Fried Rice Version 0.1

I've never thought that I'm going to cook again so soon. Anyway, since a couple of days back, my wife fried rice and it tasted good, I decided to do my own version of it. This time around, it's not for my parents-in-law, it's for us.

Ingredients:
Cooked plain rice, butter, garlic, long beans, packet mixed vegetables, diced meat, caramel sauce, sesame oil, salt (or soy sauce), chili sauce, egg, pepper.

Step 1:
Heat the wok and put the butter in until it melts.

Step 2:
Throw the garlic into the wok, and fry till it's fragrant.


Step 3:

Put in the mixed vegetables and fry them. Later, add the meat. Here, I used barbecued pork (char siu).

Step 4:
Add in the plain rice and fry the concoction. Oh, I also added sesame oil for additional aroma.


Step 5:

Break an egg into a bowl, sprinkle some salt and stir. Then pour the mixture into the wok like what you see here.

Step 6:

Once the egg, rice and vegetables have been nicely mixed, drizzle some caramel sauce to give the rice a darker colour. This is optional, though. I like my fried rice dark - I don't know why. :)

Step 7:

Stir the rice so that the caramel is evenly distributed. Drizzle some soy sauce for saltiness but you could also use salt only instead. Sprinkle a bit of pepper, and some chilly sauce. Then stir till even. Finally, this is the end product.

What does it taste like? Fried rice, of course :)

Anyway, I don't think I passed. It's not as good as my mom's or my wife's but at least it's edible. I still have plenty to learn, but what matters most is that I enjoy doing it when I'm in the mood to cook. It's what I call, play "masak-masak" - just for fun, exploring different ingredients and tastes. I've my wife as my supervisor when I cook. She lines up the ingredients, and I toss them into the wok. She watches as I cook. Oh, I decide what ingredients I want each time I cook.

Hey guys, learn to cook la, maybe we can open a restaurant some day :)

Birthday Girl

Yesterday was my wife's birthday. On this special occasion, we spent quality time together. As with the previous years, I got her something:

I took her to a florist immediately after lunch to get her this gift. Hmm... I think next year, I'll get her a different combination of flowers, but the roses would still be there, and I wouldn't want to have just red - looks like Chinese New Year gift only.

Then after work - I was really tired already, and I couldn't nap - I decided to take her somewhere exclusive for dinner. Well, it's once a year thingy, so what the heck. She asked me to give her three choices and she'd choose one. She chose "Holiday Inn" - so off we went to the hotel. We arrived at approximately 7:10 pm. The coffee house was closed (for donno what reason), so we went to the other coffee house. Service there was rather slow - hasn't improved much for a five-star hotel - but not as slow as when we first went there last year. Here's what we ordered:

Vegetable spring rolls

Club sandwiches

Prime Beef Burger

Yeah, I know it's just a simple meal which you could get at a fraction of the price at any western food restaurant in town. However, the atmosphere here is different. It gives you a sense of privacy and comfort. The food was absolutely filling to the tummy that I could barely walk after that.

To walk away the excess food, we later took a stroll down the jetty nearby but didn't make it to the end as it was way to far off. We turned back midway, but that's good enough to burn off a bit of calories.

Gift Card

A Bass Pro Gift Card is the perfect holiday gift to give your favorite outdoor enthusiast who has everything.

Give the gift that gives all year, the Bass Pro Gift Card is available in your local grocer’s Gift Card Mall™.

Take advantage of Cyber Monday deals at GiftCardMall.com with one of the top selling gift cards in the outdoor category, the Bass Pro Gift Card.

Capture the memory: Include a photo of their best “catch” this year. Reward friends and family with a personalized photo card to Bass Pro Shops available on GiftCardMall.com.

Send a virtual E-Gift Card at GiftCardMall.com. Benefit from the added convenience of purchasing gift cards online anywhere, anytime with the gift delivered within hours to the recipients’ email.

