Words out.  I’m back in the states!  It’s somehow been nearly two months since I have returned from Nepal.  Writing this ‘last’ post on my fellowship has been difficult.  My fear is posting the grand finale closes a chapter to a mission I am not done with yet.  So this will NOT be the last, but will continue to be a medium as time allows and as I continue to explore  human trafficking’s global footprint.  Look for a post on a recent event I attended concerning labor trafficking in the states. Since I have returned I have had the opportunity to share my...…Words out.  I’m back in the states!  It’s somehow been nearly two months since I have returned from Nepal.  Writing this ‘last’ post on my fellowship has been difficult.  My fear is posting the grand finale closes a chapter to a mission I am not done with yet.  So this will NOT be the last, but will continue to be a medium as time allows and as I continue to explore  human trafficking’s global footprint.  Look for a post on a recent event I attended concerning labor trafficking in the states. Since I have returned I have had the opportunity to share my...WW…

I recently queried my Facebook friends with the following question: What is your takeaway from confinement? Being confined in our homes for, on average, 2-3 months at a time was such a peculiar, unpredicted, and unexpected experience. I think every person who lived through it will have something to say about what they learned, or took away, from those weeks cooped up inside. Our experience was so strange because we weren’t in our own home, in our own city, with any of our usual references or comforts to turn to. The comforts here in Pisa are actually more exciting than the usual ones in our...…I recently queried my Facebook friends with the following question: What is your takeaway from confinement? Being confined in our homes for, on average, 2-3 months at a time was such a peculiar, unpredicted, and unexpected experience. I think every person who lived through it will have something to say about what they learned, or took away, from those weeks cooped up inside. Our experience was so strange because we weren’t in our own home, in our own city, with any of our usual references or comforts to turn to. The comforts here in Pisa are actually more exciting than the usual ones in our...WW…

It should be no surprise that I have a thing for pomegranates. Pomegranate One of the first times I ever organized a dinner party, in a tiny apartment in the 17th where I cohabited with a then-boyfriend, I wanted to make something with pomegranates. This was in 2008, I thought I was so clever when I googled the ingredients I wanted to use in order to find a suitable recipe. The recipe that I found and ended up making was from a Persian cookbook writer I hadn’t heard of yet, and was for a dish I had never tasted. Khoresh-e-fesenjan, or Pomegranate Khoresh. The dish was delicious, however the...…It should be no surprise that I have a thing for pomegranates. Pomegranate One of the first times I ever organized a dinner party, in a tiny apartment in the 17th where I cohabited with a then-boyfriend, I wanted to make something with pomegranates. This was in 2008, I thought I was so clever when I googled the ingredients I wanted to use in order to find a suitable recipe. The recipe that I found and ended up making was from a Persian cookbook writer I hadn’t heard of yet, and was for a dish I had never tasted. Khoresh-e-fesenjan, or Pomegranate Khoresh. The dish was delicious, however the...WW…

As a white, umpteenth-generation American whose grandparents were all born in New England, I didn’t have much experience cooking Mexican food until recently. I grew up eating ground beef tacos in hard shells with chopped iceberg and jarred salsa (and thanks Mom, it was delicious!) But as I’ve gotten older, I’ve developed a nasty of habit of bringing cans of tomatillos, chipotles in adobo, and jalapeños back every time I go to the states. I hoard them in the cellar and curse myself when the expiration dates glide past unnoticed. I ask traveling friends to sneak packages of dried Ancho...…As a white, umpteenth-generation American whose grandparents were all born in New England, I didn’t have much experience cooking Mexican food until recently. I grew up eating ground beef tacos in hard shells with chopped iceberg and jarred salsa (and thanks Mom, it was delicious!) But as I’ve gotten older, I’ve developed a nasty of habit of bringing cans of tomatillos, chipotles in adobo, and jalapeños back every time I go to the states. I hoard them in the cellar and curse myself when the expiration dates glide past unnoticed. I ask traveling friends to sneak packages of dried Ancho...WW…

I was NOT planning to write about the new film John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum when I went to see it a couple of weeks ago during its opening weekend. I’d seen the two previous John Wick installments in theaters, so this outing to its third chapter was planned as a fun date night out. But when John Wick hails a cab within the first 5-10 minutes of the movie and directs the taxi driver to the New York Public Library, I knew my next post HAD to be about this movie. And yes, a little bit of me felt like saying, “Dammit! There’s going to be a library scene, so now I have to really pay...…I was NOT planning to write about the new film John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum when I went to see it a couple of weeks ago during its opening weekend. I’d seen the two previous John Wick installments in theaters, so this outing to its third chapter was planned as a fun date night out. But when John Wick hails a cab within the first 5-10 minutes of the movie and directs the taxi driver to the New York Public Library, I knew my next post HAD to be about this movie. And yes, a little bit of me felt like saying, “Dammit! There’s going to be a library scene, so now I have to really pay...WW…

