Our 1st Day of 2026

Starting 2026 the best way I know how — with my mum. Breakfast at the coffee shop, a DIY cupboard she ordered online and proudly assembled on her own, and her looking for a cake recipe just because I was craving cake. Love looks like this. She's a supermum 💕

Check out my video here: https://youtube.com/shorts/_mMQeaR6190?feature=share

The popiah is only RM7

Char Koay Teow (less noodles, more bean sprouts, without cockles and prawns) only cost RM5. This would have cost RM10 in KL.

Chicken stew that my papa cooked.

Evening Runs, Simple Meals & a Quiet Life in Ipoh

Evenings in my hometown are quiet and grounding.

This video captures my daily evening runs through a peaceful neighborhood surrounded by limestone hills and lush greenery. On some days, my 79-year-old mum joins me for a gentle walk — slow, steady, and full of presence.

Back home, Dad cooks a simple pot of porridge for dinner, and we end the day together. The video closes with Haru, my soul cat, happily climbing the stairs — slowly settling into her new home.

Nothing fancy. Just movement, family, nature, and a calm life I’m learning to love again.

Check out my video here: 

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/q8vn7Z1u6l0?feature=share

2025 Christmas Eve Dinner at Hakka Yin Signature, Ipoh

 Our Xmas Eve dinner was at Hakka Yin Signature.

Hakka Yin Signature is our family’s go-to restaurant for authentic Hakka cuisine. Being Hakka ourselves, we truly appreciate the flavours here — especially the abacus yam seeds, which are fragrant, well-seasoned, and you can really taste the yam in every bite.

The black vinegar pig’s trotters are rich and satisfying, while the braised duck with preserved black beans is packed with deep, savoury flavour. On our previous visit during CNY, we also tried the yellow wine chicken, which was excellent.

Prices are very reasonable, and the restaurant is almost always fully booked — so do make a reservation before you go!

Check out my video on YouTube here: 

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/-p5vVx9qFoQ

Braised black bean duck, black vinegar pig's trotters, stir-fried cabbage, and fried fish.

Abacus yam seeds, our family's favorite and by far the best we've tasted.

My loving parents; dad is 82 and mum 79 this year.

Hakka Yin Signature 

54, Jalan Medan Ipoh 4, Taman Ipoh Timur,

31400 Ipoh, Perak

Phone: 017-447 7624

Rebuilding Life At 52+: My Move Back Home

 I’ve been sitting with this decision for a long time, and today I’m finally ready to share it with you.

I have decided to leave Kuala Lumpur — the place where I built my family, raised my 3 daughters, and spent over 3 decades defining years of my life — and return to my hometown, Ipoh. I am now staying with my parents, who are both in their 80s, and I didn’t come alone. I brought Haru, my soul cat, with me 🐾

This was not an easy decision. It took years of thinking, weighing, doubting, and going back and forth. KL holds so many memories — love, effort, sacrifice, and chapters that shaped who I am today. Walking away from a life I once built was never something I took lightly.

One of the reasons I am back in Ipoh is my parents. They are now in their 80s, and I’m deeply aware that their time here may not be very long. I want to be present — not just in visits or phone calls, but every day. I want to share meals, conversations, quiet moments, and laughter with them. I want to make their final chapter a sweet one, filled with love, care, and togetherness.

At the same time, I realised that I needed to choose myself.
I needed to choose peace, healing, and clarity.

For now, I won’t be sharing too many details about the other reasons behind this move. Some stories need time, space, and gentleness before they can be told. What I can say is this: this decision comes from a place of deep reflection, self-respect, and the quiet understanding that it’s okay to begin again.

Being back in Ipoh — surrounded by familiarity, slower days, my ageing parents, and the soft, grounding presence of Haru — feels like returning to the roots of who I am. This is not an ending. It’s a new chapter of rebuilding my life, step by step, at my own pace.

I hope you’ll walk this journey with me.

I’ve also shared a video of my big move back to Ipoh on my YouTube channel, where I’ll be documenting this new phase of my life more closely — the healing, the simple moments, the challenges, and the quiet joys.

🎥 Here’s the video of my big move back to Ipoh:
👉 https://www.youtube.com/shorts/E48orVDJ9sQ

Thank you for being here, for reading, and for your continued support.
This next chapter is unfamiliar — but it’s peaceful and mine.

💛

My mum loves taking photos and videos of everyone and everything that brings her joy. She's very active on social media and is pretty hands on in creating simple videos and photo collage with music. She took these pix of me, with me totally caught off-guard.

Dongzhi in Ipoh: Where I Wish Time Would Stand Still

Today marks my 11th day back in Ipoh, and honestly, I wish I could stay here forever.

