Run : Moving

I lied, I said I'd reintroduce moving in my life. 

But I not only walked, I also ran and rode a bicycle, did yoga and meditation, rope skipping, and tried weight training. Anything I could do to move my body, especially when I didn't feel like it - every time I contemplate whether I should move or not, I just turn off my mind and get ready because I don't trust my brain to choose.

For self-validation, I screenshot my awards from Fitness because they are beautifully designed, and I closed so many rings this month (+ you can turn the 3D medal back and forth to see the engraved date you when achieved it) :

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In September:

• Walk - 5,000 steps in a day ✔
• Walk - 5 km ✔
• Walk - 10,000 steps in a day ✔
• Walk - 10 km ✔
• Walk - 16,000 steps in a day ✔
• Run - 3 km ✔
• Run - 5 km ✔
• Run - 7 km ✔
• Ride bicycle - 10km ✔
• Rope Skipping - 100x ✔
• Practice Yoga - 15 mins ✔
• Practice Yoga - 30 mins ✔
• Meditation - 10 mins ✔
• Meditation - 20 mins ✔

Accumulated steps: 192,750 steps

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Physical Body:

I used the 'fancy' weighing scale at my sister's house and found out details about my body - I am practically underweight, with only 5% fat - that's around 2kg of fat in my body (can you imagine how flat I am without fats as a woman? ok don't imagine it then). No wonder I was always cold and feeble and fragile. 

My skeletal muscle is in perfect condition, but my muscle percentage is quite low - so I need to focus on getting physically stronger because I'm done with people forcing me to eat. I'm not anorexic, I'm just a bit too mellow in the heart, it will get better one day when it is ready, but I can't force it to not feel, kan? It is just something that comes in a package. At this point, it is just an annoyance when people only ask me whether I eat. So I focus on getting stronger and fitter, the healthy weight gain will come slowly as I workout. In the past, I did gain weight when I started to actively run. 

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The gym is less than 100 steps from my house, so I have no excuse not to go, even on rainy days. Even on school holidays when I can't walk as much, I tried other methods to move. I only rested when I got my period because I was often light-headed during this phase and needed some TLC, good food, and rest. I even surprised myself by running a 5k non-stop (but on a treadmill). I didn't think I could do it, but my body seems to remember how it works. And the physical pain of running is what I crave. The body remembers. The good thing is I had no other option but to refuel for energy and recovery. I was constantly hungry, so I had to eat.

And I realized this maybe the route I had to take to heal. 

I did this before, and it worked the last time. Hopefully, it will work this time, too.

I'll take as much time as needed and build as much muscle as needed.

So, cheers to that.

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I'll move as much as God gives me the will and good health to continue.

So, let's pray for that, in abundance.

Plus, I needed a new playlist, this feels too last year. 

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That's to wrap up this year's post, and I'll be on hiatus now.

Take care and have a nice end of 2024, see you next year. 

Keep reading and stay moving.

Little Stories 301 : School Holiday and Activities by the End of Sept •ᴗ•

It was the school holiday.

I let Sofi stay with me the whole week even though daycare was still open. Sofi was sick a lot these past few months, so I wanted her to have healthy morning sessions under the sun for the whole week and more outings so she could play outside.

We were at my sister's most of the time because I worked with her the whole week, so I could still do some packing, Sofi could still entertain herself and came to help me every time she was bored, and I got a buffer so that Sofi doesn't cling to me 24/7 (she went off and kacau mamaja or unke is all the time). Between work, we did a lot of things during the school holiday. 

I packed + pre-packed around 400 parcels during the school holiday.

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School Holiday Activities:

1. We went to play at the playgrounds in Aja's house area almost every morning when it did not rain - we went to 3 different ones to try them all out. It was raining most early mornings, so we could only go out after 8 am. The best one is the one nearest to her home because I can just walk back when I need to use the toilet :p

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2. We played tanglong and fireworks during the Supermoon Lunar Eclipse - I bought tanglong at IOI while searching for Ma's birthday present. Kinda reminded me of last year's lunar eclipse celebration at Angelbell, so I wanted to give her something to play that night at the verandah. Pretty moment ♥︎

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3. We went to Sofi's first karaoke session - Aja brought us here, of course. 

We had our first official singing session together (mostly Disney's songs). She looked sooooo darn cute. She has this one-tone low voice that she uses for singing, I wonder if she is as tone-deaf as her uncle and Tokma ♡  

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4. We went to Sofi's first dentist visit - She complained about tooth pain, I know 3 of her molars had holes. I've been slowly telling her that we should have our first dental visit, and she was convinced. I promised the first visit would be only the consulting session. 

The first visit was good, the doctor knew how to talk and entertain her, although she was nervous. So, based on the consult, she needs 3 molar fillings, right now one of the molars is infected, and that caused the pain. Sofi had to be on antibiotics, and later when she finished it, she would have her first simplest molar filling to introduce the procedure. The next 2 fillings are a bit complicated because the dentist will need to do some drilling so, those would be next in line. 

