Dear Mt. Fuji, I first saw you during the first sunset of 2011—fierce, beautiful. On New Year’s Day, my friend and I walked into the Yokohama Sheraton Hotel and took the elevator to the top floor to see the city stretched below. Beyond the city lights you stood, a symmetrical cone framed by an apricot … Continued
SELF DISCOVERY Gratitude according to oxford dictionary is the feeling of being grateful and wanting to express your thanks. Gratitude won’t occur if there was no first occurrence of gratification-The state of feeling pleasure when something goes well for you or when your desires are satisfied. It is that pleasure from a satisfied desire that … Continued
To the east of Georgetown, Long Beach appears to be a miniature Somme. It’s as though war games have been played out by an old general. I can picture him, a handlebar moustache, liver-spotted hands moving figures here and there. The wasted eggs of green turtles akin to dead men. Broken shells scavenged away … Continued
Jökulsárlón Christina van Deventer When I first came to Iceland I had barely entered adulthood. I was young, unemployed and scared to death of the gaping hole that was where my future was supposed to be. Thus far, everything had been pretty much pre-ordained. I would go to school, have certain kinds of friends and … Continued
It was a familiar sensation – the stroke of humidity, the potent smell of car engines and sights of families sitting on the floor, talking and laughing with one another. Arriving at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport always engenders two contrasting feelings – a sense of belonging to and detachment from the culture that is my roots. … Continued
The Road Less Travelled I spent 4 years in Nsukka, a small town located in the Eastern part of Nigeria- Enugu State to be precise. I won’t forget the time I spent there in my lifetime- the rich brick red sand, the soft green hills, the everyday sight of elderly women riding motorcycles and of … Continued
Welcome to Tiger Kingdom High-pitched horns wailed in the chaotic traffic on the outskirts of Chiang Mai, Thailand. The exhaust from rickety jalopies and revving dirtbikes was captive in the congestion. I covered my nose and mouth with my shirt, which was damp with perspiration from the prominent humidity, because I sat in a windowless … Continued
Saying Goodbye Waves rushed up the beach, displacing frail shells and frosted pieces of sea glass with each surge. I sat at the top of the sandy slope, letting the lukewarm ocean water barely wet my feet. One by one, beachgoers packed up their towels and brushed off the sand clinging to their bodies. Three … Continued
“After work tonight, I have to get me-dad some dog food,” our taxi driver says in his heavy Irish accent. “He no longer drives or carries thee bags.” This jolly-fellowed man knows his Dublin. Sitting next to my husband Bill, I rest into the cab’s backseat, listening to the driver’s melodic words. The cab seems … Continued
My Haven. The voice on the inspirational relaxation CD instructed me to “Find a place where I could relax and feel comfortable. Study it. Commit to memory how it looks, how it sounds, how it smells and above all how it affects my feelings.” The theory was that if I could internalise the actual sensations … Continued