Mission Rabies Tanzania – Day 11, This Vaccination Drive is Coming to a End. Pt14

Great day today. We were roaming again, in an area called Singisi. It’s a pretty area, with lots of lush green foliage. Many interesting pathways and homes. Courtnie had to get her pre-flight Covid test this morning, along with several other volunteers who are flying to the UK on Thursday, so I was by myself in the morning. I had…

Quick Book Review: “Year of the Monkey” by Patti Smith

In this (very) unique book, we follow Patti’s year of wandering in the year of the monkey, according to the Chinese zodiac. It’s part memoir (as she talks of concerts, museum visits, politics, the hospitalization and subsequent death of her friend Sandy Pearlman), part fiction (conversations with hotel signs), and I dunno… part fever dream? If you’re looking for any…

Mission Rabies Tanzania – Day 10, More Vaccinations for Dogs and Cats. Pt13

Our assignment today was to roam in two areas. In the morning, we were covering a new area, and we saw a reasonable amount of dogs and a surprisingly high number of cats. When we set up a static point clinic, the vast majority of the pets are dogs, because they can walk their dogs over relatively easily. People here…

Quick Book Review: “Short Cuts” by Raymond Carver

Recently I acquired The Criterion Collection version of Robert Altman’s film, Short Cuts. The film is inspired by a collection of nine short stories and a poem by Raymond Carver, and the boxed set includes the book. I’ve wanted to read Carver for a while, and I’m glad I finally did. These stories, of ordinary people, were dark and quirky.…

Mission Rabies Tanzania – Day 9, The Second Week Continues. Pt12

Well, it’s confirmed. Our KLM flight is definitely a no-go. Initially, KLM sent me an email saying that our flight was a Covid-Tested corridor flight and is therefore exempt from the new Netherlands regulations. Now I’ve received an email that said that the first email was sent in error. Our flight is NOT a Covid-Tested corridor flight. It was just…

Quick Book Review: “A Very Punchable Face” by Colin Jost

A Very Punchable Face, by Colin Jost. This is a really funny memoir by Saturday Night Live comedy writer and Weekend Update host Colin Jost. It’s filled with hilarious, self-deprecating stories from his childhood as well as his life as a stand-up comic and SNL cast member. The stories in the book are really, really funny. Laugh-out-loud funny. There’s a…

Quick Book Review: “Talking to Strangers” by Malcolm Gladwell

I’ve read all of Malcolm Gladwell’s previous books – Blink, The Tipping Point, Outliers, What the Dog Saw – and like millions of readers, I enjoyed them. He’s an excellent writer who really knows how to tell a story and capture your attention. Of all of his books, however, I liked this one the least. The enjoyment from some parts…

Mission Rabies Tanzania – Day 8, The Second Half of the Vaccination Drive Begins! Pt11

Today could only be described as exhilarating. We started this first day of our second week with what we thought would be a quick trip to the medical clinic to get my second post-exposure rabies vaccine (I got scratched by a kitten last week). Well, today is Saturday, and the doctor doesn’t arrive until 9:00. We couldn’t wait that…

"We have two lives, and the second begins when we realize we only have one." - Confucius

For a business owner who worked fanatically five or six days a week and who absolutely relished the weekend, I’m suddenly now a leisure commando, raiding cities across the globe and indulging in whatever leisure activities are on offer there. I no longer live for the weekend; life is one continuous weekend. Join me on these escapades as I try to make sense out of the world.