It’s been a while since my preoccupation with the caterpillars in our garden. Ever since the various MCO phases, I’ve hardly ventured out to the garden because I’ve been busy cooking, carving and crafting inside the house.
Knock! Knock! Let me in… 😅
So it was a surprise when we discovered one adventurous caterpillar on our front door! Is it trying to come in? Hahaha… It amazingly made the long trek from the lime tree in front of the house, a good ten feet away, and four feet up the door. How? Why? I don’t know.
We also spotted another one on the same lime tree. While it’s nice to have them around, just to observe their growth and transformation, they’re actually detrimental to the plants.
Nonetheless, we didn’t have the heart to harm our little adventurous friend, so hubby relocated him to the garden. It certainly looked happy chomping away on the leaves when I checked on it the next day.
I have finally completed the DIY project #3. It now sits proudly with the other two completed projects at the dining table. Even my Gnomes are enjoying the fruits of my labor, chilling in all the rooms! Heheh…
Four Gnomes are just chillin’
And so, with an end, another begins – the fourth DIY project which is another cafe. And it’s about the same size as the earlier cafe but minimal plants.
Here we go with Project #4!
I find this latest set is even more challenging because the instructions are rather small in font size, and all in Chinese unlike the previous sets. And I for one, cannot read Chinese!
So I had to download the Google Translate app and use if the pictorial steps with tiny Chinese characters are not clear. Thank goodness for technology that is put to good use here.
Well, I’m in no hurry to finish this set and will work on it at a comfortable pace. The best part, no fabrics to deal with! Yay.
Over the weekend, it was our first time doing a really short anniversary trip. Just two days and a night away, given the circumstances of the pandemic and protocols to contain the spread.
We decided to visit Malacca again after the last trip there to check out the Husky cafe with M2. This trip, sans M2, it was simply a round of golf at A’Formosa Golf Resort, food and playing tourist at Jonker Walk.
The front of Aava Hotel. The back entrance faces the riverfront.The lobby, breakfast room and waiting area. Room was big and comfy.
We stayed at Aava Hotel which was very strategic and within walking distance to the attractions. On Saturday evening, after golf and checking in, we explored the street market on Jonker Walk before and after dinner. People were all masked up and it wasn’t too crowded.
Pre-dinner was Cendol and SatayLovely anniversary tapas dinner
The next day, we even had time to do a morning walkabout again after breakfast. To our delight, we stumbled upon a morning antique market. Not as big as the night attractions, it was very interesting nonetheless. Some of the items on displays brought back memories of things both of us had seen or used when we were young. Lovely.
Colorful rickshaws on the road!
By eleven, we checked out and bade Malacca goodbye, to head for lunch in Seremban. Unfortunately, the famous Beef Noodle at the market was too long a queue, so we opted for something else instead. Oh well, next time…
Clay pot Loh Shi Fun
Next stop was Seremban International Golf Club (SIGC) for an afternoon round of golf before going home. It was windy, the fairways were hard and the greens were horrid to putt. Then it rained. Haish… we had to wait out the rain for about 20 minutes before we could resume our remaining seven holes.
All in all, the trip was short, sweet and very enjoyable. Sometimes it doesn’t have to be far and foreign or exotic but doing what we enjoy most together is best.
I’m down the homestretch for the third DIY project now that most of the pieces are in place!
The sofa’s done with the pillows in place, the first floor is up, and the stairs as well. Even the bathroom is done. This time I managed to get the shower door installed, unlike the previous set whereby the door did not align at all, so I left it out.
A very detailed bathroom
However, I still have the bed and a chair to work on before the whole set is complete. And ugh, I have fabrics to deal with. I hope I won’t get derailed.
When I completed the second DIY project, the 3-story bungalow, I felt a sense of accomplishment. I was very motivated by my patience and skills, so much so, I purchased another set to work on! The latest set, also another cafe arrived last week.
My latest DIY to work on
This latest online-purchased set appealed to me because it had minimal fabrics. And its footprint is not very big to clutter the display space when completed.
The parts to another cafe
However, excited as I am, I am not starting on it just yet as I am still working on the 2-story set. Progress has been slow because of the sofa and pillows, and that unexpected bedside table problem. Luckily I managed to resolve that, and I hope to finish this set soonest possible so that I can start on the new one in queue.
