My First Experience with MLM

While 2011 was drawing to an end, my health seemed to fail me. I had severe gastric for weeks, plus some other problems. I attributed them all to work-related stress. When stressed, I ate as I liked and it did not do me any good.

I began to think of alternatives that would help me start the year right, albeit healthy. So I explored supplements and health products that would help me take care of myself. Many brands in the market were available, some were over-the-counter while others were specialty direct sale products.

Some of my relatives recommended to me a particular brand of healthcare products. But being not very familiar with it, I wanted information. I wanted to know what I was letting myself in for. I needed to delve deeper into the matter because I was disturbed. There were so many opinions and suggestions. Some said that I could use them this way. Others told me different ways of handling the products. There were so many different combinations, and I got really confused and frustrated. Which was the right way? Which was the recommended way? Whom should I listen to? Well, eventually, I got my answer.

There's no right or wrong method, just the most suitable method. Everyone uses them differently as they have different needs. Right, I got my answer. But not before I was left feeling a bit sore.

Due to my naivete (duh! How would I know? I'd never sold anything all my life!) to the MLM (multi-level marketing) business, I did not realise that all these people whom I asked were competition. They were "independent", after all. I had thought that since they all belonged under one roof, it was alright to seek out anyone and that they would be willing to dispense advice. Nope, I was wrong. Apparently, it's a dog-eat-dog world. Each one of them insisted that I signed up with them.

"Are you a member? Do you want to be a member under me?" one guy asked. Never met him and he was based in KL but he could help me, he claimed. Thereafter, I began receiving a text message daily to induce me to buy this and that product.

"Are you a member? If you join as a member, this is the price you have to pay and you get discounts on the products," she said when I went to her outlet.

"Can you explain to me how to use them?" I asked.

"You have to purchase them first. Or else I won't tell you how to use them," she said. After that, she and her colleagues kept driving it home to me that I could not "copy" the methods used by others to utilise the products as they were not tailor-made to suit me. Made sense. I got it.

But she made me look and feel like I was out to cheat her. Get information from her and then vanish into thin air and never return to enter into membership under her, that I'd just go sign up under someone else. That was not a good feeling at all, especially when I was on the verge of considering membership and was trying to understand in a more detailed manner, how to go about using the products. I felt like I had the right to know because I did not want any regrets later on. It was a large sum of money I was going to invest in, after all, and to be denied of the information that I felt I was entitled to really pissed me off.

So, in the end, I was quite disappointed that some of these people were so business-orientated. All else were secondary.

Anyway, these products would not guarantee good health unless used in a prescribed manner. That entailed plenty of discipline. Would I be determined enough to follow through? I wanted to know what to expect and to see a clearer picture of things, but I was just turned away flat in the face. What a pity!

For all that I'm ranting about, it's probably my own fault for approaching so many of them, so please excuse my naivete. But I'm definitely NOT at fault for trying to make an informed decision.

Beef Pie @ The Mango Tree

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 pie

The filling

Well, 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 more but of course, I needed to control myself. After all, I'd been eating lots during this festive season! ;p

Sea Asparagus Cold Salad

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, sugar, chilli sauce, tomato sauce, vinegar, light soy sauce, sesame oil, and Shao Tsing wine.

Sea Asparagus Cold Salad

The sauce was sweet and sour, and very refreshing with the taste of the aromatics. It went really well with the tender yet chewy clams. We liked it lots and urged Mom to make more!

Mom's Curry-Flavoured Snack

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. S** was planning to return to her homeland. She also wanted to leave her very own brass chakli press in good hands. Mrs. S** knew Mom's love for baking and cooking, and so she gifted it to Mom. Mom's been using the chakli press ever since.

 Chakli Press pic #1

Chakli Press pic #2


Chakli Press pic #3

For many years, Mom has been making this crunchy deep-fried snack. I would not say that it tastes like muruku. Mom did not like spices, and because of that, she tweaked the recipe to suit her own taste. The result is more of like a curry-flavoured snack.

Mom's Recipe : Glutinous rice flour, rice flour, eggs, margarine, shallots, curry leaves, chillies, dried prawns, coconut milk, curry powder, and salt. The result is a crunchy, savoury yet spicy snack that many people enjoy. A warning though, it is very addictive! Once you start eating it, it can get very difficult to stop!

Mom's Curry-flavoured Snack

Mom never fails to make this every CNY, and many of our guests enjoy it. I, however, still prefer a spiced up version, and one of these days, I'm going to try to make my own muruku!

M.A.C Lipstick : Plumful

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 outlet here in Kuching.

I walked into the store, intending to buy a light pink colour for casual wear, but light pink does not really come through on my lips. So after trying a few shades of pink, I settled for a pretty plum pink called "Plumful". It is rather versatile, suitable for day or even night wear. It's a lustre lipstick with a subtle tinge of gloss.

