Peaces of me
A couple of weeks ago, I was on my way home from a writers’ retreat on the big island of Hawaii. In the last leg of my flight, from Sydney to Melbourne, I heard a repetitive chant being played in a foreign language. I turned around to see a middle-aged Asian woman sitting directly behind… Continue reading Forbearance is a form of kindness
You have a lot to give yourself and to the world. Be kind and be patient – with yourself and others. It's okay if you do not know your purpose. There's more to life than 'werk' and money. Although you do need those things to a degree in the conventional world, there are other ways to… Continue reading A note to self
Yesterday I was deep in conversation with a friend. Let’s call him Art. For the past 10 years, Art had lived and worked overseas, where he had created a name for himself and his indie performances. But a few months ago, he moved back to Australia to help his ailing dad. Art is in his… Continue reading The importance of noting your little successes
What were my goals at the beginning of 2017? To be honest, I can’t recall, as I don’t believe I formally set any. I mostly went with the flow, and felt like I floated all year and didn’t really achieve much. Upon reflection, however, I found that this wasn’t true. I had subconsciously focused on… Continue reading 2017: my year in review
This is a photo of me at Bisti beach, on the idyllic Greek island of Hydra. What is it saying to you? That I’m happy? That I’m having the time of my life, frolicking in the turquoise-blue waters of the Aegean Sea? That I can afford an extravagant holiday on the other side of the… Continue reading A picture paints a thousand words…that you cannot see
In Melbourne, eating out is a no-brainer. Here, food is not just for sustaining your energy or feeding your hunger. No. It’s a place where food is Art. Fashion, even. (Just ask the hipsters – they wear the café scene.) And when you can get delicious diversity at a reasonable price, with food better than… Continue reading Eating out – the (lack of) joy
Saturday night was a big night. For this 41-year-old introvert anyway. My husband and I were out celebrating his good friend’s fortieth birthday in a private dining room at a fine dining restaurant with 20 other people. Sounds lovely? Yes, it was. And the food was divine. However, it started at 7.15 pm, and by… Continue reading Guilty for enjoying time alone
Lately, I’ve been trying to cultivate a habit. A habit where my interaction with any human being, including strangers whom I may encounter, does something to uplift their day. It could be looking the person in the eye and smiling as I walk pass or saying a kind word or two. Or chatting to the… Continue reading Making someone’s day
A few weeks ago, I introduced a good friend of mine (let’s call her Jacinta) to another good friend (let’s call her Linda). At this catch-up, Jacinta learnt a few things about Linda’s life (as did Linda about Jacinta’s). Things such as how Linda lives in the city for 3 days of the week, then… Continue reading Romanticising
In The Happiness Project, author Gretchen Rubin writes, “Erasmus observed, ‘The chief happiness for a man is to be what he is.’” I’ve always envied people who, from the get-go, are clear on who they are – and what they want to do with their life. Just last week, I was talking to my cousin-in-law… Continue reading The happiness equation
