Ask the Priestess

I often go out for a meal with some friends. In fact, that's our main activity together out of work. True, we do live in other cities and we all work hard. They, in addition, are married / in a partnership, so they have other priorities during their time off. So, we try go grab dinner after work once in a while, before we all go in different directions. Anastasia is the true leader, and she is also the one with the impressive reference list on places to eat and/or drink. She will suggest a place, and we will invariably agree. We know we will always enjoy the food, and, oftentimes, the atmosphere too. My favourites so far are Beyrouth and Portugalia , but I also really like all the others we've been to. I often recommend these places, feeling certain those who follow my suggestions will be pleased. However, I wonder whether I am a good referent. The thing is, I realised something a couple of months ago. I realised, and here I confess, that I don't really care about how uniq...

There are many things one can do in life.  I teach languages; I have worked in offices; I've worked in shops; heck, I've even worked as a diamond grader! These are all great ways to earn a living. But I also have a "side gig" which brings me great joy. I'm a pet sitter.  It started as a favour. Someone with whom I'd worked together briefly asked me whether I'd be interested in looking after her friend's cat. It used to be her and her wife who did it, but they'd since had a child and could not help out. So I agreed. I got to spend a couple of weeks in a beautiful flat in old Amsterdam and look after a sweet older tabby boy, Primo (how very on the nose, that name).  Then, there was another favour, for another coworker's (from a different workplace) friend and her doggy. Then, it was my landlady's fish. Then, it was a colleague and their two cats. And then, it changed: Primo's mama was asked for a recommendation by her hairdresser, whose c...

The little girl ran down the driveway, arms wide open. At the end, her father was waiting. He hugged and raised her up, both of them laughing. It's an amazing experience, when you're young and someone lifts you up, up, up, so high up your innocent self cannot fathom life from such perspective. You fly, arms and legs straight out without having to be prompted. You fly in circles, daring in your adventure, ready to touch the tops of trees, of mountains, of clouds. You fly, securely held in the warm grasp of the hands you trust. You fly, spinning around the axis of those hands. When young, flying takes a single leap of faith and unchallenged trust. It is all about the moment, the experience. It is round and circular, like the outline of an embrace. When you age, flying is very different. It becomes a long process, full of steps: planning, booking, packing, waiting, documents, usually uncomfortable spaces and/or unappetising food, more documents, more waiting, unpacking. And all th...