IT was Thaipusam and, as usual, I was in Penang – walking down the streets looking every bit like a kavadi bearer with my bearded face and traditional outfit.

MY nephew’s house was a mess. There were boxes everywhere, with those black rubbish bags all filled with water. Elsewhere, pots and pans were stacked high, also filled to the brim with water.

IT was a year which started with much promise, and plenty of promises.

“Ask not what your country can do for you.

THE Universiti Malaya convocation last week was a really lively affair, if social media posts are anything to go by.

IT was Deepavali last week and time for the movies. One of the biggest hits was the Hindi blockbuster Tiger 3, starring Salman Khan.

A FEW weeks ago, a little girl wrote to our Prime Minister, complaining about the toilets in her school.

It was one of the darkest days in Malaysian history, but we must never forget Ops Lalang – and never allow it to be repeated.

National Service is coming back with a focus on unity. But will military-style training really help forge unity? And will 45 days be enough?

WE were in India last month and stopped at a restaurant for lunch. The naan there apparently was to die for. The server (as waiters are called) wanted to know what curry we wanted, pointing to the menu.

IT’S a 5,000-year-old garment and has been found in the Indus Valley civilisation, one of the earliest in the world. It has been called the nine-yard wonder for the myriad ways it can be draped over a person. It’s timeless – both ancient and yet modern.

AS I write this, I am in India – or Bharat as they want to call it now – visiting the southern states of Kerala and Tamil Nadu.