Remember my goat story three years ago? He came to 'pet' me when we were visiting the village where hubby's uncle lives. Story here. I've just found out the goat's name is Manja (pampered in Malay).
Me and Manja when he was just a kid
We were driving into the village to visit Uncle Beng during the Chinese New Year when we saw Manja, now a full grown billy goat, charging head-on towards an oncoming motorcyclist and head-butting the vehicle! Next, the old goat rammed his head against a tree nearby when the man on the motorcycle chided him!
Uncle Beng explained that Manja had wandered too far off into the next village and the owner had to look for the old goat to herd him home. Manja wasn't quite ready to return to his pen and like a spoilt brat, he was throwing a tantrum!
Suddenly, Manja started to bawl hysterically as if something spooked him. He darted back into his pen on his own. According to Uncle Beng, the old goat went weird because he knew it was going to rain. And sure enough, within minutes, raindrops came pouring down!
Manja
Apparently, Manja is one spoilt goat, hence the name. As the villagers were largely Hindu, Manja is considered a sacred animal and is honoured and revered. Hindus believe that animals may contain the souls of their ancestors or may be reborn as friends and family members. Besides, Manja's weather forecasting ability makes him even more important! He is a reliable weather vane and his predictions are 90 percent spot-on. In fact, the villagers count on him to tell them when it is going to rain. If he is near his pen, rain is expected. If he is far out in the next village, the weather will be fine!
Evidently, goats hate water. I wasn't able to google for a scientific answer. Veterinarians have not identified any reasons. Goat breeders don't have the real answer either and so far no goat whisperer has come forward with an explanation! It would be really interesting to know why.
I wanted a take a selfie with Manja but Uncle Beng cautioned that the ornery old goat was likely to head-butt me.
After watching this video, I am sure glad I didn't!
Shhhhh! I've discovered a secret for fine dining at a price that is less than a fraction of what you would otherwise have to cough out in a fancy restaurant.
The secret, my friends, lies in the in-house restaurants of culinary schools! And lately, I have been enjoying fancy 3 to 10 course dinners at my sons' university campuses. Haha! A 10 course dinner prepared by student chefs costs less than a bowl of soup in a five star restaurant! I am cheap, I know!
I am a messy eater and more of a soup and sandwich girl although I do enjoy the occasional formal dinner in a posh restaurant and ONLY with people I am really comfortable with. Haute cuisine served up by culinary students is more fun and less intimidating.
One - You don't have to deal with poncey waiters/waitresses. The rookie serving staff are probably more nervous than you.
Two - You don't have to sweat over the confusing tableware. Nobody cares if you are eating your fish with a soup spoon instead of a fish knife. The other diners who are mostly students are too busy having fun snapping photos with their phones. Heck, I could eat my fish with a pair of chopsticks and nobody would bat an eye! Hey, I am very talented with my chopsticks! I can pick the tiniest bone off my fish with chopsticks, even a microscopic sesame seed! Fun fact - did you know it's easier to eat spaghetti with chopsticks than a fork? All that twirling with a fork is a sheer waste of effort.
Three - You don't have to dine with pretentious guests. No one rolls their eyes at you if your fork clanks a little too loudly or if your escargot bounces of your plate!
Remember that famous Julia Robert dining scene? It never gets old!
Four - Who knows, you may even experience the talents of the next top chefs before they become Michelin stars!
Five - You don't need to attend a fine dining etiquette workshop to learn about the right utensils to use. You get all the practice you need!
The downside? The RARE occasion when your steak is a tad underdone. Pardon the lame pun.
My latest experience to share. A Valentine-themed dinner inspired by Spanish Chef Elena Arzak. She is one of only six women in history whose restaurant has been awarded three Michelin stars. Arzak was named best Female Chef in the World in 2012.
THE MENU
It was a 10 course dinner - Amuse-Bouche (3), Starter (2), Main (2), Pre-dessert (1), Dessert (2).
