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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

Mirror, mirror…

June 21, 2021.Reading time 6 minutes.

What is beauty? Who is beautiful? Is there a beauty standard? If yes, who decides and who qualifies? These questions came coursing through my head. While and after I had watched a cooking show with an international model, yes, a model as one of three guest judges. She was tall and thin. Light skinned with […]

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. […]

Vaccine hope

May 24, 2021.Reading time 6 minutes.

A little hope. Seven of my family members have received the first dose of vaccines against the life threatening and omnipresent Covid-19. My mum had hers on May 11. I didn’t know which vaccine she would be given. So naturally, I did the only thing I could do. I prayed for divine intervention and the […]

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 […]

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 […]