Mahita Vas
Singapore: Monsoon Books, 2012
ISBN: 9789814358910
When Mahita Vas was fifteen, a teacher at her Catholic school in Singapore said she could see the devil in her eyes. Throughout her career with SIA, then as a highflying advertising industry executive, the author led a volatile life: sometimes blissfully and enviably contented, at other times screaming like a lunatic. Born to Indian parents and raised by a Chinese amah, Mahita Vas struggled to fit into a conservative society where exuberance is frowned upon and conformity is a tradition. At nineteen, she started as a flight attendant and worked her up to a senior position at a leading advertising agency. Over the years she found herself working with companies such as BMW, Ogilvy, Four Seasons and L’Oreal. She also got married and raised a family. No one suspected she was mentally ill despite her extreme mood swings. Frequent explosive rants led to a bipolar disorder diagnosis at fortytwo, followed by a suicide attempt where she narrowly escaped death. Set in Singapore, Praying to the Goddess of Mercy charts Mahita’s journey from chaos to stability. It offers insights into an illness for which there is no known cause, no cure and no immunity. It will inspire and enlighten people with mental disorders and the loved ones who suffer with them, and, ultimately, it is about being true to oneself and having the courage to take charge in the pursuit of happiness.
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