Adventures of a Third Culture Kid.
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Best of 2021
Every year I take a decent chunk of time to figure out how I grew, where I need to pay more attention, and who I want to become in the year ahead of me. Along the way I inevitably take stock of the books, podcasts, food, and more that nourished my mind and spirit. Here…
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A Life Less Ordinary: Taking Batik to New Places with Fern Chua
Fern Chua is the award-winning founder of FERN, a Malaysian sustainable and high-end fashion label rediscovering the elegance of the ancient Asian fabric art form, Batik. Fern and I chatted earlier this year on the unexpected path that led her to Batik, the challenges building and growing her team of artisans from the ground up,…
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Kill upskilling.
With “upskilling” being such a buzzword at many companies, I wonder how many organizations actually achieve genuine upskilling outcomes instead of masking poorly formed KPIs that suggest some effort to make employees more productive. The best case scenario seems to be an impossible ask for a lot of businesses: to give every individual in a…
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A Few Reads and a Listen: October 2021
If I had to pick a theme that connects the assorted links below, it would be ‘breathing fresh life into the status quo’. Using rocks to absorb carbon from the atmosphere in Oman. A history of flight booking – To this day, airline ticket sales use infrastructure that is decades old. However, things are changing,…
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Unpacking Creativity with Behind-the-Scenes Content
I was watching this documentary about Beyoncé’s 4-night residency in Atlantic City, and it got me thinking about what draws me to behind-the-scenes content. I geek out on many things, going down endless curiosity rabbit holes through the week. The creative process is one of my favourite topics to indulge in. I luxuriate in material…
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Tina Zaman: Creating Tight 5 Comedy, Australia’s First Anti-Racist Comedy Club
Tina Zaman is a comedian, writer, teacher and founder of Tight 5 Comedy, a unique platform in Sydney’s comedy scene. Tight 5’s comedians of colour and allies have entertained thousands of fans handpicked for their originality and social impact, empowered to explore both their comedic and cultural identities in careful curated venues from theatres in…
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A few reads and a listen: June 2021
I thought I’d share a few articles, podcasts, and other things that I find insightful, every now and then. This time, I focus on a few pieces and a podcast episode that emphasise the collective over the individual. We tend to think that innovation is the result of a handful of geniuses, but really innovation…
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Learning on the job
A few months into the airline management traineeship I joined last year, I got moved into my second role rotation, in business analysis. My work prior to joining the airline industry included sitting in editing suites watching advance episodes of The Amazing Race Asia to craft digital content for its fifth season, producing influencer campaigns,…
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When an iPhone, iPad Pro, MacBook Pro aren’t enough! iPad Mini Review
I’ve been using an iPad Mini since 2016, and when Apple finally upgraded its innards earlier in 2019, I bought a new one as soon as I could afford to. I already have a MacBook Pro, an iPad Pro, and an iPhone 7 Plus. Why on earth would I need a device to fit between…
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Sydney, Australia, via everywhere else.
In February 2017, after four years living in Colombo, Delhi, Pune, and Singapore, I moved back to Sydney. This is a post about falling in love with my hometown after several failed attempts over the years. But first, some context Though I was born in Sydney, clocking over thirteen years in Australia in bits and…
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Black Cat: Colombo’s Best Eggs Ben, Iced Black Coffee, and Books
I was a digital nomad from 2013 to 2017, building a digital agency, working as a creative strategist and exploring as much of world as I could in my spare time. It was during this time that I wrote an extensive piece about Colombo being a hidden hotspot for digital nomads, sharing my favourite places…
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Airbus A380: More than an Airplane
“Combining the most advanced aviation technology and an inspired cabin design, Airbus is proud to have created an aircraft that is celebrated for its outstanding quality in every aspect. Leading the industry in standards for innovation, experience and efficiency, it is adored by passengers, pilots and crew alike.” – Airbus.com, ‘More than an Airplane’, A380…
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Airbus A350 vs Boeing 787: Which cutting edge airplane is ‘best’?
The A350 XWB is Airbus’ shiny, sexy twin-engined plane, built with combination of carbon composites, titanium and aluminium. It’s powered by two ultra-quiet Rolls Royce engines. Its ‘extra-wide’ cabin is designed to make passengers feel as comfortable one can without flying in a private jet. Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner is their version of the…
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A Life Less Ordinary: Season 2 Singapore is here! Meet My Co-Host Vanessa
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wzzmDyu0awg&t=16s ‘A Life Less Ordinary’ is back on Apple Podcasts! This season, I flew to Singapore to meet fascinating entrepreneurs, athletes, actors, and more. The video above gives you a short little introduction to our first guest, my dear friend and Season 2 co-host Vanessa Fernandez. By the way, she’ll be performing at the…
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A Life Less Ordinary Season 2: Singapore is around the corner!
https://youtu.be/eyhuFfQ8-K0 After a long, 9 month journey, my podcast A Life Less Ordinary Season 2: Singapore, will be out on Apple Podcasts next Thursday! Following a successful Season 1 in Sri Lanka, I’m joined by musician, radio presenter and my co-host Vanessa Fernandez for interviews with guests that include: Award-winning, Crazy Rich Asians actress Tan…
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Changi Airport: What to do at the World’s Best Airport in 3 hours
This special edition of Stopover at Singapore’s Changi Airport originally appeared on Nomads Bazaar. Stopover is a travel show I host and produce with my creative partner-in-crime, Adam Moorhead. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6GsRoBucwz8 We usually choose a city to create our 6 and 12 hour Stopover episodes, but Changi Airport deserves its own special 3 hour stopover episode! …
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Stopover Singapore: What to do in Singapore in 6 and 12 Hours
I’m excited to share the first travel show produced by Nomads Bazaar, the media company Adam and I run in Sydney! What started as a way to utilise our days off in between shoots has evolved into a little monster of a project that has been 9 months in the making. ‘Stopover’ gives you…
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I’m making “A Life Less Ordinary” Season 2!
I am incredibly thrilled (and terrified) that I’m producing a second season of my podcast, A Life Less Ordinary! This year we’re heading to the “miracle of Asia”, Singapore! It’ll be an exciting few months of researching, writing, interviewing, filming, recording, editing, and promoting. I hope you guys fall in love with Singapore as I…
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My last ditch attempt at making the most of Apple Music
Two years in and I still wasn’t getting even remotely closer to finding amazing music with Apple Music the way I did when I tried 90 days of Spotify Premium. Seeing the new HomePod ad where FKA Twigs play with the fabric of time and space after she asks Siri to play something she likes…
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Transforming Qatar into a Cultural Instigator
A post shared by Udhara de Silva (@udhara) on Dec 21, 2017 at 3:49pm PST Sheikha Mayassa Al Thani is the Art World’s most powerful woman, who at 34 years old oversees the Qatar Museums Authority. Founded by her father, Sheikh Hamad Al Thani, QMA was established in 2005 to connect the world to…