Staring Contest
From the back of her head she seemed too young to be mother of those two children. The mother pulled her daughter close and studied some food residue on the … Continue reading
Do-Re-Mi S.O.S.
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 … Continue reading
Carpe Diem, Handsome Farmer
He had been handsome when younger; he remained handsome, but had reached an age where people gazed at him like his days were numbered. He shuffled down the narrow hallway … Continue reading
Any Day Now…
All that he had now was an idea that one day something would happen. And he would be taken by a set of events to the place he should go. … Continue reading
The Lost Tourist as Herself
Mothers walking with daughters needed time to assess whether to engage strangers, especially strangers who smiled too much and managed to turn up lost just past the auto repair shops … Continue reading
Reasons to Skip Rome
Italy he associated with grown-up matters, such as the fathering of children, and he secretly feared it, with the same instinctive fear he had of strong sunlight, the scent of … Continue reading
Punctual
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 … Continue reading
The Photog’s Fury
The bus began its journey thanks to several male passengers who got out to push the slow rolling mass out of its parking stall. After that, things went fairly smoothly. … Continue reading
Stay Fickle
Gazing at each other through their thick glasses, smoothing their sweaters, two little old ladies were at an age not to care, but still cared, vaguely–mostly about what they thought … Continue reading
M’s Party Trick
M. is a shy Peter Pan. Reddish-brown hair, chestnut eyes, trim in the macho-black button-up shirts of his fellow Turkish waiters, he stands with his hands behind his back while … Continue reading
Fearless Zumba Septuagenarians
Zumba is like a cruel trick on the elderly ladies in the sparsely populated fitness room: an eight-dollar drop-in fee for overly complicated dance steps and music featuring figures such … Continue reading
I Miss Istanbul. And, and, and…
Basically, like nine-tenths of humanity, I always wanted to be somewhere else, usually in the place I have just fled from. -Thomas Bernhard. Wittgenstein’s Nephew.
Christmas Homework
Today’s post is a reprise of one of the most popular stories this year. If you are enjoying the blog, do consider sharing it with friends and family members. It … Continue reading
Totally Not Making This Up
The salesman gazes and grins at a tourist sitting alone in the outdoor café. Her chair points toward his shop. To investigate him, she looks across the center line of … Continue reading
Nothing to See Here
The little boy sat with his legs folded under him and labored carefully in his notebook, writing plays for Arsenal, his favorite soccer club. A chilly Serbian woman and her … Continue reading
Personal Space
At mid-morning, the U-Bahn platform was nearly abandoned. The young woman with ceaseless layers walked to her usual waiting place and stopped. From this point, her transfers to other subway … Continue reading
The Shared Eyebrow and the Runaway Tablet
He has a blue jogging suit and winter coat, she wears leggings as pants with a ski jacket. They stand close while waiting for the plane. She tries to hand … Continue reading
enjoy this particular day
One never took the time to savor the details; one said: another day, but always with the hidden knowledge that each day was unique and final, that there never would … Continue reading
So, Thank You.
Flirting with the narrator was a sure way into the story. He must have known this, though certainly half her age. He approached at the bus stop not long after … Continue reading
Window Shopping
No need to rush to the airport, two business men opt to take a coffee in the lobby of their hotel, where all of the signs are in English and … Continue reading
The Nice Thing About Strangers 