June 10, 2026 – I woke up this morning in a thoroughly and completely bad mood. Misery – downright misery. Misery: a state or feeling of great distress or discomfort of mind or body. The synonym are downright depressing. distress, wretchedness, hardship, suffering, affliction, anguish, anxiety, angst, torment, torture, hell, agony, discomfort, deprivation, grief, heartache heartbrokenness, despair, despondency, dejection, desolation, gloom, moroseness, doldrums, melancholia, woe, sadness, sorrow; the dumps, the blues. That was me definitely in the dumps.
I sent my WhatsAppers a photo of a painting with this caption: “Morning! A painting in my Raffles room. Unfortunately it reflects my mood of the day.” I received a series of responses many of which brought comfort and relief. I shall share a few and my responses to them
She: Looping swirling flowing, somewhat disconnected with all the pieces in place. Waiting for the right moment of unfolding where things land and finds their rightful beautiful place. May Allah grant you light, surround you light make your heart light.
Me: What a blessed message you send me. Alhamdulillah You reminded me that Allah is with me. Thank you!
She: We”re in need of reminders all the time, let’s keep reminding each other.
Another said
She: Ok Allah ease your affairs.
Me: Thanks Allah send me these downers to help me climb to new levels.
She: ❤️
Another of a different nature sent by Sohail Nakhoda, a man of recent acquittance.
He: Good morning! All well in Singapore?
Me: Nope I am in a bad mood.
We had spoken of the harp in the past. I was sitting in the Raffles lobby listening to the harpist. Send him a short reel.
Me: This definitely cheered me up. The heavenly harp.
He: Very soothing sounds from the harp. Definitely an instrument that has therapeutic qualities
She plays it beautifully.
The harpist and I are friends, I have stayed here before and I did write about her in a previous blog. I shared his comments with her.
She: Oh thank you. That made me day.
He: Ahhh that’s lovely. Harpists must be very patient people full of goodness to be able to produce sounds of this kind with their harp.
Me: Spreading cheer.
He: I agree She is great. I wrote about her on my blog during a previous visit to Raffles.
I spoke to the harpist constantly during my afternoon. We spoke of positivity. Told her of an amazing experience of yesterday. I was in the Business Class Lounge at the KL Airport. A young employee helped me with my online application to enter Singapore. We shared stories and laughed together. She turned to me.
She: You made my year.
Me: Oh my goodness!!!!!!!!!! Once I got nine “You made my day!” But NEVER have I ever gotten, “You made my year.”
And then I wept. Tears of joy.
I am SO blessed by Allah, I sit in the lobby of the Raffles Hotel. Listening to the harp, my favorite instrument. I am facing a flower arrangement that is a thing of beauty. I have the earned money to allow me to stay at this incredible hotel where all of the staff approach my table in the lobby and say: “Welcome Home, Ms McBride.” I sent a text to Kenny Tan, the Director of Sales
He: Good morning What are your plans for the day?
Me: Don’t tell but I do not have any. Hahaha
He: Rest and relax for the rest of the day,,
Me: Thank you kind sir. When I a in a bad mood it is best that I keep to myself.
He: I always see you. Cheerful and lots of energy…every day & every hour, Hahaha
Me: It is because I hide when I am in a bad mood.
Then sent him a reel of the harpist.
Me: This is my favorite son. The harpist knows this. Wow A bubble bath drawn by the butler added to my recovering mood as well
He: Great to hear that and u are enjoying the afternoon in the lobby.
Me: I am!!! What have I done right to deserve all of this?!?!
Now an entire different perspective from Nixon, the GM of Penang Lyf. Nixon sent a message he received from one of his colleagues in days of old.
He: He is a super good Bazheer We used to work together in Avani Sepang. 👍👍👍
I shall include the message from Nixon but it said, in case you cannot read the small print.
He: One with Madam Alexis McBride, a writer and bigger currently based in Penang. Her personal blog is popular in London, USA, Canada and US. Thank you for …more.
But there was no more on the photo which Nixon had sent.
Me: I love him He is totally darling. Tell him I said so. Seeing this cheered me up Thanks 🙏
Nixon: 🙏👍
I had no idea whatsoever that the photo Bazheer took of me in the lobby of the KL conference hotel would show up in Nixon’s WhatsApp. It was more than a little surprising, downright shocking.
