List: Boosted Stories | Curated by Matthew Clapham

Jan 2, 2025
59 stories
3 saves
Boosted StoriesThese are the articles that have been blessed by the Boost. Are they really my best? You be the judge.
In
Iberospherical
by
Matthew Clapham
The Rich, Complex Appeal of the BorderlandsThe lines where cultures cross and kiss have twice the life
Jan 2
20
Jan 2
20
In
The Peregrine Journal
by
Matthew Clapham
The Mediterranean: the Middling Sea for My Middle AgeAs the decades wash over me, leaving rock pools of memory, I find I no longer crave the raging ocean
Dec 30, 2024
28
Dec 30, 2024
28
In
A-Culturated
by
Matthew Clapham
When Is a Piece of Cake Not a Piece of Cake?When it’s Christmas. Or you’re Marie Antoinette. Or a translator.
Dec 14, 2024
27
Dec 14, 2024
27
In
The Peregrine Journal
by
Matthew Clapham
How a Sardine and a Sausage Shaped My LifeThe childhood holiday that steered my destiny overseas
Dec 9, 2024
23
Dec 9, 2024
23
In
A-Culturated
by
Matthew Clapham
“I Drink Coffee, Don’t Take Tea, My Dear”I’m an Englishman in new shoes, that now fit like old slippers. Have I gone native?
Dec 6, 2024
36
Dec 6, 2024
36
In
Iberospherical
by
Matthew Clapham
The Fiddly Bits of Translation Remain a Struggle for AITranslating successfully is all about interpreting context, but that means more than simply the surrounding content
Dec 2, 2024
19
Dec 2, 2024
19
In
Pitfall
by
Matthew Clapham
Lies, Damned Lies, and Crime StatisticsThe ABC of lying with numbers
Nov 21, 2024
38
Nov 21, 2024
38
In
A-Culturated
by
Matthew Clapham
Where Is the Land of Rice?A question with many answers. Stereotyped food associations conceal more complex realities
Nov 19, 2024
43
Nov 19, 2024
43
In
The Peregrine Journal
by
Matthew Clapham
Homes, High-rises, Housing and HabitabilityDifferent expectations of living spaces in the UK and Spain, and their implications for everyday life
Nov 14, 2024
31
Nov 14, 2024
31
In
A-Culturated
by
Matthew Clapham
Is Punctuality Selfish?A societal view from Southern Europe that questions who is being ‘inconsiderate of others’ in disagreements over lateness
Nov 11, 2024
54
Nov 11, 2024
54
In
Iberospherical
by
Matthew Clapham
The Unseen TranslatorWalking the delicate tightrope between languages and cultures, unnoticed and unrewarded (sob, sob!)
Nov 8, 2024
30
Nov 8, 2024
30
In
Iberospherical
by
Matthew Clapham
Move Over, Olive Groves! Meet the OG Mediterranean TreeThe carob — even more craggily representative of the Med than its fancier look-alike
Oct 24, 2024
41
Oct 24, 2024
41
In
A-Culturated
by
Matthew Clapham
“Born in Lahore, India.” A Mistake of Geography, or History?A piece of humdrum paperwork prompts reflections on questions of birth, borders and citizenship
Oct 22, 2024
46
Oct 22, 2024
46
In
Iberospherical
by
Matthew Clapham
How Do You Say ‘Albañilería’ in English?Or more to the point, where and when would you want to say it at all?
Oct 18, 2024
21
Oct 18, 2024
21
In
The Peregrine Journal
by
Matthew Clapham
“They Do Things Differently There” — A Tale of Two ShipbuildersA recent news item prompts reflections on different attitudes to society and the economy in my native and adopted homelands
Oct 15, 2024
36
Oct 15, 2024
36
In
Iberospherical
by
Matthew Clapham
Fish and Chips: Classic Staple of… the Iberian Sephardic Diaspora?Britain’s national dish arrived with boatloads of asylum-seekers, turning the self-image of insular nationalists on its head
Aug 2, 2024
43
Aug 2, 2024
43
In
A-Culturated
by
Matthew Clapham
Where Would We Be Without Capital Letters?And how does their existence or absence shape the words and world around us?
Jul 23, 2024
22
Jul 23, 2024
22
In
Iberospherical
by
Matthew Clapham
Have Beret — Will TravelThe inspired headgear that took me on its own madcap journey
Jul 15, 2024
29
Jul 15, 2024
29
In
Rooted
by
Matthew Clapham
Should You Judge a Restaurant by Its (Translated) Menu?High and low culture in the Spanish hospitality trade, in unexpected places
Jul 4, 2024
36
Jul 4, 2024
36
In
A-Culturated
by
Matthew Clapham
“Bon Appétit!”: What Does This French Loan Tell Us About English-speakers?It really doesn’t suggest anything particularly wholesome, in my humble opinion
Jun 30, 2024
31
Jun 30, 2024
31