The Day That Wouldn't Be Pinned Down

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An early start, with one clear objective in mind: be back by noon. A simple enough ambition, the kind you set yourself with reasonable confidence at six in the morning, before the day has had a chance to make its own plans.

The day, of course, had its own plans.

A few unwell patients delayed things just enough to nudge the schedule sideways. Nothing dramatic — just the gentle reminder that medicine doesn't keep to anyone's diary but its own. By the time I extracted myself, "back by noon" had quietly mutated into "back at some point", which is a downgrade I've learned to accept with reasonable grace.

But lunch made up for it. Rebung — finally. Anita has been harping on about this place for weeks, with the particular persistence of someone who knows she's right and is simply waiting for everyone else to catch up. And she was right. The spread was excellent, the kind of buffet that doesn't feel like a buffet but rather a thoughtful tour of Malay cooking done properly. Generous without being showy. I shall, in due course, admit she was right. Perhaps over coffee. Perhaps never.

The peace was short-lived. Mid-meal, more or less, came the call back to the hospital — one of those summonses you can't really argue with, only attend to. So back I went, the afternoon now firmly in charge rather than the other way round. These are the days that quietly remind you who's really running the schedule.

Somewhere between obligations, I managed a haircut at Lucky Garden. A small, civilian act in the middle of a day pulling me in several directions. There's something steadying about sitting in a barber's chair when the rest of the day has been frantic — the slow, methodical work of someone doing one thing carefully while the world outside continues its noise. I emerged tidier, marginally more composed, and ready for the evening's main event.

Which was the College of Physicians Gala Dinner at Dorsett Putrajaya. And here, in the spirit of honest journalling, I shall record that it was not the greatest. Gala dinners are a curious genre — formal enough to require effort, social enough to demand attention, but rarely exceptional in any single department. Tonight's outing leaned firmly into that pattern. The room looked the part. The company was fine. The food and the flow were... let us say adequate. Sometimes the highlight of a gala is simply having attended.

By the time we made it home, the day had stretched itself into something almost unrecognisable from the one I'd planned at dawn. Early start, late finish, with a half-dozen small detours in between. The kind of day that doesn't follow a clean narrative arc but instead zigzags through obligation, pleasure, duty, and a decent meal.

Bed will be welcome. Tomorrow, hopefully, will keep its own promises. Tonight, I'll settle for having kept most of mine.

Tuesday Let the Light In

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Tuesday opened like a gift — one of those mornings where the sun arrives with real conviction, not the tentative half-light that passes for dawn most days, but proper golden warmth that makes you stand at the window a beat longer than necessary. Kuala Lumpur does this occasionally, reminds you that it has a gear beyond humid and overcast. The whole city seemed to sit a little straighter.

That energy carried into the morning. Ward round moved with a briskness that felt earned rather than rushed — the kind of pace where everything connects, questions get answered on the first attempt, and nobody has to chase a missing file down three corridors. There was a spring in it, quite literally. Some mornings the work simply flows, and you learn not to question it, just ride the current.

Clinic started on time, which is always a minor victory worth noting. The list, however, had other ideas — more patients than originally planned, the schedule quietly expanding like a restaurant that keeps accepting bookings after it's technically full. But the rhythm held. When you've started well, the extras feel manageable rather than overwhelming. You absorb them into the day's architecture without the whole thing threatening to collapse.

Lunch, predictably, arrived late. A discussion with pharma ran longer than expected, the way these things do when someone has slides and genuine enthusiasm. By the time I crossed the road to Jyu Raku, I was running on momentum and appetite in roughly equal measure. There's something grounding about a good bowl of ramen when your morning has been wall-to-wall — the steam, the slowness of it, the forced pause. Even a late lunch counts if you sit down properly.

The afternoon rounds were mercifully quick. A tidy sweep, nothing complicated, everything where it should be. The kind of session that rewards a morning's groundwork.

And then — the balcony. The sun was still making its case by the time I got home, and the balcony caught the last of it beautifully. There's a particular pleasure in sitting outside with nothing pressing, watching the light shift from afternoon gold to something softer. The renovation work Anita's been driving has made this space genuinely worth inhabiting, and evenings like this prove the point.

Between the sunshine and the stillness, I got Irfan's flight sorted for later this month — one of those small administrative tasks that sits on the list for days until you finally just do it, and then wonder why you waited. Ten minutes, done. The satisfaction is disproportionate to the effort, but I'll take it.

The rest of the evening asked nothing of me, and I returned the favour. Just quiet hours, the day's warmth still in the air, the week finding its shape. Two days in, and so far the week is behaving impeccably. Long may it last.

A Day Off

Ramadhan starts tomorrow. As customary, I try to take the Eve and the first day of Ramadhan off, basically just to hang around with the family or do some shopping.

I started off the day ferrying the boys to school before touching base to do my ward round. It finished later than expected and I had to rush to join my Mum and Sister at IOI Mall for lunch. Anita was in IJN with her brother who was having an angiogram done today.

At IOI Mall waiting for my mother. I never actually explored this place. Looked huge!The decorations at KLCC being builtI joined Anita and visited her brother after I had my meal. This followed by a spot of shopping at KLCC - I ended up buying more than I originally planned. And that took the whole afternoon, followed by sorting out the boys for early bed as we would be waking up early for sahur tomorrow.

Traffic building up in front of the apartmentWaiting for the sun to set ...Another day off tomorrow, and very likely I would be breaking my fast in Gombak after of course a quick trip to Pasar Ramadhan!

Lunch at Common Grind

It was the day after Valentines, Chinese New Year Eve. With everything happening at home, we didn't make any special dinner plans. As I had some time during lunch, I decided to go out for quick meal with Anita.

Anita wanted to go to The Row at Jalan Doraisamy and check on the cafés there. Not many were open during lunch. We settled for Common Grill located the end that street.

No grinding seen ...If you prefer sitting outsideWe prefer the air-conditioningA serene surrounding in the middle of the city, with greens all around. They served sandwiches and pasta as warm selections. More pastries and coffee than anything else. But the ambiance was nice.

Both of us had some pasta and they were delicious. My mocha wasn't half bad. A nice place to chill actually but the problem would be parking. That area was not exactly blessed with plenty of space for the car. But there is a Monorel station nearby or you could park at Quill City Mall just across the road.

Checking out the menu ...We started with some iced lemon teaInvitingThe place was worth another look should I need a quiet place to meet up with friends.

Lunch with Mak

My Mum has been staying at Bukit Antarabangsa for the last week, away from my sister in Kajang. She wanted to see her friends as well as visit her usual surau. She may be back to my sister's next week.

So, come Sunday lunch, we went out for lunch with Anita coming along. Looks like she was OK staying alone at Bukit Antarabangsa from time to time.