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Musings from inside, outside, and underneath
DC Blizzard 10, originally uploaded by coming2cambodia. Happy Birthday Harley who is the old age of 7 now! This is her during the second DC blizzard. She loves!!!! the snow… although even this might have been a bit much. I never really meant to get a pet while in the Peace Corps,...
Hate has no place in the house of God
I can’t say I have a lot of faith in the Catholic church to do the right thing in terms of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender rights. More often then not, Catholics and those of other faiths, stand on what I consider the wrong side. Yet, every so often, a...
Photo Wednesday: A kid’s toy store
New York Toys’R'Us, originally uploaded by coming2cambodia. This is the inside of the Toys’R'Us on Broadway. Wow! Why didn’t I have one of these in my house growing up? ...
New York Times Square, originally uploaded by coming2cambodia. Okay, I promised yesterday, that I would blog about non-earthquake related moments. I am going to blog about my priceline epiphany. I am also going to blog about a quick trip S and I made up to New York. Sometimes, I hate blogging...
About Earthquakes– An informative email
I need to be able to move on and stop writing (and thinking) about earthquakes and what is going on in Chile. I agree with Mandy that is is really hard to move on and and is frustrating that so many people around me have no idea what is going...
Photo Wednesday: In the face of destruction- part 2
Valparaiso, originally uploaded by coming2cambodia. And…. let us remember the beautiful that is still a part of Chile. ...
Costa Rica Blog - 365 Reasons I Love Costa Rica
Reason #290: Capital in Search of a Patient
I was reading online about this new book, The Blue Sweater, by Jacqueline Novogratz. The concept intrigued me so I delved a little deeper into Mrs. Novogratz and began discovering wonderful things such as that she is the head of the Acumen Fund, a “social venture capital” fund that seeks...
Reason #289: Playing the Blame Game
Do you ever get the feeling that life is about “paying back” for all the bad stuff you did before? Sometimes I get a suspicious feeling that that just could be the case. This usually comes on when things aren’t going exactly the way I had hoped. A hangover usually...
Reason #288: A Word is Worth a Thousand Pictures
I have always been a word-oriented person. I love to read, novels, self-help, poetry, news, etc. A picture is a static image of realty and can be quite enjoyable. However, reality is anything but static, which is why “pictures” are not really, well, real. We see photos of these beautiful people...
Reason #287: Bob Hentzen - 1 in a 100
In the movie Forest Gump, Tom Hanks ran because, well, “he just felt like running.” In real life, Bob Hentzen, founder of the CFCA, or Christian Foundation for Children and Aging, walks, but he has a definite purpose for doing so. That purpose is to help the poorest children and elderly...
People enter into this world and exit it, yet time goes on. From a religious perspective the end of life on earth signals the beginning of eternity, or a time without end. So what is all the talk these days about the end of time, or the end of this...
Reason #285: Fear = Absence of Purpose
Recently watched the movie Invictus. If you haven’t seen it, you should. It is one of those inspirational movies that Hollywood doesn’t make that often, but when they do it proves why movies can matter. The story is of Nelson Mandela and his ascension from 27 years as a political...
Expat Women
Hi Everyone, By all accounts, the Families in Global Transition (FIGT) conference last week in Houston was yet another great gathering of wonderful people in the relocation/global mobility industry. Congratulations to Kimberly Van Cleave Michaels, the FIGT Board and to everyone who had a hand in making this year's conference...
Re:locate Magazine Gala Awards Dinner, May 2010, London
Hi Everyone, If you are in the relocation/global mobility industry and you either will be (or would like to be) in London on May 6, here is the link to book tickets for this year's annual Re:locate Magazine Gala Awards Dinner at the Institute of Directors in London's Pall Mall.Individual...
Expat Women March 2010 Newsletter
Hi Everyone, We sent our Expat Women members' newsletter out successfully last week. If you are a member but did not receive our newsletter, please write to us here. If you are not a member of our main site, ExpatWomen.com, please join today to support us, receive your free e-book...
