After about a four month hiatus on the blog I'm back. A lot has happened in that time: I visited rural villages in the north of Laos, I went to Vietnam, I moved back to America, spent a week in Seattle, had a fun welcome back party with family, spent a crazy month in DC … Continue reading I’m back
That Thing That Time Does
I can't believe there's just one month left. At work these days, I find myself just staring at my staff, appreciating what I've learned from them, wanting to etch their faces and their warmth into my memory forever. Perhaps more than anything else, I will miss them most dearly. The other day during a job … Continue reading That Thing That Time Does
A Model of Courage and Determination
Tonight I got an email from a woman I met at a conference in 2012 in Korea. I emailed her earlier because I’d like to interview her for an article I’m writing. I opened with the standard post-conference greeting, “I’m not sure if you remember me but...” Turns out she not only remembers me, but … Continue reading A Model of Courage and Determination
Kmhmu New Year, Indecent Exposure, and My First Hangover
I was telling my roommate about my day yesterday and she told me I should write about it. One of my co-workers (ok, maybe my favorite co-worker), invited me to his village for a special celebration they were having to celebrate their traditional New Year. Because I can speak Lao, I told him that I … Continue reading Kmhmu New Year, Indecent Exposure, and My First Hangover
Dear 2014
Please be better than 2013. Not that your predecessor was bad, cause it wasn't. But, I just have high hopes for what transitions may bring, and I'd like it if you didn't let me down. A short review of 2013 No New Years blog post would be complete without a highlight reel from the year … Continue reading Dear 2014
Putting the Prabang back in Luang Prabang
The year was 1359. In the new kingdom of Lan Xang Hom Kao, a gift was given. A statue. But not just an ordinary statue: a golden standing Buddha image. The occasion was said to be a congratulatory gift from Phaya Sirichanta, the King of Angkor, in present-day Cambodia, to his Lao son-in-law on unifying … Continue reading Putting the Prabang back in Luang Prabang
Confessions of a KDrama Addict
I know that there was life before Korean dramas, but all that seems fuzzy to me now. Everyone who knows me, even a little, knows me as a Korean drama evangelist, trying to convert people to the joys of K-drama watching. There's no lack of haters though—obstinate ones who think they know what they're all … Continue reading Confessions of a KDrama Addict
City Life: Jakarta
The final two days of my Indonesian trip were spent in Jakarta. I arrived at the train station at 4:30am. After queuing for a taxi for thirty minutes, I drowsily took in the dim sights of the city. There was much more green than I was expecting which was a nice surprise. At 5am, I … Continue reading City Life: Jakarta
Say what? Yogyakarta!
Despite everything I just said about Bali, Yogyakarta was my favorite out of the three places I visited in Indonesia. Perhaps it's because I had more freedom to explore and spent less time in cars, or perhaps because it was more than what it was marketed to be, but I really enjoyed my two days … Continue reading Say what? Yogyakarta!
What Happened in Bali
Excursions in World Music , Fourth Edition, Chapter 6: Indonesia. In the fall of 2003, as an undergraduate music education major at Rutgers, I was first introduced to Indonesia through its music. Indonesia caught my attention again in 2005 as I marked up my world map hanging on my dorm wall based on the linguistic and … Continue reading What Happened in Bali
Feet Cry Mercy 