My first Halloween pumpkin

I carved my first Halloween pumpkin. We bought a pumpkin from Lidl, one of the grocery stores with affordable prices. It is SEK9,90 per kg and this is a 5kg pumpkin. So about SEK50. 

First, estimate at where the lid of the pumpkin is to be carved out. I was afraid initially for the knife in case the pumpkin skin is hard. It is not hard at all and with a few thumps at the bottom of the knife, the knife went in and one follows the drawn line around the pumpkin. One has to carefully twist the knife a bit so that the knife does not detour much from the drawn line.

Now, the pumpkin lid is off

Then, remove all the fillings from the pumpkin with a spoon. Scrape everything out. 

Time to draw the eyes, nose and mouth. The reason the eyes and nose are in straight lines is because it is easy to carve them out. 

The Halloween pumpkin is done!

I crocheted a bag!

Next skill unlocked! Crochet. 

I crocheted a bag. I cannot believe that I could do it. Those who crochet say that it is easy. Now, I can say that too. I bought a DIY kit from Lidl, a grocery store. I thought it will be a kit for kids but it came with an instruction and materials. I was frustrated in the beginning because I did not understand. I searched through many articles and videos online. Finally, I understood.

I crocheted half of the bag in one evening, about 3 hours. Then, I completed the strap the next evening. I did not follow the instruction for the strap. The instruction to do the strap was a simple chain mask and I read that a chain mask needs to be strengthened as the strap can be pulled down by the contents of the bag. So, I made the strap thicker and now, the bag can definitely hold contents.

The kit came with beads to make braided beads at the bottom of the bag but I skipped it because I will give this bag to a kid. 

I am so proud of myself. Now I have a hobby to keep me occupied during my retirement. 

Camping at Vattgruvmossen

26 September 2025

I celebrated my birthday by camping in a nature reserve so I can enjoy some peace and quiet. I took leave from work as I did not want anyone to ruin my day. My boyfriend chose Vattgruvmossa which happens to be part of the trail for Sörmlandsleden 11 and 12. I did some of the trails for Sörmlandsleden until it became troublesome to take the public transport. It was better to drive instead. So, I stopped until trail 13.2. We drove here. I did not want a place that was too far and I set a driving limit of 1 hour. 

I was very lucky with the weather. It was sunny despite the chilly temperature. There were other cars at the parking spot. The public toilet is very clean. 

I walked this trail - Sörmlandsleden 11 and 12 in 2019 and I had the same photo of the signboard. This time, we did not do any long trails. We walked around the area. There were many mining holes that are now filled with water. 

We followed the orange sign.

Painting on canvas

17 June 2025

For the first time, I did painting on canvas. My friend asked me if I was interested and I said yes! I prefer drawing than painting. I painted with watercolour during my school days but I was not good at painting. 

The website showed various paintings at selected dates and my friend chose the painting of a girl with a midsummer wreath. I bought this 1.5-hour activity for 501kr. It is quite expensive. I thought it included wine in this activity but I misread the text. There were two locations for this activity. The one we chose at Clarion Hotel did not include wine in the ticket but offered 30% discount on food. The other location at Hard Rock cafe includes wine. So, I had a vision of myself with a paintbrush and a glass of wine the whole time until I found out I was wrong. Haha!

Regardless, I had a good time at the activity. Each participant was given a small canvas, acrylic paint, 3 brushes and a small printed paper of the finished painting. We could refill the paint if we needed to. The artist guided us on how to draw on the canvas and recommended on how to paint it. Each participant has their own interpretation of the painting.

The new year is here again

Another year has gone and a new year is here.

Years just pass. Yesterday, I was doing some mathematic questions and the last time I learnt them, I was 17. It has been 24 years since I touched a mathematic question. I could not remember the formulas. Time goes and I was 20, then 30 and now 40.