International Women's Days 2010 & 2011
Hi Everyone, International Women's Day (IWD) was celebrated across the globe today (or yesterday, depending on your time zone and depending on when you read this). Hopefully you, your friends, your associations and workplaces did something to make the day special. :-)Believe it or not, planning has already started for...
Want to Win a Kindle for You and Your Friend?
Hi Everyone, In an effort to further raise awareness of Expat Women and the plethora of free resources we have available for women living abroad, please support our 'Tell A Friend' competition and tell as many friends as you can to join ExpatWomen.com and to answer "Friend" in the "How...
Expat Women March 2010 Home Page
Hi Everyone, We have just uploaded our Expat Women March home page and encourage you to take a look, tweet it and share it with your friends... Success Story Deanne de Vries VP Africa Strategic Initiatives, Agility (Kuwait) Deanne De Vries is a career woman, a traveler and an adventurer. Born and raised in...
Letters from Grenada
The thing about being young is that you can’t imagine forgetting. You can’t imagine that you won’t remember the name of that Italian movie, the one that takes place right after the war, the one where soldiers who aren’t supposed to be soldiers are slogging through a marsh, not knowing who...
He’d had a passport but it got wet – ruined – in the hurricane. The day of the storm he’d gotten home and found the contents of his house afloat and the dog perched atop the refrigerator. Bean’s father – though he was not yet Bean’s father, had not yet...
His after work ritual began as soon as he walked in the door, when he’d sit down on the chair in the verandah that looked like wicker but actually was made of fiberglass. He’d slide his fingers under the laces of his sneakers, which were invariably sparkling bright, white and clean....
This one time Bean and I were hanging out at the boatyard and he took off all his clothes (as nakedly) so I sprayed him down with a hose because it was hot and he was covered in salt from the ocean but then he got hold of the hose...
Do you remember when I was 16 and going to Hawaii? You told me about the Honolulu Santiagos, your cousins who left Puerto Rico as teens, like you did. Except they went to Hawaii instead of New York. (They’d heard, you said, about the pineapple.) You wanted me to look...
As long as I can remember, my dad has gone through “phases”. Like a kid who has just discovered baseball cards. He goes out and collects every single thing he can about baseball cards. These things he collects are both concrete (the cards themselves) and abstract (biographical details and stats...
gweipo 鬼婆
conduits for artistic expression
We went to watch the Dutch National Ballet this afternoon performing from the repertoire of Hans van Manen. The program had a fair bit to say about him, the pieces, the set and costume designers, the lighting designers. Then there were a few pictures of the principals,...
how much pain do you want to avoid?
There are readers who think I submit my children to 'unnecessary' pain and difficulty. I have other views. Growing up and becoming independent is a painful process, and one needs to be equipped to deal with what life throws at one. We were at a big...
Here is a rather interesting article from the NY Times on "building a better teacher". I'd sat in on my son's violin lesson as usual on Tuesday and was wondering how she managed to get him to do everything that other teachers didn't seem capable of. My husband...
If you have the time, in my opinion having a look at the Exhibition of Ink Paintings by Raymond Fung at the HKU museum and art gallery is well worth while.These were ink paintings that I really felt resonated with me....
I went for my gait analysis today. It was a humbling experience. I had to walk / run three times as they filmed me from different angles, side and back. Then there was an action replay and analysis. Is every girl like this? He's drawing...
The featured song of our Chinese text for this week:...
Clark Nielsen for the Win
It only takes a few weeks of being back in your hometown to feel like everything you’ve done prior—all that time spent fighting for the attention of hungry Chinese students—never happened. Or it did happen, but everything you thought you learned from the experience… well… never happened. Or it did...
Trauma Center: New Blood (Wii) If there’s any franchise that just couldn’t be done properly outside the Wii, this is it. Performing surgery with the Wii remote is a perfect fit and can be a rewarding yet nerve-racking experience. Especially if you’ve got shaky hands. I’m always accidentally dropping a piece...
The following video doesn’t highlight the most chaotic moments of crossing a Chinese street. This is just a normal day in Changzhou, after all. But count how many close calls you see. It’ll be fun!...
