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 […]

Dolphins of Monkey Mia

September 2, 2019.Reading time 6 minutes.

Up close with the bottlenose dolphins in Monkey Mia.

Selfie Musuem

August 26, 2019.Reading time 6 minutes.

It was a coincidence. My husband and I were having dinner at the Pavilion mall in Kuala Lumpur. I couldn’t help but notice a woman, she had her back to me, snapping photo after photo of herself. She was reviewing and editing every shot, probably using an app that was intended to make you look […]

Flying adventures

August 19, 2019.Reading time 6 minutes.

Flying adventures and … misadventures

Liars, leaders and supporters

August 12, 2019.Reading time 6 minutes.

This is the world I live in now. Not telling the truth isn’t a big deal. It’s almost fashionable to lie. There are no repercussions. There is no price to pay. Even when liars are called out on their lies – with evidence staring them in their faces – they get away scot-free. The liars […]