STORIES, STORIES

This is part of a mini project of Q&As with people I know whom I look up to for doing what they want to do. Read all the posts from the series HERE .  Meet Chukwudi Barrah .  Where do you live, and what do you do? I live in Malaysia; I recently moved to Kuala Lumpur city centre from the suburbs (Damansara Perdana). I'm a copywriter in corporate communications and marketing with a digital engagement platform startup—we provide SaaS solutions to help companies better engage employees and customers. I create and edit internal and external communication materials, content for offline and online media (including social networks), as well as dialog for mobile apps. Which specific part of your job do you enjoy the most, and which do you like the least? I love writing new feature dialogs for the app and creating fun emails—it’s not something I was used to doing. I usually do business writing, so making my writing more fun and happy is a good challenge—for now—that als...

This post is part of a small series of Q&As with people I know whom I look up to for doing what they want to do. Here's the previous post .  Meet Mariam (also Mellie).  Where do you live? In the present moment.  I wish. I live in my head mostly. I spend most of my waking life at Humming Tree , which is in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. What do you do? Most of the time, I'm just struggling to get my heart, mind and actions to work harmoniously. I also manage a community center and co-working space that focuses on creativity and well-being ( Humming Tree ). Which specific part of your job do you enjoy the most, and which one do you like the least? I love that I get to deal with so many different kinds of passionate people and listen to their ideas and goals and be part of the journey of it evolving into something tangible and seeing that person grow and transform along the way. I learn so much, grow and get inspired along the way, too. It's an ...

I never caught the travel bug, which I'm sure is a travesty when I’m finally adulting in the free world, and at a time when travelling is an affordable and common pastime for people my age. Nevertheless, I am fortunate enough to have friends who drag me out every once in a while to some non-airconditioned adventure that would yield lots of opportunities to take photos of them taking photos of our trip. Last month, it was to Teluk Intan, Perak, Malaysia, for a day trip that would only last about 8 hours, transportation and milling about included. Teluk Intan (“Diamond Bay”) is a small town in Perak most known for its own version of the Leaning Tower of Pisa. Subtly tilted to the left, the Leaning Tower of Teluk Intan was also known as the Clock Tower, as its primary function was to tell the time with its large clock-face on top. It’s now just an official national monument and tourist attraction. I wasn’t as awe-inspired as I thought I’d be, disappointed as I was that I ...

This post is part of a small series that has big meaning. 2016 was filled with internal reflection for me, especially in the areas of productivity and creativity. During this time, I sought inspiration from so many famously successful people, but at the end of the day, it was always the people in my phone book that I turned to for real advice and motivation, who ultimately helped me inch along towards my goals. To pay this forward, I've asked them about their work process and now share them here. The hope is that you, reader, get inspired, get pro-tips, and get entertained by these people and their dedication to their work, just as I have been.  Meet Alia Makki . Where do you live and what do you do? I’m nomadic. I live between Jeddah, Jakarta, Jatibarang and Ubud. I live out of a suitcase. My office fits into a backpack. In every place, I have a different job role. In Jeddah and Jakarta, I freelance (online), meet people and read Tarot cards. In Jatibarang, I serve my t...

Aun Joo, as she is wont to do, sprang on us on Sunday morning and dragged us all out for breakfast, which led to lunch, which led to more people dragged out to go to All Aboard , a gaming community centre, which led to tea, and then dinner.  I managed to force everyone to play BSG ( just like the good old days ) except I totally failed in retrospect. Nobody enjoyed it (except me for the nostalgic rush and my excitement for all things nerd-culture) as I bungled explaining the game since I hadn't played it for about 4 years. All Aboard was exactly the kind of place we needed back in Jeddah - a place where we can throw our money to play games and chit-chat all day without external hassle. Here, you can rent board games (range is US$4 to US$14 per game unlimited time), or bring your own game and rent a table for US$4 the whole day. I could only imagine what this place was like on Tabletop Day.  But that also feels like a lifetime ago. It's been so many years ...

Laundry, a bar/restaurant at The Curve mall which is a 10-minute walk from my apartment here, has played host to a few of my friends from Saudi (holla!) and a lot of my friends here in Malaysia. It's my go-to place for drinks and music and some good conversation. Never too early for whiskey. I met up with a couple of my friends who are at least a decade older than me. While I'm friends with people in their mid- to late-twenties because there's so much lols in that age group (and they make me feel like I'm also in still in my 20s), there are a few things I can't really share with them, only because I've been alive a bit longer than they have. Things like complaining about working for 13 years already, or meeting different kinds of people, or being so over the excitement of a Friday night, or wanting to buy a house – "boring, grown-up" stuff that my younger friends can't relate to. The biggest difference is that when I'm with my older f...

I recently renewed my contract to work in Malaysia for another 2 years, which means I get a second stab at this, which means yet another clean slate. The universe has always been generous with me when it comes to clean slates, so salud , universe! My second wind was off to a great start, with not one, not two, but three chances to (re)connect with some very important people. Since I moved here to Malaysia in 2013, I've been fortunate enough to have so many Saudi friends drop by, keep me grounded, and remind me that I'm worth something – at least worth a visit from thousands of miles away. It's a lovely feeling, and I am not without gratitude! Hning's Asia Obviously when the fantastic oddball and Saudi cewebrity Alia (and long-time friend of this blog!) showed up at my Malaysian doorstep, I went nuts. I hadn't seen this woman in years , and on my way to the airport to pick her up, I felt the same way I would whenever I get to see my own sister or my brothe...

On Podcasts by Khayra Bundakji I ’ m not sure why or how it happened, but music never was a part of my life like it was for my peers. Whenever anyone would offer to the conversation how moved a song made them, it just wouldn ’ t register. Much like boys, much like makeup, much like fashion, it was yet another socially ostracising quirk of mine to not connect with or remember lyrics of music. Then one day, on my daily 45-minute commute to university, I discovered NPR. Terry Gross from Fresh Air , Ira Flato from Science Friday , and the gang from GeekSpeak added a dimension to my grayscale Saudi life I didn ’ t realise I lacked. This was before I had friends to discuss science or pop culture. Finding radio shows that felt I was amongst friends reunited me with a piece of my heart I didn ’ t know existed.     Once I gluttonously got through international podcasts, I desperately searched for something that would speak to me. Something, say, in Jeddah. Leading me ...