Food for Thought

Just now over lunch i was talking to some of my friends and somehow we got to the topic of shortcoming. You know like no one can own it all.

Not that we dont already know that none of us human is perfect but somehow we more often than not focus on our shortcoming more than the things we already had.

Chinese has a saying ' yi shan hai you yi shan gao' which i believe is one of the most beautiful saying ever. It simply translates to there's always another mountain that is higher. What it is actually trying to convey is that, there's never an end to comparison. Some degree of comparison may to a certain extend push us to do better, but in my opinion this kinda 'pressure' is totally unnecessary. It's just like the 'World's Highest/ Tallest/ Biggest'. Can it ever end? Like can we have one world tallest and that's it? Certainly not right. First we have our Petronas twin tower as the world tallest tower before the Taipei 101 overtook us and at the top of the list now is the Burj Khalifa of Dubai. Now im sure somewhere in this world, they are building another world's tallest to overtake the Burj.

Hence i think its very silly for people to sulk and get over envious (thus turn into jealousy) over their friend's virtue. I noe sometimes its so hard to not get envious over ppl especially those who can fly over continents just to get an evening gown for their bridesmaid or people who have multiple talents. Like why some people can sing, dance, draw, talk, act, play the piano, play the guitar etc etc when you (i) cant do any of them at all. So am i suppose to feel jealous of my that particular friend now and not talk to her anymore?

Like some of my friends told me a while ago that so and so are jealous of me cuz im so smart and pretty which i find really ridiculous actually. Ridiculous not because i dont believe that they are actually jealous people around, but rather because they only see it when my life is good. They only see the things i can have/do but not what i cant do or the difficulties in my life. I truly believe just because one is not hanging their problems around does not mean that it does not exist. It's just everyone own private affair that they do not need to publicitize.

And isnt it that if you are a true friend, you are suppose to share the joy of your friend when they had achievements even when you dont? Its funny how some ppl can only share the joy when they feel that they had also achieved similar success or is better than their friend. I noe being the one at the bottom sucks. Its not a good feeling. But if u r a true fren, isnt it that you will noe how to differentiate between ur own sorrow and ur fren's happiness? Isnt it that you are suppose to share the joy when you see that your friend is getting better at some skills or improving? Isnt it that you are suppose be wishing your friend well as you see him/her travel around the globe even though you are stuck at a job that sucks 24/7? Maybe these are just true friends that exist in movies. Or the 10% of our community.

Oh well, all im saying really is just that the next time you look at someone and see how good their life is or wonder why they are always having fun only in life while you are sloughing like a cat/dog/slave, do remember they, like ourselves have their shortcomings too whether you know it or not. And you have something that they do not have and who knows, they are actually secretly wishing they have ur talent/charisma/values instead. Come to think of it, if human are perfect, life wouldnt be so much fun. We are not perfect because then only can we learn the definition of challenge and also because we are made to complement each other, no? :) (Note to self too!)

A Day In My Shoes

Would you like to walk a day in my shoes?
Where the world isn’t full of many hues
Just the color of darkness
So dark that you can’t see a light
And you’ve just about given up the fight

Days filled with loneliness
And lots of pain
It’s enough to drive anyone insane
How would you like to walk a day in my shoes?

Days where you don’t hear those 3 little words,
I Love You
Or if you do
You don’t think it’s true

How about when you aren’t seen for 3 or 4 days
And nobody calls to see if you’re okay

What about the days that you have to go to work
And have to pretend that everything is okay
But you’re wishing that the days would just pass
Adding more years to your life
And hoping it’ll soon end
How would you like to walk a day in my shoes?

How would you like to NOT feel loved
Knowing that there will never be
A releasing of doves
That symbolizes that 4 letter word
And knowing that you’re not being heard

Feeling like a hollow pecan shell
When it’s cracked
There’s nothing inside
That’s how I feel most days
Like an empty space
Anyone care to take my place
Just for a day?

