Unluckiness

The worse thing that could happen to a person (in my opinion) when going back to school is NO WATER SUPPLY. Since yesterday morning till now, my hostel's water supply has been cut off for the third time now and it sucks! I can't even bathe and I was lucky enough to have been able to bathe yesterday (I bathed much earlier than I usually do). I called the office twice to get them to fix the problem but I guess it is gonna linger for quite a while since nothing much is done since. -Sigh- I WANNA BATHE!!!! And not only that, if the water supply is cut any longer, the toilets are gonna stink. -SIGH-

Another story.

Out of curiosity, after posting the above story (I added what you are now reading after posting the above paragraph for about half an hour), I went to check on the water supple and there is water. Yay! I quickly headed back to my room and grabbed my bucket and headed to the showers. While I was happily washing my hair, the bloody water supply went off again! Am I that unlucky?!!! I was cursing my luck while staring at the tap head (mind you that my head still has shampoo at this point). So I waited and waited till a few drops of water came back and then a steady amount of droplets, just enough to get all the shampoo of my head. Damn it. I then quickly packed up and ran downstairs to the first floor and thank God!!! I head someone showering. So I then continued bathing on that floor and after that proceeded to wash my clothes on that floor too. -Sigh- I really wonder how long more this water supply is gonna remain this way. It is beginning to get on my nerves. -Sigh-

Oh yeah! On a brighter note, during the most recent weekend round of soccer, with Chelsea drawing and Manchester United losing and Arsenal beating Liverpool, Arsenal are now back in the title race with a game in hand!! Woohoo!!! All hail Andrei Arshavin!!! He must really love to play against Liverpool now. Only his second game against them and he has scored FIVE goals. Loserpool!!!

The Start of Another Semester

Having said that, I have to mention once again that TIME FLIES!!! Really fast. It felt like it was just last week that I got my university acceptance letter and it felt a couple of days ago that I was in Kuching having a great deal of a good time. And it felt like it was only yesterday that I finally got back home and I now back in school already, starting my not second, not third but FOURTH semester. Like I said, TIME FLIES and soon I would be graduating before I know it. -Sigh-

Anyway, today I got back to my REALLY DUSTY room and luckily for me, Yen Pin was in a really helpful mood that she assisted me a lot (THANKS, darling!!!!). There was just so much to clean since my roommate is returning a day later than I did. So there were 2 cupboards to clean (keep in mind that one was filled to the beam with stuffs!!!), 2 sets of tables and chairs to wipe clean, 4 panels of windows to wash, a ceiling fan and light to dust and the whole floor to sweep and mop. So with all of that to complete, I took more than 2 hours to finish even with a 'maid' around (LOL..just kidding darling). But after everything is done..voila!!! I am so happy. Lol. Now the fan's clean, the cupboards are set, the tables and chairs are dust free and the window..amazingly clean (guess I learnt some skills from my professional window cleaner brother).

After all the cleaning (and sneezing), I headed to a long nice shower (although the yuckiness of the bathroom pissed me off!!!) and then more chores! Washing of my dusty clothes, afterwhich May Peng, Siew Fen, darling and I went for dinner (we had problems thinking of what to eat already -sigh-). Then we did grocery shopping (cow needs her milk..lol). After that, Yen Pin and I watched Desperate Housewives (now she is miserable too as the part at which the last episode of the year stopped at it horrid and it drives me nuts thinking about it -argh!!!-). And now I shall watch soccer before I head to bed. What a day! -Phew!!!!-

Meet Liu Bolin, The Invincible Man

Crappy title right? But rather catchy at the same time 'cause I know with a heading like that, you are not gonna resist yourself from reading this post. Lol.

Liu Bolin is a man from Beijing, China. Liu can really do the invisible act. And no, he is not a magician. He is simply an artist - painter.

So exactly how does he go invisible? By painting himself to fit into his drawing or just any background he chooses to.

So I now present to you, some of his disappearing acts in the images that follow.














And if you can find him, go back up and look at the photos again 'cause he really is in all of them. I find the last one the most difficult. :)

Professional Window Cleaner Anyone???

As usual, as Christmas looms closer, my brother and I would have the "privilege" to clean the house. Lol. Dusting, wiping and today, annual window cleaning session (it has been a yearly affair for him and I since forever). Anyway, this year, we decided to really put our hearts into cleaning the upstairs window well too and that is when I know that Matthew actually has what it takes to be a professional window cleaner. Below are images of him cleaning the ones in our bathroom. It ain't easy as it is a little high up and there's grill. But I guess it's in him.




