A Mother-Daughter Day Out in Bukit Bintang

Last Friday, Cass and I continued a beloved tradition—our annual trip to Bukit Bintang to soak in the Christmas vibes. For years, I’ve taken the girls to this bustling area to marvel at the festive decorations, indulge in Christmas shopping, enjoy good food, snap photographs, and immerse ourselves in the holiday spirit. This year, it was just the two of us. Alycia and Sherilyn stayed home, busy with assignments, while the MIL wasn’t feeling well, and hubby had to work.

Our first stop was Pavilion KL, a perennial favorite for its magnificent Christmas displays. After wandering the mall and surveying dining options, we decided on Zok Noodle House. It was peak lunch hour, and the restaurant was packed with office workers. Sitting amidst the corporate crowd brought back waves of nostalgia. I found myself reminiscing about my banking days and PA days—lunches with colleagues, dressing up for work, and the satisfaction of a steady paycheck, bonuses, and merit awards. Sometimes, I regret leaving my job to stay home, despite having a freelance WFH job now. If given the chance, I’d love to return to a full-time job outside the house.

Back to our lunch—Zok Noodle House didn’t disappoint. I ordered pork noodles in wine soup, a tray of taro pau, and a refreshing red bean milk. As a delightful bonus, we received two complimentary Portuguese egg tarts for leaving a Google review. The food was delicious, and I’m already planning a return visit to explore their other menu offerings. There's an outlet at Pavillion Bukit Jalil, where Cass' skating rink is, so we'll most likely be dining there soon.

After lunch, Cass took on the role of tour guide, leading me to Lot 10, Fahrenheit 88, and Starhill Gallery. Her adventurous spirit kicked in as she suggested walking to Lalaport. I hesitated, knowing the roads between Bukit Bintang and Lalaport are notoriously busy and the walk would take over 20 minutes. Thankfully, I stood my ground. Back home, Alycia confirmed that walking there isn’t practical due to the busy roads we’d have to cross—she found out when she wanted to do the same thing some time back.

After more than two hours of exploring, I managed to convince Cass to call it a day, though not without some negotiation. We picked up Chez Choux cream puffs for Alycia and Sherilyn before heading home.

Delicious pork noodles at Zok Noodle House.

We received two complimentary delicious Portuguese egg tarts for leaving a review on Google Reviews - one on my phone and one on Cass' phone. 

Taro buns for Cass. They were delicious.

We shared a large milk tea with chewy aloe vera bits from Koi (again).

Taro soft serve ice cream for the ice cream-crazed teenage girl.

Christmas decor at Pavillion @ Bukit Bintang.

Cass’ Christmas Show

Last Saturday was a special day for Cass as she performed in the annual Christmas show at the skating rink. Held over two days, with two sessions each day, and opened to the public, this festive event is like a concert but on ice. I was there on Saturday afternoon to cheer her on, and as always, there’s something truly enchanting about watching figure skaters perform. Their movements' grace, precision, and elegance make figure skating one of my favorite Olympic sports, alongside diving and gymnastics.

Besides gaining new experience, Cass also picked up a valuable skill—applying performance makeup. Thanks to tips from her fellow skaters, she learned how to create the bold, stage-ready look required for such events.  

After the show, we headed for an early dinner at KyoChon Korean Fried Chicken. Cass had been eyeing their one-day promotion on 14/12/2024, where fried drummets and wingettes, normally priced at RM25.90, were on sale for just RM14 for 8 pieces. We indulged in two sets for dining in and took one home for Sherilyn. The chicken was crispy and delicious, and I couldn’t get enough of their refillable pickled radish, which perfectly balanced the rich flavors of the fried chicken.

Our post-dinner stroll led us to Koi for milk tea with attap chee, a very refreshing drink with chewy attap chee. Then, we discovered a new noodle shop, Aunt Wu Bone Soup Rice Noodles, which was a delightful surprise. We tried their rice noodles with pork slices, quail eggs, and spam meat in tomato soup. The meal included refillable side dishes like spicy pickled cucumber and potatoes, plus complimentary plum drink—all at reasonable prices.  We’ll be back again to this eatery!

