Standing in the idyllic gardens of Chintamani Buddhist Retreat Center in México and Manjupriya from São Paolo, via Dublin, is telling us, “Time is poetry in Brazil.” Listen to the birdsong, close your eyes and you can almost smell the blossom.

Tom Jobim used to say “Brazil is not for beginners”. Manjupriya attests to this in the best of ways, describing frankly what it’s like to change culture and learn the long lessons of experience away from all you know. We discuss...