The rustic bread and Spanish garlic rolls were really good. At home, just these and soup alone would make a hearty dinner for me.
Gotta love the fun names the students DISHed out for their creations.
BLIND DATE
Deep fried butterfish in Kataifi
IT TAKES 2 TO TANGO
Marinated sardines with balsamic strawberry
FIRST DAY OF SPRING
Raspberry gazpacho with melon
BUILDING CASTLES IN THE SKY
Yabbies with mangosteen and garlic
POP THE QUESTION
Baked egg with yolk veil and chicken broth
JUST THE TWO OF US
Seared red snapper with green and red parterre
KNIGHT IN SHINING ARMOUR
Rack of lamb with pea purée, green sponge and fondant potatoes
WHEN LIFE GIVES YOU LEMONS, SMOKE THEM!
Lime soufflé with smoked lemon ice cream
MATCH MADE IN HEAVEN
Chocolate sponge and mousse with orange parfait
ON CLOUD 9
Petit fours - Banana marshmallows, almond biscuits, passion fruit jellies, white bean truffles
Burp! That was a mighty fine dinner. I heard that a Gordon Ramsey inspired dinner is next on their calendar. Can't wait!
Debal Curry, a quintessential *Eurasian dish is The Hubs' favourite curry. It is also my favourite recipe to bring to a potluck 'cos I always come home with an empty bowl and lots of compliments! It's like bringing a rum cake to an AA meeting! There's nothing sorrier than leaving a potluck with a plate that is still three-quarters full, don't you agree?
Debal curry is unique to Malaysia and Singapore and is usually made on Boxing day with the leftover meats from the previous day's Christmas feast. In Creole-Portugese, Debal means leftovers. I am guessing that this dish might have been coined Devil Curry because it is laden with chilies and therefore fiery hot.
*Eurasian - A person of mixed European and Asian ancestry.
Many Eurasians in Malaysia and Singapore trace their roots to the sixteenth century when Portugal conquered Malacca. Marriages between the Portuguese men and the local women of Chinese, Malay and Indian descent led to a thriving Eurasian community.
Sharing my late Godma's recipe.
DEVIL CURRY
INGREDIENTS
600 gm chicken/pork cut into bite-size pieces
1 onion, quartered
1 tomato, quartered
1 green chili, seeded (optional)
INGREDIENTS TO BE GROUND
6 dried chilies
10 shallots
3 cloves garlic
1 thumb-size ginger
2-3 thin slices fresh turmeric
1 tsp mustard seeds
3-4 tbsp vinegar
3 tbsp tomato ketchup
1 tsp prepared mustard
2 tbsp sugar
salt to taste
1/2 cup water
METHOD
Heat oil in pan. Fry ground ingredients until oil separates. Add meat, carrot, onion and seasonings. Bring to a boil and simmer for 25-30 mins or until meat is tender. Set aside for 30 mins before serving. Better still, refrigerate overnight if you can resist eating the curry right away as this will allow the flavours to mellow. Devil curry always tastes better the next day!
Have you ever brought a dish to a potluck that nobody ate??
Ever heard of the pregnant deer story? It resonates deeply with me. Time and time again, I draw great inspiration from that very scenario whenever I feel that I am inundated with negativity and adversities around me. I think of myself as the pregnant deer with the happy ending. The allegory is so very symbolic of life. Negative thoughts are toxic. They can destroy your morale and oftentimes be overpowering enough to be incapacitating.
The story goes like this.
A pregnant deer is about to give birth. She finds a secluded spot in the forest near a swift flowing river. Just then, dark clouds gather in the sky above and lightning starts a forest fire. She looks to her left and sees a hunter aiming to shoot her with an arrow. She looks to her right and sees a hungry lion waiting to pounce on her. What is she to do in a desperate situation like this?
