For April 2018, I talked about how I sometimes make up stories of an 'imaginary husband', just so that I would not be judged for being single. In hindsight, that's probably not the best thing to do (by pretending being someone I'm not), so read the whole article at the link below! (or click the picture). I also wrote about my trip to Japan and what that taught me about eating yourself to a long life. Click here to read the whole article
https://www.pressreader.com/malaysia/new-straits-times/20180410/282548723846350 I am so honored and thrilled that Dumped was featured in Marie Claire magazine, April 2018 edition!
We talked about all fun things – how the book came about, new-age dating and traveling! In the interview I mentioned that although I have never tried any ‘organized’ dating (i.e. speed dating, online dating etc), I know people who have done so and met interesting people and had meaningful relationships. By the end of the day, I always have respect for people who are brave enough to go after what they want in life. It’s so much better than sitting around, too scared of taking chances and ending up with a lot of ‘what-if’s. Have you read ‘Dumped’ yet? What did you think of it? I am excited for you to read my next baby (hopefully soon!) You can read the whole interview below. Don’t forget to grab a copy of your Marie Claire – there’s a whole section of amazing Malaysia women doing amazing things. I am in awe! Here are the articles I wrote for New Straits Times for the month of February, 2018! In conjunction with Valentine’s Day (which I don’t celebrate, but hey, I like that desserts are cheaper this time of year), I wrote about the good men in our lives – Dads, brothers, uncles, spouses, friends, and how much having these amazing guys in our lives are blessings that we sometimes take for granted. You can read the whole article in the link below www.nst.com.my/lifestyle/heal/2018/02/335022/amal-muses-love-letter-righteous-men The second article is all about fooddddddd. Or more specifically, food I devoured in Italy to the point that I thought I was going to turn into a blob of cheese (after eating a lot of those).
You can read it at this link below! https://www.nst.com.my/lifestyle/heal/2018/02/339811/amal-muses-napoli-delights Sometimes, it could be exactly the same thing, but a different time, a different place in life, makes it all different. Today I went to this bookstore and submitted a copy of "Dumped" to its public library. It will be there with other books by other writers around the world that I admire who was once here and submitted their work as well. It was a strange feeling to realise that I was here a few years back, but I was in a different circumstance in my life. I only had dreams of becoming a writer then, and I distinctively remember daydreaming about having my book here someday in this legendary little bookshop (Shakespeare & Company originated in 1919). Now here I was, with a Malaysian bestselling book and a newspaper column I'm proud of, and a blog that my Mom occassionally reads (hi Mom!). There are so many types of dreams in this world, and they don't necessarily have to be a multi-million, earth shattering one. It could be as simple as wanting to see a book on a bookshelf of your favourite bookstore in the world. As I stood there while the bookkeeper guy took my book into their custody, I had a flash of people in my life who has encouraged me and elevated me to get here. Everyday I am thankful for this. I am a very blessed girl. Note: If you're ever in Paris, go check out this bookstore! It's on the Left Bank of the Seine River, close to the Notre Dame. And if you find my book, let me know!! Trivia: The bookstore was popular with legendary writers. For example, Ernest Hemingway used to hang out at the original store. This bookstore was also featured in movies such as Before Sunset and Midnight In Paris. I was so nervous and anxious I couldn't even write in my usual handwriting lol
“Oh My God! You’re basically Carrie Bradshaw!” is what my friends said when they were told that I would be writing a column in the newspaper about relationships and health. Except that I don’t own even a single pair Manolo Blahniks, and I have never dated 57 men. I’m not really big on anniversaries. I’m not sure why. I think it’s because my family doesn’t really celebrate anniversaries or birthdays (my Dad forgot my birthday last year, for example), and maybe subconsciously I never really associate time spent on something with the quality of that something altogether. I know colleagues who celebrate work anniversaries at an office they hardly like, so what’s the point? I also know a couple who has been married for 33 years but for the last decade they haven’t been together in every sense of the word, so what does it mean? Facebook tells me that I have a Friendversary with someone I hardly talk to anymore, and that’s a sad misinterpretation of what friendship is all about. But once in a while anniversaries are meaningful from the perspective that it reminds us of a significant event that happened to us. And if we’re lucky, that same reason to celebrate is still relevant in present time. Healthy relationships are reminded of the many years they’ve endured and the lives that changed for the better because of them. Career anniversaries are amazing if it’s actually a job you love, letting you know that you’ve spent a significant amount of time doing something you’re passionate about. Birthdays