Life and Culture
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THE PEOPLE WHO REMEMBER YOUR ORDER
The woman at the carinderia knew what I wanted before I opened my mouth. “Rice, one…
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WHEN POVERTY BECOMES A FAMILY HEIRLOOM
This is my first blog post since starting a new job as a Community Facilitator, which…
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A VILLAGE BUILT ON OTHER PEOPLE’S WINDOWS
The curtains across the street were new. I noticed them one afternoon while sitting near our…
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WHO OWNS THE RAIN?
The smoke arrived before breakfast. I had just finished hanging a few freshly washed clothes outside,…
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A COUNTRY THAT KNOWS EVERYBODY’S BUSINESS
The news arrived before the person involved had even returned home. I was sitting near the…
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THE TRIAL OF A STRANGER’S FACE
The man looked suspicious. I had no evidence of this, of course. He had committed no…
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A GENERATION RAISED TO ENDURE
The roof began leaking just as we were about to eat. There is something about rain…
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THE WEIGHT OF AN EMPTY PLATE
There is a particular kind of anxiety that begins when somebody places an unexpectedly generous portion…
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A SMALL REBELLION AGAINST COMMON SENSE
The mango tree had absolutely no intention of cooperating with my plans. Its branches were high,…
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TWENTY-SEVEN WAYS TO BUY TOOTHPASTE
I went to the supermarket for toothpaste and came home with a minor philosophical crisis. It…
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THE COIN WAS NEVER THE PROBLEM
I think about that afternoon outside the sari-sari store differently now. I can still picture the…
