The last time we had some sort of annual event at the clinic was probably more than 3 years ago. Instead of sports day, this time we had dinner at a nearby hotel. The medical officers were expected to perform the song ‘Cak cak cekuk’ by Wani Kyrie. This was the first time I heard of the song, and immediately I loved the catchy tune. You might want to hear the original version on YouTube.
I thought I had enough time to memorise the song. I ended up singing the lyrics on my phone. Ha ha.
Anyway, we really enjoyed performing it for everyone. Here’s a snippet of it. Most are moms and dads. We tried our best. We hope our kids were proud of us!
When I was a medical student in Preston, I often frequented my local grocery store and grabbed a simple bouquet of flowers. Simply because it looks pretty by my window. Flowers are somehow not a thing in Malaysia. Yes, you get flowers for special occasions. But less likely on days where ‘you just feel like it’ or ‘just because’. Hence, giving flowers became a seasonal and special occasion gesture only. The thing is, I am one of those ‘just because’ people. I would love my desk to have a vase of them ever so often.
Hence, can you imagine my joy when I saw this florist selling a minimalist option? No fancy paper or wrap. Just fresh flowers in brown paper. They are so budget-friendly.
I stumbled upon this option during one of my doomscroll days on GRAB. It was priced at RM26.50 per bouquet from Alice Florist, Jalan ONG KIM WEE. I immediately ordered it and had it delivered to my house. I bought 3 because I wanted to give them to my friends. Indeed, I received those mini packages of happiness in less than an hour. They were out of pink roses, but I was equally happy with the orange ones. Now, if only my husband could get me one of these every fortnight. That will be great. Ha ha.
For the past week, I have been troubled by a hidden ailment. I have contact dermatitis.
I was cleaning the little garden in the front yard over the long weekend. Being the reckless human being that I am, I pulled out certain weeds of unknown species, without using a glove. To make it worse, I scratched and wiped off sweat and a crawling red ant from my face without washing my hands first. By the time I realised it, it was already too late.
I did not experience any immediate reaction. Hence, I thought I was fine. The agony started by dusk. I was showering with warm water when I felt an intense itch all over my face. I did not think much of it. Furthermore, my face looked fine upon looking at the mirror, although the pruritus lingered till bedtime. I applied my usual lotion and went to sleep.
The next morning, as I washed my face, I felt that the skin texture was rough. Although there was no visible urticaria, my face did look slightly sunburnt. As I leaned closer into the mirror, I could see little tiny bumps on my face. Almost like the goosebumps effect on the skin you get when it is too cold or when you’re in fear.
Treatment
I had the utmost confidence that my skin would be repaired with mere local ointment. That was what I did for the first 3 days, when I just used hydrocortisone and aqueous cream. The itching and hyperpigmentation got worse. I succumbed to eating prednisolone after much coaxing from my friends. The rash got better in 3 days.
However, I did experience side effects.
I felt fat. Steroids are known to have water retention effects, but I wasn’t expecting them to start having such an effect on such a short course. I could feel my boobs feel a bit tight in my bra. Not only that, I was also experiencing indigestion, especially at night. I had to sleep with my pillow propped up slightly to avoid throwing up.
My rash healed just in time for the annual dinner. My skin felt as smooth as it was before, with minor acne. I could apply my sunscreen again without the sting. There’s no need for hydrocortisone cream anymore, and I am just on aqueous at the moment.
I have to be more careful when I do my gardening next time.
If it has come to a point where it becomes a burden and a nuisance for the husband untuk memuliakan isteri di depan mata anak-anak, why not lepaskan sahaja?
We went to Genting Highlands for the Melaka’s TYT Public Holiday. We wanted to go to Genting Skyworld. Only to be disappointed again. I will tell you why towards the end. Anyway, Mr Husband booked a 3D2N stay at The Grand Ion Delemen Hotel situated at Genting itself.
The layout of this hotel is really confusing. It has a few towers to begin with. Either way, just start the maze running at the hotel reception first. Even getting to the lobby can be mind-boggling as a first timer. The moment you park in the allocated building, head towards the lift where the tween numbers are. For example, lifts near pillars C12 and D12 on the respective floors. From that lift, press G to the main lobby. Then, from there, you will find another lift and press level 7, which is also a Level 3 upon connecting to a different tower. Can you see what I am getting to right now?
Level 3 is where all the magic happens. That is where the pool is, the dining area, the food stalls, the picture place etc.
Our room was on Level 16, and so from that lift of Tower 2 (Level 7), we found our way to Tower 7 (which is now Level 3 for it). We found our room. The size was comfortable for a party of 3. We had an RM20 burger for dinner, and our snacks were puffed in the drawer.
Mr Husband had breakfast included in our room rates. The choices were 3-star hotel delicacies. My daughter gave a thumbs-up for their noodle soup, though. She said she would come here again as an adult just to eat the noodles. That’s good. Then I can tell her to study well, get a good job that earns fantastic wages, so that she can spend it here, at Genting. I was able to get my protein in as they had this wonderful egg station, from fried, scrambled to omelettes. The beverages were also nice as they had everything from hot coffee to cold iced lemon tea. It was not entirely disappointing.
After breakfast, we took the GRAB to Skyworld on one of the mornings. Yes, GRAB exists at Genting. We did not take a lot of photos as the fog was super thick. Plus, we’ve been here before. Honestly, I was sad that the ride at EPIC world is down again for this visit. We were really looking forward to it. We even brought our raincoats. However, my daughter had a new experience. Since she has gotten a bit taller, she can now go on the roller coaster ride at the Ice Age section. She was thrilled. My husband accompanied her before asking multiple ‘are you sure?’. I personally am not a fan of high, whirling rides because I have vertigo. We stayed there till noon before making our trip back to Melaka.
Minci Moss 