There’s something deeply comforting about being home with my parents — the familiar rhythms, the unspoken understanding, and the quiet joy of simply being. Life here feels slower, softer, and more intentional. I wake up without rush, eat without worry, and fall asleep feeling taken care of in ways that only parents can.

Today is Dongzhi, the Winter Solstice — a day about reunion, warmth, and family. And my dad, as always, marked the occasion by cooking up an absolute storm.

True to his nature, he refused any help in the kitchen. Cooking is his domain, and he likes full control of the entire process — from planning to chopping to seasoning. We’ve learned to respect that. So we let him be, happily. My role comes after: mopping the floor, cleaning the stove, washing the dirty kitchen slippers, and helping with the dishes. My younger brother Roy chips in too, tackling the dirty dishes alongside me. It’s teamwork, just in different stages.

Dad cooked my absolute favourite — rice wine chicken with black fungus and fried egg, using two whole thighs of bearded chicken. The meat was firm, flavourful, and deeply comforting, the kind of dish that feels like a warm hug in a bowl.

He also steamed a beautiful white pomfret, stir-fried snow peas with fish paste and garlic, sautéed baby bok choy, and cooked a big, nourishing pot of beetroot soup with sweet corn, arrow root (fun kok), pork ribs, and red dates.

Mum contributed too — she cooked parboiled basmati rice infused with blue pea flowers from our garden, turning a simple staple into something quietly special.

It was such a lovely dinner — one of those meals where the food is wonderful, but the company makes it unforgettable. Sitting at the table with my parents and brother, sharing stories and laughter, I felt an overwhelming sense of gratitude. These are the moments that truly matter.

I did wish, though, that my three daughters were here with us today. Dongzhi is, after all, about togetherness.

We didn’t make or buy any tong yuen this year — we’re honestly not fans of glutinous balls. But yesterday, my eldest daughter Alycia, who’s in KL, surprised us in the sweetest way. She ordered desserts from the famous Douba Dessert Shop and had them delivered to us via GrabFood.

There was black glutinous tong sui with tong yuen, herbal jelly with boba and taro balls, mochi, and tau foo far. We enjoyed every bite — not just because they were delicious, but because they came with love. Even though she’s far away, she remembered us, thought of us, and found a way to be present.

That gesture filled my heart.

This Dongzhi, I’m reminded that family isn’t just about being physically together. It’s about thoughtfulness, care, and showing up — in meals cooked, floors cleaned, desserts sent, and love quietly expressed.

And here in Ipoh, surrounded by my parents, my brother, and the memories we’re still creating, I feel exactly where I’m meant to be.

Desserts ordered by Alycia in KL and delivered to us in Ipoh by Grab Food yesterday.

Rice wine bearded chicken with black fungus and fried egg.

Stir fried baby bokchoi and snow peas with fish paste.

Beet root + sweet corn + corn silk + arrow root (fun kok) + pork ribs + red dates soup boiled in the slow cooker for over 6 hours.

My brother and dad splashed extra hard liquor into their bowl of rice wine chicken.

Choosing Simple Joys in Ipoh

Today was one of those quietly meaningful days — ordinary on the surface, but deeply grounding.

I accompanied my parents to the bank to settle some Safe Deposit Box matters. No rush, no stress, just the three of us moving through errands at a gentle pace. After banking, we stopped by a furniture shop, browsing without urgency, talking about practical things and small possibilities. Then came lunch — simple chap fan (economy rice), comforting and familiar, the kind of meal that doesn’t try to impress but always satisfies.

After a week-long break, I finally laced up my shoes and went for a brisk walk around my neighbourhood. The moment I stepped out, my body remembered why I love walking here. Ipoh is wrapped in limestone hills and lush greenery, and every walk feels like a quiet conversation with nature.

Some days, I’m greeted by monkeys living by the hills, watching curiously from a distance. Other days, I walk a little faster after being almost chased by dogs — a reminder to stay alert and laugh about it later. It’s never boring, always alive, always real.

As I walked, it became even clearer to me — Ipoh is where I want to spend the rest of my life. I love the peace here. I love the limestone hills standing quietly in the background, the good food that doesn’t need hype, the lower cost of living, and the deep familiarity of everything around me. Nothing feels foreign. Nothing feels forced.

Life in Ipoh is simple. But I’ve learned that simplicity can buy me something far more valuable than flashy wealth or luxury — peace and happiness.

And right now, that feels like everything.

These chap fan dishes from Ritzbina @ Bercham only cost RM32, consisting of 6 dishes, 2 large brown rice, a huge braised fish head and a big packet of steamed chickpeas. We kept the braised fish head for dinner.  The dishes are by far the best in Ipoh in terms of quality (not overly salty or oily) and price. My parents love to get their chap fan at this restaurant.