can be meaningful if you’ve spent each year doing things you love and improving yourself as a person. And on that note, here is an anniversary that means something to me – it is officially ONE YEAR since I first wrote for New Straits Times. In literal translation, it’s our first anniversary! It’s amazing how time has passed since I first wrote for this publication. The feeling of anxiety the first time my article was on print is still pretty fresh in my mind. I wasn’t able to sleep well the night before, my thoughts on an incredible speed of what it might look like, how people might respond or the things that can go wrong. Although I had been blogging for years, I knew that writing for a paper means I couldn’t be just as nonchalant or careless about what I wanted to write about. At this point of time, I had also confirmed a publication contract for my freshman book. All these combined means I was extra anxious about the fact that getting a bad repertoire from this newspaper column could cause a ripple effect that would ruin everything else literature-related in my case. On that day my column fist came out, M and I sat on the staircase at the lobby to look at it, staring at the newspaper like we were marveling something quite wonderful, grinning at each other. It was a good moment, still fresh in my mind. Now a year has passed, and I still feel the jitters every morning that I know my column is getting published that day. My Tuesday bi-weekly morning routine is now to get to the closest newspaper stand around 10 am, check my column exactly there by the racks of daily papers (I bet the cashier thinks I’m checking for coupons #couponlady), pay my RM1.50 and walk back to the office with an extra spring in my step, knowing that today I am doing what I love and feeling so blessed for the opportunity.
Over the entire year I had written about so many things through my column, Amal Muses. All of the subjects are things that are close to my heart, sometimes even masked as a satire to what was really going on in my life personally as well. Amidst a full-time office job, writing books and maintaining a blog, I never failed to find snippets of time here and there just to make sure that there is a column submitted when it’s due. This is the point when I realised that I really love doing it – you will always somehow find the time when it’s something you really enjoy. I had truly loved the experience that came from being a Columnist. It has expanded my creativity and opened new doors. Here’s hoping for more of these! Note: I was also told by various parties to change my profile picture for the column (they said it's too "teethy"). Initially I wanted to, but now I think it's safe to say that I just can't be bothered anymore. Just accept me and my teeth, son. Meat Free Monday
By Amal Ghazali If you don’t live in a cave, you’ll notice that the past two or three years have seen a sudden boost in the health scene. Everyone and anyone is talking about healthier eating options and lifestyle. The other day I was chatting to an office colleague, a thirty-something female who had been eating consistent amount of cheeseburgers and fries for the past X years (with a waistline to match), and she started talking about chia seeds and ‘superfoods’. This was when I realised that the movement of healthy eating has literally spread itself everywhere. Perhaps it’s just a trend, but perhaps it’s also the awareness that lifestyle-induced diseases are really on the rise. About two years ago my Father, a self-proclaimed house gardener who managed his own fruit orchard, was diagnosed with hypertension and three blocked arteries. Despite his busy and active lifestyle, it turned out that all the unhealthy meals had begun to take their tolls. Simultaneously, all around me it was evident that office-based work and lack of conscious eating were affecting everyone. Some of my friends, who used to be lean and sinewy, are now overweight and lethargic, and I too was gradually shifting towards that direction. Realising this, two years ago I decided to commit to a self-promise that I would become a full vegetarian every Monday, a full day dedicated to eating natural, clean food, for the rest of my life. I signed the imaginary oath and here I am, two years later, still fulfilling that promise at least once a day every week, all year round. “Why on earth would you want to be a goat one day a week?” Asked a perplexed friend. Plant-Based Food And Their Benefits Ironically, the idea of having meat-free Mondays really came to me one day when I was watching TV while eating a pepperoni pizza. Jamie Oliver was enthusiastically explaining how we need to eat five portions of vegetables a day as a dietary need. Over my half-chewed pizza, I realised that I had only eaten a few slices of cucumber (from a plate of nasi lemak) for the past three days of my required vegetable supplement. I began to think about the reasons of why I had subconsciously failed to consume the ideal dietary portion of meals. One, I did not consciously make an effort to prioritise vegetables. I ate whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted to, without really considering nutrition in the whole equation. Two, vegetables are boring. An image of a vegetable dish will either be a bland salad or even worse, overpriced soups that will make you hungry again in exactly two hours. However, committing myself to a full day of vegetarianism seems to fix a lot of these issues. For