Rants
Category
In Praise of Pausing
I’m not a fan of self-help books, as a rule: not because I’m fundamentally against the genre, but because most of them don’t seem to offer much real insight and many can be downright offensive (How to find a husband, anyone?). What I have become quite intere..
Why You Need a Hairband With Flowers
Well, you don’t really NEED a hairband with flowers, not in a way you need amino acids or love. But I have this basic instinct of championing things that some people dismiss as ridiculous or useless. For anyone who has read my defence of overdressing, this d..
The Benefits of Complimenting Strangers
I was not in a particularly good mood last Saturday. My inbox was full of unwelcome work e-mails and I was on the metro, hungry and annoyed and behind schedule with everything. There was a young lady sitting opposite me, with beautiful dark skin and pretty e..
Using a Kindle Doesn’t Make You a Traitor
I don’t really trust people who don’t read books, so consequently, I often interact with people who are readers. And one thing several of them have said is they are not buying a Kindle/reading e-books, because they prefer proper, real books. Electronic ones ..
The Wardrobe Rule That Drives Me Insane
You know how they say that you shouldn’t buy anything that doesn’t go with at least three things in your wardrobe? Well, I’m sorry to inform you that this is complete bullshit. Come to think of it, I’m actually not sorry to inform you, I’m delighted.
Firs..
Business As Usual
So, here we go again – the holidays are over and it’s my first day back at work. I’m hopeful that it’s going to be somewhat less intense this time around, but I’m probably just being naive. Our daughter will start school and the house finally needs to be ful..
The Summer Schedule
I started blogging only five months ago, but it feels like I’ve been doing it forever. In a good way. Maybe because I had planned this for ages and therefore it seems like an absolutely natural part of my life.
Since March, I’ve been posting 6 days a wee..
How To Outsmart Fashion
If you are one of those people who never feels tempted to buy things you don’t need or cannot afford and have built your wardrobe according to the principles of rationality and practicality, I salute you. You have no need to read further, unless you have an ..
On Beauty
I was reminded the other day of the Case of the Ugly Opera Singer.* If you haven’t heard, a young mezzo performing at Glyndebourne was branded by five British critics to be stocky, dumpy and ‘a chubby bundle of puppy fat’. Oh, now that you’re asking – she DI..
On How to Survive Work
A friend reminded me recently how deeply annoying it is when people brag about being busy. So true. Business is not an accomplishment and if people need to complain about it too often, they should rethink their lives. My work has always been intense and I us..