will i am's delayed diary

For as long as I can remember, KH and I had been using Durex Play ( I prefer water-based over silicone-based ) for our skanky time. Over the years, some other brands, but we stuck with Durex Play. At some point, we tried KY Jelly, but I hated the high viscosity. Also experimented with Ansell , but they exited Malaysia long ago. Recently, we took a chance on ONE Oasis after spotting a good deal on Shopee. Definitely more attractive compared to Durex Play. It came in very fun packaging with a large lollypop sticker. The bottle is quite novel, a mixture of plastic and aluminium. In terms of viscosity, its slightly runnier than Durex, but it lasts much longer. No need to reapply so often. And its tacky after it dries. There's a hint of odour from the formulation, but not unpleasant. I'm sold! 

For some time now, I've heard of Taman Saujana Hijau in Precint 11 of Putrajaya. I've seen some photos of it posted by a church member and an ex-colleague. Been wondering if its suitable to bring my mother. Early one October morning, we went anyway as we were sick and tired of Taman Bukit Jalil. It's approximately 16 kilometers from my house, about a twenty-minute drive. When we arrived, the parking situation was pretty chaotic, and I made a mental note to arrive earlier next time. From the car park, one has to climb a few flight of stairs ( bad news for the wheelchair-bound ) to get to the park. The stairs are narrow, and midway up, one has to perform the usual MySJ scanning. The park management should definitely look into constructing a separate set of stairs for smoother human traffic, and social distancing.  Taman Saujana Hijau is a park that spans 47 acres of land. The path snakes around a hilly terrain full of evergreens. Everywhere you look, you will catch sight of ...

One of the fluorescent lights in my dining room died on me. No flickering at all, no response. Did some basic troubleshooting by switching the tube and the starter. The results were the same. Surmised that it was something more sinister like the death of the ballast. Tried my hand to convert the bugger to an LED light by just bypassing the ballast. Changed the wiring and swapped in a LED tube. The light came on, but wasn't stable and I could hear crackling from the light switch. Immediately aborted. Video-called Drew for some professional advice, and he concluded that the light switch is also part of the problem. I had reached the limit of my DIY skills and decided to call in the professionals. Drew was right, the light switch had KO-ed. Also took the opportunity to correct some quirky wiring. Originally, the left gang controlled the right light, while the right gang, controlled the left light. Zzz. The electrician also replaced the casing of the light so things look more streamli...

It's that time of the year again-- my birthday. My birthday celebrations are often simple, and my forty first birthday was no different. A simple lunch at home with family and friends. Crabs are high on my craving list, so KH got me a nice serving of the crustaceans from Crab Generation . Other than that, he also packed roast duck from his favourite food truck in Taman Desa. Gratitude came all the way from Klang, and came with something sweet-- a foot-long mango strudel from Strudel Bakery House . Drew also came with vegetarian food. SK was in charge of the cake, and the custom cake she ordered from Lynn Can Bake was jaw-dropping. The rose-lychee liquor watermelon cake "was brought to you by the letter W!".  Quite a challenge fitting that monster of a cake in the refrigerator. Once we had lunch, the cake was cut, and I made a round of drip coffee for everyone. From the dining table, we spilled over to the living room for a chit-chat session long into late afternoon. Than...

On Sunday morning, mum and I went out to Taman Tasik Titiwangsa for a walk around the park. Arrived before 7 AM, so there was still ample parking along Jalan Temerloh. I misunderstood KH, so he was parked at another side. As the name suggests, it's a park around a lake, and its a big ass lake. Separated into the East Lake, and West Lake, both are connected via a short canal with a couple of bridges. The ecosystem of the lake seems well-maintained as efforts were taken to plant reeds, and other aquatic plants. The water was so clear that one could easily make out the fishes in it. In comparison, Taman Bukit Jalil's ponds are like overcrowded muddy aquaculture ponds.   The park is well-organized with clear paths for runners and cyclists. But Malaysians don't really care for such things. Haha. We'd be all over the paths. In places like Stanley Park , one could easily get run over by cyclists or roller-bladers. Overall, we didn't quite like this park due to the lack of ...

Transitioning from one job to the next, I would have really preferred to take a break before a new start. Unfortunately, that was not to be. My new employer was in a hurry to get me onboarded. Definitely could have used some time to detox to better absorb the fresh environment, and new challenges. Over the weekend, I received a pretty Nyonya kuih gift box from my ex-colleague, and had a nice early birthday dinner with Gratitude at Restoran KK Ocean Point in Kota Kemuning. The next morning, I clocked into my new job!

Always one to grab opportunities, KH turned my last working day into a paktor session. He picked me up and sent me to the office. After I was done with all the formalities, he brought me out for coffee at Bean Brothers . While sipping my long black, and enjoying my chocolate roulade, I composed the customary farewell e-mail. KH took one look at it and disapproved! A bit too fake lo. Try again. Hehe. Ran a few drafts past KH, and finally sent out a semi-fake version. Done! A surreal feeling to have finally left my first job. A long 'detox' session would have been beneficial before I started my new role, but I didn't have the luxury. I was to report to work on the coming Monday!