Induction into induction

I finally got myself an induction hob. I have been hob-less since my gas powered stove blew up on me. Even now I shudder at the thought. Expectedly that scary incident has been a little difficult to forget. It was also the reason I took my time to find a replacement. Anything but gas. The […]

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Speaking at…

A phone call from a friend, whom I hadn’t texted or spoken to in a very long time, made me wonder about conversations. She and I, two people speaking with each other; exchanging information and updates about each other’s lives. But, that wasn’t what occurred. After asking me how I was, obligatory niceties out of the way, […]

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Knee pain and the Net

A few weeks ago, my mum complained of knee pain. She had difficulty standing up from her toilet seat. She has chronic arthritis and osteoporosis. She aches all over. Her pain is constant. Accentuated by phases of more pain. I was concerned. About the pain. About sitting and walking in her condo. About the possibility […]

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Wish list for 2021

I wish 2021 will be nothing like 2020. I miss my life before Covid-19. I want that life back. Practically, I know that’s not going to happen. Sigh. Not for the most part of 2021, and maybe even beyond. At least not in Malaysia. Not yet. According to news reports, the government has secured a […]

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The week that was …

On Wednesday, I had to re-order my mum’s favourite Sunsweet Pitted Prunes online. This was after the previous online order failed to arrive. The seller on the first platform did not bother responding to five queries on the prunes’ whereabouts. I complained to the platform. It refunded my money to its wallet. And, explained that […]

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Nine months on…

It still came as a shock when my husband told me that one of his mates had lost his job. I know him and his family. My first thought was his two teenage school-going children, who should be off to university in a few years. My mind was in a tailspin. I was full of […]

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Yellow-black banana

Bananas ripen and turn yellow-black before I get home from the supermarket. Mangoes develop unsightly spots as I wash, dry and store them. Tomatoes get mushy and even the hardier carrots look scruffy in a few days. Fresh and inviting in the store. Wilted and sad at home. Fresh produce become un-fresh, and spoil at an […]

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Not going away

It’s not going away. Not anytime soon. Eights month on and we’re now in a Conditional Movement Control Order (CMCO) in Kuala Lumpur. Various movement restrictions from MCO, CMCO, Recovery MCO, and Enhanced and Semi-Enhanced MCO’s have been enforced in various areas, districts and states in Malaysia, at various times, to control the number of […]

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Real or fake?

Many years ago, my mum used to read a weekly magazine. I forget the name now. It was a Tamil tabloid that carried news on politics, celebrity and lifestyle interspersed with some bizarre short stories. What I remember most is my mum reading, half-believing and relating the whacky snippets to me. The ones that jump […]

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Empathy, sympathy, compassion

Empathy. Sympathy. Compassion.

The definitions of empathy, sympathy and compassion used to be a little unclear to me. Not anymore. I’ve had some recent first-hand experiences to set me straight. My husband fell off Snoopy, his motorcross bike, a few weeks ago. Sustained a number of injuries. Nothing too serious. Not like the ankle bone he broke last […]

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