The Little Women

There’s this light that glows on the particular part of that house, A part where no light  ever shines. That house on the distance, who could possibly still awake at this particular time of the night? Does someone live there now? Did someone prepare to take some exam? Is a mother awake along with her child? Rocking her back and forth, singing lullabies south to north. Is it a father with wandering minds? About their future and his child, About his wife and his child? Or maybe, it’s an anxious one; trying to greet some sleep that never comes? What’s your guess? What light could it be In that house on the distance? Ananda Khaira Azizah, Pekanbaru, Dec 24th 2025. Written at 1am on a Wednesday.

I realize now that the world is full of broken hearts, empty promises, roads unjust & ways unaligned without a single thing we can do about it, but have you ever thought about whys? Because all of them; those series of disappointments are external, while us—internal.  (I need to remind you that the disappointment is from the outside of you; while yourself is not, and never will be, a disappointment.) The only thing that we can do is to prepare ourselves & our children to brace for impact. To expect the unexpected. Brace for impact, comprehend your surroundings then rise from the ashes. Brace, adapt, rise. Brace, adapt, rise (hey, looks like we have new abbreviation of BAR now, right?) Rise even stronger, wittier & prettier than before. Because it’s your pick, you know. Changes come from you and end only with you. This world will never stop spinning unless you told it to. So, what will you do today? Will you brace, adapt, or rise? Ananda Khaira Azizah, Pekanbaru, Dec 20t...

The name is sashimi. It’s a bit sus,  but it’s got lots of guts. It wears itself proudly and tastes as delicious as you can imagine, really. Do you know what we can learn from a sashimi? That you can be soft and firm at the same time, like tuna sashimi. The softness doesn’t mean you’re meek—it’s strong yet compassionate. You can be soft and sweet, like nama hotate. But your softness isn’t a weakness—it’s a sweet complement to your personality, instead. Or you can be like salmon belly—the very presence of you brings a profound taste to anyone’s tastebuds. Deliciously melty & wonderful, truly the light of the room. And all three are raw, a strength of their own—authentic. So, according to the story, which sashimi will you choose? 😉 Ananda Khaira Azizah,  Pekanbaru, December 5th 2025. Written at 6am on a Friday.