Bang, bang, bang! The abrupt, sharp sound reverberated through the thin walls of my Can Tho hotel room at exactly 4:30 AM. It was an urgent and impossibly loud pounding on the door that ripped me instantly from the depths of a heavy, humid sleep. I scrambled out of bed in the dark, my mind […]
Karaoke, Commerce, and Culture: An Unfiltered Morning on the Mekong Read More »
As an educator working with adult Yazidi students, I quickly learned that our lessons extended far beyond the classroom curriculum. To truly know the Yazidis, an ancient, indigenous ethno-religious minority primarily hailing from the Nineveh plains and the Sinjar region of northern Iraq is to understand their fierce resilience. Throughout a long history marked by
A Culinary Journey Through Yazidi Culture: Food, Symbolism, and the Sacred Grain Read More »
My appreciation for the culinary arts has been deepened in the most unexpected ways through my work as an educator. I have had the privilege of being introduced to the rich, aromatic world of Syrian desserts by some of my own students—talented individuals who, before joining my classroom, worked as professional chefs in Syria. Through
A Sweet Journey Through Syria: Origins and Traditions of Syrian Desserts Read More »
June 3rd, 2002 – Taipei, TaiwanI am twenty-eight, single, and currently vibrating at a frequency usually reserved for tuning forks and panicked chihuahuas. I’m in the back of a taxi, hurtling down a dark suburban highway, when the night is violently interrupted by what looks like a UFO landing. It’s a glowing, neon-lit glass kiosk
Midnight in Taipei: Neon, Numbness, and the Betel Nut Beauties Read More »