Thoughts on this, that and the rest
Thoughts on this, that and the rest
From the romanticised photos of 1960s Kabul to the tidy online verdicts about different leaderships, we love simple stories about Afghanistan. But simplicity is often dishonest. This piece explores how "visible progress" masked structural failure, why women’s rights have been a political lever for a century, and why nuance isn’t about excusing the Taliban but about understanding the machinery that failed ordinary Afghans long before 2021.
I started donating blood when I lived in Melbourne. It was not a lightning-bolt moment that made me do that. I probably saw a post on social media and made an appointment. Next thing I knew I was in the…
Qatar has modernized public services through digitization, customer-focused staff, and expanded road and transit networks, including the Doha Metro and Lusail Tram. Tasks that once meant lengthy queues now take minutes, driven by institutional reforms and staff training.
A story of a return to Kabul after decades away — through ordinary moments that carried unexpected weight, and a country that was both exactly as she remembered and entirely changed.
