Mothagam

August 31, 2020.Reading time 6 minutes.

August 22 was Vinayagar Chathurti. My mum was fretting leading up to the big day for Lord Ganesha. She usually gets excited when there is a celebration on the horizon, particularly Deepavali. But this time she seemed concerned with her ‘To-do’ list. Shopping, cleaning the altar, sprucing up the condo and especially making ‘Mothagam’ or […]

Changing expectations

August 17, 2020.Reading time 6 minutes.

Back in January, I scoffed at the idea of a Fixed Deposit (FD) rate lower than 3%. I usually scour the business pages and online promotions to compare the best FD rates offered by financial institutions. Homework is a must for a safe home for my hard earned money. Especially when the journey was long, […]

Mask police

July 27, 2020.Reading time 6 minutes.

I don’t want to be a mask police. I don’t want to police people or business. That said, in one week, I had to question the Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) at two well established restaurants. Staff with no masks or masks worn under the chin. I was disappointment. I expected better. One, situated along Jalan […]

Stork King and Queen

July 13, 2020.Reading time 6 minutes.

If the lion is the king of the jungle, then the stork reigns in Zoo Negara, Malaysia’s national zoo. They live, eat, nest, fly, walk and roam freely just about everywhere. To me, they are the kings and queens of the 110 acres of land that is home to over 5137 specimen from 476 species […]

My mum’s recipe 4: Sambar

July 6, 2020.Reading time 7 minutes.

I learnt how my mum cooks ‘sambar’ or ‘dhal’ in her kitchen a couple of weeks ago. I’ve seen her prepare it many times but have never paid any attention to what it entailed. I now know that it entails quite a lot. Too much dicing and slicing, spices, cooking and slaving over a hot […]

In the present

June 22, 2020.Reading time 6 minutes.

I can feel sad. Surprisingly, suddenly. Without warning. A song. A paragraph in a book. A poignant message on WhatsApp. A scene from a movie. Just a few triggers that make me feel melancholy for no apparent reason other than the trigger itself. The change in emotion is quite dramatic. Thank goodness they are mostly […]

I, me and myself

June 15, 2020.Reading time 6 minutes.

It’s June. Six months into 2020. I was flipping through my table-top calendar (yes, it’s not digital) to check what I had jotted down in January for the rest of the year. Stopped in March, which was my birthday month, not the whole month. Although I do try to stretch my birthday for as many […]

Onde Onde ice cream

June 8, 2020.Reading time 6 minutes.

Onde Onde ice cream potong? Who would have thought of making ice cream from a traditional kuih or cake/snack in Malaysia? I didn’t. I am glad someone did because it’s fabulously creamylicious. I am familiar with most local cakes, snacks and pastries. Ice cream, I know only too well. Both making and eating them. Which is […]

Life and livelihood

June 1, 2020.Reading time 6 minutes.

I haven’t gone to the temple in SS3 since March 17, the Tuesday before the Movement Control Order (MCO) took effect in Malaysia. That’s 10 visits that didn’t happen in over 2 months. That’s 10 times I didn’t buy flowers from the florists stationed just outside the temple. The two flower stall holders are not […]

My mum’s recipe 3: Pulut kacau

May 18, 2020.Reading time 6 minutes.

‘Pulut kacau’ is another favourite ‘kuih’ of mine. And, naturally my mum’s is the yummiest. While not an Indian ‘palavaram’ or cake, it nevertheless makes an annual appearance at Deepavali. My mum’s is not just any ‘pulut kacau,’ it is the pink, rosy, glistening variety. Glutinous rice, creamy coconut milk and sugar. Three yesses. This […]