That’s because I’m quite a litterbug and don’t quite give a damn about the environment. Shame on me. I’m the kind who fancies disposable stuff, because they’re hassle-free.
Eco-friendly bags were never in my dictionary until I get to know Smallkucing. He taught me that we’re never too young, or too old to do our part in conserving our environment and go green.
I’ve started to use these reusable bags since I got to know Smallkucing and his Mamarazzi. Like him, I now shop in style with my various colourful shopping bags. Talk about vanity. LOL. Don’t you think he looks cute modeling those bags? Suits him well, right? 😀
Anyway, here’s some tips on how to reduce plastic and paper bag consumption:
1. Start using reusable shopping bags. Find the right styles and designs to suit your taste and lifestyle.
2. Reuse plastic bags you have accumulated as garbage liners.
3. Start using Ultra Compact bags. Ultra Compact bags are small enough to stash in your purse, jacket, backpack, car, etc. Having one is always handy.
4. Spread the word to create awareness. Blog about it.
5. Cut down on plastic produce bags by bringing your own reusable produce bags when you shop.
Everyone should do their part in conserving the environment. Using eco-friendly bags is a good way to conserve the environment too. 😀 Let’s do our part.
Remember Captain Planet? Well, that guys says don’t pollute, and the power is in our hands. So stop polluting! Let’s take pollution down to zero!
Cleffairy: Sing along now!
“EARTH!”
“FIRE!”
“WIND!”
“WATER!”
“HEART!”
“Go Planet!”
“By your powers combined, I am Captain Planet!”
Captain Planet, he’s our hero
Gonna take pollution down to zero
He’s our powers magnified
And he’s fighting on the planet’s side
Captain Planet, he’s our hero
Gonna take pollution down to zero
Gonna help him put asunder
Bad guys who like to loot and plunder
“You’ll pay for this Captain Planet!”
We’re the Planeteers
You can be one too
‘Cause saving our planet is the thing to do!
Looting and polluting is not the way
Hear what Captain Planet has to say!
“The Power is Yours!”
ps: Smallkucing and his Mamarazzi gave me the permission to use his photos. LOL…Please don’t steal it, okay? They’re not mine. If you wanna use them, please contact Smallkucing’s Mamarazzi at Smallkucing’s Blog.
I love thee in the morning, when the doves have yet to wake,
I love thee in the night, when everyone is dreaming,
You sooth my aching soul,
And grace me with your inspiration
I love thee with a passion of a hungry lover,
Who always want thee in a sweet embrace,
To have and to hold,
In this life, and forever in the next.
A sonnet by Cleffairy
And what in the name of the benovelent God I’m talking about this time? Why, I was talking about my tea, of course. What else could it be? *naughty grinz* How do you love, your favourite drinks, folks? Is your love and passion towards your food or drinks as as great as mine? LOL…
Anyway, all I want to ask here is; what is you favourite drink? Mine is tea. I’m a tea person and can never take coffee. Coffee gives me terrible palpitations and make me sick. Literally sick and gives me discomfort.
Tea have a very relaxing effect on me. It’s like a legal drug that I take everyday, and I always make sure I have a cuppa with me when I’m writing. It calm me down and inspire me.
I always take my tea with either dried roses, peach, lemon, sugar or honey, and never with milk. Do you have a special ways in drinking your favourite drink? Care to share with me?
Cleffairy: Fine, maybe I’m not that sober right now. Not quite enough sleep. Been burning the midnight oil. The sonnet applies to my loved ones as well. LOL…
“I’m truly, madly, deeply, passionately in love with you”
I think I just died and went to heaven for a couple of minutes after hearing those words. *SIGH* I’m completely hopeless. Hurl those words to me, and I’ll buy it…well…. maybe, maybe not. Depending on who would say that to me. But if those are the words spoken in the movies, hooooyeahhhh, I’ll definitely melt into a puddle of goo and beyond.
Who would have thought? That the fiery, lunatic fairy who rant and rave most of the time have quite a heart for fluff and romantic movies? Okay, maybe I’m exaggerating a little bit. I’m a romance author and IÂ married my first love, so get a clue already, will you? Romance authors are usually insane. Well, almost, I guess. I prefer to be known as eccentric.
