How I ended up at Margaritaville, Negril

The ideal beach for me has clear sea water, white sands, plenty of greenery in view, and is isolated. I like to relax on the beach and contemplate its beauty, so I prefer empty beaches.

Unfortunately, my three daughters do not share this preference. In Negril, they shun the secluded, empty beaches, and prefer places such as Margaritaville and Rick’s Café - tourist traps full of people and loud music. They like the fact that there are a lot of people because it ensures that they will find a playmate. At Rick’s café the other day, they met a few teenage girls who chased them around the pool. At Margaritaville, they met three young men who helped the girls arrange a chicken wrestling match. Each girl got on the shoulders of a boy and tried to knock one another off. Fun was had by all.

Thus, although I prefer the secluded spots, I often have to entice the children with the offer of Margaritaville or Rick’s Café to get them out of the house. This is how I found myself at Margaritaville last Saturday afternoon, eating nachos and sipping on margaritas. The beach itself at Margaritaville is stunning - with a turquoise sea and white, powdery sand. But, so is the rest of Seven Mile Beach.

One advantage to Margaritaville is that it has plenty of shelter. So, when the thunderstorms came pounding down, as they often do, we could wait out the storm under shelter. Well, I sought shelter while the girls danced in the rain. There is also a little playground at the Negril Margaritaville, which, it seems, is more fun in the rain.

Once the rain passed, at least I had a table, chairs, and a good view of the beach. I addition, I could observe with fascination the groups of tourists who happened upon Margaritaville that afternoon. I soon tired of that, however. Fortunately, my husband arrived not too long afterwards and I could leave them at Margaritaville and take a long walk along Seven Mile Beach and linger in the more isolated parts.

A Hook, a Fish Line and an Air Mattress: Improvised fishing with the kids in Negril

I am very happy with my daily routine in Negril this summer. For me, this routine involves happy writing each weekday morning, then having lunch with the family, and going to the beach in the afternoons. Being able to swim in transparent waters every afternoon is blissful for me. I have not missed a day at the beach in the six weeks we have been in Negril. Even when it rains, I will at least go for a long walk by the sea when the rain clears.

My three kids, however, have decided that they need more entertainment than simply going to the beach. Their morning routine starts with home schooling for two hours with their tutor, then playing in the yard with their friends until lunch is ready. There are two small children who live in front of us and they often catch butterflies or other small creatures together. My daughters also love to help our neighbor herd his goats and take them out for grass each morning. After lunch, they play video games, read, or play outside or inside. When I ask if they are ready to go to the beach, they often claim they do not want to go. Without exception, they have fun when we get to the beach; so, often the trick lies in getting them there.

Our latest “trick” is the promise of going fishing. The first time the girls went fishing, it was with some friends who invited them to go on a boat early in the morning. That boat trip costs US$50, so that was the only time they did that. Instead, now we rely on my husband, Fernando’s ingenuity, and the kids can go fishing whenever they want, practically for free. This is how it works.

Fernando buys some hooks and fish line for a few cents at the hardware store. They go to the nearby beach and look for sand crabs and snails for bait. Nando sets up the rudimentary hook, line and sinker. Then, he paddles the girls out on our air mattress to where the fish are. We have one of those inflatable air mattresses, and it works great as a raft! (You can see our fishing equipment in the photo behind us!)

The girls put on their face masks which allow them to see the fish underwater. Tatiana and Soraya – my nine year old twin daughters – love fishing like this. You can see when the fish begin to nibble at the bait. When you see them nibbling, you just pull a bit, and there you have a fish. When the girls catch a fish, they yell out in excitement. Nando pulls in the line and puts the fish into a plastic bag that he keeps on the raft. Then, the girls go back in for another fish.

The other day, they caught sixteen little fish, giving us plenty of fresh fish for dinner. The fish are small – so it is quite a bit of work to clean and de-scale all of them. But, it is definitely worth it to have the tasty, fresh fish. Plus, it is our best way to get the kids out of the house - for now, at least. I am sure that soon they will become bored with this and we will have to find a new way to entertain them soon.

Sundays at the public beach in Negril

If you are looking for the “real Jamaica,” you will have a hard time finding it in Negril – a touristy town on the westernmost end of Jamaica. That said, there is one beach in Negril where you will find more Jamaicans than foreign tourists – the public beach at the south-westernmost tip of Seven-Mile Beach.

It is quite remarkable that most tourists in Negril tend to stay within a 100-meter radius of their hotels. There are the adventurous few who take it upon themselves to walk up and down Seven-Mile Beach. Some of these tourists make it to the end where the public beach is, but almost none of them swim in this part of the beach. Because of this self-segregation, the public beach almost always has only Jamaicans. People who are not Jamaican at the public beach are almost always expatriates who are living in Negril – usually North American and English women with Jamaican boyfriends.

The public beach is about 200 meters from the closest hotel, thus making it beyond the normal radius of most tourists. It is the closest beach to the Negril River, which, at times, can make the water quite unpleasant. However, most days the water at the public beach is crystal clear, just like the water in the rest of Seven-Mile Beach. Unlike much of the rest of Seven-Mile Beach, the public beach has several trees which offer ample shade.

On Sundays, the public beach is a lively place where local DJs set up enormous speakers that blast out dancehall tunes for the listening pleasure of beachgoers and anyone close enough to hear. Families sit beneath one of the many trees and picnic. Kids jump and play in the water and teenagers show off their gymnastic abilities on the sand.

There is a restaurant/bar on the beach, currently operated by Sanchez, who is from Sav-la-Mar. Sanchez’s place serves up delicious food and ice-cold beverages at a fraction of the price of most places on the beach. You also can try the conch soup which is served by a local man right off of his bicycle. He has a gas tank on the back of the bicycle and a burner on the front, which ensures that the tasty soup is steaming hot all afternoon long.

Last Sunday, we spent a couple of hours at the beach with my kids. They had a great time running around with all of the other children there. This was a nice change, as we often go to the beach in Negril and there are few if any children around.

I don’t want to go to the beach today!

I always want to go to the beach. Although we have been in Negril, Jamaica for 22 days, I still must go to the beach at least once every day. Even if it’s just for an hour, I have to see and feel the sea. For me, it is a great privilege to be so close to such an amazing sea and I can’t bear not to go daily.

How, then, is it that my daughters (Tatiana – 9; Soraya – 9 and Raymi – 6) often claim they do not want to go to the beach? Granted, they do have to walk 15 minutes to get there. But, they always have a great time there.

Since they insist daily that they do not want to go to the beach, sometimes we let them stay home. Here in Negril, they usually get up around 6am when the sun rises. Their teacher comes at 8am, and they have two hours of lessons. Actually, that aspect of our life – home schooling – is going the best it has all year. I finally figured out the keys – 1) It has to be early in the morning; 2) It should be for a short, intensive period of time and 3) It is best if the teacher is not me. So, we have hired a college student to give the girls lessons and that is going quite well.

After home schooling, the girls are allowed to play until lunchtime. Sometimes they play in the yard with the children who live across from us. Sometimes they play inside with their Legos or other toys. Other times, I let them watch a movie, play the Internet, or play with their Nintendo DS. Then, we have lunch together. By the time lunch is over, it is 2pm.

At 2pm, it is too hot for me to work anymore, and I usually am mentally drained and ready to go to the beach. Most days, we find a way to convince the kids to come to the beach. Other times we let them stay home and I will just go for a long walk on the beach alone.

On Tuesday, I was able to convince Tatiana to go with me to the beach. We walked the 15 minutes from our cottage to the beach. When we got to the beach, we saw that the close beach was polluted with river water, so we decided to walk farther down to the clean part. Tatiana and I had a nice walk. Along the way, I explained to her the history of slavery, as, for some reason, she was asking about it. Once I got to the end of the story, she wanted to hear stories of times that I had embarrassed myself. I thought of a few.

