The previous country manager of my TB project in Cambodia was in New York last week and on Friday night he met Karen #1 and I here in SoHo for dinner. We had a lovely night but far too much alcohol was consumed which made waking Saturday morning less fun than usual. Planning a quiet … More For Art’s Sake
I don’t intend to do much shopping while I am here. There’s nothing I need and as I am travelling for the following year I don’t have the room to collect stuff. I am not very “stuff” oriented anyway, and I’d prefer to spend my money on collecting memories and contributing to important things, rather … More The New Me
New York is a gigantic conglomerate of flowing artistic genius. Not just the cinemas, theatres, music, comedy and visual arts that come to you when you walk the streets. But history, architecture (seen in everyday buildings as much as famous landmarks), town planning, landscaping, parks, gardens, food, wine and atmospheric restaurants permeate life here. Even … More Concrete Jungle Where Dreams Are Made
Every day of the year seems to be dedicated to the awareness of an issue, even an International Day of the Toilet! Which is not as ridiculous as it sounds given that billions of people do not have a toilet and are forced to defecate in the open. 10 December (yesterday in my hemisphere) was … More International Human Rights Day
It’s not a loft. But as long as the neighbours are not within earshot, we call it one. The neighbours know we are not in a loft and may not realise our pretentious banter is in jest. It looks and feels like a loft though, so that’s what we call it, usually in our best … More Lofts, Crabcakes and Memorials
I only know two people in New York and they are both called Karen S. Karen S1, because I met her first, lives in SoHo. Karen S2, because I met her second, lives in Greenwich Village. These are both suburbs in the lower part of Manhattan Island. SoHo is a small area of about six … More From One Extreme to Another
Currently en route to New York, I was sitting on the first of three flights watching Ben Affleck in Argo, which he produced, directed and also acted in as a CIA agent involved in secreting a group of diplomats out of Tehran during the 1979 Iranian hostage crisis. As the movie (which is very good) … More Welcome to New York
On the 1st day of January, 1892 they opened Ellis Island and they let the people through ~ Brendan Graham, Isle of Hope Isle of Tears These are the opening lyrics to an all-time favourite song of mine which has been performed by many, usually Irish, entertainers including Celtic Woman, the Three Tenors and Tommy … More Roots
There are so many worthwhile causes in this world. I find myself saying “no” to requests for donations to all kinds of charitable organisations who approach via door knocking, mailouts, emails and telephone calls. It seems overwhelming sometimes. Only recently have I realised that the reason “we” in the western world are so inundated by … More So Many Worthwhile Causes
Many stories came out of my year in Cambodia. I feel particularly close to one of my patients and I am not sure I ever fully told (my part of) her story. At 25yo this young woman who I will give the pseudonym of Phan, was admitted to our ward weighing 21kg. Her father carried … More The Story of One Patient
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