My old college roommate and I had become infected with a disease, but this isn’t necessarily bad news. The “disease” allowed us to see ghosts, and the ghosts that hung around our apartment were smokin’ hot! There was a boy ghost, though, who didn’t like that we could see his...
How to Remember Chinese Tone Order
There are four tones in Chinese, they’re numbered from one to four, and Chinese speakers often refer to them as “first tone, second tone, etc.” To review, the first tone is flat (mā), the second rises (má), the third dips (mǎ), and the fourth falls (mà). Okay… that’s swell and all,...
I know, I know, this comes pretty quickly off the heels of the last set of reviews, but… I’ve been playing a lot of games lately. Gimme a break! Left 4 Dead (Xbox 360) My opinion of this first-person shooter would probably change drastically if I had an Xbox Live account, since...
PALORDINIA
This is to let you know, in case you didn't already, that Messi played against Valencia today and won the match 3 goals to nothing. Messi waited till the second period to score all of the three goals. The first came after he ran rings around Valencia defenders! The second in...
Dubai from the 29th floor this morning
A perfect view to start your day with!...
An Advice to all Arab/ Muslim bloggers
You don't realize how little accuracy there is in network TV reporting until they cover a story in your hometown. ~Robert Brault I came across this post about a dog. As I understand, a guy did something nice to a dog, and as a result he deserves to be praised. Accidently, the...
Pepsi World Cup Commercial: Messi, Kaka, Drogba, Lampard, Henry, Arshavin
This is one cool commercial! Messi's part is so authentic! I also have to say, what a creative method to win a game :)...
I guess you don't really believe in the Global Weather Change until you see it yourself. Dubai experienced a wet and windy weather that has almost never happened. Especially in February! But it was a cool change!...
This is for all of you who occasionally shop for gadgets and electronic stuff. Some time circa 2007 or 2008 a new retailer opened in UAE, and from what I understand it has similar retail outlets around the GCC and maybe even beyond. This retailer is Sharaf DG, or in some...
NicoleB Photography
Want it spicy? - Engrish lesson part 11
Who finds the typo? (I will keep this Linky up until it gets too full & I’ll add my older posts to it as well Join in & have fun!) Gifts and Cards by NicoleB...
Yellow Wagtail, Motacilla flava
Yellow wagtail, Schafstelze, Motacilla flavaYellow wagtail, Schafstelze, Motacilla flava Click for bigger Yellow wagtail, Schafstelze, Motacilla flava - in winter plumage A shot I finally dug out of my archives and a Lifer at that Gifts and Cards by NicoleB...
(Click for bigger)Wordless Wednesday Gifts and Cards by NicoleB...
(Indian) House crow, Glanzkraehe, Corvus splendens
The house crow resembles the Hooded crow, but the grey is darker and the back black. It also is slightly smaller and slimmer, with a long deep bill and a domed crown (which you can’t really see in this shot,…) The (Indian) House crow i not a natural inhabitant of the Middle...
It got so hot & humid recently that even the camels are searching the shade Gifts and Cards by NicoleB...
Crab fisher in Nabq - Click for biggerA (Bedouin?) woman doing some crab fishing (I guess) out on the Coral reef. I would bet, that’s not exactly legal…. Update from Bernadette: It is legal to fish for Bedouins, IF they fish for their own needs only! ...
Rincon, Puerto Rico
Local farmer's market have been popping and there is one in Aguadilla that deserves particular attention: La Tierra Prometida Farmer's Market. La Tierra Promedita is a non-profit home... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]] ...
In 1986, Richard Fitzgerald, while taking a group of people fishing, had problems with his engine. As he looked over the engine, he noticed rows of algae on the bottom of the ocean floor. ... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more!...
This Sunday February 28, in Mayaguez the 15th Bomba and Plena Festival will rock and roll at Boulevard de Mayagüez, right next to the Municipal parking lot. Festivities start at 10... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]] ...
One Ten Thai Aguadilla Puerto Rico
During dinner at Mia Bistro, the person introducing the small brewery beers identified himself as Chef Andrew Klein, owner of a small restaurant in Aguadilla. He mentioned his restaurant served... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]] ...
