Water 爱人

Just came back from a place that holds fond memories for me.  Saw an amazing sunrise the last time I was there.  Today, it was rather cloudy, so the rising sun was partly hidden.  Nevertheless, it was a beautiful dawn.

My overnight stay at the Lotus Desaru Beach Resort made me want to pay homage to water.

The resort's executive chef Long Thean Liang --- seen here serving the authentic Thai seafood tomyam soup (touted as the best in Desaru)  --- revealed that the water quality can make a difference in cooked food or beverage.

The freshness, texture and flavour of the chef's tomyam dish is exquisite, by the way.

"If you were to make a cup of Nescafe using boiled water sourced from a tap in Johor and a tap in KL, for instance, the two cups of Nescafe will taste different," he said.

He said he didn't realise this until he got together with some chefs from up north one day. They were in Johor trying to cook a dish that they specialise in.  Even after getting all the freshest ingredients and authentic paste, they found that they still couldn't get the flavour of the dish right.  Finally, they concluded that the water was the cause of this.

Dining with Shella at the Rhu Seafood Restaurant, one of the three F&B outlets in the resort.

Water also keeps our spinal cord in tip-top condition.  A traditional massage therapist told me this. 

Ayop, who later joined Chef Long, Shella and I,  told me that one's spinal cord can go out of alignment due to insufficient water consumption.   Drinking too much cold water can also cause an array of health problems.

He said he only needs to concentrate on certain points in the body and not massage the entire body for the treatment of health disorders.  And the massage may take from five minutes to 15 minutes per session.  One will only feel excruciating pain when Ayob presses these points if one has health 

problems.  Dare to try?

Finally, Desaru has a host of water sport activities ranging from jet ski to bungy jumping to parasailing, among others.

I wish I could say that was me up there.  But no, I was on the ground taking the picture.  The girl up there is

21-year-old Wong May Xian from Yong Peng who paid RM100 for the parasailing experience.

For more info, please click  Lotus Desaru Beach Resort

Do I Still Want To Be A SAHM?

It was always a dream of mine to be a housewife or a Stay-At-Home Mom (SAHM). Well, today I was with a SAHM and her children, JS, aged four and JE, who is turning one next month.

The 37-year-old mother shared with me that if a couple are having marital problems, having children is not going to make things better.

It was hard for me to digest that because I have always been told that children will strengthen the family bond.

My friend Gladys then elaborated: "When my hubby comes home --- tired and frustrated and wanted to share with me about his day at the office --- and I'm all ears, but then JS comes up to us, eagerly showing us his new toy or he's curious about a new discovery.

"After we have answered all his questions, his sister may start to cry and I can't focus my attention on my husband anymore."

"Sometimes my husband and I can't even enjoy a TV show together like we did before. And when we go out together, the kids may vomit in the car. Or if we're eating in a restaurant and the children start to throw tantrums ..."

Gladys also said that a wife should always try to look neat and presentable no matter how tired she is.

"I used to work in an office.  Even after JS was born, I was working. My former boss told me I would never get used to staying at home. I quit anyway because I wanted to learn how to be a Mom".

"I do miss my former workplace and there were times when things got a little overwhelming. But I tell myself this. This is my job. My job is to be a Mom and I'm going to be one hell of a Mom," said Gladys. 

There are many nice pics of Gladys and the kids, but Gladys said not to show their faces so much, so I've chosen pics of me with the kids instead.

In the picture above, we were just warming up. After a while, it's playtime.

Do I still want to be a housewife and SAHM? 

(Shrug)

Gladys has her own blog at http://sotayoutlet.blogspot.com/ where she writes about her activities with her kids.

Retail Therapy 2

(Updated)

Managed to get a full refund today for my purchase at H&M without much of a hassle.

At first the cashier charged my credit card again instead of refunding the amount, but the manager quickly took care of that by giving me a double refund. I'm very sure the cashier had no intention to charge my card again. It was a genuine mistake. If I were shopping in China, then I won't be so sure.

There was no question asked as to why I was returning the coat.

The manager said that I would get back my money from the credit card company within 30 days from today. 

I'm glad that went well.

   


           

pictures by Norbaiti Phaharoradzi 

Retail Therapy

While the political satire in Selangor continues ...

While some were sunbathing on the beach ...

I was at H&M where I bought a coat on a whim. Now I want to return it. The retailer did say "buy now, decide later". 

Let's see what happens when I bring it back to the retail store. I have 30 days to return or exchange it, according to the receipt.

The Khalid Move: Formidable

The political drama unfolding in Selangor is unprecedented in the country's history in that a partyless and independent wakil rakyat (elected representative) is the chief executive of a state. - Bernama

Read  http://helenang.wordpress.com/2014/08/12/there-are-no-indians-and-zero-chinese-in-sgor-exco-only-malaysians/

and this http://lifeofaannie.blogspot.com/2014/08/khalid-being-decisively-ruthless.html?m=1

And just like that, Pakatan Rakyat (PR) has lost the Selangor government.

Take Care of the Rivers

sourced from NST online

Sungai Kahang in Kluang

by Chuah Bee Kim

JOHOR BARU: MALAYSIA Nature Society (MNS) Johor recently called on the relevant authorities to check on the water catchment areas in Johor, namely, the Segamat and Endau-Rompin water catchment areas and drainage system.

Its chairman, Vincent Chow, cited the Sungai Kahang in Kluang as an example of a river that is now vulnerable.

Chow said that some 30 years ago, the river was deep, fast flowing and teeming with fish that could support the local community.

However, with the rapid development of oil palm plantation over the years, the river is drying up and has been reduced to a small stream when there is a dry spell.

He also cited the Sungai Sembrong in Kahang, Sungai Mengkibul in Kluang and Sungai Endau as examples of rivers that have seen a reduction in water flow over the years.

“Scientists have found that a matured oil palm tree can consume up to 40 litres of water per day. Imagine what a 10,000ha plantation can do to a water catchment area.

“With the clearing of forest trees for oil palm, the water catchment area cannot perform its natural function and is facing a nett loss of water during the dry season,” he said.

“If this is not looked into and allowed to continue, many rivers will dry up eventually and cause water shortage in Johor.

“MNS Johor would like the authorities to study the matter and encourage plantations to plant forest trees at these catchment areas whenever they re-plant after a 25-year cycle.”