Haiti, a country I learned to love. I was not sure what to make of Port-au-Prince when I first arrived (this will have to be in my next posting) ; then Barnett forwarded an email about participating in a Progressive Dinner. I've always liked Progressive Dinners, and we did a lot of that in the Foreign Service. I called the person responsible for coordinating the event and asked if we might end the evening at my house with desserts and coffee. The answer was "yes." That was my introduction to Robin. It was a successful event, everyone went out of his/her way to make all of us newbies welcome. I made lots and lots of Lao and Thai desserts using the mangoes and coconuts I found in Petionville. In a corner of my living room, I had a comfortable arm chair, a lamp, and a small table covered with books that I would pick up and read every morning while sipping coffee. In particular, I like the Daily Spiritual Reading. Robin actu...
For years now, I keep on saying that I am a potted plant because I have been wandering around the world since the age of five. I have no roots, I have never had a steady place to call my own, and now I do not want to own one. My base is myself, and I am content. It has come to a point that moving is not only part of my life, but it is my life; a life instilled into my body and soul so deep that not moving is not an option. I tried hard to stay put, to stay in one place; and I realized that I am not happy that way. My spirit is gloomy, and my soul has difficulty enduring the confinement of staying put. I believe that I am more of a poppy than a potted plant. I adapt easily to my environment, wherever that happens to be. Poppies come in different colors, they are resilient. Each generates a distinct aroma. Poppies grow everywhere, From the mountains of Himalaya To the plains of California. They grow in Iceland And they travel to Thailand. They can be found in Spain, And the...
Food is really something you grow up with. You do not suddenly develop a taste for snails or avocado at the age of forty. You gradually start eating those “strange” foods while you are a toddler because your mother constantly asks you to try at least one bite. I remember giving my daughter Isabelle a coffee spoon of avocado and she did not really like it; but she did not gag, so it was OK. My mother used to say that if they gag, you have to stop making them eat; but if they do not like it, then you can try again the next time. To make a long story short, Isabelle now loves avocado, and other “strange” Southeast Asian foods. I originally come from Laos from a Colonial French family and I was raised to be French, but unfortunately, and to my mother’s dismay, I am very American. Nevertheless I am an American with an intensive background in cultures and culinary. I gave my grandchildren escargots, mussels, crabs (all kind of seafood), different ve...