Scratches, Supercars, and Spooky Coincidences — Our Unlucky Encounters with Luxury Cars

This evening, my hubby and I went on a simple grocery run to our neighborhood supermarket to restock our essentials — mainly yogurt and eggs. It was supposed to be just another routine outing, but something unexpected happened on the way there.

As we were driving along the narrow road leading to the supermarket, a bright yellow Ferrari was double-parked at the side. Just as we were passing by, the right-side door of the Ferrari suddenly swung open — and grazed the left side of my hubby’s car. The timing was so sudden, neither side had a chance to react.

Hubby quickly pulled over to check for any damage. He then walked over to the two men standing near the Ferrari to talk to them. At that moment, I felt a wave of worry wash over me. One of the men was wearing a body-hugging singlet with the word Muay Thai emblazoned across his chest — and to be honest, he gave off serious “tai kor” (gangster big brother) vibes. I couldn’t help but feel tense, fearing the situation might escalate, even though the accident clearly wasn’t our fault.

But to my relief, everything was civil. The man in the Muay Thai singlet gave hubby his handphone number, and there was no confrontation whatsoever. Upon inspection, the damage was minimal — just a faint scratch on the plastic cap above the tire. No dents, no drama. Still, it left us shaken for a bit.

Strangely, this is the second minor accident involving hubby’s new car — and it’s only three months old! About two months ago, the boom gate barrier at our condo malfunctioned and came down unexpectedly, hitting the top of his car and leaving a shallow dent near the bonnet.

Even stranger? We seem to have a history with mishaps involving luxury cars. A few years back, on Sherilyn’s birthday of all days, she opened my car door without checking her surroundings. Bad luck struck — a BMW’s side mirror was cleanly yanked off when it passed by. The damage? A hefty RM500 to replace just the mirror! That incident left a lasting dent on hubby’s wallet and a permanent cautionary tale for all of us.

 While these accidents were minor, they were still frustrating. A new car always holds that special glow, and it’s disheartening to see it marked so soon. But all things considered, we’re grateful that both incidents were harmless in the bigger picture — no injuries, no real conflict, and repairable surface-level damages.

If there’s one lesson here, it’s that bad luck doesn’t care whether you drive a Ferrari, BMW, or a humble family car. But we’re just hoping our streak of unfortunate encounters ends here. Enough dents, dings, and scrapes for a long, long time, please!

Here's to smoother drives ahead and zero run-ins with flashy vehicles. Fingers crossed 🤞🏻.

Another Busy Week in Full Swing

The first week of school and university in 2025 is officially in full swing, and life has been nothing short of hectic. With Maria, our part-time helper, still unwell, and my mother-in-law battling Influenza A since New Year's Eve, I've taken on all the household chores—cooking, washing dishes, and cleaning. While it's been a whirlwind, I’m counting my blessings, grateful for health and strength to keep things running. The only thing that I am complaining is my chaffed hands. And my right Tennis Elbow is still lingering there, with pain in almost every movement, after 9 months.

The Flu Bug Strikes

This flu season hasn’t spared us either. Cass caught the bug from her grandma earlier this week but, thankfully, bounced back after just a day of rest. She still has lingering phlegm and the occasional cough, but she’s on the mend. As for me, my body has been in battle mode. Two weeks ago, I felt the first signs of my immune system fighting the virus, and now I’m starting to feel off again—dizziness, headaches, and phlegm are creeping in.

I’ve learned how to tackle these bouts effectively: avoiding sugary and junk foods, prioritizing nourishing meals, and, most importantly, getting a solid seven hours of sleep each night. Sleep is my ultimate remedy, and with it, I’m confident my body will come out victorious.

The Upside of the Weekend

The weekend is fast approaching, and while I look forward to dining out (a welcome break from cooking), my day will still start bright and early at 5:30 a.m. Despite the grind, there’s no room for complaints. Being busy, active, and healthy is a privilege—far better than spending days confined to a hospital bed.

Each task, no matter how mundane, is a reminder of life’s blessings. Here’s to conquering the rest of this week with resilience and gratitude!

Pix taken from our condo - A huge bright rainbow with a faint one next to it greeted me on the evening of 7 January 2025. Such a beautiful sight to behold.

