Books/Novels 2021

Books/Novels that I have read in 2021..

1. From Blood and Ash (Blood and Ash, #1) by Jennifer L. Armentrout 
2. A Kingdom of Flesh and Fire (Blood and Ash, #2) by Jennifer L. Armentrout 
3. The ​Crown of Gilded Bones (Blood and Ash, #3) by Jennifer L. Armentrout 
4. The edge-of-never #1.   This book makes me want to go for a road trip, maybe NZ, UK, or Sapporo again.  Btw, whenever I see a single shoe on the road, I always imagine there must be something bad happened there, like a road accident, or maybe a shoe accidentally fell from the motorcycle’s basket.
5. People we meet on Vacation.  This is a sweet novel, even though it can be a bit tiring with all the flashbacks.

The best novel in 2021 goes to..

From Blood and Ash (Blood and Ash, #1) by Jennifer L. Armentrout

See books that we have read in 2020 here.

How to unsubscribe grab unlimited?

Pasti ramai yang ter-click pastu tak baca terms dengan teliti #grabunlimited plan ni kan?

Saya lah salah seoramg daripada mereka😆

Jangan risau, boleh je unsubscribe.

Mari saya share steps and screen shots sekali.

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Yang saya tau, untuk beta version ni harga nyer cuma RM0.01 jer per month for 3 months, lepas tu akan naik ke RM9 per month.  Kalau selalu order dari grab berbaloi juga la plan ni, sebab sekarang susah nak dpt voucher on grabfood dah.

Ok, so here are the steps..

1. Click on the ‘Offers’ on the top menu.

2. Click on ‘Subscriptions’

3.  Click on ‘View details’.

4. Scroll down and click on ‘Cancel Plan’.

Selamat mencuba 😊

GoldenBay Hotel, Bintulu

All is good about this hotel except for 3 things.  See at the end of this post.

The lobby..

My room, thank you 317..

Room is clean and spacious.

But there’s no lock at the bathroom door.

Breakfast Day 1

Breakfast Day 2

Breakfast Day 3

No photo for breakfast day 4, rushing to the airport.

The drawbacks:

1. Only 1 room card is provided per room, a bit difficult for room sharing as you need the card to access the lift as well.

2. Quite far from the city area, no shop nearby, nearest is the Spring shopping mall, about 10-15minutes' walk, can be quite dark at night.

3. The rooftop pool is just a shallow wading pool.

2 steps forward 1 step back

I drafted this post a few months ago. Now I am a happier person. Yes, time heals. 

Hidup ini macam roda bah, sekejap kita di bawah, sekejap kita di atas, tapi masih juga parts kereta yang paling bawah roda ni, kalau saya pilih jadi bumbung kereta, nanti kena taik burung pulak. Kalau pilih jadi tempat duduk, nanti asyik cium burit orang saja. Takpa lah, jadi saja roda dulu.

--------------------------

Our organization did a job rotation exercise recently.  Few of the staff involved in the job rotation, including me.

Although I did fill in the job rotation request, I didn't get the post that I wanted; the post that I wanted is still vacant for now.  I was moved to a different unit, which I have no experience of whatsoever. But at least it is still in the same department.

At 1st I was skeptical, all sorts of questions running through my head, am I not good enough, am I going into cold storage?  

Whatever is it, I am sure the management has their own reasons for making the decision.

On the bright side, I had been in the same unit for about 11 years, maybe it's the right time for me to change, maybe I am running out of new ideas by sitting in the same position for so many years.  It is time to explore and learn new things.  Take it like going to college but in a fast track manner while getting paid, isn't that great?

I find myself enjoying the learning process. I see things differently.  The downside of learning new things is that you kind of depend on the information provided by the previous holders.  You might make mistakes along the way, you need to put on a thicker face (bawwa muka tebal) to ask around before you are able to stand on your own.

and I stabble across this.. Why taking a step back is the best decision for career and personal growth

https://www.focusboosterapp.com/blog/why-taking-a-step-back-will-be-the-best-decision-you-will-ever-make/

The content resonates well with me, even though I am not thinking of changing jobs for now.  But the dilemma and advice and the insight are what I needed at the moment.

I am sure these all will pass in no time. I just wanted to write it down, so that I can be reminded of how I feel at this moment in time.

"In a motivational slump, you feel disappointed, question your enthusiasm for your job and feel guilty that you're not performing to your full potential.

Everyone will inevitably experience a period of low energy, feeling removed from their work and would rather be on vacation or on the couch watching Netflix."

Now I am adjusting well.  I thank you for the opportunity.

Last year's photo while working from home (at my front porch)

Senchiru Izakaya, Kuching

One of the best non-halal Japanese Restaurants in Kuching.

Located in Saradise, BDC new town, Senchiro Izakaya served a wide variety of affordable Japanese food.

