CategorySociety & Culture

You can look out the same window on the same street. One morning, you see a fog-filled street of hope and quiet excitement. Snowflakes fall like tiny mirrors from heaven, catching light as they descend. A man across the road pauses to brush snow from his coat. The world is gently unfolding. The street feels alive, a universe opening, full of possibility. Another morning, you stand in the same...

There are times in life where clarity turns into uncertainty. The once self-evident becomes full with emptiness, and the familiar ways of understanding ourselves and others grind to a halt. The world feels cold and lonely in these moments, with few words to explain why. Modern life tends to treat such moments as problems to be solved. Attention is quickly directed towards regaining certainty and...

Säg det rakt ut möter Säg inget alls I många kulturer ses emotionell ärlighet som en dygd. På Irland är det mer komplicerat: uppriktighet döljs ofta bakom humor, tonas ner med ironi eller vilar på ett lager av blygsamhet. Men när stunden kräver det – vid en begravning, sent på puben, när någon ska ta farväl – hittar irländare sätt att säga det som verkligen betyder något, om än i förbigående. För...