Post AMKAN feeling

AMKAN was a post sometime back. It was so amkan till I forgot to show beautiful pics from Chan WK, KhooYK and official photographer...hehehe!

View at the top of Intermark building was spectacular!

Those were the days......Happy Malaysia Day!

Received this in my email. Must have been written by someone of my parent's age.

~ In memory of our Merdeka celebrations ~ 

Those fantastic good old days.....you will not see it now....

REMEMBER THOSE DAYS....Guys & Gals............................
 

Ah......those were the days.

Rose Chan was our favourite performer.

Wong Peng Soon was our favorite badminton player.

Because we reared Siamese fighting fishes, the seller was our idol.

Driving license renewal was by pasting an additional slip at the back of a small red booklet

Susu lembu was house delivered by our big  friendly and strong Bahiii ............. on his bicycle in a stainless steel container.  The container cap served as a funnel.

Kacang puteh man came a peddling , walking and balancing on his head  6 compartments of different type of murukus ...and we barter our old exercise books for a paper cone of kacang putih

F&N orange was served in wooden crates and displayed on table during Chinese New Year

M&M 's was called Treets ..

Eating chicken was a treat that happened only once on Chinese New Year and once on "Chap Goh Meh"

We always carried in our pocket a packet of fire crackers during the Chinese New Year

We always carry a one ringgit note at night in case we are stopped by mata mata for not having tail lights on our bicycles.

One noodle 'chow kway teow' cost 30 sen and we bring our own egg.

One 'roti canai' cost 15 sen and one banana for 5 sen.

We bought bangkali bread from the Indian roti man who paddled his bicycle around the neighbourhood with the familiar ringing sound.

Sometimes we bought cold storage bread wrapped in wax paper. Spread the bread with butter and kaya wrap with the wax paper and take to school.

Crop crew cut by the travelling Indian and Hockchew barber; 30 sen a haircut; all the way to the top. Reason easy to dry when curi swimming.

During weekends went swimming in the river, no swimming trucks, only birthday suit. No one laugh at you whether your "kuku" is small, crooked, etc.

On Sunday morning listen to "Kee Huat" radio facts and fancies and Saturday night "top of the pops" DJ was Patrick Teoh.

Saturday go for cheap matinee usually cowboy shows or Greek mythology like Hercules.

Father gave 70 sen for Cheap Matinee screening at 10.30am on Saturday/Sunday; 50 sen for ticket, 20 sen for return bus fare.  Nobody pays 1 ringgit for the 'reserve seat'.

5 sen for kacang putih and 10 sen for ice "angtau". Sometimes ice ball only 5 sen "pau angtau" and half red sugar the other half black sugar or sarsee.

Never, never, never talk or mixed with girls until Form 5.

Learned the waltz, cha-cha, rhumba, foxtrot and offbeat cha cha from a classmate sister.

First time dancing with a girl nearly freezed; heart went "botobom, botobom"...

We survived with mothers who had no maids. They cooked /cleaned while taking care of us at the same time.

We took aspirin, candy floss, fizzy drinks, shaved ice with syrups and diabetes were rare. Salt added to Pepsi or Coke was remedy for fever.  Tonic water was taken at the first hint of malaria.

As children, we would ride with our parents on bicycles/ motorcycles for 2 or 3. Richer ones in cars with no seat belts or air bags.

The first time I used a modern toilet I squatted on it for I only know the bucket toilet.

Our children will not know the danger of visiting the outdoor toilet at night nor jumping in fright when the man collect the bucket when you are doing your business.

Toilet paper is torn up newspaper on a hook which you have to crumble first.  White toilet paper is an unknown luxury until I left home.

Riding in the back of a taxi was a special treat. 

We went to the jungle to catch spiders without worries of Aedes mosquitoes.

The worst disease you could get as a child is 'lock jaw' which every child knows is caused by rusty nails.

With mere 7 pebbles (stones) would be a endless game. With a ball (tennis ball best) we boys would run like crazy for hours.

We caught guppies in drains / canals and when it rained,  we swam there.

We ate salty, very sweet & oily food, candies, bread and real butter and drank condensed milk coffee/ tea, ice kacang, but we weren't overweight because we ran and cycled all day.

We fell out of trees, got cut, broke bones and teeth and we still continued the stunts.

We never had birthdays parties till we were 21

We rode bikes or walked to a friend's house and just yelled for them! 

We don't know what is "Bumiputra"......

When parents found out we were caned in school, it's certain we would get another round. Parents always sided with the teachers.

We fly kites with string coated with pounded glass powder and horse glue and we cut our hands on the string. Happiness is winning a kite fight with a local samsing.  I forgot, we also have to make our own kites to suit our 'fighting style'.

We are the last generation to know how to use logarithm tables and slide rulers.

AND I believe this generation produces the best parents because we remember the hard times.

CONGRATULATIONS!

You might want to share this with others who have had the luck to grow up as kids, before the government 'regulated' our lives for good !!

And while you are at it, forward it to your kids so they will know how brave their parents were.

P/S: -The big font used is because of Long-sightedness or hyperopia at our age.

Once were weeds, now superfoods

Source: http://www.foodmatters.tv/articles-1/once-were-weeds-now-superfoods

 

By Graham Osbourne, The Sydney Morning Herald

What makes a plant a weed? The definition is subjective and very much dependent on context but if it's of a hardy nature, invasive and nobody really likes it very much, greenery is more likely to be viewed as a pest than premium growth.

