M.G. Edwards's Blog, page 8
March 29, 2013
Ellie the Elephant Cover Release
I’m proud to release the cover art for my upcoming children’s picture book Ellie the Elephant. Book two of the World Adventurers for Kids Series will be released as an e-book on April 1, 2013.
Ellie the Elephant is an illustrated picture book that encourages children to follow their dreams. A young elephant named Ellie who lives in Thailand dreams of joining the elephant polo team and playing in the Elephant Cup polo tournament, but her parents want her to work in the rice fields. Will she realize her dream of playing elephant polo?
Inspired by my adventures in Thailand and real elephant polo matches, the story features Ellie and her family, Monk the Monkey, and human boys Wasan and Wattana. Fun for kids and adults alike, the story will introduce them to the amazing game of elephant polo and inspire children to dream big.
Without further ado, here are two versions of the cover for your viewing pleasure:
Why does the book have two different covers? I decided to release two versions of this book, one with illustrations and cartoon photos. Both feature the same story, but readers have been mixed on whether they preferred the photos or cartoons. I’ll publish both and let you choose! Or pick them both. It’s your choice.
What Kids Are Saying
Ellie the Elephant is kid tested and approved! Here are what some early readers had to say about the picture book in their own words:
“This one is the epicle of EPICNESS! The cover is cool and the pictures inside are the best.”
“I love this one! It is awesome! Cool! I like how you made the pictures detailed.”
“I love this one! I like the cover.”
“I like Ellie the Elephant because it has pretty good animation and it is a really good book.”
“I like dis 1 ‘cause U put GR8 detail and U cartooned everything.”
“This one is awesome! Great cover.”
“Detailed pictures. Good detail. I love the book it is so good.”
“Love this one. It is awesome!”
“I like this one because it’s attention grabbing!”
Stay tuned for the official release announcement next week of Ellie the Elephant.
In the meantime, enjoy the first book in the World Adventurers for Kids Series, Alexander the Salamander, now available to purchase for just $0.99.
Alexander the Salamander is about a salamander named Alexander living in the Amazon who joins his friends Airey the Butterfly and Terry the Tarantula on an unforgettable jungle adventure. Set in the Amazon region of Brazil, the story teaches children the importance of listening to teachers and other authority figures. Co-authored by M.G. Edwards and his son Alex, the story was inspired by their 2008 visit to the Amazon.
M.G. Edwards
is a writer of books and stories in the mystery, thriller and science fiction-fantasy genres. He also writes travel adventures. He is author of Kilimanjaro: One Man’s Quest to Go Over the Hill, a non-fiction account of his attempt to summit Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa’s highest mountain, and a short story collection called
Real Dreams: Thirty Years of Short Stories
. He also wrote and illustrated
Alexander the Salamander
and
Ellie the Elephant
, two books in the World Adventurers for Kids Series.
His books are
available in e-book and print from
Amazon.com
and other booksellers. Edwards graduated from the University of Washington with a master’s degree in China Studies and a Master of Business Administration. He lives in Bangkok, Thailand with his wife Jing and son Alex.
For more books or stories by M.G. Edwards, visit his web site at www.mgedwards.com or his blog, World Adventurers . Contact him at me@mgedwards.com , on Facebook , on Google+, or @m_g_edwards on Twitter.
© 2013 Brilliance Press. All rights reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted without the written consent of the author.
March 24, 2013
100,000 Travel Confessions
It’s time for 100,000 travel confessions! Wait, that’s not quite right. I have a few travel confessions to share but not that many. Oh, I remember what the number 100,000 means. It means that this blog just passed 100,000 hits! Thank you, dear readers, search engines, and cross-posters for visiting World Adventurers. It took two years, from October 2010 to October 2012, for this blog to reach 50,000 hits and then doubled this total in less than five months. That’s incredible. I must be doing something right.
I Must Confess!
So on to the Travel Confessions. A big thanks to Letizia for tagging me to make some Travel Confessions. Letizia was born and raised in the Netherlands but is now living in Borgomanero, Italy. I have to confess that her blog Dutch Goes Italian is excellent. I love her articles about Italy and mouth-watering food and drinks. Thanks for tagging me, Letizia!