But I do have 1 or 2 days that I’m happy
Just because
I know when I get to the other side
I’ll see those doves
And that’s when I’ll feel loved

So you see
Walking in my shoes ain’t all bad
When I think about
What will be had…

Copyright . 2002 By Denise E. Manuel 


PS :It's just a food for thought. Im not emo-ing. Im actually very happy that tomoro is a holiday and we dont have to go for classes. Before i forget, Happy Birthday Malaysia. ;)

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Duck Fetus Egg

Back to more of Cambodia.

WARNING : This post is strictly not for those faint-hearted, animal lovers, animal right activist, vegetarians, pregnant women or anyone that cannot stand bizzarre food.  So if you are reading on, you are responsible for your own curiosity and course of choice. :)

Even long before i had any plans to visit Cambodia, i had already heard of people telling of Cambodians eating what is probably one of the most bizarre or terrfying food in this world - the duck fetus egg (Balut) or as the local Cambodians called them, the pregnant egg.

Yes, eating bugs is already quite bizarre as it is but eating duck fetus/ pregnant egg is taking bizarre to a whole new level. To be honest, when i first heard about people eating duck fetus egg, like most of you now probably, i was disgusted. I cannot imagine how in this world can anyone actually stuff something that has not even a chance to see their mother's face into their mouth. I know certain human are capable of eating anything at all in this world and sure, monkey's brains are probably the worst of the lot and far more barbaric but still I never thought that i can someday sit among these people and watch them eating those eggs.

However when i was in PP, I learnt that for them locals, eating duck fetus/pregnant eggs is as common as us eating chicken. Or fish. In fact, it is something that the Cambodians love so much that it is almost like a delicacy there. And the fact that all Cambodians are taught to enjoy this dish since young is probably one of the reason why they dont see the fear or disgust (or even some see it as inhuman) consuming a duck fetus with it's semi formed head, beak, feather, body, intestine, bone etc grinded against their teeth as they chewed. It suddenly hit me that i probably feel uncomfortable about eating the eggs because i am brought up in an environment that taught me only to eat meats that come from animals that are breed for poultry purposes. So the same probably goes for them; brought up learning that duck fetus is a wonderful delicacy, that there is nothing bizarre or terrfying about it.

Hence, even though i was not keen nor dare to try out this local famous dish, i did not protest when Napich brought us to this very famous stall that sells duck fetus/pregnant eggs. After all, it's part of the local experience.

Stalls selling duck fetus/ pregnant eggs are everywhere; by the roadside, at the markets etc. But if you want  the best duck fetus / pregnant egg in PP, this is the place to eat them as claimed by Napich. I dont know the name of the shop but i do know it's the 2nd shop from the left located right opposite Orussey Market.

Looks just like our normal salted egg, no?

The lady and her humble stall.

These duck fetus/ pregnant eggs are being hard-boiled and served with asam powder alike, lime and some raw vegetables.

I think that garlic and chilli are the must-go-together with the eggs. And for first timers who are afraid about not being able to take the taste/smell, i guessed plenty of garlic and chilli makes anything bearable.

DD was successfully persuaded to try on his first ever duck fetus/ pregnant egg.

First, crack open a small hole at the top of the egg.

The whole egg after de-shell. Yes, that furry black thing is the head of the duck. And those brownish fluid is the amniotic fluid/ liquor.

 The head, eyes, beak, neck is all formed already.

The rest of the egg.

By right, the best way to consume a duck fetus egg is by drinking the amniotic fluid first. Remember that small hole that you are supposed to crack open at the beginning? Apparently after drinking all the amniotic fluid, then only you start to de-shell the egg and eat it. Or you can just vacuum the whole egg into your mouth from that small hole without having to de-shell like most of the Cambodians.

