Published inWriters’ Blokke·Aug 25, 2022Member-only10 Lessons Learnt from a Year of TherapyNote: I wrote this article a year ago but only recently found the courage to hit publish. A year ago today I started therapy for the very first time. Like everyone else, the pandemic brought about some unforeseen changes in my life that I was unprepared for so naturally, I…Mental Health7 min readMental Health7 min read
Aug 24, 2021Member-onlyMalaysia: The Bypassed Nation?“It’s that piece of land between Singapore and Thailand!” The United States Vice President Kamala Harris is in Singapore today to counter China’s growing influence over Southeast Asia and to discuss the global chip shortage that is costing US companies billions of dollars. She’s scheduled to visit Hanoi later this…Malaysia4 min readMalaysia4 min read
Published inWriters’ Blokke·Feb 17, 2021Member-onlyPatriotism & Identity — An Immigrant’s DilemmaWhat it’s like to have a nationality with an asterisk — I recently watched an Indian movie, ‘Raazi’, set in the early ’70s about an Indian Muslim girl from Kashmir who marries into a high-ranking Pakistani military family to conduct espionage for India at the time of war. The movie is based on a true story.India4 min readIndia4 min read
Apr 19, 2020Member-onlyWhat does Self-Love Truly Mean?Here’s what no one tells you about loving yourself — The notion of ‘Happily Ever After’ is taught to us through fairytales at a very young age. It teaches us to believe in a light at the end of the tunnel, and that everything will work out in our favour at the end. For the better part of my life…Self Love3 min readSelf Love3 min read
Jan 4, 2020Member-onlyWhy I Gave Up on ReligionIf my father saw this, he’d put a bullet through my head. — Growing up in two heavily religious countries, the concept of not having a religion was something demonic and unacceptable. It’s not that atheists don’t exist in heavily religious countries, but most atheists hide their beliefs in fear of persecution. From a very young age, I was exposed to the idea…Religion4 min readReligion4 min read
Dec 13, 2019Member-onlyAn Idiots’ Guide to TattoosStupid things people say to tattooed women — As a young Asian woman living in a conservative society, having tattoos is something that is immensely frowned upon. So you can imagine the look of horror on my parents’ face when I came home with one. That too on a very visible spot (my forearm). Words were thrown around…Tattoo4 min readTattoo4 min read
Published inZORA·Oct 15, 2019Member-onlyTattoos Are a Part of Our History, So Why Are They So Taboo?We are still being subjected to unfair prejudices when it comes to this practice — Tattoos have been around for centuries. From Native Americans to ancient Egyptians to Maori tribes, tattoos have held significance in a lot of cultures. They symbolize a person’s identity in a number of ways, whether it’s status within a community, passage into adulthood, or a connection with a particular group. …Tattoo3 min readTattoo3 min read
Published inThe Startup·May 17, 2019Member-onlyThe Impact Of Brexit On StartupsBrexit. What an exasperating farrago. In these times of high uncertainty, it must be particularly afflicting being a startup owner; not knowing what the future holds for your business. Ever since its announcement in 2016, Brexit’s often contradicting headlines have caused much confusion for all parties involved. Even though the…Brexit3 min readBrexit3 min read
