Contraptions and gadgets

August 15, 2022.Reading time 6 minutes.

For no good reason I thought of the contraptions and gadgets I have bought and discarded over the years. Top of mind were my rather large android phone with a stylus pen, a PDA aka Personal Digital Assistant, an activity tracker like a Fitbit, an abdominal roller, stationery exercise bike and porridge soup cooker. I […]

Splitting pills

August 8, 2022.Reading time 6 minutes.

In the midst of splitting/cutting my mum’s prescription pills, I became aware of how efficient my pill cutter was. All I had to do was place the pills or tablets centrally under its sharp blade. Whack and there were two equal halves. Each time I used it, I couldn’t help but be reminded of a […]

Saudia

July 18, 2022.Reading time 6 minutes.

My husband and I are safely home. Our bags, all 3, arrived safely with us. Big relief. Four weeks ago, we flew to London, my first trip abroad since 2019. I had written then that there were almost no seats and sky-high ticket prices on the 10 airlines that we had looked up. With no […]

Ageing

June 6, 2022.Reading time 6 minutes.

There are creams and serums to delay and minimise the appearance of wrinkles. There are aesthetic procedures to rejuvenate the face and body. There are exercises to keep muscles fit and flexible. There are diets and supplements to help stay healthier a little longer. Promising. Because it means we have access should we wish, want […]

Love

May 30, 2022.Reading time 6 minutes.

I like the L word, love. A happy, serotonin, feel good emotion. It’s nice to love, and be loved. And, it’s not just romantic love between lovers and married couples. It extends to the special love and affection that exist between parents and children and vice-versa, siblings, friends and even random people, who leave a […]

Alternative meds

May 23, 2022.Reading time 6 minutes.

There are three potted aloe vera plants sitting on my mum’s balcony. They look quite healthy despite being neglected. I can’t remember to water them. Still, they continue to survive rather well. I also don’t remember to use the slimy aloe vera gel to soothe a burn or a cut. It does work but it’s […]

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 […]

Sirens

May 9, 2022.Reading time 6 minutes.

Sirens are but one of the more conspicuous noises of city living. Especially the part of the city my husband and I live in. Our condominium building sits very close to the intersection of Jalan Tun Razak and Jalan Ampang, two long and traffic busy roads in Kuala Lumpur. There are 3 hospitals on our […]

Routine

May 2, 2022.Reading time 7 minutes.

Routine works for me. It gives me structure and a certain order to my day. The order might vary, albeit very slightly, depending on the circumstance, but the activities are pretty much the same. And, they, mostly, get done each day. My days used to start with drinks of water. A check on my mum […]

Meticulous

April 18, 2022.Reading time 6 minutes.

Sister number 4 left for home after 5 weeks of caring for our mum. It was both sad and hard saying goodbye. It always is. She returned home to Brisbane to her family. They were eagerly awaiting to see her as she was to see them. Particularly her adorably, huggable not yet 1 year-old grandson. […]