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5. We went to watch The Wild Robot - The movie came out the day before, and I wanted to watch it (because the trailer was sooooooo beautiful, it's crazy). I asked Aja whether she wanted to join, and then, Is also joined us. Thank you, Af for the school holiday movie treat. 

The movie was undeniably beautiful, like those illustrated storybooks that I loved so much. A lot of moments can be screen captured and be my computer's wallpaper. They looked like paintings. 

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6. We did a quick visit to Tokpa's The Plot during MAHA - this was an impromptu visit, I was mentally not ready (did not bring a hat or water bottle or a mask, or just mentally prepared for the crowd lah). So, if you knew me, "knew me", I am someone who is often easily triggered by my surroundings. I don't go mingle in a place that I know has a lot of stimulation without being mentally prepared - or I will be overwhelmed. 

MAHA is a very hot, very crowded place. 

And it is very overwhelming - I tried my very best to play along with the impromptu visit because Aja needed to restock her stuff from The Plot. But yeah, it was ok - we managed to stay around 1 hr + and I went back home without a migraine. 

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7. Oh, and I'm watching my first Korean melodrama - Tell Me That You Love Me, because it is visually beautiful and tells a story about silent lonely people, which is always my fav topic in the world. Lagi pulak watak pakcik2 - tp versi korea pulak dah.

8. This month, I only managed to finish 2 books - The Girl Who Wrote Loneliness by Kyung-Sook Shin on my Kindle. I felt like it was such a loooong, dreary read, and also, The Vegetarian by Han Kang, it was so weird and an uncomfortable read.

School holidays felt long and short, both at the same time.

Right after it ended, I had a 12,000 steps walk in the city alone to recharge, and I bought another Yasuwari Kawabata's book as a present for myself because I packed 400 parcels last week. I bought The Sound of the Mountain, it's my third, and I just love it. I hope no one buys the copies in Kino, I got another 2 books that I need to buy from there and there is only a single copy each left :F

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Post School Holiday:

9. Sofi had her first molar fixed. It was a success, although the night before, she had a tantrum and cried all the way before her bedtime (apparently, she was scared). Later that night, I explained to her many times about the procedure that she was going to face. It was the simplest filling on the surface of her left molar. It took less than 10 minutes, no cries. 

What I did was:

• Introduce her to the place and dentist
• Choose the same dentist (esp when he/she knows how to deal with kids)
• Build up their connection (to develop trust)
• Explain to her whenever needed (so she will be mentally prepared)
• Ask the dentist to explain to her about the procedure (so she knows what to expect)
• Hold her foot and baca lah all the d'oa to give her courage (so she knows I'm there with her)

I know a lot of people are scared of dentists or any dental procedure, but what I can assure you is that, it is much much better to have early exposure to healthy dental care. So, I'm teaching Sofi early to not be afraid of meeting a dentist. Itu pun kira da lambat la, 3 molar dah berlubang.  

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10. I went to LitBooks. Not an easy place to reach - the whole 1 hr + train ride to MRT Surian and then a bus ride to Tropicana Avenue. It was Miss Chin's idea to check up on the place, and it did not disappoint. I mean, the bookshop is not big, but the book listings were good and curated. I asked the man whether they have any of Yasuwari Kawabata's collection because they are hard to find, but most of his books were sold out and yes, he confirmed that it is quite hard to restock his book. 

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11. Sofi's Sports Day was held at Footballhub@Rimbayu on the last Sept's weekend. It was a humid afternoon (it rained for a while before the event started). Sofi didn't cry this time, she was much more composed than last year. She stayed with her team, and she played well. I'm really proud of her. I know I shouldn't compare, but seeing obvious differences between a 4-year-old and a 5-year-old was an eye-opening experience. 

It gets easier; they are learning things, and in a mere one year, a lot of things could be learned and achieved. I could use this as a reminder when things are tough kan, to not see hardships as something impossible to get through, maybe what I need is time and a space to learn and grow so I can be better next time. When we were small, we had our parents to remind us that, but now we are grown-ups, we just need to remind ourselves this because there is no one else better than you, to know what you need to move forward. 

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12. We went to Petrosains KLCC on Monday, because the teachers decided to give an extra school holiday after the sports day. So, I made an impromptu plan. It has been 25 years since my last visit (when I was still in school). I don't usually do things unplanned, but with a kid, I need to relearn this to manage my anxiety better. So, just little plans - like packing snacks from home, dedicated rest and snack time, with a smaller list to achieve, and a few warnings and reminders to Sofi.

It actually went really well. She was in such a good spirit, she was enjoying the whole 2 hours experience, and even when she had to take a long train ride and walk a lot, and have a late lunch, she was still chatty and excited to the end. No ngada2 - I warned her if she ngada2, there won't be any outings like this, hahah. So we had such a lovely time together. Jalan more than 5km, takda angkat2 ok. 

