Author: Annie

I'm a singer-songwriter and (armchair) traveling musician. Music is my passion and has been ever since I started playing and studying classical guitar music when I was ten years old. Today, I sing and play the guitar to perform my own original music. I'm an independent musician and I love the immediacy of a live performance, whether that's a studio recording or my musical postcards filmed around the globe. Besides hosting a music podcast, I'm also reading around the world in 18 Sleuths. I combine reading crime fiction with other forms of virtual traveling, often done from the comfort of my armchair.

They would discuss, for hours, the perfect blend of lemon, lime and garam masala

Posted on 17 June 202018 June 2022 by Annie

I’m celebrating my armchair traveling with a rich feast of Vegan Tikka Masala, Chai, and my first attempt at homemade Naan. Also, I’m reading a book that has sat on my tbr list for a long time: Salman Rushdie’s Midnight’s Children (1981). This is a great complementing read alongside the family-friendly adventures of Feluda. I…

You Need a Happy Ending

Posted on 12 June 20203 September 2022 by Annie

Off to the kitchen! I’m making dhal to start off The Adventures of Feluda by Satyajit Ray. This edition contains four novellas featuring the young Bengali detective Feluda: “The Golden Fortress”, “The Buccaneer of Bombay”, “Mystery at Golok Lodge” and “Trouble in the Graveyard”. Feluda is an avid reader himself and a big fan of…

Untranslatable Japanese

Posted on 11 May 202028 May 2022 by Annie

The Japanese word “tsundoku” (積ん読) describes the habit of buying books and not reading them. I’m certainly guilty of having books piling up unread on my bookshelves and floors. I do have every intention of reading them – someday at least! 😂 For now, I’m happy to get through my 18 Sleuths pile….

Listening to Japan

Posted on 30 April 202018 June 2022 by Annie

My first introduction to Origami, the Japanese art of folding intricate flowers, objects and animals from one square sheet of paper, was actually a search for creative ways to gift money to friends. I’ve folded a lot of (Dollar and Euro) bills, but I felt for this virtual trip to Japan it had to be…

Musical Postcard from Tokyo

Posted on 22 April 202018 June 2022 by Annie

I haven’t personally traveled to all destinations on my 18 Sleuths reading list, but Japan is actually one of the countries I have visited and enjoy revisiting now. Three years ago I braced Tokyo’s intense heat and humidity as well as the deafening noise of the cicadas. And I loved every second! I met with…