“‘You’re so angry. Why are you so angry?’ he asked, almost in a whisper. ‘Life is why. So, tell me, my wise, calm friend, where I can register my complaint? Whom can I…

“Thalia began by pointing out the general geography of Athens and proceeded to speak about the history of the small church, whose exterior walls gleamed white and whose bright blue painted dome was…

“He peered at me through the rearview mirror, and replied, ‘Yes, Miss. Cigarettes and pens, one at a time, will feed his family for a couple of weeks.’ Although Bashir’s tone was calm…

“I whirled to face him, and saw a red-faced Englishman, staring at me belligerently. He was responsible for the production of the prototype furnishings. Not far from him stood a tall young Sudanese…

“I asked the architects if there were a museum or gallery where I might see Sudanese artifacts and explained, ‘I tailor my designs to reflect the culture of each country in which I…

“As I followed a large contingent of UN representatives down the stairs towards the tarmac, I wondered at their numbers. Braced against the discomfort of temperatures I did not expect at midnight, even…

“Before I explain what I mean by survival, let me clarify that the mastery I speak of is not simply the control of breath and body, but of thoughts, speech, behavior towards others,…

“The tumult of raging nature that I watch with fascination incongruously stirs a memory of a Greek song I learned as a child where Thunder is a giant woman whose bracelets rumble as…

“My parents saw the value of teaching me four languages from the moment I began to speak. The European convent school I attended in Yokohama taught English and French from the first grade,…

“With so much turmoil in our world, I was at a loss as to what I would write this month, but then I heard a children’s choir sing Benjamin Britten’s ‘A Ceremony of Carols,’ and…