The Frog That Freezes Solid
All rights reserved by the author27 September 2026 If you saw one of these frogs in the middle of an Alaskan winter, you might think it was dead. Its body can freeze. Its eyes can turn white. Its heart stops beating. It stops breathing. And yet, it is alive. The wood frog spends the winter…
Solomon Islands: Where the Forest Meets the Lagoon
All rights reserved by the author27 September 2026 There are places where the boundary between land and sea seems almost impossible to draw. The Marovo Lagoon in the Solomon Islands is one of them. The lagoon is surrounded by volcanic islands, rainforest, mangroves, coral reefs and seagrass beds. Hundreds of smaller islands and reefs are…
The Days We Do Not Notice
All rights reserved by the author27 September 2026 Some of the best days of our lives do not look special when we are living them. There is no celebration. Nobody takes a photograph. Nothing happens that we think we will remember years later. It is simply a normal day. Someone we love is sitting across…
The Shrimp That Packs a Punch
All rights reserved by the author26 September 2026 There is a small creature in the sea that carries something resembling a tiny hammer. It is the mantis shrimp. And it hits with astonishing speed. Some species have specialised front limbs that can accelerate so rapidly that the strike creates a tiny shockwave in the surrounding…
Suriname: The Wooden City Beside the River
All rights reserved by the author26 September 2026 There is a city in South America where some of the most important old buildings are made of wood. It is Paramaribo, the capital of Suriname. Walk through its historic centre and the architecture tells a complicated story. Dutch influences meet local materials and craftsmanship, while African,…
What Age Teaches Us About Enough
All rights reserved by the author26 September 2026 When we are young, enough is usually somewhere ahead. A little more money. A better house. Another position. Another journey. Another achievement to add to the list. We keep moving because we believe the next thing will finally make us feel settled. Then, slowly, something changes. We…
The Bird That Can Fly Backwards
All rights reserved by the author25 September 2026 Most birds can fly forward. The hummingbird apparently never received the instruction. It can fly backwards. Not just for a brief moment, but with remarkable control. Its unusual wing movement allows it to hover in one place, move forward, move sideways and reverse through the air. That…
Albania: The Town Built in Stone
All rights reserved by the author25 September 2026 High in the hills of southern Albania, the town of Gjirokastër appears to rise out of the mountain itself. Its steep streets are paved with stone. Its old houses have distinctive stone roofs, and many seem to climb the hillside one above another. There is little softness…
When We Stop Explaining Ourselves
All rights reserved by the author25 September 2026 There comes a point in life when we become less interested in explaining ourselves. Not because we have nothing to say, but because we begin to understand that not everyone needs to understand us. When we are younger, we often explain our choices. Why we left. Why…
The Goat That Walks on Walls
All rights reserved by the author24 September 2026 There is a goat in the Alps that seems to have a very different understanding of the word “difficult.” Give it a steep mountain and it climbs. Give it a cliff and it climbs. Give it a nearly vertical dam wall and, apparently, that will do nicely…
Ireland: Where the Stones Remember
All rights reserved by the author24 September 2026 In County Clare, there is a landscape that looks almost as though the earth forgot to become green. The Burren is a vast limestone landscape of grey pavements, cracks, stones and small patches of soil. Yet between those rocks, an astonishing variety of flowers grows, including plants…
The Places We Carry With Us
All rights reserved by the author24 September 2026 There are places we leave behind but somehow never really leave. It may be a house where we spent our childhood, a school corridor, a railway platform, or simply a road we walked every day without giving it much thought. Years later, something brings it back. A…
The Octopus That Collected Shells
All rights reserved by the author23 September 2026 There are animals that collect things because they need them. And then there are octopuses. The veined octopus, a small creature found in tropical waters, has been observed carrying coconut shells across the seabed. At first, it may look rather comical. An octopus picks up a half…
