BIKSS and I are in our 50s. We met in 1988 but it took us 24 years before hooking up in 2012. We moved into a DD/lg dynamic a year later. In April 2015 some shit hit the fan. We took some time off but eventually found a new us.
I used to live alone except for a few shifting years when my folks moved in then out, then after dad passed on, mum moved in again. Now that she too has passed, it's just me, one carer whom I've decided to keep on, and my tenant.
He lives with his family. This is us.
I was being productive. My bag shelf was getting congested. I wanted to sell and/or donate a few of the ones I didn't love, so I got them all out and posted the photos on my group chats. Saturday seems a good day for such endeavours as I managed to clear out a lot of the ones that I had earmarked for said exercise.
Extremely pleased with myself, I gathered the rest and prepared to get back up on my stool, happy that what remained were the pieces I truly wanted to keep, and that they didn't number so many that I'd end up double-rowing. This means I would now be able to see ALL of my bags at a glance instead of rummaging about to see what's BEHIND the front row.
Only, when I lunged up onto the stool I heard a snap and felt something hit the back of my leg. It gave me a fright, to be honest. And then I felt the most crampy cramp in my calf. You know those ones that you get in the middle of the night that wake you up in a sweat and you find your foot or toes pointing in some weird position caused by a muscle spasm? Yea... that's what it felt like.
Yesterday I learnt about tennis leg : "Tennis leg is a painful tear in the inner calf muscle (usually the medial gastrocnemius). It often happens during quick movements like sudden stops, sprints, or changes of direction. People usually feel a sharp "pop" in the lower leg, like being struck or shot."
I am currently hobbling about with mum's walking stick. At least the week off will give me some reprieve from dealing with the brat at work. That's what she's proving to be - immature and defensive and a right child. I have no time for this bullshit. HR hasn't gotten back to me about any of the issues I raised previously either. And my boss is being obtuse and ignoring all the bad juju that he surely must be feeling by now. Anyway.... The job hunt continues. And I've never been happier to be stuck at home!
That's the blue stool in the background.
And my leg with a sleeve round it holding an icepack against my calf.
I wasn't planning on going on this recent trip, but then I was feeling greedy for some Kenny Hills so I decided to tag along on BIKSS' worktrip. He was gonna leave on a Monday, we got my ticket on the Friday prior. And I couldn't get out of work on Monday so he went ahead first, and I met up with him there later in the day.
There are other things going on in my life right now, one of which is being unhappy at work. I'm annoyed at my boss, my human resource person, and my current colleague. So I've applied to another job. Let's see how that goes.
But for now, let me just enjoy showing you the photos of all our treats!
Intermittent Fasting was put on hold (we'd both been at it for about a week - properly - before we left) and decided that we would just enjoy ourselves while we were away, then get back to it - properly - when we came home. The good news is, we both lost some weight before we left, and at least we're not too much over what we started with when we got back.
We ate dinner on Monday night at a place recommended by my Uber driver. It was near our hotel, so why not?! Broccoli and mushrooms / Roast chicken / Prawns in kam heong sauce -
Kam Heong (Golden Fragrance) sauce is a signature Malaysian stir-fry paste known for its rich umami and aromatic profile. It is made by sautéing a base of dried shrimp, curry leaves, shallots, garlic, and chilies with Malaysian curry powder and savory sauces like oyster sauce, soy sauce, and sugar.
Then we walked back to the hotel via a 'connecting' alleyway that was lined with eateries!
And stopped for some gelato. Good gelato. We had this in London too.. it's turned into something of a signature out-of-town ice cream treat for us.
We also bought some chocolate pieces.
The next morning I was off to Kenny Hills to pre-order my loot. Picked up some of these packaged treats for gifting (ahem... and eating...) while I was there. They promised to have my order ready for pick-up at noon the next day.
And since BIKSS loves an eclair, well...
Some of their offerings... none of these came home with me. Too fragile to travel.
These were the 3 bags I collected the day after, including some additional items that BIKSS wanted - I took him with me cos I figured there were gonna be too many boxes. Also, we tried some of the lemon drizzle loaf and banana bread later that day, and I ended up heading back there again the following day to pick up some more for BIKSS and myself to take home.
Top - marshmallow nutella brownie (so good... so, so good) Bottom - banana bread, slices of lemon drizzle loaf, and a scone
(There were 3 more scones in another box, don't you worry...)
I had a wander around the basement of the mall, and there were so many bakeries it was a good thing I had had lunch. There were fruit tarts, flattened croissant things (see explanation below) - and more scones!
They originated in South Korea as a viral dessert called krungji (or kurongji), which is a portmanteau of croissant and nurungji (a traditional Korean crispy scorched rice snack).
...Ok, I caved and bought some of those chocolate covered scones. Altho' I should have trusted my instincts and needn't have bothered. They weren't worth the calories! BIKSS didn't mind them tho, so I chucked them in his suitcase!
(OOTD: Black floral A-line dress with cut in top, beige slides, and blue and white tote.)
By the end of the afternoon I was ready to head back to the room.
My last stop was a new bakery called Hot Crush:
Hot Crush, the viral pink bakery, officially opened its first Southeast Asian outlet in Kuala Lumpur on December 20, 2025. The bakery originated as a massive hit in Shanghai, China.
