Gone Fishing

It always makes me happy to see seedlings and young shoots. Even on bad days. Or, perhaps especially on bad days since green kind of makes the day a little brighter. 

Sis got me a mother leaf with an exquisite terrarium accessory; an angler in a boat! I have been buying terrarium accessories online, and most of them aren't as detailed in their craft, but of course, since I don't really pay a lot for them, I can't expect a lot too. 

This little piece that Sis got for me is definitely of a higher quality, with a little boat made of a wood-like material (it feels just like wood, perhaps it is wood) and an uncle with a beefy chest! The piece is made in Germany by Preiser and hand-painted in Mauritius. 

Check out the "angler in a boat" on Amazon!

Since I intend to let the Mother Leaf sprout, Sis suggested a fishing-setup. This is very different from my usual soil-based terrarium, and it looks extremely zen on my work table! It's simple and elegant; an easy distraction from work. Till I get a tiny enough pole to put it into his hands, the angler really has to make do with just enjoying the water and breeze!

Sis bought two pieces of Mother Leaf. I left the other piece on the bookshelf where there's more light. More shoots are sprouting than the leaf on my table. We are guessing more will shoots will sprout since the lighting is stronger. 

Terrarium seems to be in trend again suddenly. And, I truly hope the trend continues and goes beyond what we have seen in the past. There has not been much advancement in terms of the accessories and set-up ideas. 

I also bought a few pots of succulents and HAPPY PLANTS! 

Happy plants are supposedly the little black seeds in dragon fruits. They would eventually grow to be full grown plants after a few years if given the right condition, according to the vendor. 

After three weeks, and not dying on me, I decided it was time to re-pot the happy plants. Sis commented it was cute, so it was "adopted" as soon as it was made!

Nothing very fanciful, but the bathtub container kind of liven up the look. Ladybird has never failed me so far. They are good in almost any situation that calls for a little touch-up, not too overwhelming but it brings a touch of colour. Red just so happens to match nicely with green, always. 

The bathtub is now happily sitting on Sis's work desk. I read reports that happy plants are able to absorb radiation emitted by the computer. Not sure how true this is, though. If it truly works, I guess they should be all over Japan?   

And, the kale seeds that I bought during the Gardeners' Day Out is finally sprouting! 

The seeds germinated 2 days after they were planted. I planted 5 seeds, and 4 germinated! That's a pretty good success rate!

Check out the kale seeds available on Amazon!

Kale seems to thrive better in slightly acidic soil, with pH not exceeding 6.8. Therefore, coffee grounds should be a good booster since its pH is around there. I am now using the coffee grounds that my family throws out after their morning coffee. Nothing like blue mountain, just the normal local coffee. 

I am quite excited to see how the kale would turn out. If my setup works, there would definitely be more veggie projects coming up!

Be Prepared

It was heart aching watching Ma carried out the instructions of her doctor during her Parkinson's Disease review. 

Her index finger moved in a slow motion from her nose to her doctor's index finger. 

It looked almost a replica of that famous scene in the movie E.T.

About a year ago, Ma couldn't walk overnight. Ma has a very high threshold for pain. The pain must have been unimaginable for her to shed tears.

Ma suffered from leg and shoulder pain for some years before this incident. Sometimes, she would complain of weakness in her legs too. Though this was mentioned frequently to her doctors at her reviews, they generally put it down to degeneration due to old age and did not go further other than prescribing painkillers. 

We sent Ma to Mount Alvernia Hospital after deliberating between private and public hospital. Our first option was to the public hospital as we were worried about the medical expenses, but no one in the family had the heart to put Ma through the wait and queue. We did our sums quickly and did what we thought was the best for her. 

The lumbar spine has five vertebrae which are abbreviated as L1 through L5. After Ma's MRI, we were advised (in layman terms) that Ma's nerves were compressed at L4 and L5, therefore the severe pain. 

Within a week, Ma was admitted and operated on. We were lucky to have found Dr Tan Siah Heng, James. Dr Tan performed a laminectomy for Ma successfully. Thankfully, Ma did not need screws to stabilise her spine. 

