Goodbye Pinkie, Hello New Ride: A Bittersweet Car Farewell After 11 Years

After 11 faithful years, I finally said goodbye to my beloved hot pink Hyundai i10. This little hatchback had been with me through thick and thin — school runs, market trips, errands, and countless everyday journeys with my daughters. It wasn’t just a car; it was part of our family, holding memories of laughter, school chatter, and occasional drama in traffic jams.

Last week, two second-hand car dealers came to our condo to valuate Pinkie, and eventually, I let her go. She was sold at a painfully low price — but that’s the reality of car ownership. Resale value is a myth for most cars, which is why hubby and I never splurge on fancy models. Cars depreciate, and we’d rather be practical.

My new ride is a local full-spec sedan — sleek, comfortable, keyless, plenty of security features, and powered by a Toyota-engineered engine despite being locally assembled. After more than a decade of driving a compact hatchback, switching to a sedan felt like a big change. It took me a few days to get used to the size — especially the longer rear — and I’ve had to be extra mindful when parking. Thankfully, the reverse camera and on-screen guide make things much easier.

I’m already thinking a year ahead — if Alycia, our eldest, can manage the monthly instalment after she starts working, I might just pass this car on to her. And that would mean me going car shopping all over again! Maybe next time, I can finally go green and get an electric car… though our condo doesn’t have charging stations yet. One can dream, right?

For now, I’m just grateful for the memories Pinkie gave us — and excited for the new adventures this sedan will bring.

Yummy bak kut teh lunch with hubby last Friday at Tua Bak Kia Bak Kut Teh. This bak kut teh is slightly different from the usual BKT as the broth is more 'kaw' (thicker) and the flavor is more intense.

As usual, hubby tapau-ed a big pot of BKT for his girls and mum at home. I even brought along my tall stainless steel soup container carrier for the takeaway.

My BKT lunch the next day, sans rice. I added quail eggs and shimeji mushrooms to the pot of BKT.

From Blogger to Vlogger?

Lately, there’s been some gentle (and persistent!) nudging from my hubby and eldest daughter, Alycia. Both of them seem to think I should step out of my comfort zone and become a vlogger — a TikTokker or YouTuber. “No one reads blogs anymore,” they said. “People only watch videos these days.”

And they’re not entirely wrong.

I, too, enjoy watching videos — especially ones of cats doing silly things or folks living simple lives in the countryside, cooking over open fires with breathtaking mountain views or a waterfall in the background. These videos calm me and inspire me.  But the thought of me being the one behind the camera, let alone in front of it? That’s a whole different story.

I told them my honest concerns.

First: I have absolutely no clue how to shoot or edit videos. All those jump cuts, background music, captions, transitions — it all seems so technical and overwhelming.

Second: Who would want to watch an “old lady” like me talk nonsense or film mundane things? I don’t have the glowing skin, polished background, pretty face, or influencer vibes going on.

Third: I haven’t found my niche. What would I focus on? What kind of videos could I make consistently without running out of ideas?

Fourth: Our home isn’t exactly “Pinterest-worthy.” It’s lived-in, cluttered, filled with memories, random things, and… more things. Not exactly a minimalist aesthetic.

And the biggest hurdle of all — I feel super awkward about showing my face or talking on camera.

But Alycia wasn’t having any of it. She showed me videos of aunties and uncles in their 50s, 60s, and even 70s cooking bizarre and “crappy” (in her words!) food, and they’ve got hundreds of thousands of followers! She reassured me that I don’t have to show my face or even talk — many creators film only their hands cooking or their cats lounging, and they still manage to draw an audience.

So what could I do?

I could start by filming my cooking — healthy meals, oil-free air frying, Cass’s figure skater diet, and my newfound obsession with arugula salads. I could film Haru being Haru — our adorable pandemic cat with a sixth sense for family tension. I could capture snippets of my everyday life — the chaos, the calm, and the unfiltered in-between.

But the question is — how long could I keep it up? Content fatigue is real. I’ve followed plenty of creators whose content grew stale or repetitive. Some recycle old footage just to keep the algorithm happy. Would I fall into that trap too?

Still… I must admit I’m tempted. There’s a part of me that’s curious. Maybe even excited. Could I really start a little channel, document my days, and earn some side income while doing it?

First things first — I’ll need to learn the basics of shooting and editing. I’ll need to brave the world of hashtags and captions and maybe even record a voiceover or two (without cringing at my own voice).

Alycia and my hubby keep saying, “It’s simple.” But I say — “Wait till you try it yourself!”

So tell me, dear readers (if there are still any blog readers out there!) — would you be interested in watching my videos if I started a channel? 😄

Let me know. And who knows… maybe the next time you see me, it won’t be in words, but in video.

Cass’s Public Transport Adventure and a Mother’s Reflection

Today was a school holiday for Cass’s high school, given that Parents’ Day fell on a Sunday yesterday. Since she didn’t get to skate at all last week due to the Zamboni ice resurfacing machine breaking down at her usual rink, Cass finally got her wish — to skate at the Olympic-sized Icescape Ice Rink at IOI City Mall, Putrajaya.

She planned the entire journey herself, taking a Grab to KL Sentral, followed by the KLIA Express train to Putrajaya, and then hopping on a bus to IOI City Mall. I’m proud of how much she’s improved at navigating public transport, something not many teenagers are used to doing these days, especially in a sprawling place like the Klang Valley.  According to Cass, most of her classmates have taken public transport to school since they were in Form 1. 

