Category Archives: Uncategorized

East and west – A last look at Lithuania

Posted on December 11, 2015 by arleebug54

The day I left Vilnius for Berlin, I took one last walk around the Old Town. As you can probably tell, this little burg has stolen my heart, and I hope to return before too long. This set of signs, … Continue reading →

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The bravest person I know

Posted on December 6, 2015 by arleebug54

During my time in Batumi, Georgia, I met a number of strange and wonderful expats from a variety of countries, mostly young and full of piss and vinegar. I remember with great fondness one night listening to young Ukrainian and … Continue reading →

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Jews in Vilnius

Posted on December 3, 2015 by arleebug54

WARNING: THIS IS NOT A HAPPY OR FUNNY POST. IF THIS TOPIC DOES NOT INTEREST YOU, PLEASE FEEL FREE TO ALONG TO ONE THAT MIGHT. As I travel about Eastern Europe, I spend a great deal of time paying my … Continue reading →

Posted in Lithuania, Uncategorized | Tagged , | 2 Comments

Vilnius is “quirky,” said the NYT…

Posted on December 2, 2015 by arleebug54

…and of course that’s exactly the kind of thing to get my juices flowing. Ostensibly, the purpose of this trip to Lithuania is (ahem) research on the memoir I’m writing about Uncle Bob, but that photo will probably take 15 … Continue reading →

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Budget travel zones

Posted on December 1, 2015 by arleebug54

This trip, I’ve decided to see how low I can go – in terms of ticket prices and weight carried. These things are connected, but we’ll get to that in a minute. For this latest trip to Lithuania and Berlin … Continue reading →

Posted in Travel - planes, Uncategorized | 1 Comment

Itchy feet

Posted on November 30, 2015 by arleebug54

It’s been a little quiet here in blogland for a while – a  busy fall in Maine with lots of time spent reading about and discussing current events and the political landscape at the moment. These topics could certainly fill … Continue reading →

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The rise and fall of “Christian Europe”

Posted on September 7, 2015 by arleebug54

I first went to Hungary in August of 1992. It was a very hot summer; at the Olympics then being held in Barcelona, I remember seeing TV footage of horses and riders getting completely drenched by multiple hoses before heading … Continue reading →

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Goldilocks and the two minibuses…

Posted on July 13, 2015 by arleebug54

Now, in all honesty, this blog should be about the start of the summer term at IUJ – specifically about the delightful new students who are assembling here, getting oriented, and preparing to enter our classes on Wednesday. There’s been … Continue reading →

Posted in Japan, Uncategorized | Tagged | 1 Comment

A summer adventure in Japan

Posted on July 3, 2015 by arleebug54

This summer I am honored to be serving as a Visiting Instructor at the International University of Japan (IUJ) in Minamiuonuma, Japan. IUJ is, to my knowledge, the only all-graduate, all-English-medium university in the country. There are two main types … Continue reading →

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Liminal Lublin

Posted on March 13, 2015 by arleebug54

“Liminal,” according to the online Free Dictionary, is “intermediate between two states, conditions, or regions; transitional or indeterminate.” This is a perfect reflection for me of the lovely little town of Lublin in southeastern Poland. Over its history it has … Continue reading →

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