Saturday, September 13, 2025

Setting out from Berlin 1796

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Family meeting… Rene : Berlin has limits, but London… it’s buzzing with ships, trade, and opportunity for an underwriter. Father : Clearly, ...
Thursday, September 11, 2025

A talk with an underwriter in 1802

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A booth at the coffee shop…  Mr. Norton:  Your porcelain shipment is a fragile commodity. The charge for insurance is contingent upon the de...
Wednesday, September 3, 2025

Sarawak Laksa

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Choon Hui Café 06:45 am… Antonio : Sarawak Laksa. Medium size. Coffee and Poppia. Mei : Poppia maker’s not in today, sorry lah. Antonio : Th...
Monday, September 1, 2025

White Borneo Rabbit

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WHITE RABBIT WHITE RABBIT WHITE RABBIT Arriving in present day Sarawak was not quite the Borneo that Biggles flew into in a Beaufighter in W...
Tuesday, August 26, 2025

Using Surnames as Forenames

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Getting to know you… Harry Winston:  Been meaning to ask why do you go by Oliver when your first name’s William? William Oliver:  Well. In s...
Wednesday, August 20, 2025

Histamine Memory

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Seeking help… Jeff:  I used AI to generate a list of questions a doctor might ask me. Dr Sirinat:  Hmm. Very helpful. You’ve had hives for t...
Sunday, August 17, 2025

David Gibbins: Marine Archaeologist

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A writer who can do thrillers and history… Antonio : He writes thrillers, is a diver and an academic. Trifecta. Ricardo : He caught a few lu...
Tuesday, August 12, 2025

Steampunk coffee shop

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Sign on a Kitsch street… Hugo : Hmm. And are the coffee beans here ground by a dirigible? Sophronia : I’ve heard the barista’s name is Perci...
Saturday, August 9, 2025

Maybe an Orang Utan

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Childhood dangers in India… Jessica : We had to be careful not to get sick, Delhi belly or dysentery. Rowan : Animals? Jessica : Oh yes. Cob...
Friday, August 1, 2025

White August Rabbit

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 WHITE RABBIT WHITE RABBIT WHITE RABBIT Summer looms. Will it last until winter I wonder. At that, I'd squawk if I could. Auspicious mee...
Tuesday, July 29, 2025

Wedding Guests

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Not knowing anyone there… Bill : Wow, look at this crowd. I don’t recognize anyone.    Jill:  Same here. Olive must have had a lot of friend...
Tuesday, July 22, 2025

Choking and Falling

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Discussing recent medical checks… Simon:  Went for my annual check-up yesterday. New questionnaire. First question: “How many times a week d...
Wednesday, July 16, 2025

Riffing on Sign of the Cross mnemonic in Shanghai

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After noodles in the Jing Jiang dining room… Jim:  Care for a beer? Horace:  I-píng píjiǔ! One of the few phrases I’ve picked up. Means “a b...
Sunday, July 13, 2025

Tale of Two Buildings in Two Cities

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Film talk… Ben : Saw a film on the flight back about Miles Warren and Maurice Mahoney, whose Christchurch Town Hall was wrecked in the 2011 ...
Sunday, July 6, 2025

Prolific Parrots

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Meeting around tennish… Luke:  Why'd you quit your first coach? You were all in a few months ago.  Suzie:  Ugh. Everything was “Push thr...