SuriyaNoor

It was 1995. I was in Form 4, in a girls’ secondary school in the heart of Kuala Lumpur. A few months into the year, I was selected along with a couple of other students (I think there were 20 of us in total), to lead...

“Belum kahwin? Bukan ke dah tua?” “Pakai mask (niqab)? Kita kan dalam rumah?” “Duduk dalam rumah macam muzium ni? Gelap sangat” “Hisap rokok? Kan boleh mati?” Inilah soalan-soalan yang pernah anak autisme kami tanya secara depan-depan, terus-terang, kepada orang yang dia kenal dan tidak kenal. Soalan-soalan yang biasanya tidak ditanya oleh seorang

It used to be us and 1 child. Holidays were easier to plan, the budget was easier on the pocket and all-around since the 1 child was young, it really was “our” holiday instead of his. Although we did add in one or two activities for the said child. Then 1 child became 2. Coming … Read more “#CutiCutiLocal Family Edition”

The arrival of our Thing 3 was a complete surprise. A happy surprise. We were more surprised than Thing 2 which we had waited for so long for our prayers to be answered. We were so surprised we were dumbfounded. We had to sit down to take a moment. To let it completely sink in … Read more “Private: “Mama, don’t you dare leave my sight!””

A couple of months ago, the dreaded C19 entered our house from where or when we had no idea. But it came, unexpectedly, unwanted, uninvited. Fortunately, my husband and I got it simultaneously, and the kids were spared even though we had no possible chance of self-isolating from them. Our symptoms were mild, and apart … Read more “Private: How Covi

Who checks on you when you most need it? Do you have someone you can go to for anything, anything at all? Do you struggle every day? Does your mental health need a quick check-up? Do you wake up in the morning asking yourself, “How do I feel today?” Mental health has been such a … Read more “Private: Mental health”

Dear Dad, It’s been ages since I last saw you. Almost 17 years. I remember the day like it was yesterday. It was 7 months after our wedding. We had spent the weekend at your place, doing random things, going about just like any other weekend. You went out to buy breakfast, you knew your … Read more “Private: A Letter to Dad.”

Having a child on the autism spectrum is challenging most times, but once in a while, it can be quite interesting too. I use the term “interesting” loosely. Interesting because, well, it can be too much to handle at times. Thing 1 is obsessed with dinosaurs. OBSESSED. Apparently, this obsession is not new for children … Read more “Private: Living w