I am one of those sad souls who spent far too long at university with little to show for it. After six-and-a-half years, I finally collected my undergraduate degrees. For the next six-and-a-half years, I honestly couldn’t stomach the idea of returning to do a masters, let alone a PhD. It’s silly, isn’t it, having such a strong reaction to university. It’s as if I’ve … Continue reading How my education shaped my faith
This evening I stumbled upon an old Word document I wrote back in June 2009 – a couple of years before this blog was birthed. In it was a short list of eight things I’d learned so far that year. It’s interesting thinking about the circumstances that led me to these conclusions. Naturally this got me pondering whether I have learned these lessons – or … Continue reading 8 learnings from my younger self
The best of what I read in 2022, in the order in which I read them. Gilead – Marilynne Robinson This Pulitzer Prize winner is breathtakingly beautiful, in the gentlest of ways. A double lightness pervades the narration: there’s both a softness and a brightness in the character and tone of the narration. Gilead is framed as a long letter, akin to a series of … Continue reading Books I read in 2022
I’ve always admired people who can host a good dinner party. I’m in awe of their ability to cook in bulk, and to do so while unflusteredly mingling with guests. I like having people over, but need to keep it casual and either order food in or have everyone bring a plate. So I certainly consider hospitality to be a gift, inasmuch as it’s the … Continue reading Three transformative perspectives on hospitality
Growing up, my dad’s cousin, his wife and their daughter were the only family we had in Canberra. We only caught up with them once or twice a year, typically at a restaurant for Chinese New Year. I cherished those occasions﹣and not only because they were bookended by two of my favourite pancakes, commencing with Peking duck pancakes and concluding with red bean paste pancakes. … Continue reading Miscellaneous shades of grief
I had a dream recently that I was hanging out with Ethan Hawke. We were sitting on either end of a couch I think was blue, then Brad Pitt was in the room on a (green?) armchair. It occurred to me then that they’d never done a movie together – and they bloody well should. I made the suggestion and Ethan said, “Sure! Should we … Continue reading Rediscovering Ethan Hawke
I call myself a failed lawyer because I feel like an imposter when people refer to my law degree. I’m not sure how I went from not wanting to go to university at all to doing a six-year combined Bachelor of Laws/Bachelor of Arts (Honours). It probably had something to do with getting the marks for more than “just an Arts degree” and having parents … Continue reading Five reasons not to regret my law degree
Common to many a YA novel is a male love interest who’s dark and mysterious and in a position of power. At its most extreme, he’s dark, mysterious and cruel. At its most tame, he’s dark, mysterious and a bit of a loner. Somewhere in the middle, he’s dark, mysterious and troubled. Getting the vibe? Continue reading Teenage girls and their bad boys
It’s Fairtrade Fortnight in Australia, so I thought I’d take the opportunity to demystify some of the confusion around product certification. My awareness of the issue probably dates back to 2006-07, when there was a push to end child slavery in chocolate. Cadbury committed to making its Dairy Milk bars Fairtrade, first in the UK and then also in Australia. Fairtrade coffee started to pop … Continue reading Why I’m a Fairtrade fan
Recently I shared about how COVID-19 disrupted our second attempt at a honeymoon, exactly one year after it disrupted both our first attempt at a honeymoon and our wedding. We got a lot of sympathy. I think people really empathised with our experience of things not going to plan. Sure, it sucks big time and there were moments where the setbacks have felt devastating. There’s … Continue reading When things don’t go to plan
⎯suansita⎯ 