I just returned from visiting my 32nd country on a trip to East Africa. But on occasion I find myself going places that were not on my travel list. For instance, recently I was asked to go on a work trip to North Korea. How could I say no? North Korea! I know about 5 … Continue reading Of cabbage and kimchi – North Korea
Yes, Laos used to be a French colony, and still has some of the beautiful charm of France. But Laos is still all its own. There are temples everywhere, and their Buddhist faith permeates life here, whether you are devout or not. One of my favorite things is the lively use of color everywhere. Bright … Continue reading Le tour de Vientiane
Through no fault of my own, I've managed to squeeze in two trips to Hanoi in the short time I've been over here. In November I was supposed to help run a communications training, but it was cancelled as the remnant of Typhoon Haiyan hit Vietnam just as we arrived. Instead, I ended up staying … Continue reading I heart Hanoi
I felt shame. I usually laugh off American jokes and generalizations, some of them are probably deserved, but recently I wanted to duck away and hide. Walking through the COPE visitor center in Vientiane, I saw the legacy of the Vietnam War in Laos. In 1997, the COPE center opened to provide physical rehabilitation and … Continue reading Watch where you step
This is the first full weekend I've been "home" in Laos for over a month... which means a certain degree of boredom and an obvious excuse for getting back to posting. Wa Net Kone village, Myanmar – 7 Nov 2013 The village elder ducked inside his small grocery shop with its woven roof, open walls … Continue reading A little Burmese hospitality
I’ve received many requests to talk about what life is like here. Now that I'm about a month and half in, here we go. After two weeks in a closet-like but clean guesthouse room – complete with brick-printed wallpaper – my employer put me in touch with an expat apartment-finding service. I was taken to … Continue reading Life in Laos
In the fall of 2012, we caught the prelude races to the America’s Cup, this past September was the real deal. My last hurrah before heading overseas was a long weekend in San Francisco with my fabulous sister. I’m not sure why I love SF so much, but I do. I wanted to live in … Continue reading Sailing into San Francisco
The funny thing is, I never even finished posting my photos from my trip to Laos last May, and here I am again. Ka-Pow! In Laos. A one-year resident. My life is weird. Never did I think I would come back. I enjoyed it, added it to my list of countries I'd visited, now time to move … Continue reading A series of fortunate events
I love detail photography. The color and textures that you often walk right by. I get to spend a lot of time with my niece and nephews and they notice everything. They aren't in a hurry to get to the next thing, they are just in the now. It helps me to stop and be … Continue reading Laos – In the details
One of my favorite experiences from my trip was a natural dyeing and weaving class at Ock Pop Tok (East Meets West) in Luang Prabang. The center seeks to keep the traditions of weaving alive and provide the women with a fair trade price for their art. I didn't know about the long history of … Continue reading Weaving in Laos
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