books@me

Porting to wordpress

noreply@blogger.com (UnkaLeong) — Mon, 05 Mar 2018 01:20:00 +0000

I've decided to move the blog over to wordpress. It's been a good run while it lasted at blogger. I totally missed the whole dayre scene while I was at it. Lols. So for those you who still visit this page and still continue to read my rants and ramblings in my tiny little space on the internet, I have moved to the following new home:

https://volumesinmylife.wordpress.com/

Do visit the new site and let me know what you think.

Daddy Duties for a day

noreply@blogger.com (UnkaLeong) — Fri, 02 Feb 2018 04:09:00 +0000

It was a bank holiday for those of us who work in Wilayah Persekutuan yesterday. The wife had to work as her office was in Selangor. So, by default I was left with daddy duties for the day. Don't get me wrong, I have been left alone with Chloe when the wife goes out to run her errands on weekends, but her errand sessions last no longer than 3 hours. I was left to my own devices with Chloe for the entire day!

Thankfully, it passed without incident. In fact, I would like to believe that Chloe actually enjoyed spending the whole day with me yesterday =) I definitely learned more about her habits and what she does or does not like me to do to pacify her. She definitely likes spending time in the garden ;)

All in all, we survived and I definitely have Chloe withdrawal symptoms @ work today.

Pay it Forward

noreply@blogger.com (UnkaLeong) — Fri, 05 Jan 2018 08:12:00 +0000

There's a guy I Mountain Bike with who has a heart of gold. For reasons of anonymity; let's just call him by his nickname, Lightning. He had a pretty stellar career in the corporate world before calling it quits to start his own business. He now owns and operates a chain of stores purveying happiness in a scoop.

He's ever willing to loan equipment, tools, parts; whatever you need to get your bike up and running. When my fork was sent in for servicing and I couldn't use my new bike, he asked me to drop another mates place to collect his fork to see if I could use it on my bike. When I was about to click on the buy button to purchase a torque wrench, he loaned me his saving me a couple of hundred RM in the process. I even managed to cannibalize one of his reams for parts so I could get another bike up and running.

Admittedly, the concept of paying it forward is a little alien to me. Every man for himself strikes a little closer to home. But Lightning's generosity has rubbed off in a big way. I have learned that you don't have to expect anything in return for helping someone and it won't kill me to be less calculative from a financial point of view.

We are currently facing storage issues. We are running out of space in the fridge to store breast milk and our freezer is full of meat. Lightning had earlier offered to loan me a 5 foot long industrial freezer and I decided to take him up on it. The plan is to use the freezer space in the fridge in our kitchen to store breast milk and to deep freeze the meat in the industrial freezer. Sounds like a plan, but the only problem is I had to make space for the freezer.

Two tyres which I salvaged when I changed all four early last year were in the way. Now these old rubbers still had some 70% worth of threadwear on them by my estimates. I decided to give them away on Facebook. Posted some pictures of them together with the tag : "FOC - Self Collect in exchange for Teh Tarik". Within 5 minutes of posting, one of the forum members buzzed me and asked if the two tyres were still available. Within 30 minutes, I had a cake in my hand and the two tyres were with the new owner and I had space cleared for the freezer.

The forum member thanked me profusely for the tyres and saying that it was an excellent start to the New Year.

Indeed it was.

Car Seats

noreply@blogger.com (UnkaLeong) — Mon, 18 Dec 2017 07:56:00 +0000

The hospital where Chloe was born made it very clear when we attended the ante-natal class that we would not be able to be discharged with Chloe if we didn't have a child carrier. I can't remember if we had purchased one already before attending the classes, but needless to say we had one ready when the big day came.

Now here's the thing about car seats. There are so many brands available out there that can be secured in a variety of different ways, each claiming to be safer than the other but at the end of the day it's the little one that decides whether or not she's comfortable in the seat. So here's a word of advise to all potential parents out there. Borrow your first child carrier. Trust me, there's no point buying something that your child may not like in future.

Chloe didn't like the first seat which we purchased for her. My wife and I reckon it boils down to two things, the material in which the seat is made off and the angle in which the seat is fastened onto it's isofix base. Now, I'm not saying that your child may not like the seat we purchased but as with all things it's a matter of preference. The material of her first child seat caused Chloe to perspire every time she used it. I mean, me and my wife are really warm people and perspire easily so the apple clearly didn't fall far from the tree on this one. The seat also was really upright, we reckon that Chloe prefers a little more recline in her seat. I mean, who doesn't? Lols!

We have been bringing the little one out and getting her to choose her car sears. I mean we literally bring her out, have the salesperson fix the car seat onto their display car seat and we put Chloe in it. We leave her there for a bits to let her get used to it. If she doesn't like it, we will get instant feedback. Hahahaha! We had narrowed our choices down to a few brands, but I wanted Chloe to try a particular brand while the wife had her eyes on another. A quick google search later, I managed to find a shop that carried both brands!

