Trying a New TCM Treatment for Mum’s Chronic Pain and My Perimenopause Symptoms

Today, I accompanied mum to a new TCM centre, Ji Ting TCM Specialist Centre, located behind Tow Boo Keong Temple. My childhood friend recommended this TCM centre to me after several of her family members reportedly experienced good results and improvement after consulting Dr Teow.

Mum has tried almost everything for her chronic aches and pains, especially in her legs. She has bone spurs, sciatica, painful butt, a minor slipped disc, and she also previously suffered fractures in her right shoulder and wrist. So far, she has tried TCM at UTAR Hospital in Kampar, multiple physiotherapy sessions and umpteen bone supplements, but nothing has really helped. Hopefully, this TCM treatment will be the one that finally gives her some relief.

While mum was consulting Dr Teow, I decided to see him too for my perimenopause symptoms. I have chronic insomnia, hot flashes, heart palpitations and anxiety. The anxiety, palpitations and hot flashes often seem to come together, and it's really annoying and unsettling when they do.

For mum, she was given acupuncture, Tui Na bodywork and a whole bunch of Chinese herbs, which she has to boil herself at home. At UTAR Hospital, the Chinese medicine was already prepared and delivered to our house, so this will be a little more troublesome. Her total bill came to RM210.

For me, I was given acupuncture on my head, arms and legs, followed by Tui Na and Chinese medicine in powder form. I have to mix the powder with water and drink it twice a day for five days. My total came to RM165.

The Tui Na was really soothing. My achy shoulders and neck felt so much lighter and better afterwards. The acupuncture itself felt like tiny pinpricks when the needles were inserted. But the uncomfortable part was having to lie completely still for 30 minutes! Any movement after the needles were inserted could cause pain, so I was terrified of suddenly needing to sneeze or scratch an itch. 😂 So pray you don't sneeze or have an itchy body during acupuncture!

Hopefully, both mum's and my symptoms will lessen after this treatment. Mum will continue seeing the TCM doctor, while I haven't decided whether I should continue. It's not cheap — if I were to go once a week, it would cost me around RM660 a month! Well, I'll see how I feel over the next few days.

Next we headed to JJ Roll to get my favourite pandan custard swiss roll. Then we made a quick stop at the nearby Kek Lok Seah Temple to pay our respects to my late maternal grandmother before heading for lunch. 

I suggested going to Hong Kong Ah Chan's Ling Long Fishball restaurant because the shop is very near the TCM clinic. The Ling Long outlet in Ipoh is newly opened, while another outlet opened in KL last year.

But Dad, being Dad, immediately said, “No, don't want. It won't be nice lah, just fishballs and noodles.” 😂

I knew it. At 83, Dad is no longer very adventurous when it comes to trying new food. I suggested several other eateries around the area, but the answer was still a firm NO.

So we ended up back in our taman, eating chap fan at Da Cha Fan, the newly opened air-conditioned chap fan restaurant in Ipoh Garden East. 😂 They are currently having a promotion of RM10 for three dishes (unlimited amount), and we all quite like the food there. There's a free flow of soup, tea, water, watermelon and tissue papers.

Dad will usually only agree to try new eateries when both my brothers are back or when my daughters are here. If it's just the three of us, it's the same shops and same food every day! LOL! 😂

Anyway, hopefully this new TCM treatment will bring some relief for Mum and me. Fingers crossed! 🤞  

Domino’s New & Improved Sambal Pizza

Yesterday's dinner was Domino's sambal pizzas!

I received some complimentary pizzas from Domino's, and they're from their New & Improved Sambal Pizza range, which comes in three spicy flavours:

Pizza Sambal Bilis Rangup

Pizza Sambal Ayam Bakar

Pizza Sambal Udang Nanas

My personal favourite is the Pizza Sambal Udang Nanas! The prawns were super crunchy, while the ikan bilis was really crispy. The crust was also thin and crispy, and all three pizzas arrived piping hot and freshly made, right on time.

All three pizzas come topped with Domino's sambal, which was a little too spicy for me as I can't really tolerate spicy food But if you're a true sambal lover, I think you'll love this new pizza range!

Available for a limited time only, the New & Improved Sambal Pizza range is available at Domino's stores nationwide for takeaway, delivery and dine-in.

You can order through the Domino's website, the Domino's App or at any Domino's store.

For more information, visit Domino's Malaysia or follow @DominosMY on Facebook and Instagram.