In 2024, I did not do anything special. I did not learn how to ski. I did not learn how to swim in the open sea. I don't think I will be pursuing any of those. I decided that I will study again instead for a change in my career. I wanted to do something totally different. I took night classes and studied Society Knowledge, a compulsory subject that all students here need to study and pass. I passed with an A. It was in Swedish too. I was damn proud of myself. I learnt a lot from this subject, but unfortunately, I could not apply for my desired program because the university parked me in a category where they have never weighed in the applicants - Other applicants. What a joke. The next alternative is to take the high school exam where students here take if they don't get sufficient points after school. Hence, my need to learn mathematics again. Thankfully, I love maths but the language in Swedish does not make it easier for me. Heck, I learnt maths in Malay Language! Not even English. The high school exam includes language questions. My Swedish comprehension is nowhere near advanced level. When I tried some of the questions, I was dumbfounded by the words that I have never seen before.

Oh boy, studying is going to be challenging. But I am going to do it. Because I am not going to live in 'what-ifs'. Because I want to do something different and relevant, where AI cannot replace. I am not going to give up. 

2025 will be the year if I make a change in my career. To study instead. When I moved here, I was keen to find a job. I learnt Swedish and dammit, I got a job. I became financially independent, my goal achieved. I am now ready to get out of my comfort zone again. I am not afraid to start again because that is what I did when I moved to Sweden. I know how it felt. I went through it and I know I am ready to start from bottom again. 

Stronger today

I have lived in Sweden for almost 7 years now. 

Today, I am a very different person that I was before I moved here. Before I moved, I was a different person after a family incident. 

Tough and uncomfortable situations mould and can remould a person. A person's personality is so fluid that you can adapt and be a new person. 

Last year, I turned 40.  

Suddenly, I stopped giving a shit of how people treat and think of me and I set my boundaries by not allocating time for people who gives me bad energy and makes me feel lousy. During the last 6 years, it was mentally and emotionally draining for me. First, it was the longing for the sense of belonging and I was very lonely but I was different from the persons I tried to connect with. We are adults and everyone has their own personality so it is difficult to adapt to new persons compared to being a teenager where you are still getting to know yourself. Second, when I tried to network because it is so important here to get a job, I was suffocating inside because the network did not continue the contact or end with 'let's meet up again' but it never happened or I was invisible to the network the next day at work when I thought we had a good chat the day before. It made me wondered - What is wrong with me? Did I offend them? Do I sound weird? Maybe we did not have a good chat. 

There is no third. These two points has made me finally put things to a stop. 

I wished I had the courage to set boundaries earlier so I did not have to carry these heavy emotions for so long. I have been tired for a very long time.

When someone here asks 'how are you' as they usually start their conversation, you are not expected to say 'it has been tough'. I know it is just being socially polite although I think it is not necessary. It is fake. This is the society's norm here, and I think it is also okay to not follow that norm. I ask 'how are you' if someone asks me because it is expected as a response. But when I initiate the question, it is because I genuinely care for the person and I listen. 

Today, I do not bother of how I am being treated. I enjoy my space and my own company. I set plans for my own priority. I do not give a second chance to people who do not respond the first time. 

It is well-known that Sweden has an integration problem and I went through it, experienced it and survived it. 

I may experience episodes of emotional and mental turmoil in the future but I know I will survive it. I am supposed to be hardened by experiences that do not kill me but I am still human. However, I am very much better than I was in the last 6 years. 

I can share without feeling ashamed and bitter. 

I can smile today. :) 

Pottery

18 March 2023

I tried my hands in pottery! It has been in my 'to-do' list to try pottery and when the opportunity arose for an English-speaking pottery course at Medborgarskolan, I signed up for it. The course was split into 3 different times - a weekend (10am to 4pm) and a half-day on a Saturday (10am to 1pm). I paid SEK2995 for it. It was a bit expensive for me but I have been waiting for this for too long. In this course, myself and another lady were total beginners while the others are experienced. It felt quite demotivating for me when the person beside me was making a kettle and plate while I was struggling to make a 'pot-like' shape that does not fall. 

