Photo: davichiOaxacan poet Eufrasio Reyes wrote, in a refrain familiar to anyone who’s plunged into a night at the cantina,In the cantina, a man travels to unimaginable places, but the next day reality is crueler than his hangover. Reality, legend, legend, reality: the swinging doors of the cantina vacillate between the two.
Balancing our scales is the surest way to get the correct perspective on life.When I was a little boy one of my treats was to go to the local candy store and get my penny bag of candy.I looked around at all the fabulous glass jars on the shelves and the aroma of all the flavors sent me on a trip of delights.
It started with a random email worded like a banking offer from a Nigerian prince: “I have a business proposal you might be interested in.”It came from a grad school colleague, and it concerned an opportunity to do a job she could no longer do herself. Thanks to Facebook’s all-seeing eye, she knew I was living and working in Korea.
Photo by moriza (Creative Commons)‘Wow,’ someone said to me the other day, after I’d finished telling him about my recent career transition from historical research to travel writing. ‘Sure beats sitting in the archives!’Well, yes. And no.Of course, I love traveling, and travel writing is a dream job.
I wondered if the author could pull off writing about two different travel experiences and a love story without losing the narrative, but author Eve Brown-Waite engrossed me with a style that is refreshingly down-to-earth.First Comes Love, Then Comes Malaria is a compelling story of a woman who falls in love—in more ways than one—in Ecuador and Uganda.
Photo: ClickESo far this year, we’ve seen the Best Job in the World and the All-You-Can-Jet Pass promotions, both intended to boost tourism. What could possibly be next?Well, the Westin Resort Aruba has the answer to that question.In an effort to up its occupancy rate, the Aruba Westin is running a unique promotion: couples who conceive a child during their stay will receive a “Conception Credit” worth $300 USD, which they can use for a return visit in 2010.
Plunged into an Indian school in the ninth grade, Neha learns Hindi sink-or-swim style.I thought my Hindi was workable.Hindi isn’t my mother tongue, we didn’t speak it at home, but I followed basic conversation – thanks to Bollywood blockbusters I watched every weekend – and I knew the devnagri script, again learned at weekend classes that my parents insisted I attend.
Photo above by ChadicaWinter is upon us, and snowbirds are alighting on the American Southwest for moderate temperatures and world-class hiking. And why not? The searing heat has dissipated, the monsoons and dust storms are over, and the scorpions and rattlesnakes have retreated underground, inviting travel and exploration throughout the Sonoran, Chihuahuan, Great Basin, and Mojave deserts.
When I got back from vacation last year, the community where I live was buzzing about FODfest and its high energy fundraising concert. I missed the performance but was able to catch up with Executive Director, Todd Mack, and learn more about this inspiring organization.Todd Mack and a band of American and American-Israeli artists had just held a FODfest concert at a school in Negev Desert in Israel.
Millions of people have watched “The Story of Stuff.” But not everyone agrees that it’s a perfect primer on conscious consumerism.Photo: YoshimaiMaybe you’re one of the millions of people who’s watched “The Story of Stuff.”If you’re not, then here’s the quick overview: “The Story of Stuff” is a video made by Annie Leonard, an environmental activist and former Greenpeace employee who is deeply concerned about mass consumer culture and its effects on the environment.
Chuck Corwin, a retired engineer from Idaho, spent ten years creating the world’s most portable kayak.Corwin created a 12-foot, foldable kayak light enough to be packed into a backpack with room to spare for paddles, accesories, and lunch.Weighing in at only 10 pounds, the Alice Boat assembles in less than 30 minutes for boating in any flat-water lake.
Photo by jiaziWhen I was offered a study abroad opportunity in Hong Kong, I could only imagine myself sitting in a library studying, trying to escape pollution and lethal traffic.Studying abroad in Hong Kong taught me that our assumptions about foreign cities are usually wrong — and that they can be changed by spending time letting the city change you.