Sunday, 28 March 2021

Our dancing queen had a dance audition at a dance centre at Kuchai Lama today.  After dropping her at the dance centre, we walked across the road to have lunch. Our K-pop craze Alycia chose Choi's Don & Dak Korean cuisine.  

Food was just average.  Sherilyn's homemade Korean dishes taste way better 😜 and she's previously cooked every dish that we ordered today. Even Sherilyn's homemade kimchi and banchan taste much better.  

After lunch, we did some cafe-hopping and bought some desserts and tofu soft serve ice-creams.   It's been a long time since our family indulged in cafe-hopping.  

The results were out the next day and Sherilyn is selected to be in the dance school's competitive dance team.  Team members will also be doing dance covers besides representing the dance school in competitions.  Sherilyn already has a clear vision on what she wants and according to her, this is just a small part of her resume to help her get a scholarship in college.   We'll see...

Life With Haru

The days seem to pass by so uber quickly lately that I can't accomplish every task on my eCalendar.  Today during my morning jog I tried to reflect why I have so little time for work and myself lately. And then I realized that I am now taking on more house chores than I used to.  When Maria used to come six times a week before the pandemic started, I had more time on hand. I could even submit more than 10 articles in a day to my boss.   And I didn't have a pet kitten to take care of back in the day.

Maria only comes in three times a week now and I now have a kitten to take care of. We cook almost everyday and I now try not to cook on days that Maria doesn't come.  I order food online or buy takeout in the morning on days that Maria doesn't come.   The girls can only help to feed Haru and clean the litter when their online classes are over -- their online school classes start in the morning and only end in the afternoon, which is followed by online tuition classes. It is especially difficult for Cass to leave her desk as her school (military style Chinese school!) requires that the web cam be turned on all the time.  So I'm caring for Haru myself most of the time. I pass the night shift to Sherilyn.  Cass' only duty is to cuddle Haru to placate her (even during class, on her lap 😸), and sometimes help to prep Haru's food.  Having a pet that is still a baby is akin to having another human baby. OCD me still wipe Haru's butt after she poops (which is 4 times a day or after every meal!) and I clean her litter after every pee and poo! Her litter box is emptied and cleaned every 2-3 days. Can you imagine the amount of work added into my already full-to-the-brim plate? 

Though I feel extremely tired everyday, each time I look at Haru, I let out a smile at her. She's too adorable to feel angry at.  I hope that when she's grown into an adult cat and not that cute anymore, she will still be able to tug at our heartstrings.

Haru still drinks water from the bottle and loves it. She drinks up to 2 bottles of  boiled plain water each day and I think it's quite a bit for a kitten.  Occasionally we still bottle feed her with the expensive lactose-free goat milk powder from Netherlands to finish off the can of milk.  And then she'll be done with milk and will only eat wet cat food (tuna and mackerel) and boiled chicken breast.

Sherilyn had the time to boil some chicken breast meat (sans salt and oil) for Haru yesterday and she loved it to bits.  Here Haru is being pampered with shredded chicken meat from Cass and Sherilyn.

Whenever Sherilyn or Cass goes down to the lobby to collect a parcel or food that I ordered, they put Haru in a shopping bag and bring her along for a short stroll. 

Haru Our Pet Kitten

These days Haru is getting more daring venturing the house.  She loves to run under the sofa and into our bedrooms and hide under the bed as this is where no one can ever reach her! She loves playing catching and hide and seek with us. Perhaps she doesn't want to get back inside her cage, thus she runs away from us.   When we put her back into the cage, she will try to escape by darting out swiftly.  She reminds me of how my papa used to catch rats in our house! 😂😹

Today she started to climb onto our sofa! And rolled and tumbled on it.  We have to be really careful that the queen doesn't see Haru on the sofa or she'll whack her!  But Haru doesn't seem to understand that she cannot go up the sofa coz her sisters love to put her on their laps while they sit on the sofa to watch movies on their mobile phones!  Each time Haru gets on the sofa, I bring her down and say NO sternly. But she still doesn't get it.

It's hard to keep a cat indoors when there's someone in the house who doesn't like it.  We bring Haru out whenever that someone isn't around. It's hard to be happy when there's a limitation in everything you do, right? 

