AT THE SPEED OF NOOR

Went to jrock.my 's #jrocktamashii  over the weekend, and boy did I enjoy it. It was my first time attending this so I was a bit nervous (also because I went alone), but I had so much fun hanging out with fellow Jrock fans and anime/comics/game (ACG) weebs that whatever anxiety I felt just flew out of the window. Even though I was older than most of the people in the audience, I didn't feel out of place at all.

On the 2nd last day of the group art exhibition Clouds Over the Poppy Garden as She Runs on Grass! , 11 performance artists participated in a 'conversation' between the artworks and poetry. I haven't been to a poetry gig since the COVID-19 pandemic hit, so this was a lovely afternoon surrounded by good company and good vibes. I really enjoyed it :) The Performers The list of performers were as follows (in alphabetical order):  Poetry :  Abigail Lim Afi Noor Aiman Azri Dhabitah Zainal Effa Qamariani Kanchana Sirikit Rozhana Azra Swit Marie Umar Aziz  Music :  Azreena The Performances The event started near the entrance of Temu house, with Umar telling stories from childhood and on married life, accompanied with some flute playing.  We then moved on to the Poppy area, where Effa weaved tales of sensuality and self-love. Dhabitah performed after, sharing her thoughts and feelings about her father, space, and self-acceptance (which made the Poppy artist, Xeem Noor, cry). Next,

Clouds Over the Poppy Garden as She Runs on Grass is a 3-part collaboration between artists 🌺 Xeem Noor (Poppy), ☁️ Shiela Samsuri  (Clouds) and 🏃🏻‍♀️ Cassielelolea  (Runner) and nature in February 2023. Xeem is a multitalented artist and a dear friend whose work I have long been a fan of. We got closer since the pandemic started so I was able to witness her creative evolution online, so being able to see her work in physical form is incredibly exciting.  When I found out she will be displaying some of her work inspired by her time in residency in Spain, I couldn't wait to see all of them in real life.

Just some Grab (an e-hailing car service) stories: 1. I had to wait The other day, the Grab I requested was stuck in traffic, which meant that what was supposed to be a 10-minute ride turned into a half-hour wait. When the driver finally arrived at the pickup point, he apologised profusely for the delay, all the while calling himself 'Uncle'. He looks like he's probably just a few years older than me though. I was about to correct him when I remembered how male Grab drivers tend to get chatty/intrusive when you are friendly to them, so I just shrugged it off. Does he genuinely think I'm his daughter's age or is this a new strategy to attract customers or something? 😅 2. He had to wait Had to Grab to the office today. I accidentally left something behind while walking towards the car, so I apologised profusely to the driver - a man who looks like he's around my father's age - for making him wait.  Him: "Tak perlu, lady boss jangan cakap sorry" (No

It took over 2 decades for me to be diagnosed with ADHD.  On one hand, I'm relieved that I wasn't imagining my intellectual/mental/emotional struggles, and that I'm not alone in this. On the other, I'm angry that I've been punished/mocked all this while for things beyond my control, because my brain just works different. While I am fortunate to have parents who made sure I got extra support in my education because they saw I couldn't learn like other kids, I still grew up beating myself up for not being able to focus and be calm/punctual/organised/etc like other people (which makes me work harder so that I can 'function normally', causing me to be anxious all the time). Somehow I survived being neurodivergent in an ableist world... but at what cost?

Oto-Na-Ri revolves around 2 neighbors who only 'communicate' with one another through their connecting paper-thin wall. One is a photographer and the other is a floral designer, both passionate about (and en route to) pursuing their dreams. The Basics Movie: Romantic Prelude / Oto-na-ri / おと・な・り Director: Naoto Kumazawa Release Date: May 16, 2009 Runtime: 119 min. Genre: Drama / Romance / Youth Language: Japanese Country: Japan Source: Asianwiki My Review A pithy review doesn't do the movie justice, imo.  I almost wish I could rewatch it and do a thorough literary analysis about the depth and portrayals of its characters, the framing of scenes, the metaphors and symbolisms, the music/sound effects, the pace, the colors, the writing. It feels like I just watched a recorded version of a 2-hour play performed on an elaborate (real-world) stage.  It's beautiful in its plainness and hits like a mild slow-brew, leaving me with a lasting, satisfying aftertaste. The ending was