Chinese New Year 2019

2019 heralds The Year Of The Pig. So if you're born in the  years 1935, 1947, 1959, 1971, 1983, 1995 and 2007, you are a pig and this is your year!

Famous piggies include Elton John, Stephen King and Hillary Clinton.

According to a FengShui master, 2019 is generally a great year to make money, and a good year to invest!

The porcine year promises to be a year full of joy and blessings, especially for piggies.

Our local malls are a sight to behold.

image source -  1 Utama Shopping Centre Facebook

image source - Pavilion KL Facebook

image source - Queensbay Mall (Facebook)

Happy Chinese New Year, pallies!

The Buffalo Whisperer

Now these photos are a sight for sore eyes. Instead of teens staring down at their digital devices, here's a shirtless boy having good old-fashioned fun with his BFFs (buffalo best friends).

image credit - Ghazali Kori

image credit - Mohd Nazri Sulaiman

14-year old Mohd Syukur from Terengganu, Malaysia, has become an internet sensation for his extraordinary bond with the cattle in his family's buffalo enclosure.

image credit - Dollah Dean

His unique interaction with the animals has attracted photographers from all over the world and even bagged an award for a local photographer in an international photography competition.

The winning entry by Mohd Nazri Sulaiman titled "Sharing Emotion"

"I am not proud that I became viral. I am just happy because people used to put my father down for working as a buffalo breeder. But today, I am happy to make my father proud and to be able to change people's perception towards what my father does for a living," he said when interviewed at his home in Kampung Banggol Katong.

Seflie

I bumped into my former neighbours this morning and noticed that the daughter was wearing a shoulder sling. I was told  she slipped and fell off a rock while taking a selfie.

A couple of months back, I watched a YouTube video of a baby plunging to her death when she slipped out of her mom's arms while they were on a mall escalator in India.  The mom lost her balance and grip on the baby when she was taking a wefie with her husband. I couldn't get the image out of my mind. It was horrifying.

It saddens and maddens me when I read about stuff like this.

Really, what is it about a self-portrait that's worth risking your life or someone else's?

Interestingly, I read somewhere that India has the most deaths by selfies.

I blame social media. I think people are taking risks because they are subconsciously pressured into creating such content for their followers.

Is our life worth just one photo?

On a lighter note, this image  appeared on my FB feed and it made me smile!  I just had to share it!

image source -

Parthesh Modathy

The perfect duck face!!   LOL!!!

Would you risk your life for the perfect selfie?

Of Limestone Hills and Mung Bean Sprouts

Can you believe the rock on the left of the photo is 280 million years old!?

Yep, this 14-storey-high limestone outcrop in my hometown, Ipoh,  is a geological wonder and one of only four such formations in the world! The others are located in Guilin (China), Halong Bay (Vietnam) and Phuket (Thailand).

Interestingly, did you know that Ipoh boasts of producing the best mung bean sprouts in the world?

The secret?  Thanks to the hard water from the limestone hills that surround the town, the bean sprouts grown here are very crunchy and juicy.

People from all over Malaysia and overseas flock to Ipoh just to have a taste of our very unique bean sprouts!

It is said that the best tofu and the prettiest girls (because of their smooth-as-tofu skin) come from Ipoh, again thanks to the limestone water from the hills!

The name Ipoh is derived from a local tree, Pohon Epu or now more commonly known as Pokok Ipoh. The poisonous sap of the tree was once used by the indigenous people of Peninsular Malaysia to coat the tips of the darts of their blowpipes for hunting.

Winged Bean

Question: What is long and green and has 4 frilly edges?

Answer: A winged bean (Psophocarpus tetragonolobus).

Also known as four-angled bean in Chinese and kacang botol in Malay (literally translated as bottle bean), the winged bean has 4 frilly winged edges and tastes like something between an asparagus and a snow pea.

I was never a big fan of this bean until I found out recently that it has many beauty and health benefits.

5 reasons why you should include winged beans in your diet.

PREVENTS PREMATURE AGEING
Winged beans help prevent premature ageing as these are packed with Vitamins A and C that work as antioxidants.

PROMOTES SKIN ELASTICITY
The high content of antioxidants present in winged beans ensures that the skin maintains its elasticity and keeps it looking young.

HELPS PREVENT NEUTRAL-TUBE DEFECTS IN NEWBORN BABIES
Winged beans are a rich source of folate, an essential component for DNA synthesis and cell division. Adequate folate in the diet around conception and during pregnancy may help prevent neural-tube defects in the newborn baby.

HIGH IN PROTEIN
Winged bean seeds are also found to rival the protein quality and quantity of soybeans

RICH IN CALCIUM
Winged beans are rich in calcium and phosphorus which are important for keeping the teeth and bones strong.

Sambal Kacang Botol

A Malaysian recipe to share

WINGED BEANS FRIED IN SAMBAL AND DRIED SHRIMPS

INGREDIENTS
10 winged beans, sliced at a slant

Sambal Paste
6  red chilies
2 cloves garlic
2 shallots
1 tbsp belacan (shrimp paste)
3 tbsp dried shrimps

DIRECTIONS
1. Place Sambal Paste ingredients into a food processor and blend to a paste.
2. Heat up 2 tbsp oil in wok and fry sambal paste until oil separates.
3. Turn up heat, add winged beans and stir fry for about a minute.
4. Plate and serve

Enjoy!

Have you tried winged beans?