A student in the library shushes Jane and her squeaky shoes! The stand-alone Thor movies thus far have been pretty consistent with showcasing library, book, and/or research scenes! In this movie, Thor: The Dark World (2013), Thor reunites with Jane Foster and battles Malekith and the army of Dark Elves. Thor: The Dark World is part of MCU’s Phase Two. Upon rewatching, this sequel to Thor — directed this go-round by Alan Taylor and often cited as among the worst MCU movies — was actually better than I remembered it being. It has two main things going for it: Chris Hemsworth’s eyebrows...…A student in the library shushes Jane and her squeaky shoes! The stand-alone Thor movies thus far have been pretty consistent with showcasing library, book, and/or research scenes! In this movie, Thor: The Dark World (2013), Thor reunites with Jane Foster and battles Malekith and the army of Dark Elves. Thor: The Dark World is part of MCU’s Phase Two. Upon rewatching, this sequel to Thor — directed this go-round by Alan Taylor and often cited as among the worst MCU movies — was actually better than I remembered it being. It has two main things going for it: Chris Hemsworth’s eyebrows...WW…

Why not revisit another memorable library fight scene?! Last month, we revisited the library (adjacent) fight scene in Thor: The Dark World (2011), which was set in and around the Old Royal Naval College Library in London. So why not revisit another memorable library fight scene, this time in John Wick: Chapter 3 — Parabellum (2019), set in the iconic New York Public Library. I was inspired by an article in The Ringer, an exhaustive look at “Every John Wick Kill, Ranked.” And this article really does what it says: it ranks every single killing across the first four John Wick films (a...…Why not revisit another memorable library fight scene?! Last month, we revisited the library (adjacent) fight scene in Thor: The Dark World (2011), which was set in and around the Old Royal Naval College Library in London. So why not revisit another memorable library fight scene, this time in John Wick: Chapter 3 — Parabellum (2019), set in the iconic New York Public Library. I was inspired by an article in The Ringer, an exhaustive look at “Every John Wick Kill, Ranked.” And this article really does what it says: it ranks every single killing across the first four John Wick films (a...WW…

Im Alltag wiederholen wir immer wieder unsere Standard-Rezepte und das kann auf die Dauer ganz schön eintönig werden. Neue Rezepte müssen her! Und diese sollten am besten schnell gehen und lecker schmecken. Kein Wunder, dass Rezepte aus dem Airfryer immer beliebter werden – so auch dieses schnelle Auberginen Rezept.…Im Alltag wiederholen wir immer wieder unsere Standard-Rezepte und das kann auf die Dauer ganz schön eintönig werden. Neue Rezepte müssen her! Und diese sollten am besten schnell gehen und lecker schmecken. Kein Wunder, dass Rezepte aus dem Airfryer immer beliebter werden – so auch dieses schnelle Auberginen Rezept.WW…

This post may contain affiliate links. Read my full disclosure policy. Prepare a fun hands-on weeknight dinner with these pan fried fish fingers — juicy on the inside, golden and crusty outside, with delicious lemon-garlic mayo for dipping. If you’re looking for a way to introduce your kids to fish, these pan fried fish fingers might just be the trick. They’ve got all the hallmarks of kid-friendly fare—crunchy and easy to eat with your hands—yet they appeal to grown-ups too. The fish fillets are lightly breaded with panko, pan-fried until golden-crisp, and paired with a tangy garlic and...…This post may contain affiliate links. Read my full disclosure policy. Prepare a fun hands-on weeknight dinner with these pan fried fish fingers — juicy on the inside, golden and crusty outside, with delicious lemon-garlic mayo for dipping. If you’re looking for a way to introduce your kids to fish, these pan fried fish fingers might just be the trick. They’ve got all the hallmarks of kid-friendly fare—crunchy and easy to eat with your hands—yet they appeal to grown-ups too. The fish fillets are lightly breaded with panko, pan-fried until golden-crisp, and paired with a tangy garlic and...WW…

Every year around this time I tend to be amazed at how fast time seems to fly.  This year in particular. I’m four month into my fellowship with only 2 more to go. How has this happened so fast? Will time please slow down? The last week or two has been spent planning my remaining time here in Nepal and reflecting on 2015.  To be frank this is my favorite time of year, specifically for the excuse to lock myself in solitude and spend quality time thinking, reflecting, planning. Some years has started with a spiral of self-pity as I pull up a failed list of goals – didn’t drop the...…Every year around this time I tend to be amazed at how fast time seems to fly.  This year in particular. I’m four month into my fellowship with only 2 more to go. How has this happened so fast? Will time please slow down? The last week or two has been spent planning my remaining time here in Nepal and reflecting on 2015.  To be frank this is my favorite time of year, specifically for the excuse to lock myself in solitude and spend quality time thinking, reflecting, planning. Some years has started with a spiral of self-pity as I pull up a failed list of goals – didn’t drop the...WW…