Countries we flew over

Countries we flew over Originally uploaded by maximolly. On our way to Bangalore, we flew over Iran and Kuwait. I couldn’t see anything as we flew over Mumbai — cloud cover, I assume. But all of this was fascinating to me. I’ve never flown over–or to–India or parts of the Middle East.

Arrived!

So tired. But I’m here. I’m at the guest flat that I’m staying in in Bangalore. More soon.

The news

My arm’s sore. It’s got five new holes in it: two in my left bicep, two in my right bicep, one on the inside of my arm. Vaccinations: hepatitis A, polio booster, flu booster, typhoid fever, blood work to determine if I can take a certain kind of malarial prophylaxis for when I get back.… Continue reading The news

Homesickness

It hit me like a wave. I was at the local health food store, and picked up Imbibe magazine at the checkstand. It looked like something published on the West Coast, and indeed it was. Right inside the cover: the sweet faces of Eileen and Jeremy, the owners of Ritual. Ritual was my favorite place… Continue reading Homesickness

The other pilot ate the fish

the other pilot ate the fish Originally uploaded by maximolly. When our flight from Hartford to Chicago got stuck in a thunderstorm, 100 feet from the jetway, the pilot announced we’d be there for a while. So I said, screw this. I’m flying the plane myself! (Nah, but they gave a nice tour of the… Continue reading The other pilot ate the fish

The tiniest world

In 1989-1990, when I was 17 and 18, I spent a year in Düsseldorf, Germany as an exchange student. Toward the end of the year, I spent two weeks on a short-term exchange in Kleve, a smaller town on the Dutch border. The mother was 34 and recently divorced, her children 9 and 5. They… Continue reading The tiniest world