by Emil Rem | May 14, 2026 | Analects
What are the chances of being swept into two separate businesses at the same time with two Jewish Russians, both named Anna? Thank goodness their surnames differed. It was an experience from hell. According to George Bernard Shaw, “ Youth is wasted on the young.” At...
by Emil Rem | May 7, 2026 | Analects
“Penny Lane is in my ears and in my eyesThere beneath the blue suburban skiesI sit and meanwhile back….. (trumpet fanfare)”The Beatles, 1967. On the 28th of April 1980, I emigrated to Calgary, Canada from England. It took six months to build a credit rating good...
by Emil Rem | Apr 30, 2026 | Analects
My favourite corners of the world to hide in are musty, dust-ridden, second-hand bookshops. Within them, I have found many gems, if not diamonds, in the rough. One particular book comes to mind. It’s a collection of ancient Sufi parables by Idries Shah, all...
by Emil Rem | Apr 23, 2026 | Analects
Does anyone remember the 1952 musical Singing in the Rain or is it only me? The part I remember the most is NOT the solo Gene Kelly throwing away his umbrella in the middle of a downpour, then jumping into puddles, dancing with joy, but later in the movie with his...
by Emil Rem | Apr 16, 2026 | Analects
At our kids’ graduations, they showed off their yearbooks, autographed both by teachers and classmates. “Where’s yours, Pops?” they asked me. “In my days, we never had one, let alone a graduation ceremony,” I said. “How about you, Mum?” the kids asked Laura. She shed...