Nearly a Disaster

Today is Sunday; I decided to cook again to surprise my parents-in-law (PIL). The last time I cooked chicken stew, they kind of liked it. I didn't want to tell my PIL what I wanted to prepare so that in case it didn't turn out well, I'd have to get my mother-in-law to cook instead! Hehehe... cunning son-in-law. Today's dish is nasi briyani.

Ingredients:
Nasi briyani pre-mixed powder, cashew nuts, cinnamon sticks, star anise (bunga lawang), aniseed (jintan manis), raisins, rice, butter

Step 1:

Put 2-3 tablespoons of butter into the rice cooker till it melts. Most people would use ghee instead of butter; however, I decided to use butter as it's a little less oily.


Step 2:

Pour in 50 gms of nasi briyani powder into the pot and stir. The packet says this amount serves four. Just get a packet of the "Maggi" brand off any supermarket shelf.

Step 3:

Put in the cashew nuts, cinnamon sticks, bunga lawang and jintan manis into the rice cooker. The spices give the rice its aroma and taste.


Step 4:

Pour in rice that has been washed into the rice cooker, and stir till the powder covers the rice evenly. I cooked two-and-a-half cups of rice. You may put in the raisins at this point or later if you wish. I used the "Ligo" brand which every cook knows. The raisins give a tinge of sweetness.

Step 5:

Pour sufficient amount of water to ensure the rice is properly cooked. Here I poured water till the level reaches close to the third mark. Put the lid over the rice cooker, and press the ON button. Wait for about 15 minutes. Take note that you may need to peek into the pot occasionally to see if the rice is properly cooked. This is important if you're not familiar with cooking rice, especially if you're cooking for a group of people.

Step 6:

The picture below shows the end product.


The Problems I Encountered:

• I put in the cashew nuts together with all the other spices. As a result, the cashew nuts were not crunchy. I guess it would be better to stir fry them separately.
  
• Secondly, being the first time cooking for FIVE people, I misjudged the amount of water, and had to add more water little by little about 3-4 times before the rice achieved its desired texture.
• I tried with Taj Mahal rice; well, that's not a good choice. When I cooked nasi briyani the first time a few months ago, I used a different type, and it turned out great. In future, I'd try Basmati.
• There was severe space constraint. Work space was rather limited, and as a result the kitchen was darn cluttered with cooking utensils and raw food. If I strike gold, or intent to make cooking my hobby some day, I seriously need to renovate the kitchen.
  

The Verdict:

My PIL and brother-in-law were the guests of honour. I waited in anticipation for their reaction, and they gave a thumbs up! Yes, it turned out alright. The aroma was good. We ate the rice with the following dishes: rendang, stir-fried cabbage and tempei (fermented beans). I did the cabbage, while my wife did the rest. That's team work.

Well, cooking nasi briyani isn't too difficult as nearly everything is instant and comes in packets nowadays; I think any Tom, Dick and Harry could do it.

Students' Night

19 Oct. 2009 was a day to remember for my international students. On this day, we took 53 of them to the bowling centre in town to let them have a taste of bowling. Well, some have tried it before, but to many others, it was their very first time touching and throwing the ball. We went there in two buses. They behaved very well - I guess the batch of new students are better than the previous ones.

They were given chance to play one game each. In an hour, everything's over, and we escorted them back to their buses, and off we went back to campus for dinner. Dinner time was "riot". They chatted, laughed, danced. They ate, they drank. Boy, can they really eat! Here are some photos and brief descriptions.

The picture above shows some of my students waiting for the others to turn up. Strange, I've never seen some of them in class in my life! Out of the blue, when it's time to go on a trip, they appear from thin air, but in class, they're absent! Well, it doesn't matter. They've paid for the game, so let them go and enjoy, and experience something new.

That's one of the students thinking he's doing a shot putt in a track and field event. Well, at least he didn't fling it toward the alley! Interesting pose. He was alright.

That's our scrumptious food. It's purely Arabic style. We ate "kabsah", which is merely rice with meat and vegetables, my students' favourite. They ate a mountainful of rice!! The second picture below it is a dessert called "masoub", I was told. It's made of banana, bread, honey and cream. My colleagues said it tastes like baby food. I tasted it, well... it's not too bad, but too sweet, though. I couldn't finish it.