The beautiful rainbow forms the backdrop to KL's iconic landmarks: KLCC, KL Tower, and Merdeka 118

Kicking Off 2025: Challenges, Blessings, and Gratitude

Happy New Year, everyone! How have the first four days of 2025 been for you? I hope they’ve been smooth sailing so far. As for me, it’s been a mix of highs and lows—manageable for now, but the start of the year has already brought its fair share of challenges.

Unfortunately, my mother-in-law fell ill on the penultimate day of 2024 and is still battling Influenza A. Her symptoms are significantly worse than when she had Covid two years ago. To make matters worse, Cass started showing similar symptoms yesterday, though thankfully, hers are much milder and her appetite is still good. She's been stuffing herself with lots of fruits and veggies and gulping down bottles of plain water to help her body counter the virus.

For now, I’ve been spared from this dreaded infection, which allows me to take care of the sick ones at home. Despite Cass sleeping in my room since her grandma got sick, I’m holding on to hope that my body can fight off the virus. Sharing an air-conditioned room for four nights likely increased my exposure, but I’m staying optimistic.

While caring for the family, life for the rest of us has carried on. Sherilyn has jumped back into her demanding architecture course, which, as always, involves meticulous model construction. For the past two days, she’s been camped at our dining table, working tirelessly on her project with Josh Johnson’s videos playing in the background. Meanwhile, Alycia has been busy with her assignment since New Year’s Eve, creating a book from scratch. From writing and photography to printing, she’s been fully immersed in the process.

Cass, on the other hand, is gearing up for her final year of high school—a crucial year as she prepares for the SPM exam. It’s a milestone year for her, and I’m both excited and nervous for what lies ahead.

Adding to the busyness is our household help situation. Maria, our part-time helper, returned briefly but fell ill after just three days of work. She hasn’t come for two weeks now and, with her upcoming trip to Indonesia to deliver her baby, she won’t be available for the next eight months. By the time she returns to work, it will already be August. While this adds to my workload, I’ve come to embrace the chaos. Being busy is a blessing in disguise.

Lately, I’ve seen friends battling serious illnesses, some even succumbing to cancer. These sobering moments have made me appreciate my ability to stay active and busy. I’d much rather have my hands full than be bedridden or spend my days in a hospital. Life is unpredictable, and being able to run around and do so much is something I no longer take for granted.

As we step into 2025, I wish all of you a year filled with health, happiness, and smooth sailing days. Let’s tackle whatever challenges come our way with gratitude and resilience. Here’s to a fresh start and a wonderful year ahead!

Today I cooked pumpkin + sweet potato + pork porridge for everyone. I also microwaved an Ipoh salt-baked chicken to go with the porridge.

A Rewarding Monday: From Bonus Link Points Redemption to Delicious Japanese Curry

My Monday kicked off on a high note as I managed to redeem RM50 worth of petrol using my Bonus Link points. Along with that, I also redeemed 6 stick ice-creams for my girls. Despite a minor hiccup caused by the Shell staff asking for the wrong password type, which led to my Bonus Link account being temporarily blocked, I managed to unblock it after being on the phone with Bonus Link for almost 20 minutes. Walking out with free ice creams that my girls love (Magnum almond and Cornetto) worth RM26 made me one very happy mom. The joy of these small rewards set the tone for the rest of the day.

Feeling uplifted by the successful redemption, I decided to cook something special for dinner – Japanese curry. With julienned cabbage and carrots, a quarter pumpkin, a pack of marinated Beacon chicken breast, and two packets of Shemeji mushrooms, I whipped up a large pot of delicious Japanese curry using the Philips pressure cooker

Sherilyn came home very early yesterday, but unfortunately, she didn't get any sleep again as she was rushing to complete yet another assignment. Her relentless schedule worries me deeply. She barely drinks enough water, eats enough fruits, and gets very little sleep. Don't get me started on other areas of her life.  Her health is a constant concern, and I can only pray for God's protection over her and my other two daughters. As a mother, it’s hard to see her push herself so hard, but I admire her dedication and resilience.

Here’s to appreciating the small wins and making the most of every day.

Cass' lunner - a big bowl of Japanese curry with a teeny bit of Japanese rice and salad.

