The Day I Changed a Light Tube for the First Time

TOTD: Green tea with freshly plucked jasmine flowers from our garden. 🌸🍵

We have two pots of jasmine plants in our garden, and they have been blooming profusely over the past few days. There have been so many flowers that they keep falling onto the ground!

So every morning, I have been plucking a big handful of freshly bloomed jasmine flowers and adding them to my green tea. The flowers make my tea smell absolutely divine and so fragrant! Love it! 💚

And today, my dad finally managed to get us four pieces of black glutinous rice ang ku from our favourite kuih stall at the Canning Garden Bak Kut Teh restaurant.

Dad had gone there three times over the past week, but every time, the black glutinous rice ang ku was sold out by 9.30am. This morning, he went there before 8am and finally managed to grab a few pieces.

He was so happy... and so were we! 😂

My cravings are finally satisfied. Thank you, Papa! ❤️

Today also marks a tiny milestone in my life — I changed a fluorescent tube light in our kitchen for the very first time! 😂💡

In fact, at 53 years old, this was the very first time in my life that I had ever changed a light bulb or tube light. Back in the day, it was always the girls' dad who did these things. But because I didn't want my 83-year-old dad to climb up the ladder, I rushed to do it myself.

At 83, Dad is still so gungho and sometimes still thinks that he can do everything just as he did when he was younger. 😂

Honestly, I was quite scared standing on top of the tall ladder, and I had absolutely no idea how to twist the darn tube light out! After a few tries, the tube finally came out. Then came the challenge of putting the replacement tube in.

There was a lot of trial and error, but I eventually managed to do it!

So proud of myself! Lol! 😂💪

Who knew that changing a tube light for the first time could feel like such a huge achievement? 😆

Sometimes, happiness really is as simple as a fragrant cup of jasmine tea, your favourite kuih, a dad who wakes up early to satisfy your cravings, and successfully changing a light tube all by yourself.

Trying a New TCM Treatment for Mum’s Chronic Pain and My Perimenopause Symptoms

Today, I accompanied mum to a new TCM centre, Ji Ting TCM Specialist Centre, located behind Tow Boo Keong Temple. My childhood friend recommended this TCM centre to me after several of her family members reportedly experienced good results and improvement after consulting Dr Teow.

Mum has tried almost everything for her chronic aches and pains, especially in her legs. She has bone spurs, sciatica, painful butt, a minor slipped disc, and she also previously suffered fractures in her right shoulder and wrist. So far, she has tried TCM at UTAR Hospital in Kampar, multiple physiotherapy sessions and umpteen bone supplements, but nothing has really helped. Hopefully, this TCM treatment will be the one that finally gives her some relief.

While mum was consulting Dr Teow, I decided to see him too for my perimenopause symptoms. I have chronic insomnia, hot flashes, heart palpitations and anxiety. The anxiety, palpitations and hot flashes often seem to come together, and it's really annoying and unsettling when they do.

For mum, she was given acupuncture, Tui Na bodywork and a whole bunch of Chinese herbs, which she has to boil herself at home. At UTAR Hospital, the Chinese medicine was already prepared and delivered to our house, so this will be a little more troublesome. Her total bill came to RM210.

For me, I was given acupuncture on my head, arms and legs, followed by Tui Na and Chinese medicine in powder form. I have to mix the powder with water and drink it twice a day for five days. My total came to RM165.

The Tui Na was really soothing. My achy shoulders and neck felt so much lighter and better afterwards. The acupuncture itself felt like tiny pinpricks when the needles were inserted. But the uncomfortable part was having to lie completely still for 30 minutes! Any movement after the needles were inserted could cause pain, so I was terrified of suddenly needing to sneeze or scratch an itch. 😂 So pray you don't sneeze or have an itchy body during acupuncture!

Hopefully, both mum's and my symptoms will lessen after this treatment. Mum will continue seeing the TCM doctor, while I haven't decided whether I should continue. It's not cheap — if I were to go once a week, it would cost me around RM660 a month! Well, I'll see how I feel over the next few days.

