Did you hear that, Amtrak? Okay, it's not always faster, but just lookie here: The train in Pakistan goes from Rahim Yar Khan to Karachi in 10 hours. That is 386 miles, or 621 kilometers. Meanwhile, I have been on the "Carolinian" between Charlotte, North Carolina and Washington D.C. about 50 times. The route, which does… Continue reading The train in Pakistan is faster than Amtrak
Author: mh
Is Pakistan safe for tourists?
Security for travelers in Pakistan is intense. There are rifle-wielding guards everywhere. When you approach the airport in Karachi, you have to pass through a couple of check-points before you ever get to the airport. At the checkpoint, there will be a guard with a rifle pointed straight at you a little ways away. Then… Continue reading Is Pakistan safe for tourists?
Stuck in Pakistan
I wasn't stuck in Pakistan; but someone I knew was. Let's call him Jassim. Jassim went to Pakistan for two weeks to attend conferences at two different universities. Just so you are aware, purchasing a regular tourist visa to Pakistan, at least for Americans, costs almost $200, but because Jassim was going for conferences, it… Continue reading Stuck in Pakistan
Me and Anne Shirley teaching: Animations with Kids
I just finished re-reading Anne of Avonlea (the sequel to Anne of Green Gables.) In that book, Anne is sixteen-and-a-half years old and starts teaching, and of course, she becomes the best teacher the kids ever had. I always liked reading this book. I loved reading about Anne as a teacher. Except this time when… Continue reading Me and Anne Shirley teaching: Animations with Kids
Amtrak’s clever plan for getting from Houston to Chicago
Let us first examine the map, so we know what we're talking about: See that, Houston to Chicago, a straight shot north across the United States. Here's Amtrak's proposal: Step 1: take the Sunset Limited train from Houston to Los Angeles. Step 2: take the Coastal Starlight from Los Angeles to Portland, Oregon. Step 3:… Continue reading Amtrak’s clever plan for getting from Houston to Chicago
“We fell in love in a hopeless place”
This was my third article for The Daily Tar Heel: "We fell in love in a hopeless place." If you go to my "writing" page, you will see that it's one of my favorite articles that I wrote. I wrote it during a pretty stressful time; and I wrote and re-wrote and crafted every word… Continue reading “We fell in love in a hopeless place”
The last of the mohicans
I'm reading the "Last of the Mohicans". I'm reading it because Lucy Maud Montgomery read it and mentioned it in her journal. However, I checked it out 2 months ago and I am still on page 45. In the meantime, I finished reading "How the Garcia Girls Lost their Accents" and started and am over… Continue reading The last of the mohicans
Can’t understand fifth-graders
I'm working with fifth-graders, and they are quite beyond my comprehension. There was this girl called ... well, let's call her Anna. She's a goofy girl. She spent the first class I was with them with her head down or in her arms the whole time nearly. Now she's livened up a bit and she… Continue reading Can’t understand fifth-graders
The girl who turned her back
"I never met a child who didn't like this project." This is what I tell everyone when describing making science animations with kids. Until last week, when this girl we'll call Leah turned up with an attitude for her session with me. As we have been progressing quickly along, I was already at the stage… Continue reading The girl who turned her back
Making a snail in Blender
I poked around some online examples and tutorials. This snail was super cute and ended up being my inspiration! Can't get any cuter. And then this was a nice and straight-forward tutorial for making the spiral shell, which I stuck on top of the snail. He's a little lop-sided and one-eyed, and after all, that… Continue reading Making a snail in Blender