Plumful

This is my very first M.A.C lipstick, and I do believe that I'm going to enjoy wearing this colour to work.

M.A.C lipstick sells for RM68.00 here in Kuching, the same price as it is sold in KL. Well, that's good to know!

Gukhwappang

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 available at any Korean mart.

We have a Korean mart here in Kuching, located at Premiere 101. So we headed there this afternoon. Unfortunately, they did not have the fish ice-cream. They had, however, the Chrysanthemum ice-cream.

 국화빵

Gukhwappang
literally, Chrysanthemum Bread


The back of the pink package

Open up the packaging to see a thin wafer in the shape of a chrysanthemum flower.


Cut it across and you will see a layer of red bean paste, a thin green layer of something, and vanilla ice-cream. We're not sure what the thin layer is. It could be a green tea paste or just a thin layer of tteok (rice cake). It's really very sweet, but in the midst of that sugary concoction, I could still taste the red bean paste. Bro loved it. Dad loved it too.

Well, this is the ice-cream version of the real Gukhwappang, a pastry which is somewhat like a chrysanthemum-shaped waffle. It's widely sold in the streets of Korea as snacks. And yes, it's like the Taiyaki. Only that in Korea, the fish-shaped Taiyaki is called Bungeongppang붕어빵 instead.

Gukhwappang ice-cream sold for about 1,000 won. Based on today's exchange rate, it cost about RM3.00. But here in Kuching, I bought it for RM8.00. It's really expensive, but I guess I paid more for the novelty than for anything else.

CNY Blackjack

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 my late Grandfather joins in the game. He being the most experienced player, will dispense advice willingly! Ah Gong, we called. Do I have enough? Do I need to draw some more cards? Even now, my Uncles and Aunts will invariably reminisce a good game of Blackjack with my late Grandfather taking the lead.

I don't know much about the rules of the game as played in the casino. Nor do I know the lingo as it should be used. At home, we played by our late Grandfather's rules and used our own terms in Teochew. Here's our glossary :

Banlat - Blackjack / Getting an ace and a 10 or equivalent.
Samban - Getting 2 aces, and entitled to double return
Ngou Leong - Literally 5 dragons. It means getting 5 cards without exceeding 21, and entitled to double return.
Pok - Hit / Drawing extra cards
Sa Pi - Literally 3 on the sides / 6, 7, 8
Si Pi - Literally 4 on the sides / 9, 10
Ah Pek - a 10 or equivalent
Chao - Busted or getting cards that exceed 21
Cao - A push between the player and the dealer / no win and no losses
Jiak - Literally it means "eat" / player loses
Puey - Dealer / Banker pays
Zheng kay - the dealer / the banker

There is always much amusement as we try to milk the dealer of all his money. To do that, there is plenty of superstitions going around the table. One year, someone brought to the table a lucky ox soft toy to enhance his luck. Sometimes, another will arrange his bets in such a way that will bring him good fortune. Many shapes have appeared on the table, i.e. Mickey Mouse, Petronas Twin Towers or even the Empire State Building. Lol. The dealer, is invariably my cousin A*****. He is a clown and he always has us in stitches. The best thing is, he always loses. Even though he claims to be using his lucky coin box. Lol.

My bet & my cards ;p

This year's session was held at my house, and we tried to persuade Grandma to join in the fun but she refused us. Some cousins and aunts were also missing from the picture this year, but we had a wonderful time anyway. My bets were the smallest on the table, and I had only won RM4.00. Lol.

Well, it's not so much about the money, but rather, it's the tradition in the family that we are trying to uphold. With the playing cards now kept away, all of us look forward to next Chinese New Year, till the family will come together once more to bond over a game or two.

Rempeyek

One of my favourite snacks is rempeyek. It's a peanut & anchovy cracker, laden with the flavour of spices, such as coriander and cumin.

Rempeyek

The 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

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 jerky

It came all the way from Down Under. Uncle had bought it during a holiday there.

Macropus Rufus = Red Kangaroo

Kangaroo meat has been part of the Aboriginal diet in Australia and is perfectly alright to eat, as printed on the package.

Safe and legal to eat ...

I only had a small bite as I was quite disturbed at the thought of eating a kangaroo. Its taste? Hmn ... it was salty, much like bacon but with a gamier flavour.

The packaging

So how about the great Australian taste? Hmn ... well, if I had a choice, it would not be something I would want to eat. No offense, but I still prefer my Oloiya or Loong Kee or Bee Cheng Hiang. :)

Happy Lunar New Year 2012

Wishing everyone

a
Happy Lunar New Year 2012.

The Spring, Kuching

Viva Home, KL

May everyone be bountifully blessed
in the year of the Water Dragon.

