teaching, traveling, taking pictures
Rivers of Mopeds At the break of day (and late into the night), rivers of mopeds putter and rev around the streets of Ho Chi Minh City. At a small table on the side of the street, I squat on a stool, eat my morning banh mi, and watch the mopeds course by. Individual riders… Continue reading Anecdotes from Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam
Last night, I dropped two of my friends off at Hamad International Airport. They had flown all the way from wintery Minnesota to attend a conference in Doha and spend some time with me. It was a short but satisfying visit. My apartment is large enough to easily accommodate them. Plus, there are quite a… Continue reading On Gratitude
I. Setting: A MAN is waiting at a coffee shop. A WOMAN shows up. He stands to greet her. They seem to be on a first date. [MAN]Hello! [WOMAN]Bonjour! [MAN]It’s nice to finally meet you. [The MAN and WOMAN shake hands. Then they sit down.] [WOMAN]You as well. Tell me, do you still think you… Continue reading Gemmayzeh: A Short Screenplay
I cannot say what I'm feelingDon't know how to moveI cannot share what I believe inI finally believe in youI've traveled many roadsAnd don't know where toNow my world is never changingIf there's anything I can dobenny blanco, Calvin Harris, & Miguel, "I Found You / Nilda’s Story"
On Sunday, August 18, I had to report back to work. My flight arrived at 4am, and I was home from the airport around 5am, but after spending the past 26 hours on planes and in airports— getting intermittent sleep across eight time zones—I wasn’t ready to shut my eyes. So, I bided my time… Continue reading How I Travel: A Reflection
Now his life is full of wonder but his heart still knows some fearOf a simple thing he cannot comprehendWhy they try to tear the mountains down to bring in a couple moreMore people, more scars upon the landJohn Denver, "Rocky Mountain High" Biking around Garden of the Gods Driving up Pike's Peak Rafting down… Continue reading Road Trip 2019 with My Sons (Part 3)
Because Colorado was settled late in the nineteenth century, poetry in English begins late in Colorado. Though there were nomadic Indian groups and, later, settlers from Mexico, there is little poetry of record before the middle of the twentieth century.Poets.org, "The Poetic History of Colorado"
“I was halfway across America, at the dividing line between the East of my youth and the West of my future.” Jack Kerouac, On the Road Old Market in Omaha, Nebraska Airbnb in Boulder, Colorado
Originally, I had planned to spend the morning on the beach; however, the weather intervened, and a storm blew in from the ocean. The night before, I had to latch the shudders shut to my windows. I fell asleep to the sound of the wind howling outside my room and felt like I was at… Continue reading Aventuras no Rio De Janiero (Parte Três)
Tall, and tan, and young, and lovelyThe girl from Ipanema goes walkingAnd when she passes, I smile but she doesn't see (doesn't see)Antônio Carlos Jobim, "The Girl from Ipanema" Spent the morning of my third day in Rio exploring the Copacabana and Ipanema beach. Enjoy the shots from my photography jaunt.
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