Expat Thanksgiving, as anyone will tell you, is always a little bit of a challenge. There is the sourcing of ingredients like canned pumpkin, cornflour, and cranberries. There is the logistical challenge of making sure you have enough pans to cook all the multitudinous requisite dishes. (I may have created a Gantt chart for this. … Continue reading
Tag Archives: Travel
An Opportunity of Kindness
Since my last two adventures were rather distressing, I wanted to remind you that all is not fraught with peril and angst here in London. Though frankly, many things are, and it’s easy for me to forget the wondrous things. I recently referred to my London life as ‘vinegary’ and I stand firmly by my … Continue reading
How Not to Catch a Bus
It took no small effort to push myself up from the gutter in which I was lying. I had seen the bus, I had run for it, and indeed I had caught it. But not before catching my foot on a wayward slab of pavement and flying headlong into the street. I hit the ground … Continue reading
Historicity
I was introduced to this word a few days ago by Philip K Dick’s novel ‘The Man in the High Castle’, and its certainly a concept that springs to life in Stratford-upon-Avon. Most of the UK, in fact, has a palpable sense of identity, of pride, not only in the objects and stories of history … Continue reading
In the Moment
Have you ever had the feeling that you are exactly where you should be in life, doing exactly what you should be doing? It’s a rare enough feeling with me, but one that occasionally strikes with the force of a reassuring lightning bolt. It came to me clearly as I sat on a shaded bench … Continue reading
The Infamous Oxford Toast Thief
Oxford, it seems, is purpose-built to befuddle me. I was there at a research methodology conference for two days (there will be a Serious blog later full of stuff about ethics and visualization of data and things; give me a few days to get the Serious hat back on). As I arrived on the first … Continue reading
Spurious Museums
Well, despite my time in Scotland being a writing trip I did manage to find time for distractions and diversions. On the first day I left the Elephant cafe wandering up towards Edinburgh castle. As I moved towards the entrance I finally realized that the giant sports-stadium style scaffolding projecting out from the hillside is … Continue reading
The London Train
Speeding through the majestic countryside of Eastern Scotland and northern England, I’m reflecting on my writing holiday. Edinburgh was the perfect place, of course, because on the second day the weather turned chilly, and grey, and eventually rainy, forcing me to buckle down and concentrate on the purpose of my visit. But it was more … Continue reading
Traveling Lines
The sun woke me just before six. We couldn’t figure out how to open the blinds, but somehow a little patch of flickering light appeared, playing over my eyes. I thought about going back to sleep but then I thought how seldom I get to travel on a conveyance with a club car, where I … Continue reading
Moving On
Alas and alack, the lovely Fitzrovia adventure will shortly come to an end. Our landlord has decided to do up the flat and then do up the rent, so very soon we must up sticks and shift. I’ve been very sad about this because the Fitzrovian garret adventure has been just sublime, but I can’t … Continue reading
Caitiewrites 