IS it the fragile optimism of a new year, or the weight of my observations gathered from wandering through distant ports and forgotten alleys across this fractured world? Today, walking along the worn stones of the Praça de Batalha towards my temporary refuge at the NH Collection hotel, a thought surfaced—a flicker in the restless tide of my reflections. Despite the crude borders drawn by politicians, the venom spat by terrorists, and the ceaseless chatter of those who profit from division, humanity, it seems, is quietly knitting itself together. I sense it in the subtle increase of friendliness, a quiet rebellion against the forces of separation. Whether in Turkey, Colombia, France, Portugal, or Morocco, the pattern holds steady. Perhaps those who remain tethered to one place grow fixated on the shadows cast by their immediate concerns, magnifying molehills into mountains. Movement has a way of softening such edges. One particular instance glimmers in my memory from these waning days of 2024 and the tentative first breaths of 2025—a brief moment of unguarded human connection. Bruno, the maître d' and steward of the hotel's Food and Beverage section, a man who carries the weight of his role with a dignified ease, and young Magda, a dedicated NH employee with eyes brightened by earnest intent, are at the heart of this recollection. Bruno guided me through the subtleties of Portuguese cuisine, each suggestion a small revelation on my plate. What began as a two-night stay stretched to four, a change dictated by the capricious winds of travel. In a fleeting whim, I considered seeking another hotel—a shift, perhaps, in the spirit of exploration. But when I mentioned this to Magda and a young Portuguese man of Angolan descent (whose fluidity in Spanish and English added an additional note of warmth to our exchange), they both insisted, with a sincerity that felt entirely free of commercial varnish, that I remain. “You haven’t tried the fish prepared in our special way,” Bruno had said. And so I stayed. This was not the hollow cheerfulness of corporate hospitality, not the perfunctory "have a nice day" that we all know too well. It was something deeper, something rare. I am reminded of Sahar at the front desk of the Bank Hotel in Istanbul, her quiet efficiency paired with genuine concern. Faces like hers, like Magda’s, like Bruno’s, linger in the corners of memory, illuminated not by grand gestures but by fleeting, sincere acts of connection. Whether on an Emirates flight to Bogotá or a late dinner in Istanbul, a similar theme emerges—a gentle shift in the collective focus. Conversations lean less towards financial gain, less towards the cold machinery of markets, and more towards personal well-being, towards presence, towards moments that stretch and breathe. Perhaps something truly is in the air, a subtle current pulling us towards something better. Or perhaps, like Maqroll perched atop the crow's nest, I am merely straining to see through the mist, hoping for landfall on a kinder shore.
