I left Venezuela on a Friday. After a night out with friends, I threw the last of my things into a suitcase, and dashed into the early morning to catch my waiting taxi. The flight from Caracas to Miami was a series of fitful naps. I awoke as we touched down in Miami and, just [...][...]
Author Archive
July 22nd, 2011 - 7:17 am § in Around Town
And Now, the End is Near…
I’m still not sure I believe it, but I’m done. I’m hopping on a plane tomorrow morning and heading back home to Raleigh, NC, by way of Miami. The week has been a blur of despedidas – goodbyes – to the many people who made my time in Venezuela memorable. I’ve had a lot of variation[...]
July 14th, 2011 - 7:49 am § in Uncategorized
Machismo Madness: Tssssst! Mami! – Catcalls in Caracas
For the month of July, La Vida Idealist has asked bloggers to write about their experiences with machismo. This is the fourth post in that series. My previous experiences in Latin America were confined to rural communities in the more conservative, Catholic countries of Central America. There were[...]
Why yes, I am proficient in English, Spanish, and Venezuelan
When I meet someone for the first time here, I can predict the first two minutes of conversation down to the word. I’m asked how long I’ve been in Venezuela, what I think of the country (or the people, or the political situation), why I came, and then someone comments on my Spanish: “Per[...]
Staying with Mom and Pop – The Family Dynamic
When I touched down in Caracas back in November, one of my most immediate concerns was finding a place to live. The city is notoriously expensive , and living alone would have been about as financially unfeasible as living alone in New York, London, or Dubai. However, despite an abundance of unive[...]
May 26th, 2011 - 7:31 pm § in Uncategorized
Working the Venezuela National S-p-e-l-l-i-n-g B-e-e
The population of Caracas – rather, the population of Caracas in primary and secondary schools with strong English programs – was swept up in the excitement surrounding the preliminary rounds of the 2011 11th Annual National Spelling Bee. Children and teenagers from English language in[...]