About Travel Confessions
As you might know from other awards I’ve received, I enjoy researching the origin of blog series like Travel Confessions. Caroline and Josh from the blog Traveling 9 to 5 started the Travel Confessions chain in August 2012 as a way for travel writers like Letizia and me to confess our deepest, darkest travel secrets. As Traveling 9 to 5 puts it:
Is it a routine that gets you through long trips, a guilty pleasure destination or food, or maybe a pair of white Westin slippers that have seen better days? This is your time to come clean and maybe even feel better about your own confession as we read about everyone else’s!
How To Confess!
Here’s how it works:
1. Post a photo and description of your confession.
2. Tweet your post with hashtag #travelconfession and follow/tweet @traveling9to5
3. Tag 3 – 5 other travelers whom you would like to expose, and mention them on Twitter.
*This has no prize or big cash win at the end, it is for pure enjoyment for all of us travelers who carry our sanity around with us!
Confessions Badge
To my knowledge, no one has created a Travel Confessions badge, so here’s my own version of one. You’re welcome to use it if you wish.
My Travel Confessions
Without further ado, here are some of my deepest, darkest travel secrets:
1. When I stay in hotels with complimentary shampoo and soap, I like to take and use them on different continents. I once took a free bottle of shampoo made in the United States from a hotel in Punta del Este, Uruguay and then used it in Africa and Asia before it ran out.
Free shampoo and soap from around the world
2. My family and I often forget to bring something important when we travel. It got so bad that I had to make a list of things to bring. Then I forgot to look at it before our last trip and left something important behind!
A to-do list only works if you use it!
3. Travel wears me out after being on the road more than three weeks. After three weeks at home, I’m ready to hit the road again.
Wall in my office with arts and crafts from Africa, Asia, and South America
4. I like to keep track of how many American fast food restaurant chains I can find in a given city and pop in to see what local cuisine they’re serving. The McDonald’s here in Bangkok serves a spicy Thai chicken and rice dish that’s cheaper and tastier than a Big Mac. The taro pies aren’t bad but not as delicious as cherry.
A food court in Cape Town, South Africa
5. I enjoy getting lost in a place I’m visiting for the first time and wander around until I find a landmark I recognize. I once drove after nightfall in rural Africa toward Lake Malawi hoping to find the town of Cape Maclear, Malawi. Three hours and a lot of nervous sweat later, I finally found it.
Nightfall at Cape Maclear on the shores of Lake Malawi
6. I have a fetish for photographing the hotel rooms where I stay because I want to remember all those idle moments and funky rooms.
A boutique hotel in Cape Town, South Africa
A love motel in Wolchulsan, South Korea (with my family!)
Lucky Travel Writers
Here are three outstanding travel writers. Are they up to writing some of their own Travel Confessions? We’ll see!
1. BlueBalu (Living in Hong Kong)
2. Lesley Carter (The Bucket List Publications)
3. Russel Ray Photos (Life from Southern California)
M.G. Edwards is a writer of books and stories in the mystery, thriller and science fiction-fantasy genres. He also writes travel adventures. He is author of Kilimanjaro: One Man’s Quest to Go Over the Hill, a non-fiction account of his attempt to summit Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa’s highest mountain and a collection of short stories called Real Dreams: Thirty Years of Short Stories. His books are available as an e-book and in print on Amazon.com and other booksellers. He lives in Bangkok, Thailand with his wife Jing and son Alex.
For more books or stories by M.G. Edwards, visit his web site at www.mgedwards.com or his blog, World Adventurers . Contact him at me@mgedwards.com , on Facebook , on Google+, or @m_g_edwards on Twitter.
For more books or stories by M.G. Edwards, visit his web site at www.mgedwards.com or his blog, World Adventurers . Contact him at me@mgedwards.com , on Facebook , on Google+, or @m_g_edwards on Twitter.
© 2013 Brilliance Press. All rights reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted without the written consent of the author.
March 19, 2013
Kilimanjaro a Book of the Year Awards Finalist
My book Kilimanjaro: One Man’s Quest to Go Over the Hill is a finalist for the 2012 Book of the Year Award in the Travel Essay category. The finalists were selected from 1300 entries covering 62 categories of books from independent and academic presses. These represent some of the best books produced by small publishing houses in 2012.
Over the next two months, a panel of sixty librarians and booksellers will judge and determine the winners. Gold, Silver, and Bronze awards, as well as Editor’s Choice Prizes for Fiction and Nonfiction, will be announced at the American Library Association (ALA) Annual Conference in Chicago on June 28, 2013, at The Pop Top Stage. Click here for a full list of the finalists.