And did I mention that when he was way younger, he used to enjoy this so much because he got to play with the viper thingy that he said he wanted to work for JJ's KFC to wipe windows (JJ's KFC has many huge windows). Lol!

Clueless

Look at the image below and I will tell you why I am so confused and clueless.


If you don't know what this is, it's fried rice. That's cooked rice fried with lots of garlic, pork bacon, shreds of chicken meat, anchovies and cabbage. The result is like the above picture.

Ok. Now I shall get to the part about me being clueless.

The above plate of fried rice is done by my brother. He is SIXTEEN years old. Just SIXTEEN. So what I don't get is this.

The above plate of fried rice is SO SUPER YUMMY that I needed more (but no heart to steal his). Lol.

So if a SIXTEEN year old can cook up a delicious simple plate of fried rice, why can't the oldies back in school?

And look. No 'chao ta' (dinosaurs, I don't know how to spell pinyin). It means no burn stuffs.


Even that, the oldies back in school can't seem to manage. And they call themselves hawkers. LOL!!!

Just When I Thought..

..that I have done my best lasagna in my previous cookings, I actually defy myself again by doing it better today. I was out the other day at the store with my mother and brother when I thought to myself that I needed to at least bake and eat lasagna once before I head back to school (next Sunday). So my brother and I went all out in getting beef (we even argued over what kind of beef we wanted - beef patty, minced beef, choice parts, etc) and lasagna sheets. Today, feeling hungry and looking at the cloudy weather outside, we felt like nothing could stop us from cooking. What could be better than cooking with such good weather right? (The weather was so good that we didn't even sweat!) And after a little cheese sauce mayhem (overcame with my brother's genius work) and an hour or so, we got this..

..perfect lasagna. How amazing does it look eh? And trust me, this picture is not taken off the net or photoshoped. It is as real as we did it. Prepared, cooked and baked to absolute perfection. And allow me tell you this, it tastes even better!

P.S: I sure hope I did not make ya'll drool while reading this! Lol.

Cocos Nucifera

Ok. I bet no one knows what that is unless you are some sort of Science geek. Lol. It is in fact coconut actually. Hehe. Anyway, in this blog, I am attempting to share the usefulness of this plant. Trust me, in these few months, I have found that this plant is so terribly useful. Lol.

So here is how the plant looks like to those of you who has never seen a coconut tree.


Doesn't look too pretty but its usefulness is beyond words.

Firstly, it's milk! Coconut milk. Good for thickening gravy and giving it the milky ('lemak') taste. Good for curry, 'masak lemak', etc. Really yummy.


Next (and perhaps the best use??), pina colada. One of my most favourite drinks, pina colada is a mixture of coconut rum and pineapple juice. Served chilled, it is just heavenly. Haha. I made a lot of this back in Kuching btw. Lol. Auntie just loves it a lot. Haha.


And now, even if you don't drink it as an alcohol drink, it is still good. Below here is before and after the coconut fruit is peeled.


This is the coconut peeler. My dad is like a pro.


One way to serve it. So yummy and refreshing. Had this after dinner in P.D. recently and it's free! We plucked the fruits of the tree. Haha.

Or you can enjoy it naturally. Haha. Seen below are 2 photos of Matt enjoying his coconut still in it's shell and even his spoon is coconut husk. Haha.




Now the leaves. One can do so much with the leaves. The Malays would love it for their 'ketupats' and the rest..for handicrafts? And I've had the opportunity to learn how to make grasshoppers out of the leaves recently from 'Sifu' Siu Yen Pin. Here are some pictures of the grasshoppers I made.




Now among other uses of the coconut are the making of palm wine in The Philippines and coconut nectar in Maldives.

In India, its uses wary too. Mostly it is used in dishes. It is also used to make coir (coconut fibers), brooms, baskets, mats, cooking skewers and for wedding and prayer functions too.

And that pretty much covers the usage of coconut. Now just for some general knowledge..

Top 10 Producers of Coconut in the World

Country Production (tonnes)
1. Philippines 17000000
2. Indonesia 15580000
3. India 9400000
4. Brazil 2770554
5. Thailand 1705446
6. Vietnam 962000
7. Sri Lanka 954000
8. Papua New Guinea 677000
9. Malaysia 568000
10. Myanmar 370000

Neat huh?

My Awesome Trip To Kuching!!!

