My Asus Eee PC 1000 HE

I have been wanting to buy a netbook since March. In March, I was shopping around at Low Yat Plaza in KL, and had almost purchased the Acer Aspire One until I saw the unsightly protruding battery that the netbook came with.

Then I found out about the newly-released Asus Eee Pc 1000 HE which claimed to have a 9.5 hours battery life. I went back to Low Yat Plaza and searched high and low for the Eee PC but I couldn't find it there. Disappointed, I decided to put my purchase on hold.

The Asus Eee PC 1000 HE received great reviews on the Internet. Read here and here. The more I read about it, the more I covet it. Sadly, I could not find this netbook in Miri. Shops somehow preferred to sell brands like Acer, HP, and Compaq which I assume are more popular amongst the majority of the people.

One of the things I wanted to do in Kuching was to shop for my Asus Eee PC 1000 HE. And so I headed to One TJ at Stutong yesterday. I went from shop to shop until I finally found one unit sitting at a corner at the display shelves.

It was the only unit left. And it was white. I'd wanted a black one. It was RM1599 + gifts on 1G RAM. According to my sources, this netbook sold for RM1499 on 2G RAM in KL now. I bargained with the lady, and in the end she agreed to RM1599 - gifts + RM25 on 2G RAM. So I decided to buy it.

 The box

 Inside the box

 The netbook

 Sitting on top of my old Dell

Trying out of new Asus netbook

Yippeeee, I'm glad I got what I'd wanted.

Nyonya-Teochew Rice Dumpling

It feels great to be at home. For one thing, all my meals are taken care of. This morning, I had Mom's rice dumpling for breakfast. Mom's rice dumpling is quite unique. It has some features of a nyonya dumpling, and yet it is not authentically nyonya.

 A huge rice dumpling

Mom used pandan leaves to wrap the dumplings instead of bamboo leaves. This enhanced the fragrance of the glutinous rice. When I was younger and staying at home, my task was to help Mom soften the leaves. I used to dip the leaves one by one in hot water. After that, I proceeded to wipe them dry before they could be used.

A perfect glutinuous rice pyramid

In our household, we liked our rice to be fluffy or bouncy or "Q", instead of being soft and mushy. Mom preferred to use cooked glutinous rice to wrap her dumplings. I asked her why and she said that using cooked glutinous rice meant that she only needed to steam them for half an hour later on. An added bonus was that it ensured that the rice did not stick to the leaves.

. . . Yum . . . Generously stuffed with filling

Pry open the rice dumpling and find a myriad of ingredients. Mom stir-fried all the ingredients. She used tiny pork cubes, sliced shiitake mushrooms, dried prawns, dried winter melon slices, chopped preserved mustard and chestnuts. She spiced the ingredients with five-spice powder, coriander powder, pepper and soy sauce. She also used yam paste or orh-nee in her dumplings. Orh-nee gave the savoury dumpling a tad sweetness, and makes the dumplings distinctively Teochew. Hence, I like to christen it a Nyonya-Teochew rice dumpling.

Mom's rice dumplings are generously packed. Every mouthful you take has rice and filling. One dumpling and a hot cup of coffee for breakfast. What more than I can ask for.

Happy Holidays!!!

I have waited for the arrival of this day for a long time, for it is the last day of Semester 1. I am off for a much-needed holiday. This evening, I will fly back to my hometown in Kuching, where I will spend 2 weeks in the company of my parents. I haven’t seen them since February, so there’s plenty to catch up.

Besides that, I get to decide the menu for each day, as Mom invariably asks me what I want to eat every night before she goes to bed. She needs to know so that she can get up early to head to the market and buy the freshest ingredients. Mom and Dad totally spoils me rotten when I am home.

Going back to Kuching also means a daily visit to the fanciest shopping mall in the city, The Spring. It is just a stone’s throw away, so Mom and I take our evening walks there. It’s not that we have lots of things to buy or something. We just walk for the sake of walking

I also want to go shopping for my Eee Pc in Kuching, and maybe a compact camera. If I cannot purchase those in Kuching, I may even have to consider flying to KL for a day or two.

In the midst of relaxation, I have to finish marking exam scripts, and hence they will go back together with me to Kuching.

Anyway, I wish my fellow educators, HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!! Have a good rest!!!

Happy Rice Dumpling Festival 2009

The Duan Wu Jie (端午节) or the Dragon Boat Festival or the Rice Dumpling Festival falls on the fifth day of the fifth month of the Chinese lunar calendar every year. In 2009, Duan Wu Jie is celebrated today, on the 28 May.