When we got to the nice part where the water is transparent, Tatiana and I went for a swim. Unfortunately, after about five minutes in the water, Tatiana began to fuss that something had bitten her leg. I rushed her out of the water and found that she had two wounds on her leg. They were about 1 cm. across and one was deeper than the other. The deeper one was bleeding quite a bit. A boatman came over and went back for his First Aid kit. He put a bandage on her leg and the bleeding stopped. No one seemed to have any idea what could have happened to her. We were in fairly deep water, so it is unlikely that a piece of glass cut her. I suppose it could have been a fish bite, but the marks were so far apart. Needless to say, we went home. The next day, Tatiana did not want to go to the beach.

Fortunately, Soraya and Raymi did want to go. Raymi even agreed to walk. This was remarkable, because Raymi almost never wants to walk. So, Soraya, Raymi, and I set off on our one-mile hike to the cliffs at Xtabi. To entertain the kids on the way, I told them a variation of the story of the Loch Ness Monster. I told the story such that the existence (or not) of the Loch Ness Monster remained doubtful. However, Soraya wanted a happy ending so made me change the story such that the two main characters finally got to take a picture of the Loch Ness Monster and everyone believed them that it really existed.

When we got to Xtabi cliffs, the sun was behind the clouds and it was cooler than usual. We swam for a bit, but, it began to drizzle. Determined to stay seaside a bit longer, I decided that we would order some food at Xtabi. I ordered a hamburger and a conch burger – which was quite tasty. The food took a long time to come out, and Raymi and Soraya played darts while we were waiting. I used the time to sit atop one of the cliffs and contemplate the beauty of the sea.

After we ate, the sun peeked from behind the clouds and we got back into the sea. Other guests arrived and Soraya and Raymi quickly made friends. The highlight of the afternoon, however, was that Raymi spotted an octopus! There was an octopus by one of the cliffs, trying to scale the side of the cliff using its suction cups. It was quite a sight! Eventually, however, it fell back into the sea.

The girls and I snorkeled and spent some time in the caves before deciding to head back home. We walked back and talked about all sorts of things on the way back. They wanted me to tell them a story, but I was having trouble being creative. One story a day is enough for me!

When we got home, Tatiana was quite upset that she had missed out on the excitement. So, perhaps today we will have an easier time getting the girls to go to the beach!

Seven Reasons the Cliffs are Better than Seven Mile Beach in Negril

Negril is divided into two areas – the Seven Mile Beach and the Cliffs. Our cottage – Silver Star – is right between the two areas, giving us great access to both. From my front step, it is a twenty minute walk to either Seven Mile Beach or Xtabi – my favorite place to hang out at the cliffs.

The Seven Mile Beach is great because it's, well, seven miles of sandy beaches. However, after our first few days of sea, sun, and more sun, we decided to try out the cliffs area. We haven't been back to the beach since. This past week, it was all cliffs, every day. Why do we like the cliffs? Let me count the ways.

1) At Xtabi, where we have been going, there are far fewer people. Many an afternoon, we have the whole area to ourselves. (Note: Rick's cafe – another cliff spot – does NOT have this benefit.) If you like to swim in the sea alone, Xtabi is the place.

2) Walking to and from the cliffs, there are far fewer people trying to sell you something. On the beach, you can barely take two steps without someone trying to get you to jet ski, go for a boat ride, or buy some crafts. At the cliffs, there are far fewer sellers.

3) The sea is clearer at the cliffs. When it does not rain for a few days, Seven Mile Beach boasts clear waters. At the cliffs, the water is clear every day, even when the water is relatively rough and it has been raining.

4) There is more shade at the cliffs. We have found a couple of spots with a bit of shade on the beach. But, it does not come close to the tranquility and coolness you feel when you sit in a cave at the cliffs and feel the sea tickling your toes.

5) Cliff jumping is fun. Or, at least it looks fun, as I have only jumped off of the smaller cliffs. But, those people jumping off of the big ones look as though they are having a good time doing so.

6) The snorkeling is better. You can snorkel on Seven Mile Beach on a good day. But, at the cliffs, you will see much, much more marine life. All you have to do is get in the water, put your mask down, and look around you. The snorkeling is amazing.

7) It's cooler at the cliffs. Because of the ocean breeze blowing on you at the top of the cliffs, it is quite a bit cooler out of the water, especially if you can find a bit of shade.

We will be in Negril for another two months, and I am sure we will go back many times to Seven Mile Beach. But, there are many reasons to stay close to the cliffs.

Negril, Jamaica: Sea, Sand and Fun

We have been in Negril, Jamaica for nearly a week now.

We are staying in an inexpensive cottage called Silver Star. It is located a fifteen minute walk from the famous Seven Mile Beach and a five-minute walk from a smaller beach that is great for snorkeling. As someone who loves to be able to walk to the beach and on the beach, this is fantastic.

The accommodations are quite modest, but they are clean and comfortable, so we are happy. The small size of the cottage just means that we have to make sure and keep it tidy and keep everything in its place.

It is very hot here in Negril so we take advantage of the relatively cool mornings to do work and do household tasks. I spend my mornings writing in my office (whish is just a separate hotel room) and the children are doing their schoolwork in the mornings. We have hired a tutor to give the girls lessons, and that is working out great so far! After lunch, we are all free to spend the afternoons as we like.

Of course, most days we go to the beach. If you can believe it, some days the kids complain about going to the beach. Mostly, they are not keen on the 15 minute walk in the hot sun. However, once we arrive at the sea, they have a blast.

The first day we got to Negril, the sea was amazing. It was absolutely transparent, even up to about 30 feet deep. Snorkeling in that water was fantastic. However, the next day it rained and the water has not been the same since. There are two reasons for this. One reason is that when it rains the sea gets more turbulent and brings the sand up into the water, making it less transparent. The other, less pleasant, reason, is that the rain means that the muddy, dirty river water gets into the sea, turning it a brownish color.

We have found thus far that we can walk or take a taxi about another mile down the beach - away from the river - and get to the clean part when the river comes into the sea. Hopefully it will not rain much and we can enjoy the transparent water once again. Honestly, this year, after seeing so many amazing beaches, we are getting harder to please!

None of the beaches we have seen so far in Negril have any waves to speak of. The girls complain that this makes it boring. However, it also makes it easier for us as we do not have to worry about the girls being pulled out to sea. Yesterday, I went snorkeling with Tatiana and Soraya - my nine-year old twin daughters - and we were able to get pretty far out without me being worried. However, as it was our first time, I did not stay too long. I was worried they (or I) might get tired.

I am looking forward to spending the next two months in Negril, and, slowly but surely, getting to know the rest of the Seven Mile Beach.

Goias, Goiania, Brasilia, and back to Goiania: Our last few days in Brazil

Monday, May 24, is our last day in Brazil. So far, despite having to get all five of us and our many bags to the airport, everything is going remarkably smoothly. These past few days have been very hectic, so this is a very welcome change.

We left Cidade Goias at 4:30am last Thursday so that we could spend the day in Goiania on the way to Brasilia. I spent Thursday morning at Universidade Federal de Goias with my research assistant, Anna Laura. She had a film featured in an ethnographic film festival, and we watched her film about transvestite prostitutes in Goiania and participated in the debates afterwards. On Thursday evening, I had two interviews on the other side of Goiania, so Anna Laura and I made our way over to Campinas, a commercial district on the edge of Goiania. The interviews went well, but we did not get home until 11:00pm. And, we had to wake up at 6:00am the next day to go to Brasilia.

We arrived in Brasilia at noon, at the Hotel Nacional. After a very brief rest, I met Cristina and Joaze – two professors at the University of Brasila – for lunch. It was great to meet them and to talk about sociology and anthropology in Brasil and to learn about the University of Brasilia. After lunch, we went across town to the University of Brasilia, where I was scheduled to give a talk. I began my talk around 4:30pm. I was very tired and was amazed at my ability to speak coherent Portuguese for most of my presentation. The talk went fairly well, and the audience members had interesting questions about the US and immigration laws.