Okay, most of you might be concern for my sanity by now. But fret not, I am still quite sane, and I’m talking about Letters To Juliet. Remember that movie I’ve talk about back then? I told you I was anticipating that movie like mad, and watched the trailer countless times, and this is it. I finally got to watch it online and was on cloud nine. I felt as if I’m in love again watching such a lighthearted summer romance movie.
I could have went and watch with my husband in the cinema if I want to. After all, it was released in Malaysia on 20th May 2010. It coincide with our 8th anniversary, but then again, I was too busy celebrating my real life romance to even consider going into the cinema for this movie. You know, you get the picture. The dimmed- lighted dinner in a quiet fancy restaurant… and the non-dinner in the dark. (Geez… it’s my anniversary, I don’t kiss or make out and tell, folks, so buzz off~!)
*SPOILER ALERT AHEAD, LEAVE IF YOU DON’T WANT SPOILERS*
Letters to Juliet is about Sophie Hall. She is a fact checker at The New Yorker magazine who dreams of becoming a writer, but her boss, Bobby, does not share her dreams and ambitions.
Sophie was annoyed, of course. Who wouldn’t? Pre-honeymoon is not supposed to be that way. To add cherry on top, Victor seems to be only interested in himself and what he does, and never listens to what Sophie have to say. Most of their conversation often ended up one-sided.
And while he is out one day, Sophie went sightseeing and comes across the house where Juliet Capulet supposedly lived and watches in awe as numerous people gather to write letters to Juliet about their loves and post them on Juliet’s wall. Sophie writes of this in her journal for a few hours and sits on a bench, waiting for closing time, to see what becomes of the letters.
A young Italian woman came to collect the letters, putting them all into a straw basket, and Sophie follows her to a restaurant where the woman meets with three other women, who reveal themselves to be ‘Juliet’s secretaries’, writing back to each of the letters she had collected earlier on.
The next day, Sophie helps Isabel, one of the secretaries, take the letters. A loose brick falls, revealing a crumpled old envelope. Sophie discovers it is a 1957 letter written by Claire, an English woman who while in Italy studying art, fell in love with Lorenzo Bartolini. When he asked her to elope with him, she did not show up. Feeling terrible with her decision she wrote to ‘Juliet’ about it and Sophie writes back to Claire.
A few days later, a young Englishman arrives. Charlie then reveals that because Sophie responded his grandmother is now here to find her love. When Sophie asks to meet Claire, Charlie says no, but Sophie follows him and is introduced to Claire who is more than happy to meet the ‘Juliet’ who wrote back to her.
Together, the three decide to embark on a journey to find all the Lorenzo Bartolinis near Siena, Italy where Claire says Lorenzo always enjoyed. The three meet many Lorenzo Bartolinis, but none of them seem to be the right one.
While traveling, Sophie and the grandmother and grandson learn about each other’s lives like that Charlie has an ex-girlfriend he hasn’t seen in a year, named Patricia, with Claire learning that Sophie’s mother abandoned her when she was nine and Sophie learning that Charlie’s parents died in a car crash when he was ten. Charlie, at first rude, is now attracted to her.
The three met many men named Lorenzo Bartolini, including one who has died. Seeing his grandmother cry, Charlie blames Sophie. Claire berates her grandson and tells him about Sophie’s mother, then she visits Sophie in her hotel room and comforts her. Charlie apologizes to Sophie who has gone out and laid down on the grass next to Charlie, and they kiss under the stars.
The next day, while driving back, Claire asks that they stop at a vineyard when she notices it is the vineyard that makes their favorite wine. There, she sees a young Italian man who looks exactly like Lorenzo.
Insisting it’s him, Sophie and Charlie went and ask him for his name, which he says is indeed Lorenzo Bartolini. Deciding it must be Lorenzo’s grandson, they ask to speak to the young man’s father, whose name is also Lorenzo. The middle-aged man says his elderly father is also Lorenzo Bartolini, and he was out riding his horse.
Charlie urges his grandmother to see if it’s the right Lorenzo, but Claire decides she doesn’t want to. Just then, the elder Lorenzo and it is revealed that he is indeed Claire’s long-lost love. The two was then reunited.
Lorenzo introduces the three to his family. Later, Sophie leaves to go back to Verona to find Victor. Claire tells Charlie not to wait fifty years before he discovers there is only one girl he loves. Charlie races after her bu he saw her hugging Victor, and so he left.
