Week 5, 2026 - Another year older...

Did not want to spend my birthday at work, so I didn't. Checked out of the staycation earlier cos had to go pick the 'rents up from the eye hospital, so was kinda busy with other non-work related things. 

4 day work week for yours truly. Sunday was Thaipusam, but depending on where you're working, you'll get either next Monday off, but also Tuesday off as well. 

Last week to use up/redeem the birthday stuff, so... 

• PAUL
• Koppiku
• The Food Merchant
• Alpro
• Paradigm RM5 e-voucher
• Watsons
• Sephora Birthday Brows
• Ayu Borneo
• Hot Bird
• Verrona Hills
• Oriental Kopi

• Ended the week with a quick stop at Stickerriffic to stamp the journals with CNY-themed stamps, before finishing up the head spa and body scrub deals I got a couple months ago. 
• Saw this year's Jason Statham movie, Shelter, on Sunday morning. 

Shelter

Another year, another Jason Statham paycheque movie on a public holiday.

First movie of the year: Shelter

Forgot this was coming out. Made a last minute decision to catch the morning screening at Starling. I know I missed maybe up to 20 minutes of the movie or whatever, but even then, the pacing of the first third was damn slow. And I was the only one in the room watching it LOL 

This is him trying to protect the niece of his old Marine buddy while on the run as a former government assassin. 

• Dude's all bundled up like he's going on an expedition and the young lady doesn't even get a damn coat. WTF guys?! 
• NGL, the lengths they go through with him using what's around him to fight bad guys for most of this so that Jason Statham isn't just shooting his way through this is not bad, almost macam Jackie Chan LOL 
• There's no way Bill Nighy spent more than a day on set for this movie. 
• I'm kinda glad that we're spared the sight of Bill Nighy dying on screen at the end
• For real though, Jason Statham owe people money or something ah? 

I guess it's okay, but I don't know about paying full price to see this. (Used the AIA Vitality GSC voucher)

Week 4, 2026

Been driving the 'rents to the eye hospital because apparently my dad's lens is slipping and is affecting his eyesight? Idk how to explain it.  

Still living with the post nasal drip and coughing like a smoker. 

• NCIS franchise renewed for another season, yay!
• Had daddy-daughter date at Amcorp LOL 
• Secret Recipe Thai Milk Tea cake was just meh
• Did a staycation on Sunday

Week 3, 2026

Start of this year's URTI spell started already, now living with the post nasal drip, which is more obnoxious and annoying than the initial infection. 

• Scott Adams finally died this past week. Man, did that dude go down in flames towards the end...
• Finally sold off one of the fountain pens
• Redeemed...
• Cake slice from Tedboy
• RM2 cash voucher at MyNews...which I only used to get something boozy on one of the 2 days of the month that has 5x multiplier
• RM10 e-voucher at Megah Rise (used it at Village Grocer, so...)
• Latte and half-off cake slice at Paris Baguette
• The Fish Bowl's B1F1
• Parkson + Bonuslink + Triumph
• Isetan + Kanebo
• Donki 
• Inside Scoop (boo for the B1F1, btw - so I went for the normal flavours)

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.