Merry Christmas everyone! Though I am a day late, the sentiment is the same. May the true spirit of Christmas shine in your heart and light your path.

This week was the same as last week because the children are still on holiday and so nothing really to talk about. They are going out with friends, especially catching up with those who they haven’t seen in a while and those whom they will not see for a while during this holiday.

On the work front, because almost everyone is in the holiday mood, things are pretty quiet and this means I get more time to write, though I am also in a holiday mood and there are days when I have to force myself to both write and walk.

Singapore is still reporting COVID-19 cases, especially the Omicron variant, most of which seem to come from imported cases which mean travellers entering Singapore. But the Omicron variant is still a cause of concern. Today this variant accounts for 73% of US infections, up from just about 3% last week according to the US CDC. Experts say that a double dose of the vaccine coupled with the booster jab is the key along with safe distancing, masking and having good hygiene habits to combat the variant. Israel is even starting a second booster jab for seniors above 60 as a deterrent against the Omicron variant. According to experts, this variant will become the dominant variant in 2022 as it is a much more transmissible variant. And unless everyone in the world has been double vaccinated and has had the booster jab, more variants are expected until the virus becomes endemic. So it’s quite likely our new normal will continue to be masking outdoors, having regular booster jabs and maintaining hygiene practices, especially in high-risk settings like hospitals, during travel or if new variants emerge where vaccine protection is significantly reduced.

Today’s positivity quote is courtesy of American author, Joyce Meyer who tells us one cannot have a positive life with a negative mindset. So if one has a negative mindset, one keeps thinking negative thoughts and life as being difficult, then life will not be as pleasant as one wishes. Our happiness is within us with the biggest factor of our happiness ourselves. So when one is happy internally and has positive thoughts, it reflects in the way we think, believe and act and this, in turn, reflects in our lives which automatically becomes more enriched.

That’s all from us this week. Take care, stay safe and have a wonderful last week of 2021!