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Ok that's it for end of September post •ᴗ• 

Little Stories 300 : Home-Made Nasi Lemak Luncheon

Nasi Lemak at Makcik Aja's

Last weekend, our "extra" cooking session was held at Aja's house. The theme is kampung-style, and our main food is nasi lemak. I was there to help Aja (tiny helps because I was also packing at the same time). I just suggested that we have home-made nasi lemak for lunch that weekend, and the little plan turned into an extra fun eating session - like I said before, kalau tak extra, tak sah. When I checked back on last year's posting, we also did something like this in the exactly same month - read here. 

The extra parts are :

• the table deco (ma bawak kain batik from Nilai)
• ma wore baju kurung (to fit the theme, lololol)
• ma tried her best to find local fruits (nanas, manggis, buah mata kucing)
• siap beli daun pisang to alas our foods
• siap pasang lagu2 traditional on the background while we eat

But it was a fun little family gathering, nice food, nice chat, nice time spent together - with us, the original clan. The dessert was pengat pisang and cream puffs (Ra bought them). I even ate lactase to enjoy the cream puffs (this is a reminder to restock my lactase pills).

What I didn't tell them is that I started all these after I watched The Bear, hah hah. I started to appreciate the eating experience, my aim was to rewire the eating experience with something nicer for me so that I could enjoy eating. Because I've been having a hard time eating for several years - that every time I eat, I feel awful and bloated. Maybe due to stress and anxiety. So I don't really eat or enjoy eating, because my brain seems to associate food with feeling sick - then I lost a lot of weight lah. I want to change that.

So, I'm a social eater, I eat when I'm with people. 

I try my best to put in a good effort and enjoy the cooking process with them, then I eat slowly. I still can't eat as much as everyone else without feeling a bit uncomfortable but I think it is working - I am enjoying these little home-cooking sessions, I think I should let Sofi help us too so she can improve her eating habit as well (I think she is as fussy-eater as me, this might be good for both of us).

Anyway, I hope you can enjoy our little home-cooked sessions and my beaaaaautiful colourful food posts because I'm always so excited to compile my own pictures from these experiences. Hah hah. 

Happy eating.

Little Stories 299 : Glasshopper, Physically Moving & my Secret Hideout

Beautiful Breakfast - Outing Edition

That morning, we rented and rode bicycles in Putrajaya for almost an hour (10km). Then Aja brought me to Glasshopper in Putrajaya and treated me to a beautiful breakfast. Renting a bicycle near Taman Seri Empangan is much cheaper (RM 10), but the bicycles are old and not in good condition - need to choose wisely.

Look at my colorful fancy breakfast (walaupun both of us masam2 macam kain buruk) :

I'm part-timing with my sister for the time being.  

I think it is an excuse for her to make me stay over at her house, always :F

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Slowly Moving 

I started moving again. I promised myself that after I recovered from vertigo and the viral cough, I would use up my body well to move and try not to forget what it felt like to be sick. 2 long months felt like an eternity, but I fully recovered. So I started exercising again. 

• I aimed to do at least 5,000 steps daily
• When I reached 5,000 steps, I tried to reach 10,000 steps
• When I reached 10,000 steps, I tried to reach 10 k distance

At this moment, I only walk because I'm reintroducing moving again to myself, and my aim is not to lose more weight. If I started running, I might shed more weight. I'm really skinny right now, so if I could gain more muscle and healthy fats instead, that would be good. Also, Sofi was off-school for a week (school holiday), so I couldn't walk daily and had to improvise.

In September:

• Walk 5,000 steps in a day ✔
• Walk 5 km ✔
• Walk 10,000 steps in a day ✔
• Walk 10 km ✔
• Run 3 km ✔
• Ride bicycle 10km ✔
• Practice Yoga for 15 mins ✔
• Meditation 20 mins ✔

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I changed my mind.

I don't want to openly tell people that I'm writing again. I would rather have my peace and quiet here, only with you, my tiny people. This is my secret hideout - if you know, you know. 

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I think giving assurance is a rare skill. 

I didn't know I needed them until I had several falls in the past few years. And when life is so tough kan, so terribly cursed, so darn miserable, we don't usually have anything on us left, all stripped bare and naked on the floor, drained to the core, and at that moment, sometimes you only want words of assurance. Not a promise, not a sympathy, not a full package of support & time commitment, just assurance. Just so you can stay a little bit longer, persevere.  

To continue striving to survive the difficult phase. 

Have something to believe in. Sprinkle some hope. Turn on the string light along the dark tunnel. 

After all, it's free.

All you need is empathy and your words.  

Little Stories 298 : MOSS Fest 2024

Read last year's event post here - Moss Fest 2023

I got another invite from Mossery and despite fighting with a deep urge to hide in my cave - forever, I accepted the invite. The night before I woke up at 3.30 am and had been having a bad morning to start the day. But, the best day to go out is when you don't feel like going out.

This time, they had the event at their HQ in PJ.

It was quite far, not that accessible by public transport.

The train ride there took around 1 hour, plus another additional 1/2 hour on Grab. 