Actually i realized that sitting among them all, watching them gulping down their eggs is not as unbearable as i thought it would be. For most of the times, they do just gulped down the entire egg without any de-shelling so all i saw was a lot of empty shells. I did not try any but it felt and look almost normal as each and everyone of them surrounding me, from kids as young as 4 years old to elderly as old as 70 years old were happily gulping down egg after egg.

To end the post, here is a vid of how you shoud eat your duck fetus/ pregnant egg. So happen we had to share the table with this Cambodian guy who was sitting opposite me and he was enjoying his eggs so much i thought i had to take a vid.

PS : I know the music and the vid is totally incompatible but then again the catchy music is suppose to make the whole eating a duck fetus egg process more appetizing watchable. :)

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Double GCB Anyone?

Finally went to try the DOUBLE GCB burger from McDonald's. It's like everyday when DD drove past the McD near the bus station, i will see the Double GCB smiling brightly to me. In case any of you have no idea of what GCB is all about, it's the latest burger to join the happy food burger family. G practically stands for anything, from Great to Grilled to Gaga to whatever imaginable beginning with the letter 'G'. I fell in love with the GCB the 1st time i had it cuz unlike all the other McD burgers, the patty here is grilled. So supposedly healthier than the fried ones rite? hehe. Besides they used the chicken thigh which makes the patty real tender and juicy with each bite.

Previously there's only the single GCB but in conjunction with the Ramadan month, they actually came up with the double one. Double the juiciness, double the yum. I realized 2 years ago, they had the McShakers fries for the Ramadan menu and now they have this.

In Turtle Land (Kuala Terengganu), the McD's are only open from 3 pm onwards during the Ramadan month. And as expected, if you are there during the break fast period, confirm will be full house one. So its either you go way earlier or way later. But anyway, we went to McD around our usual dinner time last nite which also means it's our fellow Muslim friends buka puasa (break fast) time, so not only was the whole of McD full house (but we still managed to find a place where we sat from before they buka puasa right up till McD became empty.. hahaha), all the fries were actually sold out! Poor J was so disappointed. Instead of fries, they substituted them with apple pie instead.

The Double GCB with two juicy patties. Now i feel happy and satisfied. The double GCB was really really yummy. I'm sure to miss it when McD takes them down from the menu after the Hari Raya. So, we have about 2 weeks before Hari Raya, which means only about 2 weeks more for you all who have not try it to go try. Double GCB, such love.  :)

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Pour un Sourire d'Enfant (PSE)

I think the world ought to know about this. Or at least hear about it.

When i visited Cambodia, i really wanted to make a trip to at least one of the many NGOs aim at helping out the underprivileged children in the country. I just felt that a trip to Cambodia will not be truly complete if all we did was tread the beaten tracks and tourist spots.

Hence, on day 2 in Phnom Penh, Napich brought us to this NGO, about 5 km away from PP city called Pour un Sourire d'Enfant (henceforth PSE). From the name,i think it's quite obvious that the founder of this place are French, no?

Entrance of PSE

Just a little introduction about PSE i like to share so we will all know more bout it. PSE is actually a vocational training centre that provides food, health and protection to children, in their case little scavengers a chance to live a better life and future by sending them to school and giving them vocational training. 

The thing is, sadly in Cambodia, up until now, there are still a lot of them living in poverty. And children are the ones that are made to work to provide bread and butter to the whole family instead of the adult. Children, as young as 4-5 years old are force to work instead of being send to schools like the bulk of majority of us here in Malaysia. All these children, without education and skills can only become little scavengers at dumpsites; picking up rubbish to sell for a meagre pay or to source the dumpsite for leftovers, often rotten food to fill their empty stomach. At the dumpsite, they not only have to compete with each other for the garbage, cuz like they said plastics can sell for higher prices than wood (u get what i mean), they had to compete with middlemen from Vietnam who actually already purchased all the 'better value' garbage from the garbage men. 