Reunion Dinner 2012

This year's reunion dinner was a very small affair. There were only Mom, Dad, Bro, Sil, Fifth Aunt and me. We ate at home in the comfort of our dining room.

But because of Grandma's limited mobility, she could no longer join the entire family for dinner. Since tonight's the Lunar New Year Eve, I decided dress up Grandma's dinner tray.

Grandma had exactly what we had on our dinner table, but served in her bedroom.

Grandma's Reunion Dinner Tray

Clockwise : Plain white porridge, deep-fried prawns & deep-fried meat rolls, soy sauce for dipping, stir-fried mixed vegetables, finely sliced assorted roasted meats, steamed fish, a bowl of pig stomach pepper soup, a mandarin orange, and an Ang Pau from me. ;p

As I am writing this post now, I am very certain that most Chinese individuals are having their reunions now with their beloved families. Enjoy, you guys!

Fish Maw Soup

Fish maw in our household is cooked with long cabbage in a quality clear broth. We like to add lots of other ingredients to flavour the soup, i.e. prawn balls, fish balls & meat balls. On the eve of Chinese New Year, it is customary to serve this soup.

Fish maw is essentially the bladder of a fish, which controls its buoyancy. It is considered a delicacy as it is rather expensive.

In the olden days, it is usually sold dry. Nowadays, however, a deep-fried pre-packed variety is available at the grocer's.

This Chinese New Year, Mom bought the dried variety at RM280.00 per kg. She laid the fish maw to sun and then deep-fried them in oil and kept them in a cool place.

Today is not Chinese New Year eve yet, but Mom thinks she'll cook me the soup anyway. Well, she thinks I need the nutrition. Lol. From what I read, fish maw is generally nourishing and helps to improve blood circulation.

Whenever she wants to cook some, the deep-fried fish maw is soaked to soften it. Then, Mom likes to remove the excess grease by simmering the fish maw in a pot of water. Drain and then squeeze them dry.

Softened pieces of fish maw

It looks spongy, and is pliant

Mom then cuts the fish maw into bite-sized pieces.

Ready-to-cook fish maw squares

Mom boils the soup using pork ribs and the Chinese long cabbage. She then adds in the fish maw, her home-made prawn & meat balls and let it simmer for a while.

Fish Maw Soup for lunch

The soup is really robust, and the fish maw springy and chewy. Yum. I had a few helpings. ;p

CNY Pedicure

Today, I wore a pair of sandals to school. While listening to the speeches at a function, I glanced down to look at my feet. Hmn. Pale and uninteresting. I turned my head to look at my colleague's feet. Her nails were also uncoloured.

No, I thought. I want to make my nails prettier.

So, right away, I picked up my phone to call Sammy to make an appointment for a pedicure. Thankfully, she was available, despite it being the time when females were prepping for the coming Chinese New Year celebration.

After the bold and dark colours which I'd wore for the past few times, I decided to go for a sweet pink colour this time.

O.P.I. NLV11

A-Rose At Dawn Broke By Noon

What a quirky name, but this colour is from the O.P.I Classics collection. It's a dark shimmery pink, a classic pink. It reminds me of spring blossoms, so it will be perfect to wear for CNY.

Sammy's normal pedicure cost RM35.00 now, compared to the promotional price of RM28.00 the last time I went there.

Taare Zameen Par

Taare Zameen Par. It's a 2007 Hindi movie. It means "Stars on Earth". Vice Boss had watched it last November during a workshop, and he went all over town to look for the CD. He wanted to buy his own copy of the CD but couldn't find it.

(Source : http://bollywood.celebden.com/2008/12/taare-zameen-par-bags-vshantaram-awards-2/)

He told me about it, and I offered to help him download [Sorry!! ;))] it. But somehow I'd forgotten all about it. Today, we talked about our new intake of Form 1 students, and our intervention class, and one thing led to anoother, and someone mentioned the movie.

"YOU were supposed to download it for me!" Vice Boss reminded me.

Oh yeah. But it totally slipped my mind. ;p

"We have the movie," Boss said.

"WE DO??" both of us exclaimed.

"Yeah, get it from Mr. J****."

So, as Mr. J**** was coming down the stairs, I flagged him down and asked to borrow the CD. Vice Boss and I literally fought over it. Like children. Lol.

"You'd watched it!" I insisted.

"I want to watch it again," he said.

"Let me watch it first," I pleaded. Finally, being gentlemanly, he relented. Lol. "You'll cry," he warned.

The VCD

Okie, a tear-jerker. I'm all prepared, my tissues within my reach. I sat back and played the movie.

I was worried that I would turn off, but I did not as it was not draggy. The boy, the main character, was adorable and I enjoyed his antics. So it was an easy watch.