Back in New York, Sophie presents a story to her boss identical to Claire’s tale, and he tells her he is going to publish it. Excited, she rushes home. The next day at work, she gets an invitation to Claire and Lorenzo’s wedding.
She then breaks up with Victor at the kitchen of his Italian restaurant because she doesn’t love him anymore and goes to the wedding. At the end of the ceremony, she attempts to talk to Charlie, but believes a woman that is with him, Patricia is his girlfriend.
She hurries away to a balcony, but Charlie follows her. Sophie professes her love but tells him to go back to Patricia, whom he explains is his cousin, and not his ex-girlfriend he mentioned earlier on. He admits he is in love with Sophie. He attempts to climb up to kiss her like Romeo Montague but fell flat to the ground. Sophie hurries to him to check if he’s all right and they kiss.
As I’ve said… I’ve been anticipating this movie a month ago, and it was a pleasure to be able to watch the full movie, and I’d rate it 4 out of 5. If you like Harlequin Romance or Silhouette or even Mills and Boon, you’ll absolutely adore this. It’s almost 100% Harlequin-ish and Silhouette-ish, minus the hot and steamy sex scene, that is. The movie is rated PG-13.
And considering I’ve always have the hots for European men with accentuated British accent, this movie is something to die for, so I give this flick, a few thumbs up.
Cleffairy: I didn’t know love had an expiry date. I didn’t think they ever expired…
I was really lucky, that my parents doesn’t have any Munchausen Syndrome or Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy or, else, I would have been dead by now. They’re completely normal parents who never want any sort of attention through their sick children, and my sister and I were always in their prayers each time we got sick. They always ask God to grant us perfect health, but God saw it fit to test their patience and endurance by making me a sickly child when I was growing up.
My father, he used to tell me stories of miracles. Of a girl who was sick, but she fights off the sickness in her by using her mind to control the functions of her body-some sort of commanding mechanism to direct the body to be healthy with the help of medications. She used her brain to fights off the infections and whatnot and in no time, she would recover from her illness.
I could still remember my dad’s encouraging words each time I fell ill. He said, it’s all in the mind. He said, if you think you’re sick, then you will be sick, and if you think you’re healthy, you will feel as healthy as a horse, and I find his words were quite true. Positive thinking and the right attitude in tacking certain illness is crucial in the process of recovery or recuperation. It’s all in the head. the brain is the most powerful organ in the body. It can do many things, and all we need to do is just use it.
I had growing pains. I had asthma and my heart have a loose valve while the bronchial in my lungs is prone to infections. I have chronic bronchitis, they say, but I will be fine as long as I don’t have a fever as fever will make the immune system go weak and the bronchial will be prone to infections.
I outgrew asthma, but the heart problems and the bronchial problems remains til this very day, and on and off I would go for check up to see if there’s anything wrong with me or not.
Ever since I was I child, I was quite fascinated in the field of medicine. Studying the human body became some sort of obsession as I go in and out of the hospital most of the time for treatment.
I grew up knowing my medical rights and the medical terms. Doctors, usually will not have a problem explaining procedures and the ways of the medicines to me, as I made sure I understand the explanation given before I stepped out of the consultation room. I do those stuff without failed and I will do my homework about it too.
I was willful, and fiery, even as a child, and I never let my parents take control of what I think or do. And unlike most parents, they will not protect me from such knowledge. To them, it is best that I know my conditions and understand it well. That way, I will know the best way to live and to limit myself when it comes to sports.
I was sick, yes, but I never ask for sympathies from the people around me. Really sick people never do that. It is quite a norm that sick people would hide their illness from their peers as they never want to be treated differently. I was no different.
I wanted to be normal, and tried to live life to the fullest. I lived each day as if there’s no tomorrow, and that explains why I played football with boys or go fishing after school. I learned how to horseback riding, I go for archery and many more things. And I never let my illness control me or restrict my ambitions though I will put a little limit on myself when it comes to physical activities.
I controlled my illness instead of letting it control me, and medical terms did not disheartened or scares me. It inspired me instead. I was inspired to be a doctor. I always think that to be a good doctor, one ought to be a patient before. By being a patient, you’d be able to understand how a human body works and how patients feel.
However, God have other plans for me. My calling is not medicine or healing, but writing instead. He saw it fit to let me be a journalist and a writer as He knew that I’m a pretty squeamish person and could not stand the sight of a dead body. Show me a dead body being postmortem and I’ll puke on the spot.