Dr Tan has a lot of empathy for our situation as a middle-income family. We could not have asked for a better doctor. It’s not easy to find a doctor who treats patients with dignity. 

A lot of people feel the sick needs pitying. But, no, what is needed is compassion, not pitying. Pitying takes away one's dignity, but compassion allows one to feel for the sick with the dignity that they still deserved.

It's very difficult to sugarcoat Ma's recovery process, especially with her Parkinson's Disease. C'est la vie. 

Tearing was easy during the over-a-month intensive caring period, especially with Ma slipping into mild depression post surgery. Crying was a norm in the house. 

Things had gotten so tiring that my tear ducts were triggered constantly. TV dialogues, newspapers articles, old photographs, elderly tissue-sellers, babies. Even fighting scenes.

Being the only one who worked from home, I shared the caring duties with sis. She woke up early to change Ma's diapers, prepared her for the day and put her to bed when she was back from work. I took on the day shift; looking after her medication feeds, preparing her meals, helping her with her toilet visits, naps and shower. 

Like what people always say, "You won't understand." 

Seriously, no one would because it was a journey that needs one's presence. 

Inevitably, my work soon suffered. Having to keep a constant ear-out for Ma, I became very highly strung. I could hardly focus on my work during the day. I could only re-look at my work when she slept. That led to a 5-hour sleep daily, which eventually took its toll on my work and body.

Moral support was important but it was also frivolous at the same time. The act of being there and helping was more important than anything else. 

Halfway, I needed something to look forward to, something to soothe my highly-active-but-unsettled mind. I happened to see a lotus anklet charm on Etsy and ordered it to be delivered via normal post from the States.

It would take approximately two weeks for the anklet to be delivered. By the time the anklet reaches my hand, the caring-journey would almost be completed.

With a deadline in sight, my state of mind improved slightly.

As Father Time promises, everything heals with time. Ma's much better now. While her Parkinson's-body didn't take the episode well and she's not as agile as before, she has regained a lot of stability after a series of physiotherapy. 

We are thankful she's no longer in tears when she tries to get up from the bed. We are thankful that she is able to move around the house with a walking aid and go for short walks with a company. 

With a reduction in her mobility, she needs to be accompanied most of the time and watching TV was probably the only activity she could do on her own. Having spent most of her life supporting and caring for the maternal family before she was married, and taking care of her own family after she was married, she's never had the chance to cultivate any hobbies or develop friendships.

Ma's a very strong-willed woman. While she frustrates us sometimes with her antics of self-deluded independence, it can be sad to watch her losing her independence and freedom, to a certain extent.  

So, what are the lessons learned? 

I walked away with the understanding that the ability to be grateful is not an innate trait of humans. We always want more, and are seldom content with what we already have. 

For our generation and the generations to come, life is hardly going to be as tough as our parents' generation or the generations before that. We want more and more of material quality; better accommodation, better cars, latest smart devices, further and more exotic holiday destinations, the best school for the kids, the softest cotton on our backs, and the most luxurious leather for our soles. So, we chase after a life that's beyond us, and, in the progress, making our souls suffer. 

A good work-life balance is very important. Be the best employee, but set aside time for the deserving people; people who walk and would walk your life with you. A job has an end to it, but a heart continues to ache long after a loved one is six-feet underground.

A relationship does not grow organically, it needs nurturing. Like plants, it would simply wither away when left alone. Do your due diligence, and it promises its loyalty. Keep friends who are always there for you close. 

Cultivate hobbies. When agility and mobility leave you, you would be thankful that they are there to fill your days. You deserve more than just watching TV programmes or thumbing the games on the smart devices. More so, the person lying next to you.  

Illnesses cannot be foretold and, unfortunately, avoided totally. Take care of your health for the sake of your loved ones, you would not want your loved ones to suffer.

Don't wait to do what you're supposed to do. Father Time promises healing with time, but he doesn't wait too. When the moment is gone, it's gone.

