At this moment I admit to feeling Indomitable. Had a difficult time finding the spelling of the word but was finally successful with the help of vocabulary.com. “Something indomitable can’t be beat. People described as having indomitable spirits don’t need pep talks or protein shakes; their strength comes from within. The adjective indomitable starts with the Latin prefix in, which means “not.” The second part of the word is also from the Latin word domitare, meaning “to tame.” So the word literally means “not able to be tamed.” Indomitable is often teamed with the words spirit or personality to describe someone with a can-do attitude.” This also from vocabulary.com.
“Reduced to the size of a wandering but completely lucid angel, she was in full possession of her indomitable spiritual energy.” The House of the Spirits: A Novel by Isabel Allende (Now I may have indomitable energy but I am not a wandering completely lucid angel. Wandering and completely lucid – but I am no angel. Hahaha)
“There was something about this indomitable old lady which made him feel flustered and uncomfortable.” Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie
(I have been known to make some men feel flustered and uncomfortable – and I certainly am an old lady.)
“Granny, an indomitable matriarch, had single-handedly raised all of her children after her husband had deserted her for another woman.” Kaffir Boy: An Autobiography by Mark Mathabane(I am probably not an matriarch, I never had children and I always left my husbands.)
(“Indomitable.” Vocabulary.com Dictionary, Vocabulary.com, https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/indomitable. Accessed 6 Aug. 2026. With inserts by Alexis McBride).
Why do I feel indomitable? Despite all odds it appears that I have fully funded by Sarawak ten-year-visa. It has not been easy – believe you me!! I feel I have just run a mile – one with hurdles to leap over, but I have leapt! Such a day – defying all odds.
I keep thinking of powerful phrases – throwing down the gauntlet another. Where do these expressions come from??? I guess possibly lifetime of learning, she said humbly. Hahaha
Miriam Webster provides us with the definition of this idiom: to say or show that one is ready to fight, argue, or compete with someone : to challenge someone.
(“Throw down the gauntlet.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/throw%20down%20the%20gauntlet. Accessed 6 Aug. 2026.)
Particularly since I feel powerful I feel ready to challenge someone and something else. It is necessary to fight one battle at a time – since the visa is funded I can put all of my energies into this other challenge. More about that later as I gather my missiles and drones – figuratively not actually. Unlike the US of these days I have not exhausted my supply. Hahahah
The day started out as usual with Fajr prayer. Then I called my US bank to make sure that fraud alert will not prevent the transfer of funds. I have recently learned something of great value which I am passing on to you free to charge. (But you get what you pay for). Apple Pay does not have fraud alert – so a dubious charge can go through without the watchful eyes of the fraud division. It proved devastating to me. I will not longer use Apply Pay – only my trusted credit cards that have fraud alert taking care of me.
I spoke with Fraud Alert – then went to coffee in the lobby and was asked to join the staff for their staff in-house breakfast. I was the only guest. Nixon, for some obscure reason. decided to verify his impressions with his staff – they were in total agreement. Agreement with what you ask? Everyone agreed that I am much calmer than ever they had seen me before. It was a compliment because it is true. I feel most at home here in Malaysia and here at Lyf and I have made a commitment to this country and this hotel.
Word definition coming up. Obscure: not discovered or known about; uncertain; not clearly expressed or easily understood; not important or well known; hard to make out or define; vague. My favorite synonym?? Clear as mud. Hahaha Nixon’s reasons could be any of the above. We will never know. Hahahaha
The next on the agenda was the arrival of Sandman. He pulled up and we began a day where many things were accomplished. We began at a Thrift Store operated on the grounds of Lighthouse – a Catholic charity for homeless people serving meals and helping the homeless find employment and housing. The center has been in operation since its founding in 2003 – grown immensely over the years. I donated some clothes and will donate more as I was impressed with the store and the items displayed. Lots of books but also vases and shoes and other stuff which I can perhaps purchase when I drop off more donations and have more time.
Then it was off to the Penang Museum. It recently opened after a two year rehab. Verdict? Do not bother, at this moment anyway. The building itself has been remodeled but there is nothing in it and it is impassable to a slightly handicapped me. It was a quick trip.
Then it was off to a great place – a Penang coffee distributor. One walks in, they put a sticker on your shoulder and one gets fed thimble full samples of Penang white coffee and when you finish with that making selections of your favorite you then are fed chocolates. I bought a Penang white coffee flavored with coconut, and one flavored with ginger and chocolates flavored with hazelnuts. Sandman took my photo and will be shown at the conclusion of the blog. I am going try embedding photos within the blog, however, that is a project for the future.
Then it was off to my 11;30 appointment at HSBC bank to do a wire transfer; transferring my money from the USA to Malaysia. The appointment did NOT go well. They could not even provide access to the Internet and the transaction, of course, required the Internet – a wire transfer and all. Some forty minutes later I was finally seen, not by the person I had an appointment with but someone else who was unable to comprehend what was going on. But I was successful only because I to my US bank and they assured me the transfer went through and later sent a confirming email which I sent to my visa agent and Kuching banker Not received response from them. I am not altogether happy. I do know it is there and they cannot deny it.
Undaunted we sped off to Queensbay Mall for lunch at one of my favorite places. I had the chicken tacos. There was an extremely amusing sign which said: Unattended Children will be given an Espresso and a Free Kitten. As you can see it is in neon – so therefore a serious threat. Hahaha
During a WhatsApp conversation on this day of days I gained permission by the groom’s mother to wear my Nigerian abaya to the wedding of the century (as I call it) in KL. That is a relief. I do not have to shop for a Malay dress or spend money for a dress I may only wear once. I do not get a great deal of everyday wear from the Nigerian abaya which was gifted two and a half years ago.
That is all for now. I am at Mojo supervising Chef Grandson Cole’s culinary accomplishments. A new main course featuring fish. It looks great. I was gifted with flowers. Grandson Cole made them into a flower arrangement and did a great job. If you want to see what I can do go poke the four lines in the right hand corner of the home page, go to Books and scroll down to Ikebana. Grandson Cole can cook better than I can and perhaps do a better flower arrangement. It is great I am not competitive. (Hahaha – I am). So you can see it has been a great day. We are expanding our family – adding another grandson. More news of that when it happens,
What a busy life I lead. If I lived in either the US or Canada I would be living in an old folk’s home. Here I live at Lyf and in the same building there is a restaurant where my grandchildren work. I never could have predicted that for my future. Hahahaha Nor could I have predicated that I would become a Muslim. Nor could I predict that I would be a Malaysian. Oh well, a happy ending – but I am not dead yet and then the possibility of the greater happiness of all – Jannah.
The photos mentioned in this blog will be featured. As well, and possibly, a reel I put on Instagram under My Story. I sent it to my WhatsAppers this morning and got some amusing responses which I shall share. My Instagram is Alexis Alaa McBride
