Archives

Size Matters: The Burj Khalifa

  If you are like me, and a large population of Australians, you are intrigued by, and often duped into making detours in order to view “The world’s largest can opener”, or “The longest dreadlock.” While hopping around Australia last Spring I was taken by how many signs I saw for “Broken Hill’s Big Bench” Or […]

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A is for Abaya, B is for Betsey Johnson

I don’t like to be told what to do. Tricky character trait when faced with the challenge of camouflaging one’s self in the fabric of a culture not your own. After failed attempts to acclimate on the scene by drinking too much tequila in Mexico, or by wearing stilettos on Italian cobblestone until my feet […]

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Summer Kick-Off, Road Trip to the Liwa Oasis

Summer is on the sandy horizon and for a Pacific Northwest girl that means one thing, Road Trip! Problem 1) My international driver’s license is not valid in the UAE…go figure? Problem 2) In an Islam nation alcohol is prohibited for purchase unless an alcohol license is obtained, which I am working on. But come […]

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108 for Japan: Complete!

Little satisfies me more than doing my part to create a better world, and physical exercise. You can imagine then how elated I was Friday morning after completing 108 Sun Salutations for our Japan Aishteru fundraiser. The event was a huge success both in terms of monies raised and participation across the globe. Yogis from […]

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A World of Music, WOMAD Festival Abu Dhabi

I used to be really in to the Putumayo world music albums and listened to everything from “French Cafe” to “North African Groove.” These albums allowed me to close my eyes and get far away from my actual self, not yet traveled, and live an imagined life where I was changing the world, jumping off […]

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Project Surya: We Love Japan!

This is a heads up about a special project I am participating in to raise awareness and funds to help Japan. The project is called Japan Aishteru “We love Japan” and aims to provide aid after Japan’s recent earthquake and tsunami. After last year’s visit to Japan and watching this devastating story unfold I have felt saddened and […]

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Friends and Phở: A Week in Saigon

They say you can never go home again. A tricky saying when your home has spanned three countries in six months. Don’t get me wrong, I in no way feel sorry for myself, in fact this popular phrase has freed me up to the fun and challenging task of taking the concept of “home” with […]

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A Taste of Dubai

Every city has its niche. None compete with Chicago Blues, Melbourne street art, or Hong Kong Dim sum chefs. If I were to pin-point Dubai’s most notable expertise it would be the city’s deliberate interweaving of architectural styles, cultures, fashions and cuisine. There was no better representation of this than last weekend’s Taste of Dubai […]

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Sand Sand Everywhere: First and Last Desert Safari

The sun may go down in the UAE but the fire still burns bright. Atop a tall spire, not quite as far in the desert distance as I would like is an instant reminder that I live in a country with the seventh largest oil reserve. This reminder, along with an expansive sand box for […]

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The Grand Ole’ Mosque

  I have come across a great deal of peculiar and remarkable sites during my travels: Cock-fighting stadiums filled with screaming fans in the Philippines, the schnee laufen team practicing with ski poles down cobblestone streets in Lucerne, Saki bombs and marriage proposals on top of Mount Fuji, and hands-down the best party I have ever crashed […]

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