When I was teaching Geography and Humanities to Year 7 and 8 students in Egypt, I introduced my students during the first week of class to the concept of Ubuntu. Ubuntu is a term from the Nguni Bantu languages of Africa meaning humanity and it’s often used in a philosophical sense to represent our bonds…
Where are you from?
The more you travel, the more likely you’ll be asked where you’re from. And the answer to that question is often complicated. Our son usually answers “America and Japan” because of his dual nationalities, but he’s actually lived over 9 of his 10 years in countries other than the US and Japan. In this way…
Karaoke: a great uniter
A Japanese, Taiwanese and American walk into a karaoke bar… And Swedes, Thais, Nigerians, Brazilians, Malaysians, Germans, Koreans, and many others join too! When I worked for a university in Hawaii, I was responsible for the admission of students from Asia and Africa, and one of the most rewarding (and fun) aspects of my job…
Books, hope and a hero
Bookshelves don’t just contain books. They house miracles. Let me explain what I mean by that. When you pick up a book, the book you’re holding contains someone’s thoughts, someone who could be from a completely different time in history, who may have died hundreds of years ago. But with that book in your hands,…
The give & take of living abroad
Is this young boy giving something to the monk, or getting something from him? I asked my son this question, and he wisely knew the answer is both. The young boy here is giving food to the monk and in return, the boy is making merit. Buddhists have been giving alms to monks for centuries…
Markets, streets and a child’s hands
When you visit a new town or city, one of the best places to get an understanding of the place is to visit its local food markets. Whether it’s fruits or vegetables, meats or fish, grains or spices, you learn a lot about a place by what people eat. When we first moved to Alexandria,…
On needing (and craving) balance
I’ll never forget the first time I saw the Pyramids of Giza. It was nearly 5 years ago and we were in a taxi, heading into our unknown life in Egypt with our 4 year old who hadn’t started school yet. After passing a huge IKEA sign just outside of the airport (the very first…
Necessary substitutions, and other thoughts on living abroad
Happy December everyone! Here are the first of ten reflections on things I’ve learned living overseas. During this final year of the decade, I’ll share several short stories on the small moments and experiences I’ve had over these past ten years that have touched me and taught me in profound ways. 1. There might be…
Half a dozen passports, family of 3
Passports allow you to travel, but they also symbolize the global disparity in freedom of travel. With their Japanese passports, my wife and son can travel to 190 countries without having to get a prior visa, the most of any country along with Singapore (https://www.henleypassportindex.com/global-ranking). Both my US and Irish passports allow me entry to…