Parenting on Purpose

We cannot visit the southern state of Virginia without understanding its role in the Civil War. After all, it was here in Virginia, in 1865, at the famous Appomattox Court House, where the top Confederate General Robert E. Lee surrendered to the Union forces, led by General Ulysses S. Grant. This act of surrender was considered by many as the closing act of the Civil War, and Lee's surrender effectively meant that the North had won the war.  While it was too far for us to drive to the town of Appomattox, we instead decided to visit the town of Harrisonburg.  Stopping by the Visitor Center, we realised that the town was at the crossroads of two major highways, the Valley Turnpike and the Rockingham Turnpike. And because the entire region was one of the most prosperous agricultural counties in the country, it was known as the "bread-basket of the Confederacy". Whoever controlled the region controlled the food source for the South. T here were therefore many historical s...

We were sad to leave our lovely accommodation in the High Country of North Carolina and we set off for a new adventure in a new state. But we still couldn’t get enough of the Blue Ridge Parkway, and took a slight detour to the Linn Cove Viaduct, supposedly a spectacular architectural marvel completing the final construction of the Parkway, and also boasting breathtaking views. But the fog settled in almost immediately after we arrived, and the views from the Viaduct were as spectacular as if we were surrounding in nothing but white space. The gorgeous Linn Cove Viaduct. An Emperor's New Clothes Experience! Disappointed, we headed back north, through the Volunteer State of Tennessee, and into Virginia, also called “The Old Dominion”. Traditionally, we would always find a location to visit to break the long journey (this trip took 5 hours in total drive time). However, because of our wifi problems over the past few days, we were unable to find a place that was open by the tim...

The boys were keen to do some apple picking, so we headed off to the Orchard at Altapass, located along the Blue Ridge Parkway. The Parkway itself took over 50 years to build. It is one of the most scenic drives in the world - most of the land surrounding it is owned by the National Parks Service, and private developments are strictly regulated. The result is a more than 400 mile (700 kilometre) stretch of unparalleled scenery and beauty. It was indeed a joy to drive along the Pathway, described is among the most beautiful in the world. We arrived at the Orchard expecting a regular apple picking session hosted by a regular farm tour. We got no apples, and there was no regular farm tour. Sadly, the cold had killed off most of the apples, and the Orchard did not have a single harvest this year. As for the tour, it was far from regular. For starters, it was a wagon ride - described as a “hay ride”. by the owners. And then, we realised that the ride would be led by storyteller Bill Carso...

It was April 12 1945. The end of the war in Europe was in sight. Franklin Delano Roosevelt was recuperating in his "Little White House", in Warm Springs, Georgia. It was the healing waters here that he had first visited more than 20 years before, to seek relief for his immobile lower limbs. This was FDR's Little White House in Warm Springs, away from the public eye; and it was here that Roosevelt found solace. On that day, just before lunch, the 32nd President of the United States was in the midst of editing his Jefferson Day Address, which was to be delivered the next day. With him was Elizabeth Shoumatoff, an artist, who was painting a portrait of the US leader. FDR suddenly complained of a headache and collapsed. He was carried away into his bedroom, and within minutes he was dead from a brain haemorrhage; Vice President Harry S. Truman was then sworn in as the 33rd President of the United States. We visited FDR's Little White House en route from Thomasville in S...

Singapore has been in a state of celebration. And there is reason for it: the little red dot of an island-state has just turned 50 years after a moment of anguish in 1965. Historically, it is a milestone, and any social scientist will tell you that the first 50 years of a country's existence is the most important - it could lead to the development of an economically-viable entity, or one that others deem as a "failed state". I am thankful that Singapore has managed to tread the former path, and this has mostly certainly been the result of good governance as embodied by the leadership of our founding Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew and the team that he had put in place .  Mr Lee passed away earlier this year, and while the death was largely symbolic in relation to the governing direction of Singapore (the leadership seat has already changed hands twice), it was also a tangible indication that the first 50 years of Singapore's political life had come and gone, and that...