 Pizza Sambal Ayam Bakar

 Pizza Sambal BilisRangup

Pizza Sambal Udang Nanas - everyone's favourite!

Haru’s Little Health Scare

My poor Haru has been unwell for the past few days. Yesterday, she vomited twice after eating, so I immediately called the vet and drove out to get her a strip of anti-vomiting pills.

I had to brace myself to give her the pill. On my first attempt, it promptly dropped out of her mouth. The second time, it went in... reluctantly! 😅

Back in KL, my second daughter was in charge of giving Haru her medication, trimming her nails and bathing her. Now, I have to do all these things myself!

Thankfully, after just one pill, Haru was well again. I also reduced her food intake by half to give her little tummy some time to recover.

Last night, I even lined my bed with waterproof plastic mats, just in case she vomited on it. Thankfully, she didn't! 😅

Thank God she's pretty much back to her usual self today! ❤️🐱

Couples Rings for Every Stage of a Relationship

A relationship isn't one moment — it's a series of them, and couples rings can mark any point along the way. One of the most appealing things about the category is how it stretches to fit wherever you are, from a new-but-serious relationship to decades of marriage. Here's how couples rings map onto each stage.

The serious-but-early stage

Long before any talk of engagement, plenty of couples want a way to mark that things are real. This is where couples rings shine as a low-pressure symbol — a shared pair that says "we're committed" without the weight of a proposal. Simple, distinctive designs suit this stage well, since the rings are about the statement rather than the formality.

The promise stage

When a couple is heading somewhere but not there yet, promise-style couples rings mark the intention. They signal that engagement is on the horizon without committing to a date, which suits couples who know where they're going but aren't ready for the formal step.

A shared pair can mark any stage — the meaning grows with the relationship.

The married stage

Couples who are already married often choose a coordinated pair to wear alongside or in place of their wedding bands — a refreshed symbol for a relationship that's grown. Here the rings tend to carry more history, and details like engravings or shared stones take on added meaning.

The milestone stage

Anniversaries, moves, hard seasons survived — any significant milestone is a natural moment for a pair of couples rings. At this stage the choice is often about marking how far you've come, and the rings become a record of the specific chapter you're celebrating.

The long-distance stage

Distance adds its own reason to want a shared symbol. When partners spend stretches of time apart — for work, study, or circumstance — a pair of couples rings becomes a small, constant reminder that the relationship holds across the miles. Many long-distance couples value the rings precisely because they're worn every day in two different places, a physical link when presence isn't possible. For this stage, comfortable everyday designs tend to matter more than anything formal, since the rings are doing quiet, daily work rather than marking a single event.

Choosing for where you are

The beauty of couples rings is that the same category works at every stage — you just choose the pair that fits the moment. A browse through a range of couple wedding rings and other couples designs shows options suited to each point in a relationship, and the wider collection at Aquamarise.com covers the full range of styles.

The takeaway

Couples rings aren't tied to a single moment — they mark whichever one you're in, from a new serious relationship to a long marriage. Choose the pair that fits your stage, and the rings carry exactly the meaning you want them to, wherever you are on the road together.

When Dad Says No to Fancy Food

I was supposed to bring Dad out for dinner on his birthday last week, but my daughters in KL had already ordered his favourite, the famous Ipoh Nasi Ganja, along with desserts from Yam Meet. So I treated him to dinner the next day instead.

Our original plan was to go to Galanggal, a Mediterranean fusion restaurant in Canning Garden. But when we arrived at around 7pm, the restaurant was completely empty. Dad immediately commented that the food there must be bad since there wasn't a single customer. LOL!

Then he asked for the menu, and the staff told us that we had to scan a QR code to view it and place our order. Dad absolutely hates restaurants that make him scan a code to see the menu and order. 😂 So I scanned the code for him.

Then came the second round of complaints. He looked at the menu, said the food was so expensive and declared that he didn't like these kinds of dishes anyway. After about 10 minutes of browsing the menu while Dad complained and grumbled, we finally left. LOL!

Then we spotted a Bak Kut Teh restaurant next door and immediately segued into it. Dad's mood instantly lifted, and he was smiling away while looking at the menu. 😂

He ordered two servings of soft pork ribs, a pot of dry BKT and a plate of vegetables. Everyone enjoyed the food at Canning Garden Bak Kut Teh, a sister outlet of the famous BKT in Pandamaran, Klang.

