I Need To Tell : The World From My Perspective

Vegetarian Delights

2012-02-16T00:01:00.002+08:00

My colleague, T** is a vegetarian. She has been one for a few years. Lately, she has been bringing her own lunches to school. And we marvel at the variety of vegetarian dishes that she prepares for lunch.Last week, I had the honour of trying her Vegetarian Chicken Rice. She used ginger and mock chicken and sesame oil to cook the rice. The result was a very fragrant rice, which was infused with

More Sandwiches

2012-02-14T00:01:00.003+08:00

I came back to my office to find the girl waiting for me. She brought me sandwiches again.And so, I had for lunch,a Ham and Cheese Sandwich, anda Tuna & Egg Sandwich.She asked if I wanted some for tomorrow too. Geez, I can't be eating sandwiches every day, can I? So I thanked her and told her that I would tell her so if I wanted some.Oh yeah, I'd finally found out her name.

Surprise Sandwich

2012-02-13T00:01:00.001+08:00

I was walking down the stairs after class one day, and this student came along and asked if I wanted to buy a sandwich from her.Strange, I thought. Why would she want to sell me a sandwich? Did she not want to eat it herself? I asked. She told me that she had brought some food for recess.Her cousin had made the sandwich, she told me, and it sold very well at their coffee shop. There was also ham

Star Lunches

2012-02-12T00:02:00.000+08:00

I can only go out for lunch on Fridays. So over at Morsjaya is a corner cafe called "Star". In Mandarin, it's 星星小食. Well, I like the economy rice or the chap fan there.I always go there with my Tupperware Crystal Wave container, and the girls there remember me after the third week."Hi, teacher!" a former student called out to me when I was at the shop one time. He was buying rice and bantering

He Says, She Says

2012-02-11T14:40:00.012+08:00

I made a mistake about disregarding what my colleague had said one fine day. I should have explained to him how I wanted things done, but somehow I did not. It was an oversight on my part.I'm writing about this now, just so that I will be able to read back one day and remember an important lesson learnt.***I have always organised the school level CNY celebration. The first year, I was approached

New Coin

2012-02-11T00:29:00.004+08:00

The other day, I was paying for my purchases at the pharmacy, and the cashier placed a few coins on the counter. I stood there for a long time staring at the coins. Because instead of the normal silver coins, these were yellow."Excuse me," the cashier interrupted my thoughts and handed me the receipt. I snapped out of it and inspected the coins.Upon a closer look and seeing the words "Bank Negara

Palace - Jade Lock Heart

2012-02-10T08:07:00.026+08:00

My cousin WS left a bagful of Dvds at my house the other day, so I picked those which I wanted to watch. Palace had seemed to be one of them which attracted me. Well, I'd watched the Korean version of Palace and enjoyed it, so I wondered what the Chinese one would be about.Palace - Jade Lock Heart(Source : spcnet.tv)Of course, I didn't know it was a China production then. I'd thought it a Taiwan

A Chalk Holder

2012-02-09T11:57:00.001+08:00

I was teaching in class on a 2-hour stretch the other day, and writing a lot on the chalk board (Yes, we still use the chalk board!). Thereafter, I felt a burning sensation on my thumb and my forefinger. Later on, the skin on my fingers started chafing. That was about 3 weeks ago, and till today, my fingers hadn't healed. They felt rough and dry.Geez, I'd been teaching for donkey of years and

Book Vouchers

2012-02-08T00:01:00.002+08:00

While the other students received RM100 each the other day, the Form 6 students could only look on enviously. They'd not been given any money. Or so they thought.1.03 p.m. Please come back to school later to handle d rm200 bk vouchers and distribute by tmr to Form 6 students4.10 p.m.Sorry, I just saw your earlier message. Can i get them handled and distributed tmrw?4.49 p.m.M***** help you with

Are You Superstitious : Wallets

2012-02-07T00:01:00.003+08:00

A few years ago, I was shopping with my friend at Parkson Departmental Store. She was looking for a wallet and was very interested in a Bonia.She was quite superstitious, however, as she had only wanted to buy a wallet which had an odd number of pockets or compartments."Why?" I asked her.Well, apparently, it is believed that wallets with an odd number of pockets or compartments will KEEP money.

My Louis Vuitton Zippy Wallet

2012-02-06T00:01:00.004+08:00

Second Aunt said carrying my LV Zippy Wallet back to Kuching for me, made her rather anxious. She put the whole thing into her tote and then kept it close to her side at all times. Poor Second Aunt. Lol.One day before they helped me purchase the wallet, my cousin and Second Aunt went to the LV Island Maison at Marina Bay Sands to help me check out the price. Second Aunt told me that she was very

Louis Vuitton Zippy Wallet

2012-02-05T00:01:00.007+08:00

"Hello, Louis Vuitton Starhill Gallery. May I help you please?""Hi, I'd like to find out the price of the zippy wallet in monogram canvas.""Zippy wallet in monogram canvas. Hold on one minute. I'll check in the system for you. How may I address you, please?""I'm Ms I********.""Zippy wallet in monogram canvas. RM2500, and it is available in all of our three outlets. Are you planning to visit our

A Goose In The Heavens

2012-02-04T00:01:00.006+08:00

Second Uncle has 2 sons who are of marriageable age. Every Chinese New Year, it is inevitable that they go through "counselling". The counselor? Grandma, of course."When are you getting married?" "When are you bringing your wives to visit?" "There's this girl who is very nice. Why don't you two just get married?" "Every year you promise you will get married. Every year, you lie to me." "No house?

