Tag Archives: contentment

Solo

Posted on May 29, 2013 by

In the tiny café, one has to adapt to custom and share a table with a stranger. I receive a welcome from a woman with hip glasses and excellent posture. She is Gisela, a retired teacher from Linz. She taught … Continue reading →

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Do-Re-Mi S.O.S.

Posted on December 24, 2012 by

Reblogged from The Nice Thing About Strangers: As bus merged onto the highway, leaving no chance for unhappy passengers to disembark, a group of Slovakian college students old enough to know better broke into song. The driver remained completely unmoved, … Continue reading →

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

Richard Gere Was Here

Posted on March 23, 2012 by

I sought a place to collapse and eat after a day of haplessly wandering Sarajevo map-less and on foot. The choice was made simple when I spotted a man standing in the doorway of his Buregdzinica. He wore a lab … Continue reading →

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You Can Read Over My Shoulder, But You Can’t Come Along

Posted on March 12, 2012 by

In the shuttle bus to the airplane, I broke into scraps of conversational Turkish with a group of teenaged boys from Kahramanmaraş. Even the boldest among them–a boy with smooth hair and light eyes–was subject to bolts of shyness. They … Continue reading →

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The Rush

Posted on February 24, 2012 by

In Kreutzberg, on a street of hip shops and Indian restaurants and postcard stands, a young boy with wavy brown hair hurries down the street. In winter, the sidewalks are littered with gravel, meant to provide traction in snow. Yet … Continue reading →

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Punctual

Posted on January 9, 2012 by

She was forty-five minutes early for her train–the young woman who kept looking at the arrival screen above her and straining to listen to the loudspeaker’s announcements.  Bahnsteig Eins, Bahnsteig Eins. This never changed. Her watch face must have moved, … Continue reading →

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before you go to the mall…

Posted on December 20, 2011 by

One of the secrets of the happy life is continuous small treats, and if some of these can be inexpensive and quickly procured so much the better. -Iris Murdoch. The Sea, The Sea.

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