Well, I don't think there are any dragon boat races in Miri. So the focus of this celebration for most people would be eating the rice dumplings or zongzi (粽子) .

A prized homemade dumpling

Being alone in Miri without my family, I don't celebrate this occasion. In Kuching, however, the making and exchanging and eating of rice dumplings began at least 2 weeks ago. Mom makes the dumplings annually, and exchanges them with her siblings. As a result, everyone gets to sample the different dumplings made by different households.

On the actual day of the celebration, a hive of activity goes on at home. I know that Dad and Mom will have a busy morning ahead of them as they prepare for that obligatory trip to the 德教会 where the ancestral tablets of my late grandfather and great-grandparents are located.

... Yum ...

These days, rice dumplings are available all year round, as opposed to the olden days, when they were only eaten once a year. I haven't eaten many dumplings this year though, mainly because I do not fancy store-bought ones. This week, my friend brought back one prized dumpling, which was made by a her colleague's mother. It was not very big, but 3 of us shared it, savouring the taste of steamed glutinuous rice and spiced meat wrapped in bamboo leaves.

Not to worry though, as I know Mom has saved up some dumplings for me when I go home.

Pisang Goreng

If Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone and Thomas Edison invented the light bulb, then who invented fried banana fritters?

I don't know the answer. But for a while, I did think about how fried banana fritters come into existence. Was it because of a certain someone's culinary prowess? Was it by accident? I certainly have no idea. I know for a fact however, that fried banana fritters are yummy.

Fried banana fritters, known locally as pisang goreng, is banana coated with batter and deep fried. It is usually consumed as a teatime snack.

There is just something about freshly fried pisang goreng. The combination of the naturally sweet melt-in-your-mouth banana and the crunchy batter is just heavenly. It's best to eat the pisang goreng hot as it turns soggy when it is cold.

Sometime ago, it was rumoured that pisang goreng vendors melted plastic in the hot oil before deep frying the bananas, as it kept the pisang goreng crispy, even when it had turned cold. How true is it, I do not know.

What I do know is that, store-bought pisang goreng is very often characterised by the taste of stale oil - the result of using the same batch of oil over and over again to deep fry the bananas. If that is the case, it totally ruins the pleasure of eating pisang goreng.

A mouth-watering platter of pisang goreng

I had a great time snacking on pisang goreng last night - homemade ones, that is. Many thanks to J***** who prepared them.

. . . Yum . . .

I know for certain that these pisang goreng are safe for consumption - no alien ingredients such as plastic!! Additionally, homemade pisang goreng is usually drained properly to get rid of the excess oil, hence making it relatively less greasy than store-bought ones.

Thanks, J*****, it was really enjoyable to chat over a cup of hot coffee and munch these delectable pisang goreng.

Awang Mahyan Cafe : Scrumptious Mee Jawa

Mee Jawa translates into English as Javanese noodles. Whether it originates from Java or not remains a mystery to me.

A couple of weeks ago, a friend told me about the delicious mee jawa sold at Awang Mahyan Café here in Miri, which she claimed, came with 2 sticks of satay. Ever since then, I was dying to try out mee jawa there.

Opportunity presented itself yesterday when my friend and I went out for lunch. I insisted on going to Awang Mahyan Café, even though she had wanted to go to Muara Restaurant in the first place. My friend conceded good-naturedly and so to Awang Mahyan we went.

I ordered Mee Jawa Special and indeed the noodles did not disappoint.

Mee Jawa Special came with 2 sticks of satay and a piece of fried chicken

The yellow egg noodles are served in a shallow bowl, topped with blanched beansprouts, 2 sticks of chicken satay, a piece of fried chicken breast, thin slivers of beef, half a hard-boiled egg, pieces of bean curd, and garnished with fried shallots, fresh chilli slices, and chopped coriander.

My tastebuds detected two types of gravy, one being the thick, yet spicy curry mee jawa gravy. The other was the peanut sauce, generously ladled over the satay. The two types of gravy blended pretty well together, I must say.

I did not fancy the fried chicken breast much, but I liked the chicken satay which was quite flavoursome. I liked the thin slivers of beef too.

... Yum ...

All in all, I liked the mee jawa a lot and would love to go back for more. Highly recommended. A must try.

Kuih Auntie and Uncle : Popiah

Here, I blogged about Mr. and Mrs. Lim who sell delicious pulut panggangs. But my favourite snack sold my this modest and unassuming couple has to be popiah, which is only available on Fridays.

