A work-passionate Singaporean marine biologist ventured to Bintan, an island acclaimed for its glistening blue waters and white sand, to run some collaborative research. The itinerary packed with nothing but the initially planned project surprisingly went astray after she tried a local sea snail delicacy, and found herself in another timeline, another body, another life, where she assumed the name of Vinayaka, the Princess of Ajiva Bhagya Empire. However, being a part of the royal family was not all glitter and gold, as she arrived at the scene of an aggravated intrigue within the kingdom—not long after the Emperor’s guardian spirit of Gonggong had gone missing. There she found something bigger than the mystery of the mythical spirit and her desire to return home: human greed. This is a tale of the princess who fights against the thirst for power and strives to create a better fate for herself and those she holds dear to her heart. This is a tale of magic and friendship.
Duyung or dugongs (Dugong dugon) are a type of marine mammal which is a member of the Sirenia or sea cows that still survive besides manatees and can reach ages of 22 to 25 years. Dugongs are not fish because they suckle their young and are still an evolutionary relative of elephants. It is also the only sea elephant that can be found in the waters of at least 37 countries in the Indo-Pacific region, although most dugongs live in eastern Indonesia and northern Australia.
The Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) is now a global pandemic and has been declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC). As the spread of COVID-19 continues, the World Health Organization (WHO) encourages communities to reduce close contact between individuals and to cancel any unnecessary mass gathering events. Countries around the globe are also implementing measures such as national lockdowns, class cancellations, restaurant closures, public transit suspensions, all nonessential businesses, and mandatory 14-day quarantines for those who traveled in highly affected countries. The official declaration of the pandemic by WHO has called on all countries to continue efforts that have been effective in limiting the number of cases and containment efforts aimed at inhibiting viral transmission.
The human population has a long history of battling emerging infectious diseases. Despite the advancement in technology at present times, there still is no tool to prevent the arising of disease outbreaks. While efforts to develop a vaccine for COVID-19 are in progress and the timeline being indefinite, the financial pressure to save the economy continues to build up. To mitigate the economic impact, lockdown is lifted on most countries and citizens are now out and about with the new normal.
Millions of vaccine doses are administered each year to prevent the spread of infectious diseases and through vaccine usage, numerous diseases have been eliminated. In the current condition of the Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) outbreak, many are hoping that the large-scale production and distribution of the vaccine could be the most effective and long-lasting solution in controlling this pandemic.
