Humpday Recommendations 2/20/2024

Read: “Several Short Sentences About Writing,” by Verlyn Klinkenborg. I’ve just finished my fifth (maybe sixth?) reading of this inspiring guide to better writing. This thoughtful set of writing principles helps me notice what I notice, in writing and in life, and write more simply. – Willis

Hike: The Pekoe Trail. Two hundred years ago, British colonists established massive tea plantations across Sri Lanka’s cool, humid highlands that still produce some of the finest brews on the planet. Now, you have the opportunity to hike through the jaw-dropping landscapes of tea country thanks to a recently opened 22-stage, 300 km track between the sacred city of Kandy and the mountain resort of Nuwara Eliya, built with support from the EU and USAID. Hurry over for the best experience before the whole world catches wind of it – my travel buddy and I were the only tourists on the trail, and locals were delighted to bring us in for home-cooked meals and selfies with the school kids. – Matt

Play: “Alan Wake 2.” If you like video games with sophisticated storylines that also have the potential to haunt your dreams, then I highly recommend this one. It recently won a bunch of awards so I decided to give it a shot, and it is both captivating and terrifying. The game is a reality-bending murder mystery that requires you to solve a lot of puzzles and will repeatedly make you jump out of your seat. I would avoid playing this before bedtime. – John

Channel: Your inner Jackson Pollock. Last weekend, I surprised the family with a splatter paint session at a local mall, where we were dressed head-to-toe in plastic (think Ghostbusters) and set loose with a canvas, paint, and brushes. I threw streams of paint at my canvas, while my daughter and husband poured onto theirs for a marbling effect. It was messy, addictive fun, and we went home with three (not horrible) modern works of art to proudly display … in the guest room. Tracy

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The body of Pope Francis in the coffin exposed in St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City on April 24, 2025. The funeral will be celebrated on Saturday in St. Peter's Square.
Pasquale Gargano/KONTROLAB/ipa-agency.net/IPA/Sipa USA

While the Catholic world prepares for the funeral of Pope Francis on Saturday – the service begins at 10 a.m. local time, 4 a.m. ET – certain high-profile attendees may also have other things on their mind. Several world leaders will be on hand to pay their respects to the pontiff, but they could also find themselves involved in bilateral talks.

A Ukrainian rescue worker sits atop the rubble of a destroyed residential building during rescue operations, following a Russian missile strike on a residential apartment building block in Kyiv, Ukraine, on April 24, 2025.
Photo by Justin Yau/ Sipa USA
Members of the M23 rebel group stand guard at the opening ceremony of Caisse Generale d'epargne du Congo (CADECO) which will serve as the bank for the city of Goma where all banks have closed since the city was taken by the M23 rebels, in Goma, North Kivu province in the East of the Democratic Republic of Congo, April 7, 2025.
REUTERS/Arlette Bashizi

The Democratic Republic of the Congo and an alliance of militias led by the notorious M23 rebels announced a ceasefire on Thursday after talks in Qatar and, after three years of violence, said they would work toward a permanent truce.

Students shout slogans and burn an effigy to protest the Pahalgam terror attack in Guwahati, Assam, India, on April 24, 2025. On April 22, a devastating terrorist attack occurs in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, resulting in the deaths of at least 28 tourists.
Photo by David Talukdar/NurPhoto

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has blamed Pakistan for Tuesday’s deadly terrorist attack in Kashmir, and he’s takenaggressive action against its government.