MCO Day 10, WFH Day 8

Believe it or not we have gone through 10 days of restricted movement and 8 days of working from home. 

I am exhausted. 

Working from home during this MCO period has been non-stop for me. The moment I start work at 9:00 in the morning, it's a non-stop day until at least 7:30 in the evening, and on some days up to 10:30 at night. There is literally no break in between because lunch breaks are cooking time and that has become work too.

I am exhausted.

The nice thing though is I just received a text message from a colleague appreciating what I have been doing at work. His encouragement and nice words certainly brightened up my evening. Thanks Krishnan. That meant a lot. 

I am encouraged.

That actually brought me to tears because it has been quite an emotional week. My son returned from the US and we are worried about his health and our health. And I have been praying for a friend who had contracted the Covid-19 virus and I received news that he has passed away this morning. RIP my brother James Wong.

I am downcast.

But why so downcast O my soul, put your trust in the Lord, by day He commands His steadfast love and by night His song is with me*. I will trust and depend on Him fully, my God and my Abba Father. And it's a good thing that it's now Friday and the weekend.

I will re-charge. 

pearlie

* Psalm 42:5a, 8a

Our current craze over vacuum cleaners

My friend Melissa and I started a conversation today about vacuum cleaners. 

I haven't done much research on it but I do know I needed one. 

I got to know about the Dyson vacuum cleaners couple of years ago and even seen it being used in dramas. I wished I had one but with the price range between RM2000 and RM5000, it's not something I can part money for. 

But Melissa did her homework and told me about Xiaomi's Dreame vacuum cleaners that are comparable to Dyson's ones. 

And so off I went to Lazada to check it out and I found this:

I had planned to go to Giant--the only nearby store that is opened right now--to the electrical section, to get an ordinary vacuum cleaner.

But since the Xiaomi model is a Dyson equivalent, I happily dished out RM650 for one. 

This is the result of working from home and needing better tools to clean the house. 

pearlie

A day in the forest

My hubby and I spent a great day in the forest with family in this awesome looking house in the hills. 

It's like my idea of a dream house, which is house-with-glass-walls-on-a-hill, except that it's so much bigger. 

And here's my hubby setting up his drone to take videos and pictures like the one above. He had a lot of fun.

The weather was cool and nice, in the range of 24°C. Though the skies were a bit dark and the sun didn't show itself...

...giving it a darker side to the scenery.

One could really just stay the whole day here and look out to the stretches and stretches of green foliage and white greyish cloudy skies. 

It was peaceful...

...except that city people (I assume that they were) do not realise that sound gets amplified quite a lot in the forest and the people occupying the premises opposite us were making so much noise that it became really irritating.

We tried not to be bothered by it the best we could. And here we are all lazying on the floor. The place has yet to be filled with furniture but no one minded because it's still quite comfortable.

The house is a 4-storey building and here's the 2nd floor overlooking the 3rd floor and the loft.

And my favourite? Yes, the loft. It's the coziest of places. 

We had steamboat for lunch al-fresco in the temporary shed at the entrance of the house, since the kitchen isn't quite ready yet. 

And here is one of the adorable residents of the house who was tailing everyone just to get a bite, and many a bite did he end up getting. 

We had a wonderful day. 

I'm looking forward to coming here again, when I really need to get away from the noisy city to a quiet place for a quiet retreat. 

Ah, provided that the noisy city people remain in the noisy city. 

pearlie

Peanut Cookies!!!

It's the Chinese New Year again! And I was at my good friend's house today making peanut cookies.

It all started a few years ago when she brought the cookies she made with her mom to the office as a treat for us. The moment I popped one into my mouth, I was in total nostalgia. It really brought me back to the good old days when my late grandmother made these exact cookies. They tasted the same. Really.

And since then, I have been looking forward to the Chinese New Year to eat these very cookies. 

