Il Dolce Far Niente, Italian for "sweetness of doing nothing". I think we should all strive to achieve this state when such opportunities come along. Why on earth do we get agitated and uneasy each time we've got nothing to do? When in actual fact, we are supposed to feel relaxed and happy? We should bask ourselves in the pool of nothingness, without boredom looming in. Just like the Italians for they have perfected this so well.
This is difficult to write, but it's definitely an important one amidst all the conversations we've been having lately. Growing up being brown/Malay wasn't easy, especially when it became ingrained in me that having a darker skin tone by default, is less desired than fairer skin tones. In childhood, I couldn't recall having to endure comments about my skin colour. Thankfully amongst children, these values ascribed to lightness and darkness didn't yet come to the fore. This consciousness became more obvious since secondary school. And it was tough and painful. I've been in a sports CCA since secondary school and I couldn't really avoid not becoming tanned. What hurts the most was even my peers at that time would make comments about my skin colour without even realising the damage caused from these words. These comments I recall, were sometimes made under the guise of humour. I was called 'budak hitam' (literally means 'black child') and even ...
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