Tag Archives: rural The Tiverton Canal Co. calls it: “The Fastest Way to Slow Down!” I think they are right. Being transported up a canal, towed by a slowly plodding shire horse, makes one imagine English country life as it must have once been. Scenes from Thomas Hardy novels spring to mind. It was towards the end of July – the last […]  It’s no surprise that every Brit, regardless of age or gender, owns at least one pair of gumboots or wellingtons. You can’t get far in the English countryside without them. Winter in England has a reputation: grey and bleak and wet. While it is true that the whole time I’ve been here, it has been wet, at least […]  “Take me to the Light!” It is Christmas Day here in Australia: – A good time to reconnect with family and loved ones, even though some might be far away, or missing completely. An ideal time to reflect on the possibilities of love and peace – although the world at the moment seems to be providing few examples. […]  Nats (နတ်), or spirits, have been a central part of Burmese life since time immemorial. Nats are everywhere in Myanmar: they are in the trees, the wind, the stones and the waterways. They act as personal and village guardians, but can be troublesome if not properly propitiated. Every Burmese village has a shrine to curry favour with the local Nats; […]  Some time ago – last April, to be exact – I wrote about the breathtakingly awesome experience of meeting Sumatran orangutans in their wild jungle habitat (Ursula’s Weekly Wanders: Meet the Locals). Truly, it was a memorable encounter – one not easily matched. It was hard to leave the Gunung Leuser National Park, but our itinerary called for us to […] |
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