DISK KO?

Diskettes still in my collection

My First Contact


I remember these diskettes very well for the fear they gave me in using the computer for teaching 10 years ago. I still keep them but am unable to retrive the stored data. I learnt computer literacy a lot from these humble diskettes and later graduated to zip drives and CDs.   Now? Am quite IT savvy and the laptop keyboard is asking for mercy from me for thumping and whacking them non-stop.

WORDLE

MUDDLE & WORLDE

Tried this programme as my ICT teaching tool for my students. Easy to use and free.  Just need to type the words that you want to stress in your notes, presentation or poster and the programme will create a randomise pattern. Yu can change the font, colours and layout.  The kids love it!  So do I.

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src="http://www.wordle.net/thumb/wrdl/5932251/pbe"

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A PETAI A DAY KEEPS THE DOCTOR AWAY



Bought these at Kota Tinggi

Along Pontian.  Stopped to grab some petai pods. 

 Petai is commonly served in a Malay family dish
 
The humps on the pods are full and firm



Slit the pod and peel it open to get to the seed

All ready to be cooked




The pods grow in bunches


 



Organic microphones growing from a tree?







No.  They grow into these.




Petai with tempeh












Sambal prawn with petai.  Oolalla....


 



Petai cooked with minced meat

PETAI - DO YOU REALLY STINK?

Bought a bunch of these beans which mercilessly has been refered to as the stink beans. I always fry them lightly with chilly, anchovies and tempeh. They can also be added into my prawn sambal.  At the same time I also love popping them raw into my mouth. Crunchy yet they will leave a pungent smell emitting from your mouth. Another dish to cook petai is to add it to your minced meat with chilly, garlic and salted beans. Do you know the wonders of these well-loved beans of our grannys'/ grandpas' and parents' time?

Scientifically known as Parka Speciosa. Contains protein, potassium, phosphorus, natural sugars, iron, fibre, Vitamin A and minerals. Natural remedy for depression, high blood pressure, morning sickness, PMS, constipation, heart burns, calming the nerves, ulcers, temperature control, stress buster, reduce chances of getting a stroke, remove warts and even get rid of that damn hangovers.

Many other cultures see petai as a 'cooling' fruit that can lower both the physical and emotional temperature of expectant mothers. In Holland, for example, pregnant women eat petai to ensure their baby is born with a cool temperature. 

The list of good things does not end there.  It's a brain power food and cure for mosquito bites. It helps in weight control when you are struck with panic-induced food craving. Petai can also help people trying to give up smoking. The B6, B12 they contain, as well as the potassium and magnesium found in them, help the body recover from the effects of nicotine withdrawal.

Petai belalang (Leucaena leucocephala) is known among diabetic patients in Malaysia and Singapore for its blood glucose lowering properties. Some people dry the pods, steep it in hot water and drink it for some kidney problems.  However, as to this remedy being scientifically proven, I am not too sure. There is no point in risking further damage to your kidneys by using folk remedies that have not been scientifically tested for efficacy and toxicity.  
I bought another bunch of petai on my way to Pontian yeserday. The Javanese lady who sold me said that the species is Petai padi, good for cooking and cooling the body. Petai padi is harder to peel but has a thicker hump than Petai papan. Another specie is the Petai belalang (tusk) and as the name suggests, they are longer and have bigger pods.

So, as you can see, petai really is a natural remedy for many ills. When you compare it to an apple, it has four times the protein, twice the carbohydrates, three times the phosphorus, five times the vitamin A and iron, and twice the other vitamins and minerals. It is also rich in potassium and is one of the best value foods around. So maybe its time to change that well-known phrase so that we say, 'A Petai a day keeps the doctor away'.

One downside though. Just watchout for the smell coming out from your mouth and when you go to the washroom. The smell overpowers the whole bathroom. A little price to pay for a host of good things!! Friends, keep your distance away from me this week.

VADEH DAY!

My vadeh is ready

The huge prawns nestle on top of the dough

'V' FOR VADEH

What better way to spend the last few hours of Sunday with a plate of vadeh. I just used the pre-mix flour but was generous with the king- sized prawns. I added diced onions, green chilly and some curry leaves to increase the flavour and fragrance.

It takes some expertise and time to make the batter into the doughnut shape so that you can slab the prawn on top of it. You try to shape it on your open palm. I lay a piece of plastic on my palm to shape it so that it would not be too sticky.  Also, it will make peeling the dough easy when you want to put it in the hot oil.

The right consistency of mixture has to be achieved for a soft texture of your fried vadeh. You do not want your dentures to be dangling on the dough while taking a bite through that ring of cooked hard dough.

Vadeh is an Indian snack but is popular with everyone because it is filling and fragrance.

MENTOR-CUM-MOTHER



We share proudly our students' work here



A victory corner for a deserving win



My treasure trove of teaching materials

  

It's preppy day and back to college.




We are a sounding board to one another 





A borrowing corner. Amanda with my pearls



A bottle a day keeps the migraine away




Happy birthday Giles



Keeping healthy is important

All actions are impromptu but sincere 



A birthday celebration is welcome here












A modelling corner

 

Our craziest moments - tasting sourish jellies



Let's take a break and enjoy ourselves

A hug for you and me

An eye for an eye

A box of brownies for my young teachers



Bride-to-be and mummy-to-be corner too!


















OH MDM MAMA!

I mentor young teachers and they constantly seek advice from me on many areas - classroom management, teaching pedagogy, professional development, suitable courses to attend, balancing work and life harmony and also matters of the heart involving their loved ones.