Ma's fortunate. She has a husband, three children and three grandkids to walk the rocky path with her. For childless couples, be kind to yourself and your partner. Be well physically and mentally, so that there are more happy years ahead. 

Ubud 2016

Back to the reality of parents honking non-stop for their kids to step out of the house doused out the last shreds of the post travel mood.

The plan was to visit Perth in May was shelved so we went to Ubud instead. The travelling party started with the Kohs and us but the Yongs joined us at the last minute, bringing the group to a total of six. The largest travel group ever for us!

This worked well since we could share the transport fees and order more variety of food to share!

Airfare: Air Asia flight, slightly over RM1,100 inclusive of all the taxes and the service charges, with 20kg of luggage to and 25kg forth. 

Accommodation:

Anahatan Villas & Spa Resort. Booked at Hotels.com for about SGD75 per night, inclusive of breakfast and free wifi. The room was very big with a small hall with TV and a small balcony. The pool and jacuzzi corner were beautiful with lots of foliage around. 

Guests who are into yoga could also make a booking for a session within the compound. This service comes free during the weekdays. This accommodation was pretty deep into the rural area, among the trees and even had a river within its compound! 

By car, it took about 10 to 15 minutes to Ubud city centre. The area was pretty dark from 6pm, so walking to the city centre was not much of an option. The hotel offered an interval shuttle service, all before 5pm, and charged IDR100,000 for pickup from the city centre outside of the shuttle service timing. 

Places of interest:

Hubs and I went to Bali a couple of years ago and visited places like Tanah Lot, Monkey Forest, Jimbaran beach, a volcano, which we've forgotten the name, and saw some really nice paddy fields. 

We thought we covered enough places of interest the last trip, sort of. So, we really wanted to enjoy the accommodation and spend time looking at crafty stuff especially, since we were staying in Ubud. 

Kohs did most of the research and we visited Tirta Empul Temple (aka Temple of Hoy Water), Uluwatu Temple (aka Pura Luhur Uluwatu) and Mount Batur. 

Tirta Empul Temple is a Unesco Heritage site, and an inscription dates the founding of the temple to 926AD. Worshippers are drawn to the temple for the supposed curative properties of the spring water within the compound. 

Take note of an entrance fee of IDR15,000, and proper dress code must be adhered to. A sarong and a sash are issued at the entrance after the payment of entrance fee. 

An inscription dates the founding of the temple to 926AD.



Female is not allowed into the temple during the time of the month. And, for obvious reason, they are strictly banned from dipping into the water during that time too. 

The queue to get into the holy water!

The Kohs took a dip, and filled up a bottle to bless us outside the temple!

As we walked around, we saw this beautiful pale blue pond with bubbling water and lots of water weed in it. I was definitely more intrigued with this pond than the queue into the holy water. 

Bubbling and extremely clear water at one of the ponds within the temple compound.

My favourite within the compound.

Next up, Mount Batur, an active volcano, and its last eruption was in 2000. 

We lunched at one of the restaurants facing the mountain, Grand Puncak Sari Restaurant. The restaurant is located in Kintamani that is 1,500m above sea level, hence offering a fantastic view of the volcano. 

A note of caution: it might be better to spend a little time to walk around the area to look for an eatery with lesser flies. There were so many flies around that it was difficult to eat and swat flies at the same time. The restaurant amazingly did not installed any insect zappers. The restaurant served only buffet, and the bill came up to about IDR150,000 per pax. The food wasn't especially nice, it was perhaps normal at best. A lot of the food was rather cold.

We were sat outdoor and the view was fantastic. I guess we were mostly paying for a good view. 

There were spots along the way up and down to stop for photos but, of course, it was crowded with people since there was no fee.

Lastly, Uluwatu Temple, otherwise also known as Pura Luhur Uluwatu. This temple is believed to be one of the six temples of Bali's spiritual pillars. An entrance fee of RP40,000 applied.

