Me: "Ma."

Mum: "Apa?" (What?)

Me: "If life had a time machine and you could go back, would you still wanna do pharmacy or not?"

Mum: "Aiyo... probably not lah."

Me: "Why ah?"

Mum: "I mean, I enjoy what I do, but if I could’ve started with what I really wanted, I’d have gone for that."

Me: "So what’s that?"

Mum: "Journalism. I love writing. Honestly, that’s where you got it from."

Me: "I can tell."

Mum: "Life’s like a mountain, you know? You need to climb the right one. Don’t waste time chasing someone else’s dream. That’s my advice to you."

Me: "Even if I chase my own dreams, it’s still tough, you know? Feels like I keep trying but still keep losing."

Mum: "Maira, how to chase your dreams if you don’t put in enough effort ah?"

Me: "Excuse me, I do try!"

Mum: "You try, but not enough lah. How you spend your day is how you spend your life. If you’re always on your phone, how to go anywhere?"

Me: (Pauses)

Mum: "What I’m trying to say is, if you really want to achieve your goals, don’t worry so much about the results. Focus on the daily actions instead. Keep reading books, increase your knowledge, talk to people every day. Focus on how you spend your time, okay? Time is precious, you know."

Me: "I get what you’re saying, ma. But sometimes it feels like no matter what I do, I’m just stuck."

Mum: "Stuck? Aiyo, nobody’s stuck forever. You just need to find a different way. If one road doesn’t work, try another. Just don’t give up so easily."

Me: "It’s just so tiring, you know? I keep putting in the effort, but it’s like I’m not getting anywhere."

Mum: "Tiring or not, that’s life. Nobody said it was easy. But if you keep going, something will click, you’ll see."

Mum: "You need to take responsibility for your life, Maira. No one’s going to do it for you. You’re lucky, me and baba will support whatever you want, but now it’s up to you to make it happen."

Me: "That’s the thing. How to make it happen?"

Mum: "You need to have bias action—don’t wait for things to happen. You gotta go after what matters to you. If you never try, how will you know? You only have one shot at this life, don’t waste time thinking too much."

Me: "If I did everything right, then what’s another piece of advice you’d give me?"

Mum: "Don’t let relationships distract you."

Me: "Ma, I’m being serious."

Mum: "I’m being serious, choose your friends and partner wisely. The people you hang out with have a big impact on you."

Mum: "If you hang out with friends who are all about partying, you’ll end up doing the same. So, choose the right ones."

Me: "My friends are not like that though."

Mum: "Good. But be with someone who shares the same values as you. Someone who wants to do well just as much as you do—your success is their success."

Mum: "If I could tell my younger self this, I would. Trust me."

Glossary of Malaysian Slangs:

Aiyo – An exclamation of surprise or frustration.

Lah – A common particle used for emphasis, usually added to the end of a sentence.

Ah – A casual particle used at the end of a question or sentence for emphasis.

Apa – Means "what" in Malay.