Search ‘massage’ on Google and you’ll find pictures of beautifully relaxed people. Massaging, as a verb, means ‘to treat flatteringly’. But the Western notion of massage is limited. Chinese massage is different, and its name (按摩Ànmó) more honest: press stroke. We went to a Chinese spa for the latter, but I still had the former […]
I wanted to see how Deniz was doing, the way Facebook quickly allows that. Type in a name, *poof*. But instead, Facebook showed “Remembering Deniz Üzüm”. It was early in the office and the message was abrupt, the way you remove bandage from a wound. Messages of love and goodbye on his profile were over […]
This morning in Historic Shanghai’s WeChat group I saw a photo from 1995 with People’s Square and the Shanghai Museum being constructed. When I see those photos I feel sad I wasn’t in Shanghai back then, thinking it would have been amazing (yet now impossible) to walk through those alleys now-gone, to talk to people […]
Biologists name it the edge effect; the place where two or more environments meet. Where forest and meadow crossover — where desert and rainforest turn into savanna — where rivers become reeds. These are the areas teeming with life and biodiversity. And this edge effect is found everywhere, where hip-hop and classical music mix, where […]
Going back to your childhood is part of growing up
My dad always had these vinyl records and I never understood why. CD’s were long out and in comparison vinyl records are big and every four songs you have to turn them around. The sound quality isn’t that good either; they’re riddled with cracking noises. Also, I didn’t like his music, because what was popular […]
Maybe in a normal marketing career you’d want a high office you’d never have to leave because you’d have specialists all around you. You use consumer research or trend reports, and once a year go on a *consumer safari*. From your high office you never have to talk to *real people* (whatever that means). But […]
Wherever you are in the world and whatever you want to do, you’re only a search entry away from learning how to do it. Write a novel? Here in five steps. Start a social media campaign? Forbes explains. Make a professional photo? Download an app. And all the apps and advice you’ll find on the […]
The Forbidden City shows its size when looked upon from the hill Jingshan. Several large squares, many temples, and nearly ten thousand rooms, all neatly decorated. It’s the sheer size — built and maintained for hundreds of years — that makes travel bloggers searching for words to describe this complex. There’s a tiny well too, […]
30 years today. And I always thought life would be downhill after reaching an age like 27. Now I know many things just gets less bad. The opinion from myself, the opinions from others, the fear of missing out, feelings of guilt or shame. There are so many details that don’t make a difference, yet […]
Vegans have grown a bad reputation because (or so the stereotype goes) they’d call out anyone eating meat — citing that meat is bad for animal welfare or climate reasons. They’re right, of course, but nobody wants to hear it. Yet like-minded businesses have sought to sell soy burgers or start ecological supermarkets, to take […]
