While reading about refugee children in Sweden, I came across a study by Ann Runfors which looked at the way that schools on the multicultural margins of Swedish society instil identity in those they teach. What Runfors found was that while the schools she visited worked hard to avoid emphasising the differences between people, with… Continue reading How anti-racism strategies can backfire
Category: Stories
Sweden’s new class system
A short time ago I visited a Syrian family with a friend of mine. My friend is an engineer and had decided to help this family’s two sons with their maths homework. Our time with the family was lovely. We got there and the two sons were ready to get started right away. They started… Continue reading Sweden’s new class system
Dear Habib
I found this video earlier today that tells the story of Habib, an unaccompanied refugee minor from Afghanistan who now lives in Britain. It reminds me of some of the young men I had the privilege of getting to know during the research for my master’s thesis. Many have experienced great loss, risked everything, and… Continue reading Dear Habib
On the death of Eugene Peterson
I’ve been able to identify two different ways in which I grieve the passing of Eugene Peterson from this world. The first, and perhaps most obvious, is that he is one of my heroes. The second is the fact that while he leaves behind a legacy in the form of books, and disciples, the grounding… Continue reading On the death of Eugene Peterson
Six of my favourite podcasts
Podcasts have been one of the ways I have learned about the world over the last few years while commuting or, in the early days of parenting, when I felt too tired to read. This is a short introduction to some of my favorite podcasts. Revisionist History by Malcolm Gladwell looks back at stories from… Continue reading Six of my favourite podcasts
There’s a bit of Boris in us all
Back in 1890, a young Rudyard Kipling wrote a poem about Burma. The poem, The Road to Mandalay, was written from the perspective of a British soldier once stationed there. The soldier reminisces about the place, an encounter with a local girl, and describes his surroundings with the kind of paternalistic grandeur of someone who… Continue reading There’s a bit of Boris in us all
What no one will tell you about the Couch to 5K running plan
The wind in my hair. A smile on my face. It was so perfect. Legs supple and strong, covering kilometres effortlessly thanks to my newly developed running skills. Waking up each morning with the urge to JUST DO IT – to get out there and pound pavement – because I had broken through and was… Continue reading What no one will tell you about the Couch to 5K running plan
Stop falling for the allure of News FOMO
Last night I dreamed that I bumped into Nassim Nicholas Taleb in a cafe. He was sat thinking, recording his ideas via audio note on his mobile phone. Then his phone rang and he spoke to someone in Arabic for a few minutes. After the phonecall I introduced myself. I told him how inspired I… Continue reading Stop falling for the allure of News FOMO
Language Hack 6: Uncomfortable Situations
One way that you can really stretch yourself linguistically is to put yourself in situations that are uncomfortable. In comfortable situations you usually use vocabulary you know well. Only spending time with friends can leave you relying on their familiarity with with your style of speaking, rather than on your accuracy. It’s also easy to treat speaking your target language as a performance… Continue reading Language Hack 6: Uncomfortable Situations
What Downton Abbey Can Teach Us About The Future
I’m usually more attracted to future-oriented ideas and stories, but I grew to like Downton Abbey when I realised that, even though it’s a historical drama, it’s all about change.