The wise words that changed my life A surprising friendship in Dublin ‘I told her how I had never felt at home anywhere, and how disconnected I had always felt from the country of my birth.’ It was one of those Dublin summer days that don’t make sense; the sun was hiding behind a dark […]

The strange power of the Evil eye When it comes to warding off the mystic malevolent forces of the world, there is perhaps no charm more recognised or renowned than the evil eye. Ubiquitous in its use, the striking image of the cobalt-blue eye has appeared not only in the bazaars of Istanbul, but everywhere […]

The country obsessed with accordions The surprising origin of Colombian folk music When I landed at Alfonso López Pumarejo airport just south of Valledupar, the capital of the César region in northern Colombia, it was the first time in 12 years that I had been back to my father’s homeland. The intense tropical heat hit […]

Where doing nothing is a way of life Dalmatia’s fjaka state of mind One hot July, I was sitting at a cafe in Dubrovnik waiting for someone to show up with keys to the apartment I was renting. It had been over an hour. “Excuse me, have you seen Pero?” I asked the waiter in […]

Lonely columns that once supported three open-air theatres, a basilica and a temple dotted the hilltop. From Alomari’s home, I took in the dramatic view of the Sea of Galilee and Israel. A little further east, Syria’s south-western corner spread out before me. Forty-five years ago, Alomari was born in this very place – a […]