Blog

Handle a family estrangement

Published on March 3, 2019.

Around last Christmas, Anna Goldfarb’s article “The Best Way to Handle a Family Estrangement” (archive PDF avaiable) found my RSS reader. This was the same time that I was processing the wish of my parents to not spend Christmas with me in the UK.

Anna’s says in her article:

when someone else is setting those boundaries, it’s crucial to the future of your relationship that you respect them. Someone who has been cut off “may continue to send messages, cards and presents, or criticism when they know they are unwanted,” [Becca] Bland [(chief executive of Stand Alone, a UK-based charity that supports adults who are estranged from their families)] says, but “research suggests this is more harmful than helpful if the other person has asked for time and space.”

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First time manager

Published on March 3, 2019.

A while ago, I read Anna Goldfarb’s article “What I Wish I’d Known as a First-Time Manager” (archive PDF available). Anna’s words are worth sharing so I decided to leave a link on this blog.

If you are too busy to read Anna’s article fully, skip to the last section: “Trust your team.”

On the basis of sex

Published on March 2, 2019.

Yesterday I watched “On the Basis of Sex”, a film based on the life of Ruth Bader Ginsburg. The plot of the film is around sex or gender, as you prefer, discrimination. The story is very inspiring and interesting from the history point of view but the film doesn’t bring up any strong emotions.

“On the Basis of Sex” reminded me of Steven Spielberg’s Amistad that is a must watch for everyone.

Liars and Secret Dater

Published on February 28, 2019.

Today I read “I secretly date people who aren’t my boyfriend - but I don’t think it’s cheating” published on BBC (archived copy available as PDF). Half way the article, it says

Sometimes, I’d feel bad for the guys. Some of them were obviously looking for something serious and I was just wasting their time. I remember one in particular who was really cut up about his ex cheating on him - we talked about it a lot. I vaguely told him that I’d had ‘similar experiences’, but I cried all the way home because I felt like I was re-traumatising him in some way.

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Life of Trees

Published on February 25, 2019.

In the last three years, my friend Dayane Machado suggested me incredible books to read, including “The Art of Asking” by Amanda Palmer. The lastest recommendation was “The Hidden Life of Trees” by Peter Wohlleben.

I only read one third of the book so far but I think that Peter wrote a book about people and not trees. About how people can living in harmony.

When trees grow together, nutrients and water can be optimally divided among them all so that each tree can grow into the best tree it ca be. (…) a tree can be only as strong as the forest that surrounds it.

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