Dear Colleagues
Random reflections have now entered another year today, here for your perusal:
1. Little Candles Day in Colombia was celebrated on December 7. It is a festival like Diwali, where every household lights candles inside, outside and around the house. While it carries a religious meaning, its social and community meaning is about togetherness. Lights are used for remembrances and celebrations across cultures, forms and occasions notwithstanding.
2. The concept of ‘long weekend’ in modern times tends to imply short breaks away from the routine of busy work life. The pressure to get away for short breaks over long weekends was most felt this past month. Since flights and train reservations can be expensive and difficult to secure, driving seems to have become the preferred choice. No wonder all roads leading to short vacation spots near all metropolises are packed and jammed!
3. The modern cosmopolitan Singapore has a culture of celebrating varied religious/cultural festivals. Christmas has its own charm. We were pleasantly surprised to be welcomed by the priest when we went into a Church for Christmas celebratory mass. He announced that people of all faiths and nationalities are welcome. And, as a first step, invited us all to greet our neighbours!
4. Irrespective of seasons and weather, the month of December has acquired a celebratory character around the world. Decorated shopping malls, lights outside homes, fireworks, stylish new clothes and parties have become a part of living in December. Yet, continued wars and everyday violence has made that spirit muted and sombre this year? Has it??
5. For the past 2-3 days, I have been going through poetry books (in Hindi and English) as well as digital stores of great sayings and proverbs in order to select just the right one to post to all of you on New Year. I could not make up my mind and 2024 has begun. The message in 2024, being a Leap Year, is ‘making timely adjustments’ with rotations of life……synchronize !!
Stay well, Sincerely
Dr. Rajesh Tandon
A Ph.D. from Case Western Reserve University (Cleveland, USA) and an electronics engineer (IIT, Kanpur) with a graduation in management (IIM, Calcutta), Dr Rajesh Tandon is an internationally acclaimed leader and practitioner of participatory research and development. His journey with PRIA started in 1982, as a young IIM graduate wanting to do more than just complete his PhD fieldwork.
