A beginning of a new year

Please excuse my absent here for some time, but in real life I was overwhelming with eight to six classes to attend on every weekend, a whole week of practical training in school and the classes I have to conduct and teach. oh, it was a really full and busy year ending prior to a new beginning of a new year. But what I can be sure of is these are the things that I love, would like to do, still doing and will keep doing.

I get to meet and make many new friends, ideas are shared, and pass on what we want the learners to learn in new ways. The kids were asking :"Cikgu, boleh kami ambil benda dalam kotak tu?" ("Teacher can we take the things in the box?") I said: "Of course, ambillah, tapi, lepas guna kena letak dalam kotak balik, boleh?" ("Of course, please take it, but you have to put it back into the box after use, can?") Oh my gosh, I love to see children play and learn on their own using my teaching material in a non classroom setting. It's a very good habit for the learners and at the same time very motivating for me. This is what I want to see! It's a beautiful sight.

We have an extended of a week of school holidays due to the massive flood in some other states. Thus, it provides an extra time for me to sew new bags and cases for the kids right for them to use when school starts. I have one done, and intend to make a few more. I hope all of us would have a good start towards this new year and everything is a smooth sail, healthy and happy 2015!

Tootsy Blouse

Making craft is such a soothing therapy after weeks after weeks of busy schedule between weekend learning class, giving class to students and dealing with very demanding parent. Oh, no other words to describe my state of mind except, tiring.
I enjoy looking at what I've sewn, from scratch to something, from idea into realization. I stumbled upon 'Tootsy' which means darling, rose, sweet-heart. I think that is the word that couldn't fit it better. I decided to put Tootsy in vintage Japanese cotton fabric in Etsy. Please get it fast before I change my mind.

Hunky Dory

Hunky Dory in Japanese light weight cotton.

Taiping trees and a story to tell

These are the hundred years old tree along the street in near Taiping Lake.

Here's one unrelated incident I stumbled upon at the morning market a few days ago. In that drizzling morning, I went to the market as usual minus the umbrella still! As I ordered two packets of noodles to take away, a woman in her sixties standing just two person away from me was falling tumbling down to her side. We were shocked at the moment, and a few passerby were trying to help her get up spontaneously without a second thought. But she obviously is struggling to stand even though that's with help. Then a middle age man walked to them and asked the old lady to be sit on the floor first instead of standing up. Not long later, she confessed that it is the extra long umbrella held by a nearby woman in that crowded market that went on between her legs which caused her to drop. After more than five minutes or so after I've got my noodle packed, the poor old lady was still not able to stand up, I left to my car despite there are still crowds gathered in the place. I hope she is all well by now.

So, sometimes it's comfortable to use big umbrellas so as we're not getting wet at all, but please be mindful on the length of it. Perhaps it's length is really posing danger to other people around you. I always use those foldable umbrellas, when not in used, just chucked it in the green/shopping bag. No lengthy problem, to hooking problem ^_^

At the same time, there's a lesson learned - it's not necessarily right to get a person to stand up immediately, after falling down. horr...

Hann and Vienna

 Hann

It has been a long time ago since I shop, made a quick run over the weekend which is not intentionally for me. Bought a favorite grey sweater for my youngest brother, a new singlet for me which was on sale. That white singlet is too plain on the look, need to have an overcoat or cardigan for it. But soon after, some brooches have turn into a new made right from the craft room. Pin it over a blouse, an overcoat, on the shopping bag, a craft bag, and so on...
If you're interested, look for it at Etsy - Little Tea House.

Of recent

RIP, dear sir Robin Williams, my most favourite actor. Aiyo, why is he so 'unable to see through life' 怎么这么想不开呀？？as chinese saying.

