This all happened in a single day. It starts in the morning with a guy smoking inside the train. It used to be that I thought this was the worst thing that could possibly happen -- how dare you think that it was okay for you to smoke in a train or bus? A bit… Continue reading Is the Los Angeles metro safe? Part 1
Author: mh
What’s it like in Los Angeles?
It's a summer's evening. At a train platform. One lady is pacing back and forth and muttering to herself. A man is having an argument with someone invisible. He suddenly jumps to his feet sassily and snaps his finger at his phantom rival. One person with unwashed long hair is crouched right at the entrance… Continue reading What’s it like in Los Angeles?
Bruce Mau did not redesign Mecca
I went to a talk by "legendary" designer Bruce Mau. I had never heard of him, but apparently, he's a big deal. He told us that he had even redesigned Mecca, the holiest city in Islam. I thought, wow, that's cool. The authorities there asked for his help after a stampede during the Hajj killed… Continue reading Bruce Mau did not redesign Mecca
Native North Carolina flowers
After removing the invasive vinca, we planted flowers that are natural in North Carolina in the yard. Here you can see some pictures of them, and maybe you'll want to plant some yourself! Remember, when they're native plants, you just have to water them when they are first planted and newly caressing their roots into… Continue reading Native North Carolina flowers
Don’t plant vinca
Vinca is an invasive plant. I learned about it when I used to go volunteer with a nature group. Please don't plant it, it wrecks natural ecosystems: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q3JBtcSOyMM The group I was volunteering with would help to keep a forest at UNC Chapel Hill healthy. There was an old couple who would always volunteer there.… Continue reading Don’t plant vinca
The central library in Los Angeles
The entire city of Loserville, I mean, Los Angeles, is a giant trashy dump. So imagine my surprise when I went to the main branch of the library and found it to be a very nice place. Los Angeles putting money and resources into something that you don't have to be rich to access??? How… Continue reading The central library in Los Angeles
Entry into New York’s JFK airport, post-pandemic
In case anyone is planning to travel overseas and pass through New York's JFK airport: ever since the pandemic, the entry back into the USA, with the passport control and the customs forms, has been very, very easy. It used to be that the officers might want to bark at you a bit as you… Continue reading Entry into New York’s JFK airport, post-pandemic
Medical care in Baghdad
I think the best piece of advice is, don't get sick in Baghdad. They have public hospitals and they have private hospitals. The public ones are apparently dirty on top of everything else, so if you have money, you'd prefer treatment in the private ones. I never experienced the public hospitals myself first-hand, though, so… Continue reading Medical care in Baghdad
Up the coast of Saudi Arabia from the sky at night
I did not go to Saudi Arabia, just saw it from the sky. It was approximately like this that we flew: So it wasn't just Saudi, it was also Qatar and Bahrain and Kuwait. And we hugged the coast all the way up. These cities are very very rich (at least, some people there are… Continue reading Up the coast of Saudi Arabia from the sky at night
Flying out of Baghdad
So it's time to leave Iraq and you're flying back to wherever. You're going to need to get from the city to the airport, and there are about 7 security checkpoints you have to clear. So buckle up, here we go: First, I believe that no passenger is able to drive to the airport for… Continue reading Flying out of Baghdad
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