Mumbai Memories: Start of the School Day

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It’s been a while since I shared any story about my school, so today is the day when I do that. In Singapore, next to my home is a primary school. Every day at 7:25 am, on the dot, I can hear the school announcement asking the children to stop doing whatever they are doing and stand up for the national anthem. The Singapore national anthem is followed by the national pledge, and this school then follows it up with their school pledge, and on some days, it is followed by the school song. This routine of the national anthem, followed by the pledge, is seen across all primary, secondary, and junior colleges in Singapore. Most primary and secondary schools have an official start of 7:30 am, though some days, they may have a later start. 

This made me think about how we started our school day in Mumbai. Growing up, most schools started the day with the national anthem, but my school was different. In my school, which was a Parsi school and was very proud of its secular roots, every day was a different prayer. Also, my school had a public announcement system in each classroom, and the infant (aka kindergarten) and primary systems were separate from the secondary ones. 

Once we reached school, we were expected to go straight to our classroom and keep our bags on our desks. Then, if you were early enough, you could go and play outside, which was something the kindergarteners or early primary students did. Most of us spent the time inside the classroom, chatting with friends, catching up on homework, or reading. 

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The school’s official start time was about 8:30 am, which was common across all classes. But for the older students, say starting from class 6 or 7, we had what was called a morning class. This was period 0, which started around 8 am but did not have a starting bell. Given that it was widespread, most students would be dropped off at school before 8 am, and those who didn’t have a morning class had an extra 30 minutes to themselves. 

At 8:25 am, the first bell would ring, and everybody had to rush to their class to get ready for morning prayers. My school did not believe in the national anthem daily; that was reserved for special days and national holidays. Instead, we had prayers from all religions on a rotating basis. Some days, it would be Parsi prayers; some days, it would be Hindu prayers in Sanskrit or Tamil or Gujarati or Marathi; or some days, we would have Jain prayers. Sometimes, we would have parents come and say the morning prayers, especially if they had something special to share. This was for both the primary and secondary schools. The only exception to the rule was when any sad news was announced. On those occasions, one of the teachers would recite a special Parsi prayer—the Yatha Ahu Vairyo, a Zoroastrian prayer, widely regarded as something of a talisman, a very potent charm, capable of producing extraordinary effects. On trying to learn more about this prayer, I’ve learned that it is recited by Zoroastrians for the protection and benefit of departed souls, particularly during the mourning period following a death. The prayer’s powerful, primordial nature is believed to offer comfort and aid to the soul on its journey after death. I’ve heard this prayer so many times during my years in school that when writing this paragraph, I unconsciously found myself saying the prayer! After the prayer, we would wish our teacher well and start our day.

At the end of the school day, this was repeated. But because different sections ended their days at different times, the infant school had their prayer at noon, the primary school at 2:30 pm, and the secondary school at 3-3:30 pm. The close of the day prayer would be a short one, and after wishing the teacher well, we would be released.

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Next to my home in Mumbai is a school. Growing up, they started much later than me, so I don’t really remember much about their start days. But recently, the school has expanded and now works on a shift system. This means their first shift starts around 6:45 am and the second shift around noon. So during our trips to Mumbai, we have been sometimes awakened to both the Indian national anthem, some Sanskrit shlokas and other national songs at 6:30 am, then again around noon when the first shift ends their day, followed by the second shift around 1 pm and then again around 6 pm when the second shift ends their day. Then I knew how people living around my school probably felt, though we had strict instructions not to make any noise, and any noise complaints by residents in the buildings close to my school were taken very seriously!

Writing this blog post brought back so many memories of a time when we were innocent and carefree, and I wrote this with a huge smile on my face. Thanks for allowing me to share my memories with you…

In My Hands Today…

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How to Be Well: Navigating Our Self-Care Epidemic, One Dubious Cure at a Time – Amy Larocca

Peleton. Pilates. Biohacking. Colonics. Ashweganda. Today the wellness industry is a $3.7 trillion-dollar behemoth that touches everyone. Journalist Amy Larocca peels back the layers behind the movement and reckons with its promises and profits. How did we get here, and how did the idea of wellness become integrated into people’s lives, especially women’s?

