Cooking shows

August 16, 2021.Reading time 6 minutes.

I’m only now watching MasterChef Australia: Back to Win (season 12). A season or two behind. The winner has been announced. But I don’t much care. I still find it entertaining to watch the contestants conjure up delightful creations. And, discover who gets eliminated each week. I am maintaining the suspense and keeping it in […]

What to write now?

August 9, 2021.Reading time 6 minutes.

I try to write one story per week for my blog. It’s my 7-day achievement marker. When I’m done writing my post, I’m happier. I feel almost settled for the week. I’ve met my own target of doing something I enjoy, for myself. It’s a nice and comforting feeling. I’ve been successful, thus far, in […]

Caring and loving

August 2, 2021.Reading time 6 minutes.

My initial reaction to some articles I read about caregiving, aging parents and siblings was incredulity. Really? Seriously? How can? I u-turned quick quickly. Especially when I recalled stories from friends and former colleagues who’ve had and continue to have difficulty in trying to provide care for their elderly parents. An ex-colleague gave up a […]

Job-free

July 26, 2021.Reading time 6 minutes.

I’m not work-free. I’m job-free. I no longer take on any fee-earning projects or commissions. No more meetings. No more crazy deadlines. No more writing to suit clients’ requirements. No more commuting. I never was caught in rush-hour traffic as I worked mostly from home – one of the early adopters of the current Work-From-Home […]

Good books

July 19, 2021.Reading time 6 minutes.

A good book is a delightful companion. An entertaining experience. I like how a good book makes me feel. Happy, sad, involved, questioning, curious, enlightened, helpless, angry and vindicated. A gamut of thoughts, feelings and emotions. Sometimes, I even speak to the characters. That’s how interactive I get. Thanks to the host of brilliant writers […]

OMGs

July 12, 2021.Reading time 6 minutes.

I pray. I’ve prayed all my life. Prayers. Gods. Temples. They are staples of my life. Growing up in Alor Setar, I remember my dad prayed a lot. There was always an altar in the house. He rose early every morning. Prayed and headed off to his workplace. Let himself in as he had the […]

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 […]