Taking Care of Our Elderly

As we count our wrinkles, noticing new pain on our joints and all other changes on our body we sometimes forget that our parents, too, growing old. Our father no longer the strong man who do everything for us, our mom no longer able to stand in kitchen very long to cook our favourite meal. The cycle has began. It is our turn to care for them and some say to pay back. 

But how do we adjust to that? We have left the nest and build another life and we have our own family to care too. When I was an active negotiator in Shah Alam, negotiating buying and selling, I noticed a saddening trend of elderly looking for smaller house because of the empty nest syndrome. A big house no longer viable for two or single parents where the children are away and the sometimes they prefer to have family time at home away from home with their staycation holidays. 

My sisters and I now taking care of our mom after dad passing last March 2016. She is only 73 but with her severe diabetes, we are afraid to leave her home alone when Adik is at work. We tried to get her to stay with me but it only lasted for a week with her berzikir at every opportunity asking me to send her home. She even said that she want to 'finish' at her own bed made me so sad to keep her here even though it is for her own benefits. 

Here is my experience taking care of our mother, our goal is for better quality of life for our mother and us. 

Hope you can use some of the tips for in caring of elderly parents:-

Talk to your doctor 

Never missed appointment, be with the doctor during check-up and never shy asking questions. Know the vital sign, read and always observes your parents so you can refer to doctor easily. For us, our mom has severe diabetes so I'll always make sure my sister to check her sugar pressure to be as best as it could. 

Then to make sure Mak follow the right diet and take her medicine. Exercise is out of picture becasue she can't walk without assistance now. 
  

Discuss with your siblings

To the sibling who lives with parents or the closest to the parents it is common you put the burden on your shoulders alone and this will give impression that you can have it under control or even worst, they will lepas tangan. To avoid that, do not assume the others 'should know your challenge'. Share the challenge, for example give simple update of sugar reading, her appetite, share and so on in your family Whatsapp group. 

Trust me, the update will tickles some bones and you will miss them and you will want to pay them a visit. Don't preach and don't compare. 

What if neither of the siblings stay with parents? Maybe everyone take turn visiting every weekend and call them daily even if you run out of things to talk to. A bi-monthly BBQ session or dinner sound fun too. 

Tell the aunts and uncles

I do this. Once in a while I called them asking the health and let them know how is my mom. Just I hope they will visit my mother more often. It used to be my late father driving around visiting them but after my father passing, they didn't return the favour by visiting Mak. So in return, I didn't visit them lol. I just call and let them know Mak situation. After all, Mak is their eldest sister, it is their duty. 

Tell your partner

Don't have the burden on yourself alone. Get your husband and your children involved. This is life cycle because their parents are getting old too. 


We have tried few options, stay with me but lasted for two weeks, then we sent her to daily home-care but it was stressful for her and quite troublesome for Adik to commute. For now we are lucky to have live in assistance to look after our mother. She is healthy, strong and most importantly quiet. She is our third try and so far everybody are happy.

My biggest wish is Mak will continue to be happy with us and pray for our happiness, as mother's pray has no hijab.

My Personal Experience as AirBnB Experience Host

When AirBnB announced they are bringing AirBnb Experience to Malaysia in February 2018 we were excited. We registered ourselves for Rubber Tapping and Tiffin Lunch and was told we are the only one offering this unique experience. We have been hosting ever since. 

For the record, I'm not a rubber tapper nor my husband. Yes, we are now living in rubber plantation but we have worker. I do not know how to tap and we don't know the process and the equipment needed for it. Yes, we learnt about the history of rubber industry in Malaysia when we were in school but that was long ago. 

But, we are adventurous people so into the hole we go! We registered, was interviewed by Air Bnb HQ via video chat and we were accepted. We choose pictures from our stock photos the last time we had Kid's Survival Camp here.

Since launching, we have received 14 bookings and it is a great experience for me. I re-learned history of my country, learning rubber industry contribution to socio-economy, about environment, eco-tourism, managing time and I also enjoy introducing our food to the guests.




