MayaKirana

It’s been way too busy for me these past 2 weeks.

First I was in Langkawi for 3 days and when I got back, I was whisked away by my 2 girlfriends for a girls’ only weekend getaway (it happened right here in Penang la, I didn’t go anywhere exotic but just had an overnight in Evergreen Laurel) and now that I am catching my breath a bit, I will be packing again to go off to Kuching for a week.

And when I get back after that, I will be going off for the gala dinner in KL (remember the MWW Awards thingy?)

It culminates in a posh dinner in The Westin and an audience with the Tengku Puan Pahang, Tunku Hajjah Azizah).Actually I met the Tunku about 2 years ago when she launched a fertility website we designed for a client but that’s another story for another rainy day.

A scheduled luncheon meet with Datuk Dr Ng Yen Yen was also in order about two days after the gala dinner but I declined. I decided that I would really need a rest after such frenzy and though meeting Datuk Dr Ng would be a treat, I think too many things leave me too breathless.

My sis had sms-ed me that my face was in the MWW magazine this month but I had hardly any chance to pop into a bookstore to grab a copy (what with me going about Georgetown like a typical tourist).

Luckily my staff bought a copy and was raring to show it to me when I got into the office this afternoon. If you could, do SMS and vote for yours truly. I would be deeply grateful and honoured if I do win any of the awards on 15 August (when the gala dinner is scheduled and the winners announced). My 15 minutes’ claim to fame, so to speak!

I will be in Kuching for a bit of R&R but all my so-called R&R’s are often fun and productive for business too. This time, I will be meeting two friends of mine when I am in Cat City. We’re going for a reading at BING, one of the local cafes next Sunday.

Well, Robert will be doing a reading since he is the published author (his new book is out now so here is a shameless plug for a dear friend and client *smile*) but it seems he intends to drag me there so I can help him do a reading! Let’s see what happens.

I hope to blog more once I am in Kuching. Work in the office often leaves me with very little time to blog which is a delicious irony because most of my work revolves around writing! Such is the case for most people anyway. The paying work gets done first before anything else. Ouch.

Hope to write about a tonne of stuff I did over the past week and my girly-girl weekend which was slightly marred (imagine sitting between 2 arguing women and both are my good pals from uni!). Errgh!

I rarely get upset. I rarely lose my cool. I think life’s best enjoyed if one is optimistic and happy not glum and sullen.

But I got mad and I turned from friendly fish to grumpy shark two days ago.

Because of some people’s impertinence.

Sigh.

Most of you who know me know I am the last person to explode and short-circuit. So it had better be something truly freaking mad to get my knickers all knotted up. Continue reading »

If you are a fan of Robert Raymer and his books, you’ll be pleased to know that Robert will be in KL on 26 July to launch his newly published book, Lovers & Strangers Revisited under MPH.

Robert used to be my creative writing teacher when I was in USM. He read one of my soppiest stories ever. That piece still makes me cringe if I re-read it.

And now he is our client. What a strange way fate brings people together.

We’ve now become firm friends and pop by to visit him and his family whenever we get to Kuching, Nic’s hometown.

Anyway, don’t fret if you can’t make it for Robert’s KL reading. He will be here in Penang, at the Penang Street Market on 31 August to sign books and read from his new book (pssst.. this is how his new book looks like).

Check out Eric Forbes’ blog for more info on Robert’s book launch and more. (Eric is a book editor by the way.)

It’s time we did something about those ugly pink plastic bags. The kind you get with everything you buy, from a loaf of Gardenia to Maggi mee.

Nic and I have stopped using plastic bags for some time now because it’s truly bad for the environment. You see, I think we aren’t idiots but sometimes people need to realize that plastic bags are firstly harmful to the environment before they get going. I have seen perfectly smart people doing dumb things when they don’t realize it.

So yes, a kick in the butt is in order. But a gentle kick because like all things Tao, there’s no pressure like gentle pressure.

I got this in my email today since I am an MNS member. Read on and spread the word!

And say no to plastic bags!

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Join celebrities Harith Iskandar, Stephanie Chai, Joanna Bessey and many more at “The No Plastic Bag Concert”, an event to promote green living.

Date : 17 July 2008
Time : 7.00pm - 10.30pm
Venue : Ballroom, Eastin Hotel - light refreshments

Admission by donation : Minimum RM 50

There will be fashion shows, musical performances, green kiosks and an MNS booth.

Appearances and performances by Atilia, Chelsia Ng, Dennis Lau, Harith Iskandar, Ida Mariana, Janet Lee, Joanna Bassey, Miss Malaysia Universe 2008, Levi Li, Mia Palencia, Nell Ng, Peter Ong, Stephanie Chai, TP Lim, Tria, Sharizan Borhan, Xandria Ooi, Yang Wei Han, and many more!

This fundraising concert is jointly organised by Yayasan Nanyang Foundation & The Recyclists and supported by LiuLiGongFang.

