Nicola Winthrop

Victoria Park in sight, floods of well-wishers cheer from the footpath, and a man collapses just ahead, hitting the hot asphalt. Surprised spectators morph into a trauma team rushing to his aid, offering their strength, isotonic drinks and encouragement. My husband and I speed up toward the finish line, not even feeling our exhausted legs, wondering about the guy we saw slamming the road …

I was challenged at work the other day about a pair of Havaianas I bought in Thailand. As a family we vacationed in Phuket earlier this year, reliving some of our Asian holiday experiences from when we were based nearby and loved annual beach escapes. We arrived at the resort and were greeted with the usual bright mango cocktails, Star Sports TV channel blaring …