Guyana: The Waterfall Hidden in the Green
All rights reserved by the author23 September 2026 Deep inside the forests of Guyana, far from the country’s coastal towns, the land suddenly breaks open. Water falls from a sandstone plateau in a single enormous drop. This is Kaieteur Falls. At about 226 metres, Kaieteur is one of the world’s great single-drop waterfalls. What makes…
The People We Remember Without Trying
All rights reserved by the author23 September 2026 Some people remain in our lives long after we have stopped speaking to them. Not because we deliberately hold on to them. They simply appear now and then. A song brings back a face. A familiar smell takes us to an old house. We pass a street…
The Whale That Leaves Scientists Guessing
All rights reserved by the author22 September 2026 Humpback whales are not short of ways to surprise us. They sing. They breach. They slap their tails on the water. And sometimes, they simply open their enormous mouths and hold them there. Scientists call this behaviour “gaping”. It has been observed in humpback whales, but it…
Guinea-Bissau: The Islands That Belong to the Tide
All rights reserved by the author22 September 2026 Off the coast of Guinea-Bissau lies an extraordinary world of islands, mangroves, mudflats and shifting channels. The Bijagós Archipelago does not look like a place designed for a postcard. It feels much older than that. The islands are shaped by the tide, and life here has long…
The Years That Change Us
All rights reserved by the author22 September 2026 There comes a time when we stop measuring life only by what we have achieved. We begin to remember other things. The person who stood beside us when we were going through a difficult time. The friend whose phone call came exactly when we needed it. The…
The Bird That Sleeps While Flying
All rights reserved by the author21 September 2026 Imagine being thousands of feet above the ocean, with nowhere to land, and becoming sleepy. That is not a problem for the great frigatebird. These remarkable seabirds can remain in the air for days while travelling over the ocean. In 2016, scientists recorded the brain activity of…
Sierra Leone: Where a Forest Became a Second Chance
All rights reserved by the author21 September 2026 On the outskirts of Freetown, in the forested hills of Sierra Leone, there is a place where some of the country’s most vulnerable animals have been given another chance. It is called Tacugama Chimpanzee Sanctuary. The sanctuary was founded in 1995 by Bala Amarasekaran and his wife,…
The Things We Understand Later
All rights reserved by the author21 September 2026 There are things in life we understand only after they have passed. A conversation we thought was ordinary. A goodbye we did not know was final. A kindness we barely noticed at the time. Even a difficult period that once seemed pointless can look different when we…
The Goat That Climbs Trees
All Rights Reserved by the Author20 September 2026 Most of us have seen goats climb onto rocks. But some goats take climbing rather more seriously. In Morocco, goats are sometimes seen climbing argan trees, carefully balancing on branches several metres above the ground. The sight looks almost impossible the first time you see it. The…
My latest book is in stores now .
I am happy to share something that is very close to my heart. My new book, WHEN WE LOOK AGAIN, has now been published. Every book leaves something of its author behind. This one is no different. It has grown out of thoughts, observations, memories and those small moments in life which sometimes stay with…
Montenegro: The Bay That Looks Like a Fjord
All Rights Reserved by the Author20 September 2026 On the Adriatic coast of Montenegro lies a remarkable landscape where mountains seem to fall directly into the sea. It is the Bay of Kotor, a winding body of water surrounded by steep mountains and small historic settlements. At first sight, it can look almost like a…
There Are Still Roads We Have Not Taken
All Rights Reserved by the Author20 September 2026 Sometimes I look back at the roads I did not take. Not with regret, exactly. More with curiosity. What would life have been like if I had said yes to that opportunity? What if I had gone to that place? What if I had met that person…
The Fish That Can Shoot
All Rights Reserved by the Author19 September 2026 There is a fish that does something one would not normally associate with a fish. It shoots. The archerfish lives in freshwater and brackish environments in parts of Asia and Australia. When it spots an insect above the water, it can shoot a jet of water from…