My mum stole some pix of me while I was doing banking at the ATM.

A Smooth Ride Home: Back to Ipoh With My Soul Cat, Haru

The drive back to Ipoh on 10 December 2025 felt… different this time. Maybe it was because I went home without any of my daughters following me, maybe it was the familiar comfort of going home, or maybe—just maybe—it was because my little shadow, Haru, handled the entire journey like a seasoned traveller.

For the first time ever, Haru didn’t meow at all during the trip. Not a single complaint, not even her usual “Are we there yet?” chirps. After two previous road trips, she’s finally gotten used to the long drive and seems to trust that mama will get her safely to her destination. Once we reached Ipoh, she settled down comfortably in our room—though, true to her mysterious cat personality, she still chose to spend most of her day hiding under my bed. That’s her safe bunker, her little retreat. As long as she feels secure, I’m happy.

Being back in Ipoh feels like sinking into a warm, familiar hug. My parents have been pampering me in every way possible. Dad even double-boiled bird’s nest with ginseng for me—his signature “super tonic” to nourish the body and soul. Meals? All taken care of. Laundry? Not my responsibility for once, though I still helped out. All I needed to do was help out with small house chores here and there, and even then, my parents kept telling me to rest, rest, rest. Mom went "stop wiping the floor" all the time.

And honestly… it’s such a luxury. No worrying about feeding my girls. No stressing over piles of laundry. No mental checklist running 24/7. No feeling of being rushed. Just a chance to breathe, slow down, and let my tired batteries recharge fully under my parents’ loving care.

Feels like exactly what my heart needed.

Stay tuned—more Ipoh stories coming soon!

Last minute photo-taking with their beloved Haru. Cass and Sherilyn miss Haru more than they miss me. Actually they don't miss me at all.

Haru inside her carrier in my car on our way back to Ipoh. My younger brother drove my car.

A Slightly Different Chinese New Year 2025

This year's Chinese New Year (CNY) was slightly different from our usual tradition. Typically, we travel back to Ipoh on CNY Eve or the first day of CNY. However, with my hubby needing to work on the first day, we only made the trip on the second day of CNY. While it felt a little strange not kicking off the new year in Ipoh, the celebrations were still filled with family, food, and treasured moments.

A Vegetarian Tradition

On the first day of CNY, instead of my mother-in-law preparing her customary vegetarian dish at home, this year, my hubby's Aunt Wendy volunteered to host the gathering at her house. Ever since I married into this family, this vegetarian dish has been a cherished part of the first day of CNY. In my own family—the Yong family—we have a similar tradition but with vegetarian fried meehoon. My late paternal grandmother used to make the most delicious version of it (with a soy sauce dipping of fresh shallots, chillies and sand ginger), and ever since she passed away, my papa has carried on the tradition.

While it was lovely to have the gathering with hubby’s family in KL, I couldn’t help but feel nostalgic for the times we spent in Ipoh on the Eve and first day of CNY. Hopefully, next year we can revive this tradition, though it will depend on the SPM exam dates since Cass will be sitting for her exams. If the dates fall around CNY, we’ll have to stay put in KL.

Journey to Ipoh on the 2nd Day

We left KL at 8:30 am on the second day of CNY and were grateful for the smooth traffic on the highway. The drive took only 2 hours and 10 minutes, which was a relief. Alycia and Sherilyn opted to take the train instead—Sherilyn, still nursing her backache, preferred the comfort of a train ride over a car journey.

Upon arriving in Ipoh, we dropped off Haru at my parents' house. After setting up her litter box and making sure she was comfortable, we headed straight to the Stadium food court to hunt for brunch. While many stalls were closed for the holidays, we still managed to enjoy a variety of local delights: porridge with pig innards, meehoon in tomato soup with pork chop, fried fish and pork paste, Pai Ti with braised turnip, Tosei, Indian rice with dishes, and refreshing Ice Kacang.

Family Favorites and Reunion Dinner

After brunch, we collected Sherilyn's birthday cake from JJ Swissroll in town. Then we made quick stops at the famous Woong Kee bean curd stall to get takeaway tau fu far and Yoke Fook Moon restaurant for dim sum for those at home. 

Our reunion dinner that evening was at Exquisite Restaurant again (we had it in this restaurant too last year), where we indulged in an 8-course feast, including the traditional Yee Sang toss. Sharing this meal with my parents and brothers was one of my favorite moments of the day. These family meals remind me how precious our time together is, and I cherish the laughter and love shared around the table.

