All things writing, travel, and books!
I’m going to try my hand at something personal today… My story job hunting as a graduate during COVID-19 I have a feeling, though, that my experiences are not-so-personal. That they’re universal, especially for graduates right now — and also for most people at some point in their career. Struggling to find work … Read more
In the first chapter novel, Grossman ponders: …How could a man be unhappy outside the camp? And from there, such striking and evocative turns-of-phrase pack the pages of Vasily Grossman’s Life and Fate. Today we’ll review his war epic, often dubbed the Soviet War and Peace… Spanning across Russia’s Eastern front, from the encircled Stalingrad … Read more
Today is finally the day for sightseeing in Bangkok. It didn’t disappoint. Day 6. Diary date: October 7th, 2019. Waking up, leaving Chinatown I wake up with a clear head, and check out of ‘Our Secret Base’. We wave goodbye to our hosts, particularly the cat Master Yoda! In retrospect, we might’ve been better off … Read more
For a long time, I held a contradictory view of myself: that I was a person who loved writing, but preferred not to write. Now let me be clear, I’ve always been writing something; essays at school and university; freelance content writing for some money on the side; even the odd attempt at a book or … Read more
My hope for a hangover-free day was in vain. We wake up ridiculously late: around 3 PM. I don’t even know if I can blame the jet lag for this one. Day 5. Diary date: October 6th, 2019. What did we do today? The plan for today was sightseeing in Bangkok, but S and I … Read more
From ICONSIAM and the bustling streets of Bangkok’s Chinatown to the madness of Khaosan Road. A first day to remember. Day 4. Diary date: October 5th, 2019. What did we do first? We just about wake up in time for midday checkout and walk to a nearby mall called ICONSIAM. As I wrote in the … Read more
The highlight from a great album, ‘The Book About My Idle Plot On A Vague Anxiety’ from Japanese band Toe. A song that achieves the quality of being introspective, without having any words. Super expressive guitars and drums weave over each other in a way that’s difficult to forget. It’s the type of song that … Read more
Antics on the flight The flight from London to Bejing left before midnight yesterday — it’s now just past midnight GMT as I write. Day 3. Diary date: October 4th, 2019. Instead of going straight to sleep as two sensible travellers would, we sync up a film on the in-flight entertainment. Fantastic Beasts and Where … Read more
The day is finally here! We leave the UK, headed for Bangkok with a layover in Bejing. Day 2. Diary date: October 3rd, 2019. Waking up, preparing to leave I wake up early whilst K’s getting ready for work. A sombre mood hangs between us, but there’s so much latent excitement there too. Rather than … Read more
I think that there’s something universal, something shared, in the way you feel when a song lyric directly comments on what you’re doing the moment you hear it. You stop, you think — you feel seen, grateful, warm. I remember the moment this song had that particular effect on me on a journey somewhere through … Read more