Posted by in Pink Flamingos, Uncategorized In Search of Pink Flamingos was published over four years ago and its reception is still going strong. Over 30 book clubs have hosted my book and I attended most of these as the guest author, in person or virtually, with no fee. I offer a slideshow with videos from Liberia followed by a robust…Read more »
Posted by in Travel, Uncategorized Some of us have heard of these mesmerizing men who twirl for hours in long white skirts. I wanted to learn more. My OAT (Overseas Adventure Travel) to Turkey in 2023 included a demonstration of this dance; a Sufi tradition (Muslim religious figures akin to monks) that involves spinning faster and faster to summon the…Read more »
Posted by in Heartfelt, Uncategorized I love the summer Olympics and watch them religiously every four years as I did this summer (2024). I tear up as their life stories are told or when they win and achieve their goal. I have never watched the Paralympics, but this year I did. The competitions were jaw-dropping. How did the woman with…Read more »
Posted by in Uncategorized A Senegalese proverb has an expression for a wise deceased person who led a full life: his or her library has burned to the ground. I heard this phrase recently at a memorial service for a 97-year-old friend. As a writer, author, poet, and storyteller, this proverb rang loud. Its meaning is profound. There are…Read more »
Posted by in Travel, Uncategorized What’s the connection between electrical converters, tap water, and toilet paper in this blog? Seeking to escape the cold December weather of the Northwest, I visited Costa Rica for the fourth time. Each visit resulted in making new Tico/Tica friends. This time, I stayed in one location for a month, only venturing out a couple…Read more »
Posted by in Never the Same Again, Uncategorized What a poignant question during these turbulent times. And so what’s the Peace Corps got to do with it, you may ask? I was recently interviewed and asked this question for the WorldView magazine that was published in the Winter 2024 edition. This magazine sponsored by the National Peace Corps Association is supported by those…Read more »
Posted by in Travel, Uncategorized We have opportunities to be kind, be helpful, or pay it forward. Often it is not calculated…just a spontaneous gesture. In my travels this past year I have met many interesting people. This is a story of one lovely woman I met on one my transatlantic flights. I sat next to a 50 + year-old…Read more »
Posted by in Pink Flamingos, Uncategorized I contracted malaria 4 times during the 4 years I lived and worked in Africa (Liberia & Cameroon) in the 70s and 80s. Not because I was noncompliant with my antimalarial medication, but instead, the malarial parasite mutated causing the medication to become ineffective and drug resisitant. During that period, 60% of the Liberian children…Read more »
Posted by in Travel, Uncategorized One thing I’ve learned as a writer, our readers are interested in our qualifications. I never paid much attention or tallied how many countries I’ve traveled over my lifetime. However, when I wrote my first book, it was a question I was asked in my book proposal about what qualified me to write about living…Read more »
Posted by in Travel, Uncategorized As the sun’s rosey glow brought us 2023, much has happened in our lives and around the world and I have many things to share with my readers. But as the sun sets on this December, I want to end with some photos I’ve taken through the year. Some I have written about and others…Read more »
Susan E. Greisen 