Today I’m writing from the comfort of my home as I watch the snow and ice fall from the sky. A stark contrast from the t-shirt and shorts weather I just left in Manila.  Although the trip had it’s difficulties with travel delays and some health difficulties, once again I left wishing there was more […]

Greetings from Manila! I’m starting my second full day here after a particularly difficult and frustrating trip. Because of the crazy weather on Monday my first flight left an hour late which caused me to miss my connection to Manila. I had to stay over night in Detroit, which turned out okay because I was […]

On November 10, 2009 my British Airways flight (BA179) brought me to JFK and my final destination after six weeks of travel to the UK/India/Nagaland/Sweden. As the South Asia Director of projects for HOPE FOR CHANGE INTERNATIONAL www.H4Cinternational.org my purpose was to visit and evaluate the development and needs of schools and orphanages. My review of prospective partners and […]

For many of us music and, in particular, certain songs mark moments in our lives, both happy and sad. When reheard many years later, the song evokes memories and awakens imbedded emotions. One of “my songs” is the hymn “Morning Has Broken”. In 1930, Percy Dearmer, editor of Songs of Praise (published in 1931), approached and […]

Hello friends and family and blog-followers near ‘n far! Tonight is Sunday, October 11, 2009 and we are marking eleven days since our departure from home and Ulster County. We’ve been staying in Bangalore for five complete days and we’ve experienced comfortable sleeping arrangements, delicious Indian food, and good times spent with old friends, new […]

To the right is a partial shot of the “welcome tray” sitting on the table in our newest room on our journey throughout India.  It is late in the night here in India; we are 10 1/2 hours ahead in time zones. I am tired but I wanted to let everyone know that we arrived […]

After riding Adirondack Trailways bus from Kingston, NY to Port Authority, New York City, on Thursday, October 1, 2009 Sarah Bird and I made our way through the bustling terminal with the help of a Trailways luggage porter to the Airport Shuttle pick-up on 42nd Street which transported us to JFK International Airport. Our Korean driver navigated […]

I cannot answer that question in one blog posting but I will tell you that my heart has been enlarged to embrace the women of India. Look at the faces of these women. I met them in October, 2008 and listened (through an interpreter) to some of their personal accounts of both dealing with hardship […]

Every time I get home from one of my trips to Africa (or Asia)  I unpack my suitcase, but I never put my knapsack (carryon) out of my sight.  After having done this enough times I realized that there must be some subconscious connection between me actually seeing that knapsack and knowing somewhere down the […]

On May 7th I finally worked out all the ticket details and completed the purchase of my ticket to Africa leaving June 18th.  I have tried (using my old and present passport) to figure out how many times I have made this trip from New York to the Kilimanjaro Airport and then to my beloved […]