Plastic products A hot topic these days is the problem we have with single-use plastic products.  We’ve all read about how we’re destroying our wildlife, and indeed our planet, with our plastic rubbish. So now we’re all making an effort to reduce how much plastic we use and how much

I never get tired of snow.  I lived in Australia for almost 40 years, without snow.  Being able to live in a snowy country was a childhood dream, a fantasy.  Of course, we have snow in Australia, in the mountains in the east of Australia.  We even have skiing and

Ekaterinburg, The Russian Federation From the airport Koltsovo International Airport (SVX) is about 16km SE of the city.  The most efficient way into the centre of Ekaterinburg is by bus.  There’s a bigger bus, the #1, and a smaller mini-bus which is #01.  #01 is more expensive, 100 roubles, plus

Are you happy? Have you asked yourself this question lately?  I mean, have you stopped everything you’re doing, looked deep into your soul and asked yourself ‘Am I happy?’ No?  Try it. Yes?  What did you find?  What was the answer? 6 months ago I asked myself this question earlier

Do you have a garden with plants and flowers?  Or is your outdoor area paved and concreted? Or maybe you live in a flat and don’t have a garden at all.  Maybe you have a balcony garden, or only indoor plants, like I have. One thing (of many!) I love

Sometimes when the weather’s nice, we take a walk around the neighbourhood.  There’s a huge park just down the road which is nice to walk in.  Or we just walk up to the shops, or around the neighbourhood to see what’s happening, and to see what’s changing (because in Moscow

For almost all of my life, I’ve dried my clothes in the fresh (or not so fresh, depending on my location) air.  I’ve never owned a clothes dryer.   Sometimes, when I didn’t even have a washing machine, I used to go to the local laundromat and wash and dry my

I don’t remember learning to read.  I mean, I know I did it, but I can’t recall the process.  I remember watching my daughter learning to read, struggling over every word, sounding them out, with varying degrees of success. But I don’t remember doing it myself.  The earliest memory I