It's been barely 2 days since we received news of the death of my brother-in-law's nephew in Perth.
This young man was at the prime age of 20 and would have had a bright future had he lived. His death has been a total shock to everyone in the family. His untimely death brought grief and extreme pain to the whole family. No funeral has been held yet, pending police investigation as to the cause of death. WHY the police , you may ask?
I, for one am overcome not just with grief but frustration, disgust and anger. Let me not spare you the unusual manner of how he took his life. He had utilized the Internet and its free information available from thousands of sites teaching people in despair how to end their lives by using various methods. (online euthanasia clinics)
All this boy had to get was a plastic bag and HELIUM gas, the type you get from party / balloon shops. You don't need to be a rocket scientist to rig this up and worst of all, it's not illegal.
In a world where we are bombarded daily with news of cyclones, earthquakes, famine and sickness, we don't need children dying like this. There needs to be some form of check and balance webmasters and Internet providers have to employ before anything of this nature is posted for the world to see.
This has been done successfully with child pornography sites in most countries and I don't see why sites that encourage taking your life should be any different. Please understand that I am only talking about not allowing children to have access to these sites.
The stress of living daily can take its toll on each and everyone of us. When we feel intimidated, frustrated and very often feel like the whole world is collapsing around us, we need to voice our feelings and thoughts to someone. Unfortunately. most of the time, seeking help itself intimidates us, we lose our inner voice and try to find alternatives. Sometimes not the right ones. And in the case of this young man a fatal one.
I will not surround my two precious children with colorful beanbags to cushion them from the realities of life. Nor am I going to ban the INTERNET or SAT TV.
Like my husband says, we don't live in the sticks and we are not hermits , therefore I will guide them through the rivers, ravines, hills and mountains as much as I can and to the best of my knowledge, teaching them everything I know about the life's troubles & joys.
We, in Kuala Lumpur will grief together with our family members in Australia.
May God bless us with faith, peace, hope and love.
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
To Be or Not To Be .... Organic
Lately, the emergence of food safety issue has affected many countries worldwide, including Malaysia. Undeniably, there are many loopholes existing in our system which our government is trying to plug. As consumers, we are never sure what we will be getting in our boxes. I guess Forest Gump knows it better and said "Life is like a box of chocolate, you never know what you are going to get". At least he got a box of chocolate which have the FDA approval.
Malaysia have tons of natural resources/produces that we are proud of eg. petroleum, natural gas, forest timber, palm oil, rubber and others. Unfortunately we also rely heavily on imported goods such as fruits, vegetables, rice, wheat, beef, lamb, dairy and yes the list does go on. Second grade fresh produce are often sold in our "pasar sayur" while the best one are sent across to our neighbour which is Singapore. Stringent health and safety regulations in Singapore determine that only those that passed the test be sold there. There had been countless times when truck loads of produce has been denied entry into Singapore and there after many months of ban till a permittable pesticide level had been reach.
In any case, our relevant safety and health department is on the crackdown of all dairy- based food items in view of the SANLU Milk scare. Everything or anything made with milk is under scrutiny. We even receive SMS's warning us not to eat fruits or vegetables originating from CHINA. Fuji apples, Gong pears, Fragrant pears, peaches, Beijing cabbages, Baby bak choy, Pea sprouts, Snow peas, Hongkong kale, mustard .....
Obviously if you are a vegetarian, life has just become more difficult. Anyway, if you have read my last post, it would not be difficult to guess that my family have been gradually going organic.
It started with my son, Siddharth who could not tolerate cow's milk as it aggravates his sinus problem. Out goes cans of powdered milk, packs of UHT milk to be replaced with organic oat milk from Canada. At one point, we even tried RAW fresh milk delivered by our Indian Milkman ( Local indians and punjabis who are dairy farmers who supplies fresh milk and yoghurt to household ).