one, I am coerced to plan my meals for that whole day. Planning results in conscious eating, which allows me to really think about what I consume. For instance, there really isn’t a point of a meat-free Monday if you end up eating a pile of French fries. Consciously devoting a whole day to plant-based food also makes the whole thing more exciting – I find myself going through online recipes of a variety of healthy vegetarian options (that’s not salad, thank you very much), and making tasty packed lunches which, let’s be honest, makes it easier on the wallet. Much to my perplexed friend’s amazement, I did not at all have to be a goat one day a week, munching on nothing but raw leaves and green juices all day long. Tips To Kickstart Your Meat-Free Day It has been two years and I have absolutely no regrets about having Meat-Free Mondays. It’s hard to begin, but once you have the momentum you’ll find that it’s rather effortless to maintain. To start, entice yourself by doing a bit of research. You’ll find so many resources that explain the benefits of going vegetarian, even on how it affects the environment! Delve into so many appetizing recipes online that prove vegetables don’t have to be boring. I’m talking beautiful vegetable curries, tarts, roasts, stir-fries, and yes, even healthy pizzas. They will keep you from missing meat, and more importantly make the whole vegetarian premise more exciting. I started off with recipes from deliciouslyella.com, but there are hundreds more of these online. Secondly, go easy. If there’s an office potluck this Monday, you can always be flexible. Replace the meat-free day on other days, as long as you commit yourself to actually substitute the day. Otherwise, it will be like that time you tell yourself you’ll clean your closet – you postpone it again and again, and eventually it never happens. Lastly, remind yourself constantly why you’re doing it. I want to travel and do all sorts of fun physical activities even when I am fifty, and this keeps me motivated to look after myself better. Some people are more prone to hereditary illnesses (as do I), and this should drive us to keep tabs on our lifestyles as well. Whatever it is, there is something for everyone when we make conscious efforts in eating right, especially in tackling vegetable consumptions which seems to be a challenge to a lot of people. Hopefully through initiatives such as meat-free Mondays, we can all encourage ourselves to be healthier, and hopefully still be able to try skateboarding when we’re fifty. Divorce.
It's real, guys. Read the whole article below. Looking Past The 'Happily Ever After' Dream By Amal Ghazali There are three main things that I realised are real as I approached the age of thirty – permanent eye bags, the fact that nobody really knows exactly how taxes work, and divorce. Yes, divorce is real guys. And it’s not just something you see happening a lot on E! News. It’s one of those occurrences that you don’t think will ever happen to yourself or your loved ones when you were younger, and now you realise it can actually happen to anyone. It was just a usual day at my office when I heard the news that a couple I knew, both of whom were my friends, were filing for divorce after four years of marriage. The idea of divorcing wasn’t exactly a shock to me anymore by then. I am in the stage of my life where most of my friends have been married for a few years, and this means that the honeymoon phase has passed and the whole candied idea of marriage being a field of flowers filled with rainbows and passions askew are now shattered by the truth – that relationships are hard work and is not always easy. The emergence of this truth affected people I knew in many ways. Some grew stronger, while the rest, unfortunately, dissolved into painful separations. Financial hiccups, baby vomit, loss of affection, his-pants-are-always-on-the-floor, a third person – I began to learn that there are so many reasons why marriages end up in flames. But when I heard about this specific couple calling it quits, I was flabbergasted. I travelled with them once and from what I could tell they were fun, kind and happy people. Wasn’t that enough? The Myth And Truth About Divorce This is the part where I first and foremost tell you that my wisdom on marriages is about the size of a green pea. I have never been married and I would not claim to have a first-hand idea of what life is like on that other side. What I can narrate to you is what I have learned from neutral observations, and how my views on it have changed from my early twenties to current time. I came from a relatively stable background and divorce was almost unheard of within my extended family or friends. I learned a lot about them through watching Western TV, where separations always seem to occur on the characters that deserve it. I’m talking abusive husbands, the mafia, people having affairs galore or any other of those extreme reasons. It seemed like a foreign concept, a different world if you will, that I couldn’t relate to at all. My naivety at the time also assured me that divorce would only happen to bad people. Normal, regular people like us? We’ll find someone, fall in love and be happy forever. Right? Feeling distressed about the news I’ve just heard, I talked to a colleague to try and resolve my confusion over it all. I mean, if even good people don’t stand a chance, aren’t we all doomed? As a girl yet to step into the world of marital