Cooking shows

August 16, 2021.Reading time 6 minutes.

I’m only now watching MasterChef Australia: Back to Win (season 12). A season or two behind. The winner has been announced. But I don’t much care. I still find it entertaining to watch the contestants conjure up delightful creations. And, discover who gets eliminated each week. I am maintaining the suspense and keeping it in […]

What to write now?

August 9, 2021.Reading time 6 minutes.

I try to write one story per week for my blog. It’s my 7-day achievement marker. When I’m done writing my post, I’m happier. I feel almost settled for the week. I’ve met my own target of doing something I enjoy, for myself. It’s a nice and comforting feeling. I’ve been successful, thus far, in […]

Caring and loving

August 2, 2021.Reading time 6 minutes.

My initial reaction to some articles I read about caregiving, aging parents and siblings was incredulity. Really? Seriously? How can? I u-turned quick quickly. Especially when I recalled stories from friends and former colleagues who’ve had and continue to have difficulty in trying to provide care for their elderly parents. An ex-colleague gave up a […]

Job-free

July 26, 2021.Reading time 6 minutes.

I’m not work-free. I’m job-free. I no longer take on any fee-earning projects or commissions. No more meetings. No more crazy deadlines. No more writing to suit clients’ requirements. No more commuting. I never was caught in rush-hour traffic as I worked mostly from home – one of the early adopters of the current Work-From-Home […]

Good books

July 19, 2021.Reading time 6 minutes.

A good book is a delightful companion. An entertaining experience. I like how a good book makes me feel. Happy, sad, involved, questioning, curious, enlightened, helpless, angry and vindicated. A gamut of thoughts, feelings and emotions. Sometimes, I even speak to the characters. That’s how interactive I get. Thanks to the host of brilliant writers […]

OMGs

July 12, 2021.Reading time 6 minutes.

I pray. I’ve prayed all my life. Prayers. Gods. Temples. They are staples of my life. Growing up in Alor Setar, I remember my dad prayed a lot. There was always an altar in the house. He rose early every morning. Prayed and headed off to his workplace. Let himself in as he had the […]

Sundari

July 5, 2021.Reading time 6 minutes.

My mum was livid with her local satellite television provider some weeks ago. A little less now. By chance, she and I discovered that Astro had retimed one of her favourite Tamil dramas, ‘Sundari’ to 7pm from the original 9.00pm slot. Every evening, I do two things before I leave her condominium. Ensure her decoder […]

Corona

June 28, 2021.Reading time 6 minutes.

I didn’t want to write another post on Covid-19. But here I am doing just that. The fact is it’s a little difficult to ignore or delete all things Covid-19 related. It’s everywhere. In my daily, personal, physical, mental and virtual life. I wake up to it and go to sleep with it. I can’t […]

Mirror, mirror…

June 21, 2021.Reading time 6 minutes.

What is beauty? Who is beautiful? Is there a beauty standard? If yes, who decides and who qualifies? These questions came coursing through my head. While and after I had watched a cooking show with an international model, yes, a model as one of three guest judges. She was tall and thin. Light skinned with […]

My mum’s recipe 7: WIP – Suji Puttu

June 14, 2021.Reading time 6 minutes.

Two weeks ago, my mum announced that she was going to cook Suji or Semolina Puttu for her Friday lunch. Just like Upma, there’s nothing about Puttu that I like. Not the sand-like texture, taste or pale colour. But, that’s just me. Despite my dislike and disinterest in Puttu, I volunteered to help my mum. […]