Marsha Maung: Write. Cook. Read. Watch. Try. Innovate.

As someone who is often either in front of the camera or on stage, I don't have to think about angles, lightning, props, subtle expressions and interactions. My job is to do what I was asked to do, which is often to read a script, sing, act, or present.  This happened during the early days of my Son 1's enrolment into an Art School - his lecturers asked him to do stuff that I never would have imagined myself or him doing - like taking up photography or dressing up an apple or posing in front of our own cameras as drawing references.  But it is often during these instances that you learn something new, right? And sometimes, when I am doing up a podcast, I would notice my diction and speech; other times, when I am doing a video, I would have to focus a little on lighting; and my pictures took on a different take.  Starting with a small one, this was taken in an office building I used to work in. There was a thunderstorm outside and the rain simply came all the way into the ...

If I were to be completely honest, my mentality have not changed much from when I was 21 till now . I won't tell you my age but...in a couple of years, I can withdraw from my EPF. #lol Does this kind of mentality work in this world? Is it too late for me to change my personality? Err...ugh...I think so. I am stuck now with this personality I am born with, then. WTF. People and the MBTI Personality Test  People are into the whole MBTI thing these days. It's a personality test called the Myers Briggs Type Indicator, a tool used to help people understand their own personalities, communication styles, abilities to communicate with others. Millions of people use it all around the world and there is said to be more than 4000 papers validating the theory.  If you're interested in interpreting some of the results and reasoning, read this . The set of questions in the MBTI test were first published in 1943 in the U.S. by a mother-daughter team, Katharine Cook Briggs and Isabel Brigg...

Birthdays feel more and more like a day to be celebrated and dreaded at the same time. When did this happen? Hahaha.... I remember the days when I would plan well ahead of time, inviting friends and family over, or plan an elaborate drinking session in a pub or restaurant to celebrate the day I was born.  These days, it feels more like a countdown. Hahahaha....It's like "Oh, this is awesome. I get to celebrate another birthday. Phew!" There no longer is a need or desire to celebrate it like it's a national holiday or something but I still feel compelled to do something special with loved ones. Even if it's spending extra money on something I like or want or eating an expensive dinner (something I would never do on a normal day). That's the extent of the celebration.  In fact, I consider getting myself a tub of my favorite ice-cream a form of celebration. It's really that simple. Just a treat for myself. Unrestrained, just for today.  Furthermore, I am ...

I was walking past a store selling a large range of smartphones, laptops and whatchamacallit laptop-tabs. I was piqued. I approached the storefront with a careful intake of breath, praying fervently for an affordable price tag. There wasn't one. Look, I have a laptop. My kids have their computers, and we each have our phones. Is there a reason to invest in yet another gadget in this house? The damn laptop Surface Pro keeps whispering to me, though . I swear. lol via GIPHY Window shopping can be life-sucking because it reinforces the idea into you that you can't afford everything you'd like. I find myself arguing with myself: I could save the money for a family travel Mother Earth is staring at me with the searing accusations of ' Reallyyyy? More trash. You're stepping one foot into the core of the dying planet' I don't need it. Really, I don't. In fact, I already have a spare laptop that I use for an alternate account. Because? I watch Netflix...

Let's do and keep this together, shall we? Image source:  Vonecia Carswell on Unsplash Here we go again...another close complete lockdown.  The good thing about Malaysia's MOH is that we are good at tiptoeing the line between being competent and being reckless. So, we're almost never completely ravaged by a Pandemic like the ones seen in other countries but we're also a little here-and-there-then-everywhere with our implementation.  It often leave the rest of us hooked onto the news for not just the latest announcements but also the latest changes of minds . There's good and bad in that.  As far as I can tell, most of my friends and family are reallyyyyyy up-to-date about the latest happenings around us.  So far, we've had some close encounters and since I am always in contact with frontliners, you could say that my awareness is always heightened. Plus, my immune system isn't what it was before and I have a sinus problem that scares the bejeezus out of ever...

Today's writing prompt : I am lost in the woods and I only have 2 items with me.  Yup, that was the prompt. Just that. Why am I am doing this?! #lol  Well, if I was lost in the woods, which I won't be because I wouldn't go near the woods alone unless someone throws me in there against my will which is, by the way, a crime 😁, and I have only two items with me, it would be: A knife A lighter With a knife, I can cut down anything I find in the woods. It's a big-gish knife, alright? 😓😉😝And I believe that I can eat grass if I have to. Won't be the best meal on earth but one's got to do what one's got to do to stay alive. As for the lighter, I can survive the dead of the night and I don't like the dark. So, I think it's the best way to survive. I don't know if a knife and lighter can get me water but if I can find my way around with a fire, I might find a source for water.  Man, this writing prompt thing is hard, isn't it?  Hang on....scratch a...

I've been on this journey for close to two years now and I am still not used to this. But that's the reason I threw myself off this cliff in the first place, knowing it is a territory that I would need to learn how to navigate again.  But when I started this journey, there were a few conditions I set for myself: 1. I wanted to feel belonged 2. I have to be working on things that made me feel fulfilled or satisfied 3. The people I would inevitably surround myself with have to share my vision and mision. Nothing is going to be perfect, that much I know, but at the very least, working with people who had the same style and personality as me is top priority.  4. I don't want to deal with authoritarians every single day.  5. I would have to learn how to socially adapt myself to groups of people again and if my gut instincts told me that it is not the right group of people, I would have to get out.  6. The very nature, the very core of what we do on an everyday basis has t...

Fighting against the clocks of life Have you ever been in a situation at work (or work at home) whereby you're literally micro-managed to a point whereby you're afraid to go to the bathroom to answer nature's call?  online surveys JavaScript is disabled! Well, that's the situation here right now.  Even when we are to work from home, I find myself sitting there holding my bloody pee (other other more serious nature-related situations) in because I would be hounded down. And when found (and explained), I would still be chastised.  Does this not fall under some form of human abuse? #lol I don't think this kind of management style suits me, seriously. People taking short breaks is actually good for productivity and not to mention mental health .  This is not pissing (pun intended) on anyone, really, but there are people out there who are like that. And if you're one of them, let's share a a very emotional high-five.  Sending you lots of love during this tough C...

Image Credit: Sunyu Kim on Unsplash I saw a post on social media from a friend. It was a time lapse video of foot traffic in a local (relatively popular) mall in the midst of PJ. The sight was a sorry one.  In fact, this family would visit a mall every other day to get our daily essentials. After having dinner, we would pop by the supermarket to grab some stuff.  The after-dinner traffic is really solemn. We are almost always greeted with shuttered stores, closing convenience stores, and even the delis close early, patronized by small groups of peckish shoppers nibbling nonchalantly around barren stores.  I guess we're lucky that, if we went early enough, they were open at all. Even the workers were half-hearted, unconcerned and detached from the possibility of making a sale.  Hence, it is no wonder that people are hopping onto Lazada and Shopee to get things we usually impulse buy while walking past stores in malls.  Simple stuff like light bulbs, nails, extra ...

Source: Pablo Gentile on Unsplash Here's an Update on my part! What I found profound As 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 ...

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 s...

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...

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 gott...