They are also at risk of being run over by the bull dozers that send garbage to the dumpsite and in fact, they told me quite a number of them had lost their lives due to that. Not only that, when they failed to bring sufficient money home at the end of the day, they will be chase out of the house to go back to the dumpsite to continue searching for 'valuable' garbage until they had enough to let their alcoholic father (most) purchased their booze. Family problems are a pretty common sight; alcoholic, abusive father and gamblers being the most stereotyped. Often left stranded hungry and homeless, these children are malnourished and does not know how to care for their personal hygiene at all. 

There are many more horrible situations that these scavengers had to go through; the fear, the uncertainty, the depression, the lack of love etc etc. All these were told to me personally by those ex-little scavengers themselves who are now studying/living at the centre.

This is C, our guide for the day. Now a French law undergrad, he was a scavenger himself and he shared lots of his personal experience with us. This is basically a simplified chart of the development of PSE. From the very beginning where their 'papa and mama' (a French couple) found them at the dumpsite to the PSE today.

A coalition between the French and Spain gov. From little scavengers to becoming undergrads today. Those that did not make it to university will be train with a skill at the centre, those that make it are all doing pretty well, in medical, law and engineering school now.

As PSE currently have more than 2000 children under them, part of the children will be send to state schools (like our gov sch) throughout the city and they are all provided with bicycles as their mode of trasnport. What i was quite surprised to hear tho was that PSE actually had to contribute in some forms such as construction of classrooms, libraries, toilets, infirmaries etc in those state schools in order for the children to be accepted into their sch. Like so corrupted only.

It's mandatory to wear a helmet to ride a bicycle or motorcycle in Cambodia and students are no exception. PSE policy - no helmet, no bicycle.

At PSE, they have classes for children right from Grade 1 up to Grade 12 (primary to secondary). They even have a 2 level a yr system (means like do Primary 1 and 2 in one yr) and classes for the special children.

Other than studying, they actually have lots of other extra curricular activities like learning their famous Apsara dance.

All these girls are super friendly and cute. They thought that i am from Korea. haha

Their library

Computer lab where they are taught to use Microsoft Word, Excel and to go online.

Toys for the special children

They even have hairdressing and beauty care classes which i was really excited to find out. Im gna blog more bout their hairdressing and beauty care school next time. hehe

The infirmary

This is the student hostel. These students are from the construction, electrical, agriculture classes. They are constructing their very own garden and huts and drains etc. Really good work, putting theory into practice.

The other block

The children at sports

Random shots of PSE

Their souvenir shop.. The handicrafts are made by students of PSE themselves and all proceeds goes back to the school as well.

Must really thank Napich for bringing us there and C for bringing us around

Their papa and mama

Somehow the visit to PSE made me feel not only more thankful than before but in some sense, guilty of wasting food, playing truant or even lil things like sometimes taking people close to me for granted. It was really really heartwarming to see how PSE had helped and is still helping all these children achieve a better life and securing a better future. PSE truly transformed their bleak future into a bright one, giving them hope, strength and love to live on. Of course, all this cannot be achieved without support and sponsorship from all the kind and generous people around the world. Im not doing any paid advertorial for PSE or anything of that sort just in case any of you might be mistaken, but im just sincerely enthralled by all these lives that they touched and the many more they can touch. It was really a wonderful sight to see how all these children are so eager to attend sch it puts all who plays truant or complain about school to shame. It was even more encouraging to see how united they are, living as one tight happy family. Like few hundred/thousand of people living under the same roof for years and never once fought. Impressive not?

Anyway if you all are interested to find out more about PSE or even to sponsor a child, you can check them out here. :)

Lastly, 2 short videos to end the post. One is the PSE students practicing their local musical instruments and the other is me trying to converse to that little girl with Down Syndrome with my extremely limited Khmer. Thank God there's C as the translator. Next time if you all go PP, can drop by to visit them also. They are all super friendly and nice one. And i think it's def a very rewarding experience visiting PSE. :)

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Bird's Eye View of Phnom Penh

Phnom Penh is definitely not a city of high rise buildings or skyscrapers. At present, their tallest building only stands at 118.10 meter.

