Category Archives: Uncategorized

Drawing by Jamey McDonald Today marks my 49th anniversary of emigrating from the Azores to Canada. This past week I have spent time in Montreal, the first place I set foot on North American soil on a cold February day … Continue reading →

It seems to me that in our lives we only experience a few moments of clarity, lucid glimpses of events, emotions, and feelings that impregnate our consciousness and surface in-between moments of distraction or absentmindedness; when we are lost in … Continue reading →

I came across this discarded tree with wreath on my walk the day after Christmas. This year, we did not get a Christmas tree. In fact, last year we didn’t get one, either. But I do love a Christmas tree, … Continue reading →

I went to the Azores in late September for seventeen glorious days. As with all my previous visits, I go to the island of São Miguel. It’s not that I don’t want to see the other eight islands that make … Continue reading →

Cows Across the Street by Emanuel Melo When we arrived back in São Miguel, my mother quickly learned that my grandmother was now in good health and did not need looking after.  She became very angry for making this unnecessary … Continue reading →

Family Reunion by Emanuel Melo When we arrived at my aunt’s house, there was no place for us to stay but the basement. She, her husband and two children lived on the main floor. Upstairs lived my younger aunt and … Continue reading →

Campo de Santana by Emanuel Melo When my father arrived in New Bedford, Massachusetts, he lived with his aunt and uncle and their son. While there, he found a job pressing suits during the day and, in the evenings and … Continue reading →

Ponta Delgada by Emanuel Melo A long time ago, I was born on an island, right in the middle of the great Atlantic Ocean. My childhood years were spent on São Miguel, the biggest of the nine islands that make … Continue reading →

I embarked on Queen Mary 2 in expectation of twelve glorious days of ocean crossing from Southampton to New York. Travelling to North America on this magnificent ocean liner made me think of the immigrants of long ago who had … Continue reading →

I felt energized as I listened to the sound of vibrant music played by local bands and watched thousands of people promenading leisurely back and forth, browsing through vendors’ tables, sitting in outdoor patios for a beer, or trying out … Continue reading →