My Post-Gym Lunch: Indian Chap Fan!

This was my lunch after gym last week. Living in Malaysia, where almost 80% of the food sold at kopitiams and coffee shops is carb-heavy (think noodles, rice and all sorts of other carb-loaded dishes), finding something low-carb can sometimes be a challenge.

So, my usual go-to is chap fan. I can simply skip the rice and pick a good variety of vegetables and protein instead.

This particular coffee shop doesn't have the usual Chinese chap fan stall, but it does have an Indian chap fan stall, which is right up my alley because I absolutely love Indian food!

I went for chicken curry, prawn curry and spiced spinach, with a complimentary papadam on the side. The bill came to RM12, which isn't exactly cheap for chap fan, but I suppose the prawns account for the extra cost.

Was it worth it? Absolutely! So sedap! 😋

Here's wishing all my Indian friends and readers a very Happy Deepavali and happy holidays! 

Physical Therapy and Strength Training For Mum and Me

Today was Mum's and my second personal training session. It's a little different from the usual PT sessions – more like physical therapy for Mum and strength training + a little physical therapy for me.

Throughout the one-hour session, our coach focused mainly on physical therapy exercises to help Mum ease the aches and pains she's been experiencing from sciatica, a slipped disc and the general wear and tear that comes with ageing.

He also worked on my achy right shoulder with a little physical therapy and introduced some techniques that are supposed to help ease my chronic insomnia. I'm rather curious to see if the insomnia treatment actually works. Fingers crossed! 🤞

As for me, I've graduated from lifting 3kg dumbbells (6kg in total) to 10kg in total today! I'm hoping to progress to 6kg dumbbells in each hand (12kg altogether) in our next session.

Persistence and consistency in training really do pay off. Slowly but surely, I'm seeing improvements in my strength, and those biceps are beginning to show too. Ooh, I just love 'em muscles! 

You can watch our video on my Facebook Page.

A Mother's Worries Never Graduate

Yesterday, one of my daughters who is studying at university messaged me her exam results. I was so relieved when I saw her result slip. Honestly, I had been secretly preparing myself for the worst-case scenario, fearing that she might have failed or scored poorly in some of her subjects.

This semester, she had been kept busy with competitions, including travelling outstation and overseas, among other commitments.  She missed many classes while prepping for her competitions. Needless to say, her studies had taken a backseat.

But she did it! Her results weren't excellent, but they were good enough for me. I know that if she had put in even 50–60% more effort into her studies, she could have done exceptionally well.

Now, the final exams are coming up soon, and hopefully, she will put in a little more effort this time. I'm not expecting straight As. I'll be more than happy if I see some improvement in her results.

With two more daughters still in university, I reckon I have another four years of worrying about their exam results! And not to mention the fees 😂

I'm constantly reminding myself to chillax, take things as they come and not stress over things that are beyond my control. They will each have their own journey, and somehow, I believe they will find their way and make it through. 

My eldest graduated with First Class Honours, which also helped her secure an exemption from repaying her PTPTN loan. Of course, I do wish the same would happen to my two other daughters, but even if they don't achieve the same results, I'll still be happy as long as they graduate from university.

I guess I just have to lower my expectations a little, manage my worries and learn to be content with whatever results they bring home. After all, if I stress less and they feel less pressured, everyone will be happier! 😂

Throwback pic - Daughter #1 was about 7+ here, #2 about 5+ and #3 about 2+.  🩷

Those Little Lessons in Life

Just as I was about to cut off the clothing label from my gym top today, I suddenly had a flashback to 2019.

Back then, I had bought an expensive red off-shoulder top from H&M for one of my daughters. As she was about to cut off the bunch of labels attached to it, I warned her to be extra careful not to accidentally snip the top itself. I had a bad feeling about it, and guess what? She actually cut a hole in her brand-new top!

And this wasn't the first time my clumsy girl had done something like that. That's precisely why I had warned her beforehand. I was absolutely livid! I had spent close to RM100 on that top, only for her to ruin it through sheer carelessness. I suppose when it's not your own hard-earned money, you don't quite feel the pinch! 😂

Another time, I asked her to help me carry a crate of eggs and specifically warned her not to drop it. Within three seconds of my warning, she dropped the entire crate onto the basement floor! And yes, it happened again on another occasion. This was by far my clumsiest child, and I practically had to teach her how to handle things with extra care, sometimes at the expense of my own wallet!

Then there's another daughter who is just as accident-prone. On numerous occasions, I had warned her to be careful when carrying a bowl of food or a cup filled with drinks, only for her to drop it within seconds of my warning.

But the most 'memorable' incident was when she took a big bottle of blackcurrant cordial out of the fridge and brought it to the dining table to pour herself a drink. Naturally, I reminded her to be careful not to drop it. And wouldn't you know it? She dropped the entire bottle under the dining table almost immediately after my warning!

The sticky, dark purple liquid splashed everywhere like an atomic bomb had gone off, and to make matters worse, it seeped underneath the marble table base and legs. The two of us spent more than an hour cleaning up that absolute disaster!

After all these costly and messy lessons, my girls eventually learned to be more careful when handling things. I suppose experience really is the best teacher, although my wallet and my patience had to pay the price! 😂

And now, as they navigate adulthood, relationships and the big, bad world out there, my warnings have taken on a different form. Instead of reminding them not to drop things, I find myself constantly warning them about red flags, making the wrong choices and getting themselves into situations that could hurt them and make them regret. Of course, I know that much of my advice has fallen on deaf ears. 

But what can a mother do? I can only keep reminding them, advising them and hoping that they will listen. Ultimately, some lessons in life can only be learned through experience, and sometimes, through heartache and pain.

Sometimes, they have to touch the fire themselves before they learn not to get burned. 🥺

New Personal Training Package, New Coach, New Goals

Today, Mum and I started our new personal training package. This time, our PT coach is Faizal, the same coach who conducts our group strength training and Zumba classes.

Apart from strength and fitness training, Faizal also incorporates physical therapy into our one-hour sessions. His approach for Mum is a little different from mine, with more emphasis on physical therapy rather than strength training. After our first session today, Mum was already pleased with the treatment and commented that she felt much lighter. Hopefully, this will help ease some of her chronic aches and discomfort.

Not even 10 minutes into our session, I received a call from one of my daughters in KL. Seeing her name on my phone really gave me a scare because any call from my daughters is almost always something unpleasant. She was struggling with a major decision and needed someone to talk to. What was supposed to be a quick phone call turned into almost an hour-long conversation, and I ended up missing the entire personal training session.

But that's perfectly fine. If talking to her could help ease her worries, clear her doubts and heartaches, and guide her through a difficult crossroads in her life, I would gladly give up the entire PT session – or even a whole night's sleep.

Because that's what mothers do. No matter how old our children are or how far away they live, when they need us, we'll always make time for them. ❤️

After gym, we went to our favorite restaurant, Cheung Kee Porridge, for lunch with my parents and younger brother who just returned to Ipoh from KL.

Pork lard, minced pork with fried egg and sambal rice.

Wanton mee with roasted herbal duck and cha siu set

Fruit rojak with super crispy crackers.

Soft and delicious homemade angku