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Ode to the flight attendant
One of my favourite aspects of flying is watching the va et vient of flight attendants. Mostly because they are my barometers for whether or not everything is going well (“only start panicking if the flight attendants look worried”), but also because I admire how they exude the firm, yet loving demeanor of a mother. [...]
Odds and ends, Rome, Italy
The confused question has now been replaced by a delighted exclamation: “Oh! You speak English!” At least this time, this reaction does not come as a surprise. I started my trip in the less-touristy region where my parents were born, but with every new destination since – Milan, Turin and Cinque Terre – I have [...]
Walking the trail, Cinque Terre, Italy
The map they gave me indicated that the 3km-walk between Vernazza and Monterosso would take approximately two hours, but it only took me an hour and a half. And wearing a pair of chucks too. The trail draws a wavy line along the coastal mountains of the Italian Riviera, sometimes rising to skirt the top-most [...]
The meaning of “Italian”, Torino, Italy
An unexpected thing has happened. Although I am probably the only person who did not expect it. I am now so fully absorbed into the Italian landscape that whenever it comes out that I’m actually Canadian-born, I’m met with confusion and a sputtered, “Comé. Non sei italiana?” It happens every day now. From the Italian [...]
Epic moments, Milan, Italy
If Milan is all about art and fashion, then the three days I spent there were an all-out success. 1) Seeing da Vinci’s The Last Supper While standing in the first of two sealed chambers, I placed myself quite deliberately at the back of the group so that I would be the last to enter. [...]
Posted in packing your bags Tagged art, culture, Italy, Milan, shopping, summer, travel Leave a comment
Why we love the ocean, Porto d’Ascoli, Italy
No use talking about the places you’ve lived in or the people you’ve lived with. Our one true home is the sea. And it is a truth that forms even as our bones are beginning to shape themselves in the briny sea of a mother’s womb. The ocean is the place from which life arose [...]
Why Instagram is my favourite social media platform
Oh, Instagram! How do I love thee? Let me count the ways… Or maybe just three. 1) Intimate. The subjects that I choose to photograph using the Instagram app are chosen viscerally. They are the people, objects and places that make my heart leap, my stomach get fluttery and my mouth widen into a smile. There are [...]
Posted in pretty flickering images, professional musings Tagged Instagram, iPhone app, photography, platforms, social media 3 Comments
Ovarium: Getting over the sensory deprivation thing
I won’t lie to you. I’ve been avoiding Ovarium for years. Although I love spas and agree wholeheartedly that bodywork is necessary to general and long-term health, I was anxious about the enclosed nature of Ovarium baths. Even if I knew that I wasn’t obliged to close the lid. Even if my friends had assured me [...]
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Snippet of writing: Now that he is gone
Now that he is gone, I have been searching for the gift he left me. The gift that will last longer than pictures or notes. And I insist on calling it a gift, because I don’t want to walk away from this with the usual regret, or the lingering suspicion of all Sagittarius men, or [...]
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Eating alone, eating solo