So off we went last weekend with the little one in tow to shop for her car seat. The model/brand that the wife liked was not available but we tried putting her in a different model by the same brand. Nope, she didn't like it when we set her in it. They didn't have stock at the brand I was looking for either. Car seats are really selling like hot-cakes nowadays.

We were about to leave a little disappointed, but I spied a seat that had pretty good reviews on the interwebs and I did a check with some guy friends who are fathers . They all gave their seal of approval. We got the sales person to latch in onto the car seat in the shop and we plonked the little boss in it. I'll let the pictures do the talking.

Seated like a boss! Check out her arm-resting on the padding.

Needless to say, we purchased this car seat and immediately had it installed in my car. Chloe enjoyed her ride home from the mall =)

*Disclaimer : I am neither endorsing no promoting this particular model of car seat and this is not a paid review. I've badly edited out the brand in the picture above ;')

Mercury Rising

noreply@blogger.com (UnkaLeong) — Tue, 05 Dec 2017 02:54:00 +0000

Growing up, I used to get sick pretty often. I mean really, really often. The nurses and the Doctors all knew me by name and till today, they still recognize me when I pay them a visit. Mildly Asthmatic growing up, the doctor recommended to my mom for me to take a sport to try to get my lungs to grow. The next thing you know, I literally grew up by the side of the swimming pool.

The first thing the nurses at the clinic used to do was to ask if I was having a fever. I always wondered why they asked, because regardless of the answer they would whip up the Mercury Thermometer give a quick flick (to settle the mercury I presume) and quickly insert the thermometer under my tongue. Back in the 80's, I believe the Medical Industry had a love affair with Mercury. Nowadays, the doctor whips out a strip and places it on my forehead when I tell them I have a fever. Lols!

Chloe has been warmer than usual to the touch over the past couple of days. We had purchased an infrared thermometer, the type that is shaped like a gun and you shoot at the baby's forehead to get a reading. We also have a regular digital thermometer that replaces the good old mercury thermometer mentioned above.

The wife brought Chloe to a Pediatrician nearby and was given advice on how best to measure Chloe's temperature. Turns out that the most accurate thermometer to use is the in-ear type, which also is the most expensive type of thermometer. The medication that came with this Doctor's visit clearly stated that Chloe's temperature had to be above 37.8 Celsius before we can give it to her.

I came home with a brand new spanking in-ear thermometer that night and we proceeded to go a little crazy with it. Measuring Chloe first, then ourselves and then Chloe again. Repeat twice for good measure and take down the average reading for the most accurate representation of body temperature. In short, we had a laugh!

Things got a little more serious yesterday when the wife sent me a video of her taking Chloe's temperature and the thermometer going beep!beep!beep! and measuring 37.7! The wife was supposed to go back to work yesterday, mind you. She took an extra day off to make sure Chloe was ok.

Wife, if you are reading this; I love you :*

After struggling with the baby carrier in the car park and wrestling with the stroller, they made it to the clinic only to find that Chloe's temperature was 36 Celsius. The pediatrician (which we both like) did a thorough check of Chloe. Lungs were clear, throat ok, nose ok etc. Her only complain was that Chloe's ear was full of boogers. Hahahahaha! Maybe that accounted for the inaccurate readings?

In any case, visiting the Pediatrician and getting Chloe checked gave my wife peace of mind. Happy Wife = Happy Life. No complaints from me. I would also like to report that the wife has given up on taking Chloe's temperature =) I'll chalk this one down to a user problem with many the thermometers that we have.

In any case, infant fever is not something to be taken likely. If you feel your child is ill, get her to a clinic ASAP. Best to get a professionals advice for peace of mind.

Goldilocks and the Three Bears

noreply@blogger.com (UnkaLeong) — Tue, 28 Nov 2017 02:09:00 +0000

Most of us know the fairy-tale of Goldilocks and the three bears. One has a better understanding now of what was going through the author's mind when it was written. He must have been feeding his child :)

Not too hot, not too cold, the temperature of the milk has to be just right. Lols!

We interrupt your regular feeding schedule...

noreply@blogger.com (UnkaLeong) — Tue, 14 Nov 2017 02:03:00 +0000

Just when you thought Chloe was settling into a routine for her feeding schedule, it changes. As per my sister, the only constant is change. Hahahah! Chloe was really good over the last weekend, waking up twice in the wee hours to feed. The equation is simple, the less she wakes up the more uninterrupted sleep we get. Which basically equates to better quality of sleep and less zombie like behavior the next day for the both of us =)

She's gone back to her old routine of 3 nightly feeds for the past two days and my body is still adjusting to it. Wife is also super tired and smashed because of this. But if gives us hope that she will go back to feeding twice through the night and eventually to one and to none.

On a separate note, we survived our first outing with Chloe in tow! Yay! We took her to see the pediatrician last Friday and managed to squeeze in a dinner after that. Though I don't see us going out that often, not till she's a little older. Six months, maybe?

