My office mates and I went to Shanghai last week. It was the annual budget meeting cum staff retreat, and this time, they decided to go to China! I was thrilled because I had never set foot in China before. It was Monday, 24 November 2025. We flew with Shanghai Air, and the flight took five hours. Once we landed at Pudong Airport, a huge tour bus took us on a one-hour ride to the city center and dropped us off at the Broadway Mansions Hotel. The hotel was a really old building, but the upkeep made it look modern while retaining some of its historic charm. The doormen and bellmen wore Al Capone-style uniforms with trench coats and hats, keeping the old-time vibe alive. We checked in on the fifth floor, which had an okay view, but once we settled in, Aliff and I immediately went out to explore. While the board members and MCs proceeded with the budget meeting, it was free and easy for most of the secretariat. Aliff and I set out with the sole goal of finding a new SIM card for him....
To Israel supporters who keep shouting "October 7th" : Palestinians have been killed, expelled, and occupied for decades before Hamas even existed. Before October 7th: Deir Yassin (1948) : over 100 villagers massacred. Sabra and Shatila (1982) : thousands of refugees slaughtered. Gaza 2008, 2014, 2021 : entire families bombed while the world stayed silent. And here’s more: Haifa Attacks : 1937-1939 Jerusalem Incidents : 1936-1939 Haifa Market Bombing : 1938 Balad al-Shaykh Massacre : 1947 Haifa Bombings : 1939 Haifa Oil Refinery Massacre : 1947 Abbasiya (al-‘Abbasiyya) Attack : 1947 Al-Khisas Massacre : 1947 Bab al-Amud (Damascus Gate) Bombing : 1947 Jerusalem Bombings : 1947 Sheikh Bureik Attack : 1947–1948 Jaffa Attacks : 1948 Khan Yunis Massacre : 1956 Jerusalem Conflict : 1967 Sabra and Shatila Massacre : 1982 Al-Aqsa Massacre : 1990 Ibrahimi Mosque Massacre : 1994 Jenin Refugee Camp : 2002 Gaza Conflict : 2012 Gaza Conflict : 2014 Gaza Massacre (Great March of Return) ...