Ever come across a book that you wish you’d gotten your hands on earlier in your life? I’m nearing the end of Robin Wall Kimmerer’s book, Braiding Sweetgrass and oh! how I wish I’d had this book when I was younger so I could have grown up with this knowledge, and it would have been…
Category: Thoughts on Things
every sunday
Every Sunday, in the early evening, the smell of baking bread breakdances through the house. It slides into rooms and closets, sweeping itself under doors even if they’re shut. Sour dough bread is not something I grew up with but has become something I’ve grown to love. It’s a real struggle not to cut into…
notable reads
Dear Friend, I recently read a few books and stories I’d like to share with you. Maybe my taste in literature might not be yours but if you have access to your public library, finding out if our tastes are similar isn’t that hard. They’re all written by non-western authors so if you’re looking for…
this ‘daily practice’ thing (ep.2)
Packing for vacation is always a headache, isn’t it? I don’t know anyone who enjoys it but maybe there are a few of you out there. My sister stuffs four, sometimes five pairs of shoes into her suitcase and tries to convince me (herself) she needs them all. Fortunately, she has small feet so it’s…
the dark side of japan
It’s taken me over three months to write this post. For a long time, I kept the title in my drafts folder, waiting. I’m not sure why the hesitancy, though. Is it because, whatever little I know of the Japanese culture, I really appreciate it? Or is it because, being inherently non confrontational, I’m worried…
ode to snail mail
I was a teenager when my mom was awarded a Fulbright scholarship to study in the US. We left Guyana and moved to America for two years, she in Albany and me in Miami. All my friends were back home in Georgetown. I remember buying a box of letter writing stationery from Eckerds Pharmacy to…
asphalt/art 8
Since the weather has gotten nice lately, I’ve been able to start walking in the mornings again. There’s an elementary school close to where I live, so I often see many lost treasures on the asphalt in my neighbourhood. If I’m patient, I can collect many of these images over time. Art sometimes requires patience….
yutori
I’ve been learning about the Japanese concept of yutori. This word refers to creating space in our lives. According to my Japanese friend, the word itself translates to “spaciousness” or “slack”. Perhaps yutori has to do with creating mental space and also physical space – which in turn makes more mental space. This space allows…
encounter on ikuchi island
I’ve never been one to do things in a rush. I need time to figure things out, then to experience them. So visiting a city in a day or two will always leave me feeling discombobulated. For the past four weeks, I’ve been travelling around Japan. Although we’ve been staying in each place for more…
encounter on a bridge (kyoto)
A few days ago, I’m walking back to my hotel. I notice an older man parking his bike against the bridge. I smile at him and say hello and he comes right over. “Where are you from?” he asks. “South America,” I reply. “Where exactly?” I explain how originally I’m from Guyana, but now live…