Looking back: Expat life in the Middle East

PEOPLE ALWAYS ASK ME WHAT IT WAS LIKE TO LIVE IN THE MIDDLE EAST I am standing in line waiting my turn at the currency exchange kiosk at the City Centre mall. It is a typical Thursday afternoon in expat life: there are 40 or more expats from Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, the Philippines, and assorted other countries in line with me, waiting to wire their paychecks home. As usual, some locals cut the line, and…

Continue Reading →

How to do San Francisco if you’re over 40

Exploring the popular sights of #San Francisco can still be exciting but more challenging for #travelersover40, given the city’s topography and diverse #popculture. Here are some tips to make it easier to get around the city and find the right mix of fun and #adventure for your particular interests and fitness level. I first visited San Francisco when I was in my early 20’s, and it has since been one of my favorite cities.  I…

Continue Reading →

Rediscovering Miami: Street art, glass gardens, luxury condos and more

Home to internationally acclaimed #artbasel, Miami has become an art-centric city, with galleries, outdoor exhibits, exotic tropical gardens and skylines rising to the occasion. Returning to Miami two years after moving away, I’ve rediscovered this vibrant city in a new way.  No longer consumed by the daily grind, I have ventured beyond my customary boundaries to experience the “magic city” as a tourist. Serving as home to one of three internationally acclaimed Art Basel shows,…

Continue Reading →

Arrival in Abu Dhabi

It is Friday, “family day, in Abu Dhabi, and we park along the corniche, a popular common denominator of these Gulf port cities. There is a strange, wooden structure, which looks as though someone piled together a bunch of two-by-fours to build, in the center of the plaza by the newly built “public” beach. A vendor is renting motorized mini cars and scooters, and children are scurrying after their parents to sample a few turns…

Continue Reading →