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Life ·

August 2026 — Life Recap

One-to-one time with my dad, three Friday nights, a birthday at home, swimming with the kids, an offering for the ghost brothers, and Merdeka. Notes from August in Kota Kinabalu.

Me with my eyes shut, grinning, at a hair wash

August was a family month.

One week in the middle had more family time than any week I’ve tracked.

Not big trips. Small things. Lunches. Dinners. A birthday at home. A pool. A new fan.

(Photos with the kids are redrawn by AI in a hand-painted style, so their faces stay theirs.)

Friday nights are ours

Every week, my wife and I try to keep one night for just the two of us. Usually Friday. Usually food.

Friday, 7 August

Black fried noodles with a bowl of soup

Black noodles and soup. Simple.

Friday, 14 August

Two iced drinks on the table Noodles topped with minced meat and spring onion A crispy fried pastry

A late one. Iced drinks, noodles, and something fried.

Friday, 21 August

Noodles with beef and egg A spicy noodle salad Cucumber stir-fried with green chilli Stir-fried meat with peppers and onions A basket of round biscuits

Too many dishes for two people. Again.

Time with my parents

Lunch selfie with my dad at a kopitiam table My mum at a petrol pump at night

On Wednesday, 5 August I started something new. One to two hours, one-to-one, with each person in my family.

First up, my dad.

The week after, I had lunch with him on Tuesday and again on Thursday.

That Tuesday night, I also went with my mum to fill up her petrol. Late, at almost 11pm. Small job. Done.

A fan for my wife

Selfie in the car with a boxed standing fan in the back

Monday, 10 August. A new standing fan for my wife.

It was on my list that day. It got done.

That same week I spent a few evenings keeping her company at her shop.

A birthday at home

The kids around a birthday cake, drawn in a hand-painted style A table of party food Wrapped presents on the table, drawn in a hand-painted style

Saturday, 15 August.

Seven hours of cleaning, shopping and setting up. Then food, a cake, and a room full of kids.

Not an ice bath

Me laughing in a small tub of water

Between the setting up and the party, I sat in a small tub of water.

Room temperature. Not an ice bath. Just water.

Small moments with the kids

My son at dinner with an iced drink, drawn in a hand-painted style My daughter at dinner with an iced drink, drawn in a hand-painted style Me and the kids in the car, drawn in a hand-painted style A children's book called My Atlas of the Sea Two of the kids eating at the round table at home, drawn in a hand-painted style

Dinner out on a Tuesday. A drive on another Tuesday. A new book about the sea. Dinner at home on a Thursday.

In the week of 9 August I played badminton with my son twice. In my notes I wrote that it broke a five-week zero.

In the water

Swimming in a small pool, drawn in a hand-painted style Kids in life vests in the pool, drawn in a hand-painted style An outdoor swimming pool under a roof

Tuesday evening, 18 August. Life vests and floats.

Then Sunday morning, 23 August. Pool again.

Weekend lunch, and a car full

Family lunch at a cafe, drawn in a hand-painted style Lunch at a cafe, drawn in a hand-painted style A car full of family, drawn in a hand-painted style

Saturday lunch on the 22nd. The day before, a Friday, a car full at midday.

Monday morning in costume

My son at breakfast in traditional costume, drawn in a hand-painted style My son in traditional costume making a peace sign, drawn in a hand-painted style

Monday, 24 August. Breakfast at 6am, in full traditional costume.

Peace sign included.

End of the month

Selfie with my daughter outside a shop, drawn in a hand-painted style My daughter grinning in an orange dress, drawn in a hand-painted style A big family lunch at a round table, drawn in a hand-painted style A white dog looking up at the camera

A selfie with my daughter on Friday. A long family lunch on Sunday. And a dog who came to say hello.

Two rules, half-kept

Toast and boiled eggs packed in glass lunch boxes Boiled eggs and noodles on the breakfast table A bowl of tuna and cucumber salad Tuna salad with cucumber, onion and dressing

Early in the month I gave myself two rules. Walk at 5pm after picking up the kids. Prepare the kids’ breakfast the night before.

The breakfast one didn’t stick.

And my tuna salad. I call it a must-do. Some weeks I made it. Some weeks I didn’t.

A day with my father-in-law

Selfie with my father-in-law

Tuesday, 25 August was his day. This selfie was that evening.

My social highlights

Selfie with a friend at a pub Late-night selfie with the same friend at a kopitiam Selfie with a friend at an outdoor table Selfie with a friend in a studio Group selfie with friends at a restaurant table Selfie with a friend at dinner Selfie with a friend over satay

Lunches, dinners, and catching up with friends.

An offering for the ghost brothers

Candles lit along the grass at night Offerings burning in a small fire Candles along the roadside outside the house at night

Wednesday night, 26 August. Candles along the roadside, and an offering to the ghost brothers.

A quiet Thursday sky

Green trees under a morning sky Rows of small clouds over the houses in the morning

Thursday morning, 27 August. Just a good sky.

Merdeka

Food stalls at the morning market The National Day parade on a screen A burger and fries Evening traffic on the highway under a grey sky A friend at a pub table at night

Monday, 31 August. National Day, and a holiday.

Morning market at 6.30am. The parade on screen. A burger in the afternoon. A drive under a grey sky.

The night ended at the pub with a friend. Later than it should have.

Onward to September

Near the end of the month I wrote this in my notes:

next is more workout in the morning so i can have burst of energy too! i want to feel good! i want to feel strong!

You can read how that went in September’s recap.

Thanks for reading.

See you in September.

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