Even with the barrage of news that hits us daily, this piece really hit a nerve.
I for one try to keep in touch with world happennings as much as possible. I subscribe to the NYTimes, CNN and Bloomberg are among the 2 apps I use the most on my iPhone. I read books about wars and genocide in Iraq, Africa, South America and Cambodia. So you could say that I am no stranger to sensasionalist news.
But these were children (all 6 - 7 years old). What struck me here was the senseless slaughter of innocents that could have been avoided. This opinion piece says everything I feel about guns in America and the policies that govern them. There is a human cost to so-called freedom.
We will forever be moved by the heroic acts of the brave teachers who put themselves in between the gunman and the children. But, tragically, unless something changes, there will always be heroes. There will always be senseless deaths and there will always be the grappling for answers.
My hope is that these women and children will be remembered not for the senselessness of the very act, not for the statistics, but for the begininng of real change in America.
Above, an assortment of gifts I have been putting together since November.
I love this time of the year, can you tell?
First of all, though, a little caveat. I write this post from the point of view of a largely bored, cynical and worldly (at least I'd like to think so - do indulge me) late-twenties/early thirty-something who doesn't have kids.
Lots of us love to travel and would consider ourselves flashpackers, so a nod to that love of seeing the world would be nice. A universal adaptor, luggage tags, collapsible travel bag – all infinitely useful and will hopefully remind your recipient of the person who thoughtfully gifted that. One of my brothers will be getting Lonely Planet’s South East Asia on a Shoestring. Hopefully it will inspire him to great adventures.
I have already lined up a box of sketching graphite pencils for A, my art-loving cousin who gifted me with a painting of his own for my birthday last year. Last Christmas I gave him, after much research, this An Illustrated Life. A joyous collection of vibrant excerpts from the notebooks of 50 illustrators, artists, and designers, each accompanied by an introduction by the artist, who shares his or her thoughts when the sketch was being made. In fact, upon receiving the book after ordering it online, I was most tempted to keep it for myself.
This year, I also thought I'd try putting together a simple Holiday Gift Guide of my own.
I do like to keep some simple principles in mind when gift-hunting, like the gift should be something that the recipient will use, but shouldn't be too practical or everyday either. It should still feel like a treat, you know? Also, I will try to keep most of the stuff under RM50, which in these days admittedly does not get you very far. I mean, I would love to gift Moleskine journals and L'occitane toiletries to everyone (come to think of it., I did gift my three favourite aunts L'occitane soaps last year, but only because I got them cheap(er) from Europe), but I can't afford to.
So without further ado, below is a little compilation of what I have given in the past, plus the stuff I have come up with this year.
I love the Body Shop for (relatively) reasonably priced gifts that spell pampering and just a little bit more luxe than our everyday pharmacy stuff. One can get a nice fruity lip balm for RM19.00, or an assortment of soaps and shower gels, for RM9 - RM29. It's always nice to have a little something scented with say, satsuma (a sweet Mandarin orange-like scent), or one of their gift packs.
Shower Cream and Body Butter sets for RM29 each
3) For that yuppie younger cousin or relative of yours who loves hanging out at places with free WiFi, a Starbucks or Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf pre-loaded card is always nice. Starbucks' cards start at RM20 and CBTL's at RM25. They throw in some nice top-ups too (you can a free grande drink with every 10 purchase at Starbucks, for example, or collect "beans" to redeem for drinks and food at CBTL). My youngest brother gifted both his elder brother and me with these sometime back, and we all thougth it was super nice (although ironically the card couldn't be used in Sabah/Sarawak and at airports, which at that time, made it pretty tough for me to fully utilize it).
4) When I am truly stumped, I turn to vouchers. Almost no-fail. The only caveat is the recipient will know exactly how much you spent on them. And you can still sort of "direct" the gift somewhat, say books MPH or department stores - Parkson and Isetan to name a few.
And of course, homemade gifts are always nice.