Mia Bistro Mayaguez Puerto Rico
I've been visiting Plaza Colon for its neat night time activities. Last time I had the opportunity to sample food from the makeshift restaurants in the plaza. One restaurant in particular... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]] ...
Mayaguez 2010 Central American and Caribbean Games Schedule
Rincon has BMX and Mountain Bike. This schedule seems incomplete because the Triathlon will be held the 24th and 25th in Rincon and I don't see it. Click on... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]] ...
NYT > Global Home
Contractors Tied to Effort to Track and Kill Militants
A Defense Department official set up a private network of spies in Afghanistan and Pakistan who gathered intelligence on insurgents, according to officials....
Panic in Georgia After a Mock News Broadcast
A mock news broadcast that pretended to report on a Russian invasion of the country sent viewers into a panic....
Phillips-Van Heusen Nears $3 Billion Deal for Tommy Hilfiger
Phillips-Van Heusen, the clothing conglomerate that owns Calvin Klein, is near a deal to buy Tommy Hilfiger for about $3 billion....
U.S. Consular Aide and Husband Killed in Mexico
President Obama expressed outrage at the “brutal murders” that were apparently carried out by drug traffickers in the violence-racked border town of Ciudad Juárez....
China Uses Global Trade Rules to Its Advantage
Evidence is mounting that Beijing uses inconsistencies in international trade rules to spur its own economy at the expense of others....
China Issues Warning to Google’s Partners
Authorities warned that Google’s partners must comply with censorship laws even if the search giant does not, an industry expert said....
Expat Professional & Business Success Tips
Dealing with Job Search Stress: Getting to the Source of the Problem
The job search is stressful. There is no way to avoid that. But if we want to stay in top form for interviews, put our best foot forward when networking, and generally avoid putting others off with a sour or cranky temperment that often comes with being stressed, then we...
Are Your New Year's Resolutions Supporting or Preventing You from a Successful Life Abroad?
I chose to wait to post this blog post until February. The reason? Many people make at least one New Year's resolution. Research shows that over 45% of people who make New Year's reoslutions break them by the end of the first month. Why is this important to point out?...
Using Linkedin as a Business Intelligence and Learning Tool
I invite you to visit a recent post on my lifestream at posterous to see a great video from the LinkedIn European Business Awards website. It features Reid Hoffman, Executive Chairman and co-founder of Linkedin. Linkedin is one of the most powerful professional networks which I recommend all professionals and...
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Expat Networking: Holidays are a Great Time to Nurture and Grow your Network
December and January are usually some of the slowest months of the year for companies hiring across the globe. In some countries, very little business is done at all in December. As a result it is often said that you can't make much progress in a job search during the...
Brits in Bosnia - toddlers, dog and all
A Tribute to Mothers... our mothers. The Gratitude Tag
A while back I wrote a post about taking my boys ice-skating and how much they enjoyed it and how much I hated it. That post really struck a chord with that lovely Hong Kong blogger, Bloomin Marvelous, who wrote a post about how we don't really appreciate what our...
This weeks prompt from Sticky Fingers' Gallery was a number, to be used in any way we wish. An age for example. A number. Whatever comes to mind.I chose the number 5, for these 5 members of my family settling down for a 5pm tea after a long English sea side...
Women's Day and special post surprises
Yesterday was International Women's Day. It always takes me by surprise here, for us Brits don't really celebrate it. The Bosnians however, they go to town. It is huge here. You couldn't move yesterday for men carrying flowers and trinkets off to see their mother, wife, sister to say thank...
British politics, a dirty, dirty game.
I wasn’t going to write much about the resumption of Karadzic’s trial last week. It was all going to be fairly predictable and it was. The trial began on Monday which happened to also be a Bosnian National Holiday, their Independence Day, a fact not lost on the Serbs*. Karadzic...
If I pretend not to notice then it isn't happening
We had an unexpectedly late night last night. Blame Risk. The taking over the world board game. Apparently we are all evil dictators at heart, and you can never trust anyone, they will always betray you. But it was a late one. 2am late. The kind of late that I...
