Finding Joy in the Unknown

The way you meet your future spouse sets the tone for everything to come, some people believe, much like the opening music in a movie. This has definitely been true for Jennifer and Charanpaul Singh Gill who recently celebrated their 20th wedding anniversary (and appeared in the Vows column on Oct. 31, 1999). The two…

36 Hours in Recife (and Environs)

Many people visiting Brazil make a beeline for the beaches of Rio de Janeiro. In doing so, they fly over Brazil’s fourth largest city, and one of the most culturally fascinating regions in the country. Recife and the northeastern corner of Brazil are a world apart from Rio, São Paulo and the rest of southern…

For a Sweet 2020, Look to the Bitter in Wine

Many good wines have a built-in defense against being consumed by children: They are inherently bitter, a flavor that children seem genetically hard-wired to abhor. Eventually, taste buds evolve. Young adults come to love many bitter flavors, whether in beer, dark chocolate, arugula, Negronis, coffee or tea. Despite the prevalence of bitter flavors in popular…

Male Ally or Apologist?

I am a woman, and I have worked with two men for a couple of years. One of them has become a good friend and confidant to me. He and I have had numerous conversations about gender issues. So, when our other co-worker began to sexually harass me, I thought I could turn to him…