The Year of the Virus has been a decidedly rough tumble for my dad. After teetering at the threshold of … More
Tag: family
The Balinese, Still Rising to the Occasion
In the last two decades, the Balinese people have endured extraordinary challenges: a series of bombings that killed foreigners and … More
The Landscape of my Father’s Life
Once upon a childhood – I might have been 8 or 9 years old – my dad was driving me … More
Two Beaches, Worlds Apart
I’ve seen my share of beach. From Spain to France, from California, Florida and Mexico to Bermuda and Turks and … More
Vilnius to Valbonne
It’s unlikely that Lithuania appears on the radar for a family reunion. Indeed, it’s not a country that usually falls … More
Behind The Scenes (Of a Balinese Marriage)
Once in awhile, Ubud catches me off guard. Even after 6+ years of island living, I feel like I’m immersed … More
A Compound of Joy
Vulcanologists, priests and authorities urged villagers to remain in evacuee camps, and exhorted all travelers to stay far away. At … More
Closing the Door
More than four decades ago, on the other side of the world (from where I now live), my engineer-father and … More
A Long Wait.. and Baby Makes Four
The other day, I set out for one of the most significant Balinese ceremonies that I’ve ever been honored to … More
Getting my Greens (& Golds)
I’d grown weary of the relentless parade of concrete, cement, cinderblocks; the onslaught of chimney-like blasts of smoke pelting at … More