Tattooed Ankle

It was December 2002. 

Two of the nurses on duty had come for the 9-year-old who was next on the list to be taken into the dreaded room. There were terrible sounds of children howling. The child with a bandaged ankle and a pale, fear-stricken face could already smell torture even from a dozen steps away from the room. Both the nurses reeked of it. She clung to her bed, refusing to let them take her. Tears dragged themselves down her cheeks as she squalled frantically. In the chaos of resistance, there was no one except one man, the man she loves most in the world, who had the power to coax her into that room. It wasn’t until he administered his words of comfort and reassurance that she calmed to a controllable state. 

The Promise of Wholesome Dancing

As a dancer, you’re constantly in a particular nature and intensity of motion that carries an inevitable risk of falling. There are moments when you have no one else but you to catch yourself if you fall. Years of training should prepare you to react with precision, poise, and composure. Miss the catch, and you may land hard enough to break—a repercussion I nearly met. 

Fall, Rise, Dance

Photographed by Dance Sandeep

The beauty of fall is the opportunity to rise again.

Approximately three years ago, I lost access to my guiding light in the practice of Bharatha Natyam. A mentorship vacuum ensued and I was reduced to such confusion and misery that I impulsively resolved to never practicing the art ever again.

Coronation of the Kingfisher

Illustrated by Bridget Yong

“A kingfisher? What’s a kingfisher?” I asked, curious about the unfamiliar word that came out sounding rather glorious to me.

“Oh, it’s a bird, darling. The one with bright blue feathers and a long beak,” she crooned with a demure smile, one of undiluted enthusiasm.

Birth of My First Book of Poetry – The Touch of Eternal Forte

Like every other year in the last 4 years since I left for the City of a Hundred Spires pulled out of a fairy tale to do medicine, I am finally back again in Malaysia for a nice family-bonding, belly-enlarging (yes, it’s what Malaysian food does to you) summer break. Except this time, I came back to a beautiful surprise; a childhood dream come true.

Immortal Passion | Bombay Dreams, Fix You – Coldplay & Dangerous – Michael Jackson

Dancing Tigress is back, this time alongside Dancing Tiger Cub, with a new dance video, entitled Immortal Passion, produced under the project “Bharatham Anywhere Everywhere“. And did I say Dancing Tiger Cub?

How About a Dangerous Saree Wear? Amp It up with some Leather Maybe!

Seems like it’s been a month of Sundays since I’ve last posted on this blog. Sure, you can tell by the amount of digital dust this writing space of mine has collected, can’t you? And I can well pin the blame for this on my lack of discipline and poor time management.

Alright that’s it. Now that I’ve finally found time, I’ll be dusting it clean and slotting in a brand new entry after a seven-month hiatus. This one’s going to be under the category of “Style” and I think it would make an interesting first post for 2017. So, read on.

Feasting on Sri Lanka’s Sweetness with some Homemade Kiri Pani

If asked what do I miss most about motherland when studying abroad, my answer would be FOOD. Ah alright, I’d better not lie about this. It would be, beyond any doubt, FAMILY. And when FAMILY is in the picture, FOOD, however, has to come second. Every year, these are the two things that would ratchet up my anticipation for the coming of summer, to board the plane back home. Now a fundamental truth about food and me: Apart from Malaysian food which we Malaysians really take pride of, I have an intense, almost innate, penchant for Sri Lankan food. Yes, Sri Lankan!

But why?

Soaking Up Athens’ Glory and Helios’ Wrath

It’s summertime! The nights are compressed at the far end of the 24-hour timeline, for the days have stretched and claimed more space in it. It’s the very season when the sun is a little too generous with its ray, sunscreens sell out fast, sandals and flip flops stand in the lieu of boots and shoes, ice-creams become the ubiquitous snack. So, how about some iced juice? And a summer story maybe?

The Spiritual Odyssey | Naduvan – Dr. Burn & Michael Rao

Divine and rhapsodic, The Spiritual Odyssey is my second dance cover, produced under the project “Bharatham Anywhere Everywhere“.