For those of you who are interested in what I am doing for my work here — and yes, it has finally started — go to:   https://englishlearningforjournalists.weebly.com/. My reflections are under the reflections tab.  I guess I have two blogs now and since the other one has the principal purpose of providing lots of contextualized…Read more »

When I had a puppy spayed in Nepal, the doctor showed up at the door with a bag full of supplies.  He cleared off my coffee table, laid out a little green sterile (or almost sterile) cloth and proceeded to sedate the puppy and tie her four legs to the four legs of the coffee…Read more »

Once again, I am entering the third month of a new appointment without having actually begun any work.   I am beginning to see a pattern in all this, although its origins still escape me.  In each location, I did what I could to generate work for myself.  In Rwanda, I wrote lessons for teaching English…Read more »

So I have four puppies I’d like to bring to the U.S. but, because of quirks in the Turkish Airlines booking system, I can only bring three. Here is how it goes:  You can’t reserve a space for an animal in the hold without having purchased a ticket.   Once you have your ticket, then you…Read more »

What I wouldn’t give for a good mop… It is true that, while you can get most things here, as long as it doesn’t have to do with dogs,  there are a few exceptions.  The selection of mops at the “mall” was dismal.  I got what appeared to be the high end one but it…Read more »

I have finally accepted what is. I have become a PPP (Pied Piper of Puppies). Whereas I used to rescue every cat in sight, it is dogs who are coming to me while I am in Asia and I realize that I just need to let go and let whoever is responsible for orchestrating my…Read more »

When I left the U.S. to go to Rwanda in 2017, I didn’t expect to be gone more than a year, possibly two if I stayed a second year in Rwanda.  I didn’t anticipate finding myself in three different countries in as many years, nor did I expect two partially failed work assignments in a…Read more »

And there is Ashan!  my host at the apartment when I first arrived said as he waved his hand in the direction of a big neon sign behind the building in which we now stood, on the 10th floor. All I could see was AWAH although, the W did  look more like an upside down…Read more »

Funny thing about unforeseen circumstances arising when one is in a foreign land like when someone bounces a puppy into one’s front yard with their car and, literally, you are the only person in the vicinity of the assault who has any idea what to do with it, is that you end up having to…Read more »

After my first Saturday night here, I have learned to head over to the park whenever I heard music.  I never know what I am going to find.    So, last Saturday night, when I heard a sound system being tested as I headed out to do a little shopping, I stopped by the area where…Read more »