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I’ll get back to posting about Korea and Hong Kong… probably.  Chris has been great about blogging based on notes that he wrote during the trip, so his account is more like a journal of the trip.  He’s done blogging at that trip (as well as blogging about the trip after that — we spend… Continue reading Digression: On travel, in general

I normally like to travel with an eye towards learning what it’s like to live like a local. We often stay in apartments, shop for groceries, walk around to get a sense of the neighborhood, and try to gain perspective on a different culture. For our first trip to Asia, however, that’s completely getting thrown… Continue reading Macau; or, how not to travel

But before I get to Macau, let’s talk about the journey itself. PLANNING THE TRIP The original plan was to visit my dad in Seoul over Thanksgiving. I’m one of those people who really hates connections on flights.  I just want to get there, dammit.  Fortunately, I live in Chicago, which enjoys plenty of non-stop flights… Continue reading Korea/China: Part 1 – Getting There

Ah, turkey day.  In my family, we had one disastrous Thanksgiving back in 2006 (family drama: crying, yelling, fighting) and so Chris and I haven’t hosted a family Thanksgiving since. Instead, we often traveled during the long weekend.  In 2009, 2011, and 2013 we went to Paris.  This year, we took Thanksgiving weekend and the… Continue reading Thankgiving

Our cat passed away two weeks ago.  I find myself still trying to find her around the house.  Her vet called today, asking how we were doing.  The truthful answer: it’s so weird. We have a lot of travel planned over the next 8 months and it’s so weird to not have to worry about… Continue reading Two Weeks Later

I hate to exercise.  I resent the whole time I spend doing it.  I don’t get that endorphin high — I’m convinced it’s a myth. But I really must exercise.  My back and my feet need a certain amount of core maintenance.  My ego requires me to stay a certain size.  I want to lose at… Continue reading Exercise: because I have to

I’m cutting and pasting from comments I made on Facebook earlier this week… This isn’t about coddled students. This is a pissing contest between admin and faculty, where students ended up in the crosshairs. The IAC email was a reminder to not be a jerk; Christakis’ response distorted that into a 1st Amendment issue. Let’s… Continue reading Yale: it’s not just “free speech vs. safe spaces”

I really only have time for one more meal in Oklahoma City, breakfast. So I’m at one of the top breakfast spots, Kitchen No. 324.     That, dear friends, is a scratch biscuit with chorizo gravy and a poached egg. I’m a happy camper!

I’m traveling more for work, which means lots of dining solo. I’m a hermit by nature, but I try to fight that when traveling alone so that I don’t get too lost in my head.  So tonight I’m in Oklahoma City, staying in a neighborhood called Bricktown. My restaurant choice this evening, West, is based… Continue reading The joys of dining alone 

So I’m going to start off again by just typing whatever comes to me, whenever it comes to me… a bit like Facebook status updates.  Maybe then I can keep this up. I need to catch a flight this afternoon!  Am I fully packed? Should I book the flights I’ve been thinking about buying for… Continue reading What’s on my mind this morning?