New Orleans, Louisiana, USA, 21 January 1858 “I am astonished more and more at the stupid extravagance… Fashion rules so absolutely… The people in the house would lend me any amount of flower garden bonnets if I would but go out in them. This is so like the Americans… They are generous and kind but… Continue reading Canada Slim and the Promised Land
Month: January 2017
The cure for Wanderlust?
Landschlacht, Switzerland, 28 January 2017 As those already acquainted with myself already know, I earn my income in two ways: I am a Canadian, resident in Switzerland, working as a freelance English-as-a-second-language teacher and part-time Starbucks barista. And while both physical and psychological health remain I wish to continue to do both jobs for a… Continue reading The cure for Wanderlust?
The sorrow of Batman
Istanbul, Turkey, 10 September 2016 In Istanbul, extraordinary experiences are found around every corner. Here, dervishes whirl, müezzins call from minarets and people move between continents multiple times a day. Istanbul is home to millenia-old monuments and cutting edge art galleries – sometimes on the same block. It is an utterly beguiling city full of… Continue reading The sorrow of Batman
The sons of Karbala
St. Gallen, Switzerland, 9 January 2017 “Turkey seems to be falling to pieces, the fall will be a great misfortune. It is very important that England and Russia should come to a perfectly good understanding… and that neither should take any decisive step of which the other is not apprized.” “We have a sick man on… Continue reading The sons of Karbala
Eye problems
Landschlacht, Switzerland, 9 January 2017 Today is my first day back to work as a teacher and this, of course, involves planning. Planning involves going through my wee little library here at home in search of interesting material to share with my students in the hopes that as they learn they might also be entertained,… Continue reading Eye problems
The Underestimated: The Bold and the Reckless
Landschlacht, Switzerland, 7 January 2017 It is normal to underestimate the Swiss. In fact other nations generally don´t see and rarely think about the Swiss. And the Swiss themselves don´t help themselves in this regard. To the outside world, the French-speaking Swiss to the west of the country seem little different from the French of… Continue reading The Underestimated: The Bold and the Reckless
One foot down
Landschlacht, Switzerland, 6 January 2017 “An aged man is but a paltry thing, A tattered coat upon a stick, unless Soul clap its hands and sing, and louder sing For every tatter in its mortal dress.” (William Butler Yeats. “Sailing to Byzantium”, The Tower) Above: William Butler Yeats (1865 – 1939) Yesterday, working at Starbucks… Continue reading One foot down
The Wolves of Washington
Landschlacht, Switzerland, 5 January 2017 Sometimes I believe that there is hope for us simple humans. Other times… I am not so sure. Been reading lately of the US Republican Party seeking to dismantle or at least disable the US House Committee on Ethics. It has many functions, but they all revolve around the standards of… Continue reading The Wolves of Washington
The Last Sigh
Landschlacht, Switzerland, 4 January 2017 Outside my window, upon the streets of this wee hamlet, the snow remains. Beneath the snow nature sleeps, awaiting the resurrection of spring. Yet life continues nonetheless… Cows and sheep graze beneath the snow for succulent grass. Birds continue their happy carefree melodies. Humans scurry and hurry about, seeking sustenance… Continue reading The Last Sigh
The fashionable dead
Landschlacht, Switzerland, 3 January 2017 The scene outside my window seems worlds apart and away for the world I am about to describe…for the streets here in this wee Swiss hamlet by the Lake of Constance are covered in snow both magical and mysterious. You could spend days explaining to me the science behind snowfall… Continue reading The fashionable dead