FF: 2021 Annual Review, the Cambridge vaccine and nerdy memes (lots of them) 🤓

Happy new year, fellow subscribers. All 11 of you.

I say that in jest, but in all honesty I really appreciate all of you sticking around for the ride even when I wasn’t very consistent with these newsletters last year. I respect your time and the fact that you already get enough clutter in your inbox, so it’s only right that I make sure that these newsletters offer you a decent amount of value.

So, I can’t promise you consistency in 2022 (something I refer to in my 2021 Annual Review) given the nature of my job, but I can promise you that whenever I do get around to writing these, it will be worth your while.

Let’s dive in.

I was on a bit of a writing and social media hiatus for a bit, but I’m back with a new post:

Also, I accidentally went viral. I’ve been tweeting since at least 2011, perhaps earlier, and have never experienced this before. It’s a cool validation of my very nerdy hobby. Enjoyed it while it lasted (although it still seems to be having a life of its own so I’ve had to mute it).

The Cambridge vaccine has entered clinical trials! I’ve since taken down the article (mainly because it’s outdated now) but I wrote about this one last year. I’m excited. It’s definitely one to watch, not least because it’s using a needle-free delivery mechanism. Read more about it here >>> https://www.cam.ac.uk/stories/DIOSCoVax_safetytrial

Also, for any UK-based Islamic finance enthusiasts, my favourite app Zoya is branching out from pure investor knowledge (which stocks and ETFs are shariah compliant or not etc.) to effectively becoming a halal Trading212. It hasn’t launched yet but soon you’ll be able to invest in individual stocks and pre-built halal portfolios, all commission-free. I’ve already put myself on the waiting list - you can do the same here.

Credit for adding meme cleansers to newsletters goes to king of shitposting, Litquidity. Check out their Exec Sum newsletter!

I thought of dedicating a section of the newsletter to causes I care about, which broadly fall into the realm of social mobility, income equality, sustainability, funding good science, and supporting entrepreneurs (especially social entrepreneurs). Here are a few outfits that could do with your support:

Rice Inc is a social enterprise, founded by UCL students Kisum Chan and Lincoln Lee (BSc Biomedical Sciences). Their company provides high quality rice while aiming to have a positive impact on the life of farmers and the environment. I had the pleasure of chatting with co-founder Lincoln Lee at my first British Malaysian Society dinner last year and I really love what they’re doing. It’s smart. I wish them all the best with it.

Support them by buying their rice here >>> https://eatpaddi.com/

Find out more about their agritech startup here >>> https://vulcanpost.com/744864/rice-inc-paddi-agritech-startup-malaysia/

Mercy Malaysia needs no introduction (just in case you haven’t heard of them, here’s a brief background) but I bring them up here because they’ve recently launched a Flood Relief fund. Malaysia has recently experienced some of the worst flooding the nation has ever seen. It’s a major climate emergency, and it’s going to take a lot of financial support to help flood victims get back on their feet. If you can, please spare even just £1 / RM1 to the fund and support their good work >>> https://www.mercy.org.my/donate/

For other flood relief initiatives, please check out #DaruratBanjir on Twitter.

Until next time,

Faridah

P.S. Bonus meme for sticking around! Don’t be like Doraemon.