This is a quick plug for a friend of mine whose work will be shown this coming weekend at The Actors Studio, Green Hall, Penang.
Krista Goon
Networking for Penangites…Women Only
Jo and I had been toying with the idea for a few months now. In fact, I had the idea last year and she had the idea even before her daughter was born (her daughter is now 2 plus!). When she brought it up in a conversation, I’d agreed heartily knowing that it was truly godsend.
Yesterday, we managed to group together about 7 women all together in Jo’s shop for our first ever networking meet for women business owners in Penang. We felt it was the right time because we were both longing for something to happen in Penang. Instead of sitting around and hoping something would fall into our laps, we’d decided we would just do it, to borrow a phrase from Nike.
The Relationship of Blogging
I got around to thinking about blogging last week because a friend, J, had asked me to help her out with her upcoming college literary day. She was looking for a variety of speakers to talk to her college students and hopefully get them all fired up about oral and verbal aspects of the English language.
Chuan Bee's Hainan Delights
Chuan Bee is a narrow, nondescript coffeeshop in downtown Penang (China Street, off Pitt Street’s Kuan Im Teng or Goddess of Mercy Temple) which at first glance seems to be rather ‘biasa’.
“I think this is it.” Aunt Jo peered into the shop. Aunt Jo had only been in Chuan Bee once but she believed she remembered the shop based on the old man she saw.
We were craving for roti babi. My aunts, my sis and I took this opportunity to get some good chow. And the mere mention of Hainanese food can make me drive miles and miles to get some.
Can You Write?
I came across this article today and thought I’d share it with everyone. I’ve been on Malaysian forums whereby women (yes, homemakers are mostly women) ask about work-at-home job opportunities. They ask for jobs. But the way I see it, if the job is not forthcoming, there is no reason why you can’t go out and get something done.
For instance, writing. Good writers are HARD to come by. Good writers know their craft and they know how to turn boring into beautiful. If you have writing skills, use them to give yourself a job instead of waiting for one. It is not right for educated women to ask for jobs stuffing envelopes – my god, did we all go to uni just so we could stay home and stuff freaking envelopes?
Green Bean Paste in Fluffy Pastry
I never eat tau sar pneah because I am a Penangite. And I cannot remember the last time I bought nutmeg.
These two local produce are synonymous with Penang. And tourist or outstation visitor to the island of Penang will often buy these as gifts and remembrances of this foodie paradise.
Ashes to Ashes
Reading about the student who gave up his organs so that others could have a new life prompted me to think about the time I signed up to be an organ donor.
This was back when I was a undergraduate in USM. It was during one of those semester breaks when I had gone home to Selangor, happily announcing to my parents that I had pledged my organs – I cannot remember which organs I pledged but the major ones were included (I don’t have 20/20 eyesight so maybe no one would want my eyes).
Bitter Potions and a Temporary Herbivore
I’m quite proud of the fact that I managed to go on a full vegetarian diet for the past one week.
Oh, it’s not because of Wesak Day that I decided to become a temporary herbivore. I don’t think I am the type to follow trends – I know of people who fulfill a strict vegetarian diet due to religious reasons but I am not one of them.
PhD of a Snail
I got a questionnaire in my postbox this morning. It wasn’t stamped which means it was hand-delivered.
It had this official USM letter stapled to it, and anything USM makes me curious (me being an alumni and knowing USM usually means something odd or another). I read it and found that it was a request to answer the attached survey from a post-grad student doing his PhD.
I like helping people. I don’t mind filling up surveys if I know it’s for a good cause. Or an academic exercise. God knows it was trying when I was doing my thesis the last round.
But the more I read, the more I think: heck, this student does not deserve my help at all because he’s a lazy jackass.
Mad Start, Mad Week
I thought I could get some rest after my hectic KL trip but it seems that it’s not to be! There should be a holiday after a holiday as post-holiday is just as bad as pre-holiday. Anyway, the upside is, I work for myself so if I think I can wing it, I can just vegetate in front of the TV (tsk, tsk….).
But I am also the sort to feel utterly guilty if I don’t engage in some form of productive work. I think this ‘guilt phobia’ of mine is debilitating; it punctures some of the best moments of lepak!
Nic on the other hand can be such a hippo. He can laze about, or lie about and be so carefree about life even when deadlines are approaching. Maybe that’s why women cannot gain the upperhand in this battle of the sexes; we’ve never learnt how to let go and relax when it’s needed.
But it’s a mad start to a mad week. I can foresee a number of appointments this week which would eat up my time. I’ve got a proposal to complete (which I am not looking forward to – I mean, who looks forward to doing proposals?), I’ve also got a KL friend coming up to visit and I get to be her driver for the day (hurray for me… hmmm) and I’ve got a Mother’s Day lunch to plan for later this week.