1. There is a forest fire
2. There is a swift flowing river
3. There is a hunter on her left
4. There is a hungry lion on her right
It seems like she is doomed and there's no way out in such a hopeless situation,
But the deer knows there is only one thing she can do so she decides to focus on the one thing she can focus on - giving birth. And as she gives her full attention to the process of just giving birth, a sequence of events happens.
There is a bolt of lightning.
The hunter gets disorientated and releases the arrow.
The arrow zips past the deer and strikes the lion.
The lion flees.
Rain pours down heavily and puts the fire out.
And at that very moment, the deer delivers a healthy fawn.
The moral of the story? We should stop worrying about things that are beyond our control and just give our full attention to what is most important at the moment and focus on giving our best. In the midst of a storm, do not lose faith. Surrender to God and He will guide us through the puddles and remove the obstacles in our path.
Watch this video. It is life changing!
Let this be our motivation for 2018
The above Yu Shang costs a whopping S$999.00 (USD756.93)! It is a limited edition masterpiece created by the chefs at the Singapore Fullerton Hotel. Inspired by Pekingese dogs and their resemblance to Chinese Fu Dogs, the intricately assembled showpiece looks like a cross between the two. Orders are made three days in advance.
2018 is the Year of the Dog. According to Chinese zodiac, an animal is assigned to your birth year and impacts on your personality traits and fortune. The dog is one of the 12 animals associated with each year in a repeating 12-year cycle. In order, the 12 animals are: Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, Pig.
What? No Cat? Don't Chinese people love cats, you wonder. Yes we do! So why isn't Cat in the cycle?
image credit - https://www.dramafever.com
There are many versions of the folktale behind the missing cat in the Chinese zodiac.
Here's the one I grew up on.
The Great Race
The Jade Emperor wanted to devise a way to measure time so he decreed a race between all the animals in his kingdom. The first 12 animals to make it across a river would earn a spot on the zodiac calendar in the order they arrived.
Rat knew he was no match against the other bigger and stronger animals so he hopped onto Ox’s back. Cat, who disliked getting wet, also hitched a ride on Ox. When the three were almost ashore, Rat pushed Cat off Ox's back, jumped ahead and was the first to arrive. Ox lumbered right behind and came in second. Tiger was third. Leaping from boulder to boulder to keep dry was Rabbit but halfway across the river he slipped and tumbled into the water. Rabbit grabbed onto a floating log nearby that would later take him to shore. He was the fourth animal to arrive. In fifth place was the flying Dragon. The Jade Emperor wondered why a swift airborne creature such as Dragon should fail to reach first place. Dragon explained that he was held back as he had to stop and make rain for a village suffering from a drought. Then, on his way to the finishing line, he saw Rabbit clinging onto a log, drifting helplessly so he again, stopped to let out a huff of wind to push Rabbit to shore. Horse galloped up next but unbeknownst to him, a snake that had coiled around his leg slithered out in front. Horse reared back in fright, giving Snake the sixth spot, while Horse placed seventh.
Coming right behind were the Goat, Monkey and Rooster. The trio had been working together as a team to paddle a raft across the river. When they pulled the raft to shore, they marched to the feet of the Emperor in the same order they had been seated, thus coming in eighth, ninth and tenth place. Finishing eleventh was Dog followed by Pig.
Cat eventually drowned and therefore, never made it in the zodiac
Watch this super cute video that tells the story.
Good news! Cat didn't die in the video.
Haha! Rat was, after all, a rat!
Cute dog videos to share.
HAPPY YEAR OF THE DOG, PALLIES!
So what is your Chinese zodiac animal? I am a Tiger. Roarrrrrrrrr!
You are at the mall, browsing through clothes on a rack and someone behind you taps you on the shoulder. You turn around and see this big guy in a red dress with an enormous head. Don't freak out! You've just been blessed by The God of Prosperity and wealth will be upon you soon!