Mum and I also gave Dad his birthday ang pow at the restaurant. Everyone left feeling full, happy and satisfied. 🥰

When you live with parents in their 80s, especially one who prefers traditional food and is resistant to change, sometimes you just have to go with what makes them happy — even when you really want to try something new, hip and viral / trending. 😆

Oh, and Dad still loves Secret Recipe cakes. For all our birthdays and celebrations in Ipoh, he only wants the cake-cutting thingy done at Secret Recipe or wants us to buy a cake from JJ Swiss Roll. No fancy-schmancy cakes, entremets or ice cream/jelly cakes for him. Just good old-fashioned cakes and tai chow Chinese dishes will make him very happy! 😂

From Cracked and Dirty Heels to Smooth, Pink Feet Again

Many years ago, I had the ugliest and most severely cracked heels. I was an avid runner, never wore socks or indoor slippers at home, and loved wearing sandals whenever I went out. After years of caring for three babies, my feet were also constantly exposed to soap and water.

Even though I was—and still am—a clean freak—my heels were disgusting! I bought all kinds of foot files, but none really worked. Foot spas helped, but only temporarily. The deep cracks in my heels would trap dirt from the floor, especially when I wore sandals with my heels exposed. No amount of soap could remove the stubborn black stains that had settled into the crevices.

Then came the pandemic. Like everyone else, I became paranoid about viruses sticking to my body, so whenever I went out, I wore socks and sneakers. After a few months, I noticed something amazing: my feet had become clean and pink again! My heels were still rough and peeling, but the deep cracks and black stains had improved tremendously.

Two years ago, when I started Iyengar Yoga, I developed a painful viral wart on my foot. I suspected I picked it up from going barefoot at the yoga studio. After trying umpteen home remedies, I finally had to undergo laser surgery to remove it. The procedure cost me over RM1,000 and wasn't covered by my insurer because it was performed by a plastic surgeon and classified as “aesthetic”. Duh! 🙄

After that episode, I quit Iyengar Yoga and vowed never to go barefoot in public places again. I even wear socks with a pretty dress when I attend friends' house parties. Aunty-looking? Maybe. But I don't care—I only want healthy feet! 😂

After moving back to Ipoh in December 2025, I started wearing socks at home with indoor slippers almost 24/7. Within weeks, my heels stopped cracking and peeling.  I finally have smooth, clean feet again! Yes, it's super hot wearing socks all the time, but having smooth and clean feet is a small price to pay.

Wearing regular socks can be a hazard, though, because the soles can be slippery. So I got myself some anti-slip socks to wear at home, especially when I do my YouTube workouts.

So if you have cracked, rough or dirty heels and feel embarrassed by them, try these simple habits:

🧦 Wear socks as much as possible
👟 Wear covered shoes instead of sandals or slippers when going out
🧴 Apply foot cream or body lotion, then wear socks before bed
🚿 Try not to keep your feet constantly wet

These measures have worked wonders for me. I’m honestly amazed that something as simple as wearing socks almost all the time has transformed my feet!

I got my anti-slip socks here: https://s.shopee.com.my/112OcL7zSZ

In July 2016

In August 2026

Anti-slip socks to be worn at home and for gym sessions.

Gross Discovery: 9 Baby Cockroaches Drowned in Mum’s Honey!

Today, Mum discovered something really gross. There were 9 baby cockroaches drowned inside her bottle of honey! 🤮

What really perplexed us was: how on earth did those roaches get inside when the lid was screwed on tight? Well, maybe it wasn’t screwed 100% tightly, and those tiny roaches managed to crawl through the smallest gap.

Our kitchen has many cockroaches, and they may be entering through gaps in the windows of our wet kitchen. One way to close all the gaps would be to hire someone to install mesh wire netting outside the windows, but Dad is reluctant. He is someone who is not bothered at all by rats and cockroaches! 😂

The second option is to hire pest control, but I’m hesitant because Haru roams freely inside the house.

So I chose the third — and cheapest — option: cockroach traps.

I bought some cockroach traps from Shopee and, surprisingly, they work really well! Yesterday, I placed two traps in the dry kitchen. One had 5 roaches inside, while the other had about 10! 😱

I mop the kitchen floor what feels like 100 times a day, spray vinegar and dishwashing liquid, yet nothing can deter the roaches 100% from coming in. Vinegar and dishwashing liquid can kill them on direct contact, though.

The other pest issue in our kitchen is rats. There are rats hiding in our wet kitchen, and every morning, I see rat droppings everywhere. Dad managed to trap one the other day using jackfruit as bait and later released it into a nearby monsoon drain.

