Independence day holiday

having a self pampering day today as its a holiday.sad the spa and massage centre not allowed to open but i did self pampering,body scrub n facial mask.listen to one ok rock music ,lit scented candles n use my electrical massage machine. for aromatherapy i used the essential oil i bought from daiso that is bergamot oil amd yuzu oil then i tried the attar oil i bought from new malliga im brickfields.the scent of rose and jasmine was deeply relaxing but jun discovered a shocking surprise when he opened a small bottle next to the attar n sniffed it.it was labelled cows urine.he nearly expelled the contents of his lunch from his tummy after reading the label.serve the busybody right. i love the multi coloured glass bangles n bought a lavender nail polish n some rose water to make my rice powder egg white face mask.save a lot of money doing home spa n pampering but boy i could marry a professional spa therapist in this lockdown.i really need tuina or thai massage to revitalize my body.a machine cannot never replace the human touch.sigh

Merdeka

yeah being fully vaccinated,i can dine in at restaurants n go vacation in langkawi n pulau redang island. today i had nasi lemak for breakfast,went seeta ram in brickfields for banana leaf rice with crab curry,chicken n fish n chai masala.then cooking chinese oyster omelette for dinner.a truly multi racial feast.

Qi force

qi gong

Simple life

a simple life that is easy going,enjoying the small things that matter.so the conspicuous consumption lifestyle is not my thing,work your butt off and not see the sunrise or sunset,stuck inside four walls of office and not to see an eagle fly in the sky or listen to birds chirping,drive a fanciful car and not feel your feet dipping into a gushing icy cold waterfall. i dont feel the need to show off collection of designer clothes,branded watches,handbags,clothes,perfume,jewellery or dine in five star restaurants.to attain that you sell your time in exchange for things.money can be earned but you cannot get back the time once it has passed.you cant go back to the past.so a simple life is best coz you live in the now.i can understand chinese youths lying flat culture coz you are only young once and will not get the chance again in your lifetime.so the 996 work ethos make them live to work. im content and dont need glamour to keep up with the joneses.i have time to garden,cook,read,exercise,travel and paint.thats a good life.sometimes it takes a health scare and a hospital stay to make one grateful for the small things in life like the aroma of freshly baked tarts,the blooming of purple roses or the smell of rain hitting the earth.so good to be well and leading a normal day. 🌏🌎🌄⏳🕐🌤🌊

Shaolin healing art

i know shaolin kung fu was introduced by indian monk boddhidharma to teach the chinese monks how to strengthen their bodies and learn a form of self defence against enemies of the monastery. so i was surprised to learn there is a series of qi gong that is the yi jin jing that strengthen muscles and tendon in a body and the sifu master shi heng yi demonstrates it clearly.thank you for his generous sharing im able to reduce my stiff joints.im keen on the bone marrow cleansing exercise that doesnt have high kicks or deep bends and gentle on my aging body. if you sincerely seek,the teacher will be there.i just cant do gym or heavy lifting these days.such gentle movements are slow n less taxing on aging joints.

Simple lunch

i like shopping for fresh produce at open wet market cause i grew up in a shop opposite state wet market.grandma is typical Cantonese n buys live chicken n fish to slaughter.making steam fish or chicken need fresh meat.so lately i felt weak n tired after blood loss in two operations. i wanted to look for fresh haruan or carp to boil nutritious soup but its not the season. so ive been eating chicken liver n oyster omelette to get more iron.this morning the market hawker was selling huge live blood cockles at rm 15 a kilo.i bought some for lunch.had to wear apron to eat to prevent sauce splatter on my shirt.i blanch cockles in hot water,made a dip of chilli lime sauce,had an avocado n fresh pineapple and apple juice.the cockles were plumb n juicy n so delicious.yum

Sunday morning qi gong warm ups

its raining and lots of feel good negative ions.breathe in n out

Shaolin temple europe

ive been following the talks n exercises of shaolin sifu shi heng yi.he has a way when he teaches that stillness and strength of qi that is so meditative ,that goes with the flow.it takes years of discipline to get that level of grace in movement and stillness in action. when i feel life is overwhelming me with the negativity of the big C of Covid,Cancer and Corruption of society,i need to listen to his soothing advice to retreat and observe and not to give up in hard times. He has distilled the essence of shaolin as not merely the physicality of martial arts which we will lose as our bodies will decline with age but to strive for self cultivation of internal strength to battle self doubt n negativity.such a positive role model in this time. im thinking in times when mental shield is needed,a truly cultivated sifu like master shi heng yi can uplift depressed spirits with his message and spread the importance of balance and harmony of body and mind.