We are currently without the use of our car. There's nothing wrong with it, we just aren't allowed to drive it at the moment because we haven't been able to register it for this year. We haven't been able to do that because our visa hasn't been extended yet. So...
wasapnin jordan?
Jordan police recover bodies of two Asian women
I know the following is a cut and paste job from ‘AFP’ but it’s scary thought that this horrific act has happened in Amman, Jordan. It’s not something that I have heard of in the past two years or so that I had been in Jordan. I really hope this...
There was no credible sighting of the new moon yesterday, hence tomorrow will be the first of Ramadhan. I hope Muslims will make the most of this blessed month and view it more than just refraining from food. Let’s break free. Ramadhan Kareem wasapninjordan ...
In the recent past my wasapninjordan[at]gmail dot com has recevied so many emails from click-jordan, a web based company which offers internet related solutions. I never signed up to receive the emails. Are they allowed to do this? I do not mind asking before they add me to their mailing...
Jordanian currency is the Dinar
When ever I visit to a new place, whether it’s for a holiday or work, it takes me a while to get used to the currency. I thought it might be helpful for some to know the currency in Jordan. The Jordanian currency is the Dinar, JD or JOD. It is...
(Poll) Which Mansaf do you prefer?
This is my first poll and I think what a way to start. The question is simple and hopefully, the answer should be also, as it was for me. Q:Which Mansaf do you prefer? A: You choose. wasapninjordan ...
I was reading a great blog entry from ‘summer‘ on www.mimicooks.com. She was talking about Mansaf and it got me thinking. I remember eating Mansaf for the first time. The food was so heavy, all I wanted to do was sleep afterwards. I felt so heavy and I...
Vietnam Fun, news, business, sports and events
Nha Trang International Marathon October 2009
Last weekend the Vietnam Triathlon 2009 was held in the wonderfull ancient city Hoi An. The next upcoming event will be the Vietnam Nha Trang International Marathon 2009. Not sure why but it is hard to find anything about this event on the internet.The Marathon will be held on Sunday 11...
Sudoku Ball Detective - Nintento DS
Today a non-Vietnam related story but still extreme……….it’s about the Sudoku Ball Detective game.This game is simply awesome and you can buy it for the Nintendo WII, Nintendo DS and the PC. To get you excited, view the trailer below:You need to a flashplayer enabled browser to view this YouTube...
Hubert van Es (6 Jul 1941 – 15 May 2009)
It has been a long time since my last blog update. I received emails from people wondering where I am. Well I am still alive. It has just been a very busy but positive time. From now on I will frequently update the blog, especially with news about upcoming sports...
Join Vietnam Expats on LinkedIn
The LinkedIn Vietnam expat group is for any expat living in Vietnam, lived in Vietnam or intend to move to Vietnam. Use its discussion board to find recruits, make friends and to share suggestion related to legal, economy, culture, investments, housing, places to go anything or anything else related to being...
Vietnam ladies to increase bra sizes
Let me start by saying that this story is not a joke! Today the much criticized plan to ban short, skinny and people without boobs from driving was banned. The new rule would imply that people weighing less than 40kg, being shorter than 1.5 meter or with a chest circumference of...
My house is located 3 minutes walking from Tan Son Nhat airport in Vietnam. On Monday morning, 27 October 2008 at about 2:45AM the domestic terminal got fire. Many fire trucks could be heard rushing to the airport and it took several hours to get the fire under control. When...
Simply LeAnne
Letters from Egypt:Departing Ways
Ashish's goodbye gathering Throughout your life, you will face a constant changing of friends and social circles; however, as an expat, that rotation happens more frequently. And it never gets easier.My blog allows me to do a lot: vent my many frustrations, inform others about life here who...
Letters from Egypt: Interview with Brigid Maher
As posted previously, I had the chance to interview Brigid Maher, director of Veiled Voices, a documentary focusing on the lives of three women and their struggle to be religious leaders in the Muslim world. I do want to point out that during the interview, I specifically asked if it...
Coming Soon – EXCLUSIVE Interview with Brigid Maher
My next entry will have an interview with Brigid Maher, director of the documentary, discussing her inspiration for Veiled Voices. Below is more information about the film and the lives of the three women featured. If you would like to learn how you can view the documentary, please...