Get your tickets at the MNS office or call MNS [ 03 - 2287 9422 ] for details.

This concert is part of Project Daily Million, a project to enlist 1 million people to make a daily pledge to reduce, reuse and recycle 1 plastic bag a day.

Visit http://www.projectdailymillion.com

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As promised, some photos from my last trip to KL.

Click here to get my Flickr photos

Finally, I’m back. I’ve been missing for a while - more than a week - due to a couple of things. Well, one thing is that here’s a big shoutout to my best pal and courageous friend, Janarthani who is now a councillor with the Kuala Langat district in Selangor.

I am so proud of you Jana! This woman has been my best pal since I was 10. I’m still amazed how long our friendship has endured. Jana by herself is a powerhouse - she’s a lecturer, she is doing her Masters in Theatre (this gal does great on the stage), she is an activist fighting for the local community of Sungai Sedu (in Kuala Langat) and now she’s a councillor.

I caught up with her when I was back in Selangor last week. To everyone who’s in KL and whom I did not manage to meet up with, do forgive me. It was a sudden trip and one which left me quite breathless.

Sudden because I was nominated for the Malaysian Women’s Weekly Great Women of Our Time Awards. Sudden because I had to fly in for a photo shoot (by the veritable photographer extraordinaire, Jen Siow) and interview for print and a video taping session last Thursday at The Westin KL. Continue reading »

If you know me, you know I’m big on making stuff myself. I’m also a big experimenter.

Last Saturday, I bought a 1 kg of roselle for RM4 from Lorong Kulit to make my own Ribena.

Roselle is a tropical fruit from the Hibiscus family; the fruit has 5 lobes or calyxes of the deepest velvety maroon.

What’s great about this fruit is that you can make your own natural ribena drink! It’s full of vitamin C and according to the fruit seller, it helps reduces cholesterol and prevents hypertension.

If eaten as it is, it is tart! So tart your ears will start growing. I suggest you make it into a drink. Below is a photo of the roselle seeds after you’ve peeled the calyxes.

How to make roselle syrup
To make your own roselle syrup, peel 1 kg of the fruit. Discard the seeds. What you want is the calyxes.

Into a pot, add these calyxes with 4 cups of caster sugar and 4 cups water. Bring to a boil, uncovered . Then simmer gently for 45 minutes or until water has been reduced by half and there’s a sticky, jelly-like consistency. Let it cool and store in a glass jar in the fridge.

You can discard the boiled calyxes but if you want a good chew, don’t throw it away.

When you want a refreshing drink, take 1 tablespoon of this roselle syrup and mix with cold water. Stir well and enjoy!

But what if you don’t have 1 kg of roselle but have a handful? Then you can make a weak roselle tea. Peel enough calyx, add water and boil for 15 minutes. Sweeten with honey and serve. If you have 1 kg like me, it’s best to make the syrup and store for later consumption.

I was telling Nic that I should have bloody gone for the recent Estee Lauder Model Search when they were doing the model makeover roadshow in Queensbay on 31 May. I only read about it when my sis gave me a bunch of her CLEO and Malaysian Women’s Weekly (she only buys mags to clip out the contest forms… and then she passes them all to me).

If you asked me at 24 if I wanted to join such a competition (it is a competition, let’s be brutally honest about it), I’d have run a mile in the other direction.

Then again, there’s something decidedly odd about turning 34. I guess the clock of mortality and age and boldness and vanity tell me that if I want to do something, might as well go ahead and do it. Continue reading »

This is my 250th post since 2005.

And today is also World Environment Day.

On reflection, I think I am a good environmentalist. Nic and I have made the environment one of those causes that we support heartily.

JOIN MNS & MAKE YOUR MONEY WORK

Starting last year, I became an MNS member so that I could channel some money towards Mother Nature especially to safekeep what we currently have. I’ve also learnt so much from the monthly MNS newsletters.

This morning, I read about bats in the June MNS newsletter (I have a tendency to read while having breakfast). Pahang is one of the best places on earth to see a variety of bats (which are mammals by the way). We have about 65 species of bats. The other place which comes close with some 50 species is the French Guyana. See the things you learn about Malaysia when you support a local cause? I encourage you to join as an MNS member - if only to know that your money is going towards saving endangered animals. Do good for only RM6 a day. I am sure your latte costs much more than that. Continue reading »

My Grandma celebrated her 90th birthday on Sunday, with as usual a Chinese-style banquet. This time we had the celebration at Taipan Fins, Northam Hotel. 4 tables in a superbly narrow private room (definitely not for fat folks).

We also realised that good food cannot be found in hotels, well, at least at the Penang hotels I’ve eaten at! What annoyed us all terribly (some 4 generations of a large extended family of 40 or so people, but this is just about 3/4 of the actual clan) was that service was bad. Continue reading »