Two rolls of vegetable goodness

I love popiahs, and Mrs. Lim’s popiah is to me, the best popiah in Miri. She uses a medley of vegetables such as yambean, French beans, carrots and beansprouts. You can see the bits of finely diced tofu, minced pork in the filling. A fine layer of peanut sauce keeps the filling moist. See for yourself how compact the filling is in Mrs. Lim’s popiah.

Packed with vegetable filling

... Yum ...

As you bite into your popiah, the taste of the flavoursome dried prawns, the nutty flavour of the peanut sauce, the savoury yet crunchy assortment of vegetables all come together in an explosion of senses.

Mrs Lim’s popiah is a delight. Do give it a try.

It Is Just Human

Dear Lord,
I have sinned.
Your dearest and holiest made me sin.
How ironic it is.

Dear Lord,
I am confused.
Your dearest and holiest should bring utmost comfort.
Yet they cause much distress and heartache.
How peculiar it is.

Dear Lord,
I am so vulnerable.
Your dearest and holiest provoke me always.
Is it a test of patience?
Is it a test of wisdom and strength?
I think that it is just plain nuisance.

Dear Lord,
How do I conquer the devils?
Should I flash them with contempt and animosity?
Should I sting them with cold piercing stares?
Should I slay them with sharp bladed tongues?

Dear Lord,
I am weary.
Should I concede like You said I should?

Dear Lord,
I wanted to.
Truly.
Desperately.
But I am so weak.

My emotions built up.
I exploded like a ball of fire
spreading my flames
fierce and high
to char those nearby
but to no avail.

Dear Lord,
I swore I would repent.
I swore I would turn away from the dark side.
I vowed it would never happen again.
Yet it did.
I am a failure.
I am a sinner.
I am a human.

O Lord,
how I regret my transgressions,
now I have to pay for my sins,
the countless sleepless nights,
as I watch the seconds tick by.

Then I hear a faint whisper in my ear :
To forgive is divine, to err is human.

Full Of Surprises

My hectic week is drawing to an end. Unfortunately, tomorrow is a school day. We are replacing for the coming Hari Raya holidays, in which we are taking the whole week off.

Today I was surprised to receive a package all the way from a school in Leicestershire, UK.

Excited, I opened it and it contained a few posters that UK students have done. It also contained some pens, pencils and rulers from that particular school. The gifts will also be given to students. I plan to display the posters at my school. I will also get my students to work on something, to be sent back to the UK.

I was also surprised when told that I had received my appointment letter to undertake the duties of a senior position at school, effective 01 April 2009. Many thanks to my Senior Assistant for helping to push through the appointment.

Why was I surprised? Well, I did not think that it would happen. I was appointed by my former principal internally in 2005, and have been doing the job for 4 years without any official recognition.

Last year, the status of the school changed, and there were vacancies for senior positions at my school. My colleagues and I applied, but there seemed to be a hold-up. We had long forgotten that we ever applied for such positions, and then today the letter arrived.

Well, there is no salary increment for me. But in the letter, it says that I will be paid an allowance of RM120.00 a month. It is what is referred to as Elaun Tanggungjawab.

There is an average of 20 working days a month, so I guess that I am paid RM6.00 a day for being a senior teacher.

And so, after work, my colleagues and I headed to town to have a late lunch. We went to the Sabah Hawker Point at Miri Centrepoint.

For RM6.00, I bought myself a bowl of Salted Vegetable Seafood Bee Hoon Soup :

My colleague who also received the same appointment had the Asam Seafood Curry With Rice for RM6.00 :

My friend did not sing her rice any praises, so I assumed that the food is rather ordinary. I liked the Bee Hoon soup sometimes, but today's version was not sour enough for my liking.

Well, I guess with the official appointment, I have more authority over the department which I head. But as Spiderman says, "With great power comes great responsibility." ;))

I'm On Duty

Last night, a friend called and asked me to go out. Unfortunately, I had to turn her down.

"Why?" she asked.

"I'm on duty this week," I said.

She was dumbfounded.

I understand. "I am on duty" doesn't say very much.

What that one sentence doesn't convey is the burden of resposibility, the stress, the long hours, the toil, the heartache.

Being on duty at school is stressful. It is my responsibility to ensure that the school runs in an orderly manner. With me is a group of teachers, and I divide them up to take charge of certain responsibilities throughout the day. Part of what I do is to monitor them.

On the weeks that I am on duty, I wake up at 4.30 a.m. to get ready, and by 5.30 a.m., I'm off to school. I am there before 6.00 a.m. I unlock the doors to the staff room and the office. I await for the students to arrive. I stand watch as they settle down before the morning roll call.

