Dear friends, It's amazing what you can fit into a week if you are with energetic and generous friends. Rada and Steve have a beautiful house right on the shore of Lake Champlain in Upper New York State, and although I am not generally an early riser, getting up before six am to view the [...]
Dear friends, Such a lovely week in around Washington DC, staying with my friend Betsy, a colleague from my Geneva days, and meeting up with others from my past, the Ethiopian artist Wasihun (see my most recent journal entry), with Carroll who was UNICEF rep in Myanmar when I worked there for the International Red [...]
Dear Friends, Sometimes it seems as though there is some kind of magic in the air, and Tuesday was one such day for me and for Wasihun Asnake Mengsta. We met first in Geneva in 1991, and now 28 years later we meet again in Washington DC. With Wasihun in his apartment with one of [...]
Dear friends, Been a bit slow getting this third blog up about Tasmania but finally, here it is - a quick hop through two days with a look at the wonderful Corinda House Hotel, a walk in the botanical gardens, and a day trip to see the WALL then a short hike in the Mount [...]
Dear friends, Last month I spent a short week with my friend Verity in Tasmania and what a great few days it was too. I am sure that none of you need be reminded that Tasmania is the island state of Australia and lies off the coast almost directly south of Melbourne across Bass Strait. The [...]
Dear friends, Most summers I visit Europe but it has been a while since I visited any of the Nordic Countries, so this year I decided to do just that. It was a bit of a nostalgic trip for me as I have previously spent a lot of time up in the north, but also [...]
Dear friends, Another really fun happening in Chiang Mai last weekend when I took a painting class with the talented Chris Chun. He had generously offered a class, even with bubbly and cakes as an extra attraction, as one of the auction items at the Skills for Life Foundation fundraising event some months ago and three [...]
Dear friends, There is no doubt that the Thai kitchen is one of the world's most recognized and appreciated cuisines. Over the years living here in Chiang May, I have sent many visitors to cooking classes although have neglected to do one myself. However, this has been rectified as last weekend I had the opportunity [...]
Dear friends, After a couple of days exploring Stonetown, we drove up the island towards the northernmost tip to spend two more days enjoying the beach and fresh sea breezes. On the way, we stopped at a Spice Farm run as a local cooperative and were given a wonderful tour through the trees and shrubs [...]
Dear friends, It was an exciting couple of weeks at the end of November / early December when I launched my new book "Portraits of Myanmar. A celebration of Work, Play and Prayer", first in Chiang Mai on my birthday no less - what a great way to celebrate, and then 10 days later in [...]