Ireland: The Island of Small Fields and Stone Walls
All Rights Reserved by the Author19 September 2026 There is something unmistakable about the Irish countryside. Green fields stretch across the landscape, but many of them are divided by old stone walls that seem to belong there as naturally as the hills. On the Aran Islands, off the west coast of Ireland, these walls are…
Some People Make a Place Feel Like Home
All Rights Reserved by the Author19 September 2026 A house can be beautiful and still feel empty. And sometimes a very ordinary place can feel like home. I have often wondered why. It is probably not the furniture. Not the paint on the walls or the size of the rooms. It is the people. A…
The Octopus That Refused to Be Ordinary
All Rights Reserved by the Author18 September 2026 An octopus does not look like an animal that should be particularly interested in solving problems. It has no bones. It has eight arms. And somehow, it has become one of the most fascinating examples of intelligence in the animal world. Scientists have found that octopuses can…
Kerala: When the Divine Comes to the Village
All Rights Reserved by the Author18 September 2026 In northern Kerala, there is a traditional art form in which the boundary between performer and deity becomes deliberately blurred. It is called Theyyam. Performed mainly in the Malabar region, particularly around Kannur and Kasaragod, Theyyam combines dance, music, ritual, elaborate costumes and extraordinary facial painting. Kerala…
What We Leave Behind
All Rights Reserved by the Author18 September 2026 The older I get, the more I think that we leave behind far more than we realise. Not necessarily the things we worked hardest for. A person may remember something we said years ago, although we ourselves have forgotten saying it. Someone may remember that we stood…
The Crow That Made Its Own Tool
All Rights Reserved by the Author17 September 2026 A crow is easy to underestimate. It is small, dark and common enough that many of us barely notice it. But the New Caledonian crow has surprised scientists for decades. These birds are known to make and use tools. They can shape materials such as twigs and…
Kiribati: Where the Ocean Is Part of Home
All Rights Reserved by the Author17 September 2026 There are countries where the sea is nearby. And then there are countries where the sea is part of almost everything. Kiribati is a Pacific island nation made up of 33 atolls and reef islands and one raised coral island. Its geography has shaped not only how…
The People We Become Along the Way
All Rights Reserved by the Author17 September 2026 We spend a surprising amount of time trying to become someone. When we are young, we want to become successful. Later, we want to become secure. Then, perhaps, we simply want to become peaceful. But somewhere between these stages, life changes us in ways we never planned.…
The Elephant Who Came Back
All Rights Reserved by the Author16 September 2026 Elephants have remarkable memories. But sometimes a story about an elephant makes us wonder whether memory is only about remembering a place—or remembering a person. In South Africa, conservationist Lawrence Anthony became known for his work with elephants that had been considered difficult and dangerous. When a…
Armenia: A Story Written in Stone
All Rights Reserved by the Author16 September 2026 In Armenia, stone is more than a building material. It has become part of the country’s visual language. Across the Armenian landscape stand ancient monasteries, churches and stone crosses known as khachkars. These carved stones are among the most distinctive expressions of Armenian religious and artistic tradition.…
The Life We Don’t Post
All Rights Reserved by the Author16 September 2026 There is a life we show the world. And there is another life that nobody sees. The photograph may show the smile, but not the difficult morning before it. The achievement may be announced, but not the years of uncertainty that came before it. A family photograph…
The Chair by the Window
All Rights Reserved by the Author15 September 2026 Every house has one chair that seems to have a life of its own. Nobody officially owns it. Yet somehow, everyone knows who usually sits there. It may be the chair beside the window, the one with the best view. Or the old armchair that has survived…
Samoa: When the Ocean Shapes a Way of Life
All Rights Reserved by the Author15 September 2026 In Samoa, the ocean is not simply something seen from the shore. It is part of life. The islands of Samoa have traditionally depended upon the sea for food, travel and connection between communities. Fishing knowledge, passed through generations, has been closely tied to an understanding of…
