Out the window, on the train traveling from Luxor to Cairo, civilization looked tired. Palm trees were brown with dust, and litter floated in canals. Crosses and crescents rose above neighborhoods of broken, mud-brick walls, and it was impossible not to think of the tension between Christianity and Islam here. Donkeys trod past machines in […]
A Snowman Architect In Istanbul
In the historic Sultanahmet district of Istanbul, in that open space between the Aya Sofia and the Blue Mosque, I have many memories. My first time backpacking — a three-week trip through Turkey and Greece in 1997 — ended here. So did a 14-month trip from Beijing to Istanbul in late 2004. And in between […]
The Emptiness Aboard Lufthansa #586 to Cairo
Lufthansa was flying a larger than normal aircraft on the Munich to Cairo route this morning, February 1, 2011. Still, there weren’t many people — maybe 30? — sitting at the gate for flight 586 when it came time to board. The small group consisted of prominent journalists (Katie Couric and David Muir), tight-budgeted freelancers (e.g., Joel […]
Five Girls I Fell In Love With In 2017
In 2009, Maya Angelou published a book of essays called Letter to My Daughter. She never had a daughter though. What she did have — and hence the title of the book — was a strong sense of extended family, of feeling a personal connection with all around her. I relate to that. Not having […]
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