This is considered quite a new restaurant in Kuching. Open about 2 years ago, then the MCO, so we didn't have a chance to go and try.

We finally went there yesterday for our dinner. I was not that hungry as I already had a boba tea earlier in the office.  So I opted for something light.

Buta Avocado - RM16

I loved it.

Hubby ordered Urayaki Buta Noodle in Buta soup based, RM18. Even though it didn’t taste as authentic as what we had in Japan, the soup taste more on the sweeter side, and the noodle still a bit too hard (maybe that is why they called it noodle rather than ramen), but it is still good value for our money.

And a pot of hot green tea at RM4.

Will definitely be back to try out more, I saw quite a selection of interesting lists on their menu. 

Plus they have an outdoor eating space, which is an important criteria for us when choosing our dining place. We try to avoid indoor restaurants as much as we can.  Even though some may say "it’s the same la, aircond or not still risky" but that's another story for another day.

Sebab Sayang

Dua perangai pelik pada diri saya yang saya sendiri tak suka.

Pertama, beli makanan mahal-mahal, lepas tu simpan lama-lama sebab sayang nak makan.  Last-last expired. Ha.. padan muka aku.

Contohnya makanan yang mahal and rare dari Japan.

Contoh pelbagai jenis kacang yang sangat sedap di Nishiki Market, Kyoto.

Kedua, beli baju cantik-cantik, simpan, sebab sayang nak pakai, konon nak tunggu special occasion. Last-last berat badan naik, baju pun dah tak muat. Ha.. padan muka lagi.

Ada la dlm 3-4 pasang baju, yang harganya beratus jugak, yang menerima nasib yang sebegini.

Tabiat buruk yang perlu dibuang.

How to find your previous listing on Facebook Marketplace

When you marked your listing as sold, it can be quite tricky to find back the posting.  Luckily Facebook keeps all our records, just like the saying, the internet never forgets 😁

Here’s what you should do if you are looking for your previous post listing on Facebook marketplace.  This is in mobile version, I am using an iPhone.

1. (A) In your Facebook App, Click on the Marketplace icon at the bottom right.  (B) If you cannot find the icon at the bottom, just click on your profile page, there you will see the ‘Marketplace’.

2. On the Marketplace page, click on the human icon on your top left.  This will bring you to your Facebook Commercial profile page.

3. On your Commercial profile page, click on ‘Your Listing’.

4. Tadaa. You can find all your previous listings there.

Step 1 (A) and 2

Step 1 (B)

Step 3

Step 4

Bagaimana mencari post lama dalam Facebook Marketplace.

Pasti ramai yang pernah mengalami benda ni, nak cari balik mana letak nya post barang yang kita jual dalam Facebook yang sudah kita mark as Sold.

Begini caranya, gambar diatas mungkin berbeza dengan handphone and, says menggunakan iPhone.

1. (A) Dalam aplikasi Facebook, klik pada gambar Marketplace di bahagian bawah kiri.  (B) Kalau tak jumpa gambar tersebut, pergi ke muka profil, di sana and boleh jumpa ‘Marketplace’.

2. Dalam muka Marketplace, klik pada gambar munusia di bahagian atas kanan.  Ini akan membawa and ke muka Facebook Commercial profil.

3. Pada muka Commercial profile page, klik pada ‘Your Listing’.

4. Tadaa. Anda akan jumpa semua listing lama anda di sana.

Sarawak Domestic Tourism SOPs at of 1st Oct 2021

Pasti ramai yang dah tak sabar nak keluar dari rumah masing-masing kan?

Ye, Sarawak Domestic Tourism dah dibuka, tapi masih perlukan Polis Permit, even for the inter-district travel.  Saya sertakan SOPs di bawah.  SOP ini dikeluarkan oleh mtac.sarawak.gov.my

Saya rasa kalau nak travel dalam district sendiri ok la kot, at least tak payah nak mintak Polis Permit bagai.

Personally, for the time being, I would consider going for a family road trip, but I'll try to avoid a flight trip for leisure purposes.

But it is all up to your own choice. Yang pasti, make sure jaga diri k.

#kitajagakia

Disclaimer: This SOP might change from time to time, kindly do your own research to find out the latest SOP available.

 

Xiaomi Mijia Icemaker Machine

Our Xiaomi Mijia Conair icemaker machine is here!

We have been buying ice cubes for almost every day this year.

Ice cubes per packet cost RM2, average 5 times a week, 4 weeks a month for the past 8 months. Total lost RM320.

Beli je la mesin ais ni. Harap lebih berbaloi.

Machine mijia ni ada 3 model.

Boleh tengok perbandingan di bawah.

Kami beli yang badan dia stainless steel, harap-harap paling tahan la kan. Beli kat shopee je.

