If at first you don't succeed...

... try and try again"

Today, I managed to do a roll-over* at my Pilates mat class. I've been struggling with this exercise in past classes and have never managed to do a successful roll over on my own. So, when my Pilates instructor told us to do the roll over exercise three-quarters way through the class, I mentally groaned and thought to myself "Oh no...". Anyway, I gave it a go. To my utmost surprise, I actually managed to perform this exercise on my first attempt. I could not believe it. It was probably not the most graceful roll over, and yes, I needed to use my hands to support my buttocks to assist the roll over - but I did it! I still have to keep working on it to refine my technique and learn to roll down properly but after a taste of success today, I am confident that I will be able to master this exercise not too far in the future.

The key to success is to keep trying, keep practicing, keep going. And when success finally comes, it will taste so much sweeter because of all the sweat (literally, in this case) and tears (for all the aching muscles after each class).

So whether it's trying out a Pilates exercise, or learning to ride a bike, or sitting for a test, or going for a job interview, or securing a business deal, if at first you don't succeed, try and try again. Don't give up. Success comes to those who work at it!

* Generally, a roll over exercise involves lying on your back with your hands by your side and extending your legs upwards at a 90 degree angle. Using your abdominal muscles, you then draw your hips and legs over your head until your legs are parallel to your chest. Deepening your abdominal muscles, roll onto the broad part of your shoulder. Slowly roll down, using abdominal control to peel down one vertebrae at a time.

Risotto with Prawn and Bacon

It's been a while since I experimented with new recipes. I've always been a big fan of paella and risotto. Maybe it's the Asian in me - rice is such a big part of my life. I've been wanting to cook a paella or risotto dish for a while but was not able to find the medium grain Arborio rice in Malaysian supermarkets. The Arborio rice has a high level of starch which absorbs many times its weight in liquid, resulting in a soft and creamy texture. So, on my last trip to Australia, I bought a pack of Riviana Arborio rice. To be honest, I was quite surprised at how easy it is to cook risotto. However, if you're looking for a quick dish, then this is not it as it requires a fairly long cooking time and constant stirring. If you have the time and patience, this dish is worth it. As with all recipes, you can substitute the ingredients according to your fancy.

Ingredients (serves 4-5)
2 tablespoon olive oil
30 gm butter
4 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
600 grams streaky bacon (or as much or as little as you want)
600 grams prawns, seasoned lightly with salt and pepper (again, as much or as little as you want)
2 cups Arborio rice
4 cups stock, simmered (you can use chicken or a combination of stock. Since I was cooking fresh prawns, I used the prawn shell and head to boil into about 1.5-2 cups of stock. I used chicken stock for the rest)
1/4 cup white wine
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
Basil or Italian parsley, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste

Method
Heat a large heavy based saucepan. Fry about 1/3 of the bacon until crispy and set aside. Note, since I used streaky bacon, it was not necessary to add oil as the bacon will ooze its own fat. Add a little olive oil and stir fry the prawns until it's pink. Remove and set aside.

Heat the rest of the olive oil and butter in the pan. Add the onions and stir fry for a few seconds. Then add the garlic and the remaining bacon and fry for about 3 minutes. Stir in the Arborio rice and cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes or so, until the rice slightly colours, stirring regularly. Add the white wine and simmer to absorb the liquid, again, stirring frequently (Note: this is a constant theme when cooking risotto!).

Begin adding stock, one cup at a time. I found it best to add the stock slowly, stirring well and allowing the rice to absorb the liquid, before continuing adding the stock. So, for one cup, it may take about 2-3 pours. Continue to do so until the you have finished adding all 4 cups of stock, making sure that you stir dilligently! You will see the arborio grow plumper as the rice grains absorb the flavourful liquid. After you have added all 4 cups of stock, taste the risotto. If the rice is still crunchy, you may need to add a little more water or stock until the rice is fully cooked. Season with salt and pepper.

Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the parmesan cheese and basil/parsley. Dish out the risotto and add the crispy bacon and prawn. Enjoy the fruit of your labour!



I've eaten risotto at restaurants where the risotto is way too mushy and is served in a bed of starchy liquid. Personally, I prefer my risotto like this - you can see each plump and juicy individual grain.


Rice is born in water and must die in wine.
Italian Proverb

He is Risen!

This morning as we took Kess for a morning walk, we were greeted by the sight of a rainbow. Now, in the days of Noah (Genesis 9:13) the rainbow was given as a sign of God's covenant with His people after the great flood that destroyed the whole earth, all except for the people and creatures on Noah's ark. The rainbow was God's covenant that a flood would never again destroy the earth.

