It’s always better to have no expectations to avoid disappointment. This is possibly the biggest mistake we have made this year. Thinking that once 2020 will be behind us, Covid will be over and life will get back to some sort of normality. But 2021 proved us awfully wrong, and what we got was more of the same, if not much worse.
Tag: Life
Getting out of Lockdown
After nearly four months, Sydney emerges out of lockdown. Down under in Australia, we had been vaccine hesitant, relying on closed borders and a zero-Covid policy. Trailing six months behind the rest of the world, we had paid the price of poor policies and lack of national leadership. Four months ago we finally realised that we cannot keep ignoring the reality of the delta variant, and we simply have to learn how to live with the virus and move on, just like the rest of the world.
Backyard Discoveries during Lockdown
While in lockdown, we are at least allowed to go out and exercise within 10 km from home. This gives us an opportunity to explore our own backyard. It’s not much, but we appreciate it more than we would have in normal circumstances.
Life in Lockdown Again
Who would have thought we would be exactly in the same situation fifteen months into the pandemic, but here we are again. Sydney is now in full lockdown for the third time. We have been very lucky so far in Australia, but it is now becoming more and more apparent that the government had failed us.
Regrets
“Mum, will you forgive me?”, asked the boy. “You haven’t done anything wrong”, mum replied. “Well, I haven’t been the best child. We used to fight all the time when I was growing up. I must have been the worst teenage boy any parent could have asked for”, he looked back in regret. “No you were not, you were an absolutely beautiful boy. I’ve always appreciated how determined and independent you were, and I’m very proud of what you have become”, mum assured him.
Racism-19 (Part 2)
The following morning Will and James were driving the car in silence, not mentioning last night’s events. As Will pulled over to drop his mate off at the hospital, he whispered “Do you think he’s alright that guy? We kind of left him out there in the dark injured, you know”. He looked away as James leaned back against the window. “Are you kidding me? He got what he deserved. Toughen up dude, what’s wrong with you?”.
Racism-19 (Part 1)
“What did you say?” he called out in anger. “I said G’day”, the guy responded in a very calm voice. James looked at Will with his eyes wide open in complete disbelief. “Did you hear that? He said ‘G’day’. The fuck’n immigrant is using Aussie slang”. “Right, where did you learn to speak like that, ha? Do you know any other words in English? You bat-eater”. James was already on his front foot. “Hey, why don’t you go back to your country, Corona-man”.
Australian Government in Queos
One unique thing about Australians is that we don’t like talking about politics. The conversations at meetups and barbeques mostly evolve around real estate and sports. But it’s not a hot topic to speak about our politicians, their policies or anything evolving in our capital Canberra. But that has to change.
We are ONE and FREE
In January 2021, Australian Prime Minister announced a change to the national anthem, following growing criticism and a push for change. We, Australians, will no longer sing “For we are young and free”, indicating a young and free nation, just under 250 years old, completely ignoring the people of the First Nation, the Aboriginal people, who have lived here on this land for over 60,000 years.
Jumping Out of Bed
When was the last time you found yourself jumping out of bed, excited about the new day ahead of you? Possibly a long time ago. Why is it so, that we are going through life this way, dragging ourselves to work in the morning, lacking motivation to be the best version of ourselves. Surely there’s a better way, there must be a better place for us to find, there is much more to life.
Life Post Coronavirus
Imagine how life post-Covid would look like, six to twelve months forward, or possibly even further down the track. Would things ever go back to how they used to be? probably not, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing, is it. Let’s have a preview on a foreseeable future and how this pandemic might change the world for good.
Survival Guide to COVID19
As most of us are forced into self isolation to stop the spread, bend the curve and save lives, the future is unknown and nobody can predict how long these unprecedented circumstances would last. But is it really that bad? surely some good things can come out of this madness. So before we start to lose our minds, let’s try and explore the things we can control, to try and make the best of this period.
Coronavirus Panic Attack
The world has gone mad. People are losing it, hoarding toilet paper and groceries. It’s the end of the world as we know it, we are all going to die. So, is this how it all ends? Coronavirus is causing havoc around the world, but it seems like the biggest problem we are currently facing is just not the flu-like mysterious disease, but the panic that drives human nature to take some extreme measures.
Best Holiday Destinations – Vanuatu
It’s summer holidays in Australia and we normally go with the traditional Aussie camping holiday close to one of many beautiful beaches along the East Coast. However, this time around, as horrendous bushfires are all over the nation, we were forced to cancel our plans and look for other alternatives.
“Why don’t you like me” – Djokovic
For someone considered to be one of the greatest male tennis players in the open era, we expect a lot more. Novak Djokovic. Yes, he can play tennis. Yes, he’s one of the best returners in the game’s history. But no, nobody likes you.
New Year’s Resolution 2020
I don’t tend to come up with whole new resolutions for the new year (or decade in this case). For me, it’s a natural evolvement of the goals I’ve previously set, those I should be working towards every day, and those I have to remind myself are much more important than anything else in this world. This year, because it’s the beginning of a new decade, I came up with 10 things to guide the way into the new era.