I supervise the morning roll call, making sure that the teachers take the attendance and address all discipline problems. I ensure that all disciplinary actions are meted out.

I make my rounds from class to class, to ensure that the teachers go into their respective classes on time. I also check that all classrooms are clean, taking the necessary actions if they fail to meet the cleanliness standard set by the school.

What else do I do? I organise spot checks, and carry them out with the help of the school prefects. I take care of the students who fall ill, making sure that they complete the necessary paper work before they are taken home. I supervise recess, making sure the students do not hang out at prohibited areas around the school. I ensure that the canteen is cleaned up properly after recess. Now being exam season, I also make sure the examination is carried out on time. At the end of the day, I make sure that the students are sent off properly.

On top of all those responsibilities, I am still expected to teach. I am expected to deliver a good lesson.

Anything that crops up this week is a responsibility of mine. The whole school is placed on my shoulders this week. How can I not feel stressed?

To add to that, not every student is an angel. Not every teacher is compliant. There are all sorts of characters to put up with. At the end of each day, I am physically, emotionally, and mentally drained. I need an early night and a good night's rest before another challenging day begins.

My Song of the Moment : そばにいるね

そばにいるね or Soba Ni Irune. It means By Your Side. And yes, it appeals to the romantic nature in me.

Well, I know I'm late to catch on. This song is not new. In fact, it was released early last year in 2008.

I just happened to hear it while I was out shopping at a local mall. The pleasant melody and upbeat rhythm was quite addictive. And so I fell in love with it, and had been listening to it for the past three days.

Being a stranger to J-Pop, I dug up some information from the Net about the song. It is sung by Thelma Aoyama 青山 テルマ, a Japanese Pop and R&B singer. She is three quarters Japanese and a quarter Trinidadian. This song also features a half-Japanese, half-Bulgarian rapper named SoulJa.

According to Wikipedia, this song featured quite well in the Japanese pop charts, becoming also the best-selling digital download single in Japan.

Here is a translation of the chorus :

Even now I still think about you
No matter how time passes by
Baby I’m always by your side
Even if we drift apart
We’ll always be together inside my heart
But it’s lonely
So baby please just hurry back home

(Vid uploaded by nderacore @ Youtube)

Enjoy the song!

Teachers Day Celebration 2009

Today, we celebrated Teachers' Day at our school level. It was entirely organised by the students. There were dancing, and singing, and drama, a gamelan performance, a band performance, telematches, and of course, a party. I think everyone enjoyed themselves tremendously.

It is in events like this that students are able to showcase their talents, and it always warms my heart to see them putting their best feet forward.

Today, in front of all our students, we renewed our annual pledges to commit ourselves to our professions. A challenging profession, but nonetheless rewarding.

Here is a stanza of the late Usman Awang's poem Guru Oh Guru, written way back in 1979, speaking of the nobility of the teaching profession :

Jika hari ini seorang Perdana Menteri berkuasa

Jika hari ini seorang Raja menaiki takhta

Jika hari ini seorang Presiden sebuah negara

Jika hari ini seorang ulama yang mulia

Jika hari ini seorang peguam menang bicara

Jika hari ini seorang penulis terkemuka

Jika hari ini siapa sahaja menjadi dewasa;

Sejarahnya dimulakan oleh seorang guru biasa

Dengan lembut sabarnya mengajar tulis-baca.

McValue Lunch Virgin

If not, you have till 30 June to do so.

The McValue Lunch promotion has been going on since 06 February, and I must say that I have never had the opportunity to enjoy it before this. On weekdays, I finish work past 3 p.m. Unlike others, we teachers do not get lunch breaks, so there’s no chance for me to visit McDonald’s on weekdays.

And until a few days ago, I assumed that the McValue Lunch offer was only valid on weekdays. And no wonder!! Look at this promotional pic :

(Pic source : http://www.goeatout.com.my/Restaurants/Promotions/agentType/View/PropertyID/25997.aspx)

That was why I never did make my way to McDonald’s on weekends. Apparently I was not the only one who was misled. While queuing up for my turn at the counter, two ladies thought the same. Yep, I eavesdropped on their conversation.

Lady 1 : Nak yang RM5.95 punya ke?

Lady 2 : Eh, tak lah. Hari ni Sabtu. Kan hujung minggu takde ....

Lady 1 : Eh, tengok tu …

Lady 2 : Okay ….. (reading the huge banner at the side of the counter) … Mondays to … eh … Sundays …. ah ah … ada lah …

Lady 1 : Jadi you nak yang tu ke ......

