Work is easy; emotions are not.

That’s a line a lot of people recognize.

Work often has rules, procedures, deadlines, and measurable outcomes. Even when it’s difficult, there’s usually a path: do the task, solve the problem, complete the project.

Emotion is different. You can’t always reason your way through grief, loneliness, love, disappointment, or uncertainty. There’s no checklist that guarantees a result, and progress isn’t always visible. Sometimes you can work hard emotionally and still feel stuck.

In that sense, work can be exhausting, but emotions are often more complex because they involve needs, relationships, identity, expectations, and things outside our control.

A different way to put it might be:

• Work asks for effort.
• Emotion asks for vulnerability.

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“Mahathir” mango

Actually, it was the Chinese aunty in the neighbourhood who gave this to me, not the Chinese uncle. And hey, I’m not racist, despite what some people claim. 😂

My second sister said that during Chinese New Year, I should make sure to return the favour. Anyhow, this isn’t my first time receiving one, but I’m always excited whenever I get a jumbo mango.

There’s nothing particularly new about a giant mango, but it’s always well appreciated. My dad is a Kedayan and has green fingers – farming is his hobby – so I grew up surrounded by vegetables and fruits. Plenty of opportunities to learn, but I was too stubborn to pay attention.

So here they are for the memory album: a 24 cm and a 28 cm “Mahathir” mango. They seem ripe already, so into the fridge they go. I enjoy eating mangoes cold, although I still can’t appreciate Korean Mul Naengmyeon (cold noodle soup). 😆

Anyway, once again, xie xie, Aunty Subok!

Jika doaku tidak dimakbulkan, adakah sumpahku boleh dikabulkan?

If sincere prayers with good intentions go unanswered, can my curse become reality?

Hati Mati, Qalbun Mayyit

Hati mati, kerana keputusan orang lain yang kurang mengasihi. Hati dah cacat, kerana kerap kecewa. Kerap kecewa, tewas dalam sabar. Sabar diuji, seperti permainan. Jatuh nilai sabar dan bersyukur lesap dalam hati. Tahniah kepada orang yang kurang mengasihi. Qalbun Mayyit, jatuh seorang Mu’min kerana keputusan orang lain yang kurang mengasihi.

Let’s write again

Another perspective, another placement of thought. Thank you for reading.