Creative Non-Fiction Category
C is for… cancer
Posted on April 4, 2017 12 Comments
Since I started this challenge with a contentious topic, I figured I might as well broach the subject of the big C. I mean, what could possibly go wrong? [peeks from behind the sofa] Cancer. Even the word is so infused with emotions that it sits leaden and sharp in your mouth. Through its long history, it’s […]
B is for… beasts, blues and border control
Posted on April 3, 2017 21 Comments
In which I write about international moves, feeling blue, and my love for the beasts that inhabit my life.
A is for … abortion
Posted on April 1, 2017 37 Comments
I know. I’m writing about a taboo subject, and it’s bound to polarise opinions. When have you known me to shy away from a contentious issue? Let me be clear that this isn’t an invitation to tell me how wrong you think I am. It’s an invitation to read my perspective. You may agree, you […]
A Day In the Life Of: Parenting Depression
Posted on March 17, 2017 2 Comments
CONTENT NOTE: Discussion of depression ahead. If you recognise yourself or someone you love in anything in this post, please reach out to mental health services in your area. Some non-emergency services listed at the end. The Greeting. “Hey! How was school?” “Shit. As always.” Breathe. It might just be a flippant “shit” this time. […]
A Colonial History by any other Name Would be as Violent
Posted on January 25, 2017
Huzzah! It’s January 26th in Australia. The day our nation officially goes into meltdown every year over whether we should celebrate or not.
An Ode to Things and a Farewell
Posted on November 4, 2016 5 Comments
So, here we are in part 2 of the ongoing repatriation saga. Packing and moving over continents is always a stressful act. The emotions tied to watching your possessions be carefully, or not so carefully wrapped and boxed can be overwhelming. It’s easy to dismiss possessions as nothing more than trinkets, clutter that fill your […]
Then and Now
Posted on October 30, 2016 1 Comment
Gather round, grab a bean bag, get comfortable. I’ve got some things to get off my chest, so let’s start with my story of expatriation and repatriation. On the 1st of February 1975, my parents and I arrived in Australia from Brunei as new migrants. My mother was 41, my father 47. I wasn’t […]
Big Moves
Posted on October 13, 2016 5 Comments
So much has happened in the last two months and there’s so much to catch you all up with. Let’s start with the big things. We moved countries! Again!
On 17th birthdays and glimpses of the adult
Posted on August 17, 2016 6 Comments
So, here I am very early on Godzilla’s 17th birthday, resting on the corner of Testosterone Lane and Horsepower Road. Having two teen boys in the house means a lot of muscle flexing, boundary pushing, and territory marking. They wake with teasing exchanges that rapidly morph into the rat-tat-tat of suddenly flared tempers. And before long, like […]
I’m Outraged. Now What?
Posted on July 7, 2016
So, you’ve been on Facebook and Twitter over the last two days, and maybe you’ve seen your US friends posting furiously about Alton Sterling and Philando Castile. You might’ve read many articles and watched the videos (if you are not Black, then I encourage you strongly to watch the videos. They are harrowing, but necessary for […]
Asha Rajan 