Entry @ 08.08.2026

02.08.2026

Mom and I went to Lokka House for breakfast on Sunday ... I thought I was early but the cafe was already filled with the early Sunday crowd, with groups of people waiting at the reception area. I obtained my number and waited, but luckily, a table quickly became vacant. I waited for 7 minutes. Heh. 

At the table, I self-ordered the food, which took only a short while to be served. 

Signature pork noodles

The soup that came with the noodles as a set, RM13.90

Zaocai Beehoon, RM14.90

Peanut toast, RM3.80

Signature coffee, RM2.80

The prices here are reasonable, so that explains why it was popular with the locals. As for the food, I would say that they did not really suit our palate. Mom found the kueh tiaw too "sweet" and the soup too "confusing" in its taste. Zaocai beehoon was not that tasty also. The ingredients were generous in amount with lots of minced pork balls and thin pork slices - just that I thought the meat tasted a bit funky. Heh. The buns were nicely toasted, the peanut butter was creamy ... but also a bit sweet. I liked the coffee though. For this meal, I paid RM35.40. The ambience was nice here ... just that we did not quite enjoy the food here. That's why this is only my second visit here. 

07.08.2026

This evening, we were all shocked that our colleague, Madam I, had passed away. She got sick after Gawai - that was 2 months ago. However, we did not know what was she sick of. At first, someone said it was Parkinson's. Then, I overheard someone saying that there was a growth somewhere in her body. Just less than 3 weeks ago, a colleague, J went to visit her at her house. J had told us that Madam I was so happy to see her, and that she was still undergoing diagnosis. 

At school, because of her long absence, the school management had asked some of us to take over her classes. Because we were under separate administration, it was a bit of a trouble for us to teach her classes. In the end, to accommodate everyone, I made some arrangements for some of my classes to be combined. By doing so, I freed up 2 of my colleague's timetables and they proceeded to take over Madam I's classes. That was just about 2 weeks ago, and at that time, we hoped and prayed that Madam I would be ok soon so that we could return her classes to her when she came back. 

Needless to say. we were all stunned to learn that she would no longer be coming back to work. I did not know Madam I very well. Madam I was teaching a different level from me and we were never in the same committee. On top of that, I was never part of the canteen gang. Those who frequented the canteen always said that Madam I loved to tell stories and dispense advice. She was quick to speak her mind too. Some of my colleague's children were in her classes, and she did not hesitate to raise her voice at their mothers for their children's misbehaviour. Heh ... my colleagues came back feeling guilty, looking sheepish, and amused at the same time, telling us that that Madam I scolded them. They then avoided going to the canteen for a few days in case Madam I's anger had not dissipated. Lol. 

Despite not knowing her very well, every time I saw Madam I at the corridors, she would say hello. At my workplace, not everyone bothered to do so. Some look through you, some look at everything and everyone else but you, some walked the other way when they saw you coming. Strange people, I would say. 

Well, Madam I was 59 years old, and I knew that she had so looked forward to retiring at the end of this year in December. It's just so sad that she could not wait till then. Death indeed waits for no one. 

Rest in eternal peace, Madam I.

08.08.2026

I slept in this morning. We had breakfast at home this morning because we just had too many things in the fridge that we needed to clear up. I ate an egg tart gifted by my colleague T. I ate the last slice of musang king cheese naan because Mom did not want to eat it for some reason. 

Then I brought Mom to Petanak Market. She wanted to buy a pineapple and some tomatoes for her pizza topping. She purposely avoided going to Kenyalang Market this morning. DAP had given out RM30 cash coupons for members of the public to exchange for food and fresh produce at the Kenyalang Market this morning ... and since it was reported in the media that the cash coupons were fully redeemed, we assumed that the Kenyalang Market would be packed with people this morning. 

Petanak Market seemed quiet but Mom managed to get what she wanted. After that we went to Padungan to take away kueh chap. Mom said to buy from Sin Poh Poh. But I drove past Seng Yuen which was a few shops before Sin Poh POh and saw that the kueh chap stall was open. I preferred Ah Lek's kueh chap. He had not been selling for some time since the shop was undergoing some sort of a renovation. I was glad that he was back. 

I parked my car and went with my tiffin to takeaway a special order, RM13. Mom and I shared it for lunch. 

Kueh chap

The portion was huge, and could be shared between the two of us. Ah Lek included lots of offal and tofu in the kueh chap. The broth also had depth and did not smell or taste funky. 

Mom spent the afternoon baking her pizza while I tended to the backyard. Before Dad passed away in 2024, I had never stepped foot into the backyard. Now that Dad was gone, someone had to tend to the grass. Bro bought a lawn mower and considered that his contribution. So I had no choice. I had chopped off some plants, and removed many pots, so it was now easier to mow. 

After some time mowing, I found that I preferred to weed the grass .... so I used a weeder and pulled out the grass manually, At first I hated doing it ... but now I found it therapeutic. I sat there on a stool, thinking about things while my hands worked to pull out the grass .....