Category Archives: New York Times

May 31, 2007

LAURA ALLEN’S modest gray house in the Oakland flatlands would give a building inspector nightmares. Jerry-built pipes protrude at odd angles from the back and sides of the nearly century-old house, running into a cascading series of bathtubs filled with gravel and cattails. White PVC pipe, buckets, milk crates and hoses are strewn about the lot. Inside, there is mysterious – and illegal – plumbing in every room. (more…)

May 13, 2007

SINCE 1637, when the irrationally exuberant Dutch tulip bulb market collapsed, it has been a cliché to say that the satiny, ephemeral blossom is the only thing that can drive the sensible Dutch to heights of fancy. “We went mad,” confirms Karin Hoogland, a manager at the Keukenhof, the giant spring garden near Lisse. “People really lost everything they had.”

But even a 10,000-florin bulb produced a flower — more than can be said for an interest-only mortgage. It’s this quality that has given the tulip staying power in Dutch culture. “We have these very dark, wet winters,” says Ms. Hoogland, “so when the tulips start blooming, it’s emotional.”

Read it on the NYT site…

March 25, 2007

IN Rio de Janeiro, every street corner offers an opportunity for refreshment: juice bars, açaí stands, open-air bars and of course botequins. These neighborhood institutions are part café, part lunch counter and part bistro; the place for a quick salgadinho, one of the salty snacks like fried balls of salt cod, and a cafezinho, the little cup of coffee beloved by Brazilians.

Bright with mirrors, cool tile and loud signs in red and yellow lettering, the botequins have a retro feel. Café Gaúcho, in downtown Rio, is a classic. It opens to a busy street corner, making the most of the city’s joyful culture and tropical air. Commuters step off the sidewalk to the cashier, offering a few coins in exchange for a chit, which they then take to the coffee counter.

Read it on the NYT site…