Kilimanjaro is a travel essay that chronicles my attempt to summit Mount Kilimanjaro, the highest mountain in Africa. At forty years old and on the verge of a midlife crisis, I tried to change my life by climbing a mountain. This is my true story of facing Kilimanjaro and other challenges at middle age. The book, which features more than 60 photos from my trek, earned an honorable mention from the 2012 Global Ebook Awards.
Readers have called Kilimanjaro “life changing,” “inspirational,” “an epic journey of self-discovery,” and “a peek into someone’s personal travel journal.” It’s a book for anyone who feels over the hill and needs encouragement to make a life change in the face of difficult odds. It’s also for the casual climber, mountaineer, or hiker who is interested climbing one of the world’s tallest mountains. Filled with insights and advice for those who are contemplating their own Kilimanjaro climb, my book will put you on the mountain and inspire you to go over it.
Booksellers
Kilimanjaro: One Man’s Quest to Go Over the Hill is available to purchase for U.S.$3.99 as an ebook, U.S.$9.99 (or equivalent in other currencies) from these booksellers:
Amazon.com (US for Kindle)
Amazon.co.uk (UK for Kindle)
Amazon.ca (Canada for Kindle)
Apple iTunes (iPad and iPhone)
Barnes & Noble (US for Nook)
Barnes & Noble (UK for Nook)
Google Play (Android)
Kobo Books (available in Australia and Canada)
Kilimanjaro is available to buy in print for U.S.$9.99 (or equivalent in other currencies) from these booksellers:
Amazon.com (US)
Amazon.co.uk (UK)
Amazon.ca (Canada)
Visit the Kilimanjaro web page for a complete list of booksellers.
Click here to read the first five chapters of Kilimanjaro. If you like it, you can purchase the entire book from one of the booksellers listed on the last page or from Scribd. Thanks for reading my memoir! I hope you enjoy it.
About the Book of the Year Awards
ForeWord’s Book of the Year Awards program was created to highlight the year’s most distinguished books from independent publishers. The awards announcement provides an additional publicity opportunity for publishers long after a book’s initial publication date. After months of perusing the list of submissions, librarians and booksellers eagerly anticipate this announcement of finalists—a valuable resource for discovering obscure titles from the world of indie publishing.
Pick up your copy of Kilimanjaro today!
M.G. Edwards is a writer of books and stories in the mystery, thriller and science fiction-fantasy genres. He also writes travel adventures. He is author of Kilimanjaro: One Man’s Quest to Go Over the Hill, a non-fiction account of his attempt to summit Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa’s highest mountain and a collection of short stories called Real Dreams: Thirty Years of Short Stories. His books are available as an e-book and in print on Amazon.com and other booksellers. He lives in Bangkok, Thailand with his wife Jing and son Alex.
For more books or stories by M.G. Edwards, visit his web site at www.mgedwards.com or his blog, World Adventurers . Contact him at me@mgedwards.com , on Facebook , on Google+, or @m_g_edwards on Twitter.
© 2013 Brilliance Press. All rights reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted without the written consent of the author.
March 17, 2013
Fire Dancing!
In March 2013, we enjoyed a brilliant fire dancing performance during a weekend getaway to Ko Samet, a small island off the coast of Pattaya, Thailand. Ko Samet is a three-hour drive south of Bangkok and a great overnight getaway for those visiting Bangkok or Pattaya who don’t have time in their schedule to visit more popular island destinations such as Phuket and Ko Samui.
Fire dancing originated centuries ago in Samoa, a Polynesian island in the South Pacific. The islanders of Bali, Indonesia developed the Fire Dance independently as a mystical Hindu ritual known as the sanghyang to ward off witches during epidemics. Fire dancing is now practiced around the world primarily for entertainment purposes. The Ko Samet performance we saw at our beach resort was definitely entertaining.
It’s difficult to explain in words what photos and videos could show you, so without further ado, here are some shots of fire dancing on Ko Samet. Time elapse photography created the fire rings.
Here are some photos of the beach on Ko Samet at night. What a wonderful getaway! If you visit Thailand, visit Ko Samet or one of the country’s many popular island destinations for a great beach vacation.
Here’s a video clip of the performance.