After my talk, we met up with my husband and kids and went out with Cristina and Joaze and their kids to a pizza restaurant. The restaurant – Pizza a Bessa – has a rodizio de pizza, which means that waiters pass by the table every few minutes with a different selecion of pizzas. They have everything from pepperoni to pizza with dried beef to pizza with ice cream (for dessert). My three kids fell asleep in their chairs by the time we left the pizzeria. I managed to stay awake, but was very tired when we got home at 10pm.

The next morning, fortunately, we did not have anything planned. Nevertheless, we all got up before 7am. In a hotel room, when one person gets up, it is hard for anyone else to remain asleep. We packed our bags and checked out of the hotel by 9:30. We were planning on going out for breakfast when we found out that the Hotel Nacional has a fabulous spread that is included in the nightly rate. The breakfast buffet was great – they had fresh fruit, yogurt, a variety of breads, omelets crepes, waffles, and several fresh fruit juices. We ate as much as we could and then set out for our day sightseeing in Brasilia.

We heard that there was a free bus that would take you to the Centro Cultural de Banco do Brasil (CCBB), so we went to wait for it by the Hotel Manhattan. We waited a long time for the bus, but it finally came and we went to the CCBB. The CCBB had four different expositions, and the kids' favorite was definitely OSGEMEOS – installation art by twin brothers that is very creative and colorful. After a couple of hours at the CCBB, we went back downtown.

Nando thought it would be a good idea to have lunch in the Rodoviaria (the bus station). The food did not look appetizing to me, so I just had a mango smoothie. We decided to go back to Goiania after that, as the kids were very tired, and Raymi seemed to be coming down with a fever. I am glad that we saw Brasilia, but there was no good reason to stay for another day.

When we got back to Goiania, we went to our friend Gabriel's house. He had a few guests over, and they were enjoying churrasco and red wine. We readily joined them. After a few glasses, at 11:00pm, I was ready to go to sleep. The kids were already sleeping on Gabriel's couch, so we decided to spend the night there. I got a reasonable amount of sleep, but had to get up at 6am when the kids woke up to make sure they did not cause too much trouble in Gabriel's house. We had breakfast there and took the bus to Anna Laura's house.

When we got to Anna Laura's house on Sunday morning around 10am, the only thing I wanted to do was to relax. Fortunately, Anna Laura lives in a rural area of Goiania, so it feels like you are in the countryside. I spent the better part of the morning in Anna Laura's hammock enjoying the bucolic atmosphere while the kids played in her huge yard. Nando and I also did some last minute laundry and got our bags ready for the next day. Our friend Izabel came over in the afternoon, and we spent the afternoon chatting with her, her husband, and Anna Laura. Not too long after they left, Soraya fell asleep on the couch. It was only 7pm, but I decided to let her sleep.

By 8pm, the whole family was asleep. I could not believe it. Even better, I did not have any nightmares about missing the plane. We were completely packed, and our plane did not leave until 11:00am the next day. We woke up at 6:00am, with plenty of time to do our last-minute packing of our pajamas and toothbrushes and make it to the airport. This allowed me to remain very calm and to not get stressed at all. Amazing. We called our taxi at 6:25 – knowing that it would take a while to get all the way to Anna Laura's house. The taxi showed up at 7:40, and we got to the airport at 8:15 am for our flight.

Some people might find it a bit extreme to be completely packed and to go to sleep at 8:00pm in preparation for a flight that leaves at 11:00am the next day. But, the difference a few hours makes is remarkable. Right now, it is 10:00am, and, so far, everyone is in a good mood, well-rested and ready to face a very long trip.

We will be in Negril, Jamaica in a little more than 24 hours from now. We shall see how well-rested and calm we are by then! Either way, at least we are starting out on the right foot.

Can you learn (or re-learn) Portuguese in three months?

I hoped our three kids - aged 9, 9, and 6 - would pick up some Portuguese during our three-month stay in Brazil. As we are preparing to leave Brazil, the kids are able to communicate wth their playmates. But, they are far from fluent.

Raymi, my six-year old daughter, has learned the most. This is interesting because she was the most resistant at first. When I spoke to her in Portuguese when we first arrived, she once replied "Don't talk to me in THAT language!" That said, when Raymi wanted an ice cream a few days later, she mustered up the Portuguese words to order one. Now, when Raymi is with her teachers and friends, she puts together full sentences in Portuguese and gets her needs and wants across.

Tatiana and Soraya - my nine-year-old twins - were more keen on learning Portuguese, or so it seemed. Tatiana would ask me to talk to her in Portuguese before we came to Brazil. Now, however, when the twins talk to their friends, it is almost always in "Portunhol." They do manage to communicate and will laugh at television shows in Portuguese, but still use a lot of Spanish in their conversations. Nevertheless, every so often, they will play translation games with me.

We are getting ready to leave Brazil (in less than two weeks!!), so I don't know how much longer it would take for them to become fluent. I am sure, however, that they have learned some of the language and that next time we are in a Lusophone country, they will have a head start.

As for me, my Portuguese is still not at the level of fluency it once was. But, it has improved quite a bit. I can even understand people on the phone now. The main reason my Portuguese is not up to par is that I do not speak Portuguese every day. I only engage in extended conversations in Portuguese when I travel out of town to visit friends. When I stay in Cidade Goias, I spend most of my day alone writing or with my family.

It is much quicker to learn (or re-learn) a language when you have full immersion. The kids are only getting full immersion four hours a day at school. (If you look closely at this video, you can see Raymi at her school.) And, I am only getting it when I leave the house.

Walking around the Park in Goiás Velho

Nearly every evening, here in Cidade Goiás, I take my three kids to the park at the end of the Centro Historico. This park is a great place – at dawn and at dusk. The rest of the day it is empty because the sun glares down and the lack of shade makes it uncomfortable and hot. However, around 5:30pm each evening, residents descend on the park for their evening stroll or jog. Most people, including me, walk around the 1km trail. There are just a few people that actually run.

The trail is made of gray bricks and winds along the river and then circles back around the periphery of the park. The park itself has a playground, a skateboard ramp, and a bar. The playground and skate ramp are small, but serve as a point where kids from the town can meet up and play. The middle of the park is empty, making it a good place for little ones to learn how to ride a bike.

For me, it is great that the kids have a place to play while I do my evening exercise. This means that we all can get out of the house and get some fresh air while I unwind from the day.

The bar sometimes has a trampoline and, for R$2 (US$1), the kids can jump to their hearts’ content for ten minutes. The bar also sells tasty meat skewers, and sometimes I let the kids convince me to buy some for them. Most times, however, the kids sit on the skate ramp and play games with the other kids at the park.

As for me, I usually walk about 3 miles. One of these days I’d like to be able to run those three miles, and I sometimes work toward that goal by jogging part of the way. However, the most important part of the evening walks for me is the chance to think and reflect and get any stress out of my system. The fact that I get to walk next to a bubbling river amidst verdant pastures and trees makes this all the more relaxing.

I also think it is great that my three daughters see me and others exercising each day. At their age, they get plenty of exercise running around all day. However, it is important for them to learn the importance of exercise and to see how exercise can be incorporated into one’s daily routine.

A dead cat, duck droppings and a trip to the doctor: Just another day in Goias, Brazil

My husband, Nando, left four days ago to go visit a friend and to see some of the amazing natural beauty to be found in Brazil. I, in turn, get to stay home and bond with my three daughters. So far, so good. Except today was particularly exhausting.

We got out of bed late – a quarter to 7 this morning – just the time we are supposed to be leaving the house to get the kids to school. About 45 minutes later, we were all out of the door – except for Tatiana who has been complaining of a stomach ache. I finally relented and allowed her to stay home from school today.

