A passage for possible inclusion in a future work to be entitled 'The Crack that Ran All the Way to the Sea'.

I looked into the sky and saw that, in its vastness and the severity of its moods, it could mirror a human soul. I stood there looking, but the one I saw did not mirror any I might recognise. I watched it change, wondering if it grew closer or further away from achieving that perfect self-reflection, knowing that if it ever did, I would be able to look up at this heavenly extension and understand myself and the world in all our simplicity and profoundness. But today was not that day. Maybe no day of my life had ever been or would ever be that day. Maybe when the day came, the configuration would softly emerge, the inevitability of the moment somehow obvious in the instant, as brief and as recognisable as noon, but I would be diverted by some foolish errand and not look up, and the form would drift apart never to be seen. Nevertheless, I trusted it one day to tell; maybe long after my demise, the truth of my soul would be resplendent in the sky.

Why Do Pots Boil Over?

 (n.b. This explanation considers the heating of water and grains, particularly oats.)

The answer begins with the fact that the water in the pot is not pure water, but a mixture of water and gases from the air, such as oxygen and nitrogen, which are dissolved in it. Also, as soon as you put the grain into the water, it begins to hydrate, swell and weaken. At this stage, water-soluble proteins will leach out and dissolve in the water.

When you light the stove, the water in the pot heats and its structure loosens, releasing the gases, which form bubbles, particularly at the bottom of the pot where the temperature is highest. Similarly, when quantities of the water reach boiling point (100 degrees centigrade at sea level, but about 90.5 degrees at an altitude of 2,850 metres, where I am now), bubbles of water vapour (or steam) are also formed.

These bubbles are inherently unstable and most would collapse or dissolve before reaching the surface of the water. However, as the grains are warmed in the water, starches also leach into it along with proteins that are less soluble. These lose their shape in the heat and bond with the starches. This begins the process of turning the water and grains into a thick protein-rich, starchy solution. 

The proteins, including the water-soluble variety mentioned earlier, have parts which are hydrophobic and parts which are hydrophilic. The hydrophobic parts are attracted to the bubbles of gas and stick to them, while the hydrophilic parts are oriented outwards. This creates a coating which strengthens the bubbles and makes it easier for them to reach the surface, where they do finally burst, depositing their water vapour and starchy coatings, which creates foam. The starchy solution has a lower surface tension than water, which also promotes stable bubble formation.

The next part you probably know. The foam builds on the surface of the solution and would cover the surface completely, except that the continuously rising bubbles disturb the foamy layer even as they contribute to it. However, if the solution is hot enough, then enough bubbles will be formed that the layer of foam thickens until it forms an unbroken cap.

The water vapour being delivered to the surface of the solution by the bubbles is then trapped under the foam. It also, together with the pot, creates a complete layer of insulation around the solution. The heat cannot disperse and its temperature is limited to boiling point, so instead the heat gets distributed more extensively through the solution, which accelerates the formation of water vapour bubbles.

The intense heat and rapid movement of gas to the surface causes a build up of pressure under the foam, increasing the volume of the water vapour and pushing the foam upwards until it spills. This breaks the foam layer, releasing the water vapour and allowing the built-up heat to dissipate. The solution then returns to its previous level, and the cycle of forming a foam cap and boiling over resumes until a human intervenes and turns down the heat, probably swearing under their breath as they do so.

This concludes my explanation of why pots boil over. I hope you found it interesting.

The 'Cibert' and the School Supplies List: Thoughts on a Loan That's Close to Home

I have just translated a Kiva loan profile for a woman called Julia who runs a 'cibert' in Jipijapa on the coast of Ecuador. I would like to say something about the 'cibert' and also the nature of the loan, which is to purchase school supplies for Julia's daughter.

The typical translation of 'cibert' is 'internet cafe'. However, this is hopelessly inaccurate. The internet cafe was a largely recreational place to use the internet and drink coffee (and be cool because obviously there had never been places to share information, communicate and drink beverages before in human history). These appeared in the mid-90s when the internet was still young and disappeared about ten years later when people realised they could just drink coffee and use the internet in their houses instead. (The launch of the first iPhone and widespread offerings of free wifi in public spaces also contributed to their decline.) Thus, they are preserved in the memories of anyone older than about 35 as a somewhat hipsterish fad, something we did when we were too young to know better.

