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 […]

Old and older

July 11, 2022.Reading time 6 minutes.

I’m guilty. Of not seeing, of not noticing, of not paying too much attention. I’m also guilty. Of not engaging. Of not asking questions. Of lacking interest. I’m more aware and empathetic now but still have a way to go despite becoming an older person myself. For sure, old and older people weren’t born wrinkly, grey, […]

Caravan holiday

July 4, 2022.Reading time 6 minutes.

I had my first caravan park/camp holiday with my husband and mum-in-law last week. I have heard so much about it that I was quite looking forward to it. My husband always spoke fondly of the many holidays he had had with his parents and sister. I think, for him, it was the childhood memory […]

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 […]

Serial baddies

April 25, 2022.Reading time 6 minutes.

I am no expert. But I do think there are far too many bad and evil people in Tamil TV-land. How do I know this? Since sister number 4 left for Brisbane on 6 April, I’m with my mum 24×7. My evening entertainment comprises Tamil serials that my mum watches, courtesy of Sun TV HD and […]

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. […]