I arrived, registered, picked up my free goody bag, took videos and pictures for the content, submitted my free customized Mossery cover, ordered the free Yuzu Matcha at the stall, waited awkwardly, looked at the rejected notebook booth, waited some more until my book cover was ready. It took a while, I was hungry by the time I finished my task of the day.

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Then I took the Grab again and stopped to find something to eat for lunch. 

I had ramen at Sushi Jiro - but unfortunately, it was bad. I haven't eaten any spicy things for the past 2 months since I had the epic viral cough, and this was my first celebratory spicy ramen, and it was bad. I didn't even finish it and I was disappointed :F Kesian.

Anyway, afterward, I went to bookstores to see whether the latest Sally Rooney / Haruki Murakami / Elif Shafak are now available locally. Exciting year kan, a lot of releases from my fav authors (that I personally collect). 

I completed my 10k steps walk.

Tiny win ♥︎

Little Stories 297 : Another Garden Breakfast, More on Slow Reading September and Books

 

Repeat Breakfast in the Garden:

I was back at Ma's again when Sofi was off school due to the allergy episode that lasted 5 days (which might be scabies because the doctor prescribed her scabies medication, and all went well after the 12-hour treatment). Last Sunday, my sister was back, so Ma wanted to repeat the breakfast in the garden thing we did the previous weekend. But this time, she went ahead of me and prepared the table beforehand so that she could use the purple tablecloths. Hah, tanak kalah. 

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September Slow Reading Session:

• Must I Go by Yiyun Li
• The Girl Who Wrote Loneliness by Shin Kyoong-Sook

What did I learn from the 5 books I read last month?

• I love Elena Ferrante for her honest writing, she can be considered a female Dostoyevsky - sure, she touches upon topics of womanhood, parenting, relationships, all the touchy-feely stuff. But she wrote them bluntly, unforgivingly, like she really meant them. I will read all of her books. 
• Banana Yoshimoto and Yoko Ogawa's books were a bit too plain for my taste. But I have several more of their books to try. 
• Yasunari Kawabata is my new fav as well, I would probably collect his Penguin edition books. Short novella, classic, beautiful writing, sudden ending, sure, why not. From his writing, I know that Yasunari Kawabata was an emotional being, very observant, and very sensitive, he wrote about the surroundings delicately. He created some sort of slow vibe to match the story. He killed himself in his 70s, among other famous Japanese writers; Yukio Mishima, Ryunosuke Akutagawa, and Osamu Dazai.

I learned that writers tend to have internal chaos in their psyche and I love it when it shows. 

I mean, I'm reading Yiyun Li and Shin Kyoong-Sook's books now, and boy, the emotions uproared in their character's silent demeanor. 

Imagine if I chose not to ride my drama, I would probably only write something bland - all the time. But the thing is, I practice writing in every spectrum of emotions - except anger (I don't write when I'm angry; I write after I have done a full, thorough reflection). Sad - write, anxious - write, happy - write, excited - write, confused - write, thinking - write, bored - write, lonely - write. It is good practice. 

If I want to read something zen, I wouldn't choose fiction, I would read the Qur'an (I do, I read it daily now). 

Kan I told you, fiction makes me feel connected with others, reminding me that I'm not the only one dealing with all the drama. That the chaos whispering in my thoughts is normal - because I am a complex human being. I contain multitudes. 

And this energy, if used in the right way, can produce good fiction :F Kalau tak, why on earth do people say Dostoevsky is one of the best writers of the 19th century? He was a very dramatic writer - ada baca White Nights? Ya ampun drama, that was in the span of 5 days kot. Yes, the same for all his other books; Notes from Underground, or the Double, or The Dream of a Ridiculous Man, etc. 

Oh yes, I also reached my 37 books goal this month (3 months ahead):

Recommended Books:

• Beauty and Sadness by Yasunari Kawabata
• The Lost Daughter by Elena Ferrante
• Elastic by Leonard Mlodinow
• Greek Lessons by Han Kang
• Invisible by Paul Auster
• Please Look After Mom by Kyung Sook Shin
• The White Castle by Orhan Pamuk
• 10 Minutes 38 Seconds in this Strange World by Elif Shafak
• The Days of Abandonment by Elena Ferrante

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Perpustakaan Negara:

I also went to Perpustakaan Negara with Af for the first time in a really long time (not knowing that they are currently doing the whole renovation, so they temporarily moved to the next building for the unforeseeable future). Af said I didn't mention him enough in the blog, well, he got a week gap this week, and so he accompanied me to the library (because I never tried going there myself), I even completed a 10 km walk that day. Thank you.

The building is very old, and all the staff were very helpful and friendly, but the books are also quite old, and unfortunately, there was no English fiction and hardly even English non-fiction. Mostly everything is in Malay or translated to Malay. I know, I'm biased. The food in the cafeteria is nice though. 

To get there on MRT: MRT Raja Uda (head to IJN) - around 15-minute walk

I decided that the only library I love at this moment is Perpustakaan Kuala Lumpur (they just need a great donor for more latest and classic books). 

