TobyDiani Beach, South Coast, Kenya, 4.3222° S “Everybody—everybody who is escaping from something ends up in Diani. Shady people, criminals, expats… everybody.” Such was the […]
Tag: culture
The Gift
Several days ago, I sat in a matatu (bus) plying the main road of Diani, Kenya. On my way to Diani Beach Hospital for a […]
Rusinga Island, Lake Victoria, Kenya
Here, I am Muzungu: foreign, white, outsider. Kids yell after us as we pass on foot (or, after realizing the walk from Mbita is at […]
Hostels: Beyond the Horror Movie Story
Picture it: A group of Portuguese boys play ping pong and try not to spill beer. Behind them, Spanish girls converse– loudly– with strangers via […]
What is Cultural Immersion? I Don’t Think It’s This…
“When I’m in a new place, I don’t want to go to the tourist places; I don’t want to go to museums. I want to […]
Shanghai Snippets
In Shanghai, everything is new. Or it wants to be new. Or it will be new just as soon as the old is knocked down […]
Suzhou Snippets
In it’s 2500-year history, the city of Suzhou has developed and refined many times over. It is known for its light, elegant, delicate cuisine and […]
An Ode to Small Towns
In the spirit of Buzzfeed and the general ethos of blogging at present, I would like to begin this post with a list. You know […]
And How Is Your Family?
A recent conversation with the lovely Alec MacMillen (Arabic speaker and traveler on his way to Jordan on a Fulbright at the end of this […]
Oh, the Characters of Middlebury
One of my favorite things about working in restaurants is the unlimited entertainment potential of observing the characters that pass through. Middlebury, Vermont does not […]