What Kiwis Really Think Of Mr. Bush

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If you’re at all curious what New Zealanders think of American politics, take a look at this President Bush billboard, which spans a railroad viaduct over a major highway in Auckland: If you’re having trouble reading it, the captions on the photos are as follows: HISTORY (Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston) SPORT (A blindfolded guy … Read more

Sticker And Other Shocks

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I dragged myself off the plane after a 12-hour sleepless overnight flight from Bangkok. Bleary-eyed, I followed the signs to New Zealand’s Immigration and Customs, steeling myself for the usual interminable check-in process. I turned the final corner into the Immigration hall and was greeted by a smiling woman at the entrance to the queue: … Read more

Wai Goodbye

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It’s my last full day in Thailand and I did what any good Thai would do – I went shopping! Everyone knows that I am not much of a shopper, so it will really shock to learn that I spent eight hours at activity that I normally detest. At 11 AM my friend, Joan, and … Read more

Two Month Mark of my Around-the-World Trip

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I hit the two-month mark of my around-the-world trip a couple of days ago and that anniversary has been on my mind. I’ve been thinking a lot about how things have changed for me in the past two months. Perhaps the most glaring example is that things that initially astounded are now commonplace. I don’t … Read more