The Singaporean Sojourner

And here is a fascinating historical document recording exactly the moment the guns literally fell silent - the birds started to sing again. May no generations today or tomorrow have to hear the sounds of warfare ever. But alas… https://youtu.be/jwisj9WqWc0?

And here is a fascinating historical document recording exactly the moment the guns literally fell silent - the birds started to sing again. May no generations today or tomorrow have to hear the sounds of warfare ever. But alas… https://youtu.be/jwisj9WqWc0?feature=shared

🥇On this day on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month in the year 1918, the guns fell silent in Europe. Claiming the lives of nearly 22 million and 21 million more injured, the “Great War” showed us the horrors of industrialized warfare and planted the seeds for the Second World War. "When you go home, tell them of us and say, for your tomorrow, we gave our today" Lest we forget 🕊

🎵 The music echoing in my heart: Rimsky-Korsakov's Scheherazade op. 35. The third movement titled "The Young Prince and the Young Princess" cures all sorrows. The part in this recording starting at 33:55 just clutches at the heart. The lone violin's impassioned by restrained melody is echoed by the entire orchestra. Love, even if one person's love, will always be blessed by the universe if it is true. 🟨 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zY4w4_W30aQ&t=2080s

1. Don't lie in your writing. Write what you know, even if your ideas are of fiction, the universality of the human condition should shine through. 2. Set a target and work your way backwards. If 50k is the goal in a month, then write 1.7k words a day. In a day divide this into parts, maybe you will write 300 words in the morning, lunch, during a coffee break, and before bed. By then you would have written 1.7k words. 3. Change scenery. Go cafe hopping, take a walk, feel the air of this earth on your entire being. If you are creating an entire world and a cast of characters, imagine how they too might feel their world. 4. Write first, think later. Don’t get hung up on a sentence or paragraph, you will never make progress. 5. Good writing should read like music. Embrace the variation of sentences and diction. Paint the colors of this beautiful world that only your words can create. 6. You cannot edit a blank page.

November is one of favorite months of the year not only because it brings an orange warmth to to the eyes and heart but because it is National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo).  The goal is to write 50k words in one month, the length of a short novella.  This was a movement started way back when I was still in school. The organization has gone defunct due to funding challenges, but the movement lives on.  I've been churning away at my new (second) novel which has been gestating in my mind for years during my time in Washington DC and now Tashkent.  Writers who I will never match from Ernest Hemingway, C.S. Lewis, to Stephen King have shared their tips on writing which I would recommend everyone to take look over.  But here are my few thoughts on writing that I am gathering:

Absolutely crazy lad. But he’s from Bukhara, should we be surprised? Amirbek bapesh!

Finally got around to developing the 35mm film from my travels in Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan this past summer. The past really does feel like another country. None of these photos are edited. No filter. Just film.

A song I sing to Nurik every night: Goodnight, God, and thank you for this very lovely day. Thank you, too, for helping us at work and at our play. Thank you for our families. For each and every friend. Forgive us, please, for everything/anything we've done that might offend. Keep us safe and faithful, God. Tell us what to do. Goodnight God, and thank you God for letting us love you. Goodnight God, and thank you God for letting us love you.

Sharing the professional photos their photographer took! Awesome stuff!

Brought my students to the Tashkent Campus of the Moscow Engineering & Physics Institute (MEPhi). We learned about how MEPhi is preparing Uzbekistan’s next generation of nuclear engineers as the country adopts nuclear energy. Perhaps the students of Freshman Academy will usher in Uzbekistan’s nuclear chapter. Science is elegant! Research is beautiful!

The Finest Gentleman of our Family (1930-2026) You were always "kao-gong" (舅公), great uncle. During the Japanese occupation of Singapore, you kept your sister, my grandmother (both pictured in their youth and distinguished years), safe from harms way. You took care of your siblings when your mother died and your father was away at sea. I know of no one else in our family who represents so much of the Great Generation and the sacrifices they made for the future and for our country. Over the years, age had its own way of taking you away from us. Chinese New Year gatherings became more quiet while you were in hospice care. I would always remember your laughter when you play tag with us. I can still hear your laughter... I am sorry I could not be there to say goodbye. Rest in peace, kaogong.

📢 Calling all students passionate about global affairs! 🇺🇳 The Freshman Research Institute is launching its own International Affairs Council to gather likeminded students to discuss global issues, geopolitics, and careers in international relations. 🌍 Our inaugural cohort will be limited to 15 students from across Central Asia and the world. Our goal is to build bridges between communities, instill international civic values, and to make sense of our complex world. 📚 Meetings will include reading groups, guest speakers in diplomacy and international organizations, and early-career guidance. Currently enrolled High School students with a strong command of English are eligible to apply. The application process includes submitting brief answers to prompts followed by a round of interviews. Apply Now Deadline: November 15, 2026 For any questions, please write to @freshman_research

Always proud of you, Amirbek! The Freshman Research Institute will never tire. We have rivers to ford, mountains to climb, stars to reach for, and galaxies to explore. 🚀

⚛️ Freshman Research Institute x CERN "Today, I went to the world's largest and most important particle physics laboratory—CERN! I visited research facilities on superconductivity, ultra-sensitive particle detectors and even antimatter factory. What I can say for sure is CERN's community never chases money or fame; rather they focus on what they really love doing: Science! CERN is truly the epicenter of global scientific progress. We at the Freshman Research Institute should find inspiration in their honest scholarship and dedication to innovation. May both CERN and FRI push the boundaries of the unknown and uncover the secrets of the universe!" Science is Elegant! Amirbek Baxshilloyev, Lead STEM Mentor of Freshman Research Institute

Always proud of you, Amirbek! The Freshman Research Institute will never tire. We have rivers to ford, mountains to climb, stars to reach for, and galaxies to explore. 🚀

Catching up on meetings with students from home with my little helper.