Grateful for the generous souls who have stayed the choppy journey over the few years (you know who you are!). Calls from all over the world and a cake from halfway around the world from Berlin (thanks Hanna) made my day!

Happy to be alive and writing the stories that I always wanted to write from my quaint hometown of Muscat to the bustle of KL.

And thankful for the people who decided to leave. I wish them the very best.

The last year has been a Nusantara year from Mumbai to KL to Singapore to Jakarta with Penang, Seremban and Melaka in between. A historically rich region, I am learning about the region through a non Singaporean lens as I am a staunch Singapore-phile. I am also building a SE Asian Studies library and reading list in my home libraries in Mumbai and KL.

I am also writing a PhD thesis on Climate Finance in SE Asia from a leading Malaysian University building on 16 years of social sustainability consultancy experience. I gifted myself subscriptions of Jom and Mekong Review to learn more about the region which Indian citizens know little about beyond cursory tourist information. Walking the ground is one of favourite things to do, and I hope to write narratives which matter beyond the funding cycles and scholarship requirements.

I spent the day listening to podcasts, reading and tuning into the National Day Rally in Singapore. It’s a underrated joy to have a normal lunch at our club restaurant in Mumbai with parents who do so much for you.

I hope to focus on my health and focus on aspects which add value and bring joy to the communities of practice which we inhabit.

In Gratitude

Moni