I am truly grateful to God that he blessed me with health these days, and I no longer get hospitalized as often as when I was just a little girl. In fact, besides those regular fever I had, I feel very good most of the times, and I don’t have to be dependent on medication anymore. It is a blessing indeed. The prayers must have worked, a few years late. And I would like to thank my parents, and God for that. :D,
I don’t think I could stand it anymore if I were to be asked to fast for at least 12 hours after minor/major surgical procedures in my adult years. It would have been unbearably annoying-not being able to eat for many hours. And I don’t think I could tolerate being sedated each and every time after a major surgery. I hate the feelings of being weak and prodded here and there by medical officers on duty.
Did you know that after a major surgery, they would not let you eat or drink for at least a day? They’ll put intravenous drip (IV Drips) on you instead, and it’s not a very pleasant experience.
Thirsty?
They will wet your lips with cotton balls but they DEFINITELY WILL NOT allow you to eat soup or porridge within 24 hours of your operation, no matter how you whine, beg or even demand for it.
It’s much more worst if it’s an open chest operation. You’d lie down there like some dead body, motionless til all drugs were gone from your system. And if you think lying down is horrible, think again. When the drugs wears off, it’ll feel like a truck had just run over you and you’d be begging for more drugs instead.
Operation, especially open chest surgeries are very delicate. You’d be confined to your hospital ward for at least one or two weeks before you’ll be discharged. The nurse will prod you with needles while you’re asleep, and they would monitor your condition closely, and your progress would be charted every 3 hours. Charting is usually done by RN (resident nurse)… the taking of BP, temperature, etc etc and doctors will be called for consultation if they think there’s something that’s not right with you.
Discharging within 3-4 days after a major surgery is unheard of. I never encounter such cases before. I know of a man who had his heart bypass done, and he was hospitalized for more than one month for it. And he was even required to do physical therapy with his therapist. (Some people could not walk properly after a heart bypass…it’s related to the vein that they cut out from the leg or something).
I am quite… familiar with the procedures done in the hospital, especially if it involves the cardiovascular part. I get to experience it first hand. I truly wonder if there are any changes in that department these days, where you will be able to be conscious within 3 hours of a major operation or you won’t be sedated within 12 hours of the operation. I wonder if they will allow you to eat after just a few hours after certain procedures is done and I wonder if you will be discharged without qualms as soon as you told your doctor in charge of your case that you’re fine.
As far as I’m concern…there’s still no such thing, and I am truly lucky that I don’t have to find out whether things in the hospital has been taken to a more painless level, as for what it’s worth…. it’s still done in the conventional way. The painful way.
Lately, a friend has been hospitalized and had some major surgery done. She was unconscious for a couple of times, and must be going through those things that I described above as she’s sick to her very core.
And I could do nothing but pray for her. 🙁 I just hope she will be all right and concentrate on getting well.Other things can wait. My prayers is with her, and those who are fighting for their lives in the hospital.
My prayers is with you, and God bless you and your family.
Cleffairy: Sometimes, it’s all in the head. Fight it.The story that my father told me back then, ought to be told to all patients in the world. In many ways, brain is not only a weapon, but a very powerful kind of medicine.
I’m not a great cook, but I do have some tricks up my sleeves. Most of my readers would probably know by now that I was the child of the sea. I grew up by the seaside, and therefore, I’m used to chasing crustacean and digging for crustaceans like flower crabs from their holes in the sand so that I could catch them and bring them back for my mum to cook for dinner.
I can no longer catch crabs from their holes in the sand as I’m living in a concrete jungle now, but I certainly can buy them from the market to cook.
One fine day when I was doing groceries, I saw some fresh crabs, and deciding that it’s been ages since my family and I had some crabs, I bought them and made chilli crabs out of them.
It is a misconception that chilli crab is hard to cook. It’s actually quite simple to cook and that is why it costs a bomb in the restaurants.
Trust me chilli crabs is not that hard to cook, and if I can cook it, you can too, cuz I am no chef. I only cook simple, quickie stuff.
