Marsha Maung: I write. I love. I live

I gave a man RM20 (USD4.80) yesterday during dinner and I still can't stop thinking about him. The look on his face, his hesitancy, his predicament, the look of loss. At the back of my mind, I keep hearing people (and myself) calling me stupid, naive, innocent, and hopeless. It happens every time I try to do something right, something good. I can hear voices in my head telling me that it is the dumbest thing I've done yet. It's not how much you give away and how stupid people think of me knowing that I gave money away, but it's how he said 'God bless you' at the end. It's the look of relief. It's the knowing of humanity exists, that human beings still have a side of them that is not riled up by uncertainty, fear, misjudgment, distrust, negativity. Knowing that another human being understands and trusts you is one of the most powerful emotions on earth. I believe this is what we, as a species, will yearn for the most going forth. Because we are so digita…

Notice: This Post contains affiliate linksThis is the world of Covid-19 we’re living in and the reminders for us to social distance, wear masks, and wash our hands as frequently as we can has become ad nauseam. Apart from the constant nagging concern about the impact disposal face masks have on the environment now that every human on this planet is required to wear one (and keep a good, healthy supply of them), another crusade seems to be launching off - cloth face masks. 
Friends (and relatives) are now messaging me in groups on promoting the use of reusable cloth masks and other alternatives. The problem is:How hygienic are they?How often can we wear them?How do we clean them?Where do we get them?Are they reliable? Do they work the way we need them to?If we buy them online, how do we know they fit?Are cloth face masks a solution to social distancing?How sturdy are these masks?Do cloth face masks work on children?Is it any better than N95 (medical grade) face masksDoes it restrict bre…

Source: Pablo Gentile on Unsplash Here's an Update on my part!What I found profoundAs we grow up, we start to detach from the very core, the real self that we were born as, that forms an intrinsic part of our personalities. We start adapting to the various social norms, often uprooting not just our lives and families, but also our belief system. I guess this is where mid-life crisis comes at us a the the speed of the Shanghai Maglev. I found building a brand new relationship with myself, alone, settled by discontent. Finding our purpose require us to sit down and reflect. If this is what you're going through, this article on Being Alone might be of interest to you. Mulan Live-Action Disney Remake I've been waiting for Mulan to hit the big screens since they announced the casting of an all-Asian cast! I also heard that they would be pivoting from the conventional Disney or Pixar remakes and it will be kind of kick-ass in a very Asian way. The movie in itself is great - it'…

While some of us struggle with the worldwide Covid 19 lockdown, trying to either find peace eternally cohabiting with housemates or family members, there is a small fraction of people in this world who actually have no problems with it. They love being stuck at home because, apparently, everything's right here. Everything that makes them happy, secure, and deliriously entertained is right here. At home. And they don't have to go anywhere to find that state of happiness and comfort. I've heard differently from other people, though. Especially parents and my parents. Parents have to deal with both work and their kids at the same time, struggling to find the right balance and time to have that Zoom meeting. Elderly parents, like mine, are just itching to get out...anywhere. The silence, I guess, is louder and more frustrating when you're not only alone at home but when you're not allowed to go out, even if it's just to get a bottle of tomato sauce for your egg san…

Image by Adi Goldstein on Unsplash I don't understand why the United States is trying its darnest to stunt its own growth or cast such a dark shadow over its world reputation as one of the world's biggest tech and economic leader. We all know China's never changed its stance - which is putting one foot in front of the other and keep competing with the world, not just the United States. The rest of the world sees this and we're not likely to ditch China. That's a very harsh reality Trump as the POTUS must see and understand. Yes, we adore the United States and we think it is a Super Power regardless of the political and economic turmoil it is going through. Politics will always be dirty and complicated. It's hard to understand and many (most) of us won't spare more than a couple of minutes a day to gloss over the headlines. Targeting China is a bully move I never expected of the United States. Never. It has always been an all-embracing, progressive country we…

No matter what the phase is that I am going through in my life, I try my best to be as grateful and happy as I can be. Yeah, sure, I get bamboozled by bad news and stuff (who isn’t, anyway, these days) but there’s always a silver lining in every dark cloud. So cliche but I can’t help it. It’s the secret sauce to surviving. On top of that, both my boys are now enrolled (albeit in a funny kind of Coronavirus way) into college and the spending is mind-blowing. I am not alone in this, of course. The rest of the world is with me on this one but it doesn’t make it any easier. At some point, if you’re like me, we might find ourselves wondering if it was better for our kids to actually take a what-you-call a short hiatus while waiting for that darn vaccine. What rubs me the wrong way is that we are paying full fees for college but are presented fed at the trough with a buffet of Masterclass-style and Udemy kind of services. I can’t help but feel shortchanged, really. But going back to college…

At some point in your life, you stop noticing how old you are. More accurately, you stop bothering about the number of candles there are on the birthday cake. Instead, we tend to notice new white hairs, creaky joints, and wrinkles. 





One of the things that I've noticed about creeping past the 40-year-mark is that I have a renewed confidence about the things I do. Apart from fixing the leaky sink, faulty electric socket, or removing computer viruses, I think life has delivered me a flurry of experiences that has finally become pretty useful. 
People in their 40s also tend to care less about what people think. "So, you don't like the new AWESOME home decor piece I bought for my bathroom? Screw that."
My priorities in life have also changed. I no longer care about making a statement when it is too much bother, keeping up with the Joneses, or what that guy I just furiously honked at thinks of me. 
My social circle, online and offline, has also gotten smaller; I think it is on…