Classic liberalism is credited with ushering in the Enlightenment in Europe, a period that led to profound transformations in European society. This era, spanning from the late 17th to the early 18th century, witnessed significant changes in European politics, science, and philosophy.
These changes gave rise to societies that prioritized the pursuit of knowledge, the dispersion of political power, and the establishment of rational thinking as a formalized norm. This upheaval effectively rendered the old hierarchical power structures, rooted in divine authority, obsolete. Instead, a new hierarchy emerged, with individuals possessing knowledge and reason as the key constituents.
Specialized Roubaix with carbon rims and saddle
I love cycling in the early morn. There’s nothing like the calming sensation of a cool breeze on your face as you barrel through the gentle morning mist along a quiet dimly lit road. The peaking rays of the morning sun, while not fully formed, warms the heart with a sense of renewal and hope.
I’ve been cycling since my youth. It was the only form of transport that kids of my generation use to get around. In that sense, I’ve been cycling for decades now but only dabbled into “serious” cycling around a decade ago. In that time period, I’ve chewed up 2 bikes and is currently on my third (and most beloved) bike, a Specialized Roubaix.
Continue reading “Specialized Roubaix with carbon rims and saddle”Reflections on 2020
It’s that time of the year, when things quiet down, for a reflection of the year that was 2020. It is truly a unique and memorable year in many ways one for the history books. Generations from now, books (and documentaries) will be produced to try and figure this year out. Academicians and storytellers will try to dissect this year to distill its lessons and meanings for the future of humanity.
Continue reading “Reflections on 2020”Is 2020 going to be the year of the COVID?
It has been only 2 and a half months into 2020 and the world is already in turmoil. The new year started literally with a bonfire that ravaged through large swathes of Australia in January. Just before fresh images of singed cute koalas fade from our minds, Malaysia’s barely 24-months old liberal government was toppled by a rebellion within their own ranks. And before the cursed Sheraton Move fade from the people’s minds, the most consequential once-in-a-generation global pandemic broke out in March.
Suddenly, everyone who is not from China just woke up to the fact that a deadly novel coronavirus has been spreading within their borders and infecting large numbers of their population. Now, I have a lot to say about all of these events. But it is the last one that just boils my blood.
Continue reading “Is 2020 going to be the year of the COVID?”OCBC Cycle KL 2019
I’ve finished the entire 42km of the OCBC Cycle KL event today. And it wasn’t as gruellingly challenging as I feared it was going to be.
The few of us who were participating made plans to meet at Menara Maxis at 5am, intending to do a roll-out at 5.15am to the site of the flag-off in Dataran Merdeka. While there was a list of names that were floating around in the WhatsApp chat group, in the end, only five of us (Vishal, Agnel, Charene and BX) rode off from our office at 5.45am.
Continue reading “OCBC Cycle KL 2019”Time for a new laptop
Recently, I had been bitten by the upgrade bug for a notebook. I was looking for something to replace the very reliable Surface Pro 4 2-in-1 that I had been using everyday since it was launched as the main daily driver at work. My must-haves were simple. The following are compulsory features that I am looking for:-
- Light (I had really grown to like the ultra portability of the Surface Pro line of computers);
- Large high resolution screen (not necessarily 4k but definitely not 16:9 as I had found the 3:2 form factor to be ideal for work and photography); and
- Powerful enough to handle my daily work routine (which could range from creating Powerpoint presentations to analyzing complex Excel worksheets to occasionally editing photos on Lightroom).