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Sunset :

How strange / When life unfolds this way / In the driftless zone / Sky's are prone to stay off-gray / Clouds are omens too / Fading at the rate / Most pleasant memories do / This is a lost taste ♪

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Outing with Mi: I know my siblings have been trying to "be there" for me lately - that explains the random outings and treats and messages, a lot of them (like they personally text me to ask how I'm doing :F And I have to reply or they would be worried). It felt a bit weird, but I accepted any help I could get, maybe this would be good for me kan. 

So Mi took me out for lunch, a feet massage session, and dessert at Chloe that Saturday.

The ramen was really good ♥︎

BUT, on Sunday, I had the worst food poisoning (self-diagnosed). I don't know what happened, just that I had a stomach ache the whole 2 days later, persistent diarrhea for 12 hours - nothing worked (twice charcoal, once Chi Kit Teak Aun, ginger tea), I was feeling feverish, I laid on my bed the whole day feeling sick and in pain, can't eat anything solid for the whole day. Later that night, after he bought me a medication from a pharmacy, then it finally stopped.

Then, the next morning, I was okay. 

Only crampy, not crappy.

Epic.

Note: The next day, I went to the gym to walk because it felt terrible to be reminded of sickness again - after being sick for 2 months. The viral cough, the sinusitis, the vertigo, then stomach flu? Like I said, epic. At this point, even though I hide from everything and tried to lay as low as possible, dramas keep on stalking me any where I go. 

Little Stories 296 : Random Over-sharing Session

On Secretly Existing:

I'm having an internal argument about whether to let people know about the re-existence of this blog (since last year, I was quite actively writing) or let people who know, know, and there's that. I've gone off the radar among my friends for a while now, and they might know my little secret hideout if I let people know that I'm back on the blogosphere. I don't think they care now, but they might come to prove a point - that I'm a lousy friend. Which isn't a shocker, I have a habit of muting the world and creeping into my cave to hibernate for years at a time. It's my unhealthy coping mechanism.

It's easy to let strangers read your writing, but friends that you've stopped texting? Hm. But then again, it is so good to see people commenting kan. Perhaps, a taste of validation or some sort of communication when my social life is as dry as my jokes. Ada I tried making friends with these local bookish Instagrammers and artsy people on the internet, I personally DM-ed them and tried to have a conversation and exchange books, but I was ghosted several times. Hah hah hah. I can't deal with that many friendship rejections, my heart is as fragile as cheap washi papers. 

So, I have been secretly existing here for the past 17 years and perhaps, oversharing at times.

Talk about a capricorn being ambitiously consistent and here's the proof. 

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On Trying to do Something Other Than Reading:

I'm slowly streaming series, cleaning up as I go. I watched the series that I had started, but I didn't finish before. I'm too lazy to watch anything, most of the time, I rather read. But, I needed another alternate home activity. Here's the series:

• Peaky Blinders - worth your time
• Acolyte - untuk cuci mata
• Good Girls - fun first 2 seasons
• The Bear - worth your time, recommended
• Mad Man - just started, no comment yet

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Books in August: I read a lot of Asian Literature this month, so straightforward, so direct, so blunt, am I missing something? Is this due to the translation and writing style or is it a cultural thing?  

• How Do You Live? by Genzaburo Yoshino
• The Lost Daughter by Elena Ferrante
• Snow Country by Yasunari Kawabata
• The Premonition by Banana Yoshimoto
• The Housekeeper and the Professor by Yoko Ogawa

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I think the most beautiful thing about being human is our ability to feel. 

On one side, I feel the most vulnerable, on the other, I feel like I'm standing in front of a door that can lead to the universe.

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Please Universe Show Me A Sign:

In one week alone, Sofi had cough, then fever, then watery nose, on top of that, yesterday she started having rashes like a skin allergic reaction after school, we had a dramatic night and it got worse in the morning when little bumps spread the whole body turning into small maps. We had to bring her to the clinic to get it checked, the doctor can only prescribe calamine and cold medication (that works like anti-histamine to reduce the allergic reaction, no jabs because she is a bit too young). 

She wailed the whole way; "I kenot tahan, I kenot tahan mami please help me", I felt like I died a little. 

But after putting calamine on her whole body, and giving her the medication, she started to get better and chatty again. Then she fell asleep because the medication was making her sleepy, and then I could breathe again. Then I make breakfast for myself, hang all the clothes from the washing machine (because perhaps there's something that bit her), submit a work task, and reply to work emails. 

She's off from school again, so please, universe, let me know, how to become a full-time mother and still work full-time in an office. Ma said that this isn't a unique problem; everyone with kids faces this, I need to figure out the work arrangement and still be a mother - situation. I've been a full-time freelancer for quite a while, and it is hard to imagine being full-time in the office again. 

I'm having anxiety just thinking about this.