How to be Well takes readers into the communities that swear by their activated-charcoal toothpaste and green-juice enemas, explaining what each of these practices really are—and what the science says. Larocca holds a magnifying glass to alternative medicine and nouveau lifestyle prescriptions, delivering an incisive assessment of how the wellness industry embodies (gendered, class-based, racialized) perceptions of care and self-improvement, and how it preys upon an unshakeable fear of the unknown. She traces the history of how the beauty and fashion industries has peddled snake oil for decades—and why people keep coming back for more.

Festivals of India: Shapawng Yawng Manau Poi

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The Shapawng Yawng Manau Poi festival is a vibrant annual celebration of the Singpho tribe, primarily in Arunachal Pradesh, held in memory of their ancestral forefather, Shapawng Yawng. Also known as the Manau Poi or Dance Festival, it holds great cultural and spiritual significance for the Singpho people, bridging generations and fostering unity within the community. Celebrated between 12th and 15th February, this festival showcases the rich traditions, customs, and heritage of one of Arunachal Pradesh’s important tribal groups.

Shapawng Yawng is revered as the progenitor of the Singpho tribe, who trace their lineage back to this legendary ancestor. The festival originated as a homage to him, incorporating elements of nature, spirituality, and community bonding. The traditional Manau dance symbolically connects the Singpho people with their environment and history, deriving inspiration from the movements of birds feasting and celebrating life.

This festival is not only an expression of cultural pride but also a concerted effort to preserve the Singpho heritage in the face of modern challenges, including substance abuse among youth and cultural dilution. Its organisation and revival in the 1980s underline the community’s resilience and commitment to passing their legacy intact to future generations.

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The rituals and attire of the Shapawng Yawng Manau Poi festival carry deep symbolic meanings that reflect the Singpho tribe’s cultural values, spiritual beliefs, and connection to nature. The festival’s key ritual centres around the sacred “Shadung,” tall, multicoloured wooden poles that represent male and female energies, symbolising the creation of life and the cosmic balance between these forces. Dancing around the Shadung during the Manau dance embodies unity, harmony, and the intimate relationship between the community and the environment, inspired by the movements of birds that signify life and prosperity.

The traditional attire worn during the festival further expresses cultural identity and heritage. Men wear patterned lungis, turbans, and shirts symbolising strength and valour, while women don colourful Choi or Pipa tops and Singket skirts adorned with intricate jewellery, representing beauty, fertility, and continuity of family lineage. The vibrant colours and designs in the costumes celebrate joy, abundance, and the community’s unique craftsmanship, while also signifying social status and respect for tradition.

Rhythmic beats from traditional drums called ‘Gongs’ and ‘Thongs’ set the tempo for dancers, who move in unison to express unity, strength, and the community’s collective spirit. More broadly, the rhythmic drumming and coordinated dance movements function as ritualistic expressions that reinforce social cohesion, collective identity, and the transmission of ancestral wisdom. The festival’s symbols and attire thus serve as visual and performative vessels carrying centuries of Singpho history, beliefs, and values, fostering pride and cultural continuity amid changing times. Alongside dance performances, there are exhibitions of local handlooms, handicrafts, folk songs, and fashion shows, providing a comprehensive view of Singpho artistry and lifestyle.

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The festival acts as a social adhesive, fostering communication, cohesion, and mutual understanding among different segments of the Singpho and wider communities. It strengthens social bonds and reinforces a sense of identity and belonging. The economic benefits through tourism and the promotion of indigenous crafts and cuisine further empower the community and help integrate the Singphos into the larger cultural mosaic of India.

Primarily celebrated in the Changlang and Namsai districts of Arunachal Pradesh, the festival rotates its main venue, often held at Bordumsa. It has grown in visibility and participation each year, drawing visitors and dignitaries keen to experience this unique cultural exposition.

As a vibrant cultural festival, Shapawng Yawng Manau Poi continues to educate youth, promote cultural pride, and showcase the Singphos’ rich traditions on national and international stages. The festival embodies the dynamism of tribal culture, adapting while retaining its roots, making it both a heritage celebration and a progressive social movement.

2026 Week 09 Update

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Hello, March! A new month, a quiet reset. The first stretch of the year is already behind us, and here we are, offering another chance to begin again, refine what’s not working, and build gently on what is. March feels like a bridge month. Not quite the rush of January, not yet the fullness of mid-year. Just enough space to recalibrate. May this month bring steadier energy, clearer focus, and little but meaningful progress. No dramatic reinvention required. Just consistency, intention, and a little courage to keep going.