On the first day, the instructor gave a brief introduction on pottery and informed that we will be using the 'wheel' where the wheel spins while we form a shape on it. The spinning is controlled by our foot which steps on a pedal. I learnt that there are different types of clay and today, we used black clay. The clay used is not part of the course fees that I paid. It costs SEK85/kg and I used in total, 3kg for the course. One slices the clay chunk with a wire and weighs the clay prior to using it.

Then, one massages and kneads the clay to remove the bubbles. It reminds me of kneading a bread dough. I could not take many photos while I was working with the clay. on the first day. I made several weird shapes. After a while, I got the hang of using the wheel and could make a small pot. There are two pots that I am proud of while the others are weird. The instructor said that I added too much water (one has to add water gradually while forming the shape so the clay glides from your fingers as the wheel spins) and the clay was 'tired' and the form falls. To fix that, one has to leave the clay to dry and that takes about a day but one can use a heat gun to dry the clay. At the end of the first day, we leave our creations to dry and will paint and trim as well as clean it up it on the second day.

Second day. My dried creations.

The instructor showed us how to make a pretty bottom but mine was hideous as I could not control the tool on the clay while spinning the wheel. So, I did on one pot only (look how ugly it is) and the rest of my creations had a flat bottom. 

2023 - Next milestone in life

Happy New Year 2023!

I am going to be 40 this year and it is so hard to believe that I will be 40. That age was such a large number for me when I was a teenager. I am thankful that I am given this opportunity to reach 40, hopefully, in September. I had 2 sisters that never got to be 40. So, I am grateful for the tomorrows. 

When I was in my 20s and my 4th sister was still around, we had our monthly drives back to our hometown. We usually sleep together in her bedroom in my late grandmother's place. I remember very clearly that I said to her - When I am 40, I don't want to be sleeping next to you. We laughed about it then but when I think about it now, I turned sad instead. So, that was a snippet of random conversations with my sister about turning 40. 

Last year, I got my driving license and I have decided to not pursue any courses that requires exams because I have not stopped studying and taking exams since I moved to Sweden. Language, professionl certificate and finally, driving license - all the necessities. Now, I just want to do something that I enjoy. I have registered myself for a pottery class in March. I have always wanted to do that and I did not have sufficient funds then and I could not find anything in English. Now, I have found an English-speaking pottery course! 

I made macarons last year for Christmas to give away. I would like to bake and cook different recipes. Although it would have helped if the electricity price is cheap but it is not. 

I would definitely like to learn how to ski and swim in the open waters. It is still in my list to do a Swedish Classics so I really need to know how to ski for that. I wonder if I will ever learn it. I should probably enrol myself to a ski school to learn the right techniques. It is expensive but I think I can invest in that just like how I invested in my driving license. 

I hope I inspire myself to take up new skills and hobbies this year. I would like a change in career too if that is possible. I would like to be a baker but I was informed that one has to wake up at 4am and then go to the bakery to start all the ovens. I do not want to sacrifice my sleep. I would like to move to the countryside but I do not think I am sufficiently handy to survive in the countryside. Moving to Sweden has already given me the work-life balance that I wanted and I am very near the nature. Being in the countryside would be the ultimate peaceful life and I am afraid that I would not be keen to be near humans at that point. Haha! 

Got my driving license!!

28 November 2022

I PASSED MY DRIVING TEST! I HAVE A DRIVING LICENSE NOW!!

You cannot imagine how happy I am right now! I was so nervous and anxious a few days before my practical test, that I felt like puking. I almost felt like crying when I heard the traffic inspector said 'godkänt' - that means pass. A huge relief just swept through me. 

