Some lessons from recent encounters with creative people — Ever since I started my crochet experiments, a random thought has taken residence in my consciousness. Has this seemingly innocuous activity made me more generous? And is that a good thing? The whole adventure began with a Christmas gift from a colleague — a crochet beginners kit that contained a…

Why I started an in-person book club in Singapore — A few weeks ago I wrote a social media post about ripples vs splashes. The inspiration for the post came from a familiar sight that I take for granted. It led to a question that I have often grappled with — how much effort does it take to change something? This is what I wrote in the post …

Why men need to read (and watch) women’s stories — When I was a little girl growing up in India, there were no Barbies. …

You can go wider, deeper and stronger — When you begin something new, you can’t guess how far you can go. Do you agree? Let me share some stories from the first six months of 2023, a year of trying new things without setting any great goals. Crochet? Me? No way! When I received a crochet starter kit as a Christmas gift…

Revisiting my original tryst with yoga and why I remain a steadfast practitioner — It isn’t often that I find myself being ‘trendy’. To be honest, I have never been trendy. …

No matter what you do, every holiday leaves an impact — What kind of a holiday do you prefer? One filled with action and adventure (hopefully planned ones) or one that offers you time to chill and relax? I have been on both types of holidays, not including the ones involving pilgrimages to religious places that my parents dragged me to…

Life is unpredictable — celebrate the wins — Mother’s Day 2023 was an extra special day for me. I spent the morning at Zellerbach Auditorium at UC Berkeley where my daughter received her Master’s degree. The previous day, a bright sunny one, we made our way to the California Memorial Stadium where thousands of parents had gathered to…

True stories of anticipation, participation and caregiving — If you are a mother and a reader, here are three nonfiction book recommendations that cover the spectrum of anticipating motherhood, in the trenches of mothering a young child and a role reversal when an adult daughter becomes the caregiver. If you are not a mother, consider reading or gifting…

On space, solitude and social conditioning — When my grown children left home, my empty nest offered a chance of a lifetime — to convert one bedroom into a home office. In a post-Covid world, I had the flexibility to work from home a couple of days a week. That was enough motivation for me to finally…