There Is Still Time
All Rights Reserved by the Author15 September 2026 There is a sentence we sometimes tell ourselves too early: “It is too late.” Too late to begin again. Too late to learn something new. Too late to write the book, make the journey, repair the friendship or simply become the person we had once imagined. But…
The Day We Finally Find Something We Lost
All Rights Reserved by the Author14 September 2026 There are two kinds of searching. The first is when you know exactly what you have lost. The second is when you have absolutely no idea where you kept it. The second kind can turn a peaceful household into a crime investigation. You check the drawer. Then…
Timor-Leste: A Tradition Woven by Hand
All Rights Reserved by the Author14 September 2026 In Timor-Leste, some stories are not written on paper. They are woven into cloth. Known as Tais, the traditional textile is made by hand, particularly by women, using techniques passed from one generation to another. Its colours, patterns and designs can differ between communities, giving the cloth…
What We Remember Without Trying
All Rights Reserved by the Author14 September 2026 Memory is a curious thing. We can forget someone’s name five minutes after meeting them, yet remember a song we heard thirty years ago. We may struggle to recall what we had for lunch yesterday, but suddenly remember the colour of a school uniform, the smell of…
The Things We Keep for “Someday”
All Rights Reserved by the Author13 September 2026 Most of us have a mysterious place called “someday.” Someday we will use the good dinner set. Someday we will wear that special shirt. Someday we will take that trip. Someday we will read the book that has been sitting beside the bed for three years. Someday,…
Malta: The Little Boats That Carry a Big History
All Rights Reserved by the Author13 September 2026 There are places where history is written in grand monuments. And then there are places where history survives in small boats. In Malta, the traditional luzzu is one such symbol. These brightly painted wooden fishing boats have long been part of the islands’ maritime life, particularly around…
Some Doors Open Slowly
All Rights Reserved by the Author13 September 2026 We are often impatient with life. We want answers quickly, plans to work immediately and dreams to show some sign that they are moving. But some things simply take time. A friendship may need years before it becomes precious. A book may need months before it finds…
A Seat at the Wrong Table
All Rights Reserved by the Author12 September 2026 There are moments in life when you realise you have been sitting at the wrong table. Not literally, of course. It may be a workplace where your ideas are never heard. A friendship where you are always the one making the effort. Or even a conversation where…
Tunisia: Where the Desert Meets the Sea
All Rights Reserved by the Author12 September 2026 Tunisia is often introduced through its Mediterranean beaches and ancient ruins, but its character becomes more intriguing farther south, where the landscape begins to change dramatically. Near the edge of the Sahara lies Douz, long associated with desert life and sometimes called the “Gateway to the Sahara.”…
The World Is Larger Than Our Window
All Rights Reserved by the Author12 September 2026 We sometimes mistake the world we see every day for the whole world. The same road. The same faces. The same conversations. The same familiar concerns. Then, suddenly, a photograph arrives from another country. A message comes from someone we have never met. We hear a song…
The Day I Tried to Be Organised
All Rights Reserved by the Author10 September 2026 Yesterday, I decided to become organised. Not moderately organised. Completely organised. I made a list. The list had a heading, subheadings and even little boxes to tick. For the first ten minutes, I felt like the CEO of my own life. Then I remembered that I had…
Albania: The Promise of Besa
All Rights Reserved by the Author10 September 2026 In Albania, there is a word that carries a meaning larger than its translation: Besa. It is often explained as a promise, a pledge or a person’s word of honour. But its deeper meaning lies in the responsibility attached to that word. To give one’s besa is…
The Good We Leave Behind
All Rights Reserved by the Author11 September 2026 There are things we collect in life—money, possessions, photographs, certificates and memories. Yet, strangely, the things that remain longest are often the things we never intended to keep. A kind word spoken to someone having a difficult day. A phone call made simply because we remembered. A…
