The Ironies of Life & Living - L

L had always wanted to be called Dr L, to be on par with his wife who was a medical practitioner. After more than 14 years of slogging for the title of Doctor of Philosophy, he finally achieved it when he was in his mid 50's. However, it did not give him the pleasure he thought it would. He was only an expert in the area of his specialization. He did not have a steady job. He could not adapt to the confines of the work system. His family was estranged from him. He did not have a place he could call home. Ultimately, he was none the wiser although he could now sign off as Dr L. 

The Ironies of Life & Living - K

K’s story is the commonest in the annals of life and living. K thought that she was happily married with a family of four kids. They had their ups and downs as all families do but she managed to keep her family united and her husband happy. Unfortunately, her husband was not of the same mind. He had a mistress on the side of whom K knew nothing of until her husband fell sick and had to be hospitalized. Apparently, the affair had been going on for years. It was not that K had not had her share of admirers during this time. There were colleagues and badminton partners who had expressed interest in her but she had dismissed them for the sake of her husband and family. Now she felt betrayed by the one man she had given it all up for!

The Ironies of Life & Living - J

J   was in a mixed marriage, being a Chinese Malaysian married to an Indian Malaysian. She and her husband brought up three offspring and were employed by the government. When they retired from their government jobs, they decided to travel around the world in the safety of guided tour groups which had a tour leader. Once when a tour group had to make up the numbers and an Indian lady had no partner, J called up her Indian sister-in-law to enquire if she was interested in being the Indian lady’s room-mate. She concurred that since both were Indians they would get along splendidly. How could she assume that when she herself was in a mixed marriage!

Crime & Us

Crime is becoming so rampant these days. It used to be that we used to get to know about criminal activities only in the media. Today, we hear of the nearby convenience store being robbed, someone in our field of work being shot in the street, a friend having her bag snatched and a neighbour’s house being broken into. 

It used to be that we only heard about these criminal activities once in a blue moon. Today, we can hear at least two different situations of criminal activities happening on the same day. What is happening to the situation in Malaysia?

What do we do in this kind of situation? Just wait for something to happen to us? Isn’t there something concrete that the common layman can do to fight crime?

Some Nights in Malaysia

There is a stillness in the night,

a welcoming calm towards the wee hours of the morning light.

The deafening silence prevails as the world rests in slumber…..

Until is heard the murmuring, the buzzing.

The droning builds into a crescendo…..

Then is heard sputtering, revving, rumbling,

Engines battling one against the other.

Circling around the neighbourhood

Speeding up and down the main roads and by-roads.

Babies asleep awaken. 

Adults resting arise.

Some elderly quiver thinking the end is near

The deafening silence turns to thunderous chaos.

A cacophony of sounds from the different machines!

Why are these Mat Rempit given the freedom to destroy the peacefulness of the night in Malaysia?