The Joys of Solo Travel

In the August 2018 issue of Silkwinds magazine, the inflight magazine of SilkAir, Vanessa Tai writes about the joys of solo travel, tackling logistical failures, and embracing small joys: Be Open-minded—For safety, go with your gut. But the rest of the time, be open-minded. Try that new dish, accept that invitation—these serendipities are what solo […]

Singapore’s Peranakan Culture

Robyn Eckhardt of the Wall Street Journal introduces the Singapore’s Peranakans (pronounced “per-rah-nah-kahns,”) a fascinating blend of cultures from the region. The Peranakan—the descendants of marriages between local women and the foreign merchants who began arriving in the 1400s—grew wealthy working in real estate, shipping and banking. Their influence still permeates many aspects of daily […]

Caffeine Fix in Singapore: Kopitiam (Coffee Shop)

Robyn Eckhardt of the Wall Street Journal suggests the Tong Ah Eating House in Singapore’s Chinatown: You’ll find the most authentically Singaporean caffeine fix at a classic kopitiam (coffee shop) like Tong Ah Eating House, in Chinatown. Here, powder that’s ground from beans roasted with sugar and margarine is placed in a cloth bag suspended […]

Ask the Turtle

American political analyst Donna Lease Brazile recollects an anecdote from feminist Gloria Steinem: While on a field trip in college with her geology class, she discovered a giant snapping turtle that had climbed out of the river, up a dirt path, right to the edge of a road. Worried it would soon be run over, […]

What Do the Months’ Names Mean and Where Do They Come from?

The British Museum explains why we call the months what we do: January is named after the Roman god Janus. He had two faces so he could see the future and the past! February is named after an ancient Roman festival of purification called Februa. March is named after Mars, the Roman god of war. […]

Attention Economics

The notion of attention economics is often traced back to Nobel prize-winning American economist, political scientist, and cognitive psychologist Herbert Simon. Writing about the problems of information overload in the 1960s, Simon wrote, in an information-rich world, the wealth of information means a dearth of something else: a scarcity of whatever it is that information […]

In meetings, don’t repeat what others have said just to be heard

Forbes’s William Arruda shares eight impediments to effective meetings: It’s important to make an impression in a meeting. Just being in a meeting is the equivalent of having a check mark next to your name indicating that you showed up to gym class. Attendance isn’t enough; you need to contribute, but repeating others’ contributions doesn’t […]

Sleep is the Unrivalled Hero

Columnist and best-selling non-fiction author Michael McGirr writes in Tales from the Land of Nod: In the history of human civilisation, sleep is the unrivalled hero. It is the wellspring of creativity. In sleep, we are most ourselves because we have to surrender our egos. It is the space in which so much happens, mainly […]

15 Most Beautiful Villages in Italy

Lori Zaino of The Points Guy lists some of Italy’s most charming villages: Collodi Limone sul Garda Ostuni Bracciano Chianale Ragusa Riomaggiore Bosa Boccadasse Civita di Bagnoregio Vieste Amalfi Bassano del Grappa Molveno Alberobello Montepulciano Peschiera Maraglio (Monte Isola) Pitigliano Gubbio

9 Historical Walking Tours

Daniel O’Shaughnessy of The Points Guy identifies top places to walk into the past: Neuschwanstein Castle—Schwangau, Germany The Old City Walls—Dubrovnik, Croatia The Acropolis—Athens, Greece Plague Burial Sites—London, U.K. Lübeck Trade Route—Lübeck, Germany Jesus Trail—Nazareth, Israel Mont Saint-Michel—Normandy, France Giant’s Causeway—County Antrim, Northern Ireland Hadrian’s Wall Path—Tyne and Wear, Northumberland, Cumbria, U.K.