Bad over good

November 18, 2019.Reading time 6 minutes.

One wrong decision. One poor choice. One bad behaviour. That’s all it takes. One mistake to erase or taint all the good – said, done and achieved – over the years. I don’t understand how one bad tick (✓) can override so many good ticks, but it does. And, try as I may, I am […]

Reactions

November 11, 2019.Reading time 6 minutes.

I don’t always get the reaction I want or would like. After the time invested, detailed planning and injection of that all important, element of surprise, it fails. Not entirely as there are a few gushes. ‘Ahs’ and ‘oohs’. Certainly not the exuberant reaction I expected. It happens. A little disappointed, yes. But, certainly not […]

“I do”

November 4, 2019.Reading time 6 minutes.

Bjorn and Jennifer’s wedding was wonderful. The bride looked lovely in her gorgeous beaded gown with a corset back. My nephew, the groom, scrubbed up well and appeared spiffy in his navy blue jacket and khaki pants. The groom and bride had three groomsmen and three bridesmaids respectively. Family and friends were well represented. With a […]

Deepavali difference

October 28, 2019.Reading time 6 minutes.

Yesterday was Deepavali, the Festival of Lights. My mum’s favourite celebration since she was a little girl. Every year, the mental preparation for the big day starts many months earlier. How do I know this? She loves to talk about her Deepavali plans: cakes (must-haves), number of guests (the usual suspects) menu for the day (similar […]

Value of things

October 14, 2019.Reading time 6 minutes.

Should a porridge soup cooker cost the same as a brunch for two people? Should a hotel room per night cost as much as or more than some people’s monthly grocery bill or salary? Naturally, I am not comparing like for like. But, it made me wonder what I was willing to pay for the different […]

Irony

October 7, 2019.Reading time 5 minutes.

When I was five, I wanted a bicycle. Not any bicycle. A two-wheel bicycle with pneumatic tyres. Preferably pink in colour. I used to watch this girl, who was a little older than me, ride along the road, in front of my house in Alor Setar. I wanted a bike just like hers. My dad […]

Caring enough

September 30, 2019.Reading time 6 minutes.

My mother is special to me. She was very unwell recently. Despite visits to the doctor and medication, her recovery was slow. She caught a cold off my brother. Maybe. I am not absolutely sure. He had a cold. She got one after he stayed with her while my husband and I were away on […]

My mum

September 23, 2019.Reading time 6 minutes.

I cannot picture my mum as a child. All mums must have been children once, for sure. But, I can’t imagine mine being young and doing the stuff children do – play, have childhood friends, go to school etc. etc. I’ve known my mum all my life, but only as an adult. She was 28 […]

Haze…again

September 16, 2019.Reading time 6 minutes.

I bought an air pollution and haze KN95 respiratory mask last week. The mask was designed specifically for the situation at hand. Yes, another year of the same old, same old. Haze. It’s back. It’s choking Kuala Lumpur and many states in Malaysia with its familiar and acrid thick smog. Unwelcomed. Unwanted. But, here it […]

Sisters and brothers

September 9, 2019.Reading time 6 minutes.

Sister number three and I had a chat on WhatsApp a few weeks ago. It started on a general note, as it normally does. With questions about how we were and goings-on in our respective lives. We also talked about family events that are happening in the last four months of this year – our grandniece […]