In 2011 in Parma, Italy I met a Belgian-Italian who would become a friend and an inspiration. A man well-travelled, full of a sense of adventure and mystery. Ale is softly spoken, but one look into his eyes and you can see the passion than swirls around inside him. He is the tranquil volcano. In this first episode with Ale he talks about his intimate and moving experiences in Africa and recounts a story that moves me every time I think of it.He then talks about his move from Parma to Malta, his new start up and the exciting possibilities that lie before him. Ale is a motivator and a person to have in your corner when what you need is a good chat and an arm around your shoulders.

Tanja is back and in top form, pushing thought and imagination to breaking points. What is Bachata Sensual? What does it mean? Where does it come from? Tanja shares her thoughts on the deeper meanings and senses fulfilled by the energy and combined flows of the dance and its practitioners. Much like her beloved dancing style, Tanja flows from challenging topic to challenging topic. Her passion for people is once again in full view when she talks about the essence of mindfulness from her perspective, how it can assist in not only the daily rituals of work and responsibility, but also in the appreciation of our passions. As always, I am so pleased to have Tanja join me in these discussions and I hope you are as invigorated by the experience as I always am. In the podcast Tanja mentions one of her favourite podcast channels. If you are also interested in a podcast dedicated to Bachata please follow this link:https://open.spotify.com/show/2Zl3KvZ7p2A1hBa6jQyVc4?si=Qqe3vxjeTE6Eb5k77QiD2A&dl_branch=1

Vlad and Fritz are back and this time, for real. I cannot express how much I have missed meeting these two pillars of purpose and personality. I learn something from every sitting and I am always challenged to look at things from a different perspective. It is important to listen out to some of the thoughts expressed so as not to misunderstand the specific point, and yet it is always in the listening of another person that we come to appreciate the variations that exist to established ideas.Please forgive the noises, the chinking of glasses, the moving of plates and the slapping of the table and loud laughter. It was simply too great an opportunity to pass up to meet and talk, eat and drink.I thank you both greatly for coming, speaking so openly and honestly.Time Stamps:26m: New Pay31m: 4 day week42m: Podcasts as a record of our loved ones45m: "Startups fail, entrepreneurs never fail!" Really???50m: Culture element...again52.5m: Verbal slap53m: Malta62m: Voting age

The Rime of the Ancient Mariner is a work of epic poetic storytelling art from Samuel Taylor Coleridge, first published in 1798.I first came across this poem through Iron Maiden and the mysticism of the song inspired me to seek out Coleridge and read more of his work. As I grew up watching pirate and seafaring movies among other old classics, the story of the mariner and the albatross painted a fascinating picture in my mind. I am no reciter of poetry, so forgive my poor rendition here. Despite that, I hope you enjoy the poem.

Vladi and Fritz, undeterred and brimming with expert knowledge, return for a second session to enlighten me on the pitfalls and perils of people and culture in business. From setting up, to establishing a culture, to managing resources, training and development, quotas and diversity, the gents pack the hour or so with lots of thought provoking detail and recruiting experience. Where in part 1 they gave a few tips on recruiting, here they discuss the strategy from the business view...and it's enthralling to hear them talk about 'the other side'.As always, thank you gentlemen for your time, you are great fun to talk with, as always.

"Everybody's talking at me, I don't hear a word they're saying, only the echoes of my mind..." The profound meaning of these words, the delightful melody and the penetrating voice always send me into deep thought."Skipping over the ocean like a stone..."What do we skip over? What do we seek to avoid?What's the worse that can happen?Some of my musings when all around us understanding and empathy crash against the rocks of an unforgiving land.

Karin begins by putting me straight regarding the work of PEN and where the difficult task of funding comes from.We then jump into the world of literature from so many perspectives; translation, interpretation, primary and secondary sources, poetry, love, empathy and pure writing craft. We look at the wealth of female authors that go back to the 19 century and how special the voice of diversity is in storytelling. Karin reminds me constantly how unique a passion reading is and indeed how pleasurable it is to be able to feed one's passions with literature.As always, thank you Karin...

"What does it mean to be feminine?" Tanja asks and the question is more complex than it might originally seem. There are so many personal and contextual influences that can swing thinking a number of different ways. Why would sexual acts define womanhood? Why would they define manhood? Why would a lack of these acts be definitive in any way? Is society best-placed to judge when so many of these topics remain taboo? If society does not address them, then who will? SensualTalk is a very good place to start.Thank you Tanja for your sense of adventure and your refreshingly direct approach.

A few naïve thoughts from me and some clear analysis from Chris on where the political parties stand in the US. If the Dems are left wing for the Reps, it’s only because the Reps have moved so far to the right, they can no longer see the centre ground on the horizon.Though I am an amateur when discussing healthier eating, Chris knows his stuff, and I comfortably run off the reservation when we start to talk about food, meat and cooking with rash abandon.How hard is it to judge friends objectively? What kind of behaviour should cancel out a friendship? What limits can we set?Is the line between recognising discrimination and being sensitive too vague?

PEN: Writers in Prison and Writers in Exile, the work that continues tirelessly in the background, as a mission to save writers from persecution, beatings and murder. There is such a financial cost to bear in providing scholarships and sponsoring those most in need. Yet these cases are brought around by humanitarian organisations working together and raising the profiles of writers who have chosen to exercise the right of expression above the fear of persecution.Karin turns the tables on me too and gets me to open up a little more on the Armenian Genocide, which also leads to me being a bit more vocal than normal and also a bit too much of an idealist at times. Emotions, emotions...As always, thank you Karin for fighting through the allergies to speak with me...