Note from the editor, Diana Khoo:
To the optimist, there are always a great many things to look forward to. Our erudite and financially savvy colleagues at The Edge’s Capital Markets & Companies desk have, in fact, come up with a list that includes a rebound in the Malaysian economy after last year’s contraction, a definitive year for climate change, particularly now that US President Joe Biden is officially on board, with ambitious proposals to tackle the issue, and the possibility of borders reopening, allowing for travel once again and, more importantly, for family and loved ones to be reunited.
After a year unlike any other, 2021 offers hope. But the after-effects of the pandemic have already kick-started what will be a huge change in the way we live and view the world. The home, for example, has never played a more crucial role in our daily lives. For those among us who live in high-rise buildings, the change has been most jarring — we no longer have access to facilities such as the swimming pool and gym, and simple acts like entering the lift or touching a door handle in a public space are viewed warily. Those with the luxury of land and a garden would have had it a little better, being able to feel the grass beneath their feet or perhaps having a little vegetable patch to tend to for comfort when the day seems extra bleak.
The home is now more than a place where we sleep, eat and cook, or host dinner parties. It is a veritable fortress that keeps us safe; it is our sanctuary from a big bad world that seems increasingly more dangerous. But we mustn’t forget that it is also the place where we watch our children grow, where we nurture love and hope, where reading a book with a cup of tea on a rainy day can bring so much peace to the soul. However you choose to see it, there is no doubt that the home has, and will always be, our haven. Never has our name seemed more apt.
Haven is complimentary with every copy of The Edge Malaysia (Mar 1 issue). Get the Spring 2021 edition at your nearest newsstands now.
