I'm being interviewed later today for the local radio station ... a program about women's issues for women. Fitting this into my schedule of packing and organizing for our holiday trip won't be easy, but I'm willing.

I'm often asked to write articles and speeches, and although I'm not big on publicity I'm happy to participate in a public way when the topic concerns children in general, and adoption in particular.

As with much of the world, misconceptions about adoption abound in Seychelles, and I consider it a fortunate circumstance when offered a platform from which... more

Want to know one of the worst things about living outside the good old US of A?

Soccer.

The world is crazy for this game, and I'm surrounded by soccer nuts.

Here are just a few of the emails I've been receiving lately ... note how the sport brings out the best in people ... not:

The World Cup 2006: to be forwarded to all friends who deserve a good laugh and warning, and even excuses for some to start practicing ... Extremely important advice and recommendations to be passed on to wives, girlfriends, fiancés, mothers, sisters, daughters,... more

As I've mentioned on today's older parent blog, I'm a bit down in the dumps, blue ... a little raw and tender after conversations with my mother and my daughter last night ... and feeling every mile of the distance between many I love and this island.

So, in what make perfect sense to me in a self-preserving, bolstering, pulling-up-by-the-bootstraps sort of way, I'll use this space to gripe about stuff and make scathing observations that should result in me feeling just a wee bit better... more

So, Sam and school. I have been bleating recently about a trip to town, seeing our former foster son, and warming up to voicing the thoughts than played dodge-ball in my head while I visited the playground.

It's really hot this time of year, so sweat was a factor as I stood holding Cj, with Sam by my side and T goofing around, but that didn't matter a drop. It was a glorious moment! Having these three kids within hugging range all at the same time is a dream come true for... more

So, yesterday I had one of those island days in the not-at-all-relaxing-on-a-beach-sort-of-day way. I've already kvetched on about the silliness of Customs Officials, but the real trauma of my yesterday ran deeper than just dealing with rules and regs and officious people in uniforms.

This weekend is T's birthday. Those who follow my bleatings here and on the Older Parent blog will know a bit about T. He was our foster... more

Ah! The day I'm having! And so typical of island life ... well, my island life.

I knew this was going to be a town day. Mark received notice yesterday that a parcel had arrived for me, so a trip at least as far as the airport was called for. You see, everything that comes to Seychelles is taxable, and as there's no way to stick something in the boot of your car and drive it into the country, the powers that be are very systematic about how packages come out of cargo holds, then move along to end recipients. Fed Ex or DHL, or whichever company has been paid a stack of money... more

(This blog is x-posted -- International and Older Parent)

Today is World AIDS Orphans Day. For the past days I've written about everything from an organization that helps families adopt AIDS orphans to ways to commemorate the day. On this... more

Frequent readers of this blog may be wondering just why in the world cynical old Sandra has spent the last couple of days harping on about hope. After all, am I not I the one who's been bouncing off the walls with a heart-felt anti-hope angst, and putting the blog version of the kibosh on all things hopeful?

After that hoopla, I'm now... more

Yesterday's blog mentioned the May 7 Coalition which has put together a list of activities recommended for World AIDS Orphans Day. If no formal events are taking place near you, here are some of their ideas you can use to involve yourself, your family and your community in this global occasion ...

you can spend... more

Every fifteen seconds, a child loses one parent to AIDS. Today there are more than fifteen million AIDS orphans in the world.

This coming Sunday, the 7th of May, will be World AIDS Orphans Day. From now until Sunday, HIV/AIDS and the children will be what I'm thinking and writing about.

To begin ... some raw numbers, very raw ...

AIDS orphans by country -- Only the... more