Settling in

Dear readers, this is my 5th day in Sri Lanka and time really flies – even if I do not have much to do. After my one day quarantine I got my test results on Wednesday morning and was allowed to leave the hotel – imagine if that would have been positive! Already on that

Travels, Pandemic, First Day

Dear readers, I cannot believe it – I made it to Sri Lanka! After being stressed out for a couple of days because of my fear of flying, the national emergency proclaimed on Thursday, and the continued lockdown, the journey went surprisingly well and I am currently waiting in the quarantine hotel for the results

Fieldwork during a pandemic – preparations

Dear readers, dear fellow researchers and all those interested, two weeks ago I have asked on twitter whether you would be interested in an online ethnographic diary – and since many liked the post and some even told me that they were looking forward to it, I have decided to actually do it. So from

Florence Farr — a Modern Woman

Hi to all of you! Maybe you already know me through my Instagram Account. I hope you know that I am so happy about all of your lovely comments and likes. However, pictures only tell one specific part of a story, in my case the story of a beautiful actress living a life in the

New page: Best of historical sources

There is nothing better in the world (at least for a historian) than to read historical sources. Not only can the lives of former people enlighten what and how we think about our present, but they can also awaken our sense of humor.  And who is better in awaking people’s minds than the Theosophical Society?

Frances Swiney or why history is so important Part I

*english – deutsch* This beautifully dressed woman is Frances Swiney (née Biggs), born in 1847 in Poonah, India, and died 1922 in Cheltenham, England. She is the person who I spent 2018 with. Therefore, long overdue, this will be an homage to Swiney, an early British feminist, Theosophist, and upper-middle class woman with great hats.