Letters from Egypt: Current Events
Some of these articles may be biased, therefore, I have posted only a few in order to spark your interest to do more research. Before you base your opinions on whether the arrests were justified, democracy really exists in Egypt or the Virgin Mary has been spotted please...
Just as you thought have a metered cab was the way to avoid the hassle, it has now been made public that many driving white cabs are tampering with meters.Please read this article title “Highway Robbery” to find out just what’s going on when you’re regular 7LE cab...
Letters from Egypt: My Sinai Adventure
It has taken me awhile to post this, but since it is such a great story (at least telling it in person always generates some laughter) I decided to locate the email I wrote for friends and family. This happened back in November, and all I can say...
ON THE MOVE AGAIN
Switzerland is not just known for skiing and chocolate. They also love their cheese and have managed to create one cheesy dinner dish! Fondue, a communal dish shared at the table in a eartenware pot over a small burner and eaten with bread, is hugely popular. There are fondue...
This past week, Jignesh was in Poland for work. So, I joined him and we extended the visit into the weekend. While there are certaintly some tourists sights (castles, musuems, etc) to explore, we decided to toss the clip board of fun and just relax. Our trip began in Warsaw...
A snowy day in Krakow Krakow's old town A park near Krakow's old town Pierogies, a traditional Polish appetizer. Yum! Warsaw's old town More of Warsaw's old town Warsaw's main square...
While you can undoubtly survive with English in Geneva, French is still the official language and used in most stores and businesses. To truly integrate into the community and feel at home, I feel that it is imperative to speak French (or at least try!). So, in an attempt to...
Yesterday was an unusually sunny, warm day. So, I headed out the door for a long walk with Schlopy complete with a stop at the dog park for the little guy. As we were leaving the park and heading for home, the loudest sirens imaginable started to fill the air....
With a little time on my hands and restaurants being bloody expensive in Geneva, I have been exploring the art of cooking as of late. Until now, I have always been a very basic cook....pasta and premade sauce, grilled ham and cheese, etc. Since my newly ordered Cooking Light...
An American in Lima
“All Hail the Glacier Gods”: El Fotografo’s MSNBC Pix of Qoyllur Rit’i
Back in December, msnbc.com published a photo story on Qoyllur Rit’i and global warming, with photos by El Fotógrafo and captions by yours truly. I neglected to provide the link to that slide show, which includes some of EF’s strongest images of the dangerous (and endangered) glacier pilgrimage, so here it is, belatedly:...
How to Prepare for an Earthquake in a Third World Country
The devastating 8.8-magnitude earthquake that ravaged Chile on Saturday could easily have happened here in Lima or anywhere else along the Pacific coast. Sooner or later another big one will hit Peru, as one did in July 2007, and there are only a few ways to increase your odds that you...
I’ve been away from An American in Lima for a little while (understatement) but thanks to my friend Levi Novey, aka Mr Green HuffPost, I’m getting a bigtime nudge to return to blogging. Which I do love doing, by the way. Levi let me hijack his column today to guest rant...
Peru’s Panettone Is Fake, Says Italy
A tower of Peruvian-made panettone entices shoppers at Wong supermarket, Miraflores (photo c. Barbara Drake 2008) Peruvians and Brazilians love their locally-made panettone, an Italian-style Christmas cake that’s grown into a multimillion-dollar business for bakers in South America. Now the Italian Cake Industry group wants nonItalian manufacturers to conform to strict baking standards...
Video: Struggling for clean, safe water in Peru
American Lara DeVries, executive director of the Light & Leadership Initiative, an NGO based in the Ate-Vitarte district of Lima, talks about the high cost of water for shantytown residents in this MSNBC video: Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy Lara helped me coordinate the NBC Nightly...
Video: “Peru’s future depends on mountains”
Jorge Recharte, Andes program director for the Mountain Institute, eloquently explains the special bond between Peru’s people and her mountains. This relationship has shaped 5,000 years of culture in both the coast and the sierra and will determine Peru’s future, says Recharte in this video featured on msnbc.com: Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world...