Yes, I’ve gone missing for a while. No, I’ve not been unwell, just a little busy. I have no problem with working at home. Am sad that this global pandemic has affected everyone of us, with the worldwide death toll reaching more than 11,000 as of time of writing.
Kudos to those in the medical profession, healthcare, food and all essential industries, the police and army personnels, road sweepers and garbage collectors. Thank you for being out there.
We will get through this. Love and compassion will get us through this. There’s social distancing now, but somehow that has drawn some of us closer. Be kind to one another, be kind to the earth, be kind to animals.
As I need to comply with the call to stay indoors under the Restricted Movement Order, I ordered food from Restaurant Kam Hin.
breakfast, lunch and dinner
Yummy! Yummy! Really enjoying my staycation. Today’s meal for the entire day costs RM27.95 (minus the bottled mineral water).
My favourite was the spare ribs. The others were good too but maybe by lunch time they’ve gone cold so … but the spare ribs tasted delicious whether hot or cold.
The big pau with mushroom, egg and chicken filling was extremely filling for me.
sugarcane with water chestnut drink
I love this herbal tea very much. It is a refreshing thirst quencher which has a cooling effect on the body.
Restaurant Kam Hin is located at Kuchai Entrepreneurs Park, off Kuchai Lama in Kuala Lumpur.
This is a new product from Korea which I’ve been asked to review. Two of my friends have tried this infusion tea and they didn’t quite like it simply because they liked their tea hot. I’m ok with it. At the moment I don’t have a kettle so this novel method of making tea is ideal for me. Of the two flavours, I prefer the tomato and beet.
Tomato and Beet
You need a bottled mineral water or you can just fill up the bottle with drinking water which was what I did. It can be a 600ml or 1500ml bottle as the infuser comes in two sizes. For this review I’m using the 600ml bottle.
Remove the mineral water cap and replace it with the infuser. Turn the bottle over like what you see in the picture above and just leave it for 30 minutes to 1 hour. You can shake it a little to speed up the process or make it blend better.
A word of caution. The tea may spill as you’re shaking the bottle or when you unscrew the infuser so just take note of this, especially if you’re wearing white clothing.
The tomato and apple flavour has a milder taste, and the tea is light green in colour.
This is a cool way to make tea when you don’t have hot water, and I am ok with the taste.
Finally, the wait is over! Cheers and tears are normally expected on the day students receive their Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) results. Screams of joy or cries of despair or a mix of both are common on this day, after the nail-biting months.
But this was not the case in the hall of Seri Omega Private and International School on last Thursday (Mar 5), where 300 over students with some accompanied by their parents had gathered. There were only shrieks of elation and jubilant bursts of laughter.
A total of 382 students here had sat for the SPM last year and 45 of them scored straight As. There are 43 students with 10As, 23 (9As), 19 (8As), 10 (7As), 16 (6As), 16 (5As), 31 (4As), 28 (3As), 43 (2As) and 87 (1A).
Two students Yeo Yuan Ping and Ang Yan, both 18, stood out among their peers as they had A+ in all 10 subjects.
Both revealed that the recipe for success was a concerted effort between the school, their home and how committed they were to achieving their dreams.
“Being an only child, my parents and I are very close. My parents run a family business but they always find time to give me moral support when I need it, like they will give me a hug before an examination and offer words of encouragement.
My teachers are also very approachable and supportive. Being a head prefect, I’ve learnt about team work and how to manage a team,” Yeo said.
Ang, the youngest among two siblings, said her mother is aware of how self-reliant she is when it comes to studies and rarely monitors whether she is doing her homework or revision.
“I always make it a priority to finish all my homework when I come home from school. My mother knows my character very well,” said Ang, who is also a prefect.
Eighteen-year-old Saw Hui Shi and Teo Jing Yuan, also 18, also secured 10As. Both had enrolled in Seri Omega in 2015.
Saw said she had expected to do well in her SPM, as she had prepared for it.
“My mother taught me to believe in myself. She also urged me not to stress myself out while I was preparing for the exam.
“My teachers have pointed out my strengths and weaknesses and that has helped me to focus on which subject or topic that needs more attention,” she said.
As for Teo, he said paying attention in class was the most crucial aspect apart from maintaining self-discipline and getting moral support from his parents.
“I have tuition on weekends but after tuition, my parents will take me out for some relaxation and to have some family bonding time,” he said.
When it comes to the definition of a good teacher, is it someone with a deep and vast knowledge of the subject he teaches or is it someone who is able to motivate others to learn? There are many ways to define a good teacher. Perhaps one of them is by student achievement.
But it does not end there. A good teacher is only one of the ingredients for success when it comes to churning out an exemplary leader in a community, a society or a nation.
The recipe for success comprises three things — the school, the home and the student.
Yeo, Ang, Saw and Teo unanimously echoed the sentiment that the school environment and the home environment are inter-related but the protagonist in one’s story is oneself. If the student has the determination to excel, coupled with the support of the home and the school, success is assured.
At Seri Omega Private and International School, a solid foundation is laid for the development of the child.
And all this is attributed to the hard work and dedication of Dato’ Sri Ooi Chong Beng, the man at the helm of Seri Omega.
Dato’ Sri Ooi is the Chief Executive Officer and Principal as well as the founder of the school. He has 45 years of experience in the field of education, and more than 20 years in managing Seri Omega.
The school recorded a 100 per cent passing rate for Bahasa Melayu, English Language and Chinese Language. For Mathematics and Additional Mathematics, the passing rate was 99.4 and 87.7 per cent respectively, Physics 93.4%, Chemistry (88.9%), Biology (95.8%) , History (97.9%) and Moral (94.9%).