The girls’ school is a twenty minute walk from our house. And, Raymi, my six-year old daughter is not a big fan of walking. Two blocks away from our house, she began to complain. We went back and forth with her complaining and me asking her to allow me to enjoy the joyous morning in peace. Finally, Soraya, my nine-year-old daughter came up with the idea that we play a guessing game. That calmed the kids down until we got to school. Then, it was my turn to walk back. I enjoy this walk back, especially the part where I walk near the river and can enjoy the dense forest and often see an exotic bird such as a toucan or a parrot flying overhead.

Back at home, Tatiana was reading a book on the sofa. I had told her that television and the computer were off limits so long as her sisters were in school. That worked for a while, but eventually she convinced me to allow her to play math games on the computer. Anything for me to be able to get my work done.

You see, by the time I got the kids to school, walked back, and had a cup of coffee, it was 8:15 am. And, I have to leave the house at 11:15am to go back and pick them up. With three short hours in the morning, I really need to concentrate to get anything done. Tatiana was fairly cooperative and I was able to get in two solid hours of work before I had to run out the door to pick up the kids from school.

Once we got home, I speedily cooked the kids’ lunch – rice, sausage, and salad - and then told them I had to leave for a few minutes to try and get my asthma medicine. I ran out of my medicine and the pharmacy does not have the particular medicine I need. So, I figured I should see a doctor and get a prescription for a brand they sell here in Brazil. That involved jumping through a few more loopholes than I anticipated.

First, I went to the hospital on the corner. They told me that I needed to go to the medical center at Praça João Francisco. Unfortunately, I heard São Francisco and took a mototaxi to the Municipal Pharmacy. There, they said they did not have the medicine I wanted. The attendant told me I was welcome to wait for the doctor, but that he did not recommend me doing so. The doctor is 87 years old and is not very up to date on things. I asked him where I should go, and he also told me to go to João Francisco. This time, I made it to the right place.

When I got there, there was a fairly long line. While in line, I noticed that everyone else had all sorts of documentation with them – ID cards, insurance cards, and proof of residence. I had nothing. But, I waited in line anyway, hopeful that something would come out of it. When it was finally my turn, I told the lady I did not have anything. She understood this to mean that I did not have an appointment and asked me to wait for a bit. She said that she would see if there was any room left after she took care of the people who had appointments. My chances of seeing a doctor looked pretty bleak, so I made my way for the door. But, as I was doing so, the receptionist called me back in and suggested I wait. She indicated that my chances for seeing the doctor were fairly high.

When it was finally my turn, she asked for my ID. I explained that I had lost my ID and my medicine, but needed a prescription for my asthma medicine. She shook her head, but said she would ask the doctor what she could do. A few minutes later, a doctor appeared and we explained my situation. She told me to wait a few more minutes. Not too long afterwards, I finally got to go through the door everyone else was going through. I was taken to a room where the prescribing doctor sat.

I explained what medicine I needed. He took out a big book, found it, and wrote me a prescription! Victory! I went outside to the pharmacy across the street and asked for the medicine. They did not have it, but said they would order it and deliver it to my house by 10am the next day. Good enough.

I got another mototaxi home and found the kids playing peacefully in the house. I had called them a few times, and all seemed to be in order each time I called. I told the kids to get ready for their play date. One of their schoolmates had invited them to come over to swim. So, we walked the two blocks over to their friends’ house.

On the way, we noticed a new development in the river. The river is full of fish. The water is fairly clear, so you can look in it and see all sorts of fish swimming around. That was pretty cool.

Once we got to their friends’ house, the kids jumped in the pool and I sat down to chat with the kids’ grandmother. She told me the problems she was having with the kids, and how the kids’ mother and father had been abusers of crack and of each other. I found it interesting how open she was with me, and offered my sympathies. At any rate, all seems to be resolved as the parents are divorced and the mother has successfully gone through rehab. After about an hour, I told the grandmother that I needed to go home and check on things as I had left the windows open.

When I got home, I realized that I had also left the back door open. And, the two ducks and chicken had gotten inside. If you don’t already know, I will tell you that ducks go poop A LOT. Gross. Two buckets of water and a good scrubbing later, the kitchen floor was clean. I was tired and wanted to relax, but felt obliged to go back and check on the kids.

I made my way back over there and found the kids still splashing around in the pool. The grandmother had made them popcorn and hot chocolate. We sat down and chatted some more. I found out that she is a widow. Her husband died when she was just 28, leaving her with an infant and two toddlers. That did not sound fun. And, now, she is living through a whole new crisis with her daughter and grandkids back home.

When the sun began to go down, it was time to go home. We thanked the grandmother for the invitation and went back to our house. I put a movie on for the kids and, finally, got a chance to relax with a glass of Chilean red wine.

Except for I didn’t exactly get to relax yet. The neighbor called me and I went outside to find Manchas, our puppy, munching on the bones of a dead cat. Gross. This dead cat has been slowly decomposing outside of our house for a few days. I keep thinking that someone is going to clean it up. I don’t have the stomach for it. However, seeing Manchas munching on it, I finally decided that I had to do something. So, I got a big yellow plastic bag, held my breath, and put the cat’s corpse inside it. Gross. I still feel nauseous.

Now, however, I can forget about it and all the other things that happened today and relax with my wine and cheese. That is, if I can find something to entertain the kids while I do that!

Faricoccos in Cidade de Goiás – A spectacular procession

On the Wednesday of Holy Week at 11:59pm, the city of Goiás hosts the re-enactment of the night Jesus Christ was pursued by the Romans. Forty men dress up in colorful robes and hoods, carry torches and walk barefoot in a spectacular procession through the city.

The idea of wearing colorful robes and hoods was brought to the city of Goiás by a Spanish priest, João Perestrello de Vasconcelos Spinola, in 1745. Thus, the farricocos and the Fogaréu Procession precede the Ku Klux Klan by more than a century. Nevertheless, their outfits are unfortunately quite similar to those worn by the KKK.

Cidade Goiás (also known as Goiás Velho) is usually a very quiet and peaceful city. However, during Holy Week, the city fills with tourists who come to witness one of the oldest processions in Brazil. On Wednesday evening, we took our daughters - Tatiana, Soraya, and Raymi – to the Plaza Coreto to see all of the excitement.

When we arrived at the Plaza Coreto at dusk, vendors were setting up a market on the street, the plaza was filled with tables full of people drinking beer and soda and eating ice cream. I sat down with the girls to have a drink. Soon, however, they insisted on going to the market.

We saw a vendor selling miniature black and white farricoco puppets. The girls asked for one. It seemed like a decent idea for a toy and a souvenir for the evening, but I suggested that they purchase the black ones. I didn’t want the girls to purchase a little KKK puppet. Tatiana and Soraya – my nine year old twins - each bought black ones. Raymi – my six year old daughter - spent some time trying to decide what she wanted. When she finally decided she wanted a puppet as well, there were only white ones left. That is how Raymi got her own little KKK farricoco puppet. I thought to myself – at least the eyes light up red so that it seems more like the representation of a devil.

It turns out that the symbolism of the farricocos is actually quite sinister. They, after all, are the bad guys in the story as they are the ones hunting down Jesus to crucify him.

That evening, the girls played in the plaza with their puppets for a while. Eventually, however, they got tired and we made our way home. I had my doubts that the kids would make it until midnight to watch the procession. And, they didn’t. They all fell sound asleep around 10pm.

My husband, Fernando, and I left the house around 11pm and went again to Plaza Coreto. This time, the Plaza was completely full of people. We had a drink in one of the bars and decided to make our way back to the Igreja do Rosario. The procession begins at Plaza Coreto, but this is not the best place to see it. The Plaza is too full of people and it is hard to see the procession with all of the multitude.

The procession goes from the Plaza Coreto down to the bridge over the Rio Vermelho and pauses at the Igreja do Rosario for a bit before returning to the Plaza Coreto. Fernando and I made our way back to the Igreja do Rosario and waited for the procession.

Around 12:30am, it arrived. It was quite a site to see. Dozens of robed men carrying torches followed by hundred of people also carrying torches walked up the hill to the Igreja do Rosario. The farricocos stopped on the church steps where there was a brief presentation where the M.C. asked them who they were looking for and they responded “Jesus Christ.” The rows of men in colorful robes and hoods holding their torches was spectacular to witness.