Next we headed to JJ Roll to get my favourite pandan custard swiss roll. Then we made a quick stop at the nearby Kek Lok Seah Temple to pay our respects to my late maternal grandmother before heading for lunch. 

I suggested going to Hong Kong Ah Chan's Ling Long Fishball restaurant because the shop is very near the TCM clinic. The Ling Long outlet in Ipoh is newly opened, while another outlet opened in KL last year.

But Dad, being Dad, immediately said, “No, don't want. It won't be nice lah, just fishballs and noodles.” 😂

I knew it. At 83, Dad is no longer very adventurous when it comes to trying new food. I suggested several other eateries around the area, but the answer was still a firm NO.

So we ended up back in our taman, eating chap fan at Da Cha Fan, the newly opened air-conditioned chap fan restaurant in Ipoh Garden East. 😂 They are currently having a promotion of RM10 for three dishes (unlimited amount), and we all quite like the food there. There's a free flow of soup, tea, water, watermelon and tissue papers.

Dad will usually only agree to try new eateries when both my brothers are back or when my daughters are here. If it's just the three of us, it's the same shops and same food every day! LOL! 😂

Anyway, hopefully this new TCM treatment will bring some relief for Mum and me. Fingers crossed! 🤞  

When Dad Says No to Fancy Food

I was supposed to bring Dad out for dinner on his birthday last week, but my daughters in KL had already ordered his favourite, the famous Ipoh Nasi Ganja, along with desserts from Yam Meet. So I treated him to dinner the next day instead.

Our original plan was to go to Galanggal, a Mediterranean fusion restaurant in Canning Garden. But when we arrived at around 7pm, the restaurant was completely empty. Dad immediately commented that the food there must be bad since there wasn't a single customer. LOL!

Then he asked for the menu, and the staff told us that we had to scan a QR code to view it and place our order. Dad absolutely hates restaurants that make him scan a code to see the menu and order. 😂 So I scanned the code for him.

Then came the second round of complaints. He looked at the menu, said the food was so expensive and declared that he didn't like these kinds of dishes anyway. After about 10 minutes of browsing the menu while Dad complained and grumbled, we finally left. LOL!

Then we spotted a Bak Kut Teh restaurant next door and immediately segued into it. Dad's mood instantly lifted, and he was smiling away while looking at the menu. 😂

He ordered two servings of soft pork ribs, a pot of dry BKT and a plate of vegetables. Everyone enjoyed the food at Canning Garden Bak Kut Teh, a sister outlet of the famous BKT in Pandamaran, Klang.

Mum and I also gave Dad his birthday ang pow at the restaurant. Everyone left feeling full, happy and satisfied. 🥰

When you live with parents in their 80s, especially one who prefers traditional food and is resistant to change, sometimes you just have to go with what makes them happy — even when you really want to try something new, hip and viral / trending. 😆

Oh, and Dad still loves Secret Recipe cakes. For all our birthdays and celebrations in Ipoh, he only wants the cake-cutting thingy done at Secret Recipe or wants us to buy a cake from JJ Swiss Roll. No fancy-schmancy cakes, entremets or ice cream/jelly cakes for him. Just good old-fashioned cakes and tai chow Chinese dishes will make him very happy! 😂

A Gentle Wake-Up Call

Yesterday was a very eventful day for my parents and me.

The day started as usual, with Mum and me attending our personal training session at the gym. It was our 20th and final session. I thoroughly enjoyed every workout, although "enjoy" doesn't mean it was easy! Every session was physically demanding and often painful, requiring plenty of determination. Looking back now, I can genuinely feel how much stronger I've become. Exercises that once felt impossible or extremely difficult have become so much easier. That's a really rewarding feeling. 💪

Even though our personal training has ended, Mum and I will continue going to the gym to enjoy the unlimited group classes, including Zumba, yoga and strength training.

