When you fail, make a mistake or things simply don’t go as well as you had hoped then how do you feel? Do you feel sorry for yourself? Well, that’s natural in some situations and too an extent. But do you get stuck in that mental state too often and...
There should be no doubt about it: Covid-19 vaccines are saving lives. Consider some recent statistics from the UK. In a study tracking more than 200,000 people, nearly every single participant had developed antibodies against the virus within two weeks of their second dose. And despite initial worries that the...
The race began, rather unusually, at 1:00 on a Sunday morning. It was 21 September 1879, and 13 (mostly) moustachioed athletes in tight leggings and tiny shorts had gathered under the towering arches of the original Madison Square Garden in New York – along with 10,000 raucous spectators. It was...
When we think of Italy’s volcanoes, we may assume that Etna, which overshadows Sicily, and Vesuvius, which famously destroyed Pompei, present the biggest danger to the peninsula’s population and tourists. Yet there is another monster that could wreak havoc to the southern peninsula and its islands. Its name is Marsili,...
Today I’d like to focus on a negative habit that creates insecurity within, erodes self-esteem and can make you feel quite unhappy with your own life. It’s something that has sprung up as we have moved a part of our lives on to the internet and social media. And that...
It happened suddenly and without warning. Where there should have been the emerging first shoots of potato seedlings behind the orchard in Nikola Borojevic’s spacious garden, there was now huge hole. Measuring 30m (98ft) wide and 15m (49ft) deep, it quickly filled with water. And it wasn’t the only one....
Quiet, clean and green are not words you would typically use to describe a construction site. But the site at Olav Vs gate, one of the busiest streets in the heart of Norway’s capital city, Oslo, was special. In a first of its kind in the world, all the machinery...
It stands outside the gates of the Exhibition of Achievements of National Economy, the giant trade-show-meets-amusement-park intended to show off the might of Soviet industry and science. It was built at a time when the USSR was leading the space race. A time when, to quote the submarine captain in...
The story of the partition of India is an epic saga itself which is scarred with ambition, religious violence, intolerance, hatred, starvation and haste. Before the partition phase, the British had ruled India for more than 200 years. Before the British arrived, India being a multicultural nation with many religions...
In November 2020 I wrote a feature about us becoming more forgetful during the Covid-19 pandemic. My starting point was anecdotal reports from people telling me that their memories seemed to be letting them down more often during the lockdowns. In the feature I spoke to a memory researcher, Catherine...
Bukhara is one of the few cities in Central Asia that survives with fond memories. The magnificent architectures are silent witnesses to the city’s rich history. Ibn Battuta, the great traveller of history, visited this city in 1330 AD. He then called the city “the most beautiful city in the...
It was almost midnight in the southern Thai city of Trang, and I was staring into an oven the size of a tuk-tuk. Flames and smoke were shooting out of the top, and men were carefully lowering two full-grown, slaughtered pigs into the fiery abyss. An hour later, they would...
Bolivia’s La Paz is the highest capital in the world. At 3,690m in elevation, its air is cold and thin, leaving many visitors gasping for oxygen and experiencing altitude sickness, known locally as soroche. But if you push past the chaotic traffic and drive 100km north-east, descending into the sub-tropical...
“Why?” It’s a simple question, and one that people ask Angela Maxwell frequently. Yet until recently, the American struggled to answer why, exactly, she upended a perfectly fine life in pursuit of a big dream. But for Maxwell, “why” is a question worth answering. After all, she embarked on a...
Why did you buy your car? When we start to examine the basis of our life choices, whether they are important or fairly simple ones, we might come to the realisation that we don’t have much of a clue. We might even wonder whether we really know our own mind,...
In the busy schedule of our lives, it is difficult to find time to tidy up or de-clutter our bedrooms or office rooms. However, a quick impromptu cleaning session can be not only fun but also mind-refreshing. Having the wooden and marble surfaces properly dusted, mopping the floors, getting rid...
One cannot but wonder, looking back at the ancient architecture. Thousands of years ago, ancient people created some structures that still amaze people. Egypt, the land of the Nile and the Pyramids, is at the centre of interest for all its wonders. Many ancient architectures, including the Egyptian pyramids and...
The images of al-Hajar al-Aswad, or the Black Stone, are up to 49,000 megapixels in size and took more than 50 hours to photograph and develop, the General Presidency for the Affairs of the Saudi Grand Mosque and the Prophet’s Mosque said in a press release Monday. The General Presidency...
“Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.” – Leonardo da Vinci “The aspects of things that are most important for us are hidden because of their simplicity and familiarity.” – Ludwig Wittgenstein I love simplifying my life. It makes me more effective and life less stressful. It makes me calmer and happier....
Baitul Hikmah is one of the testimonies to how Islam contributed to this world. The House of Wisdom, built in the 8th century, was an epicentre of learning in the golden age of Islam. The Abbasid Caliph Harun ur-Rashid established it in Baghdad as his personal collection. Later his son...
Recent Comments