Fire Dancing Performance, Ko Samet, March 2, 2013
M.G. Edwards is a writer of books and stories in the mystery, thriller and science fiction-fantasy genres. He also writes travel adventures. He is author of Kilimanjaro: One Man’s Quest to Go Over the Hill, a non-fiction account of his attempt to summit Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa’s highest mountain and a collection of short stories called Real Dreams: Thirty Years of Short Stories. His books are available as an e-book and in print on Amazon.com and other booksellers. He lives in Bangkok, Thailand with his wife Jing and son Alex.
For more books or stories by M.G. Edwards, visit his web site at www.mgedwards.com or his blog, World Adventurers . Contact him at me@mgedwards.com , on Facebook , on Google+, or @m_g_edwards on Twitter.
For more books or stories by M.G. Edwards, visit his web site at www.mgedwards.com or his blog, World Adventurers . Contact him at me@mgedwards.com , on Facebook , on Google+, or @m_g_edwards on Twitter.
© 2013 Brilliance Press. All rights reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted without the written consent of the author.
March 13, 2013
Eurasia: Getting Up in Europe
This is the tenth installment of a story about my travels in 1994 as a college student. The six-month journey took me to 20 countries in Europe and Asia. This happened on my first full day in Graz, Austria.
Thursday, March 3, 1994
I woke up in the morning to the sound of cooking and the smell of breakfast. Wiping the sleep from my eyes and peering through the fog toward the kitchenette, I saw a stranger making eggs and toast. I assumed he was my roommate Stephen and had slipped into the apartment when I was in a deep sleep. The delicious smell of breakfast crept into my nostrils and teased my stomach.
“Guten Morgen,” I greeted him with a croak. My throat felt hoarse after days of travel and cold winter wind. The long, hard sleep left me feeling groggy, and bad German poured from my mouth like a drunken man trying to find his tongue. “Hallo, ich bin Mike.”
“Hallo, I am Stephen,” he said in crisp English accentuated by the loud clink of a plate on the table. “Welcome. You must be my new suitemate, Michael.”
“Yes, I am,” I said, sitting up in bed and giving him a sheepish wave. Fortunately, he seemed to prefer English to rudimentary German; my brain was too muddled to speak anything else.
Stephen invited me to eat some breakfast and shared some of his meal, as if he had seen my conspicuously bare side of the kitchenette shelf and knew that I had nothing else to eat. I devoured the eggs and toast like a castaway recently rescued from a deserted island. My roommate didn’t seem to mind.
“Danke Schöen,” I suppressed a belch. “Do you know where I can buy some groceries?”
“Yes, of course,” he answered. A man of few words, Stephen seemed a quiet sort or reluctant to speak English. Or perhaps he wasn’t in the mood to chat. It was difficult to tell.
I spread a large city map of Graz on the dining table. He drew a circle around our apartment with his finger and said matter-of-factly, “We live here. Walk this way a bit, and there you will find the grocery store.”
His finger traced a red line on the map representing the street passing by our apartment and pointed near the river. I noted the location and said, “Great, thanks.”
“You are welcome,” he said and stood up stiffly. Washing the dishes and drying his hands, he said as if in a hurry, “I must be going now. Goodbye.”
“See you later, Stephen. Thanks for your help.”
Without another word or a look, he donned his coat and scarf, grabbed his satchel, and left our apartment.
The odd exchange addled in my brain as my hands collected a few items and tossed them into a small backpack. I had a long and busy day ahead getting to know my adopted hometown. I felt like a stranger in an unfamiliar land but was determined to learn my way around the city.
I bundled up for a cold winter’s day and headed downstairs. The payphone near the front door of the apartment building reminded me I needed to call home to let my family in the United States know that I arrived safely. Inserting all the change in my pocket, I dialed my fiancée’s phone number. Moments later, I heard a sweet voice say, “Hello?”
“Hi, honey, it’s me! I made it to Austria.”
“Hi! I’m so glad you made it,” Jing said. Her voice sounded lovely. Suddenly, she didn’t seem so distant.
“I’m tired but got here safely,” I said as the rapidly depleting payphone credit caught my eye like the countdown of a ticking time bomb.
“That’s great,” Jing said. Suddenly, another woman’s voice interrupted the line to inform me that I needed more credit. My coins were gone! I said, “Honey, I’m out of money. Sorry, I’ll call you as soon as I…”
The balance hit zero, and the line went dead. I slammed the handset back in the cradle and stomped out of the building. Pocket change was a priceless link to the ones I loved. My search for more coins had begun.
