Dream Cafe with French Windows

Gosh, CMCO again. Day 2.

No big deal right? It's just more than 500 new cases per day... God bless my family and friends, may we get through this unharmed.

Life is good. I was awarded the Best Role Player at Toastmasters Meeting yesterday, being a first-time Table Topic Master, it's a big deal, isn't it?

So much celebrations have been pushed back due to the Covid-19 pandemic. I have also refused myself much more things I enjoy, so to save up for my dream. To put the advice I have given to a Table Topic Participant yesterday, I want to dream a bigger dream. On top of that, to really figure out the details of this dream, specify it, make it vivid in my mind.

I want to run a Bakery Cafe at one of those residential houses next to Damansara Uptown commercial area. Apparently it's around RM1.2mil for one of those in SS2. DU shouldn't be that much of a difference, right? So okay, that location, that setting.

The building will white in colour, the general tone. There should be some outdoor seats, let me picture it... wait, hold. Let's talk about the exterior first. There has got to be a number of tall and wide window, ah it's called French windows. Lovely name, ain't it. I just finished "Emily in Paris", lovely scenery, so much fashion and love stories. So exciting. Oh and so much cafes and coffee scene!

So those are called French windows... Seen one lately at Breakfast Thieves APW. So beautiful... it's absolutely a highlight of the building design, interior and exterior.

So, okay, at least 1 of those nice French windows. I don't mind or might even love a simple design French window, guess it should just blend in with other parts of the cafe. There is this cafe in "Emily in Paris", they are seated in this nice outdoor table, the table and chairs sets are lovely. Not sure how comfortable can that be... but it's white grill, with those curvy ends. That should cost a bunch...

Those are perfect for outdoors though. 

Well, Malaysia is usually hot or raining. Having too many outdoor seats seem like a bad idea. That's it for today... I'm really not in a great mood. Let me "construct" this little dream cafe stage-by-stage.

So long.

It's day 54 since MCO has been implemented

During this movement control order period, I've been spending more time in the kitchen. 

Cookies, cakes, macarons, name me another foreign recipe and I will try it soon. 

Braised pork, sweet and sour pork, omurice, name me another delicious recipe and I will attempt it soon. I have so much fun in the kitchen!

Working from home is fun! ...or is it?

It's day 54 since MCO has been implemented. 

I checked with my Sales Manager, Christine, to learn that, for the company to renew my employment contract, my sales performance has to be above 70% averagely in the past one year. I did a quick calculation. I am doing 50%. It's not difficult to foresee my sales performance in the coming months, until August, when my contract ends.

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There are people who find their callings in the early days. On the other hand, there are people like myself, who struggles to fit in different jobs since day one. Life is like a box of chocolate, pick one and be surprised, they said. Hence I decided to pick a few and try!

It's day 54 since MCO has been implemented... 

I broke down crying, while having flash backs on the career decisions I have made all these years. I was once described as job hopper. In six years, I was a Dietitian, a Marketing Nutritionist, a Cafe Crew, a Pharmaceutical Sales Representative, and now a Mortgage Banker. I thank every manager who hires me and opens up endless learning opportunities.  Full disclosure here, I was actively looking for a change of career to be Project Manager before the Covid-19 Pandemic. 

It was a self-realization that I am in the wrong career, chasing a misdirected goal, which is higher salary. This self-realization happened before the Pandemic but tough time is catalyst to change. It is not an option to hold on to my current job for survival while job hunting. My current job is at stake, I will soon be jobless in August, if situations don't improve.

Looking back, I think I owe myself some apologies. 

Dear me, I am sorry I didn't persevere;

I am sorry I didn't make careful career decision; 

I am sorry for not allowing myself to groom my potential; 

I am sorry I let all the excuses become the reasons.

However, in the attempt to be gracious, I want to thank myself instead.

Dear me, I thank you for the courage to take up new roles in each different career;

I thank you for the attempts to make independent decisions;

I thank you for exploring my potentials;

I thank you for realizing and making a decision to recover from this fall.

It's an uphill climb, it's time to put the work into it! 

Side Effects of Covid-19: Let's avoid at all cost!

How many days has it been since 18th March?

It does feel like it's the new norm now. Honestly, I am starting to let my guard down; for instance, I don't go straight into shower after coming home from work/groceries now.

