Gladys's Lair

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Gladys's Lair

Hey everyone, welcome to my Regional Studies Programme (RSP) bloggie =D

Head to the "About Me" for more information about me and what kind of a person I am!

"My RSP Diary" is a place where all archives are stored, all my happy memories of RSP

Look up on the different flags of all the ASEAN countries in "Southeast Asia", as well as a quirky characteristic about eacth country

The "Coming up..." section is basically all the coming RSP events in the year ahead

Scroll down more to read a huge welcome sign and appreciate my hospitality! You will also be able to spot a map of all the countries of Southeast Asia and their geographical locations!

Reading of SEA Current affairs can be done on the "Current SEA Affairs" area, where you can keep abreast of current affairs and not stay like a frog in a well!

Now I shall leave you to navigate around my blog! Have fun!

Oh, sorry if I missed that, but scroll down to find the navigations!

Wednesday, 29 April 2009
23:15
Myanmar

Geography:

- covers an area of about 675,000 sq km
- largest city is Yangon, capital:
- is divided into two: Lower and Upper Myanmar
- Lower Myanmar is comprised of coastal areas with dense tropical forests (teak forests, oil-bearing and timber trees)
- Upper Myanmar makes up the interior parts of the country (urban settlements)
- Major river: Irrawaddy River system, plains surrounding it is very fertile
- Highest peak in Southeast Asia: Hkakabo Razi (19, 295 feet)
- the Arakan Yoma range: barrier between India and Myanmar
- More than half of Myanmar is covered in forests that are comprised of teak, rubber, cinchona, bamboo, coconut, just to name a few
- Northern highlands in Myanmar have many oak and pine trees and many varieties of rhododendron
- Manny tropical fruits are found in Myanmar: citrus, bananas, mangoes, and guavas found in the coastal region

Religion/Cultural:

- Over 85% of the people in Myanmar are Theravada Buddhist
- In the region of Rakhine, near Bangladesh, many Muslims can be found
- Some hill tribal people are Christians
- Have festivals all over the year, at least 12 a year (once in a month)
- Most famous festival of Myanmar: Thingyan Water Festival (13 April to 16 April) held every year
- Many performances are held in Myanmar like dramas of Buddhist legends, light-hearted entertainments like slapstick comedy, dance, ensemble singing or giant puppet-shows
- Myanmar music is influential in the country: originates from Thailand, emphasizes rhythm and melodic line
- Most of them are percussion instruments like drums, boat-shaped harps, gongs and bamboo flutes

Sunday, 1 February 2009
03:47
My blog looks isolated. :(

Yeah, I haven't updated for a long, long time. That makes it a trillionbillionmillion years since the last time I blogged. Ok so let's reward your patience by blogging!

So far, we already have like 3 RSP/MSP classes. Yeah, those three-hour long classes on Thursday at our lair!

This year, we have Cikgu Melhan. He uses a lot of Malay in his classes! Really! I heard the most usage of Malay that I ever had in my lifetime in his classes! When all of us don't understand a word or a phrase, he'll use Malay to explain...and all of us wil go HUH??

You know, the blank looks....including me, since I'm not proficient.

Instructions are in Malay too.

But this might be beneficial....A LOT of Malay is good in a way! <3 style="color:#ff0000;">HARIMAU=Tiger!

We were asked to read a passage about Sang Kancil and Sang Harimau (in Malay, of course) and we had to insert our emotions. There was this part:

Ha, ha, ha, Sang Kancil!

And then Ashlynna and me were reading this sentence TOO expressively and it sounds kind of funny! Oh gosh we laughed and laughed whenever each of us read it!

Sunday, 7 December 2008
06:59

Friday, 5 December 2008
05:20
Sekarang, saya sedang menulis pada komputer kerana cikgu menyoal murid-murid kepada menulis tentang cuti pada komputer.

Saya sangat sibuk.

Hari ini, saya telah pelan memarahi untuk "House Commitee 2009" dan berlari-lari dan bermain piano dan menolong kawan-kawannya dengan kerja rumah dan tarik dan banyak barang...=D

I know my Malay isn't very proficient..

Monday, 27 October 2008
04:22
Wanna see how people live in a kampung? Here it is...I've been to the one and only kampong in Singapore- Lorong Buangkok Kampung for an art outing 3 years ago (when I was only Primary 4)!

That's me and my sister standing in front of 2 kampong houses! I was only Primary 4 at that time...how cute do I look =D?

