On a recent flight, we used the Turkish Airlines Stopover in Istanbul program to spend three days in Istanbul. It is an excellent program that I highly recommend. Even though Istanbul was still cold in February, we visited Gülhane Park every day. My son played in the playground area while I got a few minutesContinue reading “Trip Report 2/3-2/5/25: Gülhane Park, Istanbul”
Author Archives: Pat W
Trip Report 1/10/25: Cuc Phon National Park, Vietnam
One January afternoon drinking beers and overlooking Trúc Bạch Lake in Hanoi (where John McCain was shot down), while I was checking out some herons in the lake, my friend I was visiting asked if I wanted to go birdwatching at Cúc Phương National Park. He found a one-day birdwatching tour for us; he andContinue reading “Trip Report 1/10/25: Cuc Phon National Park, Vietnam”
Hotel Beyaz Saray, Istanbul
We stayed at the Hotel Beyaz Saray for our Istanbul trip. Very briefly, I loved the place. The breakfast was so good, one of the real highlights of the entire trip. The location across from Grand Bazaar and only a twenty-minute walk to all the attractions in Sultanahmet. There’s a Grand Bazaar tram station nextContinue reading “Hotel Beyaz Saray, Istanbul”
Initial Impressions: Celestron Outland X 8×25 binoculars
Santa brought me a pair of Outland X 8×25 binoculars because I was such a good boy this year. I will be traveling in January and wanted a small pair of binoculars so I can go birdwatching even though nature is not the primary goal of my trips. I have gotten them out twice inContinue reading “Initial Impressions: Celestron Outland X 8×25 binoculars”
A Long-Expected Party of poverty
Most people remember the first chapter of The Fellowship of the Ring for the main event, Bilbo’s party and all that entails. However, much like all of Tolkien’s works, there is an extra layer. In the first few pages of the chapter Tolkien puts on a masterclass of showing, not telling, the class divisions inContinue reading “A Long-Expected Party of poverty”
What is 21st-century literacy?
I recently finished a course about integrating literacy into all subject areas. While the course focused on strategies for teaching reading and writing skills outside traditional language classes, I began to question literacy as a concept. To me, literate people can derive meaning and information from media. But what does literacy mean in 2024? AreContinue reading “What is 21st-century literacy?”
What a Piece of Kit! – Travel Sorry!
My family and I recently visited my mom. It was my son’s first time visiting grammy’s house, and she was ready. One thing about my mom, she does not throw anything away. She’s not a hoarder, but if something is well-built and still functioning, she will keep it in storage. That is how I gotContinue reading “What a Piece of Kit! – Travel Sorry!”
Likin’ Lichen
I wrote earlier about Turtle Time from the Potomac Valley Audubon Society. Another event we attended was one of their Wee Naturalists classes. These are monthly classes that are specifically for preschool and kindergarten-aged children. Much like Turtle Time, many of the other kids were homeschoolers. I even recognized a couple from the previousContinue reading “Likin’ Lichen”
Turtle Time
I want to shout out the Potomac Valley Audubon Society in the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia. They have some excellent educational programs that are all free or very affordable. We were lucky enough to attend a few events during our winter trip to WV. Each activity was well-run; the instructors were patient andContinue reading “Turtle Time”
Make Loyalty Matter
Bioware enjoys its companion systems. Whether the chapters-long henchmen quests in Neverwinter Nights that reward the player with unique items or the romance options in the Mass Effect and Dragon Age series, interacting with party companions is in the DNA of Bioware games. Unfortunately, too often these quests suffer from the video game medium andContinue reading “Make Loyalty Matter”
The Keasy Depot 