In September of this year, I had the opportunity to travel to Hong Kong to attend meetings. On the only day off, my teammates and I made a quick trip up to Victoria Peak, the mountain overlooking the city. The best way to reach The Peak, as it is called, is via the Peak Tram,…
Road Trip Reading
While road-tripping, I love reading books about the area or region that I am driving through. I’m keeping that tradition alive on this trip. These are the books in my queue: The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, by Mark Twain (audio version) “A timeless American classic that follows the journey of a young boy named Huck…
An Unscripted Road Trip
The Mississippi River features prominently in the life of Minnesota in general, and the Twin Cities in particular. It has a not-so-mighty beginning in Lake Itasca, a small spring-fed lake in northern Minnesota. From there, it winds its way through lake chains, forests, and crop lands to the Twin Cities. Crossing it is a daily…
A Tribute to Gracie
It’s hard to believe that it has been two years since we said goodbye to Gracie. Last year, I marked the day in Kenya. This year, I am in Atlanta, heading back to Minnesota after spending a week with my sister in the Southeast, catching up with dear friends from our days in Pakistan. We…
Dancing Robots
When I lived in northeast China in the 1990s, street dancing was quite popular. Every evening, groups of (usually) grannies would gather on street corners or park plazas with costumes, fans, and boom boxes to do Yang’ge, a tradition fan dance. On occasion, my teammates and I would join in (fortunately, there are no photos)….
A Tribute to My Dad
TWENTY-FOUR years ago, I was at a small beachside resort in southern Thailand when I got word that my father had died. Within 24 hours I was on a plane bound for Minnesota. Below are the words that I spoke in farewell and tribute to my dad at his memorial service on January 25, 2001…