And that’s exactly what I am feeling. Everything will work out way better than you thought it would. Once you let go of the need to control every outcome, you automatically align with the flow of life. And this unlocks a level of abundance beyond anything you could have planned. Free yourself from the burden of analysing every twist and turn; it was never yours to carry anyway. Support can come from unexpected places, and opportunities that seem ordinary at first may hold more potential than you realise. Trust in what’s to come. A positive belief is what transforms uncertainty into a space full of possibilities.

Attributed to a fictional character from the 2002 comedy film National Lampoon’s Van Wilder, Van Wilder, portrayed by actor Ryan Reynolds, the character was known for his laid-back attitude and humorous observations about life, often delivering lighthearted lines that carry surprisingly relatable wisdom beneath the comedy.

Today’s quote uses humour to deliver a practical truth. A rocking chair moves constantly, but it never actually changes location. In the same way, worrying can feel active and productive. Your mind is busy. You’re thinking through scenarios, replaying conversations, predicting outcomes. It feels like you’re addressing the problem. But in reality, you’re staying in the same place. Worry often masquerades as preparation. We tell ourselves that if we think about an issue long enough, we’ll prevent it or solve it. But most worry is repetitive rather than constructive. It circles the same fears without leading to clear decisions or action. Instead of moving forward, we expend emotional energy and remain stuck.

The quote doesn’t suggest ignoring problems. There’s a difference between thoughtful planning and unproductive worrying. Planning identifies specific steps you can take. Worry, on the other hand, tends to focus on what might go wrong without identifying what can be done. The key shift is from rumination to action. Once you ask, “What can I actually control here?” the rocking chair stops, and real movement begins. There’s also a gentle reminder about perspective. Much of what we worry about never happens, and when challenges do arise, we’re often more capable of handling them than we expected. Worry drains the present moment for the sake of a future that hasn’t arrived.

Today’s verse from the Bhagavad Gita is about clarity. There are seasons when clarity feels distant. When the next step is unclear. When motivation is thin. This verse doesn’t ask for brilliance. It asks for movement. Action, Krishna says, is better than inaction. Not because action guarantees success, but because stillness born of avoidance slowly erodes confidence. When we delay too long, doubt grows heavier than effort ever was. We sometimes imagine that we must wait for the perfect plan, the perfect mood, the perfect assurance. But life rarely arranges itself so neatly. Often, clarity arrives after the first step, not before it. Even survival, the verse reminds us gently, depends on action. To eat, to work, to care, to show up—these are not grand gestures. They are daily acts of participation in life. This is not a call to frantic productivity. It is a reminder that engagement, however small, keeps us aligned with purpose. Sometimes the bravest thing is simply to begin. Just something to carry into the week ahead.

I am super excited for this month and wish you all the same! Sending all of you loads of positive energy, positivity, and good fortune! Here’s to an exciting month and the rest of 2026!

In My Hands Today…

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The Sirens’ Call: How Attention Became the World’s Most Endangered Resource – Christopher L. Hayes

We all feel it—the distraction, the loss of focus, the addictive focus on the wrong things for too long. We bump into the zombies on their phones in the street, and sometimes they’re us. We stare in pity at the four people at the table in the restaurant, all on their phones, and then we feel the buzz in our pocket. Something has changed for most of human history, the boundary between public and private has been clear, at least in theory. Now, as Chris Hayes writes, “With the help of a few tech firms, we basically tore it down in about a decade.” Hayes argues that we are in the midst of an epoch-defining transition whose only parallel is what happened to labor in the nineteenth attention has become a commodified resource extracted from us, and from which we are increasingly alienated. The Sirens’ Call is the big-picture vision we urgently need to offer clarity and guidance.

Because there is a breaking point. Sirens are designed to compel us, and now they are going off in our bedrooms and kitchens at all hours of the day and night, doing the bidding of vast empires, the most valuable companies in history, built on harvesting human attention. As Hayes writes, “Now our deepest neurological structures, human evolutionary inheritances, and social impulses are in a habitat designed to prey upon, to cultivate, distort, or destroy that which most fundamentally makes us human.” The Sirens’ Call is the book that snaps everything into a single holistic framework so that we can wrest back control of our lives, our politics, and our future.