"Hogwash!", you say. Well, that was what I thought too. Then you go home, check your e-mail and scrolling down your inbox, you see the words, "Congrats. You've won..." on not one, but two subject lines. You win one $250 Paypal cash giveaway and another $100 Amazon Gift Card giveaway all on the same day, right after you've been touched by The God of Prosperity?! Fluke or what?
image source - https://www.dhgate.com
According to Chinese mythology, Caishen aka God of Prosperity is a powerful deity, usually depicted in red clothes, riding a black tiger and holding a Ruyi (a scepter with the power to turn rock, some say iron, into gold). He also has magic pearls that would explode as grenades. He's one cool dude! Caishen is also heaven's accountant and he guards all the treasures above. More than that, he has the power to bestow fortune and wealth to humans on earth. Zeus has nothing on Caishen!
Once a mortal, Caishen was the uncle and minister to Emperor Zhou of the Shang Dynasty. An honest and successful merchant, Caishen was loved and revered by many as he was benevolent to fellow merchants and the needy. He would fund the failing businesses of his merchant pallies with no obligations and share his riches with those in need.
Soon his increasing popularity invoked the jealousy of Emperor Zhou and his family.
Daji, Emperor Zhou’s most favored concubine killed Caishen by digging out his heart. But legend has it that he did not die. He was given a magical panacea by a hermit that saved his life. Caishen fled to the woods with his wife, children and fortune. He would continually emerge from the woods to distribute his wealth to the peasants. The magical panacea gave him immortality and he ultimately ascended to heaven as The God of Prosperity.
While Caishen is worshipped in temples and homes all-year round, the deity is a popular icon during the Chinese New Year season. You would see mascots like the one above in many malls in Malaysia. Think Santa Claus! Instead of gifts, The God of Prosperity hands out candies, faux gold ingots and ang-pows (red packets with money inside) as symbols of wealth and good luck.
Look what we found when The Hubs and I were having breakfast at a new yum cha joint in our neck of the woods!
I've seen dumplings and baos in the shapes of Minions, pandas, Disney characters, etc. on Instagram but these swans are my first.
I don't usually photograph my food before I devour them but these are just too cute to pass!
Guess who was waiting impatiently and rolling his eyes while I took the pictures!
Do you get annoyed when a meal is served and your Instagram-obsessed friends yell for you to stop just as you are about to dig into your favorite food so they can shoot every dish on the table?
Oreo crossed The Rainbow Bridge at 12:30 AM on July 9th 2016
Our beloved guinea pig, Oreo, crossed the Rainbow Bridge 2 years ago but the pain was too raw and fresh then and I couldn't share about her passing. Now that the pain has dulled just a little, I want to blog about my little buddy. I want to remember every detail before my memory fails me.
She was 8 years old (144 human years) when she died. A couple of months prior to her death, we found an abscess on her body and took her to see Dr. J, a darling lady vet . Oreo adored her.
Dr. J drained Oreo's abscess. I remember a lot of shrieking, squeezing, flushing and ... cottage cheese. Yep, the foul smelling pus looked like runny cottage cheese! I didn't know a guinea pig could shriek so loudly!
After cleaning the wound, Dr. J sent us on our way. We were overjoyed that we weren't going home empty-handed.
Oreo's wound healed completely and for the next few months she was eating well and back to her old happy self.
Late one night, I noticed she was unusually quiet and listless. Her fur was all puffed up and her breathing seemed laboured. I searched the guinea pig forums on the net and learned that a puffed up coat was usually symptomatic of a cavy in pain.
It was close to midnight and everyone else was asleep. As I was about to go to my son's room to awaken him so he could drive us to the vet, I heard Oreo suddenly dashing round and round her pigloo in a frenzy. My first thought was that she must be getting better or else she wouldn't be darting maniacally in circles like that.