I deep-freezed a big tub of Japanese curry for Cass's dinner for this week.  

Our favorite brand of curry powder and Japanese curry roux - S&B brand from Japan. I used an entire box of curry roux (two blocks) and added a teaspoon of S&B curry powder for a spicier kick. 
Cooking instruction: sear the marinated Beacon chicken breast in the pressure cooker in Bake mode, add pumpkin, cabbage, Shimeji mushrooms and carrots, and finally add the curry roux. Then add 1500ml of water and let simmer.  I didn't set the pressure on.

Working non-stop on back-to-back assignments without getting any sleep.  She left the house for college at 8am this morning and she's going straight to the dance studio after college today. 

A Week Filled with Hospital Visits

This week has been a whirlwind of hospital appointments, and tomorrow marks the start of it with my visit to the podiatrist at Sunway Medical Centre. For over three months, I've been battling a stubborn corn on my foot. Despite diligently applying Duofilm corn solution and corn removal patches, this tenacious corn has refused to wither and peel off. The persistent pain has become unbearable, making it difficult to walk properly, let alone exercise for over two weeks. The corn removal patches were also totally ineffective in removing the corn.

Recently, the corn has started to peel off (finally!!), but the pain at its center remains a significant issue 😭. I was hoping to cancel the doctor's appointment, thinking the worst was behind me, but the pain has convinced me otherwise. I'm preparing myself for the appointment tomorrow, praying that the podiatrist won't suggest surgery. The thought of undergoing a procedure is daunting, but I trust that the doctor will provide the best course of action to finally relieve me of this persistent pain.

As if one hospital visit wasn't enough, I have another appointment lined up on Friday. This time, I’ll be accompanying Alycia to see the hand and microsurgery doctor at Subang Jaya Medical Centre for her cast removal. Two weeks ago, she endured the painful procedure of having her stitches removed from the injured finger. Watching her withstand the pain with such courage was both heart-wrenching and awe-inspiring. I’m hopeful that this visit will be less painful and that it signifies the end of her recovery journey.

Reflecting on these hospital visits, I can't help but hope for a respite from emergency hospital visits and medical procedures. Scheduled routine check-ups are manageable, but the unexpected trips and the anxiety they bring are exhausting and stressful.  I long for peaceful days without the looming presence of hospital appointments, where we can focus on healing and moving forward without interruptions. I am looking forward to resolving my own health issues and seeing Alycia fully recover from her ordeal.

Here’s to a week of healing, strength, and hopefully, the last of our hospital visits for a long time.

Stainless steel fan-shaped food storage containers with lid and steaming rack, all ordered from Lazada (shipped from China).

Since the freakish kitchen mishap almost a month ago, we try not to use glass dinnerware now. Alycia is still having a phobia of using glass tableware. Instead, we have switched to using stainless steel plates and bowls.  I still use glass Pyrex though, but only for myself.

I recently ordered these stainless steel food storage containers with lids. The set of three containers fits nicely into a round steaming rack.  It's great for storing leftover food or dinner for the girls. When they come back from school and uni, I just pop them into the wok briefly to reheat the food. 

Saturday Chronicles: Of Breakfasts, Lost Wallet, and Gratitude

Today, our Saturday unfolded with a mix of delight and tension, from a lavish breakfast to a heart-stopping search for a lost wallet. 

The day kicked off with an impromptu decision by hubby to enjoy breakfast at a nearby café. The trio, consisting of Alycia, hubby, and myself, indulged in a sumptuous breakfast featuring chicken sando, chicken katsu rice bowl, scrambled eggs, and smoked salmon toast. The breakfast tableau was completed with delectable desserts—cream brulee burnt cheesecake and taro butter cake—accompanied by the comforting aroma of coffee.

Post-breakfast, hubby and I departed ways. He went to his office while I brought Alycia to get tau foo fa with sweet potato balls at a new tau foo fa dessert stall.  When we reached home, a shadow loomed over our cheerful morning. Hubby told me that he couldn’t find his wallet. Panic set in, prompting a frantic search throughout the house, condo car park, and even reaching out to the café staff and our ever-helpful guards at our condo.