After the gym, we drove to Falim to meet Dad's siblings, who had come to Ipoh for lunch. Before we left, I offered to drive because it was quite a long journey, about 40 minutes. But Dad insisted on driving. I can never win that argument, so I let him.

We had a wonderful lunch together with my aunts and uncles. The food was delicious, but even better was the chance to catch up and spend time with everyone.

After lunch, I once again offered to drive home, but Dad refused. By the time we reached Ipoh, it had started raining and the roads were slippery.

To be honest, whenever Dad drives nowadays, my anxiety level shoots up. At 83 years old, his eyesight, reflexes and judgement are understandably not what they used to be. Sitting in the passenger seat, I often find myself stepping on an imaginary brake with cold sweat or instinctively telling him to slow down, brake, or pull back to the left.

As we reached Ipoh Garden, it was still raining. Suddenly I felt the car was moving too quickly. I told Dad to brake... but it was too late.

He couldn't stop in time and our SUV bumped into the back of a Honda hatchback.

The Honda's rear bumper was dented, while, quite unbelievably, Dad's SUV escaped without a single dent or scratch.

Dad immediately got out to speak to the other driver. For a split second, I thought he was comedian Harith Iskandar because he looked so much like him! 😄

The gentleman, who happened to be Indian, was incredibly polite, calm and understanding. There was no shouting, no anger and no hostility. Later, I spoke to him over the phone, and he was just as pleasant. I felt so terribly sorry that we had caused him so much inconvenience.

After that, we headed to the police station to lodge a report for the insurance claim. Unfortunately, the reporting system went down, so we waited nearly two hours before the report could finally be printed.

After discussing the pros and cons of paying for the repairs ourselves versus making an insurance claim, we decided to claim the insurance. This means Dad will lose his No Claim Bonus (NCB) and will also have to pay a RM300 traffic summons for causing the accident.

It was a stressful and traumatic day for all of us, but I kept reminding myself of one important thing: it could have been so much worse.

I'm deeply grateful that no one was injured. I'm also thankful that I was there to help my parents with the police report, liaise with the insurance company and communicate with the workshop.

What a day it was! Life can change in the blink of an eye, and moments like these remind me that the safety of everyone involved is far more important than damaged cars.

I told Dad that perhaps this accident was a gentle wake-up call from God. Thankfully, it wasn't a serious one, and no one was hurt. I said that from now on, whenever we're travelling a longer distance—whether into town or out of town—I hope he'll let me do the driving. At 83, there's no shame in letting your daughter take the wheel. In fact, it would give Mum and me much greater peace of mind. ❤️

Watch the video here >> https://www.facebook.com/reel/3592338244256473

Mum's Health Scare

Earlier this week, my mum gave us quite a health scare.

It started with her having a tummy ache that lasted for more than two weeks. Late last week, she went to the clinic for a checkup and had her stool tested. On Monday, she returned to see the doctor and the results showed there was blood in her stool.

Naturally, we were very worried. Dad quickly brought her to see her usual surgeon to arrange for a colonoscopy the very next day.

On Tuesday, the three of us went together for her procedure. It was a very anxious wait for all of us, because blood in the stool is never something to take lightly.

Thank God, after more than an hour of waiting, the doctor reassured us that the colonoscopy showed no signs of malignancy. We even got to see the video of her colon — it was clean and clear, with no lumps or obstruction. We were so relieved and thankful.

After the procedure, we went for a simple meal together. Mum had fish porridge, while Dad and I shared roast duck and roast pork wantan mee. Somehow, food always tastes extra comforting after a scare like this.

Moments like these remind us not to take our health for granted. I’m truly grateful for this piece of good news, and I pray we won’t have to go through another scare like this again — for my parents or for myself. 🙏

You can watch the full video on my Facebook page — do follow me there for more little updates and moments from our family life ❤️

Growing Old Together: The Small Changes I Have To Make

Living with parents in their 80s teaches you something no book or motivational quote ever can.

It’s not the big, dramatic sacrifices.

It’s the tiny, everyday adjustments that slowly become your new normal.

