The last song I listened to

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I often revisit this playlist from Rest Of World (they have a cracking newsletter too). It gets updated regularly, but one tune I’m loving right now is ‘Muriendo de Envidia’. Despite the title, it’s romantic. It makes me think about old people who have been dancing together their whole life.

The podcast I’m listening to

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I am an avid podcast listener. I love ‘Bureau of Lost Culture’ for random explorations of forgotten counterculture movements. Warning—it can be quite odd, but it will make you (re)fall in love with the weirdness of people. I also like NPR’s Rough Translation for discussions about linguistics and non-Euro/ US centric perspectives. To combat all the rambling cultural stories I also listen to a LOT of news. Regulars on rotation are...  Actus du Jour to combine French homework with current affairs, The Rest is Politics, Rachman Review, The Intelligence and Pivot for US tech industry gossip.

The last thing I bought and loved

A stoneware bowl from Margaret River. The local clay contains tiny bits of iron which results in an unusual texture and rust coloured spots. My Dad collects ceramics. I’ve picked up his love for having beautiful, functional objects around the house. I’m really happy that Synthesis commissioned a local potter to hand make coffee cups for our office. Six types of clay to represent our 6th year in business.  

The best gift I gave recently

My husband loves a colourful cap. A rare success story amongst my Insta-inspired purchases, I found Keiko Tagai who uses recycled kimono fabrics to create one-off designs. He loved the first one so much that I’ve repeated the gift multiple times.

The best bit of advice I ever received

Two bits of advice I try to live by: “Think it possible that you may be mistaken” (a wise school teacher?), and “The eyes of others our prisons; their thoughts our cages” (Virginia Wolf). I aspire to be open to new perspectives, whilst simultaneously not giving a hoot what other people think. 

My hidden talent is

Backgammon. I can best anyone.

As a child my dream was to be

A detective. I’m very nosey. I was inspired by the Harriet the Spy stories I used to read at my grandparents.

I am most looking forward to 

Going for an early swim tomorrow. It's rare to properly disconnect. I’m a strong enough swimmer to cover a fair distance, but not a good enough swimmer to fully stop concentrating. It means I really can’t think about anything else but the rhythm of my breath and sensation of cutting through the water.