A Life Far Removed from Durian Trees

Here's a tip. When looking for an apartment in France, be careful if the heating is "collective", even if it is included in your rent... because it will be under the complete control of the landlord, who's only legally obligated to keep your apartment at a minimum 19 celsius!

After messing around with matches and candles and smoke and soot, I finally learned how to burn charcoal properly and neatly. Just put it on an electric stove for a few minutes. Then turn it over and leave for a couple of minutes. Some parts should have a reddish glow, especially if you blow on it. Then put the charcoal piece in a bukhoor/oud burner and sprinkle the good stuff on top. No need to keep blowing to keep the fire going. And no allergic reaction! Here's a good demo .

We bought a couple of brass trays at the Old City last night, one oval-shaped and one circular. I loved the shop - the owner had all sorts of brass/metal trinkets and small pieces of wooden furniture. Every little inch of space was covered in knick-knacks. The brass tray were sold "kaamil" - complete with a good clean and polish, which was supposed to take 10 minutes but ended up taking 2 hours! But the pieces looked terrific and the young boys really put their backs into it. Brass trays in the Old City are mostly from India. Usually priced by weight and intricacy of the design. Between USD 40 and USD 100. Some may have been in stock for a while and look very old but with a good clean, they can look brand new. Some have brass legs that can be screwed on, for low-lying tables, but these are heavier and so pricier. The cleaning process: soap solution and a brush, then rinsed and dried. Coated with brass polish and rubbed vigorously by hand. Then tray is covered with sawdust and...