Read more "On the Alms Round"

At 3:00 AM, I could feel it coming. Like the thunder in the distance the contractions that woke me from a deep sleep warned me of the approaching storm. I knew what lay ahead, I had been there before: The head-on collision of a first-world stomach with developing-world bacteria. Alone in my misery, I waited. […]

Read more "An Ode to Bacteria"

Bo Gado translates literally to “foreign lady.” Rumor has it, the village got its name from the long-gone days where  it was close to some sort of water source (the locals claim the ocean, though given its location far inland a large lake or river seems more likely), and the locals rescued a foreign woman […]

Read more "The Village of the Foreign Lady"

Of all the women who greeted me, Ma Kyu was the only one who didn’t smile. One after another, each one of my temporary companions welcomed me warmly, offering a shy grin and examining me with gentle curiosity. Ma Kyu stood with her hands on her hips, eyes flickering with a subtle disapproval. Ma Kyu […]

Read more "Redefining the Shower"