I can’t drive a car and I don’t really want to learn.
Lame?
Meh… naw.
It just means I’ll always be forced to live somewhere with adequate public transportation…
…meaning I’ll always have the joy of the train/bus reading commute!
My current hour round-trip MBTA ride means an hour of delightful book time each day.
Article #5 in the ESL Student Life Stories Project, by Eileen from Korea, age 20.
“Don’t do that!” I screamed.
His hand was on my arm, squeezing and rubbing it. He replied to me, “Your arms are so soft, I want to touch them!”
His name was Romano and he was from Italy. I met him the third week after I came to the USA from my home country of Korea, at an English center excursion to Six Flags. In the first days [...Read More!]
Let’s play a game called “How many ridiculous elements can you find in the 2010 U.S. Census Race form!” Study the photo above and chuckle. I’ll start, and you add on.
1.) There is no box at all for Arab or Middle Eastern.
2.) Where do Cape Verdeans (a Portuguese-creole-speaking island off Africa with a big population in Boston) check?
3.) “Negro”???!!!!
4.) Should European “Spaniard” really be under “Latino/Hispanic”? There are entire college courses dedicated to this debate, but if we’re talking about [...Read More!]
I am drooping like spinach in a frying pan right now due to jet lag… but I haven’t missed a single day of blogging since that night I was ill on Ko Phi Phi in Thailand, seven months ago (and before that, even longer) so the show will go on! Commitment feels good.
I am OVERJOYED to be back home in Boston with loved ones, after nine great months abroad. Now, as you already predicted would happen, you smart thing you, [...Read More!]
The wildly popular website, Stuff White People Like, has an article entitled: “Taking a Year Off.” It details the trend among rich Caucasians to flee the daily grind and jaunt around the world for a year, always thinking that they are the first to concoct such a brilliant idea.
“Give them a FAKE email address before they leave!” warns the site, or you will get nonstop annoying emails bragging about how great international beer is!
Funny and true. Indeed, [...Read More!]
Article #15 in the YCC Kids Club Ghana Student Life Stories Project Nigerians Don’t Eat Human Flesh!!! By Okeke Melody, Age 11
My Father came from Nigeria and my Mother came from Ghana, so for the first three years of my life, I lived with my Grandmom and relatives in Nigeria.
In Kindergarten One in Nigeria, the kids always spoke the Nigerian language and never spoke “Good English.” For example, they would say “Atten-SHI-on!” instead of “Attention!”
For this reason, my Mother [...Read More!]
“We don’t mean it to be rude at all,” explained YCC teacher Derrick, smiling his luminous smile, “it’s just, you know, it’s unusual to see a pale person, and so the people get excited.”
YCC’s Director, John, laughingly explained at YCC orientation that volunteers will begin to think there is a national song in Ghana that goes something like this: “YEVUUUU!”
What does this strange howl mean? The answer is easy: “WHITE PERSON!”
My Brandt Guidebook claims that the literal translation [...Read More!]
“Why do we feel so at home here in Ghana?” Dan and I have been asking each other.
Slowly it’s dawned on us: it’s not just that the people are amazingly friendly and kind, though that helps. It is that the echoes of our American culture are everywhere here in Ghana, because, we are now understanding, the echoes of Ghana are everywhere in America. Oh the power of the African diaspora!
Here are some examples of ties between our countries: [...Read More!]
It was too hot today to exist. Dan I spent most of the baking hours attempting to work while draped on chairs and benches and other surfaces, trying to remember to breathe and drinking giant bottles of Voltic Water and Alvaro Non-Alcoholic Pear Malt. The ceiling fans whirled wobbly circles at their maximum speed and only seemed to stir the thick air soup slightly.
This is hilarious to you, surrounded by snow and frost, isn’t it? Or maybe [...Read More!]
It was hour nine of day two on the Mekong river boat. I was deep into a crossword puzzle, lying half off my seat, feet high on the bench in front. Suddenly I heard a gasp.
“Psst, Lil!” hissed the eccentric Australian computer programmer, her hand on her heart, “That Korean guy has been secretly taking photos of your legs!”
I glanced back and the man hurriedly hid his camera and pretended to be examining the river.
“Why that little– !” [...Read More!]
My name is Lillie and I thank you for reading and taking part in this journey.
I'm the Boston coordinator of a national event on extended travel on 9/14/10. Sign up for details at: MeetPlanGo.com!
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