Positivity is like the childhood best friend that we all take for granted: always there to catch us, always overlooked. It is interesting that most people easily extol the virtues of staying optimistic and upbeat, yet so much of social media is dominated by complaints and negativity. A recent article published in the MIT Technology […]
Category: Musings
Some reflections I have about miscellaneous topics that strike my fancy.
Empathy first, empathy always.
An amusing exchange happened in one of my lessons the other day and it made me think about communication, sincerity, and how to go about creating and maintaining relationships with others. You see, I had spent most of the lesson reviewing my student’s external correspondences and was somewhat horrified that the correspondences, while well-crafted and […]
Lions, peacocks, and lessons in listening
As Singapore becomes increasingly cosmopolitan by all outward measures, Singaporeans seem torn between their old-world, gritty, down-to-earth cultural narrative and an urbanity that reflects their economic status in the world. We both covet and abhor anything that seems foreign. Singaporeans are always at the threshold of the traditional and the modern, the familiar and the […]
If not now, when?
I am told that I almost didn’t get my job because I am a woman. I’m not sure if it is true, but the idea that this is even possible guts me when I think about it. No one should have to face the possibility of not doing what they love simply because they were […]
“And we wept that one so lovely should have a life so brief;”
Anecdotes about teaching are a dime a dozen. From stories about grading papers, to inspiring kids, to huge, dramatic blow-outs in class, to rants about the amount of administration that needs to be done, to accounts of awful parents… you would think that teachers have given you the whole picture. I thought so. I was […]
“You know what is really, powerfully sexy?”
“You know what is really, powerfully sexy? A sense of humor. A taste for adventure. A healthy glow. Hips to grab on to. Openness. Confidence. Humility. Appetite. Intuition. A girl who makes the world seem bigger and more interesting. A girl who can rap. A loud laugh that comes from her belly. Smart-ass comebacks. Presence. […]
When Great Trees Fall
“When great trees fall, rocks on distant hills shudder, lions hunker down in tall grasses, and even elephants lumber after safety. When great trees fall in forests, small things recoil into silence, their senses eroded beyond fear. When great souls die, the air around us becomes light, rare, sterile. We breathe, briefly. Our eyes, briefly, […]
Letter to my younger self on other people
Dear younger Me, As a sensitive, socially-awkward only child, you will struggle with dealing with other people for a while. You will not be able to get a read on them, and you will feel assaulted by their remarks ever so often. Your parents will tell you not to be so sensitive, but you will […]
Things I have learned in my twenties.
1. It is okay to say, “I don’t know.” You can’t possibly know everything (even though I come pretty close ;)), and if someone thinks less of you because they know something you don’t, then they’re only surrounding themselves with people who know what they know. Which is sad. Because that’s… so very little. 2. […]
“The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars / But in ourselves.”
I came back from a work trip a week ago and have finally had some time to myself. I find that not having a regular schedule that’s packed with activity does not work well for me, even though having said schedule exhausts me so. That which exhausts me sustain me. How strange. But that isn’t […]
