One of the projects Together We Can Change the World supports is building wells in poor villages near Siem Reap, Cambodia. Each Spring, our group visits the new wells we've funded and we meet the families they serve. When we visited this well in May, we learned the...
Lecture is boring. Discussion is better as it makes participants think. But the best method for creating impactful insights is through meaningful activities. These can mix fun with powerful lessons, if facilitated properly. This Spring I had the honor of working with...
Sometimes an organization empowers their people to go way above and beyond for their customers. We hear about these examples but rarely experience them ourselves. I'm happy to report I was the recipient of such largess. Staying again at Singapore's Royal Plaza on...
I was in the second leg of a trip from San Francisco to Singapore via Japan Airlines. Normally, I have no beef with JAL as I find their crews generally friendly and helpful. After the first leg -- an 11-hour flight where an equipment change landed me in a middle seat...
Mr. Gui, whose name I learned when he introduced himself upon my entering his taxi, was an unusual cab driver. I have ridden in many cabs around the world and I can say that he was among the top 5 I've ever encountered. He arrived at 6:30 am to take me from the...
We were entranced when we met 3-year-old Gaa at the Good Shepherd Sisters Hands of Hope sewing center in Nang Khai, Thailand during our Together We Can Change the World visit. Gaa is an exuberant child, full of energy and laughter. He was the only child at the center...
If we were rescued at the last minute in a war-torn country, we would be eternally grateful to those involved in the rescue. Few -- if any -- of us would expect to hear the rescuer said we changed their life. But before I tell that story, let me give you some context....
It was a beautiful sunny day in Vientiane, Laos. One of my travel buddies, Susan, and I decided to rent bicycles ($3/day) and explore the Mekong River shoreline bike path 3 blocks away. Most of the way we had the path to ourselves, but occasionally we'd come upon boy...
You expect 5-star hotels to provide more than basic amenities to their guests. But it is a joy to see how much a hotel's designers think about the details of customer experience. It was a particular delight to uncover the many extras provided by this hotel. As I...