I have a housemate called Lenny. I don’t know when he moved in. He lives in the bathroom. I noticed him for the first time the other day. I opened the door, turned on the light, and there he was. “Oh.” I said. “Hi.” He froze, then ran for cover. He hid in the corner…… Continue reading New and Unexpected Housemate
I may not be active on the dating scene, but I am aware that the times they are a-changing and these days it’s all about the swiping. I know that mirror selfies are a hard swipe left, and photos with dogs are a swipe right, and when I’m talking to friends who are users of…… Continue reading Ghost In The Cell(Phone)
The other day, my mother called me like she always does. She calls every day. She calls to tell me what she’s doing, or to tell me about her day, or to tell me the latest deal in the grocery store. She calls about anything and everything. She talks away in rapid-fire Spanish and really,…… Continue reading Thoughts On… Mother’s Day
I walked into the Katakurakan onsen with trepidation clawing up my throat. A smiling lady handed me a small towel and a small key at the window of reception, then gestured gracefully towards a door on the left. This was something I’d noticed a lot since arriving in Japan; every Japanese person I encountered seemed to…… Continue reading Stripping Off in Suwa, Japan
In honour of World Poetry Day (which was yesterday), and the suffocating fog of misery that I spent the past week trying to ignore (which has now finally, thankfully lifted), I wrote a poem. I promise this won’t be a regular thing – poetry is not my strong suit – but it is easy and…… Continue reading A Struggle in Poetry
There’s something about the term ‘settling down’ that makes me panic. What kind of a term is that? “Settle down.” It’s the kind of thing you say to people when they’re acting hysterically and won’t listen to reason. It’s what you say to a spooked horse, or a hyperactive child. Even on their own, neither…… Continue reading Settling Down
Once more from the top. St. Patrick’s Day is either referred to as St. Patrick’s Day or Paddy’s Day. Those are the only acceptable terms. St. Pat’s Day, St. Patty’s Day, any and all of the other variations… they make Irish people feel so unclean they need to scour with wire brushes just to scrape…… Continue reading St. Patrick’s Day from an Irish Perspective
If you ask anyone abroad what the national beverage of Ireland is, I would wager that they’re likely to say Guinness. After all, Guinness has been successfully plying their trade for years now – 258 years, to be exact – with Irishness as a large part of its brand persona. It has the harp, and…… Continue reading Spilling The Tea
I am going to say something today that you might dismiss as ridiculous hyperbole, but I promise you that I say it with utmost sincerity: There are few events in life as entertaining for a European as the Florida State Fair. Six years ago, on a whim, Scrubs and I parked our rental car in front…… Continue reading Freaks and Fried Butter in Florida, USA
Before I get to today’s more light-hearted post, I would just like to say thank you to everyone who read and/or commented on my last post. I was worried about people’s reactions, but everyone was thoughtful and kind. I was really touched by how people took the time and read and comment, even if they didn’t…… Continue reading Tangled
When Do I Get The Manual? 