I’ve been deep in the trenches working on this grant proposal since last week, and today (29 October 2026) was the ultimate test of time management. My game plan was simple: get the draft uploaded to Turnitin before 12:00 PM to ensure I'd have the similarity report back well before the strict 5:00 PM deadline today.
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Friday, October 30, 2026
Racing Against the Clock: Grant Proposal Submission Day
Monday, October 26, 2026
Why I Keep Telling My Friends We're Growing Up (and It’s Not Just About Grey Hair)
We’ve all heard it a thousand times: "Age is just a number!" or "I’m still 21 in my mind and heart!"
It’s great to keep that youthful spirit alive, but let’s be honest with ourselves for a second. While our minds might feel forever young, our bodies are ticking on a different clock. Time moves forward whether we like it or not, and our physical bodies are progressively aging right along with it.
I make a point to gently remind my friends. Both my age and older, about this reality. Not to be a buzzkill, but because of one simple, undeniable truth: accepting our age is the best way to prevent serious injury.
The Hidden Cost of Ignoring Your Age
When we were younger, a stumble, a pulled muscle, or a bad fall was something we could shake off in a few days. Today? Not so much.
As we get older:
- Recovery rates slow down dramatically. A minor injury that used to heal in a week can take months.
- The stakes are much higher. What used to be a simple bruise can turn into a long-term setback, or in severe cases, a fall or major injury can even prove fatal.
Denying where we are physically doesn't make us stronger; it just makes us vulnerable. Realizing that your body has different limits now isn't giving up, it's self-preservation.
Swapping High-Impact for Sustainability
Because I accepted early on that growing older is inevitable, I decided to adapt my lifestyle ahead of time rather than wait for a wake-up call.
Instead of pushing my body to handle high-risk or overly intense activities, I started experimenting with things like gardening. It’s physically engaging, incredibly rewarding, and keeps me moving. Without placing unnecessary, high-impact stress on my joints and muscles.
It all boils down to awareness. When you're aware of your body's true state, you can choose activities that build you up instead of breaking you down.
Living Life at My Own Pace
Accepting the aging process has also changed how I approach my daily life. These days, I prefer doing things alone and moving strictly at my own pace.
Why?
- Less friction: Moving at your own speed eliminates waiting time and avoids the disappointment of trying to match everyone else's tempo.
- Fewer unnecessary risks: You aren't rushing or pushing past your comfort zone just to keep up with the crowd.
Life needs to go on, but it needs to go on at your own pace.
At the end of the day, staying active and enjoying life isn't about proving how young you still are, it's about staying safe so you can keep enjoying the ride for years to come. After all, when it comes to taking care of your health, it really is better safe than never.
Friday, October 23, 2026
Beating Malaysia’s Heat & Perimenopause Hot Flashes: My Ultimate Cooling Hack
Living in Malaysia right now means dealing with a level of heat that feels practically relentless. But when you mix scorching tropical weather with sudden, intense hot flashes, standard cooling methods simply don't cut it. When a flush hits, instant, high-power relief is my top priority.
I used to rely on typical everyday handheld fans with top wind speeds around 5.1 m/s. They worked fine enough in the past, but nowadays? They barely make a dent. Trying to tame a hot flash with a low-velocity fan feels like bringing a squirt gun to a house fire. I realized I could no longer use standard fans on a daily basis if I wanted real comfort.
That’s why I’ve completely transitioned to high-powered jet turbine fans that push wind speeds up to 17 m/s. Decision that I have considered wince 2025 and make for the past 4 months. Which I only write today 14 September 2026. The difference in cooling speed is night and day. The sheer force of that high-velocity airflow instantly breaks the surface heat, bringing my temperature down in seconds rather than minutes.
To someone who just wants a soft breeze while waiting for the bus, a heavy-duty turbine fan might seem like total overkill. But for me, it’s a custom-tailored solution to a very real daily challenge. Finding what actually works for your body and your environment is game-changing. And right now, high-speed airflow is my non-negotiable daily essential!