For the health-conscious, I recommend making your own granola. I made a huge batch - 10 cups of oats in total, 2 cups almonds, 1 cup cashews, whole pack of sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds, virgin coconut oil and raw sugar for less RM50 – and they will be divided amongst 3 people. You can bet that I will be doing this more often. Bear in mind mine is a healthier, minimally sweetened version intended for a diabetic relative. You could of course really schuzz it up (make it sweeter and crisper with more sugar and oil) with maple syrup and brown sugar ala Chubby Hubby or Alton Brown, sub agave nectar or honey even, use canola or olive oil (ala Melissa Clark of the NY Times), add dried fruit, spice it up with cinnamon and/or ginger, the list goes on…
For the bakerina, homemade vanilla extract makes a wonderful gift this side of the woods when real vanilla is truly difficult to locate. Purchase your beans online. Split them open, slice into smaller pieces and place them in a clean airtight jar. Add vodka/dark rum and seal the jar. 5 pods in a cup of alcohol a jar should about do it. It’s a nice way of stretching the beans into a more well thought out gift too.
Lots of folks consider themselves coffee and tea connoisseurs these days. So while a Nespresso machine might be more suited for the wish list rather than the gift one, an Ikea French Press (RM49.90) will do quite nicely I think (there are fancier/more expensive versions available at Starbucks or department stores these days too), or for the folks who enjoy their cappucino caps, a milk frother and jug (RM9.90 and RM9 respectively), would be really appreciated, I imagine.
My beloved aunt was recently diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes. It was scary before she was diagnosed - she was pale and lethargic for weeks. She saw a few doctors (GP's), all who diagnosed the flu, fatigue, infections, and was prescribed antibiotics, Vitamin C, rest.......you get the idea. Not one of these doctors bothered to take a blood sample and do a simple blood test. In the end the entire situation got so worrying (it got to the point that she could not even stand upright during mass) that she finally managed to wrangle a referral to the local hospital, where she was immediately diagnosed with diabetes and placed in the ICU. Her blood sugar levels were that critical.
Suffice to say, our close-knit family was worried sick, with my aunt having to stay in the hospital for almost two weeks. This also got me realizing how essential simple annual checkups are. My aunt never went for one for years. A simple blood test showing increasing blood sugar levels would have saved a lifetime of insulin shots and ban on her favourite foods.
My apologies if the story sounds tragic. I mean, I wish I could say something else inspired this urge to bake.
When my aunt got discharged of course we all wanted to give her something, not only to celebrate her return but also to try and give her a head-start on her new diet.
I immediately wanted to make granola, but my time in Penang was so short, and for the life of me I couldn't find the right ingredients (the health/organic food fad has not caught on in Penang the way it has in KL, I'm afraid - stingy Penangites) to make it. So I put together a care package of muesli, yoghurt and almonds.
But the thought of making ganola never left me. I scoured the Net for recipes. Now, I've had enough granola eating experience to have a very specific end in mind. Crispy, only slightly sweet and most importantly, clumpy. Not too much oil either. So, tempting as it looked, this was ruled out.
I finally stumbled on the secret to clumpy granola clusters - egg whites. Perfect! All protein and practically no fat. I adapted this recipe slightly, omitting the fruit and coconut. Granola, my friends, is all about the following - baking time and temperature (in my oven, 160 deg C for half an hour for sufficient crispness and to reach a lovely golden brown),and amount of oil (the more oil the crispier).
So here's my adaptation:
4 cups rolled oats
1 cup chopped almonds
3/4 cup pumpkin seeds
3 tbsp virgin coconut oil
2 tbsp olive oil
2 large egg whites
1 tbsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup natural granulated sugar (substitute honey, maple syrup,or agave syrup as you wish)
Preheat the oven to 160 deg C. Stir the egg whites, oils and extract in a small bowl. Toss all the dry ingridients together except for the sugar. Mix the wet mixture into the oat mixture and stir until well incorporated. Add the sugar and stir again.
Spread the mixture on a flat tray and use your spatula to flatten the mixture together and ensure that they all stick to one another. Bake for half an hour, until the mixture turns a lovely golden brown. Rotate the tray if necessary.
Cool completely and break into clumps before storing.
When the endless, sometimes maddening crowd somewhat dies down.
When she puts on her mask, and starts to show a bit more of herself.
Still, there is something to be said about all the shimmering water all around you, reflecting the sunlight.
My biggest gripe about Venezia is the sheer number of people like me. People who flock to her, jostling for her attention.