~ Warning! Spoiler! ~

Well, this movie is about Ishaan, a very bright 8-year-old boy who is dyslexic. Because of his problem in reading, writing and arithmetic, he is not performing in school. He's repeating Standard 3 for the third year! Not knowing that Ishaan is dyslexic, all his teachers and even his parents think he's stupid and lazy.Unknown to them, however, Ishaan's internal world is filled with a myriad of colours. He is very imaginative and he can express himself through his paintings. Yes, he's talented in art.

School is such a torture for Ishaan, as he gets punished all the time by his teachers. He cannot fit in, and has even escaped school once. His parents are furious when they find out. The teachers suggest a special school for Ishaan, but his father refuses to think that his son is a retard. He thinks it's the education system that's at fault.

Having enough of putting up with Ishaan's lack of academic achievement, his father packs him off to a boarding school. His teachers there think him stupid and lazy too. Being alone without his parents, Ishaan becomes sullen, bordering on fear and depression. Then along came Ram Shankar Nikhumb, a temporary and unconventional art teacher. He discovers that Ishaan is dyslexic and decides to give him personal attention. Ram helps Ishaan to learn his ABCs, matching letters to sound. I love his creativity. He gets Ishaan to write in the sand, to make alphabet models from clay, to write using colourful poster colours, and thereafter rewards him for his achievements, however minor they seem to be.

After all those extra coaching, Ishaan is able to recognise letters of the alphabet and is reading slowly. Ram organises a painting competition for the whole school - teachers and students. And Ishaan's painting wins the competition and is used as the cover of the school yearbook!

Ram waiting for Ishaan to come to the amphitheatre, where the painting competition is held.
(Source : http://www.contentmantra.com/mantrablogs/these-stars-do-gleam/)

At the end of the term, when his parents come and collect him, Ishaan is a happy boy who enjoys school, perhaps for the first time in his life!

A happy Ishaan, before he leaves school for the summer holidays ...
(Source : http://www.contentmantra.com/mantrablogs/these-stars-do-gleam/)

It's a heart-warming movie for all to watch, and especially so for parents and teachers. It clearly drove home the point that each child was special, like little stars on earth. We should not assume that they would learn in the same way. How many times have we compared them to one another? I'm definitely guilty!

Anyway, back to the movie. I felt so sad for Ishaan, who looked with pleading eyes at his parents when they drove away from the boarding school, leaving him all by himself. What a sense of abandonment he must had felt.

None of his teachers helped him, except to label him as an IDIOT and to send him away from their classes. It must had been devastating for a child so young.

The part was the most touching was when it was announced that Ishaan was to be the winner of the painting competition, and the whole school stood up to give him a standing ovation. What was so sad was that this child was damaged to the point that he did not dare to go to the front to receive his prize. After a nod of encouragement from his teacher, Ram, he made his way slowly to the front, with his eyed glued to the floor.

When he was presented the prize, he ran into the arms of his teacher to give Ram a big hug. To me, it was a very emotional scene, and I had to reach for my tissues.

The ending, where Ram tossed Ishaan into the air, was very much symbolic, denoting that Ishaan was now soaring, not only in his studies but in his life. All this happened because of the love, dedication and commitment of a single teacher. How inspiring is that. How powerful is that.

I watched the ending twice. I teared twice. It was very inspiring indeed. I dare not say that I have the commitment that Ram has. If only in my entire teaching career that I can just help 1 person, I would make a good teacher.

"If you like competition so much, raise a horse and not a child."

- Ram Shankar Nikhumb -

Weary Wednesday

Today has been a long, long day.

There are 9 periods today and, I was in class for 7, teaching from 7.00 a.m. - 9.40 a.m., and then 11.25 a.m. - 1.25 p.m. I had two great lessons today, and instead of making me tired, I left my classes feeling exhilarated and satisfied.

At 2.00 p.m., we gathered for CCA. And it lasted till 4.30 p.m. It was not tiring too, because all we had was registration, an introductory activity, and an ice-breaking activity. I was thinking that it was a great start for the CCA. Then all of the sudden, conflicting instructions came from the top, causing us a lot of confusion. I felt a lot of angst towards that sudden request, of which all of us felt was redundant.

This year, we aim to improve how CCA is run in the school. Personally, I agree with it, and I aim to improve how I document the records and materials for my CCA. It's just that someone kicked up a big fuss over something so menial and that made me absolutely PISSED.

And because of that, I came home feeling absolutely weary. And angry. And discouraged.

Writing is my coping mechanism. So if I don't rant about this, I'm just going to EXPLODE. Again. That's not good for my stress level and I'm just going to get more sick.

PEACE!

