Between August and December of 2012, I traveled from the United States to six different countries. Before I left, several people asked, “what will the toilets be like where you’re going?” I decided to let you all see for yourselves. These are the toilets I used around the world:
Author Archives | Sara Maurer
Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more
Maybe Christmas, he thought, doesn’t come from a store. Maybe Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more. ― Dr. Seuss, How the Grinch Stole Christmas This is the third consecutive year that my family members have chosen not to exchange Christmas gifts. In 2010, we shifted away from this material side of the holiday in […]
Carrying burdens
When Americans practice good posture, many of us try walking a straight line while balancing a book on our heads. The Rwandese can do better than that. They can balance an entire bucket full of stacked apples on their heads and walk miles up and down unpaved hills. Historically, carrying on the head has also […]
I rafted the Nile
Last weekend, I went white water rafting on Uganda’s Nile River. Fear filled my bones for days leading up to the trip, along with most of the five-hour voyage down the mighty waterway. But, I refused to leave Africa without exploring this historically famous river. So, I did it. I rafted the Nile. White water […]
Words of my Rwanda life
Goats Everywhere Banana trees Cover the hills Motorcycles Most popular mode of transportation Bare black baby butts Seen frequently around neighborhoods Hills Not a single part of Rwanda without them Carrying on the head The large items locals can balance continues to baffle me Dirt roads Main roads paved, side roads not AK-47 rifles All security and neighborhood guards carry them Tropical fruit Mango, […]
Holy Mary, mother of God
There comes a time in everyone’s lives when we find our paths veering in a somewhat confusing direction, but when all we can do is clutch on for dear life and ride with the wind. This is precisely what my first ride on a taxi-moto looked like. I would describe the experience as falling somewhere […]
Just another day in K-town
I wake up on an average Sunday in Kigali and go for a journey through town. It is an ordinary day to most, but everything seems new and exciting to my two-week-old Rwanda eyes. I exit my front gate and begin the bumpy hike up my dirt road to town. It’s a short, five-minute walk, […]
I broke the toilet
Literally. I broke my toilet. I had been in Africa for two days and already started tearing things apart. This shattering of the ceramic toilet-top perfectly symbolizes my adjustment process to the city of Kigali: The top hides shit beneath its surface, but when ill-treated winds up in pieces on the floor. This is also […]
Adele, a driver and me
I opened my eyes and stared up at the tee-peed mosquito net that surrounded me. It was 7:30a.m., and I was in Africa. My flight from Istanbul, Turkey landed fewer than eight hours earlier. Darkness filled the city of Kigali at that time, so I drew back the curtains of my room and peeked into […]
Serendipity
The faculty or phenomenon of finding valuable or agreeable things not sought for. Merriam-Webster dictionary uses this description to define the word serendipity. I reviewed the meaning of this term last Christmas with my Danish friend Kristina. We had met randomly and, as we like to say, serendipitously at a local Uptown bar in New Orleans, […]
Life in a Turkish bath
A few months ago, I wrote a post called “Out of Our Comfort Zones” while traveling through Costa Rica. My travel companions and I engaged in every adventurous activity we could find from zip lining to repelling to swinging 300 feet in the air on a rope through the jungle. Today, I spent 69 Turkish […]
S&R Honors
Click here to learn more about past honorees...- Profiling the Tea Party: In defense of the IRS. Sorta. Or not.
- Saturday Video Roundup: “Imagine the Band,” by John Lennon and Wings
- The Rest is Noise (6)—Descent into the Maelstrom
- I hate handguns, but I have still considered owning one
- Redneck jokes are racist
- Mystery Unraveled: How a white, moderate, married, churchgoing, middle-class, middle-aged woman could vote for Obama
- An open letter to Burt Rutan, regarding his WSJ commentary on human-caused climate disruption
- Meet the men of Match.com: Really, guys, are you serious?
- Climate scientists still besieged
- Pelosi on Bush: “He’s not worth impeaching”
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wufnik: Thanks Jim. I haven't read the Danto book, but I s…
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Lex: I'm glad i'm not a Progressive, because not being …
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Jim Booth: Wonderful piece, Wufnik. I'm currently reading Art…
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Fnay: Having recently put three kids through college (tw…
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satanicpanic: I've thought about this myself. Other than needin…
