Category: Living Abroad

Vaccinations Don't Always Work --Covid-19 Jab and Immune Deficiency

As people get vaccinated by varying rules depending on their state, the lucky lottery vaccinated winners begin to speculate what life will be like when they are able to get back to normal in summer. Won’t that be wonderful?  Normal. Oh, to be normal.  Having a primary immune deficiency, my immune system is not normal.... Read more »
By Candace Drimmer,
February 20, 2021 at 1:19 pm • 

The Maids of Latin America (Peru)

While living in Guayaquil, Ecuador I was asked by an American friend, “Do you have a dishwasher?”  “Yes,” I responded. “Her name is Maria*. ”Once again my sense of humor didn’t amuse, but bemused a friend.   When we moved to Mexico City in 1995, our adolescent 14-year old son was outraged and angry with us... Read more »
By Candace Drimmer,
August 31, 2020 at 2:38 pm • 

Life and Census in Banana Republics is Bananas

In the 1960s I was taught that the US Constitution dictates the Federal Government count every person living within the USA every 10 years. It’s on the Trump Administration’s website: “The Founders of our fledgling nation had a bold and ambitious plan to empower the people over their new government. The plan was to count... Read more »
By Candace Drimmer,
August 1, 2020 at 2:56 pm • 
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Solid Gold Mother-in-Law Memory

My mother-in-law Beatrice was one of my favorite chums. Lucky me? You bet. Having heard firsthand about, not to mention read about many mother-in-law versus daughter-in-law wars, I knew I was very, very lucky. What was her trick? She genuinely liked people, including me. Her loving kindness toward me becoming my role model toward my... Read more »
By Candace Drimmer,
July 24, 2020 at 3:46 pm • 

Landlines Before Cell Phones; Life in Banana Republics

In 1989 Guayaquil, Ecuador telephones were always problematic. During the rainy season they were so problematic that they would just stop working for weeks at a time. You got used to it. No, really, you got used to it. At least, I did. And it did prepare me for a handful of years later in... Read more »
By Candace Drimmer,
July 20, 2020 at 3:23 pm • 

The Grocery Store in the Time of Covid-19

After a lifetime of going to the grocery store, when Covid-19 hit I wasn’t exactly sad to hand off the grocery shopping to a delivery service. One less risk, it seemed a safer option for my husband and myself. I eased my conscience by tipping generously.  Although I’d expected a few bumps in handing off... Read more »
By Candace Drimmer,
July 7, 2020 at 1:56 pm • 
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Showering with a Hearing Aid, and other dumb moments

When my recent Meniere’s hearing loss and tinnitus go invisible, I forget to wear my single hearing aid. At the end of the day I don’t find it behind my left ear, but sitting comfortably in its dock recharging from the night before. A case of out of sight, out of my aging mind.  So... Read more »
By Candace Drimmer,
July 3, 2020 at 12:32 pm • 

The Cult of El Senor

Wherever we lived in Latin America, the power always centered around El Señor. Whoever he was, whatever he did, it always was the same, the culture believed that El Señor magically always knew best. Very “Father Knows Best” of the 1950s, but then the Latin America of my time was just like that.  So it... Read more »
By Candace Drimmer,
June 26, 2020 at 9:17 am • 

The Coronavirus Cheesecake

When the coronavirus seeped into life cloistering both friends and family, my original plan for my husband’s very special 70th birthday broke like a fresh merengue dropped on the floor. No longer would his sister roll over from the neighboring Berkshires for dinner and a dessert from her favorite bakery’s very special cheesecake of various... Read more »
By Candace Drimmer,
May 13, 2020 at 1:02 pm • 
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Cabin Fever, Stress & the Coronavirus

As the uninvited visitor stalks the streets of America, how do we deal with the stress of the pale rider known as the coronavirus? Time to dust off another skill I developed whilst living abroad for 20 years. Without a work visa or the ability to get one, I had to find other ways to... Read more »
By Candace Drimmer,
April 2, 2020 at 12:37 pm • 
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    Candace Drimmer

    TIMELINE June 1972 to June 1973---Candace moves to Lima (Peru)----- June 1973 to May 1974---Candace and The Husband live in Glendale AZ----- May 1974 to August 1974---Living in Toronto, Ontario (Canada)----- September 1974 to May 1975---Living in Aberdeen SD----- May 1975 to July 1979---Living in Vancouver, British Columbia (Canada)----- July 1979 to June 1980---Living in Asuncion (Paraguay)----- June 1980 to September 1980---Living in NYC----- September 1980 to November 1982---Living in Connecticut----- November 1982 to January 1983---Living in Ponce, Puerto Rico (USA)----- February 1983 to July 1986---Living in Willemstad, Curacao (Netherlands Antilles)----- July 1986 to July 1989---Living in Guayaquil (Ecuador)----- July 1989 to July 1995---Living in Connecticut (yes, again)----- July 1995 to August 2001---Living in Mexico City (Mexico)----- August 2001---Return to Gringolandia (a.k.a. United States of America)----- I was an accidental expatriate; love and marriage led me to it. One day I was a bandy-legged kid sitting atop my dogwood tree looking out of my small backyard world in 1950s New Jersey, wanting to move somewhere--anywhere, different. Next thing I knew I met a young hirsute anti-war, soon-to-be-Peace Corps volunteer, fell in love and moved to Peru in the 1970s. WHAT an adventure it's been!! NOTE: I gave up Facebook, so apologies that I cannot answer any comments since it is only set up via FB.

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