The MCO Diary (Continue...)

 MCO day 31 (17 April 2020)

I am thanking the MCO for bringing my life back to basic, reduced all the luxurious and went back to minimalist to survive over the pandemic period. It also gave me more time to be at home to manage and organize my home. After years of abandoned Altec Lansing speaker finally it comes back alive and the quality still good. This night we watched movie with dim light and great sound system.

MCO day 32 (18 April 2020)

The day as come, it’s Saturday. With the help of my family members finally we have complete assemble all the pallet woods and make this mobile space saving coffee table. This table made from the junk pallet wood. Months ago we searched and carried the pallet from the junk place and walk home. Dismantle all the pallet wood with hammer and car jack, carefully remove all the rusty screws. Calculated the pallet wood sizes and cut into sizes as per designed. It took me weeks to sand off the pallet wood and finally on this day we assembled, nailed with screws, brackets, hinges as well as the caster wheel to make this coffee table. We can have dinner, Chinese New Year party, BBQ and breakfast at our car porch. 

And the reward of the day:

MCO day 33 (19 April 2020)

After keeping my hair for so long and all the barber shop were not given permit for business, my private barber shop starts her business. Without a good tool, I was her first prototype for the haircut. It had been more than 30 days I has yet to cut my hair and I was dying for that. You can see how professional she was to use the scissors and cut my hair. Ok lah, not bad… and she got her reward of Gong milk tea.

Her reward:

MCO day 34 (20 April 2020)

It was a lazy day to cook, we have been cooking none stop for every meal every day. And we were wonder what to cook as well. You will think well when you were in hunger and at the very last minute it just sparked. This round is really a fast track cooking, high speed mi hun kuey (flat noodle) in 30 minutes and it was serve on the table. Inspiration spike for dinner as well and I be the chef for the authentic dinner: Hainanese Chicken Porridge which used to be my favourite from my late grandmother recipe. It matched well with Teow Chiew stir fried Sichuan vege with pork shred.

MCO day 35 (21 April 2020)

A relative of mine from US would like to treat me and my family for a Japanese dinner. I was surprised and knowing that she was supporting her good friend whom the owner of Tao Juru Autocity. This is truly a good friendship that support each other in business and not taking advantage of friend on business. My family and I were having a great first delivery meal since the MCO. Thanks Adeline Ooi all the way from Texas, USA… not Texas Chicken!

MCO day 36 (22 April 2020)

I was planning to bring my family members to Hanoi, Halong Bay Vietnam this year. Unfortunately the pandemic hit us badly and we can foresee that traveling will be restricted until end of next year. And the temptation of having real Vietnamese cuisine was getting ridiculous. Yes, I was greedy. Learning from the best internet media: Youtube, I intend to give a try to make delicious Vietnamese cuisine. Soaked the white and red carrot into the vinegar and marinate the pork for a night. Let’s wait for tomorrow.

MCO day 37 (23 April 2020)

37 days of work from home, today mark the history of first Penang bridge crossing. Finally I was returning to office to work. The government has given the green light to certain industries to reopen for employee to start working in office with very tight SOP and government permit with QR quote scanning. I was lucky that I was able to arrange with my wife for alternate days to go to office and always has some one at home to take care of the children.

This night special menu: Vietnamese cuisine Banh Mi. I have never taste a Banh Mi before and this was my first time cooking it. It taste great. Pan fried the marinated pork. Mix with soak vege, cucumber and leaf celery. Taste superb! Love it!

MCO day 38 (24 April 2020)

It seems like we were having the worldwide menu in our kitchen! After Japanese Bento then Vietnamese Banh Mi and today we were having Taiwanese Mice Pork Rice (卤肉饭) and Mango Sago (芒果西米露). Since we can’t travel by leg, we travel by mouth.

Only can wish mom for her birthday despite celebrating with her. Today is her birthday, Happy birthday to my mom.

MCO day 39 (25 April 2020)

This MCO trained lots of chef around the world. Our first attempt of cooking the Hokkien Mee. Hokkien mee is cook out of prawn head and shell. You have to squeeze out every juice of the prawn head and shells to boil the soup. This serving looks nice but it actually failed badly.

Spare out some time and did the shellac for the coffee table to make it looks much presentable and my children were very helpful on the shellac and this table workout from each of us. This is very meaningful. And lastly, we have planted some vege at our backyard garden to have some new grow of vegetables.

MCO day 40 (26 April 2020)

Today we went to Klang Valley this time for Bak Kut Teh. It has been quite some time that we have not enjoy a good Bak Kut Teh since the MCO. This cooking recipe came from Claypot brand Bak Kut Teh ingredient mix with A1 Herbs Bak Kut Teh. It serve well.

It is prohibited from going out for outdoor activities and my children has start camping in the house. And to make the day much interesting for them, we made use of our home made table for dinner at out of our house. It was a raining day and was a cooling evening. However if there is a possible of adding a fan will be great.

Last, a lemonade Shandy chill up the day.

MCO day 41 (27 April 2020)

From the last photo up on facebook that comparing my photo and the Captain America. My friend challenge me on Iron man… here goes my Iron man comparing photo. Looks the same, except my stomach is bigger.

MCO day 42 (28 April 2020)

Recording my daily activities during the MCO really makes me realize we are improving ourselves during the MCO period. Actually we have not been really doing improvement when the day gone better but spend more time with ourselves when we were limited with moving around. Today recorded my son’s on their Lego and Technology advancement. He was using my handphone to capture the picture of his Lego artwork and use the phone features that I have not used before to edit the photos and make it interesting. Now the photo looks like a brochure for him to show on the facebook. Great improvement.

MCO day 43 (29 April 2020)

Looks like the MCO was going to continue for a long time and not sure when will be an end. Without the vaccine, the Covid 19 pandemic will never end. Education ministry department has announce and started the online teaching. Students were expected to get help from the parents to log into Google class room to learn and do their homework. Photo shows the condition of a big boss was doing his homework at home with a 49” huge screen.

However, personally I still prefer 27” dual monitor, just nice for my eye view and within my viewing range.

MCO day 44 (30 April 2020)

Now we were in Japan! Kitchen has special menu again… Japanese Garlic Fried Rice. It was not hard to cook it and there were no special ingredient to cook. All you need are: Garlic, overnight rice, rice wine, sugar, soy source, Oyster source, sesome oil, egg and spring onion. Need lots of Garlic.

MCO day 45 (1 May 2020)

It was a labour day. It was fun to travel around the world with food. We had had Japanese Garlic Fried Rice yesterday and today we got our Unagi pack and clam from Ken Seng (seems like take away from Japan) and then went all the way to Italy… Thanks to my neighbor that treat us with Tiramisu cake. It was delicious!!! Complimentary with 1 box of Durian… That was my craving for days, thinking to have durian. After taste of Durian, it felt like I have back to my holy land. With the clam, we made ourselves back in Penang and Malacca by making Mee Goreng (friend noodle) and LaLa Jian (Fried Clam)

Other than food, I have had bring back few of my broken item back alive, which were the old HP printer and the Rubbermaid mop. Spend a few moment to dismantle, study and repair the mechanism to bring them back alive. Save up a lot of money.