All signs point to...
Weekly Epiphanies
Hello Dear Readers,
As I write this post, I am still getting over the fact that I witnessed an absolute cracker of a test century by Yashasvi Jaiswal. It is his lowest century score so far, and he seemed disappointed for not improving upon his previous ones. For the record, 161 is not a small score, and the circumstances under which he achieved it were not easy. Jaiswal’s reaction on getting out —the initial disappointment and the celebration that followed almost as a second thought upon seeing the cheering cricket fans— epitomizes what a fiery ambition and a desire to succeed really mean. I was on the verge of foregoing my newsletter this weekend, but when I saw this young boy school the viewers on the importance of never giving up, I felt ashamed. Not that I didn’t have anything to share this week, but I was a little overcome by life.
I came across an interesting article on Nature.com that discusses a new benchmark to measure the level of urban nature. It explains the 3-30-300 rule devised by Cecil Konijnendijk, an urban forestry expert. The rule says every workplace, home, or educational facility should have a view of 3 trees, 30% of its neighbourhood covered by a green canopy, and an accessible park within 300 metres.
I can not only imagine what such a place might look like, but I can also say with certainty that such an urban design would be a boon to its residents because I live in Singapore, the only city that has passed the above benchmark. If not for the green cover in this city, the residents would have bore the brunt and the accompanying ill effects of a densely populated urban environment. Singapore has the third highest population density in the world. Yet, it doesn’t seem so. Although background-scored by cycle bells, our walks are largely peaceful and peppered with green vistas that relax our eyes and minds.
While I was excited by this simple metric that could be followed by our urban planners, I was disappointed when I shared this article and concept in a few of my WhatsApp groups — the ones I thought had members who care for things beyond the daily rhetoric. No one had anything to say. So, this is my attempt to find at least one person who would say — what a great idea the 3-30-300 rule is! Does anyone agree? Please comment if you do. You can use any platform to communicate with me— Substack, X, Threads, BlueSky, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, WordPress, or WhatsApp. (Writing is not half as difficult as finding ways to connect with your readers!)
Fortunately, I have two people at home who found the idea interesting. They listen to my rants nearly every day, and they are as aware of green urban design as I am.
If you agree that it is an excellent idea, I would ask what prevents us from asking our respective governments for such a design. Is it too much to expect? Or is it wrong to ask anything from the powers that be?
And if urban dwellers need any more reason to advocate for green spaces, here’s an article from Harvard that positively links improved physical and mental well-being with time spent in nature. I rest my case here.
Writing Updates
I am heading towards another break from my draft as I reach out to a Beta Reading service for my manuscript. I will return to the draft after they give me their feedback sometime next year. Until then, I intend to stick to my weekly writing routine, perhaps with a brief vacation at the end of next month. I sent out my weekend short story on Friday, and at least a few readers have enjoyed the excerpt I sent.
Dystopian Dreams
Meanwhile, I have something exciting to share. I am wary of promoting my sci-fi books online since not many are interested in the genre. However, the universe spoke in more ways than one (at least I thought so) when I heard a dystopian premise of state-led health surveillance being discussed on a popular podcast. And, on the same morning, I came across a news article about a tiny robot that ‘convinced’ and ‘kidnapped’ 12 larger robots to ‘follow him home.’ Of course, there was some help from the programmers who fed in pertinent codes, but the robots initiated the conversation. You can read here for the complete context of the test that was conducted, the outcome of which sent the engineers into a tizzy.
Now, why am I excited about all this? I have written about similar possibilities in my science fiction novels Around the World in 2153 and 2154: The Cocoon. So, I got to say, ‘I told you so.’
Reading Updates
I am reading Mick Herron’s London Rules, the fifth in the Slough House series. At the risk of sounding like a broken record, I am hooked.
The FT Life and Arts have published their list of holiday reads, and I am overwhelmed by it. It’ll take a lifetime to get around to the couple that I added to my future reading list, but it’s exciting to know that so many interesting books exist in the world—a reader’s delight.
Keep reading, and stay happy!
Sudeepa
