Category: A Minimalist’s Memoir
“I’ve always wanted to see the endemic birds of the Ethiopian Highlands,” announced the Maple Bear CEO. “Hasn’t everybody?” I snorted. A shoe was about to drop. It always did. “You want to visit cousin Anita in Israel after the UAE,” he began, “but there are no air links.” “Uh huh…” “Turns out we can…
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Annual Maple Bear conventions in Brazil meant birthday celebrations in South American destinations every May 23rd. Tango show in Buenos Aires. Check. Panama Canal. Check. Machu Picchu. Check. Cartagena, Colombia. Check. Finally, it was time for the Iguazu waterfalls on the Brazil side. The breathtaking UNESCO Heritage site is a wonder of the world, straddling the…
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“Remind me again. How is Easter Island on our way to Uruguay?” We were headed for Montevideo with a quick meeting in Buenos Aires. Santiago de Chile—the jumping off point for Easter Island—seemed out of the way on my map. The Maple Bear CEO disagreed. Five and half hours of flying directly into the middle…
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“Why the fuck are you being so nice to everyone?” The normally calm Maple Bear CEO was shouting at me. “Tell them you need something else to eat!” I burst into tears. It had been a very long day. It started out well. Only smiles on the first school tour. It deteriorated from there. Five…
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We accepted the invitation in a flash. Who wouldn’t want to attend a destination Indian wedding? The venue was the Ritz-Carleton Hotel in Muscat, Oman. Every room was reserved for the guests of our South Asian Maple Bear partner in the UAE and his bride. I immediately nixed the idea of wearing Indian formal wear.…
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A visit to Eva Peron’s grave. A tango show over dinner. Picturesque views of the magnificent Andes. Meh. Nothing could ever hold a candle to our memories of Argentinian beef. We flew to Buenos Aires from Brazil and soon after, headed to Mendoza for wine-tasting. Driving near Tupungato, a wine region several hours away, we…
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