Monthly Archives: June 2022

FESTA BTS 2022 – to watch list

Posted in Everyday Life, Music by

I haven’t watched it because I am still finding that 1 hour-no interruption time to watch it properly. But I have seen snippets of the video on Instagram. I think it is good for them to take a step back (not breaking up) to grow as an individual and become better in their chosen career. I like how an ARMY puts this event as a time for ARMY to become better people in the coming times. To also take the opportunity to grow and become better ARMY’s to support these gentlemen.

So yeah, while they do their thing… I could also invest some emotions and brain cells into my studies, work, family and self-worth. BTS is not totally off the radar as they did say they will film Run BTS from time to time. It would be fun to watch it again. I am sure we will still have JK’s mini concert once in a blue moon.

We can always stream their songs, listen to their CD, watch their clips on Youtube and of course follow their updates on Instagram (please don’t leave IG, Yoongi). We’ve got merchandise, right? That should be comforting too. My Suga collection is growing, I could feel a Suga Special on YT coming. I did not manage to get Suga’s notepad though. That’s a bummer. Grrrr..

BTS will still be around. Lurking somewhere.

If I can survive the times when fans (read: me) say goodbye to Cliff Richard, Take That, Spice Girls, NSync and Whitney Houston – this BTS break will be OK.

Dah sah2lah ada byk benda lagi aku nak buat muka bumi ni.. ha ha ha

My list of beauty mask sheets

Posted in Beauty Products, Good Things, Reviews by

Ever since this post, I have been more adventurous in using mask sheets from other brands. The list keeps growing. Some sheets like the one from The Saem have thin sheets like Etude House. EKEL’s ones are much thicker. I dislike the ones with honey. The scent is just overbearing. Regardless what brand. It is just not for me.

I use these masks on nights I don’t apply Retinol on my face. Or on days when I have been in the sun for quite some time like gardening or work-related outreach programmes. I bought all of them from various Shopee stores. My favourite so far is a store called Beautybabes. Which ones have you tried? Any favourites?

Some By Mi – glutathione, hyaluron, vitamin

Etude House – Pearl, hyaluronic acid, collagen, madecassoside, white flowers, ceramide, aloe, cherry blossom

TONYMOLY – cucumber, caviar, propolis, blueberry, coconut

EKEL – aronia, red ginseng

Nature republic – chamomile, royal jelly, rose, raspberry

MISSHA – honey, rice

GOodal – raspberry, citron,

THe Saem – pomegranate, argan

INNISFREE – ginseng, lime

A’PIEU – pineapple

Good father, lousy husband

Posted in Ponderings & Personal Development by

Disclaimer : not my husband

Just over a year ago, on this date, I came to know the story of a lousy husband. Let’s call him H. That time around, Covid-19 was really bad. People were very scared of it. Anyone who is known to have the disease was immediately quarantined for fear it would infect other people and bring out the worst health complication for the person.

H’s wife, J unfortunately got the disease. Worse still, she was not vaccinated. There was a long queue for the vaccine and her turn had yet to come. What pissed me off was H having the nerve to not allow J to enter their home. His wicked ass packed J’s clothes in a bag and was thrown out the door. J was to sleep at their second home, roughly 20km away. Only that, the house was not furnished with no groceries in the house. Or clean water. Did he expect J to buy them on her own? J was to drive herself there while being ill. Ini ke yang orang panggil sehidup semati? Ini ke yang orang panggil sayang bini?

J drove to her daughter’s house instead, who also has Covid and stayed there. H and J are considered a couple in their 60s. They already have adult children.

The only thing H was concerned about was whether J sanitized the taps at the other house after use. He had no idea J was at their daughter’s house undergoing quarantine together. He did not even think of J having meals to eat, a blanket to cover herself in case it gets cold or if she needed basic necessities like soap to wash.