I believe McValue Lunch was once only available on weekdays. I suppose I must have either failed to register the change of information that have taken place some time, or have taken the change of information for granted.

Anyway, I had anticipated this meal, as it was my virgin McValue Lunch experience. And so, at 11.45 a.m., my friend and I made our way to our only McDonald’s outlet in the city, located at the Bintang Plaza Mega Mall.

We reached there at 12.10 p.m., and joined the lines already queuing up at the counters. People were beginning to crowd the outlet, and tables were quickly taken. For a while, my friend and I was worried that we would not be able to get a vacant table. There were people taking away their McValue Lunches as well. The guy in front of me looked like an expat, and he took away 4 McValue Lunch sets. He paid less than RM35.00.

I turned to my friend, “Wow … that’s really worth it.”

I must say that the crew members were fully prepared for the throng of hungry crowd. They buzzed with activity, serving the unending line of customers. Whilst, the kitchen rolled out burgers efficiently. Every burger sold was quickly replenished with new ones. I was really happy about this because it meant that I was getting a freshly-assembled burger. Trust me, there IS a difference between a freshly made burger and a soggy one which has been sitting on the rack for some time.

When it was my turn, I knew exactly what I wanted to order. “You must tell him you want medium. They’ll give you the large ones,” my friend insisted.

And we ordered 2 sets of Big Mac McValue Lunch Set, Medium. It came to RM16.70, which was really a deal. We managed to save RM3.70. That’s a whopping 22.15% of savings.

 Two Sets of Big Mac McValue Lunch

I was very happy with the quality of food that I was having. The fries were fresh from the broiler and they were crisp, dusted with just the right amount of salt.

My share of Big Mac McValue Lunch

Big Mac

Getting ready to pour some chilli sauce on sauce on my patty

But it was the burger that did it for me. True enough, the burger was delicious on that day. I lifted the top of my sesame seed bun and saw that the 2 all-beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, and onions did not have time to soak the bread and glue everything together. Heck, the cheese hadn’t even melted. All the ingredients were loosely stacked up. The taste of it and the feel of it was AWESOME.

I had enjoyed my lunch immensely. I could not get enough of the burger, and I wanted it to be bigger!! Greedy, aren’t I? My friend seemed to agree with me. Off the top of our heads, we started thinking of names for a bigger Big Mac of our imaginations. We wanted a Super Mac, or a Grand Mac, or a Great Mac, or a Giant Mac, or a Macro Mac or Ultra Mac …

... Yum ...

Well, I know that before 30 June, I will definitely go back for more McValue Lunch. I have yet to try the Spicy Chicken McDeluxe, McChicken, and Filet-O-Fish McValue Lunches after all.

Happy Teachers' Day

I wonder how many people realise that Teachers' Day falls on 16 May every year in Malaysia. Not many, I suppose. I can only assume that this means that the general public generally does not appreciate teachers. Perhaps they still think that teaching equates to having lots of school holidays. Perhaps they still think that teaching is just a half-day job.

Anyway, in school, we make it a point to celebrate our profession. Every year, there are activities lined up for the day.

This year, 16 May falls on a Saturday. Therefore, we postponed our school level celebration to Monday, 18 May.

This is the theme song for this year, which we practiced with diligence. We will have to sing it on Monday’s celebratory function.

Here, take a listen and sing along if you like :


GURU PEMBINA NEGARA BANGSA
Bersedia melangkah megah
Walaupun sukar baktiku curah
Demi mu ibu pertiwi
Sumpah ku lafaz janji kukota

Berikrar eratkan bangsa
Kukuhkan cinta kepada Negara
Berjasa terus berjasa
Menyebarkan ilmu tiada batasnya

Guru Pembina Negara Bangsa
Gagah perjuangkan visi Negara
Bangunkan jiwa yang pelbagai rupa
Demi agama dan nusa tercinta

Guru Pembina Negara Bangsa
Tetap Unggul senadakan suara
Sehaluan menggapai matlamatnya
Cemerlang dan gemilangkan Malaysia


I think that the song speaks of the responsibility of teachers in building a nation. It is indeed very challenging.

Being a teacher is not so much teaching in the classroom. There are 101 things to do in the school. We are committed to develop the students’ characters, mould them to be better human beings. We are to take charge of sports and games, music and arts. That translates into a lot of time and effort. I was talking to a fellow teacher from a school this morning, and she mentioned having to supervise her school brass band till 9 pm at night. And there I was thinking I’d rather not have a brass band in my school.