Before heading home after grocery shopping, we enjoyed dessert at Yam Fresh while waiting for Grab fares to drop. Cass generously treated me to a warm taro and purple rice in coconut milk tong sui. I chose something warm as I was freezing cold and sneezing away, no thanks to the freezing temperature at the skating rink.  I think I am going to bring along my puffer jacket the next time I intend to stay in the skating rink for more than 15 minutes to prevent catching a cold. 

Though the fare remained high at RM34, I eventually booked the Grab ride as it was getting late.

Cass received a certificate of participation for her Christmas show.  The next day, after their final Christmas show, the skaters had an early Christmas potluck party and gift exchange session. Cass got some pretty homemade Christmas cookies with fondant and some cute squishy balls. I taxed a squishy ball from her to squeeze when I need to release stress 😁

Delicious noodles in tomato soup (RM28.60) from Aunt Wu Bone Soup Rice Noodles. The plum drink and appetizers of pickled spicy cucumber, potato, and crispy fried soybeans are refillable.  You will also be given a free disposable bib and hair ties.

Delicious taro coconut milk tong sui from Yam Fresh.

X'mas gift from the gift exchange Christmas party. The pink customized bag with Cassandra's name on it is a gift from the skating coach.

Cass’s Exam Week

This week marks the start of Cass's final exams, a two-week period filled with intense focus and long study sessions. She is in Senior High 1 (equivalent to Form 4) in the Economics & Accounting stream. Each night, she studies late, and every morning, she’s up bright and early, ready to dive back into her books. To keep her energy levels up, she has a hearty breakfast of reheated leftovers from the night before and strong coffee to stay alert before heading to school. She’s convinced that a full stomach helps her concentrate better on exam questions—a solid strategy that’s fueling her focus.

Even amidst the stress of exams, Cass still makes time for her daily exercise routine at night, finding a way to keep her body active and her mind relaxed. Twice a week, she heads to the skating rink for class and training. For her, this is more than just practice; it’s a way to unwind and shake off the stress of exams. The rink is where she can channel her energy, and I think it’s fantastic she’s managed to strike this balance.

Now, there’s a bit of a twist during these exam weeks when Cass is home studying in the mornings: my radio time gets the mute treatment! If you’ve read my past posts, you’ll know that music is essential to my day—whether it's upbeat tunes or gentle bedtime sounds, it’s my constant companion. I’ll admit, I miss hearing it echo through the house, but knowing Cass is hard at work makes the silence worth it.

As Cass powers through this final stretch of exams, I’m glad she manages the pressure and still makes time for what she loves. And as soon as she’s done, you can bet the music will be back on, filling our home with my favorite songs!

Lunner for Cass on one of the days this week with all her favorite dishes. 

Low-carb meal for Cass.  She cooked the pesto omelet herself. Wrapped within the omelet is homemade pesto with cheese.

Kind and Generous Parents

Cass has been incredibly fortunate to meet some wonderfully kind and generous parents during her figure skating classes. These parents have not only supported their own children but have also extended their generosity and kindness to Cass and the other team members, creating a warm and encouraging environment for everyone.

On the last day of Skate Malaysia 2024, an incredibly thoughtful gesture touched everyone's hearts. One of the parents of Cass' teammates gifted a beautiful fruit basket to all the team members under the same coach who participated in the competition. This generous act was from the mother of one of Cass' teammates—the same lady who helped Cass with her makeup on the day of the competition using her Dior makeup. This kind lady also treated all the girls to a movie on the last day of Skate Malaysia.  Being wealthy is one thing, but being generous and kind is another. Cass is fortunate to have met such a kind lady who goes out of her way to help others and share her blessings.

Two weeks ago, Cass was invited by another teammate to a birthday party celebration at Jungle Gym in Times Square. Despite being one of the oldest team members, Cass enjoys hanging out with her younger friends. The invitation to the birthday party was another testament to the camaraderie and friendship within the team. The kids had a fantastic time, and Cass loved being a part of the fun celebration.

After every level of test, other parents would organize small parties to treat all the teammates. These gatherings are a great way for the skaters to relax, celebrate their achievements, and bond with each other. The effort these parents put into making each occasion special is heartwarming and greatly appreciated by all the kids.

