Ugly American is an epithet used to refer to perceptions of arrogant, demeaning, unthoughtful behaviors of Americans abroad. The term originated as the title of a 1958 book by authors William Lederer and Eugene Burdick, which I did not know until I started writing this blog. In fact, in the book, the lead character is physically unattractive, but nice. The "bad guys" are quite handsome, so it seems what is remembered of the book was the opposite of what was intended but in any case, the term became a derogatory one. I have had many opportunities to see "ugly... more

I have been having so much fun being a mom, I'm finding it hard to get to the computer. I will be resigning as an adoption.com blogger in a couple of weeks. There are many reasons, but I want you, the readers, to know I have enjoyed blogging about two of my passions – adoption and Africa.

There are many resources out there for you if you are researching adoption from Africa. One of my favorite is My Adoption Links, but it does not have updated info for the up-and-coming adoption programs like Zambia and others that are brand-new.

Another site for getting news from Africa is the AllAfrica news... more

While you are waiting to travel to Africa to complete your adoption, you've decided you want to have a "kit" party - birthing kit, hygeine kit or school kit. Great! You send out invitations inviting all your friends and family to get involved, but you're not quite sure what is needed in the kits. Worry no more - here's a suggested list for all three kits:

Birthing kit * shower curtain from the Dollar Store - goes under birthing mother; shower curtains are not as slippery as "regular" plastic * 6 medium gloves... more

We're still on things you can do while waiting for your referral, or – even harder – after your referral and before your child comes home. One of the tasks for you to undertake is to find a pediatrician or family doctor, if you don't already have one. You will also want to find a pediatric dentist or one who is comfortable with children with NO experience visiting the dentist.

Adopting a child from Africa involves different health care issues than adopting domestically, as you might imagine. For example, one problem that can be common in some areas of Africa are “jiggers”. Not referring to lost jiggers of salt, these little... more

There are many ways to wear your baby and I will have a series on the various types of carriers you can use. Today, though, I'm going to tell you how to tie on a baby wrap. It looks fairly simple and the tieing part is fairly simple, but it does take some trial and error to get the snugness right.

First of all, if you are going to tie your baby on, you should go and read the safety information on the "Wear Your Baby website. I, for example,... more

There are three primary ways to talk on the phone from the US to Africa. You can use your computer, you can use calling cards, or you can use the “regular” phone. I will rank them from least expensive to most expensive.

Least Expensive: That is calling over the Internet via a program such as Skype or Vonage. These programs require some sort of speaker/headphone system with a microphone. They do not always work, but when they do, they can be fabulous and mere pennies per minute. I called from Zambia to multiple numbers in the US and... more

Your paperwork is done and now you wait. Or, you have that wonderful referral and now you wait again – how can you keep from going crazy?!

Here are some ideas. Be sure to re-read this list when you are planning your "familymoon".

*Expect it to take longer than you hope. If it doesn't, it will be a happy surprise. Virtually all adoptions are a roller coaster ride, with ups and downs and unexpected twists. Timing is one of them. It just takes longer than you think it should, doggone it.

*Maintain a good relationship... more