Block Number 494784 update

noreply@blogger.com (UnkaLeong) — Tue, 07 Nov 2017 02:32:00 +0000

I'm a little late in the game, I know. But better late than never. The whole internet is abuzz about the big fork that's projected to happen somewhere between the 13th and the 16th of November. After reading the massive (and I mean massive) amount of information on the net about the fork, my take on is it that the more you try to regularize something the more resistance there is. I mean after all, isn't that the whole idea behind crypto-currency?

Anyway, if you all are just starting to look at cryptocurrency, please click on the link here. I've done the research and reading up so you all don't have to. The spread is a little thick but the transaction fees are minimal. They also have a pretty good wallet which you can use, but word to the wise. Don't keep all your eggs in one basket.

If you purchase above RM250 worth of BTC, we both get RM5 worth of BTC credited into our account. #hustling.

Don't forget now, click on the link below.
https://www.luno.com/invite/QRA5X

*UPDATED*
The much anticipated fork has been called off due to a lack of consensus. What does this mean for BTC? Your guess is as good as mine.

Vaccinations for Chloe

noreply@blogger.com (UnkaLeong) — Wed, 25 Oct 2017 03:15:00 +0000

The healthcare provided by the Malaysian Government for it's Citizen's is second to none. The Malaysian Ministry of Health's vaccination schedule is based on the World Health Organization's Expanded Immunisation Programme.

When we brought Chloe back to Pantai for her first checkup by the pediatrician after being discharged from Pantai, the pediatrician in attendance explained to me the plethora of communicable diseases and the number of vaccines that she has to go through right up till the age of fifteen. He also explained the cost of each jab and what is covered by the government and the recommended vaccinations that is not covered by the government.

After discussions with my wife, we decided on a two pronged immunisation for Chloe. We would register ourselves at the Government Clinic for the recommended vaccionation's and we would cover her with the recommended vaccinations at a private clinic.

To register at a government clinic or Kelinik Kesihatan Ibu dan Anak (KKIA), you first need to locate one that services the area in which you live in here. Once you have located the nearest government clinic, the following documents are required for registration:

Your identification card (IC).
Photocopy of your wife's IC or marriage certificate (single mums won't need this).
Your most recent utility bill to confirm your home address.
Your child's Birth certificate or MyKID.
Referrals from other doctors or clinics (if any). This will include your wive's antenatal visitation cards to private clinics.

A 1 Ringgit registration fee will be collected when you register.

We arrived at our designated KKIA at 9AM and by the time we got home it was 11.45AM. Yup, you read that right. Be prepared to wait. But after checking with a friend, it will only take some time during the first visit. Subsequent visits will be faster as you would have been assigned a mid-wife/nurse who will be handling your child's case from now on. He even recommended checking with the assigned mid-wife/nurse to check on her schedule and to make future appointments based on her work schedule (busy/free-time) to make your next visit even more efficient!

All in all, you can't argue with the value and service provided by the Malaysian Government for it's rakyat. The vaccinations are free! It's really up to each individual whether you want to go down the Public or Private healthcare route for your little one. I would recommend talking to your wife to get her opinion and making this decision together ;)

"I am part of all that I have met"

noreply@blogger.com (UnkaLeong) — Fri, 20 Oct 2017 09:51:00 +0000

To quote Alfred Lord Tennyson, I am so glad that I had met you. I vaguely remember you winning an Umbrella from Meenachi for a competition, but I can't remember what the competition was all about. I think we last met in Imbi Plaza, before I took on a role that needed me to move to the boondocks.

We still kept in contact when I was working in Setia Alam. Every now and then a message would pop-up in Thai Script that would need me to use Google translate to decipher. And that message would always make me bawl out loud in laughter. I'm glad for those messages that we shared via whatsapp, for that is all that I have to remember you by now.

As introverted as you think you were, you were also gregarious. Fitting as it rhymes with your name. I didn't get to see all the weight that you had lost and didn't get to hear you tell me about catching the perfect break at Plengkung Beach. You had plans to go surfing in Nias in December you said. I had hoped that you could make our daughter's 100 day celebration which we are planning to host then.

Our chatgroup which you are admin of is silent now. Funny thing is, we realised that we don't have a picture of you. That's how camera shy you were :')

You are sorely missed my dear friend. May you catch rides on endless perfect big kahuna's on the other side bro. Rest well bro. Rest well.

Registration of Birth

noreply@blogger.com (UnkaLeong) — Fri, 06 Oct 2017 03:04:00 +0000

We had a few names on our minds when we found out the gender of our baby girl. I wanted something short and sweet with not too many syllables, lest I get angry at girl girl in future and have to call her by her full name. Don't laugh, you all know it's true. Growing up when mom or dad called you by your full name, you better show up front and center because it normally meant that you did something wrong. Lols!

The nurses at Pantai Bangsar passed us a checklist of the documents needed to Register baby Chloe's birth. You basically need the following :

A birth registration form duly signed by the doctor who delivered the baby. (JPN.LM01) The hospital will provide this to you.
The confirmation of birth form (also provided by the hospital).
Mommy's maternity examination book. In our case, the appointment card from the Gynae clinic.
Identity Cards of both parents.

