I don't drink and never have. Ever, really. And most people get surprised, curious and even shocked: a Portuguese guy, musician (!) that doesn't drink? Unreal. For them, it's a mysterious, eccentric and almost asocial behaviour. It's kind of cool, in some sort of alien way: "How can he endure life without the pleasure of a glass of wine?", they wonder. 

Many people expect from me for a strong justification when I announce I don't drink. They come up with all sorts of theories: maybe religion issues, maybe my drunk parents would beat me up in childhood or, my personal favourite, I'm an AA and erasing my  heavy drinker past is part of my therapy. They usually get very disappointed when I can't come up with a really good story. 

There isn't a good story behind my choice. I grew up getting used to the fact that drinking is a part of your path into social coolness, boosting your peer-success and filling up the book of memories with alcohol related episodes - most of them, decadent, humiliating and, to my eyes, deeply sad. Sometimes, to add some drama, I say I promised to my late grandmother, in her death bed, that I would never drink. They fall for it and I always get that tender-eyed-sided-head puppy-lover "ooohhhhh" reply. *Sigh*

There are moments in our day to day that are better described with a simple picture, a second in time where no words can express the power of what we are witnessing. Whether the picture is being taken in space or in your neighbourhood, the best pictures are those that don't need a caption.

I consider myself lucky for having moved to Toronto and be able to grow up in one of the most multicultural cities in the world. Just like everywhere else in the world it has its ups and downs, but the capital of Ontario provides a healthy mixture of North-American culture with the remaining cultures of the world. If you look closely at the city map you can find just about a little-anything, as half-of Toronto's population of 2.6 million were born outside of Canada. There is something electrifying about this city, from its lively street corners and gypsy-like markets of Kensington to sky scrapers and old-fashioned trams. As a result, there have been numerous occasions where I wished had the camera ready; I guess I was simply enjoying the moment and saving it in my mental camera roll.

Besides water, tulips or cheese related subjects, Dutch are known for being culturally tolerant, liberal and wise managers of urban space. If the first two don't necessarily apply to the country as a whole (no more housing permit for you next year, pal!), they certainly fit Amsterdam and its inhabitants - hitherto generalising, and, as a friend wisely said "In general I don't like generalisations!".

Cosmopolitan and crowded (for Dutch standards), Amsterdam uniquely blends the advantages of a little village and a modern city. Nevertheless, it's intrinsic housing problems raise a lot of issues - namely if you have children. Most Dutch cultivate their families' independence from family, which, added the fact that relatives usually live far away - more than 20 minutes biking -, leaving your kids with granny is out of the question. So, a kinderdagverblijf is mandatory: literally a child-day-stay.