Going Infinite: The Rise and Fall of a New Tycoon – Michael Lewis
When Michael Lewis first met him, Sam Bankman-Fried was the world’s youngest billionaire and crypto’s Gatsby. CEOs, celebrities, and leaders of small countries all vied for his time and cash after he catapulted, practically overnight, onto the Forbes billionaire list. Who was this rumpled guy in cargo shorts and limp white socks, whose eyes twitched across Zoom meetings as he played video games on the side?
In Going Infinite Lewis sets out to answer this question, taking readers into the mind of Bankman-Fried, whose rise and fall offers an education in high-frequency trading, cryptocurrencies, philanthropy, bankruptcy, and the justice system. Both psychological portrait and financial roller-coaster ride, Going Infinite is Michael Lewis at the top of his game, tracing the mind-bending trajectory of a character who never liked the rules and was allowed to live by his own―until it all came undone.
2023 was a decent year for me. The TL&DR version would read like this: I walked a lot, read a lot, started a new job and enjoyed time with my family!
This year, I read 70 books and crushed my annual goal of 52 books. This means I averaged roughly 1.5 books per week. I hope this trend continues in 2024 too, but with subscriptions to multiple OTT platforms and work, it will take some effort to make time to read.
I also managed to reach the retirement community where my parents live in early June and start my walk back to Singapore. This year, I walked about 3000 km and am currently very close to the coastal city of Visakhapatnam.
In terms of work, I managed to snag a good job, one where I can contribute to society as well as my family. It’s also quite fulfilling and I enjoy going to work and the company of my coworkers.
This year, both BB and GG graduated from polytechnics. And for the first time in her educational journey, GG graduated with a higher cGPA than BB! BB spent the three years at the polytechnic mostly playing games and not being 100% present during online classes. GG has since then started university and will graduate with a degree in accountancy, hopefully with an honours degree. BB, on the other hand, is currently doing his compulsory service to the nation, his National Service.
I also finally visited my parents with S and the children for a couple of weeks and on the way back home, my parents came to Singapore with me. This was most likely their last overseas trip and I was so happy that it was to Singapore.
So, all in all, I am pretty satisfied with the year that was. As we move into 2024, I will take with me the lessons I learned in the year and want to carry forward all the good things that happened in 2023 so that 2024 is a better version of this year.
Dalit student Rohith Vemula’s tragic suicide in January 2016 started many charged conversations around caste-based discrimination in universities in India. For Yashica Dutt, a journalist living in New York, this was the moment to stop living a lie, and admit to something that she had hidden from friends and colleagues for over a decade—that she was Dalit.
In Coming Out as Dalit, Dutt recounts the exhausting burden of living with the secret and how she was terrified of being found out. She talks about the tremendous feeling of empowerment she experienced when she finally stood up for herself and her community and shrugged off the fake upper-caste identity she’d had to construct for herself. As she began to understand the inequities of the caste system, she also had to deal with the crushing guilt of denying her history, the struggles of her grandparents, and the many Dalit reformers who fought for equal rights.
In this personal memoir that is also a narrative of the Dalits, she writes about the journey of coming to terms with her identity and takes us through the history of the Dalit movement, the consequences of her community’s lack of access to education and culture, the need for reservation, the paucity of Dalit voices in mainstream media, Dalit women’s movements and their ongoing contributions, and attempts to answer crucial questions about caste and privilege. Woven from personal narratives from her own life as well as that of other Dalits, this book forces us to confront the injustices of caste and also serves as a call to action.
The melody that snagged Elara’s attention on that wintry eve wasn’t just any tune. It was a lament, both mournful and strangely beautiful, weaving through the wind and the waves like a thread of moonlight. Driven by an inexplicable pull, she followed the music’s invisible path, her heart drumming a counterpoint to the ocean’s rhythm.
The path led her down a meandering trail, past gnarled trees that stretched skeletal fingers towards the sky and dunes whispering secrets in the salt-laced breeze. Finally, it opened up to a hidden cove, a crescent of sand cradled by towering cliffs. And there, bathed in the silver glow of the moon, stood a solitary figure.
He was as rugged and windswept as the landscape itself, his face etched with the stories of a thousand storms and his eyes the color of the winter sky. His hair, streaked with salt and sun, danced in the breeze, framing a smile that was both shy and radiant. He held a violin, its wood worn smooth by time, and as he played, the music spun around them, a spellbinding tapestry of joy and sorrow, of memories and new beginnings.
