Seniors at work were talking about badminton. They wanted more people to join their 'team'. This particular guy - let's call him, T - turned to me and asked, "So, do you play badminton?"

I just laughed awkwardly and said no. I hate to see colleagues outside of work. I have seen them enough hours of a day. "I would rather use the time to sleep," I told him. 

Another senior, E, commented: "You are just like B. She likes to sleep too." Frankly, who doesn't like to sleep?!

T jumped in, "You know that you are not like B." 

At that point, I already knew what he was going to say. He has nothing good to say with his mouth, ever. Always sneering and teasing the freshies on the job. I braced myself for the comment. 

"B has very high metabolism. So it is okay for her to always sleep. But you,... you are not going to stay like this if you do that."

WTF, dude? You just commented on my figure, my weight in front of everyone at work! Mentally, I have been giving you the middle finger whenever I see you. Each time I feel that you have some redeeming qualities, you somehow manage to turn my impression of you 180 degrees again. 

It is tough becoming a young woman. We are always being judged by our weight and our size. I have been on both sides of the spectrum. And it is not pretty. 

My BMI reached 19 after my first year in Perth. I came back to people looking absolutely delighted that I lost weight. "You look amazing!" or "You look thin!" were among the numerous comments I received from relatives. In my mind, I was shouting: "So you thought I looked horrible before?!" And people started to look at my body - almost leering - to see where I had lost the extra fat. It was really an uncomfortable experience. 

And now, on the opposite end of the spectrum, I received judgment on my body size from someone I barely know. I do not live in this planet to impress the likes of you, T. I am going to be myself, just the way I am. If I am going to gain weight, so be it. If I am going to lose weight - pay attention - I DON'T DO IT TO IMPRESS YOU. 

GO TO HELL.  

My eldest sister quit her job recently. Everyone made a huge fuss about it. The primary reason is that she made the decision back in February, and we only got to know about it late March.

It was my brother-in-law who dropped the surprising news on us during a dinner with my aunt and her family. The way it was revealed was casual, almost like it didn't even matter.

"She is going to be a housewife and look after me!" my brother-in-law teased. My sister just smiled stiffly - her usual smile, one that I am used to seeing and still don't know how to interpret.

This past month has been a bit confusing for us. Why did she quit her job? When? Why wouldn't she tell us? Aren't they going to be tight on money? 

Everyone has so many questions and not quite as many answers. My parents were taken aback and a bit upset. And I wondered why. Was it because they think that her being a housewife is a waste of talent and education? As I reflect on this, I realise that our society has come a full circle on the idea of women and education.

It is now virtually unheard of for daughters to not receive a higher education. More than 60% of the varsity student population are female. Asian societies, particularly ours, are already becoming more accustomed to the idea of a woman being educated at a higher level and eventually get a high-paying job. And when daughters give up their careers to take care of their husbands or children, people start to question. Why can't you do both? You are already earning so much, why stop now? Your education is wasted. 

While I am not comfortable with the idea of staying at home and not working (although this is very, very tempting), I support my sister wholeheartedly. One, she is my sister. Secondly, we are modern women and that we should be allowed to make our own choices, without being judged by other people. Our choices are valid and should be seen as valid by other people.. Being a high-flying corporate businesswoman is correct. Being a housewife is also correct. There is no right or wrong. And third, education we gained throughout the years will never be wasted. What we learn cannot be taken away from us. Learning comes in different ways too. And who is to say that your education is wasted? Because having a mother who received tertiary education would definitely benefit the children, even more so when she can spend more time with them.

Currently, we are all fixated on the question: "Where is MH370?"

The idea of a commercial airplane simply vanishing is fascinating, and scary. Scary, because it can happen to anyone of us.

No, we are not really disturbed by the various reports of suicide bombers in the Middle East. We are already conditioned to them. They have occurred so many times, in countries so unlike ours. But this - a seemingly ordinary aircraft, departing from our very own shores and just vanished without a trace - is terrifying.

I think the same about 9/11 too. Imagine going to your office as usual, with a cup of coffee in one hand and a briefcase in the other. Just like any other day, except a plane suddenly hits the building you are in.

It is tragedies that occur in day-to-day routines that scare the hell out of me. The world is smaller and stranger than we think.