But once a weed, not always a weed. Some traditionally undesirable flora have been rebranded of late as easy-to-grow brain boosters, cancer fighters and natural antibiotics.

Dandelion - the Cancer Fighter

Commonly regarded as a pesky weed, Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) is now the subject of countless scientific studies investigating its ability to fight cancer.

Dandelion is a perennial plant with jagged, bright green leaves to 30cm long, a hollow flower stem to 30cm and one terminal yellow daisy.

It's rich in vitamins A, B complex, C and D, minerals including iron, potassium and zinc, and has been used for centuries in traditional Native American and Chinese medicine.

In recent years, medical studies have found evidence that dandelion either suppresses or decreases the growth of several kinds of cancer, including leukaemia, breast cancer and prostate cancer.

Dandelion is also a key ingredient in liver cleansing formulas because it stimulates the flow of bile from the liver and helps to break down liver fats.

Young dandelion leaves and flower petals can be used in salads, steamed, or added to stir-fries. For dandelion leaf tea, add boiling water to six broad, tender dandelion leaves, let stand for 10 minutes and add a little sweetener. Dandelion roots can be roasted to make a caffeine-free coffee substitute.

Gotu Kola - the Pharmaceutical flower

Gotu kola (Centella asiatica), also known as Asian pennywort, is a perennial with small kidney-shaped leaves that is commonly found in warmer parts of Australia. It has been shown to boost brain function and is effective in treating wounds and varicose veins.

Described as "a pharmacy in one herb", gotu kola contains vitamins A, B, C and D and minerals including calcium, chromium, cobalt, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, sodium, potassium, selenium, silica and zinc.

It has been used for thousands of years in India and China to improve mental clarity, heal wounds and treat respiratory infections, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center (UMM).

Gotu kola is commonly used today to treat varicose veins and chronic venous insufficiency, a condition where blood vessels lose their elasticity, causing blood to pool in the legs, which then become swollen.

Gotu kola also contains compounds called triterpenoids, which have been shown to help heal wounds. "Some studies suggest that triterpenoids strengthen the skin, boost antioxidants in wounds and increase blood supply to the area," says UMM. "Based on these findings, gotu kola has been applied to the skin, or topically, for minor burns, psoriasis, preventing scars after surgery, and preventing or reducing stretchmarks."

Gotu kola has no equal in the treatment of general debility and decline, says Isabell Shipard in her comprehensive guidebook, 'How Can I Use Herbs In My Daily Life?'

"It is one of the most important rejuvenating herbs, particularly valued for revitalising nerve and brain cells, improving reflexes, helping digestion and promoting calmness," says Sunshine Coast-based Shipard.

"It's also a herb that students have used for renewing mental alertness and energy levels without the ‘jitteriness' some people may experience with coffee."

Shipard believes every person can benefit from taking gotu kola. "Start with eating two to three leaves 3cm in diameter, then, if desired and after several weeks, increase to five or six leaves.

Nasturtium - the Fast-Acting Natural antibiotoic

Nasturtium (Tropaelum majus), once a scorned weed but these days described as a "vigorous ground sprawler" is a hardy flowering plant from the mustard family and a fast-acting natural antibiotic.

Nasturtium’s peppery-tasting, saucer-shaped leaves and its brightly-coloured, trumpet-shaped flowers are both high in vitamin C and also contain vitamins B1, B2 and B3, as well as iron, calcium, phosphorus and manganese.

The oils of the nasturtium plant contain carotenoids and flavionoids - compounds that have been shown to boost the immune system and protect against carcinogens.

A combination of extracts from nasturtium and horseradish root was found to be effective in treating urinary tract infection (UTI), according to a 2006 study published in the Arzneimittel-Forschung journal. The study found that volatile mustard oils from the two plants killed or inhibited the growth of microorganisms like bacteria and were an effective treatment for both UTI and upper respiratory infections.

Source: http://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/diet-and-fitness/once-were-weeds--now-superfoods-20120823-24om9.html

Bikers, Riders or wachamacallit...

Browsing through some photos, and I just have to post these up my blog. Taken some years back when we were actively riding...yes, we were everywhere...Bentong, Ulu Langat, Genting Sempah, KKB-Fraser, Port Dickson, Sepang coast, Putrajaya.

Here are some funny shots from one of our Putrajaya rides.


What happened?!?!?!

Punctured bike tube.

But replacing it turned into lotsa fun for these 2. hahahahah!
Syok man! Pusing sini sana...

Things riders do when they are not on their bikes...trying their new pumps!

Use your imagination and it can get....funny.....or....err....hahahahaha!!

I better dig out more photos from our rides and blog about it.

AMKAN!

No.4...boo hoo hoo!  (AMKAN means cursing inside)

The closest to a podium finish...so close yet so far...sob...sob...

This was the Intermark Towerthon, a climb of 59 storeys.

Before the climb began, I saw Ronnie....then...Casey...then...Cecil...that's when I knew my chances of podium finish went blowing with the wind. They were far better than me.

 From the results, it's clear. I'm not a podium quality...yet. Hahaha...sob...sob...
I was still 1min behind 3rd place.

 And as usual, Michelle will be in top5. This time, she's the champion! Wow!!!

 The podium finishers of Intermark Towerthon