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“My” Catalan Conflict
Many years ago my father, then a young idealist, fought to defend Catalonia against Franco’s forces in the last battles of the Spanish Civil War. He ended up exiled in a concentration camp in France where he endured inhuman, unspeakable living conditions.
When eventually he was allowed to return to Spain, he managed to lock away…
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Jul 30 2017 
Could This be the Ultimate Display of True Teamwork?
How many ways are there to say “there is no ‘I’ in team” before your audience’s eyes glaze over?
Apparently, not enough.
Day in and day out, coaches, team leaders, and business writers everywhere struggle to come up with the one example that will ignite their people’s spirit of teamwork.
I think I found it.
Can you top this?
It involves…
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Feb 25 2017 
If it’s Now or Never, I’m Choosing Now
Versió en català aquí
I’m pretty sure that when I’m on my deathbed looking back at my life, one of the things I’ll be most glad I did not miss is Carnival in Rio de Janeiro.
And I don’t mean watching the parade.I mean being in the parade, feathers and all!
You want to measure what?
At the time,…
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Feb 25 2017
És Ara o Mai
English version here
Cada any, quan arriben els dies de Carnaval dono gràcies de no haver-me perdut el més fantàstic de tots, el Rio de Janeiro.I no em refereixo a mirar-lo des de les grades, no, sinó a desfilar, plomes i tot!
Prenent mides
Parlo dels anys 1997 i ’98, quan vaig estar molt de temps treballant a São…
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Jan 17 2017 
Sleeping Beauty Misses Out in Life
She was too pretty to play with, said my mother.
So, she wrapped Mariola in blue tissue paper, lest light yellow her porcelain-like skin and crisp-white ballerina outfit; tied soft bows around her wrists and ankles to preserve her ladylike stance; and then stored her in a closet where she remained, in the dark, for the…
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Jan 06 2017 
Spreading our Wings
Some see retirement a glass-half-full, half-empty proposition.
I see mine overflowing with possibilities.
Having just ended a long career in corporate communications, I am now looking forward to spreading my wings and exploring new horizons.
Speaking of spreading my wings, let’s start with my new-found interest in the outdoors.
This former “if-it’s outdoors-I-haven’t-been-there” bookworm is venturing outside, nature journal…
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Sep 06 2013 
I Brake for Boiled Peanuts
One of my favorite things about car trips around the South is spotting a boiled-peanuts stand on the side of the road. Must stop for the salty treat and a taste of country culture. The stand below can be found before entering the bridge to St. George Island in the Florida Panhandle.
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Dec 21 2012 
Pooping figurine a must in Catalan Nativities
Barcelona, Spain — File this in your collection of unusual Christmas traditions: the figurine of a pooping peasant appearing in Catalonia’s crèches.
Catalonia, in Spain’s northeastern corner, is a region with a strong cultural pride and ancient traditions. The Caganer (the pooper), which has been appearing in manger scenes since the 18th century, is one of them.
The…
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Oct 14 2012 
Volunteer therapists aid Guatemalan orphans
Small changes can make a big difference in a child’s life, particularly for orphans with special needs who are receiving little or no medical care at Guatemala’s orphanages.
“A lot of the children are in wheelchairs and they are older and they’ve been in these positions for a long time so they’re just kind of stuck,”…
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Survey says 100% of overseas volunteers would do it again
With so many people needing help in the U.S., why volunteer in another country?
It’s a question that Catherine Stengel, 44, is prepared to answer.
“There is no doubt that there are many people in need and rampant poverty in parts of the U.S.,” she explains. “But what you see overseas is how culture and governmental strife…
