More than a year has passed since our lab was unceremoniously kicked out of the med school by a new administration that verbally took pride in not believing in oncologic and endocrine research. What century they believed to be living…
A Little Piece of Peace
During the late 1990’s, the English progressive rock band King Crimson released an album entitled, Sometimes God Smiles, as a follow-up to their previous album Sometimes God Hides. The titles have always struck my mind for they reflect how we…
Evolving Expat Dream
After eight years, our dreams for the future are evolving into something completely different. We discovered this while camping in Huequecura. Sitting along the bank, watching the river gurgle past rocks and boulders, with hawks and white storks decorating the…
Closet Catharsis
Before moving onto another segment of our Chilean travels, and in the spirit of giving, I want to share my recent experience of giving to others by purging yet more of my personal belongings. While by no means a minimalist,…
More Precious Than a Plate
This morning, our newest addition to the household, a now 4-month old English Pointer named Missy, broke one of my favorite bowls. I had been so happy when it had survived the earthquake, for the garden scene and squirrels that…
Life Without Excess Baggage
For most of my adult life, relocating to a new part of the U.S. became a three-five year cycle. What had at first had been met with strong resistance, eventually became part of my psyche. As soon as the three-year…
Food for Thought
Yesterday, we made our regular trek to the countryside of Hualqui to replenish our supply of Chilean style tortillas. On the way there, an extended set of early Cat Stevens’ music was aired on one of the local radio stations. It…
The Lightness of Being
In the open pages of “Japan Style,” authors Geeta Mehta and Kimie Tada wrote, regarding the minimalization of Japanese houses and furnishings, “lightness was in part a response to Japan’s frequent earthquakes, and in part to the Buddhist teachings about…