Dance To The Storm/Harbors Make Me Happy

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I am not afraid of the storm, for I am learning to sail my ship. Louisa May Alcott

I recently came across that quote and it stayed with me. Not only did this quote force my adult self, with its understanding of free will, to reevaluate my perception of Amy March (she is no longer just the Laurie stealing oh-no-she-diduhnt sister), but it brought to mind comforting nautical references.  From Genesis (Noah) and The Book Job to The Perfect Storm, from Homer to Shakespeare (who loved a good shipwreck) to Melville or even the celestial sailings of Winken, Blinken, Nod and Opus, literary works have used the sea and boats as a vast slew of devices – symbols, allegories, tropes and you name its. The sea, the shore, sailing – all are able to have several different meanings: vastness, redemption, opportunity, hardship, a vestige of what was once unconquered and also travel and former lives, the unknown, journeys both physical and figurative, and water, lots and lots of water. Continue reading “Dance To The Storm/Harbors Make Me Happy” →

Solo Travel

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If travelers have styles, mine is solo. No luxuries, no must-sees, no hard routes, and no invitations rejected by committee. Just an open mind and an open schedule. Sounds whimsical—and it is—but dropping the companions and traveling by yourself may well lead to the most rewarding experiences you’ll ever have.– Robert Young Pelton, for National Geographic

I am a big fan of traveling solo. As, it would seem, a lot of people are.  There is a thriving industry catering to solo travelers.  Why the boom in solo travel? Not just because more than 50 percent of adult Americans, Britains, Scandanavians and Japanese people live alone, but also because it gives people space to discover things about themselves as well as make personal connections that could not else wise be made.  A single person is much more approachable (this can be positive and also occasionally negative) than a large group.  Continue reading “Solo Travel” →

May you be well every year.

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Pippa the Partyplanner, in her regular column for Waitrose – a British lifestyle magazine , has been hitting on several cultural events/holidays.  Her first “Friday Night Feast” was Asian themed in time for the Chinese new year, and one column was Wimbledon based – let the people have their Pimms! Presumably, her July column covered Bastille Day. Despite coming under criticism for the column, the editor of Waitrose has compared her to Yotam Ottolenghi, the Cordon Bleu trained chef and author of Jerusalem, the cookbook. Continue reading “May you be well every year.” →

Ramadan Recipes

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If I were a party planner, this is kind of what the table would look like. Source: Pinterest
If I were a party planner, this is kind of what the table would look like. Source: Pinterest

Here’s an attempt at parsing together a Ramadan meal. I’m not waiting for Waitrose to call, for sure  but am totally taken with the idea of a large community eating together to celebrate kindness and peace.

Some recipe ideas gathered from the web – these two are from cnn- Eatocracy. I’ll be adding more as I play around.  Other recipes can be found at  Epicurious’ Ramadan holiday guide and GazaMom’s Ramadan recipes.  She has an elaborate Qayatef recipe. Continue reading “Ramadan Recipes” →