2020 Week 10 Update

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Today is the International Women’s Day. To all my women (and the men who support their women) readers, here’s wishing you a Happy Women’s Day!

Let’s all strive for the equality that women deserve so that, hopefully in our lives, there is no need for a single day to celebrate women. Instead we celebrate women and their equality with men in all spheres of lives every single day!

Spring in the air, but things are not so good in the ground. On Friday, Singapore recorded the largest spike in Covid-19 cases, most of which came from a single cluster. This cluster came from someone close to a previous patient who went for a private dinner where cutlery was shared.

This has led to Singapore announcing new standards of public hygiene which includes not shaking hands, using serving spoons while dining communally, eating from trays in public dining places as well as adopting good personal hygiene habits such as washing hands frequently, using a tissue when sneezing or coughing and keeping public toilets clean and dry.

When I read this, I actually thought of Indian practices which actually follow what Singapore is now advocating. The traditional Indian way of greeting is the Namaste which means “I bow to the divine in you”. Indians also usually dine together and when we eat, we never double dip our spoons into the pot containing the dish. There is always a serving spoon which is also not allowed to touch the plate of the person it is being served to. This is also because of the concept of Jhoota which means not allowing food which been contaminated by someone else’s saliva or inside their mouth to be touched by another person. This is usually very strictly enforced even in the most lax and liberal households.

So people, if you are Indian, go back to your roots and follow the practices which our ancestors did, they had some reasons for the same which we have disregarded today because we wanted to be modern, but this is not really true. For others, please be careful and stay safe!

In other news, life goes on as usual with us being mostly at home trying to stay safe.

In My Hands Today…

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The House of Unexpected Sisters (No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency #18) – Alexander McCall Smith

Mma Ramotswe and Mma Makutsi are approached by their part-time colleague, Mr Polopetsi, with a troubling story: A woman, accused of being rude to a valued customer, has been wrongly dismissed from her job at an office furniture store. Never one to let an act of injustice go unanswered, Mma Ramotswe begins to investigate but soon discovers unexpected information that causes her to reluctantly change her views about the case.

Other surprises await our intrepid proprietress in the course of her inquiries. Mma Ramotswe is puzzled when she happens to hear of a local nurse named Mingie Ramotswe. She thought she knew everybody by the name of Ramotswe and that they were all related. Who is this mystery lady? Then she is alerted by Mma Potokwani that an unpleasant figure from her past has recently been spotted in town. Mma Ramotswe does her best to avoid the man, but it seems that he may have returned to Botswana specifically to seek her out. What could he want from her?

With the generosity and good humour that guide all her endeavours, Mma Ramotswe will untangle these questions for herself and for her loved ones, ultimately bringing to light important truths about friendship and family – both the one you’re born with and the one you choose.

International Women’s Day

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It’s March and this means it’s time for another International Women’s Day which will take place on Sunday. I have written previously about the IWD as it is usually shortened to and you can read more about the history of this day there.

Every day the global IWD committee has a theme and this year’s theme is “Each for Equal”. An equal world is an enabled world. We are all responsible every day for our own thoughts and action, but we can actively choose to challenge stereotypes, fight bias, broaden perceptions, improve situations and celebrate women’s achievements. Together and collectively every one of us can help create a world where gender is a non-issue and this world we live in is a gender equal world.

Equality is not a women’s issue, it’s a business issue. For economies and communities to thrive, it is essential that those countries and communities practice gender equality. A world which is gender-blind is one which is healthier, wealthier and more harmonious, which makes for an ideal world, which is what we aim to reach for, right? The race is on for the gender equal boardroom, a gender equal government, gender equal media coverage, gender equal workplaces, gender equal sports coverage, more gender equality in health and wealth. So this International Women’s Day, let’s make it happen.

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So why is this day important and why are government, non-governmental and other organisations making such a big deal about it each year in March? Well, I believe that women should be celebrated every day but since that does not really happen, we take what we get. IWD is the one day in the year that recognises the value that women bring to the table, both individually and collectively and showcases the struggles they have undergone just to pave the way for the next generation.

In today’s world where many women (and men) have the power of social media in their hands (and phones), it is important that we use that power and influence in our hands and get involved and passionate about this cause of ensuring our next generations don’t have to go through the struggles we went through. So take that step and not just campaign and influence, but also celebrate, support, motivate, high-five and hug the females in your life this International Women’s Day.

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Happy International Women’s Day to all the lovely women (and the men who support and motivate their women) reading this post!

In My Hands Today…

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The Marriage Clock – Zara Raheem

To Leila Abid’s traditional Indian parents, finding a husband in their South Asian-Muslim American community is as easy as match, meet, marry.

But for Leila, a marriage of arrangement clashes with her lifelong dreams of a Bollywood romance which has her convinced that real love happens before marriage, not the other way around.

Finding the right husband was always part of her life plan, but after 26 years of singledom, even Leila is starting to get nervous. And to make matters worse, her parents are panicking, the neighbours are talking, and she’s wondering, are her expectations just too high? So Leila decides it’s time to stop dreaming and start dating.

She makes a deal with her parents: they’ll give her three months, until their 30th wedding anniversary, to find a husband on her own terms. But if she fails, they’ll take over and arrange her marriage for her.

With the stakes set, Leila succumbs to the impossible mission of satisfying her parents’ expectations, while also fulfilling her own western ideals of love. But after a series of speed dates, blind dates, online dates and even ambush dates, the sparks just don’t fly! And now, with the marriage clock ticking, and her 3-month deadline looming in the horizon, Leila must face the consequences of what might happen if she doesn’t find “the one…”

Poem: Life’s Choices

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Life throws choices at us all the time. We make choices almost every second of our day and sometimes these choices backfire on us. What is it about life’s choices that make it so hard to second guess?

Life’s Choices

You arrive at a converging path, wondering which road to take
Life gives you choices always, it has always been yours to make
Choose wisely and you will be blessed,
But if you make the wrong choice, you can make life a living hell

But that is the way life operates, choices abound at every stage
You have but to choose your path, on stage and off stage
It has always been your choice, you can be what you wish
Chained to tradition or free to choose, a winner to the finish

Sometimes you do need to take the road less travelled
It may be hard, you may be baffled
But when success kisses your feet
All those troubles seem trivial and your success that much sweet

So dream the most audacious dream you are able to
Then choose to make that a reality, you can do it, yes you
Today will pass soon, tomorrow awaits you eagerly
Rejoice and enjoy your choices, because that’s how the dice rolls!