ideas shared by Ailsa, from ‘Where’s my Backpack?‘, with her travel theme challenges, and The Island Traveler, a parent, like many of us, who decided to share some beauty from their regular lives with the world… It’s great to have wonderful people out there, to look up to! I’m very grateful for all the support, and couldn’t have found a better time to show my gratitude [Thanksgiving just around the corner!]
Thank you all out there, parents, expats, bloggers, friends, for reading, commenting, following, and for offering a great deal of inspiration… Now, moving on to the next 100K visits… blogging is fun!
Now, now is it, for you all? What is your NEXT MILESTONE? Your Blog Milestone? Share here, if you care! Thanks!♥
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Children in adult-oriented places: a collection of [random] thoughts!
I found this theme really interesting, and intriguing… almost poking on us, parents of our loving well-behaved little ones:
“Everyone loves kids, right? Right! Except when they don’t. This week, we’re particularly interested in what you think about kids in adult-oriented places. I think most of us can agree that it’s not a good idea to drag little Sally to a bar at 1AM, but what about a museum? A fancy restaurant?” [Michele M. from King of States].
at the museum
Well, as a parent of 3 little kids (oldest one just turned 7), moving every two years, due to family work requirements, having to adjust not only to a new country, as well as to new cultures, new languages, there’s yet the expectation that [shockingly!] my kids should also re-invent themselves and adjust/adapt to new social demands/requirements, showcasing the pristine behavior only found in movies about expat children attending boarding schools, spending their spear time learning an instrument and being part of book clubs!
Clearly, that doesn’t happen. It never did, and very likely, it’ll not happen in any future…
This theme, discussing the pros and cons of having children in adult-oriented/adult-only social places got me thinking. And I began reading through what others had to say about it [I'm such a curious cat!].
I’m always searching for resources related to raising children in multi-cultural settings, I take part at parenting forums, I respond/comment on discussion lists, I blog about raising TCKs, and seek help for that…
I’m also the ‘household fairy’, you know, that one silent worker, that makes the breakfast show up in the morning, the lunch packs being ready before the school bus turns the corner… the ‘laundry fairy’, the intense PTA volunteer. Unfortunately, there hasn’t been enough time to ‘school’ my children on the ‘perfect social behavior‘ [whatever it is or means] – I’m still trying. And my children are also trying to learn, the best they can. They’ve been to restaurants, airports, family gatherings, embassy functions, social events, you name it!
So, answering the original question, should kids be allowed at adult-oriented places? PROBABLY NOT. And I’m stating that as a MOM, speaking my heart out from my life experience, as a mother, and a former teacher. NOTHING AGAINST children. Love them. Deeply. But in my very humble opinion, there are some adult-oriented places that little ones should no be taken to – and that includes some of our beloved evening pubs, bars and dining places – unless the latter is kid-friendly, otherwise, one should only take a [especially the very young ones] to a bar or pub, if looking for some unforeseen sickness, and a parental headache for the following days!
making pizza, at a ‘kid-friendly’ restaurant!
But, should we, as parents, carry out our frustrations to a public setting? Would it be enjoyable to ourselves, and to others?
Kids deserve people to respect them. And, do you believe they [the children] would be receiving their deserved share of social respect, if others [adults] would feel uncomfortable with their presence? Tough call.
My parents always had to travel for work. We moved a lot. We were also three children, the only difference was that, being the oldest one (9 years older than the youngest), I was responsible for their social behavior.
A ‘quasi-responsiblity‘, if I could put it like that. And I remember getting the ‘rolled eyes’ from others, the ‘evil looks’ at restaurants. There was no nanny at that time. Two working parents. Going out to restaurants was a rare treat – we definitely had to ‘earn our way’. Today, I’m the parent. I’m the one flying with screaming kicking bored wonderful children. The ‘looks’ towards me are still there. I can feel them. And I’m sure my children also sense them coming…
For all that, even if it’s hard, logistically challenging, last-minute need, try to find yourself a baby sitter. That’s my little 2 cents of advice, and one may do whatever it wants with it, even completely discard it. Just my humble suggestion…. Adult-oriented places are for adults only [clever conclusion, right?!].
Unfortunately, for the ones who would like to spend quality time with their children, tagging them along wherever they go, I’m sure there’ll be other alternatives… they’re called ‘kid-friendly places’. Trust me, kids don’t enjoy adult-only scenarios. I’ve been there. I’ve tried both ways, and I’d stick to the second one. It’s safer for the adult parent, the adult company, and for the children.
Good luck to all of us raising kids – what a tough job, man!
