Seabirds: 34, Catches: 0
Took a little time off last week and went to Hua Hin. Lots of beach walks early morning with Sarra, chasing seabirds and not catching a single one. But participating is just as fun. Seabirds chased: 34. Seabirds caught: 0.…
Reshuffling the Deck Doesn’t Fix a Bad Hand
Prague International Toy Fair has been postponed to 2027. Again. I’ve lost count of how many times this show has been rescheduled. At some point a postponement isn’t news, it’s just confirmation of what everyone already suspected. Toy Sourcing International…
THE MAGPIE WHO CRIED THIEF
A magpie built her nest from twigs she’d gathered everywhere: a jay’s discarded ribbon, a squirrel’s forgotten thread, a sparrow’s clever weave copied stitch for stitch. She never invented a single pattern. She simply watched the forest, took what worked,…
La CFE : une rente publique déguisée en solidarité
Ça fait quarante ans que je vis hors de France. Parti en 1986, jamais vraiment revenu. Alors quand on me parle de « protection sociale des Français de l’étranger », j’écoute. Et ce que j’entends depuis des années sur la…
Twenty-Six Kilos, No Advice
I have not weighed under 100kg since I was sixteen years old. This week I am 92. Twenty-six kilos gone since last September, and I still do a double take in shop windows. I am not going to insult anyone…
Honest: The Numbers Look Good. The Ground Feels Different.
The numbers say the toy industry is having a strong year. Circana’s data shows 13% dollar growth in the US through April. Triple-digit growth in sensory toys. The kidult market expanding. All good. I’ll be honest with you. I’m not…
La racaille s’exporte
Je vis à Bangkok depuis 2018. Huit ans dans ce pays. J’aime la Thaïlande, j’aime les Thaïlandais, et j’aime aussi beaucoup de Français qui vivent ici ou qui viennent en visite. La communauté française en Thaïlande est diverse, active, et…
Le Canon français, LFI, et l’art du deux poids deux mesures
Les canons, je connais. J’en ai servi plein dans ma jeunesse. Mes parents tenaient un bar à la campagne, dans l’Allier, et j’ai tenu le zinc jusqu’à mon départ à l’étranger à vingt-cinq ans. Un canon, c’est un verre de…
Songkran: Bangkok’s annual biohazard
Songkran is Thailand’s New Year festival and, in Bangkok, it lasts three days. Not one. Three. The entire city becomes a water fight that nobody specifically asked to join but in which everyone participates regardless. Tourists plan for it. Locals…
Rugby, politics and the courage to govern
What a weekend. On Saturday, France retained the Six Nations title with a last-kick penalty from Thomas Ramos, 48-46 against England. Back-to-back champions. Their 20th title. Galthié’s third. Pure theatre from start to finish. For the uninitiated: the Six Nations…