GrabFood and FoodPanda have always been the ones we go to. Then the usual fast food outlets and pasar malam food of course. There wasn’t much stuff sold in our clinic’s Food Whatsapp Group that I wanted to try. So, let’s see where we ate as a family this year. A glimpse of it. Nothing extra special. Do not expect long, food blogger-ish reviews.
The last time I went for a proper haircut was in 2020. Then, COVID19 happened and all the non-essential services were forced to close. I was dying for a trim and a head massage and so I thought I’d go to the salon that I used to go to before this. A familiar place for an introvert like myself. Alas, when I arrived at the doorstep at the supposed opening time, the doors were shut. I sent a WhatsApp message to the store and made an enquiry. Turns out they are going to open later at 12noon instead of 10am. I was dismayed as this was not conveyed on their social media page.
They were very kind to provide a private room for hijab wearers and I had the best hour of my life. I ended up with not only a haircut + wash but also scalp treatment. Just that morning alone, the salon managed to get RM310 from me for their astounding services. Winnie, my hair stylist recommended me to do some ‘hair relaxing’ in the near future which I will consider when I have the opportunity to take leave. They use Kerastase as their choice of product at the salon. Which is OK I guess. I look forward to my next session at this place, maybe September?
It was my 1st time to Bukit Beruang to hike. Our clinic has this health programme to combat obesity among staff by organizing activities such as running, Zumba and sports. This week we went hiking and Ya Allah.. nak terputus nyawa. I could feel my heart rate elevate and then my body heated. It was a good workout and I am considering going there again sometime in the future, maybe with friends but not kids. It is a bit too strenuous for the little ones.
There are a few entry points to the hill but we went to the one in the residential area which is Taman Melaka Raya. When we arrived at 830am, there were a lot of elderly Chinese folks already going down the hill. They must have started early which is like Wow. It makes me wonder what the other non-Chinese elderly folks do in the morning for their exercise. What would be their chosen activity? Would you know?
We went up the hill using the easy-intermediate level tanah trail and made our way down by the tar trail. Even then, we were already very very exhausted. I could sense the euphoric sense in completing this feat though especially when you’ve gained enough stamina to go on longer and more challenging trails.
A friend of mine shared a few tips to help us with muscle recovery. Some of her suggestions include;
The next day I did not have any muscle aches at all. It was amazing.
Snippets of moments at Bear Hill in this video
My ideal shopping experience is when I could buy it online and have it delivered. My less ideal shopping experience would be to go to the physical store and buy it there. Nowadays, we can even buy groceries online. Since MCO, many businesses have also included online avenues as a business strategy. Having said that, I have seen a few florists jumping onto the online bandwagon too.
Here in Melaka, there are a few florists that I have made purchases from either online or going to the store. These are my thoughts.
Located at Ayer Keroh. I bought bouquets for a lunch meeting at Putrajaya for my (late)mom and sister. The experience was pleasant. I remembered walking into a very colourful store with the keepers busy at their work area crafting a bouquet. Even then, they still had time to say hello and attended to my enquiries promptly. I saw them making my bouquets before my very eyes quickly.
This store also has an online presence where they display the picture and the price for an easy buying experience.
Located at Pusat Niage Bukit Baru. So far, I’ve only had an online experience. I ordered through their website and have it delivered to my home. I liked that they have loose flowers. However, they don’t have much of it lately. It would be nice to have a variety of loose flowers instead of the usual Kenyan roses. I don’t have any complaints regarding their services so far.
Located at Kampung Lapan. This is also an equally wonderful experience for me. The bouquet designs were great, to begin with. They really have nice colours. Another plus point is that they have a website like The Fine Flowers where the picture and the price are on display. I like pictures with prices. I like it, I buy it. SIMPLE.
Since I ordered early, I could have the flowers delivered before 11am on the same day which is another bonus. SUPER LOVE this store. We ordered flowers for our boss’s birthday.
While they have an online presence, you need to WhatsApp the business to convey your needs. It is a hassle. I just want to see the catalogue, the pictures, the price and get on with it. So, I decided to just visit the store which was near my residential area. I went to the store an hour after its opening time and was met with an empty front desk. okkkkk…
Gave salam and a young lady came out. I enquired about the bouquet collections that they have and their price range. They brought me a catalogue and left me at the table, ALONE while they go back into their staff area. ermm.. ni ker yang Richwork dream network whatever usahawan ajar. And they have the nerve to offer me a chocolate bouquet? no no no.. if I want a chocolate bouquet, I will make them myself.
The experience became worse when one of the ladies addressed me as adik. You are kidding, right? You don’t greet your customers as adik especially when you don’t know their age. At least, a miss kan? I made my selection and I was told to wait while they prepare my order behind closed doors. The Staff area.
I was waiting ALONE at the table for aeons. No wonderful flower smell or soothing background song to make the wait bearable. No brochure or anything to leaf through so that I can know of their other services too. I honestly do not know what is taking them so long to get my order ready. Cause if Turba Rose can prep my bouquet fast, dah kenapa The Kejutan lambat sangat. But I tried to keep my anger at bay and just waited. My bouquet was finally ready and this time the lady addressed me as puan. I don’t know what changed behind closed doors. She offered to carry my flowers to the car. Nope. Just open the freaking door and let me leave.
Product dah cantik. Market dah ada. You just need to improve the customer experience. All this whatsapp2 thing is not good for your business. Create a website instead. Apa yang susah sangat nak display your product and stick on a price. I tak minatlah nak borak panjang. You need to understand that some customers don’t give a shit about what type of flower, for what occasion and stuff. They just want a bouquet that looks pretty within their budget.
I consider myself a non-fussy customer. Meaning if I like something, and is worth the price it is displayed for – I would pay for it. I don’t haggle. I don’t make weird requests. So yup, I guess I will stick to other florists for now. The Kejutan made the experience too terkejut.
Brother D and my niece Ororah share the same birthday month of February. So a celebration is a must and we decided to host a mini party in Melaka at a homestay with a pool. After much searching on Airbnb, I managed to secure a semi-D at a price of RM 757/night. The owner collects the additional RM250 security deposit separately and the transaction is carried out outside AirBnB. I booked the home for 3 days 2 nights.
Unfortunately, Brother D contracted Covid-19, so the whole house members at BSP had to undergo quarantine. That means Dad and Uncle Tin are also not coming. Leaving only Onty L and the fam free from Covid19. Hence, are able to make it to Melaka. I have to say, my sister is very resourceful when it comes to birthday bashes. She found several food vendors in Melaka (where I live!) who could bake desserts, cook nasi arab and make western dishes deliciously. I just did the decorations.
Ororah is turning 1 this year – my borderline prem niece. She has yet to walk but Mak Wa feels that she will be running around soon.
Le Camar is situated at Bukit Katil in a new housing area. It has 4 rooms that are fully air-conditioned. the living room also has an air conditioner. There’s a small kitchen with an induction cooker, rice cooker, pots and pans, cutleries, dinnerware, a fridge and a water dispenser. It would be great if they have a microwave to heat leftover food. It was challenging to reheat our cold pizza for breakfast. The highlight of this homestay was the pool. The depth of the pool was about 4ft. I was on my period so I didn’t jump in but the kids seem to enjoy the water.
The place is worth the money. Like I said, having a microwave would be a fantastic touch. It would be good to give a heads up regarding the security deposit in their Airbnb description too. Takdelah terkejut sgt tetiba nak bayar deposit kan.. The playground slide needs to be cleaned. So does the tangki at the back of the house for fear of Aedes breeding site. Putting those points aside – Le Camar is not that bad. Will consider for future staycations.
Minci Moss 