When I registered in February 2020, I learnt how to drive manual gear again because my boyfriend's car is a manual. Then, I believed I was ready to take the driving practical test in June 2022. So, I took the theory test in Swedish (I am very proud of myself. Haha!) and I passed at the first attempt. I booked the practical test one month after the theory test just in case if I fail my theory and I need time to resit. I booked the theory and practical tests by myself as I did not register myself with any driving school. Big mistake. I thought it was sufficient to have my boyfriend as a private driving instructor and going with a driving school is so expensive, but he did not teach me some of the required syllabus. Well, I don't blame him. For him, as he can drive, so he did not think of it. Well, he has a book of all the syllabus but he did not read it. Also, I found it annoying each time he commented on my driving skills. So, it is my fault too, in a way, that he did not comment much because he did say that I get annoyed when he comments too much. Haha! I guess it is better to go with a driving school to not ruin the relationship. Anyway, I take full responsibility for my choice. So, I booked the first practical test with a manual car and I failed. I thought it was just bad luck because I booked to drive in an area that I am not familiar with. Then, I rebook a second practical two days later and I failed too. The traffic inspector said that I should consider driving an automatic gear car. I do agree but it made me feel really bad. And I cried of how lousy I was. I hated driving then and the practise drivings became such a burden for me and I dreaded each practise driving. 

For the first two practical tests, a student has an opportunity to book before other students who have failed many times. So, I lost my opportunities and I have to check Trafikverket (The Swedish Transport Administration) website very frequently to find an empty slot and I found one on 28 November just 2 days before the results of my theory test expire. Due to Corona pandemic, the results have a validity of 6 months and after September 2022, the validity is back to the normal 4 months. After the validity period expires, one has to retake the theory test. I do not want to take the theory test again. Who knows if I might fail...

Then, I decided to book myself with a driving school because I cannot afford to fail again. Each practical test costs SEK1300. As I have booked for the practical test at another Trafikverket branch, I looked for a driving school nearby that area. I read from Google that this place has good reviews. It is Nya Järfälla Trafikskola. I did a driving test (for SEK650) with a driving tutor and he said that I needed 15 lessons to break all my bad habits and set new ones. Well, I did not have enough money and time. So, I bought 10 lessons (each lesson is 50 minutes) for 1 month for SEK7800. Two lessons per week. This time with an automatic gear. Different driving schools sell different driving lesson packages. 

Total cost to take a driving license for me: SEK17.614. 

February 2020

1) Handledarkurs (tutor course) so that I can practise driving with my boyfriend - SEK400

2) Riskettan (risk 1 - compulsory) - SEK500 

3) Eyesight test - SEK100

4) Driving books from Blockett - SEK300 (not worth the investment as I did not remember what I read so I bought a driving lesson app that I saw from Instagram!)

27 November 2021

4) Ristvåan (risk 2 - compulsory - drive on slippery road) with Gillinge Driving School - SEK2390

February 2022

5) Driving lesson app Ta Körkort. If you change your phone, you need to purchase the app again. - SEK199 

March 2022

6) Driving test with Råsunda Driving School to gauge my driving skills. The instructor said that I needed 20 lessons but I bought none because I thought he just wanted my money - SEK690

June 2022

7) Theory test registration - SEK325

8) Photo for driving license - SEK80

9) Practical tests (twice so is SEK1300x2) - SEK2600

November 2022

10) Driving test with Nya Järfälla Driving School - SEK650

11) 10 driving lessons with Nya Järfälla Driving School - SEK7800

12) Practical test - SEK1300

13) Fee to make driving license card - SEK280

I am so glad I went with a driving school. 3 days (TODAY!) after my practical test I received in the mail, my driving license! 

5 years later

Middle of June 2022 and I have been here for 5 years now.

I think I have assimilated myself with the culture here.

I can speak comfortably to the locals here. I can joke and I am not pressured with the language anymore. 

It is hard to imagine that it has been 5 years now. 

It was really difficult in the beginning. 

Being alone in a new country. I have to take care of myself even if that means starting anew in anything and letting go. It is like leaving a comfort zone. It is like getting out of bed. I think many people dreads getting out of bed!

