It's been an amazing week. Unexpected compliments. Good news on some medical tests.

And a piece of ma lai go (or ma lai kho or ma lai gao, as I've seen it variously spelled), given to me by a colleague.

Despite the name, this is Chinese, rather than Malay. And it's absolutely delicious. The texture is both yielding and bouncy. The flavour is delicate but elusive -- I can't work out from the various recipes I have consulted what makes it taste the way it does.

Because the only thing that's better than cake is more cake, I followed up my ma lai go by sharing with Nigel some mango pancakes from Quill's Pancake House.

And then we went to see The Martian.

I'd wondered if I'd like this. Thought it might be too remote and scientific. I hadn't liked Gravity, after all.

However, I not only liked it, but found it thoroughly inspiring.

It has a very basic message: if you are faced with a problem, you set to work to solve it.

You don't indulge in too much of the "oh poor me" stuff. You retain your humour. You retain your hope. You use your brain. And you trust in the good will of those in contact with you.

Good advice. Another gift.