Before departing for the temple, we were warned to keep our sunglasses, earrings, caps and anything that dangle as the monkeys were notorious for snatching away items. I held dearly to my camera. 

Uluwatu Temple reminded me a lot of Tanah Lot's beautiful sunset. The walk from the entrance seemed long because the weather was so hot! The sarong, that we were required to wear, intensified the heat. I was literally dripping with sweat. 

For the record, we saw only a couple of monkeys and nothing disastrous happen. Perhaps they were affected by the heat too? 

The sunset was beautiful with the Indian Ocean as the backdrop. There was supposed to be a Kecak dance but we didn't stay on for the dance because we wanted to be at The Rock Bar for sunset. 

To get to the sitting area, we had to take an elevator but found out later that it was also possible to get to the area by stairs from the other side.

We wanted to get a nice seat by the cliff, but not being the hotel's guests meant we need to have a minimal spending of IDR1.5 million. 

In the end, the staff found us a sea-facing seat. It was another sauna session with almost no breeze but Mrs Koh was still as chirpy as ever (in orange)! 

I guess The Rock Bar is not a place that we would want to visit for the next trip unless we are staying at its hotel. I had pretty high expectation of the place but was mildly disappointed. The heat definitely played a big part. Frankly, unless one is willing to spend and get the by-the-cliff seats, the money can be spent jolly well on something else, like at a nice cafe in Ubud city centre with a wonderful spread of desserts and drinks.

The sunset was beautiful, though.

Food:

Breakfast was a simple affair in the hotel, but they served freshly cooked omelette and sunny side ups. The juice was a tad too sweet for my liking, and the tea too weak. Yes, I am a fussy pot! They served the local food like fried rice, fried noodles and some heavier stuff like stir-fry chicken and veggies for people who take early brunch. There were cereal, milk and bacon too. I was pretty happy with my wholemeal bread and 2 sunny side ups :) Of course, as usual, fruits were served too.

The best food for this trip, personally, was the local food, taken daily by the locals, not those at Jimbaran beach or any of the restaurants that we went to.

Trivia: 

The river is about 10 minutes walk from our room. According to the staff, the water would be crystal clear had it not rained. I did a session of yoga at the platform along the river, and the most amazing thing happened! 

On the third day, while Hubs went breakfast with the gang, I journeyed down to the river in my yoga paws without shoes since I rather not carry anything on my way to breakfast after that. The foot pads were good enough to protect my soles from the sands.

I was at the river at about 810am or thereabouts. Just as I got ready at the wooden platform by the river, a shower of soil and tiny rocks fell upon me! It was followed by some loose branches. I scrambled to my feet and rushed to the stairs leading back to the hotel. The platform was built above the river, and I definitely didn't want to be drifting away in the river, and drowning, if it was an earthquake!

The shower of soil and all continued for a minute or so and stopped. I looked around to see if it could be a snake sliding down hence causing the shower. Then, it occurred to me that it could the monkeys! That was when I heard branches shaking on the other side of the river. True enough, a group of monkeys were frolicking!

So fear aside, I got into proper and started the practice. The area was a little chilling. But I knew once my practice starts, my body would heat up and the chill would not be an issue.  20 minutes into the practice, and as I was looking back to my toes in downward dog, I saw a steam of vapour rising around me!

It felt so surreal watching my body heating up the atmospheric vapour. It's a pity Hubs was not around to take a shot for me.

Conclusion: Somehow, we only spent a good half day at the accommodation, again, similar to our last trip to Bali. My favourite day was actually the day when it was just Hubs and I walking around Ubud City Centre while waiting for the gang to be back from Tanah Lot, and walking down the craft lane not far from Ubud. 

I kind of wish we have spent more a little more time at the accommodation. 
A video of the roaring river in the hotel to end the post:

Damaged

I bought Damaged many years ago but had never gotten around to reading it. 

A couple of days ago, I was cleaning my bookshelves and it was there, still waiting to be read. I placed it into my bag so that I could read it on the train the next morning.  

I couldn't put the book down once I started. I finished the book within 2 days.