Forcing myself to learn the language so that I can find a job to be financially independent. And when I found a job, I have to learn the working culture. Speaking with an accent and with broken Swedish in the beginning made me a loner at work. It was sad in the beginning but today, I am okay. I enjoy eating lunch by myself now as I can listen to podcasts. Podcast is a thing here. I think that is how single company keep themselves occupied. 

Everyone says that it is difficult to make Swedish friends. Well, I belong to that statistic who says it is so. I do not have any Swedish friends. I do have Swedish colleagues. I was active in Meetup activities where I joined hiking activities prior to the Corona pandemic. I met lots of foreigners and very few Swedish people. During the pandemic, I did not meet many people. Now, after the restrictions are lifted, I meet some people. What is  a definition of a friend, by the way? If someone tells me that it is someone that you can share your problems or communicate frequently, unfortunately, I won't have any friends at all then. Let us keep the definition simple and the bar very low. My interpretation of a 'friend' today is someone who I meet, have something to eat or drink with, make 'not-personal' conversations and to have a social life. To be honest, I am okay with that too today! I was not initially but I have to align myself with the current society I am living in. 

After 5 years, I have also found out that I enjoy baking, cooking and being in the garden. I plan and prepare meals two weeks ahead. I baked Malaysian kuih too. I am proud of myself in that area. In Malaysia, I do not cook often or bake at all. I plant vegetables too. I did so many new things that I never thought I could. 

One thing I stopped doing was running. Because race fees are so expensive here and I do not get much in return, so I am not inspired to run. In Malaysia, race fees are very cheap and we get so many freebies. I run if my workplace sponsors the run. So, I have done two runs within 5 years, and each was 5km. 

However, I replaced running with cycling now. I enjoy cycling so much that I am so lazy to walk. I bought a bicycle during the pandemic and I cycle a lot since then in every season. I was amazed at myself for my perseverance in cycling during winter. I did not think I would survive it but I did. 

I have unlearnt, learnt and relearnt many things. 

I think I can comfortably sum up that I will continue to live here until life takes a turn again. 

Nytt år, nya tag

A common expression in Swedish - nytt år, nya tag.

Unfortunately, I am unable to find a similar expression in English. The closest I can explain this is new year, new go.

Year 2022. Relieved to have survived 2021. It has been a difficult year for everyone. Everyone has their own struggles and stories to share. I am not good in giving a pep talk or motivate anyone. In fact, I have been more quiet, more than ever today than when I moved to Sweden. I am reserved and I keep opinions to myself. So, I am not going to write anything inspirational or tragic here.

A new go in the new year. I do not have any new 'go' at the moment. Well, maybe one for this year which is to take my Swedish driving license. It is rumored (?) or I have read somewhere that Sweden is one of the countries which is difficult to get a driving license. I just googled but this is not shown in any websites. Another go that I would like to try is bake and cook new recipes. This year, I made pralines (among some of my new recipes) and gave them as Christmas presents. I am happy that it was a success. I cooked a lot of Indian dishes which tastes so good, and I am no longer keen to eat Indian food. Maybe I will attempt at more Malaysian recipes.

A new go which I would like to try is to swim in the open sea. I have a dream to complete a Swedish Classic. But to do that, I need to be able to swim in the open sea and ski. I can swim but definitely not in the open sea. I am afraid as I cannot reach the bottom. I would like to learn how to ski and I am going to find out if it is possible to rent a pair of skis before I buy my own pair of skis. 

So, there are 3 new 'go' for me this year - drive, bake, ski.   

Plum plucking

15 August 2021

For the first time in my life, I saw a plum tree! And to make it better, I plucked plums from the tree because the kind neighbour invited us to do so as there are so many plums on the tree. The neighbour informed us that the plum tree bears fruit once in two years. So, there were not any plums last year. The plums are smaller than the ones in the grocery store but equally yummy. 

Wellness Allowance : Footcare (again)

8 July 2021

Today, I utilised my wellness allowance for footcare again. I did footcare for the first time last year in October 2020 due to Corona as I believe it is much safer if my foot gets cared for. I went back to the same foot therapist. Foot therapist here has to go through a course and be certified. This time, I did not get any tea and cookies. I wonder if it is because I visited in the summer while I visited this place last year in autumn and it was colder so I got cookies and tea, maybe?