 

Sigh, that's life.  

Haru is still very much loved by her sisters and me.  We hope that she'll grow up to be one very obedient and loving cat who doesn't cause us any problem. Do you think that it's possible with a cat?  I don't know much about cats and their behavior as we never had a pet cat before.  I only know that dogs are very loyal and lovable and they can be trained quite easily.   I had a pet dog for 11 years who gave us very little problem. 

Using A Cleaning Brush Correctly To Create A Healthy Life

A good cleaning brush should be used at the right place and you should use it with care so that it lasts and does not harbour harmful bacteria and germs that may cause us to fall ill.  We should also have a different cleaning brush for different utensils and food ware. For example: we should not use a brush for washing oily dishes to wash water tumblers.  

I am a sucker for cleaning brushes, in particular bottle brushes. I started collecting baby bottle brushes when our girls were still babies. Every weekend I would go mall shopping for baby items, toys and baby bottle brushes.  I have such a huge collection that I still have some unused baby bottle brushes now, though my youngest daughter is already 13 this year!  Then our girls started to use sippy cups and water tumblers - and my collection of cleaning brushes expanded to straw brushes and bottle brushes and I’m still collecting them to wash my daughters’ water tumblers and reusable straws 😁.

PA Sisal Sponge Washing Feeding Cleaning Baby Bottle Brush

Baby Bottle Nipple Cleaning Brush

Kitchen sponges can harbour dangerous bacteria, which is why it's important to replace them regularly. While the experts recommend you should replace them once a week, you can briefly soak them in hot water at the end of the day to make them last longer.  Cleaning brushes tend to last longer than sponges, but they still get worn over time. These will need to be replaced when you notice the bristles thinning. Always opt for eco-friendly brushes if you can. I change all my bottle brushes and dish brushes very regularly, i.e. once every two months or as and when I notice mold or stains on them or the bristles start to fray or thin. 

My favorite go-to stores for stocking up on cleaning brushes are Mr DIY and Daiso. But I find that the quality of these straws isn’t very good. The sponge disintegrates very quickly and the brush holder of some bottle brushes breaks or detaches from the cleaning sponge very easily.  For hard plastic bristle brushes, they get stains pretty quickly too. Thus I change my bottle brushes every month. Now you know why I collect cleaning brushes eh? I am an OCD when it comes to cleaning bottles and straws. I even wash our pet kitten’s bottle teats several times a day with a very fine straw brush 😅

Aoqun Bottle cleaning brush

Did you know that there are hundreds of types of cleaning brushes in the market? We all know that there are cleaning brushes for everyday kitchen equipment but you may not already know that there are even cleaning brushes for medical equipment such as liposuction tubes, endoscope tubes, tubing masks and more. Perhaps the only brushes that you know of are hair brushes and domestic brushes but if you are currently looking for customized brushes to clean a specific item or equipment, you can check out AOQUN Brush, a company with several honor certifications and product excellence certifications.

Sunday, 14 March 2021 (Still Under CMCO)

Sunday is the only day of the week that Cass has time off from her school's online classes. She has online classes from Mondays through Saturdays, from 7:20 a.m. to 2:20 p.m.  On Saturdays, she has online co-curricular class from 4 to 5 p.m.  Her piano class is now moved to Sunday evening and back at the music school. The only time that she is free to soak in some healing morning sun is on a Sunday morning.  On Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, we try to take evening walks after dinner. We usually walk to the nearby supermarkets to buy stuff or stationery items and this is her current favorite pastime. This helps her to clock in 2.5k - 3k steps. Only. But it's better than none and being glued to her laptop from morning till bed time.   Thus, on Sunday mornings, we will walk further around our neighborhood, clocking in over 5,000 steps.  Last Sunday, we walked to the park to watch a dog trainer teach dogs tricks and then to Family Mart, the pharmacy and 99 Speedmart.  By the time we got home, we're half roasted by the sizzling 11-ish a.m. sun and it feels good. We can literally feel the serotonin and dopamine released into our brains, making us feel happy and positive 😍.  My friends have been commenting that I look awfully sun burnt with reddish skin all over.