After 12 Years

23 March 2000. 30 March 2000. 03 July 2000.

Those were the only times that I'd ever been to the Klinik Kesihatan. I remember feeling a bit disgusted after each visit, as the place was packed with people with all sorts of illnesses. So, after each visit, I'd come home and wash myself from head to toe.

Another thing that gave me a sense of revulsion was seeing the sneer on the face of a lewd medical officer. It did not help that I had to strip to my waist and put on a hospital gown to get an X-Ray done.

Back in 2000, I visited the clinic because I needed to do my medical check-up for my appointment into civil service. I'd no choice but to go there.

Since then, however, I'd always gone private. Thankfully, I'd never had much of health problems except the regular cough and flu. Back in 2004, when I experienced some visibility problems, I'd also gone to a private eye specialist. I did an MRI at my own cost. Expensive, but necessary. And after all that money spent, I was just glad that my visibility was restored.

At the end of last year, I'd been experiencing some abnormalities. I went to a GP. The doctor scanned me and prescribed me medication. After that, my problem went away, and I thought it'd go away for good. But it did not.

It's been 11 days since it recurred. I'd endured it, but for the last few days, it seemed to get worse. The whole of today, in fact, I'd been feeling uncomfortable. It affected my mood and how I dealt with people. I was impatient, and I snapped rudely at someone who'd called me today. She'd only wanted to make an enquiry, but I was not nice.

That was it. I had to go to the doctor's. I endured school till 2.00 p.m., and even stayed on for a meeting which was held till 4 p.m. (good grief!). All the time, I was impatient and disinterested. I believe I was even rude at times.

So after the meeting, I was on my way to my GP, when suddenly I had an urge to detour to the Klinik Kesihatan instead. I did not know its opening hours, but I thought I'd just give it a go.

The afternoon shift was over by the time I reached there at 4.30 p.m. I made an enquiry at the registration counter, and the lady there mentioned something about 5.00 p.m. and 5.30 p.m. I did not quite catch what she said. Anyway, she registered me. I paid RM1.00 because I did not have a letter from my school, confirming that I was in civil service. I was no. 7 in the queue, to see the medical officer in Room 7.

Then, the waiting started. It made me restless. There was nothing to do except to sit down and wait. I observed my surroundings, taking in the CNY decor, the health posters, the organisational chart, among other things. Each time the doors to the consultation rooms opened, I turned to look. I saw medical officers inside and they were playing with their mobile phones.

Why weren't they doing their job? What time would they begin their consultation? How long did I have to wait? There happened to be an elderly uncle nearby so I asked him when they would commence seeing patients, and he said 5.00 p.m. - 9.30 p.m.

So while I waited some more, I observed the staff. They amused me, actually. They walked here and there. They'd go into a room and come out from another room. Then, they'd punch out when it was time to go home. I suppose it was standard practice for one person to punch out for many of his or her colleagues who'd left earlier. I saw many nurses doing so, and right in front of the patients!

At 5.20 p.m., the beeper came alive as it signalled for patients to go into Room No. 7. Hurry, I urged and before long it was my turn. I must thank my lucky stars that the officer in-charge was a full-fledged doctor, and not a mere medical assistant. She ordered a blood test for me, and so I made my way to the lab to get it done. It took but 10 minutes as there were no patients in the queue. I brought the results back to the doctor, and she pronounced it normal. Hallelujah!

She then prescribed me some medication and advised me to return if the problem persisted. Medicine was collected at the pharmacy, and the medication was exactly the same as the one prescribed by my GP. Only that this time, the dosage was doubled.

My medication

17 Jan 2012.

That is a good 12 years since my last visit, and it is as not as repulsive as I have found it to be the last time. Rest assured, I'll be making my way back there whenever necessary (Touch wood!).

Because of My P

I am blessed with a very committed P. He is certainly very knowledgeable, experienced, dedicated, and super diligent. He is so passionate about teaching that he inspires us to be good teachers too. My colleagues and I agree that we've learned a tremendous lot from him - both as an administrator and a teacher.

Of course there are times when we get frustrated with him. He can be very demanding when occasions call for it. Some people say that he is coercive. Well, it's true to a certain extent. Plus, he likes to run many activities at the same time. It makes the school difficult to manage, and we lose our focus.

But because of my P, the school has progressively become an excellent school. Our public examination results improve from year to year, and we are becoming more and more well-known in Miri. This year, our Form 1 enrollment shot up, and we are receiving better students from primary schools all over Miri. It's a testament that parents are confident in our ability to educate their children.

Because of my P, I'd gained many experiences. I had so much more opportunities, compared to some of my colleagues. Because like me, my P is also an English teacher. He'd helped me to get my article written & published in an educational journal. He brought me to an international conference, where he & I presented a paper on our joint project. Never in my life would I dream that I, an ordinary teacher, would be presenting a paper at the international level.