Here’s my own recipe of chilli crab:
Ingredients:
4 big/medium sized flower crab
Tumeric powder
1/2 cup of water
Some cooking oil
Sauce ingredient
3 spoonful of chopped garlic
3 spoonful of boh chilli paste/chilli sauce of any brand
2 spoonful of oyster sauce
3 spoonful of light soya sauce
5 spoonful of tomato sauce
Here’s how you do it. Pretty simple, actually. First of all, peel off the crab’s shell, and wash the crabs til it’s clean. Cut it into half if you prefer, and marinade it with tumeric powder for 5 minutes before frying them lightly in your wok/pan.
When the crab is half cooked, take it out from the wok, put it aside and drain all excess oil from it and prepare the sauce.
Stir the crabs abit so that the sauce fully coated the crabs, and close the wok with a cover for 10-15 minutes on medium fire. You may add beaten eggs if you like, but I like my crabs spicy, so no eggs in the sauce for me.
Take out and serve with plain white rice or bread though it goes well on it’s own.
Preparation time: 30 minutes
Yield: 3 servings
Cleffairy: Are you feeling the heat yet?If you can’t take the spiciness, don’t use too much chillies.
My husband and I were craving for sourish food the other day after taking oily stuff, and so, when we came across a stall that sells pickled fruits, or locally known as jeruk, we bought these.
I wonder what you call these fruits in English. I know the sliced ones are pickled mango, but I don’t know what the rest is known as in English. I just know the local names.
The small, yellowish pickles are known as ‘cermai’ while the bigger brown fruits are ‘kelubi’. Do you know what it’s called in English? I don’t have a single clue on what they’re called in English.
All I know is that I adore these pickles. I like to eat them. They’re very appetizing. And they have sentimental value, as when I was a little girl, my grandfather used to make pickles out of these fruits.
Yes… he made them himself, and there would be huge jars of them in his house, and he would pass it to my parents as well as all his other children so that we could enjoy it.
I was quite a tomboy when I was a little girl, and learned to climb trees when I was nine, and was on par with boys my age when it comes to doing nasty stuff. Climbing trees, fishing, bathing in the sea almost daily as well as playing in the paddy field is a norm to me.
My grandparents live in Perlis, a place where is abundant with paddy fields, just like Kedah. And when there’s paddy fields, they will surely be cermai trees. I used to climb the cermai trees nearby the paddy field to gather some cermai fruits so that my grandfather could make pickles for us.
I had my fair share of getting bitten by those nasty fire ants while climbing trees and falling flat on my butt. But those things did not stop me from climbing trees again and again while I was growing up. Nasty falls and scrape on the knees are never regarded as a major health problem or major injuries.
Those were the good old days. IÂ did not even need to be afraid when I play in the village all alone, cuz all the neighbours would keep an eye on me, unlike now where everywhere is very dangerous and children cannot be let loose on their own, and parents no longer allowed their children to do such things.
Instead of frolicking around in the sun, children these days are sent to kindergarten so that they could compete with children their age as early as two years old. Sometimes, I do wonder if time took away our children’s childhood? Are we depriving them of good memories and the fun way of growing up?
Those good old days are indeed over, isn’t it? Children are no longer safe outside and we’re forced to be parents who deprived children from their share of fun in the mud, just because it’s what expected of us these days. Are you that sort of parents? Are you depriving your children of their childhood?
Cleffairy: What wouldn’t I do to give my kids the same childhood and environment that I had? For what it’s worth, it’s certainly a better childhood to experience.
This is a thank you entry for someone who is very special, and also a birthday dedication. 😀 And no… this is not just for my husband, but for Annie’s two darling boys.
I saw in Annie’s blog earlier on today, that her boys just hit the big number 5, and coincidentally, I had some birthday cupcakes picture from my husband’s birthday and our 8 years anniversary celebration. I thought it’ll be appropriate if I greet her two boys too over here as well.
The cupcakes was made by Cynderella 😀 The Queen of All Sweet Things and the mother of a sweet Cupcake Princess, especially for my husband’s birthday and our anniversary. And I couldn’t thank her more for cooking up her cupcakes for me. They are absolutely sinful and arousing to the tastebuds.
The chocolate cupcakes melts in the mouth and it was so heavenly, and could rival those cupcakes that you can buy from Delectables. And I daresay they are much better than Delectable, as these sinful cupcakes are labour of love. I would any day have hers than any other found in bakeries. And not even Secret Recipe can rival Cynderella’s cupcakes. Her cupcakes are absolutely magical.
