36. The Best Way To Get Rid Of A Body On A Train
Friends,
A little personal story for your Sunday.
Once upon a time, in a land far, far away (ok, ok — Montenegro) my then boyfriend’s mom shared a special little Serbian tradition with me. Yugoslavian legend has it that the way you spend the 1st of January sets the tone for your entire year. “So no hangover, or arguing Nicole - just lots of laughter and sex” she told me.
I think about her every January 1st!
This year started in the most wonderful way for me - my best friend asked his childhood sweetheart to marry him and my heart honestly exploded with joy.
Remember friends - we are here on earth to love, as much as we can. As many people as we can.
Keep that in mind as we start this fresh, magical year.
Here’s a beautiful Lebanese hotel you may not have heard of; some life advice; a bit of poetry; a love story of sorts and five bits of trivia about one of my favourite Italian things.
1. Tattoos and Scones : A Love Story
“Two of my tattoos relate to men I once loved,
men I don’t even talk to anymore,
though I guess something of them will always remain
on my body like some sort of residue.
Two things :
People aren’t always what they seem
and the men I’ve loved,
good or bad,
will always be the men I’ve loved.”
2. How To Say NO
A five-step road map for saying NO.
Remind yourself that time is valuable and once it’s spent you absolutely can’t get it back.
Ask yourself: “Would I be willing to do this thing tomorrow?” It’s easy to sign yourself up for something in April when it’s only September. Do your future self a favor and try this little exercise.
Respond quickly. Don’t leave people hanging once you know you’re saying no.
Own your “no” if it’s not a priority (because something else actively is): “Thanks so much for thinking of me. I’m not going to be able to take this on, but I wish you the best with X.”
Reframe your “no” to assuage your guilt (if it’s something you genuinely wish you had time for). Acknowledge that this commitment is significant to you, even if you’re not taking it on. A good sample script: “This is so important that it deserves someone’s full energy, and since I can’t do that because I have XYZ other things, I would be dishonoring the importance of this event/role/weekend getaway by saying yes.”
3. Wanderlusting
“My parents always dreamed of a traditional house in the Lebanese mountains. A place where we could spend summers with family and friends.
I was 11 years old when my father bought the house, it was 1985, it was wartime. It became our summer hideaway. The original cornerstones date back hundreds of years.
After my mother’s passing in 2013 I decided to refurbish the house and bring it back to life. It is simply one of those places where you never want to leave.
We called it BEIT TRAD.”
“The house mostly attracts people who are open, who love life.”
— Sarah Trad
4. A Poem
There are moments that cry out to be fulfilled.
Like, telling someone you love them.
Or giving your money away, all of it.
Your heart is beating, isn’t it?
You’re not in chains, are you?
There is nothing more pathetic than caution
when headlong might save a life,
even, possibly, your own.
5. A Tale Of Terrazzo
Five things you probably didn’t know about terrazzo, via my favourite London optician and where I buy my glasses, Cubitts.
It’s history can be traced back to the Ancient world, where Egyptians, Romans, and Greeks decorated their floors with mosaics created from roughly cut coloured stones, shells, and ivory.
Terrazzo as we know it today comes from Italy, where artisans created ‘pavimento alla Veneziana’ (a.k.a. Venetian pavement) from marble fragments set in a mortar base. These artisans were known as ‘terrazzieri’, or workers of terrazzo.
The US is full of incredible terrazzo works, for which it has the Italian immigrants of the late 18th and early 19th century to thank. The Hollywood Walk of Fame is one of the most famous examples, and the Washington Monument, the Library of Congress, and the Smithsonian Institution all boast excellent terrazzo features too.
The trend for terrazzo flooring peaked in the 1920s and 30s, and so is indelibly linked to the Art Deco and Moderne movements. Although, anyone who has looked at Etsy recently will be in no doubt that terrazzo’s second coming is well and truly here.
Terrazzo is considered a ‘green’ material, due to its sustainability credentials. Not only is it extremely durable, meaning it lasts (many, many) lifetimes without needing to be repaired or replaced, it can also be created using recycled components or waste materials, and set in bio-resins.