On Shakespeare

It is possible to remain inimitable and ubiquitous 450 years after one's birth.

On Accidental Fun

Inexplicable drawings/images from around the world can make for some lively discussions.

(Mystery chart found near Cambridge University)

On Colourful Semantics

Using colorful semantics for special needs and/or EAL students can work well in and outside of the classroom.

(Number game near Kensington Palace in London)

On Opening Hours

To avoid disappointment it is always a good idea to check the opening hours of places one wishes to visit prior to arrival.

(Brief opening hours at King's College that I missed)

On Punting

It may seem like an easy and pleasant activity, but navigating in a straight line can be challenging.

(Punting on Cam river in around Cambridge University)

On Being Overqualified

"What else can I do? Once you've gone this far you aren't fit for anything else. Something happens to your mind. You're overqualified, overspecialized, and everybody knows it. Nobody in any other game would be crazy enough to hire me. I wouldn't even make a good ditch-digger, I'd start tearing apart the sewer-system, trying to pick-axe and unearth all those chthonic symbols - pipes, valves, cloacal conduits... No, no. I'll have to be a slave in the paper-mines for all of time."

-Margaret Atwood

(King's College Chapel at Cambridge University)

On Candy Crush

Mindless time-consuming games tend to give people a false sense of accomplishment.

(Giant candy at a sweet shop in Cambridgeshire)

On Historical Documents

Just because your job may involve researching/writing historical documents for palaces, it doesn't mean your grammar skills are impeccable.

(English mistake I found in Kensington Palace)

On Spring

Although the season has not officially began, many countries are already very close to summer weather.

(Cherry blossoms near Kensington Palace, London)

On Pi

International Day of Pi may be a good time to introduce/explore the topic in the classroom.

On Water

In certain (hotter) countries water treatment plants can also become tourist attractions.

(Some beautiful large water reservoirs in Kuwait)

On World Maths Day

Using statistics about smoking cigarettes is a great way to engage students in a Maths lesson especially since "World Maths Day" and "No Smoking Day" collide on March 12.

• If a pack of cigarettes cost $9, how much will a pack-a-day smoker save in one week by quitting? 
• Today's cigarettes contain 4000 chemicals. In 1994 it was 599. How many more ingredients exist today?
• It takes 3-9 months after a smoker quits for coughing and breathing problems to decline. What is the range and median of this time?
• A pack-a-day smoker puts half the money he/she saves in a year on buying a car, how much money is that?
• If 30% of the tar from cigarettes is exhaled from the body, how much tar is left in a smoker's lungs?

On Wearing the Veil

Some classic fairy tales undergo cultural alterations to make them more representative of other religions.

(A veiled Snow White & Seven Dwarves in Kuwait)

On Electricity

While there are masses of people around the world taking electricity for granted, there are also some trying to find safer alternatives in overpopulated, underprivileged areas.

(Large electric poles running through Kuwait City)

On International Women's Day

"Apparently, the most difficult feat for a Cambridge male is to accept a woman not merely as feeling, not merely as thinking, but as managing a complex, vital interweaving of both."

-Sylvia Plath

(Plant sculpture at Mosaicultures Internationale in Montreal last summer)

On Fridays

There are people who look so forward to Friday that the other six days of the week cease to have any real meaning.

On World Book Day

All it takes is a small group of dedicated individuals to put together an entertaining pro-reading event.

(Part of the Remal International Festival in Kuwait last month)

On Bread Making

The old technique of baking bread in a traditional tannur oven still yields the tastiest results.

(Fresh Arabic bread from a market in Kuwait)

On the Oscars

Once in awhile a celebrity uses the Oscar platform to recognize people who have suffered/died and those who continue to struggle around the world.

On Landlords

Some landlords do less than the bare minimum to maintain their properties despite full occupancy.

(The fence in my backyard that fell over last year)

On Sand Sculptures

Large-scale sculptures require months to prepare and are generally composed of sand, water, and corn flour.

(Large sand sculpture at PTBK Festival in Kuwait)