In a bid to solve the wallet mystery, our guard went above and beyond, delving into the condo's CCTV recordings. Tension heightened as we eagerly awaited news from the electronic detective work. The clock ticked, and each passing moment intensified our worry.  Hubby and I could only imagine the trouble and inconvenience of having to go to the police station to lodge a report over the lost wallet with IC, driver's license, credit cards, cash, and other important documents inside.

Just as the prospect of a visit to the police station loomed, a wave of relief swept over us. Hubby discovered his wallet wedged behind the office printer. Gratitude washed over him, realizing the potential inconvenience avoided—the hassle of police reports, canceling cards, and the arduous process of replacing identification.

Chicken katsu rice bowl

Katsu sando

Scrambled eggs and smoked salmon sando

Creme brulee burnt cheesecake and taro butter cake.

Tuesday, 21 November 2023

Hubby hadn't eaten his lunch yet and Whatsapped me to join him for grocery shopping and then for lunch. He needed to stock up for some upcoming events. I was having brunch at home when he called and later drove to the supermarket to meet him. 

After we were done shopping, we went to LDG for lunch.  He has been craving steak for a long time but each time he suggested steak, I declined his suggestion as I preferred something light and easy for  my digestion. Moreover, I am now cutting down on red meat due to Familial Hypercholesterolaemia (genetic high cholesterol).  FH is an inherited condition characterized by higher-than-normal levels of blood cholesterol. I only eat red meat once or twice a week.  For the rest of the days, I usually eat eggs, chicken breast, and fish, prioritizing plant-based foods but avoiding soy products.

Hubby's steak was cooked to a tee. Superb taste and texture. I love the side of mashed potato with cheese and mayo.

After lunch, I rushed home to prep lunner for Cass, who would be coming back from school soon.

I cooked steamed herbal chicken drumsticks.  Cass loved it and ate three drumsticks.
This recipe is simple and mess-free.
The drumsticks are seasoned with soy sauce, Chinese cooking wine, chopped garlic, some Chinese herbs, red dates, and wolfberries. Place everything in two pieces of baking paper and wrap well. Then steam in medium heat for 40 minutes. The result is chicken meat that's really juicy and succulent.

* Herbs used - Yu zhu (Soloman’s seal), dang gui (Chinese angelica), hong zao (dried red dates), gei qi (Chinese wolfberry) and dang shen (Codonopsis root).

Safe Deposit Box Key Mystery

I wanted to snap a picture of an important document kept in my bank's Safe Deposit Box but the SDB key wasn't with me. Before my mil left for New Zealand, I gave her the key as she wanted to keep her stuff in the SDB but she hasn't returned the key to me yet. 

But I wasn't 100% sure if the key was with the mil. She could have returned it to me and I misplaced it.  That happened about 1.5 months ago. I started to go into panic mode!

I couldn't call the mil right away to ask her the whereabouts of the key as she was five hours ahead of us and it was 2am in Auckland. I WhatsApp-ed one of the bank staff to ask him about the procedures but he had already resigned from the bank. I Googled to find out what the procedures are for getting a key replaced. The answer I got sent me into a more panicked state of mind.  You cannot get your lost key replaced. The entire SDB lock has to be replaced with a brand-new one. A locksmith has to be engaged to hack the SDB. All the costs have to be borne by the SDB holder, ranging from RM300 - RM500!  I couldn't imagine money flying away like that, just like how hubby had to pay RM1k to get Alycia's iPad repaired when she carelessly slammed the car door on her iPad recently.

I sent a voice message to the MIL before going to bed. The next morning, she Whatsapp-ed me to tell me that the key was still with her and told me where she had hidden it. What a relief!! 😅😅

Last week we had food from hubby's kitchen again, on an almost daily basis. I'm the happiest as this means fewer chores for me in the kitchen 😊

Sambal prawns.

Mee Siam

Chicken Kuzi (my favorite), cooked using a wide variety of spices, ghee, and Koukakis Greek yogurt (imported from Greece). The Greek yogurt gives this dish a very creamy texture.

Mixed veggies, Thai fishcakes, Telur Dadar (omelet), and Kuih Koci.

Cut honeydew.

Saturday, 4 November 2023

Today is the first day of Cass' JUEC exam. She left the house before 7 a.m. and only returned at 5.30 p.m. It's been a long and tiring day for her. But she got a treat of a nice little dinner at Red Kettle, our favorite cafe. 