Having such a lousy husband did make me wonder why J didn’t leave him earlier. In search of a better husband. It also made me realize it is not easy to just walk out of marriage especially when children are at stake. J had put up with a lot of things just so her children could have a father. To her, it would be difficult to raise her children especially when she lacks the qualifications to land a job that would pay good money to do that. So, she remained patient with her kids. It didn’t take long for a decade to grow into 20 years and then into 30 years.

In a way, H was a somewhat doting father but he could be a better husband. His children had a wonderful childhood, he showered them with gifts. He made sure they have a formal education. It was only with time as they grew up that they discovered he wasn’t a great husband to their mom. At this point, I also realized that even if the children become adults, in their parent’s eyes, they are still children and that they do not have to interfere in ‘adult’ things.

I am that Ibu Murid

Posted in Parenting, Family and Relationships by

The new school year started in March and it was going to be a physical full school session. Timetables were sent out to parents for the new semester, but something was amiss. The school ended too late on Wednesday and Thursday – at 145pm.

Initially, I thought of giving this new timetable a try although I know that it would be challenging to rush it all within the lunch hour. What more for my son and niece to make it in time for their Sekolah agama in the afternoon at 230pm. I had to do something about this but before anything, I have to prepare myself.

Check the school session times for other schools

I clarified with my friends regarding their kid’s school time. I needed to see if this is a standard going home time for all schools within the state. I asked for their children’s timetables to compare and even sought from those who live in different states. Turns out that most schools are able to finish their school session earlier which made me wonder ‘how is it possible?”. It gets more interesting to see more high performing schools being able to complete their school session earlier every day.

Academic week

I came across this policy where schools are given the autonomy to decide on their academic weeks while fulfilling the minimum hours for their subjects to complete for the year. I learned that schools can choose a minimum of 36 academic weeks per year. Having said that, I was certain in my mind that even with a min of 36 weeks, the subject hours could be covered automatically.

So I would need to ask the headmaster if there was a change in academic weeks which led to a change in the school timetable. Turns out there was no change in academic weeks. So, why is the timetable longer? What changed?

Longer recess hours from 20 mins to 30 mins. Later school starting times.

Writing the email

The purpose of the email was to make it a formal, documented complaint. which would require a formal seat-in where both receiver and the person who makes the complaint have time to prepare for the session. The headmaster did say that I could just knock on his door and talk, instead of sending the email to the district education office. I feel that it would cost me at least two trips to get it sorted and ‘leave’ is a luxury nowadays. d

The headmaster called me and arranged a meeting. During the session, the headmaster appears quite defensive but a few hours later, after discussion with ‘the others’, he was able to come up with a better conclusion than the earlier one. Recess was shortened to 25 mins. The school session starts earlier by 10 mins.

I was pleased with the outcome and sent another email – this time to make it known that he’s done a good job and hope that it would boost his morale to continue doing the best for the school. To be honest, he was running the school by the book and needed just the right input and influence to assimilate policy and real-life situations.

This experience in a way made me wonder if I should be a more proactive member of the PTA association. If in the near future, there will be a greater room for improvement for not only my kids, and my nieces but also for other kids in general.

Follow follow my heartbeat

Posted in Everyday Life by

This phase of my life is called Frustrated. Occasionally calmed down by Red Velvet. Loved this piece. Classic-ish yet K-Pop ish.

I have a house which initially has 3 functioning toilets. And it now goes down to one because both toilets have leaks that have yet to be fixed. It becomes more frustrating that the leak is seeping into the walls and is driving me insane. Because the floors are getting wet. My wooden shelves are ruined. Soon, the wiring would be affected and I’d have to give up my study area.

If I wait it out, for an intervention to somehow intervene itself, I might smash down the walls myself. Robohkan terus bilik belakang. The one month grace period of waiting is over. Need to play dumb and waste money by hiring blood-sucking contractors just to get the job done soon.

I do not need this kind of stress. Benda dah elok, godek, jadi macam ni.