By contrast the 'ciber' or, in some dialects of Spanish, 'cibert' remains a socially relevant phenomenon across Latin America, South and South-East Asia, Africa (particularly south of the Sahara), where mobile money services are also sold, and in rural areas of countries with widespread internet availability. In Ecuador at least, they are not specifically frequented by hipsters and neither coffee nor any other comestible is typically served. They provide internet access for school children who do not have internet at home to do their homework, printing and photocopying services for young professionals applying for jobs amongst other document and internet-essential tasks.

Thus, I have chosen to translate "cibert" as "a small internet and computer service business". I hope you will agree this is more accurate than "internet cafe".

And now to the nature of the loan. Julia is requesting the loan not to assist the running or expansion of her business but because providing these essential services to her community provides her such a thin margin that, when the annual list of school supplies is published by each school - state and private - for parents to buy, she struggles. This is such a relatable situation. Teachers like myself, despite being essential to the economy and people's lives, are rarely afforded a comfortable lifestyle by our salaries, and so I know very well the struggle to purchase the uniforms, stationery and teaching supplies that families are forced to provide every year.

In Ecuador and I don't doubt elsewhere too, it is a sign of a dilapidated education system, which is said to be substantially poorer than it was a generation ago. State schools cannot afford to provide these supplies, and private schools fear pricing out middle-class families by including them in their monthly fees.

And so Julia is appealing, through Fundación ESPOIR*, to the large-hearted and comparatively affluent of the international community for a loan of $325 to buy these essentials for her daughter and pay it off over the school year. You can meet Julia and support her at https://www.kiva.org/lend-classic/2968416.

At the time of writing, the loan may not yet be live, so I thank you for your patience if the information is not yet available.

*Fundación ESPOIR is a microfinance institution in Ecuador that specialises in providing financial services to low-income business owners, particularly women, through community banking and individual loans.

A Tale of Solidarity: Story Outline

A story that popped into my head earlier yesterday and which I have now developed into a long summary:

The owner of a block of flats discovers that his building-owner friends are making additional revenue by renting out the sides of their buildings for large advertisement placement. He becomes jealous and decides to do the same with his own building. No side of his building is completely without windows, but he goes ahead and rents out the side of the building to an advertising company.

A large advertisement is placed over the side of the building, blocking the views and shutting out light and fresh air for the people who live in them. The affected group of tenants get together and erect large wooden pillars which they push through their windows in order that at least a current of fresh air can enter the building. This completely ruins the effect of the advertising, so the advertiser complains to the advertising company, which complains to the building owner, who goes to the building to threaten the tenants with eviction if they don't stop. While there, he sees a middle-aged man who has struggled to dress himself properly. He laughs at him and mocks him and leaves feeling much better about himself.

A quiet old lady and retired librarian enters the building to find the middle-aged man upset and struggling more than usual. She discovers that he has multiple sclerosis. Gently helping him back to his flat, in her suppressed fury, she says that if only the tenants would act as a community instead of griping about one another's foibles, they could withstand the bullying of the building owner and achieve something meaningful.

Back in her flat, she tells her little dog her idea; she's going to create posters inviting all tenants to a meeting to discuss the issue, and she does so. The next day, fearing that only the affected tenants will come, she plucks up her nerve and knocks on every door of the building to ask people individually to come.

On the day of the meeting, she only expects four or five people to show up. She goes nervously to the small sheltered quadrangle, the only common space in the building, only to find that every single tenant has come -- with the exception of one family who are visiting relatives in another country and one who is too sick to come downstairs. Attendees call them on their mobile phones to let them know the meeting is happening and so that they can be in attendance virtually, which they do enthusiastically.

The outcome of the meeting is that the tenants will write a joint letter to the building owner saying that they will all leave if any one of them is evicted. They will also write to the local paper to explain the situation. They are all talking about the family members they could go and live with if this happens, those with stronger connections offering support to more isolated tenants. During the conversation, they lament the fact that, if this happens, their newfound sense of community will be lost.

The building owner continues to make threats. The tenants are scared, but the retired librarian has read a lot of books about this kind of thing and advises them to hold steady and be prepared for what's coming. The owner cuts off the building's water and electricity, falsely reports tenants to the authorities for excessive noise or the unhygienic conditions they live in and offers to exclude tenants who are struggling financially from the rent hikes if they will publically support him. But the tenants are strong in unity and nothing breaks their will or divides them.