So I think it is about time that I blog again. Since it has been ages since I last do so. Anyway, you may find another post of this trip at http://iammiko.blogspot.com/. It is a good one. Anyhow, my side of the story now. Lol

We left shortly after our finals (will blog about results soon enough). On the 11th of November to be exact and stayed for a whole 2 weeks! At first I did think it would be too long but now that I look back, it was a good length of time. I just hope I did not trouble Yen Pin's mother too much. Lol.

So on the 11th of November was the first time I flew and it was awesome. Ok. I don't wanna sound like a ignorant person here but it was really nice. I love the taking off and landing especially. Everything in between except turning is boring. The taking off of an airplane needs a lot of speed as one would know and the g-force of the airplane hitting that speed is just amazing. You feel your body launching back and then your stomach feels a little weird when it lifts into the air. And the landing..err..it is nothing much but like a bump. Haha.

So when we were there, I kinda hit it off with Yen Pin's mum almost immediately. Spoke to her right away when she picked us up. May Peng must be counting her stars that night that I managed to take Yen Pin's mum (I shall refer her as Auntie from now on) off her. Lol. So Yen Pin's house was a lot smaller than I had imagined too. I always thought she lived in a huge house for some reason. Haha. But it is really comfortable and nice. And the service there is awesome. Hehe. Oh yeah. Her brother, Derek, is nice too. If only I knew how to talk to him better though. -Sigh- And her dad..scary?? Lol. But still a nice man, I guess. Well, I don't know enough to judge. He was hardly at home anyway.

Ok. Enough on her family and home.

So the first thing I did there was 'technical stuffs'. Really. I was the Art Technician. Specialised in cutting and preparing double-sided tapes. Lol. My boss? Miss Siu Yen Pin. Lol. She was helping her brother in his assignment and knowing there was so much to do, I 'kepo-kepo' helped her and came to know as the technical person. Lol. Oh yeah. Did I mention that her brother is this super awesome artist? Her family must be the most artistic family I've come to know. Lol. But really, they are. Her brother drew this 'Sarawak rainforest' thingy and it was so beautiful. I have a picture of it but I don't suppose I should put it on here in case some other artist might come on here and then mimic his artwork! Lol. So the first day of our trip was that.

Then soon enough, we went to Jong’s Crocodile park. And I must say that Auntie’s timing is always good. Because she always manages to bring us to places at the right time. We went there right when they were having feeding time and so we managed to see the crocs in action. There was also a mini zoo there (like Yen Pin said) and we saw deers, goat (I ‘talked’ to it???), wild boars, monkeys, otters and other animals. Oh yeah. the otters were having their before mating ritual, I think (again, Auntie’s good timing). Lol



Awesome huh? We also went to a pitcher plant farm after that and I should say there was nothing there. –Sigh- Then, we visited some museums and again, awesome timing. Just before it close. Ok. Don’t get me wrong here. What I meant is that Auntie manages to bring us there despite having to do it all by 4.30p.m. (closing time).

The next day (15th November), we went to Friendship Park (it is a park to commemorate the relationship between Malaysia and China). There was nothing much there but we somehow managed a contest called ‘Mimic the Horny Cats Statue’ and I think it is clear that Yen Pin and I won that. Anyway, due to some technical difficulties (also like Yen Pin said), I should mention no more about it (but for pictures..really funny ones on this contest, do go to my Facebook. Lol). And at night (I think it was this night), Uncle (Yen Pin’s dad) treated us to a meal at a seafood restaurant and the food was yummy! Thanks, Uncle (although I highly doubt Yen Pin would show this to him).



Alright then. 16th November. We ‘bungkus’ a huge area on this day. Mainly, Main Bazaar and I can’t remember what else (full details at the earlier address I mentioned). So we did some souvenir buying on here and A LOT of walking. Lol. But it was a good day overall. Fun too. Oh yeah. We ‘bungkus’ the temple too. Tua Pek Kong, I think.

Tua Pek Kong.

The most colourful shopping centre I have ever seen.

Then Foon Yee left (and there were 3 visitors left). Anyway, on the 17th, we went to Sarawak Cultural Village. It was a pretty long drive up there but once there, we got to see Sarawak natives’ stuffs. Their dancing, ritual and houses. And then we also went to Damai Beach which was nothing actually. What a waste.

Now I can’t remember what we did on the 18th, so I shall skip to 19th. We went to another temple. 2 temples actually. The first was a little one with beautiful carvings. Taught the dinosaurs about turtle/terrapin/tortoise there. Lol. Then to a temple featuring a huge (not that huge though) Goddess of Mercy. There, I made friend with the ‘Chi Ling’. Hehe. And I think that is it for this day.