Shopping n cooking

ive not cross over to other district in a year.stayed in petaling jaya n the nearest is kiara park less than 5 km from my home. the infection rate is over 20 k daily.i stay safe.went grocery shopping in aeon at one utama which has strict sops.the variety of meat is a lot n fresh but best is the convenience of ready marinated meat with prepacked sauces.i bought huge packet of seafood assorted w crab,shrimp,clam n cockle,sauce nsweet corn for rm 17.90.i added a pack of fishballs,coconut milk ncurry leaves to make curry seafood laksa for dinner.its a fast meal ready in 40 mins.thank goodness with my busy home office schedule,its easy to cook premarinated grill chicken or steam lime chilli barramundi at rm 8.90.so instead of expensive takeout its easier to cook at home but i indulged in ready made sushi from aeon supermarket for lunch n tea.so delicious n whet my appetite to eat tiny bits of varied sushi.its a good life when i eat good food.sedap,enak dan lazat nya makanan malaysia.

Back to exercise regime

this morn did stretch bands n zumba to regain my fitness.feels good dancing to senorita n baby shark.

Cleaning lighting

the superfanciful glass chandelier i bought from maruzen closing down sale was affordable for my budget but gives me a headache to clean.the dangling sparkles look like raindrops and i need baby shampoo to wash the delicate glass or they lose the shine.really regret that stylish things are hell of a work to clean. today a neighbour who exercises 7 days a week beside the pool gave me some tips to get fit.she is middle age with rock solid abs n rippling toned arms.she is a fitness nut n we exchange tips.so relaxing energy to workout where there is no danger of shark attack or sand flies.

May peace prevail

our independence day is approaching. sad to see so many lives lost n so many of our people losing their jobs. even our festivals are not celebrated because of fear of spreading the virus when it was the hungry ghost festival,whole streets are cordoned with paper paraphenelia burnt but now streets are empty of living and ghosts too with mooncake festival around the corner,shops were selling brightly coloured paper lanterns but now none of the shops are in the mood to stock lanterns. our lives are turned upside down there are long queues at supermarkets and social distancing. even the old coliseum cafe that was a pre war institution has closed business forever. our lives are turned inside out when will our lives return to normal in times like this,an ordinary life is a good life. just to breathe without ventilator is a blessing. just to see the sun rise and set is a miracle just wish for an ordinary day to return

Fighting to live as 25k cases daily

we need a war time commitee like one that is based on meritocracy to fight against the pandemic n economic crisis.this is a war scenario not a battle like the asian financial crisis of 1998.it needs tough leadership,astute management n forward thinkers not the platitudes of self centred politicians playing a game of thrones.we had good leadership in curbing communist insurgency n rebuilding the nation after racial riots. whether old or young as long as they have vision to galvanise the people to live and fight this war,there is hope as we have survived the second world war,so hope will prevail.a war for our peace of mind,health n livelihood.

Indian food

jun is so sweet sometimes.today he went brickfields to eat indian paper dosai and bought my lunch takeout.my favourite delicious apam coconut milk or sri lanka hoppers n crispy rava dosai with dhall n coconut chutney.i had a craving come true as i was craving indian food in hospital. absolutely mouthwatering,lip smacking n finger licking good.i made chai masala w cardomom n cinammom.im in food haven today.

Nature destress forest bathing

to get ikigai,i went forest bathing in tamsn kiara park.walking helps destress,listening to humming of insects,soaking in vitamin D,looking at trees n blue sky is good for the mental health. myregular florist is thai married to a chinese n living in pj for two decades.she can speak cantonese n mandarin n manglish with the lah.look at my purple roses n red impatiens.i love how horticulture is advanced in thailand n how late king bumiphol encourage rural revitization using biotech n techniques to grow lychee,longan n mango in northern thai so poor people can grow cash crops instead of poppy for opium.like what china is doing with rural regeneration projects to reduce rural urban migration n increase rural hpusehold income.my favourite is the fragrant pandan coconut juice from thailand. my florist says i lost a lot of weight.now no appetite for cooked food.i only eat meat for dinner n go vegan for breakfast n lunch.steamed crystal dumpling in grated vege,shitake etc.an avocado n fresh juice.save money buy rm 5 cut fruit to make juice cheaper than rm 14 for a medium cup of boost juice.also make tart with avocado puree is cheaper than buying from bakery.the new baking hack an aunty taught me is bake apple puff using planta roti canai.cooking at home saves money n can be more healthy.

