the personal blog of C.K.Koay
I was recently asked what advice to give students about which courses they should pursue so they can be gainfully employed when they graduate.
No, this wasn’t some profound moment in a hushed university lecture hall. It was my drinking buddy interrogating me in a cricket-themed pub in Bukit Damansara after we’d both exceeded the legal limit to operate anything more complex than a toilet flush.
Continue reading “Post AI-takeover Career Advice”
This is the time of year when we resolutely resolve to finally do the things we have always wanted to do. Nothing encapsulates this peculiar ritual more than the act of making New Year’s resolutions.
Continue reading “Why New Year’s Resolutions Are Overrated”
Recently, I took a trip with colleagues to Forest City. Like many who spend too much time doomscrolling, I had already absorbed a steady diet of articles painting it as a desolate ‘Ghost City.’ In my head, it was the kind of place where tumbleweeds roll down spotless sidewalks– if Malaysia had tumbleweeds. If it weren’t for work, it would’ve been nowhere near my weekend plans. Spoiler: I was spectacularly wrong.
Continue reading “Forest City x The Network School”
If you’re a superhero fan who loves movies, like I am, you’ve probably been pretty disappointed these past few years. The MCU and DCEU just haven’t been hitting the mark. Sure, there’ve been a few standouts—Deadpool vs. Wolverine comes to mind—but even that relied heavily on nostalgia and fan service. Thunderbolts* showed flickers of the old MCU magic, but let’s be honest, it didn’t exactly set the box office ablaze.
Which is why it brings me great joy—bordering on relief—that not one, but two superhero films released in the past month reminded me why I fell in love with the genre in the first place: they brought back that wondrous, joyful escapism that lets us forget reality for a while.
Continue reading “The Return of Feel-Good Superheroes”
Time. One could never have enough of it.
It’s funny how abundantly time flows all around us, yet we can never seem to find the right moments to do the things we claim to love. Recently, I’ve been juggling new projects while moonlighting as my daughter’s personal chauffeur during her IGCSE exams (the real one this time and not the mocks). The result? My writing– an activity I’ve cherished since escaping corporate life– has been relegated to the “when I get around to it” pile.
Continue reading “To write, watch or play?”
On Earth Day this year, I took a nature hike.
Let me set expectations immediately: I’m not exactly a rugged, wilderness adventurer. My idea of “roughing it” involves air-conditioned chalets, glamping tents with hot showers and jungle dorms that still somehow have Wi-Fi. I’m basically Bear Grylls– if Bear Grylls demanded 24/7 air-conditioning and room service.
Continue reading “Putera Lilin vs. The Mountain”