Mind you, copies of the documents above need to be handed in for processing and the originals need to be sighted as well. The original confirmation of birth form will also be kept by JPN. Please make a copy for posterity if you want to ;)

Seeing as to how there is an Urban Transformation Centre (UTC) nearby my office, I decided to get it done after work. Based on my previous experience at the UTC, I was quite sure that I could get everything done with minimal fuss.

Upon reaching the JPN at the Sentul Chapter of the UTC, the lady behind the counter verified that they had all the necessary documentation before allowing me to get a number to be served. I was lamenting about this to the wifey, she was saying that they were just doing their job to prevent wasting both parties time at the centre.

Once my number was called, my application was processed without a fuss by a very nice gentleman behind the counter. He congratulated me on the birth of Chloe and took the trouble to triple check that all the necessary details were correct, after all this is girl girl's birth certificate and MYKid we were talking about. Chloe's birth certificate was generated immediately and the kind gentleman said that her MYKid would be ready in about an hours time and advised me to go grab a bite and to come back at 8PM to collect the MYKid. The JPN breaks for dinner between 7-8PM daily.

Lau Heong Restaurant was within walking distance from the UTC at Sentul so I nosied on along and had dinner there before heading back to the centre at 7.45PM

Stewed Yee Mein RM8, Lau Heong Restaurant

I was second in line and collected Chloe's MYKid within 5 minutes. The entire process took me all of two hours, with an hour break for dinner in between. All in all, my pleasant experiences with UTC continued. To the kind and pleasant gentleman who processed my application, please keep up the good work. I'm sorry I didn't get your name else I would definitely write a commendation letter for you.

On a separate note, I was very wary of my surroundings while I was in the area as the hair on the back of my neck was standing on end most of the time when I was there. Maybe it's just me, but doesn't hurt to be more alert should you decide to visit this chapter of the UTC.

Life Changing

noreply@blogger.com (UnkaLeong) — Fri, 22 Sep 2017 00:00:00 +0000

"I think my water broke...", My wife tells me at 19:00 just as I was finishing up frying a heaping wok-full of rice for dinner.

I remember feeling anxious at first, followed by a sense of elation and joy =)

My wife had just visited the gynae the day before and we were told to expect baby in another weeks time. Guess our girl was too excited and wanted to greet us sooner! She went up to shower and wash her hair and got dressed while I finished cooking dinner.

As she was eating I asked if she was in pain and she said no. We ate and I packed the rest of the fried rice in a tupperware for later. By the time we got to the hospital and settled down it was close to 20:30. The nurses confirmed that her water had broken and she was going into a labour. A contraction monitoring device was strapped on and when it began, my wife handled it like a true hero and said that it was like a mild period cramp. Her dilation was checked and it was only at 0.5 cm. I went home to pack what remained of our dinner and to prepare for a night in the hospital. Needless to say both of us didn't get much sleep that night.

The doctor wheeled in an ultrasound machine and baby's position was scanned. Baby's hand was by the side of her head and this prevented baby's head from engaging mommy's cervix well. In medical terms, what we had was a hand presentation. Doctor advised us to monitor through the night to see if baby's hand would be more cooperative.

In the morning, when I went home to shower and change, the secondary doctor in attendance did an examination and tried to push baby's hand out of the way. It was an unpleasant experience for my wife to say the least. After the examination, she gave us two options; either to go on a drip for another 12 hours to see if baby's hand would cooperate or to perform a c-section.

When I got back to the hospital, wife looked really tired after spending the night in the hospital. We discussed our options and after some clarification with the medical team, we decided to go with a c-section. After we made the decision, everything seemed to go on fast forward. The next thing you know, wife was being wheeled into the operating theater and I was being prepped to go in with her.

Waiting to go in the Op Theatre

Baby Chloe announced her arrival with a loud scream! I can't even begin to tell you how I felt the first time I heard her cry ;) We are blessed that the operation went smoothly and I would like to thank the Doctors and Nurses that assisted with Chloe's birth at Pantai Bangsar.

Mother, Chloe and Myself.

So there you have it. We are embarking on and embracing the next chapter of our lives where we start becoming doting parents to our baby girl, Chloe.

Going Upstream

noreply@blogger.com (UnkaLeong) — Fri, 19 May 2017 09:48:00 +0000

I tendered my resignation on Monday and I did so with quite a heavy heart. Given the circumstances, the timing could have been better. But as they say, all things must come to an end. I've learned a lot from my current manager. He was steady as a rock and was genuinely happy for me when I told him I was moving for a bigger role. His parting words as I handed him the letter was, "Help me look for your replacement".

I have a very good working relationship with him. Depending on the situation (and it's not normally rehearsed) we can switch between good cop and bad cop in mid-sentence and still appear coherent to either the chairman or vendors. I am going to miss working for him.