Stop Ignoring Climate Change
Bushfires all around Australia, becoming more and more extreme. Fricky thunderstorms tearing through cities in minutes, leaving hundreds of broken trees and electricity poles. And yet, the Australian government keeps ignoring the facts. Climate Change.
Gun Laws in America
When we grew up, back in the 80s and 90s, America was the land of dreams and endless opportunities, the place you go to make the impossible possible, a country offering its people a better life. But things have changed… So many civilian casualties in mass shooting across the states, and yet absolutely NO ACTION by the US Government to change it once and for all.
No Sugar Diet
We all know sugar is bad for us, and yet most of us are addicted to it. Soft drinks, cookies, cakes, chocolate, you name it. But sugar is not just in the obvious sweets we consume. The secret lies in hidden sugar. It’s everywhere…
Climate Action NOW
The world is changing, the weather is becoming more and more extreme, temperatures keep rising, our blue planet is warming up, the icebergs are melting, these are all scientific facts. Yet, as we are heading towards a disaster, there are still many people who ignore the facts and do absolutely nothing to stop it. Our World Leaders.
The neverending Tennis GOAT Debate
In recent years the debate over the Tennis G.O.A.T has been going on and on. Who is the Greatest Of All Time? Some say it’s impossible to compare between the different generations, others argue that it should be clearly defined by the most number of grand slam wins. Tennis is an amazing sport full of statistics, and one could spend an endless amount of time going through the figures, compare between the champions and keep the debate going endlessly.
Call To Action
What if someone told you that today is your last day and you’re invited to your own funeral tomorrow afternoon just before sunset? how would you feel about it? would your eyes be filled with tears because you’re going to miss watching your kids growing up and you’re not going to be there for them? will you be disappointed that you haven’t fulfilled your dreams to travel the world or finish that book you’ve always wanted to write and publish?
The Quality of Gratitude
It’s the 21st century, and we are all rushing and running around, chasing success, wealth and dreams. But do we care to stop for a moment and think – how far have we come? What have we achieved? What do we already have that we should NOT take for granted?
Traveling with Kids
When thinking about traveling with children, most people would probably imagine a luxury holiday in a nice resort on a Pacific island, or a flight to classic Europe to see major attractions including Disneyland of course. However, that’s not what I’m talking about. Ever thought about a Caravan Road Trip?
Career Burnout and When to Move On
Have you ever had this conversation in your head, or with a friend or colleague? It goes like that: “I hate my job. I’m not learning anything anymore. My career will never progress over there. The job is monotonous and chaotic. All I do is fire fighting. I cannot go on like that. I have to stop lying to myself. It is time to move on”. Well, easier said than done…
True Leadership says NO to Racism
Where can you find true leadership these days around the world? Nowhere but the most remote and maybe unexpected place on the globe: New Zealand. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has proven to be the only light in a very dark world. While USA, UK, Europe, Russia and Australia are swept by nationalism and trumpism, a dividing leadership which is hardly able to articulate a single sentence without blaming, hating and promoting White Supremacy.
Melanoma March
My mum passed away just over a year ago, after fighting Melanoma for nearly 3 years. Apparently 10 years ago, people who were diagnosed with Advanced Melanoma had a very poor prognosis and were literally sent home to start saying their goodbyes to family and friends. In recent years, global research breakthroughs have tripled the life expectancy for advanced melanoma patients. My dear mum was one of these patients.
This is Me / About Self-Confidence
On a scale of 1 to 10, how would you rate your self-confidence? Would it be right to say that most of the human population is not confident enough in their own abilities? How do we get to the point where we are happy with what we see in the mirror? How good is the feeling of walking with our head up high, where we are true to ourselves and don’t give a damn about what other people think about us? Well, we do care, but we are confident enough in our way so people would just have to accept it.
Take a Risk – Make a Change
Here’s a story: we had this short seminar at work where they talked about identifying “Your Strengths” leading towards using them to accomplish your goals. This is when I realised my Top Strength is Prudence. What does that even mean? It’s about time I look inside, stare at the mirror and ask myself some serious questions. It’s time to take more risks and make a change.
Maybe It’s Time We Let The Old Ways Die – New Year’s Resolution
You know it’s time for a CHANGE. A Change you have been longing for. For way too long. But you just don’t do enough to make it happen. You keep pushing it back. Procrastinating… Every new year brings the thought of a New Year’s Resolution. This is when we all resolve to change an undesired trait or behavior, to accomplish a personal goal or otherwise improve our life. This could be your time to finally make things happen.
Moral Obligation to Our Parents
Living away from home? Torn between your obligations to your own family – wife and kids, and the family you have left behind – mum and dad? You chose to live in a different continent, so that’s the price you have to pay – living with endless, consistent, torturous GUILT.
YOLO – Because Everything Can Change in a Moment
Once you hit the middle age you start experiencing the probability of “the end of the road” around you. Our parents are aging and it’s hard to accept that, however while this is a natural thing after all, you suddenly realise that You and your surrounding friends and colleagues are surprisingly aging as well. Who would have thought!
Looking For Meaning 