Author Archives: Ana McCracken

Years ago in conversation with my mother, she admitted to me that she’d hardly shed a tear after her mother’s death. Why, I’d asked her perplexed. Don’t people cry when a parent dies? Mom reasoned that grandma had been comfortable … Continue reading →

How do you sightsee in Bali when the heat and humidity is oppressive? Hire a driver. Thankfully we met I Wayan Suta on Saturday, when he rescued Ed and me from our unsuccessful foot-tour of Ubud in the raging heat. The … Continue reading →

Did you know that Ed grew up on a farm outside of Fairfield, Iowa? One of my favorite stories about Ed’s upbringing is how his dad gave Ed and each of his three siblings a cow. The family had land, … Continue reading →

After a two-and-a-half hour KLM flight from Singapore to Bali, Ed and I landed at Denpasar International Airport. Five minutes passed until someone brought up the gangway. When the doors of the plane opened, I scurried after Ed. He wanted to … Continue reading →

Before we arrived in Shanghai, Ed asked me if I’d feel out of place in China because of my height. If I were blond and tall I concluded after arrival, it would have bugged me. Instead what caused me distress … Continue reading →

Shanghai Favorite # 1 – The Fairmont Peace Hotel where we stayed. A landmark art deco building built by prominent businessman Sir Victor Sassoon, and is located on the Bund facing the Pudong area over the Huangpu River. The hotel … Continue reading →

What to say about Shanghai? In my wildest dreams I never imagined a skyscraper sprawl like the one Ed and I encountered. It boggled my mind. But when our tour guide on our last day proudly recounted that Shanghai city … Continue reading →

On Thursday, October 17th, I woke in Shanghai dazed and confused from jet lag. Reaching for my iPhone, I clicked on my Facebook App intending to type my first honeymoon Shanghai post. It took awhile of watching the little syncing … Continue reading →

When I was ten, my family moved to Stuttgart, Germany. My father was a university professor and our family of four lived on a tight budget leaving little money to purchase the Audi, Mercedes or Porsche my brother and I … Continue reading →