union, all of these news of people getting divorced or even people complaining that they are in unhappy relationships spooked me. I want the chase-you-at-the-airport happiness I see in movies! I don’t want to hear stories about you leaving your wife for a younger model because she ‘let herself go’, sir. As we discussed it through, my married colleague and I concluded that marriage, like a lot of other things in life, doesn’t always surpass our expectations on how we want them to be, especially if these expectations were designed by our younger, less-wise selves. Some people work so hard to keep their marriage together but to no avail. Some people had known each other for years before tying the knot, but only lasted a while in the union. Some people get married without knowing each other at all, and theirs last a lifetime. Some people fall apart and then fall back together. Be A Positive Drive Like life itself, each relationship is different, and therefore what works and what doesn’t is unique in their own special ways. Unfortunately, as a society I would easily note that we are sometimes harsh and judgemental towards people going through these difficult times. It is true that the breakup of a family isn’t something we should normalise or encourage, but it is also true that some of us prefer the sizzling gossips and surficial judgement rather than lending a helping hand or providing the right support. Like my friends who were going their separate ways, it was easy to establish the difference between the group who was just there to join the back talks and the group who was genuinely concerned about them coping through as peacefully as possible. I suppose that in the end, divorce truly is real and a harsh reality at that. We take risks in life, including risks in loving others, and sometimes despite our hopes they end up in the sad end of the stick. Part of growing up for me is learning that essentially, we all want to be happy, and through the process of discovering new things and making mistakes, some bumps along the road of relationships are bound to happen. However, what we can always do as a community is channel productive support to our loved ones who are going through these painful dissolutions, and abstain from indulging in abrasive judgment and taboo generalisation. Hopefully, we can all make a good difference in each other’s lives and eventually assist in harnessing better, more positive relationships. So I haven’t really written about the book launch at all, and that is due to two things; I had been crazy occupied and I also wanted to get some feedback from others who were there as to how they thought it went. For all I know I could be the only one who thought it went okay whereas everyone else had a snoozefest! There were in general three groups of people present – family, friends, and other avid readers/writers. We cleared the center of the MPH bookstore in One Utama, and created a little cosy area for everyone to settle in. Most of the guests had never been to a book reading event before, so we wanted to make it as nice as possible so more people would go to more book readings! For this purpose, I decided to interview M, a good friend of mine, who was there for the whole event. That way, you can get the feel of what it was like to be present! What was the first thing you noticed when you arrived at the book launch? The poster! The large poster where all guests can sign or give any well wishes. *We also had a big world map, with pictures of the book being all over the world. They are from readers who travel with the book. Alright the one with the pile of books is obviously mine. #narcissistic How did I appear? Nervous? Uneasy? You looked so happy! I also thought you were a really good host. You greeted everyone and you made sure you talked to everyone. *The truth is I was dead nervous. I didn’t even sleep well the night before. I was anxious about everything that might go wrong – what if the mic doesn’t work? What if no one shows up? What if I have diarrhea? Is this your first book-reading event? Yes. Haha. What did you think about my book reading? Since I’ve never actually been to a book reading session before, I kind of expected it to be boring and dull. Instead I thought it was really funny! It was interactive, and everyone was in a good mood and responded well. And did you see Yu He and Ruzzana reading the book as you went on? Did you like the game we played? What was your general observation of the crowd? I did! The part where everyone has a chance to read an excerpt of the book was quite fun. It was good to see everyone’s different reactions while reading it. And you elaborated the back story of each excerpt, so that it becomes relatable. Did I think it went too long? Maybe a little bit. But overall it was okay. *Everyone who volunteered got a gift voucher. We also had a game where you submit the best breakup story you’ve ever heard, and the top three winners get a mystery gift! Were there a lot of people during the book signing? Did you have fun mingling? There was a line to get the book signed. I definitely had fun, but that’s probably because I know you, so it meant something a little extra. Did you like the book? Why? I did, but I actually haven’t even finished reading it hahaha. But so far I like it because I thought it offered a different perspective on things, and I thought it was extremely intimate the way you wrote it. Did you talk to my family? What did they say?
