… Read the rest

In our Fabulous New Monroe, Joe and I have a Pollen Analysis Laboratory. Right now, it looks very bare – a huge fume hood, an emergency shower & eyewash, and stainless steel cabinets…   soon we will fill it with mud and nasty chemicals, on our way to extracting pollen grains from the La Sal Mountains! In the Physical Prep Room, we’ve set up two microscopes… … Read the rest

Some of Phnom Penh’s poorest residents make a living pushing their carts around the city’s streets, gathering soda cans, plastic bottles, and anything else they can sell for recycling. This short video shows some of these hard-working people going about their daily business.  … Read the rest

In a recent blog post, I discussed various ways in which I have tried to convey what places are like through postings on my site RegionalGeography.org. I use words in writing descriptively and analytically about places, but powerful though they are, words have limitations. I can only describe my own perception and interpretation of a place, for example; I cannot describe how others might see it. Pictures can help: I can take a photograph, and while my own … Read the rest

… Read the restI love words, and I am enthralled by the power of language. There is a richness in language that goes far beyond its ability to transmit facts, opinions, or instructions. Words can convey emotion, complexity, character, ambiguity, and humor in ways that go far beyond their dictionary definitions. One of my main objectives on this site is to use words to try and give readers a sense of some of the places visit and people I meet, and to communicate

Look beyond the array of stores and restaurants, try to ignore the uncomfortable seats, and don’t stress about the latest delay in your flight. Instead, look around you carefully. You will be amazed at how much airports can tell us about places and their connections with other places. I recorded this video blog during a journey from the US to Southeast Asia, with a stopover in Bahrain.… Read the rest

The Tonle Sap must surely be one of the world’s strangest rivers. For most of the year, it originates in the waters of the Tonle Sap Lake in central Cambodia, and flows south, joining the Mekong at Phnom Penh. But during the latter part of the rainy season each year, the Tonle Sap River reverses direction. In this short video… Read the rest, I talk about the Tonle Sap, the Mekong, and their importance for Southeast Asia.

Remember to come back to Fredericksburg on October 22 to see the new Monroe Hall and reconnect with Mary Washington Geographers!  We’ll be in the Cart Lab from 1:00pm to 3:00pm that afternoon.  Send me an e-mail (shanna@umw.edu) or leave a comment here so we know you are coming!

Check us out on the UMW Homecoming Weekend Schedule!… Read the rest