In the Night Sky

A simple line from my son has touched me so deep that I have no second thought to leave my full-time job in order to spend more quality time with him.

One evening, while enjoying our family dinner at home, my boy said "I hope to enjoy dining like this together as a family everyday."

Although I knew exactly what he meant, I responded by saying "Didn't we always have good food and going for fine dining at nice restaurants together as a family every now and then?"

"Yes" he replied, "but it is not exactly like how I am enjoying it now at home. I like to be eating at home everyday with you and pa during dinner time and chit chatting while we eat our dinner."

So the message from my son is clear cut - His mummy should not be spending too long hours in her office. Only coming home in the later part of the evening when dinner time has long passed and having so little time left for him. Sometimes not even having the time or space to accommodate a good conversation with him. And what's worse, only to check whether he has completed his school assignments or has he done his tests well and then telling him to get to bed early.

Almost a year now, since I resigned from my banking job, I am thoroughly enjoying myself doing the things I want to do. Needless to say, having the world of time with my two children, especially my boy.

The first thing my boy does each day when he comes home from a tired day at school will be to stand at the gate and greet "Hello". Next, he will leave his schoolbag aside and walk over to check what has been prepared for his lunch. At times is what has been prepared for his snack because he has arrived home late after staying back in school for some extra activities. I always enjoy seeing his elated and appreciative expression when he sees something nice has been prepared for him. I can just stare at him tucking into his yummy dish and feel that sense of satisfaction for staying at home.

There are also days when he come straight home worn out but still cannot wait to share with me certain happy or funny incidents that occurred in his class or to his classmates. With his school uniform still on, he will lie flat on my bed and start laughing and talking about what happened earlier in his class or to his classmates. We will then talk about it and laugh together heartily. Most of the time, we will also poke more jokes with the topics.

This is an impromptu poem he just composed and asked that I published it on my blog. The title is "In the Night Sky". So, please do enjoy it with me.

What do you see that I don't?

What do you know that I don't?

What are you thinking that I'm not?

I see a light at the edge of the night's sky.

I know after the darkness of the night,

comes the light of the morning.

And

I think tomorrow will be a great day.





Writer: Doris Teo

A lover of nature. I truly enjoy and thank God for the abundant beauties around us created by HIM. Feel free to also visit my other blog . URL: http://www.doristeo.com

Manga and Anime

My teenaged boy is very into manga and anime. This seems to be an inthing for his generation, I thought. Then, I was told it is not just for them.

Japanese manga and anime is for all ages, both for the males and females. It is everywhere in the form of wallpapers, comics, movies and even songs. Naruto and Bleach are some of the common names you can hear animecrazy carrying with them on their lips everywhere they meet.

Even the ever famous Korean drama "Winter Sonata" has been turned into animation. Have you ever seen the famous Korean drama, “Winter Sonata”? If you have not or missed it or simply love it, here’s your chance to watch it again soon, in anime style! Winter Sonata is a love story starred by Bae Yong Joon and Choi Ji Woo. Bae Yong Joon will voice his own character from the drama series. I am sure, if you are a fan of these two Korean superstars, you will want to support Winter Sonata anime even if you have already watched the original drama.

However, just an alert. Beware of attack sites . Due to the huge wave of manga and anime, many of these popular sites have been turned into attack sites. Make sure you have a reliable antivirus software. Attack sites will try to install programs that steal private information, use your computer to attack others, or damage your system. Some attack sites intentionally distribute harmful software, but many are compromised without the knowledge or permission of their owners.

So be careful. Don't let your passion turns into a nightmare.

Avoid Eating Chicken Wings

Avoid eating chicken wings frequently - ladies especially, a true story…! Wait, hang on, please read what I am about to share with you below.

Recently while eating with my sister-in-law, I was advised not to eat the pointed tips of the chicken wings. She has been informed by some people that the bulk of cholesterol of the chickens are stored in the tips of their wings. The term "wastage" immediately crossed my mind. As for me, the wing, especially the tip when grilled, is the best part of the whole bird. Anyway, better be safe than to be sorry, I thought.

Today, I received an email from a friend with the same advice, that is to avoid eating the chicken wings. Her advice did not mention anything about high cholesterol but it is about the use of steroid on chickens. I decide to reproduce it here for more people to share the story and you decide for yourself whether to continue eating the wings or to avoid them.

Chicken Wings - Its Dangerous

Avoid eating chicken wings frequently - ladies, especially; a true story...!

A friend of mine recently had a growth in her womb and she underwent an operation to remove the cyst. The cyst removed was filled with a dark colored blood. She thought that she would be recovered after the surgery but she was terribly wrong.
A relapse occurred just a few months later. Distressed , she rushed down to her gynecologist for a consultation.

During her consultation, her doctor asked her a question that puzzled her. He asked if she was a frequent consumer of chicken wings and she replied yes wondering as to how, he knew of her eating habits.

You see, the truth is in this modern day and age; chickens are injected with steroids to accelerate their growth so that the needs of this society can be met. This need is none other than the need for food. Chickens that are injected with steroids are usually given the shot at the neck or the wings. Therefore, it is in these places that the highest concentration of steroids exists. These steroids have terrifying effects on the body as it accelerates growth. It has an even more dangerous effect in the presence of female hormones, this leads to women being more prone to the growth of a cyst in the womb.
Therefore, I advise the people out there to watch their diets and to lower their frequency of consuming chicken wings!

People, who receive this email, please forward it to your friends and loved ones.
I am sure no one wants to see him or her suffer!

Before posting the above email content, I have actually done an online search for similar advices or warnings. To my astonishment, there are thousands of such similar warnings circulating for a long time.

In fact, if you randomly do an online search, you will notice that the so-called steroid used is actually the recombinant chicken or bovine growth hormone, used not only on chickens but also on fish such as juvenile coho salmon Oncorhynchus kisutch) and tilapia to significantly improve their growth rate.

On the other hand, you may also want to read up from this site which pointed out that the claim on growth hormones injected into chicken wings cause ovarian cyst in women is not true.

If you have any other useful information, I would be glad if you can also share them with me.

Thanks.

Home-made Es Apokat

I have successfully concocted the Es Apokat, my favourite dessert. The dessert I very much like to order each time when I patronise at Tambuah Mas, a halal restaurant that serve very appetitizing Indonesian home-style cuisine.


The Es Apokat from Tambuah Mas is made from fresh avocado puree with drizzle of mocca syrup.

My recipe for my home-made Es Apokat is made with the following:

Ingredients

• 1 ripe avocado (lightly press the head of the fruit to check if the avocado is soft)
• 3 tablespoon of honey
• 1/2 teaspoon of nescafe instant coffee
  
• dash of nescafe instant coffee
  
• 2 small cube of ice
• 120ml of ice water

Steps

• half the avocado & remove the seed
• scoop out all the meat of the avocado & place them into your blender
• pour in 120ml of ice water
• add 2 small cube of ice
  
• add 1/2 teaspoon of nescafe instant coffee
• add 3 tablespoon of honey
• blend all the above ingredients till they turn into a smooth puree
• scoop out all the puree into a glass
• sprinkle a little nescafe instant coffee on top of the puree

So simple & you can now enjoy your very own home-made Es Apokat.

I suggest for some people who do not enjoy coffee flavour, perhaps can consider trying replacing the nescafe instant coffee with cocoa powder, chocolate or milo.

Personally, I like it with coffee flavour. Please try it out & let me know how you like it, ok?