On this Easter morning, the rainbow reminded me of more than just God's promise not to destroy the earth. The rainbow was a symbol of God's redemption for mankind through His son Jesus Christ. Jesus, who bore no sin died on the cross for mankind's sin. Yet the story does not end there. If it did, there is no redemption for us. Jesus is risen! Death could not hold the Son of God in its grip. So, we have eternal life because our Saviour conquered sin and death on that Easter Sunday.

Balinese Cuisine at the Uma, Kota Damansara

One of the family traditions I cherish the most is celebrating birthdays together. Not only is it a good time to catch up with the family, it's also an excellent time to try out new restaurants. I really enjoyed Balinese food from my last trip to Bali, when I discovered the Bumbu Bali Restaurant at Tanjung Benoa in Bali. This was my first taste of the Balinese Rice Table or the "Rijsttafel", which essentially is a set menu comprising rice served with vegetables and meat condiments.

So, when my sis suggested going to the Uma, a Balinese restaurant at Kota Damansara for our latest round of birthdays celebration, it was a lovely trip down memory lane for me. We opted for their "Nasi Ratus", which is equivalent to the Balinese Rice Table at the Bumbu Bali. The portions are fairly big. We ordered six sets with 2 extra rice for the 8 of us. We ended up trying seven sets (they accidentally served us the Babi Kecap Manis which we didn't order, which turned out to be a happy mistake as it was very good).

The verdict? Absolutely delicious! The Nasi Ratus set is served on a bamboo basket, layered with banana leafs. Depending on the set, the rice and vegetable condiments may vary. A sample of the condiments include minced fish satay, shredded chicken salad, tempe goreng, sambal mbe and sambal tomat, mixed vegetable salad and fried long bean. Our absolute favourite was the Grilled Tuna set. The tuna was fresh and marinated in fragrant Balinese spices, not unlike our otak-otak, but much lighter in terms of the marinade.


Dad loved the Pork Rib Curry Nasi Ratus set (yes, this place serves pork - hurray!). The curry, which has a similar colour and texture to our Kurma curry complemented the tender pork rib perfectly.

The house specialty - Bali Bebek - Balinese steam duck. Served in a bowl of soup, very much like our Soto ayam, the duck literally melted off the bone. We also tried the fried duck set. However, of the two, I personally preferred the steam duck.


The happy mistake - Babi Kecap Manis (Sweet Sauce Pork)! Succulent and flavorful.


The pork sate set was scrumptious too. The sate was served on thick bamboo sticks and was well-seasoned enough to be eaten without any sauce. The rice, Black-eyed pea rice which had light sprinkles of nuts and herbs was my favourite rice accompaniment.



On the other hand, we found the grilled chicken set rather dry. To be fair, it was tasty but just paled in comparison with the other, oh so very delicious sets.


The meal which came to slightly over RM200 for the 8 of us was very reasonable. So, if you had a yearning for some good Balinese cooking, but don't have the budget to fly to Bali, head over to the Uma at Kota Damansara (7-G & 7-1, Jalan PJU 5/21, The Strand, Kota Damansara, Petaling Jaya). Be sure to make reservations (Tel:603-614 2271)!

Postscript: I paid another visit to the Uma in May, 2010 and was pleased that the food tasted as good as ever. As we were there with two first-timers, we ordered our top three favourites - the tuna, pork sate and pork rib curry nasi ratus sets for our group of four. We made sure we had room for dessert this time round. Fans of "hak lo mai chok", or glutinuos rice porridge aka bubuh injin would love this dessert. Served with coconut milk and gula bali, this dessert is rich and creamy. We'll definitely be back again.



One of the very nicest things about life is the way we must regularly stop whatever it is we are doing and devote our attention to eating. ~Luciano Pavarotti and William Wright, Pavarotti, My Own Story

Hua Hin Beach Resort - Plearn Wan

Hua Hin Beach Resort is a favourite destination among Thais. Unlike Pattaya, Hua Hin is fairly unknown to foreigners or farangs. Located 200 kms south of Bangkok, this is a popular weekend getaway with journey ranging from 2.5 - 3.5 hours depending on traffic conditions. Anyone who's lived in Bangkok can attest to the heavy traffic on the expressways leading into and out of the city!

In addition to the refreshing seabreeze, cooling waters, fresh seafood, there is much to do in Hua Hin if one wants a different scene. Our friends took us to Plearn Wan. It is described as a “Center of joy and happiness ... stop the past in order to tell the various tales of Hua Hin in the past ... toward present” on its website. It's actually a huge wooden complex designed based on the old wooden shops in the past, with shops and stalls selling food, souveniers, etc.

