Of all our sunny world
I wish only for a garden sofa
where a cat is sunning itself(Edith Södergran)
Category Archives: Lifestyle
Modern amulets
Amulet (ˈamjʊlɪt): an object worn to protect from disease, bad luck, and things evil.
We all have a few things that keep us safe and sane on our travels. For some of us, modern amulets are larger and more practical, such as my Rimowa. The beginning and the end of each business trip. Approved cabin baggage size – yet fits enough for a 3-night stay. Easily identified among the growing crowd of Rimowas on business commuter flights by a well-worn sticker once applied at Kathmandu airport. Bruised, battered, and unyielding after 200+ trips.
The Beats and the iPod: for when babies scream, seat neighbors consume too much alcohol, or when I need to lose myself in thoughts for a while. And last but not least, the Nepalese silk and yak wool shawl – for winter dinners, airconditioned conference rooms, and those frigid mornings in the Finnair Embraer 190.
What keeps you safe and sane during your travels?
Each day is a life in itself
Stillness.
Remembering to breathe.
Today I choose to live this day.
I choose to live it by my highest sense of right.
I choose to experience what comes my way.
Om shanti. Peace be in our universe.
(Image from yogabloga.tumblr.com)
Winter chill; or Sunday afternoon, 2 pm
(Helsinki, Finland; January 2014)
Candy color land
“We could learn a lot from crayons; some are sharp, some are pretty, some are dull, while others bright, some have weird names, but they all have learned to live together in the same box.”
(Robert Fulghum)
(the Caran d’Ache Shop, Geneva, Switzerland; December 2013)
Afternoon tea by sunny lake Geneva
Blinded by the rare December sunlight sparkling on the lake we slipped into Hotel d’Angleterre for an afternoon treat. There were silk napkins and silver teapots and a single blue flower in a glass. There were towers of sandwiches and cakelets and creamy fluff. The sun rays danced around the tables as we sipped our steaming hot darjeeling from rosy bone china.
And I felt an overwhelming gratitude for being allowed to call this extraordinary person my friend, in a world never too big for an occasional cup of tea together on a Sunday.
(Geneva, Switzerland; December 2013)
Traveling is a little like yoga
Traveling is a little like yoga: it is not about how many poses you do or places you visit, it is about what happens to you in each one.
(Cornwall, United Kingdom; July 2012)
La Traviata: latex, decadence, and neon glow in a medieval castle
Why puff around in mighty silks and wigs when the age-old story of a woman who strayed rings a bigger bell of bittersweet when it plays out in a luxurious and provocative night club? Sometimes it is the message and not the word that matters, and so a courtisan today may be scantily clad in latex hotpants and heels, shaking her booty to Verdi’s timeless tune. And when Violetta is revealed to be withering away, the flash and neon glow is transformed into an ugly glare.
In the midst of the heartache and arias of the tormented I step outside into the soft summer night and soak in the heat of the sun-warmed stones. Gazing over the blue waters I vow never to forget that we are only as trapped as we feel. There is always a way out, although we never know exactly where it may lead us.
(Savonlinna Opera Festival, Savonlinna, Finland; July 2013)
Simplicity is complicated to achieve
(Milan congress center, Milan, Italy; March 2013)
Saturday afternoon, 2 pm
In-between all the globetrotting, some things need to be done at home, as well. Such as asking the test crew to evaluate the cat-proofness and hair-repellence of a potential new bedspread fabric. I must have forgot to mention its ultimate purpose, as it is currently used as a sumo wrestling tatami.
This blue marble 