Sundari

July 5, 2021.Reading time 6 minutes.

My mum was livid with her local satellite television provider some weeks ago. A little less now. By chance, she and I discovered that Astro had retimed one of her favourite Tamil dramas, ‘Sundari’ to 7pm from the original 9.00pm slot. Every evening, I do two things before I leave her condominium. Ensure her decoder […]

Corona

June 28, 2021.Reading time 6 minutes.

I didn’t want to write another post on Covid-19. But here I am doing just that. The fact is it’s a little difficult to ignore or delete all things Covid-19 related. It’s everywhere. In my daily, personal, physical, mental and virtual life. I wake up to it and go to sleep with it. I can’t […]

My mum’s recipe 7: WIP – Suji Puttu

June 14, 2021.Reading time 6 minutes.

Two weeks ago, my mum announced that she was going to cook Suji or Semolina Puttu for her Friday lunch. Just like Upma, there’s nothing about Puttu that I like. Not the sand-like texture, taste or pale colour. But, that’s just me. Despite my dislike and disinterest in Puttu, I volunteered to help my mum. […]

Daughter-mother

May 17, 2021.Reading time 6 minutes.

I missed the point. I’m the daughter. My mum is the mum. That’s the relationship. Yes, I’m my mum’s carer now. The roles and responsibilities may have somewhat blurred. But the relationship is clear and irrevocable. Mother’s Day was on May 9. The week leading up to it was unusually difficult for me. My tinnitus […]

Happy-smiley

May 10, 2021.Reading time 6 minutes.

I was instantly happy-smiley when I saw the sunrise as I drew my bedroom curtain. Golden shades of orange and yellow illuminated the sky. It was a near perfect morning. I see this glorious scene, many mornings, from my east-facing windows. I feel happy-smiley, and then I… stop. My husband and I live in a […]

Haircut week

May 3, 2021.Reading time 6 minutes.

It was my first hair cutting job and my mum’s first in about seven decades. She hasn’t been to a hairdresser or barber since she was about 12. I cut my mum’s hair a few weeks ago. It was a daunting and challenging responsibility on many levels. Why? My mum prides herself in her twice […]

Walks, parks and picnics

April 19, 2021.Reading time 6 minutes.

My husband and I visited Taman Eko Rimba Negeri Selangor or the Selangor State Park last Saturday. It was our second attempt. The first was in January when one of several (lost count now) Covid-19 movement control orders resulted in some parks being closed in the Klang Valley. After that trip, I didn’t hold out […]

3-1 hair, face and body

April 12, 2021.Reading time 6 minutes.

My husband is the only person I know who used soap, the same bar, to clean his head/hair, face and body. Long before the numerous hyphenated hair, skin and body care products made their appearance on retail and supermarket shelves. To be honest, he didn’t look any worse for wear. His before and after looks […]

My younger mum

April 5, 2021.Reading time 6 minutes.

One morning, without any prompting, my mum recalled her wedding and her early married life in Kuala Ketil estate in Kedah. She, who is always late and on a catch up mode, despite being up between 5-5.30 am every morning, was rather relaxed and in a chatty mood. Information was spewing out of her. Naturally, […]

Becoming sixty

March 29, 2021.Reading time 6 minutes.

Last week, I became sixty. My husband kick started my birthday celebration in January. Yes, sixty days prior with fun presents every day. There were also loads of birthday discussions and excitement about the youngest, that’s me, turning sixty, in my family. My sisters, who live abroad, sent parcels of thoughtful gifts long before, leading up […]