#412 Living your geography (30)

Dec 30, 2018

One of the first things I had to learn fairly quickly when I moved to Ireland was a whole new set of places and names. It’s quite amazing how much of such knowledge you take for granted growing up in one place even if you are never forced to learn your fifty states and state…

Day #309 The Dust of Life

Nov 9, 2017

The rule of scoring work swag is that you have to be in the right place at the right time. Or, as is often the case these days in large firms, looking into your inbox at the right time and clicking reply and send first and thinking through all of the details later. That’s how, earlier this…

I was discussing my post on my childhood memories of Russia with my mother the other day when she said to me "I have no recollection of Mama cutting up brown paper to use in the bathroom. Are you sure it was brown paper?"

"Yes," I replied. "It's one of my most vivid memories."

"Strange," my mum said. "I remember her singing while cooking, and sitting at the sewing machine, but not this."

"But surely you remember extended periods of not having any actual toilet paper available, right?"

"Oh, yes!" she assured me. "That was definitely the case, especially toward the end when we were there, it was very hard to get toilet paper anywhere. In fact, toilet paper was considered the best gift you could bring with you to a dinner party at that time. Much more appreciated than alcohol or cake!"
Postscript for Day #255 “Childhood Nostalgia”

Day #255 Childhood nostalgia

Sep 16, 2017

The last couple of weeks, my entry to and from our housing estate has been dominated by the heavily ripened rowan berries hanging above the gate (as well as other parts of the estate). The name “rowan” is actually new to me exactly as of fifteen minutes ago. I have been idly composing this post…