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| image credit - Ghazali Kori |
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| image credit - Mohd Nazri Sulaiman |
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| image credit - Dollah Dean |
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| The winning entry by Mohd Nazri Sulaiman titled "Sharing Emotion" |
Wednesday, January 23, 2019
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).
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.
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.
"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.
Wednesday, January 16, 2019
Seflie
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!
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image source -Parthesh Modathy |
Would you risk your life for the perfect selfie?
Wednesday, January 9, 2019
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.
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.
Wednesday, January 2, 2019
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.
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?
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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.
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!
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Have you tried winged beans?
Thursday, December 27, 2018
Durian Christmas Tree, Anyone?
The most popular Christmas image spammed in messaging services this year -- the Malaysian Durian Tree!
This two-metre tall durian tree was constructed by parishioners of The Good News Fellowship Church in Kuching, Malaysia.
200 durians were used to create the masterpiece!
This two-metre tall durian tree was constructed by parishioners of The Good News Fellowship Church in Kuching, Malaysia.
200 durians were used to create the masterpiece!
Wednesday, December 19, 2018
'Twas The Night Before Christmas
Cookiefying my favourite bit from my most favourite Christmas poem.
'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse....
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse....
Wednesday, December 12, 2018
Krabby Patty
This rather unusual burger was on the menu of a seafood joint that newly opened in my neck of the woods.
The Softy Crabby Burger consists of a couple of deep-fried soft-shell crabs that are topped with a pomegranate and mango salsa and sandwiched between a charcoal sesame seed bun. It comes with an interesting pink side salad! I was told the dressing is made of Dragon Fruit, hence the color!
The taste was rather unique and I must say, I really enjoyed my meal.
I couldn't help thinking that this could be the secret ingredient in Sponge Bob's Krabby Patty - crabs! It does make sense. Crabs are cannibalistic and there are no other crabs in Bikini Bottom other than Mr. Krabs himself and his mom! And he is, after all, cheap and would do anything for money!
Food for thought?
The taste was rather unique and I must say, I really enjoyed my meal.
I couldn't help thinking that this could be the secret ingredient in Sponge Bob's Krabby Patty - crabs! It does make sense. Crabs are cannibalistic and there are no other crabs in Bikini Bottom other than Mr. Krabs himself and his mom! And he is, after all, cheap and would do anything for money!
Food for thought?
Wednesday, December 5, 2018
Knitting
I was clearing out a closet when I found a box containing several skeins of yarn and a work-in-progress sweater — a project I had abandoned when my eldest son was born. Back in those days before my boys came along, I knitted quite a bit.
I took out the sweater from the box and thought I could just pick up where I left off.
I gave up after knitting just a few rows. God knows how many stitches I had dropped! All that concentration and counting was making my head spin! And I itched each time the mohair sweater came into contact with my skin. Seriously, knitting in the tropics where the temps are in the 90's is crazy! How the hell did I do it in those days!??!!
I am so done with knitting!
Ha! Then I found Sonja's video on YouTube.
Who needs yarn when you have royal icing!
Showing off my 'knit' projects!
I took out the sweater from the box and thought I could just pick up where I left off.
I gave up after knitting just a few rows. God knows how many stitches I had dropped! All that concentration and counting was making my head spin! And I itched each time the mohair sweater came into contact with my skin. Seriously, knitting in the tropics where the temps are in the 90's is crazy! How the hell did I do it in those days!??!!
I am so done with knitting!
Ha! Then I found Sonja's video on YouTube.
Who needs yarn when you have royal icing!
Showing off my 'knit' projects!
Wednesday, November 28, 2018
I HATE reCaptcha!
Grrrrrr! I can't believe I've wasted 15 minutes of my life clicking on the i-am-not-a-robot captcha, just to leave a comment on one of my favourite blogs.
Examples of images with annoying street signs, traffic lights, vehicles, etc that are endless and impossible to solve.
I didn't get it right.
Failed again!
Nope, unsuccessful. Seriously?
Oh, come on!
Failed again ???
What???? How/Why is this wrong? Now I am seriously pissed!
I hope my blog isn't giving you the same problem! If it is, I have no control over it. Blame Google!
Examples of images with annoying street signs, traffic lights, vehicles, etc that are endless and impossible to solve.
Failed again ??? 
What???? How/Why is this wrong? Now I am seriously pissed!
I hope my blog isn't giving you the same problem! If it is, I have no control over it. Blame Google!
Wednesday, November 21, 2018
Turkey Day 2018
I made this turkey cookie for Josh's university buddy who's an exchange student from America. He was feeling a little homesick and the cookie did cheer him up a little!
Hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving this year.
Wednesday, November 14, 2018
Dot Painting
A friend of mine introduced me to dot painting recently. Making a mandala out of dots is extremely fun and therapeutic. It really helps you to relax the mind and soul.
Dotting the cookies was wonderfully cathartic.
It's probably easier to work with acrylic paints and dotting tools. With icing, it's hard to 'paint' uniform dots. The beauty of a dot mandala lies in the uniformly sized and perfectly aligned dots that form the fractals. I can't even get my dots to be perfectly round! Hence the haphazard, kindergarten-ish look of my cookies!
"The mandala is a template for the mind, a state of peace and order, a resolution to the chaos within." Carl Jung
A dot mandala tutorial by my favourite artist Kristin Uhrig. Isn't she amazing!
Watching Kristin's tutorials is incredibly soothing!
Go put on some relaxing music, pour yourself a glass of wine and let your creative juices flow!
I thought it would be fun to try out the technique on my cookies.
Warning! All that dotting really is addictive and I'm now seriously dotty about this art form!
Warning! All that dotting really is addictive and I'm now seriously dotty about this art form!
Dotting the cookies was wonderfully cathartic.
It's probably easier to work with acrylic paints and dotting tools. With icing, it's hard to 'paint' uniform dots. The beauty of a dot mandala lies in the uniformly sized and perfectly aligned dots that form the fractals. I can't even get my dots to be perfectly round! Hence the haphazard, kindergarten-ish look of my cookies!
"The mandala is a template for the mind, a state of peace and order, a resolution to the chaos within." Carl Jung
A dot mandala tutorial by my favourite artist Kristin Uhrig. Isn't she amazing!
Watching Kristin's tutorials is incredibly soothing!
Go put on some relaxing music, pour yourself a glass of wine and let your creative juices flow!
Wednesday, November 7, 2018
Kolam 2018
November is that time of the year when colorful *kolams pop up everywhere as Hindus the world over celebrate *Deepavali aka Diwali.
Sharing photos of this year's kolams I've captured at several malls in my neck of the woods.
* Deepavali/Diwali also known as the Festival of Lights is celebrated by the Hindu Community to symbolize the triumph of good over evil; the victory of light over dark.
The entrances to Hindu homes are decorated with fresh mango leaves and kolams. It is believed that Lakshmi, The Goddess of Wealth, will only enter a home that is adorned with a kolam.
* Kolam is an ancient Indian art of drawing using colored rice grains or powdered rice to form symmetrical geometric patterns on the floor. The Hindus believe that a kolam at the entrance of a house will usher prosperity and harmony to the home. It is also believed that a kolam wards off evil spirits and diseases.
Another purpose of the kolam is to invite birds and small insects like ants to a home to symbolize man’s co-existence with and consideration for other living things.
Traditionally, the ritual is performed daily by the women of a household early in the morning.
Fun Kolam Facts
1. The lines in a kolam must be continuous and unbroken so that evil cannot enter the house via the gaps.
2. The patterns are traditionally passed on from mothers to their daughters.
3. Kolam in the Tamil language means form and beauty.
4. As the kolam erases during the course of the day by birds and insects feeding on the rice, people's foot steps and the natural elements, a new kolam is drawn again the next morning, thus repeating the cycle. It imparts the idea that life is renewed daily.
Happy Deepavali to all my Hindu pallies!
Sharing photos of this year's kolams I've captured at several malls in my neck of the woods.
Starbucks kolam!!
The entrances to Hindu homes are decorated with fresh mango leaves and kolams. It is believed that Lakshmi, The Goddess of Wealth, will only enter a home that is adorned with a kolam.
* Kolam is an ancient Indian art of drawing using colored rice grains or powdered rice to form symmetrical geometric patterns on the floor. The Hindus believe that a kolam at the entrance of a house will usher prosperity and harmony to the home. It is also believed that a kolam wards off evil spirits and diseases.
Another purpose of the kolam is to invite birds and small insects like ants to a home to symbolize man’s co-existence with and consideration for other living things.
Traditionally, the ritual is performed daily by the women of a household early in the morning.
Fun Kolam Facts
1. The lines in a kolam must be continuous and unbroken so that evil cannot enter the house via the gaps.
2. The patterns are traditionally passed on from mothers to their daughters.
3. Kolam in the Tamil language means form and beauty.
4. As the kolam erases during the course of the day by birds and insects feeding on the rice, people's foot steps and the natural elements, a new kolam is drawn again the next morning, thus repeating the cycle. It imparts the idea that life is renewed daily.
Happy Deepavali to all my Hindu pallies!
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