Category Archives: Think
Bound for the Himalayas
In a few hours, I’ll be en route to my next destination…Nepal! For the next 10 days I’ll be traveling on the “roof of the world,” which will be, I imagine, quite different than any other place I’ve seen. I’ll … Continue reading
Farewell to Old Talat Sao
Talat Sao, or the Morning Market, Vientiane’s beloved downtown market, is officially no more. Over the past few years, two shopping malls have been constructed around the old, open-air, more traditional market, but it continued to thrive in their shadows. … Continue reading
Happy Laos
What makes you happy? What makes people in your country happy? How about people on the other side of the world? It is the same? Is there a “recipe” for happiness common across cultures and geography? Or do people have … Continue reading
Laos at the Olympics
It’s that time again. People who never watch sports (myself included) have been tuning in to see athletes from around the world jumping, lifting, swimming, running, diving, hitting…and so on. The Olympics are always a bit of a geography lesson … Continue reading
Learning to COPE
July 11– I was just trying to get to work, but at every junction the police officers were telling me to “go that way,” sending me in a circle. Finally I had to break through the barriers by telling them … Continue reading
American Summer
I have been in Asia since 2010. Aside from a brief jaunt in Australia, I have been back and forth across the continent, from Burma to Bali to Bangkok (again and again), though mostly just here in Vientiane. I have … Continue reading
Call Them, Maybe?
If you’ve been following pop music in the States for the past few months you may have noticed a certain infectious, irresistible song, by previously unknown Canadian singer Carly Rae Jepsen, skyrocketing to the tops of the charts. Justin Bieber … Continue reading
Pi Mai 2555
In April, weather in Vientiane changes from extremely warm to “oven breeze weather.” From April to June, the only respite from the skin-singeing sunlight is the breeze you feel on your motorbike, which instead of a relief feels like…a … Continue reading
Es Oyen: An Indonesian Treat
Overall, I was not incredibly enthused about the food in East Java. The tempeh with sauce on heaps of white rice was good the first time I had it…and the second…but after that I started to wish for something different … Continue reading
Indonesian Girls Leading Our World
I left rainy Bali for East Java, just one island over but seemingly a world away, with few tourists and different culture and religion. I said goodbye to Clara in Surabaya, the regional hub, where I was immediately affronted with … Continue reading