Poem: Who Am I?

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Who Am I?

I am but a reflection,
Of thoughts and experiences combined,
A tapestry of memories,
Woven into a single mind.

I am the laughter and the tears,
The triumphs and the fears,
The hopes and dreams that I hold dear,
And the secrets I keep near.

I am the sum of my past,
Of every joy and every pain,
The choices I have made at last,
And the lessons learned in vain.

I am a work in progress,
Ever changing, ever growing,
A mystery in the making,
A story that’s forever flowing.

I am the thoughts that fill my head,
The passions that burn in my heart,
The voice that speaks what must be said,
And the fire that sets me apart.

So who am I, you might ask,
A soul still searching for its name,
A journey that will always last,
With possibilities as vast as the sky and the ocean combined.

But one thing is for certain,
I am unique, I am me,
A composition of all that’s happened,
And the person I choose to be.

2023 Week 16

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To all those celebrating, here’s wishing you Eid Mubarak! May the day be filled with love, peace, and harmony and you and your family be blessed always. Selamat Hari Raya!

Life moves on as usual. BB & GG will have their poly graduation ceremonies soon and then it’s off to university for GG and to NS for BB. GG has gotten two offers as of today and is considering them, but she is still waiting for news from her first-choice university. It’s the waiting that is bad. At least if you have a decision either way, you can go on with your life. And if she gets a clear rejection from her first choice university, she can decide on the other two offers she has. It’s the same with BB. Now that Poly is over, we are waiting for the letter from the ministry letting him know when he will have to enlist for national service. Until then, his life is also paused. He can’t look for jobs because companies are not going to hire someone who will stop working soon and he can’t enrol into any course because of the same reason. Ah well, though he is enjoying this break, I can’t say the same about the rest of us.

Today’s quote is credited to Charles R. Swindoll, an evangelical Christian pastor, author, educator, and radio preacher. He says that Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react to it. What this means is that what happens is less important than our reaction to it. Reactions drive action and action defines the outcome, so ultimately our reaction is everything. No matter whether we succeed or fail, our reaction to both is what defines us. At the end of the day, we’re driven by our minds. How we perceive things determines our reactions to them. Ultimately, no one or nothing can make you happy or unhappy; it all depends on how we react. We are ultimately responsible for our reactions and actions. The way we feel and perceive things determines everything. Remember that nothing external can make you happy or sad unless you decide to do so yourself.

That’s all from me this week. Take care and stay safe, we are not out of the woods yet.

In My Hands Today…

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The Other Side of Silence: Voices from the Partition of India – Urvashi Butalia

The partition of India into two countries, India and Pakistan, caused one of the most massive human convulsions in history. Within the space of two months in 1947 more than twelve million people were displaced. A million died. More than seventy-five thousand women were abducted and raped. Countless children disappeared. Homes, villages, communities, families, and relationships were destroyed. Yet, more than half a century later, little is known of the human dimensions of this event.

In The Other Side of Silence , Urvashi Butalia fills this gap by placing people—their individual experiences, their private pain—at the center of this epochal event.Through interviews conducted over a ten-year period and an examination of diaries, letters, memoirs, and parliamentary documents, Butalia asks how people on the margins of history—children, women, ordinary people, the lower castes, the untouchables—have been affected by this upheaval.

To understand how and why certain events become shrouded in silence, she traces facets of her own poignant and partition-scarred family history before investigating the stories of other people and their experiences of the effects of this violent disruption. Those whom she interviews reveal that, at least in private, the voices of partition have not been stilled and the bitterness remains.

Throughout, Butalia reflects on difficult questions: what did community, caste, and gender have to do with the violence that accompanied partition? What was partition meant to achieve and what did it actually achieve? How, through unspeakable horrors, did the survivors go on? Believing that only by remembering and telling their stories can those affected begin the process of healing and forgetting, Butalia presents a sensitive and moving account of her quest to hear the painful truth behind the silence.