10 years ago, going organic would have been impossible and unthinkable. Now, we have a large organic section in our BV Grocer in Bangsar, Country Farm Organic , BMS organic, Justlife Organic and many well-stocked smaller ones all over Kuala Lumpur. I, especially like the one in Taman Desa called DE Health Paradise Organic where their prices are great and they have a good selection of ready cooked meals at fantastic prices.
In the end, we are ensured that what we eat and what our children eat has not been compromised. We, of course, grief with those parents who have lost their child due to tainted milk or contaminated food where officials have not acted to the urgency of their complain until it is too late.
As mothers, parents we do our best to protect our children. After all, they are our future.
Malaysia have tons of natural resources/produces that we are proud of eg. petroleum, natural gas, forest timber, palm oil, rubber and others. Unfortunately we also rely heavily on imported goods such as fruits, vegetables, rice, wheat, beef, lamb, dairy and yes the list does go on. Second grade fresh produce are often sold in our "pasar sayur" while the best one are sent across to our neighbour which is Singapore. Stringent health and safety regulations in Singapore determine that only those that passed the test be sold there. There had been countless times when truck loads of produce has been denied entry into Singapore and there after many months of ban till a permittable pesticide level had been reach.
In any case, our relevant safety and health department is on the crackdown of all dairy- based food items in view of the SANLU Milk scare. Everything or anything made with milk is under scrutiny. We even receive SMS's warning us not to eat fruits or vegetables originating from CHINA. Fuji apples, Gong pears, Fragrant pears, peaches, Beijing cabbages, Baby bak choy, Pea sprouts, Snow peas, Hongkong kale, mustard .....
Obviously if you are a vegetarian, life has just become more difficult. Anyway, if you have read my last post, it would not be difficult to guess that my family have been gradually going organic.
It started with my son, Siddharth who could not tolerate cow's milk as it aggravates his sinus problem. Out goes cans of powdered milk, packs of UHT milk to be replaced with organic oat milk from Canada. At one point, we even tried RAW fresh milk delivered by our Indian Milkman ( Local indians and punjabis who are dairy farmers who supplies fresh milk and yoghurt to household ).
10 years ago, going organic would have been impossible and unthinkable. Now, we have a large organic section in our BV Grocer in Bangsar, Country Farm Organic , BMS organic, Justlife Organic and many well-stocked smaller ones all over Kuala Lumpur. I, especially like the one in Taman Desa called DE Health Paradise Organic where their prices are great and they have a good selection of ready cooked meals at fantastic prices.
In the end, we are ensured that what we eat and what our children eat has not been compromised. We, of course, grief with those parents who have lost their child due to tainted milk or contaminated food where officials have not acted to the urgency of their complain until it is too late.
As mothers, parents we do our best to protect our children. After all, they are our future.
Saturday, June 2, 2007
Memories of my grandmother
As I was going through some of the cookbooks I have worked on, memories of watching and helping my grandmother preparing food at home triggered a flood of nostalgia and a tinge of regret. Some cookbook authors have inherited legacies of written recipes from their ancestors. Alas, I cannot boast of inheriting recipes handed down by my grandmother or my mother. I can only rely on my memories and to cook from my heart.
I spent a good 10 years growing up with this grand old lady. She had learned to master cooking although she grew up in a well to do family in Guangzhou. Forced to leave her family behind she came to Malaya with nothing however, it did not dampen her spirits.
Widowed at a young age,( her goldsmith husband was murdered) with a meager salary, she managed to put food on the table for her three children, my mother and her two younger brothers. By the time I arrived, she was already in her early sixties.
I remember all too well, preparing delicious dishes, especially for the festivals. It was a major event for her as she would use her private savings to buy the best quality ingredients. We had to wait for this very special occasion once a year. Her eight treasure duck , pig trotters in ginger vinegar, dried octopus fried rice, ginger chicken in homemade wine soup, superior soy prawns, home made waxed pork belly, fried glutinous rice, steamed radish cake and of course her piece de resistance ........ her peanut puffs, left us wanting for more the next day too.
