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. […]

Reps of the people

April 11, 2022.Reading time 6 minutes.

Listening to two interviews on the radio with two different politicians made me ponder about politics and politicians. Both were asked identical questions. Both gave age-old rhetoric to address pressing economic issues and evolving health concerns. And, both claimed what they said was dissimilar from their opponent. Integrity, accountability, transparency, inclusion and fighting corruption were […]

Mind, heart and holiday

April 4, 2022.Reading time 6 minutes.

It was an enjoyable two day holiday. The resort was idyllic. The accommodation was reminiscent of my kampung home in Alor Setar. My husband and I had a few National Geographic moments. Just what I/we needed to unwind and relax. But did I? Unwind and relax? There was a meandering stream. Two to three rapids […]

Bands and cups

March 28, 2022.Reading time 6 minutes.

There’s Google – the global library for all and sundry information. There’s social media – where there’s abundance of advice, advertising and influencers. All available at my fingertips. What rock was I under? I didn’t think to research it. Why? Because I didn’t know what I didn’t know. Or maybe I didn’t care enough. It happened […]

Job search

March 21, 2022.Reading time 6 minutes.

Job shortage, minimum wage, living wage, skills mismatch, unemployed graduates, unemployment rate, underemployment, foreign workers, 3D or dirty, dangerous, difficult jobs and gig workers i.e., independent contractors, online platform workers, contract firm workers, on-call workers and temporary workers [1] are issues/topics debated and deliberated frequently. The chatter made me rewind to my, long ago, job search. It was […]

Chocolate and birthdays

March 14, 2022.Reading time 6 minutes.

It’s my birthday month. Yes, the whole month of March. Why not I ask? I know it’s birth + day = birthday. So, it’s ‘supposed’ to be celebrated on one day. I know. But, what the hey? Particularly as it makes me happier and a little more special. I get to decide what I want and […]