My last moments at the Royal Chulan Damansara were ones of discovery. Although I live in KL I stayed in the hotel thinking the sessions were to be al the hotel – that is the customary practice. But not so, the sessions were elsewhere – most inconvenient tiresome and inconsiderate. Time was not provided to explore the hotel. Following my final breakfast had some time and found what I was looking for. The skating rink. It was most exciting to see that there are skating lessons and a program. Decided on a great plan. I would ask for a special rate, stay at the hotel for a week and take skating lessons. I went to the lobby, asking how to get a special rate and was handed a business card of the man to contact. Guess who it is? Bazheer. Therefore, it seems my destiny. Hahaha But first I must be prepared. My ‘lease’ at Societe expires at the end of June.The plan is to go to Penang, see my Malaysia Dr. Lee, go the hospital where I had my cataract surgery and have a PRP left knee injection. The Penang Lyf hotel is the perfect place to recuperate, my trusty Sandman chauffer will be in attendance. I will sign up for physiotherapy. I shall be as good as new – even better. Hahaha There is not doubt about it, I do lead an interesting life.
June 11, 2026
My miserable mood slowly disappeared thanks to the incredible staff, the luxuries of the Raffles Hotel and total pampering. “Welcome home, Ms. McBride” was the universal cry. A delicious breakfast was heartily consumed. WhatsApped my very own butler – an enthusiastic helpful woman who drew me a bath. Decided to ask Gemini about the origin of the phrase.
Gemini: It sounds like you’re having a wonderful stay at the Raffles. There is something uniquely civilizing about that level of service; it turns a mundane task into a bit of an art form.
The phrase “draw a bath” actually has a very practical, mechanical history that dates back centuries.The term comes from the Old English word dragan, which simply means to pull or drag. Before modern plumbing, water didn’t just appear with the turn of a handle. Drawing from the well: Originally, water had to be literally “drawn” (pulled up) from a well or a river using buckets.Drawing from a Tap: Even as plumbing evolved, the word stuck. When you open a valve, gravity or pressure “draws” the water through the pipes and out of the faucet. A Moveable Feast: In grander houses, “drawing a bath” also referred to the servants drawing a heavy portable tub close to the fireplace so the bather would stay warm while they hauled in the heated water. The Raffles Tradition: At a place like the Raffles, “drawing a bath” is less about the plumbing and more about the ritual.
Gemini then asked if I wanted to hear of the history of butlers at Raffles. I said, “Sure”
Gemini: The butler service at the Raffles is practically synonymous with the hotel itself. It isn’t just an added amenity; it’s a lineage that dates all the way back to the hotel’s opening in 1887.
When the Sarkies brothers first opened Raffles as a modest 10-room bungalow, they wanted to combine the formal etiquette of British service with the warmth of Asian hospitality. The result was a philosophy they famously call service like a “gentle breeze”—entirely unobtrusive, yet always there before you even realize you need something.Over the decades, those butlers have looked after a rather legendary guest list. They unpacked trunks for Rudyard Kipling while he edited The Jungle Book on the veranda. They served Somerset Maugham as he wrote under the frangipani trees.They ensured absolute privacy for everyone from Elizabeth Taylor to Jackie Kennedy. The true art of a Raffles butler isn’t just about flawless execution; it’s about their sharp observation. They are trained to look for subtle details to customize a stay without being asked. If a guest only eats the strawberries from a fruit bowl, the next day’s bowl will quietly feature only strawberries. If a resident mentions a love for classical music, they might find a schedule for the Singapore Symphony Orchestra’s latest performance at the Esplanade left on their writing desk. It transforms a hotel stay from mere lodging into a beautifully choreographed piece of theater. Enjoy every bit of that rare, old-world glamour!
I definitely did!!!! The bath was exactly the right temperature, the bubbles were bubbly. A bath pillow was provided, so I could rest comfortably. Then drying with thick towels and donning an absorbent robe.
Later I called the butler requesting a prayer rug. When opening the door to receive the robe, heard the harp from the lobby below. Quickly got dressed, ordered tea sandwiches, listened to the soothing music of the harp, writing,, speaking to guests. Wondering, out loud:
Me: What did I do to deserve this?? The spacious lobby, the impeccable service the lovely music, the perfect flower arrangement.
Alter Ego: Well you worked your entire life before your retirement, did not have children, avoiding the expense and giving you freedom to travel and go to law school at night while working all day. There was no ‘break in service” so your retirement income spanned thirty years. Separate property agreements kept your retirement dollars out of your husband’s hands. You reverted to the Islamic Faith during covid. Fled the US when persecuted, then abandoned Canada when Gaza provoked Islamaphobia making it impossible to worship in peace. You live inexpensively in Malaysia, put money aside so you can fund your ten year Sarawak visa. You are exceeding grateful to Allah (SWT) for all of your blessings.
Me: Alhamdulillah
I will close with one of my favorite Invocations. “Oh Allah. I hope for Your Mercy, so do not leave me to myself for (even) the blink of an eye, and rectify all my affairs for me. There is no God but You.” Allah (SWT) is with me and does rectify my affairs for me. Alhamdulillah
Photographs from the day, including the painting on the wall of my Raffles Suite, the bubble bath, the enormous flower arrangement.