The Five-Minute Nap
Date: 10/09/2026All rights reserved by the author “I’ll just rest for five minutes.”That sentence has probably ruined more plans than bad weather.You sit down.You close your eyes.Five minutes.That’s the agreement.When you open them again, you have no idea what year it is.You look at the clock.Forty-five minutes have disappeared.Nobody understands how.You sit up quickly and…
Jordan – Life Beneath the Blue
Date: 10/09/2026All rights reserved by the author When most people think of Jordan, the first images may be Petra, the desert or the ancient cities.But at the country’s southern edge, another world begins.Under the blue waters of the Gulf of Aqaba, an extraordinary coral ecosystem has been quietly developing for thousands of years.In 2026, the…
Looking Up
Date: 10/09/2026All rights reserved by the author “We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars.”— Oscar Wilde, Lady Windermere’s Fan, Act IIII like this line because life does not always give us a choice about where we stand.Some days are difficult.Plans go wrong. People disappoint us. Something we…
The Instructions Nobody Read
Date: 09/09/2026All rights reserved by the author There are two kinds of people in the world.Those who read instructions.And those who believe instructions are written for other people.I belong firmly to the second group.Recently, something arrived at home that required “simple assembly.”Those two words should have warned me.I opened the box.There were screws.There were wooden…
Rwanda – When a Community Decides to Work Together
Date: 09/09/2026All rights reserved by the author Imagine waking up one day each month knowing that your neighbourhood will become a place of shared work.People come out.Neighbours meet.And instead of waiting for someone else to solve every local problem, the community does something together.In Rwanda, this tradition is known as Umuganda.The word is closely associated…
The Seat Beside Us
Date: 10/09/2026All rights reserved by the author There are people with whom silence never feels uncomfortable.You can sit beside them without searching for something clever to say.The conversation may stop.The room may become quiet.And yet, nothing feels missing.I think that is one of the nicest things about growing close to someone.In the beginning, we often…
The Man Who Couldn’t Find His Glasses
Date: 08/09/2026All rights reserved by the author A man spent twenty minutes looking for his glasses.He searched the table.The bedroom.The kitchen.He even accused the family dog of being involved.“Did anyone move my glasses?”Nobody had.The search became serious.Cushions were lifted.Drawers were opened.Someone suggested checking the refrigerator.Nobody knew why.Finally, his wife walked into the room and looked…
Vanuatu – The Land Where Courage Has an Unusual Meaning
Date: 08/09/2026All rights reserved by the author On Pentecost Island in Vanuatu, there is a tradition that has fascinated people around the world for generations.Men climb tall wooden towers built from branches and vines.Then, with vines attached to their ankles, they jump.The tradition is known as Naghol, or land diving.To an outsider, it may first…
The Small Things We Carry
Date: 08/09/2026All rights reserved by the author We all carry small things that nobody else can see.A sentence someone once said to us.A disappointment we have never discussed.A kindness we still remember.A mistake we wish we could undo.Perhaps that is why we should be a little careful with one another.The person standing in front of…
The Drawer Nobody Understands
Date: 07/09/2026All rights reserved by the author Every house has one drawer that nobody wants to explain.You open it looking for a pen.Instead, you find three old keys.Nobody knows what they open.There is a charger for a phone that disappeared years ago.Two batteries—probably dead.A button.Some rubber bands.And at least one mysterious object that the entire…
Paraguay – The Drink That Makes People Sit Together
Date: 07/09/2026All rights reserved by the author In Paraguay, a drink can be much more than something taken to satisfy thirst.It can be an invitation to slow down.To sit together.To talk.The drink is called tereré, a traditional cold infusion associated with yerba mate and, in the culture of Pohã Ñana, with the use of herbs.But…
The Things We Remember Without Trying