No, the picture above doesn't show a bottle of liquor. At one glance, it certainly looks like one. I had a closer look, and found that it's non-alcoholic beer! That's what the fine print says: "Non-alcoholic beer". Cool, see the content of the glass? Looks like beer, smells like beer, but it isn't real beer. It comes in three flavours - classic, apple and pineapple.

Yes, everyone had a great time that night. Watch this video. Thank god they're not like that in class!! :)

Strange Bonsai

People are crazy about bonsai plants. They don't mind spending hundreds of dollars to get that plant as a garden or indoor ornament. These plants need special care, and in the hands of a good pruner, a bonsai tree would look nice.

I was at a friend's place recently, and her mom proudly showed us a unique bonsai plant which she had bought. It does look weird and embarrassing :) According to her, this plant grew naturally, and she merely snips off the middle section as it grows longer. Take a look - the wonders of nature.

How Angry Can You Get?

I was in class yesterday. It was a presentation day, and I had told my students what they were supposed to do. On that "fateful" day, there were some hiccups - technical glitches as many of them had saved their Powerpoint presentation in Vista format (*.pptx) which the computers in my language lab cannot read since we're still on Windows XP.

Then a few still presented using Microsoft Word despite telling the class to use Powerpoint. That's still "fine". All hell broke lose when one kid, who discovered he made this same mistake told me he wanted to present next week. I was so furious that I slammed the table and said, "TODAY! Not next week." - I was damn bloody sore because they had seven days to do it, and yet he wanted an extension. I gave the whole class a good tongue-lashing. These are the lazy bums who do things at the very last minute and who attend classes only when there are tests and presentations. Nevertheless, after some considerations, I gave them another chance.

This is the type of stuff that lecturers (not primary school teachers, mind you) have to deal with sometimes. As far as I'm concerned, my job is not just to impart knowledge, but to groom them into disciplined and well-behaved students. After all, education transforms an individual into a holistic person. It's rather unfortunate that parents just look at education as a way to merely gain knowledge, not an agent of change.

Why Watch Satellite TV

In Malaysia, we have our own satellite TV called Astro. In other places, it's called Direct TV. In fact, satellite TV is a truly amazing way to watch television. Remember those good old days when we had to fight over which channel to watch, or the television programmes that we want coincides with our activities and routines?

When DirectTV first started, not many people could afford it due to the high cost of each package, but as time went on, more channels were added, and people begin to see the benefits of using satellite TV rather than watching cable TV. Different packages are now offered at affordable prices. With satellite TV, you're not limited to watching only four or five channels. Instead, there are over 150 channels to choose from. You're actually spoilt for choice, and should have no reason to complain that there's nothing interesting to watch on TV.

One of the good things about subscribing to Directv is the flexibility it offers in terms of the time. Therefore, you have the option of watching your favourite programme at any time; you won't miss a thing. Another thing you need to know is you'll receive superb video output as it uses high definition technology, making your viewing experience more enjoyable.

Exhibition Materials

If you've been to exhibitions, you'd find all kinds of products that are nicely arranged and strategically placed to attract customers. Companies nowadays do not merely put up pictures on soft boards or use pop-up displays, now considered obsolete. Instead, they go for stuff like expo stands Melbourne which helps them display their products in a more creative and eye-catching manner. This is really good for trade shows.

Those who wish to promote their products or services on a smaller scale due to a smaller budget could go for the exhibition banner stands. These stands are highly mobile as they are foldable. The higher end ones are motorised, thus making rolling them up much neater and easier. These easy to set up stands are light, and come in various sizes.

In fact, recently, a friend of mine has been invited to attend a family day event to promote her crafts to parents. However, the only problem is that the organiser is not providing anything for her to hang her banner. This is when exhibition banner stands come in handy. Perhaps she should consider investing in one if she were to make regular appearance in such events in future.

