I Want Ori one...

I am so not apologizing for not updating my blog... That's so lame!!!

It's not unlike but very much like asking a question in a snail mail... You remember those? Where you write up stuff, fold the paper, put the paper inside something called an envelope and put a very expensive 1 inch piece of paper and put them in a box and miraculously after a week or two (depending on location) it will arrive to its' designated destination.... Yeah... SNAIL MAIL (slimes not included). DUH!

Anyway, I've found a new obsession... Paper-creasing which is a form of origami... Instead folding a piece of square paper into cranes, frogs, hand-glider (which most people call a plane!!!) boxes that looks like a kind of flower (frangipani, strange fruit, frangipani redux, ntah apa kenama kotak bunga ntah), camera irises (think of James Bond intro camera effect) and many more...

Basically, one goes online and download the CREASE PATTERN, print those, photocopy them onto a sturdy paper (80 pounds/150 grams works OK), trace the lines and guess which way the lines go.

Enough talk... Pix.

Strange Fruit Tato Box (flat-bottomed, there's another one with rounded bottom)


16 side Tato Box


Frangipani Box no. 5 (no. 5 as in the variation number! I got it on the first try!)


Clock-wise from the top Leventy-seven Bowl, Teabag Problem Box, Strange Fruit, 16 side Tato Box, Paperbud, Meditation Box, Frangipani Box, Tetrahedral Teabag Problem Box, Tri-something dish (cant remember the name!)

IN A FLASH 23 JULY 2009

IN A FLASH 23 JULY 2009
GOOD AFTERNOON AND SALAM MUHIBAH.
IT IS NOW TIME FOR IN A FLASH.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, who turned 56 on today, wished for a more prosperous and united Malaysia in line with the concept of 1Malaysia: People First, Performance Now.

He told reporters after a surprise birthday organised by the JW Marriott Hotel in Putrajaya that he wanted the people to feel that they were participating and were valued for their contribution.

Earlier, he attended a seminar on "Premier Leadership Challenges in The Innovation Economy" at the hotel.

The one-day seminar was also attended by his deputy, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, several cabinet ministers, deputy ministers, ministry secretaries-general, chief ministers, menteris besar, business leaders and captains of industries.

It focuses, among other things, on learning and understanding the new economic and social political issues affecting Malaysia and globally.

-- BERNAMA


/ENDS-BERNAMA


The Information Communication and Culture Ministry will be streamlining broadcasting guidelines of television programmes in the government and private sector soon, said its secretary-general Datuk Kamaruddin Siaraf.

He added the ministry will be working together with the Multimedia Commission, Radio Televisyen Malaysia (RTM) and Media Prima Berhad on this.

He said this to Bernama after appearing on the "Helo Malaysia" progtramme on Bernama TV.

He said Information Communication and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Utama Dr Rais Yatim would be making an announcement on the matter soon.

Kamaruddin said the streamlining would take into consideration aspects of quality and features of programmes from abroad irrespective of whether they were dramas or advertisements.

He also said now RTM, Media Prima and Astro (pay TV station) all have their own grading systems and the stations will all be streamlined into one single system.

He then added that the move did not mean a reduction in foreign programmes but more to ensure content was suited to the local scene.

At the same time, he said, this would also help local players in the television industry.


//ENDS-BERNAMA

THAT’S THE END OF IN A FLASH FOR TODAY.
SALAM MUHIBAH.

IN A FLASH 10 JULY 2009

IN A FLASH 3 JULY 2009
GOOD AFTERNOON AND SALAM MUHIBAH.
IT IS NOW TIME FOR IN A FLASH.

All projects under the Northern Corridor Economic Region (NCER) are proceeding according to schedule, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said Thursday.

Under the Ninth Malaysia Plan, the government has allocated seven hundred fifty million ringgit to the Northern Corridor Implementation Authority (NCIA) to the develop the area.

