Condo living

December 9, 2019.Reading time 6 minutes.

My husband and I like living in a condo. The one big advantage is security. I like that I can park my car, walk into a lift and up to my unit. Not having to get out of my car, open the front gate, drive into the porch and close the gate before I can […]

Business Class

December 2, 2019.Reading time 6 minutes.

I hadn’t flown Malaysia Airlines in a long while. I did this year. I wanted a direct flight from Kuala Lumpur to Brisbane. Most other airlines had stopovers. I honestly prefer to fly on my national carrier. But, it threw a few spanners in the works not to endear itself to me. Even before we […]

Flying solo

November 25, 2019.Reading time 6 minutes.

Do I like travelling solo? Yes and no. My husband and I fly, drive and visit places together, almost always. We are compatible travel buddies. Of course, we have our share of arguments and misunderstandings on our trips. But we manage to laugh away frustrations and annoyances, most times. I think we are better together […]

Bad over good

November 18, 2019.Reading time 6 minutes.

One wrong decision. One poor choice. One bad behaviour. That’s all it takes. One mistake to erase or taint all the good – said, done and achieved – over the years. I don’t understand how one bad tick (✓) can override so many good ticks, but it does. And, try as I may, I am […]

Reactions

November 11, 2019.Reading time 6 minutes.

I don’t always get the reaction I want or would like. After the time invested, detailed planning and injection of that all important, element of surprise, it fails. Not entirely as there are a few gushes. ‘Ahs’ and ‘oohs’. Certainly not the exuberant reaction I expected. It happens. A little disappointed, yes. But, certainly not […]

“I do”

November 4, 2019.Reading time 6 minutes.

Bjorn and Jennifer’s wedding was wonderful. The bride looked lovely in her gorgeous beaded gown with a corset back. My nephew, the groom, scrubbed up well and appeared spiffy in his navy blue jacket and khaki pants. The groom and bride had three groomsmen and three bridesmaids respectively. Family and friends were well represented. With a […]

Deepavali difference

October 28, 2019.Reading time 6 minutes.

Yesterday was Deepavali, the Festival of Lights. My mum’s favourite celebration since she was a little girl. Every year, the mental preparation for the big day starts many months earlier. How do I know this? She loves to talk about her Deepavali plans: cakes (must-haves), number of guests (the usual suspects) menu for the day (similar […]

Not so young

October 21, 2019.Reading time 6 minutes.

Her movements, familiar. Her hair, lustrous. Her body, slim. Her face, recognisable, yet not. There were traces of a pretty young girl whom I thought I knew from years ago. I was doing my prayers in the temple, as I do every Tuesday, when I noticed this not so young lady prostrating outside one of the […]

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 […]