Our once in a blue moon junkie breakfast from Family Mart - Dalgona Coffee sofuto and curry Oden:

As Cass' schedule is really tight now, I have to stop her BM tuition which she started in January this year.  Several days ago, she asked me if she could have Math tuition and I immediately started her with Alycia's Add Math tutor from the high school that they go to.  Chinese Independent High School Math can be very hard to master and score - it's either you're good in it or struggle with it.  Alycia has been struggling with Math and Add Math for 5 years and it looks like Cass is struggling now.  Hopefully with early intervention, she will have a good handle on tackling both Math and Add Math.  I can't believe that my baby is already studying Biology, Chemistry and Physics at 13.  During my time, I only started learning these subjects in Form 4 (16 years old) when we were put in Science stream.

Our lunch  at a newly opened Sichuan restaurant at our neighborhood:

We had a dish called 'Saliva chicken', dumplings, spicy beef noodles, tomato eggs, stir fried cabbage with black vinegar, stir fried potatoes and a mixed vegetables dish.  For two consecutive Sundays, the 3 girls preferred to stay home to do their own things while we went out for lunch. I think it's a teenage thing.  

Do your teenagers prefer to stay home or follow the parents out?

Soy Cured Egg Yolks With Natto Rice Bowl

Sherilyn prepped Japanese soy cured umami egg yolks with natto rice bowl today.   It's an intensely flavorful bowl coming from the ingredients -- natto with the pungent nutty cheese-like taste, super impressive complex taste from the cured eggs and aromatic fresh taste from the green onions.  It's quite a healthy bowl but I have to avoid eating natto and all soy bean products because of the fibroid in my uterus.  Thus, my lunch was steamed purple and yellow sweet potatoes and a soy cured egg yolk 😁

And here's a little update on Haru. 

The vet that we brought her to on Monday wasn't 100% certain if Haru's a female or male! But by looking at her coat, she should be a female as tri-colored coat cats are predominantly female.  We first thought Haru's a male when Sherilyn googled how to check a cat's gender, but when we brought her to the vet when she was about 7 weeks old, we were informed that she's mostly likely a girl. And now the other vet has suspicion that Haru's a male. We hope she's not a pondan 😆

Haru still looks like a tiger cub with stripes on her hands and chest and sometimes she behaves like one too. She likes to playfully bite our ankles which hurts and this is her way of inviting us to play with her. She's a joy to have in the family.

Heart Attack Moment

Haru gave us a major heart attack yesterday.  She almost jumped to her death from the 5th floor of our unit.  

Sherilyn and Cass had let her out of the cage for her happy hour. But Cass had forgotten to close the mozzie net door from the dry kitchen to the wet kitchen when she went into the wet kitchen to get her half-boiled egg for breakfast.  Haru who always tails us stealthily from behind and as swiftly as an alley rat, dashed into the wet kitchen.  Sherilyn was cooking and I was washing dishes and didn't notice her. When Sherilyn turned back, Haru was already at the ledge and curiously looking down. Sherilyn screamed and pulled Haru's tail to retrieve her, which let Haru hissing at her like a deadly snake.  I ran over and saw our baby almost walking her way to death!!  Can you feel our heart in throat moment? 

🙀

Today Sherilyn and I went to Mr DIY to buy a couple of plastic living space grass wall panels to tie onto the balcony grills to prevent our toddler kitty from walking her way to heaven's door too soon.  I don't believe that cats have nine lives!

Hazardous path which must be sealed ASAP when there's a fur baby at home.

Alycia (who has Ailurophobia) retrieving Haru who climbed up the mozzie net like an iguana 😹

Wig Wearing To Conceal Hair Loss

There are many causes why people suffer from hair loss or medically known as Alopecia.   Most hair loss cases are not associated with systemic or internal disease, nor is poor diet a frequent factor. Hair may simply thin as a result of predetermined genetic factors and the overall aging process. Many men and women may notice mild thinning of hair the moment they hit their 30s and 40s. Life vicissitudes, including illness, emotional trauma, nutrients deprivation (during strict dieting), anemia and hormonal changes like those in pregnancy, puberty, and menopause may cause hair loss.  Fortunately with wigs and the best hair extensions available in the market, undesirable bald patches on the scalp caused by severe hair loss can be easily masked.