He said basically, they are on schedule. However, some of the projects are pilot in nature that needs testing before being implemented on a large scale.

He told reporters after chairing the third NCIA meeting in Putrajaya yesterday.

Najib said the projects in the NCER master plan covered the major economic sectors of agriculture, manufacturing and tourism, supported by the infrastructure, education, human capital and social development sectors.

He then added various projects are being implemented on a pilot basis, including the Amali Agro Entrepreneur Centre in Kampung Bukit Kura, Kedah, which is aimed at promoting agriculture on a commercial basis.

The project showcases the integrated agricultural concept, with the activities ranging from planting, chicken rearing to marketing.

The government is also developing a pilot project under the SawahKU Maju programme, which involves an area of eighty one hectares in Gunung Semanggol, Perak, with the aim of increasing padi production by eight to 10 tonnes per hectare.

For manufacturing, Najib said the government was implementing an excellence centre programme in the Penang Free Industrial Zone to raise the capability of engineering graduates to meet the needs of investors in the electronics industry, with the operations expected to start end of this year.

For the tourism sector, he said a master plan has been prepared to develop the Belum tropical forest in Temenggor, Perak, with priority given to conservation of the rich natural resources.

He then said Taiping, Perak, will be developed as a heritage tourism town and with a special allocation for the Safari Taiping programme.
He then said the government was also developing the Edu Citi-Tel pilot project to provide integrated hostel facilities in Taiping for Standard Five and Six pupils from families in rural areas and with low income.

He then said infrastructure project involved upgrading three hundred fifty-one kilometres of roads under the Muda Agricultural Development Authority in Ampang Jajar, Kedah, at a cost of RM84 million and construction is expected to be completed in stages from May 2009 to April 2010.

The government, he added, was developing Taman Teknologi Pauh in Perlis, an area of 30.3 hectares, with the aim of diversifying sources of economic growth and job opportunities.



//ENDS-BERNAMA

THAT’S THE END OF IN A FLASH FOR TODAY.
SALAM MUHIBAH.

Yong Tou Foo

Yong tau foo ( also spelled yong tao foo, yong tau fu, or yong tau hu ) is a Chinese dish with Hakka origins commonly found in China, Singapore and Malaysia.

There are also Teochew and Hokkien variations.

In Malaysia, the Ampang region of Kuala Lumpur is particularly famous for this dish.

It is ubiquitous in Singapore food courts, too.

Essentially the dish originated in the early 1960s in a restaurant called "Chew Kuan" as tofu stuffed with a meat paste of fish, thereby earning the dish its name "Yong Tau Foo," which means "stuffed bean curd."

Since then all variety of vegetables and even fried fritters have been similarly stuffed, and the name Yong Tau Foo has thus been used liberally to apply to foods prepared in this manner.

Yong tau foo is a varied selection of food items including fish balls, crab sticks, bittergourds, cuttlefish, lettuce, ladies fingers, as well as chilis, and various forms of fresh produce, seafood and meats common in Chinese cuisine.

Some of these items, such as bittergourd and chili, are usually filled with fish paste (surimi).

The foods are then sliced into bite-size pieces, cooked briefly in boiling broth and then served either in the broth as soup or with the broth in a separate bowl.

The dish is eaten with chopsticks and a soup spoon and can be eaten by itself or with any choice of egg or rice noodles, or bee hoon (rice vermicelli).

Another variation of this dish is to serve it with a distinctive brown sweet noodle sauce or hoisin sauce for dipping.

Anyway... Eat eat time!

Nial with a big plate of Yong Tou Foo...


2 Danials having what could be the best Mee Goreng Mamak at the River Side Road Food Court, can't remember the stall number but you can call Amirul at 017 5057946. This one was taken after a fishing session at Lubuk Semilang... Caught some Betta sp. and some Botia sidthimunki .

