Ok, I admit the title for this post was inspired by a recent book I read titled “People We Meet on Vacation” by Emily Henry. But I have been meaning to share some of the unusual experiences I had on my most recent trip to the US (which was more than 3 months...
Three Fun Fiction Reads Across Japan, Canada and USA
I’m happy to report that in the first 3 months of the year, I have made great progress on my reading list. Given my decision early in the year to ‘savor’ the things in my life that give me joy, I should have read fewer books. With that goal in mind, I began...
When Marriage Disintegrates Into Divorce
The year I turned 40, two important relationships in my life ended. My mother died. And I filed for divorce. My mother’s death was sudden and unexpected. But my marriage had been a disaster in the making for almost two decades. Loss, whether to cruel death or...
Why Women Should Put Themselves First
Every year as International Women’s Day approaches, I find myself writing stories that empower women. I feel strongly about the need to highlight women's achievements, their strength, and their courage. In the past I have shared stories from my own life - about...
Timely Thoughts to Welcome March
When you get to the end of your life, the sum total of all the things you paid attention to will have been your life ~ Oliver Burkeman It’s the first day of the third month of 2022. Really?? Where did the first two months of 2022 go? Time has been on my mind lately....
My Experiments With Walking Meditation
By walking slowly and mindfully, I moved a smaller distance but made great leaps in terms of keen observation
Learning About Burnout – In Real Life and Through Books
I began the new year with a goal very different from what I had done in previous years - to do less. What that meant in real life was not to laze around all year but to deliberately choose the things I wanted to do instead of getting sucked into a competitive...
The Strange Connection Between Happiness And Gratitude
Let’s start with a question. What comes first? Gratitude or Happiness? Research shows that expressing gratitude for things that you have (or are working in your life) gives you a pleasant feeling, a serotonin boost. And one way of defining happiness includes a general...
Of Books, Bookstores and Antilibraries
While planning for my trip to the US last month, I assumed I would do a lot of shopping. I have been on enough international trips to know that suitcases seem to mysteriously shrink on your way back just as your possessions seem to expand. Therefore my suitcases...
Savoring – The Opposite of Efficiency
After a few weeks in the USA where winter weather meant that the sun was not to be seen for several days, I found myself appreciating the sunshine that I take for granted when I’m home. In sunny Singapore, my day began with warm daylight streaming into my bedroom...