But there are still rats around, judging from the droppings. They’ve now become smarter too — they probably saw their relative being caught and are no longer willing to go near the trap! 😂

This is why I still prefer living in a condo. When I lived in a condo in KL, we never had issues with rats, and cockroaches were minimal because the condo management hired pest control companies to come regularly.

For now, though, the cockroach traps are the cheapest and fastest solution!

I got mine from Shopee here >> https://s.shopee.com.my/9V0twAYVtZ

Building Strength and Celebrating Dad’s 83rd Birthday

This morning, Mum and I attended our group strength training class for seniors after a 1.5-week hiatus. It has been 3.5 months since we started going to the gym, and I can definitely feel my strength & stamina improving tremendously.

Today, after an hour of non-stop workout, I didn’t feel tired at all. I guess consistency really does pay off. Attending our classes regularly and practising at home have helped us build strength and stamina over time.

During the class today, I saw several attendees in their 60s -70s panting and struggling to continue, and I couldn’t help but wonder whether I will one day be like that too when I am in my 60s, 70s and 80s. But I guess that if I keep up my momentum by attending strength training and Zumba classes, going for my daily brisk walks and lifting weights at home, I will hopefully stay stronger for longer.

I’ve come to realize that staying fit isn’t about doing one big thing. It’s about showing up, again and again, even on the days when you don’t feel like it. 💪

After our strength training class, Mum and I went to tapau lunch before heading home. Our original plan was to eat dinner outside later as it’s Dad’s 83rd birthday today. I was planning to treat him to a nice dinner at a restaurant in the mall.

But at around 1pm, my second daughter, who is in KL, messaged me to say that Grab Food was on the way to deliver lunch to us! 😄

The girls were treating their grandpa to his favourite Nasi Ganja from Jalan Yang Kalsom. Two Grab Food riders arrived — the first with our favourite desserts from Yam Meet, and a few minutes later, the Nasi Ganja arrived!

Since there was so much food and we had only just eaten lunch, we decided to save the Nasi Ganja for dinner. My birthday treat for Dad will have to be postponed to another day.

Although my daughters and I don’t live together now, they have always remembered us with little goodies and treats on our birthdays, Mother’s Day and Father’s Day. ❤️

Distance may separate us, but love always finds its way home — sometimes in the form of Nasi Ganja and dessert. Happy 83rd birthday, Dad. You are very loved. ❤️🎂

The video can be viewed on my Facebook page.

Our early celebration with dad last week when my younger brother came back to Ipoh.

She Stepped Onto the Ice and Made Mum Proud

Today, I took a 7am private taxi from Ipoh to Sunway Pyramid to watch my youngest compete in Skate Asia. ❤️⛸️

About an hour before her event, I started getting nervous and really kan cheong. I think I was more nervous than she was! 😂 I actually dared not watch her skate because I was so afraid she might flip and fall. Many of the contestants fell, and some even cried. My heart really ached for them. They may have practised and performed their routines beautifully during training, but once they step onto the ice for competition, nervousness can get the better of them and cause mistakes and falls.

Thank God Cass did pretty well. I was literally shaking while videoing her from the 3rd floor above the skating rink! 😂

The moment her event ended, I rushed down to the rink to congratulate her. At that point, it really didn't matter to me whether she won a medal or not. To me, being able to stay calm, not fall and execute your routine smoothly is already a huge achievement.

Then she showed me her gold medal, and we hugged. 🥹❤️

Suddenly, her skates that cost as much as a pair of Jimmy Choo shoes, the costume that cost as much as a Melinda Looi gown, and all the competition and training fees over the past 3 years that could have paid for a brand new car… were all worth it. 😂

And what makes me even prouder is that Cass paid for most of these herself — through her part-time job as a figure skating coach and her own savings. She worked for it, saved for it and invested in something she loves.

I am SO proud of you, Cass. ❤️

You have proved your critics wrong. Despite having so many odds stacked against you, you persevered, stepped onto that ice and did it.

Well done, my girl. You are already my champion, but today, you brought home the gold too. 🥇❤️

Super proud of you!! ⛸️🥹❤️

You can watch the video of her performance on my Facebook page.

Dandelion & Flower Tea

Today's TOTD — dandelion roots, red dates, chamomile, chrysanthemum and jasmine flowers, with the  jasmine picked fresh from our garden. 🌼🌿

A few of the ingredients also come with their own little wellness perks:

🌱 Dandelion root — traditionally used to support digestion and liver health, and as a gentle source of antioxidants.

