Category Archives: Europe

Mr. Independent

Posted on May 17, 2013 by

A little boy in a blue t-shirt acts tough, strong, fearless. He clutches a toy truck low at his side and eyes the passengers on the train. His father sees a friend near the front of the car, and moves … Continue reading →

Posted in Blogging, Europe, Happiness, Inspiration, Travel, Writing | Tagged , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

A Love Story At Just Over Five Feet

Posted on May 1, 2013 by

The elderly couple hunches together over their soup. They stay like this, heads tilted toward each other, even as they finish. The waiter reaches under the bridge of their gaze to withdraw their bowls. They only see each other. The … Continue reading →

Posted in Blogging, Europe, Happiness, Inspiration, Travel, Writing | Tagged , , , , , , | 8 Comments

Citation

Posted on April 26, 2013 by

She was widely read enough to appreciate my literary wit but not so widely read that she knew my sources. I like that in a woman. I could say things to her like, ‘The most singular difference between happiness and … Continue reading →

Posted in Blogging, Europe, Literature, Travel, Writing | Tagged , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Self-Defense

Posted on April 24, 2013 by

In Vienna, I terrify a little boy who offers me his seat in the bus. He has a yin yang patch and an American flag patch affixed his backpack. This makes me smile. When I ask if he does Taekwondo, … Continue reading →

Posted in Blogging, Europe, Happiness, Inspiration, Travel, Writing | 14 Comments

Among The Many Things I Can’t Say in Hungarian

Posted on April 19, 2013 by

In a Budapest shopping mall, I spot a boy with one bleached white eyebrow. The other is dark like his hair, like his eyes, like his gaze. I begin to smile at him, and he doesn’t like that greeting, as … Continue reading →

Posted in Blogging, Europe, Happiness, Travel, Writing | 10 Comments

The Biblio-Commuter

Posted on April 17, 2013 by

The man’s briefcase lies across his legs like a desk and he rests his elbows on it. The U-Bahn stops, but he does not. He inhales, sits up straight, leans in to read the final page of a massive book. … Continue reading →

Posted in Blogging, Europe, Happiness, Inspiration, Literature, Travel, Writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

In Bloom.

Posted on April 15, 2013 by

  She had no expression ready for so direct a glance and with a sense of failure she fluttered and dropped her eyes. She wondered if she were blushing. She had forgotten what it felt like inside when one blushed. … Continue reading →

Posted in Blogging, Europe, Happiness, Inspiration, Literature, Travel, Writing | Tagged , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Under Lock and Dream

Posted on April 8, 2013 by

I left him to his envy. A colleague’s envy, when all is said and done, is the scholar’s one reward on earth. I didn’t tell him that in all likelihood I wouldn’t be publishing anything. My nature is to spend … Continue reading →

Posted in Blogging, Europe, Inspiration, Literature, Travel, Writing | Tagged , , , , , , | 7 Comments

My Shaky Sarajevo Notes

Posted on April 5, 2013 by

So there is such a thing as too much Bosnian coffee, and I have sipped on beyond it. Tiny cup number four clatters in my hand—three were invitations at various points around the city and one was ordered by accident. … Continue reading →

Posted in Blogging, Europe, Happiness, Travel, Writing | Tagged , , , , , , | 16 Comments

Men

Posted on April 3, 2013 by

It is a Turkish barber shop in Vienna. A lean, dark-eyed man smokes a cigarette, even as the barber lathers his face for a shave. The barber works around the ash. A young man in a white jacket and dress … Continue reading →

Posted in Europe, Happiness, Mischief, Observed, Travel, Writing | Tagged , , , , , , , | 7 Comments