Author: Dax Nair
-
Havana Beyond Classic Cars, Rum, and Cigars
I will start with a cliché: Time seems to have stood still in Cuba. It is evident on my drive from Havana’s José Martí Airport to Hotel Nacional De Cuba. The typical buildings that you find near an airport — offices of companies that support the airport, hotels that cater to transit passengers — are absent.…
-
Falling off a ladder – When adversity strikes
Last week my sister-in-law fell off a ladder. It wasn’t a “ha! ha! you fell down,” kind of fall. As the stabilizing bar on the aluminium step ladder gave way, she fell one way while her limbs, pinned under the ladder, went the other. She ended up in a hospital “Emergency” where she remained in…
-
Perceptions – A case for colouring your grey hair
“You should colour your hair,” my sister looked critically at me before adding, “You look old.” Siblings don’t sugarcoat. I was not offended, I knew she meant well. After all, she probably remembers the guy with the beard — shown below — more than the bald guy socializing with Brian Burke (that’s another story.) We…
-
Ten minutes a day to learn something new
If you work in an evolving industry, it is likely that you have experienced imposter syndrome at some point. Working in the tech sector, I certainly did. In layman’s terms, it is the self-doubt that makes you feel that your success has been largely due to luck and not competency. The feeling persists despite your…
-
A Severe Case of FOMO
I must admit, I am going through a severe case of FOMO — Fear Of Missing Out. The valuations for cannabis stocks and cryptocurrencies have gone through the roof and I am, once again, sitting on the sidelines, watching. My FOMO is justifiable. This is not the first time I have missed out on opportunities…
-
Where you live should not decide whether you live or die
I was excited. Nearly two years to the day after we received my daughter Anakha’s diagnosis, I came across another child with the same rare condition. Not a nameless statistic in a medical journal, but a real-life little girl, with a name and face. Someone else just like Anakha! Then, out of the blue, I…
-
When travel and fitness don’t go together
For someone who travels a fair bit, I have never hit the gym at a hotel. Occasionally, I do check out the hotel swimming pool, mostly to grab a beer by the poolside. I am not proud of it. But, the reality is that I have always struggled with balancing travel and fitness routines. Hence…
-
Varanasi – You gotta have faith, faith, faith…
You could say that I am not a believer. No true faith. When it comes to religion and faith, I have always flown under the radar as someone who is “not particularly religious.” Occasionally, God and prayer cross my mind. It’s more of a reflex action — something I picked up growing up in a…
-
Bangkok – When you‘d rather see the temples
“So, what is Bangkok most famous for?” I asked, trying to strike up a conversation with the driver who had picked me up at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi International Airport. The pre-arranged airport-to-hotel transfer was in a sleek Mercedes. It was going to cost me twice as much as a regular taxi. But hey, on this trip…
-
Couldn’t we all just get along?
The past thirty days took me to four places of worship in four different cities. Each one belonged to a different religion – Christian, Muslim, Buddhist, and Hindu. The church, the mosque, and the temples felt peaceful and serene. I was there during non-worship hours. I did not pray in any of them. And yet,…