Damaged is a true story about a girl, Jodie, whose world was unbelievably messed up by the people who were supposed to protect and love her; her parents. 

Cathy Glass is a foster carer, and Jodie was an almost-eight-year-old girl who was placed under her care. Jodie was extremely difficult in the beginning (think using poo-smearing as a threat), and took on such threatening, scary behaviour that I seriously thought Jodie had to be possessed by an evil spirit. However, as time passed, Cathay uncovered Jodie's painful and absurd past. 

She was her parents' and their friends' sexual toy. 

It was painful to read the abuse of such a young child. Not only was Jodie's learning ability comprised, she also switched between personalities to protect herself, unknowingly. 

As Jodie divulged more, she began to spiral out of control mentally. She was eventually sent to an institution to get better. 

I was very keen to know how Jodie turned out in the end. I really didn't want a sad ending, or not knowing how Jodie's story ended. Glass provided a closure thankfully. While Jodie never made a full recovery due to the extensive damage caused when she was young, she did become better. It kind of made things better for me, as a very-emotionally-involved reader. There was something sweet at the end. Read to find out.

For such a gloomy subject, the story unfolded in a rather fast pace. This made the read refreshing despite the depressing material.

If you think you have it tough, read this book. 

Surprisingly, Singapore National Library does not seem to carry this book  (at the time when I was preparing the post) though it carries Glass's other titles. 

Check out the book at Book Depository or Amazon. Don't forget to take the shipping cost into consideration!

Concrete-Everyday A, B, C

credit: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/546835579731796815/

Geometric planters are raging through Pinterest and Instagram accounts. 

I tried to construct with the online templates using cardboard but failed big time. 

Hence, I started researching on creating a mould and it led to the purchase of a 3D printer!

I followed M3D printer for a brief period of time when it launched on the crowdfunding platform. And, the reviews were mostly good. It's popular with 3D printer novice since the price is not exorbitant. 

Most of the projects that I want to create a mould for are small in size, or they can be pieced together to form a big piece. So, this printer made a good trial. 

I actually paid extra for a transparent piece. But, after using it, actually, a normal opaque piece would have been better. The printer comes with backlight and being a transparent piece, the light can be obstructing to sight when one looks in to check the printing on the print bed.

While it's not mandatory to use M3D's propriety filament, I chose to simply because I wanted to keep it simple should I run into a technical issue. M3D had been relatively helpful and fast in their response the few times when I wrote in.   

Along the way, I realised that it's better to use 3D Ink filament than the normal PLA filament.  PLA filament is cheaper, but I was deeply frustrated when the filament didn't stick to the print bed, or it just couldn't stick together when layering up. After seeking technical advice from M3D, I learned to adjust the temperature of the nozzle and resolved the issue. For a beginner, it might perhaps be better to go with the 3D Ink filament. 

I tried a couple of software and to stay with Google's Sketchup. Though I am using the free version, it's enough to serve my needs. 

I was totally new to 3D printing when I first started. Reading up helped a lot. If you have a library within your vicinity, that would be your best learning resource. Otherwise, check out Amazon for their list of books. Somehow, the dummy series work well for me. 

Next, concrete sealer. 

I wanted to use the concrete planter for herbs and veggies, so I was trawling the web for a food grade sealer. Man... it was tougher than looking for a 3D printer. 

Cheng Concrete Sealer appears to be the only concrete sealer which is food safe and contains no toxic substance. The application seems to be easy enough by wetting the object with water; diluting the sealer with 1 part of sealer to 3 parts of water, wiping the mixture over the object and wiping the excess away. Repeat the last two steps for a couple of times until the concrete object's surface appears to be evenly coated with an even tone across the surface. Leave the object overnight to dry and do a water test. Leave a small amount of water on the object and if the water does not seep through, all's well. If the water seeps through, repeat the last 2 steps again. 

I am likely to get the Cheng Concrete Countertop Wax, just to complete the look for projects that I want a slicker look. 

Looking forward to sharing some pictures when the projects are ready!