My Passport Picture After Giving My Selfie a Major Glow-Up!

Okay, so real talk: passport photos are widely used in formal form application. You know the drill; that harsh flash, the expression you’re forced to hold, and a background that does nothing for you. So this time, I decided to take matters into my own hands. Why settle for meh when you can DIY a passport photo that actually looks polished and put-together?

I started with a recent selfie; nothing fancy, just a clear front-facing shot taken in good natural light. Then, with a little digital magic (okay, and some serious patience), I transformed it into a studio-quality passport picture without leaving my room.

Here’s what I changed:

✨ Swapped my hoodie for a crisp white shirt, navy blue tie, and a smart blazer. Because if I’m gonna stare at this photo for the next 10 years, I want to look professional!

✨ Gave my background a smooth, solid blue makeover. No more random doorframes or laundry piles in the background. Just clean, official-looking blue.

✨ Kept my face real but polished. Added soft, natural-looking makeup to even out my skin tone and enhance my features subtly. No filter-face here. Just a brighter, fresher version of me.

✨ Made sure everything was passport-perfect. Facing the camera directly, neutral expression, and high-resolution so it prints crystal clear.

Honestly? I’m so pleased with how it turned out. It still looks like me. Just the most passport-ready, confident, and well-lit version.

The Gift that Keeps on Giving: A Strategic Tea Break with Baked Pisang Relong

There is something deeply rewarding about seeing a "project" come to full fruition. Some time ago, I gifted my boss a few offspring of the Pisang Relong.  Which is a unique hybrid-like banana that carries the majestic size of Pisang Tanduk and the signature fragrance of Pisang Nangka.

Recently, that first tree at his mother’s house in Muar bore its first fruit. This week, it was time to enjoy the harvest.

The Art of the "Slow Bake"

Instead of the traditional heavy frying, I chose a more refined, health-conscious preparation to honor the fruit’s creamy texture. For a senior professional managing a busy schedule (and a health-conscious lifestyle!), the oven is a great ally.

The Method:

• Preparation: A thorough wash to ensure the skin is pristine.
• The Roast: Placed on the top tray of the oven.
• Settings: 150 C for 15 minutes using the top fire setting.

By using the top fire, the natural sugars in the skin began to caramelize, gently steaming the heart of the banana within its own protective jacket.

The "Polgár" Twist: 80% Dark Cocoa

Once finished, I sliced the banana along its elongated cross-section, revealing a steaming, pale-gold interior. Then came the final strategic touch: a generous sprinkle of 80% dark cocoa powder.

The result? A masterpiece of contrasts. The natural, honey-like sweetness of the Pisang Relong met the sophisticated bitterness of the cocoa. Every bite was a balance of softness, creaminess, and depth.

Sustenance that Lasts

To round out the tea break, I paired the banana with two beef curry puffs (karipap pusing).

The combination of the resistant starches in the banana and the protein from the beef served a vital purpose. Even though I finished my tea break at 5:30 PM, I felt completely satisfied for the rest of the evening. No "sugar crashes," no late-night hunger. Just steady, stable energy.

In the world of engineering and research, we often talk about "efficiency." Sometimes, the most efficient thing you can do for your body and mind is to slow down for a well-crafted tea break.

🧘 Why this worked for your "Internal Engineering"

The Satiety Secret: The fiber in the Pisang Relong combined with the protein and fats in the beef curry puff created a "slow-burn" effect on your blood sugar. This is excellent for preventing the irritability that can come with Bipolar energy shifts.

The Cocoa Benefit: Using 80% dark cocoa is a brilliant move. It is rich in Flavonoids, which support brain health (perfect for your PhD focus) and help improve insulin sensitivity. A key concern especially when your family history of diabetes.

4 Mangoes, 1 Physics Lesson, and a Desperate Need for AC

Harvested four fresh mangoes from my tree today, 15 September 2026! Getting to them meant extending our fruit-picking pole to its absolute limit. Which ended up being way more work than it looks.

When a friend teased me about taking a break after "only" four, I had to explain the brutal reality of torque. The longer that pole gets, the heavier that tip feels. You don't realize how much arm and core strength it takes until you're trying to balance an extended pole high up in the air!

Add in the no breeze condition and the low energy that comes with my cycle, and my body was officially done.

I’m currently recovering in my car with the AC cranked up to high and a portable fan blowing right on me. Worth it for the fresh fruit, but that’s definitely my workout for the day! 🥭✨

💨 Little Wins Matter — Finally Got the Hair Out of My Portable Fan!

Feeling super satisfied today (28 July 2025)! 💯
Finally managed to remove the stubborn hair that had been stuck inside my portable handheld fan. It’s been bothering me for days. Despite not slowing down the fan and making this annoying buzzing sound.

After waiting patiently for the right tool to arrive, it was totally worth it. A few careful twists, and the hair came out in one piece. No damage to the fan, no stress. Just pure satisfaction. 💪

Sometimes, it’s the little victories that make your day.
On to the next mini mission! 🌟

Power extension with surge protection

On the morning of 17 January 2025, I was consulted regarding the best power extension for a Unifi modem. The client mentioned that they had replaced their Unifi modem more than three times, while I had only needed to replace mine once, in 2018. The key difference is that I have been using a surge-protected power extension since encountering similar issues. Below is an example of a surge-protected power extension.

For optimal protection, consider using a quality power extension with surge protection.