Cass not only loves skating but also enjoys being part of a team with friendly teammates and kind parents. The support system within the team has made her skating journey even more enjoyable. Cass is truly fortunate to be surrounded by such wonderful people in her figure skating journey.

A beautiful fruit basket with all Cass' favorite fruits, gifted by Cass' teammate's mother.

Saturday, 15 June 2024

It will be a long, late night for Cass and hubby today.  Cass has a figure skating rehearsal at the skating rink from 10pm to 12 midnight. Fortunately hubby is free tonight to do the chauffeuring, otherwise, I'll be waiting at the freezing skating rink until midnight. 

Cass has been eating clean and healthy lately. These is what her meals look like these days:

Salad with kimchi, Korean marinated pork, half an avocado, broccoli, cauliflower, and scrambled eggs with cheese. After her main meal, she ate a slice of air-fried sprouted wheat bread, low-fat yogurt with granola, an apple, an orange, and a few slices of papaya. 
 I also air-fried a slice of quiche, which was given to us by Alycia's bosses at the cafe that she works part-time at. When Alycia's bosses heard that she injured her hand, they passed some goodies from the cafe to her.

Steamed marinated spicy chicken chop, an ear of whole corn (I sliced out the kernels from the cob), sauteed assorted vegetables (from her dad's kitchen), steamed sweet potato, and sweet cherry tomatoes. I love the colors on her bowl, and so does Cass. I'm glad my years of training her to eat vegetables have paid off well.

After Alycia's terrible mishap in the kitchen last week, resulting in shards of broken glass cutting her finger badly, we now have a phobia of using glassware. I've since switched to using stainless steel bowls and containers.  Moreover, our microwave oven died on us yesterday, so we have no choice but to reheat our food using stainless steel dinnerware in the wok 😁

Wesak Day 2024: Reflecting on the Past and Embracing the Present

22 May 2024

Every May, memories of my three-week stay at Gleneagles Medical Centre in Penang fifteen years ago come flooding back. It was May 2009, and my baby Cass had just undergone major surgery. Despite the procedure, she remained unwell, continuously vomiting green bile. None of the battery of invasive scans could pinpoint the problem, and I was engulfed in worry and despair. The surgery was performed on 5 May 2009 and Wesak Day was on 9 May 2009. 

I vividly remember Wesak Day that year. Our room at GMC Penang faced the main road, and from our window, I could see the grand and colorful Wesak Day procession. There was a temple next to the hospital, and the celebration was magnificent, filled with lights, music, and vibrant decorations. However, I wasn't in the mood to appreciate it. My heart was heavy with concern for my daughter, who lay in bed, her condition still a mystery. Her tummy was so bloated that it looked like a balloon, on the verge of exploding. 

Fast Forward 15 Years: A Day of Gratitude

Fast forward to Wesak Day 2024, and my baby is now a healthy, vibrant 16-year-old. The contrast between then and now is stark, and I am filled with gratitude for the progress she has made. This Wesak Day, Cass chose to stay home to complete her school project. Alycia was at her part-time job, and Sherilyn was busy with a college assignment and two dance shoots at a shopping mall.

Hubby and I decided to have a quiet lunch together, taking advantage of the public holiday. After much deliberation, we ended up at Kenny Hills Bakers at Bukit Tunku. It was a delightful meal, just the two of us, savoring the rare opportunity to enjoy each other's company without the usual hustle and bustle of daily life.

Post-lunch, we indulged in coffee and a brownie at Wolf & Turtle Coffee. The atmosphere was cozy and perfect for a relaxing afternoon. We also picked up some takeaway cakes, peanut cookies, and a loaf of bread for the girls from Kenny Hills Bakers, ensuring they had a little treat to enjoy as well.

Having a public holiday mid-week is always refreshing. It gives a semblance of a short break, making the week feel shorter and more manageable. Despite the next day feeling like a Monday, the reality that only two more days remain until the weekend is always a pleasant surprise.

We ordered Nasi Kerabu and a Big Breakfast set at Kenny Hills Bakers.

