Siblings and ‘Staches
The youngest child of a huge family is drinking Ayran, a beverage made of yogurt and water, as far as I can tell. She is at a table packed with … Continue reading
Crossing Guard
I’m waiting to cross the street, watching for a few hustling taxis to pass, when I feel a presence on my right. I instinctively move a bit to my left. I am … Continue reading
This Seeing of the World
Originally posted on The Nice Thing About Strangers:
But he went on to reflect that he had done very wisely to pull up stakes and come abroad; this seeing of…
The Humbling Scenes: Part II
So I knew I couldn’t walk to my Turkish class, and would need another plan. I stared at a map and felt some vague hope that if I went to a … Continue reading
The Humbling Scenes: Part I
If you have a good sense of direction, please never forget that this is a gift. Like those who can sleep in airplanes, you have been granted something very beautiful. … Continue reading
Slapstick Grandma
Originally posted on The Nice Thing About Strangers:
She gives her grandchildren a bright, rainbow umbrella. She opens it for those cherubs–a boy and a girl in galoshes–and lets the…
Whatever Will Be Will Be
The tram lurches at stops and the morning riders open their eyes briefly, then return to snoozing while standing. I’ve just arrived so I am jet lagged and full of … Continue reading
Little Miss Dutiful
The middle child adores her baby brother. She kisses him and holds his tiny hand while waiting to board. She’s a proud Kindergartener, offering to carry packages down the jetway … Continue reading
Postcard for Addyson #1
Originally posted on The Nice Thing About Strangers:
Dear Addy, The two postcards I sent from Turkey took about 6 weeks to reach you. So I thought I’d send an…
Dear me: Deer. Me.
I’m in the mountains for a few weeks as an adventure. Though not an Outdoorsy person by nature, I do enjoy sitting on the porch to read. On my neighbor’s … Continue reading
Greenland
In the flight from Prague to New York, the pilot mentions it’s a great view of Greenland out the right of the plane. All the window shades are lifted, sometimes … Continue reading
Good, But No Samaritan
Originally posted on The Nice Thing About Strangers:
On the 92A bus, a gruff Austrian soldier keeps his pack on as he watches intently for his stop. Two elementary-aged boys…
The Wave
The family of three heads for seats in the tram. The mother has a toy for her toddler, who refuses to remain in one place. The father tries to wrangle … Continue reading
Super Süpürgeci
He’s sweeping while others are sleeping. I know the Turkish word “to sweep”–süpürüyor–so I am conjugating his every move, his plan for tomorrow, and yesterday’s business. I must admit it was … Continue reading
Benim Kızım and Other Cures for Airsickness
Originally posted on The Nice Thing About Strangers:
The general rustling of reading material charges through the airplane. Everyone shifts in their seat, digs through the belongings that should be…
Brotherly Love
It’s such an early shuttle to the airport. Two brothers wear green plaid shirts, grey sandals, black cargo pants in larger and smaller sizes, respectively. Groggy as they board, their mother … Continue reading
I Spy
A couple and their toddler toddle through the hip Vienna neighborhood. As they come into an area with shops, cafes, and restaurants, the father lifts the tiny girl up onto … Continue reading
How Little I Know
Originally posted on The Nice Thing About Strangers:
Kotor, Montenegro He looked at the snail. Can it see me? He wondered. Then he felt, how little I know, and how…
Take Me
I’m renting an apartment in Budapest for a week. It’s an adorable building in a great location. The apartment has the amenities I sought, it is quiet and clean. However, … Continue reading
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