And strangely… you don’t even complain. You just adapt.

Food, for example, used to be simple. Now it’s thoughtful.

Vegetables are often steamed or cooked until very soft because my parents don’t have strong teeth anymore. Mum has gum problems too, so everything has to be gentle on the mouth. What used to feel “overcooked” now feels like comfort food.

Meat has to change as well. No tough cuts, no chewy bites. Everything needs to be tender, slow-cooked, or shredded. If it takes effort to chew, it’s off the menu. Cooking isn’t about taste first anymore — it’s about whether they can actually eat it comfortably.

Mum has chronic digestive and stomach issues, so heavy, spicy and sour food can make her miserable for hours. We rarely eat deep fried food these days. Our meals are lighter, simpler, plainer.

Funny enough, my taste buds changed along the way too.

Fruits don’t come sliced on a plate anymore for my parents. They go into the blender. Apples, pears, papayas — smoothie form is just easier. No biting, no chewing, no struggle. Just sip and enjoy. The house sounds like a juice bar every evening when mum makes her smoothie.

Even snacks are different. Hard nuts are out. Walnuts are in — the softest, easiest, and healthiest option for them. Grocery shopping has turned into a quiet calculation of “Can they chew this?”

But it’s not just food.

Safety becomes part of daily life.

Indoor slippers can’t be left lying around carelessly. One wrong step could mean a fall. The floor can’t be too wet after mopping. Even cleaning products have to be chosen carefully — no strong perfumes or harsh disinfectants because Mum’s asthma and lungs are sensitive. I have to stop using strong smelling cleaners downstairs as my parents are downstairs all the time now. I ‘stay’ upstairs and the nice-smelling cleaners are now for upstairs use.

Things I never used to think about… now I notice automatically.

And walking — something so simple — has changed too.

I used to walk very fast. Everywhere. I’m the type who zooms from point A to point B without thinking.

But when I’m with Mum, I slow down.

Way down..

She has to be extra careful with every step. She fell several times over the past few years and broke her right shoulder and wrist, injured her head and broke her teeth. Since then, every uneven tile, every curb, every staircase feels like a potential danger. I match her pace now, step by step, holding her hand, sometimes almost shuffling.

Dad, on the other hand, still walks surprisingly fast for his age — which somehow makes me even more nervous. I’m constantly watching him, worrying he might trip or lose balance. It’s funny how parenting quietly reverses like that. They used to worry about me falling. Now I’m the one worrying about them.

Even the ceiling fan has rules.

Speed one only.

Because of Mum’s chronic lung issues and asthma, strong wind makes her uncomfortable. Meanwhile, I’m sweating buckets thanks to perimenopause and our lovely 38°C weather. Some afternoons feel like I’m slow-roasting indoors.

But still… the fan stays at speed one.

Because her breathing matters more than my comfort.

All these little adjustments might sound restrictive to some people.

But to me, they feel like love in its most practical form.

Not grand gestures.

Just small, quiet choices every single day.

Cook softer. Walk slower. Mop carefully. Sweat a little more. Rearrange your life gently around the people who once rearranged theirs for you.

And truly — I have no complaints.

At their age, time feels different.

Their presence feels like a luxury.

Every morning I see them at the dining table, every simple meal we share, every small conversation — it all feels like bonus time. Extra chapters I didn’t know I would get.

I thank God for giving them such long lives.

And I silently hope for a few more years… maybe more birthdays, more slow walks, more speed-one fan days.

Moving back to my hometown to be with them is one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.

Because one day, these inconveniences will disappear.

And when that day comes, I know I’ll miss every single one of them.

Simple and soft dishes that my 83-year old dad cooked for us: steamed okra, steamed red spinach, air-fried salmon with homegrown rosemary, chicken feet from soup (collagen for their joints), yacon and radish soup, beet root + corn soup, stir-fried yau mak veggie with red yeast and garlic, and steamed white pomfret with red dates, goji berries and ginger. Very simple yet delish and nutritious dishes.