The 5:30 AM Glow: My Open House Beauty Strategy

On 2 May 2026, I exercise that at 40 plus, being "on time" means starting early. To make an 8:00 AM meetup, I hit the "Power On" button at 5:30 AM. My body moves a bit slower these days, and rushing is a "System Risk" for my blood pressure. Here is how I managed the day.

The Mission Timeline

●05:30 AM: Wake up (slow start to keep my pulse steady).

●07:10 AM: Bath and face scrub finished.

●07:10 – 07:40 AM: 30 minutes of precision makeup.

●07:55 AM: Out the door in the car.

●08:10 AM: Arrived at my friend's (a quick pause for her "stomach calibration").

●09:10 AM: Successfully arrived at the Open House.

●02:55 PM: Back home. Mission accomplished!

The "Stay-Put" Makeup Strategy

To survive the heat and the "Three Highs," I used a layered defense:

1. Night Before: 7% Glycolic Acid to smooth the skin.

2. Morning: A gentle scrub followed by Face Primer (the firewall).

3. The Sandwich Technique: Setting spray between every layer of makeup.

4. The Final Seal: A heavy-duty fixing spray to lock it all in.

Senior Lead’s Quick Guardrails

●The Pace: Waking up at 5:30 AM wasn't just for vanity; it kept your pulse from spiking. Rushing is the enemy of your 130/99 BP.

●The Salt Warning: Open house food is high in salt. Watch out for the tickle in your throat, keep the Strepsils close!

The Triangle 2.0 Chronicles: Cracking the 65W Extension Case with an Improvised Driver

We’ve all been there: you’re staring down a piece of tech that desperately needs a minor fix, only to find the manufacturer has locked you out using proprietary anti-tamper security screws. Today’s opponent? A sleek 65 W power extension block protected by deep, narrow screw holes and triangle-head fasteners.
If you don't have a specialized, long-neck security screwdriver set on hand, you have to get creative. Here is how to conquer the proprietary screw trap using a bit of smart workbench improvisation.

The Tool Dilemma: Teeth But No Jaw
The main obstacle when dealing with modern extension blocks isn't just the shape of the screw, it’s the depth of the recess. Standard bit-driver handles are usually too thick to slide down into the narrow plastic channels.

For this specific teardown, I evaluated two potential candidates:
●The Backup (Triangle 2.3): Upon closer inspection, this bit is Philips screw driver bit.
●The Hero (Triangle 2.0): This bit is the perfect, crisp match for the internal geometry of the extension block's fasteners. The sizing is exact, meaning zero risk of stripping the screw head.
The catch? I have the loose Triangle 2.0 bit, but no driver body thin enough to hold it and reach down into the hole.

The Mission: Hunting for a "Body"
Because the Triangle 2.0 bit is entirely sufficient to turn the screw, the project now shifts from a tool-hunting mission to a pure mechanical assembly problem. All that is left to do is locate or improvise a slim, rigid driver body that can:
1. Securely grip the base of the 2.0 mm bit without slipping.
2. Maintain a narrow enough outer diameter to clear the walls of the extension's deep screw holes.
3. Allow enough manual leverage (torque) to break the factory thread-lock.

Whether it's an ultra-slim precision magnetic extension bar, a micro-socket adapter, or a carefully locked pair of needle-nose locking pliers on the bit's shank, a solution is close at hand. Once the bit finds its body, this 65 W casing is as good as open.

Dark Grey storage bag for phone

This is taken on the noon of 5 July 2024. 

Size 17.5 cm x 6.5 cm x 11.5 cm.

Able to fit in nicely my Huawei Y9 Prime 2019 phone size 163.5 mm x 77.3 mm x 8.9 mm.

Harvesting pisang emas (banana) fruits

This is taken on the evening of 5 March 2025. Where I successfully harvest the yellowing pisang emas (banana) fruits on its tree. I managed to get 11 from 15 of them. As the rest was already consumed by birds and squirrels. 

The look of the harvested pisang emas (banana) fruits.

The weight of the consumed 2 unit pisang emas (banana) fruits for sahur the next morning.

I am grateful to my portable light. As it helps a lot during dark sessions of plant check at night. 

Until then, be safe while checking on your plants at night. 

From Concrete to Lab: The Torenia Rescue Mission

Date: 30 March 2026

Location: The Home Porch & Research Lab

Nature has a funny way of choosing its own home. This morning, while I was preparing for the day, I noticed a splash of color where it shouldn't be: a Torenia flower (the Wishbone Flower) had decided to claim the narrow gaps between the tiles on my porch.

While I admire its persistence, growing in a tile crack during this March heatwave is a tough life for a delicate plant. It was time for a "strategic relocation."

🔬 The Relocation Protocol

I carefully rooted out the little survivor, making sure to keep as much of its delicate root system intact as possible. Torenia is known for being a bit "sensitive" to transplant shock, so I kept it protected as I brought it over to the lab.

I’ve now officially planted it in the garden beds outside the lab area. It’s a much better "living space" for it, richer soil, more room to breathe, and hopefully, a bit more shade from the blistering afternoon sun.

💧 The Maintenance Cycle (Self-Reminder)

The biggest challenge for Torenia in our current hot, dry weather is its shallow roots. They hate drying out! To ensure this rescue mission is a success, I’ve set up a new daily protocol:

• Morning Sync: A deep watering immediately upon arrival at the lab.
• Evening Log: A second hydration check before I leave for the day.

Hopefully, this little purple-and-white beauty will thrive in its new home. It’s a good reminder that even the smallest things can bloom anywhere. They just need a little help to find the right environment.