I couldn’t help but reflect on how much public transportation has evolved since my own younger days. Back in the 1990s in the Klang Valley, we had mini buses and Len Seng buses with no air-conditioning. I still remember wearing long-sleeved tops to work during heatwave season, and by the time I reached the office, I’d be drenched in sweat and needed to freshen up with a bidet shower in a squat toilet — thankfully clean ones!

If you had gone through those hellish rides on sardine-packed mini buses back in the 1990s, you would know how torturous it was to hop onto one during peak hours. You could forget about getting a seat and even when standing, you didn't need to hold on to anything. The buses were so packed that you wouldn't be thrown off the ground even during emergency brakes. Have you experienced hopping onto a jam-packed bus and standing just on the step of the bus door? I had gone through all these and survived! 😅😆

Things became a little more bearable after I bought my first car in 1997 — a red Kancil. My daily routine back then was a feat of endurance: driving to the Seputeh Komuter station in the dark before it turned 7 am, taking the train to Bank Negara, crossing the long overhead bridge (which was an exhausting long walk due to the slope), hopping onto an LRT opposite Sogo Mall, alighting at the Masjid Jamek station, and finally walking 15 minutes to my workplace at Southern Bank on Jalan Hang Lekiu. I was in my 20s — full of energy and hustle.

So seeing Cass navigating her way around the city with so much courage fills me with pride. While things have changed so much, one thing remains: the value of earning independence, understanding the city's landscape, and managing money wisely.

I believe it’s important for my daughters to experience public transport before they learn to drive or own a car. They’ll appreciate the freedom of having a vehicle so much more and be more aware of the costs and trade-offs between driving, public transport, and e-hailing services.

Public transport today is a far cry from what it used to be. Air-conditioned buses, LRTs, MRTs, and shuttle services have made getting around more comfortable, accessible, and safer — a great step forward for urban mobility in Malaysia.

And for Cass, today wasn’t just about skating — it was also a day of growing up, gaining confidence, and slowly learning to stand on her own two feet, both on the ice and in life. She’ll be 18 in less than a year, and I can’t believe how fast time has flown past us.

Cass prepped this tuna pasta salad with kimchi, cherry tomatoes, and butterhead lettuce, and brought it along with her to the skating rink this morning. 

Alycia’s Foodie Adventures in Ho Chi Minh – Now I Want to Go Too!

Alycia’s recent trip to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam turned out to be such a wonderful and delicious getaway. She and her university mates had a fantastic time digging into authentic Vietnamese food — and from the daily photos she sent me, I could tell they were truly enjoying every bite!

What amazed me most was how affordable the food is in Vietnam, especially when compared to KL. From beef pho to banh mi and other street food, the dishes looked not only mouthwatering but also generously portioned and beautifully presented.

Honestly, with every photo Alycia sent — some showing hearty bowls of pho, others featuring crusty banh mi bursting with fillings, and the prettiest Vietnamese jelly desserts — I found myself saying the same thing over and over again:

“I need to go to Vietnam soon!”

Our family has always been big fans of Vietnamese cuisine. We often dine at Vietnamese restaurants and order our favourites through ShopeeFood online delivery.  Our usuals include banh mi, lemongrass grilled chicken noodle salad, and of course, a comforting bowl of beef pho from Pho Viet.

But there’s something about enjoying these dishes right at the source, where the flavours are bold, fresh, and authentic — and the prices are a steal!

Alycia and her friends each spent less than RM2k on this trip, which included flight tickets, hotel, food, and souvenirs. The Maison Marou (Vietnam's famous artisan chocolate) dried coconut coated in dark chocolate that Alycia got for us from Vietnam was very delicious.

So for now, I’ll let Alycia’s food photos do the talking in this post. I’m pretty sure they’ll make you salivate and perhaps even inspire you to book your own food-filled trip to Vietnam soon!

Vietnam, you’re officially on my foodie travel bucket list!

Supper of chilli crabs in the hotel.

This delicious crab salad came loaded with crab meat and cost around RM30+ a plate. The four girls ordered two plates.

Bánh Mì (Vietnamese Baguette) loaded with meat from a street vendor.

Wagyu pho at a Michelin restaurant on the first day.

Delicious Viet jelly ice dessert.

On the second last day, they visited Tan Dinh Church, an over-150-year-old pink church in Saigon.

Butter Lovers in the House – And My Handy Hack for Hard Butter

It’s no surprise that Cass is a butter lover — the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree! Hubby absolutely loves butter, and so does his mother. Clearly, the love for good butter runs strong on that side of the family.

Just the other day, hubby came home from Lee’s Frozen with a giant 500g block of La Belle D’Andiane Salted Butter — a premium butter made from grass-fed cows. It looked luxurious, but the problem? It was so huge and heavy it didn’t fit into the butter box!

Now here’s the thing: I have zero patience scraping hard butter, especially when I’m in a rush to make breakfast. That’s why I always buy spreadable butter, and Lurpak is my go-to. But my MIL? She only likes the real deal — good quality block butter.

So, in the spirit of keeping everyone happy (and to save our wrists from butter scraping agony), I decided to come up with a solution. I left the butter at room temperature for about 10 minutes, then used a serrated knife to slice it into small, bite-sized pieces. Now, each time we want some butter for our bread or toast, we just take 2 or 3 pieces — no scraping, no struggle.

This little butter hack has been a game changer in our kitchen! Everyone gets to enjoy their butter fix hassle-free, and we still get to savour the richness of premium grass-fed butter.

Do you do this too with your block butter? If not, try it — your mornings might just get a whole lot smoother (and softer)!