It's great that Malaysia's new Covid-19 cases has been kept at 2-digit recently. 

It's great that people are recognizing the hardship of being a health care worker. I myself am one who has left the health care industry. It's not easy providing health care as a daily job. 

Why?

We don't feel instant frustration when we are chronically losing health. Most people don't understand the long term effects and how drugs aren't solution but temporary suppression of diseases.

Imagine over spending, you feel instant distress cause you don't have financial freedom or flexibility.

Imagine earning from investment, it's instant gratification, instant appreciation, you feel joyous.

On the other hand, as you gradually gain weight from over eating or malnutrition, you are still feeling the sugar high, or satisfaction from each delicious meal. The sickness comes, after.

I fear Covid-19, I do. Reading these new side effects, new signs and symptoms of Covid-19 infection, it scares me. It can leave permanent damage if I avoid death.

"the coronavirus could infect a part of the brain involved in breathing and circulation with, so far, unknown consequences." 

(quoting healthline.com)

I'll say, let's avoid at all cost!

Random Rant on Covid-19

It's day 30, or is it day 31 already?

Yes I am talking about MCO for Covid-19. Just saw the news about scientist latest findings on the coronavirus, which it has been categorized into 3 types, type A, B and C. Each type is prevalent in different area, eg. type A is most prevalent in USA and Australia. Type A is genetically closest to the coronavirus found on bats, which is interpreted as the first generation, then subsequently mutated into type B and C following the infected populations in different geographically area.

What does these all mean?

It's telling us, Wuhan Virus is probably a name for type B, not the first generation of coronavirus causing this pandemic. The origin of this catastrophic situation is most likely not China.

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Hey, it really matters and doesn't at the same time. 

It matters, because we need to know the source, to specifically avoid anything like this to happen again.

It doesn't, because we are all in it together, we face and resolve the situations together. It has to be a global effort to eradicate this disease with the highest effectiveness and efficiency. 

My Little Corner

I am lucky to live a life with support, not so much vast but definitely more than sufficient. In time like this, the least luck would be to have a family to feed and have no income; the best being able to earn a fortune through the crisis while enjoying family life. My partner and I, we considered ourselves lucky. I work with big corporate and still getting paychecks; he works with big corporate and is working an essential role in management.

Sad fact here is, being a sales person, economy down means not ideal for sales. We choose this career for the commission potential, not job stability.

The truth is, I have been restraining myself from cafe hopping since about a year ago. No cafe hopping, no biggie, supposedly. However, successfully restraining myself feels good; having no option other than chilling at home brings anxiousness. 

"But I haven't set up my little corner in this place yet!" my constant thought.

My little corner should be by the balcony, ideally. We need sunlight. A nice little tea table and comfortable chairs. Chairs, because I'd love occasional company. The balcony should look out to some open space. Garden or some natural scenery would be great. Say if it is city view, it doesn't matter, I will plant my own little garden.

On the tea table, I'll have nice ceramic tableware. A little pastel colours will be great. Coffee will be the staple. Desserts, some times; should probably serve sandwich or other appetizers instead. 

Oh well, that's enough dreaming. 

The best to do now is probably fixing a working corner while praying hard for MCO to end and Covid-19 vaccine to be developed!

MCO Covid-19

Dear Diary,

It's Movement Control Order Day 18 (I think). I'm starting to lose the sense of week day and weekend, date and time. And I've just woke up from a 2-hour afternoon nap... Not sure if you can still define it as nap though.

This is definitely the time to feel more, considering I have my appetite satisfied every day, every meal; knowing the fact that I'm privileged and lucky. As some news these days suggested, when we have our appetite fulfilled but are forced into isolation, we human tend to think too much too. I'm so glad to be in my current situation, where an introvert like myself, can enjoy another's company, while being fully respected and fully embraced when I needed time to myself, in this 900sqft space.

So much has changed since my last blog post, which happens to be the only post from year 2019. I did think of my blog sometimes, however I found myself having less expressive thoughts. It's like I stop having things to write, to type, to express.

Gosh, I guess it is time to eat again. So long my diary, let's do this again tomorrow.

Praying hard for my Dive Plan in May to happen!