From the Igreja do Rosario, the procession made its way down our street. We stood in our doorway on Rua Senador Eugenio de Jardim and watched the procession again from there. This time, we had the best view and watched the farricocos and then all of the people with torches walk by. By that time, it was after 1am, and we went inside to rest.

Life in Goiás Velho

After a month in Goiás Velho, we are finally settled in. We live in an old house in the historic center of Goiás Velho. The town is quite charming. The streets are made of old stones and date back hundreds of years. There is a river running through the center of town with old wooden bridges that traverse it. During the day, there are few cars and more than a couple of horses with carts. It often feels as if we have gone back in time. Except for, of course, I have my laptop and Internet connection!

The kids like here as well. They go to a wonderful school – Vila Esperança – that is on gorgeous grounds and is colorfully decorated with comfy cushions and rugs. Plus, it has a focus on dance, capoeira, and music that is great for the children. This was a very welcome break after that strict Catholic school in Santo Domingo.

I asked my nine year old daughter Tatiana what she liked best about our house in Goiás Velho, Brazil, and her response was “our pets.” Normally, we don’t have household animals, because we travel too often. However, in Goiás Velho, a friend agreed to lend us his puppy while we are here. We’ll have to give it back when we leave, so hopefully that will go over okay. My husband Nando also picked up a few ducks and chickens at the market. When we leave, I am sure we will not have any problem getting someone to take in some plump poultry. Their destiny as pets, however, will be short lived, I am sure.

Soraya – Tatiana’s twin sister’s – response to my question about her favorite thing was the garden. Behind our house, we have a large, messy yard. I wouldn’t exactly call it a garden, but it certainly provides space to run around. It also has a fantastic outdoor shower that is the perfect remedy for Goiás Velho’s hot afternoons. I asked Soraya what she liked about the garden, and she said the fact that the animals live in it. Tatiana and Soraya are real animal lovers.

When I asked Raymi, my six year old daughter, what her favorite thing was, she said “the hammock.” We have a lovely, huge, colorful hammock that the girls use to swing on. Recently, they realized that they also can swing and jump off of it onto the air mattress. They have a game where they swing each other and dump each other onto the air mattress.

Goiás Velho also has many interesting things for the kids outside the house. On many a hot afternoon, we walk a few blocks from our house to a small waterfall where the kids can take a dip in the river. The cool water is very refreshing after a long day. And, the waterfall is set in a verdant valley. It is a most relaxing way to spend an afternoon.

Other afternoons, we go to the Plaza, where they have an ice cream stand in the middle. In addition, there are often plenty of children around with whom the children can play. Now that we have the dog – his name is Manchitas by the way – we can take him to the park. That way, even if there are no other kids, the girls can have fun playing with Manchitas.

As we are near to Holy Week, there is no shortage of processions in Goiás Velho. We live just a few doors down from Igreja do Rosario – a prominent historic church. So far, there have been two large processions that start there and go right by our house. And, they will continue for the rest of Holy Week. Tatiana in particular finds the processions fascinating. I imagine she will admire even more those later in the week – which will be even bigger and fancier.

Goiás Velho is a small town, so there is not much of a night life. However, there is one restaurant that serves snacks and beers on its patio on weekend nights that we like to go to. The advantage of this restaurant is that it is located right next to a playground. And, on weekend nights, a gentleman sets up a trampoline that the girls can jump on and hopefully burn off their energy. Last time we went, the girls were excited to have been out at night with us. Nando and I we were glad to have been able to have a beer in peace.

When we first arrived in Goiás, I had the impression that people were less friendly than in other parts of Brazil. When I said “hi” as we walked by, I got more than a couple of blank stares. However, now that we have been here for over a month, those same people smile broadly and say hello first as we walk by. It took less time than I thought for folks to open up.

Overall, Goiás Velho was a great choice as a family-friendly place to spend our three months in Goiás, Brazil.

A Sociologist on the Move: Fourteen Months, Four Countries, and Three Kids

On May 27, 2009, I began a long trip with my family. Over the next 14 months, we would be living in four countries, beginning with nearly three months in Kingston, Jamaica.

Our journey has not been easy all of the time, but it has never been dull, with one adventure after another. Thankfully, we have had the good fortune of meeting many people whose good will has made these fourteen months abroad much easier and more productive.

In Kingston, a Jamaican colleague, Prof. Sonjah Stanley, recommended I put my eight-year old twin daughters and my five year old daughter in Edna Manley School of the Arts Summer Camp. That turned out to be a fantastic suggestion, as it is a marvelous summer camp. My husband, Fernando, got involved in the Trenchtown Culture Yard, and I began my research with deportees. I also started a blog, http://tanyagolashboza.blogspot.com that chronicles this amazing year abroad with my family.

I was able to take this trip as I had been awarded a Fulbright-Hays Faculty Research Abroad Award to conduct research on the re-integration experiences of deportees in Jamaica, Guatemala, the Dominican Republic, and Brazil. My Fulbright-Hays Award didn’t officially start until August 14, 2009, but I got a head start with internal funding from the University of Kansas to do some pilot research in Kingston, Jamaica. In each country, my research consisted in interviewing 30 deportees, government officials responsible for deportees, and researching the migration histories of each country.

The summer in Kingston went fairly well, with only the occasional break-down where Tatiana, one of my 8-year old twins, would cry and fuss that she wanted to go back to Kansas. My pilot research was more successful than I expected. A colleague in Kingston – Prof. Bernard Headley – introduced me to a couple of key informants, who greatly facilitated my research. Fernando completed a project teaching the folks at Trenchtown Culture Yard how to make pan flutes out of bamboo. Before we knew it, it was time to pack up and go to Guatemala City.

Before traveling to Guatemala City, I contacted Prof. Miguel Ugalde and introduced myself via email. He helped me find a furnished apartment in Guatemala City for our three month stay, and invited the family over for a churrasco our first Sunday in the city. My first week in Guatemala City, Miguel took me to the airport where deportees arrive and I was able to witness the processing of over 100 deportees into Guatemala. I couldn’t believe my luck and how quickly I was able to get my research underway. Finding 30 deportees to interview turned out to be a bit tricky. However, with a few creative strategies, I found them and left Guatemala with 35 interviews completed. My research in Guatemala was remarkably successful, even though we never were able to get the children in school. The school year had begun in January, and the schools were finishing up as we arrived. There are “American” schools that begin in September, but the $6,000 enrollment fee per child was prohibitively expensive. That’s when we decided to home school.

Fortunately, our school district has a virtual school where you can enroll your children in a highly structured program. Admittedly, it is a tremendous amount of work to home school three children. At first, we contracted an English-speaking teacher. But, that did not work out, as the children were not advancing in terms of their lessons. Eventually, I had to take over, as Fernando’s limited English skills prevented him from being in charge of home schooling. Things got a bit hectic when I had to home school in the mornings, write after lunch, and conduct interviews in the evenings. But, we managed, especially knowing that the situation was temporary.

In the Dominican Republic, our next stop, the schools are on the same calendar as those in the US, so we were able to enroll the children in a local Catholic school. I was relieved to have the children in school again. The curriculum looked similar to their curriculum in Kansas, so I kept up the home schooling, part time. In the afternoons and on weekends, I gave the children key lessons from the Kansas curriculum.

Settling into Santo Domingo and getting my research off the ground was a lot easier than I anticipated – largely because of the help of a couple of generous individuals. Mari, the sister of the friend of a friend was an angel with us, despite our weak ties to her. When she heard we were coming, she offered to pick us up from the airport, lent us an apartment while we got settled, and found a school for us! We could not believe her generosity. Once we found our own apartment, also with Mari’s help, I got started with my research. I called a few contacts in the US, one of whom gave me the contact information for Rene Vicioso, who works with deportees in the Dominican Republic. When I spoke with Rene, he was very accommodating and agreed to meet with me the next day.