Machine ni boleh buat ice dalam masa 6 minutes, nak penuhkan basket kecil dalam tu mengambil masa 2 jam. Lama la jugak.

Jum layan video unboxing kami..

#icemachine #icemaker

Updates: After one month of using this small machine, we noticed a spike of RM50 on our monthly electricity bill.  Looks like the price is not worth it. But I guess we are paying for the convenience of it. We are using it everyday from 8am to 10pm average. At night we switched it off.

Tiffin

Sediakan #tiffin

Letak dlm kereta siap-siap. 1 kereta 1 set.

Senang nak tapao anytime boleh guna.

#tumblr Starbucks pun sediakan jugak sekali.

Nampak nyer masih lama lagi zone Kuching ni nak bertukar hijau.

All-time high lagi hari ni, more than 5k #covid cases in Sarawak alone.

Nak sangat tukar ke endemic kan?!

Ok, done ngerepak.

#stayathome 

#ringkat

Buah Brotik

Korang tau tak buah apa ni?

Bidayuh Bau panggil ni buah Brotik.

My eldest sister suka sangat buah ni, dia mmg suka buah rare, tau pulak mana nak cari, ni pun dia yang bagi.

Best juga ada kakak yg selalu remind tentang tradisi dan makanan lama macam. Kalau harap saya, memang tak kenal la buah rare macam ni.

Buah ni, kulitnya berwarna hitam, sekali tengok mcm buah keranji. Keranji kulit nyer lembut, yang ni keras, lebih keras dari buah Kristal.

Isi dalam nya macam kacang warna putih, rasa nyer mcm ..

Pernah tak makan isi paling dalam buah Dabai, bukan isi kuning dabai tau. Biji dabai yg keras tu, kalau dipecahkan, dalam nya ada isi kacang warna hijau muda. ha rasa nyer agak sama la dgn buah brotik ni.

Bagi yg tak pernah rasa dabai gak, lain kali lah saya fikirkan persamaan lain.

Rindu pulak nak makan buah Keranji sob sob.

In My Garden | Pineapple #8 n #9

Ini hasil buah nanas dari kebun kecil di belakang rumah.

Cantik buah nya kali ni, tak besar sangat, sederhana saja.

Kedua-dua buah ni kami bagi kat mak mentua je, dah selalu sangat makan buah nanas, ada yang dari kebun kakak juga.

Syukur banyak juga hasil dari kebun family saya tahun ni.  Ada durian, rebung, langsat, dabai, petai, dan nanas. 

Kalau di negara sejuk pasti ayah akan tanam apple, peach, cherry, blueberry dan  kiwi. Angan-angan sekejap sebelum tido.

Ok, good night all.

#staysafe

See Pineapple #7

Mak busy, kita makan pizza

Mak busy sgt hari ni, board paper kena submit esok tak siap lagi.

Kita makan makanan laju je lah, order siap-siap dari foodpanda, keluar sekejap pergi pickup, jimat RM12, sambil rehatkan mata dan minda.

Kes covid melonjak lagi. Dah tak tau nak cakap apa dah.

Adakah ini tanda2..

Arghh sudah, sambung buat keje.

Apa nak jadi, jadi lah.

Que sera sera.

Simpan sini buat kenangan.

Spring-Summer Fruits in Hokkaido

We were in Hokkaido from end of May to Early June 2019.  It was late Spring season in Hokkaido.

Let’s talk about fruits in Hokkaido.  Here are some of the local fruits that we get to taste while we were there.

Sweet corn, I read that you have to taste Hokkaido sweet corns, so here we go..

Yes, it was sweet, but I am not that impressed, we can get something close to this taste here in Kuching. Just make sure you get the really fresh American sweet corn from the market, and the way you cook it also matters. So Hokkaido sweet corn - checked.

385jpy for this half Tohkibi, Hokkaido famous sweet corn. It’s about RM15.

Jangan sik cuba jak.

Next are cherries and peaches.

Cherries, of coz they were good. Firm, sweet and juicy.

Peaches, yes, very tasty, I think I have talked about Japanese peaches in my Kyoto-Osaka posts.

And last but not least, the must-try famous Hokkaido melon.

OMG, I am so amazed. The texture is almost like a pudding. You can use a plastic spoon to scoop it while eating. So juicy. Seriously the best fruit I ever tasted.  Taking over from peach title 😆

So yeah, if you ever go to Hokkaido, make sure to have these melons.

Yubari melon, 400jpy for this 1 slice. Worth every penny. 😋 Japanese melons are often associated with Hokkaido, particularly the town of Yubari. Yubari melons are among the most highly valued in the country.

