Happy Merdeka Raya

Wow, the month-long of fasting has finally come to the end for Muslims. And today, we begin the long Merdeka Raya holidays. I will be a good girl and stay home, when I was looking forward to a long holiday away from Ipoh but I don't have the mood because my mole wounds are still not healed yet.

However, I would like to take this opportunity to wish all my blog readers Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri maaf zahir dan batin. Yes, sometimes bloggers do unintentionally hurt their readers too! Anyway, do drive carefully when you are on the road, be it balik kampong or going on a road trip. Stay safe!

5 Moles Removed

So I've got my five moles removed yesterday at GH's Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery Clinic. Phew... it was scary. One of the moles was from my face, four were from my neck. And I still have multiple moles to be removed all over my body. I guess I have to go for two more rounds.

This coming week, I have to go and get my stitches removed on three different days. I guess my whole week is filled up, just trying to meet my appointments at the clinic. LOL Wow, to think that I waited three months for my mole removal appointment, and the day arrived at the blink of an eye!

I'm glad that it's not as painful as I had feared. It was painful when anesthesia was being injected but after that, I could still feel all the activity but not the pain. it was as if the procedure was being done to someone else! Weird feeling.

Planning A PJ Trip

I am planning to go to PJ after Hari Raya. I don't know the exact date yet but this time, I will be staying for at least a couple of days. I have a lot of things to carry this trip and there are more things to buy before I leave.

When I am there, I would need to go shop for pots and pans and a couple of mens t shirts for my dad as he would be joining me later. Better buy new so that he doesn't have to carry extra weight.

Oh, I can't wait to leave but first, I need to get through the mole removal first. I can't function with that matter weighing heavily on my shoulders.

Mole Removal Appointment

So, tomorrow is the day I am getting some moles removed. I made the appointment at the Plastic Clinic, Ipoh General Hospital and had to wait three months. In a short while, three months is tomorrow. Phew, what a long wait and yet, it doesn't seem all that long.

I don't know what to expect and am feeling jittery about tomorrow. It may seem like a small procedure and it is small, compared to, say, heart surgery, but still, I do pray that everything will go smoothly, and just as importantly, I will not have to live with a scar on my face for the rest of my life. I have enough of acne scars as it is now.

Delayed Retirement

I read a news report recently that said that we need at least $1 million saved up before we can even consider retiring. That is certainly tough. No wonder many people are still working even though they are in their 70s. By the age of 55, most people only have about $200K saved up, and that is not enough with today's rate of inflation.

My uncle, who worked as a radiographer at a government hospital, had to take up a job at a private hospital once he retired. Now that his contract has expired, he continues to look for Radiologic Technician Jobs, though not successful yet.

Even though I am still a long way from retirement age, I worry about whether I can retire comfortably or not, at the rate I am earning. I guess this is a global problem.

Whirlwind Trip

Wow, just returned from a whirlwind trip to PJ/KL. I was on the road for a total of less than 9 hours only. That's the shortest time spent of all my travels to KL over the past 1.5 years! But this was a very fruitful trip, I have to say, and I am happy that I was able to accomplish something important that I have been waiting for 5.5 months! It's certainly a load off my shoulders.

From next month onwards, I will be making more frequent trips to KL and PJ and staying longer each trip, if possible. Day trips, although workable, is kind of a rush and definitely very tiring. At the same time, I will also have to spend a lot more money when I travel like that! HHmm no money to waste. We shall see!

Shopping Spree

This weekend past has been weekend of shopping! There are so many sales and warehouse clearances and also MATTA FAIR, it is so tempting to spend. I am sure all of us are going to regret spending before the end of the month arrives. LOL

Well, the Malaysia Mega Sale is here so what do we expect? Everywhere we see sale banners of up to 70% - 80%. Huge savings. But are things really cheap? I window shop a lot but hardly buy anything unless I really need something. At clearance sales, I don't really see such a huge price difference.

Also, at clearance sales, sometimes the condition of items is no longer pristine and yet, they are still not cheap! Fantastic, isn't it?

Olympus E-510

My friend read that I am looking to upgrade my camera to a dslr. He has a spare one that I could use, he said, so I brought it home. I thought that digital slr cameras are not difficult to use but boy, am I wrong.

The learning curve is really steep for me because I do not have a technical mind in the first place. It's OK shooting in broad daylight but it's a great challenge shooting in the dark or when the action is fast, like sports. I am still learning....

I wonder if there is a DSLR camera for dumb people like me. I really don't like fiddling with settings when I am on the run, and I do sometimes shoot and run as a photojournalist wannabe. I won’t mind paying a little bit more…

Quick Trip To KL

I will be making a quick trip to KL in the middle of next week because I have something to take care of. It could be just a day trip, as usual, or I may stay one night. I have no decided yet but I have to be back home on 20th August, as I have work to do.

If I do stay, I could only stay one night the most. But the thought of carrying my heavy luggage and laptop puts me off. So it really is better for me to return on the same day, which means that I don't have to lug around my heavy luggage.

Well, I will decide when the time comes. Right now, I have weekend events to take care of here in Ipoh!

