If you haven’t watched the international news this week, or kept up with events coming out of China over the last year, you might not be aware of the path of politician and businessman, Bo Xilai.  Bo is on trial for extensive corruption as both a local and a national politician.  Despite only claiming to […]

When traveling, it is important to remain calm at all times.  When the airline has no idea who you are in the middle of a layover, remain calm.  When you must fly seated next to an irate, possibly alcoholic Pakistani princess, remain calm.  When men with machine guns lock you up, remain calm.  When you […]

This is the second in a series of articles about the transformative power of traveling.  No one really knows the impact a trip is going to have on their life.  It can be a restorative escape, educational, or thought provoking – often all at the same time.  Sometimes the experiences a person has while traveling, […]

Movie awards season is upon us once again.  This year I was struck by the diversity of the contenders for Best Picture as determined by the Academy.  The films take place in a rich universe.  Two films represent the Middle East (and it’s turmoil), two show 19th Century America, and others deal with France, India, […]

I’ve traveled to a lot of places.  Most of them, due to my being an American, were places that I certainly didn’t speak the language.  I’ve gotten by with the help of hand gestures and pantomime skills.  I don’t want to brag here, but I’m good.  Very good.  I’ve taught class to group of Russian […]

The holidays officially begin this week and cameras everywhere will be wearing out their shutters.  I’ve decided to pass on some tips to optimize the use of your camera.  I’ve been playing around with photography for several years, but it’s only been in the last year that I have invested in a high quality SRL […]

You say you want to travel?  You want to hit the road, but you don’t have lots of money to spend?  You are in luck! There are options, for ways to cut corners, and get a bit more out of every dollar you spend.  The realty is, I’m cheap.  I don’t like to spend money […]

When we travel there is a particular aspect of human civilization that most people tend to try to avoid.  Poverty.  Most people don’t want to see it, smell, or experience it in any way.  I can completely understand and relate to this.  For the most part, when people are traveling on vacation, it’s a brief […]

Her name was Keiko, – at least that’s what I imagine it to be.  She never told me her real name.  Our time together in the Narita International Airport outside of Tokyo was brief, but her touch would stay with me forever. I was traveling back from a trip to China in the early years […]

If you want to gain insights into a different culture’s, well, culture, there are a variety of ways to go about the process.  For some people, it involves trips to museums while traveling in a new city.  Others read ferociously about their destinations. While some brave souls simply choose to wander the streets of their […]