This year marks the 30th anniversary of my first visit to China. In 1988 I was in Guangzhou, about to embark on a solo journey to Beijing, when I was approached by a man from the Chinese Tourist Agency. He invited me to join the ‘first international cycling tour of China’. I found myself moving […]
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The AIDS Interfaith Chapel in Grace Cathedral serves as a memorial to the 20,000 people who died from AIDS in San Francisco. Symbols of world faiths surround one of the doors and a book of names remind that the city was at the centre of a tragic epidemic. The chapel is a sanctuary where people come to remember […]
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Some weeks it’s tough to squeeze the sabbatical highlights and insights into the recommended 500 words. This is one such week. By Wednesday I knew I was over quota. So I’ll have to not tell you about the encounter with the pig on a lead in California Street and the conversation that followed with a […]
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This week I visited the Laguna Honda Hospital and Rehabilitation Center in San Francisco. I attended a thought-provoking event at the Jewish Community Center and travelled to the 5th National Nursing Ethics Conference in Los Angeles. I also read yet another story about a memorial that is to be taken down. Celebrating Care – Laguna Honda Hospital A […]
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The hotel receptionist was correct when she said that San Francisco is ‘a city of four seasons in one day’. Yesterday, we had sunshine, rain, hail and a fresh breeze. A lot like home…although I’ve missed out on the snow that caused havoc and brought much of the UK and Ireland to a halt this […]
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Why, do you think, might Bill Gates choose to wash his dishes every night? An advantage of long-haul flights is time to read. A book I’ve just read felt like exactly the right book to read at this time. The book is ‘Ikigai: The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life’ by Hector Garcia and Francsc Miralles. ‘Ikigai’ […]
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