The Good Old Days

Many things came flashing across my mind throughout the past 4 days where I spent 80% of the time on bed. The past, the present as well as the vague future. Call the future vague because there's no way of seeing it.

Among the things that had played in my mind were the good old days. Thinking of the past doesn't bring any benefit, but it surely makes me think about the things that my future child will never be able to experience. One of the most disheartening things is that, my future child will never get to physically know its maternal grandmother. Anyway, what's the point of divulging into this when my child has not even been safely born to the world yet?

Bad nostalgia apart, but out of fond memories of the good old days, lets explore some of the moments that used to be part of my life...

1. The scenary

One of the most beautiful sights in Ipoh is the "Sam Poh Tong" cave temple. Here's a building at Sam Poh Tong that resembles what's commonly found in China. The pond and rock garden are simply splendid.

2. Mid-autumn festival at home

Gone now are the days when I used to be able to celebrate the mid-autumn festival yearly at home. My mother and I loved the light up paper lanterns and put them up outside the house.

Our final mid-autumn festival together in 2010

3. So near and yet so far

This is one of my mother's workplaces... the "Klinik Desa Bemban" in Batu Gajah. A place where the local expectant mothers get their antenatal check-ups and babies get vaccinated for free. Indeed, my "kad merah" from Klinik Kesihatan Seri Kembangan reminds me of my mom's work!

Mom's former workplace, post-renovation.

4. The Kellie's Castle, a place of attraction in Batu Gajah.

Located between Batu Gajah and Gopeng, this place attracts many visitors during the holidays. Also a popular spot for pre-wedding photography.

View from the rooftop of Kellie's Castle. Limestone hills are synonymous with Ipoh and its surrounding towns.

5. Going home

A train ride of going back to Ipoh is incomplete without a countryside scene such as this:

An invigorating view of a vegetable farm away from the city

6. Plants at home

One of things I liked being at home were the sight of plants.

My mom's garden of greenery. I wish I'm able to revive something similar in the future so that my future child (if I indeed have one) will learn to appreciate the beauty of plants instead of concretes.

The blooming bougainvilleas outside my former neighbour's home...

Ixora that used to surround the side of my former home:

This all-leaves plant consists of very fine leaves and branches. It needs a lot of water and shade to sustain itself.

Sadly, I was unable to bring it along with my due to unavoidable circumstances when I was forced to shift from my former home.

7. Some typical dinner of a single-girl who's away from home

There's nothing special nor bad in what I used to have when I was away from home. But now that I haven't had outside food such as these for a long time, I think I'm beginning to miss them. Ironically so.

Rice with eggplant, minced meat and "bird's eye chili" from the “大炒”

Rice and curries... my favourite in times when I crave for spices

There are more than these, but then I usually don't take picture of all the meals I consume. :P

8. The backyard

I used to enjoy watching pigeons in the noons after lunch. One of my neighbours from the street behind my former home keeps pigeons. Some Chinese believe that pigeons bring good fortunes. And my fortunes lies in..............?

9. The Last Supper

This isn't exactly supper, but should more precisely be described as the last meal that I enjoyed with peace on the night before things suddenly happened akin to a crash of rollercoaster.

A bento takeaway from Jusco:

The stress of seeing life draining away from a person so dear was intensely high. I was stressed mostly by shock, not so much by sadness due to the personal notion that when the time comes for one to go, one has no choice but to let go. Nevertheless, having said that, it doesn't mean that sadness was absent just because I didn't cry.

10. Farewell my home, from the bottom of my heart

As an informal farewell to Ipoh, my brother and I managed to go to a few places and ate what's locally-famous while on our way back from running various errands.

The Ipoh Padang, facing my dad's alma mater, St Michael's Institution

After regaining some appetite, we managed to try these savory egg tarts at Nam Heong located on Jalan Bijeh Timah for the first and last time.

The original White Coffee at Nam Heong

Conclusion

Will what's supposedly gone, ever come back to life?

Whatever Will Be, Will Be

Energy is what most of us always take for granted... until the time when we need some but unable to find enough. I never knew of such exhaustion, until recently.

Despite the odds, I'm thankful that the little one is there.

Moving to the next topic, here's an account of my experience with check-up at both places... private and Government, as well as other matters that bother me.

Registration at Klinik Kesihatan
At the time of registering for the 'red card', I have yet to decide where I really want to go for my check-up. Since there's no harm having a place to check-up at the Government clinic as its free albeit very crowded, I went along with my elder folks' suggestion.