The first temple.

Turtle/terrapin/tortoise lesson.

Goddess of Mercy.

Meet my friend, Chi Ling!! Mimicing him here.

Don't I like my friend? Lol.

Again, I don’t recall what was done on the 20th and so I am skipping to 21st November (Happy Birthday, Sandra!!!). We visited 3 places on that day. The first is Wind Cave. VERY CREEPY. Because it is so dark and there were no guides but we five girls toughen ourselves anyway and explore the cave. Hehe. Next was Fairy Cave, the nicer one between the two. And less creepy. Lol. Then Semantan beach. This one is so far away that I had to do the driving. An hour’s drive in fact but the beach was nice and May Peng (again, like Yen Pin said) was so happy to collect seashells and almost drown (and Soo Chen watched and not help till May Peng was so close to drowning). Lol.

Entrance to Wind Cave.

Entrance to Fairy Cave. 120 steps up.

Us at Fairy Cave. -Sigh- Missing Chomper. -Sigh-

Now the remaining days were subtle and we did nothing much but it was still interesting days. Soo Chen then left us on the 24th and it was down to 2 visitors. May Peng and I eventually left on the 27th.

Anyway, while I was there, I managed to show off my cooking skill 3 times. Lol. One of them is a failure though. I cooked spaghetti twice and lasagna once. The failure was the lasagna, mainly because there was no oven. But overall, I think Auntie and Derek liked them. I sure hope they did! Lol. I also managed to try many local stuffs. Sarawak ‘laksa’, ‘kueh chap’ and finally tried and like ‘rui cha’ (please forgive my spellings if there is any errors). Also tried the infamous drink, ‘teh ci peng special’. And I LOVE it. And I would drink it almost everyday and get hyper. Hehe. There, I also visited and watched movie 3 times at MBO Cinemas (2012, A Christmas Carol and New Moon). In addition, I also learnt to make grasshoppers from darling out of coconut leaves and also bought and ate my favourite 'bi pang' (Dear darling Yen Pin and Siew Fen, I have finished my 'bi pang' and if you guys would be so kind as to buy me some more, I would be so happy! Do let me know before you buy though. Hehe.)

And with that, I think I have come to the end of my post. I hope you’ve enjoyed reading this and I certainly hope my ability to amuse readers who bump into this blog is still there with this post. Have a nice day!! And remember, for more pictures, go over to my Facebook. =)

P.S: Thank you so very much to Uncle, Auntie, Derek and darling Yen Pin for making this trip possible. Without the provided accommodation, I would not have make it there yet. Thank you also for all the meals provided and the warm hospitality. In addition, thank you for being wonderful tour guides (Auntie, darling and Siew Fen). In brief, thank you for everything and if I was of any nuisance (with my silly OCDness, sinus, etc) while I was there, I am so sorry and I am so grateful for everything. =)

Trips!

Hmm.. It has been ages since I last posted something on here and having gone for a trip, I think it would be good to post on it. Lol.

So I went to Port Dickson for a few days and as usual, it is fun. Only better this time because we explored Cape Rachado.

Hmm.. Now I don't know what to type already.

Ok. We left Melaka on Saturday. We brought up my mum's yummy 'rendang' and 'sambal ikan bilis'. And also my dad's homemade 'ketupats'. Good huh? At night, my dad and I went plucking coconuts too. And drank them. Yummy. How much fresher can it gets right? Lol. And I think that is all for Saturday. Lol. Oh yeah. There was soccer and Arsenal won 4-0!! WOOHOO!!

Sunday - Breakfast at out favourite local stall and then we did a little shopping. Then we went to Cape Rachado and hike it. It wasn't that long but tiring because of the uneven steps. But the view and experience was amazing. Then it was pretty much the end of Sunday.

Monday, which is today also ended with nothing much.

Alright, I know this post is short and make my trip sounds horrid. But it really isn't. It was really good and fun. Just that, I have no mood to write. But trust me, the trip was AMAZING. If only you know why. Haha!!

Oh yeah. For pictures, go over to me Facebook. If you are not a friend of mine already, search for me. 'Natalia Pang' should do it. I have Littlefoot's picture as my profile photo. Then add me and you'll have access to them. Lol!

And sorry for such a lousy post!!

7 Secrets Your Body Could Tell You

Did you know that your sense of smell or finger length could affect your future health? Neither did I, but scientists are discovering that certain physical traits could indicate an increased risk of conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes, and cancer. If any of these apply to you don’t panic—just take a few precautions:

1. Finger length
Women whose index fingers are shorter than their ring fingers may be twice as prone to osteoarthritis in the knees, found British researchers. Those with this predominately male characteristic tend to have lower levels of estrogen, which may also play a role in the development of osteoarthritis, say researchers.