Because he promoted me to other schools, I got invited to speak to the students and teachers about my expertise. So, for the past few years, I'd get invited to a few schools every year. Last year, he brought another colleague and me to do a presentation at the neighbouring district. And this week, he was invited to do a presentation at an elite school here in Miri. And he had insisted that the school invite me too, because it was again about our joint project.

As I prepared for the presentation this week, and as I delivered it the teachers at that particular school today, I felt extremely grateful and fortunate for all the opportunities that were given to me.

 A token from the host school

Papaya, pineapple, honeydew, apples, oranges & bananas.
Lol ... I can't possibly finish them.

Anyway, from the bottom of my heart, I would like to express my sincerest gratitude to my P, for all his guidance, for believing in my abilities and for giving me so many opportunities.

Working

It's the third week of school for 2012. Strangely, I find myself working harder in the last 2 weeks, compared to last year or the previous years. I stayed at school longer than I usually did, trying to finish my work. I brought work home even though I swore I wasn't going to work at home. Lol.

But err, why? I have no idea absolutely. I just have a renewed sense of motivation.

Well, my teaching load got heavier. I have more lessons, about 2 hours more of contact time with the students compared to previous years. It's very burdensome, really. I am only required to teach a minimum of 8 hours a week, given my post. But currently, I have 13 hours of teaching time. That's excluding CCA and meetings and all the other activities in school. All of which I have to take in my stride.

Of all the classes this year that I am teaching, I enjoy my Form 5 class the most. It's not the best class. It's the middle class, the average class. But they are only 26 students in there, and I know from Day 1 that they are interested in me too. I can tell from the amusement on their faces that they like my lessons. For that I'm glad. I am committed to help them score in SPM.

One might argue that teaching English is the same for all forms. If that is the case, how come I'm not as excited when it came to teaching Forms 2 and 6? I guess I feel an affinity with Form 5. I've always liked teaching the Form 5 group. I enjoy the Form 5 every year.

It's just quite unfortunate that I have to do management and administrative work. Management isn't my forte, and till now, I am not very focussed in management areas. Actually, a bulk of my time goes to planning lessons. I love doing that. I love to design lessons and devise worksheets. I love to go into the class and teach. So it is quite sad that I can't concentrate on just that. I need to attend to management issues and a whole lot of donkey issues at school.

That is why it gets stressful. I begin this year with some health issues. I'd seen the doc and she asked if I was stressed back when the problem started at the end of last year. Yeah, it did. I was terribly stressed last October and in November, I started experiencing problems. She did a scan for me and prescribed me medication. I thought I was fine after a dose of drugs. But last night, I found out that I wasn't fine because it recurred.

Sigh.

So, I MUST REMEMBER not to bite off more than I can chew. But then, for how long will my diligent streak sustain? I have to idea. I'll just have to wait and see. ;))

New Charm : Intertwined Hearts

I love trinkets. Which girl doesn't, huh?? And I love my Thomas Sabo charm bracelet. This is my latest addition.

Intertwined hearts

According to the catalogue, intertwined hearts means that love is in the air. But I did not buy this because I was in love. I just liked it a lot because I thought it was unique.

Though there are hundreds of charms available, it can be difficult to "like" something. Erm ... it could be me that's just being fussy. But whatever it is, I prefer to collect my charms slowly, buying only the ones that I like.

Anyway, I constantly browse Thomas Sabo catalogues online for new charms, so I know exactly what I want to buy when I go to the shop. I guess I'm that kind of a shopper. I know what I want to buy so I don't really spend too much time dilly-dallying about.

Actually, I can't wait to buy the next charm!! So please, please, please roll out new designs soon!!

Lunch @ Fisherman Kitchen

We were on our way from the airport and so we stopped by at Luak Bay. There's this corner shop where Fisherman Kitchen is located. We ordered ...

Fish Head Bee Hoon, RM7.00

Chunks of deep-fried fish head cooked with thick slices of salted vegetable, a slice of tomato, lily buds, soft white tofu in a savoury and tangy soup and served with rice vermicelli. A sprinkle of coriander leaves add freshness to the dish. After a while, I thought the coriander taste came on too strongly. But basically, the broth was quite satisfying.

Mixed Fish With Glass Noodle, RM6.00

Fish cake, fish balls, deep-fried fish and mustard greens in a very clear broth served with glass noodles.

This shop also sells economy rice. And from the spread of dishes available, we picked 2 types of vegetables.

Braised Beancurd Stick With Sze Chuan Vegetables

This dish was salty and sour, very appetising indeed. The Sze Chuan pickled mustard was crunchy, a contrast to the springy texture of the beancurd stick. It would be great to eat this with rice.


Stir-fried Bitter Gourd With Egg
This dish tasted alright. The bitter gourd was soft and the egg was savoury and fragrant.