Nasi Kerabu

Piccolo latte and brownie from Wolf & Turtle Coffee

Big Breakfast

The peanut cookies from Kenny Hills Bakers are really super yummy, with lots of crunchy peanut bits in every bite, and they're not overly sweet either.

Tuesday, 12 December 2023 – Last Day of School

As the academic year draws to a close, today marks a significant milestone for my youngest daughter, Cass, as it's her last day of school. While national schools continue classes until Friday, Cass attends a Chinese independent high school, concluding her Junior Three journey a bit earlier. The day unfolded with a unique celebration as Cass and her classmates embraced the end of the school year, creating memories that will linger long after the final bell.

With an early dismissal, Cass and her classmates seized the opportunity to celebrate the completion of Junior Three by heading to the shopping malls. It's a day of camaraderie and joy, especially for those whose paths will diverge next year as they move on to different classes. Today is a day to revel in the bonds formed during this academic chapter.

Cass has not only completed the school year but has also excelled academically. Her final exam results secured her a position among the top three in her class, a testament to her dedication and hard work. The school acknowledged her achievements by awarding her a RM100 book voucher, recognizing her commitment to academic excellence.

Next year holds new possibilities for Cass, and despite being allocated to the Science stream, she has decided to opt for the Commerce stream. This decision means delving into the realms of Economics, Commerce, and Accounting. Cass' decision to join the Commerce stream echoes the academic path of her elder sister Alycia. 

With a well-deserved two-and-a-half week of holiday stretching ahead, I know Cass has plans to spend a significant portion of her time at the skating rink, honing her skills in figure skating. She would love to spend the entire day on ice if her dad and I would allow her.

As Cass bids farewell to Junior Three, it's astounding to realize that she will be entering Senior One (Form 4) next year. Time, as they say, flies swiftly. The journey through high school is a tapestry of growth, learning, making new friends, and new beginnings. Today's celebration marks the end of one chapter and the beginning of another, filled with anticipation for the adventures Senior One will undoubtedly bring.

Cass' after-exam treat at Subway a few Saturdays ago.

Subway is Cass' all-time favorite fast-food and I think the sandwiches are a tad overpriced.

The set that Cass chose came with a complimentary photo of Cha Eun Woo, one of Korea's top k-pop stars and current ambassador of Subway.

After Subway, Cass requested more junk  food and pestered me to bring her to Family Mart for a sofuto. She wanted to try the new flavor, which is Taro and it was surprisingly very yummy. I ended up getting another sofuto, for myself 😐
Then we headed to Books and Bobs, a new bookstore at our hood and I got her a pre-loved novel at RM7.

Thursday, 1 December 2022 ~ Random Updates

Hello December! 

We're on the last leg of our journey in 2022, yo! We survived another year of the pandemic, even though every single member of our household got infected by Covid this year. Alycia got infected twice within a span of 4 months. Thank God she's spared from getting infected the third time when almost everyone at home was down with Covid recently.

Sherilyn is still having a dry cough and had to skip school this morning when she felt nauseous.  She's supposed to sit for her SPM Trial Biology paper today as she missed a week of school last week due to Covid and now has to sit for the paper tomorrow instead.

Alycia returned from yet another short vacay in Ipoh and Penang with her college mates on Monday.  This girl can really play hard and study hard as well. I hope she'll succeed in getting another year's scholarship from the university for her second year of studies next year.

Cass came home from school today and gleefully told me that she fared better in all her papers in her recent final exam. She dug out all her old papers from this year's Mid Term Exam as well as last year's Final Exam and compared the marks and proudly showed them to me 😁

After I'd cooked lunner for Cass today, I suddenly realized that I had forgotten to cook rice for her! So I  quickly blanched some soba noodles for her. It was already 3-ish p.m. and Cass would be back by 3.40 p.m. and cooking noodles is always the quickest.

Oven grilled wingettes and drumettes. 

Tuesday, 9 August 2022

Cass told me recently that she found an effective way of studying for exams.

One night I saw her playing Roblox on my desktop computer and she was chanting non-stop. I thought she was talking to her bestie on Discord but she was purging out what she was memorizing. She was memorizing Biology for a small test the next day.  There was a notebook next to her and she kept referring to it while playing Roblox.

