• Stories

    Bonjour, Good Day, Universe, Fuck you

    There is an olive tree in the garden. Beautiful silver leaves. It is especially lovely in the afternoon when the sun is slowly heading to the west and making effortless shadows. Those little pockets of light are absolutely everything I could ever imagine wanting to catch in a photo. I am sitting behind the house, drinking my coffee. The laptop charger was safe back in our living room in Wales, as far away from France as you can get it. It was not on purpose but turned out to be one of the best coincidences on this holiday. Well, that one and when our car broke down, so we were…

  • Stories

    Katya

    Eight years ago, I got divorced the first time. I always say the first time only to annoy my current husband. That 2010 was tough in every aspect. The following one was no better. For a long time, I wasn’t managing to get out of that whirlpool of emotions, frustrations, anger and my own head. I wrote about it many times and on this occasion, I will skip that part. There is a knot in my stomach, tears in my eyes and my heart starts pounding to the day when I remember that period of my life. Because nothing in that period of my life was easy. Getting up in…

  • Stories

    Scotland, Infinite sky

    I had absolutely no idea how to begin the story about Scotland. Should I begin last May when I left my heart in a little village Dornie and Eilean Donan Castle or how I promised myself that I will not go on any other trip before I go back to Scotland. Or perhaps I should begin with how I feel so small and insignificant in the face of such beauty and greatness. Who am I to put into words that history, blood spilt for honour, clans and that magnificent beauty so powerful and raw. Steve says if you want to know people from one country one must first know the…

  • Stories

    Rivals in the kitchen and Saturday raviolli

     While we were having Saturday family breakfast Steve said he will be making pasta for lunch. I love food, believe me, but not to talk about the next meal while I am still eating the previous. Somehow, I have got a feeling that my calories intake is doubling and sticking to certain body parts. Last night was a difficult one. Charles kept waking up with a blocked nose and coughing. The last back molar is coming out. Or horn, or whatever. Just let it come out so we can get some sleep. On top of that summer’s gone, heating is on. At least for a typical Balkan woman, not being…

  • Stories

    Ethics in the time of clogged pipes

    Yesterday was one of those days. Breezing through the morning, thinking everything is light and easy. Steve is working away for few weeks now and unlike any other given morning before, this one was just going smooth. Of course, the second you think that the universe laughs with you, you regret the thought that left your head a minute ago. Because at the end of that day you find yourself unclogging the kitchen sink. The emergency plumber on duty was Google. I learned there were many ways to unclog the drains without tools and chemicals. For example, one can throw in salt, soda bicarbonate, vinegar and then generously drown it…