Monday, October 19, 2026
Accidental Sweetness: How a Pink Rose and Misai Kucing Transformed My 12-Hour Earl Grey
Friday, October 16, 2026
The Glass Upgrade: Redefining Precision & Portability
Monday, October 12, 2026
100W vs. 45W Mini Car Charger: Why Size Matters More Than Wattage!
Friday, October 9, 2026
A Hot Evening with My Portable Fan
Monday, October 5, 2026
My Passport Picture After Giving My Selfie a Major Glow-Up!
Friday, October 2, 2026
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.
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.
๐ง 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.
Monday, September 28, 2026
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! ๐ฅญ✨
Friday, September 25, 2026
๐จ Little Wins Matter — Finally Got the Hair Out of My Portable Fan!
Feeling super satisfied today (28 July 2025)! ๐ฏ
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. ๐ช
Sometimes, it’s the little victories that make your day.
On to the next mini mission! ๐
Monday, September 21, 2026
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.
Monday, September 14, 2026
The 5:30 AM Glow: My Open House Beauty Strategy
Friday, September 11, 2026
The Triangle 2.0 Chronicles: Cracking the 65W Extension Case with an Improvised Driver
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.
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.
Monday, September 7, 2026
Dark Grey storage bag for phone
Able to fit in nicely my Huawei Y9 Prime 2019 phone size 163.5 mm x 77.3 mm x 8.9 mm.
Monday, August 31, 2026
Harvesting pisang emas (banana) fruits
Friday, August 28, 2026
From Concrete to Lab: The Torenia Rescue Mission
- Morning Sync: A deep watering immediately upon arrival at the lab.
- Evening Log: A second hydration check before I leave for the day.
Monday, August 24, 2026
A Simple, Fresh Makeup Look I’m Loving Today
I’m really happy with today’s makeup on 6 November 2025. Simple, clean, and it actually made me look awake without trying too hard. Still took me around 30 minutes, but the results feel worth it. The tight lining trick on the top waterline (before mascara) truly lifted my eyes without heavy eyeliner. Love it!
๐งด Today’s Makeup Routine
Here’s the step-by-step routine I followed:
- Applied serum all over the face.
- Used aloe vera gel as a moisturizing mask.
- Applied face oil for extra nourishment.
- Layered sunscreen generously.
- Added a very minimal amount of primer, just where needed.
- Used 0.5 pump of foundation. Applied with fingers first, then blended using a damp makeup sponge for even application (because it dried too fast when using fingers alone).
- Set the base with loose powder with blurring filler.
- Filled in eyebrows.
- Tight lined the top waterline with black eyeliner.
- Used brown eyebrow gel over the tight line for a soft, natural look.
- Applied Elianto blush, then a layer of SilkyGirl blush for a natural flush.
- Shaded the nose using a mid-tone contour powder.
- Curled eyelashes.
- Applied mascara.
- Finished with coral colour lipstick.
- Sealed everything with setting spray.
A Little Reflection
To me, learning makeup feels like a basic life skill. I don’t wear it every day, but when I need it, it’s so useful to know how to look presentable without depending on others.
I still remember back in 2011, I helped my cousin apply false eyelashes for an event. The makeup artist who did her sister’s makeup actually complimented how neat and tidy the lashes were! Moments like that made me appreciate having basic skills. It saves money, gives confidence, and we can customize to our own comfort.
Now, with my maturing skin, I’ve learned that extra skin prep is essential before applying makeup. It helps everything sit better and look smoother. I also like doing my own makeup because I can plan around my prayer times, do touch-ups as needed, and still feel comfortable.
I still have a lot to learn and that’s okay. Makeup is a personal journey. For me, it’s not about perfection, but about enjoying the process, improving little by little, and feeling good in my own skin.
Until then, let’s keep learning, exploring, and having fun with the basics of makeup














































