In this blog I will present works of fiction; memoirs; opinion pieces; book of the month; rants
Wonderful Shocking Delicacies
Please do not read on if you have chaste eyes and a virtuous mind. Or something like that. Seventeen years in Portugal have given me the chance to appreciate its gorgeous regions and absorb some of its cultural and social identities. During that time, I’ve also been surprised by certain cultural expressions considered shocking…
Into Another Dimension
Tradition dictates that it’s time for newspaper people to dig up their doom and gloom predictions for 2026 and beyond. Reports on psychics abound. Journalists think their mortal readers are gasping to learn the latest chaotic predictions about intensifying wars, pandemics, famine. Ah, what miseries have Destiny and Fate wrapped up in golden silks and…
Buried In Splendid Company
I’m running out of space. Old and new books accumulate around the floor of my study, unruly stacks that threaten to tumble and destroy my world. In desperate need of shelf space, for there’s nowhere else I can squeeze more bookshelves, I sort out books in heaps to disperse among the local library, the book…
Infantino and Trump: A World Cup Bromance Update
As the bromance between FIFA’s president Gianni Infantino and president Donald Trump deepens with mutual respect and admiration, the rest of us hurtle towards the Football World Cup 2026. In May, I posted The Golden Phallus of Football: A Tale of Trophies, Triumphs and Turmoil. Now I rant about updates on that entry and more.…
Dictatorship Where?
The shock retrieved my memories of armoured trucks, cars and military personnel patrolling public spaces and residential areas. Tanks stood at road intersections surrounded by armed soldiers in times of relative peace. It was Brazil during the old dictatorship. And it was America, 2025. Mine was a bitter smile, “ They’re using their manual…
That Nobel Peace Prize Malarkey
Alas, Nobel Prize season is upon us. This week, from Stockholm, Sweden, the Nobel Committee will announce the prizes for Medicine or Physiology, Physics and Chemistry, Economic Sciences, and Literature. From Oslo, Norway, the much-awaited Nobel Peace Prize will be announced on Friday, 10 October 2025, at 11:00 CEST. The prizes are coveted by scientists,…
Boundaries in Jakarta: Charm and Chaos in a Day
When I arrived in Jakarta in 1992, Indonesia comprised over 13,000 islands. In 1998, modern aerial surveys revealed a new total of 17,500 islands. The island of Java, where Jakarta is rooted, corresponds to only 7% of the Indonesian surface, but it cradles 156 million people, equivalent to 56% of the Indonesian population. In the…
Rub It In: Love, Sex, And Money Luck
Who hasn’t believed in the supernatural power of a black cat as bringer of bad luck or a rabbit’s foot as saviour from unfortunate events? These beliefs hark to when the supernatural could not be explained, when a person fought one myth with another. With galloping developments in the sciences, and computer access, I’d expect…
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Regina's Rants 