Looking through the veiled window, Which way will the nightingale go? Will it be up, will it be down? Do not fret, do not drown. Rest on the oak tree’s branch, and sing Your beautiful song, for the delicate spring, And whilst we pant and fight, Desperately trying to save our plight, I sit and listen, […]
Psychology
The Power Of Books
The books transported her into new worlds and introduced her to amazing people who lived exciting lives. She went on olden-day sailing ships with Joseph Conrad. She went to Africa with Ernest Hemingway and to India with Rudyard Kipling. She travelled all over the world while sitting in her little room in an English village. […]
Piangendo Per Te, Italia (Crying For You, Italy)
As Italy locks down a little more, it seems that the Italian people are being trapped in a pressure cooker that is about to explode. I try to think of other things by watching videos of old comedians, on YouTube, reminding me of when I was young. It isn’t nostalgia, but it makes me forget […]
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Reflections (1) – Gazing Into A Mirror
Sitting opposite you, I have the unnerving impression of gazing into a mirror, Where the reflection of my face is conspicuously absent. We are so obviously different, you and I. But at the same time, we are mirror images. We have, dare I say, the same differences. We run away from the shadows belonging to […]
La Vie En Rose – Domestic Violence Figures Shame France
Some national records are enviable, others are shameful. The official figures concerning domestic violence in France make for grim reading – a woman is killed by her partner or ex-partner every three days. France’s dismal record on domestic violence is certainly nothing to be proud of, but what is even more worrying is that the […]
Virtual Reality – Why I’m Giving Up On Facebook
It is a cruel world sometimes and it makes no difference whether the world is virtual or not. Human perceptions, emotions and misunderstandings may have found new freedoms within the virtual reality of cyberspace but retain their potency within the confines of the human brain. The last event that tilted the balance in favour of […]
Dutch “Zwarte Piet” – An Insult To Global Warming
Having reaped the success of my last two posts on this more than delicate subject, this could be the final instalment of a rather tedious trilogy. Why tedious, I hear you scream. The answer is quite simple – to coin a famous phrase, it’s much ado about nothing. But the news is that this time […]
Why Supermarkets Are Getting Into Your Heads
There are two things missing in supermarkets – a giant clock that tells how much time we have wasted and an escape route. It must be old age creeping in before it’s due, but I’m finding more and more reasons to moan about things. And I’m not just referring to all the […]
Vins Au Féminin – Que Les Hommes Aillent Se Faire Boire!
Ne vous méprenez pas. J’aime et respecte les femmes et il ne pourrait en être autrement, ma propre mère est une femme. Mais je dois admettre que mon épouse a un penchant pour les vins blancs doux ou les rosés, et cela m’agace. Cela aurait pu être bien pire pour Colombelle, notre petit […]
Sexism And Wine – When Colombelle Meets Adam
It could have been much worse for Colombelle, our sweet little white wine tasting of exotic fruit and wild flowers. Instead of meeting up with Adam, a respectable red, she could have suffered the displeasure of having to pass the best part of the evening with an Arrogant Frog. Discrimination starts in the vineyards, […]