Cass told me that ever since she went back to school full-time, she has found an effective way of memorizing for tests without falling asleep and that is to play a game on the computer.

Like seriously? Who does that?!  Am I that outdated? 

But lately, Cass has been doing alright in all her small tests.  Her mid-year exam class position is top 10. 

I know my older brother must turn the radio on whenever he studied during his high school years. He subsequently went to the National University of Singapore (NUS).  And I can only write my assignments with the radio turned on too. 

So Cass' method of studying may be working! I hope so!

Just now she was again playing Roblox on my PC and memorizing Geography facts. Later she passed me her notebook and asked me to test her. 

Me - hello, your mom doesn't know a word of Chinese. How can I test you?

Cass - can la, just compare the words.

Me - ok.. 

10 minutes later, she passed a piece of paper to me with a bunch of Chinese words that she'd written on it and asked me to check what she had written with her notes in the notebook.  

She got them all correct!

Ah, now I remember that I used to test Cass in her Ting Xie (Chinese spelling) using this method when she was in pre-school and primary school! 😁

One of the pros of studying in a Chinese Independent High School is the frequent small tests the school imposes on the students.  I think it's a great way of wiring a teen's brain to get them ready for university.  But I don't like some of the ridiculous rules the school imposes and the emphasis it places on academic excellence. Some students may not be able to handle the stress.  

I brought Cass, Alycia and MIL for Korean lunch at Kimchitiam last Monday when she had a 1.5-hour break in between online classes. It was so rushed and she had to attend the earlier part of her next class using my phone in the car.

PotboyMart Ice Cream Day

The eleventh day of every month is PotBoyMart Ice Cream Day! All ice cream products at all PotBoy Mart outlets are on sale with a 50% discount ALL DAY LONG!  This is delicious sweet news for ice cream fans, like our girls. 

Last month (11th March) I went to PotBoyMart in the hope of grabbing some Cornetto, Magnum, and other favorites. However, when I was there at around 6pm, what was left was only Kit Kat ice cream, which ain't our favorite and it's more expensive than other flavors.  I grabbed a few sticks anyway since they were on a 50% discount. Kiasu me!  

Cass has since been reminding me of the Ice Cream Day and a few days before 11th April, she reminded me every day 😁.  She's a huge fan of ice cream and her favorite dessert.  She even planned to make a super quick trip to the mart with me at 9.30 a.m. on Monday, 11th April after her first class as she had a 40-minute break before the second online class.

This time we were early. When we reached the mart, the Nestle delivery staff were there loading boxes of ice creams. Cass and I were super excited and couldn't wait to charge at the ice cream chillers!

We scooped 30 sticks of Nestle Cornetto (20 chocolate + 10 vanilla), 3 sticks of La Cremeria Absolutely Almond stick, 1 Kit Kat and 1 tub of La Cremeria almond pecan passion.  Total damage was RM53.50. 

Next month, I will grab 20 sticks of La Cremeria Absolutely Almond stick - it tastes very much like Magnum Almond and is cheaper than Magnum.

After paying for the ice-creams, I felt I had over-splurged on ice creams. In my excitement looking at the freshly replenished ice cream chillers, I got carried away and over-spent 🤭

Freshly restocked - all at half price. Too good an offer to turn down.

A big bag of happiness for the girls.  

My ice cream craze days are now behind me. I used to be hooked on ice creams but somehow as I age, I no longer crave sweet desserts that much anymore.  

Back To School Blues

There was a thunderstorm yesterday afternoon and Cass was caught in the rain after school dismissal at 3.30 p.m.  She went to the school car park to find her transporter but when she couldn't see the van, she walked outside the school to where the van would normally be.  When she still didn't see the van, she walked back to the car park and by that time, was almost soaked in rainwater from head to toe 😵

When she got back, she had to air dry her books and shoes under the fan. The living room was like a refugee camp with bags, books and shoes scattered on the floor. 

Despite being drenched, these pies for lunner from Stand Pie Me put Cass in a good mood.  Grandma also bought everyone pizza, mushroom soup, and cakes from Nutmeg @ Bangsar Village.  No occasion for the celebration. We sometimes need to splurge a little on our favorite things to make ourselves happy!