To be continued…
Previous installments of Eurasia:
Leaving America
Vancouver to Frankfurt
Adventures in Frankfurt (Part One)
Adventurers in Frankfurt (Part Two)
On to Munich
A Respite to Rosenheim
Rosenheim, Germany
The Austrian Express
Settling in Graz
M.G. Edwards is a writer of books and stories in the mystery, thriller and science fiction-fantasy genres. He also writes travel adventures. He is author of Kilimanjaro: One Man’s Quest to Go Over the Hill, a non-fiction account of his attempt to summit Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa’s highest mountain and a collection of short stories called Real Dreams: Thirty Years of Short Stories. His books are available as an e-book and in print on Amazon.com and other booksellers. He lives in Bangkok, Thailand with his wife Jing and son Alex.
For more books or stories by M.G. Edwards, visit his web site at www.mgedwards.com or his blog, World Adventurers . Contact him at me@mgedwards.com , on Facebook , on Google , or @m_g_edwards on Twitter.
For more books or stories by M.G. Edwards, visit his web site at www.mgedwards.com or his blog, World Adventurers . Contact him at me@mgedwards.com , on Facebook , on Google , or @m_g_edwards on Twitter.
© 2013 Brilliance Press. All rights reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted without the written consent of the author.
March 10, 2013
Coming Soon from M.G. Edwards
Dear Reader,
My blogging has slowed recently while I focus on writing projects. I hope to pick up my blogging pace again soon and publish more travelogues with photos. In the meantime, I want to update you on exciting news about some big launches that I have in store for this year. My literary factory, The Wordshop, is working overtime behind the scenes to produce a steady stream of new material, and I’m happy to give you a glimpse of things to come.
New M.G. Edwards Website – March 28
M.G. Edwards and World Adventurers will merge into one website on March 28! My new website, www.mgedwards.com, will feature a completely new look and will be a single resource for my books, travelogues, photos and videos – including this blog.
Ellie the Elephant Children’s Book – April 1
Ellie the Elephant, book two of the World Adventurers for Kids Series, will be available as an e-book on April 1, 2013. Ellie the Elephant is an illustrated picture book that encourages children to follow their dreams. A young elephant named Ellie who lives in Thailand dreams of joining the elephant polo team and playing in the Elephant Cup polo tournament, but her parents want her to work in the rice fields. Will she realize her dream of playing polo?
Inspired by the author’s adventures in Thailand and real elephant polo matches, the story features Ellie and her family, Monk the Monkey, human boys Ball and Mallet, and a host of elephants. Fun for kids and adults alike, the story will introduce readers to the amazing game of elephant polo and inspire children to dream big.
Zoe the Zebra Children’s Book – May 15
Zoe the Zebra, book three of the World Adventurers for Kids Series, will be available as an e-book on May 15, 2013. Zoe the Zebra is an illustrated picture book that teaches children not to bully. A young zebra named Zoe who lives in the African bush joins forces with her friends Emma the Impala and Barry the Baboon to protect their friend Wally the Warthog from a pack of bullying hyenas.
Inspired by the author’s safari adventures in Africa, the story features Zoe and a host of safari animals. Fun for kids and adults alike, the story will take children to the African plains and teach them to respect others.
The World Adventurers for Kids Collection (Books #1-3) – June 15
The World Adventurers for Kids Collection will feature the first three e-books in the illustrated picture book series: Alexander the Salamander, Ellie the Elephant, and Zoe the Zebra. The collection will take children on adventures in South America, Asia, and Africa and encourage them to listen to authority figures, to follow their dreams, and to respect others. The collection will be available as an e-book on June 15.
The first book in the World Adventurers for Kids Series, Alexander the Salamander is about a salamander named Alexander living in the Amazon who joins his friends Airey the Butterfly and Terry the Tarantula on an unforgettable jungle adventure. Set in the Amazon region of Brazil, the story teaches children the importance of listening to teachers and other authority figures. Co-authored by M.G. Edwards and his son Alex, the story was inspired by their 2008 visit to the Amazon.
The World Adventurers for Kids Series features illustrated adventure stories told in a way that children ages three to nine will find entertaining and educational. Filled with illustrated photos and moral tales, they will take children all over the world.
Eurasia: Getting into Travel in Europe and Asia – August 2013
Eurasia: Getting into Travel in Europe and Asia, the second book in the World Adventurers Series and follow up to Kilimanjaro: One Man’s Quest to Go Over the Hill, will be released as an e-book in August 2013. It’s a coming-of-age memoir that chronicles the author’s adventures in Europe and Asia as a college student on a shoestring budget in 1994. The six-month journey by air, rail, and foot took him to 20 countries from Spain and Ireland to Russia and China — and almost everywhere in between.