I am also going to miss my team. All 23 of them. I broke the news to the Malaysian team during our team meeting on Wednesday. Some took it better than others and some were shocked. All in all, I have trained, motivated and guided them. I hope I have left an impression on them and they learned something from me.

Many milestones in my life were reached when I was with the company that I am still gainfully employed with. My wedding proposal, registration and dinner, my wife's pregnancy. Many fond memories.

As I prepare to move on, I wish all of you all the very best.

Our shrinking Purchasing Power

noreply@blogger.com (UnkaLeong) — Fri, 31 Mar 2017 06:01:00 +0000

I bought a packet of Nasi Lemak while I was making my way to the office today. Nasi Lemak is the quintessential Malaysian breakfast. It's basically rice cooked with coconut milk infused with the essence of screwpine leaves (pandan leaves). The rice is very rich which is where the dish gets it's name. Normally served with slices of fresh cucumber, sambal and eggs (either fried or hard-boiled).

I took a picture and posted in on Social Media. According to my wife, my posts on Nasi Lemak normally garners a lot of attention. However, there is an underlying message that most of my friends who commented on are not getting. I felt obligated to explain on my blog, my own little space on the Internet on what I meant with my posting.

The breakfast in question

Back in the day, when I was all but a wee lad, I used to bike out on my BMX to buy packets of Nasi Lemak for the entire family. The owner of the establishment has since grown his humble stall to a thriving business operating at two different locations.

The humble packet of Nasi Lemak used to cost all off 20 cents then. Mind you, this was in the mid 80s when the price of Tin had yet to take a tumble and Malaysia was one of the emerging economic powerhouses from the South East Asian region. A similar packet of Nasi Lemak now will set you back anywhere from RM 1.50 to RM 2.00 depending on where you purchased it from.

I listen to BFM on the way to work every morning. They have been announcing the price of MYR to other major currencies lately after the news. Very often they quote the price of 1 USD to MYR and the price of 1 SGD to MYR. This morning instead of SGD to MYR, they quoted the GBP to the MYR. Not surprising seeing how they just triggered article 50 yesterday.

I'm not going to start a debate on whether the BREXIT is good or bad. I shall reserve my comments on the issue. But I shall say this, it's too soon to tell! There was a lot of knee jerk reaction when the results of the referendum came out. It seems the Scots want to stay in the EU and France is teetering on the edge.

Domino effect indeed.

The packet I had for breakfast cost me RM 4.50 or roughly the equivalent of 1 USD. Due in no small part to the additional cockles which went along with the usual condiments. With the depreciation of the Ringgit to most major currencies and the rising cost of living in Malaysia, I believe that the cost of my breakfast is inching closer to the equivalent of 1 GBP rather than 1 USD. Scary times indeed.

There is only so much that one can tighten one's belts and with the highest CPI figures reported by Bank Negara for February (4.5% year on year- Feb'16 vs Feb'17) it's going to get a whole lot worse before it gets better.

Food for thought.

Race Preparations...

noreply@blogger.com (UnkaLeong) — Fri, 24 Mar 2017 05:31:00 +0000

One month and counting till the Xterra.

Running mileage has been bumped up.

Training frequency up by a day to 4 times a week (when I can).

Getting my groove back in the pool. No illusions of grandeur, Ian Thorpe I am not but I'll take the 28 minutes that I took to finish 1500 Metres in the pool as a baseline. I was shooting to finish it under 30 minutes, so I must say that I am pleased.

Now that I know I can finish the distance comfortably, time to do more intervals in the pool to try to bring the speed/fitness up. Finished 10*100 @ 2 minutes last night. It was uncomfortable to say the least, but if I don't push myself I won't improve.

I am left wondering how to speed up the running though. I can finish 5KM under 30 comfortably, definitely a far cry from my PB of 18:30 but also quite far off from when I was running regularly 10 years back at 23 minutes. I'm left wondering if I should do more intervals or just keep going for mileage. Maybe I should just lose some weight, after all when I was a whole 5 kg's lighter the last time I ran a 23 minute 5KM. Hahahaha! But seriously, with 30 days till the race...How can one improve one's pace?

Ran the trails at night for the first time with Kheng Teik on Tuesday! Lol! Popped my night trail running cherry with him. Dude's a beast leading me up the climbs, he was a bit tentative going downhill. I was letting it loose! Tweaked my ankle for being so gung-ho.

Good news is the wife will be joining me at the race. Yay! She's been cleared to travel :D Looking forward to meeting her at the finish line and putting my finisher's medal around her neck!

9th of March

noreply@blogger.com (UnkaLeong) — Fri, 10 Mar 2017 10:24:00 +0000

We actually met in a bar. Sometime in December 2013, I believe. Phone numbers were exchanged. and so were a couple of messages. Thank God for Whatsapp! What would we be doing without this chat app. Lols!

We went for our first "Official" date on the 9th of March. Ramen I believe, at the now defunct Marutama Ramen in Fahrenheit 88.

Fast forward a couple of years and we signed our nuptials on the 9th of March 2016.

