It was a year ago that Ms Corona visited my household. I was the first to test positive. A week later, it was the home minister.
It was the lousiest week of my life, with the third day, July 7, the worst of all, as I could not walk a few hundred metres without hyperventilating like an asthmatic chain smoker.
On Thursday, to celebrate my ‘Covidsary’ and as a pre-birthday treat, the gang from Twentytwo13 had a coffee party with delicious waffles. Later that evening, I met two buddies at the Cobra Club in Petaling Jaya, Selangor (more on that down below).
It was a celebration of life and friends. Not many are as lucky, and the festivities continued at midnight as the family surprised me with a birthday cake.
To those wondering, a year after Covid-19, life has pretty much returned to normal.
I had a check-up with my doctor six months after testing positive, and while he could not find anything wrong, he did warn of some side effects.
I occasionally suffer from asthma attacks – something that has not happened for over 30 years – but nothing serious, and it does not stop me from competing in fun runs.
For months after Covid-19, I used to get migraines on a near-weekly basis. But now, the frequency has reduced.
I admit to suffering a bit of brain fog, and my memory is not as good as it once was. Or it could just be that I am getting older!
I am grateful that not only did I receive my vaccine injections, but I also received two booster jabs. That helped me to combat Ms Corona.
It does not mean I am not careful, as I still wear face masks (sometimes two) and carry a bottle of hand sanitiser.
That was why I was shocked last Saturday when about 90 per cent of commuters on the LRT from Subang Jaya to Bangsar did not wear a face mask – despite the Health Ministry’s announcement that it would only do away with the mandatory wearing of face masks on public transport and health facilities from July 5.
You may think that I am overly cautious, but once you have had Covid-19, you definitely do not want to get it again.
So, please be on your guard, folks.
MARK ZUCKERBERG TAKES ON ELON MUSK, BUT NOT IN A CAGE
The gloves are off as Mark Zuckerberg takes on Elon Musk, but not in a rumoured caged fight.
Facebook founder Zuckerberg launched Threads on Thursday as an alternative to Twitter, owned by Musk.
One advantage of Threads is the 500-character limit per post, nearly double Twitter’s 280-character limit (although those willing to pay for a Twitter Blue account can post up to 4,000 characters).
You can follow Twentytwo13 on Threads (twentytwo13news).
JELAJAH EHSAN RAKYAT
Jelajah Ehsan Rakyat (JER) returns to Kampung Tunku, Petaling Jaya on Monday, at Taman Aman Basketball court, from 10am-1pm.
JER is one of the initiatives of the Selangor government to deal with the rising cost of living by offering goods at cheap prices.
FOOTBALLING HEROES
A Nottingham Forest fan, a Manchester United fan and a Liverpool fan walked into a bar …
That sounds like the beginning of a joke, but it happened on Thursday when I met with two former colleagues – Bob Holmes and N.R. Lohan.
Holmes and Lohan had only met once since 1997, yet it was like they had never been apart.
One of the topics of conversation was naming the top five players of our favourite clubs.
Lohan and I opted for players we watched when we started following football. So, some legendary and probably more deserving players are missing from our lists.
Here are our top five players.
Holmes (Forest): Joe Baker, Stuart Pearce, John Robertson, Peter Shilton, and Trevor Francis.
Lohan (United): Dennis Irwin, Bryan Robson, David Beckham, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Wayne Rooney.
Mine: Kenny Dalglish, Steven Gerrard, Mohamed Salah, Robbie Fowler, and Luis Suarez.
Michael Owen and Jamie Carragher, after whom I named my children Owen and Carra, are conspicuously absent from my list.
It was a fun night and a reminder of how much better our lives are now compared to 2020.
WINGS AND BIKES
Legendary rock group Wings will hold a concert at the World Trade Centre in Kuala Lumpur on Aug 26.
The concert is in conjunction with the Kuala Lumpur Bike Show.
Tickets are from RM160 to RM440.
BACON AND EGG RICE BOWLS
Most of the ingredients in this recipe have a lengthy shelf life in the fridge or pantry. Keep them on hand for an easy dinner or a quick lunch.
UNWED FATHERS
We end this week’s Diary with another brilliant tune by the legendary John Prine.
The late singer-songwriter co-wrote ‘Unwed Fathers’ with Bobby Braddock in 1983 for country superstar Tammy Wynette. He released his version a year later.
Prine re-released the song with Margo Price in 2019 as part of a fundraising effort for the American Civil Liberties Union in the wake of Alabama’s near-complete ban on abortion.
Contrary to the title, the song talks about the struggles of unwed mothers, “while unwed fathers, they can’t be bothered”.
It is a gut-wrenching song with lyrics that can move you to tears, especially this version with his former wife, Rachel Peer.
Until next week, stay safe.