About Oregon Expat
Sometimes the best view is from the outside, and an American expatriate living in Portugal is, in many ways, outside of both nations. The views can be spectacular. I’m also a science nerd, Mac dweeb, grammar geek, and science fiction author, so the posts in this blog tend to be eclectic.
Click the “About” tab if that wasn’t quite enough detail — or go to my official author website.
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Recent Posts
- Hope, an unfamiliar emotion
- Pompeii takeout and American assumption
- Far Enough
- I have an issue with Netflix’s “Away”
- Now, about *that* topic
- The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
- Alsea Rising: The Seventh Star is in the wild
- Alsea Rising is out and #1!
- Coming soon: Alsea Rising
- On his terms
- Beyoncé: Homecoming
- UPRISING and balance
- The brain radio
- Alsea lovers: This is the one you’ve been waiting for
- The chicken church
Recent Comments
- Fletcher DeLancey on Porto’s most famous bookstore
- pablohaake on Porto’s most famous bookstore
- Alberto on Throwing flowers
- Rael on Portuguese idiom of the day: Lança perfume
- Rael on Portuguese idiom of the day: Lança perfume
- Fletcher DeLancey on Hope, an unfamiliar emotion
- Miriam English on Hope, an unfamiliar emotion
Categories
Monthly Archives: November 2010
Drug war in Rio de Janeiro
Boston.com’s Big Picture has a gripping series of photographs of the battle currently taking place in Rio de Janeiro, between the drug gangs who rule the favelas, and the police and military who are trying to clean up the city … Continue reading
Posted in life
4 Comments
Wallpaper Monday
The US state of Montana is nicknamed “Big Sky Country,” because the combination of its mountains and prairies make the sky seem larger and more majestic there than anywhere else. (Or so the natives tell you…residents of other western states … Continue reading
Posted in wallpaper
5 Comments
A snapshot from space
At first glance, this image doesn’t seem very special. Just another satellite photo, this time of an area of Houston called Reliant Park, which houses both Reliant Stadium and the Reliant Astrodome. Except it’s not just another satellite photo. It … Continue reading
Posted in science, tech
2 Comments
Happy Thanksgiving
I think one of the oddest things about being an expatriate is the fact that nobody here knows or recognizes the holidays I grew up with. We have Easter and Christmas in common, but that’s about it. And of all … Continue reading
Posted in culture, Portugal, USA
11 Comments
An iconic poster
I check a blog called Iconic Photos now and again, which features historically significant images and explanatory notes. Sometimes I’m clueless about the images, but today’s photo smacked me right between the eyes: There could hardly be an image more … Continue reading
Posted in Portugal
5 Comments
A marital moment
My wife J and I were in a local restaurant, stuffing our faces with fresh bread while waiting for our order. The ensuing conversation went something like this: … J: Did you know this restaurant buys their bread from our … Continue reading
Posted in life
10 Comments
Wallpaper Monday
Bet you won’t guess where this is: Would you be surprised if I said Taiwan? This is a “candle rock” formation at Yehliu Geopark, located on a little spit of land at the top edge of the island, just north … Continue reading
“Voting is a pleasure”
Disapproving Spanish eyebrows are being raised as a result of this “get out the vote” ad by the Socialist Youth of Catalonia. The ad shows a young woman making her vote count as she participates in next week’s Catalonian Parliamentary … Continue reading
Posted in culture, Europe, politics
9 Comments
You know you’re in Portugal when…
…the balding old man who pulls his battered Renault in front of you, without so much as a glance your way to check for oncoming traffic, and who makes you stand on the brakes to avoid a collision… …has a … Continue reading
Posted in Portugal
8 Comments
Scientists are rock stars, too
Okay, I admit to making “squeeee!” noises when I saw this. It’s part of a fabulous fund- and awareness-raising campaign which pairs rock stars with science stars: That’s Ann and Nancy Wilson of Heart on the left and right, flanking … Continue reading