Monocle is one of those publications that I will delightfully devour. It is printed in warm, soothing colours; its words are packed with personality and humour; and who will fault the many pages of immaculately taken photographs that accompany the texts? But I have refrained from reading it in recent years because it’s not the kind of book that you can dash off on a whim. Headspace, slow time, a cup of good coffee — all these are ingredients essential to enjoying this magazine.

But my children aren’t growing up any sooner, so last year, I broke habit and borrowed the July/August edition of Monocle. It features the recipients of its annual Quality of Life survey, which is a topic that intrigues me, so I know I will definitely milk time out for reading. Thus, keeping one eye on my children romping up a storm at the playground, I flipped through some articles, Athens is best for nightlife; Lisbon is best for safe streets; and no doubt, Japan topped the chart for its cleanliness. I also need to find out more about this French word, patrimoine because it contains more layers of meaning than heritage. The definition given by the Monocle editor is “the belief that knowledge and craft can sustain a business as it’s passed down generations.”

Writing this made me feel a bit melancholic because I don’t think I will get to travel to all these exotic locations anytime soon. And I’m feeling just a tad annoyed because my children are now getting restless and require my total attention. But I guess done is better than waiting for the ideal conditions to align themselves, so I shall cheerfully return this to the library and borrow another edition.