Don't Call Us Slovaks Here are some of the things that my current home, Slovenia, has been confused with: Slovakia, Transylvania, Siberia, Slavonia, Yugoslavia, and Sepultura. Well, maybe not the last one, but definitely the …
November 3, 2005
Go Abroad!
Michael Manske In Slovenia
Salvation Gate Ministry
"Fundamentalist Muslims are manifesting what they believe today. Their mission is to change the world so that it is under their control. If you don't agree with them, they will kill you. They don't value …
October 27, 2005
Old Wounds
When Escondido resident Le Ly Hayslip learned that the California State Assembly planned a May 9 award to honor her work, she got ready to celebrate. "My birthday is May 10," she says, "and I …
August 25, 2005
Elisabeth La Coquette in Paris, France
Olive Belly Button At first gasp, France's Télématin could be the identical twin cousin of The Today Show. The hosts hum along to pop music on the way back from commercial; there's corny banter; a …
July 28, 2005
Elisabeth La Coquette in Paris, France
The Cat Came Back Over quiche and strawberries at a recent Parisian blogger picnic, the questions fired at me reflect an eerie insight, considering that most of these people I have never met (virtual relations …
July 21, 2005
Genuine Chinese Irish Lace
Heymatt: I was recently given some lovely lace handkerchiefs from my grandmother. Several of them have a gold sticker on them that proclaims "Genuine Irish Lace Made In China." How can it be "Genuine Irish …
July 21, 2005
Elisabeth La Coquette in Paris, France
Parisian Shower? I am watching a program showcasing movies that will premier in France this week. There's one called La Moustache that seems particularly interesting. From what I gather, a man shaves his mustache, then …
July 14, 2005
EliSabeth La CoQuette in Paris, France
Preverbal and Illiterate My father is French, but I was raised American (in Florida) to the extent that my half-Frenchness always felt like trivia, not identity. I moved to Paris about 18 months ago, and …
July 7, 2005
Tour De France, We Hardly Knew Ye
This is the last year Americans will follow the Tour de France. Little children will torment their pets, master their first video game, log 26,000 hours in front of the family television set, and borrow …
July 7, 2005
Florist Face Off
Haruko Crawford says, "I started taking ikebana lessons when I was 13 years old. I'm 80 now." I lean back into my chair, close my eyes, and wonder how I got here, on the telephone …
May 5, 2005
Wrong About Japan: A Father's Journey with His Son
Wrong About Japan: A Father's Journey with His Son. Alfred A. Knopf, 2005; 158 pages; $17.95. FROM THE DUST JACKET: The recipient of two Booker Prizes, Peter Carey expands his extraordinary achievement with each new …
Alex the Greek
Chargers owner Alex G. Spanos, the megamillionaire who reportedly wants San Diego taxpayers to give him 60 acres of prime Mission Valley property as part of his latest stadium scheme, has turned Hollywood mogul. The …
February 24, 2005
In Fond Remembrance of Me: A Memoir of Myth and Uncommon Friendship in the Arctic
In Fond Remembrance of Me: A Memoir of Myth and Uncommon Friendship in the Arctic FROM THE DUST JACKET: Howard Norman spent the fall of 1977 in Churchill, Manitoba, translating into English two dozen "Noah …
Kids arrive alone in San Diego from Honduras. Then what?
The hopped trains, took buses, spent long days walking. When their path took them through remote areas, they went hungry.
February 3, 2005