In a nutshell, I was satisfied with the service provided during my first visit there although the queue due to the high number of patients seemed to challenge one's patience. But the nurses ("Jururawat Masyarakat", or "JM") at Klinik Kesihatan Seri Kembangan were nice although they're busy.

In another few weeks' time, I'm supposed to go for my second visit which includes MGTT. At the moment, I have no idea if my blood glucose is ok or otherwise although my glucose level was on the low side during a random blood test back in 2008. I felt like using the blood glucose meter at home to test myself, but I find it hard to poke my own finger although poking others' is easy. So, I'll leave it to the clinic to do it.

Visit to Columbia Asia
A search had led to the finding of a new hospital that's not too far from my place. The Columbia Asia Hospital in Balakong, Cheras was opened recently.

Seeming interested to see a gynae for a more thorough check-up as well as to find out the root of the scary incidents, I randomly went to see one of the gynaes. I saw Dr Norshida Brahim, a nice and friendly lady ob-gyn.

On the whole, I'm happy with my gynae, the nurses, staff and environment at Columbia Asia. There are ample parking spaces too. I'll definitely consider this place should I successfully make it to the delivery stage (if... and only if I make it to the stage).

Too soon, too early
Still far from motherhood, it's thus too early for me to plan for anything. Fingers forever crossed and being arguably over-realistic a person, I always think it's better to live life from day to day when it comes to something such as this.

I have no intention to buy any baby stuff until the baby is safely delivered (my parents did that during my time and I agree with such practice). I'll not buy any maternity dress until I really cannot fit into my existing clothes. I'll not tell the world that I'm indeed going to be a mother until I am really one.

"Scare No. 2" is next to "Scare No. 1", and NO to discrimination
I do not care whether it's a girl or boy as long as the child is fine and healthy.

Speaking of which, I'm actually dead-worried because a 25% risk is nonetheless high enough to cause me some fear. After all, phenotype does not necessarily reflect the genotype within.In order not to add greater boredom to this post, I'll not divulge into the details.

Conclusion
I have never gambled on anything all my life, and my first time doing it is when I'm in my present state now. Still too early to tell whether this experience of mine will turn out to be a bundle of joy or the contrary, I'm living by the saying "Don't count the chickens before they're hatched".

After all, I've just got another "scare" this morning. Looks like I'm relying on artificial support for what's supposed to work naturally for the majority. In this case, the fetus looked fine, but probably not the mother, I really do not know. I shall not think too far then.

"Que sera sera, whatever will be will be... the future's not ours to see... que sera sera".

My dear child... we'll be together if we're destined to be, no matter how great the odds are. But if we're not, well... who are we humans to go against what's already written in our fates?

Steamed Chocolate Moist Cake

My latest and humble kitchen project in conjunction with the recent lunar new year is the steamed Chocolate Moist Cake. I found the recipe in my mother's collection, given by one of her friends after we enjoyed the cake very much during Raya a few years ago.

This is a simple yet delicious cake, best served for tea time.

The Ingredients:

2 cups of flour

2 eggs

1 can of evaporated milk

2 tsp soda bicarbonate

2 tbsp cocoa powder

2 cups of cooking oil

2 cups sugar (I used 1 1/2 cup of brown sugar)

Method:

1. Sift flour into a large bowl.

2. Put eggs, milk and cooking oil into a blender. Blend until the mixture turns smooth and fluffy.

3. Pour the blended mixture into the bowl of flour. Add in cocoa powder, sugar, soda bicarbonate and mix.

Note: As I do not have an electric mixer, I mixed everything manually for about 40 minutes, using the same direction (i.e. if you're mixing them clockwise, just maintain the same direction... and vice versa).

The batter

4. Pour the batter into a greased cake tin and steam for 1 hour.

Fresh from the steamer and despite the cracks on top, is a smooth-textured chocolate cake. Note that such cracks are not unexpected, just like what we frequently come across in other steamed food such as "pau".

Of all things, I was too busy eating until I forgot to take a picture of a slice of this cake!

Overall, I was glad that the cake turned out fine. Probably inheriting the rare gene from my paternal grandma who's a total non-sweet-tooth, I naturally prefer less sweetness in my food. And so, I reduced the amount of sugar and used brown sugar instead (my brother a.k.a. the retired-chef told me that brown sugar tastes milder than white sugar).

Cakes out there in the market are mostly catered for the liking of the general public, but not those whose "teeth lack sweetness" i.e. non-sweet-tooth. So the only way is to make my own. This is a cake ideally-adjusted for my personal taste bud, but definitely not my sweet-tooth husband who'd prefer the original recipe comprising 2 cups of white sugar. Have I told you before that my husband is a complete opposite of me? :P