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Australia: Weather Catastrophes, Surfers, Malcontents, and More
Our March 2018 journey began as a struggle between competing travel bucket lists. I voted for Southeast Asia and the Far East; Padre was stuck on Australia due to what he calls the ‘Steve Irwin’ effect. Irwin, a wildly popular critter-wrangling TV star who died from a stingray attack, made the “G’day Mate!” Aussie attitude about life seem pretty darn cool. (We found a rare compromise cruise; see trip itinerary here.) For me, it had to do with the past. In 1992 we spent two amazing weeks in New Zealand, and I somehow adopted this silly notion that we’d done Down Under already. Kiwi and Aussie cultures share many things…
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Vietnam and Malaysia: What War Leaves Behind
Catfish and Mandala, by Andrew X. Phan, 1999. 342 pgs. ★★★★★ Five stars for a tale that every American who remembers the Vietnam War and its aftermath will appreciate. ★★★★ Four stars for page-turning narrative, occasionally too raw and real for some. I’ve read many titles in the growing canon of Vietnam War books, and hoped to visit Vietnam someday for many reasons, not the least of which had to do with my profession. Early in my career as an English teacher, I welcomed a handful of Vietnamese and Cambodian refugee students into my classroom. I was drawn to their stories and struggles, and couldn’t imagine what they must have endured…
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Japan: Samurai Swords, Wind-Up Birds, and Clever Cats
Our penchant for travel might just be an excuse to read. Before departure day we scour second-hand stores, download travel guides, and track down hard-to-find titles through online sources. Some ‘free’ travel titles come with an Amazon Unlimited subscription, $10/month – lots of Lonely Planet guides there, FYI. We read relentlessly before departure day, then tuck a few books (light ones) in the luggage and load up the rest on I-Pads. Our March 2018 journey includes several days at sea, days I’ll be curled up with a good book in one of the delightful hideaways scattered around our cruise ship. (A future blog post in the making, right there.)…