Date: 07/09/2026All rights reserved by the author It is strange what the mind chooses to keep.We may forget an important date and remember, perfectly, the smell of an old classroom.We may struggle to recall a conversation from last week but suddenly remember the sound of someone laughing twenty years ago.Sometimes a song does it.Sometimes a…
The Supermarket Expert
Date: 06/09/2026All Rights Reserved by the Author There is always one person in a family who knows exactly how shopping should be done.Unfortunately, that person is rarely the one doing the shopping.“Don’t buy that brand.”“Why?”“It isn’t good.”“How do you know?”“I saw a review.”Then comes another instruction.“Compare the prices.”I compare them.“Not like that.”Apparently, there is a…
Georgia – A Table Where Nobody Eats in a Hurry
Date: 06/09/2026All Rights Reserved by the Author In Georgia, a meal can become something much bigger than food.There is a traditional feast called the supra.People gather around a table, food is shared, glasses are raised, stories are told, and toasts become an important part of the occasion.There is usually someone who guides the toasts—the tamada.But…
The Things That Can Wait
Date: 06/09/2026All Rights Reserved by the Author There is always something waiting to be done.A message.A bill.A decision.A cupboard that needs cleaning.A dozen small things that somehow become urgent the moment we sit down to rest.But perhaps not everything deserves to be done immediately.Sometimes the dishes can wait.The unanswered message can wait for an hour.The…
The Suspicious Silence
Date: 05/09/2026All Rights Reserved by the Author Anyone who has lived with children—or even a particularly energetic pet—knows this rule:Silence is not always peaceful.Sometimes it is suspicious.One afternoon, the house became unusually quiet.No television.No conversation.No footsteps.I looked around.Nothing.That was when I became worried.“Why is it so quiet?” I asked.Nobody answered.That made it worse.I walked from…
Lesotho – A Kingdom in the Mountains
Date: 05/09/2026All Rights Reserved by the Author There are countries where mountains appear in the distance.In Lesotho, the mountains are part of everyday life.The country is known for its highland landscape, where valleys, rivers and dramatic mountain slopes shape both the scenery and the lives of the people who live there.One of its remarkable places…
The Conversation We Keep Postponing
Date: 05/09/2026All Rights Reserved by the Author There is always someone we mean to speak to.We think of them while doing something else and tell ourselves,“I’ll call tomorrow.”Tomorrow becomes next week.Next week quietly becomes months.It isn’t because we don’t care.Life simply fills the spaces.There are errands, responsibilities, messages to answer and small emergencies that somehow…
The Dog Who Was Afraid of the Vacuum Cleaner
September 4, 2026All rights reserved by the author Our neighbour’s dog, Bruno, is a large golden retriever with the courage of a lion—provided there is no vacuum cleaner in the room. Yesterday, his owner decided to clean the living room. The moment the vacuum started, Bruno disappeared. We found him five minutes later behind the…
The Village Where Water Still Remembers
September 4, 2026All rights reserved by the author In the Japanese village of Shirakawa-go, water is more than something that flows through the landscape. For generations, the villagers have lived with an intricate relationship with water. Small channels carry clear mountain water through the settlement, and the same water has traditionally served different purposes—washing, irrigation,…
What We Carry Home
September 4, 2026All rights reserved by the author “Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards.” — Søren Kierkegaard Last Sunday, I found an old shirt at the back of my cupboard. It was no longer useful. The collar had faded, one button was missing, and the fabric had become thin…
The Cat Who Knew It Was Dinner Time
September 3, 2026All rights reserved by the author Every evening at exactly seven, our cat, Momo, begins her inspection of the kitchen. She does not meow or scratch the door. She simply appears beside whoever is cooking and watches with the serious expression of a supervisor who has discovered several irregularities. Yesterday, my wife was…
Latvia – The Singing Nation
Date: 03/09/2026All Rights Reserved by the Author Some countries are remembered for mountains.Some for monuments.Latvia has something rather different.It has a remarkable relationship with singing.For generations, songs have carried stories, language and memories from one generation to another. And when Latvia celebrates its great Song and Dance Festival, thousands of people come together to sing.That…
The Day We Almost Missed
