It's A Girl!

Most days, I dread reading the newspaper. Yet when I don't, I feel incomplete as if I have missed out on an indispensable part of my every day life. News that often hog the front page are always so depressing - plane crashes, terrorism, earthquakes, our sliding Ringgit and other horrible things.

And it's not everyday that you get to read about happy stuff like the births of pandas instead of my daily dose of dread. First it was giant panda Liang Liang and now Mei Xiang!

Liang Liang who is on loan from China to Malaysia's Zoo Negara, gave birth to a cub last Tuesday (18th August). Initially, there were concerns that Liang Liang and  her mate Xing Xing, were not hitting it off. Well, looks like they have overcome their intimacy issues.

It's a girl!

image credit -  The Star Malaysia

Let's toast to the first panda cub born on Malaysian soil! And to Mei Xiang too, for her twins who were born at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo in Washington, D.C on Saturday night!

Panda Cookies

Wordish Wednesday

Oreo, our guinea pig is five years old this year. Old for a guinea pig but she sure doesn't look it!

Isn't she the cutest thing ever?
According to the Guiness Book of World Records, the oldest guinea pig known was 14 years and 10.5 months old and was named Snowball. The average life expectancy of guinea pigs is about 4 to 7 years. We pray and hope Oreo will outlive Snowball.

This week's cookies

Of Birth and Death

As I was decorating these baby shower cookies for hubby's co-worker, I was thinking of the irony of life. While we're celebrating the life of a newborn, somewhere out there, someone is mourning the death of a loved one.
Just yesterday, Josh came home from college, shaken and traumatized. A college student fell to his death just a little distance from him. Josh and his buddies were feeding the ducks at the campus lakeside when they heard a loud thud. At first, they thought the sound came from the construction site nearby but upon scanning the area, they saw a body sprawled on the ground several feet from where they were standing. Their first thoughts were the victim had collapsed from heat stroke which is a common occurrence in our very hot climate but as they approached the body, it was evident that the victim had fallen from a great height. The campus' auxiliary policeman was alerted and the victim was confirmed dead. Later, college officials revealed the case was suicide.

What drove him to such a desperate measure?  Did the pain of his existence become so unbearable, there was no way out but to end his young life? Wasn't there anyone who could have made a difference? I was told that suicide survivors instantly regret their decision the second they jump. Though Josh didn't know the student, he was deeply affected by his death and wished he could have done something to prevent the tragedy. I am still reeling from the incident.

My heart breaks for his family  and I grieve for his mother. No parent should ever have to deal with this. I can't begin to imagine the pain they are going through. I want to pray for his soul and for God to give the people he had left behind the strength to brave through their sorrow. I want to hold my sons a little closer every night and remind them no matter how hopeless the situation may seem, suicide is NEVER the answer.

Indian Wedding

The bride for whom I made these cookies was a flower girl at my wedding 23 years ago! Time does fly!

Did you know that a traditional Indian wedding lasts an average of three days!!!??  On the first night, a priest will perform the ganesh pooja, a ceremony that usually happens at home with only the couple, the bridal party, and close relatives in attendance.

The second day begins with a mehndi ceremony. For this, the bride and her female friends and family members will have intricate henna patterns drawn on their hands and feet. That evening, the sangeet takes place. Every wedding guest is usually invited, and it involves an introduction of the couple's families, mingling, a meal, and dances or other performances.

A mehndi party

On the third day, the main ceremony, cocktail hour, and reception take place. You may be invited to the last day of the events, or to any part of the three-day celebration. Your invitation should clearly state what you're being asked to attend.

Expect to see the groom arriving to the wedding ceremony on a decorated white horse! Over here where a white horse is nearly impossible to find, the groom makes his entrance in a fancy car instead. Guests dance around him to the beat of the dhol, an Indian drum. After that, the bride and her family greet the groom, and the couple exchanges floral garlands to wear around their necks to symbolize their acceptance of each other.

image credit - http://www.indianweddingsite.com/

During the ceremony, the priest, groom, bride, and bride's parents sit beneath a mandap, a canopy similar to a Jewish huppah. The ceremony starts off with the kanya daan, in which the bride's parents give away the bride. Then the couple joins hands and circles around a small, enclosed fire (the agni) in a ritual called the mangal phera.

The couple will next take the saptapadi, a seven-step ritual where each step corresponds to a vow the groom makes to the bride, and a vow the bride makes to the groom. Saptapadi is performed near a fire, which has religious significance. After each of the seven oaths to each other, the groom and bride  walk around the fire with part of each other’s clothing tied to each other.
Finally, the groom will apply a red powder to the center of the bride's forehead and tie a black beaded necklace around her neck, proclaiming that she's now a married woman.

image credit - https://www.chennaihalls.in

source - https://www.theknot.com/content/hindu-wedding-guest-qa

Ratzilla

Have you seen the following image of  the giant rat that went viral on social media a couple of months ago? The photograph was taken at a rat catching campaign that was organised in a suburb not too far from where we live. My first thoughts were......OMG! It must be the genetically modified foods our rats have been feeding on and they mutated! Either that or our city has beome so filthy, it has pretty much become rat heaven and our rodent friends have gotten big and fat from all that partying and feasting!

