Growing up, my dad’s cousin, his wife and their daughter were the only family we had in Canberra. We only caught up with them once or twice a year, typically at a restaurant for Chinese New Year. I cherished those occasions﹣and not only because they were bookended by two of my favourite pancakes, commencing with Peking duck pancakes and concluding with red bean paste pancakes. … Continue reading Miscellaneous shades of grief
Anticipating a 6am start, I dreamt last night that my alarm didn’t go off and I woke at 6.50am – too late to make it to the marina for our tour of the Great Barrier Reef. I woke, relieved that it had been a dream and it was 5.50am. Except that I had misread my watch. It was, in fact, EXACTLY AS I HAD DREAMT: … Continue reading A dream come true and some deja vu
My husband and I got married in 2021 and we almost had a normal wedding. Almost. Even with the benefit of hindsight, I can’t tell you how to successfully account for the pandemic in your wedding prep. What I can share is the step-by-step of how our wedding caught COVID and how it all unfolded. Step 1: Get engaged when everyone is starting to forget … Continue reading How to plan a COVID wedding
When my now husband and I decided to get married, I was determined to be The Anti Bridezilla. Our relatively short three-month engagement suited me just fine because I was not about to angst over details like designer shoes, what type of roses I wanted in my bouquet, save the date cards or even wedding favours. The more time I had, the more time I … Continue reading The stress with the dress
This month Cambodia marked the fortieth anniversary of the fall of the Khmer Rouge. It’s prompted me to finally share on this blog something of my visit there late last year. My 9-day trip involved a 5-day cycle tour (with law firm Wotton+Kearney in support of International Justice Mission), plus time in Phnom Penh and Kampot. * Day 1 Day 1 of the Cambodia Cycle Challenge … Continue reading Cambodia: Cycle. Sweat. End slavery.
October 3 She is lovely. Creamy vintage lace, delicate buttons all down her back, descending into a sweeping fishtail. I fumble through the chapel, out of time with the music, but whatever. She floats down the aisle after me. Dad is smart in his officer’s white dress suit although he only reluctantly links arms with her. The day is lovely. Agreeable sun, genuine smiles. People we haven’t seen in years. A photo here, … Continue reading Reconfiguring Home: Weddings and Earthquakes
⎯suansita⎯ 