An: ‘To breath’ from Proto-Indo-European If you empty your lungs you make an AHHHH sound on the exhale. The Proto-Indo-European word for this onomatopoeic sound is An. The word an remains the same in Anglo-Saxon, Old English, Icelandic, Swedish and Dutch. The ancient sound of an even exists within the word Human and Anmal. AfterContinue reading “Ancient Word of the Day: An”
Category Archives: Blog
The Pros and Cons of Moving to Aotearoa New Zealand 2021 Edition
Every country has its shadow side, dark secrets, embarrassing problems and PR nightmares that governments attempt to sweep under the rug and hush-up. Here are New Zealand’s. I’m doing this so that people who have this idealised, naïve view of New Zealand as some sort of Utopia actually come here knowing what to really expect,Continue reading “The Pros and Cons of Moving to Aotearoa New Zealand 2021 Edition”
Ancient Word of the Day: Love-Drury
Love-Drury: n. A treasured token or keepsake given to a lover or partner. Origin: French. Comes from the French word Drut meaning a friend or lover. Drury made its way to English in the Middle Ages. In the 14th Century, a drury was a sweetheart or beloved person or a treasured object. Vincent Van Gogh’sContinue reading “Ancient Word of the Day: Love-Drury”
Book Review: The Life Project: The Extraordinary Story of 70,000 Ordinary Lives by Helen Pearson
Genre: Non-fiction, social sciences, history, public health Publisher: Counterpoint Rating: 🌟 🌟 The Life Project is published by Allen Lane, an imprint of Penguin Books that focuses serious non-fiction from different realms like history, politics, science and philosophy. I really expected a lot from this book and it didn’t deliver. The Life Project is writtenContinue reading “Book Review: The Life Project: The Extraordinary Story of 70,000 Ordinary Lives by Helen Pearson”
Ancient Word of the Day: Darth Vader
Fans speculate that the name Darth Vader means ‘Dark Father’ are in for a rude awakening. The real meaning of Darth Vader is actually way cooler than that. George Lucas, the creator of the Star Wars franchise has (according to online sources) explained that the name Darth Vader comes from ‘Darth’ (Dark Lord of theContinue reading “Ancient Word of the Day: Darth Vader”
Barry Schwartz and the Paradox of Choice
“We laud our almost boundless freedom of choice as if it were a good thing per se, irrespective of what the choice is between. This is of course absurd because any rational person would prefer to choose between two good things rather than between a thousand bad ones. But, under these circumstances, how do weContinue reading “Barry Schwartz and the Paradox of Choice”
Artists & Writers in Their Own Words: Xavi Druantia
‘Xavi Druantia’s Ancient Journey’ is a personal musical odyssey inspired by nature and ancient sounds all over the world I play different traditional instruments from all over the world. My idea is to release these songs one by one, instead of all at once on a full album. How people consume music has changed aContinue reading “Artists & Writers in Their Own Words: Xavi Druantia”
Ancient Word of the Day: Serendipitist
Serendipitist: n. A person who benefits from a chance or serendipitous event Serendipity: happenchance or providence. This beautiful term was originally coined by writer Horace Walpole in 1754. Walpole was inspired by the ancient Persian tale The Three Princes of Serendip, about some titular characters who ran around in ancient Persia having some marvellous luckContinue reading “Ancient Word of the Day: Serendipitist”
Artists & Writers in their Own Words: Jonelle Patrick
Inspiring author Jonelle Patrick weaves webs of literary magic in her five novels set in Japan. She has been writing about Japanese culture and travel since she first moved to Tokyo in 2003. In addition to The Last Tea Bowl Thief and the Only In Tokyo mystery series, she produces the monthly newsletter Japanagram, andContinue reading “Artists & Writers in their Own Words: Jonelle Patrick”
Book Review: How to be A Good Creature: A Memoir in Thirteen Animals by Sy Montgomery
Genre: Non-fiction, conservation, nature, spirituality. Publisher: HMH Books Rating: 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 *No spoilers This is an extra special book. It’s filled with nourishing and kind-hearted stories of one woman’s relationships with a lifetime’s worth of unique and amazing creatures. Author Sy Montgomery’s relationships with animals mirrors so many other people’s stories andContinue reading “Book Review: How to be A Good Creature: A Memoir in Thirteen Animals by Sy Montgomery”
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