The Canadia Bank aka OCIC tower being the tallest building in PP 

However, to enjoy a bird's eye view of the city, one can easily do so from the 4th floor of Sorya shopping mall. Unlike many other cities bird's eye view spot, from Sorya, there's no need to pay any entrance fee or ridiculously overcharged prices for food or drinks. It's absolutely free of charge. From there, you can see the busy street life of the Cambodians below, the cars zig zagging across one another and endless rows of houses and shophouses lining the city. I noticed that quite a lot of shophouses/houses around the city have an open rooftop terrace. We managed to grab a few good shots, so do enjoy them. :)

Wat Unalam in the distance

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Sorya

is the name of a shopping mall in Phnom Penh. Although it's 4 storey high, it's pretty much hidden among the many shophouses lining the streets of PP. Right now, it is the only shopping mall in the whole of Phnom Penh but i saw some construction going on for a new mall somewhere near where i stayed so i guess soon there are going to be more malls in PP. But seriously, if u ask me, im not particularly interested to visit malls while im traveling cuz i will prefer to shop in the markets. haha. Well, of course there are exceptions. Malls are good places to kill time during scorching hot afternoons or rainy days when going to the markets are inconvenient. Or like when things sold in the malls are actually of cheaper prices than the ones in the markets. Or if the malls carries labels that cannot be found in Malaysia. Or to watch a movie.

Spot Sorya Shopping Mall (the one pointed by the yellow arrow)

The interior of Sorya

There's actually this entire row of shops that sells nothing but footwear, footwear and more footwear. From 4 inches high heels to wedges to ballerina flats to sandals to  imitation Converse shoes. However, every shop seems to be selling similar designs which is kind of repetitive.

Their food court that uses the coupon system

Besides being the only shopping mall in PP, Sorya also houses the only cinema in the whole of PP. Yes, movie buffers, this is the only place in the whole of PP, Cambodia to be exact (i don rmb seeing any cinema in Siem Reap) that has a cinema. Satu-satunya cinema. Actually the Cambodians have a more special way of watching movies together which is prolly how they compensate the lack of cinemas. Next time i will post the pic. hehe.

4 screening time a day. There's no such thing as midnight movie there.

We tot of watching a movie but all the movies they played were local horror movies. There's no Hollywood movies whatsoever. 

Walking a little further ahead, there's an arcade and a roller blading circuit. But what actually caught my attention was a red squarish looking thing the Cambodians called their 4D cinema. It's really interesting because i had never seen a cinema this small.

Their 4D cinema

To make things even more interesting, there's a screen outside the cinema that actually shows what's going on inside. So while you are enjoying your movie inside, screaming, laughing or crying, everyone else on the outside can see your every moves.

And maximally, it's only up to 4 person per session. So if you are the 5th person, pls wait an hour for your turn. Just kidding.  Fortunately, each movie session is only 10 minutes. Actually it's more to like the 3D (or izit 4D?I forgot Genting got 4D anot) movie we had in Genting, not really a movie movie with storylines and all.

Again, it's all horror movies up for selection. Maybe they were celebrating Halloween or the Hungry Ghost Festival early. Napich wasnt keen initially but we managed to persuade him to watch it with us for the very first time in his life. haha. So together, we went bumping through cemeteries, knocking into ghouls, flying in the sky and sliding down tunnels.

None the less it was a ten good minutes. We screamed when there's all these bats flying out from the huge  pumpkin mouth into our direction and laughed as we were rocked up and down the bumpy tunnel. For USD 3 per person, it's quite ok to experience a local horror 4D movie and honestly, it's not that scary la. At least i managed to keep my eyes open throughout the whole ten minutes. :)

PS : The conversion rate was USD 1 to RM 3.3 when i was in Cambodia.

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