It was my birthday this week. The celebrations extended over three days. Of course, nothing adventurous could be undertaken in CMCO-stricken Kuching... So the festivities revolved around food and drink. But it was fun.

Highlights:

-- Making low-carb apple cake for breakfast:


-- Carrying out taste tests with a bottle of port and three types of cheese.

-- Doing dance sessions to birthday No 1s from down the years.

-- Binge-watching the final episodes of Trapped (Season 1). This an Icelandic police drama that you would want to watch for the scenery alone (not that there is anything wrong with the plot, which builds nicely).

-- Watching Tell No One, a 2006 French thriller that Nigel had to explain to me the following day.

-- Eating Foochow noodles (delivered from Foochow Estay). OK, this is not the best picture in the world, but the noodly bit was flavourful, the pork tender, and the gravy deliciously smoky:


-- Savouring a range of dishes delivered from Verinice: three-layer pork with red beancurd, mixed lotus Shanghai-style, and hot-plate beancurd.


And the rest of the week? Well, there've been moons:



St Peter's continues to grow:


Nigel continues to photograph things, despite the dearth of subjects in our limited lives:


My week also had sun bears in it, courtesy of a virtual tour of the Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre organized by a friend of mine. Back in the early days of our Malaysia residence, my inimitable commute to and from work used to take me on a walkway over the mini-zoo at the Pyramid complex, Subang Jaya. Sometimes I used to see tigers -- and once or twice, sun bears. They're adorable, and I'm looking forward to the time when we can visit the Centre in person. One day, God willing...

OK, I'm aware that there's really nothing about Sarawak in this week's Gazette, which is therefore entirely failing in its mission. I don't care. I only have a birthday once a year.