Yeah, so I had all these grandiose plans that I would be blogging daily about my adventures in Thailand. I would do something cool during the day, make all kinds of interesting observations, maybe note a funny anecdote or two, and then wind down at the end of the day with well-told tales of my travels. But alas, it is not so simple. You see, I am having TOO many adventures. Now, don't get me wrong. I'm not complaining. Not in the least bit. In fact, I tend to love adventures. But when I get up in the morning, am showered and out the door in less than an hour, do incredible-amazing-wonderful things from first thing in the morning until very late at night, that doesn't leave much time for unwinding. There is barely enough time ... read more

My alarm clock greeted me far too early this morning. In fact, when it goes off at 3:30, I think it should be technically considered "last night." I got up, got ready, and got to the airport in plenty of time. My flight to Chicago was uneventful and the five-hour layover was surprisingly quite tolerable. But when I got on my Chicago-Tokyo flight, things momentarily--but only momentarily--took a turn for the worse. I had an aisle seat. But it was right where the plane narrowed, so my row was "squeezed" at the aisle end, giving me a few inches less of legroom and there was a utility box under my seat so I could only put one foot under the seat. The other had to remain planted in a position that basically thrust my bent knee ... read more

It has been said that people have "flash cube" memories. Certain memorable moments leave an indelible mark that is as crystal clear as a photograph. For me and my trip to Thailand, that will be the day we left a burning Bangkok behind us and relocated to Pattaya. Here is the back story: We arrived in Thailand shortly after the Red Shirts had reached a tentative agreement with Thailand's Prime Minister regarding holding new elections. And for the first few days in country, it seemed as though the worst had passed. On the morning commute to the UNIAP meeting, our train passed over the protest site. Instead of seeing thousands of people standing and actively protesting--like we saw in media coverage of the previous few weeks--we saw empty barricaded roads and a relatively small cluster (maybe ... read more

The past few days have been a blur as I have made final preparations for this amazing journey to begin. I had to get my proverbial ducks in a row: paying bills, lining up a cat sitter (thanks, Zantel!), handing end-of-semester paperwork and drama, shopping for some trip essentials, getting shots, and packing for a month in one suitcase weighing, ideally, less than 30 pounds. Side Note: In what was probably the strangest moment in all of these preparations, I found myself in the CBA building talking "fashion" with Fred Luthans. Yes, UNL people, you read that right, Fred Luthans. It all started innocently enough. I asked Fred whether people typically have a PowerPoint presentation prepared for the Pan Pacific Business Association conference. Next thing I knew, the conversation had spiraled out of control. A simple, ... read more

I can’t believe the summer is over. My students gave their final presentations this morning. And then they packed up their suitcases and got on busses headed for the train station. It really is sad that it is coming to an end so soon. Campus feels so strange without them here. And with them leaving, it is starting to sink in that I’ll be leaving soon also. Fortunately, Ryan will be here in a couple days and we’ll have some more time in Italy before we really have to leave. I figured that today was as good a day as any to pack up the suitcase I want to ship home. Ryan and I plan to travel light, so I need to get some of this stuff off my hands. Anything that I felt that I ... read more