Today’s quote from the American civil rights activist, Martin Luther King, Jr resonated with me because King tells us that it’s only in the darkness can someone see the stars. What it means is that when you are at your lowest and when all seems lost, that’s when we see small slivers of hope and the light at the end of the tunnel and this can help us get back on course. So let’s all look for the stars in our lives when all seems hopeless.

Other than that, things have been the usual. GG is busy with her internship work and BB just applied for his semester of internship. However, his school only offers limited internship opportunities, so about half, of the cohort, will have to do a final year project. Let’s see what BB lands up with. Because he is in the aviation sector, if he gets an internship, he will have a super long commute daily, from one end of Singapore to the other!

It’s been super hot this week, though we did see some rains to give us respite. But even then, fans have to be switched on 24/7. I am trying to reduce the usage of air conditioning, but I do give in some days during the day and at night. I guess this is our new reality and this is something we have to learn to live with.

And on that note, have a wonderful week and talk soon!

It’s the end of another week, but I was not very happy this week. I have been pitching for new business, but got rejected from one place and ghosted from the other. This from what I thought was a sure-shot yes, which made me feel down for a couple of days. But I am better now. I moped for a couple of days and then have shrugged it off and will keep trying for new opportunities.

And this segues perfectly to today’s quote which is from the celebrated English author and social critic, Charles Dickens. He created some of the world’s best-known fictional characters and is regarded by many as the greatest novelist of the Victorian era. Dickens reminds us that when the sun rises, it is weak and only gathers strength and becomes more powerful as the day gets on. This means that we may seem weak and ineffectual in the beginning, but as we grow, so will our strengths and convictions and we will overcome all hurdles and difficulties in the end.

BB and GG are busy, GG with her internship and BB with his holidays. He has been working on his resume and LinkedIn profile in anticipation of applying for his internship which should be soon.

The heat is really bad and the worse part of the heat is the humidity that comes with living in a tropical country. Sometimes the humidity is so bad that even taking a breath is difficult. But that’s fodder for a new post that will come soon.

That’s all folks for this week. Take care and talk soon!

We’re almost halfway through 2022 and life has gone back to some form of normalcy for most of us. Because it’s the school holidays, many here are on a holiday finally after more than two years of being cooped up. We can’t go on a holiday yet because while BB is in his school holidays, GG can’t take leave from her internship. And when she starts school after the internship, BB will be working on his internship and so we can’t go on a holiday until both are done, which means except for short trips to Malaysia, we can only travel in early 2023.

Today’s quote comes from Yolanda Gail Devers, the two-time American athlete and Olympic gold medalist. Devers reminds us that any accomplishment that we have starts with the decision to try. If we don’t even try and start something, then how do we become adept at it and how do we feel a sense of accomplishment in it? Something to think about right?

As of the end of May, I have walked about 4200 km and am still in the state of Assam, but am within spitting distance of the Assam-West Bengal border. Hopefully, by the end of next month, I will traverse the chicken neck in the state of West Bengal and which is that small stretch of India that lies between Bangladesh and Nepal.

I am reading, but not enough, so my resolve for June is to read more, especially at night when I am mindlessly scrolling social media. I hope that by the time I report next month, I would have caught up with my reading goals for the year.

And with that, let me go and read a book. Keep safe and catch up with you all next week!

We’re at the fag end of yet another month and is it me or is this year speeding past? Things have been fairly quiet, so there’s nothing much to report this week.

School holidays have begun in Singapore and after more than two years we see people travelling, especially those who have not seen their families in all this time. The streets seem less crowded and the air still. BB has exams starting later this week and then will go on a mid-semester break while GG only looks on because she doesn’t have leave during her internship.

BB has also been running with his friends for the past few weeks as they start to train for their national service. We’re very happy with this new development as he is usually not an outdoors person and to willingly go out and run is something that is out of his usual comfort zone.

Today’s quote about how our energy and persistence will allow us to conquer everything we set our heart on is said to have been attributed to one of the founding fathers of the United States of America, Benjamin Frankin, a polymath who was a writer, scientist, inventor, statesman, diplomat, printer, publisher, and political philosopher.

That’s all from me this week. Stay safe and take care…

In today’s quote, Oprah tells us that challenges are those gifts that force us to search for a new centre of gravity. We should not fight them, instead, find a different way to stand without losing our balance.

The past few months have been extremely hot in Singapore. The daily temperatures are in the range of 34 and 35 degrees Celsius, and some days reach a high of around 36 degrees Celsius. The humidity levels are around 83% which means as soon as we take a bath, it’s as if we have not taken one! Most of India is also under the grip of a heatwave with cities in northern India like New Delhi average temperatures of above 40 degrees Celcius. On the other hand, Bengaluru where my parents are currently is experiencing temperatures as low as 19 degrees Celcius! When they told us this, I was so jealous and wanted to go there pronto. But because they are not used to such low temperatures, they find it cold and not very comfortable. And this extreme weather changes are due to climate change, which will change our worlds if not for us, then definitely for our children and their children.

Now that we are finally learning to live with COVID-19, we learn of a monkeypox infection wave in Europe. The WHO yesterday had an emergency meeting to discuss the recent outbreak of monkeypox, a viral infection more common in West and Central Africa, after over 100 cases were confirmed or suspected in Europe with cases reported in at least nine countries including Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom – as well as the United States, Canada and Australia. First identified in monkeys, the disease typically spreads through close contact and has rarely spread outside Africa, so this series of cases has triggered concern. Monkeypox is usually a mild viral illness, characterised by symptoms of fever as well as a distinctive bumpy rash. However, scientists do not expect the outbreak to evolve into a pandemic like COVID-19, given the virus does not spread as easily as the SARS-COV-2.

In light of all this, let’s be more careful. And with this, stay safe, and be careful people! I’ll catch up with you all next week.