Tomorrow (Sunday) will be another long day for her at school as she gets to the grip of Day 2 of the exam.  It's also going to be a taxing day for me as I need to send Cass to school before 7am, fetch her back, and send Alycia to work in the morning.  This week is a no-rest day for me 😓

Grilled chicken salad for Cass. 

Double cheese pork burger for Sherilyn and me. 

Pan-fried seabass for hubby

Chicken chop for everyone

Carbonara for Alycia

Best-in-the-world Portuguese egg tart @ RM5.90 each from Red Kettle. First, we ordered one, then added another and when hubby joined us for dinner later, he ordered another one! I told hubby that he could buy 8 of these tarts for my birthday next year instead of a birthday cake 😁

This Char Koay Teow that I tapau-ed in the morning cost me a frigging RM11.50!!!  It has no prawns, no lard, and no cockles. I even brought my own container to take away.  And it's from our regular CKT seller.  I think she overcharged me for this CKT, which is composed of only noodles, bean sprouts, fish cakes, and an egg. 

Even economy noodles with add-ons like a sunny side up, spam, curry veggies, and fish cakes won't cost this much.

When I asked her if she had increased the price, she wasn't too happy about it. That's it, I'm going to another CKT stall in the future as there are 2 other CKT stalls in our neighborhood that don't overcharge, and their CKT tastes almost the same!

The Day My Car Refused to Budge

Yesterday as I prepared to head out to hubby’s shop to collect food, I was greeted with an unexpected ordeal - my car's engine refused to start. Little did I know that this day would turn into a series of unfortunate events.

As I turned the key in the ignition, all I heard was a feeble choke. Panic set in, and I immediately assumed the car's battery had gone flat. Since I had faced similar issues in the past, I felt relatively confident that it was nothing more than a routine inconvenience.  I informed Hubs who was busy at work and he told me to call our regular mechanic, Ah Heng.

Ah Heng sent his son who’s almost the same age as Alycia (aged 20-21) over to our condo. He’s currently pursuing a degree in electrical engineering. Very quickly, he managed to replace my car’s battery with a new one.  But still, my car wouldn’t budge and only let out a feeble click.  I called Ah Heng and he told me to get my car towed to his workshop for him to check.   

Ah Heng informed me that many car insurance policies provide free towing services as part of their coverage. I have been driving for years but had never utilized this benefit or was even aware that such a benefit existed. He suggested I contact my insurance provider to arrange for the towing, and that's exactly what I did.  It turned out my policy did indeed cover free towing, saving me the extra expense during this stressful situation.  The waiting time for the tow truck to arrive at my condo was pretty fast,  i.e. in less than an hour from the time the call was made this morning. 

My heart sank. If the problem wasn’t the battery, what could it be?  Just last month, my car needed a replacement for a major component of the electronic unit which cost Hubs quite an amount. This new problem would undoubtedly put a dent in his finances as his own car got discharged from the workshop just last week. Again!  The last thing I want is another hefty repair bill, especially after he had spent a significant amount on car maintenance on both our cars over the past three years.

So I guess it’s time to get ourselves new cars to prevent all these problems from regularly (monthly issue, to be precise 😥) creeping up on our cars!  🤑💸💸💸

My car is being towed out of the condo basement.  I also found out from the tow truck operator that charges for basement towing are more expensive than roadside towing as it's trickier to tow a vehicle out from the basement via the narrow, winding ramps.

Friday, 2 June 2023

Fridays are usually exciting and filled with plans for the weekend, but sometimes life throws unexpected curveballs. Since yesterday I have been feeling under the weather, battling a cough, slight nasal congestion, and a pounding headache. Today it got worse and I started to have a scratchy throat. With the worry of COVID looming, I decided to take precautions and took a self-test, which thankfully turned out negative. Though feeling unwell, I didn't want to spoil the plans for Cass to attend her figure skating class at Pavillion Bukit Jalil.  Fortunately, Alycia came home from uni early and told me that she could accompany Cass to Pavillion.  Later, Sherilyn texted me to tell me that her dance class was canceled and she could also bring Cass to Pavillion.  Now Cass has two chaperones to bring her to Pavillion by Grab while I stayed home to rest.