🌼 Chamomile — known for its calming properties and often enjoyed to help with relaxation.

🌼 Chrysanthemum — traditionally enjoyed as a refreshing, soothing herbal tea and contains antioxidants.

It's such a soothing and aromatic tea, with strong notes of chamomile and chrysanthemum. I absolutely love it! ❤️

I'm feeling like a tea connoisseur now, brewing a different combination every day. 😂🍵

I Ran Over My Parcel

 I ordered a sofa-cum-storage box from Lazada last week, and yesterday the parcel finally arrived.

The delivery guy apparently just dumped the parcel on the floor of our porch. I wasn’t home at the time because I was out with my parents. After picking my mum up from the physiotherapy centre, we went for lunch and then came home.

And this is where things went horribly wrong. 😭

The box was almost the exact same colour as the floor of our porch, so I didn’t see it at all.  And the parcel was quite flat - the storage box is collapsible. I drove our SUV straight over the parcel! 😱

There was a huge bump and a horrible sound, which gave all of us a shock — especially my dad. I immediately looked into the rear-view mirror and saw the parcel.

My heart just shattered. 💔

I quickly opened the parcel to see how badly it was damaged. Thankfully, most of it was still okay, but the cover of the storage box was partially broken. I used some plastic adhesive tape (same color as the storage box) to straighten the sides and put it back together, but it still looks a little crooked now. 😭

And I’m especially sad because I really love this storage box! It’s bright red, so it looks cheerful and pretty, and it can hold so many things. I use it to store all the blankets for guests. Best of all, it looks like a mini couch, complete with cute buttons. 

Now I’ll have to order another one because I really don’t think I can live with that crooked cover. 😂

But honestly… I’m still blaming the delivery guy for dumping the parcel right on the floor! If he had placed it somewhere more visible, I probably wouldn’t have driven over it. I also blame myself for being blind  😅

I bought the sofa storage box here > https://s.lazada.com.my/s.ZdcYwf?c=q&t=p-iGHhJuc-s2G269a1

Can you see the dent and damage from the picture?

A Whole Lot of Pandan Leaves

Our neighbour has an entire garden filled with pandan plants, growing right on the ground. The pandan leaves are almost like wild weeds — so green, thick and incredibly luscious! 

So whenever Dad needs pandan leaves for baking or cooking and our garden doesn't have enough, he often asks our neighbour for some. A few days ago, our neighbour generously gave him a whole bunch of pandan leaves.

Dad then spent practically the entire afternoon in the kitchen washing, chopping, blending and squeezing the leaves to extract the pandan juice. To do this the old-fashioned way, he blends the pandan leaves with some water, then pours the mixture into a muslin cloth and squeezes out every drop of juice. Talk about labour intensive! 😂

He then stores the pandan juice in the fridge overnight. By the next day, the water and the concentrated pandan essence separate naturally. Dad pours the pandan water into another container to use for cooking, while the concentrated pandan essence goes into the freezer. That precious green essence will eventually be used for baking cakes and making pandan kaya. 💚

Dad is 83 years old, and this is the only method he knows. But I have to admit, there is something rather satisfying about doing it the traditional way. No fancy gadgets, just pandan leaves, water, a blender, a muslin cloth and plenty of elbow grease! 😆

I also kept some of the pandan leaves to make pandan tea. Sometimes I brew them on their own, and sometimes I mix them with flowers, green tea or black tea. The aroma is absolutely wonderful, and the tea tastes terrific! 🍵🌿

And we don't waste the pandan pulp either. After Dad has squeezed out all the juice, we put the leftover pandan pulp into containers and place them in our cars and bathroom. They make everything smell so fresh and naturally fragrant. Apparently, pandan is also said to help repel cockroaches, so that's another little bonus! 😂

From one big bunch of pandan leaves, we get pandan juice, pandan essence, tea, natural air freshener — and hopefully fewer cockroaches. Now that's making good use of a gardenful of pandan! 🌿💚

Pandan leaves + rose tea for mum; pandan leaves + rose + jasmine + blue pea flower tea for me.

My pandan rose jasmine blue pea flower tea. So aromatic.

Freshly extracted pandan juice before separating the water from the essence.

Pandan pulp as air freshener for our bathrooms and cars

Big bunch of pandan leaves from our neighbor.