In the summer of 1994, I fell in love at first sight. It was a true summer romance in all its glory, white hot in intensity, and I remember every moment. Passion completely consumed me from the first glance. I was hopelessly, irretrievably -- joyously -- lost. There was so much to know, and so little time. The depth of my love transformed my life forever. And then, all too soon, it was over. The parting broke my heart. I have never … [Read more...]
Visit Kuwait – July 2011
While Kuwait is certainly not as well known in tourism circles as some of its other middle eastern neighbors (Jordan, Israel, Syria etc), it is a friendly, small and easy to navigate country. Kuwait City is the heart of the country and is spread out along the edge of the Persian Gulf. The major highways are modern and efficient and gas is very cheap. During our stay we rented a car and drove through much of the country. This is a flat desert … [Read more...]
Musings from Mussoorie
There are some incidents that occur in your life, that change the way you look at things. Then there are some that just bounce off of you without a visible mark, but later those memories come back to you at the oddest hours of the day, and you realise that they did in fact, leave a mark - they left one deep within your soul. This is what happened with me; I wouldn't say it was a bad experience, on the contrary, it pushed me into an existential … [Read more...]
A Bunch of Rocks: The Environmental Gutting of Malta
As you look down from the hillside onto the apparent perfection of Malta's Blue Lagoon, you struggle to imagine it in any other condition. Land embraces lagoon like a protective parent. Water shines like a molten blending of sapphires and emeralds. The perpetually cloudless sky appears hazy against such brilliance. Craggy islets guard the entrance like dorsal spines on some mythic leviathan. But you walk the Malta of the modern world, a … [Read more...]
Cherry Blossoms, Korea
Cherry blossom viewing in Korea is met with the same sort of enthusiastic hedonism that I've previously only encountered in American malls on Black Friday morning. "Please do not pick the cherry blossoms," a woman's voice pathetically pleads over an intercom. "If you pick the cherry blossoms, we will have nothing for our festival. Enjoy with eyes only," she announces in Korean, English, and Japanese at regular intervals throughout the … [Read more...]
Colombia’s Coffee Boom
For inhabitants of Colombia, coffee production is an effective means for economic growth and prosperity. And the National Coffee Research Center (Cenicafe), located in Chinchiná and sponsored by the Colombian Coffee Grower's Federation, is working hard to highlight the influence of coffee on the economic development of the Cafe Triangle region in Colombia and countries like Guatemala and Honduras, says Fernando Gast, PhD, director of scientific … [Read more...]
The Perception of Time
The use of time is an important issue in understanding human behaviour. Among cultures the perception and understanding of punctuality can vary quite a bit. Where Germans are known for their strictness, accuracy and punctuality, I definitely have to register a deficit in the last category. I'm not the most punctual person. Anyways, some of my friends know me so well that they would rather tell me a different time to meet just so they wouldn't … [Read more...]
A Local’s Guide to Vancouver’s Top Ten Free Attractions
I grew up in Toronto, Canada. While Toronto is a tremendous city - boasting eclectic neighbourhoods, lush city parks and a vibrant cultural scene - it's also a place people get really practiced at leaving. Every Friday night in summer, the 400-series highways leading out of town are jammed with cars crawling towards the promise of fresher air and a lakeside cottage up north. I've left Hogtown for good and for the past six years have called … [Read more...]
Linger Longer at Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park
Hawai'i, the Big Island (June 22, 2011) -You know what breaks our heart? Hearing about visitors to Hawai'i Island who are staying in Kona, and who drive two or three hours over to Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park, then drive around the park for a couple of hours, dashing through the visitors center, taking a snapshot of the steaming summit crater, maybe a quick walk through Nāhuku Lava Tube, then off they go again all the way back to Kona. This … [Read more...]
In the Place of Many Zebras
In a hot dormitory at the Olooloitikoshi Girl's Rescue Center in Kenya, Jane inspects my arm freckles. She brushes her finger over my arm hair and traces my blue veins from the crook of my elbow to my wrist. I play, searching her arms and face for freckles. She examines my blonde hair and plucks strays from my shirt. She holds each one up to the light and giggles. I play, picking hairs from myself and placing them on her sweater, as if they … [Read more...]
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