Category Archives: Hobby/Interest

I know the word

Posted in Adult Learning, Hobby/Interest by

I was scrolling down my Spotify list and stopped on this track. I was immediately elated as I realized that I recognise the characters and could read them. I searched for other Mandarin songs on my list and find that I know at least one or two of the characters from the song titles. Honestly, I wouldn’t even know this a month ago. Hence, I am happy that I am making very tiny progress in my Mandarin learning.

Mandarin is hard. But I love it. I don’t how some Instagrammers are able to sit their HSK1 exam in just one month. They seem to be doing it independently just based on apps and study materials they found online. Their brain must be sponges. They could be gifted. I can’t even memorize 20 characters without forgetting them again the next day. I am also keen to learn writing the words because I find that, with digital technology, I am using the pen less than usual. Everything is typed out nowadays. So I guess by practising writing Chinese characters, it would keep my fine motor muscles intact alongside optimising my brain activity.

I found out that HSK1 will be changing its format in December. Damn, I just bought the old textbooks up to HSK4. I am that determined. Anyway, I suppose the goal is to just plough through the pages and learn what I can. I am not competing for anything. This is one of those self-learning activities to hinder dementia. InsyaAllah. And perhaps in the long run, I can read nice Chinese storybooks on my own.

Sidequest – MEOW Run

Posted in Good Things, Hobby/Interest, Just For Fun by

I was expecting more from the organisers. It wasn’t entirely disappointing, but it did feel like it could have been better.

I joined this run because I was attracted to its T-shirt design and the medal. My daughter joined in because I know she would love the pink T-shirt and could tolerate the 4KM distance. I read a few Threads that commented on the quality of the T-shirt. Indeed, the sizing was just off. There was hardly any difference between an XL and a 2XL. It was also see-through.

During the day itself, the event emcee failed to bring the crowd together. Obviously, people just want the event to start and finish promptly. Not too much banter, too. I understand that he wants to hype the audience, but sometimes you have to just read the room. The moment people don’t recognise you as a radio DJ, then change the persona and just become an emcee. MEOW run was not a Malay-majority event. It was an event of people coming from various ethnic backgrounds. So, handle it like one.

While I can overlook the fact that the distance was slightly more than 4KM, the so-called “goodies” at the finish line were a complete letdown. A medal and a bottle of water? Really? Most of us were expecting at least a roll of bread or a packet of Hup Seng crackers! It’s shocking that even seasoned runners noted the absence of bibs in their race kits. Seriously, I once participated in a fun run at Bukit Serindit with my daughter, and we got a bib along with a bag brimming with treats. It’s no surprise that countless participants complained, since AEON certainly projects an image grand enough to have delivered much more!

Eid trendy challenges with colleagues

Posted in All in a days work, Just For Fun by

If by-the-book millennials run this place, these videos would not have been produced. We just don’t have the energy.
Thanks to our full-of-life colleagues who are in the younger age bracket of Gen Y and the older age range of Gen Z, we were able to participate in this fun video. All the ‘older’ us have to do is just follow their instructions. They do the recording and the editing.

I really appreciate their enthusiasm for taking the effort to include everyone in this annual fun activity.

Losing a colleague to functional medicine

Posted in All in a days work, Just For Fun by

Do not get me wrong. Functional medicine is good. Especially when it is practised ethically. I hope my colleague will be able to integrate his passion for functional medicine with the current practice well. What is more important is to do no harm to the patient. When a colleague like him, who is a senior and in a permanent position with relatively good wages, decides to leave, that’s when we know he is going for Self- Actualisation. Good for him.

We wish him all the best.

And like any badak ceremony, we saw him off with a farewell party. This time the theme is Oriental. So there’s a hotpot with an Oden-ish broth, siew mai, pau and many others.

Orange roses from Alice Florist

Posted in Good Things, Just For Fun, Online Store by

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.