This week I'm rolling out the final changes to my latest project--a travel website featuring fun stories and pictures from around the world. Coming up in the next weeks--photo tours of Senegal and Japan! www.everydaystories.net
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Every year, sometime in January, I try to calculate how many books I read in the previous 12 months. Reading books (specifically novels, though I seem to be reading more nonfiction in the last two years) is a daily habit, and I usually have more than one book going at a time. Last year and the year before, I was able to make a guess at how many books I read because I could count the titles on my Kindle. Unfortunately, over the Christmas holiday my Kindle decided that three years of constant use was a long enough life span and stopped working. I'm trialling reading Kindle books on my iPad instead, but will probably bite the bullet and get another dedicated ebook reader in the next couple of months. I read email and webpages on my iPad every day, but it's not really a comfortable platform to read a novel on, especially just before going to sleep: the screen's bright and it's too heavy to hold up for several chapters. Anyway, this year, I've decided to look forward rather than back and plan a little as how many books I'm going to read this year. In January, I read 12 books--behind my usual pace for a month that included a holiday, and I'm blaming that on the indecision about reading on my iPad or not. I'm guessing most months I read between 5-15 books, with an annual total of around 100. One of the books I did read this month was part of the Untreed Reads reading challenge, which I'm happy I stumbled upon before the deadline to enroll. Basically, they're giving me a book a month and asking me to then write an honest review of it when I've finished. I've been meaning to post more book reviews on Goodreads for some time now, so this seemed like a fun way to make that happen (and get free books, whee!). For January, I picked Lesley A. Diehl's A Deadly Draught, which looked like fun because it mixes mysteries and beer--two topics I enjoy. You can see my review on Goodreads here. As the year progresses, I'll mention the other titles I read in this blog under the "untreed reads challenge" tag. What are your reading goals for 2014?
Kitty wants to come, too!
When my partner and I left for our Big Trip around Asia, we got on the first train bearing approximately our bodyweights in gear. That first day, we shed a whole carrier bag full of stuff. Over the next week, we dropped more and more items--either giving them away or simply leaving them behind. Since then, I've become much better at packing light. Here are my recommendations for how to pack when traveling to Southeast Asia. Bon Voyage! Shopping for souvenirs can be a lot of fun. I love making lists of things to take back for friends and family, or to keep until the next gift-giving holiday rolls around. And heck, yes, I like buying things for myself too. But first-timers to Southeast Asia can find the markets and street stalls intimidating, not because of choice or crowding, but because of haggling. In my article for ThaHoliday.com today I give seven tips for bargaining gracefully. Check it out at this link. Is it beer o'clock yet? When I travel, I love sampling local beers. For this week's ThaHoliday.com article, I introduce some of the most popular beers in Southeast Asia. Cheers! Confession time: I'm a cheap traveler. So cheap, in fact, that I will sometimes stay overnight in the airport to save money on accommodation, if I have a flight that arrives late at night. Luckily, Southeast Asia has some of the best airports in the world, whether you're bunking out until morning or just passing through for a few hours. My article on ThaHoliday.com introduces what I consider to be S.E. Asia's four best airports. Happy flying! I love traveling through Malaysia--friendly people, great food, and interesting sites. One place I've returned to often is Penang. In this article on ThaHoliday.com I outline five fun things to do there. Happy traveling! Southeast Asia has about a gazillion beautiful flowers (OK, that's an exaggeration--but not by much). In this ThaHoliday.com article I profile a few of these blooms that have cultural significance in the region.
The great city of K.L. Image by Khalzuri.
Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Malaysia, has long been a favorite of mine for stopovers when traveling through Asia. I've written a guest post for ThaHoliday.com outlining 10 of the best things to do in K.L. Enjoy! Click here for the link. Visiting the doctor when you're overseas can be a frightening--or interesting--experience. This week on Novel Adventurers we're writing about traditional medicines and treatments, and I narrate my first visit to a doctor of Traditional Chinese Medicine in China. Please stop by! Here's the link. |
Beth Green
Beth is an American freelance writer who has lived in Europe and Asia since 2003. She grew up on a sailboat and, though now a landlubber, still enjoys a peripatetic life. She writes articles and suspense about travel, expatriate living, and many other topics. Archives
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