Present, Past and Future

March 11, 2019.Reading time 8 minutes.

ving in the present, revisiting the past and looking forward to the future

“Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment.” Buddha[1] Wise people have said and continue to say we should learn to live in the present, not dwell too much on the past or spend a lot of time worrying about the future. I agree, sort […]

Stuffed tigers and real monkeys

March 4, 2019.Reading time 6 minutes.

I could not understand why anyone would want to buy an angry looking stuffed tiger. Its gaping mouth and serious demeanour were far from endearing or cutesy to cuddle up to. I first saw many of these stern looking animals in Kampung Cherating, a holiday village in Pahang. They were being sold in sundry shops […]

Sleepy me

February 25, 2019.Reading time 6 minutes.

Insomnia, my nocturnal state of being. I have difficulty going to sleep, staying asleep and when I do sleep, I wake up too early, feeling tired and looking like a wilted daisy. I go to bed yawning and feeling exhausted (obviously as I haven’t had enough shut-eye the previous nights), but instead of falling asleep, […]

People make all the difference

February 18, 2019.Reading time 7 minutes.

My mum is prepared to travel 30 odd kilometres or km (one way) from KL city centre to see her cardiologist in Shah Alam, the state capital of Selangor. There are four credible hospitals including a heart specialist centre within a five km radius of where we reside. I, on the other hand, sit through […]

Young, busy and self-absorbed?

February 11, 2019.Reading time 6 minutes.

My now friend and ex-client said a decision she made when she was young continues to be her biggest regret. She was not present for her dad, who suffered a stroke and subsequently died. She still feels he may have lived a little longer if he had better care and attention but she was just […]

A 3-in-1 resolution

December 31, 2018.Reading time 7 minutes.

I am one for resolutions. Every year, I make resolutions. I like making them because it encourages me to think. Yes, just think of what I’d like to do better or different in the new year, never mind that I forget some and ignore others. Still, I enjoy the thinking and the listing, and hopefully, […]

All about the money, money…

December 17, 2018.Reading time 6 minutes.

I was watching ‘A Star is Born’ and multi-tasking by looking up Lady Gaga on my iPad. It was a general browse about the stars of the movie. I wasn’t checking on anything in particular but her net worth popped up, which was pretty impressive, but what really threw me was how much Kylie Jenner […]

Mad and maddening drivers

December 10, 2018.Reading time 6 minutes.

Scurrying and rushing to keep up with the flashing green man

I felt compelled to write about the driving culture in Malaysia, if you can call it that, following a recent drive to Fraser’s Hill. Being a local, I am amply aware of our ballistic and ‘kiasu’ tendencies when we get behind the wheel, deservedly and sadly, earning us the shameful label of being rude and […]

Leavers and remainers

November 26, 2018.Reading time 7 minutes.

The only time my husband and I take an early morning flight is from England to Malaysia. Up at 5am and out the door by 6am to catch the 10am flight home when the leavers (us) and remainers (family) are still half-awake and a little groggy from sleep. I dread the leave day as it […]

Grateful, thankful and blessed

November 19, 2018.Reading time 8 minutes.

I have managed to get to my fifties; grateful for living and remembering more happy days than not. I am happy with my personal life, and content with my reasonably successful professional achievements. All my organs function, not at full capacity, but they work ok, and my limbs are intact and allow me mobility. I […]