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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Musings
MWW Photo Shoot in KL
As promised, some photos from my last trip to KL.
Click here to get my Flickr photos
A Hurricane of A Trip
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.
Making All Natural Ribena
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.
A Godmother Called Miss V
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.
5 Easy Ways to Green Your Lifestyle
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.
My Fondest Thoughts
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.
Enter the Big Mac Contender
You know the recent McDonalds’ Big Mac Chant? The one where you get a free Big Mac when you successfully do the Big Mac Chant under 4 seconds?
Well, Jian Ming‘s currently our intern at Redbox Studio and she loves a good challenge and she wants to marry both her video skills and her super fast chanting (this gal can chant better than anyone I know).
It was something that came up suddenly and we thought, hey why not support this creative gal and help her film the video at our Sungai Dua McDonalds around dinner time last night. We did this for a laugh and a chuckle last night (ya, nothing gets the ideas and adrenaline going like a looming deadline… like today’s the deadline for the video submission) and we hope she really wins the judges’ hearts and win the biggie, RM10K offered for the best video.
Of course, voting is needed so if you could, pretty please go and vote for her video. Of course, you need to register first when you get to the Nuffnang website.
I’m probably partial but I think her video has to be one of the funniest, best edited ones ever.
Way to go, Jian Ming!
Oh, must add a huge disclaimer – she really isn’t that ‘lan si’ in real life (she’s acting in the video my friends). Yes, I can vouch that she’s utterly sweet and self-effacing.
The theme song is specially dedicated to Derek, my BBC friend. And Kenny Sia, if you’re pinged with this, jangan marah ye! After all, Nic’s 100 per cent Sarawakian… agi idup agi ngelaban. 😉
Yup, the things we do in the office! But what’s life if it’s not lived fun and fabulously right?
What do you all think of the video? Can win RM10K or not?
Orchid Love
Got up this morning only to realise I had promised Kanda, the chairman of Malaysian Nature Society, that I’d be dropping off some stuff for their jumble sale next Sunday. (If you go to the MNS Jumble sale on 1 June, you will see some of my stuff there! Eeek! I can imagine someone walking around wearing some baju of mine!)
We reached MNS at the Botanic Garden just in time to see him locking the gate. Thank god he was still around and we managed to drop off our old clothes, knick-knacks, old books and CD jewel cases (plenty of those).
Nic and I had nothing planned for the morning except maybe grab some brunch but we spied some horticultural event happening not far from the MNS premises. Anything horticultural is my cup of teh tarik. I love plants. I love flowers. I consider myself rather good at nurturing plants.
Blinking Once, Twice…
I woke up thinking I wanted to write about my heros, Indiana Jones, David Archuleta and David Cook (what dishyness!) but got sidetracked because I read the papers. (Side note: I think Archuleta will win but Cook is a real looker!)
I often read the papers at the end of the day, when I cannot be riled up much. Sometimes though I forget and start flipping through the day’s news and then I get pissed off.
Pissed off at the news.