Using the best peanut oil, which was known as the infamous "Cock Brand" (they also made one of the most delicious peanut butter spread I've ever eaten during the 70's) she slowly mixes it into the flour, gently kneading and pulling till it turns into a soft dough. There was no need for measures, just passion.
I would be instructed to cut round pastry skins using an old drinking glass. Crushed sugary peanuts would fill up the wrappers waiting to be coaxed, crimped and turned into petite dainty peanut puffs. Each puff would then be fried to a golden perfection. Leftover dough would then be turned into pieces of art to please the God of the Kitchen ...... miniature mandarin oranges, peaches, lily bulbs, prosperity pillows, each carrying significant auspicious meanings invoking blessings for the new year.
She lived well into her seventies, still cooking and teaching all the women in the family. Of course, Auntie no 1 is the only one who still carries on the tradition of preparing grandmother's dishes during Chinese New Year, which includes the peanut puffs.
Though I have not master the art of making traditional peanut puffs, I will definitely make an attempt before the next Spring Festival. In fact, just the very thought of this makes me want to make a batch of peanut butter now using organic peanuts of course. That, is another topic to write on next time.
I spent a good 10 years growing up with this grand old lady. She had learned to master cooking although she grew up in a well to do family in Guangzhou. Forced to leave her family behind she came to Malaya with nothing however, it did not dampen her spirits.
Widowed at a young age,( her goldsmith husband was murdered) with a meager salary, she managed to put food on the table for her three children, my mother and her two younger brothers. By the time I arrived, she was already in her early sixties.
I remember all too well, preparing delicious dishes, especially for the festivals. It was a major event for her as she would use her private savings to buy the best quality ingredients. We had to wait for this very special occasion once a year. Her eight treasure duck , pig trotters in ginger vinegar, dried octopus fried rice, ginger chicken in homemade wine soup, superior soy prawns, home made waxed pork belly, fried glutinous rice, steamed radish cake and of course her piece de resistance ........ her peanut puffs, left us wanting for more the next day too.
Using the best peanut oil, which was known as the infamous "Cock Brand" (they also made one of the most delicious peanut butter spread I've ever eaten during the 70's) she slowly mixes it into the flour, gently kneading and pulling till it turns into a soft dough. There was no need for measures, just passion.
I would be instructed to cut round pastry skins using an old drinking glass. Crushed sugary peanuts would fill up the wrappers waiting to be coaxed, crimped and turned into petite dainty peanut puffs. Each puff would then be fried to a golden perfection. Leftover dough would then be turned into pieces of art to please the God of the Kitchen ...... miniature mandarin oranges, peaches, lily bulbs, prosperity pillows, each carrying significant auspicious meanings invoking blessings for the new year.
She lived well into her seventies, still cooking and teaching all the women in the family. Of course, Auntie no 1 is the only one who still carries on the tradition of preparing grandmother's dishes during Chinese New Year, which includes the peanut puffs.
Though I have not master the art of making traditional peanut puffs, I will definitely make an attempt before the next Spring Festival. In fact, just the very thought of this makes me want to make a batch of peanut butter now using organic peanuts of course. That, is another topic to write on next time.
Thursday, May 24, 2007
Venus verses Mars
We women are blessed. Most of us women share an undeniable....well ....almost an invisible cord of sisterhood with each other. We have the ability to become friends in a split second and behave like we have known each other for a million years especially if they share the same hobbies, have kids, go to the same supermarket, read the same books or have similar life's crisis etc.
Men .... most of them have a problem understanding this. This form of gender net-working is perceived ..... well..... as gossiping. This may be true if the whole town knows about it and of course when only half truths are divulged.
Remember the donkey in the movie 'Shrek', ' Only a true friend would be that honest'.
