I just realized that I may not live to see a female president in the United States. I just realized that the America I live in is not the America I thought I lived in. I’m part of a religious community that often laments the state of “the world.” I often hear peple say... Continue Reading →
Fiction Friday: Chapter 16
Read previous chapters here. This is the final chapter. Chapter 16 Leda enters the hospital with Diane on her heels. She thinks her daughter is talking to her, trying to calm her, but she does not hear anything. She only sees the reception desk and the long hall beyond the doors that are closed to... Continue Reading →
Domestic Violence: So Proud of Breeanne
The Beautiful and the Damned: Life in the New India (2011) by Siddhartha Deb enlightened me in terms of the research Breeanne and I conducted in India on female practitioners in technical communication. The book highlights the economic changes that have occurred over the last decade or so because of the technology sector and the... Continue Reading →
Planes, Trains, and Automobiles
I don’t usually like or use foul language, but I must share with you the fact that Breeanne described our travels yesterday as a “shitshow,” a term now used to also describe the Republican National Convention because of norovirus. But I digress. We woke up at 4:30 yesterday morning to leave Pune, India, where we... Continue Reading →
Bookstore in Pune
We have met some amazing people in Pune, India, for our research. We also get stopped frequently on the street by young women who want to take their picture with us. We are nearly always the only white people on the streets, and we get a lot of stares. We also get a lot of... Continue Reading →
Gandhi
We arrived in Pune, India, late last night from Chennai. Today's adventure consisted of a three-hour nap, followed by a buffet lunch. Once we gathered ourselves and overcame some of the travel tiredness, we headed out to see the Aga Khan Palace, built in 1892. It is the place where Mahatma Gandhi, his wife Kasturba Gandhi,... Continue Reading →
Chennai, India
Breeanne and I are now in Chennai, India. We have met such wonderful people. They are warm and caring. While we have met with many women for our research and gotten to know their professional habits and aspirations well, we have also seen many people on the streets who are curious and helpful. The traffic... Continue Reading →
Layover in Abu Dhabi
My colleague Breeanne and I just landed in Chennai, India. On the way, we had a 15-hour layover in Abu Dhabi, so we left the airport, found a hotel, and then trekked to the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque before heading back to the airport. It is one of the most beautiful buildings I've ever seen,... Continue Reading →
In the Bag
We recently visited Capitol Reef National Park as a family to hike and camp. My sister Haley and her husband David are expert campers and hikers and took us there. The park is gorgeous, and we did a five-mile water hike that was a blast. We arrived on a Friday evening... Continue Reading →
Fiction Friday: Chapter 13
Read previous chapters here. Chapter 13 As Leda balances the checkbook, she finds many debits after the holiday season and monthly medical expenses. She knows the holiday expenses are past, but expects to see many more bills paid to doctors and nurses. As these numbers swirl in her head, she remembers that Walt Junior has... Continue Reading →