What about you? Had something else in mind? Are you curious about what others are saying at this ‘poking’ theme? Take a look at other impressions:
- Dp Challenge: Kids (cloudandmountain.com)
- Weekly Writing Challenge: Mind the Children (itlnbrt.com)
- Parenting and Temperament in Childhood Predict Later Political Ideology (psychologicalscience.org)
- Idiots are Ageless « IVF male What’s The Rush? | Five’s A Fellowship Children should be seen and not hurt « DCMontreal To allow or not allow, that is the question | thematticuskingdom Think Of The Children | Fish Of Gold Weekly Writing Challenge: Mind the Children | Italian Brat’s Obsessions Weekly writing challenge: Children and other animals. « Review Me Vee Children | Wise Counsel if you feed them, they will come | weebeebird Too Young to Patronize (Weekly Writing Challenge) « Anecdotal Tales Weekly Writing Challenge: You Otter Mind Your Otters | rarasaur Weekly writing challenge: kids and where they belong (and don’t) | Empressnasigoreng’s Blog Mind the Gap: Resident Work Hour Restrictions « At least we made it this far… Weekly Writing Challenge: Mind the Gap « Swozy’s Blog Kids in Restaurants: A Server’s Point of View | Good Morning, Joe Mind the Gap… Children in Adult Spaces? | A barbaric YAWP across the Web Weekly Writing Challenge: Leave my kid at home? I think not. « Military Bride No Kids Allowed « Spirit Lights The Way
Hogar San Ramon Greening Project, La Paz – Bolivia.
Volunteering
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Planting
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Enjoying quality time with co-workers, family and new friends
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Newly built consciousness among younger generations. Returning to the community all the good we’ve received… Teaching & Learning. Sharing. Growing as human beings…
Bonus Result → Doing good, feels good! ♥
What a great way to spend a Saturday morning! Not even the light showers were able to stop the hard workers! Proud to have been part of the greening project, helping the Senior Center (“Casa de Ancianos”) Hogar San Ramon, in La Paz Bolivia. Is there a better way to teach our children the importance of giving? Giving their time, their skills, their open mind and heart? I hope we’re doing the right thing. I feel we are. And I’m grateful our family was able to volunteer… Wishes for a peaceful (and green!) weekend!
Related articles
- Snapshots of Mountains and Trees around Nuestra Señora de La Paz, Bolívia. (3rdculturechildren.com)
- A blog from La Paz – La Paz, Bolivia (travelpod.com)
Updated: Thoughts on ‘what type of multilingual parent are you?’…
“Are you curious?” We are!
Blog Hop: I’ve talked before about our family’s cultural settings – husband and wife coming from different (but not exclusive) cultures/languages, raising our 3 TCKs, all now 7 years of age, and under; as well as presented thoughts on the Creative Flow of a TCK. This past April, AFSA hosted a panel discussion on emotional resilience in third-culture kids (TCKs) with a particular focus on the Foreign Service experience, during the first week of April. Experts on the issue of TCKs are expected to discuss the issue, taking questions from the audience – too bad we´re a bit far from DC, but we´re looking forward to reading about the discussion. The main question under discussion will be why some kids adapt very well to life in the Foreign Service while others struggle [check the AFSA website for more information].
Phonics & Math: let’s get the family together to help!
From my/our end, we are trying to do our part of the challenging task that is raising worldy third-culture children. And we´re doing it through language. It’s already known that speaking several languages fluently increases job opportunities, makes international travel easier, and enables you to communicate with a lot more people a lot more easily. There are various theories on how to best raise multilingual kids. “One parent, one language” (OPOL for short) is popular, and to some extent that is what we’re doing in our family.
One thing we’ve learned about raising TCKs: reading is a magic tool!
We’ve found out we’re “moderate” multilingual parents… At least, that’s how we tested, according to the Multilingual Living Quiz. Which is the best “group of multilingual parents”? Hard to say, they’re all different, and unique in their own way. There’s no magic formula when it comes to raising children in a multicultural setting. I’m always talking about our multilingual household, the challenges of trying to keep up with Spanish, Portuguese and English, while assisting our 1st grader on his (now!) English homework assignments, as well as with his homeschooling English/Spanish tasks! [Note: our son had started first grade in Brazil, last February, attending a Brazilian Montessori School, and had English classes three times a week. We moved to our current post, La Paz, Bolivia, in August, so, he could begin the American School year, as a first grader...] And our oldest child is just one of the examples: there two more on the line – his younger sisters (now aged 4,5 and almost 2) are a lively part of this multilingual/multicultural environment….
Looking for “help” from flashcards, when it comes to linking the sounds to the words!
