it is Day 1 of Turkey’s Ramazan lockdown. While the streets feel fairly deserted, it’s by no means the ghost town we heard of last year, with dolphins swimming in the Golden Horn etc. Was it like this then, and am I just used to this business of shutting down a city of millions for […]
Old times
I had a call with a client today which reminded me rather of my old work at a university, where I became an expert in helpfulness with a soupcon of flattery for some, to get what I needed out of them. A useful skill but a tiresome one. It was a sunny afternoon and tomorrow […]
Mounting rage
There is certainly mounting rage about this football super league business, I can’t imagine they’ll go through with it. It was a busy working day – started before nine and I had my head down till past 10. A strange and terrible leak started up in the ceiling of the bathroom and has splattered everywhere, […]
Cosmic significance
I was on my own for dinner today, as there were only enough leftovers for the GF. I ordered in a yaprak ciger, and I must say, it cheered me up quite thoroughly. Such a pleasant change. Other than that it’s been another long working day. The GF is a bit under the weather, and […]
Exposure
The comic formerly on this website has appeared, in bowdlerised form and under another title, in the magazine. I daresay the original version will appear in my postmortem collected works, a slim volume but one offering great delight. I was rather on edge about this comic. I objected to having to tone it down, as […]
Drums in the distance
It is the first of Ramazan and I am working late into the night. Outside, drums are playing and a man is chanting or singing to wake people for sehri. Distance is more alliterative than accurate, as he is standing under our window. It seems rather early to me, as it is not yet 2 […]
Scattered head
I’m back to work today, and am certainly struggling. It doesn’t help that after a couple of days off, the work is both considerable and immensely tedious. My head feels scattered, and I am unable to concentrate on anything much. The relative by marriage in Pakistan is not doing well at all. It’s even odds, […]
Close to home
The coronavirus is running rampant in Pakistan, thank heavens my father and grandmother should have their second vaccinations next week, assuming they don’t run out of doses. A pair of relatives by marriage are quite unwell and have only just been diagnosed, so it is many days before they will be safely on the road […]
Delightful extravagance
This morning I looked out of the window and everything was snow covered. There was a strong flurry yesterday, which had been quite a shock – very large flakes and swirling like a snow globe – but nothing stuck. Clearly overnight it was cold enough that it did stick, at least for a few hours. […]
Long day’s work
I was up till one working last night, and then there was a power cut so I went to bed. And again back on the job this morning. This has really been a sustained period of working and I am starting to feel a dash of burnout. No end in sight, though I might be […]