When we met, Rene assured me there would be no problem finding 30 deportees. He also introduced me to several key government officials, and my research project was soon up and running. In Santo Domingo, I had no problem finding deportees to interview, and ended up completing 50 interviews. Soon enough, however, our three months were up, and it was time to travel to Brazil.

In Brazil, my research was focused on Goiás – the state that receives the most deportees. Luckily, I have a wonderful colleague in Goiania, the capital of Goiás, Izabel Missagia. Izabel picked us up at the airport, and took us to her house, where we stayed until we were able to find a place of our own. As of this writing, I am in Cidade Goiás, a lovely town that Izabel recommended to us, especially because of a fantastic, alternative school in Cidade Goiás. The children are in a school called Vila Esperança that focuses on music, dance, and capoeira. After three months in Catholic school in the DR, this is a very welcome change. The school calendar year just began, so the twins are starting the third grade again here, and my youngest is starting the first grade early. However, we decided that, in Brazil, their primary goal will be to learn Portuguese, and I will finish up the home schooling over the summer. My children already speak English and Spanish, so learning Portuguese should not be too challenging for them.

As of this writing, we are in Brazil. Like in Guatemala, it has not been easy finding interviewees here, and I have already begun using creative strategies to locate deportees to interview. This past weekend, I traveled to a small town in Goiás where I was able to find three deportees by asking around.

I feel very lucky to be in a profession that allows my family to have such amazing experiences. I traveled extensively before becoming a sociologist, but knew that, eventually, I wanted to settle down and have a career and a family. Who knew that traveling the world would become part of my career and still possible with a family! Admittedly, dragging our three children from one country to the next has its challenges. However, for me, it would be even more challenging not only to be apart from them, but also to deny them this fantastic experience that they will carry with them for the rest of their lives.

Written for “World on the Move” – the Newsletter of the International Migration Section of the American Sociological Association.

One adventure after another with the family in rural Brazil: Milking the cows, Feeding the chickens, and a Waterfall

Our weekend trip to Fatima's farm outside of Itapuranga in Goias, Brazil turned out to be one adventure after another. This time, I took the whole family to the farm – Tatiana and Soraya had had been asking all week when we would be able to go.

We arrived around 6pm Friday evening. The girls were excited to see the calves and chickens. The first thing they tried to do was to pet the calves. That turned out to be more difficult than it looked. Tatiana, Soraya and Raymi got in the corral with the calves. But, each time they got close to a calf, it would run away. Finally, all of the calves had run out of the corral, and no one got to pet one.

Next up were the chickens. After many attempts, Soraya managed to catch a hen, and the girls took turns holding it. When they let it free, Raymi showed the girls where the corn on the cob was, and they de-grained a couple of cobs for the chickens.

Meanwhile, it was getting dark, and Fernando decided to start a campfire. Fernando and Braulio, Fatima's son, busied themselves bringing and cutting wood, and the girls helped by adding dry corn husks to the fire. By the time the fire was ready, it was time to eat dinner.

Dinner consisted of rice, beans, a little bit of free-range chicken, and inhame – a tuber vegetable. Tatiana and Soraya served themselves at least three plates of rice and beans. The food was hearty and tasty. After dinner, we had a little rapadura – concentrated sugar cane - and went outside by the campfire where Nando was playing his flute.

We relaxed by the fire for a while, but soon the girls wanted to play again. This time, Evandro had the idea of them playing with the wheelbarrow. Braulio gave the girls several turns each in the wheelbarrow before it was time to go to bed.

I woke up on Saturday morning at 6am, and the girls were already up and about. When I got out of bed, I found all three girls in the cattle pen, helping Braulio and Sebastiao milk the cows. Braulio showed them how to pull on the cows' udders to make the milk come out. They were able to do it, but not nearly as fast as Braulio. After milking the cows, Raymi and I went into town with Evandro to buy bread and some meat for lunch. Afterwards, we took the milk from the cows to the depository where they sell the milk each day.

After breakfast, Tatiana and Soraya finally got what they wanted most – to ride the horse. Evandro got the horse saddled up for them, and they took turns riding it around and around the house until finally it was time to let the horse eat some grass.

While the girls were riding the horse, Evandro took Raymi and me out behind the house where he cut a piece of sugar cane and squeezed the juice out of it with a small metal mill. We strained the juice and drank it. It tasted even better with limes from the tree – all natural lemonade.

After our morning adventures on the farm, it was time for a bit more adventure. Evandro drove us to Dominique's farm, which is about a 30 minute drive down a dirt road through several other small farms. Dominique's farm is more of a hacienda than a farm. She has several lakes where she raises fish, many pineapple and papaya trees, and a herd of goats for milk and cheese.

Dominique's hacienda also has a magnificent waterfall on the premises. The main purpose of our visit was to jump in the waterfall. Unfortunately, just as we got there, it began to downpour heavily. We waited the rain out at one of the small farmhouses where several men were cleaning fish to take to the market. Seeing all of the fish and lakes, the girls asked if they could also fish.

One of the workers gave them two fishing poles, and Tatiana and Soraya went down to the lake to fish. Soraya managed to catch a big fish. But, it was a little too big and she ended up falling backwards into the lake trying to get it out. Fortunately, the lake was not deep at all. But, she was full of mud and had to be rinsed off in the shower.

After their fishing adventure, we walked over to the waterfall. It was about a 15-minute walk down a muddy trail overgrown with vegetation. Each of us fell in the mud a few times, but managed to make it to the waterfall. It was beautiful. As usual, I was scared of slipping on the rocks, and, of course, I fell – right on my behind. So did everyone, but we managed to make it to one of the pools where we cooled off and cleaned up. The sun had come out enough to dry off the big rocks, and I relaxed on one of the boulders while the girls continued to swim and splash around. It was getting late, however, so we didn't stay too long.

When we got back to Dominique's farmhouse, the men had finished cleaning the fish and were taking them to market. We bought a large – two kilo – fish from them and took it home to cook. Evandro picked a few coconuts from Dominique's farm to make coconut milk to cook the fish. Evandro made coconut milk by taking the white meat out of the coconut and putting it in the blender. I added this delectable mixture to the muqueca de peixe that I made. The fish stew was delicious with the large, meaty, fresh pintado.

After dinner, Nando sang just a couple of songs by the campfire as we were all tired and full. The next morning, however, as promised, Nando made a bamboo flute for Braulio. They have some bamboo trees on the farm, and Nando and Evandro cut one down and fashioned a flute for Braulio. That way, they will have something to remember us by until our next visit.

Another Way of Life: A Weekend on a Farm in Rural Brazil with Raymi

I spent last weekend in Itapuranga with Raymi, my six-year old daughter, while Nando went to Pirenopolis with the twins. When we met up in Goias Velho on Monday, Raymi regaled her older sisters with stories about the farm – how she had fed the chickens, rode the horse, and watched Braulio milk the cows. The twins were jealous, and wanted to go to the farm immediately. I told them they had to wait until Friday, as we would be going to school all this week. They were disappointed, but, slowly, the days have passed, and now Friday is here and we will go back to the farm this afternoon.

When we first got to the farm last Friday, Raymi didn’t like it. However, after two days there, she grew quite used to it. On Sunday morning, she woke up at the crack of dawn and went straight to the chicken coop. She found the Portuguese words to ask Fatima if she could feed the chickens. When Fatima said she could, she got a cob of corn out of storage and de-grained it for the chickens. Then, she took pictures as Braulio milked the cows.

On Sunday, we didn’t stay at the farm for breakfast, as we had promised Rosmery that we would have breakfast at her house in Itapuranga. After breakfast with Rosmery, we made our way to the Feira da Cachaça. It is a farmer’s market with people selling vegetables, milk, eggs, live chickens, meat, fruit, and a few plastic items. And, true to its name, it has a bar with cachaça in case anyone want to get their Sunday morning drink on. There were a few tipsy folks around the bar, but they were harmless.