Buy Gold Coins

One of the most valuable items in the world which people would die for is gold. Gold, or its Latin name Aurum (Au), is a highly sought-after metal for its resistance to chemical attack, durability and its attractive bright yellow lustre. It is used to produce mostly coins and jewellery though it is also used in art. Due to the value of gold, it is used in many countries as monetary reserves.

Anyone who wishes to collect gold coins as a souvenir or as an investment should visit the Gold Coins Gain website. There is massive information on gold coins including current market prices on the front page. This is good for those who are gold investors. If you're a gold investor, you are also able to get information and read the latest news on gold and market analyses. It's as good as buying a magazine from your local newsstands. If you're not an investor, but a gold coin collector, the website provides you with lots of information on the types of gold coins and gold bullion coins. You might be interested in the Certified Gold Coins which are on sale.

If you're not sure of how to get started in gold investments, here's some good news. The website provides an Aurum Advisor at your request. Their advisors provide useful tips and assistance to help novice gold investors learn the trade. Check out the testimonials on the the website.

Just Not My Day

Do you know how bad our days can be sometimes? Well, I thought today was a good day. It started off gloomy as the weather wasn't too good. Anyway, I decided to continue with the appointments I had today. My wife and I went out, and throughout half the day, a few incidents ruined our day further. Here are the incidents and the lessons learnt from them:

My stomach ache

Those who know me well will know that my weakest "link" is my stomach. Today, while I was at a workshop to have the wheels of my car aligned, my stomach acted up. I had the urge to go to the toilet but I dare not enter the filthy toilet in the workshop. Worse still, today - of all days - I forgot to bring along my stomach medication! The stomach somehow managed to stabilise later, and I was able to drive home just to go to the toilet.

Lessons learnt:

Don't eat spicy food before going anywhere far (or a place without good hygiene)

Bring along my stomach medication all the time, no matter where.

Dog escape

As the car approached our autogate, we opened it as usual. Then, the routine is to let our dog, Kendo, loose and run in the garden. He didn't do that; instead, he headed right out into the neighbourhood because the gate was not properly closed. That freaked both of us out because Kendo had once entered a Malay house (Note: Malays are prohibited from touching dogs.) - I had to call him in, but before i could close the inner door, he ran out again but my wife managed to stop him at the autogate.

Lessons learnt:

Anyone who arrives at the gate is responsible for opening and closing the autogate.

Make sure we turn around to check on the gate after pressing the remote button.

Stranger scare

We went for our hair treatment. Then as I was reversing my car out of the parking lot after the treatment, a stranger suddenly approached the passenger side. The window was half down; my wife was bloody freaked out. That stranger wanted us to sell a few parking coupons to him. We obliged. My wife quickly grabbed two coupons and gave them to him - he paid for them. I saw him talking to a city hall officer earlier. I think he was too lazy to walk to a nearby shop that sells parking coupons, so the easiest way was to stop any car that has that coupon.

Lessons learnt:

Never wind down the windows too far down - a centimetre is fine until the coast is clear.

Look around for strange behaviours before we get into our car.

Smashed puffs

At a shopping centre an hour later, we decided to buy some curry puffs for our tea time. The puffs were quite large. I had an umbrella in one hand, and something else in the other (including the puffs). My wife wanted to help me carry. Somehow, the plastic bag slipped, and it fell to the ground; two of the puffs that were in the bag "broke" in two. Thank god no one stepped on them.

Lesson learnt:

None - just be careful next time.

This is a good example of: "It never rains but pours." :)

Personalised Number Plates

Some of us are really concerned about our car registration plate. We want it to be really personal to reflect our lifestyle, personality ,or we just want to have something different. If you're one of those who would like to have a personalised registration plate, then check out Northumbria Numbers website. This company, established in 1995, has served thousands of customers. The first thing you'd noticed on the front page is that you're able to search for your perfect registration number. Once you've done that you'll be taken to the next page where you could have a preview of what it looks like before making an order, or make further enquiries. You could choose from two different styles - prefix type or current style number plate. If you don't like your existing number plate, you could also sell it online through this website. This is a good feature because in some places, you're not able to sell your number plates.

