Theme of the month…

One Earth, One Family, One Future. Our world is facing multiple challenges. We are witness to the increasingly severe & pervasive effects of climate change. An existential threat to humanity that we can only fight as a collective. There’s an urgent need to band together as one diverse & inclusive family in the defence of our earth. Boosting compassion & resilience will require swift climate policies to re-direct trillions of dollars, smarter regulations, incentives for low-carbon investments, climate finance, tech innovations & the courage to take the right actions.

The health of our earth is essential to our future. An environment friendly lifestyle will deliver a cleaner & greener future. We can affirm the value of all life – human, animals, plants & micro-organisms. Humbly recognise & respect their inter-connectedness on earth & in our wider universe. It is the most precious thing we have. By polluting our oceans, not mitigating CO2 emissions & destroying our bio-diversity, we are killing our planet. What we do makes a difference. So, we have to decide what kind of a difference do we want to make?

Climate change is real. It is happening right now. Tackling climate change is our shared mission. Let us join hands to contribute to an equitable & effective global movement, build balance & harmony, create sustainable development, take responsible actions & develop international cooperation. Inspiring our world to make creative changes for a better tomorrow can be tough, but it’s not impossible. “If we want a future that is liveable & healthy for everyone, it has to be sustainable, it has to protect the people, it has to protect the planet. What do we need to solve the climate crisis? The answer is, everyone.” 

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The future earth…

The basics of climate science are simple. Climate change is primarily human-caused. So, the solutions will have to be human-led. In The Future Earth, leading climate journalist Eric Holthaus offers radical visions of the future. How can we reverse the negative effects of climate change? Incredible interviews with futurists, climatologists, biologists, economists & activists show what our world could look like if we implemented solutions on a radical scale, equal to the crisis we now face.

What can happen if we reduce our carbon emissions by 50% in 10 years? What would living in a city look like in 2030? How could our world operate in 2040? Climate change is the single greatest threat to a sustainable future. But, addressing the climate challenge presents a golden opportunity to promote prosperity, foster security & build a brighter future for all.

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Lost in a book…

Books are so important for our mind, heart & soul. The power to be found between the pages of a book is formidable. Good books comfort, challenge & inspire us. They are both the destination & the journey. To read is to voyage through time. “When I look back, I am so impressed with the life-giving power of literature. If I were trying to gain a sense of myself in the world, I would do that by reading” – Maya Angelou.

Each book is unique. Portable magic. “As you read a book word by word & page by page, you participate in it’s creation, just as a cellist playing a Bach suite participates, note by note, in the creation, the existence of the music. As you read, the book participates in the creation of you – your thoughts, emotions & feelings.” – Ursula Guin. A room without books is like a body without a soul.

Books are the quietest, the most constant of companions. The wisest of counsellors, the most patient of teachers. Maybe, this is why we read & why in difficult moments we return to books, to find the words for what we already know. A great book leaves us with immense joy & memorable experiences. In the end, we will all become stories…

I love the smell & sound of the pages flicking against my fingers. Reading is my escape, my consolation, my stimulant of choice. A source of pleasure, creativity, expression & beautiful stillness. I feel infinitely alive curled up on the sofa by a fireplace, reading a book. Imagine. Sometimes, we just need a book, coffee, time & silence…

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Becoming…

Becoming. An inspiring memoir. Michelle Obama has emerged as an iconic woman. As the 1st Lady of the US, the 1st African American to serve in that role, she created a diverse & an inclusive White House. A dedicated advocate for the under-privileged women around the world. 

Michelle’s memoir is a beautiful work of humble reflections, expressions & mesmerising story-telling. Shares experiences that shaped her from a childhood on the south side of Chicago, to years as an executive balancing the demands of motherhood & work, to the time spent creatively at the world’s most famous address. With vulnerability, unerring honesty & lively wit, she describes her triumphs & disappointments, both public & personal. Warm, real & revelatory.

Becoming – Netflix

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I am dance…

Winner of the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Literary Work, photographer Hal Banfield brings a beautiful photographic series on dancers to life. Capturing the grace, beauty & strength of black dancers in motion, I Am Dance: Words & Images Of The Black Dancer shines a spotlight on black dancers from the concert to the commercial world of dance. Intimate stories about the space they hold in the world of dance & what dance means to them. Primarily, what being a dancer of colour represents. I Am Dance shares the deep love & appreciation for the art of dance. Incredible insights into the passion, heart & soul of the dancers of colour.

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World of wonders…

World of Wonders. Award-winning poet Aimee Nezhukumatathil writes a collection of essays about our natural world, the way it’s inhabitants teach & inspire. As a child, Nezhukumatathil called many places home – the grounds of a Kansas mental institution where her mother was a doctor, the open skies & tall mountains of Arizona where she hiked with her father, the chillier climes of New York & Ohio.

No matter where she was, no matter how awkward the fit or forbidding the landscape, she turned to our world’s most fierce & funny creatures for resilience, hope & motivation like the Axolotl encourages us to smile, even in the face of adversity. The Narwhal demonstrates how to survive in challenging environments. Even in the perceived weird & the unlovely, we can still find peace, beauty & kinship. Warm, lyrical World of Wonders is full of stimulation, sensitivity & joy.

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Appreciating dance…

Appreciating Dance is a terrific & thorough history of various, vibrant forms of dance. Analyses everything from social, ballet to modern, tap, jazz, theatrical & contemporary dance. Explore a brief biography of notable dancers & choreographers, discover the intersection of dance & religion. Beautiful history of dance & the budding dance trends. Gain an incredible understanding of the role that self-expression through dance plays in our communities & cultures around the world. Passionate storytelling.

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Be water, my friend…

Bruce Lee’s daughter, Shannon Lee illuminates her father’s most powerful life philosophies. Demonstrates how martial arts are a perfect metaphor for determination, resilience, passion & growth. “Empty your mind. Be formless, shapeless like water. Flow” – Bruce Lee

Bruce Lee is a cultural icon, renowned for martial arts & film legacy. But, he was also a philosophical thinker, learning that martial arts are more than just a physical discipline. Be Water, My Friend shares the concepts at the core of his philosophy. Each chapter brings a beautiful lesson from Bruce Lee’s “be water philosophy”. How being like water allows us to embody fluidity, empathy, naturalness, perception & self-expression. Inspires us to create, to overcome challenges, to find our own path to joy, peace & fulfilment. Awesome.

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