Elara found herself drawn to him, not just by the captivating music but by the spark in his eyes, a reflection of the same ember that had flickered to life within her own heart. They talked that night under the vast, star-studded canopy, his words as captivating as the melodies he played. He spoke of faraway lands, of vibrant cultures and ancient wisdom, of mountains that sang and of deserts that whispered tales of forgotten times.
Each day that followed became a canvas woven with the threads of their connection. They explored hidden coves and sun-drenched meadows, Finn teaching Elara the language of the wind and the waves and the secrets etched in the weathered faces of the cliffs. He brought laughter back into her life, a sound that had been dormant for far too long. In turn, Elara shared the island’s secrets with him: the symphony of gulls at dawn, the fiery sunsets bleeding into the sea, and the hidden poetry in the sway of the windswept grasses.
The island, once a haven of solitude, became a crucible of transformation. They sat by crackling driftwood fires, sharing stories of love and loss, of dreams and disappointments. Elara spoke of Thomas, of the love that still bloomed in the garden of her memories, and the weight of grief that had threatened to consume her. Finn listened with a heart as vast as the ocean, his presence a balm to her wounds.
As the wind rustled through the holly bushes, and the first snow dusted the cliffs, a seed of something new blossomed in Elara’s heart. It wasn’t a replacement for the love she’d lost, but a different melody, a harmony that resonated with the echoes of the past. It was a love born not from forgetting, but from acceptance, from carrying the weight of grief alongside the glimmer of hope.
On Christmas Eve, under a sky glittering with a million diamond stars, Finn led Elara back to the hidden cove. He had built a bonfire, its flames dancing like playful tongues against the night sky. In his hands, he held a single, wind-polished seashell, a pearl nestled within its pearly embrace.
“This island,” he said, his voice husky with emotion, “has whispered your name to me since the moment I arrived. You, Elara, are just as much a part of its song as the crashing waves and the singing gulls.”
He placed the shell in her hand, the warmth of the pearl seeping into her palm. And in that moment, tears brimming in her eyes, Elara knew. This wasn’t just a Christmas miracle; it was a testament to the enduring power of love, a promise of a future where joy and sorrow could coexist, where new melodies could rise from the ashes of the past.
Together, they decorated the cottage with seashells and driftwood, stringing tiny fish bones as makeshift fairy lights. They sang carols, their voices rough but joyous, a chorus against the lonely symphony of the island. And as the first rays of Christmas morning painted the sky, Elara, hand in Finn’s, felt a warmth bloom in her heart.
Life on the island would never be the same. But amidst the whispers of the waves and the cries of the gulls, a new melody had begun. Elara and Finn became an integral part of the island’s tapestry, their love story interwoven with the whispers of the sea and the rustling palms.
To everyone celebrating the festival, here’s wishing you and your loved ones a very Merry Christmas! May the spirit of the season fill your home with peace, love, and happiness.
American lyricist, librettist, theatrical producer, director, and award-winner Oscar Hammerstein emphasises the importance of having aspirations, goals, and dreams as a fundamental step toward achieving them. The quote suggests that having a dream is a prerequisite for turning it into reality. It emphasises the idea that a clear vision or goal is the starting point for any meaningful achievement. Without a dream to strive for, there might be a lack of inspiration and drive to pursue significant accomplishments. The quote implies that the process of realising a dream involves more than wishful thinking; it requires active effort, planning, and dedication. Simply having a dream is the initial step, but the subsequent actions are crucial for bringing it to fruition. The quote encourages individuals to engage in the practice of setting goals and envisioning a desired future. It suggests that the act of dreaming is not only valuable but essential for personal growth and achievement. The quote underscores the idea that dreams provide the foundation for meaningful accomplishments, and having a vision is a prerequisite for making progress and turning aspirations into reality. It serves as a reminder of the importance of cultivating dreams as a source of inspiration and motivation in life.
We are in the last week of 2023 and this year, instead of goals for 2024, I want to think of what I want to do in the next year. There are some hazy and vague ideas in the back of my head, and until I have crystallized them myself, it would be premature to share them as yet. I want to make some fundamental changes to the way I think, work and live, and I want to take my time fleshing this out.
And on that note, stay safe and stay positive. Do reflect on how 2023 was for you and what your plans are for the new year.
Memories and Such 