When I went to check on her, she was lying very still on her side, gasping for air. I assumed that she was merely exhausted after all that crazy running. I stroked her gently and thought that a session of cuddling and petting would probably fix her. Just as I was lifting her out of her cage, her head flopped to the side, her breathing stopped and her body went limp. I stared at her lifeless body in disbelief! Her death was too sudden. There wasn't even time to realize what was happening. A minute ago, she was so lively and now she was gone in the blink of an eye. I didn't even have the chance to cuddle her or say goodbye. I just couldn't bring myself to put her down in her cage and I held her in my arms and petted her until her body grew cold.
Looking back, I believe there was a reason for her strange behavior before she collapsed. Despite her pain and difficulty breathing, she had managed to summon up whatever strength she had left in her frail body for that final surge of energy that enabled her to bolt like that. She was trying to get my attention so I would go to her. She had known that her time was up and she wanted to say goodbye to me before she crossed the Rainbow Bridge.
Goodbye, my little buddy. *Popcorn in that grand meadow across the sky. Know that you are forever loved and cherished.
Missing you, my little piggy.
*Popcorning is a name for those crazy leaps a guinea pig does in the air when it is happy
I am not usually a big fan of blogger tags but it's a fun way of getting to know your blogger pallies. I found this tag on the lovely Dot Makes 4 blog. Created by Debbie from My Random Musings, 100 questions are designed to help you get to know your blogger pallies.
So to all my new awesome readers, I am sharing random truths about myself with you. I skipped some of the questions though.
Here goes.
THE BASICS
1. What’s your name?
Veronica
2. Any nicknames or aliases?
I have several given by my aunts and uncles
3. Your gender?
Female
4. Your star sign?
Taurus. Tiger according to Chinese zodiac.
5. How old are you?
Going to be 56
6. Your relationship status?
Married. And to the same wonderful man for 25 years.
7. Any children?
2, Josh and Rodney
8. Any pets?
None currently. My guinea pig died last year and I am still pining for her.
9. Any tattoos or piercings?
None, not even my ears.
10. What do you like about yourself?
I am fun, I think!
11. What do you dislike about yourself?
The list is too long! #1 on the list is my inability to drive a car. I am spatially challenged.
12. Righty or lefty?
Right
LASTS
13. The last thing you drank:
Green tea
14. The last thing you ate:
Prawn ramen
15. Your last phone call:
Hubby
16. Your last text message:
My son informing me that he was not coming home for dinner
17. Your last email:
Spam offering to enlarge body parts I don't have.
18, The last song you listened to:
Havana, the squeaky chicken version
19. The last book you read:
Tail & Trouble by Victor Catano
20. The last time you cried:
When our guinea pig died.
21. The last blog you read:
Dot Makes 4
22. The last person you spoke to:
My son Rodney
23. The last place you visited:
My hometown
24. Your last holiday abroad:
UK in 2011.
HAVE YOU EVER?
28. Have you ever lost someone special to you?
Yes. More than a handful and mostly to cancer.
29. Have you ever been so drunk you threw up?
I don't drink
31. Have you ever met someone who changed you?
The Hubs.
39. Have you ever been arrested?
No!
41. Have you ever done something you regret?
I might have but I am more regretful of the things I haven't done
43. Have you ever embarrassed yourself in public?
I had stage fright when I was singing at a company dinner and made a fool of myself. I still shudder at the memory!
44. Have you ever misjudged someone?
Many times. I am a poor judge of character.
YOUR BELIEFS AND OPINIONS
45. Do you believe in God?
Yes.
46. Do you believe in yourself?
Not as much as I should.
47. Do you believe in Santa Claus?
No. I think he gives people the wrong message about Christmas. Christmas should be all about Christ's birth.
48. Do you believe in ghosts?
Yes. Had a couple of encounters!
49. Do you believe in aliens?
Nah.
50. Do you believe in miracles?
Yes. My son Josh was a miracle baby.
51. Do you believe in the power of positive thinking?
Sounds clichéd
52. Do you believe in love at first sight?
Yeap.
53. Can money make you happy?
Oh YES!
