The owner of a small Italian restaurant in Berlin spoke very little English; my German was limited to just a handful of words and simple phrases. But I noticed the non-Germanic softness in his voice, and a little later I overheard him speaking Italian. So, when he came to take my order, I dropped a couple of Italian words (out…
In the unlikely event that you haven’t yet heard: there are two elections coming your way. One, for the local Council, this Thursday, followed by a General Election a month later. The professional pollsters are busy making their predictions. You may have your own hopes and expectations if politics is of any interest to you. But the final results will…
A few weeks ago, we heard of the discovery of another Earth-like planet not so distant from our own home, barely 40 light-years away. In lay terms, we would need 40 years to get there if we travelled at the speed of light… which is currently well beyond our ability. Nevertheless, it’s quite fascinating that we can look into such…
We began this celebration in an unusual fashion: outside in the twilight, with live fire and my humble self, performing something that bystanders might consider a sort of magic. Then we entered the church where another performance of mine took place: a long, long hymn sang a capella. Clearly a show-off to those unfamiliar with the celebration – and of…
Recently I watched a story about an American man in his twenties who’d died in an accident about a year ago. His main organs had been donated for transplantation, and many other parts and tissues of his body had been given for medical use. It was estimated that, thanks to the consent of his bereaved parents, up to a hundred…