Metromall

Metromall is a lifestyle concept mall focusing on the theme "F3 Formula" - Fun, Food and Fashion. I have passed through this place a couple of times when taking LRT over the years and I finally made an effort to visit it recently.

Metromall is located at Fraser Business Park and is easily accessible by LRT. The business park is located at the intersection between Jalan Tun Razak and Jalan Loke Yew.

The nearest LRT station is Chan Sow Lin station with a linking pedestrian bridge connecting the station directly to the mall.

I was shocked with my discovery when I stepped into the mall. The mall is virtually lifeless with almost all the shop units shuttered. The place still able to remain relatively clean and tidy even though it is virtually deserted. A quick search in their official Facebook also indicate the last entry was way back in 2014.

The only business that remains operational here is some F&B outlets which allow dine in at the time of writing.

There are hotel, lodge and residence hotel incorporated to the building. This place could easily be an ideal base for any traveler due to its close proximity to a convenient public transport and the amenities at the surrounding area.

Elastomeric Respirator During Covid-19

There is not much awareness on using elastomeric respirator during the pandemic. Based on its construction, I believe elastomeric respirator to be more effective compare to surgical, cloth or N95 mask in providing protection against Covid-19 especially in crowded place or risky places.

When the pandemic started, the price of face mask soared but elastomeric respirator price remain stable as there is no surge in demand. At the moment, the price of a quality elastomeric respirator is in the range of RM120-150. The initial cost might be higher but it has the potential of higher saving in the long run.

We are now advised to put on a double face mask; surgical & cloth mask. The cloth mask is to provide a better seal of the mask with our face and double mask is said to provide better filtration. I find this setting make breathing more difficult and we are also taking in exhaled air.

With elastomeric respirator, a perfect seal is easily achievable with the silicon lining which also make wearing it for a longer duration more bearable. There is also a built in exhalation valve which will expel the air we exhale. The downside is that the exhaled air is not filtered out. Hence, there is a suggestion to put on another surgical mask after the exhalation valve to protect the surrounding people.

The inhalation valve is directly connected to the filter which means we will take in clean filtered air into our lungs.

By choosing the right filter such as P100 filter cartridge, its filtration is even better than the N95 mask. With the hard case P100 filter cartridge, it will last a distance and probably require replacement annually or when breathing resistance increases. The filter cartridge exterior casing and the elastomeric respirator can be clean/sanitized easily and be reused. This will create less wastage because surgical mask is usually discarded after a single use.

I believe it is the right time to educate the public on opting elastomeric respirator for better protection although wearing one of this respirator might attract some attention as the wearer will look like Darth Vader. 

Kerteh Apartment

Finding a decent accommodation in Kerteh is quite a challenge until someone introduce me to Kerteh Apartment. It isn't hard to find this location as there are a few nearby landmarks such as McDonald's, Lembaga Tambung Haji and Wok & Grill Cafe.

The apartment itself is old but the management had done a good job in maintaining the buildings. It didn't have a tired facade and been coated with fresh paint occasionally.

The lift itself is old and was registered during the Factories and Machinery Department era which was now rebranded to Department of Occupational Safety and Health in 1994. The corridor of the apartment is also clean and well maintained.

I was blown away when I stepped into the apartment. It has 2 rooms; a master room and another smaller room. The living room is spacious and completely furnished. All the bedrooms and living room are fitted with air conditioner unit. It also has a proper kitchen with cloth drying area. There is even a washing machine here. One just need to bring own detergent to be able to use it. I really can't ask for more as the room rate is RM185 per night.

There is also a balcony to chill out. I wish they could have prepare a few chairs to be placed here.

There are a number of shop houses and restaurants at the surrounding area but mostly was closed at the time of writing. Probably it is due to the aftermath of the pandemic or it just happen to be on Friday.

The only McDonald's outlet in Kerteh is located just a stone throw away. The people here seems to enjoy the fast food so much that i notice a beeline at the drive through from lunch time until late at night.

Instant Vacuum Packed Ah Her Bak Kut Teh

I never dine in Ah Her Bak Kut Teh and take away bak kut teh nowaday is quite challenging when dine in is still not allowed. I reckon hot boiling bak kut teh is not suitable to be packaged in a plastic container as we never know whether dangerous chemicals might be released from the packaging to the food.

With every challenge comes innovation. I am amazed that Ah Ker Bak Kut Teh has come out with a ready to eat packaging for the convenience of their customers. I learned from Youtube videos that this type of vacuum packed packaging has been adopted by a few bak kut teh outlets in Klang few years ago

The packet was frozen to keep it fresh and comes with different parts of the pork individually packaged; lean meat, ribs, intestine and etc. It was packaged in an insulation bag to maintain it at low temperature.

It is pretty easy to prepare. Just take it out from the freezer a few hours earlier to defrost. Then submerged the packet into a boiling water inside a pot for 20 minutes without tearing the package. Since it is vacuum packed, there will be no bubble in it and heating in such manner will not expand the packaging.

After that, just tear off the package and the bak kut teh is ready to be served. In term of portion, one packet is just about for 1 person serving. It tastes alright and the meat was soft. I not too sure whether it has lost some of its taste in the process as I never dine at their outlet. The broth is light and there isn't much volume in the package.

Although it cannot match a freshly cooked bak kut teh from the restaurant itself, it is still a decent way to get a quality bak kut teh at this tough time.

Oscar Titan Safety Shoes

Wearing safety shoes is never comfortable especially those cheaper model. As my current safety shoes started to deteriorate, a new replacement is required. Among the criteria I am looking for are the shoes ought to be comfortable and obtained the approval from the Department of Occupational Safety and Health. In order to support the local industry, the shoes would preferably be made locally too.

My search end up with Oscar Titan Model 125. It ticks all my criteria (except for the comfort level) and cost RM220. This would be the first time I try this brand and a safety shoes which cost more than RM200.

During this partial lockdown scenario where most shops are still close, the only option is to purchase it online. Hence, I did not get the chance to try it on my foot before making the purchase.

The Titan series shoes are made of cow leather and model 125 is brown in colour. According to the specification, it has all the standard safety features such as oil resistant, acid resistant, heat resistant, nail penetration resistant and good grip

One of the main reason I choose this model is because it has composite toe cap which can withstand 200 Joules. The normal safety shoes will have a metal toe cap and this is not airport friendly when passing through the metal detector. This model will make my air travel more seamless without the need to take it off when passing through the metal detector.

Another added feature to the shoes is the reflective threads used in way of shoe lace guide.

The cleaning and maintenance instruction are written at the back of the box. There are other information too displayed here if the owner of the shoes are interested to read.

The packaging also has the Sirim & DOSH sticker as required under the Factory and Machinery Act 1967 for approved personal protective equipment. To verify whether the model is approved, one can check at DOSH website. The shoes would have to conform to MS ISO 20345 which is the Malaysia standard for safety footwear.

I been wearing this shoes for 2 assignment and it was rather uncomfortable at the first time but my feet slowly adjusted to it during the second outing. It ain't as lightweight as the manufacturer claim but with the composite toe cap, it definitely shed a few grams off. It is still quite stiff as with any other safety shoes and don't have the flexibility which I am looking for. Overall it is still a decent safety shoes to get.