(Disclaimer: Noting that anyone with a bit of free time is pretty lucky, and that many people, from CEO banker wankers to security guards on night shifts, don’t usually find themselves unexpectedly back in the suburbs due to political crises in South America, with too much time and an excessively restful sleeping schedule) Having cut …
Author Archives: floracbowen
Two poems from Wendy Cope
As I attended the kind of school where you call teachers by their first name, it should be of no surprise to you that there are printed-out poems in the staff loos, for reflection during excretion. This was where I came across Cope’s most famous poem, the Orange: The Orange At lunchtime I bought a …
What I packed for 3 months in South America
I backpacked around Chile, staying in hostels, as well as travelling in Bolivia on the weekends; worked in Bolivia, stayed in hotels in Peru (with my mum), and visited a range of climates – the jungle, salt flats, hiking in national parks, staying in cities, staying near the coast, mountains. Also La Paz is quite …
Continue reading “What I packed for 3 months in South America”
Bolivia is burning, the President’s run away, and all the flights are cancelled
After a few weeks of protests in Bolivia, following the national elections (and Morales’ subsequent ‘victory’), I decided it would be a good time to leave the country. A few events motivated this decision: 1, airlines had cancelled several international flights; 2, protester were blockading access to the airport, and 3, the Year Abroad administrator …
Continue reading “Bolivia is burning, the President’s run away, and all the flights are cancelled”
L’Albatros/ the albatross (Baudelaire)
As if a) writing a blog, and b) writing about poetry FOR FUN wasn’t bad enough, today I present to you: c) me writing on my blog about a poem in French. Really, I get it if you just want to exile me to the special jail to which all pretentious Francophiles (indeed all people …
A list of places I’d like to visit, posted here because I lose notebooks quite often
The Americas (because it’s fun to refer to the continents like a 15th c. European explorer) Argentina: Buenos Aires, Patagonia, Mendoza / wine country, Salta, Ushuaia, Códorba Uruguay: Montevideo, Colonia del Sacramento Bolivia: Sucre, Potosí, Tarija Mexico: Tulum, Chichén Itza, Mexico City, Izamel, Guadalajara, Mérida, Islas Mujeres, Palenque, Oaxaca Costa Rica: Wait and hope that …
How to become fluent in any language – in just 3 easy steps !
What is the internet trend that most annoys you, Flora? Glad you asked. After Men Explaining Things To Women on Twitter, and People Oversharing Online, I do find my fists clenching at one particular theme of clickbait content: Youtube videos and blogs with titles such as ‘How I learnt Italian in 1 month!’ or ‘How …
Continue reading “How to become fluent in any language – in just 3 easy steps !”
Peru with my MUM! Lima, Cusco, and Machu Picchu
What sweeter news is there than hearing your flight has been rescheduled from a reasonable 7AM to the middle of the night? I relish nothing more than waking at the witching hour, and so it was with a merry and well-rested heart that I flew to Lima. Fortunately, I was able to share my joy …
Continue reading “Peru with my MUM! Lima, Cusco, and Machu Picchu”
florabowen 