I would be lying if I didn't say that we didn't shed a few tears along the way. We also traveled (a lot). We got lost (Equally as much). We argued (not as often as you think). We laughed (it's been a hilarious ride so far).

If I had to do it all over again, I'd still choose to do it with you. Thanks for being my significant other. Thanks for having my back. Thanks for picking me up when I feel down. Thanks for being there B! Here's to our first year spent together as a married couple ;) I love you to the moon and back :*

Here's to growing old together =Þ

Xterra 2017

noreply@blogger.com (UnkaLeong) — Thu, 02 Mar 2017 03:40:00 +0000

#roadtoxterra
#lastkopek

It started as a dare on Facebook. Once it's out there on Social Media, y'all knows that its going to go down! Lols! A couple of friends I mountain bike with decided to sign up and enter this year's chapter of the xterra which is now based in Langkawi. We all signed up on the last day of 2016 to take advantage of the early bird discount.

At first, there were 5. One is down and contemplating whether or not he should do the sprint instead of the Olympic version. One is waiting on confirmation to Italy.

And then there were 3.

Ah well...In any case, at least there's a push to train for an event again. This year, I've decided to focus on the swim and the run section of the race. I hope that the biking I've been doing of late will take care of the ride section.

Recently started swimming again. Started with the usual 3 * 400 Meter warm ups. Worked my way up to 3 * 500 Meters on Tuesday. If all goes well, the plan is to do 3 * 600 this evening. I've been clocking up the running mileage on the road as well. Steadily building up distance. Last run lasted just over 8 clicks. I even bought a new pair of Trail Running shoes for this! Talk about commitment. Hahahahah! All in all, the wife is very supportive. She says she hasn't seen me this gung-ho about exercising in a while.

The event is slated for the end of April. Wish me Luck!

2017 - Year of The Rooster

noreply@blogger.com (UnkaLeong) — Fri, 27 Jan 2017 07:47:00 +0000

I have to admit, I am a little excited. This will be the first year that I will be handing out Ang Pows to the cousins, friends and kids.

I'm sure the novelty will wear off.

Kinda got screwed by the bank(s). Didn't manage to get new notes to fill up the Ang Pows. Turns out that Bank Negara didn't print any new RM5's this year. Don't quote me on this though. Thankfully, mom has got my back. She will be hooking me and the wife up with some new notes. I really don't know how she does it. Keeping all the new notes and not spending them. The teochew in me cannot brain this. But it's good that she manages to do so, for if not we would not have any new notes for Ang Pows.

My sister on the other hand has asked if my excel sheet was ready? I went, "Que?" But deep down inside, I am kicking myself in the butt for not getting one ready. Well, there's always next year.

First CNY as a married couple, wifey's first reunion dinner with la familia, first time giving out Ang Pow's....Definitely a "New" year for the both of us.

*phew*

To those that are travelling, safe journey home. To those that are not, please don't jam up the roads tonight. To all, may the Year of The Fire Rooster bring you health, wealth and prosperity.

Picture gleaned from wife's Instagram feed, I'm sure she won't mind ;)

Kuang Hee Huat Chai!!!!

HUAAAAATTT AARRR!!!

Reboot

noreply@blogger.com (UnkaLeong) — Wed, 18 Jan 2017 09:44:00 +0000

All right. I'll give it a go. Again.

The "Original Food Bloggers" (since when was I ever a food blogger? LOL) met up for our customary Chinese New Year Lou Sang at Sweet Inn last weekend. It was a blast! Reminiscing about the early days of blogging while catching up over good food and drinks always is. All that talk got me thinking about blogging again. As I sat there, sipping my 6th shot of whisky, I thought to myself...why the hell not? After all, it's a new year and I've just started a new chapter in my life not so long ago.

Why the hell not?

The blog interface will need some sprucing up. But that will come in good time. I'm quite sure I've got a tale or two to share as I enter my 40s. Let's see where this ends up.

For starters, here are pictures of the dishes that we had during our gathering.

Customary Lou Sang. 2nd of many to come, I'm sure.

Deep Fried Squid

Stir Fried Glass Noodles in XO sauce.

Broccoli with Bean Curd

Look at the size of the crabs!

Glass Noodles with Crabs

Delicious Herbal Chicken ordered for Thule@Leo, who had to stay away from Seafood ;)

1/2 a Marble Goby @ Soon Hock. It was huge!

The Highlight of the dinner! Bird's Nest courtesy of Thule@Leo

I've just realized how easy it is to post pictures on the blog now! Talk about modernization and all that. No more having to transfer pictures from the SD Card. We now have a bloody link to the pictures taken from our phones. Good one Google!

Looks like we are off to a good start, let's see how this goes.

Accumulation

noreply@blogger.com (UnkaLeong) — Mon, 27 Jun 2016 08:53:00 +0000

My first cyclocamping trip was way back in 2012. There have been many adventures or some might say misadventures with the mates since then. Over the years, we each have been experimenting on getting our bike setup to the way we like it. There is also an active market place for cyclocamping items in Malaysia and there is much more choices for the masses now (read, cheaper prices).

