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Camel Tracks

I teach, train, and do some admin stuff at a high school. I've spent half my life abroad. I hope that posting some ruminations will help me write better. If you gain any enjoyment, fantastic. Cheers ...

International Food is Crazy Good

Tasty dishes and sips from all over the planet that our family enjoys: Lebanese meza, chawarma, babaganoush Indian samosa, chapaati, naan, daal Kenyan chai (tea, milk, sugar) French onion soup, cheese fondu Senegalese chep-u -jin (fish and rice) Ivoirian attieke (cassava), allocos (plantain) Malian tigadegena (peanut sauce and rice) Kenyan sukuma wiki/ugali (greens with corn meal mush) Chadian grilled camel meat with onions and bread Liberian grilled barracuda steaks, palm oil greens and rice...
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Books That Move Me Deeply

These books have changed, moved, or inspired me deeply. I will keep updating. Lord of the Rings. JRR Tolkien. Best of the best. I read the hard covers every couple years. Normal hobbits do great things. Chronicles of Narnia. CS Lewis. Read to our kids Wheel of Time. Robert Jordan. Complex. Epic. Early and last books best reads Foundation Series. Isaac Asimov. Superb plot. Great ideas How Should We Then Live. Francis A. Schaeffer. Tracing art to intellectual thought. I fell in love with art be...
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My Moto Evolution

TWO WHEEL EVOLUTION How can two wheels make you feel so good? The wind in your hair, the quiet rush, the freedom of movement through tight spaces in traffic, using gears, brakes, and balance as one with your bike, alone with your thoughts, while exploring your route is such a positive physical experience in every way. Here's my 55 year process. The last one is a dream come true. Tricycle. Age 4-5 Bicycle Single Speed Age 5-10 Ten Speed Bicycle Age 15-60 Moped Mobilette (French) Age 16-18 Hon...
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Africa's western tip: Senegal

DAKAR I've spent roughly 7 years in Senegal, mostly in the capital, Dakar. It's kind of fun to listen to a mix of two languages all the time -- French and Wolof (this is also the largest ethnic group). Dakar is a bustling congested city full of city buses and hawkers selling their wares in the middle of traffic. The Wolof are famously hard-working trading people. There are Wolof traders all across the West Africa coastline. They are also justly known as fierce warriors. Boys are taught to neve...
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Casablanca: The first White House

NORTHERN MOROCCO: Casablanca Morocco has two parts: North and South. The northern part is what most people think of -- cool climate, wonderful tajiin sauces, fruits of all kinds, hiking and climbing the Atlas Mountains, wonderful beaches, the huge and ancient mosques in the capital city, the extremely old traditional cities with their bazaars and fresh-squeezed juices in the town center of Marrakesh. The capital city is the original claim to the White House -- Casablanca -- and much older than A...
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Lisbon Our Favorite Spot in Europe

LISBOA: SINTRA and CASCAIS Full disclosure, I'm massively biased as my wife grew up in Portugal, speaks Portuguese, and her sister lives there. Portugal is known for its olives/olive oil, cork wood, cod fish, leather, porcelain ceramics, cotton linens, pastel de nata pastries, almonds, and grilled octopus. Their fresh fruit is amazing.  Oranges, tangerines, lemons, kiwi, pears and apples should be in season in January. There are two suburbs which capture, for me, a different and marvel-inspiring...
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