IN A FLASH 06 JULY 2009

IN A FLASH 060709
GOOD AFTERNOON AND SALAM MUHIBAH.
IT IS NOW TIME FOR IN A FLASH.
FAMA will continue to promote seasonal local fruits especially Durian to ensure the price will stay stable and to continue providing income to the local industrialists.

Some promoting efforts done by FAMA includes the Durian Feast Concept and Durian at School apart from increasing the number of retail outlets for seasonal fruits.

FAMA Chairman, Dato’ Badruiddin Amiruldin said, FAMA had just introduced a Durian Feast that was held at the Parliaments’ Lobby as a first step.

As a result, FAMA had received orders from various parties to have the same feast organized.


He then said, FAMA guarantees that it can deliver the products to meet the clients order even when the order is made off-season.

The feast concept will cost between one thousand to two thousand ringgit.

He was speaking to reporters at after launching The Seasonal Fruits Promotion by FAMA and ADUN Guar Chempedak in Guar Chempedak, Kedah which was officiated by ADUN Guar Chempedak, Dato’ Dr Ku rahman Ku Ismail.

Commenting on theexcessive supply of seasonal fruits, he said that this year FAMA had erected two hundred eighty retail outlets compared to half that number last year.

In Kedah, one hundred retail outlets were erected in Yan, Baling, Sik, Padang terap, Kubang Pasu, Langkawi and Kulim.

/ENDS-RTM
The Minerals and Geoscience Department has confirmed that the yellow-golden specks found in the rocks in Kampung Jelutong, Pendang are not gold, as otherwise thought by residents who have been chiselling away at the rocks for the metal.

Its Kedah/Perlis/Penang director Zainol Husin said inspection of the stones and rocks at the site in Kampung Jelutong, Pendang found the yellowish specks in them to be the minerals pyrite and arsenopyrite.

He said in a statement yesterday that it's not gold and commonly known as fool's gold'. This mineral is usually found in shale in the state.

The confirmation from the department has dashed the hopes of many residents wanting to strike rich as they have been chiselling away at chunks of rocks at the quarry area the past few days.

People began converging there after a worker at the quarry found gold-like specks in the rocks on Wednesday. Some residents started chiselling away at the rocks and collecting the stones as they were convinced the glistening metallic specks were gold.

Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Azizan Abdul Razak was reported to have said that if the yellow specks were indeed gold, the state goverment would have a new source of revenue.

He said he had asked the state Land and Mines as well as the Minerals and Geoscience departments to check on this.

/ENDS-BERNAMA

THAT’S THE END OF IN A FLASH FOR TODAY.
SALAM MUHIBAH.

Tried and Tested - Delicious Butter Chicken Recipe from Video Jug

Butter Chicken Recipe.
A delicious chicken dish that can be made as hot or as mild as you wish - a perfect meal for curry lovers who want to keep it simple.

Serves:
4

Preparation Time:
20 minutes

Cooking Time:
20 minutes

You will need…

* 2 chicken breasts, cut into chunks
* 2 tbsp vegetable oil
* 2 tbsp butter
* 1 onion, chopped
* ¼ tsp cinnamon
* 1 tsp garlic, crushed
* 1 tsp ginger, crushed
* ½ tsp ground turmeric
* 1 tsp chilli powder
* 2 tbsp ground almonds
* 220 g can of whole peeled tomatoes
* 1 tbsp tomato paste
* 1 tbsp natural yoghurt
* 2 tbsp fresh coriander or spinach, chopped
* salt
* pepper

* 1 large frying pan
* 1 spoon
* 1 tray


Step 1:
Season the chicken.
Begin by seasoning the chicken with a generous sprinkling of salt and pepper.

Step 2:
Heat the oil and begin to fry the chicken.
Using a large frying pan, heat the vegetable oil and add the chicken.

Step 3:
Fry for 3-4 minutes.
Fry the chicken for 3-4 minutes until it turns a golden-brown colour.

Step 4:
Remove the chicken.
Take the chicken out of the frying pan and put it aside.