Heart Trouble

My friend has been complaining of heart pain for the past month. He suffered from a heart attack more than a year ago and has not been 100% fit since then. I worry about his health but he doesn't really know how to take care of himself, it seems.

He has also been tested on a couple of ecg machines at different hospitals since his heart attack but the doctors said that everything is under control.

It frustrates me to see that he still goes to bed very late at night, goes under the hot sun and not take care of his diet. These are not going to help with his recuperation!

Matta Fair 2011

Matta Fair is here and it starts today. It will lasts for three days over the weekend. Yes, I can't wait to do. I have no idea if I would be buying any holiday package because I have been in the red for the good half of the year, or should I say "bad" half of the year instead?

I will try to look out for free trips to Resorts World Singapore, if it is still available. I had wanted to take up the earlier offers during the previous Matta Fair but I didn't have the time. Now, got time no money. LOL Free isn't really free, you see!

Anyway, I will keep my eyes peeled for travel package offers and maybe I will just indulge myself ONE time....just ONE time.

Fiji Vacation Packages

Matta Fair starts tomorrow. Although I am excited that it has finally arrived and I will make a visit to the fair, I don't think I will be able to find the kind of holiday that I want. As I mentioned in a previous post this week, I am looking for a "retreat" kind of vacation. I don't want to be in the company of noisy tourists. That's not why I am leaving the hustle and bustle of city life.

In fact, after going through some blogs for the perfect vacation idea, I think I am going to hunt for fiji vacation packages. Exotic! I don't think I can find these at Matta Fair!

While my friends think that I'll be wasting my money going to a romantic holiday when I am single, errr, I don't think so. Why can't I pamper myself once in awhile? Take a look at the NamaleFiji.com website and let me know if you could resist a vacation like that! No doubt, romantic holidays are best enjoyed as a couple but I am not going to wait until I'm married to enjoy Fiji.

I am not exaggerating when I say that it's a dream come true going on a Fiji vacation. Now, let me go search for a Fiji vacation package that is within my budget.

*** This post has been sponsored.

Makan-Makan

This is a month when all my Muslim friends are fasting. As for me, it's a time for makan-makan. I have already buka puasa two times at high class restaurants and there is another one coming up next week. And then another on Hari Raya day. That's not a buka puasa meal but a Hari Raya meal instead.

Although it's an opportunity to "makan besar", I can't eat too much. There's no point over-stuffing myself because an hour later, I would be hungry again. Haha isn't it funny? Over-stuffing myself would only cause me to grow fat! And I definitely do not need that!

Anyway, it looks like I will be busy with socializing this month. Hopefully I can make some good connections from these social gatherings!

Backpacking Adventure

When my friend read about my impending holiday, more a retreat, actually, she asked me when I am going on a backpacking holiday with her. Ah, I know I promised to do it with her one day but the thought of carrying that heavy backpack is very off-putting. You know I always get a bad back when I return from a day trip to Kuala Lumpur! And my bag isn't even that heavy when I go on such trips!

Also, although I already have a pair of lovely Backpacking Boots I would have to shop for other things that one would need to go on a backpacking adventure. First, though, I really need to go for a rest and relax vacation.

Retreat

I am planning to take my family on a holiday this month. It's my father's and brother's birthday in August and it will be a good time to go away. This wouldn't be a normal holiday, shopping in the city, or a beach holiday but it's going to be a retreat, if possible.

Yes, it is going to be expensive but let's see how it goes. I really would like to get away from mundane daily life and it would be a great break. I'm still thinking of the costs.... it would be painful. wuwuwu!

As for the time... we have plenty since we all enjoy time flexibility. Lovely.

Long / Short Vision

I have a friend whom I like to refer to as having "Yin Yang eyes". It's not an accurate term because it means having the ability to see things is another dimension. My friend actually is long-sighted in one eye and short-sighted in the other. Weird, right?

My friend went for a laser surgery a few years ago to correct his vision on one eye and didn't go through with the same procedure for the other eye. I have no idea why, but he seems pretty comfortable living with his eyesight like this, even though he felt dizzy initially but has since gotten used to it.

I told him to check out Lasik Boston and perhaps he would change his mind and get his vision corrected for the other eye, finally. Of course, he would need to be evaluated first, to see if Boston Lasik can be done on his eye. As you know, not everyone's eye is suitable for laser surgery.

If my eyesight requires corrective surgery, Lasik would be my first choice because it is a simple procedure, fast and effective. There are a few LASIK vision correction procedures so do consult an ophthalmologist to see which is most suitable.

*** This post has been sponsored.

Tea Break

Went to Kenny Rogers Roasters at Ipoh Parade for tea over the weekend. It's RM5.50+ per person only: one cake (four choices) and tea. I had carrot walnut cake. Pretty good, I must say. A friend had chocolate cake and another friend had cheese cake.

This photo shows the cheese cake. I don't really like cheese cake. It’s well, cheesy. HAHAHA! Just joking, obviously.

I don’t really have time to sit and chat like that. I basically don’t have time to socialize but that was a good break. Will do it again if we are able to fit our schedules!