Take this precaution: Strengthen the muscles surrounding your knees. While sitting, straighten each leg parallel to the floor 10 times; hold each rep for 5 to 10 seconds.

2. Leg length
If your legs are on the stocky side, you may need to take better care of your liver. In a 2008 study, British researchers found that women with legs between 20 and 29 inches long tended to have higher levels of four enzymes that indicate liver disease. Factors such as childhood nutrition may influence not only growth patterns but also liver development well into adulthood, say researchers.

Take this precaution: Avoid exposure to toxins your liver has to process, which will keep it healthier, longer. Wear a mask and gloves while cleaning or working with any type of harsh chemical. Limit alcohol intake to one 5-ounce glass of wine or 12-ounce bottle of beer daily.

3. Sense of smell
Older adults who couldn’t identify the scent of bananas, lemons, cinnamon, or other items were 5 times more likely to develop Parkinson’s disease within 4 years, according to a 2008 study. The researchers believe that the area of the brain responsible for olfactory function may be one of the first impacted by Parkinson’s disease—somewhere between 2 and 7 years prior to diagnosis.

Take this precaution: Pop a fish oil supplement. Omega-3 fatty acids can boost your brain’s resistance to MPTP, a toxic compound responsible for Parkinson’s.

4. Arm length
Have a hard time touching your toes (even though you're flexible)? Women with the shortest arm spans were 1.5 times more likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease than those with longer reaches, found a recent study. (Find yours by spreading your arms parallel to the floor and having someone measure fingertips to fingertips; the shortest spans were less than 60 inches.) Nutritional or other deficits during the critical growing years, possibly responsible for shorter arms, may also predispose a person to cognitive decline later in life, say Tufts University researchers.

Take this precaution: Put your appendages to good use with a hobby such as painting or pottery. A 5-year study from the Alzheimer’s Disease Center at Rush University Medical Center found that adults who spent the most time engaged in stimulating leisure activities were more than 2.5 times less likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease than those who spent less time challenging their brains.

5. Earlobe crease
Linear wrinkles in one or both lobes may predict future cardiovascular events (heart attack, bypass surgery, or cardiac death). A crease on one lobe raises the risk by 33%; a crease on both lobes increases it by 77%, even after adjusting for other known risk factors. Though experts aren’t exactly sure, they suspect a loss of elastic fibers may cause both the crease and the hardening of arteries.

Take this precaution: Keep your heart healthy in other ways: Slim down, and exercise regularly, which can lower your cholesterol and blood pressure.

6. Jeans size
Adults who have larger abdomens in their 40s are up to 3.6 times as likely to develop dementia in their 70s, even if they weren’t overweight, according to a study published in the journal Neurology. One possible reason for the link is that, compared with subcutaneous fat (the noticeable fat that lies just below the skin), visceral fat (the dangerous fat that surrounds the organs) secretes more of the inflammatory hormones that are associated with cognitive decline.

Take this precaution: Eat a portion-controlled Mediterranean-style diet. Research shows that the monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs) in foods such as olives, nuts, seeds, avocado, and dark chocolate prevent the accumulation of visceral fat.

7. Calf size
Though it sounds counterintuitive, a French study found that women with small calves (13 inches or less around) tended to develop more carotid plaques, a known risk factor for stroke. The subcutaneous fat in larger calves may pull fatty acids from the bloodstream and store them where they are less of a risk factor, say researchers.

Take this precaution: No need to bulk up your legs, but sip green tea to stay heart healthy. In a study of more than 40,500 Japanese men and women, those who drank five or more cups of green tea every day had the lowest risk of dying of heart disease and stroke.

21st Birthday!

Finally, I am 21. I am old. Neh. Still feel the same actually. Only richer. Haha. Anwyay, I celebrated my birthday in Melaka and yes, my dinosaurs tagged along! Man, I love them so much. Overall, it was a small party that saw Sandra and Sara coming and my relatives too but it was still a great one. And I would like to thank everyone who came and especially my family for holding the party for me. Love you guys!!!

A Reebok t-shirt from my beloved dinosaurs.

An Arsenal shirt from Sara!

Cards from Spike and Chomper!

Xiao niu from PJ!

Milk from Soo Chen.

Funny cow from darling.

A good photo with Matthew and fellow dinosaurs.