A vintage illustration of housewives happily cooking.

House training

I have not received much in the way of house training. There’s a popular image of American children that has never reflected my reality as a Cuban child. It’s the one where kids make their beds every morning, perform chores such as washing the dishes, taking out the rubbish, and mowing the lawn. Then they …

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Store interior. Melbourne shopping guide.

Melbourne shopping guide

I’ve written before about some great shopping spots in Melbourne, but there’s a difference between shopping like a tourist and shopping like someone who has just moved to a new city. Once you’ve got your souvenirs and gifts out of the way, you might be wondering where to buy shampoo, a new mobile phone, new camping …

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Suzuki Night Market banner.

Scenes from the Suzuki Night Market

In my post last week on the Big Design Market, I mentioned that there are markets galore in Melbourne. I do not get tired of them. I’m more of a looker than a buyer. I enjoy browsing and the feeling that I might find something really awesome that I can’t live without. It’s also a …

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Scenes from the Big Design Market

There are markets galore in Melbourne. In Miami, a farmer’s market is something of a novelty. In Melbourne, markets are just life. The Queen Victoria Market is probably Melbourne’s most famous market, but other suburbs also have a market with fresh fruits and vegetables, delis, butchers, fishmongers, and even home goods and clothing. Beyond these, …

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Sacred Heart Cathedral, Bendigo.

The Sacred Heart Cathedral

A few weekends ago, my partner Theo and I took to the country as we sometimes do on a Sunday afternoon. We stopped in provincial city of Bendigo and visited the lovely Sacred Heart Cathedral. I’m a Pagan with a soft spot for Roman Catholic history, art, and architecture.  The Sacred Heart Cathedral may not be as …

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Thanksgiving dinner

Thanksgiving

In the United States, we celebrate Thanksgiving on the fourth Thursday of November. We trace the first Thanksgiving dinner to a poorly documented 1621 celebration in Plymouth, Massachusetts. Tradition, not necessarily history, tells us that the Pilgrims and Native Americans sat down to a rich harvest feast. It had been a harsh and challenging winter, …

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