Our Ugandan driver picked us up from the airport in Entebbe on November 9. We were barely down the road before he asked us who we voted for in the election. He wanted to talk about Barack Obama. He wanted to tell us about the parties all over Kampala on the night Obama was elected. They were still going on days after the election to celebrate the … Continue reading Africans on Obama
I’m taking this attack in Mumbai personally and it makes me sick. I just returned from India on Monday after an amazing few days in Delhi. We went to attend the wedding of Pravheen and Akanksha. We made Indian friends and were treated like honored guests. As Westerners we were welcomed with open arms by a warm and gracious people. We were invited into their … Continue reading Mumbai On My Mind
My children and I were at an impasse. Our yellow lab, Rosie, died this summer, and after an appropriate period of mourning and reflection, we decided to get a new dog. Initially I wanted another Shetland Sheepdog. My first dog, Buddy, was a Sheltie and he set the bar for all dogs to come. The kids wanted a Bulldog. To them, Bulldogs are sexy and … Continue reading Shelter Dogs
There was hardly a dry eye in America. When Barack Obama became the 44th President of the United States last night tears flowed in abundance. They flowed for those who didn’t live to see the day and for those who never thought it would come. They flowed from relief and pride and possibility. Men and women, Black and White, young and old acknowledged how transformative … Continue reading Tears and Fears
I’m waiting for something I write to go viral but for the moment I’ve reached 2000 views to this blog and I wanted to say thank you to everyone who has encouraged me to keep it up. I recall how exciting it was to receive my first comments, not just from friends but also from strangers, and to hear that people missed the blog when … Continue reading 2000
My friend, Deborah Sharp, has just written her first book. “Mama Does Time” is a gentle murder mystery with colorful characters and a brilliantly developed sense of place. It is set in central Florida and is full of Southern wit and details. The caper begs you to keep turning the page. It reads like an Alexander McCall Smith novel. It won’t scare you or keep … Continue reading Deborah Sharp’s “Mama Does Time”
I watched the final Presidential debate last night and the discussion about Joe the Plumber. Joe is a plumber from Toledo, Ohio who challenged Barack Obama because his taxes would go up if he bought his bosses business. Since the business makes over $250,000 a year his taxes would rise from 36% to 39% under Obama’s plan. On the surface it seems like a blow to small business … Continue reading Joe the Plumber
The truth, my friend Song and I agreed, is somewhere in between. When people see things from completely different points of view, more than likely the reality lies in the middle. Song and I were having lunch towards the end of the Olympics in the International Broadcast Centre cafeteria and I asked her what she planned to do after the games ended. She said she’d like … Continue reading The Truth About China
The Olympic Games are less than three weeks away and Beijing is spiffing up. When you have a workforce of over a billion people you can get lots done in a short time. Every day the city transforms itself more and more. Signage has gone up from one end of town to the other. You drive over logos in special Olympic lanes, see Fuwas and banners … Continue reading Olympic Countdown
There were two places on my must see list on this journey to China and this past weekend in an Olympic sightseeing marathon I visited both. On Saturday friends and I flew to Xian for a whirlwind day trip to see the Terra Cotta Warriors and on Sunday three of us visited the Great Wall of China. The Terra Cotta Warriors are amazing to ponder. … Continue reading Ginger and the Great Wall
Vicky Collins Online 