I went to her house last year and since then I've made good friends with her family. I've been there several times both to learn and to make peanut cookies and butter cookies. Her mom called me her extra hands to help her with the cookie making, but they also have been so gracious to allow me to make cookies for myself there in their home.

This is a community activity I will never do at home alone. So I'm really grateful for being able to experience the warmth and camaraderie of making cookies with her family.

Thanks Wee Yin. And thanks for helping me remember my grandmother fondly. I really miss her after these 18 years since she was gone. 

pearlie

Fancy some Sarawak Laksa?

I went out for lunch with a colleague today and he brought me to SRK Borneo in Fraser Business Park.

I ordered Sarawak Laksa and I was told that it is very authentic.

It wasn't that large a serving. It was just nice and it was extremely good. 

They serve so many varieties of dishes that I will have to visit this place a few more times. 

SRK Borneo

62, Jalan Metro Pudu 2, 

Fraser Business Park, 

55200 Kuala Lumpur

pearlie

Why Korean Dramas?

Like I have mentioned before, I have two good friends whom I chat often with, about Korean movies and dramas, and one of them said today that she doesn't want to watch any more dramas after "soooo many years of watching" (ten or more years probably).

I told her it wouldn't happen.

I had never understood why some people are so addicted to Korean dramas. 

Until I started watching one. 

And I would always blame my niece, and she'd always be amused by it. 

In short, what happened was she was at my house one day and I gave her the TV remote. She put on a Korean drama and the rest is history. 

That was in June 2016, and I've been hooked as a result for three years now. 

You have been warned. Don't start or you'll never stop. 

Why you may ask, like I did, would anyone be so addicted to Korean dramas?

I can now tell you why.

1. Their scriptwriters. They are really good storytellers. Sure they have familiar storylines but some are really ingenious ones. Two good examples are Defendant and Squad 38. You may say the latter is about a boring tax team (a tax team??!) but you'd never expect those multiple plot twists in every episode. 

2. The actors. The good ones are really good. Korean shows are more emotive and you can see and feel them as the character, not as the actor. And they do so well in character development that you'd want to vie for them, if you can, with your life. And you have to see the kids, their emotions, for example like Kim Kang Hoon here in Mr. Sunshine. 

3. The cinematography. Most of the dramas are produced like movies. Some of the scenes and set ups are really breathtaking. Look at these two scenes from Arthdal Chronicles. 

And I must include this one, my all-time favorite scene from 100 Days My Prince. 

4. Their themes. You sometimes get to learn about a particular theme or context or industry that the drama is based on. And they make them as real and as accurate as they can. One good example is the drama Cheese in the Trap. Even though the drama really got me very frustrated (some do, so pick and choose well), I learnt a lot about Self Victimisation as a psychological sickness. 

5. They're clean. I must say that I got tired of American shows with their frequent nudity and sex scenes. Korean dramas are mostly clean though some can get quite violent. 

6. They're not long. I know, I know. They are not short either. But comparing to the American ones that can last 10 seasons, hence 10 years, most Korean dramas are just 16, 20 or 24 one-hour episodes, and they are done. I'm not including those 50, or 60 or 100 over episodes ones. I never touch those. 

So thinking of giving them a try?

pearlie

Godzilla: King of the Monsters ★★★☆☆

Godzilla: King of the Monsters (2019)

I am not really a Godzilla movie person but I remember back in those days when I watched and followed Ultraman and Godzilla shows on television with much fervor.

So when my good friend, Wee Yin suggested we watch the latest Godzilla movie, I said why not.

What can I say? The visual effects and the battle scenes are fantastic but the rest is meh.

Like what Wee Yin said: just have Godzilla and all the monsters and remove the people.

The only character I like was the daughter Madison, played by Millie Bobby Brown.



I felt she brought out the character quite well.

The rest? They kinda irritated me.

The mother especially. I don't how her brain works and her tirade how she can "save" the world made me roll my eyes goodness knows how many times. I was like, really?

