Iran at work—I even got scrubbed down
Two boys and a donkey deliver soft drinks Everywhere we travel, I like to take pics of people going about their daily jobs. Iran is still a country where lots of work is done manually, without the...
View ArticleImpressive tomb in the desert of Iran
Beautiful gardens at the tomb of Shan Nematallah I’ve always planned that when I fall off my perch, I‘ll be bundled into a cardboard box and burnt to a crisp, but then I saw Tomb of Astan-e-Shah...
View ArticleWhen a guide goes bad
We had a wonderful three weeks in Iran—visiting Tehran, Isfahan, Qom, Shiraz, Yazd, Persepolis, Kerman, Mashhad and even a small oasis. Everywhere we went, people went out of their way to be friendly...
View ArticleThe challenges of the blog
Not much wifi out here I would love to be able to post every day or so, but I am once again remembering how hard it is to run a blog from Central Asia. Last time we came this way, in 2011, we didn’t...
View ArticleTonight my heart and thoughts are in Syria
Christmas around a campfire in a tent in Damascus, 2009 Christmas always makes me think of Syria, and this year the thoughts are stronger than ever. Today my heart is breaking for Syria and her...
View ArticleOmayyad Mosque in Damascus, Syria, still intact
Omayyad Mosque with the Dome of the Treasury on the left and Minaret of the Bride in the centre background (2009) An early view of the Treasury Dome Last week I introduced my connection to Syria and...
View ArticleAleppo’s magnificent citadel suffers in Syria’s civil war
Aleppo citadel entrance at night See how small the people look crossing the bridge The citadel in Aleppo, Syria, has copped a battering. The current thugs of Syria (both government and rebels) have...
View ArticleThe Krak—another victim of Syria’s very uncivil war
Massive walls at the Krak Large open area at the Krak des Chevaliers (see the person standing slightly left of centre) The Krak des Chevaliers, a Crusader castle and one of the world’s finest medieval...
View ArticleCelebrating the multicultural aspects of Australia
An expert carves a patty-pan squash as part of a Chengdu cultural display. An already carved squash is on the left at the front and a watermelon is on the right Following on from yesterday’s uplifting...
View ArticleA voice of reason, a voice of compassion
Syria welcomed me with open arms. That was back in 1980, when I was pregnant with our first child and Poor John was there with Australia’s diplomatic corps. It was a wonderful posting and we were...
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