“Oh no, not reading time!” Help your students avoid boredom by making reading interesting and fun, whether it’s the beginning of the alphabet or analysis of news stories. This article gives you some great sites, many of them interactive and all with free resources, to teach reading in your classroom or improve your own, Read More
For the aspiring English language teacher, choosing a certification program or degree can seem a bit mind boggling if you can’t get your head around all the acronyms. Read on to understand the basic differences between TEFL, TESL, TESOL and TEAL. Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) TEFL programs were originally designed to, Read More
Sadly, this post was inspired by an Italian man who was attempting to drive overland from India to Italy. He got stuck in Pakistan, crashed at our place for two months, and ended up owing half a dozen people a few thousand dollars each (which he hasn’t paid back a year later). His first, Read More
Overlanding refers to traveling by land from one destination to another. It is not simply your weekend road trip, but usually involves a large distance and most of time you’ll cross more than one country. Marco Polo’s travel from Venice to China serve as an example of an adventurous overland trip. Nowadays, solo travelers, Read More
Pakistan, the “10th most failed state” of 2010 according to Foreign Policy. Doesn’t look like hell to me. This week a photo essay based on the ‘Failed States Index’ really got me riled up. Basically, Foreign Policy took one terrible/chaotic/scary photo from each of the 60 countries to make a photo essay called “Postcards, Read More
Alright, so I’m the oldest in my family and my parents are really itching to tell everyone they are going to be grandparents, so here’s the news! Duarte and I are really excited; I’m currently 9 weeks pregnant and if all goes normally, the baby will be due at the end of January. FAQs:, Read More
My landlady Nasreen’s Sindhi Biryani Recipe went over well, so here’s the next one in the series: a simple vinegar roast. In Pakistan and North India this dish may be called “roast” or “broast.” It is commonly found at local fast food restaurants. English speakers may be surprised, but the dish is actually fried, Read More
The following are some of my favorite books about Pakistan. 1. The Dancing Girls of Lahore by Louise Brown An excellent first-hand account of life in Lahore’s red light district. British author and professor Louise Brown tells the story of Maha, the dancing girl, and her family. Since dancing girls are scorned by the, Read More
Lodging There are lots of places you can stay in Bangkok for 280 baht ($8) or less. Check out Asha Guesthouse ($8 for a private double, meaning just $4 per person per night) or Sukhumvit On Nut Guesthouse (205 baht for a bed in a 4-bed dorm). Use sites like Hostels.com to find the, Read More