will i am's delayed diary

During the Aidilfitri weekend, mum and I took up Gratitude's invitation to gallivant at Kota Kemuning. KH also joined. Truly our first soc-food outing since the relaxation of the MCO rules. Met up for breakfast at Pun Chun ,  Bidor's most famous export. When I was little, we would usually stop at their flagship store to have the famous herbal duck soup. Our usual stop en route to Teluk Intan. But as the years went by, we stopped going. Think we got sick of it, and found that the quality had dropped. After going cold turkey for so many years, we were pleasantly surprised.The herbal duck soup was flavourful, without being too salty. Plenty of duck meat, and there was no rancid oil taste. Also loved the large and springy  wantans . A breakfast outing to Kota Kemuning would not be complete without a visit to Brew N Bread . They had the temperature and registration SOP in place, but I don't think there was any social distancing for the seating. Full house! Coffee was great but t...

As the MCO wore on, more and more vendors started setting up open-air stalls at the OUG Morning Market. Supposedly illegal, but they risked it anyway. At least there was a safe distance between some of the vendors. Abang Polis were probably away because it was the eve of Hari Raya Puasa.  Mum wasn't happy with the conditions with some of the re-opened kopitiams at OUG, so we ventured to Taman Desa instead. Our first dine-out after more than two months was at Woo Pin . Our first taste of the new normal-- blocked entrances, temperature check, customer registration, and distanced tables. 

Due to work commitments, I had to make a visit to my office on Wesak Day to collect the company Macbook because my colleague needed it for iOS app development. The elevators were disabled, so I had to use the stairs to get to the sixth floor. Opening up the office revealed a snapshot of the day before the Malaysian Government announced that Movement Control Order. The waster paper baskets were full, hand sanitizers were on the counters, and the biggest surprise waited for me in the toilet. For some reason, algae started growing in the toilet bowl. Brown sludge crawled from the rim, down to the stagnant blue water's edge. Yuck. I quickly collected what I needed, locked the doors, armed the security system, and made my way out. Before going home, I made a short bread run. First was the sourdough from Wild Yeast , and secondly was the k ouign-amann from Bakery La . Truth be told, I'm not crazy about sourdough. I much prefer the sinfully buttery kouign-amann. Goes so well with a cu...

As usual, we celebrated mum's birthday together with Little Monster. But with 2020 being a year of surprises, even a simple HaiDiLao hotpot at home could go awry. For one reason or another, mum got pissed off, and a dark cloud descended on the family gathering. She didn't want to take any photos, and rushed off after dinner.  Mum's dark mood didn't dissipate the following day. SK tried to cheer her up by packing a Japanese lunch from Washoku , BK5.  In the evening, The Tribe came over in an attempt at reconciliation. They packed a Vietnamese dinner from Subang. The Monsters made birthday cards for their grandmother. And sis came bearing gifts and a birthday cake. Thankfully mum softened up and reversed her frown. Something about not feeling appreciated.  Kena pandai jaga hati orang tua...

Bought these Private Structure jammers during the MCO. These products are from the Momentum range, which are advertised as 'construction innerwear'. Each pair has a functional aspect to it. The black pair features something called the 'Gluetus Maximus Grip', meaning that its supposed to make you look THICC. Not too sure if it really makes my ass look bigger, but the polyester spandex does feel very good, and I like the sporty look of it. The blue pair is shorter in comparison. but also offers a so-called 'Core Lift' for a nicer silhouette. And of course let's not forget about the pouch that claims to have 'Bulge Enhancement'. Lifting or no, both pairs are pretty well-constructed underwear, look great, and are comfortable to wear. Definitely a more premium range, as one can tell from the material, and the better packaging. Give them a go. Might still be available on Shopee ( keep an eye out for sexy photo reviews from product lovers ). MYR49 should ge...

Must admit that not many people were lucky enough to enjoy a rich seafood paella in the comfort of their own home during the COVID-19 lockdown. This creation from MaisonSK had loads of prawns and contained real Iranian saffron. Delicious!

Ever heard of NADMA ? You're not alone. For the uninitiated, NADMA is AGENSI PENGURUSAN BENCANA NEGARA, the National Disaster Management Agency under the purview of the Prime Minister's Department. The first time I heard about them was when the Perikatan Nasional federal government declared that they were distributing free face masks to households. Distribution was no easy task, so they had to rope in the help of each Member of Parliament to make sure that their constituents would receive this benefit. The MPs would get their staff and volunteers to pack and perform door-to-door distribution. My housing area was taken care by DAP's YB Ng Sze Han, so we got the face masks from the Unit Tindak Kinrara. Each household received four face masks in a plastic bag, together with a small piece of paper with instructions for proper mask usage. Based on Facebook posts, seems that different places received a different number of masks. Guess its based on supply and how the packing was d...

One of my favourite's from mum's kitchen is yam cake. The recipe was passed down from my paternal grandmother. The characteristics of mum's version are generous amounts of cubed yam, dried shrimps, and fried shallots. Some people like lots of five spice powder in the batter, but not me. It's a great snack to have with Kampung Koh chili sauce, and the leftovers can be pan-fried for another level of enjoyment. Mum made this dish several times during the MCO. Lohmaikai is a dish that mum had not made in a long time. Think the last time I had it was back in Kuantan, probably two decades ago. We were lucky enough to sample it again during the MCO! Homemade lohmaikai is not soggy and soft like what you get from kopitiams and dim sum restaurants. When I was a kid, this dish was a favourite for breakfast. Mum would steam a whole lot of tapioca, then make a thick sauce out of palm sugar and pandan leaves. Very delicious, very sweet! Buburchaha is another gem. The combinati...