Bon appetit

after two hospital stays,ive lost my appetite to eat.i used to be a foodie but now im losing weight as ive lost appetite after eating hospital food.i dont crave for dim sum or cakes.just wanna drink shakes n liquid diet or fresh fruit.carbo n meat turns me off so maybe i need a cleann green diet.gonna buy a juicer to pulverise vege n fruit. i like rojak n popia so maybe my carnivore days are over.

reforms

The electoral systems needs a reform so that bipartisan politics dont cause a stalemate when good laws are blocked in parliament due to tunnel vision or self entrenched politics that puts the interest of the party above the individuals right to vote against party lines. representative democratic system is flawed when the party that wins the election select a goon to be the head of a nation.the damage that an autocrat can do to a nation has long lasting effect on daily lives of voters or the foreign policy of the nation. I would suggest a participative system of democracy and not representative system.Eliminate buying out MPs so that the moment the Mp hops to another party due to enticement,then he loses his seat and the post is laid vacant to be contested in another byelection.Not only that a national register of MPs is listed on a website where voters can check up the performance of each MP and how he voted in important issues in parliament nespecially on laws that reflect the values of the voters.Those who hop to another party after elections will be blacklisted from standing for elections as a life long ban.Voters can write reviews of their Mps performance in serving their constituents or criticise their inactive service.this will give voters a clearer idea on who is doing work on the ground and who is talk big only. Secondly with the use of artificial intelligence and big data analysis,the voters can have a voice on their choice of prime minister and cabinet ministers.The party nominates the potential leader and his team of cabinet ministers for each portfolio.The opposing teams or coalition will do the same with a menu of the potential candidate for prime minster,deputy and cabinet ministers.the voters vote knowing who their prime minster and his or her cabinet is. The performance of the prime minster and his cabinet will be put to the voters to evaluate based on certain criteria like economic indicators,rate of employment,no. of foreign investment.human rights record,environmental sustainibility record,improve educational standard,improve healthcare facilities etc.At the mid term review,if their records is less than 50% of 3/4 of the voters evaluation,they are sacked and the opposition team takes over so its important for the opposition to form a shadow cabinet to keep abreast of what the present team is doing and a smooth transition ensues. with powerful computing,a participative democracy is not a pipe dream.make it happen.

Cut the crap

come on ,cut the crap on politicians slogans n talk is cheap.we wanna see improvement in economic situayion,rise in gdp,strengthen the ringgit,improve external trade,improve standing in transparency international,better record in human rights protection,improve in environmental sustainibility that affects palm oil exports,reduce flash floods n air pollutants of haze.we wanna see progressive education policies ,fairer distribution of wealth not more skewed policies,cut links of politicians to cash cows like GLCs and abuse of power by politicians using civil institutions like police,macc ,irb or law courts to oppress dissidents.free the press as its the fifth estate and investigative journalists like claire brown expose the depth of corruption of politicians.if Norway sovereign wealth fund is well managed ethically worth trillions of us dollars,why with oil wealth,our nations sovereign debt is trillions in ringgit. so cut the crap on one malaysia,boss ku,our abah and the malaysian family.just save the economy and the peoples lives.if not its time to hear the people sing,singing the songs of angry men

Can they walk the talk?

the voters have little trust in governance when they see constant bipartisan ship to thwart the opposition and reduce power of check n balance.did declaring emco work ? no cause workplace cluster cause pandemic to spread from foreign workers to local residents.did the emergency work?no because the infection rate spike above 10k daily.did home quarantine work? no cause the numbers brought in dead increased.did the plan for economic recovery work? no cause smes go bust,supply chain affected by stopwork order ,small hawkers n trade go bust,hospitality n airlines go bust,even representatives from foreign chambers of commerce complain.did things get BETTER? No.lack of experience and lack of expertise leads to failure. if they open schools before teachers n children get vaccinated,the number of schoolchildren n staff who get infection from covid will spike.mark my words. there is lack of coordination between different parties,the law enforcement,medical institutions.there is lack of coordination between federal government and state government.why the heck do we have mysejahtera app and myselangkah app .the overlap cause confusion n cannot see big picture of extent of spread of disease. why are there factory clusters when foreign workers should be isolated in centralised housing facility so they can be monitored not to spread covid to locals. why the heck is infection so high in selangor n what the hell is the state ruler,n state govt n municipal councils doing? why is there overcrowding in ppv centres n volunteers who are tested positive for covid endangering lives of people going for the jab.why are there shortage of hospital beds until people lie sick in open air spaces?what will happen in old folks home and orphanages where groups live in close proximity and if quarantine at home spread the virus to all residents. why sudden changes in rules to malaysia my second home program without consulting stakeholders like reit,construction firms,or immigration agents.foreigners can relocate to other nations like thailand,bali or singapore as they welcome foreign visitors w open arms.inconsistent policy drives foreign investors to vietnam ,indonesia etc that offer better incentives n stable governance. when things are implemented without inclusivity and citizen participation in decision making halted,then we get flip flop policies that dont have positive impact.the civil service is at odds with the political machinery,the politicians are at odds with each other,the federal and state authorities are non cohesive and the citizens have to work with ngos to get food supply.why dont we merdeka from incompetence,corruption and cronyism?