Date: 03/09/2026All Rights Reserved by the Author There are days when nothing remarkable happens.No celebration.No important news.No photograph worth posting.You wake up, do what needs to be done, speak to a few people and let the day pass.And yet, much later, you may remember it.Not because something extraordinary happened.Perhaps because someone laughed at something silly.Perhaps…
The Remote Control Mystery
Date: 02/09/2026All Rights Reserved by the Author The television remote disappeared.Nobody knew where it was.Naturally, everyone blamed everyone else.“I didn’t touch it.”“Neither did I.”“Then how did it disappear?”The search began.Under the cushions.Behind the television.On the dining table.Someone even looked in the kitchen.“Why would the remote be in the kitchen?”“You never know.”After fifteen minutes, my wife…
Botswana – The Place Where People Still Sit Down and Talk
Date: 02/09/2026All Rights Reserved by the Author Imagine a problem affecting an entire community.Everyone has an opinion.Everyone is talking.Now imagine that, instead of arguing through screens and disappearing into separate corners, people actually gather in one place.They sit down.They listen.They speak.That idea has a long tradition in Botswana.It is called the kgotla.A kgotla is a…
The People We Think Of Suddenly
Date: 02/09/2026All Rights Reserved by the Author Have you ever thought of someone without any particular reason?You may be doing something completely ordinary when suddenly a face comes back to you.A school friend.An old colleague.Someone you haven’t spoken to for years.For a few seconds, they are there again.You remember their laugh.The way they spoke.Perhaps something…
The Argument About the Fan
Date: 01/09/2026All Rights Reserved by the Author Every family has experienced it.One person says,“It’s too cold. Switch off the fan.”Another immediately replies,“Too cold? I’m sweating!”The fan remains on.Someone pulls a blanket over themselves.Someone else removes a cushion.Then comes the most important question:“Why is the fan pointing directly at me?”Nobody has an answer.After ten minutes of…
Estonia – The Country That Sings Together
Date: 01/09/2026All Rights Reserved by the Author There are many ways for a nation to show its strength.Some do it through monuments.Some through armies.And then there is Estonia, where one of the most beautiful expressions of national identity comes through people standing together and singing.The Estonian Song Festival is not an ordinary concert.Thousands of singers…
The People Who Make a Difference
Date: 01/09/2026 All Rights Reserved by the Author “There is no charm equal to tenderness of heart.”— Jane Austen We remember many things about people. Their faces. Their voices. The places where we met them. But often, what remains longest is much simpler. The way they made us feel. Some people have a gift for…
The Empty Chair
Date: 31/08/2026All Rights Reserved by the Author Every house seems to have one chair that belongs to someone.Nobody officially owns it.But everybody knows.One evening, a guest came to our house and sat in that chair.There was complete silence.Nobody said anything.My wife looked at me.I looked at her.The guest smiled happily, completely unaware.Finally, someone asked,“Are you…
Malawi – The Lake That Looks Like an Ocean
Date: 31/08/2026 All Rights Reserved by the Author The first thing that surprises many people about Malawi is the water. This is a country often described through its warm people and beautiful landscapes, but one extraordinary feature dominates its geography—Lake Malawi. Stand beside it and, in some places, you can easily forget that you are…
Some People Stay
Date: 31/08/2026All Rights Reserved by the Author “The best portion of a good man’s life is his little, nameless, unremembered acts of kindness and of love.”— William WordsworthSome people enter our lives quietly.They do not make grand promises.They do not announce how much they care.But somehow, they stay.They remember a difficult day.They ask about something…
The Wrong Number
Date: 30/08/2026All Rights Reserved by the Author My phone rang one afternoon.“Hello?” I said.A woman replied, “Is this Mr. Sharma?”“No.”There was a pause.“Oh. Sorry.”That should have been the end of it.But then she asked, “Are you at least having a good day?”I laughed.“I was. Now I’m curious.”She laughed too.“Wrong number, then.”“Yes.”“Well,” she said, “I hope…
Moldova – The City Beneath the Ground