Turned out, Ratzilla was just a regular sized rat and the image was either photoshopped or captured by the photographer at an angle that made it look ginormous. Apparently, a Facebook user has uploaded  the image to make a point - that the standard of cleanliness in the precinct was sub par and a breeding ground for rodents and other pests. In defense, an image was later uploaded by a spokesperson of the municipality showing the actual size of the purported rodent at a different angle. Phew! However, residents are still claiming to have seen rats the size of cats in the area!

A huge rat, nonetheless!

A scene from the movie Ratatouille

I was going to make Remy (the would-be-chef from Ratatouille) cookies but I just couldn't get the image of Ratzilla out of my head. While I have no qualms about cute talking rats who wear chef hats and know how to prepare five course meals, Ratzilla isn't that  kind of rat I want  invading my lovely neck of the woods.  Thank God, I live in a condo and the only rodent you find in our home is our big fat guinea pig!

I don't mind these invading my neighbourhood though!

Blog Break

On a blogging break for the next while. Back soon.

Selamat Hari Raya AdifFitri

In a week's time, Muslims worldwide will be celebrating Eid al-Fitr. In Malaysia, we call it Hari Raya Adilfitri. Hari Raya in Malay literally translates as ‘celebration day’ and Hari Raya Aidilfitri is the day that marks the end of Ramadan, the Islamic holy month of dawn-to-sunset fasting.

Over here, the festival is a major public holiday and offices and schools officially close for 2 days.
On this day, Muslims don new clothes and go for prayers in mosques at dawn. Then it’s off to see the parents. Muslims traditionally ask for forgiveness from their elders for any wrongs committed during the year. More visits are made to see relatives and friends and a lavish spread of food awaits Some even have 'Open House' - a Malaysian concept  like no other anywhere else in the world! Open Houses are  held during religious and cultural festivals like Hari Raya Aidilfitri, Chinese New Year, Christmas and Deepavali. An Open House event connotes that anyone , regardless of religion or race, can visit the home of a friend or associate during a particular celebration. When we were kids, we used to hop from house to house and stuff ourselves full with all those yummy cakes and cookies!

It is customary for Muslims to wear traditional clothes on Hari Raya. The men generally wear Baju Melayu (a loose shirt with trousers) with kain samping (a short sarong) and a songkok (cap), while the Baju Kurung is often worn by the ladies. Families usually dress in the same colour to represent unity.

Those green thingies are ketupat, a type of dumpling made from rice packed inside a square pouch that is woven from coconut leaves. Ketupat to Hari Raya is what Easter eggs and bunnies are to Easter. Images of ketupat are often used as decoration to celebrate Hari Raya or Eid ul-Fitr.
From the 20th day of Ramadan, oil lamps are lit in homes and mosques and burned until the end of the festival

Ketupat - a Hari Raya staple

Red, White And Blue

Wishing my American bloggy buddies a very happy July 4th!

Ladybird, Ladybug, Ladycow......

Bein' a ladybug doesn't automatically make me a girl!

Where I come from, these adorable spotted beetles are called ladybirds. I think  Americans call them ladybugs. Growing up, I've always wondered if the ladybird was named for any particular female trait it possessed.

Interestingly, today I found out that the "lady" in ladybird refers to the Virgin Mary! Legend has it that crops in Europe during the Middle Ages were plagued by pests, so the farmers began praying to the Blessed Lady, the Virgin Mary. Soon, the farmers started seeing ladybirds in their fields, and the crops were miraculously saved from the pests. They associated their good fortune with the black and red beetles, and so began calling them lady beetles. In Germany, these insects go by the name Marienkafer, which translates as Mary beetles. The 7-spotted lady beetle is believed to be the first named after the red cloak Mary often pictured in biblical paintings; the red color represents her cloak, and the seven  black spots represent her seven graces and sorrows.

Here are 10 cool facts about ladybirds

1. Ladybirds aren't really bugs at all, they're beetles!

2. In France, one common name is “la bete a bon Dieu” which roughly translates as “God’s animal”.In Russia, a popular name is “Bozhya korovka” which translates as “God’s little cow”, no doubt referring to the beetles’ spots which are not unlike the kind you’d find on certain cows. In fact, one of the alternate early names for the beetle, before “ladybug” or “ladybird” in English was “ladycow”.

3. Even in cases where the ladybird isn’t explicitly linked with God, it was historically considered by many to be a good luck charm or good omen due to it generally being considered a helpful insect. For this reason, it was less-commonly known as the “golden-bug” in some parts of England.

4.  Ladybirds bleed from their knees when threatened.

5. Over its lifetime, a ladybird may consume as many as 5,000 aphids.

6. Ladybird larvae resemble tiny alligators, with elongated bodies and bumpy skin.

7. Scientists believe ladybirds may lay both fertile and infertile eggs.

8. Ladybird adults hibernate, usually gathering in large aggregations in protected places.

9. Ladybirds practice cannibalism.

10. You can't tell a ladybird's age by counting its spots.

Sources - http://insects.about.com/od/beetles/a/10-facts-ladybugs.htm
                http://www.todayifoundout.com/index.php/2015/04/ladybugs-called/

Happy Father's Day 2015

Happy Father's Day, pallies!