ربي يسر ولا تعسر ,ربي تمم بالخير

Being depressed is not even an option:

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Last night I finished The Housekeeper and the Professor, it was draggy because it talked too much about mathematics and numbers and formulas and baseball. I finished it, feeling like I just had a crash course before taking an exam.

Little Stories 295 : Beautiful Brunch, Books and Broom

 

Staying Over at Ma's and Big Brunch:

I stayed over at my mom's again - for almost a week. 

I had a follow-up appointment at the KK, got cleared from TB, and received medication for the phlegm and vertigo. Then I kind of overstayed because I was still a bit unwell with the vertigo, it was nice to be well-fed 3 times a day and jalan2 like I don't have any problems in the world. But Sofi missed school the whole week. 

Then again, around 2 weeks later Sofi had a fever, and I was back at my mom's. We stayed for a few days until her fever subsided by day 4, but the cough was still bad. I planned for a big homemade brunch on Sunday - just for fun. My brother was the head chef, and we were the minion sous chefs playing grown-up versions of masak2. Trying to give him a taste of leadership and pushing him to hone his skills. 

There were mainly Western-style big breakfasts and additional shakshuka that my brother wanted to try to make. I was craving for baked potatoes and croissants. I woke up early to prep for all the basics (food for 8 adults + 4 kids), it took us around 4 hours before we could finally sit together in the garden and eat. The challenge here was preparing each meal as an individual meal for each person instead of the usual buffet style, but anyhow, we had fun. 

His croissant bread loaf is divine - I would want to buy this in the future.    

Look at this beautiful ray of colours:

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Slow Reading:

I just finished Elena Ferrante's The Lost Daughter on my Kindle. I watched the movie on Netflix first, then I read the book. Curious. The part where Leda left her daughters, I can't relate. The book was more personal, and the movie was slow-burn, and then, pow! I love Elena Ferrante's writing, she seems to be writing about female angst perfectly well, just like Annie Ernaux. Unapologetically for us, the female species. 

Then I bought another copy of Yasunari Kawabata's Penguin Classics version, I found it on Carousell (preloved but still in the plastic). I purchased one of his famous classics, Snow Country, and started to read it soon after I finished The Lost Daughter. But it was short, I finished reading it by the end of the weekend at my mom's. I woke up super early every day and sat next to an annoying super bright desk light at the corner of the room and read until Sofi woke up. 

Snow Country is about a married man who is in love with a geisha, and he comes by every year to visit and spend time with her =.= A lot of unsaid things, not very expressive in terms of their feelings, as a reader, I need to actually imagine what both were feeling to understand the heaviness of their relationship. I don't like reading between the lines, I read books because I want them spelled out for me, these emotions, I want to read them word by word. If I wanted to read the vibes and analyze unsaid emotions, I'd watch movies.

Currently, I'm, reading The Premonition by Banana Yoshimoto soon after, back on my Kindle. This is also a quick read because I just started it yesterday but already reached the middle of the book today.

By now I completed 36 books this year.

Way slower than in past years, but I'm not complaining. 

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A Day Out with my Siblings (sans the youngest one)

My brother asked me out on his off day, and I took that chance to go to the library to return the books I borrowed 1 month ago. Aja tagged along, of course. It's been a while since we went out; everybody is busy, and I'm not. It's weird to be the one with free time. 

We went to Broom at BB because it was closed the last time we went there. I ordered a savory breakfast, we chatted, and we planned for the next thing to do. Apparently, we are really bad at planning for any family activities because we don't do that much except for activities that revolve around food. Each of us loves to do very different things. I'm the boring one, so I love books and walks, my brother probably loves exciting activities + foods, and my sister loves things like shopping and karaoke (which I mostly detest). How to find common ground, right? Oh, and none of us do sport.

Finally, I suggested we watch Deadpool and Wolverine. So we did, and it was entertaining, with a bit too many icky, unnecessary blood scenes, it was great to see Logan alive again, saying goodbye to old, non-forgotten characters, and cameos were much appreciated.  

Ada bincang kenapa kita ni rasa dah tua sgt, badan sakit2 rasa fatigue, adakah sebab kita da nak reach 40-an? Lepas tu tgk Wolverine and google umur Hugh Jackman adalah 55 tahun ya. Hihi. 

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Melaka Trip:

We also went to Melaka, just a short 2-day trip in the hot city.

Sofi was experiencing everything for the first time, so it was super exciting for her: the Taming Sari at night time, the bubble and train ride in Pantai Klebang, the cendol, and ABC, the night market, the bright colourful beca, the museum walk, the failed hot walk in Jonker Street (that ended with Sofi having a super tantrum) :F She was so happy. 

2 days later, she had a fever and bad cough T^T

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Random Ayat:

I love that in the Waqi'ah, this line is twice mentioned, esp when it is recited by the end of the surah:

فَسَبِّحْ بِٱسْمِ رَبِّكَ ٱلْعَظِيمِ

So glorify the Name of your Lord, the Greatest - 56:74 & 56:96

and it was also mentioned in Al-Haqqah 69:52

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Health Wise:

I recovered from my vertigo.