Camping necessities aren't exactly cheap. I've slowly but surely accumulated a number of essential items since I started camping in 2012. I can safely say that I have probably everything I need to survive a day or two out in the open. Oh! Hang On! There's the little problem of a water filter which I don't have. But pretty soon, I think I will have one to call my own.

We are off to Telemung for an overnighter this weekend. The wifey didn't have much to say when I started packing for the trip last weekend. Hehehe, she pretty much left me to my own devices. I guess she could tell that I was really excited for this trip.

In any case, I will keep y'all posted on how the trip turns out once I return. I leave you with a picture of my fully-loaded bike for this weekend's adventure!

The setup.

Resurrection

noreply@blogger.com (UnkaLeong) — Wed, 15 Jun 2016 10:39:00 +0000

Wow, has it been that long since my last post?

February 2015.

So much has happened since then. A quick update on what's going on with me right now (for those of you who still read this almost defunct blog).

I got engaged in March 2016 and the wedding ceremony is in September 2016. Everything is proceeding according to plan. The missus and I are tying up all the loose ends. All major items for the wedding have been checked off, or is in the process of being checked off the list.

The meet up of both sets of Parents was a pretty stressful event for the both of us, but it went well.

Work has been keeping me really, really busy. I have attended more meetings in 20 months on the job, compared to the 6.5 years that I spent with my last employer.

I kid you not.

Anyways, there's really no excuse for me not to blog apart from being just plain lazy. So brace yourselves world. Unkaleong is going to start ranting again.

The Simpler Things In Life

noreply@blogger.com (UnkaLeong) — Wed, 18 Feb 2015 02:43:00 +0000

She has her way with me and she knows it. What she wants, if I can provide it, she normally gets =) A couple of days before St. Valentine's day, she said she had a hankering for mussels. Searching my memory banks, I remembered that there was a bottle of white wine in the pantry. I immediately thought of cooking up a pot of moules marinieres. A quick search online for the recipe and the menu for dinner on the 14th was set.

Checked with Meenachi where to get the best mussels and she pointed me to Southern Rock Seafood down in Bangsar, which wasn't too difficult to locate.

Cleaned Mussels and Vongole Clams

Decided to make an Asian Style Salad as our customary greens. Mix a little Rice Wine Vinegar, a dash of Chinese Rice Wine and Sesame Oil, Soy Sauce with some oil and you got your Asian Flavoured dressing.

Toasting Sesame Seeds for that extra crunch

For the mains, I prepared a Grilled Chipotle Chicken Drumstick. This would be the 3rd time I'm preparing this dish and we both agree that we the 3rd iteration of this dish tasted the yummiest! The chicken was not over-cooked. The skin was crispy and we could taste the honey used for the marinade. It was however, a tad dry. A miscommunication in the kitchen resulted in the chicken being served without a sauce.

Yummy!

Here's a picture of the salad, Peeled Cucumber Salad with Asian Style dressing

Garnished with Spring Onions for that extra zing!

The star of the night was the pot of Moules Marinieres. Easy to prepare with a quick cooking time for the win.

Awesomeness in a Pot!

We plan to cook this dish again and have it with a serving of bread. Maybe during our anniversary next month? I aim to make the broth a little thicker by adding more cream to finish it. But this first time effort was approved by the significant other.

The way to a woman's heart is through her stomach :*

'<3 i="">

I'm not perfect and I'm definitely not the easiest person to be around. We both have our imperfections. But I love the fact that we can just laze around on the couch and do nothing, yet feel happy. Thanks for putting up with me and accepting me for who I am, farts and all. Thanks for being so honest, open and forthright with me. Most of all, thanks for supporting me in everything that I do b.

I love you.

Salted Egg Chicken Wings

noreply@blogger.com (UnkaLeong) — Thu, 29 Jan 2015 03:27:00 +0000

Salted Egg Chicken Wings or Ham Tarn Kai Yik as it is known locally is a sinful dish that combines the cholesterol laden goodness of Salted Eggs together with delicious, but artery clogging deep fried chicken wings. It's on the list of my things to try to cook, seeing as to how the significant other has asked me to try to replicate it. Searching for recipes on the Internet, it seems easy enough to cook. Salted egg yolks, curry leaves (lots of it) some chicken wings, flour a hot wok filled with oil and you are good to go. I promise I'll blog about it when it after I actually get round to cooking it =)

Kentucky Fried Chicken recently launched a new item on their menu. They are calling it, "The Golden Egg Crunch". Basically, it's a fusion of your Kentucky Fried Chicken with the goodness of Salted Egg.

So. Much, Win.

I was hankering to try it for the longest time (two days to be exact). Believe you me, she didn't hear the end of it when I had it on my mind. I was constantly asking her, "Should I go and eat ar? You think it will be nice ar?" She was getting kind frustrated with me and I could feel her getting ready to force feed me the chicken..Heheheh :*

So, off I went to the mall to try this plate of delicious awesomeness on a plate. Before I give you my two cents worth on how it went down...first, the pictures.