Me, I am blessed to have a handful who lovingly and loyally brace up to me. Being the only child, I realized that sisterhood is not born through flesh. They are everywhere. In different ages, sizes, colors and backgrounds .....
A salute to all my dearest sisters, a big hug to all of you. Thank you
Well, what about the men. Give them a couple of beers, chips .... in this case a packet of Murrukku ( Indian tit-bits) or a bag of Menglembu groundnuts (It's a famous town near Ipoh). and let them have their last laugh about us.
Men .... most of them have a problem understanding this. This form of gender net-working is perceived ..... well..... as gossiping. This may be true if the whole town knows about it and of course when only half truths are divulged.
Remember the donkey in the movie 'Shrek', ' Only a true friend would be that honest'.
Me, I am blessed to have a handful who lovingly and loyally brace up to me. Being the only child, I realized that sisterhood is not born through flesh. They are everywhere. In different ages, sizes, colors and backgrounds .....
A salute to all my dearest sisters, a big hug to all of you. Thank you
Well, what about the men. Give them a couple of beers, chips .... in this case a packet of Murrukku ( Indian tit-bits) or a bag of Menglembu groundnuts (It's a famous town near Ipoh). and let them have their last laugh about us.
Tuesday, May 8, 2007
Les Miserables and Les Disposable
Most of us are familiar with the saying, "When it rains, it pours".
Seems my well-equipped home is now suffering from a freak break-down of electrical appliances.
First on the line of fire was my 5 month old LG (Life Gone!) vacuum cleaner. How the floor/carpet attachment completely disemboweled itself, is beyond my comprehension. Could it be that my terracotta floors proved to be far more challenging or using it twice a week too much for it to handle.
I definitely can feel some frustration and disappointment but certainly no attachment to this plastic robot vac. So much for the fantastic sales pitch at Harvey Norman. I ditched it as fast as I could, like how you would with a soiled baby diaper filled with poo!
Mr Kirby (my other vacuum cleaner). He's been with me through thick and thin. Six house renovations, two kids, four dogs, two rabbits, six budgies, a pond of kois and a partridge in a pear tree !............ Ever loyal, trustworthy, from the inside as well as out, multi-functional, versatile and came with a whole bag of freebies. Mind you, he is a 15 years old with lots of life still ahead of him. I would recommend him to you but my daughter has already put her eyes on him. So has Brenda my kitchen (help) genie. We always shed a tear or two when he has to go for his annual tune-up. We would one day feel miserable if that unavoidable day comes. When he has to be put down...He is my hero and hero's deserves a grand sent-off ......except that gun laws in my country prohibits me from giving him a 21 round gun salute.
In the meanwhile, two more appliances also protested. My 4 litre electric water boiler ( The spring clasp broke). As a remedial measure, I placed a packet of unopened pasta on it. Then changed it to my Bed-Buddy heat pad yesterday as I had to make pasta and broccoli soup for the kids. But to DISPOSE her! Not yet! Not now! Why? well, she still works!
I have patience. Patience is my name. She is staying put. Right where I can see her, on my kitchen counter. I'm determined to get every cent I paid for her!
The fridge was not not that cooperative. She broke down finally after groaning and gasping for the past 4-5 weeks. She seems to be on the road to recovery but then soon resumed her groaning
Well, yes, my refridgerator happens to be from the family of Korean appliances too. Very popular very expensive. Calling the servicing department at Samsung Malaysia 3 times in about 7 months is no laughing matter. Throwing all my delicious "Aloo Chole, Murungakkai Sambhar. Aaday Marver" is a serious offence and I wasn't prepared to put up with it any longer. Vengeance is mine and the service department got a earful of it. No serving charge was required from me. Guess that's a form of apology until .... I opened the fridge a couple of hours later and fumes were emitting from the refrigerator vent at the back of the panel which soon erupted into a fire.
At that point I was wondering whether I should report this matter to our consumer court. Fortunately for them, they came by and replaced the fridge with a new one. They even went as far as paying me back for the contents in the fridge. I have now decided to let that episode rest.
