I usually post a reading round up when I have a few pieces that have been published in print magazines. As I am always looking for recommendations of things to read/listen to, I thought it might be nice to share three things that I have been reading/listening to recently instead.

I just unearthed the box full of all my old notebooks from under the vee berth.

(And no, jamming my torso through the wee little door below the bunk was not easier than actually dismantling bunk as I assumed it might be. And yes, I may have panicked slightly when I thought I was actually stuck, arms reaching beyond my head and hips wedged against the wee little door frame. Lesson learned!)

Leafing back through pages of notes and reflections from the past 18-years has been interesting. Amongst the usual journals I found a few pocket-sized ledgers that I had forgotten about, books that I carried with me for a personal project I called “Haiku a Day:A Year of Short Reflections”

I set myself a goal to write everyday and I figured that if I committed to just 17 syllables it would be a habit I could maintain. Turns out, I was right, and for all of 2018 and most of 2019 I did just that. Below are a few of the poems that caught my eye as I flipped through the pages.

22.
children walk along
the fence like a tightrope strung
across my backyard

78.
we are adrift
with solid land beneath us
waiting for the tide

134.
it is humbling
to realize short comings
and yearn to improve

257.
the girl crouched to
stroke my leg like a puppy
gently, her strange grin

293.
we lay together
facing the heavens, watching
the universe turn

I really enjoyed leafing through these little collections, some of the imagery took me right back to the moment that I wrote them.

In fact, I enjoyed reading them so much that I am considering starting my Haiku a Day project again when my birthday rolls around in a few months. Anyone interested in reading?

I originally posted my 2018 project  online, so if you’re interested in reading more you can find them HERE.

I am an avid reader who is always on the hunt for a good book.

I recently burned through Tamar Adler’s Feast on Your Life: Kitchen Meditations for Every Day. Having previously enjoyed her book The Everlasting Meal: Cooking with Economy and Grace, I had an inkling of what I was into for but was pleasantly surprised with this collection of short musings about what sparks joy for her in the kitchen. Despite her having a history of cooking in some fairly elite restaurants there is no pretence to Adler’s cooking or writing. It is very much about finding the joy in everyday actions and ingredients, and moving through the act of cooking in a mindful manner. Ways of living that I can relate to.

Steve has recently been diving back into Salt: A World History, by Mark Kurlansky. I read this years ago as well, and it is an interesting look into how intricate salt is to our very survival, and how and where humanity has been mining, refining, and trading this commodity over the centuries. Kurlansky has written a few other books that take a deep dive into a very specific subject including Cod: A Biography of a Fish that Changed the World – another good read says Steve – and Paper: Paging Through History, which may be next on my reading list.

I also listen to alot of podcasts.

And I doubt anyone will be surprised to hear that one of my favourites is BBC’s The Food Programme. Unlike so many other podcasts these days, this is reportage that is rooted in radio, so the production is good and the soundscape always thoughtful. (So many these days are just anyone blathering on with very little editing, I find them hard to listen to.) What’s really great is that they have an extensive library of episodes available online, which means you can dig through the archives to find some really interesting food stories.

Malaysia, like so many other countries around the world, observes Ramadan, and this year we are in the middle of the month of fasting as I write. This means that for the past few weeks dates have been on the shelves in all the local groceries stores here in Kudat.

Dates are the traditional food used to break the fast, but I love having them around as a sweet treat. So much better than store bought cookies or cheap chocolate. So, I thought it fitting to include this very interesting look at dates that was aired back in December, as explored by one of BBC’s food journalist, Dan Saladino.

That’s my Reading Round up for now, hope you enjoyed the selection. If you have any recommendations for books, podcast, or anything else interesting that you’ve read recently please leave us a comment.

Love,
H&S