Have an earthquake, will travel

Experiencing an earthquake on entering a country must not be easy. My friend Melanie felt a tremor measuring 5.2 on the Richter Scale on entering Honduras, after hearing an ear load about soccer.

Comes with the territory, she says. Countries like Taiwan and Japan can't go a day without boogeying 21 times a day.

That's just the start of Melanie Mel's adventures. For years she's talked about doing something for the underprivileged. Her chance has come -- to do a combo-job with Accenture and CARE -- which is why she was in Honduras.

She's circling the globe over 3-4 months to combat poverty and empower women. Read her blog (workingwithcare.blogspot.com) to keep up with her adventures.

A soccer frenzy has gripped Honduras as the World Cup approaches, she observes. (For the record, my team to win it all is The Netherlands.)

Mel's a wild child -- mellow at first glance, but tempo ratcheting up at any time called party time -- but this effort is where her heart really is.

To ensure she's in touch with the wild side, I've asked her to hit Latin bars and challenge tequila swigging amigos to a pool match occassionally.

Many-a-women friend have hung up their 'wild child' boots after meeting their respective beaux. I'm not going to lose any more friends to that!!