Along the way I designed the tour, changing here and there accordingly. I always start with briefing of our business, introducing the land, then history of rubber tapping, introducing the equipment and demonstration of tapping the trees. We also let them do the tapping on few trees. After that, we will have lunch/dinner. My favourite part of the experience.

As most of our guests are not local so I take pride to serve them local dish like masak lemak daging salai (smoke beef cook in coconut milk), ayam masak merah, grill fish Malaysian style and many more.

We are not allowed to serve homemade dishes (we are not certified restaurant). Fresh salads are from my garden, I always make a point to show them my little herbs garden :D

So, in conclusion I can say anyone can be Air BnB Experience host but you must love entertaining, getting to know people and that is rewarding experience. Fine what suits you and refine it. Do your research if you need to but sometimes the only way to find out is just do it.

You can book with us here :  Rubber Tapping Experience

Baby rubber

1st hike of the year: Bukit Melati, Bandar Baru Nilai, Negeri Sembilan

As usual, new year new me thingy is in the air every January.  I look back and I feels that I had to join the band wagon. What do I need to change? Oh, off course the loose weight challenge. I'm at my heaviest so why not? Doing it for myself pun, not for other people. 

I decided to visit Bukit Melati last Monday. It is near, easy access, easy parking and most importantly the hike is moderate. Centipede Hill, Monkey Hill, Cobra Hill, Rope Hill, Mosquito Hill and Eagle Hill. Bukit Melati was on a private land right next to housing estate called Desa Melati. Green and shady making it a choice to many. The trail is clear with marking and direction. Suitable for rookie hiker too. 

I went with Amanda, PUDGi's latest volunteer at 7.30am. We started at Eagle Hill, half Centipede, up to Monkey totally skipping Rope then to Cobra and skip Mosquito before exit.  

Why Bukit Melati is suitable for newbie and training ground?

1. Setting of the trail -  Good cardio when climbing Centipede or Eagle before a shady trek to Monkey giving your heart a good rest while you can choose to run or slow walk. 

2. There's Rope Hill - train arms strength here. You'll appreciate it. 

3. Steps - training for Korga? Kinabalu? Come here. Some steps are man-made and some are nature. 

4. Short and sweet - Bukit Melati is not a long hike. 1 - 3 hours depending on your speed. But as someone with low fitness level, I usually finish slightly over 2 hours.

5.  Friendly community - smiles are plenty there. 

I guess I started the year OK then. 

It was a hot day. 

Made new friends off course. 

Happy 2019 from PUDGi

Can't believe we already on our 3rd year here at Salak Tinggi.  We came here with our cats  Jelly, Kiddo and Pudgy. We lost Kiddo in the kebun few months after moving here, Jelly passed away from old age in September 2018 and Pudgy is 11 years old this year. Adding to the family is Kiki (rescue from Mt Kiara September 2016), Pergh (he was born here on September 2015), Princess (she came out of no where with very bad gashed on her hind leg early 2018), then along came Ethan and Edward (Princess' litter, born on 31st July 2018).

Career wise, I'm not doing well at all with my real estate business. I tried to maintain all my listings that is mostly 60km away but the driving to and fro for one viewing with no guarantee of closing dishearten me. I felt there's some limitation that blocking my success, not only on the distance but the market too.  I admit, at times I miss showing people houses, talking about property adn building dreams with their dream house but it is now too tough to do it. 

Seems like everyone is holding on to their cash and playing it safe. As my listings are mostly high end properties, it make it even more challenging. I'm still hopeful though. I share my listings with my colleagues and but since I didn't renew my REN card it is even tougher to do advertisements and promotions. I depend too much on my signboards on some of the properties I listed. 

End of June 2018 I decided to become unit trust consultant. This started with my sister in law asking me to handle her investment. At first I said no because I don't have what it take to be one. But she managed to persuade me and I kind of enjoy doing it. It is not difficult job. Mostly just repeat what my upline do:-

Prospecting. 

Presentation. 

Signing. 
Submission.

Let's hope this business can withhold whatever economic situation.

I hope 2019 will bring success to everyone and we will continue live in harmony and togetherness. 

Cheers to 2019!

NY celebration at Citta Mall