People who wanna sit at the pier and gaze at the cliche that is those annoyingly loving couples (or nowadays, noisy but well-moneyed Chinese tourists) being serenaded to in gondolas (80 Euros per ride, the last we asked).
I realize now, I could never compete amongst Venezia's many admirers. I just don't have the moolah (or the willingness to spend so much) to eat at Harry's Bar, or buy a few Gucci bags, or sit on at St. Mark's Square at Cafe Florian with a cappucinno. Venezia really made me feel rather poor and unworthy. Well, on the bright side (I guess), I am not the only one.
We did try a gorgeous fritto misto at a little touristy osteria which for the life of me I now cannot remember the name of.
Truth be told, we ate mostly at this little place, mostly Mozzarella in Carrozza. With ham, and plain.
I also knew I had to take home one of these. A lovingly Made in Venice paper mache mask.
Ahh Venezia, we had our little moments. I pray that you'll forever be awash in all that glitz and glamour.
I hope you'll always stay aloof and unattainable, and keep to that little habit of always holding a little something back. I'm pretty sure you will.
Love the mango lady's hat, just outside Chatuchak Market
Backpacker spotted at Chatuchak
Bar in a minivan @ Sukhumvit 11
At a noodles stall near the Patpong area
Coffee to go
If you're in Chatuchak and find yourself craving caffeine, may I recommend this stall opposite the KK Bank outlet. Best damn iced cappucinno I had in a long time (topped with steamed milk, mind you - not cream). I tried numerous other iced coffees all round BKK (in the most upscale malls, on the streets, you name it) - in vain. I still dream of a cup of her brew in the afternoons.
Bangkok is my favourite city in the whole wide world. The dust, the humidity, the horrendous traffic, they're all nondeterrents for me. I love the food, the shopping, the all-round friendliness of the people.
We roomed at the Aloft Bangkok, a pretty cool place that's part of the Starwood chain. What we liked: the 42-inch LED televisions, the ports to plugin your hard disk or portable dvd player, the iPod docking station, the Nespresso machines and complimentary coffee pods in each room. Oh, and the super comfy bed that is the Starwood chain signature. The lounging area was also pretty nice, with its stock of snacks (yogurt, cereal, instant noodles) and coffee at very affordable prices. The lounge was also equipped with foosball and pool tables, comfy bean bags and a Sony PS3 console. AK and I spent a good amount of time trying to beat each other in beach volleyball, medieval swordplay and archery.
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If you're ever feeling peckish at the Aloft, then we do recommend the steak sandwich. Thick, juicy, totally tasty and worth the splurge. This was so good that we ordered it again the night before we departed Bangkok.
Erawan Tea Room was a place I read about here and also in the Bangkok City Guide provided by the hotel. We tried the seafood "stir fried with rhizome" and red duck curry, plus pork noodles to share. Everything was superbly done, and I left with a tin of silver-tipped white tea leaves and a jar of prettily packaged guava jam. I vowed to return to try their exquisite looking afternoon tea.
Seafood stir fry at Erawan Tea Room
Another place we really loved was Laem Chaer Roen Seafood. They apparently have non-distinctive outlets at both Central World (tucked in a little corner) and Siam Paragon (Level 5), but remain a local rather than tourist favourite. A friend generously bought us dinner at the Central World outlet, where we had the signature Deepfried Snapper in a sweet Thai fish sauce, Tom Yum Goong (with lots of super fresh prawns), an ikan bilis salad and stir fried morning glory. The snapper was addictive, the Tom Yum was perfect. Defnitely a must-return.
I love Siam Paragon's abundant, slightly chaotic basement food court, with its combination of street food (barbecued pork skewers for 15 bath, grilled squid, rice paper rolls) and relatively upscale cafes and bakeries all under a single roof.
Chocolate inspirations (love the brownie cake idea) at Siam Paragon's basement Gourmet Market
The first place our irreverent Mumbai guide, Felix, insisted we visit was the Gandhi museum. And I could see why any Indian would be proud of such a figure.
My own words here fail me, here in the presence of the Mahatma's.
And thus I leave you with such.
Gandhi on virtues:
On following what you know is right.
On women and equality:
A rendering of how his pacifist protests brought warring factions together:
His vision for his country. I think India today would depress him. Malaysia too.
