What happened to The Love Project?
Let me tell you a story. Once upon a time there was a single girl who really wanted to be loved. She also really wanted to be a writer. Despite the fact that she didn’t lack talent, she had an amiable disposition and relatively no disfigurement to talk about, she didn’t believe that she had... Read More
Exploring Resistance
A friend recently asked me why I stopped blogging. I found the question deeply uncomfortable and I immediately launched my defence: because I don’t have time; because I work from home and I run a holiday rental business, not to mention two houses to look after. Then the real reasons began to reveal themselves. Because... Read More
The Binding of Isaac
The legend goes that Abraham, the father of the three Abrahamic religions, married Sarah who was barren. By God’s grace, says the Old Testament, Sarah gave Abraham a son, Isaac, when Abraham was one hundred years old. The same God later asked Abraham to show his faith by sacrificing Isaac. But the story goes that, when... Read More
The truth about The Love Project
I recently got into a conversation with a friend on Facebook in which I confessed my fears of becoming a mother. I often feel guilty for not experiencing the need for having children. I never quite longed for a child, as much as I long for a variety of other human experiences. In fact, I... Read More
Tell the truth
Monday, I broke a tooth at breakfast. It was my second tooth. The first one was impossible to save, it had to be removed a couple of months before. As someone who rarely had to visit the dentist, I was shocked. I am approaching forty and I am starting to lose my teeth. I mean,... Read More
Forget the happy ending. Enjoy a happy process
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Once upon a time, I had the pleasure of interviewing writer Lionel Shriver at the Ubud Writers and Readers Festival. I remember how nervous I was when I saw her sat in a rattan chair, luscious tropical background behind her, sending lazy clouds of smoke into the air from an electronic cigarette (one of the... Read More
Let’s talk about HPV
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A friend posted on Facebook today a letter from NHS inviting her to a cervical screening, which now includes a test for HPV, which prompted me to write this blog post. I can’t remember where I first heard of HIV. Probably in a propaganda documentary about the evil Western society and all the horrors it... Read More
The ripple effect
It’s a beautiful summer evening and my husband and I enjoy a drink on our terrace. An enormity of green stretches in front of us as far as the eye can see and the songs of the cicadas compete with the reassuring sounds of the river. We’ve just finished renovating the farmhouse next door, the... Read More
The power of acknowledgment
When I was single, I used to get two types of reactions. Those who pitied me and always asked the question: ‘How come you are still single? Look at you, you’re beautiful, you’re smart, you’re interesting,’ in that tone of voice you reserve for those who discover at a very young age that they have... Read More
Focused intention
A friend once told me a story about a woman who desperately wanted to get married at a particular (very expensive and very popular) venue. Say Chiswick House. Even though her then boyfriend hadn’t asked her to marry him yet, she went ahead and booked the venue for the next available slot which was in... Read More