Step 5:
Melt the butter.
Use the same frying pan to melt the butter.

Step 6:
Fry the onion with the cinnamon.
Now add the onion and cinnamon and fry together in the pan.

Step 7:
Add the remaining ingredients.
At this point add the crushed garlic, crushed ginger, turmeric, chilli powder, almonds, peeled tomatoes, tomato paste and the natural yoghurt. Stir all of the ingredients together and mix thoroughly.

Step 8:
Bring to the boil and cook.
Bring the ingredients to a boil and stir for 4-5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Step 9:
Add the chicken.
Put the chicken back into the pan and combine with the other ingredients.

Step 10:
Add the fresh coriander.
To compliment the dish, add the coriander (or fresh spinach if you prefer) and mix with the sauce.

And the result:

Too lazy to properly serve this on a plate... Nak pegi layan game Spore with my son... A photo taken right inside the periuk oso can do lah ye? This one can keep for 1 week in the fridge... Very delicious when served with Roti Boom...

Update:

Today's Menu: Masak Lemak Kuning Telur...

Huhu... Over pedas laks the birds eye chillies...



Recipe will be posted A.Q.A.P.

Another Well-Spent Day...

What happened yesterday? Well work as usual, then went fishing with a dipnet in Lubuk Semilang. Saw 2 soft-shelled turtles there... Danial caught some Betta sp. and 2 Tengas and some Giant danios. It was raining. We had fun. Then went to the night market in dripping wet clothes to get some dinner.

Miss CT Hanim dropped by. Then we all went out. Guess where? Dipnet-fishing at Durian Perangin at 12++am. Huhu...

Apart from some torrential shrimps and Giant Danios, I caught something that looked like a big worm/ small snake, it's grey-ish on top, light belly with yellow line along its' side.

A little surfing revealed that it looked like a Common Yellowband Caecilian.

In case you don't know what's a Caecillian, it is type of amphibian that looks like big rubbery worm/small snake. Amphibian! Related to frogs and toads and newts and salamander...

The one that I caught is about 4+ inches and I noticed there are 2 gill openings and the tail is slightly flatted to the sides the cross-section looks like this () instead of uniform ( ).

Anybody got any idea what can this mystery animal be?

Anyway... PIX!

Giant Danio in "the long-house"

Miaow Miaow kena buli kaw-kaw, kena kasi mandi!

Miaow Miaow tak puas hati kena mandi...

Miaow Miaow enjoying her Impulse Alive scent!

The Thing caught at Durian Perangin... The head's in the background.

The Thing, head on the left side.

The Thing, blurry but it shows the color-scheme.

The Thing, head's in foreground.

The Thing!

IN A FLASH 03 JULY 2009

IN A FLASH 3 JULY 2009
GOOD AFTERNOON AND SALAM MUHIBAH.
IT IS NOW TIME FOR IN A FLASH.
National sailor Khairuneeta Mohd Afendy moved into contention for a medal in the Girl's Byte C2 event of the Asian Youth Games sailing event in Singapore after good performances in the 3rd and 4th races held Thursday.

Khairuneeta who was in fourth place after two races, finished first and second in the two races held today, to move into contention for top spot, with five races remaining.

Malaysian Yachting Association (MYA) Mohd Afendy Abdullah through an e-mail to Bernama said with favourable winds of between 7 and 9 knots, Khairuneeta was able to finish first and second in the two races held yesterday.

However, Mohd Amirul Shafiq who is competing in the Boy's Byte C2 event, could not match her performance when he finished sixth and third respectively in the two races.

He added that if good wind conditions prevailed for the remaining five races, they will stand a good chance of finishing among the medal winners.

The two sailors are the only Malaysian athletes participating in the Asian Youth Games as the rest of the Malaysian contingent was withdrawn by the National Sports Council, following an Education Ministry's directive that barred students from competing overseas due to the Swine Flu outbreak.


