I recently read Proust Was a Neuroscientistand I thoroughly enjoyed it. The author takes a look at various writers, thinkers, painters and gourmets and cleverly explains how they predicted things that neuroscience later proved to be true. For instance Auguste Escoffier cleverly forsaw the fifth taste, umami. He published a recipe book in 1903 that includes sauces that seem to be based solely on satisfying our desire for umami. Umami is better known because MSG, that ubiquitous additive, gives us Click for more
Category: Being
Being Short-sighted
I need to start wearing glasses, metaphorical ones, I’m already wearing ones for distance. I can see the outline of my goal, the bright shiny vision of the future. I can see exactly what it will be like and how good it will make me feel. There is a soft-focus effect at play though, the image is not crystal clear. What is perfectly clear is the wall between me and my goal. It’s a wall that can only be broken Click for more
Don’t Panic!
Fittingly enough given it would have been Douglas Adam’s 60th birthday on the 11th of March these words have been running through my head repeatedly in the last few days. The government have decided to change the education system. This should be greeted with shouts of joy and delight as there are plenty of things that could be improved on. But instead of changing the curriculum or adjusting the exam system (which changes every few years anyway) the plan is Click for more
Homage to Hybridity
When I read the Week 9 post it immediately brought to mind my wonderful hybrid sisters. They deserve to be named: Anastasia Ashman, Tara Lutman Ağaçayak, Rose Deniz, Sezin Koehler, Judith van Praag, Elmira Bayrasli, Catherine Salter Bayar and Jocelyn Eikenburg. These are women consistently remind me that being myself is ok, in fact, that it is terrific. Our backgrounds are varied, our locations global, what unites us is a belief in ourselves and an acceptance of our hybrid nature. What Click for more
All the Fun of the Circus
While asking questions and trying to figure out my “thing” a trip to the circus illustrated a few points about it. The circus to a child is magical and wondrous but to an adult it’s often bittersweet. Our eyes are often on the action outside of the ring, while a child will focus only on the performer. The child is amazed by the clown’s antics, the adult knows the clown is also the trapeze artist and the juggler. So what Click for more
Testing, testing…
According to the Via Me online survey my strengths are love of learning, judgment, prudence, teamwork and fairness. The Strong Life Test for Women tells me my lead role is that of caretaker with an open heart, a chance of being consumed by others feelings and that I should be on or leading a team. My supporting role is teacher, with faith in others, who should be paid to facilitate the success of others. The Primary Colors assessment meanwhile tells me Click for more
Writing from the heart
When I think of my most productive time in terms of creative effort it is slightly contradictory. I produced most but yet produced nothing for publication. In a way it was writing in its purest form, to figure out the world and my place in it. The overriding value in my life was, appropriately enough given the week that’s in it, love. I was newly married. I was exploring the culture I’d married into. I was learning a new language. Click for more
Disconnected
We wait… But We have three 19 litre bottles under the stairs, Another 8 litres inside the house. Drinking water is delivered. Wipes can be used for grubby hands and faces, The kettles are all full. We can cope till the water returns. We wait… But Our heating is an enclosed fireplace, logs stacked since June. The hob works with gas, the spare canister’s full. Torches and radios are tested and working, Phones are charged and spare batteries stockpiled, Click for more
She’s got per-son-al-ity…
A few weeks ago a friend described herself as a Type A personality, while more recently Justine Musk had a post about being an introvert. I knew immediately that I was not the first but very definitely the second. I know, I know there are probably lots of Type A introverts out there but I am not that continuously stressed, need to control type at all. In fact to look at the state of my house you’d say I was Click for more
Inner critic exposed…
This weeks action step for A Year With Myself was to describe your inner critic, something which I did last week. Or rather I described the inner critic’s uglier face, the inner begrudger. So for my action step I thought I’d illustrate my inner begrudger instead. Beware it ain’t pretty!