COVID-19 and 2020

Unprecedented year.  This is how 2020 is described and there is no better description.  A year filled with COVID-19 related hashtags.  A year that is like never before.  For a family like us, who goes travelling every year, we certainly feel the impact.  We've been grounded for almost a year.  Not only grounded, 'trapped' in the house too most of the time.  I have children at all levels of education.  While universities continue with online learning, I've no idea at the moment on what will happen in the near future for primary and secondary schools.  

We are in the fourth wave of COVID-19.  Maybe fifth, or maybe sixth, I've lost count.  The numbers are still worrying and far from subsiding.  At our end, we can only pray and hope that things will get better and better soon, and of course we have to do our part to curb the spread.

Alhamdulillah, we are still one happy family here under this one roof.  There are so many blessings in disguise when we take time to contemplate.  For once, we are able to consistently perform daily Maghrib and Subuh prayers together, which would otherwise be so challenging on weekdays, especially the latter.  A lot of cost cuttings as well here and there, though they may probably be 'transferred' rather that cut :)

Others may not be as lucky, we know.  Whatever the situation is that this pandemic has brought us into, we pray for a good ending for everyone and we really mean it.  Amin.  

Switzerland in 25 hours

In June last year, I was on my way to attend a research meeting in Porto.  But I yearned to go to Switzerland since God knows when.  We didn't have the chance to go there when we were in Denmark at the end of 2018.  The weather was not that good at the time too.  So, this time around, I made it a point to drop by Switzerland on my way to Portugal.

It was a long journey indeed.  From Kuala Lumpur to Zurich with Emirates via Dubai.  I left KLIA during the wee hours of 15th June 2019, arriving Zurich Airport at about 1.30pm on the same day.  I was due to leave Zurich for Porto on the next day at 3pm, hence the 25 hours.  I quickly hopped on a train to Interlaken, which took me about 2 hours.  Such a beautiful place to be at.  It was picturesque all along the way, the rivers, the buildings, the snow capped mountains, the lakes, the houses, the countryside and everything.  A dream came true for me.

I spent that afternoon in the small town of Interlaken, in the heavy rain, with two friends who arrived there a day ealier.  The next morning, we went to one of the mountain tops where there was still snow.  We left Interlaken in the afternoon so that we can spend a few hours in Zurich, before boarding the flight to Porto.

At Mürren