Like most parents of active boys, I got a few phone calls from school over the years. Remembering them, I usually laugh. He stole a potato chip from Emily! But one of them still turns my stomach. When I was at work one day, the principal of Gabe’s school called to say Gabe had been “acting up” all week whenever his teacher read aloud to the class. This wasn’t Gabe’s usual venue for mischief so after a few minutes on the phone I asked what book the teacher was reading.
Various
The Game of Bridge: Cool, Complex, Savage
When someone asks me what I do for fun, I usually don’t mention that I play bridge. I mention travel and writing, horseback riding and hiking, hanging with friends and family. If I told them I played bridge, they might think that I am old and frumpy, which I kind of am, and that I am not very cool. Continue reading
The Other Ethical Travel
Argentina
Every year, the Berkeley-based non-profit, Ethical Traveler, announces its Top Ten most ethical places to travel in the developing world. This year, the winners include Uruguay, Micronesia, and Mongolia. http://ethicaltraveler.org/ The goal of Ethical Traveler is “to use the economic clout of tourism to protect human rights and the environment.” Its Top Ten countries get high marks for these attributes and it encourages us to visit them for that reason.
Wow, I am down with using travel to protect human rights and the environment. But I am not convinced the best way to do that is to go to the places that have good human rights and environmental records.
Lions and Tigers and Bears?
(Stock photo)
When I decided to leave a great job and a wonderful San Francisco apartment last year to travel solo around the world, the first reaction I got from most people was “wow, you are courageous.” I think this was actually a polite way of saying “wow, you are a little crazy.”
Ports of Air
Airports seem to reflect their location. You can get a good bottle of wine for $10 in Jordan’s airport or the same wine for $50 in Hong Kong’s airport.
Half Way Highlights
SPOILER ALERT: This is a long post and kind of a grown up version of “What I Did This Summer.” So skip over the boring parts and I hope Laura or Bill or Meredith do not grade it.
Camino Milagro 