I wish I could tell you that I tried some of those other tarts and what not, but I didn't. BIKSS bought a chocolate egg tart on the last day and I picked one up too. But I didn't get a picture of it. I *can* say that it was delicious! I did manage to grab a pic off the internet -
(Bottom row - middle)
I was more interested in things that would travel well, so I got a Berlin Volufra Cocoa Crispy Pretzel / Honey Pistachio Nut Bar / and an amusing receipt that tells me the Amount Of Money I paid.
Along with the pretzel and nut bars (which are really just sourdough breadsticks with nuts that are cut up on the spot as they pack up your purchase) and wellington croissants (mini beef wellingtons anyone? see pics below) I also picked up some ready-to-eat Bird's Nest and Chrysanthemum + Honeysuckle tea from a wellness/herbal remedy shop.
Signature Black Truffle Wellington Steak Croissant
- it's one of their big hits, and so I just had to try it.
And it was so good I went back to the store the morning of our departure to pick up 4 more. They open at 12. I was in line at 12.05.. But it wasn't ready yet. Come back in an hour, they said. BIKSS came round to meet me for lunch, then we headed back up again at 1. Thankfully, this time we managed to bag our goodies, which I hand-carried (along with the Nutella brownies) onto the plane.
We had lunch at a nearby restaurant with a forest theme on one of the days and aside from the strange decor I must say the food was very decent. They had set meals which came with free flow salad (a limited selection, but still, enough to make a decent garden salad) and fruit punch. I chose the fish tacos for my main, and BIKSS had the crispy chicken burger. We were quite satisfied. There was also a tiny Tiramisu thrown in to complete the meal.
On the day we collected our stuff from Kenny Hills we had wanted to lunch there but it was full so we headed to Tabush instead which, I'm glad to say, has never disappointed.
And this time was no exception.
We had a brinjal masala -
also known as baingan masala, is a rich, spiced South Asian curry made with eggplant (brinjal). The eggplant is either pan-fried or simmered whole in a fragrant, thick gravy made with onions, tomatoes, ginger, garlic, and a blend of traditional ground spices.
... and another brinjal thing with minced lamb. It's called Monazala Batinjan B'Forn -
a classic Middle Eastern eggplant and tomato casserole or stew. It typically features layers of roasted or fried eggplant, savory minced meat (lamb or beef), and a rich tomato sauce, all baked together in the oven until bubbling.
On our last night out BIKSS wanted to take me to a nice sit down dinner so we chose a steakhouse. Off we went to Corks Out, which was an easy 5-min walk from our hotel.
(OOTD: Black spaghetti maxi cotton dress with tulle overlay, a scarf that belonged to my friend's late mum, the one whose wake I spent a whole week at last month, and grey snakeskin clutch.)
They brought the raw meats to the table in a basket and we selected the cuts we wanted, then they grilled them up. When the food arrived back at the table each cut of meat came with its own info cards.
I wasn't thrilled with the lamb ribs but the beef was VERY good.
We also had grilled napa cabbage with anchovy sauce (caesar dressing I suppose) and cheese, a pomegranate and beetroot salad, and the server brought over a trio of salts - from left to right, herbal salt made seasoned with angelica root, mushroom salt, and a smoked salt. I generally don't like salty food so after he placed the three little piles on our plates I promptly tried them each once then chucked the whole lot out. They weren't bad, I just don't like salting my food beyond whatever sauce is already on the serving plate.
Thankfully, aside from the brown mushroom (?) sauce on the side plate, the other dips were not salty. That reddish one is a chilli-vinegar dip, and the green one is a chimichurri which I quite liked. (And in case you're wondering, yes, I generally have low blood pressure, somewhere in the 95/60 range, and it's been this way since I was young. I think it's because mum didn't use a lot of salt in her food, owing to dad's hypertension. So I just got used to eating less-salty food.)
Right, one of the last things I picked up were these Shanghainese "scones" or meat pastries.
That carrier bag is adorable! The buns aren't too bad either LOL.
Ji Pin He (吉品合) is a popular bakery chain originally founded in Shanghai, China, in 2008. Known for its freshly baked, flaky, and meat-filled Chinese scones (sometimes referred to as baked buns), the brand has grown to operate over 400 outlets.
They had some fun flavours. Aside from the ones here, they also had New Orleans Chicken, Chicken and Shrimp, and Black Pepper Beef - which are the flavours BIKSS chose, so I picked up one of each for him and myself. And boy did they smell awesome!
It was supposed to be a quick lunch at Kyochon Chicken before we left for the airport. We had the cheese truffle boneless bites, and the soy garlic + red hot (it wasn't hot!) boneless bites combo. In the end I was a bit disappointed. It was far from great, just edible I'd say, and it took way longer than we expected. Almost half an hour for those bits of chicken to arrive. You can be sure I'm never going back.
Founded in 1991 in South Korea, Kyochon is one of the world's most iconic Korean fried chicken chains. Famous for its signature double-frying technique and hand-brushed sauces, the brand uses antibiotic-free chicken and premium canola oil to create a crispy, less greasy finish.
And that's my foot on the plane. With my bag of beef wellingtons and brownies, and a handbag under the seat in front of me! I love having checked baggage... no overhead bins to struggle with!
And that's it! I'm curious to hear if you've tried any of the foods that I've shared here... some of these were new to me, and I think my favourite meals were at Tabush (I do love Middle Eastern cuisine) and the steakhouse (but only because it was a novel experience and the beef was really tender).
