Aglet: The small plastic or metal sheath attached to the end of a shoelace, cord or drawstring.
Welcome to Aglets, where small is good. Not everything from our adventures is a story. Sometimes it is a line someone says by a campfire, something lost in translation, a roadhouse with a hand-painted sign, or an odd fact learned about a tree. Anything, really.
Do you have something? Send it via the Contributions link. Maximum 150 words, maximum one photo.
The Cabbie’s Challenge
Steve Martin, Melbourne, Australia
June 2026
A few years back I was doing some work for a client in Manila – in the Ortiges district, which is a long way from the airport. On one trip, I was half way to the airport in a taxi when I realised I had forgotten to clear the safe in my hotel room, which contained my passport and other valuables.
Those who have been to Manila know what the traffic is like, and this was a rainy day, making things twice as bad. So I threw down the challenge to the cabbie. Holding up a Singapore $50 note, I told him it was his if he could get back to the hotel, retrieve my stuff, and still make the flight.
He was up to it, and the next hour was like something from The Italian Job. Charging
through side streets, we got to the hotel where the manager was waiting with my things, then another rat-run all the way to the airport. I made my flight – just, and he got his $50. I bet he still tells this story.
Good Advice Available in New Delhi
Steve Martin, Melbourne, Australia
June 2026
I took this picture from a taxi driving through New Delhi. To all those men out there who may feel overwhelmed by domestic circumstances from time to time, there is help available!
Boy Meets Bovine
Steve Martin, Melbourne, Australia
June 2026
A number of years ago I had a memorable horse riding trip through the northern part of Mongolia. It was a magnificent 10 days or so riding across the grassy steppes, and then into the more wooded areas around Lake Hovskol. I was with my kids and some other friends. This photo is taken on the shore of Lake Hovskol. My son, who was 14 at the time, befriended this young yak, which was cooling off in the water, and probably escaping insects.
The Green Paste of Doom
Glen Donaldson, Brisbane, Australia
June 2026
Inside a Korean restaurant in busy downtown Seoul, I spied what looked like a bowl of freshly prepared guacamole. A few seconds later and I’d heaped a generous sized dollop of the green stuff onto my rice bowl, decorated with barbecued beef pieces, and…down the hatch.
The ‘guacamole’ that instantly set my mouth ablaze with the power of a thousand suns turned out to be the cleverly disguised undercover agent that is WASABI.
For those who’ve never swallowed wasabi in bulk, I would describe it as a precision-guided thermal missile aimed directly at your entire central nervous system.
A few days later my wife remarked about the ‘avocado’ fighting back and how I’d wanted more greens in my diet. By then I had cooled down enough to enjoy the joke.
Big Brother’s Smallest Room
Steve Martin, Melbourne, Australia
June 2026
This is a picture I took inside Shanghai’s enormous Hongquiao train station. It’s a real-time map of what is going on in the restrooms, showing vacant and occupied stalls. I wonder how they do the detection – door sensors, heat-detecting seats? Or spy cameras? Notice there is no detection at the urinals or wash basins…I’m sure they are working on it.
