LILO was the only child of Murin, a woman who died sometime in the late 1950s, less than a year after giving birth. In her earliest days, Lilo knew hunger, heat, and the bustle of other people’s lives, but no one told her that her father, Jali, had already decided
“Disdain the things you cannot have; it is best for your peace of mind.” – Bertrand Russell (1872-1970) was a British philosopher, logician, mathematician, historian and social critic – one of the most influential intellectuals of the 20th century. JAMI had always believed in the fairness of life. He worked
JANUARY often evokes the memory of an old, irksome friend. Perhaps it’s the relentless rain that does it. I remember how my mates and I would brave the downpours, playing football drenched to the skin, until goosebumps crept up our arms and our teeth chattered from the chill. There’s an
“We are born into a world of suffering, and it is what we do with that suffering that defines us.“ Albert Camus (1913-1960), a French philosopher, novelist and essayist, best known for exploring how human beings search for meaning in a world that often feels cruel, indifferent, and unjust –
● The durian season is upon us again, and I can’t resist telling a “duriany” story. ONCE upon a time, in the late 1950s, a mighty durian tree towered over a corner of our remote village in Serian District. And what a specimen it was – tall, defiant, and perfuming
“It is not what we give but what we share, for the gift without the giver is bare.” – James Russell Lowell (1819-1891), an American poet, critic, editor, diplomat, and political activist. IF ever there was a man who could turn self-promotion into a grand performance, it was my fellow
‘Silence is the language of God, all else is poor translation.’ Mahatma Gandhi (1869-1948), a prominent leader in the Indian independence movement against British colonial rule. He is best known for his philosophy of nonviolent resistance, or ‘Satyagraha’, which he believed was the most effective way to achieve social and
“Kindness is the language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see.” – Mark Twain (1835-1910) – the pen name of Samuel Langhorne Clemens – an American author and humorist, best known for his novels ‘The Adventures of Tom Sawyer’ (1876) and ‘Adventures of Huckleberry Finn’ (1884). IN
… But let’s laugh about it “You could die right now. Let that determine what you do and say and think.” – Marcus Aurelius (121-180 AD); a Roman emperor and philosopher, best known for his contributions to Stoicism, a philosophical school that emphasises reason, virtue, and self-control. He ruled from
(A heart-warming tale of culinary chaos, familial scandal, and one woman’s accidental rise to kitchen glory) “Cooking is like love. It should be entered into with abandon or not at all.“ – Harriet Van Horne (1920-2000); an American journalist and food writer known for her insightful commentary on food and