Why is Chefchaouen blue? Blue as the sky. Blue as the sea. The Medina in Chefchauoen is powdery blue and full of twisting alleys and sometimes dead ends. Why blue? Jewish refugees fleeing anti Semitic sentiment in Europe lived in this part of the city in the 1930s and painted it blue. Blue represents a … Continue reading
Flying into Paris on the eve of a national election makes for an interesting and perhaps more unguarded view of the French point of view. Think about how you feel, wherever you may live, when the outcome of a political election publicly reveals the extent of a problem you (the royal “you”) have been unwilling … Continue reading
2013: my Year of the Dog. Or better yet, Year of the Daisy. Daisy came into our lives in late spring as a stray, and quickly made herself one of the family. Having a dog has changed my life for the better. There’s no other way to say it. I’m so happy she found us. … Continue reading
Detroit, one month later. When I first returned from my European adventure, I was irritable. Then mopey. Frustration was followed by resignation. Finally, acceptance. The five stages of re-acculturation. It was as if Detroit had saved up all its goodies for my return. Bankrupt city. DIA treasures potentially saleable. Teenager in my neighborhood violently raped. … Continue reading
When at last the war you’re in becomes too much to take and you’d rather be right than alive, comes the uprising. All of us have been occupied by forces that are hostile to what we believe in. Or maybe to situations that are untenable. Be it a relationship, a job, a place… we all … Continue reading
I’m going to blog about my Marshall Memorial Experience writ large… one day, one month and one year after returning home.Of course, I’m sure I’ll have burbles of thoughts and insights in between, but here’s where I’ll take a holistic view of its impact on me (and with any luck, the world). Not driving for … Continue reading
Americans, generally speaking, don’t think about culture in the same way as Europeans. For us, culture can be about creating something new and a process of becoming. As individuals we think about our heritage, sure. But we don’t linger on the culture of our forebears. Like the kid on the shoulders in a crowd, we … Continue reading
Whenever I want to take a trip back to my roots, I think about my grandmother’s kitchen. I inherited a dog-eared cookbook from her; it’s got Cajun recipes galore and looks pretty good; however, I doubt she used it. Not even once. Someone probably gave it to her. She cooked from memory mostly, or from … Continue reading
I wanted to name this post “Thessaloniki, I love you but you’re bringing me down,” but then I thought Rosencrans Baldwin could have issues with that and, besides, I’m on a trip to promote transatlantic cooperation so need to focus on the positives. Right? Right. One day in Greece and I’ve already experienced wonder, disgust, … Continue reading
Although many decades have passed since the end of World War II, the last big war fought on Western European soil, it could be argued that memories in Europe run long and deep about the past, particularly as relates to why a totalitarian state should be avoided. Almost to a person, I’ve heard from people … Continue reading
glossy&rowdy 