Merry Christmas! To everyone around the world, may the magic of the festival bring peace and happiness…

As we countdown to the new year, both GG and BB are on a well-deserved break. Both have plans to meet up with friends and make the most of their break before school restarts.

China is in the midst of a huge Covid wave and there are concerns that this may, in turn, trigger a new variant. Hospitals are filling up fast, especially with the more vulnerable and the elderly. China’s home-grown vaccines have been proven less effective at protecting people against serious Covid illness and death than the mRNA vaccines used in much of the rest of the world. My prayers are with the people of China and hopefully this wave peaks soon and the situation comes under control very soon.

Today’s quote is a line from a classic I enjoyed as a child. Publishing as L.M. Montgomery, Lucy Maud Montgomery was a Canadian author best known for a collection of novels, essays, short stories, and poetry, beginning with the classic Ann of Green Gables from where this line is taken. This is something so simple, yet meaningful. I love this quote so much that I think I will use it as the basis for my next year. When I have to imagine something or dream of something, let me dream of something worthwhile. So dream on and while you are dreaming or imagining what your life will be, don’t imagine or dream of something small or inconsequential, dream big so it’s a dream that’s worth achieving!

And on that note, here’s wishing everyone a blessed Christmas and a wonderful end to 2022. Let’s hope 2023 is one where all our dreams are huge and ones that get achieved.

The man who gave us the theory of relativity and one who needs no introduction, Albert Einstein exhorts us to strive not to be a success but to be of value. Everyone’s definition of success varies, but when one’s definition includes being of value, it gives us a sense of purpose and a direction of what we want in life. It sets us up for being that person who will inspire others and showcase what it means to be of value.

I have not walked much this year and so at the end of November, I am still in Uttar Pradesh, having just crossed one of the state’s biggest cities, Kanpur. I am still about a thousand kilometres from my home in Mumbai and slightly more than two thousand kilometres from Bengaluru where my parents now live.

GG’s midterms start tomorrow and she has been pretty stressed this week. This is her last semester and she wants to go out with the best grades possible. Because of her exams, she has not focused on her university applications. She will work on that during her Christmas break which will be as soon as her exams end.

BB is as usual busy with his Final Year Project and is in school every day. He seems to enjoy doing research in the lab and hopefully, after he completes his National Service obligations, he can work on this, either by going to university or working first before entering university.

Last week, I heard that Air India and Vistara are going to be merged, with Singapore Airlines which is one of the partners of Vistara, getting a 25% stake in the newly merged airline. Vistara is owned by the Tata group which also recently acquired India’s national airline, Air India. I have flown Air India only once, about twenty years back and after that trip, I decided I will pay more, but not fly Air India. I recently flew Vistara when I went to India earlier this year. I liked their onboard services, but their customer service leaves a lot to be desired. Hopefully, the new airline will emulate the best qualities of Singapore Airlines which is my favourite airline.

That’s all from me this week. Stay safe during the holidays.

The countdown to 2023 has begun and we are just 27 days to the new year.

Today’s quote is from Brazilian author and lyricist Paolo Coelho. He tells us that when we are enthusiastic about something, everything we do becomes just that much easier. When we are disinterested, every task becomes tedious and laborious and we can’t wait to get over it. We are bored, unhappy, and disinterested. But when we approach the same task with enthusiasm, it becomes a joy and pleasure to do and we can’t wait to start working on it.

Singapore finally repealed Section 377A, a decades-old law that criminalises gay sex, at the same time endorsing changes to the Constitution to protect the current definition of marriage from legal challenge. This is a major milestone for Singapore and one that I endorse because I believe everyone has the right to live their authentic selves.

A United Nations panel has recommended that Australia’s Great Barrier Reef should be listed as a world heritage site that is in danger. The world’s biggest coral reef ecosystem was significantly impacted by climate change and the warming of oceans. Frequent bleaching events are threatening the reef, including four over the past seven years and the first during a La Nina phenomenon, which typically brings cooler temperatures, in 2022. This is something that urgently needs to be addressed because coral restoration is needed to save the reef.

BB & GG are busy with school with both having tests and exams soon. And that’s all from me this week. See you next week!

Last week we humans reached a historic milestone – we are now 8 billion strong! Until 1804, fewer than one billion people roamed our planet. More than a century later, in 1927, we crossed two billion. Since then, the world population has shot up in the shape of a hockey stick, boosted by the triumphs of modern medicine and public health. Earlier this month, the United Nations said the world population had reached eight billion, just 11 years after it passed seven billion.

After a week of uncertainty and the first-ever hung parliament, Anwar Ibrahim became Malaysia’s 10th Prime Minister and will lead a unity government comprising the main coalitions of Pakatan Harapan (PH), BN, Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) and Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS). He has left the door open for other coalitions or parties to join.

I read a very interesting article in the Straits Times this week. India’s economy is set to soar and this is not just in the knowledge and service economy, but also in the manufacturing sector. India now has the world’s third-biggest economy measured by purchasing power parity and is projected to have the same standing in nominal GDP by 2027. This momentum, driven by digital transformation is going to transform the country. India has the second-lowest data costs in the world and a wave of investor interest in India is manifesting as the world scrambles to diversify from China. Today, India is indeed shining and looks to be even more lustrous in the coming years.

Today’s quote does not have any author attributed to it, but what the quote reminds us is that sometimes when our life seems bleak and everything that can go wrong, does and we hit rock bottom, that’s when we need to realise that it’s essential to reach rock bottom because it is only then we will appreciate what we achieve in our lives. Sometimes, for everything to come together, things need to fall apart first. Not getting what we want can be a huge step toward reaching a bigger dream. Everything that happens comes along because it simply needs to happen.

BB & GG are busy with school and things are as usual in our household. As the clock ticks towards a new year, everyone is busy making plans for what the new year will bring to them. Take care and talk soon!

Today’s quote is attributed to American psychologist, Todd Kashdan. This quote tells us to keep an open mind and question everything. It is only at this point when we are open to new things, that we will find them. When we close our minds, even if something is right under our noses, we will ignore it, because our minds are closed.

This week was pretty much the same as other weeks, and nothing new happened in our household. Yesterday, we met S’ cousins for a family lunch and that was the highlight of the week. It was a fun-filled afternoon of talking, sharing, and having fun.

2022 is winding down and many of us have probably started thinking of our goals and what we want to achieve in 2023. I too have started this thinking and once I have my thoughts in order, I will share.

BB and GG are busy with school with GG busy with projects and also prepping for her university application. BB is busy with his project work and goes to school daily. He works in a lab and seems to be interested in doing this kind of work. I am hoping that he does well this semester so that after his national service, he goes to university, this may be something he could pursue later in life.

That’s all from me this week. Take care and speak soon!