Highly popular with the local tourists (colourful buses, MPVs and cars fill the parking lot beside Plearn Wan on weekends) due to the cutesy shops and numerous photo opportunities (Thais love photography), it really is quite fun walking around the shops, snapping away and deciding which yummy desserts to try.

I highly recommend the soft love letter made on the spot. You can choose from a couple of different flavours - yam, banana, etc. Absolutely delicious!


Who can resist one of Thailands most famous desserts - mango sticky rice ("kao niao mang muang")?


Mini crispy pancakes with a choice of fillings - shredded coconut, sweet corn, taro, kaya (coconut jam), etc, etc.


Have some ice cold local coffee to accompany dessert, very similar to Malaysia's local coffee. I thought that the use of the rafia string to hold the paper cup was quite clever!


Watch a local artisan at work as he fashions a horse from candy...


Admire old and current photos of the royal family. It is very common to see shops hang pictures of the royal family from various eras. The Thais highly revere the king. This particular shop in Plearn Wan had quite a good selection of prints for sale.


I was told that in the evening, the look and feel of Plearn Wan is quite different from the day. Unfortunately, time did not permit for us to make a return visit at dusk. Still, we had a pleasant time roaming the "streets" of Plearn Wan, experiencing a little bit of "old" Thailand.

The Frailty of Life

Can you imagine what it would be like to kiss your partner good night and then to wake up and find that he/she has passed away? This is exactly what happened to a friend. His wife was awakened in the wee hours of the morning when she heard him groan, as if in a bad dream. By the time she had put their baby aside and turned back to him, he had already passed out. When the parademics came, he was pronounced dead - just like that. A husband and father's life was cut short, in his prime.



Job 14:1-2 says "Man born of woman is of few days and full of trouble. He springs up like a flower and withers away; like a fleeting shadow, he does not endure." All of us have to die one day. That is a sure thing. We'll never understand why God chose to bring this man, well-loved by all, back to heaven. But we do know that in all things, God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.

At our friend's wake last night, all who gave an eulogy spoke of his gentle spirit, his willing heart and his ever-ready smile. That's exactly, how J & I remember him. He was a man who lived his life on this earth well - serving the Lord with joy and gladness. And now, He is in a much better place with his heavenly Father. Whilst we rejoice in that knowledge, we regret the lost years and mourn this temporary separation. But we know we will see him again one day. God bless you, Kumar.

Romans 14:8
"If we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord."

Home Makeover

It's wonderful living in tropical country, especially when I read about the below freezing temperatures that the Northern Hemisphere countries are experiencing at the moment. Brr....

But the constant sunshine, coupled with heavy rainfall extracts its price on one's home. Cracks and greenish mold appear on the outside walls. J & I decided that it was time our home got a makeover for the new year. Nothing drastic - a couple of fresh coats of paint and remedial works. Fortunately, our friends had just completed renovation on their new home and we were able to secure the services of her contractor.

Day 1 of construction (I finally get to say this line which I hear ever so often on Restaurant Makeover) is prep work. As with all things, starting off on a clean slate is important. Dirt, sediments and peeling paint needs to be stripped off before applying new paint, otherwise the new paint doesn't last. Fortunately, we had bright sunny weather in the morning as the painters cleaned the walls and surfaces with the aid of a heavy duty water pump.

The painters have absolutely no fear of heights.


Kess can't resist checking out the water pump machine.


In the late afternoon, it rained cats and dogs. Fortunately, they had finished with cleaning the walls. The painters move inside to prep the interior walls, skimming over cracks and holes.

My bright orange feature wall now resembles a modern art painting.


At the end of Day 1, I'm exhausted - between supervising the painters, supervising Kess (so that she doesn't disturb the painters), working on a project and cleaning up after the workers leave.

Day 2 of construction - the workers are here bright and early. Taking advantage of the sunshine, they continue with the outdoor work - fixing the cracked cement edges on the roof and applying a layer of sealent on the exterior walls.


Like clockwork the heavens open up and rain falls down in the late afternoon. Hopefully, the sealant had time to dry. Again, the workers are forced to do work indoors. It disrupts their work pattern, but Mother Nature often has different plans to ours and it's up to us to adapt.

End of Day 2 - My home resembles a construction site with paint cans, ladders and a muddied garden! When the workers leave, it's time to clean up again. Sigh...



It takes hands to build a house, but only hearts can build a home. ~Author Unknown