Thursday 6 February 2025 Eskişehir, Türkiye The former head teacher, dismissed and disillusioned, lay in his restless bed, his limbs heavy with exhaustion, his thoughts a storm of injustice and regret. Losing your job can be a hideous blow, both to the pocket and to the ego. The best way to deal with it is… Continue reading The Academy of Joy
Category: music
A Tapestry of Poetic Resilience
Tuesday 4 February 2025 Eskişehir, Türkiye On this day, history whispers through words penned by poets, through voices that capture the beauty and ugliness of man’s common struggle against his own mortality. The air of February 4 is thick with reflections — on fleeting existence, on love and laughter, on the grit of survival and… Continue reading A Tapestry of Poetic Resilience
Ripples in Time
Monday 3 February 2025 Eskişehir, Türkiye What makes a life worth remembering? A long, long time ago (“American Pie” was written in 1971 and the time McLean is going to talk about is the 1950’s. This seemslike a long time ago ’cause of all the turmoil that occurred in the 60’s.)I can still remember how… Continue reading Ripples in Time
Family values
Soo-Lin Saeng Ho Winhu Apartment 101-ho Shinda-dong 400 bunji Ganjan-gu, Seoul SOUTH KOREA Above: Seoul, South Korea Harper Family 425 Morgan Boulevard Houston, Texas 77013 USA Above: Houston, Texas, USA To my host family, My name is Soo-Lin. I am delighted to learn that you will be acting as my new family during my time… Continue reading Family values
A friend in deed
Dear Dost, I know that people don’t send letters anymore. Rather we tend to rely on instant messaging or e-mail. Sure, they are convenient and instant, but they do not have the same level of intimacy as a personal letter does. Sadly, the joy of receiving real letters is something that fewer and fewer people… Continue reading A friend in deed
The joy of hikikomori
Hikikomori (Japanese): Total withdrawal from society Fujimaki: “I have been suffering from this disabling social phobia for many years and I am still struggling in my recovery. After receiving six months of therapy, I am gradually trying to reintegrate into society, but I am still pretty reclusive. When I think back, I realize that even… Continue reading The joy of hikikomori
A moment of silence
Eskişehir, Türkiye Thursday (Perşembe) 12 December (Aralık) 2024 “To every thing there is a season and a time to every purpose under Heaven… A time to keep silence and a time to speak.“ Ecclesiastes 3: 1, 7. “I don’t wanna be the girl that has to fill the silence….The quiet scares me, ’cause it screams… Continue reading A moment of silence
What am I doing here?
Eskişehir, Türkiye Wednesday (Çarşamba) 4 December (Aralik) 2024 Türkiye: Above: Flag of the Republic of Türkiye This richly historical land has some of the best cuisine you will ever taste, scenery from beaches to mountains, and the great city of Istanbul. Above: Aerial view of the historical peninsula and modern skyline of Istanbul A succession… Continue reading What am I doing here?
Songs without words
Eskişehir, Türkiye Wednesday (Çarşamba) 26 November (Kasim) 2024 Nighttime sharpens, heightens each sensationDarkness stirs and wakes imaginationSilently the senses abandon their defenses Slowly, gently, night unfurls its splendorGrasp it, sense it, tremulous and tenderTurn your face away from the garish light of dayTurn your thoughts away from cold, unfeeling lightAnd listen to the music of… Continue reading Songs without words
Daddy dearest
Eskişehir, Türkiye Thursday 9 October 2024 It has been a while since I have written my blog and the reasons are complex. Since my trip to Andalucia – the subject of the past few blogposts – I have changed employers, visited the Princes’ Islands off the coast of Istanbul and have been building a network… Continue reading Daddy dearest