Some cancer and alopecia patients feel liberated when they wear a wig as no one would notice their baldness or patches. Wigs help those affected with hair loss regain their confidence and carry on with their lives. 

You'll be surprised to know that Keira Knightley has worn wigs for several years to cover damage from hair loss! She’s not the first celeb to come clean about Alopecia.  Not too long ago Ariana Grande opened up about her issues with hair damage and Christina Aguilera was rumored to wear them for years after extensions left her with bald patches! 

Ben Affleck looks like he’s got a full head of hair. But rumor has it that Ben Affleck is secretly bald and wearing a wig, which he denied. But the evidence is in the pictures that can be found all over the internet.  Kevin Costner, star of The Bodyguard has receding hairs since the start of his career about 30 years ago. He has supported all kinds of wigs and other hair systems throughout his acting career.

Wigs are a commitment-free way to try on a brand new hair style, color and cut and sometimes even take on a whole new style identity for a bit of fun.  That's why celebrities turn to wigs to jazz things up.  Celebrities change up their hairstyles on a regular basis, from colored wigs to bold pixies. But rather than chopping their precious locks on a whim (and regretting it later on) or damaging their strands with excessive coloring, several stars turn to a more temporary solution: wigs and hair extensions. Wigs these days can be bought online from wholesale hair vendors, saving you from the embarrassment of having to walk into a wig store.

There are many types of wigs available at Uniwigs from human hair wigs to daily-wear wigs, synthetic wigs, cosplay wigs, colored wigs, hair toppers and more.  With so many types of wigs, hair styles and hair colors that you can choose from, wearing a wig can be so exciting and liberating.  Wig wearing is very common in the show business and we are grateful that celebrities are so open and authentic about their wig use. This is a reminder for us that people with cancer and alopecia  are not alone in their struggle. Wigs are flexible and no hassle, and thanks to the new improvements made using high technology, wigs are extremely realistic looking!

Hissing Kitten

When Maria our part-time maid came back to work last week after a hiatus of 2 months during MCO 2.0, it was the first time that she met Haru, our new pet kitten.  Thankfully Maria loves cats and naturally, she rubbed Haru's belly but our little tiger cub lookalike hissed at Maria.  Haru has a tendency to hiss at strangers who try to get near her. She hissed and spat at us when she was just a few days old! Such a feisty and fierce kitty she is but she can be very charming and timid at the same time.  

Today Alycia's friend came to our house to wait for her dad after sitting for their SPM Moral paper.  When she carried Haru, to our surprise Haru didn't hiss but she whined quietly like a pup when Alycia's friend patted her 😂.  

We finally got Haru a cage with a little stairs up to her bed! I'll get her a little hammock for her cage next.  Will post pix of Haru in her new cage soon...

Meatless Bibimbap

We had a meatless Bibimbap for lunch on the last day of Chinese New Year, whipped up by our chef Sherilyn.  She prefers eating vegetables over meat and whips up wonderfully tasty meat-free meals.  Sherilyn truly makes being a vegetarian so much more exciting, although I am not a vegetarian now, but if she lives with me forever, I will convert into a vegetarian to enjoy all her meat-free dishes.  When the girls no longer need me to cook for them in future, I think I'm going to be a flexitarian.

Sherilyn's meat-free dishes are superb tasting - from grilled vegetables (pumpkin, sweet potato, potato, zucchini, onions, garlic, etc) to Bibimbap, Shakshuka, Baba ghanoush, Ajvar (Serbian Roasted Red Pepper Sauce) and many more. 

Everything you see in the pot is made from scratch, including the kimchi, pickled radish and Bibimbap sauce.

Here's Haru sleeping with her favorite towel, which has a plush bear sewn on it. 

Haru is getting more daring and mischievous by the day. She loves playing hide-and-seek and catching with us. She runs so fast that no one can catch her. And then hides under tables, chairs and cabinets. When we holler "where's Haru?", she will pounce on our leg from behind playfully, then gnaw on our foot.  

Don't you think she looks like a big fat rat? Or a racoon? And sometimes like a monkey when she claws her way up the mozzie net!