My cough and phlegm condition are still around, especially the residual phlegm. When I needed to cough, it sounded quite bad, but mostly because of the stuck phlegm. Other than that, no itchy throat or greenish-coloured mucus is coming out. I read that the aftermath of a viral infection will take some time to clear off from the system. 

I'm officially on week 8 and still taking daily honey with habbatusauda, when I feel like the phlegm is a bit of a nuisance, I take the medication for the phlegm - maybe once or twice a week. Other than that, I try to trust the body's recovery process and leave the rest to Allah. 

Oh, I also went for the Tit Tar Man trial - neck, shoulder, and lower back alignment + consultation. Basically, I can't do anything with my back hump, my neck and shoulders are a bit problematic so that will cause a lot of problems in the future if I don't manage it well - but I'm an illustrator/designer, and it is my job. My left and right back muscles are not balanced due to sitting improperly, which, I can't deny, I love to sit one leg up. Anyway, I will do yoga stretches after this, I proooomise. 

 

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Something from Anais:

"We write to heighten our own awareness of life. We write to lure and enchant and console others. We write to serenade our lovers. We write to taste life twice, in the moment and in retrospection. We write, like Proust, to render all of it eternal, and to persuade ourselves that it is eternal. We write to be able to transcend our life, to reach beyond it. We write to teach ourselves to speak with others, to record the journey into the labyrinth. We write to expand our world when we feel strangled, or constricted, or lonely… If you do not breathe through writing, if you do not cry out in writing, or sing in writing, then don’t write because our culture has no use for it. When I don’t write, I feel my world shrinking. I feel I am in prison. I feel I lose my fire and my color. It should be a necessity, as the sea needs to heave, and I call it breathing.“ - Anais Nin

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Note: All events happened in August, but they were written non-chronologically. Sometimes I don't feel like sharing, and sometimes I do feel like sharing. So some stuff was drafted for a while until I finally sat, finished writing them, and clicked 'publish'.

Beebeeboobooboo.

Little Stories 294 : On Top of That, Vertigo. But 26:80

On Dealing with Vertigo:

I think the last time I had to deal with vertigo was probably in 2022/2023 - I booked from a promo from KPJ Kinrara for an ENT screening and the doctor helped me with an epley maneuver and a box of 1-month medication (Betaserc). Then it helped, I didn't have vertigo since. 2021 was a challenging year.

Around 2 weeks ago, I accidentally triggered my vertigo by switching off my bed light, looking up, and tilting my head to the left while lying down - which I always avoided because my problematic ear is on the left side. Since then, the vertigo stayed. Minor, not the full rollercoaster version - manageable. I can still walk and do stuff, but I avoid bending/looking down, and I solat sitting on a chair. I can't run though or walk fast.

It has been more than 2 weeks, but everything still moves more than needed.

I want to run, or at least walk in the city confidently, unchaperoned, not scared of falling down randomly by accident. I tried the Epley maneuver myself, but it didn't work, or I probably did not do it correctly. The stress in my upper body stays because I hardly move my head freely.

The doctor in KK gave me medication to help with the symptoms but not to treat it. She suggested doing a proper checkup with an ENT. In contrast, a physiotherapist suggested doing an upper body MRI to pinpoint the problem so they can treat it properly because vertigo can be triggered by many factors. They can help with a lot of sessions to help reduce it, but it is bound to repeat when it is triggered (I did a lot of physio and chiro sessions in 2021, read the summary here). Again, this is not my first rodeo, so I know how to function with mild vertigo, I used to have vertigo for weeks before I finally gave in and went for a treatment to get it fixed. 

Mark 2 weeks, I googled ENT with vertigo expertise and got a number for Dr. Loh for ENT Sunway Specialist Center, I contacted the number and suddenly got a slot for the next day. I didn't plan to get it that fast, but I just confirmed without thinking for long. 

My session was rather quick. I got a consult. After I told him my whole history with vertigo, he said he suspected it was BBPV and straight away helped me with epley maneuver to reposition the crystal for balancing (if you remember in biology, you will know what I'm talking about), then he checked my ears and said that the outer ears were all fine. If it is BPPV, then it is internal. He asked to buy a prescription at a pharmacy and take it for 2 weeks. Basically, all the same things were done back in KPJ Kinrara.

• Cost: Consult + Epley Maneuver + Ear Checking = RM 300
• Medication: Betaserc (2 weeks) = RM 48

Note : It was less than 15 mins for RM 300, but if it works, then Alhamdulillah. 

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Why did I choose to meet an ENT specialist, instead of doing chiro and physio?

In my past vertigo episodes, chiro and physio worked after several weeks of treatment - which can be long and can cost more. The last time I met an ENT specialist, it worked on one treatment + medication. 

But, if I was also having neck and shoulder pain that needs help with alignment (esp when there are too many jobs and I'm too stressed out), I would probably do chiro sessions. 