Cool weather

the rainy n cool weather is great for my plants.the white roses has new buds,the pink cockscomb is blooming n the mock orange sprouted new shoots.i love the overcast sky with thick clouds. i bought the latest asian geographic n deja vu i saw my dream island in semporna,sabah.the catch is i have to live without modern convenience like piped water n plumbing with the sea gypsy or bajau laut.guess we cant have it all.no electricity too can die lor. this morning i had breakfast in my bedroom kopitiam table overlooking the swimming pool.the air is fresh n cool like cameron highlands.its a good day when you keep your feet firmly planted on the ground but keep looking up at the stars in the sky

Business as usual

democracy fails when humans are fallible.human corruptibility wins when temptation of money is waved to lure frogs to jump from one pond to another. so its back to business as usual when instead of reforms,the status quo is preserved especially when the polit tikus sell out the mandate given by the people for self enrichment as they get lots of durian runtuh.so why work your ass off to be an entrepreneur when its easier to be a millionaire by dabbling on politics.its less risky than dabbling in stock market. when even the citizens have no confidence in politicians who run the nation to the ground,how do we expect foreign investors who are not stakeholders in the nation to have confidence in a non corruptibility ,ethical n impartial system that will protect their investments.singapore has upheld the rule of law to gain credibility as an international financial hub in asia while our law lets the corrupted get away.the US govt has returned the money looted from our nation so is our coffer a bottomless pit? when we deplete the trust fund accumulated,what will happen to the fate of younger generation?

Healthy meal

last nite i cooked spaghetti made from quinoa n amaranth,topped with bolognaise sauce n spinach with a side of chicken provencal roasted with herbs.so yummy.for breakfast i made french toast with wholemeal purple wheat,a glass of almond unsweetened milk n cherries.for lunch i had a berry smoothie ,n tempura vegetable fritters.still i havent fully recovered my strength from two surgery. i bought a pink cockscomb plant,a purple lavender n a plant with deep red small flowers.my garden gives me so much joy. i appreciate walks in the kiara park now it has opened,to see open sky,trees n plants is so relaxing. today i went to happy mansion in section 17 to buy my thai takeout n i park near this huge banyan tree with aerial roots trailing down.it is at least more than 50 years old.i remember seeing two weak saplings when i visited my high school mate in happy mansion.i was a strong,vibrant 17 year old n the tree was a thin sapling.now the tables are turned.after 5 decades,aging has turned me into a weak n fragile woman but the sapling has grown to be tall,sturdy n strong.humans grow weak as time passes but a tree grows big and strong as time passes.cest la vie.

Mall rat

time to stock up on food and books for the weekend.gonna go shoppimg mall with jun for grocery.feels good all dolled up in the linen sundress i bought at vintage retro stall in amcorp mall for a song.i felt like an old hag working from home in yoga gear n athleisure wear.

Assisted living facilities

with aging in mind,im aware of one day losing my ability to take care of myself.its a fact that senior citizens have to face as buddha realised old age,suffering,illness and death.its unfair to expect children or daughter in law to take care of us when they are busy making a living n taking care of their children. the two major operation within half a year make me realise that it would keep family harmony if i move into an assisted living facility when i become frail n weak.the other option is to hire a foreign maid or part time professionals to change dressing or give injections.they are trained in rehabilitation n physiotherapy. seeing a loved one in pain ,suffering n being helpless to change the status quo can lead to stress n depression for those who are the caretakers.it takes a toil on emotional n mental health of caretakers.living in an extended family has taught me to take sickness as a part of life.having to change dressing for bed sores for stroke ridden grandma has given me the strength to take care of a bedridden,semi paralysed hubby and my dad and mom.everyone has to go one day and lucky in a way are we to have closure as we have time to come to terms with the sick loved one who will leave us soon.it is luckier than those who lose their loved one in natural disasters or accidents,war or suicide.not having a chance to say goodbye is the hardest to bear as there is no closure for those who have to go on living with a vacumn in their lives.

Exercise outdoor

feels so good to exercise in nature now bukit kiara park is open again get fresh air n sunshine n relaxing view of trees n hills.i love tbe red coloured leaves of a tree that looks like autumn.need to walk again or my joints

get rusty n creaky.last nite jun gave me a back n shoulder rub to relieve stiff back n shoulders.so sweet of him like when he was preteen child and gave foot rub for me as i drove over 50 km to work in another town