Earth Day

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Tomorrow is Earth Day, an annual observance celebrated each year to raise awareness and take action for the protection and preservation of our planet. This year is the 53rd edition that the day has been celebrated.

In the past few decades, our planet has been facing numerous environmental challenges such as climate change, pollution, deforestation, and species extinction. These issues have become increasingly pressing and have underscored the importance of taking action to restore the health and balance of our planet.

Climate change is one of the most significant environmental challenges facing our planet. The average temperature of the earth has been increasing steadily over the past few decades, resulting in melting ice caps, rising sea levels, and extreme weather conditions. The burning of fossil fuels, deforestation, and other human activities are the primary drivers of climate change. To mitigate its impact, it is crucial that we reduce our carbon footprint, shift to renewable energy sources, and implement more sustainable practices in our daily lives.

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Another pressing environmental issue is pollution. Air, water, and soil pollution are all having a significant impact on the health of our planet. Air pollution caused by human activities such as the burning of fossil fuels, industrial processes, and transportation, can result in respiratory problems, heart disease, and even cancer. Water pollution caused by industrial waste and agricultural runoff is also a major concern, as it can harm aquatic life and disrupt ecosystems. Soil pollution caused by the use of pesticides and fertilizers can also have a devastating impact on the health of our planet.

Deforestation is another significant environmental challenge. Forests are critical to the health of our planet, as they absorb carbon dioxide and produce oxygen. However, deforestation for commercial and agricultural purposes is leading to a rapid loss of forest cover, which can result in soil erosion, loss of biodiversity, and decreased water quality. Species extinction is a major environmental issue. As the human population continues to grow, we are putting increasing pressure on the planet’s natural resources and habitats. This is leading to the loss of wildlife and plant species, which can have a ripple effect on entire ecosystems.

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To restore our earth, we must take action at both the individual and collective levels. Some of the steps that we can take to make a positive impact include reducing, reusing, and recycling, using renewable energy, supporting sustainable agriculture, conserving water, protecting wildlife and planting trees.

The theme for Earth Day 2023 is Restore Our Earth. This theme emphasises the need for global action to address and mitigate the pressing environmental issues facing our planet. It is a call to action to take steps towards restoring the health and balance of the earth and its ecosystems. This theme recognises that our planet is facing multiple environmental challenges, such as climate change, pollution, deforestation, and species extinction, which are all having a significant impact on the earth’s health. These issues have become increasingly pressing, and we must take action now to restore the planet’s balance and health.

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The theme encourages individuals, organisations, and governments to take concrete steps towards mitigating environmental challenges and to work towards restoring the health of the earth’s ecosystems. This includes reducing carbon emissions, shifting to renewable energy sources, implementing sustainable practices, and preserving natural habitats and biodiversity. The theme also highlights the importance of taking action to address the environmental challenges facing our planet and to work towards restoring its health and balance. It is a call to action for everyone to do their part in protecting and preserving our planet for future generations.

Earth Day is an opportunity for us to reflect on the impact that we are having on our planet and to take action to restore its health. By taking these simple steps, we can work together to create a more sustainable future for our planet and future generations. By reducing our impact on the environment, we can help ensure a healthy and sustainable future for our planet and all of its inhabitants.

In My Hands Today…

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The Office BFFs: Tales of The Office from Two Best Friends Who Were There – Jenna Fischer, Angela Kinsey

Receptionist Pam Beesly and accountant Angela Martin had very little in common when they toiled together at Scranton’s Dunder Mifflin Paper Company.

But, in reality, the two bonded in their very first days on set and, over the nine seasons of the series’ run, built a friendship that transcended the show and continues to this day.

Sharing everything from what it was like in the early days as the show struggled to gain traction, to walking their first red carpet—plus exclusive stories on the making of milestone episodes and how their lives changed when they became moms—The Office BFFs is full of the same warm and friendly tone Jenna and Angela have brought to their Office Ladies podcast.