"A leader of his people, unsupported by any outward authority, a politician whose success rests not upon craft nor mastery of technical devices, but simply on the convincing power of his personality; a victorious fighter who has always scorned the use of force; a man of wisdom and humility, armed with resolve and inflexible consistency, who has devoted all his strength to the uplifting of his people and the betterment of their lot; a man who has confronted the brutality of Europe with the dignity of the simple human being, and thus at all times risen superior.
Generations to come, it may be, will scarce believe that one such as this will ever in flesh and blood walked this earth."
As I write this, my head is throbbing, and I am half drunk on Redoxon. This is the freakin' fourth time I've contracted some form of the flu since moving to KL. That's about the same number of times in 2 years in Miri, at most. Lucky girl that I am, though, I am being well looked after. AK has been ensuring that I get my constant supply of water in the bedroom, cooking gao zhi, reheating soup, buying taufu fah (as you can tell I did not lose my appetite) and making sure I take my meds. It is nice to be loved :)
This business of falling sick at the drop of a hat was what I expected upon moving back. Well, in all honesty I did not expect a lot of things when I moved back. I did not expect us to hit this tremendous snag when we decided on the house we wanted. You'd think that being able to afford the place we wanted was the biggest issue. Well, this wasn't the case. Thanks to that snag we have been "squatting" in AK's parents' place since my company-allocated one month stay in Mont Kiara expired. His folks are easygoing, generous and caring, make no mistake. And I will forever be grateful to them for putting up with Boo and me in their lovely house. But 90% of my things are in storage, and after 7 years of living on my own, I do miss my (lovely) things. I miss my cookbooks, my Home & Decor magazines, our splurge of a matress, my oven and all my cooking thingamajigs. I miss my Astro PVR, even my perfume. It depresses me even writing about all this. It has caused countless sleepness nights that more than likely contributed to this most recent bout of sickness (why my immune system is so vulnerable is another question).
I refrained from writing about this because, well, I was in kind of a denial about it. But it has been 4 months since we signed the SPA and nothing much has changed. So we now are looking at other options. Litigation is one of them. As you can tell, nothing pleasant. Sometimes I wonder if it's God trying to tell me not to buy that place, that we should settle for something else, use our money to travel, to live it up while we're still young and so-called restless. A clearer sign would be nice.
Big sigh.
I have been up to a few things nonetheless. The gym is one of them. I have tried almost all the classes offered by Fitness First Empire. I have flailed around like an idiot trying to follow the Aunties at Zumba, and I've bitten off more than I can chew attempting BodyPump with far too heavy weights (I was way too chicken to quit thought, not with a supercute instructor up front. I spent about a week recovering from that episode). My favourites are BodyJam and BodyCombat. I have noticed that I am the only person who attends both, as they are quite different. But they both provide endorphin highs in different ways. I especially love BodyJam and my instructor telling us to "just let go, don't look at what's happenning around you or what others are doing, do what feels good to you." And I did. I always end the class with a big smile on my face. BodyCombat has the ability to make me all sentimental sometimes, as I started learning this class in Miri, where it is taught by a very good friend of mine.
Reading is another. I just completed the sequel to the magnificient book that is the Fall of Giants, Winter of the World. I have been waiting and waiting for this and when I spotted the hardcover at Borders in The Curve, out came the credit card. I have to say, though, Fall of Giants seems more well thought out. WoW, while still good, at times feels a bit rushed, and wasn't so much of a suspense-laden, heartwrenching thriller that was FoG. Maybe it's because I didn't watch Atonement this time. :)
Still, I learnt a lot. I didn't realize how close England came to flirting with Facism, and how the people of London stood with their fellow Jews in the Battle of Cable Street. The book draws comparisons between the German and English anti-fascist movements, and how inaction on the side of Germans, and action in the form of protests (or more like protesting the protest). The story of the Battle of Cable Street, of how Englishmen (mostly the working class, socialists, the Irishmen, communists, sailors) fought their own people for what they believed in. And in doing so, they sent a message loud and clear: Fascism is not welcome in England. And so the movement faded. Germany, of course, is another story altogether.
Red commemorative plaque at Cable Street today. Source
