Betsy's Blog

    Why am I confused? Cambodia is a mixture of royal palaces, pagodas, high rise apartments, and wooden shacks in the capital city. We took over a five hour taxi ride south from Siam Reap to the capital city of Phnom Penh through green rice fields filled with cows, goats, and signs for a cheap German beer called Ganzberg. Our driver stopped halfway in a riverside rest stop and asked if we wanted to see the tarantulas. We thought it would be an outdoor zoo. Nope! A crowd of women in straw hats rushed up to our taxi with straw baskets full of fried tarantulas to eat! Yuk! No thanks! They might be a little crunchy and perhaps poisonous. We took photos instead from our taxi window. No need to buy any spider snacks! Ugh!     Cambodia is full of many other surprises! After our scenic country drive, arriving in the 679-square-foot capital city of Phnom Penh was overwhelming. There were motorcycles, tuk tuks, and fast cars on wide streets along the river in the center of to...

It seems like a lifetime ago that I first visited the ancient capital city of Laos, Luang Prabang. I traveled here years ago when I was teaching at international schools in Thailand and Laos. A lot has happened since then. During the pandemic, my former Laos colleague died of a heart attack and another survived open-heart surgery. Almost everyone caught Covid despite wearing masks and washing their hands repeatedly. We are all survivors and have learned that we have to choose to be happy daily. My husband and I did just that this morning in Luang Prabang. We got up at 6 am to join the tourists in the sleepy streets of this historic city in the mountains. Daily, the local monks walk in a single line down the main street in orange robes holding golden bowls. Tourists place bags of rice in their bowls for breakfast. As the sun rises, the monks file back to their Buddhist temple to pray and eat. And so the day begins.       What can we learn from this ancient ritual? Rou...

         There is a great deal of unsettling news these days. As I gaze at the scenic mountains dotted with hot air balloons and hang gliders in northern Laos, I feel uneasy about worldwide events. I read the news on my phone, watch it on TV, and discuss it with tourists. The United States is a divided country with the recent Georgia election for a new Senator. The Pandemic has left many citizens with health issues, insurance complications, and job loss. Many people got COViD vaccinations and still caught the virus. Some did not survive. We are all changed by the pandemic and government issues. We are a country divided. We manage our daily obstacles trying to find our way. We are at different stages of our lives, but we all have inner doubts, worry about our future, and wonder if we are good enough. I am inspired by Michelle Obama's first book after leaving the White House, "Becoming. " She states that history and hearts are complicated. We need our own personal...

      Laos survived the Pandemic and recently reopened its borders after two years. We used to work in an international school here that was shut down by the government due to the Covid virus. When Laos closed its borders, I was one of the last foreigners to depart. Now the streets are quieter and many places are permanently closed, but the strong spirit of the people can still be felt. Stoic expressions on solemn faces show their determination to survive. Even though the city buses are not running in the capital city of Vientiane, the local people still greet us with a smile. They need tourists and businesses to return to their lovely country with mountains, beaches, and three National Heritage Cultural Sites. Laos is called the "Land of a Million Elephants" and is famous for its scenery, ethnic villages waterfalls, and unexplored land.     My husband and I visited our former international school today in the capital city of Vientiane. It just reopened after th...

         Are you pleased with your facial features? Do you have your favorite face creams, lotions, and foundations? Have you considered facial improvements with surgery or botox? We are surrounded by beautiful faces in the media and wish to improve our own. We want to look like air-brushed models with perfect eyes, noses, cheekbones, and lips. There is a new trend called 'face positivity ' that is encouraging women to revert to the 'au naturel' look.     When I was growing up, my mom had a subscription to "Vogue Magazine." She loved to look at the latest fashions on the chic models on slick pages. I did too and wished I looked like the tall, sleek models in beautiful outfits with perfect skin. There were no freckles, blemishes, or scars to be seen. The sophisticated models posed in perfect outfits on Fifth Avenue, New York City, and on yachts in the Caribbean. They ran through leaves at countryside mansions or walked their poodle past skyscrapers. I w...

    Please find me a ticket to your upcoming "Eros Tour" Taylor! I don't want to have 'Bad Blood' over the ticket scarcity. Even though I am a grandma, I have followed you since you were young. I know every word of your songs and my children give me your new albums as birthday presents. I even know your middle name is Alison. No, I am not a stalker. I am just a loyal fan who would love to see you perform in Las Vegas where I reside. I am originally from Michigan where you are performing too. Fans can't buy tickets on Ticketron there either. or anywhere. It is national news. I went on Ticketron early today and signed up for the special announcement when tickets would go on sale. However,  the Ticketron system crashed with your overload of pre-sale ticket requests. I am frustrated and losing sleep over this. Today they posted a message that they are working on this issue. It says that I can send a message to Ticketron to get on their waiting list. Guess what? I ...

                Each city in Thailand has  its own personality. Chiang Mai is one of my favorites. It is a historic city in the central part of the country with scenic canals lined with ancient stone buildings. Tonight is the ancient celebration of the Northern Thailand lantern festival "Yi Peng".  This "two full moon day" corresponds with the full moon day in the second month according to the Lanna lunar calendar.  It occurs on the evening of the November Full Moon. This ancient Buddhist festival is celebrated for the purpose of merit-making. Releasing the lanterns into the sky is believed to represent the end of one's misfortune. This is especially significant this year after being canceled twice during the Pandemic. The ancient stone-walled canals are filled with candles floating in the colored paper on the river. Everyone makes wishes for the new year as they light a lantern and place it in the canal. It is a magical sight ...