The antagonist is none too antagonistic.

And the rest are all too bland for mention.

And I don't know about the physics of the scenes. I am horrible at physics in school but at the rate that the monsters dived in and out of the sea and smashed down every thing in the city, I wonder how the boats stayed where they are and the cast don't get hit by anything.

But all in all, it was fun watching just the monsters alone. 

pearlie

When a friend is most needed

Love is friendship that has caught fire. It is quiet understanding, mutual confidence, sharing and forgiving. It is loyalty through good and bad times. It settles for less than perfection and makes allowances for human weaknesses. 

~ Ann Landers

Friendship is always a sweet responsibility, never an opportunity. 

~ Khalil Gibran

Things are never quite as scary when you've got a best friend. 

~ Bill Watterson

A real friend is one who walks in when the rest of the world walks out. 

~ Walter Winchell

The strong bond of friendship is not always a balanced equation; friendship is not always about giving and taking in equal shares. Instead, friendship is grounded in a feeling that you know exactly who will be there for you when you need something, no matter what or when. 

~ Simon Sinek

There is nothing on this earth more to be prized than true friendship. 

~ Thomas Aquinas

Walking with a friend in the dark is better than walking alone in the light. 

~ Helen Keller

Friends show their love in times of trouble, not in happiness. 

~ Euripides

It is one of the blessings of old friends that you can afford to be stupid with them. 

~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.

~ Colossians 3:12-14 ESV

pearlie

A yummy and homely CNY eve

We haven’t had a family reunion in my parents’ home in a long time, we usually eat out. 

But we had it at home this year, which was wonderful, except that I wished my son was here too. 

I was at the Ayer Panas Morning Market getting a roast duck from my colleague whose family has been selling it for years. 

Here is Jason busy serving his customers, and yup, that’s my roast duck there. 

It was quite crowded. 



The granny on the right was quite cute. When I arrived, Jason saw me and said hi. With so many people, I instinctively told him to take his time. But the granny indignantly said to me, in perfect English no less, “don’t ask him to take his time! I’ve been waiting here for too long already!” LOL Good thing she was good natured about it, and we chatted for a bit. 

My other colleague Teresa then came as well to get her share of roast ducks. 

Then it was time for our reunion dinner at home, with yü sang, pun choi, roast duck, vegetables and fruits. Simple but yummy and filling. 

Happy and blessed Chinese New Year all!

pearlie

Monterey Day 7: At the Elkhorn Slough

I met up with Lois today and she brought me for the Elkhorn Slough Safari Nature Boat Tour. 

Here’s the jetty that leads to the boat we will be getting on. 

And off we go...



I only have my iPhone camera with me and it wasn’t so effective taking pictures in the sun. It was after all a beautiful day - clear skies and perfect weather for a boat safari. 

This photo is suppose show you a whole colony of sea lions lazying on a dock away from the sun. 



And here’s a sea lion flapping his fins above the water to regulate his body temperature. He has to keep his fins up because he can’t keep it warm in water like his body can. 

I will see many, many, many types of birds during this boat ride, except I am no bird watcher to know one from the other. They are all just birds to me. 

And here are birds on stilts. 

I don’t have any good pictures of otters but the Elkhorn Slough boasts of the only place on earth with the largest number of sea otters. 

And here we are enjoying the ride and the sun. 



And we completed the tour with nothing but some delicious seafood. 

pearlie

Office Year-End Lunch

It has been awhile since I have attended a departmental lunch and it’s nice that we had one today. 

pearlie

A great nite-out

I was at the U Mobile-WeChat collaboration and partnership event and it was quite a fun night out. 

A good photo opportunity

We lined up for Musang King durian for half an hour

Thankfully, I had good company 

Oh...I haven’t had any durian in a long time. This is a really good treat for me. 

Except that I have been eating so much lately I have already gained a kilo!

pearlie

When old friends meet

I caught up with some old friends today, whom I have not seen for 30 over years! It was lovely to catch up after so, so, so many years. 