Thank you very much, Cynderella for all the sweetness you brought into my life.
And happy birthday, Fearles and Cruz. Stay sweet like the cupcakes, all right? May you both grow up strong and wise. 😀
Cleffairy: This closing message is especially for those who love me. Thank you, for loving me, and for being in my life. And below is a song dedication for you. 😀
Thank you for loving me
It’s hard for me to say the things
I want to say sometimes
There’s no one here but you and me
And that broken old street light
Lock the doors
We’ll leave the world outside
All I’ve got to give to you
Are these five words when I
Thank you for loving me
For being my eyes when I couldn’t see for
Parting my lips when I couldn’t breathe
Thank you for loving me
Thank you for loving me
I never knew I had a dream
Until that dream was you
When I look into your eyes
The sky’s a different blue
Cross my heart
I wear no disguise
If I tried, you’d make believe
That you believed my lies
Thank you for loving me
For being my eyes when I couldn’t see
For parting my lips when I couldn’t breathe
Thank you for loving me
You pick me up when I fall down
You ring the bell before they count me out
If I was drowning you would part the sea
And risk your own life to rescue me, yeah
Lock the doors
Leave the world outside
All I’ve got to give to you
Are these five words when I
Thank you for loving me
For being my eyes oh, when I couldn’t see
You parted my lips when I couldn’t breathe
Thank you for loving me
When I couldn’t fly
Oh, you gave me wings
You parted my lips when I couldn’t breathe
Thank you for loving me
Thank you for loving me
Thank you for loving me
Oh for loving me
It’s 20th May 2010, and it’s been 8 years since I first saw my husband. I was young. Very young. 8 years ago, I was just 17 going on 18. Barely legal, I must say, and we have come a long way.
Yeah, folks, it’s our 8 years anniversary today. And it’s been a hell of a roller coaster ride. Dangerous, exhilarating, and full of shock and surprises. There are good and bad times, but I’m not going to share all my X-rated details here.
I would spare your innocent eyes and ears. I may write mushy stuff for my novels, but…I’m afraid, I don’t tell my own love story very well. Perhaps, when I’m old and have nothing else to do, I might document that.
Anyway, I like to do meaningful things on meaningful dates. And to commemorate my 8 years anniversary with my husband, I’ve changed the layout to something more light on the eyes. It’s blue and much more calmer that the depressing black that I used earlier. 😀
This, signify my hope for a peaceful and a happier relationship with my husband. I hope to celebrate life…(not wait for people to celebrate life for me… as in ‘celebrating someone’s life’ in a funeral) and no more nonsense. I’m sick and tired of those. I want to feel alive, while I’m still young. And yes, from this day forward, to hell those people who are not even worth my regard.
Time, and death, is a funny thing, ladies and gentlemen. things that happened last year made me realized that time is not always on our side, and Death may come knocking at our doorstep anytime it pleases him. Life is too short to be wasted. take it from me… chase your dreams and live life to the fullest while you still can. I’ve made it my very own personal mission this year. Living life to the fullest, and living my dreams.
I’m not a fan of fancy designs. No… I hate those. I hurt my eyes and it annoys me to my very core. I’ve always adored those simple designs that does not look messy. I like this one. And I hope, it’s pleasant to your eyes too.
20th May 2010 is also the date that I chose to launch my book in the US, and it’ll be available for sale, finally, after all the midnight oil I burned. No… it’s no coincidence that the book launch shared the same date as my anniversary.LOL…fiery as I may sound sometimes, I suppose, I’m still a romantic at heart, eh? I want my book to have the same anniversary as me and my husband so that 20th May would be much more meaningful from this year forward. 😀 Another thing for me to celebrate next year. My book anniversary. 😛
I’m blabbering, aren’t I? Please excuse me. It’s been rather a whirlwind of a day. It was my husband’s birthday yesterday as well, and so here I am…wishing him not only a happy birthday, but happy anniversary as well.
Cleffairy: To have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do us part.
A good friend of mine gave me some fresh sweet corns not long ago, and it reminds me of the good old times where I used to plant corns behind my house when I was a little girl.
Corns are practically easy to plant and they grow very fast. It usually takes only 2 weeks for the plant to be fully grown and the corns would be ready for plucking.
I could still remember the sound of the plants growing back then. It would sound ‘prakk prakkk prakk’ at night, and the next day when I inspect on it, it would be much taller than the day before.
