Covid’s 'great reset': Taking a leaf from Bhutan

KOH BUCK SONG

AT A recent poetry event at the National Gallery Singapore, I noticed I was the only speaker - out of six poets including Edwin Thumboo, Lee Tzu Pheng, Isa Kamari, Madeleine Lee and moderator Yong Shu Hoong - and, indeed, the only person including a 100-strong audience, to refer to the impact of Covid-19. Everyone else spoke as if the pandemic never happened.

Perhaps this observation reflects the strength of human resilience. These days, every worker can go back to the office. Masks are off outdoors. “Revenge travel” is returning in force. The fist bump has all but gone out of fashion.