LIFE AS IT IS

P eople have now resumed international travelling, although cautiously. With the emergence of a new, more contagious variant, Omicron, however, countries are placing new restrictions on travellers, making international travelling even more uncertain, more hectic. If you are planning on going abroad, plan well and plan well ahead of time.  The Daily Star link I have recently been to Bangladesh on a two-week trip to see my family. An earlier summer travel plan had to be canceled because of a COVID-19 lockdown that was imposed on Bangladesh to stem infections and deaths. In our case, it cost us a cancellation fee at the time. Because change is the only constant now more than ever, bear in mind that your travel plans may have to be changed or cancelled in the fluid situation of the world we live in today.  COVID-19 test You need show proof of a negative COVID-19 test to travel internationally. Please check with your airline and also read the entry requirements of the country you a...

I look out the window and what I see is a stark contrast to what I saw two months ago. My little garden is perishing; my little backyard is strewn with brown, amber, and butterscotch-coloured fallen leaves from nearby maple, sycamore, oak, and birch. The buzzing bees, hummingbirds, goldfinches, doves, and blue jays are all gone. The season has arrived.   I smell the fragrance of fall in the air. The morning air is crisp, the leaves are turning, and the temperatures are dipping. The quilts are out, the comforters are in. Sweaters, jackets, and scarves have been pulled out of the closet in preparation for the cooler days ahead. While the aforementioned things are easier to adjust to, it is my garden and its changing appearance that asks me of my patience, for it is going to be a long wait before my garden dresses up in a myriad of colours afresh.  My vegetable plants have nearly stopped producing. The Italian eggplant is still bearing blossoms, but which dry out and drop to the...