Months ago, a family friend of ours (my Uncle Henrick's school mate) also hanged himself because of depression he suffered for some years. And I was suffering depressions too after childbirth. Based on my experience, during that difficult time if we meet with the wrong person and hearing the wrong the 'words', it is really depressing. What I did was I went to the temple more often, that itself was a challenging task - carrying one toddler and a baby to the crowded and smoky temple. But I did that with the help from my husband.
One of my girl best friends was suffering for some kind pre-marriage depressions for almost half a year. She was seeking consultation from doctors and finally able to overcome it. She says going to church does help her.
So, those suffering depression, pack you bag and head to the temple if you're a Buddhist; believes in your religion and God will lead you out. Seek for forgiveness or whatever, just tell the God. It is much better than telling to kind hearted bad person -  好心的坏人。

How to work with pineapple

Once when I was at the pineapple stall by the road side, I overheard two middle age ladies' conversation, one was mentioning she doesn't know how to cut the pineapple. I feel sorry for her and I'm saying in me 'Oh, you must have missed a lot of wonderful time enjoying this lovely fruit.'
Today, I'm going to demonstrate and document it on how to work or handle pineapples without wasting much on its flesh, and I found no tutorial on the way we do it in most cook books. 

First of all, on the chopper board, cut off its top and bottom with just ordinary kitchen knife. Then slice off the skin of about 5mm thick. You will still able to see the 'eyes' of pineapples after the skin cut off.

Now, identify the arrangement of the 'eyes'. Could you see the slanting curvy line of the 'eyes' pattern (from right to left) if based on the picture below?

Yes, we will based on the line pattern to cut off the 'eyes'. With one hand holding the pineapple (the other hand hold knife), start from the beginning top part of the pineapples, cut in 'V' shape, the depth in which the 'eyes' hold, along the pattern. It should be just about 10-15mm depth (depending on the type of pineapples, we have Bali, Morris, and etc)

Yes, you may work on a few lines, the pattern, at the same time. Turn the pineapple slightly as it go.

Cut off all the 'eyes', you don't want to eat your pineapple with 'eyes' intact. By now, the pineapple should look like the below (big achievement these far..) ^_^ close to get to eat already!
In my sample, I cut it length wise.

first half, then halves again.

The core in the middle of the pineapple is quite hard and I won't eat it, so, we will cut it off as below.

Ta..da.. here's the ready to eat pineapple. Some suggestions are, sprinkle it with some salt, or dip with Chinese soy sauce, or rojak sauce, or eat with the way you like. Enjoy!

I hope to see your favorable comment in my original tutorial on how to work with pineapples. And if you have way to improve it, write to me ya...

Have a great weekend ahead!

Jess-y sunblouse third version

I completed another Jess sunblouse, literally speaking on its third version of making. I love to see the combination of different fabrics to make into a piece of blouse, it's creative and funky at the same time. I like to wear this design of blouse very much, in and out of house, and ahh, not to mention the comfy it brings, in our all-summer seasons, no other blouse that suits better. If time allowed, I will make more to put it in my Etsy store for my dear clients to share the joy of having them. 

At times, I'm a very tired mama. School going children's first-half-year of school test was just over, most parents are now anticipating the outcome of results. yikes. those marks! I've decided that I'm not going to question much on their marks. I keep reminding myself to smile with them as though we have a good faith in their tests, but inside us, we've known that certain language papers whereby there are merely at border line. But we'll do postmortem on the areas they are weak at and work harder to improve it. There are parents or grandparents that intentionally walk to you and show off the marks of their grandchild as if they are genius, and I hate that. I never interested to know how much they score, never walk to me with this kind of discouraging act. I want my children to learn from their mistakes and there is always room for improvement. marking result is not an end-of-life issue. They should be given chances to do better, much less to compare. This way of thinking is more encouraging to give positive energy, agree?!

In the coming post, I'll share with you my way of working with pineapples... see ya..

Penang this lovely land

Will be remembered

Sir, you'll be remembered...
A picture to share - a newspaper article I keep. Published by the Star on 8Mar 2009.