Anyway, I have decided that I will try another foot therapist next time which is much nearer to my place. I think it is great to vary service providers when there is such an option. 

The photos are not very clear because I minimised the size of the photos. My toes are pink and clean again. For now. The first session took 30 minutes and I utilised SEK810 and this time, it took 45 minutes and cost more - SEK890. I did not realise there was a difference in the price until I checked my last year wellness allowance. Odd.

The feet get a bath first. I soaked my feet for about 10 minutes to soften the toenails which will make the nails easier to treat.

Then, the soles get filed to remove any hardened skin.

Followed by shaping, grinding and polishing the sharp edges and rough nails.

I did not take further pictures. The therapist removed the dirt from under the nails but it was not very thorough. There was a little dirt left so I went home and removed them. After the dirt removal, the therapist massaged my feet and put my socks back on for me. 

Bingo lotto

9 May 2021

Do you know Bingo? I used to play Bingo when I was little but I get nothing in return except the sheer excitement of shouting 'BINGO'!

In Sweden, there is Bingo too but this version involves buying a Bingo lottery with a specified date on the ticket and we watch the live telecast at 6pm on a Sunday where the numbers were mentioned on television. There are 3 rounds in total. Between rounds, there are advertisements, of course and live performance. There are also special Bingo shows for Easter, Christmas, and Midsummer. I bought 3 lottery tickets that cost SEK50/RM25 each. We sat in front of the television on a lovely Sunday evening at 6pm and the show lasted for about 2 hours. I did not win anything. There are many presents one can win for example a car (WOW!), cash, items from various sponsors (sports equipment, grocery, jewellery, furniture and fittings).

Knitting : A coaster

8 April 2021

I wrote a post in September 2019 that I gained a new interest in knitting. Today, I finished my knitting. Haha! After almost 1.5 years. It is a coaster with simple patterns i.e. the basic knitting technique. I feel so proud of myself! Next, I am going to try to knit a sweater or something wearable. I bought wool yarn previously but it is not suitable for a wearable item because it itches. So, I need to get myself cotton yarn for that. Wish me luck!

Easter 2021

3 April 2021

Easter in Sweden is celebrated on the eve i.e. the day before Easter which is a Saturday. I find it odd initially that most celebrations are celebrated on the eve. For example, Christmas and Midsummer (the day the daylight hours are the longest). 

For this year's Easter, a huge egg was delivered to the doorstep. It IS so heavy. There were about 4.5kg of sweets inside. No chocolates though. Probably it is the cheapest? So, I told my boyfriend to bring the sweets to work because we cannot leave them at home otherwise we will be consuming them. I cannot afford dental care here, so prevention first. It makes me wonder why are there so much sweets during Easter. Why do they give so much sweets to the kids? According to my colleague, she did not had as much sweets when she was little. 

After a little research from Kurera, here is the translated explanation:

When sugar came to Sweden in the 13th century, it was seen as a medicine that the church tolerated even during Lent. Sugar was something exclusive that only the richest could afford and royalty in Europe, based on the Muslim model, sculpted with sugar to show their reverence for the religious holidays. In the 18th century, when the supply of sugar increased and the price fell, it spread in the social classes. Then the bourgeoisie also began to eat sweets at various religious festivals and celebrations to show their status. By eating sweets, we get a feeling of the sweet life and that we are privileged. At the same time, sugar has made a reverse class journey, from the aristocracy's exclusive status symbol to the image of the lower classes' junk food. Not only does sweets give social interaction a royal splendor, but the consumer risks ironically getting the health problems and "black teeth" that were more common among royalty in the past.

Maybe it is not good to emulate the royalties all the time.

For Easter, we had the same kind of food as we had for Christmas, minus the kale soup, beetroot salad and ham. We were very stuffed from the food and had the same meal on Easter Day itself.  

