Longevity

December 12, 2022.Reading time 6 minutes.

Longevity. Life expectancy. I have been thinking of mine and my loved ones. Since my mum became unwell last year. And, since my siblings’ increasingly worrying illnesses. My mum’s double whammy COPD and heart failure combo have resulted in chronic problems with her kidney. She has arthritic fingers and needs support to walk steadily. Topped […]

Trust

November 28, 2022.Reading time 6 minutes.

I like my Subaru XV 2.0. Not too big. Nice shape. Right height. OK colour. The steering wheel feels a little heavy when parking, but otherwise, all good. On average, I drive it twice a week. In the four years that I’ve had it, I’ve clocked up a very low mileage of under 20,000 km. […]

Half-siblings

November 14, 2022.Reading time 6 minutes.

My mum has been chattier of late. Sharing stories with sister number 3 and me. Some people, some events I was already familiar with. Some not. I knew my mum is the first born in the family of three girls. Her parents, my grandparents, were Tulasi and Sandrakasan. I also knew that my grandmother was […]

In the air

November 7, 2022.Reading time 6 minutes.

The 15th General Election or GE15 is in the air. Literally on air on BFM every day. And, in all the other mainstream and social media. On streets, bridges, buildings, vehicles, and trees – banners, buntings and billboards of various political parties abound. The more the resources, the higher the visibility. In cities, towns and […]

Worry pattern

October 31, 2022.Reading time 6 minutes.

My worry pattern has changed in recent years. Now, I seem to worry more about people I care for, and situations and events I cannot control or have no influence over. The latter makes little sense but what to do. I am on a constant worry mode with regards to my mum. An unusually high […]

Birthdays are fun

October 17, 2022.Reading time 6 minutes.

It’s my husband’s birthday today. We are celebrating the special day at Tanjung Jara resort. One of our top five favourite places for special occasions. Sitting on a verandah in a chalet built over a small river with fish and monitor lizards. Not on a balcony on the 30th floor of a condominium block. Looking […]

Mum and baby care

October 10, 2022.Reading time 6 minutes.

My mum is a library of stories. She has plenty to share. Some long. Some disjointed. Some snippets. Mostly, I am happy to listen to her narrate the stories. And, many a times, I have thought, ‘I didn’t know that.’ Out of the blue (she does it quite often these days), my mum spoke about […]

Turning 89

September 26, 2022.Reading time 6 minutes.

My mum turns 89 tomorrow. A milestone, and an achievement. Especially considering the tough year the old girl has had. Gratefully, through most of it, she has managed to remain curious, chatty, and alert. Yay. I like birthdays. Cake or cakes, presents, balloons, decorations. Fuss and focus on number 1. What’s there not to like? […]

5-2 week

September 12, 2022.Reading time 6 minutes.

I’ve had a 5-2 week for the last seven weeks. 5N/5D at my mum’s and 2N/2D with my husband. Sounds like a holiday or travel package. Not quite. I live with my mum at her condo 5N/5D. My week with her starts on Sunday at 9pm and ends on Friday at 9pm. Brothers number 1 […]

Hand-written diary

September 5, 2022.Reading time 7 minutes.

I stumbled upon my 2020 diary, a 2019 Christmas present from sister number 1. I was pleasantly surprised to find my touch-and-feel interactive diary, in amongst my other notebooks. Yes, notebooks that I used to write in and catalogue holidays. It feels strange even saying it. These days, I might scribble a reminder, a grocery […]