At 16 years in office, Angela Merkel is the longest-serving German Chancellor since reunification and the second-longest after Otto von Bismarck. Her prudent governance has earned her the respect of many Germans – and mine. I have some nominal things in common with the famed German leaders. I attended the Read more
We’re always trying to look for a discount or everyday items or cheaper versions of brand-name items that don’t compromise on quality. Or at least I do. I was reading the label on a pack of 60 Starbucks-branded Nespresso pods at Costco that cost $46.99 when a middle-aged man walked Read more
On September 20, 2021, the United Nations in New York organized a virtual event called SDG Moment. The UN Secretary General, President of the UN General Assembly, and other bigwigs delivered speeches about the importance of poverty reduction and how the pandemic stunted five years of progress. Then, Korean boy Read more
Shadow wire: A formal agreement between two or more news outlets from two or more geographical locations to republish each other’s reports outside of an established wire subscription. The media, wherever it is in the world, is facing a crisis – people are increasingly unwilling to pay for news. Even Read more
The German immigration process is a well-structured waltz in a strict triple metre with the immigration office. Neither of you will be stepping on any toes as long as you both dance exactly to the tune of the federal government. The three-metre waltz has three parts to it: visa application, Read more
The Canadian government, along with many other countries around the world, have enacted international travel restrictions on inbound passengers and recommended its citizens to only travel when necessary. Despite these recommendations and restrictions, I found myself flying over 23,000km on four aircraft across three continents this summer. Was I exempt? Read more
How heavy debt led the colony into provincehood British Columbia’s union with Canada was not inevitable, some residents wanted to join the United States. This year marks the 150th anniversary of the union between British Columbia and Canada. The Pacific province has been a part of Canada since July 20, Read more
Well known for building the Unité d’Habitation in several cities like Marseille and Berlin, co-designing the UN building in New York City, and inspiring the concept of the Radiant City, Le Corbusier also had an impact in his home country of Switzerland. Born in La Chaux-de-Fonds near the French border, Read more
Having had the excellent opportunity to learn German while living in Berlin, I took to learning German songs to really immerse myself into German popular culture. Of course, the first song I wanted to learn wasn’t “Edelweiß”, I looked at classics from the NDW genre by masters such as Grönemeyer, Read more