Raymi was disappointed with the Feira da Cachaça; it was not nearly as nice as the Friday evening Feira da Lua, which has kids’ games and toys and grilled skewers. At the Feira da Lua, everyone dresses up and looks nice; not so much at the Feira da Cachaça. After the Feira, we went back to Rosmery’s house, and hung out with her for most of the day. In the evening, Evandro took us back to Fatima’s house, where we would spend our last night before moving to our new home in Goias Velho.

During our weekend at the farm, Raymi was able to see many things she hadn’t seen before. She saw Braulio milk the cows and take the milk to the depository where he sells it. She saw Fatima pick herbs from the garden to cook with. She saw people come to buy several bushes of dry corn from Fatima. She saw many trees with fruits – papayas, bananas, limes, and coconuts. She saw where the hens lay eggs and the pigs take mud baths. Seeing all of this, she will have a better idea of where food comes from, and of how people in the countryside make a living.

She also will have an idea of another way of life. At the farm, they have a television, but they don’t have computers or Internet or a DVD player. They also eat pretty much the same thing each day – rice, beans, eggs, and potatoes. For breakfast, they have coffee with milk straight from the cows. They rarely leave the farm.

Their general lack of mobility and lack of variety in their food also had me thinking. We eat different dishes every day. And, if I am missing an ingredient, I am apt to run to the supermarket and get it. In contrast, Fatima has everything she needs at the farm. Her husband goes to Itapuranga once a week on his motorcycle and buys oil, sugar, margarine, and some other things they like. But, if they run out of something, they do without.

I can stay in the house for a day or two relaxing or working, but I can’t imagine living on the farm and never leaving. A whole week might pass by at the farm, and Fatima won’t leave the farm or have visitors. She doesn’t seem to mind at all. They seemed quite happy to have us as visitors, and insisted we return. But, I am sure they would be fine if we didn’t.

Spending the weekend on a farm in rural Brazil, so far from everything and everyone, served as a moment of reflection for me, and a learning experience for Raymi and me.

Just Raymi and Me on the Farm

This weekend, it was just Raymi and me. My husband took the twins to Pirenopolis, and I went to Itapuranga with Raymi. I had the opportunity to travel to Itapuranga, my research site, with Evandro, who is from Itapuranga. I didn’t want to miss this opportunity to be personally introduced to people in my research site. And, my husband, Nando, wanted to travel to Pirenopolis. So, we decided that I would go with Raymi and Nando would take the twins. This would be the first time that Raymi, who is six, would be separated from her eight-year old sisters, as least for as long as she can remember.

I figured I would use the weekend with Raymi as a chance to spend some alone time with her. And, Nando would have the time to be just with the twins – who often complain that he favors their younger sister. Without her around, their complaints would be moot. The twins seemed happy about the prospect of not having Raymi around.

Raymi and I set out Friday morning with Evandro for Itapuranga. To my surprise, Raymi consistently asked about her sisters during the two hour car ride – the same sisters she always fights with. Overall, the car ride went well, with Raymi quite calm in the back seat and Evandro and I chatting about the local and regional economy of Goias. We saw several Movimento Sem Terra (Landless Movement) settlements on the road on the way, and Evandro explained to me that they were settled there waiting until the government authorized their takeover of part of a hacienda.

Our first stop in Itapuranga was Evandro’s sister’s house. Fatima lives in a rustic house about 12 kilometers outside of Itapuranga – in the country. When we got to Fatima’s house, Raymi’s first question was why everything was so dirty. There were quite a few flies in the dining area; the floor was full of red dirt; and the table cloth was stained. I took a deep breath and explained to Raymi that we were at a farmer’s house, and that they had lots of things she would like.

We had seen a horse when we first walked in and I asked Raymi if she wanted to see the horse. She did, and Evandro offered to let her ride the horse. Raymi was a bit scared, but got on the horse with Evandro, and held on tight. Then, it was my turn to give her a ride on the horse, and we took a short ride to a nearby stream. Raymi seemed to be happier about being on the farm.

After our horse ride, it was time for lunch. Everything for lunch was from the farm – rice, beans, potatoes, and eggs. We both liked our lunch and cleaned our plates. During lunch, we found out we would be sleeping at the farm. Raymi was disappointed, but when she saw our room – which was nice and clean with a big bed – she cheered up.

Raymi had fun taking photos of the animals on the farm and showing pictures to our hosts. She took pictures of all of the farm animals she could find – the horse, chickens, cats, dogs, and the cows.

When we left the farm to go to Itapuranga, Raymi had lots of questions about how our hosts lived. I told her the food we were eating came from the farm, and she asked if the rice also came from the farm. I told her it did. She also wanted to know how they earned money to live. I explained that they sell milk and eggs from the farm and sometimes sell the cows. She seemed a bit appalled that they would sell a baby cow.

Now that we have spent two nights at the farm, Raymi has gotten used to farm life. On Sunday morning, she got up and went to watch Fatima’s son, Braulio, milk the cows. Then, she got some corn and de-grained it to feed the chickens. They dry out the corn and store it for the rest of the year to use as chicken feed. Braulio showed Raymi how to de-grain the corn. From there, she went to help Fatima with the wood stove. She also had fun petting the calves who were watching their mothers being milked.

It has been a different dynamic with just Raymi and me. She gets a lot more of my attention and we don’t have to negotiate her wants and needs with those of her sisters. I also find that I am buying her more things she wants – soda, ice cream, and sausages. It seems less extravagant when it’s just one kid.

The Impossible Trinity: School, Research, and Housing

As our first week in Brazil is coming to a close, I am anxious to get started with my research. However, getting settled is taking time.

We arrived on Thursday evening, so I spent Friday recovering from the long flights and layovers. Over the weekend, I researched possible places for us to live and do research. For now, we are at a friend’s house. We are very lucky to have someone willing to take in all five of us.

My husband, Fernando, traveled to Perinopolis on Saturday. He loved the city, but it doesn’t seem as if the schools there will be the best options for the kids. Really, we need three things to coincide – my research site, the kids’ school and reasonable temporary housing.

One of my best options for research seems to be the city of Itapurangu. On Sunday, I met Evarando, who is from Itapurangu. He explained to me that there is a lot of emigration from Itapurangu, and that there are at least 200 deportees in that city. So, that seems like a great option for a research site. The problem is that, like Perinopolis, the options for schools are limited.

Here in Brazil, I’d like for the children to have the best experience possible. It is going to be difficult for them in school, as they don’t speak Portuguese. My friend told me about an alternative school in Cidade de Goias, called Vila Esperanca. It is a marvelous school, focused on ethnic diversity, dance therapy, music, and art. They have already said that the girls can enroll them in the school with no problem.

Cidade Goias seems like a great option for us. It has the alternative school, and is an hour away from Itapurangu. Finding temporary housing there, however, seems like it will be a challenge. A friend of ours looked for housing there and was unable to find anything. Nevertheless, Fernando went to Goias yesterday to see what he could find. With luck, Fernando will find a place for us to stay in Cidade Goias.

With a place to stay, a school from the kids and a ready research site, we will be able to get down to business in Brazil. I am looking forward to that.

How I kept three kids calm during 30 hours of airline travel and airports – The points system

We left our apartment in Santo Domingo at 10:30am on Wednesday, and arrived at my friend’s house in Goiania, Brazil at 5:30pm – 30 hours of travel that involved four stops and two long layovers. Amazingly, the kids managed to remain fairly well behaved for the entire trip and earned the prize I had promised them – a trip horseback riding.

When we left the house, I told my daughters, 8-year old twins and a 6-year old, that they would earn points for good behavior, and that, if they earned ten points, they could go horseback riding once we got to Brazil. I am surprised how well that rewards system worked.

In the car on the way to the airport, when the twins began to fight over whose turn it was to play the Nintendo DS, I reminded them about the point system, and they found a way to resolve their fighting. When my 6 year old began fussing on the plane and kicking the seat in front of her, I reminded her about the points, and she stopped kicking the seat. On one of our long layovers, the twins had to help with the luggage, and when they complained, I promised an extra point for being so helpful with the bags, and they complied.

