It started as a fun conversation with a new friend from Croatia, and turned into a question I’m still sitting with. Where is the line between sharing a story and gossiping about someone? A look at the surprising history of the word “gossip.” Continue reading From Croatia to Gossip Ground
Japanese culture has certain concepts that stand out for their depth and significance. One such concept is “nakama” (仲間), a term that embodies the essence of camaraderie, friendship, and belonging. Understanding nakama offers a glimpse into the values that bind Japanese society and inspire its storytelling traditions. The Meaning of Nakama Nakama translates to “friend,” “teammate,” or “comrade,” but its meaning extends far beyond these … Continue reading Nakama: The Japanese Concept of Belonging and Camaraderie
I stumbled upon this story about a tiger and a crow a few days ago and I think it teaches that true greatness does not come from dominance, but from humility, cooperation, and the willingness to help others. It goes like that. A mighty tiger and a crow were engaged in a heated debate over who was the strongest. With her usual confidence, the tiger … Continue reading The Tiger and the Crow: A Lesson in Humility and Friendship
Love is a universal emotion and experience that evolves alongside societal shifts. Inspired by Love is Louder at Bozar in Brussels, this exploration delves into how love is shaped by culture, history, and current realities. I’ll also reflect on how to harness love as a unifying force in increasingly divided times. 1. The Role of Publicity in Shaping Love Publicity and media have profoundly influenced … Continue reading Love in the Modern Era: A Force for Connection in a Divided World
An old friend of mine passed away unexpectedly recently. He was just 36 years old. He left behind a wife and a 6-year-old boy named Roger – after his favourite tennis player. He was something of a dab hand himself. I watched him play tennis in the junior division at Wimbledon in 2006. Unfortunately, we drifted apart over the years. I went my own way … Continue reading An Indelible Mark
The art of cultivating human relationships is so important that it is not surprising that the book of Dale Carnegie, How to win friends and influence people, published a long ago (1936) but still very current, has sold the most copies worldwide. Carnagie’s book needs to be interpreted under the current circumstances, where technology has changed dramatically the way we communicate and we relate to one another. … Continue reading How to Relate Successfully – The Art of Cultivating Human Relationships
After the podcast of Billy Osogo on Ubuntu, I decided to search how people around the world show kindness, whether it comes from caring tradition or generosity. This may inspire you to show kindness to yourself or someone else today. Common to many cultures in Sub Saharan Africa, this concept was made popular by South African leaders Nelson Mandela and Archbishop Desmond Tutu. This word … Continue reading 10 Caring Traditions from Around the World
Hello! Wishing everyone a good Sunday and a good week! The dominant topic this past week has been how to save energy for me. Namely, how do I save my energy so I can be a better version of myself? I have been thinking about this longer but this week was the action time. What did I do? I cut some people off. I looked … Continue reading Energy Saver
Hi everyone, I thought maybe talking about human connection is a good topic for today because why not. We might at times feel like connecting with people is a waste of time. ‘Oh, if we meet, we will talk for an hour. I’d rather do this work’ or ‘I won’t call my mom. I will sleep.’ We might think of or say things like this. … Continue reading Side Benefits of Friendship
Growing up my dad always made a point about having good table manners. He made sure we never chewed food with our mouths open. That we always sat up straight. That we we set the table properly and cleared away and washed the dishes afterwards. One of the rules was if you didn’t cook, you clean! Now that I have kids of my own, I … Continue reading Table(t) Manners
To All The Friends I’ve Lost: I simply want to say hello, although it’s been so many years. Because even as time performs its cruel, relentless dance, I still remember you. I remember us. I still laugh when I think of all our ridiculous jokes; how many fears, dreams and secrets we shared; how many times it felt like Us Against The Big Bad World. … Continue reading SnapDragon Speaks: To All The Friends I’ve Lost.
Hi everyone! How are you all doing? I had some interesting experiences recently with some people and that brought to my mind the question of how we should see the people who walk into our lives. I tend to think that anything we experience is ultimately good. Some are just good. Some are good by their resultant state. For example, I had a hard year … Continue reading If you are in my life, you are good.
What is with us humans? Why do we have a tendency to trivialize other people’s problems, but when they happen to us, it’s the end of the effing world? We compartmentalize for our friends: Hey, at least you don’t have to worry about: the political nature of Academia; gas prices; sibling rivalry; no buffer zone; working in retail; limited vacation time; being too skinny; student … Continue reading SnapDragon Speaks: On The Unwritten Page.
Situation: Sarah and Ann have been friends for a long time and they work at the same place. They met very often and were close enough to consider each other a good friend. Ann, however, started behaving a bit strange recently. She started not wanting to meet Sarah as often, and she started coming to work less often. They were on the same project, so … Continue reading Brain-Storming 4
