I´m back from Mexico, but I guess my heart is still there. When I need inspiration, I look at the images I caught of beautiful buildings, streets, fountains, type, pattern, you name it. I loved it so, so much, what a beautiful place.

Now, I´m no longer accustomed to that crazy low humidity level, people! (Which makes me think of my friend J., who, no longer in Mexico, could not picture washing hands without immediately moisturizing them – now I get it.)

I´m in love with Mexico City and I don´t think I could be more surprised about it. Maybe my expectations were too low; all the stories I had heard were of crazy traffic, terrible insecurity, awful air quality. And I don´t intend to say that this does not happen, because it probably does in other areas of the city. But so far I have found a city where one of the biggest avenues is closed for motor traffic on Sunday mornings; where bicycle tracks exist and bikes can be rented at convenience, using a smart card; where public transportation works – specially the Metrobus, which in my opinion is the best system of public transportation ever designed. (By the way, it was designed in Curitiba, Brazil, and then exported to many cities such as Bogotá and Mexico City. It is a surface “subway” system, with buses instead of trains, running on dedicated lanes with intervals of about 15 to 30 seconds between consecutive buses. Absolutely fantastic.)

People are so kind here: instead of transactions, there are conversations; I love talking to people and asking them for their advice when I buy things – fabric, for instance – and this time around I had a wonderful conversation with the shopkeeper, who was so nice as to have her son prepare the goods while she took her time to talk to me. I´m not used to this type of kind service anymore, so it was such a treat.

And it´s mango season! There are mango vendors on street corners, peeling and selling mangos ready to eat. And the food? Sopa de tortilla has been on the menu every single day, and I don´t think that will change for the remainder of the trip. Alambre de arrachera, tacos al pastor, tacos de pescado al pastor, ceviche… the food is delicious everywhere, either the most humble street place or the chain restaurant. Food is central to the culture, and it is great. Meals are enjoyed slowly, without rush, which is something that I deeply enjoy and miss so much. I know that it is customary in many countries to receive the bill, unsolicited; but here that´s just rude. Meals are not to be rushed.

Oh, Mexico, I didn´t know I would fall in love this way.

(Click here to see the full flickr set.)

April´s issue of “We´re in Panama!” is here, with an account of our recent trip to Guatemala. The trip was so wonderful, I truly hope it shows in the texts and illustrations.

You can read back issues, like our page on facebook and follow me on Twitter to make sure you´re always updated.

I have been a bit quiet over here, but for good reason. Some new projects fell onto my lap and therefore am dedicating a good amount of time to them. It´s good to have work.

April´s issue of “We´re in Panama!” will likely be launched tomorrow, if all goes well, but here´s a bit of a preview. Hope you like it!

On another note, I´ve been slowly writing my account of our visit to Guatemala, on my life blog (in portuguese). If you´re keen on reading the corresponding posts, here they are. Also, a link for the flickr set, if you want to see some of the photos we took. Guatemala is out-of-this-world-beautiful (or maybe it was the soup).

I was invited to write a weekly post at Portugalize.me, a blog about being portuguese and the different ways we perceive our country, in and abroad. This is my third post, but the first (of many, I hope) with an illustration by me. It talks about how many portuguese brands market themselves by hiding their portuguese origins, and that the problem arises from the erroneous perception portuguese consumers have that if it is ours is probably not good enough and “what is good comes from abroad”.

These are a pair of the four sandals I own from Fly London, a portuguese brand with wonderful design, materials and construction – and because it is summer year-round here, I get to wear them every single day. I love them!

So, this is obviously not a portrait. I´m enjoying letting this painting become more abstract, although it did depart from nature. We´ll see how far in the figurative-abstract spectrum it will end. I´m recycling a canvas, it has lots of texture underneath. It appears that this exercise with no pressure at all (not even a wasted canvas) is really what I needed to enjoy playing with colours and brushstrokes again.

Have a wonderful weekend, everyone.

This is the last portrait, just finished today. It´s acrylic on canvas, as usual. Work in progress shots are here.

Today I started a new painting; this time, it won´t be a portrait, as I became a bit tired of working with faces and expressions. Like in knitting, I work on a project at a time, which tends to contribute to a bit of exhaustion after a while. We´ll see where this new path takes me.

I´m posting baby blankets over on abbrigate*´s website; some of them aren´t available anymore, but many still are – and you may want one for yourself or for the baby your friend is expecting. They all have a 25% discount to celebrate the Bazar that took place last month.

Have a look and order by e-mail. More will be added by tomorrow, so please visit again and see all the updates.

Our vacation in Guatemala was wonderful. It is a country of contrasts, not only in nature – with its 14 volcanoes peaking above the clouds, the beaches and the hot, hot jungle – but also in the people. What is common and runs through everyone is an amazing kindness (not while driving, I suppose).

Guatemalan food is wonderful and I cannot believe how happy I was to discover that this is a soup-country. There´s always soup on the menu and I had, for the first time, sopa de tortilla negra. Frijoles refritos, guacamole, banano, tomato, corn, rice and meat are also very common – and delicious.

We climbed two volcanoes, the Acatenango and the Pacaya. Having climbed the Acatenango, up to the crater at 3976m, is something that I feel as an accomplishment and makes me very proud. I won´t lie: it was very, very difficult. After the first 30 minutes climbing, I felt the altitude, the lack of oxygen, my heart beating wildly in my throat. I thought I wouldn´t be able to breathe or even move. I was considering to stay behind and wait for the rest of the group to come down, but then something happened. I found my rhythm, my heart was calm, my legs were sore, but obeying my will. It took us six hours to cover a distance of 15km, climbing from 2200m up to the crater at 3976m. And then three hours to come back sliding down, hoping that gravity wouldn´t be stronger than my knees. It was an exhilarating experience, intertwined with the utter exhaustion of all the effort.

We stayed in Antigua Guatemala, a beautiful colonial city surrounded by three volcanoes, and then flew to Tikal, in the jungle, to see the Mayan site. I think the pictures speak for themselves.

If you want to see the whole Guatemala trip flickr set – still being updated – click here.

The trip to Guatemala was wonderful, but now I´m very happy to be home. I´m taking my first e-course, Stephanie Levy´s “Creative Courage”, which starts today. I´m super excited to meeting all my new e-course mates and seeing all the ways it will impact the way I face my work. If you´re taking part too and got here through the link in introductions, please say hi!

Yesterday was a good day! Being at the Bazar, showing my embroidered baby blankets and knitted cowls to people was a very good experience. I always thought of myself as a lousy salesperson, but I´m slowly realize that sales are much more a relationship than a hard sell. At least, that was the way I felt it: I explained, as I would explain to a friend, what the blankets were about, the mix of traditions they embody, the love and care put into every stitch, the combination of colours and patterns.

It was utterly exhausting, that´s for sure, but it was also very rewarding. There´s no doubt that seeing the blankets personally, being able to feel their textures and appreciate their colours, has no comparison whatsoever with seeing photos on a screen. There´s one shade of blue that simply cannot be photographed without morphing into a greenish hue; seeing it is a whole different experience.

So, with all its issues and adventures, participating in this Bazar was a rewarding and fulfilling experience, and I hope it´s the first of many presences and interactions with the public.

Unrelated: I´m taking a short blog break to relax and will be back after Easter. See you then!