Challenging, but exciting. And we’re very satisfied with the outcome: our oldest children are capable of communicating with both sets of grandparents, watching bilingual TV, having play dates both in English and Portuguese, and, offer very positive feedback to their dad when talked to/read to in Spanish. Recently, I stumbled upon a great quote, about the experience of raising bi/multilingual children: “raising multilingual children is an adventure you share together – one that is a lot of fun, but for which you will need quite a lot of patience. Sometimes, linguistic development will not progress in the way you hoped. That is fine, and everything will eventually work itself out. Sharing my language with my children has been about sharing my heritage more than anything else. It might be difficult at times, but it is a gift that will last a lifetime“. Couldn’t agree more!
Remembering bed time stories: from mom, in Portuguese… From dad, in English!
Helping our oldest children with their homework in Portuguese, having them practice English phonics with their native-speaker father, seeing the children have routine conversations with their dad in Spanish and English; and reading bed time stories in … who knows what!
We’ve been very fortunate regarding the kids school back in Brazil (they get both Portuguese and English), and we were thankful for the opportunity to use the educational allowance for homeschooling our 1st grader when it came to supplement his English language.
All in all, it’s working, and we’re pleased with the current results. Based on the explanation for each “group of multilingual parenting styles”, the Moderate Parent has found the golden middle way of bilingual parenting. Well-informed about bilingual issues yet know that ultimately they have to make your own rules and decisions that suit your family the best. Have a healthy dose of commitment towards your bilingual endeavour, a reasonable amount of self-confidence in what you are doing, and have no problem in bending the rules when necessary and when it’s in your family’s best interest. the “moderate parents” have chosen a model, are committed to it, and don’t give up easily when troubles arise. Acquainted with worries and problems but can ride through rough times by getting the right support from certain experts, their online group and other bilingual parents.
[Test originally published in Multilingual Living Magazine]
After all that, now it’s your turn to answer: “What type of multilingual parent do you think you are?” Take the quiz and find out! Here are examples of the questions:
“When you are on the playground with your child, you…”
“When your child speaks to you in the “wrong” language, you…”
“When it comes to literature on bilingualism, you…”
“Your reaction to the word “OPOL” is…”
“Your aim is for your child is…”
And there are many more questions/concerns/curiosities… Take your time to check it out!
So, how do you think you did?
Click Here to calculate your score and find out the results! We had a lot of fun (and learned a lot!) doing this little exercise! thanks for coming along!
Related articles
- 14 Celebrities Who Are Multilingual (Bonjour, Bueno, Konnichiwa!) (styleblazer.com)
- Bilingual Children and the First Days of School (languagelizard.com)
- Speaking multiple languages can influence children’s emotional development (eurekalert.org)
- Bilingual is Better; Review and Giveaway (5minutesformom.com)
- About OPOL (expatsincebirth.com)
A Traveler In The Foreign Service: The Best Foreign Service Blogs, by Dave Seminara.
Guest Post by Dave Seminara
The World Wide Web is saturated with amateurish blogs created by people who’d be lucky to command the devoted readership of their immediate family members, let alone the wider public. There are scores of blogs managed by Foreign Service Officers (FSOs) and while many of them are worth reading, some aredownright bizarre. This post will steer you toward some Foreign Service related blogs that are well worth your time.I started this series nine months ago to help people get a better understanding of what life in the U.S. Foreign Service is like. Many of the posts have been about my experiences but I’ve also introduced readers to an intrepid, single female diplomat fresh off of tours in Syria and Pakistan, a diplomatic courier, a USAID Foreign Service Officer currently serving in Afghanistan and others. But spend some time at the sites listed below to get a flavor of what it’s like to represent the U.S. Government in The Marshall Islands, Papua New Guinea, Bolivia, Pakistan and dozens of other exotic locales.
One major caveat here is that FSOs have to be careful what they write because free speech only takes you so far in the precarious, uber-cautious world of government service. Most FSOs have disclaimers on their sites warning that the views expressed are their own, but many still tend to steer clear of tackling political issues or anything controversial.Peter Van Buren, a now retired diplomat who wrote “We Meant Well: How I Helped Lose the Battle for the Hearts and Minds of the Iraqi People,” was effectively driven out of the Foreign Service partially because he posted a link to a cable on WikiLeaks and made some disparaging remarks, which he later apologized for, about Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on his website.There’s no doubt that his experience has had a chilling effect across the board, so visit the sites below to get the low-down on the Foreign Service lifestyle and the travel opportunities, not the dirty underbelly of how diplomacy plays out overseas.Some of the blogs below contain little, if any biographical info, and I wasn’t able to read each one in its entirety, so my apologies in advance if my impressions of these blogs below miss the mark. That said, I would invite the authors of these fine sites to tell us more about themselves, if they dare, in the comments section.Diplodunit
Domani Spero has no U.S. government connection and thus has the freedom to write about the world of diplomacy without having to worry about his career. Diplodunit is as close as you’ll find to one-stop shopping for a candid look at what’s going on in the Foreign Service community.