Thanks to the total closure of the kitchen for 4 days, I enjoyed letting go of all kitchen duties.
Just a word of caution. There will be many things in our live we would like to dispose of. That task can be quite daunting as the good and bad can be quite confusing if you are used to seeing them together in a 'box'. I have been accused of being too pragmatic, cold, insensitive and a "baddie". Clothes, brand new shoes, furniture, pots and pans, food, linen etc have gone to friends who nevertheless appreciated my gestures.
I am what I am. But I do hope I will change and be even better in the quest of " To dispose or not to dispose".
See you bloggers next.
Seems my well-equipped home is now suffering from a freak break-down of electrical appliances.
First on the line of fire was my 5 month old LG (Life Gone!) vacuum cleaner. How the floor/carpet attachment completely disemboweled itself, is beyond my comprehension. Could it be that my terracotta floors proved to be far more challenging or using it twice a week too much for it to handle.
I definitely can feel some frustration and disappointment but certainly no attachment to this plastic robot vac. So much for the fantastic sales pitch at Harvey Norman. I ditched it as fast as I could, like how you would with a soiled baby diaper filled with poo!
Mr Kirby (my other vacuum cleaner). He's been with me through thick and thin. Six house renovations, two kids, four dogs, two rabbits, six budgies, a pond of kois and a partridge in a pear tree !............ Ever loyal, trustworthy, from the inside as well as out, multi-functional, versatile and came with a whole bag of freebies. Mind you, he is a 15 years old with lots of life still ahead of him. I would recommend him to you but my daughter has already put her eyes on him. So has Brenda my kitchen (help) genie. We always shed a tear or two when he has to go for his annual tune-up. We would one day feel miserable if that unavoidable day comes. When he has to be put down...He is my hero and hero's deserves a grand sent-off ......except that gun laws in my country prohibits me from giving him a 21 round gun salute.
In the meanwhile, two more appliances also protested. My 4 litre electric water boiler ( The spring clasp broke). As a remedial measure, I placed a packet of unopened pasta on it. Then changed it to my Bed-Buddy heat pad yesterday as I had to make pasta and broccoli soup for the kids. But to DISPOSE her! Not yet! Not now! Why? well, she still works!
I have patience. Patience is my name. She is staying put. Right where I can see her, on my kitchen counter. I'm determined to get every cent I paid for her!
The fridge was not not that cooperative. She broke down finally after groaning and gasping for the past 4-5 weeks. She seems to be on the road to recovery but then soon resumed her groaning
Well, yes, my refridgerator happens to be from the family of Korean appliances too. Very popular very expensive. Calling the servicing department at Samsung Malaysia 3 times in about 7 months is no laughing matter. Throwing all my delicious "Aloo Chole, Murungakkai Sambhar. Aaday Marver" is a serious offence and I wasn't prepared to put up with it any longer. Vengeance is mine and the service department got a earful of it. No serving charge was required from me. Guess that's a form of apology until .... I opened the fridge a couple of hours later and fumes were emitting from the refrigerator vent at the back of the panel which soon erupted into a fire.
At that point I was wondering whether I should report this matter to our consumer court. Fortunately for them, they came by and replaced the fridge with a new one. They even went as far as paying me back for the contents in the fridge. I have now decided to let that episode rest.
Thanks to the total closure of the kitchen for 4 days, I enjoyed letting go of all kitchen duties.
Just a word of caution. There will be many things in our live we would like to dispose of. That task can be quite daunting as the good and bad can be quite confusing if you are used to seeing them together in a 'box'. I have been accused of being too pragmatic, cold, insensitive and a "baddie". Clothes, brand new shoes, furniture, pots and pans, food, linen etc have gone to friends who nevertheless appreciated my gestures.
I am what I am. But I do hope I will change and be even better in the quest of " To dispose or not to dispose".
See you bloggers next.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)