The Chocolate Factory

Today I got to indulge in chocolates of various shapes and flavours.

It is said that eating a chocolate heightens desires, enhances moods and makes one calmer. Coupled by the fact that it was raining today,  it couldn't have been a more perfect day.  I love the rain, especially when I am indoors.

I can imagine Willy Wonka walking around the new Ringgit Malaysia 55 million industrial chocolate facility of  Guan Chong Berhad (GCB) located at PLOT D32, Jalan DPB/b, Port of Tanjung Pelepas in Gelang Patah,

The new facility with state-of-art machinery from Switzerland and Germany can churn out 10,000 metric tones in its first phase, but will eventually produce 50,000 metric tonnes in the future. GCB, established in 1990, is currently the 4th largest cocoa processors in the world, with total annual grinding capacity of 200,000 tonnes per year.

According to the Malaysian Cocoa Board, Malaysia has a cocoa grinding capacity of 300,000 tonnes annually.  Of this, about 85 per cent of the grinding capacity is based in Johor. 

Johor is expected to produce 360,000 tonnes of industrial chocolates annually by the year 2020 to generate RM4 billion in revenue for Malaysia.

Daily Calm

Back to the office after being away for six days.  Yes, I feel a bit calmer.  Bought these two books Daily Calm and Discover Meditation & Mindfulness.

Daily Calm is filled with wisdom quotes and stunning shots.  I am going to put it on my bedside table. At Malaysian Ringgit 69.90, it is a good buy.

Discover Meditation & Mindfulness (priced RM38.90) is also filled with inspiring images.  Can't really read the printed words though.  Need to look for a magnifying glass.  Haha!

Oh, how do I feel after going through the 3-day-2-night Art of Joyfulness workshop which was recently held in Kedah?  Honestly,  I think I sailed through the day without feeling much stress.

Have I gained enlightenment?  Still far from it.  Like my friend said,  I know a lot of wisdom quotes.  But once something unpleasant shows up, all of Buddha's words will go flying out the window.

Have to go now ... to chant, meditate, reflect and thank the universe for this charming day.

Good night.

Being Mindful

Sarjit Singh greeting the dawn

this is a continuation of my post Nothing Is To Be Clung To

This is one of the chalets at the Regency Jerai Hill Resort.  The resort has four types of rooms --- superior, deluxe, premiere and executive.

Our bus left the Larkin bus terminal in Johor Baru at 10.02pm.  The ticket costs RM75 each.  We reached the Gurun R&R in Kedah at 7.30am.  We had breakfast and then called a cab (RM20 per cab).  The ride was 15 minutes to the foothills of Gunung Jerai.

From there, we hopped onto a van which took us on a winding path to the resort.   We had lunch at the Puncak Kedah Restaurant, where I enjoyed a virgin pina colada mocktail.

virgin pina colada mocktail

DAY ONE:with Jean, Sarjit, Bachan and MK

DAY THREE: Group Photo courtesy of Sarjit Singh

As for the return trip, we got a lift from a fellow participant, William Chan, who was heading to Butterworth.  We managed to get seats in the SuperNice coach.  The journey turned out to be more than 12 hours.  (3.30pm to 4am).

There are too many people to thank here.  To Fung Lee Jean for the invite.  To Bachan Singh for giving me a lift home when we reached Larkin and to Sarjit Singh for his generous sharing of all that he has learnt about mindfulness-based stress reduction and mindfulness-based cognitive therapy.

In the year 2020, the World Health Organisation estimates suicide to be the No. 1 killer with  about 1.53 million people taking their own lives based on current trends. Please don't get stressed up.


I would like to leave you all with you all with this video where Thich Naht Hanh, a Vietnamese Zen monk shows us the 10 mindful movements. I hope to incorporate these mindful moves into my daily schedule.

Nothing Is To Be Clung To

In the old days, the 1,217-metre high Gunung Jerai in Kedah was a landmark for sailors and traders from distant lands who used it as a beacon.  On day three into 2014, 56 people gathered at the sacred peak that sits in solitude close to the shore, to cultivate the art of joyfulness and to find the light that is in the core of all of us.

Life's journey is never a straight path.  There will be obstacles.  The three-day-two-night workshop held at the  The Regency Jerai Hill Resort, organised by the  Oracle Advanced Toastmasters Club District 51, Malaysia, was an enriching experience for all the participants. I don't think anyone will disagree with me on this.

Standing majestically 986 metres above sea level, the resort provides a breathtaking view of the paddy fields.  The resort is also adorned with beautiful flowering shrubs, regal trees and the soothing sounds of the forest.

We did not come here to search for answers.  The answer is already within us.  We just need to learn the methods from the trainer Dr Sarjit Singh that were tailored to bring us to the core of our being.