Well, I'd go back to this shop to try more of the food here, so I'd say that this is a decent place to eat!

Dinner @ Menawan Restaurant

It was a family affair, but my friend invited us to join her family for dinner for the occasion of her husband's birthday. That was so sweet of her.

We had the dinner at the Menawan Restaurant, Imperial Palace Hotel Miri. There was no menu, so I did not know what I was eating.

Starter
It looked very pretty, but practically nothing on the plate was nice. On top were squares of unidentified object with an unidentified taste. I could not remember the taste of the shao mai on the right, but at least my friend liked it. The only thing I liked was probably the chicken roll next to it. At least I could make out succulent chicken thigh meat rolled tightly in beancurd skin and then coated with a sweet and sour sauce. Next to it was a pretty sushi-like roll. However, we were unanimous in our opinion that it tasted horrid. "Smelly," a small boy on our table said. I think he was referring to the salted egg yolk at the centre. Finally, there were crumbed balls wrapped with cheese. These also tasted forgettable.

The only yummy item on the plate.

"What soup is this?" someone asked.
"Sharks' fin," answered another person.
"Are you sure?" said another.
"Maybe it's fish lips soup," somebody added.
"What soup is this?" my friend finally asked the waitress.
"Sharks' fin soup," she replied politely.
There. Sharks' fin soup. I liked it though some of us thought it tasted too fishy. Salute to some at the table who refused to eat. Save sharks!

This roasted chicken was soft and tender, but it was served cold. It was served with seasoned salt and lime. The seasoned salt had a very strong taste. I would prefer a more delicate version.

The buttermilk prawns were not bad. Succulent prawns, lightly coated, rich and buttery flavour enhance by spices such as chilli and curry leaves.

 Duck in plum sauce, I think. No one liked this dish either. Some thought the sauce was too salty.


I liked this dish of braised sea cucumber and mushrooms served with blanched broccoli. The sea cucumber were thick and Q, the mushrooms tender and the veges were crispy.

For me, however, the best dish that night was the cod fish. It was too bad that I forgot to snap a shot of this dish. I MUST KICK MYSELF IN THE HEAD! The fish was lightly battered and then deep-fried, garnished with deep-fried ginger and doused with a sweet sauce. Although my friends thought that the sauce was too sweet, I liked it. ;p

Desserts were a platter of fruits - papaya and honey dew, and a sea coconut and snow fungus in ginseng sweet broth. I did not like the dessert. I liked however the birthday cake. My friend ordered cup cakes and assembled it into a tray for the birthday boy.

Chocolate cup cake
The cup cake was dense, rich, chocolatey, and rather moist. It was a satisfying end to the entire meal.
Y = YUMMMMMMMM ;p

Thanks to my friend and her family for inviting us to join them for dinner. Love you guys!

Urap Pucuk Ubi

We've had the same canteen operator for 4 years. It is run by a manager, 2 cooks and 2 helpers. Since it's already the 4th year that they are with us, we are almost bored with their menu. It's been more or less the same all these years. Every Wednesday, for example, is Mee Jawa for breakfast. And on every Friday, they'll be selling Salad Chicken Rice. We teachers know the menu by heart. Lol.

Because they've been with us for such a long time, I've also become less tolerant with them. Yesterday, I was there at 11.30 a.m. for lunch, but was mortified that there was nothing left to eat. I decided to file a complaint with the Canteen Committee. Well, I did not mean to bitch about it, but I wanted to ensure that the canteen provided enough food for the staff to last the whole day. Since we worked long hours, it would only be appropriate to have a decent lunch.

This year, the canteen was shorthanded. The manager was not there, and there were only 4 workers left to man the place. We were furious when we found out that the manager was at her other canteen at another school because she'd also gotten the tender there too. That was another reason why we wanted to be stricter with them this year.

That aside, I must commend them for their effort in trying to vary the dishes they served for lunch. I noticed this week some new dishes in the lunch menu. The other day they had steamed tofu with minced chicken. That was something new. And then today, they served Urap.

"Apa ni?" I asked Siti, because the dish did not look very tantalising in the tray.

"Urap," she said. "Ini Indon. Ada daun ubi, kacang sama taugeh campur. Cubalah"

"Aaaah," I replied. I was interested because I had never come across Urap before this.

Siti hailed from Pontianak, Indonesia, and had worked here for the last 4 years.

My lunch

Chicken kurma, Urap pucuk ubi, and Acar.

Well, Urap is essentially like our kerabu. It's a spicy salad of vegetables, tossed in grated coconut and flavoured with spices and herbs. I liked it. The flavour of the tapioca leaves, combined with the crunchy texture of the long beans and the beansprouts tasted divine, because of the tangy, fragrant, and refreshing flavour of the herbs. It was very appetising indeed. Made me finish the rice!