54. Would you describe yourself as a feminist?
......Er... While I believe all genders are entitled to the same social and political rights, I am not opposed to chivalry. I certainly will not stop my male companion from paying for dinner if he insists!
55. Are you pro-life or pro-choice?
Depends on the circumstances.
56. Do you have strong political beliefs?
Not really
57. Do you have strong religious beliefs?
I was brought up by very strict Catholic parents and studied in a convent school.
58. What do you think the most important thing you can give a child is?
Unconditional love?
RIGHT NOW
59. Are you eating anything right now?
Nope
60. Are you drinking anything right now?
Nope
61. What are you listening to right now?
My son practising his violin
62. What are you thinking about right now?
Whether or not I should continue with this tag.
63. What are you waiting for right now?
Dinner. We are eating out tonight.
64. What are you most excited about right now?
Nothing!
65. What’s your pet hate right now?
Inconsiderate neighbours
66. What’s your favourite thing right now?
Cookie decorating
My latest project - a cookified logo of Hubby's cousin's restaurant, Amelio Desa Parkcity
67. If you weren’t answering these questions, what would you be doing right now?
Attending to a more PRESSING matter. I have a pile of clothes to iron! Haha!
FIRSTS
68. Your first best friend:
Maggie. We were classmates in Secondary School
70. Your first celebrity crush:
Lee Majors! He was the Six Million Dollar Man. Haha! Most of you were either not born yet or in diapers when the show was running!
71. Your first holiday:
A family trip to my aunt in Kuala Lumpur when I was about 10 years old.
72. Your first pet:
A cat. Her name was Pussy.
74. Your first regret:
Not studying harder in school.
74. Your first job:
Computer programmer
75: Your first childhood memory:
Grandma's old wooden house. Back then, the whole clan was around and we had many cousins to play with.
Which would you choose?
76. Love or money?
Tough one. Love?
77. Twitter or Facebook?
Twitter
78. Hook up or relationship?
Definitely a relationship.
79. Dogs or cats?
I am totally a cat person
80. Coffee or tea?
Depends on my mood
81, Beer or wine?
Neither
82. Sweet or savoury?
Savoury. I don't have a sweet tooth.
83. Introvert or extrovert?
A bit of both
84. Vampires or werewolves?
Vampires if they look like Ian Somerhalder!
85. Seaside or countryside?
Seaside.
86. Summer or winter?
Summer hands-down. I get depressed when it is cold and dark
87. Books or movies
Movies. But if there is a book version, I would prefer to read the book first and watch the movie later.
88. Horror or comedy
Depends on my mood
A FEW RANDOM QUESTIONS TO FINISH OFF
89. Do you wish you could change your past?
Not really. I think everything happened for a reason.
90. What’s your dream job?
I had always wanted a job that would take me places.
91. What’s your guilty pleasure?
Fish crackers. Once I get started, I can't stop.
92. What are you afraid of?
Cockroaches. Eeeekkk!
93. What was the first thing you wanted to be when you grew up?
A pilot!
94. If you could have any super power, what would it be?
Teleportation.
95. If you could change anything about your life what would it be?
I wish I had traveled more when I was younger.
96. Would you want immortality?
NOOOOOOOOO!
97. If you could interview anyone alive or dead who would you choose?
My great grandfather who died when my dad was only six. He was the first of our clan to migrate to Malaysia. My dad still regales us with many interesting and fascinating stories about him.
98. Would you say you are happy?
Isn't happiness transient? Right now, yes.
99. What one piece of advice would you give to yourself at age eighteen?
That it is ok to say no. I have been a doormat most of my life.
100. Where would you like to be in five years’ time
I would like to experience living in a different country, not as a tourist but as a local.
Phew! That took really long.
Here's where I am supposed to tag some bloggers but I do understand that some of us hate being tagged so I shall skip that part. Tag yourself if you wanna play along. Let me know so I can visit your blog.
