Private Chef, Writer & Podcaster
Struggling with the translation and overstuffed details in Last Train to Istanbul, I gave it an honest shot—but tapped out by page 38. Here’s my take on why this historical fiction novel just didn’t work for me (and what might make it better).
There’s a wonderful (and hilariously humbling) Zen story I’ve always loved, and it popped back into my head recently when I caught myself fishing for praise. Not overtly. Just subtly leaving the room and lingering… waiting for the “Wow” I hoped would come. The story goes like this: Su Dongpo (also known as Su Shi) …
Continue reading "The Fart That Blew Across the River — Ego, Approval, and the Human Condition"
Living with sarcoidosis is already its own exhausting full-time job, so the idea of a support group sounded…promising. Or at least not disastrous. But back in the early 2010s, when my lungs and heart were misbehaving like rebellious teenagers, the search for “people like me” turned into something far stranger than comforting. I won’t spoil the whole story here, but let’s just say it involved Christmas ornaments, long train rides, and me realizing the person I actually needed to find was somewhere else entirely. Maybe someone like you.
Food preferences aren’t moral failings—so why is the internet constantly shaming people for loving olives or pineapple on pizza? Let’s unpack the performative outrage, food snobbery, and online bullying masquerading as humor in yet another culinary pile-on.
Between the dishes, the meds, and the chaos of chronic illness, it’s easy to wonder if you were meant for something bigger. But what if your true purpose isn’t grand at all—just one quiet, human act that changes everything? This heartfelt reflection explores finding meaning in small kindnesses while living with sarcoidosis and all of life’s messy imperfections.
Tate Basildon 