That aside, teachers implement a whole lot of programmes as stipulated by the powers-that-be sitting in their air-con offices in high rise buildings. Programmes for literacy and numeracy. Programmes for reading. Programmes for racial integration. Programmes for internationalisation of the curriculum. Programmes for building leadership skills among students. Programmes for Maths and Science Teachers. The list goes on and on.

Really, teaching is not just an occupation, but it is a vocation. I wish myself and all my fellow educators out there, “A VERY HAPPY TEACHERS’ DAY”.

Kimchi Made in Miri

안녕하세요. Annyeong haseyo.

I have an affinity with all things Korean. I know exactly when it started. It was in 2002 when TV3 aired 겨울연가. The highly publicized Korean drama with breathtaking winter panorama, Winter Sonata knocked my socks off and I was swept into the glitz and glamour of Korean entertainment. From then on, there was no looking back. I began my foray into the Korean culture.

Kimchi is a very traditional Korean food. It is pickled vegetables with seasoning. I suppose it is somewhat like the vegetable acar that we have here in Malaysia.

Nevertheless, Kimchi never fails to fascinate me. So much so that my friend and I attempted to make our very own Kimchi once. We did consult with a Korean lady who was a friend of a friend of a friend. And she more or less told us what to do.

We got ready the radish and the long cabbage. We soaked them in brine to soften them first.

Then we prepared the seasoning, which comprised of dried chillies, chilli powder, paprika, ginger, garlic, spring onions, and prawn paste.

The dried chillies were ground with the ginger and garlic and then mixed with the spring onions.

We then rubbed the seasoning in between the leaves.



This is what it looks like after being rubbed through.



We stored it in a plastic container and then refrigerated it.

Ta da!! That's what our Kimchi looks like. It actually tastes all right, except that it was really VERY spicy with all the chillies that we threw in. We were literally on fire after eating it.

It was quite an experience, making our own Kimchi.

The Pot Calls The Kettle Black

(Pic Source : http://www.cartoonstock.com/directory/p/pot.asp)

I cannot fathom

Every Sunday
Making your way
To the House
Without fail

You love
You serve
Everyone adores you
Looks up to you

I once did too
I put you on a pedestal
And vowed
To be just like you

Until I saw
The real you
Coaxing a little girl to give you her prize
Deceiving a woman for company
Arguing with a friend for control
Treating a sister unreasonably

You do as you please
With your best interests at heart
The whole world revolves around you
You care not
For the welfare of others
Self-centredness
Intolerance
All there
On public display
Why do others fail to see

I recoil
And wince and grimace

I ask myself
Is man by nature
A selfish creature

I peer into
Your pretty vessel
The contents
Twisted
Depraved
Ugly
Grotesque

I cannot reconcile
I am revolted by the sight of you

Why should I traverse
To the House
When it is filled
With the likes of you

My School Canteen Sells This Too

Nasi Goreng @ School Canteen

The school canteen plays a very important role in taking care of the teachers' welfare, especially where food is concerned.

Unlike some schools, the teachers at my school are not allowed to go out of the school compound during school hours. So, where would we feed ourselves except to head to the school canteen?

On hindsight, some of my colleagues bring their own food from home. That of course requires them to wake up early to prepare their breakfast or lunch boxes. I know of colleagues who wake up as early as 4.30 a.m. to get ready for the day.

I, on the other hand, need my share of beauty sleep and hence would rather not get up early to cook. I would rely on the canteen to fill my stomach.

Fried Bee Hoon @ School Canteen

Being ultra busy with work, I do not usually hang out at the canteen. I prefer to buy the ready-packed food, and eat at my work cubicle and doing my work at the same time.

These tiny packages of fried rice and fried bee hoon cost RM1.00 per packet and are quite tasty. The quantity, of course, is very little - it's only but a few spoonfuls or forkfuls.

Nonetheless, one of these tiny packets is adequate to sustain me till lunch time. I am happy to kickstart my day with a packet of these and a cup of hot coffee.

Nasi Lalapan

Lalapan Empal at Muara Restaurant

I happen to love a good lalapan. I believe it is Indonesian in origin. It is also called Ayam Penyet at certain places, such as in Kuching and KL.

I am not sure what the word lalapan means in Bahasa Indonesia. But many people think penyet means smashed or beaten. I don’t know why as the meat or fish did not look smashed up at all.

Lalapan consists of a meat or fish, served on a quaint clay platter, with veges and sambal. The variation of veges depends on the restaurants. I have had cucumbers, blanched long beans, blanched cabbage, sweet potato leaves, boiled spinach, lettuce, and some kind of ulam on my platter before. Of all the veges, my favourite is the sweet potato leaves. Oh yes, I must not forget that the platter also comes with a slice of deep-fried tempe and beancurd.

