the weekly chai

01. PRIME TIME

2025 Year-End Mood: "Chaos & Cosmos"

As 2025 wraps, the world is buzzing with a record-breaking frenzy. In the U.S. alone, a staggering 122.4 million people are traveling this holiday season, fueled by gas prices dipping below $3/gallon. While air travel has smashed the 8 million passenger barrier for the first time, a shift is happening away from the crowds.

Noctourism is the breakout star of late 2025. With the Solar Maximum peaking, 62% of travelers are skipping the highways to chase the Northern Lights instead.

The Verdict: If 2024 was about "Revenge Travel," 2025 is about "Strategic Awe" traveling smarter (to duplicate destinations) and deeper (into the night sky).

02. THE OPINION

The "Resolution" Rebrand

The discourse on LinkedIn has shifted. Instead of "New Year's Resolutions," the trend for 2026 is "Standard Operating Procedures" (SOPs).

It’s a shift from vague goals ("Get fit") to actionable systems ("Gym clothes laid out at 9 PM"). It’s a sign that we are collectively tired of hype and hungry for mechanics.

03. BUSINESS & TECH

The Great Global Remigration: West to East

The "Brain Drain" has officially reversed. For the first time in decades, the U.S. immigrant population declined by 1.4 million in early 2025, signaling a historic shift in global talent mobility.

The Push: The cost of the American Dream just skyrocketed. A new $100,000 H-1B visa fee has frozen mid-tier tech hiring.

The New Hubs (Data View):

The Verdict: 2025 is the year of the "Sovereign Professional" high-skilled workers trading Western residency for faster career velocity in emerging markets.

04. PLAY BY PLAY

Boxing Day 2025: The Watch Guide

🏏 GLOBAL: The Ashes (4th Test)
All eyes are on the MCG (Melbourne). With Australia leading the series, this is the decisive battle. For the diaspora, it’s the late-night watch party that pairs perfectly with leftover chai.

🏀 AMERICAN: The NBA "Hangover" Slate
After the Christmas Day showcase, the NBA returns to volume. 9 games tip off on Boxing Day, including a prime-time clash between the Celtics and Pacers. It's the perfect "second screen" sport while you recover from the holiday feast.

⚽ THE "FUN FACT": Premier League Anomaly
Breaking tradition, there is only ONE Premier League game this Boxing Day: Man Utd vs. Newcastle (3:00 PM ET). The league moved all other fixtures to the weekend, making this the most exclusive match of the year.

🏈 COLLEGE: Bowl Season Begins
For the purists, the Rate Bowl (Minnesota vs. New Mexico) and the GameAbove Sports Bowl (Central Michigan vs. Northwestern) provide that classic "mid-day football in a baseball stadium" aesthetic.

05. TRENDING

Mongolian Techno Jingle Bells

Now you’ve heard the latest addition to your rave playlists, let’s break it down. Ummet Ozcan, a Dutch DJ who specialises in techno, put a clip of the song 7 days ago on Instagram and it has taken over. The carol has one set of lyrics, some chanting, and a distinct change: "Oh, what fun it is to ride on a Mongolian open sleigh."

Tetris in the Sky

The World Final at the Dubai Frame featured a fleet of 4,000 drones, with 2,800 forming a live, playable Tetris game. Fehmi Atalar (Turkey) took the championship.

Banksy's North Star

A new mural in London highlights the contrast of the season. "Everybody is having a good time but there are a lot of children who are not having a good time," said onlooker Mr. Lloyd-Morgan. "It's quite fitting that the kids are pointing up like they're looking at the North Star."

06. GOSSIP & GEMS

Emily in Paris x India

Ridhi Asrani’s jewelry makes its debut on the show. Styled by Marylin Fitoussi, the Amalaka and Karnika hoops bridge the space between a huggie and a hoop, featuring across Emily’s looks this season as part of the show’s evolving fashion language.

Golden Goose x Manish Malhotra

A groundbreaking collaboration unveiled in Mumbai. The two co-designed styles are rooted in a shared appreciation for craftsmanship and storytelling, bringing together Italian heritage and the Manish Malhotra design language.

The "Low-Dopamine" Morning

The lifestyle habit defining the close of 2025 is the "Low-Dopamine Morning": no phone, no music, and no high-stimulation screens for the first hour of the day. Silence is the ultimate luxury item of 2026.

US Clocks Drift

Official US time drifted by 4.8 microseconds (not seconds) due to power cuts in Boulder, CO. While negligible for wall clocks, it was a near-crisis for computer networks relying on nanosecond precision.

THE WEEKLY CHAI

The 2025 Collection

7 Months. 7 Creations. 1 Community.

🍃 Living Well

Cultivating Delight

We curated a lifestyle. Here is how we 'lived well' in 2025:

🌳 Raising Roots

Building Infrastructure

We moved beyond nostalgia and built the bridges back home.

🃏 The 2026 Strategy Deck

Before we look at your horoscope, pick a card.
Don't overthink it. Remember your choice (A, B, or C).
Browse to the end of the email to reveal your strategy.

THE COSMIC FORECAST

The 2026 Backdrop: The Great Shift

Before looking at your individual sign, understand the stage we are all walking onto. We are approaching the Year of the Fire Horse (High Speed) while Saturn sits firm in Pisces (Karmic Cleanup).

🃏 The Reveal

Based on the card you picked at the top...

UPCOMING WEEK

Don’t keep the future to yourself.

Forward this to your favorite travel buddy and start plotting your 2026 adventures together.