Staying Until the Next Year

I remember reading  A Long Way Down  by Nick Hornby many years ago, at a time when I was young enough to think I understood despair, but old...

“Have a Merry Christmas!” — But Who Actually Has the Energy for That?

A few Decembers ago, I found myself standing in a shopping mall after work, arms full of bags, clothes slightly damp from the rain outside, ...

Fear and Where It Stems From

Fear rarely comes from failure itself. It comes from what failure threatens to take away. When people say they are afraid to fail, what they...

Mariah Carey, The Long Game, and the Art of Staying Eternal

In early September, when the sun still felt like it was auditioning for a job in the equator and Christmas felt like a distant rumour, I wro...

THANK GOD for BFCM!

Every year, as November rolls around, I watch the same global ritual unfold with a mixture of amusement and mild existential despair. Black ...

A Climate Reflection from the Tropics - Do We Really Need Jackets ?

As I write this, the world’s attention is turned toward COP30, the global climate summit happening right now in Belém, deep in the Brazilian...

Between Syukur and Silence: Rethinking Gratitude in an Asian–Muslim Context

There’s a phrase many of us Malay-Muslims grow up hearing:  “Sentiasalah bersyukur.”  Always be grateful. We’re told that every blessing, ev...

Post-Kindness Week Reflection: Is Being Kind the Same as Being Nice?

It’s Kindness Week. Everywhere you turn, there are reminders to “be kind.” Schools, offices, public campaigns—your social media feed is like...

Publicity, Staged Conflicts, and the Price of Being Seen

There’s a saying that  bad publicity is still publicity . The idea is simple: as long as people are talking about you, you have power. Visib...