The sambal itself is concocted mainly out of chillies, tomatoes, and belacan, and is served on the centre of the platter. I have caught a glimpse of the kitchen helpers preparing the sambal, and they grind the sambal on the clay plate itself. Before you start eating, squeeze the lime over the sambal for that extra zing.

A plate of rice and a small bowl of sup kosong comes separately with the clay platter.

In Miri, there are many eateries with lalapan on its menu. I happen to know a few like Surabaya, Damai Setia, Awang Mahayan, Nur Eezyan and Muara, with Muara perhaps being the most popular of them all. I frequent Muara quite regularly. I like the Lalapan Ayam, Lalapan Empal, and Lalapan Ikan Keli there. The empal, which is beef slices, is slightly sweet in taste. Whilst, the deep-fried chicken and fish are well-seasoned, and are very crispy, and the sambal simply divine. I often cannot get enough of the sambal.

Recently, a friend recommended a restaurant at Senadin, purportedly to be serving very good lalapan. I drove all the way there to check out the Lalapan Ayam, and I must say that I was very impressed. The lalapan was RM1.00 cheaper than Muara. Not only that, the quantity was generous. There was more sambal, and more veges, and the piece of chicken thigh was larger and meatier. Taste wise, the lalapan was every bit on par with Muara.

Lalapan Ayam at Cahaya Taufik Restaurant, Senadin

You can see for yourself that Muara pales in comparison with Cahaya Taufik, in terms of quantity. My friend and I was at Cahaya Taufik today for lunch. 2 plates of Lalapan Ayam, 2 drinks, and a plate of extra sambal comes to RM20.20. I only paid RM20.00 as the boss generously waived the RM0.20.

In my humble opinion, Cahaya Taufik does serve one of the best lalapans in Miri, and is worth trying the next time you find yourselves in Senadin.

My plate of rice and Lalapan Ayam at Cahaya Taufik Restaurant, Senadin

Jing Wood Cafe, Miri : Economical Western Fare

To me, the café looks shabby with mismatched plastic tables and chairs. The workers look unkempt. Many times, I pondered about the sanitary conditions of this place.

Yet this café seems to be always packed, especially during peak dining hours. Two bottles of tomato and chilli sauces grace almost every table there.

 On every table  ...

Walking past the tables, one would see diners sawing grilled or broiled meats with gusto before popping bite-sized pieces into their mouths.

This place is none other than Jing Wood Café at the Pelita Commercial Centre.

When I feel like having some Western food, I will automatically think of having a meal at Jing Wood Café’s Western food stall. For merely RM10.00, I can treat myself to a satisfying meal of lamb chop.

Lamb chop @ Jing Wood Cafe

The platter of lamb chop is doused in sauce, and it comes with a serving of baked beans, French fries, some greens with thousand island dressing (I think??), and a dinner roll. As you can see, the vendors are quite generous with the meat. That definitely satisfies any carnivore out there in Miri.

Well, I strongly recommend this unpretentious cafe should you need to satisfy your craving for Western food.

Sarawak Specialty : Sarawak Laksa

I know of a certain someone who loves to organise laksa parties. She lays out all the ingredients in co-ordinated Tupperware containers the kitchen, next to a simmering pot of curry broth and lets her guests assemble their own laksa. It’s fairly easy. You do not need any culinary skills to put together your bowl of laksa.

First, place blanched vermicelli into a deep bowl. Then, top with some steamed chicken strips, shredded egg omelette, cooked prawns and blanched bean sprouts. Ladle curry broth into bowl and garnish with some coriander leaves if you like.

Before you dig in, squeeze in some lime for that tangy zest and drop in a dollop of belacan for some extra spicy kick. Yummm. There’s nothing more satisfying than a good bowl of steaming Sarawak Laksa.

Madam Wee's Laksa

Not many people know this, but my tastebuds say that Bakery.Cafe sold the best Sarawak Laksa in Miri when it still existed. This tiny café has since closed down and there goes my favourite laksa haunt.

I used to like Nancy’s so called “Kuching” laksa, until she started using hard-boiled eggs in place of shredded omelette. That is weird as no laksa in Kuching ever uses hard-boiled eggs. It does not go well with the curry broth at all. Imagine having mashed egg yolk in your curry. I stopped patronizing her for laksa since then so I haven’t any idea how her laksa has since evolved. By the way, Nancy’s at 28 Food Centre opposite Imperial Mall. She’s uber famous for her beef noodles, but I will blog that another time.

