Stepping up

August 1, 2022.Reading time 6 minutes.

Sister number 2 left last Tuesday. She arrived from Sydney on 1 June, almost 2 months ago, to be with our mum and care for her. I miss her as does our mum. I’m not sure if sister number 2 was fully aware of the extent of caring required for our mum. I’m also not […]

Praying and rituals

May 16, 2022.Reading time 6 minutes.

My mum retracts her legs and covers her feet when she watches the images of gods on TV. She prays when she sees the ‘Thivarthanam’ or oil lamp/light offering to the deities. She does so each morning as she listens and watches Astro’s Channel 201 that features devotional songs, prayers and rituals conducted in temples […]

Ticking time

February 28, 2022.Reading time 6 minutes.

My mum is a stickler for time. A clock watcher. Even now. Ailing with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease and heart failure, her days are influenced by time. She has clocks everywhere in her condominium. One large analogue clock by her bedside wall. Another digital facing her. Two large ones in the lounge and kitchen. She […]

Saying goodbye

January 24, 2022.Reading time 6 minutes.

I have to say goodbye to sister number 3 on Thursday. She arrived on Deepavali Eve. Changed her return flight from 21 Dec to 11 Jan. Changed it again to 27 Jan. After 2 months and 26 days she flies back to England. Her 90-day MyTravelPass visa expires on 1 Feb. I am sad now. […]

11 minutes

January 17, 2022.Reading time 6 minutes.

It was the longest 11 minutes of my life. My mum could not be aroused. Not by her palliative doctor, who thankfully was present at the time, for her weekly visit. Not by sister number 3. Not by me. My mum was a little under the weather the previous Sunday evening. Phlegm and cough. […]

Happy thoughts in 2022

January 3, 2022.Reading time 6 minutes.

What will 2022 hold for me? I honestly don’t know. What I hope and pray for is good health, happiness and peace of mind. 2021 was a year I will remember for a while yet. It was a mix bag of all sorts. I was really happy leading up to my 60th birthday in March. […]

Palliative care

December 27, 2021.Reading time 6 minutes.

‘Alert and chatty’ is how the palliative care doctor describes my mum, in her log book, after her weekly and sometimes bi-weekly home visit. Positive and encouraging words. Optimistic adjectives. Happily, also true. My mum is sharp witted and cheeky with her answers and responses to questions and queries posed by her palliative team. She […]

One Sunday

November 1, 2021.Reading time 6 minutes.

I’m busy every day. Busier than when I was working and getting paid a decent amount of money. I’m constantly chasing my tail. Always something to do. Always exhausted. So, what is it I’m doing? Why am I busy? Why am I bone-tired? Simple. And yet I never thought of doing it until last Sunday. […]

88 today

September 27, 2021.Reading time 6 minutes.

It’s my mum’s 88th birthday today. It’s a super special birthday on many levels. My mum is super-duper special to me. 88 is a grand old age to get to. 88 is an auspicious number. In Chinese it means fortune and luck. As my mum is a quarter Chinese, she will receive abundant blessings of […]

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. […]