Back in March, a delightful fellow named Tom McLaughlin wrote a guest post on Clogs and Tulips titled Niel Armstrong was greeted on the moon by a person from Holland.Not long after that, his agent contacted me asking if I would read Tom's book Borneo Tom: Stories and Sketches of Love, Travel and Jungle Family in Tropical Asia and share it here on the blog. Last week, I finally got around to reading the book and I just finished today.
When I cracked open the book and began reading, I was delighted to discover that not only is Tom a fellow Marylander, he also hails from Frederick County in a town about 10 minutes from the one I grew up in. In fact, I even worked as a substitute at the same school where he taught science!
Small world, isn't it?
Borneo Tom is a collection of essays about Tom's adventures in Malaysian Borneo. The essays appear in chronological order accompanied by fantastic and often humorous illustrations by Waterfront Niki. It took all the strength I had not to break out the crayons and color in the black and white charicatures.
What I like about Tom is his willingness to learn the local language and embrace the local culture and its people. I don't think enough expats follow that example and it's inspiring to see how openminded he is and how that openmindedness enriches his experiences in his new country.
Borneo Tom: Stories and Sketches of Love, Travel and Jungle Family in Tropical Asia is available at Amazon.com. Be sure to check out Tom's website for more information on the man behind the book.
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