To reward Alycia and Sherilyn, I treated them to dinner of sushi, and to a movie. While Cass had a delightful time at the skating rink, Alycia and Sherilyn enjoyed the new Spiderman animated movie at the cinema, which they said was good.  Everyone had an enjoyable day despite the hiccup in my health.

After fetching Cass back from school, I brought her to the sundae truck and this time luck was on her side. It was opened! 

Friday, 26 May 2023 - The Quest For Breakfast

Today started like any other weekend morning, with the hubs and I excitedly planning to have breakfast at our favorite beef noodle stall in Petaling Street. As we arrived at our beloved beef noodle stall, the sight of a closed shutter greeted us once again. It was closed for the second time this week.  

Dismayed but not discouraged, we decided to explore other nearby eateries in hopes of finding a suitable alternative. Our first attempt ended in disappointment when we discovered that the other eatery was also yet to open. Nevertheless, we remained undeterred and set our sights on the vibrant streets of Bangsar.

With empty stomachs and a desire to try something different, we stumbled upon Baba Low's, an inviting restaurant known for its Nyonya cuisine. Curiosity piqued, we eagerly entered and prepared ourselves for a gastronomic journey. We ordered a variety of items from the menu, such as curry noodles, Mee Siam, Nasi Lemak with fried chicken, and Peranakan popiah, each representing the rich flavors of Nyonya cuisine.

Curry noodles, Peranakan popiah, Nasi Lemak with fried chicken and Mee Siam.

Expecting a taste reminiscent of the delightful dishes from hubs’ central kitchen, we found ourselves slightly disappointed. The food at Baba Low was passable but did not live up to our high expectations. While the flavors were there, they lacked the finesse and authenticity we were accustomed to. Nevertheless, we appreciated the opportunity to try something new and immerse ourselves in the cultural tapestry of Nyonya cuisine.

We decided to prolong our breakfast experience and sought refuge in a nearby café. A few doors away, we found a cozy establishment, offering an enticing array of coffees, cakes, and sandwiches. Intrigued, we ventured in, eager to satisfy our lingering cravings.

The aroma of freshly brewed coffee filled the air as we ordered our preferred choices—a piccolo and flat white coffee, accompanied by a delectable carrot cake. The moment we took our first sips and bites, we were met with satisfaction. The coffee was rich and invigorating, while the carrot cake was a delightful blend of moistness, textures, and sweetness.

Piccolo and flat white. I took several sips of Piccolo and loved the robustness and richness of the espresso, complemented by the subtle sweetness and creaminess of the steamed milk. But dang it, I think I'm going to be an insomniac tonight as I am still wide awake now (10.30pm)!

By the time we finished our coffee and cake, we found ourselves content and comfortably full. Regrettably, we had to bid adieu to the remaining item on our table: a toasted sandwich we had ordered but were too satiated to consume. Thankfully, the café kindly packed it up for us to take home. We saw it as a serendipitous treat for Cass to relish for her lunch when she comes home from school. 

 

Sandwich doggy-bagged home for Cass' lunch.

Tomorrow is the start of Cass’ week-long school holidays.  A week is too short for any trip and her mid-year exam will start shortly after the school holidays. So it's going to be crunch time for her with additional classes (online), homework, and revision.

Thursday, 6 April 2023

Cass told me yesterday that she won't be needing dinner today as Thursday is her CoCo Day (co-curricular) and she will reach home late, at around 6pm.  The society that she's in will be having a party in the afternoon.

But when she came home today, she told me that the party was cancelled and she needed dinner.  But there was no food prepared for her!

Fortunately my stock of homemade Taiwanese dumplings (kau ji) had just been restocked.  The Taiwanese lady who makes them had just returned to KL from Taiwan and I ordered 10 packs from her.  Her dumplings are the BEST in the world and everyone at home simply hearts these gems. 

I quickly boiled the dumplings with a sachet of vegetable stock from Melaleuca and added veggies and eggs and now our ravenous girl has a big bowl of balanced meal for dinner.  

And fortunately, I marinated some Beacon chicken drummets yesterday, so I could also air-fry some for this hangry girl.

Today is another meat-free day for me and I am loving it and feeling great!