At a Japanese auction in 2008, two Yubari King melons sold together for ¥2.5 million.  In 2016, Konishi Seika, a fruit and vegetable market in Amagasaki, bought a pair of Yubari King melons at auction with a winning bid of ¥3 million.  In 2019 Tokyo-based Pokka Sapporo Food & Beverage Ltd bought a pair of Yubari melons at auction for the highest recorded price of ¥5 million.

My mini garden

We have this mini garden at our front yard.

It is a small area that I consider as my zen corner.  Here we also have a mini fish pond which we installed in 2007.

When I am bored, I like to move the flower pots around, reorganising them.  Some people like to decorate and move their house furniture around, not me, I prefer to move my potted plants around :D

Here’s the compilation of me moving the plants around.

Ubah sana sini, hasil nyer sama jugak, cukup la untuk happy kan diri sendiri.

In my garden | cow grass

We had this cow grass planted in 2014.

We got a contractor to do it for us for about RM2k at that time.

Now we have more plants in our backyard, we have more pineapples, ubi kayu, limau kasturi and the guava trees are still there. Actually, we planted a new limau kasturi tree at the same spot.  The previous tree was getting old and big, I got it removed and planted a smaller and cuter one 😁 This is our 3rd pokok limau so far. 1st one was planted in 2007.

Ok, back to the cow grass story.

I haven’t really put much attention to the grass, normally we just let the grass cutter uncle do his work. But since the 2nd CMO just started and I have taken a more than 1-week Gawai leave. Can’t even go back to visit my parents, might as well look for something to do to sweat out a bit in the evening.

So today I started plucking these unwanted weeds manually. I got a small stool and a portable sony speaker with me, The Beatles were playing on repeat.  Ahh, such a relaxing activity on a lovely evening.

Before..

3 baskets of these unwanted weeds..

This is how the unwanted grass looks like.  Ada ubi dekat akar nya, which makes it hard to pull out, good exercise.

After..

Nampak beza tak?

In my garden | Pineapple #7

Nanas yang ke-7 dari belakang rumah dah masak gais.

Sedap, manis and juicy.

Kali ni kita buat menu pkp special, homemade pineapple pork burger. Yummeh.

Pineapple pork burgers for dinner today.

Freshly caramelized homegrown pineapple from our backyard, plus homemade pork patties.

So good.

Gawai Holiday starts today, cmo around the corner. Nothing much to do. So, cooking day it is.

For info, nanas di tak pernah di bagi baja langsung tau. Rasa nya tanah di belakang rumah saya tu memang sesuai sangat untuk nanas, kalau tanam sayur lain tak nak hidup pulak. Nanas ni main tikam je pun hidup, manis pulak tu.

See alsos:

In my garden | Pineapple #5 and #6

Atomy Absolute Skincare

I used to go for my monthly facial during pre-covid time. At that time, whenever I have facial problem, I will just rely on my beautician to resolve it for me.  So I never pay much attention on the type of skincare that I am using. I just bought whichever that attracts me at that time.

Now, it has been months since my last facial done.

In the beginning, I did get some mask acne, and other minor facial problem.  After recommendations from my sisters and friends, I am now a proud Atomy member and Atomy consumer.  

I am using this set suitable for aging lady in my age. So far so good.  This set cost about RM800, plus foam cleanser and sunscreen total altogether cost less than RM1000.

There are other Atomy products that I am using. But that will be another story for another post.

That’s all for my sharing today. Till we meet again. Xoxo

Rabies vaccine

Last month, I got bitten by this (stupid) cute dog. 

His name is Casper. He is my sister’s dog. He is always been very playful, not sure why that day he suddenly sink his tooth into my foot.

The dog bite on my foot.

My sister normally got him vaccinated yearly, even though he only stays in the house compound. However this year he is already overdue on his vaccination by a few months.

As we know, there were few fatal rabies cases in Sarawak lately.  We don't want to take the risk, better get myself vaccinated immediately.

So we went to Borneo Medical Centre on the same night.  The rabies vaccination can be used on 2 persons sharing from 1 bottle, at the same cost, only need to add another RM28 for extra needles.  So end up my sister also took the vaccine together with me.  The next time if she got bitten, she only needs to get the booster shot, no need for the whole series.

Rabies vaccine comes in 6 doses plus 1 for tetanus vaccine.  Total all together within 7 days are 7 shots for me alone. The tetanus vaccine was quite painful, it gives you a numb arm afterward; the rabies vaccine was not so bad.  3 shots for the 1st visit, 3 days later another 2 shots and on the 7th day another 2 shots.  You will also be given a week of antibiotics for consumption.

So if you are looking for rabies vaccination in Kuching, go to Borneo Medical Centre if you can afford it.  I understand the waiting time in GH can be quite long. Here in BMC the most are 1 hour waiting time plus I normally went between 6pm-8pm, fewer people during that time. 

Ok, rabies vaccine done, covid vaccine next?