Young

 If I don't go and explain it, you might take one look at this majestic architecture and mistake it for a church — and who could blame you? Even the local Dutch nickname, “Spoorwegkathedraal,” recognizes the church-like features of Antwerpen-Centraal railway station. When I first arrived here, I had to take three escalators just to reach mean sea level. Above, a bright naturally lit roof guides your eyes toward the higher levels of the building, and justifiably so, because there is so much detail to unravel. From a purely architectural standpoint, these design elements cannot be defined by a single word, but rather by a blend of Neo-Renaissance and Neo-Baroque styles. These are characterized by striking angular facades, ornate symmetry, and rounded arches. Even within these visuals alone, you can grasp the lavishness and grandeur that this building boasts. It is as admirable as it is unfortunate that much of its financing was tied to the colonial exploitation of the 19th-century Co...

Truthfully, we began this day with a long car ride around Kerala, but soon enough I fell carsick and needed a reason to take a breather between these scenic mountain roads. Perhaps a word of caution as well: if you plan to catch a glimpse of a few waterfalls along the way, definitely do not come during the early months of the year like we did, because we only got to see dry stones and sticks instead — albeit with a bit of greenery. But during the monsoon season after June, you could witness something amazing like this.  We were lucky enough to catch a view of Valara Waterfalls, which, even though distant from our viewpoint, showed just how majestic and eventful these hills can be. And so we arrived at this eco park with no idea what to expect, simply eager to take a walk. We were first greeted by these emu birds, which honestly deserve their own emu-ji considering how expressive they are! Right after feeding one, we were captivated by the birds around us, so I even tried whistling ...

  Look, I started this trip with a rainy morning, so I will make sure you relive it again with me. Sure, I had a couple of cakes and coffee to pump up my spirits when the joyful cloud of grey decided to accompany me on this vacation. And where else would I be headed to, but Gingelom, the most eventful of all municipalities in Belgium. I am being slightly sarcastic, but I actually had a great time—so why was I there in the first place? Let me take you back one month, talking with my friends about how nice it would be to enjoy the summer of Belgium in a relaxing BnB somewhere we have never visited before. And in that research, we discovered Gingelom. The official webpage for Gingelom describes it as a landscape of sunken lanes, orchards, rolling fields, authentic monuments, and much tranquility. That was the bait, and we were hooked. Right, back to the bus we come—fortunately rather empty and peaceful towards this side of town in Limburg—and to be at complete liberty switching seats ...

  One of the many good things in life is cheese of many kinds, and I bring you an experience that I was myself introduced to quite late in life: pairing and consuming cheese. The first one I tried here is a goat cheese with a skin of black ash which, on its own, is rather tangy and acidic, but when you have a fuller bite with the white creamy cheese, it blends in with the fattiness of the goat milk smoothly and deliciously. In terms of pairing, we generally take a small fruit like grape or olive to enhance the chew. At the risk of sounding too pretentious, I should mention that I knew nothing about cheese a couple of months ago but have taken keenly to experimenting with them lately. If you could bite into this block of Saint-Marcellin, you'd know what I mean—it is soft and creamy on top of this crisp biscuit, so every angle of your bite prepares an immersive sour experience. Many times it is difficult to predict what the first and last notes of a cheese can be, especially with som...

  If you sometimes start to wonder how a crow serves its purpose in the world, please let it not be on a plate for dinner, as I recently discovered. And yes, perhaps I am a prude to savour eccentric flavours, but an intelligent creature like a crow does not seem appetising to me at all. And I am better described as a stalker of birds, but I am fairly certain they know I'm around. For example, this crow—let's call him Adam—finishes his crushed walnuts, which he had earlier used the car to crunch down and snack on, and now I see Adam hopping off towards the sidewalk. So of course, I follow him. I am being silent as a leaf, analysing Adam's strategy for foraging in the roadside mulch and bushes. At one remarkable instant, I even had my hopes up that he discovered a new walnut, but alas, it is just another leaf. One never to be upset by rejection, Adam moves on to the next pile, and the next one after that pile, which is an honourable hustle and drive—something to learn from Ad...

  While walking towards Leopold Park in Brussels, something caught my eye: this footbridge that joins two giant buildings right above a busy thoroughfare highway. And if it's not gone yet, you'll also spot a pigeon nest under a lamppost. Towards the right, we have an office building which also reflects the incremental architectural developments of the 19th and 20th century. I say this because towards the left, we have the more institutionalised and modern glass building known as the Jacques Delors Building, named after the former president of the European Commission who was involved in the creation of a single market and the euro currency across the 27 member countries of the European Union. The figure we see here is actually from Greek mythology, known as Ariadne’s thread, symbolising the guiding line for Europe across the labyrinth of social and political issues. With the two figureheads placed on opposite ends, this expresses the poetic desire to be unified in their mission,...