We’re now at the halfway mark in the year and like how 2020 was, 2021 seems to be flying past as well.

I have been reading, but not as much. These days, I seem to watch Netflix and YouTube more than I read, so from this month I have decided to take a book, set the timer for an hour and just read. Hopefully this will spur me to read more and not less as I am currently doing. I seriously feel social media, games on my phone and Netflix are a serious detriment to my reading. Is that the same with you too?

This week’s positivity quote is a simple one and exhorts us to always remain positive and keep thinking positive thoughts, because positive thinking is a key part of effective stress management. When you remain positive, it has many health benefits like an increased life span, lower rates of depression and distress, a greater resistance to the common cold, better psychological and physical well-being, including cardiovascular health and reduced risk of death from cardiovascular disease as well as better coping skills during hardships and times of stress

I’ve covered a distance of more than 1,400 km as of end June now which takes me about 150 km inside the province of Chumphon in Thailand. I am still about 500 km south of Thailand’s capital of Bangkok, but my route will bypass one of my favourite cities and will instead take a left towards Myanmar at Ratchburi. I am still more than 5,000 km away from my home in Mumbai and I think this trek will take me at least a good part of 2022 to reach. I hope by the end of 2021, I at least reach the state of Manipur in northeast India, which borders Myanmar and then 2022 will be all about traversing the huge subcontinent that is India. My personal goal for 2021 was 2021 km, of which I have covered almost 70%.

Sometime this week, India recorded it’s 400,000^th COVID related death, though the US still leads in total deaths, with Brazil following close by and India in the third place. In terms of daily new cases being reported, Brazil seems to lead the pack with India in second place and Colombia next, followed by the UK and Indonesia. In terms of total doses of vaccinations given, China leads with nearly 16% of the population fully vaccinated, followed by India with about 4.5% of the population fully vaccinated and the US in third place with nearly half its population fully vaccinated. In terms of populations fully vaccinated, 11.1% of the world’s population is fully vaccinated and Seychelles has almost 70% of its population fully vaccinated with the Cayman Islands in second place with 69% of the population fully vaccinated and Malta in third place with two thirds of its population fully vaccinated. Singapore is at number 32 for the percentage of population fully vaccinated with about 37% fully vaccinated and expected to have about two thirds of the population fully vaccinated by its National Day on 09 August.

In Singapore, when BB & GG got their first dose, the duration between the first and second doses was moved up from three weeks (which was what we had) to six weeks. But last week, we learnt that the second dose could be brought forward and now they will get their second dose later next week.

This was all from us this week. Stay safe and get vaccinated if you have not yet, please do as soon as you can. See you next week!