Adventures in Good Countries- Getting Along In The Foreign Service
I love this blog. The author, apparently a single female public diplomacy officer who, “doesn’t date outside the visa waiver program,” blogs with style and passion about life in Japan, Pakistan, Jordan and elsewhere, coping with Multiple Sclerosis and whatever else pops into her head. How can you not like a writer who offers advice to protesters on how to construct a good effigy? (“Don’t just throw something together with the rationale that you’re only going to burn it anyway – take some pride in your work.”)
You might not agree with Peter Van Buren but you will want to read his blog, which is sometimes offensive but never boring.
This blog, which details the lives of a family of five living in Recife, Brazil, La Paz, Bolivia and elsewhere, is one of the very best Foreign Service related sites out there. It’s a particularly good resource for parents who are wondering what the overseas experience will be like for their children.
Amy Gottlieb’s Photography & Blog
Gottlieb is a doctor and a USAID FSO currently serving in Vietnam. Her portraits from Jamaica, Nepal, Vietnam, South America, Africa and beyond are as good as any you’ll find anywhere.
Adventures Around the World- A Foreign Service Officer’s Tales of Life Abroad
The author of this refreshingly candid and well-written blog is currently in Kabul and has previously served in Iraq and Nepal. Here’s how she described the “honeymoon” period at a new post: “The honeymoon period is the time frame after moving to a foreign country where the excitement of being somewhere new overshadows certain harsh realities of living in a foreign country. People burning piles of trash in the street give the place ‘character’ and bargaining with a taxi driver is part of the ‘adventure.’”
This is a stunning photo blog from an American diplomat who was born on a farm in China and is currently serving in South Korea. Visiting this site is the next best thing to booking a ticket to Seoul. Also, for those who are curious to know how long it takes to join the Foreign Service, take a look at his instructive personal timeline for some clues.
Wanderings of a Cheerful Stoic
Anyone who features a photo of themselves (I presume) with a Gambian poached rat on their homepage is all right by me. This is a blog from a FSO posted in Conakry, Guinea, a place where “you tend to find yourself without a really specific reason.”
The Slow Move East- Thoughts on Being an Expatriate
Hannah Draper, a FSO currently serving in Libya, might be a “Type-A bureaucrat who professionally pushes papers in the Middle East,” but her writing is compulsively readable.
Where in the World am I? Notes from the Streets of Hyderabad, India
A FSO in Hyderabad who previously served in Burundi blogs about food and life overseas with gusto.
Cross Words- A Blog About Writing and Anything Else That Comes to Mind
Ted Cross, a FSO currently living in Budapest who apparently just signed up for Facebook last week (Friend him!), tells us on his homepage that his “dream is to be a published author.” I like someone who isn’t afraid to tell the world what he wants. He’s into fantasy and science fiction, neither of which interests me, but his blog is unique and his writing is lucid.
Anyone who can pull off being a single mom in the Foreign Service is someone I want to meet. This blog, written by a former Foreign Service brat, isn’t nearly as incoherent as advertised.
Beau Geste, Mon Ami- The Chronicle of my Journey to and through The Foreign Service
Even a quick breeze through this visually appealing blog will give you an idea of how varied and interesting life in the Foreign Service can be. If nothing else, do not miss the photos of the tribal warriors in Papua New Guinea.
Zvirdins at Large- Jamie and Andrew’s Excellent Adventures
If you want a slice of life from the Marshall Islands, this is the place to go. I love this blog but I couldn’t bring myself to click into the video entitled “Pig Shooting” in a post on “Pig Butchering.” Yikes.
Let me know in the comments section if you think I’ve missed any great FSO-related blogs and if you’re the author of ones of the sites mentioned above, tell us a bit about yourself.
Read more from “A Traveler in the Foreign Service” here.
(Photos courtesy of Amy Gottlieb)
Read more from “A Traveler in the Foreign Service” here.
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This year’s April issue of the Foreign Service Journal (FSJ, April 2012) discussed the Family Member Employment, and the search for meaningful work overseas. Reading through the whole edition, you’ll find great stories about living and working as a Foreign Service spouse. Several FS spouses shared their experiences and impressions regarding working overseas. It’s an honor to be one of the contributors to this edition. Congratulations to all who contributed to that month’s issue. Here’s the link to another FS blogger, also sharing her impressions about family member employment.
Related articles
A Traveler In The Foreign Service: A ‘Trailing Spouse’ Speaks Out (gadling.com)
Career options overseas (anagentswife.wordpress.com)
brasileiro? latino? no speak americano?? click!
Photo Project: 52 Bolivian Sundays
good feedback!
