When the Masks Became Merchandise: Halloween’s Drift from Samhain to Sales

  Every October, the world seems to forget that ghosts were once taken seriously. Supermarkets stack plastic pumpkins, malls start selling c...

The Ceiling Still Speaks: On Living With Family Trauma

Sometimes, I look at people who grew up in homes filled with laughter and warmth. They speak fondly of childhood holidays, of parents who ne...

“You Got It Easy” — When Empathy Sinks Beneath the Surface

It was a Friday night. The kind where everyone is half-awake but too wired to sleep. My friends and I were deep in our WhatsApp group chat —...

When the Warning Bell Is Muted: Lessons from Megan Khung and the Legend of Hang Nadim

In early 2020, four-year-old Megan Khung died after more than a year of horrific abuse. The child was found in a metal pot, her small body b...

When the Ink Runs Dry and the Candle Burns Out.

I once had a conversation with a friend who candidly pointed out that a teacher is — “bagai lilin membakar diri, menerangi orang lain” — lik...

Rolling for Control: The Allurement of Playing Dungeons & Dragons

Imagine this: you’re with a group of friends, snacks all over the table, someone’s got a suspiciously fancy set of dice, and everyone’s argu...