Meeting a monkey for the first time was not a peaceful encounter. He was on his own turf; I was many latitude and longitude away from home, in a place called Angkor Wat. Angkor Wat is an ancient temple complex located in the northern half of Cambodia. It was built nearly nine hundred years ago and is the kingdom's shining star and biggest tourist attraction. (Officially, Cambodia is a kingdom.) After my friend Ada and I had been in Phnom Penh with our friend Emily for four days, we purchased … [Read more...] about Angkor Wat: Cambodia Part II
A December Visit to the Far East: Cambodia Part I
Cambodia wasn't a place I expected to go to, certainly not before Christmas. But in October, my friend Ada messaged me. Would I be interested in visiting our friend Emily, who has been living in Cambodia since fall 2021? On December 2, my cousin Lorelle (who loves all things Japanese) sent me a message about a podcast, not knowing where I was. I replied to Lorelle as our airplane taxied to the runaway in Taipei, Taiwan. "By the way, I thought of you today. I'm on my way to Cambodia and … [Read more...] about A December Visit to the Far East: Cambodia Part I
Alexander Caverns
We stood in the thick darkness deep in the earth, only feet away from an underground river. We knew the water was flowing, but the surface was still and there was no sound. Normally, I don't descend into the depths of the earth any deeper than the cellar. But earlier this month, when my friend Regina arranged for us to visit Alexander Caverns in the Kishacoquillas Valley, I was an enthusiastic proponent. "It's on a Nebraska Amish farm," Regina told us. "They don't have phones, but I … [Read more...] about Alexander Caverns
Teacups and Hatchets
Sometimes the invitation reads "bring your favorite teacup", sometimes it says "bring your own hachet". Here's a few photos from two very different parties I attended this month. For her fifteenth birthday, my niece Mikayla wanted to host a tea party for her girl cousins closest in age, her grandma, and her mom's sisters (including me). Normally, we don't do too many birthday parties— we'd be going to several each month— but Mikayla is an only girl with seven brothers, so she got a … [Read more...] about Teacups and Hatchets
The Day I Saw the Queen
"We can't visit the palace tomorrow. The queen is in town," said Nancy, looking at her computer. It was the summer of 2014, and I was visiting my friend Ruth in Scotland. On the last full day of my visit, Ruth and her mum Nancy were planning a day of sightseeing in Edinburgh, including the palace where Queen Elizabeth normally stayed during the occasional visits to the Scottish capital. "What's she doing? Maybe we can see her," joked Ruth. Nancy skimmed some websites. The queen would … [Read more...] about The Day I Saw the Queen