I have taken over M2’s two-story DIY set because she has given up working on it. She has lost interest and has no patience at all. For me, I just cannot bear the thought of it staying unfinished, and collecting dust. So I find myself working on it everyday.
The ground floor is almost complete except for the living room’s sofa and pillows. However, much effort is needed for the first floor that has yet to be put together.
Every night, as I walk past the dining table and seeing the two completed projects, I’d play with the lights to admire the structures. The lighted pieces spur me on to stay focused so that this third set can join the other two to be displayed. But it has been slow.
There are more pillows in this set to work on, and it takes time for the glue to set. I’m not complaining though as I have gotten it down to a pat to do the pillows properly.
I’m sure there will be further progress this week. With Thursday being a public holiday, and I am not playing golf for once, I can focus on this.
The two-story bungalow is finally complete! Yay. Towards the end of the project, I was sidetracked with my busy golf schedule, cooking, and my unfortunate mishap. But all’s good now.
The set has been very challenging from the start. From wiring, wall alignments to dealing with fabrics, it was a test of patience and skills. But I suppose I can be forgiven if the set has not been perfect because after all, this was my first DIY project.
Gaps in the wall and windows but not obvious at a glanceMessy wiring & difficult sofas
The wiring was stressful compared to the cafe because firstly, it’s a much bigger set, and secondly, there are more light points. The biggest challenge, however, was dealing with fabrics. The pillows! Ugh. The last few pillows delayed the completion of the set. I sat myself down and got this over and done with when I couldn’t do other things much because of my recent fall.
Citizens of Gigglesville testing the sofas before the pillows were added
It was another proud and exciting moment when I switched on the lights. I could feel a sense of accomplishment. So now, this piece is being displayed on the dining table, together with the cafe.
The completed DIY cafe now sits at the dining table and I find myself switching on the lights now and then to admire the handiwork. There’s a sense of satisfaction and joy when I do this.
Until now, I still find myself in awe of the tiny pieces that I had managed to put together. I’m glad M2 helped wherever she could since I don’t think I could have handled gluing the teeny-weeny props deftly on my own.
Plants that were so hard to make and glue up
The decor and overall ambiance of the compact cafe are very busy and packed with so many things. There’s always something to discover or a new angle to admire. When I look at the unfinished bungalow to compare especially the first floor, it looks very empty because things are so spread out. Well, I shouldn’t compare because both sets are different altogether.
Once the swimming pool is up and the lights are functioning, I am sure my DIY bungalow will be equally impressive too.
The weekend’s post-MCO road trip was nice. The drive up North was pleasant and didn’t take too long. As always, going away is about food. Our first stop was in Ipoh for lunch; we had Chicken Rice and bean sprouts.
The must-eat choice when in Ipoh
After lunch, it was smooth sailing all the way and we arrived by mid-afternoon. The folks are fine and doing good. But weather-wise, it rained a lot so we couldn’t go out. Anyway, with social distancing still in practice, we didn’t want to and was contented just to laze at home.
Before we knew it, it was dinner time! We decided to have Thai food at the restaurant that we visited the last time and discovered the restaurant has changed its name! Despite the change, the food quality was still good.
Previously it was called Khun de Thai
Saturday was our customary golf day. We make it a point, every trip to play at Darulaman Golf Club, which is a short drive away. And I am pleased that this round, I played so much better than all previous games.
After the game, we got boba teas!
The weekend quickly passed with another sumptuous dinner on Saturday night with the parents and an Aunty before we left on Sunday morning. On the way home, we opted for noodles instead of the usual crab porridge at Nibong Tebal and I must say, they were good choices.
The dinner spread for sixLunch at Nibong Tebal
The journey home was peppered with rain now and then, but not too heavy until it made the drive tiring. It was a good weekend away.
We are going on a road trip! Yay. After staying put for four months during this pandemic, it is okay to travel across the state borders now. So hubby has decided it’s time to visit his parents. Moreover, M2 has been back for so long now, it will be good for her to see the grandparents.
We are taking the drive leisurely without any hurry. And no road trip is complete without a stop or two to savor delicious food along the way! We left home at 9.30 this morning and will most likely do lunch somewhere along the way. Hopefully, the traffic won’t be a crawl and we should arrive by mid-afternoon.
And as always, we will be playing a round of golf. Looking forward to the short break away.
Remarks