We get caught up in the hustle and bustle of living in the concrete jungle, hardly having any time to get intimate with ourselves.  Everyone needs some alone time.  A time to slow down, and find the moments that define a great day.  

It's not hard at all, if we become more aware of the

the lovely hydrangeas that call out to us as we pass by

the clouds that hover over us

the zappy rabbit that grazes freely, minding its own business

And when the going gets too tough, just go blow some soap bubbles and let the wind take away your troubles.  Everything that happens to us --- the good and the bad --- does not last.  So, don't cling to it.

MK Ong

My roommate and photographer who took most of my pictures throughout the retreat.  Thank you MK, not only for being such great company but for being an inspiration to me and to many others.

When your inner world changes, your outer world also changes.

(to be continued)

A World of Ingenuity and Discovery - conclusion

This is the lovely chandelier that mesmerises guests the minute they walk into the hotel.

Meetings is a way of life for corporate players.  Indulge the mind in a setting that can create breakthroughs.

The RM5,000 per night presidential suite

A Must Read

only the freshest blooms are found in the Renaissance

with Jasmine Chee (left) and Natalie Chin (right)

Alas, it was time to bid adieu to the Renaissance.

  

    

I had a most pleasant stay at the Renaissance Johor Bahru. Now I am about to embark on my next adventure.

I'm heading to Gunung Jerai, formerly known as Kedah Peak. Standing at 1,217 metres, it is the highest mountain in Kedah.  Having discovered the world of finesse and luxury, I am now going to a world of deafening silence.  That was what I was told.  It's a sojourn into the self, of sort, which is where one can discover the art of  joyfulness.

For more on the Renaissance Johor Bahru, please go to

A World of Ingenuity and Discovery

A World of Ingenuity and Discovery II

A World of Ingenuity and Discovery II

01 January 2014

Passion for creating culinary masterpieces 

 

Foong Wai Loong, 33, is the executive chef of Renaissance Johor Bahru Hotel in Permas Jaya. He has 20 years of culinary experience in Chinese cuisine.

By Chuah Bee Kim

I hate books. Actually,  I think it is more appropriate to say I hate to read. Because I hate reading, it is only natural that I did not do well in my studies.
  I was forced to leave school at the age of 14 to look for a job, and that is how I got to be where I am today.
  I was born in Ipoh. My first job was as a kitchen helper in a Chinese restaurant in my hometown.
  I was fascinated by the activities going on in the kitchen. It looked so exciting. I was filled with enthusiasm as I watched the cooks prepare the dishes.
  After two weeks of working as a kitchen helper, I begged my seniors to impart their culinary skills to me.
  From sweeping the floor to washing the cutlery and wiping the dishes, I was soon allowed to cut the vegetables and meat.
  After working there for two years, I headed to Singapore and spent 10 years there honing my culinary skills. Then, I went to work in Batam.
  Later, I was hired by the five-star Hotel Indonesia Kempinski in Jakarta. I was their first executive Chinese chef. I crafted a fine dining menu for a Chinese banquet.
  I like to create. Sometimes an idea hits me, but I may not necessarily get to it straightaway.
  Like in a meeting, for instance, I would be doodling. It may not make any sense. It's just something I see on paper. And then, the very next day, I'd get this idea that I want to present the dish that I doodled.
  I love creative presentations. I don't want guests to just eat to satisfy their hunger. I want them to be wowed by it, to discover something they have never knew existed. I like to see the expression on diners' faces as they try my culinary creations.
  When I was on a holiday in Denmark, I visited some friends and there was this restaurant where they serve the food with an iPod. When the guests put on their earphones, they are transported to a different world. I love that experience.
  For example, when a guest is savouring a crab dish, I want them to hear the sound of the sea as they dine. Not everyone hears it, only the diner.
  Malaysians get to eat a variety of ethnic recipes and fusion dishes. I want to create a cuisine that is truly Asian. I have tried French cuisine, Italian cuisine, and now I envision bringing Asian cuisine to the world.
  For me, presentation of the food is very important. It stimulates the senses of sight and smell before it tantalises the taste buds.
  I am the only chef in my family. I have an older sister, but she doesn't share my passion, just as I do not share her passion for books.
  I don't really believe in recipes. Every chili, every water spinach is different. If I were to write down a recipe, and I say add chili, you may just throw in a chili.
  But, when you cannot get the taste that you want, you are going to blame me for giving you the wrong recipe.
  It's not like that. A chili from Cameron Highlands will have a different flavour from a chili grown in the soil of Kuantan or Johor. And there are so many varieties of chili. To you a carrot is a carrot. To me, it is not as simple as that.
 Some of my signature dishes include mango Peking duck, pomelo mango sago, coffee chicken and dancing durian puff.
  I think a chef is like an artist, and the canvas is the cooking pot, and the dish... the masterpiece.

A Journey of Ingenuity and Discovery