It's that time of the year again when my weekends and days are book-ed at the Singapore Writers Festival! The theme this year? Sayang - an untranslatable Malay word capturing pragmatically both love and loss in a single expression. I missed out on some interesting programmes due to many overlapping schedules. Nonetheless, here are the notable panels I managed to catch: Story … Continue reading Singapore Writers Festival 2016
Tag: writings
A Letter to My Fifteen-Year Old Self
Dear you, I know there are days when you doubt yourself. Days when you wished you were prettier, smarter, funnier. When you're exhausted from everyone's expectations. Listen: you are enough. Shut out your doubts. Learn to build your confidence and quieten them down. You are the most intelligent, beautiful, hilarious, never-to-be-repeated person the world will … Continue reading A Letter to My Fifteen-Year Old Self
Understanding the Whys & Hows of Supplication
I was bummed when I had to miss out on the 3-day Fiqh of Du'a talk by Shaykh Waleed Basyouni... until my beautiful, selfless friend shared with me notes she took down from the talk! The takeaways have been so beneficial to me, so I'm putting it up here for you guys to read. May it be … Continue reading Understanding the Whys & Hows of Supplication
This Life is Temporary
I've been thinking about what Muhammad Ali said during one of his interviews. A boy asked him what he'd do after he retires from boxing. He did a breakdown of the years - most of the hours we have we'd spend it on sleeping, schooling, commuting, so whatever time we have left, that's the amount … Continue reading This Life is Temporary
What I Think About When I Think About Running
I think a lot when I run. Second to showering, I am utterly convinced that running is the time when the most random, and sometimes most interesting thoughts will come to mind. Recently, I thought about how similar running was to life, in seeking truth. If you have read Murakami's What I Talk About When I … Continue reading What I Think About When I Think About Running
How Alike Are We to Earth?
How alike are we to earth? We need nurturing. We need time to grow. We plant within us intentions and goals. We reap what we sow. Too much heat dries us up, yet too much water will stunt our growth. We don't grow flowers overnight; it takes years. Of patience, strength, perseverance. Until one day, … Continue reading How Alike Are We to Earth?
High Performance Ramadhan by Productive Muslim
It's that time of the year again - the month of forgiveness and mercy, where the gates of heaven are wide open and the gates of hell are locked shut, where the Qur'an was sent down for all humanity, fasting was prescribed, where rewards for every act of ibadaah is multiplied, suhoor, iftar gatherings, taraweeh, early nights... … Continue reading High Performance Ramadhan by Productive Muslim
Letters to a Young Poet by Rainer Maria Rilke
Letters to a Young Poet is officially one of my favourite reads. It is, as the self-explanatory title suggests, an array of letters to an aspiring poet named Mr Kappus. Relatable, wise, contemplative reflections and advices are aplenty. I'll share the few which resonates with me and list my own thoughts under each, so I can go back to them … Continue reading Letters to a Young Poet by Rainer Maria Rilke
True Friends Are Gifts from God
As we grow older, we will witness many friendships fade. Only those who are important in our growth towards becoming a better person, will stay. We will come to a point in our lives where we are clear about who we truly are, where we are going, what we want to achieve, & who are … Continue reading True Friends Are Gifts from God
To Know Death is to Know Life
I think about death all the time. Some people say it's pessimistic of me to think that. In fact, I think it's the opposite. I think people who think about dying are the most optimistic people on earth. I think, it's only when you think of death and what comes next will you then know … Continue reading To Know Death is to Know Life
The Book Jacket 