Latest Stories
Most recently published stories in Chapters.
Play Anything You Like
As a British ex-pat of some thirty years living and working in Spain and Japan, one of the most common questions I get asked by strangers or new friends is "Where are you from?" If I answer England, that lines them up for what comes next. Sometimes I answer their question with "Why?" I know, you shouldn't answer a question with one of your own, but I have my reasons. Not all such inquiries about where I am from are conversational ice-breakers from friendly natives.
By Liam Ireland2 years ago in Chapters
Living A Life Abroad
As a British-born and bred ex-pat, of Irish descent, living and working in the South of Spain for the best part of twenty-five years, there were three types of social events I tried my best to avoid like the plague. It's not that I am in any way anti-social, far from it, I can be quite the social butterfly when I want to be. However, I learned the hard way to be very selective about who I mixed with socially.
By Liam Ireland2 years ago in Chapters
The Interview
It was just after 9 o’clock in the city that never sleeps. The traffic settled from the early morning rush, and the sea of blurry faces on the crosswalks reduced to vague flickers of familiarity. The lines outside the coffee shops dwindled, and the diners were filled with the usual natives of Manhattan- the music teachers, the housekeepers, and the retirees. The restaurants droned with a melting pot of Polish, Italian, Spanish, and Hebrew dialects. How they managed to break away from the hustle and bustle of city life, no one can say for certain. Most never bothered to ask. Those who did left none-the-wiser. But every morning started the same. They read their newspapers and nursed their coffee as if they had all the time in the world.
By Rae Janney2 years ago in Chapters
Discovering who I am
I was a nurse. The role I had longed to be in was a weight around my neck, I was told constantly I needed to do better and prove my worth. At the time I was in outpatients, not the role I had ever wanted to do. It was the same old grind day in and day out, the doctors and consultants had to be waited on hand and foot. Bringing them tea and biscuits through a full waiting area only to have a witty patient cry out "where's mine...I had lost count how many times that was thrown at me.
By Clare Smith2 years ago in Chapters
It Wasn't the First Time I Had Died
Previously it had been about my own hopes & dreams, a recognition & accepting that my life was not my own but that I had been called by another to a purpose far more debased. Not that I couldn’t have chosen my own path—I most certainly was free to do so—but it wouldn’t have gone well.
By Randy Wayne Jellison-Knock2 years ago in Chapters
The Power of Collaboration: Federated Learning in App Development
In the ever-evolving realm of technology, where clinical research blogs and software development updates fuel innovation, the concept of federated learning is emerging as a transformative force in app development. Similar to the collaborative spirit and continuous improvement seen in clinical research latest updates and software development advancements, federated learning is revolutionizing how apps learn and adapt while respecting user privacy.
By aditya singh2 years ago in Chapters
My Father Vanished in a Cloud of Ash
Before he died of lung cancer, my dad said he wanted his ashes spread along the freeway. Dad traveled for work. What that exactly was, he never said. He claimed to be installing draperies in the high desert with a man named Keith, who my mother and I never met and who never called the house: a true mystery man whom we doubted actually existed. It was the late 1970s, before cell phones or pagers held anyone accountable. Dad was a former bookie and degenerate gambler – a slave to the craps tables – so we assumed he was spending his time in Vegas. I thought about checking the mileage on his car after one of his trips, but never bothered. In those days, the bills were paid, so we didn’t question what he was doing or where he was going every couple of weeks. He was on the road, that was all we knew.
By Joyce O’Day2 years ago in Chapters
Freedom, at long last!
I had a troubled youth. That is the only safe way to express that. Shortly after I turned 15 we moved into a house that we had to share with another human. I use the term 'human' lightly, as this particular person would constantly make all of my friends uncomfortable, particularly those of the feminine variety (I've had issues with trusting males my entire life). This 'human' worked as a security guard, as well, and had access to firearms.
By Dave Rowlands2 years ago in Chapters
