For no good reason I thought of the contraptions and gadgets I have bought and discarded over the years.

Top of mind were my rather large android phone with a stylus pen, a PDA aka Personal Digital Assistant, an activity tracker like a Fitbit, an abdominal roller, stationery exercise bike and porridge soup cooker. I didn’t use my stylus pen to write or cook coup in my soup cooker. I didn’t know how to use my PDA. I tried to use my activity tracker but failed. I used my abs roller and exercise bike for a few weeks. There are probably some others lying in unmarked, unloved gadget-yards.

With my poor track record, I never thought that my longest standing contraption would be a stick blender. Especially since I opened, looked and put the gadget right back in the box when I first received it. Before 2017. I remember thinking what possible use could I have for this. Little did I know, then. 

The stick blender is also called a hand blender. The other fancier sounding name is immersion blender. Sister number 1 and 2 bought the device for me because I mentioned that I liked soup. I guess I didn’t make myself clear. What I meant was I like to have soup, in a café or restaurant, occasionally. Not make my own.

My sisters bought the stick blender from the ground floor electric shop in Ampang Park. Yes, the very same iconic Ampang Park, the one-stop everything under one roof, first shopping centre built in Malaysia. The one that stopped operations on 31 December, 2017. The one that was demolished to make way for the MRT and other developments in Kuala Lumpur.

This is true. I re-opened that box sometime in 2021. My first job was to pulverise dhal that refused to soften. I was fast cooking lentils using my mum’s pressure cooker, which for some reason remained unyielding. I resorted to the stick blender by default. It worked. Quick and efficient. I was preparing dhal curry for my mum who likes her lentils totally decimated.  

Now, I use it to mash fruits. Also, for my mum. The blades don’t look menacing but they do a fine job crushing already cut bite-sized fruits. Even stone fruits like apples and pears are not a problem. Admittedly, the blended mixture gets stuck in the blade during the first couple of whirls. Problem solved by clearing it and giving the balance mixture in the beaker another whirl. Macerated fruits with a generous dollop of honey enhances the taste and makes for easy digestion.   

I also blend cooked vegetable dishes. The end-product looks like children’s pureed food. Sadly, failing the vegetables-identity parade. I changed my technique. I still mash but leave some parts of the vegetables’ whole or slightly blended. That way my mum can see what she is eating. Thankfully, the flavours remain intact. It was my mum’s  suggestion to blend the vegetables. Mainly so she can avoid chewing her food. Eating exhaust the old girl.

The other long-standing tool that I use, twice daily, is my electric toothbrush. A present from sister number 4. She bought it from the same electric shop in Ampang Park, before the shopping centre closed. I wasn’t sure at first that it would work but it did and does. It’s simple. I hold and direct it gently. It effortlessly and evenly brushes each tooth. My teeth and mouth feel cleaner. I think it also removes plaque as my dentist, whom I don’t visit often enough, said scaling my teeth is easier as I’ve less plaque build-up. It, however, doesn’t remove food particles stuck between teeth. That requires flossing. I make it a point to charge my electric toothbrush to avoid using my manual toothbrush which I feel doesn’t give a good enough clean.

“Scientists found that people who use an electric toothbrush have healthier gums, less tooth decay and also keep their teeth for longer, compared with those who use a manual toothbrush.[1] Hmm…

My third use-a-lot item is a tiny hot water bottle. I have two. One beige and one red. Bought by sister number 3. Yes, why a hot water bottle in hot Malaysia. Well… I place it on my mum’s belly each morning to soothe and help in her bowel movement. I’m not sure if it works but it has a nice and warming effect and she looks forward to having it. It’s similar to the Kwan Loong medicated oil she uses for aches and pain. I don’t know if these things work but if they make my mum happy, why not.

The common denominator with these 3 contraptions is I didn’t buy them. I know it makes no sense, but maybe that’s why they are having a longer run. Nah…