Join him for an amazing journey through fascinating countries and cultures, encounters with memorable people and personalities, unforgettable moments and madcap misadventures . Love, ambition, and self-discovery mix in a story about a young man discovering the world and getting into travel – and trouble – for the first time.
Other News
All of these books should be available in print soon after their e-book releases.
I’ll update this page and publish new posts as more information comes available. Stay tuned for more news and information about these upcoming releases!
M.G. Edwards is a writer of books and stories in the mystery, thriller and science fiction-fantasy genres. He also writes travel adventures. He is author of Kilimanjaro: One Man’s Quest to Go Over the Hill, a non-fiction account of his attempt to summit Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa’s highest mountain and a collection of short stories called Real Dreams: Thirty Years of Short Stories. His books are available as an e-book and in print on Amazon.com and other booksellers. He lives in Bangkok, Thailand with his wife Jing and son Alex.
For more books or stories by M.G. Edwards, visit his web site at www.mgedwards.com or his blog, World Adventurers . Contact him at me@mgedwards.com , on Facebook , on Google+, or @m_g_edwards on Twitter.
For more books or stories by M.G. Edwards, visit his web site at www.mgedwards.com or his blog, World Adventurers . Contact him at me@mgedwards.com , on Facebook , on Google+, or @m_g_edwards on Twitter.
© 2013 Brilliance Press. All rights reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted without the written consent of the author.
March 3, 2013
Thoughts & Sayings (March 2013)
Here are some thoughts and sayings I posted on Twitter and/or Facebook in February. To my knowledge, I made these up (for better or for worse). Sit back, relax, and enjoy the write!
Encouraging Words
1. Everything I need is right here. Why would I ever travel?
2. Time slows down whenever I exercise, so I replaced my chair with a treadmill.
Twisted Words
3. If you think sophomoric humor is annoying, try freshmanic.
4. To air is human, to give forth, sublime.
In Its Own Write
5. My book is so spooky, it’s paraabnormal.
6. Where are all the pre-apocalyptic stories?
Holidays & Events
7. The award for best actor should go to the guy who’s home sick watching the Oscars.
8. The Academy Award “Oscar” statuette could very well have been called the “Harmon,” “Nelson,” or “Pierce.” Why? (*answer below)
9. Oh, sorry, I thought you said today was Vampire’s Day.
10. The glow from the computer screen makes you look absolutely radiant. Happy Valentine’s Day!
11. I tried to think of something that rhymes with "Pope," but nope.
12. It’s the 21st Century. Time to rename the Grammys the MP3ys.
13. Happy Chinese New Year After the Dragon Year!
14. In this year’s Super Bowl, “MVP” stands for “Most Valuable Power.”
15. The Milk breaks two Blueberry tackles for a touchdown in the Super Bowl.
Random Musings
16. Times change. Someday Justin Bieber will be in the Rock n’ Roll Hall of Fame.
17. Retweet this if you want more followers! Well, at least one.
Click here to visit the Thoughts & Sayings page, or click here to read the previous batch of Thoughts & Sayings.
* The actual origin of the Academy Award statuette name “Oscar” is unclear, but legend has it that it was named after actress Bette Davis’ husband Harmon Oscar Nelson or Oscar Pierce, uncle of the Academy’s one-time executive secretary, Margaret Herrick.
Images courtesy of Microsoft. Chinese New Year photo is property of M.G. Edwards.
![buythumb[3]](https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/hostedimages/1381230023i/4565645.jpg)
M.G. Edwards is a writer of books and stories in the mystery, thriller and science fiction-fantasy genres. He also writes travel adventures. He is author of Kilimanjaro: One Man’s Quest to Go Over the Hill, a non-fiction account of his attempt to summit Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa’s highest mountain, a collection of short stories called Real Dreams: Thirty Years of Short Stories and Alexander the Salamander, a children’s story set in the Amazon. His books are available to purchase as an e-book and in print from Amazon.com and other booksellers. He lives in Bangkok, Thailand with his wife Jing and son Alex.
For more books or stories by M.G. Edwards, visit his web site at www.mgedwards.com or his blog, World Adventurers . Contact him at me@mgedwards.com , on Facebook , on Google , or @m_g_edwards on Twitter.