They managed to behave during a long layover in Miami, an hour wait in a line in Sao Paulo, and the eight-hour flight from Miami to Sao Paulo. We didn’t board the plane in Miami until midnight, as the flight was delayed. Almost immediately after boarding, Tatiana and Soraya fell asleep. They woke up before I did. Luckily, the American Airlines flight has individual televisions where you can choose from a menu of movies. They watched Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs and Night at the Museum while I continued to catch some zzz’s, or at least tried to.

When we got to Sao Paulo, I had to offer the girls another point while we waited for quite a bit to get processed by immigration. It turned out that Fernando had overstayed his visa on a previous trip to Brazil. We were worried about that, but, as ten years had passed, he no longer had to pay the fine, and they stamped his passport to get into Brazil.

As our flight was late getting into Sao Paulo, we missed our connection to Goiania. This turned out to be for the best, as our original travel plans involved changing airports in Sao Paulo. As we missed that flight due to delays, we were able to get a new flight that left out of the same airport. We had to wait in line for an hour to re-check our bags. But, the girls sat on the floor and played Mario Kart on their DS’s while we waited in line. Towards the end, they complained they were hungry, as it was past lunchtime. But, they held out until we were helped out, finally.

Luckily, we had time at the Sao Paulo airport to have a decent lunch. We went to one of those serve-yourself places where you pay by weight. The girls loved the opportunity to serve themselves. Raymi served herself rice, beans, and chicken. Soraya got rice, beans and salad. Tatiana got the same. But, she saw the pasta and decided to serve herself another plate of spaghetti with tomato sauce. It turned out her eyes were bigger than her stomach, but Nando and I helped her out with the spaghetti. Stomachs full, we made our way to our last flight – that would take us to Goiania.

The last flight stopped in Brasilia on the way to Goiania, so that was a bit disappointing for the girls, who thought the seemingly interminable voyage had finally ended. But, the fight from Brasilia to Goiania is only 25 minutes. And, they made friends with some nearby passengers and chatted the last 25 minutes away.

Finally, we made it to our friend, Izabel’s house. Izabel was kind enough to offer us a place to stay while we figure out where we are going to live. We are trying to decide between staying in Goiania and going to one of two smaller cities – Perenopolis or the old city of Goias. Meanwhile, the girls are having a great time at Izabel’s as she has a swimming pool in her apartment complex, as well as a very friendly dog.

Now, we just have to figure out where we will take the girls horseback riding.

From Santo Domingo to Sao Paulo with three kids

My task of remaining calm as we moved the family to Brazil became a bit more difficult when we had a couple of unexpected problems as we prepared to go to the airport. The first issue was that I had to return my wireless router to the Internet company personally. I had sent my husband, but, apparently, I had to go myself. Our second issue was that we nearly had too many bags to fit in our friend’s SUV.

Fortunately, we had planned to leave well ahead of schedule and were able to resolve those two problems and still get to the airport before noon for our 2:20 flight. We made it through check-in, immigration and customs fairly easily. We had overstayed our tourist visas in the Dominican Republic and everyone had to pay a US$30 fine – except for me. The Dominicans were nice enough to waive my fee when I told them I had technically not overstayed as I had traveled to Haiti for a few days.

The kids managed to keep themselves occupied in the airport and on the plane with their video games and other things we brought along to entertain them. The flight to Miami from Santo Domingo went reasonably well. I told the children that their reward for good behavior on the long trip to Brazil would be a trip horseback riding over the coming weekend. That seems to be working fairly well.

When we got off the plane in Miami, we were greeted by three large men in Homeland Security uniforms. They weren’t waiting for us, but seemed to be waiting for someone on the plane. I stopped to wait for my daughters behind me and they asked me to keep moving. Whatever they planned to do, it seems they didn’t want an audience.

We passed through immigration without much incident, and were told to go ahead when I gave my customs form to the customs agent. However, as we were making our way out of the customs area, an agent called Fernando and asked him to come and have his bags checked.

I was bothered by this. We had already been approved by customs; they had already told us to follow the green dots out of the door. However, one of the agents saw Nando with a pile of suitcases and made us go back – the wrong way – through the customs line. We put all ten of our bags through the x-ray. As we were headed out, I asked the agent why he had singled us out when we had already passed through customs.

He told me that it was a random search, because we had so many bags. We do have ten suitcases – three large ones and seven small ones. But, there are five of us – so only two each. I looked at him, and said: “That’s okay, I know why you stopped us.”

My suspicion is that my husband, Nando, was racially profiled. When I, a white woman, handed my customs form to the Border Patrol agent, he waved us through without realizing that Fernando, my brown-skinned husband, was with us. One of his colleagues made up for that oversight by calling us to go back through the line.

I did find it ironic that the Border Patrol agent’s last name was Pardo – as that is a Spanish word for a person of color. I am at least glad that I found a way to call him out. So much for our “welcome” to the US – one by over-zealous security forces whose mandates in the war against terrorism and the war against drugs mostly work to police and surveil people of color in the US.

On a more positive note, all of the non-security agents we encountered in Miami were pleasant. And, we had a delicious meal at la Carreta Cubana. Nando had pollo asado, and I had ropa vieja. The food was tasty, and they gave us very generous portions. At least we wouldn’t be hungry during our long flight to Sao Paulo.

Three kids and a 24-hour flight to Brazil

It’s 7:21 am on Wednesday, and our flight to Brazil leaves at 2:20pm – in five hours. Amazingly, I slept all through the night last night and got in a full eight hours. International travel with my husband and three kids must be becoming routine for me because normally I have trouble sleeping before a big event.

This is our fourth time moving the family to a new country in eight months. Fortunately, we are just packing up clothes and toys, and not moving the whole house. Still, it is a fairly major operation with eight-year old twins and a six-year old.

Determined not to get stressed out about it, I planned pretty carefully for the big event this time. We took a short trip to the beach over the weekend, arriving back Monday afternoon. We had done some packing beforehand and spent the whole day Tuesday just packing. Now, Monday morning, nearly everything is in suitcases, and we still have just over two hours before we leave the house.

We are leaving for the airport extra early, as I find that to take off quite a bit of stress. Our plane leaves at 2:20, but we are leaving the house at 10 am, meaning we will arrive at the airport before 11:00 am. That will give us plenty of time to rearrange any things we have from suitcases that are too heavy, and to take care of any last-minute emergencies. Hopefully, it will also leave us time to have a good lunch in the airport.

I am a bit sad to leave the Dominican Republic. I have greatly enjoyed my time here, and grew accustomed to the sights and people here. I am glad we had the chance to see some of the best beaches – Las Terrenas, Playa Bonita, Sosua, Los Guayacanes, and Isla Saona. I also got to know Santo Domingo quite well. And, I even made it to Haiti. In all, I made good use of my three months here in terms of getting to know Hispaniola.

Now, it is time to leave for Brazil. Time to get the last few items in our suitcases, to clean up the last few corners of the house, and to return the wireless router to Tricom. That is the one task I left for today. I wanted to have Internet access up to the last minute, and Tricom is not far from our house.

We arrive in Goiania, Brazil at 1pm tomorrow. That means we have about 24 hours of travel ahead of us. Starting out not stressed is a good thing. Now, I just have to keep it up for the remainder of the trip.

This means that when the kids begin to fight, I have to remain calm. Better, I need to do what I can to avoid fights. When other airline passengers complain about the children’s loud laughter or screams, I need to find a way to diffuse the situation. When the kids want to do cartwheels in the airport, I need to figure out if and where that is possible.

When you travel with kids over long distances, there has to be a balance between maintaining their good behavior and letting them burn off some steam. Hopefully there will be opportunities for them to burn off steam in positive ways.

I have to resolve to maintain my calm and to look for things to keep the kids occupied. Here we go….