Week 2, 2026

Emo week at work. Caught a URTI by the end of it - sore throat, runny nose, sinus headaches, all of it. Only took Thursday off for MC, even though the doctor offered 2. Should've taken him up on that - Friday was miserable... 

• Picked up the replacement card at the Aman Suria branch after I had to call them to ask what happened. As usual, they called Dad and he did not answer their call, thinking it was spam or whatever. I don't know why Hong Leong insist on having people collect the card at a branch, but luckily it wasn't THAT far. If nothing else, I finally had online access again? I told the staff there that I thought it was weird that I couldn't have online banking because I don't have an existing CASA account anymore? WTF - I got cards from other banks that I don't have existing CASA accounts with, I still got online access what?! But this also meant that I had to download the app again, so... 
• Redeemed the RM10 voucher at AA Pharmacy. Still got Alpro and Health Lane left since Caring and BIG no longer give straight RM10 vouchers; the former would still give you triple points throughout the month, and both just opted to give you RM5 vouchers of various brands. Save my money la, I guess.
• Health Lane Pharmacy voucher also valid for 30 days after redemption, so another one for later in the month.
• Redeemed the free doughnut from Tim Horton's (any one except the pineapple-filled one), slice cake and drink (either Americano/tea) from Tous Le Jours (ok cos it was free; otherwise would not have spent money on it), RM10 e-voucher from IPC (not used yet), RM10 voucher from KPlus.
• SS2 was really crowded on Sunday; not sure if it's people taking advantage of the cheap durians (oversupply), starting their CNY shopping, or both. Wasn't there for either, but should've known better than to be in SS2 in the run up to CNY. 

Week 1, 2026 - Let the birthday redemption games begin!

Working this lull between Christmas and the New Year is like ehh. But better than anywhere else really, cos everywhere else be crowded AF. Starting the work week in the old year and ending it in the new is something, I just don't know what.

• Spent New Year's morning watching CNN's countdown. Spent the afternoon at Paradigm. Had time to go check out the new standalone eco-shop in Kelana Jaya. Shelves were already kinda empty even though it only opened the day before. 
• Had to report and block Hong Leong card. Was told to expect a replacement soon. 
• Did not end up redeeming the birthday e-voucher from Paradigm, since it's valid for 30 days after redemption. Guess I could wait until (possibly) end of the month to do so? But I did redeem the cake slice from Coffee Bean when I got my usual Double Choc Latte (their mocha la), but you only get to choose between cheesecake and carrot cake. Cis. 
• Walked around second home like a bag lady as I went around unloading various recyclables at different stores. 
• Spent Sunday at Sunway Square. Parking is only free if you spent RM30, not sure if it's stores you can collect Sunway points at or not. And only for a limited time. Redeemed birthday drink from Chagee, but there's another birthday voucher in the app which I don't quite understand, and it's only limited to certain stores. 
• Redeemed the birthday promo at Stickerrific.
• And the free sofuto at FamilyMart. 
• Cos it's Visit Malaysia 2026, Starbucks decided to put out their versions of kopi and erm, hor ka sai? They're under RM10, so ok la, I guess. Cheaper if you brought your drinkware like I did (like a chump). Still more expensive than coffeeshop, I know, but still. 
• Collected RM60 in Parkson vouchers from last year's APV spend, not as a birthday thing.

2025 Movie Roundup

15 movies this year, most of them being very early weekend and public holiday mornings, and probably more than one movie a week or something, or consecutive days over the weekend. Some months I didn't go, other months I saw several. Good thing I'm not a movie critic or whatever.

I miss the days of those free preview screenings, and pre-pandemic movie ticket prices.

1. Love Hurts
2. A Real Pain
3. Captain America: Brave New World
4. A Working Man
5. The Amateur
6. The Accountant 2
7. Thunderbolts*/New Avengers
8. Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning
9. (From the World of John Wick) Ballerina
10. The Fantastic Four: First Steps
11. Magik Rompak
12. A Big Bold Beautiful Journey
13. One Battle After Another
14. Now You See Me, Now You Don't
15. The Running Man

From the looks of it, it's 20% Marvel movies, 20% original/non-existing IP movies, and 60% sequels and (loose) adaptations, remakes and those based on existing IP. You tell me where the Statham movie should go. 

2025 Roundup

I don't know about anyone else, but the year for me has been kinda ma ma dei... 

• Did not think this year was gonna be the last time I'm gonna fly the KL-Singapore route on Jetstar Asia before it went bust later in the year... 
• As of this entry, Batik Air has one flight a day from Subang to Changi, but I think it's more for business travellers cos it's like 7.30 a.m.?!
• Squeezed in a couple of gigs (MEW and Franz Ferdinand) towards the end of the year.. 
• Saw my first local Malay gig this year (4U2C reunion show).
• JitFest 2025 was interesting
• My driver's license is now renewed for 10 years, whoo!
• RIP, Spotlight
• Lost an aunt and a coworker
• Lost a toenail 
• Added and got rid of some credit cards 
• Went for a mass training in CPR and AED - I'd be amazed if I can still remember how to do both now
• Learning/cramming about e-invoicing and a new accounting software for work mid-year is not something I would recommend.
• Didn't think I'd live to see a second Kino store in Malaysia..
• First mammogram ever
• Malaysia finally has it's own International Pen Show. 

Week 52, 2025 - Christmas on a Thursday? Kinda potong stim...

4 day work week, but going back to work on a Friday after Christmas on Thursday is kinda potong stim, even though I totally needed to get back to work. 

• Took me too long to finally do next year's Birthday Brows booking now instead of waiting for the month to come around. No wonder the booking fill up so damn fast. 
• Christmas Day was kinda busy - went to TRX, Atria, Cziplee (in no particular order, but take a guess what the order was)... Got one of the LOTR fountain pen inks. 
• Spent most of the Friday back at work driving to and from Kuala Kubu Bharu for work errand
• Found another sports bra I can wear that was also half off, yay
• Finally tried out Beyond Massage for their Bespoke Therapy massage on Sunday, which involves a consult with one of their physiotherapists beforehand to tell them your aches and pains. Had more knots and muscle tension in my body than I thought... 

Week 51, 2025

Last 5 day work week of the year... 

• Changed car battery at Section 17
• Managed to get a couple of books at this year's Big Bad Wolf Books sale on Saturday
• Did not get anything at the Popular bookfair in Starling, besides the exercise
• Had no idea Lancome brought back them Juicy Tubes again LOL. Got the gift set for the lolz.
• Car was at the workshop for most of Friday, so just as well that I went back to work?

Week 50, 2025

Short work week cos Sultan's birthday on Thursday. Nope, no money to make it a long weekend for myself, decided to go back to work on Friday. 

• Car service appointment on Friday. Both battery and drive shafts (?) needed replacing, but they didn't have the parts available, so had to get it done on my own at some point. 
• Had to drive to Bentong on short notice for work. 
• Went to Sunway Square on Thursday. Very shrewd of them to have it open on a state holiday? But cell reception in the mall was still shit. 
• Checked out my first Kopishop Konversations show in quite a while (the shows have been selling out really quickly), and their last one for the year. Quite funny, all things considered.
• Redeemed the Korean body scrub experience on Sunday. It was something.
• Douglas Lim put out his DFP show on YouTube on Sunday.