They would come to my table and share with me their concern on anything and everything. Last Friday, a group of them was crowding and sharing with me about their coming baby and wedding plans. Like young school girls, they were giggling and laughing sharing their hopes and  plans with me. I feel so much like their mothers.

What else happens near my cubicle?  Sometimes there's a birthday celebration and a ruckus is created. Wishes are made and the cake is cut. Hand shakes and hugs are exchanged. Sometimes, someone will grab a chair and is all ready to break into tears.  Who says teaching is an easy job will be clobbered by me immediately. When such cases happen, I will offer my listening ear and a box of Kleenex.  A comforting wrap around the shoulders would do wonder to the person. I let the person pour out her floodgate of emotions before sharing my two cents worth of view.

My corner is also a place where a lot of teaching props are kept.  Whenever I need them, I will just fish out and bring them to class.  These props colour my lessons, making them memorable and authentic.  That is how I relate lessons to the students' daily lives and heighten the relevance of the lesson. We also congratulate students at my table and immortalise their victory and proudest moments with a photography session.

At other times, some one would want to take a photograph because we have dressed similarly or starkly different.  At times, my friends just want to share on a new purchase and would like to show me their new possession. Food is also what my young ones would ransack for at my table.  They have had home-prepared macaroni, nasi goreng, mee goreng, sandwiches, shepherd pie, biscuits and the life-saver Kit Kat.

What else has happened?  My place has become a hug corner where the young ones drop by  to give me a hug or ask a hug from me.  It's so wonderful truly to be wanted and appreciated that way. My table has become a congregation for us to do silly and stupid things behind the students so that we would not be caught red handed and be their laughing stock. We have made ourselves a fool by observing whose face was the ugliest upon sucking a very sourish sweet. Oh...but it was so much fun and hilarious.

My workstation has become a tonic drinking corner too where we down brands essence of chicken to keep our immune system up!  Too many MC is not too good because there would be a lot of catching up to be done. My station has also become a motivation corner where successes are celebrated and words to feed and nourish the passion in teaching are given generously.

Don't think that nothing serious never happens at my place.  It has been a place where we bounce ideas and plan what's good for the students and the staff.  Numerous discussions have taken place here on setting of exam papers, marking and running of school programmes. We have cried and fought for our students. Discussions on how to improve our students' performance and the exchange ideas on new strategies to stretch the potentials of our charges have taken place here too.

I love my corner.  It's big, warm and inviting.  You're welcome to pop in any time even if you do not know what to do there.  I will always give you some ideas to add more zest to your day!



SWEETLICIOUS SHIELA



That's Shiela, my student from 1986-1990.



As a clinic manager, she trains her staff too

My Shiela as graceful as ever when she was a dancer



I love my teacher with all my heart



Different races live harmoniously





Have a heart for each other





Pass wtih flying colours



It doesn't matter if you're black or white!

The students were thrilled to receive a cupcake each



Can't wait to put this into my mouth



I hope my students will pass with flying colours



Teaching is a passion.  It is not an interest.



CUPCAKES SHIELA

My ex-student Shiela had a nostalgic trip when she came back to YSS after so many years of hiatus. Too many memories came back to her, she said sounding emotional. The school had changed so much that it was difficult for her to link the past with the present.

Shiela was one of my Malay Dancers.  She was passionate about dancing and was a very discipline and graceful dancer. It was a sweetlicious moment for me and Shiela for I had asked Shiela to bake me some cupcakes for my students who would graduate soon. Every student of my class went over the moon upon receiving her Hershey brown chocolate cup cakes coated with white or brown chocolate and sprinkled with multi-coloured sugar-rice or sweets. 

According to Shiela whether we are brown or white, we are all the same.  The multi-coloured sugar rice and M&M symbolise the achievement and flying colours one should aim for in life.  She placed two heart-shaped chocolates in each box to remind the students that a perfect individual is one who possesses a heart for others.  Strong and impactful learning here!

Being a pioneer batch of the school in 1986-1990, Shiela felt strongly for the school and held fond memories of her school days, the teachers and her friends. Her passion is now baking and cooking.   

It is a gratifying feeling to have your former students visit you.  They still remember you even after a long time of separation.  The only difference now is that we are no longer talking on a student-teacher platform but as friends.

CRAVING SATISFIED

 

Finally served Kacang Pool for a beautiful Sunday





The garnishing to tempt you more

 

Ful Medames Anyone?

Otherwise known as Kacang Pool, a Middle Eastern dish commonly served during festive occasions and is a staple meal in Sudan. Have been craving for it and finally had it laid for a beautiful Sunday morning. Kacang pool is originally a middle-eastern dish called foul medames (or variants of it, depending on region).  It used to be commonly sold in Singapore but now it had made way to more exotic middle eastern dish.  And since those I tried was not very great, I decided to cook myself following my mum's recipe.  

My mum's recipe is easy to prepare.  Fennel seeds, coriander and cumin were pounded together with garlic.  The paste was fried with ghee.  I used ghee for it's aroma and fragrance. A teaspoon of curry powder was added together with some minced meat into the paste. The mashed ful medames was then added and cooked to boil. 

To garnish the dish you sprinkle some diced onions, tomatoes and sliced green chilly.  A squeeze of lime will add some zest to the dish.  To top it all, fry an egg or a mata lembu in ghee too. Serve with toasted baguette. Eat with your hands for best result for you need to tear the bread and scoop the beans together with the garnishing.  Atlast, my craving had been satisfied.  

Notice my cup? River Nile and Egypt are printed on it. If I couldn't be on a River Nile cruise  to enjoy Kacang Pool, sipping Nescafe from the cup will do.

Ahlan wasahlan.