Til’ we meet again

My mind traverses the continent with you. It glides in mid-air across cirrocumulus clouds, strolls through mist-filled streets in-between red-brick walls, and sits by the window looking out to a collegiate gothic tower. As you turn the wind-coat collar to the cold and damp, shower in the golden sun rays among squirrels and water birds, …

The 2019-nCOV outbreak: things we did not think much about

1. Be sensitive not to victimize Wuhan people further on social media. We are equally vulnerable in the face of the coronavirus. It does more good to empathize with and support all Wuhanese who are bearing majority of the pains for the rest of us, than to alienate them. This principle applies both nationally and …

Admitted to Duke! Click in for some insider tips, for free!

Last Thursday 7pm EST. Friday morning 8am local time. I still vividly remember me frantically typing away on my laptop the night before, and clicking "save" on my half-done uchicago uncommon essay. After a full week of panic, with my heart wrung tight between equally competent Duke applicant profiles on social media, and a pile …

I have a poetry collection! Some excerpts /2

“Eh” Lay your tongue flat On the ground of your oral cavity Shut your epiglottis and push your diaphragm down a crack Blow thy gentle breeze From the depth of your chest: “Eh” Crisp, gentle, almost unnoticeable This is an infant’s call for its mama’s pat To force out the little bubbles Tumbling inside its …

I have a poetry collection! Some excerpts /1

Art credit to brallanq.tumblr.com On Platonic Human Connections May there be a moment in your life when In another’s eyes you find wonders that need no conscious searching: They open up into an abyss that marries all colors and darkness at once, In which you detach and drown at the same time; From the collision …

Welcome aboard to this voyage on Biodiversity with me!

Hello there! Good morning/afternoon/evening, wherever you are around the world! I'm Islina, an aspiring naturalist currently based in Singapore, this tiny red dot in Southeast Asia that recently witnessed a turning point in world history (hopefully). The best decision I have made in my two years here? Becoming a National Parks Community In Nature (CIN) …

The Journey Begins

Thanks for joining me! Good company in a journey makes the way seem shorter. — Izaak Walton