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Brave in Beijing

I can’t begin to tell the world how many beautiful and soulful humans I met in the two days I’ve been in Beijing. Yes, I did arrive with a tiny chunky prejudice fed by early-life memories, the tone of news articles and the sheer limitations of our binary world views.  So far, I visited four neighbourhoods in this colossal twenty-one-million-resident city and I haven’t registered any other white expat. The treatment I received everywhere has been heart-touching. In spite of the language, cultural, political and infrastructural barriers (or maybe because of them) the human connection has been triumphant, life-affirming.  There is something precious about communicating with our eyes and smiles. We cannot care less about political beliefs, sexuality or intellectual tastes. The message is the connection.  I can’t begin to tell the world how many humans caressed me with their eyes, waitresses mothered me with gleeful smiles, cabbies befriended me with apologetic, childlike grim...
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Let me buy a ticket

Good Sunday. Let’s see how easy it is to buy a ticket for an event on your phone in 2021, from the comfort of your bed where you are enjoying a well-deserved lie-in. It’s 9:50 on a Sunday morning and I’m still in bed - rather unusual as for once, I’m not in my excitable child mode, fearing that I’m missing out if not constantly active. Facebook flashes an ad for “An Evening with Nigella Lawson” at the Southbank Centre. Now that’s a lady whom I’d love to spend an evening with. Well-spoken, lushly feminine, maker of rich, life-affirming food (which is not two pieces of extra vegan beetroot in the middle of a massive plate). So, let’s go. The Southbank Centre website looks well designed and is likely to have Apple Pay - I’m not prepared to leave my bed and look for my plastic card and its “long number”. We begin with seat selection. I know that these interfaces were created for desktop (like, 10 years ago) but the Southbank is making it extra difficult. I literally need to be Ilko Needleh...
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Paris and Berlin

Paris is password-protected. Berlin is open-source. Paris is a lover. Berlin is a comrade.  Paris is singular. Berlin is plural. Paris is pure poetry. Berlin is pure. Paris is a gold-studded oxygen mask. Berlin is oxygen. Paris has a heart of Gold. Berlin is not heart-centred and treats its internal organs equally. They all come in gold, silver or bronze and get served with sauerkraut .  Paris is all about timing. Berlin is anytime. Paris doesn't bite. Berlin is edible. Paris is mystifying. Berlin is occasionally overcast. Berlin is history repeated. Paris is history.
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