I used to harvest corns from the backyard when it’s ready for harvesting, and I would usually roast the corns on the spot to enjoy it with some cheeky rascals my age. The corns would be plentiful, and my mum would often boil it, make soup out of it or make fritters out of it.
I’ve made some soup out of the sweet corns given to me by my friend for dinner and some fritters out of it for tea time, and it’s a hit with my family, and I thought I’d share the recipe with you guys.
It’s pretty simple, really, and if I can make it, you can too. It’s a frugal food, and like many frugal foods, corn fritters or locally known as cucur jagung doesn’t need elaborated or expensive ingredients. Everyone can afford it.
Ingredients:
1 sweet corn
250 gram of flour
Salt
Water
Anchovies/shrimps (optional)
Cooking oil
First, cut out the corn from the cob. Then, toss it into a bowl along with flour and some water and mix til it became a smooth batter. Toss in some anchovies or dried shrimps if you prefer.
Add salt to taste, and deep fry it til golden. Serve while it’s hot. Goes well with chilli sauce, tomato sauce as well as peanuts sauce(kuah kacang).
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cleffairy: Allow yourself the simple pleasure of life, for simple pleasure could bring joy that money cannot buy. Thank you my friend, for the sweet corns. It brings back good memories to my clotted brain.
While most of you… especially Malaysian bloggers are busy having delirious tweeting, fb-ing as well as doing some live blogging on Thomas Cup and Uber Cup, please, excuse me out of the trending issue and kindly bear with me for wanting to stay out of it as much as possible and allow me to write about something that means much more than a smash, a serve or even a real sportmanship’s show between players.
I’m not interested in Thomas Cup… or football for that matter, unless I’m the one who is on the field kicking football or playing before the empire. I could tolerate such adrenaline much more than the suspense of merely watching a game that I used to play with cheeky schoolmates.
I could still remember. It seems like it was yesterday that I played football on the field with my classmates who often let me tag along with them when they play football in the field every evening after school. (Apparently, none of them treated me like a real woman until it was year 2002, damn you, boys. LOL…)
And it is also seems like just yesterday that my good classmate smashed a shuttlecock into my very head, giving me awful bumps that last for days and never did apologized for it. ( I wouldn’t want to talk about the damn football into my head… I’m still boiling!)
Those were the good old days. The good old school days where sports is not on twitter, fb, or even blogs. We played the sports, and sometimes, we experience the game firsthand by playing it.
I used to play badminton and football, as well as table tennis. I also had instructors and teachers who taught me the ways of the game, and in conjunction of Teacher’s Day, please allow me to say thank you to those teachers and sports instructors who taught me never to give up in whatever I’m pursuing and persevere. They taught me that nobody is weak as long as one is willing to stand up after taking a nasty fall, or in my case, after some nasty hit of a football on my head during an evening football games.
I am forever indebted to those teachers… those who taught me that it is all right to be myself and stays truthful to myself in whatever I do. You see…I’ve always been different and I still am different. I never follow trend and whatnot. I do as I please as long as it keeps me feel alive, for I hate to be a follower and enjoy a 15minutes limelight. And I have always feel that it is better to be a trend-setter rather than a trend follower.
While some teachers hate me for that, most would always tell me that it’s all right to be different and truthful to myself, and I’m in my greatest shape when I’m truthful to myself.
Thank you, teachers, for telling me that. I’m all grown up now and living in a superficial world, there’s not much people telling me that anymore, but life is coming to a full circle, I suppose. I am a teacher myself now, and I told my students that each time they doubt themselves and their abilities to chase their ambitions and dreams. Thank you for your encouragements and words, for I wouldn’t really be a courageous me without that.
Thank you teachers, for teaching me and giving me wisdom. Happy teacher’s day.
And a special thank you to a certain friend who sent me a Mother’s Day card, and to my students who send me sms as well as your beautifully decorated Teacher’s Day greetings as token of appreciation. 😀 ( And I’ve told you not to buy me gifts, kids, but thank you for your pressies. I will treasure them)
Cleffairy: Grrr… I am still pissed at you, Balbir Singh, for kicking the ball into my head back in 1998 and have the cheek to crown me ‘Header Queen of 1998’. And I still remember that stupid shuttlecock case too! And if you’re reading this, I will kill you for still laughing!