Seri Omega spokesperson Chen Pei Pei said Dato’ Sri Ooi advocates that students should have a daily schedule to adhere to and this will ensure success, as surely as night follows day.
“The school and the home environment must complement and support each other. It is important to start the children young so that their foundation is strong. A child with a solid background will step into a world of endless possibilities where a bright future awaits.
For enquiries and further information, please call 07-599 8998 or visit the school at Lot 6974 & 6975, Jalan Beringin 5, Taman Beringin, 81400 Senai, Johor.
Going back to basics where life is simple and peaceful …
Economic development is important but do not underestimate the importance of the forests.
Besides offering urbanites a refreshing change from the concrete jungle, a forest has so much more to offer such as resources that can reduce greenhouse gas emissions and mitigate climate change. Imagine having all the money in the world and no place to call home as the earth is dying because we keep pumping chemicals into the air that deplete the ozone layer.
I’m not saying economic development is bad. Progress is always good, but we shouldn’t be overzealous.
In Japan, there are economic incentives for green initiatives. Malaysia also has incentives for green initiatives but it needs some fine-tuning for it to be more enticing.
I started this post to highlight the Rainforest Tree House in Kulai but got carried away after learning that Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin is set to be sworn in as Malaysia’s 8th Prime Minister.
Rainforest Tree House 25, Jalan Air Terjun, Kampung Sri Gunung Pulai, 81000 Kulai, Johor T: +6012 930 9914 E: rainforest.tree.house1@gmail.com FB: @rainforest.treehouse.johor
Located 10 metres from Sungai Lubok Mulong, Rumah Singgora was built with the concept of a traditional Malay village in mind. The kampung houses featured natural lighting and airflow as environmental factors were considered in the design.There are also herbal plants and trees, including "halia" (ginger), "kunyit" (turmeric), "limau purut" (kaffir lime) and pandan found in the resort. These herbs and spices are used for cooking the meals which are served dulang-style.
Rumah Singgora Lot 860, Kampung Air Deras, Jalan Tengku Mohd Maasom, 15100 Pasir Hor, Kota Bharu, Kelantan T: +6019 900 9535 E: kbkondo@gmail.com FB: @Singgora
Another gorgeous getaway gem in Malaysia that’s worth checking out.
In 2010 owners Nikt and Suze checked out this piece of land situated next to the Berembun forest reserve in the district of Seremban. When they eventually saw the hilly outcrop several months later, it was love at first sight. They imagined living in a house perched precariously on the outcrop, and that was how Spyder Hill came about.
Nikt and Suze will “as much or as little as you like, get involved in your stay here”.
This house once belonged to a village chief Penghulu Ismail Khatib Bakar. It had survived three flash floods (in 1926, 1972 and 2014) while some of the surrounding houses were swept away.
Called the Pahang House, it was dismantled onsite in a village in Jerantut, Pahang, and re-assembled at the Malay Heritage Centre on UPM’s grounds in 2015. The house was donated by Datuk Ahmad Nazlan Idris, the Member of Parliament for Jerantut.
Tucked away in a coconut plantation bordered by wetlands and paddy fields, BON TON RESORT LANGKAWI, beckons guests to linger, as it offers the experience of traditional warm hospitality and timeless elegance.
Pantai Cenang’s expansive beach features white sands and clear waters and its nightlife is the liveliest on the island with plenty of beachfront bars.
I’ve found a book cafe, a coconut steamboat restaurant, a medical clinic and now I’m going to tell you about a drawing cafe called ADrawing Cafe.
It is owned and managed by a Korean named Sam Park who has moved to Eco Botanic City with his family last March.
Sam says the cafe will provide the acrylic paint, paper, brushes, palette and apron, and guests can express their moods in colours over a cup of coffee or tea.
“In Korea, there are lots of cafes that offer patrons to explore and nurture their imagination through painting which can be a podium for children and adults to discover their creativity,” he adds.
The cafe is located at No.71 Jalan Eko Botani 3/7, Taman Eko Botani, 79100 Iskandar Puteri.
Well, if you found some other outlets with novel features that I have yet to discover in Eco Botanic City, do let me know.
My friend texted me just now, suggesting that we go grab a beef bulgogi somewhere in Horizon Hills. Ok, bye for now, Eco Botanic City. Stay hip and happening!
There’s a delightful dining outlet in Eco Botanic City called Coconut Steamboat that offers coconut chicken hot pot, a recipe which originated from Hainan, China, where fresh coconut juice is used as the hot pot soup base.
This conjures a sweetness in the broth that is both pleasant and fragrant.
If you’re not a fan of the coconut soup base, you can opt for the fish maw chicken hot pot.
For the coconut soup base, the chef uses a mixture of local coconut and fragrant coconut. The specialty sauce is also something that is not to be missed. Yummilicious!
Soo Jun Yang, the co-owner of Coconut Steamboat, was an administrative staff before he embarked on the business venture with a partner.
Besides the two signature hot pot dishes, another popular dish in the menu is the Chinese waxed meat claypot rice and wild bamboo pith minced shrimp.
The non-halal restaurant opens from 11am to 2pm & 5pm to 11pm daily, and is closed on Mondays.Address: 41, Jalan Eko Botani 3/7,Taman Eko Botani, 79100 Iskandar Puteri, Johor.
The restaurant opens from 11am to 2pm & 5pm to 11pm daily, and is closed on Mondays.Address: 41, Jalan Eko Botani 3/7,Taman Eko Botani, 79100 Iskandar Puteri, Johor.
Novel concept cafes, restaurants with unusual recipes and brand names that you don’t see everyday and everywhere are found in Eco Botanic City, Iskandar Puteri.
The stunning township is only a 15 minute drive away from the Malaysia-Singapore Second Link.
Roam with Bee 