Archives (14th November 2016): Excited about Bangladesh

01/12/18 01:03

Huma, Orla, Tahir and I had the most relaxing weekend in Rayong, at the eastern coast of Thailand. We went there to celebrate my birthday, but also to have spend some time together, before I depart to Dhaka in Bangladesh next week.

I am very excited to be going to Bangladesh soon. It is already 10 years since my last visit to the country. Both Bangladesh and the world around it has changed a lot. With raising extremism everywhere, I understand that there are more security risks there, but then, I am sure that the average people are as wonderfully sweet as the Bengali people can be. All in all, I am very excited to go, even if the mission will be difficult.

Still trying to cope with the new emerging world order that we are witnessing. Trump in the US, dramatic changes in the Philippines, tensions between Pakistan and India, the war in the Middle East, collapse of peace talks in Columbia, political instability in Ethiopia and elsewhere in eastern Africa are not optimistic. The crisis, whose consequences are likely to be catastrophic to all of us, is looming. I have been thinking of how the world is going to look like in a few years, and whether I will still be able to see it myself. And while, I have the gloomy feelings for short and medium term future, then it occurred to me that at the end of the day crises also offer opportunities. Yes, they may be painful, and extremely dramatic, but it also seems that humans are unable to avoid them. So, as we head towards problems, I just hope that the better world will emerge in the post-crisis reality. Clearly I hope that the changes that we are about to see will not be dramatic from the security perspective, but my mind is slowly coming to peace with an idea that we may be heading towards a very dangerous and bumpy ride as human race. I will just try to enjoy the present day as much as I can, and try to concentrate on small things that make me happy and act positively where I am able to do it. I feel that I need to do it for myself, and for the people around me, as I have started being far too negative, which is clearly not fair to anyone, myself included. So, my commitment is that I will worry less, and enjoy the small moments more.

Tomorrow is my mother’s birthday. She is turning 70! She is clearly the most wonderful woman that I know and I am so very happy to have this formidable lady as the person who made me the way I am. Thank you Mum! Thank you for who you are and for what you represent! Happy Birthday!

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Archives (14th November 2016): Excited about Bangladesh