What happens if you can't get the number you want? Just contact them via an online form, and they'd get back to you soon. The website may not be as attractive as many others but it sure has lots of information.

Inconsiderate Neighbours

Some of us would like to rent rooms or even a brand new house to a tenant in order to supplement our income, or to help us in loan repayments. Some just need company. To those who leave their precious houses in the hands of unknown tenants, I hope you'll be wary because some tenants would just make a mess of your house. Look at the photos below:

Picture 1: The entire garden plot

Picture 2: From another angle

Pictures 1 and 2 show photos of the little piece of garden in my neighbour's house. Yes, the photos were taken from my house. This newly-married neighbour and his wife have been renting the house for over two months, then went for their honeymoon for a month. That's a total of three months of no maintenance. As you can see, the weeds and creepers are coming into MY garden, and the couple are hardly at home on weekdays. How would you feel, and what would you do about this?

It really annoys me. Just because they're renting the place, it doesn't mean they should ignore the cleanliness of their surroundings. These people are selfish and thoughtless. You know what else, both husband and wife are graduates. Obviously a high education hasn't taught them basic cleanliness.

The Benefits of Art

In the world where academic results rule supreme, and where parents look up to kids who score 17A's (yeah, that's right, 17), the more subtle world of art has been severely neglected. Kids nowadays grow up with Playstation 3, iPods, Nokias and computers. Those are their hobbies, and when they're not entertaining their expensive toys, they'd be attending tuition, dance, music classes just so that they're at par with their neighbours. What about spending quality time with children? Well, to some, quality time means going on a trip to a faraway land and posing at ski slopes and medieval structures. To others, the best quality time is spent at home doing crafts with their little ones.

I'd like you to take a look at Crafy Crafted blog to see how this parent encourages her 2-year-old toddler to do some interesting crafts. See pictures of how much this little boy enjoys doing an assortment of crafts with his mom. Observe how mother and child bond with art. This kid doesn't need PS3, he doesn't need a computer. He's happy doing the crafts with his mom. Check it out. That's the power of art - inexpensive, entertaining, educational, family-oriented. All in one. Doing crafts is an activity which anyone can do; it also helps parents bond with their kids at a tender age and encourage them to use both hemispheres of the brain. Rather than having your kids indulge in expensive toys or merely letting them idle around your neighbourhood on their bikes, get them involved in art work.

To those who live around Petaling Jaya or Kuala Lumpur, there's even an event organised by The Star-ParenThots in which this wonderful mom will be there with her kid to exhibit all the crafts that she and her son have made.

Death of a Noble Profession

Home tuition is big business in Malaysia. No matter what line you're in, you'll make money giving private tuition provided you have good knowledge in the subject that you're teaching. I came across this little flyer at my gate (picture), and I started to wonder. I see flyers like this everywhere, all the time. Two questions come to mind:

1. What has become of our education system?
2. What has become of the teaching profession?

Parents want their kids to score A's. The more, the better, as it shows that their kids are smarter and better than others. We have to thank our education system (borrowed from the British when they colonized this country) which has not changed much in over 50 years. It has been a system that focused a lot on examination results. Consequently, people start taking advantage of this, and tuition classes have mushroomed over the past decade. Suddenly everyone who has the knowledge wants to be a teacher.

The boom in tuition centres and home tuition is giving an impact on the once noble teaching profession; anyone who has the knowledge, and the ability to teach could be a tuition teacher. They do not have to spend 3 years in a teachers' training college to earn a diploma in teaching science, math or language. However, parents are not too bothered; as long as their children get plenty of A's, no matter what method is used, a teacher's qualification is not crucial. In the picture above, the "teacher" doesn't have a teaching qualification. Instead she has an engineering degree. So, then, what happens to the real teachers and the real teaching profession? The profession has become semi-professional which many people go for only as a last resort.

Yeah, what was once the most noble, the most respected and highly sought-after job around is now no more.