(Sei Shonagon was born in Japan around the year 965 CE and served as a lady in waiting to Empress Sadako. In her Pillow Book, she gives an account of the things she saw and her feelings. Every now and then she provides a list of things, which are like tiny exhibitions organised by an... Continue Reading →
Two Richards – A hard day’s discontent
Richard III, through Shakespeare, famously complains that "Dogs bark at me as I halt by them." A walk once in the South of France gave me a vivid and lasting feeling of empathy with him. Every house had a dog which raged at me as I walked past (even without halting) and at the end... Continue Reading →
Lu Xun – Hope
Hope cannot be said to exist, nor can it be said not to exist. It is just like roads across the earth. For actually the earth had no roads to begin with, but when many pass one way, a road is made. 希望本是无所谓有，无所谓无的。这正如地上的路；其实地上本没有路，走的人多了，也便成了路。 Lu Xun - My Old Home (January 1921) (You can... Continue Reading →
Instructions on How to Climb a Staircase
click on picture to enlarge It took me a long time to write this out following the curves of the staircase and it will probably take you quite a long time to read it. But when you've finished climbing the stairs will never seem easy again.
Patrick O’Brian – “I do love a blow” – Aboard HMS Surprise
I hesitate to write about Patrick O'Brian since he is one of the most popular authors there is. But then I remember reading glowing reviews of his books and thinking "This can't be true . How interesting can an endless series about a naval captain during the Napoleonic wars and his travelling companion an Irish... Continue Reading →
How to Open and Close a Door Quietly
From : The Butler's Guide to Clothes Care, Managing the Table, Running the Home and Other Graces by Stanley Ager and Fiona St. Aubyn On party nights two matched footmen stood ready to open the doors leading to the reception rooms. They were both six feet tall, wore identical liveries and had similar features. So... Continue Reading →
Aguaxima
This is what Diderot had to say about "aguaxima" in the Encylopédie. AGUAXIMA, (Hist. nat. bot.) plante du Brésil & des isles de l'Amérique méridionale. Voilà tout ce qu'on nous en dit; & je demanderois volontiers pour qui de pareilles descriptions sont faites. Ce ne peut être pour les naturels du pays, qui vraissemblablement connoissent... Continue Reading →