Category Archives: Terrorism

Northern Ireland and Armenia: bordering on —well, what?

Above all else, politicians and peace-builders in Northern Ireland — not two completely overlapping groups— know that people find it hard to change. It is 20 years since the Good Friday agreement and many stumbling blocks to lasting peace and … Continue reading

Posted in America, Armenia, Belfast, Borders, Caucausus, Cross-cultural understanding, fear, Learning, life lessons, Millisle, Nagorno-Karabakh, National pride, Northern Ireland, Peace Corps, Peace Corps Armenia, Terrorism, Things that make a difference, travel, velvet revolution, war, Women | 3 Comments

Rage, Rage Against the Dying of our Children’s Light

Yesterday everyone I know in America marched. The gay grandads marched. The Arizona teacher raised on an island filled with Armalites marched. The TV producer mom flew home from a shoot to stand in front of the White House and … Continue reading

Posted in 2018, America, Armenia, Cross-cultural understanding, Education, fear, Fundraising, gratitude, Great weekends, guns, Hanna Huntley, Happiness, march for our lives, Mother/daughter dynamic, National Poetry Recitation Contest, no guns in schools, Peace Corps, philanthropy, Poetry, Safety, Terrorism, Things that gladden the heart, Things that make a difference, travel | 2 Comments

I don’t know myself at all.

Gazarnaguine they call it here. Carrot orange. The color of my hair ever since I was born. Admittedly my hair– much like the rest of me– has had a little help from the bottle this last twenty-five years, but still … Continue reading

Posted in Armenia, bad hair day, Beauty, Belfast, clothes, Cross-cultural understanding, Embarrassment, errors of judgement, fashion, fear, friendship, know thyself, Northern Ireland, red head, Terrorism, Women | 1 Comment

Border Post: Part One

I have been thinking a lot about borders. This is the first post in a series of four that threatens to be quite boring, but which is at least topical. Brace yourself and persevere if you can.  Borders are like … Continue reading

Posted in Belfast, Borders, Cross-cultural understanding, errors of judgement, Northern Ireland, Politics, Terrorism | 2 Comments

Where am I? It looks familiar

Sitting on a chair in Ani’s kitchen, I had a flashback. Ani, my new next door neighbor,was drying my hair and was about to style Elsa’s. It reminded me of when we were children in Belfast, and used to go … Continue reading

Posted in Armenia, Belfast, Borders, Cross-cultural understanding, family, Food, Northern Ireland, Nostalgia, Peace Corps, Terrorism, Village life, Women | Leave a comment

Home thoughts from abroad

  I didn’t hear about the Westminster bombing until 24 hours after it happened. I was in transit, and then in a place without papers, TV or internet. This saved me hours of worry because the dead and maimed had … Continue reading

Posted in America, Northern Ireland, Politics, Terrorism | Leave a comment