Your Mom said she read it twice and your Dad said he hasn’t finished reading it. *My cousins showed up as well! It was awesome. And aside from my friends, my friends’ parents came too! What was your main takeaway from the whole event? A lot of people came, more than I expected. It was obvious that you have an amazing support system. I was also impressed to see other readers show up as well! This week I wrote about my trip to the local animal shelter. And guys, I can't stress this enough - if you're thinking about getting a pet, please adopt instead of buying.
There are so many crazy kinds of cute at the animal shelter, I promise! Furry Therapy By Amal Ghazali I’ve had pets all through my childhood. My Mom loves cats, so we’ve always had cats around the house. There was even a point when we had seven cats at one time, and it started to feel like we were running a cat farming center. Then we had a bird, but my brother, a toddler at the time, took it out of the cage and stepped on it. That was the end of our pet bird era. We also had tortoises, but they needed cleaning too often. We had fish too, but they ended up dying one by one and down the toilet they went. There was a sugar glider that died due to a mystery cause, and when we buried it my brother was so sad he placed a Ben 10 figurine in the grave so that it will never get lonely. And of course, there was also a pet duck that ended up becoming our neighbor’s meal. But that’s a story for another day. Re-Igniting a Lost Love As an adult I have never had pets. I bought a cactus and it died in three days, so suffice to say I have no talent in taking care of another living thing, hence the decision to not have a pet. And if my childhood animal-caring experience had taught me anything, it is that sooner or later they will all die and I will have to go through the anguish of losing something I am emotionally attached to. When animals die it is a strange feeling of sadness. You remember how innocent they are and how joyfully sincere they are in wanting your affection, and so when they are gone it’s another emotional baggage to bear. I didn’t want that anymore. So for the likes of me, people who love animals but for some reason are not able to care for them at home, there are other alternatives to obtain this therapy. If you’re an animal lover you’ll probably understand what I’m talking about. After all, research had shown that people who bond with animals are a lot less stressful and lead healthier lives. Although it’s great to vent to another human being about bad traffic or a colleague at the office who is being a witch, there is great comfort in indulging in some time with a pet whose life concepts are a lot simpler – eating, playing, napping or cuddling. So after doing some background research, my friends and I decided to pay a visit to an animal shelter nearby. I have actually never been to one before, and in my mind I had painted a picture of what it might look like; a dark dungeon with a permanent smell of poop, with floor-to-ceiling metal cages filled with cats and dogs with dull fur and rabies. In fact, it was quite the contrary. I dare to go on and say that the place looks like it was fit to be an animal sanctuary for suicidal people. First of all, it was such a happy place. The area was large an open, the staff were warm and friendly and obviously loved all the animals they were caring for. All the cats and dogs were well-fed, clean and well-behaved, and there were trees, grass and murals on the walls. I was also surprised to see so many volunteers. There were people volunteering to play with the cats and take the dogs out for walks. One of the staff at the place, Ariff, also told me that all the animals were trained, vaccinated and neutered. The whole place was far from the abandoned nightmare I had in my mind. Selfless Love Is The Best Therapy During my visit we met a family who was there to adopt two cats. I was informed that the shelter sees up to twelve dog adoptions and twenty cat adoptions each month, which is a pretty good rate. It seems that there are a lot of people out there willing to share a home with these lovable, furry creatures. Sometimes, what your mind needs is a break from constantly calculating what your end of a bargain is. That is to say that sometimes, giving love instead of expecting anything in return is the best kind of relief you need. Some people find it through doing charities for the less privileged, and some people find it through connecting with other living things in this world, such as animals. It was a day well-spent at the animal shelter. Although from the outside it seemed like I was doing the animals a favor by investing some time and affection for these homeless strays, but in truth it was the furry friends that made me come home a lot happier and in better spirits after it all. If you’re interested in volunteering or even adopting a pet, visit www.spca.org.my for details. |
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