MY DAY STARTS AT DAWN,

 

at 5.45 am to be precise. I am out walking when the street lights are still on, and the air is still crisp. I only meet a few fellow walkers this early. I like this time of the day. The air is refreshingly cool. Twenty-four degrees C is glorious weather here and it only happens at dawn. 

It is so quiet I can hear the “fat” rain drops on the leaves when there is a drizzle. Rain, even a drizzle is seldom "light" in Malaysia.

Evidence as shown on my phone – LIGHT rain with THUNDER! 

Some days when I am preoccupied "with problems 🤣 of the world 🤣," I forget to appreciate the gifts in life. I am just so obsessed with walking briskly to get over my morning work out, I FAIL to realise that, “Hey, I am breathing WITHOUT a mask. NO police man will fine me RM10,000.” In Malaysia, exercising is the only time we are allowed outdoors without a mask.

 Only at dawn with the moist air do I get to see the magic in the street lights. 

Blue lights 

and

golden lights.

My friends are already warming up 

before pounding their beats around the neighbourhood

or on their racing bikes riding their circuits. 

All too soon and "morning has broken,"

 time to head off for HOME

to begin a NEW day. 

THANK YOU for all the BLESSINGS I have received.

YOGA AT SUNRISE

 

Is what the local people at Sanur Beach, Bali, Indonesia practice every morning. This is how a day should really start - 

exercising in the “nippy air” with a golden sunrise and to the sound of lapping ocean waves. At sunrise, I am already stuck in traffic jams driving Savvy Girl to school and rushing to clock in at work before 8am. Doing yoga at dawn would be a preposterous thought.  

Thus, it was a surprise catching this scene on a past pre-covid trip to Bali. Some locals came walking and others on bicycles. None in cars! Some rolled out their straw mats, but most just did their yoga in a “true-blue” manner on the sand. 

To our delight, the instructors allowed us to join the class. We tourists of course disgustingly rolled out our hotel towels as the sand felt kinda icky.  Class was conducted in Bahasa Indonesian. We sort of followed by example.

As the sun rose higher, the class continued on intensely.

The Balinese people were awesome, stretching and effortlessly propping themselves in various positions. The instructors had to prop me up as I was quite out of balance, falling to the left and right. 

Salutations to the sun as dawn slowing turned into morning. I found the moves difficult. Imagine keeping my legs right up pointing to the sky and supporting my entire body on the shoulders. Come on people, make me feel better and tell me this is simply not natural. 

I couldn't get my legs up, not even half-way. It is not my fault cos' gravity kept pulling my thunder thighs (that's what Savvy K calls my legs) right down. Isaac Newton's law of gravity states that everything that goes UP must come DOWN … sooner or later. It was definitely sooner for me. 

The Balinese group was so focused and disciplined. It felt like it was a ritual for them to daily train their bodies for flexibility, balance and to strengthen their minds before they faced the rigors of the day. I will always remember this morning where they shared with me their way of attaining inner peace, and their beautiful sunrise on Sanur Beach. How I wish I can start my every day like the people at Sanur Beach.

March 18th 2020 - 2021: ONE YEAR ,

 

let us NOT make it TWO. When our prime minister announced Movement Control Order, (MCO, equivalent to lockdown) last year, 

I did not expect to also witness enhanced-MCO, semi-enhanced MCO, conditional-MCO and recovery-MCO. Sometimes, Sassy JAM had to ask Gizmo Man, “Darling ah, which MCO are we in today?” 

Presently, we are still not allowed to travel interstate without a letter of permission from the police. 

Violators of the MCO and 

other Covid-10 SOPs have to now dig deeper into their pockets, or bank accounts (to be more accurate) 

as compound fines have increased from RM 1,000 in 2020 to RM10,000 and RM50,000. Many may say this is unfair, stupid or a violation of human rights, but NOT ME. 

The pandemic will prolong if people continue to gather in large groups, NOT wear masks and 

NOT practise social distancing.

As ONE year unfolds today, I recall the downside of our YEAR on a lighter mood: 

We were advised to be sure we were only with Covid-19 negative people.

We Asians could not fathom the commotion at the toilet tissue aisles in supermarkets in the West. Diarrhoea is not a symptom of the coronavirus, so why hoard and fight over toilet rolls? 

This obsession even spilled into the cake industry. 

Every country tried to keep their schools open as

we could not afford a Covid-19 lost generation. But in vain,

Malaysian children did not attend school for a year. Classes only resumed on March 2021. 

Just about every one celebrated their birthday at home. The new term “lockdown birthdays” was created.

Mushrooms sprouted from our passports

 as international travel was banned.

 I didn't want to travel but going to buy groceries saw me scanning QR codes before entering any premises, even today.

Alas, even babies born during the year were not spared. 

And for those babies whose parents believe in the Covid-19 vaccine, they may not be spared either.

The vaccine is NOT a magic bullet to stop transmission and make Covid-19 disappear.

 I quote Dr. Tedros, Director General of WHO, “There will be no return to the old norm in the near future.”  

We will have to adjust to this dastardly virus still accompanying us into a new world. We may be pandemic-fatigued. But, with grit and wit, we WILL create some semblance of normalcy and RETURN BETTER THAN EVER.

Mother-in-law’s tongue BLOOMS

 

YES, for me and my family. 

It is uncanny that every one of my 

mother-in-law’s tongue plant is in full bloom. Why uncanny? Becos’ March 15^th is my mother-in-law’s first death anniversary. We had this plant (scientifically called Sanseviera trifasciata) commonly known as snake plant growing for 13 years and it has NEVER BLOOM.

 So it was a good surprise to see the pure white flowers. Some are in full bloom, others have fresh buds just sprouting. The flowers can surprisingly last for more than 2 weeks.Yesterday we had prayers at the Gurdwara Sahib Petaling Jaya Sikh Temple. The prayers were limited to family members in accordance with SOPs.

"Bibiji's grandchildren and great grandchildren were at the gurdwara to honour her.

 It was quite empty inside the temple, but all the necessary was done well.  I think "Bibiji" (mother) will be pleased.

 Prayers were followed by a “langar.” 

“Langar” means communal meal/community kitchen. 

After prayer sessions in the gurdwara, free vegetarian meals catered by the family offering the prayers are provided to all who attend, 

including anyone who visits the temple. "Langgar" is offered to everyone regardless of what religion they belong to. People of any religion are welcome into the gurdwara. The prayers were quite long - 2 hours. 

I think I started practising my qigong, so forgive me "bibiji," sometimes this daughter-in-law is just incorrigible.

This morning I woke up to another surprise - my orange jasmine tree was covered with white flowers like it had snowed last night. 

The fragrance is beautiful and it fills the house and garden.

 Maybe it is just time for it to bloom. But, I like to think my mother-in-law is telling us she's happy 

and thanking all her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren for remembering her.

REST WELL "BIBIJI" (seated with red shawl) and "BABAJI."

ALWAYS LOVED and FOREVER REMEMBERED.