My lunch of fried meehoon with torched ginger flower, with lots of different types of veggies from my favorite vegetarian stall.  The food sold here is cheap and this big pack of vegetarian food only costs RM7.50 and filled me up the whole day.

Gingko nuts, lotus seeds, pumpkin, celery, Chinese cabbage, carrots, braised bitter gourd, broccoli, cauliflower, curry veggies and a fried wallet egg. This is SO yummy. 

My nuts purchased from Ketogenius on Lazada arrived yesterday. This time I bought from another seller and tried their peanuts, Brazil nuts and hazelnuts. The nuts are slow-roasted without any oil, salt or sugar. 

Random Events Before CNY 2023

The few days leading up to Chinese New Year were busy days for me.  No, I wasn't busy spring cleaning (I clean the house every day) or shopping for CNY stuff but busy with the girls.

On Thursday (three days before CNY), I attended Sherilyn's graduation ceremony at the Pearl International Hotel. Parents and students must reach the hotel ballroom at 7.30 a.m. sharp and I got up at 4.15 a.m. to do some chores before we left the house before 7 a.m.   I spent half the day at the hotel and reached home at around 2 p.m.

Sherilyn's high school graduation ceremony in January 2023 vs.

Primary school (SJKC Kuen Cheng 2) graduation ceremony in November 2017. 
How did 6 years just fly past us without us realizing it?

I can't wait to attend Sherilyn's university graduation in 4 years 🙏😊

On the day of Sherilyn's graduation ceremony, Alycia had to miss her trip back to Ipoh for CNY with her grandparents as she was down with food poisoning.  Instead of feasting on yummy food in Ipoh with my parents and her cousins, she ate bread and was feeling nauseous with persistent purging.  

Eve of eve of CNY ~ I brought Cass to Sunway Pyramid to have her ice skates molded to make them more fitting and comfy. Her new skates were a tad stiff and were causing her painful blisters.  We later found out that molding ice skates is actually baking her skates in the oven for a brief 3-5 minutes.

After getting her skates molded, I coaxed Cass into getting a new t-shirt for CNY.  This girl of mine is not bothered by what she wears and doesn't understand why I keep forcing her to get new clothes 😂.  She's the kind of girl who can wear the same set of clothing that she wore to sleep last night to the mall or restaurant the next day and couldn't be bothered with what people think of her 🤣 and this drives me potty.  

Thursday, 12 January 2023

I went to the dentist again today for a checkup as the filling that the dentist did last week didn't really stop the sensitive feeling in my tooth. It did help, but not 100%.  The affected tooth felt weak and doesn't have the full strength to bite on hard food.  Just a recap - a small part of my lower back tooth was chipped off after I bit into some sand in the marinated spinach appetizer at a Korean restaurant.   Since that fateful day, I have now developed a phobia of biting into green leafy veggies or anything hard.

The dentist did a checkup and sensitivity test on the tooth and told me that because the top part of the tooth (the crown) is chipped, this has exposed the nerves and blood vessels in the pulp (the inner soft tissue of your teeth) underneath, leading to increased tooth pain and sensitivity.  A filling cannot be done on the crown.  The best way to resolve the issue is by way of a tooth crowning.  And that is going to cost me between RM900 - RM1,200 per tooth, depending on which type of crowing I want.  I need crowning for several teeth as a few of my teeth have chips on the crown.  And that's going to cost me a few thousand bucks in order for me to eat better and look prettier!  

I'll put this dental need on the back burner and relook into it in another few years.  I hope I don't have to proceed with the crowning procedure earlier.

Today's damage is RM180 for two fillings.  The procedure today was to remove the old and black fillings from two front teeth and had them replaced with new fillings the color of my teeth.  

Dentists earn really good money. Seeking dental treatment for pain relief or orthodontic treatment is inevitable and not something that we can ask Google and self-treat at home. I'd spent almost RM20k on braces for Alycia and Sherilyn.  