3 Generations

2012-02-03T00:01:00.007+08:00

We love our iPhones. Each of us has one, but of different generations.L to R :3 Generations -iPhone 3GS , iPhone 4 , iPhone 4SL to R :iPhone 3GS bought in 2009, iPhone 4 in 2010 and iPhone 4S in 2012.Bro, being an early adapter uses the iPhone 3GS. I use the iPhone 4 and Sil recently bought her iPhone 4S.Back at home, I often accompany Grandma in the room. Grandma's 89 years old and she'd recount

Pandan Agar-Agar

2012-02-02T00:01:00.000+08:00

Every Chinese New Year, we never fail to make this Pandan Agar-agar. I help Mom to make it sometimes.All that is needed is to dissolve the long strips of agar-agar in water, add in a bit of freshly extracted Pandan juice, a little bit of sugar and bring the mixture to a boil. The longer you cook it, the more springy it will become later on.Then, we wet a tray with water and pour the agar-agar

Lavender's Vegetarian Almond Cookies

2012-02-01T06:11:00.000+08:00

For Chinese New Year, my cousin, T*** gave us this beautiful canister of Vegetarian Almond cookies.Beautiful red canisterIt is from Lavender, a confectionery based in Johore.The cookies are kept in a zip-lock bag inside the canister.Just open the zip-lock bag to reach for the cookies inside.Here are the cookies.Each cookie is approximately the same size and weight. The chopped up almonds are

Beef Pie @ The Mango Tree

2012-01-31T00:01:00.007+08:00

I enjoy pastries, and I did like this beef pie from The Mango Tree, Kuching. It's not very big, and I could polish it off in just 4 bites.Beef pieThe fillingWell, the pastry was crumbly and buttery, and the beef was tender and had a very mild flavour. Some may find it a tad too bland, but it actually tasted great with the rich pastry. I did feel rather satisfied after eating one piece. I wanted

Sea Asparagus Cold Salad

2012-01-30T00:01:00.001+08:00

Bro and Sil brought a can of Sea Asparagus for Mom, but she did not know how to cook it. Bro suggested that Mom served it in a cold salad.Well, the label on the can says "Sea Asparagus", but in fact it's a sort of a razor clam. Mom blanched the clam and then sliced it.After that, she concocted a delicious sauce to toss the clams in. In the sauce were garlic, shallots, ginger, chilli, coriander,

Mom's Curry-Flavoured Snack

2012-01-29T08:54:00.001+08:00

Mom's Biology teacher was Mrs. S**, a contract teacher from India. Later, they became colleagues.Mrs. S** often helped her colleagues to buy chakli presses from India. When she went back for holidays, she never failed to bring back at least 2 for her colleagues. She was always willing to share her recipes and had even held a few demonstrations to show them the ropes.When her contract ended, Mrs.

M.A.C Lipstick : Plumful

2012-01-28T00:01:00.003+08:00

I was feeling a bit upset over lunch. I wanted a wholesome lunch, but I did not get one. It made a bit cranky. I know it's petty, but somehow I was feeling so emo and upset. So I went to The Spring to buy a lipstick, just to cheer myself up.I had bought my friend a M.A.C lipstick in KL the other day, and it looked so pretty that I wanted to buy one for myself too. Fortunately, there is M.A.C

Gukhwappang

2012-01-27T00:01:00.007+08:00

Bro raved about a fish ice cream one afternoon."Fish ice-cream?" I said, puzzled. Well, it's ice-cream in the shape of a fish, Bro clarified. There's red beans inside, he added."Is it like Taiyaki?" I asked, referring to the Japanese sweet that I know of.Nope, can't be. Taiyaki's not ice-cream. Nope, I'd never tried fish ice-cream before. Apparently it's a Korean confectionery and would be

CNY Blackjack

2012-01-26T00:01:00.015+08:00

Our family often get together for a game of Blackjack during Chinese New Year. There is always much fun and laughter around the table as the whole family bond over our bets and a deck of playing cards.I can't remember when I started playing, probably in my teens. However, I do remember my younger cousins playing before they even know how to count properly! I also remember being excited every time

Rempeyek

2012-01-25T00:01:00.004+08:00

One of my favourite snacks is rempeyek. It's a peanut & anchovy cracker, laden with the flavour of spices, such as coriander and cumin.RempeyekThe cracker is crispy, and each bite brings an explosion of spices to the palate. The salty anchovies and crunchy peanuts enhanced texture and flavour.Rempeyek is widely popular and is available at markets.

The Great Australian Taste

2012-01-24T00:01:00.003+08:00

Dried meats feature prominently in every household during Chinese New Year. Popular brands include Oloiya (我来也) and Loong Kee (龍記), but my personal favourite is Singapore's Bee Cheng Hiang (美珍香).This Chinese New Year, we served a special type of dried meat at home.Specialty jerkyIt came all the way from Down Under. Uncle had bought it during a holiday there.Macropus Rufus = Red KangarooKangaroo

Happy Lunar New Year 2012

2012-01-23T00:01:00.008+08:00

Wishing everyoneaHappy Lunar New Year 2012.The Spring, KuchingViva Home, KLMay everyone be bountifully blessedin the year of the Water Dragon.