Home concept

I have been in Sweden for slightly more than 3.5 years now.

Today, I have grasped the concept of home here. 

Previously, I found it confusing how elderly generation send themselves to old folks home and not staying with their kids. I found it cool that some couples will buy old houses or huge ones, wondering if I could afford one. I found it sad that some of my colleagues had plans to sell their houses and move to a small apartment. 

Today, I understand how things work in the society.

Single adults buy a small apartment suitable for a single person. This is usually one bedroom with a living room. When they pair up and become a couple, they move to either person's apartment 

When the couple have kids, they sell their apartments and buy a bigger apartment i.e. with 2 or 3 bedrooms or a house. Now, this house can be an old house away from town or a newly built house. I have colleagues who bought old houses and some renovation and repairs needed to be done. For e.g. to change the old pipes, change the kitchen stove because it uses charcoal instead of the modern gas or electricity, replace the planks on the wooden porch because they are worn out and the list can go on. 

When the kids become adults, the extra space feels empty and unnecessary. So, the parents sell the place and buy a small apartment or rent an apartment elsewhere or in the old folks community. The loan of the previous place can be paid off and the extra cash can be used to pay the monthly rental or the cost of the small apartment. It is not a problem to pay the monthly loan installment or rental because the elderly generation gets their monthly pension. They get a minimal pension if they have not worked prior to that. Hence, the pensioners don't need to stay with their kids to be taken care of. Also, they understand that their kids have their own life and need to take care of their own families. 

This is so different from Malaysia! It is rare that parents sell the home once the kids have grown up because the kids are encouraged to stay with their spouses in the home with their parents so they can take care of their parents. 

In my opinion, I think it is very practical with the 'home' concept here. But also, the downside of being lonely among the older generation is very common here. 

Ok, I can go and on here but you get the gist, I hope!

Happy Chinese New Year 2021

12 February 2021

Today is Chinese New Year and I felt out-of-mood as Chinese New Year approached. So, I drowned myself in Chinese New Year songs while working. I called home and everyone was not in a happy mood either. I miss being with my family. But so does everyone else in the whole wide world. Hopefully, I will be back next year. I have been limiting social contact with friends here and I suppose it does put a strain on keeping in touch digitally. 

For Chinese New Year, because everyone posted lots of foods and cookies, I tried to cook a nice meal for the 2 of us. It was not much but at least I had a fish dish, because 'nian nian you yu'!

Top dish: Falafel on spinach and grated carrots, pork and ginger dumplings. Eight for each dish because eight sounds like 'fa' in Mandarin i.e. fa cai = well-off.

Bottom dish: Fish fillets cooked in chorizo sausage and tomato sauce. 

I added an ang pow on the table for a Chinese New Year feeling. :-)

Freeze drying laundry

Sublimation - a word that I recently learnt which means ice is vaporised by skipping the liquid phase. This is a concept I learnt as I attempted to freeze dry my clothes when the temperature dipped to less than -5 degrees. I tried this twice where I had the laundry on the balcony for a whole day but my clothes were not dried when I brought them in. They were hard and had a shape but the shape loosened and the clothes became damp after 1 minute of being indoors. I had to put the laundry rack into the bathroom to dry them as there is underfloor heating. I still do not understand how others managed to get their laundry dried. The clothes smell good, though.

Defrosting the freezer

This is my first time defrosting a freezer. It was -10 degrees this evening on 30 January 2021. So, we took this opportunity to defrost the freezer. We put the frozen items on the balcony, switched off the freezer, put pots of hot water in the freezer, and placed a type of absorbing cloth at the bottom of the freezer. We hastened the process by putting a fan in front of the freezer to circulate the steam from the boiling water, around the freezer. Of course, one has to replace the boiling water several times as it cools down.

The defrosting process took about 1.5 hours. It is now easier to slide in and out the containers from the freezer, without the ice looming above the roof of each compartment. Which means I can stock up the freezer!