When I go overseas it’s almost always to learn from the poorest of the poor. But today I’m headed to Dubai to learn from the richest of the rich. Things like…where exactly does one buy a cheetah? How does one protect one’s leather seats from said cheetah? And if one’s… Read More
“You are my first customer of the day,” he answers when Becky asks how much the bracelet costs. Becky is the very worst haggler. She listens. She smiles. She never walks away. “In Arab culture,” he continues, “the first customer is good luck for the day.” He speaks through a… Read More
The woman in the center seat complains to the man against the window that the conference wasn’t all that helpful. “Do you work together?” I ask. One hour later I’ve learned the pair are university science professors irritated at how hard it is to get funding for research that has… Read More
The small prop plane rises from the runway in Salt Lake City. Rain falls. Charcoal clouds churn. The plane pitches left to right. A business woman in heels and pearls grips her armrest across the aisle from me; her knuckles yellow, then whiten. The plane dives suddenly, sending my stomach… Read More
On the last night of every Compassion Bloggers trip we sit around a table together and talk about how to go back home. Because re-entry is a peculiar and scary thing. We talk about the myriad responses we may have when we get there. There’s no telling what’s going to… Read More
“Five gospels record the life of Jesus. Four you will find in books and the one you will find in the land they call Holy. Read the fifth gospel and the world of the four will open to you.” -St. Jerome (347-420 A.D.) After ping-ponging across America for weeks with… Read More
Shaun Groves