Baby's Full Moon

Baby Shower Cookies

While decorating these cookies for a friend's 'Full Moon', I was thinking how times have changed! Full Moon gift boxes I receive these days from friends and relatives comprise cupcakes and cookies unlike the traditional red eggs, pickled ginger and angkoos we used to give out and receive. If you are clueless about what that is, a full moon is a ceremony held to celebrate a baby's first full month of life when he/she turns one month old. In Chinese, full moon literally translates as  full month.
According to custom, gift packs consisting of red eggs, angkoos, yellow rice, curry and pickled ginger are distributed to relatives and friends as proclamation that a new member has been added to the family. A party is usually held and visitors arrive bearing gifts for the baby.

Every item in this basket has a symbolic meaning

image credit - http://www.foodpromotions.com.my/2009/02/nyonya-restaurant-baby-full-moon-gift.html

Hard-boiled eggs with their shells dyed red symbolize prosperity and fertility

Angkoo ( literally translates as red tortoise cake ) represents the baby's gender. Plain for males and textured for females, this red sweet cake is made out of mung beans and glutinous rice flour and shaped into a little tortoise. Tortoise symbolizes long life, strength and persistence.

Rice to ensure that there will always be food on the table


A modern-day Full Moon gift box with the obligatory red eggs

A full moon party is kinda like a western baby shower, only celebrated a month after the baby's birth. It also marks the last day of confinement for the new mom. The confinement period is a traditional post-natal Asian practice and is so called because the post-partum  mom and baby are 'quarantined' at home for a one-month period, hence the word 'confinement'. Traditionally, they do not receive visitors apart from close family members until the confinement period is over. You wouldn't want to visit them during that time either, trust me! Chances are, the new mom hasn't washed her hair for an entire month. You can read about that here.
So a full-moon gift box is essentially an announcement by the proud parents of the birth of their newborn and an invitation to friends, relatives and co-workers to welcome the arrival of the baby. Hubby calls that a 'summon' as the receiver of the gift box will then be obliged to visit the newborn bearing gifts!

For more information about the taboos and practices during the confinement period , read here

My son turns 18 today!

Josh, my firstborn turns 18 today - yet another epic milestone in his life and mine. As of today, I am now officially the mother of an adult. How did this happen so quickly?

I am not going to lie and say that I enjoyed every second of his growing up for eighteen years. Oh, we had plenty of imperfect moments. At times, I felt like strangling him when he was hellbent on making me murderous and pissing me off. I am sure we drove our neighbors crazy with our shouting matches! And I am most certain, he was the cause of that perpetual scowl on my face! But I am going to congratulate myself and him for coming out of this turbulent journey to adulthood alive, unscathed and sane!

What do I write about this amazing young man who brings out the best and worst in me? He's the most compassionate person I know. He's generous, accommodating, tenacious, considerate, smart and funny though his younger brother, Rodney, will tell you differently. But even with Rodney, his greatest foe, I’ve witnessed acts of fierce  protectiveness and support when needed.

I believe Josh's best qualities, his compassionate heart and thoughtfulness will serve him well in life. The first time I noticed these qualities was when he was three - we were at the traffic lights when a turtle from a nearby pond was crossing the road behind us and a car rolled over it. Josh cried his eyes out and was inconsolable until we convinced him that the turtle was having a better life in turtle heaven. On his 4th birthday, he requested for a pair of terrapins. At the pet shop, he chose a blind terrapin and another deformed one. Josh insisted on bringing them home 'cos he figured that if we didn't, no one would buy them and he couldn't bear the thought of them languishing in the pet store.  Once, while walking down a street, we stumbled upon a lifeless rat. Josh stopped short , closed his eyes and clasped his wee hands in prayer over the dead rodent! Bless his little heart! And when he was in first grade, he would queue up every single day at the canteen to buy food for his disabled classmate. I see the same compassion in this young man still. Josh actively contributes his time and effort to volunteerism and community services. He teaches kids from war-torn countries at a refugee camp. He intends to volunteer his service at an animal shelter during his coming semester break.

If I could rewind time, which part would I play over and over again? It would most definitely be the stage between toddler and boy. And I would most certainly skip the mid teenage phase!  Shudder!

My perfect moments? When he made me my first Mother's Day gift? The times when he would accompany me everywhere  and didn't think that hanging out with mom wasn't uncool?When he bought me cookie cutters with the prize money he won in the first contest he entered? It's kinda hard to qualify some moments as better than others. Just the other day, I visited his former high school to collect his certificates and the teachers were telling me what a fine young man Josh turned out to be. His school counselor congratulated me for raising him well! That, for me, was my most perfect moment, the culmination of 18 years of parenting.

This young man has tested my mettle, grown me in patience and strengths I never thought I had in me. I guess the time has come to cut the apron strings - to let my baby go and grow independently no matter how much it hurts.

Happy 18th Birthday, son!