On the road
Life's journeys are worth sharing.
Tag: travel
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(Or why I write about migration, the new home and the old, and everything in between) I am a journalist by education and profession. Recently, I acquired the status of immigrant to the United States, the latest in a lifetime of twists and turns. My life has been like a road trip, one that has…
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I thought it timely to explain to visitors, especially those here for the first time, what my blog is all about, and how or why I write what I write. This blog is titled On The Road but was never meant to be a travel blog. I do not really travel a lot but when…
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If time is precious, then a bonsai is gold. Each one holds the years of care, skill, and concentration its owner poured into it to create a miniature landscape from the saplings of a normal tree. That would make a bonsai the ultimate luxury. That is what it seemed to me as I viewed the…
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There are places in our part of Monterey County in California that you can visit for free, which somehow offset the high cost of living in this popular tourist destination. The impetus for this post (and please pardon the pause in postings) is the recent three-week visit of family members from the Philippines, one of…
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(This piece appeared in the Jan. 15 edition of the Monterey County Weekly) This year, I added to my list of New Year’s goals and resolutions: to read the stack of free books that I received as a Christmas gift from Old Capitol Books in Monterey. Old Capitol had announced it would be open on…
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(This is a long overdue follow up to the previous post. My bad. Personal and professional commitments got in the way. ) I am picking up on that air travel thread of baggage problems. At the outset, I have to say that most people go through their flights without a hitch, but once in a while…
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Many travelers put a lot of thought into packing, to the point they often overthink and overpack. I am one of them, and I have many times in the past overestimated things, thrown good sense to the wind, and departed with heavy luggage. As a result, I have found myself exhausted in strange and not-so-strange…
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It was freezing that December in Belgium and the only place to offer warmth and a seat without me having to buy anything was the Catholic church, and so I quickly dashed into it, hoping to also light a candle and say a prayer. The church was a cavernous Gothic structure designed to make you…
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I was recently reminded of a fictional conversation that took place at a poker game in a popular TV series some 25 years ago: CJ Cregg: (dealing cards to other WH staffers ) King… possible flush… ace no help…. six… possible straight…. Dave of love for the dealer… ace bets…. Mandy: Check! Sam: Check! CJ: Check!Leo: Check!Josh: Check!Toby:…
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The sound of steady rain woke me one recent midnight, and I imagined monsoon clouds irrigating the land as they always do this time of the year in the home country. It’s the kind of soothing sound that makes a person sink deeper into bed, an announcement that the season has simply arrived and is…
On the road 