Missing each other dearly after almost an entire day away from each other.

Out of boredom today when her sisters were all in school, this fella sneaked into the bedroom, jumped up the bed, and snuggled comfortably under Cass' blanket. 
This mischievous pussy gave me another heart attack yesterday when she sneaked out to the kitchen balcony and looked as if she wanted to dive down! 🙀

Sunday, 20 March 2022 ¬ Random Updates

Today is the last day of the 3-week end of academic year school holidays.  The new academic year will commence tomorrow.  Sherilyn will be in Form 5 while Cass has already started Junior 2 since January 2022. Classes will be conducted via online mode for a week for Cass and for two weeks for Sherilyn, after which they will be back to physical classes in school. Yes! 

School is where children should be. I am so glad that they are going back to school, albeit their risks of getting infected by Covid will be much higher.  But staying at home for more than two years is just as damaging for their mental health as well as education. I am still of the opinion that online learning is not effective for most children, including mine.  

A common sight at home. Alycia does an RTK Covid test almost daily.

Cass prefers to prep her own meals these days and doesn't like to see food go to waste.  She likes to 'repurpose' overnight food. What you see here is mashed potato and carrots from the previous night's ABC soup, seasoned with pepper and soy sauce. 
On the right is tomato-flavor Mission wrap with Romaine lettuce, tomato puree, and chicken breast from the ABC soup.  She shredded the breast meat, added some Lingam ketchup, soy sauce, Japanese mayo, and black pepper, and microwaved it briefly.  

Cass made cheat pizza yesterday with tomato-flavor Mission wraps, tomato puree, cheese, mushrooms and yellow bell pepper.

With the leftover bell pepper, she made a baked bell pepper egg cup.  She stuffed the bell pepper with an egg and cheese and baked it for about 30 minutes.

Unlike Sherilyn who places great importance on aesthetic appeal in food presentation, Cass is more practical and her own-prepped meals are often short on looks. She just cooks for herself, hardly ever snaps a photo of what she cooks, and gobbles down her food in a jiffy.  

Cass - why decorate the food when everything is going into your tummy within minutes? 😂

Easy-Peasy Few-Ingredient Snacks Made By Cass

Lately, Cass is into whipping up healthy snacks for breakfast.  With only about 10-20 minutes available in between online classes in the morning, she Googles simple recipes for a healthy breakfast.   

We have another finicky eater at home now who prefers to whip up her own food vs. outside food!

Cass is also into 16-hour Intermittent Fasting and this is not my idea. I really don't know who influenced her to be on a 16-hour IF.  I've been on a 12-hour IF for years but she beats me to it with a 16-hour IF.  She even does it on school-going days despite me protesting. We had a major heated argument over her not eating in school and she's still not eating in school 😥😥.  She says she doesn't feel hungry at all while in school as she only sits at her desk the entire time in school.  Due to Covid SOPs and restrictions, physical education and CoCo activities are halted.  CoCo activities will resume in March but will be conducted online.

Her first meal of the day after 16 hours of fast is very heavy. She has food from the previous day's dinner followed by a fruit smoothie or yogurt, both of which she adds a handful of frozen walnuts. Then she has fruits and if she still feels hungry, she has a bowl of granola or whips up microwave mug cakes.  

Cass loves pancakes and crepes. Lately, she's been making them and has a big stack of them for brunch. 

Cass made a very healthy and absolutely delish 'ice cream' for dessert after brunch today. It's composed of skinny and sugar-free yoghurt, frozen bananas, and frozen raw walnuts, all blitzed in the blender.  It's so delish I think she can sell it. 
She uses different ingredients every day but skinny yoghurt is used as the base.   Some of the ingredients used are mangoes, strawberries, apples, kale, baby spinach, and whatever she can find in the fridge. 

This 'cookie' is made from organic oats, blended into powder, mixed with honey, walnuts, Lakanto keto sugar, a splash of milk and a few drops of vanilla essence. All the ingredients are blitzed in the blender and baked in the toaster for 15-20 minutes.  It's crispy and my kind of healthy cookie!