Looking out from my room on the 18th floor of the Diamond Hotel, Manila Bay was tranquil as far as I could see; traffic flowed along the tree-lined Roxas Boulevard; passenger “Jeepneys” competed with tricycles and taxis on the streets below and people didn’t seem to be bothered by the hot and sunny day. I […]

We recently spent a week in Manila enjoying the tropical heat, crowded streets, chaotic traffic, and many other familiar sights and sounds of that busy city. It had been six years since our last visit. Even with our joy at being back, we needed a short break. We signed up for a tour of a

During our time in the Foreign Service, we have been assigned to many of the capitals of the world. In each of these places we were provided with a safe and secure place to live. We stayed two or three years at each location and became very familiar with what we could see from our

The news this week was filled with stories of people who died while attempting to cross the sea from Libya to Italy. Hundreds of people trying to escape lives of oppression, war and poverty only made it to a watery grave. Those desperate people paid huge amounts of money to be smuggled in cramped vessels

The Embassy Community Liaison Office in Beijing planned a special shopping bus trip to some highly recommended furniture shops in Beijing. The trip was scheduled for Sunday when we normally attend Church. Susan was in a dilemma. She was invited by her close friend, and this was a chance to spend the day with her