And this is why there are about 10 dental clinics in my neighborhood.  Half a dozen of these clinics were opened during the MCO.  I hope my two younger daughters would consider a degree in dentistry as I see so much potential in this career 😬

The mil cooked this broccoli dish with garlic in the Thermomix, our German kitchen helper.  She had chosen the wrong speed (higher speed) and the broccoli became half-blended. She was so disappointed with her error but I actually love the texture.  For someone with weak teeth, I prefer soft veggies coz there's less work for my teeth to do 😁.
Yesterday she used the wrong speed again when cooking pork porridge with sweet potatoes and the outcome was a sticky and thick pudding-like porridge.  The girls didn't want to eat it and the mil and I finished it. I added some hot water to it, soy sauce, and pepper and it was palatable again.

31 December ~ Last Day of 2022

2020-2022 weren't easy years for us.  The days were filled with so many uncertainties, anxiety, and feelings of hopelessness.  The past two years have been turbulent for us but nonetheless, a pretty good chapter.  Though everyone in our family got infected by Covid this year, I thank God that we managed to fight this invisible enemy and won.  But we can't rest on our laurels for this enemy is still lurking around, waiting to pound on us again. Our lives will never be the same again as Covid will probably be around forever, but as human beings, our resilient nature has thrust us forward into a new normal.

Our dinner on the last day of 2022 was at Seng Kee Kitchen again, our favorite neighborhood restaurant.  

When hubs went to settle the bill, the generous and affable lady boss from the restaurant gifted this CNY set to us. Love this set of three ceramic bowls that come with lids.  The lady boss gave us bowls and chopsticks for CNY this year (2022 CNY).

Can you believe that CNY is in another three weeks? We've just celebrated Christmas and now we're ushering yet another major festival!

And this wraps up 2022. And now onto the new year ahead >> 2023 and all the adventures awaiting us.

Wishing all my readers a better year ahead, good health, good wealth, and an abundance of blessings.  

Best foot 🦶 forward, everyone!  Happy 2023 💪

Saturday, 22 October 2022 ~ Lazy Saturday

Today has been an extremely lazy Saturday for us.  It's a day of takeout and food delivery for us.  

After sending Alycia to the cafe for her weekly part-time job, I went to a nearby shop to pack 'chap fan' for brunch. 

Then I went for my morning exercise.  I love my mid-morning brisk walk + jog around our condo compound with lush greenery. It's my daily chillax and mind-detox session while I soak in the glorious morning sun. 

Cass who usually finishes all her meals by 2-ish p.m. on weekends (she's been on IF for more than a year now) began bugging me to order her dinner at 1-ish p.m.. She loves the healthy cauli rice poke bowl from The Fish Bowl @ Gardens Mall.  So I got her that through Grab Food.  This smarty-pants always knows how to claim tons of vouchers from Grab Food, Shopee Food, and other online shopping platforms.  Today she found a RM9 voucher from Grab Food for her poke bowl. From an almost RM30 poke bowl, I paid only RM19 for it.  We both shared the poke bowl from Fish Bowl and that was our lunner.

By 3 p.m., my stomach was already rumbling, and as I was browsing food from the 'Shocking Sale' section, I saw 'tong sui' (sweet soup dessert).  Perfect, as 'tong sui' was exactly what I was craving to have!  I ordered taro cha cha for myself, black sesame tong sui for the mil and tau fu far for Sherilyn from Tong Dessert @ OUG Lucky Restaurant. I managed to claim and use a free delivery voucher as well as a RM3 food discount voucher for this order.  I made another order of Hong Kong-style fried rice from Tsuen Wan Restaurant and also managed to claim and use another free delivery voucher as well as a RM3 food discount voucher for this order.

That's why I love ordering from Shopee Food!  It's cheaper than eating at the restaurant itself.  I hope Shopee will continue to give away these discount vouchers.

Very delish Hong Kong-style fried Yang Chow fried rice and 'tong sui' ordered from Shopee Food. The  two 'tong sui's have just the right sweetness level and are not too cloy.

I love lots of thick coconut cream in my taro cha cha!  Kara brand of coconut cream is by far the best, i.e. tastes the closest to fresh coconut milk.

My order of organic flaxseed meal and organic almond + oats + cocoa powder from Lazada.  I drink this combo every morning and sometimes switch to instant oats with plain organic almond milk.

Cass had online Math tuition and then spent hours in the afternoon doing her Math homework, as well as revising for her upcoming finals.

Sherilyn has been having a marathon of tuition and is in the trenches of revising for her forthcoming SPM trials.