Physio would be my last option only when the doctor suggests that I get physiotherapy sessions. Why? Because it takes too much time and energy. It is work - work - work. An hour every session with multiple treatments to try on. 

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Does a normal doctor help?

Most probably, they will give you medication to treat the symptoms (like nausea and dizziness). Not treating vertigo itself and medication hardly works because it depends on what kind of vertigo you are triggered by. So.. yeah. Don't go see a gp, if your vertigo won't stop for weeks, go to ENT to get it checked instead.

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Extra:

I asked the doctor, it has been 2 weeks. If I just let it be, will it subside itself? He said that it could go on for months - especially if it is BPPV, and not a vertigo triggered by something else. Yelah, I guess he is right, sebab in the past, I always needed to get it fixed eventually because it would go on for weeks and weeks, not the 1-day random vertigo kind of thing. 

Oh yes, I also need to elevate my head with double pillows while sleeping and can't side sleep for 2 weeks.

Aaaanyway, I'm not complaining. 

It is something that I have dealt with several times before, so it is nothing new. I will update this post weekly to see whether it works or not (for your reference). Hopefully, the vertigo just simply disappear soon.

26:80

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Update:

• 2 days later, the vertigo subsided. I could jump and not have the whole world extra bumpy. But I'm not taking any risks - I will still solat sitting down and sleeping like a corpse with double pillows (even though it is hurting my back).
• A week in, I think it's okay now. I can try running soon. 

Little Stories 293 : Random Post and Writing Exercise

Books I Read While I Was Sick Then Recovering: 

1. My Name is Lucy Barton by Elizabeth Strout - I've read better stories. It was light enough to read while I was really sick, so it was a good pick. I didn't like the writing style, but I love the moving mother-daughter story. 
2. How Do You Live by Genzaburo Yoshino - Master Miyazaki convinced me to read this book, when I watched The Boy and the Heron last year. 
3. Languages of Truth by Salman Rushdie - his essay collection from 2003 - 2020. Just curious about him, in general. To learn about how a writer thinks, you can read his/her essays, this man here, did make so many people angry (because of his now-banned book), he was even stabbed on stage, got one-eye blind, and is probably considered a martyr in the writing world by some people because of that. 
4. The 9 Lives of Rose Napolitano by Donna Freitas - No comment yet, been a while since I read something that feels like a chick-lit. 

Note: I haven't finished all of these books except for the first one. But I extended my library books this week, so I have 2 more extra weeks to read them. 

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Series I Watched While I Was Drawing:

• The Acolyte - I'm fine with watching eye-candy sith turning people into the dark side. I feel you, Mae.
• The Bear - This was inspiring on many levels, especially since I've felt like a loser lately because sometimes things happen, you know, and as a human, you'll lose your focus because we are very emotional beings. At least, I am. The Bear is so messy, so flawed, so traumatic, so stressful. But somehow in that chaos, you'll see that your life isn't that shitty, someone else out there is having worse life than you. So you make do. I'll remember this moment when one day in the future I can say that The Bear helped me get through it. Yeah, a fictional TV series, it spoke to me.  

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Update on the health:

Week 5 was a light in the tunnel. I finally stopped coughing; hours turned into days, and I stopped taking medicine, I didn't cough until I gagged anymore or felt like my head was bursting into flame or lightheaded after a coughing fit. Suddenly, I stopped coughing that often. Residual phlegm is still a problem, but at least it is not with those bad cough. 

I healed from sinusitis after 6 days as well, I'm okay now, I'm OK. There is still minor vertigo that I need to look into and get fixed. 

Week 6 update from KK: The doctor confirmed that I don't have TB. Whatever I had, was probably something viral and a bit stronger (I assume). 

 

I need to do something about the weight, I know. I also need to do something about my mental health because I can feel that it is linked. I don't eat when I don't feel good, and I don't feel good for a very long time. So, we need to do something about that. 

I hope you are here, with good intentions, and every single time you read my blog post, you'll do'a something great for me. Like remarkably good health, or such a strong vitality towards life, or great career progress, or just anything good at all. Please don't send me bad vibes, I can't have those in my life. 

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Apple Pencil:

With that very limited money, I bought my second Apple Pencil so that I could start drawing again and accept illustration projects because I needed this and Raya season is coming up soon. I need to restart the life that I've put on hold; I need to start living again, whatever that entails. 

This, is still traumatizing, but I don't have any other options, do I? 

But I managed to finish up one whole illustration exercise, after more than 6 months of not picking up the iPad to draw. 

Note: The first Apple Pencil, lasted around 7 years. I really hope my current iPad can manage more projects until I can afford an upgrade. 

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Smiling Lines:

I got those now, long ones, when I smile.

It's either because I'm slowly losing my buccal fat when I lose more weight, or because I'm getting older and I'm slowly developing smiling lines, or perhaps, both. I don't think I have that before. But I remember once someone mentioned it to me, and I never noticed that. Until now, when they are becoming obvious.  

When I smile, I have long smiling lines that I don't recognize. 

It's weird kan, getting older.