Looks and smells like the real deal yo!

Nom Nom Nom!

Oh if I could tell you the smells that this piece of fried meat generated...It was enough to make me salivate. I was absolutely delighted by my first bite, it would seem that KFC had managed to recreate what was essentially a Chinese stir fried staple! The fragrance of the curry leaves was there, the salty tinge from the salted egg was to be found as well!

But the joy was short lived. The next bite into the flesh (without the skin) was a let down. There is only so much skin that comes with a piece of chicken. Each subsequent bite without a piece of skin tasted like a normal piece of KFC would taste like.

No more salty goodness. No more curry leave infused taste. *sigh*

It was also a texture problem to me (?) The meat of a KFC is generally soft. Where as the meat you get off the Salted Egg Chicken Wings you find at your Chinese take out has more bite to it. Maybe it was also because of the type of meat that I got served, the upper part of the thigh. What we normally get at the Chinese take out are the wings. With more surface area of skin per meat, could this be the difference?

All in all, I would rate KFC's effort a 7.5/10. Would I order it again? Maybe, given the novelty of the idea.

The set meal comes with an option of either a serving of Fries or a side of rice.

OMG!

Which leads me to the best part of the meal! The fries! Each bite of the fries provided so much satisfaction. If I were to order the Golden Egg Crunch meal again, it would be more for the fries, than the chicken.

Hmmmm...

Reliving My Childhood

noreply@blogger.com (UnkaLeong) — Sat, 17 Jan 2015 02:14:00 +0000

Admittedly, I had a happy childhood. My parents always ensured that we would want for nothing. They taught me good financial management at a very early age. They were strict, but didn't really restrict my freedom. I had my fair share of toys growing up and I remember having two sets of LEGO, one a Police Station (Lego 6384) and the other a Petrol Station (Lego 377). Countless hours of fun! If only I knew how much they would be worth 25 years down the road, I would have taken much better care of my sets!!!

LEGO seems to be having a revival of sorts. LEGO has had to re-invent itself since losing it's patent on it's interlocking bricks. With the release of the LEGO movie and it's creative tie-ins with movies to come out with lovely sets (Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, Avengers etc.) The LEGO Mindstorm kit is absolutely amazing!

I have been buying the odd set or two off the Internet. The tie in that Shell had with LEGO? I own some of the pieces too. But growing up, I've always wanted to own a LEGO Technic set. But the prices were just out of reach.

We recently paid a visit to the Mighty Utan, a reatial store specialising in LEGO bricks. I rue the faithful day I stepped into that store. Really I do... I think we both do. But she indulges me and for that, I will be forever thankful. It's nice to know that she supports me going a little crazy once in a while. How crazy? I'll let the pictures do the talking.

Mini-Figs galore.

She went a little crazy with me as well :*

I spent a small fortune on LEGO Technic sets that day. I ended up with two boxes from the shop. I must say that putting together my first set was a real eye-opener. The articulation and the movement of the finished models were simply amazing! I'm hooked! The first model I pieced together even came with a working engine block with a single piston that powered a moving drive-train!

My loot from Mighty Utan that day..

I'm hooked. I'm a fan of the sets that LEGO produces for it's Technic range of models. I'm now the proud owner of four Technic sets. With her blessings of course ;) It took me an hour and a half to piece together set 42035, the mining truck. I've decided to pace myself and try to piece together one set every weekend *big grin*

Thanks for supporting me in my new "Old" hobby B *winks*

As my sister once said, "Live a Little".

Live a little indeed.

37

noreply@blogger.com (UnkaLeong) — Mon, 22 Dec 2014 03:11:00 +0000

What a fantastic year it's been!

As the year wind's to it's close and I celebrate my 37th birthday today, I am thankful. Thankful for having a supportive family, thankful to come home to someone who loves me (it really does help that she's an excellent cook as well), grateful for the friends that I have and just plain happy that I got out of bed this morning.

I've come to the realisation that I can't run as fast as fast as I used to, but hey...at least I'm still running. The percentage of hair that has turned white on my head has increased by another 10%, but hey....white hair is still hair.

I have lived a full life and I am glad to experience it with the people who have shared it with me. I'm finally at that age where I couldn't give a *uck about what people thought of me.

It's been a very interesting year.

A new start (*winks*). A new job. A new car. A new bike.

I realise what it is I can and can't do physically. I can run 21km. I can still swim like a fish. I can still bike with the boys. For these little escapisms in life, I am extremely grateful.

As I take on more responsibility at work, I find that the decisions that I make cut a wide swath not only to the organisation I work for, but to the people I work with both internally and externally. I have a huge team that looks up to me now. They look to me to make the right choices, to guide them and lead them. As much as I'd like to say, "Bring it on!" It is also a learning curve for me. I have a great boss who guides me and reels me in when he thinks I am toe-ing the line.

2014, a year of coming to terms with myself.

Here's to 2015!