I did not interview Siti in detail because I was rushing for time (busy day!!), but I asked her the herbs she used in the dish, and she said she used cekur and daun limau purut. Aaah. No wonder it was slightly sourish.

I did not think that I had ever come across cekur, but according to results that came back from Google, it's a kind of sand ginger. Okie. After this, I'd be looking out for cekur. But daun limau purut is Kaffir lime leaf, a pretty common ingredient.

Well, today's lunch had been fun and interesting because I got to sample something new. I do hope the canteen continue to provide enough food for the staff because we teachers NEED our share of POWER lunch too.

Anyway, I suppose anyone who likes kerabu would enjoy a good urap. Do look out for it!

Dabai

M****** is a new addition to my workplace. He's very young, shy, quiet and a pretty hardworking fellow. I'd never spoken to him before, even though he's already been working for a few months.

Today, he brought a bagful of dabai as a gift for his mentor, I***. I happened to be there at the time. And I***, in turn, gave me some. Lol.

 Fresh and plump these are ....

What I did was to soak them in hot water for about 10 minutes and then poured some soy sauce into the container and they were ready to eat. Yum! I ate 5 at one go, but in fact I was tempted to finish the whole bowl. It was certainly addictive!

Yum ... rich, creamy, salty and full of flavour ....

It was funny that before this, I did not appreciate dabai at all. It was only recently that I'd developed a fondness for it. It had this distinctive fragrance and taste, and was soft and creamy. The soy sauce, for me, brought out its flavour. I loved it!

Thanks, M******! Even though these fruits weren't meant for me in the first place! Lol. Also thanks to I*** for his generosity.

Dinner @ Boulevard Restaurant Miri

New Year's Eve dinner at Boulevard Restaurant Miri cost a bomb, not something I would usually go for if not for my friend. Most who attended were business owners from all over Miri. So I kind of felt like a fish out of water.

It was a dinner and dance party, where people got to dance the night away. Most who danced were old folks. They dressed to the nines and enjoyed themselves tremendously dancing non-stop. For me, it's great to see them passionate about something, even in their golden years.

There was also guest performers from Taiwan.

A father & daughter team
Jack Kao & Kiki Kao

They danced 3 numbers, and father Jack also performed a dance alongside his very beautiful wife.

I believe it's the first time I have dinner here at the Boulevard Restaurant, and overall, the food was better than I had expected. Lol. I guess where "Boulevard" is concerned, I never have high expectations, be it the hypermarket or the hotel.

Auspicious Red on the menu cover

Four Seasons Hot & Cold Combination
I would start with the jelly fish on the top. It was not crunchy and tasted ordinary. The meatballs however, were full of flavour, the best stuff on the platter. The salad was a mystery to me. I think those are mock abalones. Some said it was Bai Ling Mushroom. I hadn't any idea but I had a dice. It tasted chewy and packed with artificial abalone flavouring, I suppose; As for the mini spring rolls, beancurd skin was layered with toasted nori and then rolled with meat. My friend liked it but I thought it was soggy.

Fish Maw Soup
The soup looked luscious and tasted wonderful with the flavour of crab meat & fish maw. I add a dash for malt vinegar and tucked into my soup with relish. I found thick strips of fish maw in the bowl, which I was happy about. Some found it too starchy, however.

Crispy Skin Chicken
The meat was soft but did not have much taste. I ate the chicken with lots of cut chilli.

Sweet & Sour Fish Fillet
The fish fillet was really crispy, but I did not like the sauce. I think it was more sweet than sour.

Pork Ribs With Plum Sauce
The pork was very tender but the coating was too sweet.

Baby Kailan & Mushroom in Oyster Sauce
The lights were dimmed for a dance performance when I snapped this shot. Lol. Anyway, I liked this dish of vegetables and assorted mushrooms. The combination of textures were rather pleasant, with the crunchy vegetables and soft, chewy and slithery mushrooms. Flavouring was kept light so this dish was quite delightful.

After the lights came back on, I took another shot of the leftovers.

Deep Fried Bean Curd with Salad Sauce
As I bit into the tofu, I could taste the combined flavours of meat and tofu. Its shell was crispy but it was firm on the inside. The mayo made it even more yum. My only gripe would be that it was very salty. I drank a glass of water after having 1 piece.

Rice in Lotus Leaf

Hidden in the savoury rice were bits of shiitake mushrooms, waxed meats, diced meats, and also dried prawns. It tasted just great!

To end the meal, we had a small platter of fresh fruits. There were just honey dew and watermelon slices.

At the end of it all, my friend and I both agreed that it wasn't worth the price we paid. But it was just for us, a bit of entertainment & a warm meal to end the year.