My cousin told me that Sarawak Laksa is also sold in KL, and that KL-ites prefer to have kueh tiaw in their laksa instead of the usual vermicelli. Now, that's another weird choice for me.

Anyway, the secret to good laksa lies in the broth. It is in fact, not really curry broth, rather a curry-like broth. It has to be lemak. Vendors often commit the mistake by diluting their broth to result in a thin curry soup. That totally spoils the laksa.

Well, all that talk about laksa makes me want to grab a bowl for breakfast later. Ciao.

A Gentle Plea

(Pic source : http://www.ors.act.gov.au/fairtrading/images/door.jpg)

Slam
Ouch
Do you have to be so rough, dear
Now my whole body hurts
Look, I'm all swollen now
Gentler, will you
Don't hurt me
I'm not sure
how long I can serve you
if you keep on
bullying me
banging me
against my bony frame

I desire
to wrap my arms around you
keep you safe and warm
protect you against
the pressures of day
the stealth of the night
to still your fears
to conceal your pain

Please
do handle me with
tender loving care
Caress me with
your bare hands
Lest I bruise
wounded and hurt
And
we cannot live together in
sweet harmony

Down Memory Lane to the University of Otago

The plane flew low. I peered out of the oval window and I could see rolling green pastures with little white polka dots. I could only blame my morbid mind, for I really thought they looked like maggots. I quickly realised that the polka dots were sheep grazing in the meadows. I remember thinking to myself, "Now, where is the city?" Only later did I realise that the Dunedin International Airport is some distance away from the city itself.

Dunedin was where I spent 2 years of my life, studying for my degree. It's a great little city at the region of Otago, and where the University of Otago is located. The University of Otago is the oldest university in New Zealand.

Studying was never more fun at the University of Otago. I had certain credit hours to fulfil every semester, and each day was scheduled in a way that there's plenty of time for self-study. It was quite relaxed, and I enjoyed myself tremendously working at readings and assignments at my own pace. There were plenty of spare time in between lectures and tutorials, and I could work on my own in the library or computer lab.

Before the University of Otago, I would not say I knew what studying in the university was all about. At the Teachers' Training College, we had to be in the college from 8.00 a.m. till about 2.00 p.m. every day like a clock work, and that was not much different from secondary school.

I stayed in Cumberland Hall during my first year. It's a big residence hall, and we had our own wing on the ground floor - we fondly called it the "Malaysian Corridor". It was great to stay in the hostel. The food was vastly different from what we had back home. I distinctly remember having Chilli Con Carne for my first lunch at the Hall. My friend joked that Chilli Con Carne was junk food back home. I'd grown to love Chilli Con Carne after a year at the hall. I can even cook it now. Of course when you stay in the hostel, you are bound to meet lots of people of all nationalities. It was very interesting to get to know different people studying in different faculties.

What I enjoyed about Dunedin was walking. The city was small, and I could walk from The Octagon right up to the Botanical Gardens. The weather was usually mild, and it was really inviting to walk to the supermarket, or the shops at George Street, or to the College or Education or to Library. It was quite an experience to walk in the drizzle or hail showers, as we never had those in Malaysia.

I certainly had a great experience studying abroad, courtesy of the Ministry of Education. I'm really thankful for that opportunity.

Pic Source : http://image32.webshots.com/32/9/21/71/283392171WrXdEC_ph.jpg

25 More To Go

25


That's how many days there is till the next school holiday.
Approximately 4 weeks.
I really can't wait.
I think the 2nd half of the semester is just too slow-going.
I need a break.
Cos I am on the verge of breaking.
That's how stressful it is in school.

Spinach Soup

Given my hectic schedule, I refuse to spend a lot of time slaving in the kitchen, especially on week nights. What I like is easy-to-cook, yet wholesome meals, and it usually comprises rice with one vegetable and meat dish.

I like to eat spinach. It's got to be one of my favourite vegetables. It's a vegetable that I regularly cook for myself. I like it stir-fried with some garlic and anchovies. Sometimes, I will cook it into a soup.

It only takes a jiffy to whip up spinach soup. Pluck the spinach leaves. Wash and rinse. Wash and rinse a second time. Chop up some garlic. Saute garlic with a bit of peanut oil. Drop the leaves in. Stir it. Add water. Throw in some minced pork. Cover till cook. Open lid. Add seasoning - usually I use some fish sauce. Dish up and serve with white rice.

It's healthy and yummy and a fast meal on a week night, or any other night for that matter.