Reflecting on Family and Traditions

CNY 2025 may have been slightly different, but it was still filled with heartwarming traditions, delicious food, and the company of loved ones. I hope for many more such celebrations in the coming years, where I can continue to share meals and memories with my parents, brothers, and my own growing family. Here's to keeping traditions alive while embracing new changes as life evolves. Wishing everyone a prosperous and joyous Year of the Ssssnake! 

Lunch of 'Jai' (vegetarian dish) on Chor 1 at aunt Wendy's house (two units below ours).

From the Stadium food court - Indian Nasi Padang, chicken chop, tosei and Pai Ti. 

From the Stadium Food Court - Ice Kacang, porridge with pig innards, fried fish & pork paste, tomato soup mee hoon with pork chop.

Stadium food court - many stalls, including all of our favorites, were closed.

At the Woong Kee bean curd stall to get takeaway silky smooth tau fu far with tong yuen.
Address: 32-38A, Jalan Ali Pitchay, Taman Jubilee, 30250 Ipoh, Perak

Chor 2 reunion dinner at Exquisite Restaurant - pan-fried big prawns, suckling pig, shark's fins soup and braised chicken in truffle sauce.

Braised abalone with broccoli, fish maw and mushrooms, clay pot lap mei rice and dessert of snow fungus + red dates + dried longan and lotus seeds.

Chinese New Year 2024

The last time we celebrated CNY in Ipoh was in February 2020, the year Covid gripped the world and changed things forever. Exactly four years later, we were back again to have a wonderful reunion with my family.  

This CNY is a little extra memorable as we brought Haru along with us. After a failed boarding for Haru, we had no choice but to lug her along with us to Ipoh. And I have no regrets about it. I managed to desensitize Haru's phobia of car rides and I'm still working on desensitizing her fear of meeting new people.  With Haru in Ipoh with us, I needn't have to worry about her having a harrowing time (hunger strike with no peeing and pooping) at the catsitter's place.

Haru was kept inside my bedroom most of the time. I placed her carrier and bed on the floor but this fella decided to sleep in between us on our bed at night despite me kicking her out of our bed umpteen times till I gave up out of exhaustion.

Chor 2 brunch of Dim Sum at Kok Thai Restaurant with my family before we headed to the Yaps' family house for 'Hoi Neen Fan'

Ang Pow gifting session.

We had an early birthday celebration for Sherilyn and bought a cake from JJ Swiss Roll.  Sherilyn was born on the eighth day of Chinese New Year 19 years ago.

The pandan chocolate cake from JJ Swiss Roll was super delish and not overly sweet or cloying.

My Advanced Birthday Celebration In Ipoh

The main reason for my trip back to Ipoh from 13-15 March was to visit my parents since the timing was right.  It was Sherilyn's last day of SPM and Cass had a few more days of school holidays before school reopened the following Monday.  After sending Sherilyn to school on Monday morning, I booked a Grab car to bring us to the KL Sentral station.

Back in Ipoh, my parents told me that they had ordered my favorite cempedak cake from JJ Cakes & Swissrolls. They had also booked a table at Sushi Zento to celebrate my 50th birthday 💓.  What a sweet surprise!

It's been yonks since I last celebrated my birthday with my parents because my birthday hardly ever coincides with the school holidays and also, no thanks to the pandemic. This year the celebration was totally unplanned.

After fetching Cass and me from Concubine Lane, papa brought us to JJ Cakes & Swissrolls to collect the birthday cake.

Birthday dinner at Sushi Zento @ Festival Walk Ipoh.

Everyone thoroughly enjoyed the food at Sushi Zento.  The food was lip-smackingly delicious, the service was excellent with polite waiting staff and the prices are reasonable.  Cass and I think that the food is even better than some of our favorite Japanese restaurants in KL.

Everyone loved the super fresh and highly addictive cempedak cake, with generous amounts of fresh cempedak flesh wedged between the layers of sponge cake with light cream.  JJ Swissrolls' cempedak cake is always a treat for all the senses, from its appearance to its flavor, texture, freshness, and aroma.

50 years young but always papa & mummy's little girl and I still received an ang pow each from them 💗

Dad is a member at Sushi Zento and got a 10% off the total bill.

Cass and I had evening walks around the neighborhood every day.

On one of our walks, we saw a troop of monkeys at the hillside and they were eating crispy tosei!

Cass and I could hear the crackling sound of the crispy tosei as the monkeys bit into it.  I think an Indian family nearby must have made the tosei and fed the monkeys. There's a kind Indian couple near my parents' house who would feed stray cats and dogs every evening.

Bidding each other goodbye at the Ipoh train station.
Mum could still snap pretty clear photos of me with her fractured right hand 😂