We spent two hours having lunch and yakking, reminiscing and updating each other. 

We did everything that people who meet up for reunions do except for one thing, take pictures! We were so engrossed in our conversation that all four of us simply forgot. 

Looks like we need to meet up again. 

pearlie 

Thor, Ragnarok ★★★★★

Thor: Ragnarok (2017)

It's our time-out again, for my good friend Wee Yin and I, and we went to watch Thor: Ragnarok. 

I have not been following much on what's in the cinemas and just found out that Thor is on and when Wee Yin asked me, I was game. 

I liked it. It was quite fun to watch. 

However, I did wonder if Thor can break the chains that was wrapped around him and summon his hammer when he was on a one-on-one with Surtur, why didn't he do that when he was locked in a cage. 

I loved the skits with Doctor Strange and Hulk, especially when I adore both Mark Ruffalo and Benedict Cumberbatch. 

I only found Jeff Goldblum a tad irritating. But it's his character, which he played it extremely well. He'll crawl under your skin and just be careful of his Melting Stick. 

pearlie

Facebook never fails in reconnecting us with old friends

Something amusing happened to me in Facebook today. 

I received an message from a really old classmate, only to realize that I sent her a message for us to reconnect back in 2011!

And it took her exactly 6 years to reply. 

The irony is she said she accidentally saw my message. After 6 years. 

That's quite amusing. 

pearlie

How I made friends across the globe over the years

I had several pen-pals back in my childhood days. Those were the times of aerogrammes and postmen. 

I remember back then when I got back from school every day, I'd wait by the doorway anticipating the ring of the postmen bicycle bell, which of course didn't happen very often. 

I'd probably get a reply once every month or two. But thinking back, it does feel like I had a lot of time. 

Life wasn't in a hurry. 

When I started working, I still made pen-pals but this time, it was the email. I had some disposable income then and we even exchanged gifts by mail. 

I remember once coming home to a box on the floor just outside the door. The errant postmen just threw it in and the chocolate in it were mostly reduced to a melted mess. But they still tasted so good. 

Next came the blog. 

I made many more friends through blogging. The exchange wasn't as long as letters or emails but they were current and relevant. But blogging soon took a dive and weren't as active anymore. 

Life has gone into a much faster pace and ironically, there is now not as much time as we had before. There is just not enough of it. 

Now? It's messaging. 

I made several good friends recently via italki in my pursuit of learning new languages. And the messaging apps that I use almost every day are WeChat with my Chinese and Taiwanese friends, and Kakao with my Korean friends. 

It is real-time and it is really like they are there with me, sometimes yakking away way into the night. 

What's next? Holograms?

pearlie

We pigged out again

Whenever I go out with my good friend Wee Yin, we pig out. 

This time, it's The Butcher's Table in SS2. 

And again I have no food pictures to show you because as usual, I forgot to take them!

We had baby back ribs, the signature shoulder loin and a Cumberland sausage, and they were good. 

Apparently, The Butcher's Table marks the return of Mr Ho of Bangsar Shopping Center's Mr Ho's Fine Food, after an absence for 10 years. (Oh my, has it been that long?)

Read about it here. 

pearlie

Would you like eggs in your coffee?

My colleague Jason invited us to his house for barbecue today and it was nice to meet up and catch up with one another casually. 

The food was great, especially his family's special roasted duck that they have been selling for many years. 

I also offered Jason to make egg coffee for anyone who is interested. 

I first had it when I was in Hanoi in 2012 and it was awesome. I had my first cup in Pho Co Cafe:

The next place I had it was in Giang Cafe...

...which looked better and tasted much better too. 

And I tried making it myself, which isn't too bad. 

Only Jason and a few of his friends tried it and they loved it. I guess the rest balked at the suggestion of having eggs in their coffee. 

Would you like a cup?

pearlie