© 2013 Brilliance Press. All rights reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted without the written consent of the author.
February 26, 2013
World Adventurers App Now Available!
World Adventurers is going mobile!
Click here to download the free World Adventurers mobile application (app) for Apple iOS (iPhone and iPad), Android, Windows Mobile, and more. The new app features travel articles and photos from this blog as well as photos from the World Adventurers Facebook fan page, videos from the World Adventurers YouTube page, and more. All your favorite stories, photos, and videos from around the world are now available to enjoy on a single app.
The World Adventurers app is available to download exclusively through Conduit Mobile but should be on iTunes and other app stores soon. Stay tuned for updates.
The World Adventurers app splash screen for iPad
Click here to get your free World Adventurers app today!
M.G. Edwards is a writer of books and stories in the mystery, thriller and science fiction-fantasy genres. He also writes travel adventures. He is author of Kilimanjaro: One Man’s Quest to Go Over the Hill, a non-fiction account of his attempt to summit Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa’s highest mountain and a collection of short stories called Real Dreams: Thirty Years of Short Stories. His books are available as an e-book and in print on Amazon.com and other booksellers. He lives in Bangkok, Thailand with his wife Jing and son Alex.
For more books or stories by M.G. Edwards, visit his web site at www.mgedwards.com or his blog, World Adventurers . Contact him at me@mgedwards.com , on Facebook , on Google , or @m_g_edwards on Twitter.
For more books or stories by M.G. Edwards, visit his web site at www.mgedwards.com or his blog, World Adventurers . Contact him at me@mgedwards.com , on Facebook , on Google , or @m_g_edwards on Twitter.
© 2013 Brilliance Press. All rights reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted without the written consent of the author.
February 20, 2013
Eurasia: Settling in Graz
This is the ninth installment of a story chronicling my travels in 1994 as a college student. The six-month journey took me to 20 countries in Europe and Asia.
Wednesday, March 2, 1994
More than two days after leaving the United States I arrived at my new home in Graz, Austria. My deadweight bags followed me into the train station to a nearby phone booth to call my local contact, the exchange student coordinator for my adopted college, Karl-Franzens Universität. I set the handset back in the cradle when it occurred to me that I didn’t have any Austrian Schilling, the country’s currency before the euro. My dollars and German deutschmark were useless.
Fed up the large duffel bag and two suitcases, I booted them over to the nearby Geldwechsel (currency exchange) to buy some Schilling. It cost a pretty penny for some multicolored banknotes demarcated in denominations that gave me the false feeling of being richer with thousands of Schilling instead of hundreds of greenbacks. Unusual coins with completely foreign faces and features jingled in my hand. I inserted a few into the pay phone to call my contact, Gisele, and beg for a ride to my new home. The absence of cell phones and phone cards left no other option. The call went through, but a man’s voice answered in a local dialect and hung up before I finished my greeting. Trying a different number, I reached Gisele on the second try. She assured me that she would come soon, and the phone went dead.
I waited half an hour in the late afternoon at the entrance of the Hauptbahnhof station until Gisele arrived. She motioned for me to get into her compact sedan and drove me to an apartment just two blocks down from the train station. This is in walking distance, I sighed, appreciating the lift nevertheless.
She helped me drag my repulsive bags up two flights of stairs to my new university-owned studio apartment and gave me a set of keys, a city map, and a brief orientation about the residence, university, and Graz. With that, Gisele was gone. I was again alone and unsure when my new roommate, an Austrian named Stephen, would return to the empty apartment we shared. I looked around the room and chuckled, “Welcome home, Mike.”
I walked over to the big window overlooking the busy boulevard, Keplerstrasse, and listened to sounds of the heavy traffic reverberating against the three-story baroque buildings crowding the street. Home is going to be quite noisy, the thought crossed my mind as I gazed at the street, its lights growing brighter as the sky darkened. The urban location was a far cry from the fairytale version of Austria drawn by media stereotypes. The sound of traffic drowned out The Sound of Music.
I turned and looked at the single bed surrounded by my belongings. Stephen’s bed sat opposite near the small kitchenette where we presumably would share meals. I surveyed the closets, student desk, and bookshelves on my side of the room before wandering into the common area that led to a shared bathroom, another apartment shared by Elise and Monique, two Frenchwomen, and a third unit belonging to a German woman named Katarina. It was oddly quiet for a residence with five occupants. The din of traffic echoed in the suite with its high ceiling and acoustic floors.
