China Cameroon Connection in Luoyang
June 9, 2014
In August 2008, I visited Bafoussam, the provincial city of Cameroon’s West Province for the first time. A volunteer whom I would replace, showed me around this city that is a 30-min bush taxi ride from our village. This is where I could bank, buy essentials, and splurge on good meals. He mentioned that there is a Chinese store, and led me there. That was the first time...
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Shanghai Social Run
May 20, 2014
A relatively new co-worker of mine is really into running, and has been trying to get the office to join in on various runs around town. I’m not a serious runner, but I do enjoy the occasional jog. I used to run a lot more when I lived in places where air quality was less of a concern. In London,…
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Evening Snapshots of Shanghai
May 17, 2014
The passing of the 26-year-old photojournalist, Camille Lepage, has been on my mind for the past few days. I haven’t been able to stop thinking about her work, and what it must be like uncovering the untold stories in conflict-ridden areas of the world. Her life was unfortunately short-lived, but one well-lived. Camille’s inspiring photographs have led me to open…
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30 Day Challenge: Social Media
April 1, 2014
Sometime toward the end of February, I suddenly had this idea to go on a social media purge for the month of March. If you know me at all, you know I tend to make impulsive decisions. I am one of those nutty people who say crazy things, and then actually go and do them. How my impulsiveness in life…
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Reality Check
February 7, 2014
On my last day in Ethiopia, I was reminded of the frustration of living in a developing country. People’s memories are selective, and often biased towards the positive bits. Two weeks of blissful vacation in Addis and around made me think about this life once again. It’s been so wonderful, but clearly, there is always a downside to everything. The…
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Art in Addis Ababa
February 6, 2014
After sipping coffee on a mountain top, I ventured to Asni Gallery, an art gallery in Addis. This was listed in the guide book as having some interesting art. I thought not much of it, just as something to kill time and to see something different. The entrance fee for the gallery was 1 birr (5 cents), but to take…
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Coffee on Entoto Mountain in Addis Ababa
February 4, 2014
By my second week in Addis Ababa, I had visited all of the notable museums listed in the Lonely Planet. I wanted something a bit more authentic. So, I hired Million, the taxi driver who is buying a goat for his sister, to drive me up Entoto Mountain – the mountain range just outside of Addis, and supposedly has a…
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Journey Through Ethiopia
February 2, 2014
Everyone knows that you don’t get a true sense of a country by simply visiting its capital city. And for that, I ventured on a 13-hour bus ride up north, to see the ancient capital of Gondar, Ethiopia. It was an incredibly nostalgic ride as I had spent many hours of my Peace Corps service on similar journeys.
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Castle, Church, Coffee
February 1, 2014
Our Gondar adventures continued the next morning with a sunrise breakfast on our hotel’s terrace. We stayed at Lodge du Chateau. It’s centrally located with superb service. The lodge is just that, a lodge, hence pretty basic. Very Lonely Planet. The Peace Corps Volunteer nearby works closely with this hotel, and it sells products from local charity, farm cooperative, and…
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Market Day in Gondar
February 1, 2014
We journeyed into Gondar on a Friday night, and the next morning, we caught the weekly market in town. I love market days! It’s the time of the week when the town comes alive. Anything you could possibly need, you can find on Market Day. The key word here is need, not want. I love the sensory overload – the…
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