Then the advertising company cancels the advertising contract and the building owner loses the revenue stream. He responds by increasing the rent to cover his losses. The tenants withhold the rent, and the owner takes them to court. A young woman legal aid lawyer agrees to represent them on a no-win-no-fee basis. After a protracted struggle, they win and the owner is forced to cancel the rent hike and pay all legal expenses.

The whole series of events is covered in all of the local papers and some national ones, including ensemble photos of the tenants gathered together outside the building with their young lawyer and pictures of the building owner's expensive car parked in the building's disabled bay. In fury and shame, the building owner puts the building up for sale, specifying that it must be bought whole by an experienced landlord. The building owner comes to the building to gloat that one of his rich friends will buy the building and make things even worse for them. There is a lot of activity amongst the tenants, but the owner can't find out what's going on, so he leaves in frustration.

Despite the building owner's cajoling and pleading, none of his rich so-called friends come forwards. Time passes, and he becomes desperate, but there is nobody to help him. Then a businessman the owner doesn't know makes an offer well below the asking price. Given the choice between accepting the disappointing sum of money and facing the revolutionary tenants, the owner agrees to a meeting.

At the meeting, believing he is in the company of one of his set, the owner explains the problems with the recalcitrant tenants and urges that force will be necessary to deal with them. The businessman listens attentively, thanks him for the information, and assures him that the tenants will be dealt with appropriately. The owner signs the contract and the businessman, his hand shaking momentarily, also does so.

In a flashback, we see how the tenants have crowd-funded the money to purchase the building, aided by the national scandal that started with their letter to the local newspaper. As their pièce de résistance, they encourage the middle-aged man with multiple sclerosis to be their front man. He is a bookkeeper and a former star of amateur theatre.

We see his preparation for his role as the mysterious businessman, which gives him a psychological boost and makes his condition almost invisible for a while. We see his momentary loss of confidence before he enters the meeting with the businessman, and we watch as he shakingly removes a piece of newspaper from his pockets, and unfolds it to reveal the photo of the tenants. With this reminder of purpose, he walks calmly into the building.

In a return to the present, the 'businessman' places the contract into his briefcase and calmly removes his moustache and wig and puts on his glasses. Horrified, the former building owner realises he has been tricked by the man he previously mocked.

As a result of the deal, everyone is able to purchase their own flat, and the former building owner never invests in property again. There is a huge party in the retired librarian's flat. The bookkeeper is going to get back into amateur dramatics. The sick tenant, relieved of rental payments, can now afford to pay for proper medical care. The retired librarian suggests they form a tenants' advisory group to help others in the same situation. The tenants are enthusiastic and the young lawyer agrees to help them. The end.

Book Review: Lunch with Charlotte

I have had the pleasure of listening to the audio edition of Lunch with Charlotte written and read by the late Leon Berger. It is the true life story of the eponymous Charlotte revealed across innumerable lunchtime conversations with her friend, the author.

She was born to Jewish parents in Austria in 1919, fled to England during the war and died in Canada in 2010. It should be straightforward therefore to think of it as a holocaust survival story. However, perhaps it would be more fully encompassing to say that the second world war was, yes, a crucial and traumatic event in her life, but by no means its only event of significance. Nor is its core message that the Nazis were, and fascism is, deplorable.

Indeed, the event that most formed Charlotte's fascinating and contradictory character, while it may have been facilitated by the war, was much closer to home. And it is the formation of Charlotte's personality during her turbulent and ever-changing life that, in my view, is the true subject of the story.

The novel is written with simple realism, with few elaborate turns of phrase. However, it is in this uncomplicated language that the compassion and wisdom of the novel reside. All its many characters are drawn as people living within the confines of their limitations, as humans who must breathe, eat and love. Even the Brownshirts and Nazi bureaucrats are humans first, for all their flaws.

I wept considerably while listening to this novel, out of fear for its characters' safety as well as the wretched inability to do anything to help them. Indeed, some may be wary of reading a novel that covers such a dark period.

Therefore, allow me to reassure you. The novel is composed of a warmth, humour and humility that raise it well above the reach of the ravages of hatred. By the time you come to the end of the novel, though death and despair will have paid their visits, it is the mutual affection of a friendship lived to its fullest that will remain.

Buy the book. Watch the promotional video.