/ENDS-BERNAMA
Plaza Tunku Yaacob at the Sultan Abdul Halim Highway, opposite Menara Alor Setar, here, will be given a 300 million ringgit facelift, incorporating a five-star hotel, the first of it’s kind in the state.

Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Azizan Abdul Razak said the plaza, abandoned for 28 years, would be revived in two phases -- reinforcing the building structure and developing the vacant land nearby.

He said the plaza would also have three-star budget hotels to provide a choice to certain guests, a convention centure and an international standard shopping complex similar to that found in Kuala Lumpur and Singapore.

The project slated to start next year is a tripartite joint venture among Belleview Bina Sdn Bhd, Bina Darulaman Berhad and Kedah State Development Corporation.

Azizan hoped government-linked companies in Kedah and local contractors would be given the opportunity to participate in the plaza reconstruction work.


//ENDS-BERNAMA

THAT’S THE END OF IN A FLASH FOR TODAY.
SALAM MUHIBAH.

IN A FLASH 02 JULY 2009

IN A FLASH 02 JULY 2009
GOOD AFTERNOON AND SALAM MUHIBAH.
IT IS NOW TIME FOR IN A FLASH.

The Northern Corridor Implementation Authority (NCIA) has appointed Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM) to carry out a study and recommend measures to overcome floodings in Kedah.

Project chief Prof Madya Abdul Rahim Anuar said the study would cover socio-economic impact on farmers and residents in the affective areas.

He said the study, costing 111,944 ringgit is sponsored by the NCIA.

Four experts, namely Prof Madya Dr Rohana Yusof, Prof Madya Dr Mohd Fo'ad Sakdan, Dr Khaltum Hassan and Mohd Razani Mohd Jali of the university's Kedah Sustainable Development Centre and thirty students would be involved in the project, expected to be completed end of this year.

He then added the study is important as in 2007, floods destroyed 15,622 hectares of padi field and last year, the area involved was 20,944 hectares, causing losses to 117,000 farmers.

/ENDS-BERNAMA

Bank Negara has issued three types of commemorative coins to mark the 50th anniversary of the country's parliament.

The coins, namely the Gold Commemorative Coins, Silver Commemorative Coins and Nordic Gold Brilliant Uncirculated Commemorative Coins, were launched by Dewan Negara (Senate) President Tan Sri Dr Abdul Hamid Pawanteh at the Parliament building today.

The Gold Commemorative Coins, with mintage quantity limited to 100 pieces, have a face value of 100 ringgit and will be sold at 1,200 ringgit a piece, while the Silver Commemorative Coins, with a face value of 10 ringgit and mintage quantity of only 300 pieces, can be bought at 150 ringgit a piece.

The Nordic Gold Brilliant Coins have a face value of 1 ringgit and will be sold at 10 ringgit each. The mintage quantity is 10,000 pieces.

These coins will be available for sale from tomorrow at the Bank Negara headquarters and its branches in Penang, Johor Baharu, Kuala Terengganu, Kota Kinabalu and Kuching.

At a press conference later, Abdul Hamid said the launching of the commemorative coins was one of the events for the Parliament's 50th anniversary celebration.

He added the highlight of the celebration will be a dinner hosted for about 1,000 members and former members of parliament in December.

He also said a documentary film and a book on the parliament's history will be published soon.


//ENDS-BERNAMA

THAT’S THE END OF IN A FLASH FOR TODAY.
SALAM MUHIBAH.

Week 1 of July

Hehehe... Been busy but yeah... If a picture worth a thousand words, here's a five thousand words worth of pix...

Reticulated Python found at the car park of Tabung Haji...

DJ Adi posing with the cute baby python...

A few days back DJ CT wore a Baju Kurung sebijik warna dinding konti....


My ANAK smiled when he heard his name on air on RADIO MALAYSIA LANGKAWIfm

Unpacking....


Miaow Miaow kena buli.... kesian dia....