"Wow, guess where we were a year ago today?" Amaury says, looking at his phone while getting ready for work. From my vantage point across the room, it looks like he is buried by a mountain of belongings. Stuff (clothes, kitchen things, pots, pans, appliances in their somewhat beat up boxes, shelving units, books, papers, and... Continue Reading →
Seven months into being back in the US and two months before we leave for Pakistan, there is a hum of activity as the return to life overseas ramps up. It is a testament to how many visa applications I've filled out that when it comes time to fill out the applications for Pakistan, I already... Continue Reading →
Made golden through the patchy fog, the dwindling light of sunset greets us as we head into Shenandoah National Park. The multi-lane highway gradually drops off to a one lane, tree-lined road whose meandering, curving rise into the mountains is offset by sudden switchback turns. Mist, indecisive between opaque and translucent, rolls up around the car,... Continue Reading →
I pull the short, sharp fruit knife out of the drawer and set it to work slicing up an array of beautiful, fresh California fruits. It slides through the soft apricot that falls apart from its small, hard center but needs some added pressure from my hands to get through the just ripe apple. How... Continue Reading →
There are two things on our mind as we land in New Orleans: food and jazz. It is just a quick taxi ride to our Airbnb in Tremé, a residential neighborhood of narrow, colorful wooden houses with tall shutters facing the streets. We fly into New Orleans on day 19 of our post-China leave and... Continue Reading →
"What surprised me most about Tokyo is that it is so calm," Our friend Mike tells us over cold beers and plates of steaming chicken fried and breaded, rolled into succulent skewers, and charcoal grilled. Smoke rises up out of the black iron skillet of charcoal chicken, a Japanese specialty and surprisingly delicious despite its deep black exterior.... Continue Reading →
