One of the great delights of visiting Argentina is going to a milonga, or tango hall. I’m not talking about a tango show–there are plenty of those that cater to tourists, and sure, they are a hoot, but the best way to experience the Argentine soul is to visit a smoke-filled milonga late at night. [...]
Who can resist a good kitchen gadget? Our kitchen is full of them: the mandolin is great for slicing, the ice cream maker gets a regular workout, and the pressure cooker makes a mean pot of rice or roast beef. I wish we could get a little more use out of the Italian-made pasta machine, [...]
Sunday night we joined Daniela Mercury´s bloco for Salvador da Bahia´s Carnaval. It was wild–more details on that later. I think we joined the best bloco. The way Carnaval works is that you have these trios, which are like floats, where the singer or band performs. On the trio, which is a jerry-rigged semi-truck, are [...]
The articles have slowed down a bit this month because GreenGoPost is currently in Salvador do Bahia, Brazil. Not wanting to deal with different keyboards during my trip, I did my best to pre-post ahead of time–in fact, most of the posts that I write are written, re-written, and proofread–I seldom post on the fly. [...]
Just a quick update from Brazil. Carnival is intense and crazy and festive beyond words, but it is an experience to have once. Maybe just once! We made a quick escape to Morro de Sao Paulo, which was lovely. Tuesday we escape to Mangue Seco, a small village about three hours by car from here. [...]
Years ago my brother wrote this poem for my father. Our grandmother passed away in 1990, but her hearty and giving spirit still stays with us. Her little house in Fresno has not really changed much since she moved out 24 years ago, but every time I visit Fresno, I have to drive by for [...]
Are you an engineer, fully engaged in green tech issues, and often walk into a room full of men? Are you interested in eco-fashion? Perhaps you are a graduate student wanting to enter this space. Or maybe you have a passion for electric vehicles. And you probably aware that many of the green revolution has [...]
The debate over biofuels is often a heated one. In Indonesia, the thirst for palm oil has led to deforestation and a rise in food crops. Naturally we all have opinions over corn ethanol’s effects here in the United States. I’ve always had the view that biofuels, if sourced sustainably and does not require more [...]
Today we leave for Salvador da Bahia, Brazil. It’s a trip to which we are looking forward immensely. We will be there for Carnival, and decided to book the trip last May. We visited Rio in 2004, and would love to visit again, but we decided to visit Salvador to explore its African heritage–and supposedly [...]
I’m so thrilled. After years of NIMBYism, supported by the hypocritical likes of Henry Waxman, the Metropolitan Transit Authority approved the subway to the sea. Well, it’s more rail to the sea as we are talking about a light-rail line. Although one neighborhood, Cheviot Hills, fought tooth and nail against the project (even though the [...]