About Maya Kirana

Hi there – you’ve reached the blog of Maya Kirana.

Welcome!

I’m 38, Piscean Tiger and married to a Sarawakian. We both live in this charming little island called Penang.

It’s pretty crazy but together we manage Redbox Studio, a web design/web consultancy business which Nic founded in 1998.

We don’t have kids and we’re not sure if or when we’re having any. I do have a fat little old cat called Margaret. She makes us laugh. A lot. Did I tell you we’re servants to the cat? (The cat adopted us and not vice-versa. She kept following us around until we gave up and took her in!)

So, is my name really Maya Kirana? Just in case you’re thinking…the photo above is a glamour version of me (with full make up on). The unglamorous version of me, sans makeup, is as regular as you can get. Still, I am happy with what I have. I think I have nice expressive eyes.

OK, OK, enough of that prima donna stuff.

A Little History…

Ahem….I’ve been scribbling and writing since young. Since my first Enid Blyton book. Since my first typewriter, a clunky thing my Godmother bought me when I got first in class.

I have always loved scribbling unfinished stories, letting my imagination take over and giving my creativity free rein.

It is no wonder then that I love blogging, a hobby I discovered by accident one day in 2002. And I’ve stuck to it though sometimes it unnerves me that there are strangers who read my blog and build up pieces of me in their minds, especially those who have not met me in person.

But people who have read my blog says my writing is refreshing. I like that. I like being refreshing and open and funny and honest. I like living each day as it comes and being happy. As a Buddhist I believe that living life well is the best gift to yourself. I love being inspired and I can’t stand people who complain all the time and yet never take action.

Here's a recent photo of me

When I came to study in USM Penang about 17 years ago, I decided to stay on after graduation. Even my Sarawak-born husband, Nic, who loves his Kuching town to death, admits begrudgingly that yes, Penang is a jewel in its own right – dirty, noisy, but with lots of old-world charm.

Before I joined Nic in his business, I was in the corporate world for 7 years which I really loved. I was doing all sorts of stuff – advertising, web content management and corporate communications.

As you see, everything to do with writing and being curious!

And so, if you have learnt a little about me here, you will learn more about me as you sample what’s in my blog. I write on a variety of topics, but I try to write often – food, life, observations, pets (oh did I have many in my life). Hamsters – I have 14 at one time. I had a dog called Geegee. I had pigeons, parakeets, rabbits and turtles.

And yup, writing keeps me sane in the insane world of business.

I like escaping to my blog and ranting my brains off.

I am opinionated and honest. I am also very thankful I live in the 21st century.

I couldn’t live without email, my iPod, iPhone, iPad (big time Apple fan I am) and my Fujitsu laptop. And let’s not even talk about Facebook and Twitter. Yes, yours truly has her finger in these two social media pies.

(If you want the full list of what I’ve done – speaking, writing, blogging, coaching and setting up a women entrepreneur network etc – take a look at this.)

And if you feel you need to write to me, please do.

I love getting mail, I love hearing from strangers who in the end become my friends.

P.S. If you’re wondering why MayaKirana, is it a real name? Is it a pseudonym? Oh horrors, has it anything to do with that pontianak woman, Maya Karin? Here’s the answer to your question… read it in this post.

P.P.S As you would have noticed, I do not have ads on this blog. I chose to keep this an ad-free blog simply because I started this blog as a means to share my thoughts and feelings. Over the years, many advertisers have contacted me but I have turned them all down. Maya Kirana is my space – a little sacredness of space in a world over-run by ads and advertisers. If you appreciate what I write, please leave a message or comment. That would make my day!