Date: 30/08/2026All Rights Reserved by the Author Imagine entering a city where there is no sky above you.Instead, there are underground streets.Long galleries.Cool stone walls.And everywhere, bottles quietly waiting for time to do its work.Welcome to Cricova, Moldova.Near the capital, Chișinău, old limestone galleries were transformed into one of the world’s most remarkable underground wine…
The Person Who Notices
Date: 30/08/2026All Rights Reserved by the Author “No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.”— Aeso There are people who notice.They notice when someone has become unusually quiet.They notice the tiredness behind a smile.They notice that an old neighbour has not opened the door for a few days.Most of the time, they…
The Shopping List
Date: 29/08/2026All Rights Reserved by the Author My wife once gave me a shopping list.It contained six things.Six.I was confident.I returned home with seven.She looked at the bags.“Where is the bread?”I froze.“Ah.”“And the milk?”Another pause.“But you bought biscuits.”“Yes.”“Why?”“They were on special offer.”She looked at me quietly.“Were they on the list?”“No.”“Then why did you buy them?”I…
Slovenia – The River That Disappears underground
Date: 29/08/2026All Rights Reserved by the Author Some rivers run towards the sea.The Reka River in Slovenia does something far more mysterious.It enters the earth.Near the Škocjan Caves, the river disappears beneath the limestone landscape and continues its journey through one of Europe’s most remarkable underground systems.UNESCO describes the Škocjan Caves as one of the…
A Little More Time
Date: 29/08/2026All Rights Reserved by the Author “How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world.”— Anne Frank, The Diary of a Young Girl I sometimes wonder why we postpone the things that matter.We wait for a better day.More time.More money.A more convenient moment.But life rarely becomes…
The Telephone Call
Date: 28/08/2026All Rights Reserved by the Author An old gentleman once called his son and said,“I have some good news and some bad news.”His son immediately became nervous.“What is the bad news?”“I forgot why I called you.”There was a pause.“And the good news?”The old man laughed.“I remembered that I wanted to call you.”His son started…
Bhutan – The Bridge Where Prayers Travel
Date: 28/08/2026All Rights Reserved by the Author There are bridges built to carry people.And there are bridges that seem to carry something more.In Bhutan, traditional wooden bridges called cantilever bridges have long formed an important part of life in the mountain landscape.One of the most striking features is the small prayer flags often tied around…
The Courage to Begin
Date: 28/08/2026All Rights Reserved by the Author “Nothing will work unless you do.”— Maya Angelou It is a simple sentence, almost too simple.Yet there is something uncomfortable about its truth.We can make plans.We can wait for the right opportunity.We can tell ourselves that one day things will change.But eventually, somebody has to take the first…
The House Rules
Date: 27/08/2026All Rights Reserved by the Author Every family has rules.Some are written.Most are not.In our house, for example, there was one very important rule:Nobody touches the last biscuit without asking.One evening, the last biscuit disappeared.Naturally, an investigation began.Nobody knew anything.The children denied it.The adults looked offended.Even the dog looked suspicious.Then someone noticed a few…
Mongolia – When the Steppe Remembers
Date: 27/08/2026All Rights Reserved by the Author When we hear the word Mongolia, many of us probably picture horses, endless grasslands and the great expanse of the steppe.But beneath that landscape lies a much older story.In 2026, UNESCO added The Cemetery Complexes of the Xiongnu Nobility to the World Heritage List. The property consists of…
The Future We Make
Date: 27/08/2026All Rights Reserved by the Author “The future cannot be predicted, but futures can be invented.”— Dennis Gabor, Inventing the Future (1963) I like this thought because it leaves room for possibility.We spend so much time wondering what will happen next.Will things work out?Will the plan succeed?Will the road take us where we want…
The Great Family Search
Date: 26/08/2026All Rights Reserved by the Author Someone in our house once announced,“Has anyone seen my phone?”Three people immediately started looking.One checked the sofa.Another looked in the bedroom.Someone even checked the refrigerator.“Why would it be in the refrigerator?” I asked.“Just checking.”Five minutes later, the phone was found.Where?In the owner’s hand.There was silence.Then someone said,“Good. At…
So happy , My one more article Published by People’s Reflection in August 26
Thank you People’s Reflection ( Reflection live) and also my readers .
