Hi there – you’ve reached the blog of Maya Kirana. Welcome!
I’m 37, married to a Sarawak guy and we live in this charming little island called Penang. Together we manage Redbox Studio, a web design/web consultancy business which Nic founded in 1998.
Is my name really Maya Kirana? Well, read on and you will get the answer.
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.
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). We have entertainment in the form of a fat tabby called Margaret. She’s more dog than cat sometimes. I think she also owns us, rather than the other way round. I think she also thinks we’re tenants in “her” house.
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 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. And no kids…yet.
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!






Hi Maya, My Name’s Rajiv from Petaling Jaya. I came across your blog and found it rather interesting. What caught my attention was the books you got for such a good Price. I do love books myself : Prohecy, New Age, Mind ,Body n Soul. The books you have are very rare and would love to know more . I look foward to your reply. SEE ya
Hi Rajiv: Thanks for your nice words. I usually scour the secondhand bookstores in Penang (my favourite is 2020 on the 3rd floor of Midlands One Stop Shopping Mall). Other than that, I get books from friends, during travels and from regular places like Borders (another huge favourite of mine).