Tag: Holidays
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Eggnog Around the World
The first year I cooked eggnog, the result was a combination of lumps and slime. Not even the high-proof white lightening we poured in–the Malawian jungle juice known as Powers No 1–could cure the stuff. We were Peace Corps Volunteers celebrating Christmas in the back of beyond. We had most of the right ingredients, fresh…
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Holiday Travel Writing Tip
Most of us in this parallel economy already have some version of BuyBux—cash rewards for paying with credit. MyBux© takes it to a whole new level, consolidating all loyalty programs under one umbrella. And because I’m a novelist, not a productive entrepreneur, the MyBux© loyalty program exists safely within the confines of my unwritten plot.
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Thanksgiving Hike
We shook off the lingering Thanksgiving weekend with a sturdy hike today, climbing 1,100 feet to reach Karnala Fort. The climb passes through the Karnala Bird Sanctuary off highway 66 in Raigad, Maharashtra, home to some two hundred species of birds. We also spotted wood spiders, carpenter bees, termites, dragon flies, and cicadas, and saw…
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Diwali. Art. Humanity.
Rangoli beside our door means one thing. Diwali! Colored powders, various beans, and a few candles set around the entry welcome our visitors. Our virtual visitors. Welcome, virtual visitors! See who has already come? The purple-footed Lakshmi tip-toeing around the fern. A confession: I’m no fan of rangoli. They irk me so. Such beautiful creations,…
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Tart on Thanksgiving
That’s two Key Lime Pies. A bowl of fresh cranberry sauce. And a big smile just thinking about eating it all. Thanksgiving for decades has been a blend of the traditional and the tropical. From celebrating at the U.S. Ambassador’s residence in Malawi (’96) to floating in the pool with a turkey on the raft…
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Lord Ganesh
Last week I wrote up the drums. The drums have been overtaken by Lord Ganesha himself. Today, his birthday, idols in his likeness march home through the streets. Ganesh was getting ready for months, built from the inside out by laborers and artisans, men who craft and carve by eye, trained through the bloodlines, directing…
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Peace & Light on Christmas Eve
The word PEACE stretches out in silver letters beneath the lighted garland on our mantel. Tomorrow we’ll build a fire there and friends will gather round for warmth and cheer. The shortest day of the year has come and gone, & our side of the world now turns toward light. Will the light show our…
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The Mars Boycott
Halloween is here and I’m taking a stand. I will eat nothing wrapped in orange, brown, yellow, or gold. I declare Mars and the rest of Candy Corp America persona non grata in my home! Here’s why: The average child eats about 3 cups of sugar and 7,000 calories on Halloween. They’d have to walk approximately…
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Trivial Armchair Protest #1
I like Starbucks’ red cup and I’m glad they dressed themselves up for the holidays. I’m annoyed that Nordstrom’s is bragging about not dressing up sooner. They sell clothes, after all: if anyone should dress up sooner, it’s them. I’m also tired of people casting judgments about how others recognize and celebrate or do not…
Ben East Books 