My stomach grumbled as I stowed away the millstones that were once luggage. Hunger pangs drove me to bundle up and brave the cold in search of a nearby grocery store or restaurant. The dim hallway leading to the street looked as if it should have been in a haunted house with the lurking ghosts of former residents scaring up creaking and bumping noises in the dark recesses of the old building. The mailboxes and a payphone stood under a klieg light posted near the heavy front door. Its hinges ground on my ears when I pushed it open.
I spilled onto the sidewalk, almost clipping a passerby. Frozen breath blew in billows as I looked up and down the evening street looking for a cheap meal. Scores of shops on Keplerstrasse were closed for the night, some pulling the shutters as I passed. Everything in Graz seemed to shut down after 6 p.m. A modest Greek restaurant down the street beckoned me to enjoy my first meal in Austria. The delicious but small gyro plate would have to tide me over until the supermarkets reopened the next day. Still hungry but unwilling to spend more on another petite meal, I staggered into the cold and headed back to the one place in this strange reality that was vaguely familiar. After such an arduous journey half way around the world, I had little reason to complain. I was home.
To be continued.
Previous installments of Eurasia:
3. Adventures in Frankfurt (Part One)
4. Adventurers in Frankfurt (Part Two)
Pay phone and street scene images courtesy of Microsoft.
M.G. Edwards is a writer of books and stories in the mystery, thriller and science fiction-fantasy genres. He also writes travel adventures. He is author of Kilimanjaro: One Man’s Quest to Go Over the Hill, a non-fiction account of his attempt to summit Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa’s highest mountain and a collection of short stories called Real Dreams: Thirty Years of Short Stories. His books are available as an e-book and in print on Amazon.com and other booksellers. He lives in Bangkok, Thailand with his wife Jing and son Alex.
For more books or stories by M.G. Edwards, visit his web site at www.mgedwards.com or his blog, World Adventurers . Contact him at me@mgedwards.com , on Facebook , on Google , or @m_g_edwards on Twitter.
For more books or stories by M.G. Edwards, visit his web site at www.mgedwards.com or his blog, World Adventurers . Contact him at me@mgedwards.com , on Facebook , on Google , or @m_g_edwards on Twitter.
© 2013 Brilliance Press. All rights reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted without the written consent of the author.
February 17, 2013
Eurasia: The Travel Memoir
I hope you’ve enjoyed the travelogue series Eurasia chronicling my 1994 journey through Europe and Asia. It features some of the stories you’ll find in the upcoming travel memoir of the same name. Available in mid-2013, Eurasia will follow Kilimanjaro: One Man’s Quest to Go Over the Hill as the second book in the World Adventurers Series.
The maps below show the travel routes I took during the six-month, adventure-filled trip. I flew from the United States to Europe in February 1994, and then traveled around the continent until August 1994, when I visited Russia and China. The whirlwind tour left me with many a fun tale to tell, from encounters with royalty and colorful figures to memorable experiences and sticky situations along the way.
Stay tuned for more Eurasia news and travelogues.
Eurasia map courtesy of Graphi-Ogre. Europe rail map courtesy of Bernese Media.
Previous installments of Eurasia:
Leaving America
Vancouver to Frankfurt
Adventures in Frankfurt (Part One)
Adventurers in Frankfurt (Part Two)
On to Munich
A Respite to Rosenheim
Rosenheim, Germany
Austrian Express
M.G. Edwards is a writer of books and stories in the mystery, thriller and science fiction-fantasy genres. He also writes travel adventures. He is author of Kilimanjaro: One Man’s Quest to Go Over the Hill, a non-fiction account of his attempt to summit Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa’s highest mountain and a collection of short stories called Real Dreams: Thirty Years of Short Stories. His books are available as an e-book and in print on Amazon.com and other booksellers. He lives in Bangkok, Thailand with his wife Jing and son Alex.
For more books or stories by M.G. Edwards, visit his web site at www.mgedwards.com or his blog, World Adventurers . Contact him at me@mgedwards.com , on Facebook , on Google , or @m_g_edwards on Twitter.
For more books or stories by M.G. Edwards, visit his web site at www.mgedwards.com or his blog, World Adventurers . Contact him at me@mgedwards.com , on Facebook , on Google , or @m_g_edwards on Twitter.
© 2013 Brilliance Press. All rights reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted without the written consent of the author.
