Author Archives: Paul Ariss

HOW ANXIETY FOR HONG KONG’S FUTURE PULLS ME CLOSER TO MY PAST

When I was three months old my parents boarded a BOAC flight at the notoriously dangerous Kai Tak International Airport to take the three of us to England from Hong Kong where they had been living for two years. My mother and father may have been going home, but I was travelling to a foreignContinue reading “HOW ANXIETY FOR HONG KONG’S FUTURE PULLS ME CLOSER TO MY PAST”

WHY THERE’S SOMETHING BEAUTIFUL ABOUT AN OLD NOTEBOOK

I’ve never considered myself a hoarder as such, but then again I don’t expect a hoarder would recognise him or herself as a hoarder anyway. They would probably prefer to be described as passionate or a collector. Well if that is the case I am a passionate collector of notebooks. But then, who doesn’t loveContinue reading “WHY THERE’S SOMETHING BEAUTIFUL ABOUT AN OLD NOTEBOOK”

THE WIDE OPEN SPACES BETWEEN TALENT AND FAME

One of the great joys and advantages of writing is coming across enormously talented people that I wouldn’t otherwise be aware of; be it other writers, songwriters or in the performing arts as a whole. Many, particularly in this difficult time for performers to ply their skills in front of a live audience, have hadContinue reading “THE WIDE OPEN SPACES BETWEEN TALENT AND FAME”

BETTER TO BE A HAPPY OPTIMIST THAN A BITTER CYNIC

As medical researchers fought hard and long to produce a vaccine against Covid 19, all of us encountered cynics who sneered at the speed it took to develop. Many also voiced concerns whether there is an ulterior motive in its development, citing the insertion of a tracking chip enabling people such as Bill Gates toContinue reading “BETTER TO BE A HAPPY OPTIMIST THAN A BITTER CYNIC”

WHEN DID JESUS STOP GETTING INVITED TO HIS OWN PARTY?

You know what it’s like when your birthday is coming up, part of you wants a fuss and a part of you wants to keep it quiet that you’re yet another year older. Well, up to maybe the age of 21 you want the fuss full-on, then with each year comes a decreasing willingness toContinue reading “WHEN DID JESUS STOP GETTING INVITED TO HIS OWN PARTY?”

HALLOWEEN AND LIGHTENING AND NOT A BEACH BOY IN SIGHT

I always had a distinct and clear view of how it would be when I finally made it to California. I’d be driving, or would be being driven, along a freeway heading towards LA. From the car stereo, nice and suitably loud, would be the Beach Boys. Of course. It mattered not which track, Wouldn’tContinue reading “HALLOWEEN AND LIGHTENING AND NOT A BEACH BOY IN SIGHT”

WHEN CONFIDENCE TAKES A ONE-WAY TICKET TO NOWHERE

Confidence, as most of us know, tends to come and go. And in my vast experience, it often comes and goes on a whim. Recently I’ve found it going on long holidays without me, far too often. To be fair, it has taken a few knocks of late and as we all know, confidence canContinue reading “WHEN CONFIDENCE TAKES A ONE-WAY TICKET TO NOWHERE”

ABSOLUTELY EXAGGERATED AWESOME NIGHTMARES FOR THE SUPER EXCITED

The girl standing ahead of me recently in the post office was distraught. She turned to me and through her face mask told me the experience was a ‘nightmare’. Was it because of her face mask, I asked? Apparently not, though she admitted it didn’t help. The reason she was having a nightmare was becauseContinue reading “ABSOLUTELY EXAGGERATED AWESOME NIGHTMARES FOR THE SUPER EXCITED”

SONGS I’D SELL MY SOUL TO HAVE WRITTEN #1 -‘TEMPTED’ BY SQUEEZE

As a song-writer there are so many songs that inspire you, songs that make you love them for what there are but hate them for reminding you what you can never reach, that I could blog daily but never list sufficiently. But, and in no particular order (despite the obligatory numbering), I’ll give it theContinue reading “SONGS I’D SELL MY SOUL TO HAVE WRITTEN #1 -‘TEMPTED’ BY SQUEEZE”