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Al-Fatihah Tun Dr. Siti Hasmah - Sebuah Renungan

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Malam ini terasa lain sedikit. Berita pemergian Tun Hasmah tiba-tiba membawa aku kembali kepada makna seorang ibu, seorang pendamping, seorang wanita yang bertahan dengan lembut sepanjang zaman yang penuh cabaran. Seratus tahun bukan usia yang singkat. Ada banyak yang beliau saksikan, banyak yang beliau lalui dan mungkin banyak juga yang beliau pendam sendiri sebagai seorang isteri kepada tokoh besar negara. Aku terfikir, di sebalik gelaran dan sejarah, beliau tetap seorang manusia biasa yang penat, yang gembira, yang bimbang, sama seperti aku dan semua wanita lain yang cuba menjadi kuat setiap hari. Entah kenapa, berita ini menyentuh sesuatu dalam diriku. Mungkin kerana aku pun seorang ibu, yang cuba bertahan, cuba membesarkan anak-anak sendirian, cuba mencari makna di sebalik keletihan harian. Melihat seorang wanita yang begitu dihormati akhirnya pergi dengan tenang pada usia begitu panjang, buat aku rasa bahawa hidup ini, walau seberat mana pun, tetap ada keindahannya sendiri jika...
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A "Picture of Health" | How a Grumpy Swiss Cow Postcard Gave Me Hope from My Wheelchair

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Today was a very, very hard day. My body, my house, decided to lock all its doors. My back said, "No, you cannot stand up straight." My knees said, "No, we will not bend." My waist said, "I am a frozen rock." I could not stand. I could not walk. My legs forgot how to work. The pain was a big, heavy blanket. It was everywhere. For days, I have been sick with this ‘demam urat’ . But today, it was the boss. I knew I could not fight it alone. Thankfully, I have a friend. A very good friend. He came to my house. He saw me. He did not ask many questions. He came with my own wheelchair. The one that has been my companion on other hard days. Today, that chair was my legs. That chair was my freedom. My friend was my hero. We went to the clinic. A government clinic. There were so many people. Everyone was waiting. We waited. And waited. And waited. One hour passed. Two hours passed. Three hours passed. Time was a sleepy turtle.  It moved so slowly. I sat in my whee...
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Location: Switzerland
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A 632-Year Lesson in Patience | How Cologne's "Unfinished" Cathedral Gave Me Hope

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Today is another slow day. The fever is still here. It is like an unwanted guest in my body. It makes my bones feel old. It makes my head feel full of cotton. My world is my bed, my pillow, and my blanket. I do not want to watch TV. The sounds are too loud. I do not want to read a book. The words are too blurry. So, I reach for my box of treasures. My box of postcards. It is my magic box. It can take me anywhere in the world, without moving my tired body. My fingers move past sunny beaches. They move past colorful flowers. Then they stop. They touch a postcard that is dark and serious. It is not a happy picture. It is a powerful picture. In the picture, there is a giant building. It looks like a black castle from a fairy tale. It has two tall, pointy towers. They are like two giant fingers pointing up to the sky. The whole building is covered in details. So many lines, and windows, and little statues. It looks like it is made of black lace. The castle is so big. It is bigger than all t...
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Location: Cologne, Germany
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A Cold Postcard for a Hot Fever | Finding Strength in the Ghost Town of Kennecott, Alaska

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Today, my body is not my friend.  I have a fever. My head feels hot. My skin feels hot. But sometimes, I feel very cold inside. It is a strange feeling. My bones hurt. My muscles hurt. In Malay, we call this ‘demam urat’ . It feels like every part of my body is tired and complaining. I do not want to eat. The food has no taste. I do not want to move. The bed is my home now. It is my world. This world is small. It is just my room. The fan turns and turns. The clock on the wall says tick-tock . It is a slow and boring world. When you are sick, time moves very slowly. One hour feels like one day. In my small world, I look for something to do. My eyes are tired of the phone. My ears are tired of the quiet. I see a box on my table. It is a simple brown box. But inside, it is not simple. Inside are my treasures. Inside are my windows to the world.  The box is full of postcards. Friends from far, far away send them to me. Each postcard is a picture. Each postcard is a story. Each pos...
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Location: Wrangell-St. Elias National Park & Preserve, Alaska, USA
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Z1000 & Misteri Kisah Cinta Tergolek ...dan "Kasut Tumit Tinggi"

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GEDEBUK! Itulah bunyi Kak Mawar semasa terjatuh betul-betul kat depan kedai makan Teluk Senangin. Pantai berpasir putih yang penuh orang melepak. Time tu pendek kata semua mata memandanglah. Memang malu sesangat, tapi terpaksalah letak tepi dulu. Tapi yang paling menyedihkan, cermin sisi kiri motor tu retak seribu .  Aha, tapi sebelum Kak Mawar nak bercerita macam mana Kak Mawar boleh jatuh "tergolek" kat Teluk Senangin tu, jom kita patah balik ke tahun 2013 hingga 2019 sewaktu Kak Mawar mula terjebak dengan aktiviti bermotosikal ni.  Ini adalah kisah seorang wanita yang asalnya cuma tahu berangan, sehinggalah dia berjaya memulas throttle impiannya sendiri . Kak Mawar la tu... :D Ilustrasi adalah suntingan AI
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Location: Putrajaya, Malaysia
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You Can Be Free! Saying Bye-Bye to Tricky People & Finding Your Happy

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Hello my wonderful friends! Have you ever felt like someone else is holding the strings, and you are just a little puppet dancing to their tune? Maybe someone tries to boss you around all the time, or tells you what to think and feel? It doesn't feel very nice, does it? The lovely quote says: "Never let someone else control you." Sometimes, we make a little mistake. We accidentally let someone who shouldn't have power over us... well, have power over us! Someone who isn't kind or fair. Maybe a tricky friend, maybe someone else. We open our heart's door just a little bit, and oops! Someone not-so-nice walks in and tries to take over the house! If this happens, please know: It is okay! You can still find your way back!   You can gently close that door again. You don't have to stay in a place that feels yucky or hurtful (a "toxic environment"). Feeling sad about letting them in is okay too, but the most important thing is to find your freedom again....
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Location: Putrajaya, Malaysia
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