“You cannot keep this one down!” The north-south Delhi to Trivandrum Rajdhani Express was an opportunity for Racket Boy to connect with the heart and soul of India. It began with my endeavour to clean the outside windows to the bogey compartment of my train at the Nizamuddin station. “You cannot keep this one down!” …
Backshadowing India: “You cannot keep this one down!” Read More »
Unplanned Adventures! Racket Boy’s travels are never complete without unexpected twists! On 12/9/23 I arrived in Delhi from Milan, smack in the middle of India hosting the G20 conference, and the story has been no different. Little did I know that a simple craving for naan bread and dhall would lead to an encounter sent from …
It was only five years after independence, in 1957, that Malaya became Malaysia, in 1963. Malaysians commemorate this day as Malaysia Day every 16th of September. For two brief, tumultuous years, Singapore was part of Malaysia, and I still wonder how the narrative might have been had the southern island state not become an independent …
The Last Night of the Proms, a cherished British tradition, has long been a symbol of national pride and musical celebration. However, the recent controversy surrounding a sea of European Union flags being waved at this event has reignited debate about Britain’s colonial past, its resistance to European modernity, and the underlying factors that led …
Last Night of the Proms – Lost Opportunity for Sanity Read More »
Fifty-three years ago this month (September 1970) a young man embarked on a journey that would change his life forever. Racket Boy’s (RB) destination was far from his homeland of Malaysia; he was bound for England, with an unexpected layover in Moscow, courtesy of Aeroflot Airways. The calls of John Lennon, the allure of England’s …
To journey from a former colony to Britain, with twenty pounds in my pocket, half a dozen badminton rackets, acceptance into mental nurse training, and dreaming of meeting John Lennon, felt like the ultimate migrant move. That was 1970.
Let me introduce you to the legendary Good Morning Towel, or as we used to call it affectionately in Malaysia, the GMT! It used to be the unsung hero of our households and was Racket Boy’s trusty sidekick for years, the sweat-slaying saviour that travelled with me to many badminton and squash courts. When I’m …
The end of World Wars 1 & 2 saw an influx of Syrian Christian migrants from Kerala into Malaya to work in rubber estates scattered all over the country. This included my parents who eventually found themselves at the Prang Besar rubber estate, where Racket Boy’s story takes off. By 1949 the community had grown …
If, like many, you’ve been spending quality time with your beloved seat cushions, it’s time to shake things up and dive into the wonderful world of running. Yes, we’re talking about that activity where you move those legs and go places. Trust me, a hilarious adventure is waiting to happen. So, let’s strap on those …
Get off that couch and RUN … unleash your inner Energizer Bunny! Read More »
One of the most frequent comments I get is about my fitness and slim frame. Of course, it gives me great satisfaction, but the truth is, it is a lot of consistent, hard work, not to mention strenuous. I adhere to autophagy, what I call a little ‘self-cannibalism’. The body does cleanse itself. Yes, you …
