Dear Folks, One book that a lot of ladies and perhaps men were hoping to find in their stocking at Christmas was the unquenchably popular novel “Fifty Shades of Grey”. The writing may leave something to desire, but women everywhere from Rio to Seoul have gone hot under the collar for Mr. Grey. Women everywhere…

Dear Folks, During my vacation to a peaceful Swiss ski resort, my nightly dreams, while usually pleasant were convulsed one night when I found myself on a flight to Seoul, South Korea.  On board, I heard the strange noise of a sheep bleating, but when I looked up; I noticed that it happened to be the…

Dear Folks, In April, BBC Two commissioned a series of documentaries focusing on Britain during the 1970s. Many consider this to be one of its bleakest decades. While most Brits froze; suffered black outs and general misery, sun-kissed Arab Sheikhs from the Gulf were popping up in London to purchase real estate and lavish goods. They…

Dear Folks, I know! I know! I have spent an egregious amount of time away from my blog, but I am here to assure you that I am back and I intend to work my little butt off in writing some new posts and discussing the latest news from the placid  Middle East. A while back, the American…

Dear Folks, An incident happened recently, which in my eyes, made Brussels truly live up to its reputation as one of Europe’s most crime-ridden cities. My fiancé and I decided to go to the northern part of the city to do some shopping, and later we went to a cafe. While sitting al fresco, absorbing the unseasonably warm…

Dear Folks, A few weeks ago, my fiancé sent me a video of a wedding party which took place in the Russian North Caucasus’ republic of Dagestan. The wedding scene made me think that there are lands out there where Kazakh TV presenter Borat would feel right at home. The grainy images show a raucous…

Dear Folks, I am a complete maniac for desserts. Given my easily aroused sweet tooth, I love to tuck into cakes, chocolates and sweets. I am trying to stick to healthier alternatives, but still, it is so hard to be disciplined. I just bought the most fabulous food processor. It is made by Philips, and it…

Dear Folks, I just came back from a fabulous holiday in eastern Romania. For a country that is most associated with gymnasts, babies for adoption and Vlad the Impaler, it has a surprising amount to offer. I particularly liked their industrial cookies and national chocolate bars. I think it is a place that everyone should…

Dear Folks, Well, I am pleased to say that this is my 50th post, and I am excited because I never thought that I would be able to make it this far. I really didn’t! I have the attention span of a green-fly, and procrastination is a word, that for me, has endured long since…

Dear Folks, I am not normally drawn to the incomprehensible and  ephemeral  world of fashion, but I am truly drawn to the goddess of  the glossy pages, Vogue’s Anna Wintour. I find her razor-sharp bob, shrinking frame and her dismissive tone so utterly delightful, perhaps because, as someone who dreams of editing a magazine one…