So sorry, I only have one picture of myself. The rest comprises of my sister standing in front of different kampung houses, but due to some reasons, she is unwilling to share her pictures. Therefore, this is all that I have. Nevertheless, from this picture, we can still appreciate the beauty of those old kampung houses, can't we? =D

00:31
It suddenly dawned upon me that I have not done my recipe on Malay cuisine, and tomorrow is the last submission. So I quickly racked my brains on the internet to check out some quirkly Malay cuisines, and with haste, I decided on one that is easy to make and delicious xD :

AYAM MASAK MARAH!

(Red-Cooked chicken)

I looked out many different websites for information on Ayam Masak Marah and lo and behold, I did it in 30 minutes (that's considered very short)! Three cheers for the Internet and my brains!

Anyway, here is my recipe for Ayam Masak Marah:

Ayam Masak Merah, which is “Red Cooked Chicken” in English, is a dish that originated from Malaysia. The chicken is being immersed in spicy tomato-sauce and ground chilli; hence the dish is named “Red Cooked Chicken”. It can be found in many hawker stalls that sell Malay cuisine in Malaysia and Singapore, and is also served during receptions at Malay weddings. The dish is spicy and tastes like curry, but the taste is way different from Indian curry.

A typical dish can serve up to 6 adults.

How to prepare the dish:

INGREDIENTS needed:

- 3 pounds of whole chicken, cut into 8-10 parts (preferable skinless)
- 2 tablespoons of turmeric powder (a coloring agent used in Indian cuisines)
- 1 tablespoon of salt
- Sufficient peanut or vegetable oil (any amount appealing to the chef)
- 1 cup of chopped red onions
- 2 tablespoons of grated ginger
- 4 cloves of minced garlic
- 1 can of tomato puree (otherwise known as concentrated tomato paste)
- 1/2-1 cup of chili paste (can be left out if the chef does not wish for the dish to be spicy)
- 3 tablespoons of hot chili sauce (can be left out if the chef does not wish for the dish to be spicy)
- 1 cup of tomato ketchup
- 2 tablespoon of dark sweet soy sauce
- 1 large onion, cut into rings
- ½ tablespoon of sugar
- Salt
- 2 cups of water
- 3-4 pieces of kaffir lime leaves (a rough and bumpy fruit that is green and grows on prickly bushes) [Substitute- zest of 1 lime]
- 2-3 pieces of pandan leaves [optional]
- corn or vegetable oil for pan frying
- few sprigs of fresh coriander leaves [cilantro] for garnish [optional]

How to cook the dish:

Step 1: Coat the chicken pieces lightly with turmeric powder and salt and let it stand for at least 30 min

Step 2: Heat the wok or pot and add sufficient peanut or vegetable oil to fry the chicken pieces (wait until oil is hot).

Step 3: Fry them in batches until they turn into the colour of light golden brown, before draining them on a metal rack or using paper towels. Set them aside after draining.

Step 4: Pour off all but 4 tablespoons of oil. Add red onions, ginger, garlic into the wok or pot and stir-fry a few seconds, before adding chili paste. Stir-fry for 1-2 mins.

Step 4: Add the hot chili sauce, tomato puree, tomato ketchup, dark sweet soy sauce, sugar and salt. Then, stir-fry for 1 min.

Step 5: Add the kaffir lime leaves [or lime zest], pandan leaves [optional], 2 cups of water. Bring to a rapid boil, then immediately reduce the heat to medium and let it simmer uncovered for 10 mins.

Step 6: Add the drained chicken pieces and stir well to coat evenly with sauce

Step 7: Bring to a boil again, then reduce heat to low. Cover the pot or wok and let the chicken pieces simmer slowly to 'absorb the sauce for about 25-35 mins

Step 8: Add the onion rings and let them simmer for 3-5 mins. The onion rings should have a slight crunch after being simmered.

Step 9: Garnish the chicken pieces with the fresh coriander leaves [optional] and serve them with steamed rice, or preferably, with nasi tomato [tomato rice]

Wow you MUST have think that I'm a wonderful chef right, to be able to create such a dazzling recipe! Actually, it's not. I referred to sources and then I sorta re-wrote them (rather, re-phrasing)...so I'm not a great recipe-maker nor a great chef! And if you're wondering, no, I have not tried to cook this before...but I have tasted it before! It was delicious, but I felt that the chilli was too hot for my taste (I'm not a great chilli eater!). The chicken meat used is very tender and it just tastes well with the tomato sauce! You know, if you glance at it for the first time, you'd have thought that it was Sweet and Sour Pork, but after tasting it, you'll realize that it is a Malay dish from the pandan leaves and the coriander leaves. The onion is also very crunchy, just like pickled lettuce (but the taste is different)!

Well, it's infringing on copyright if I don't quote the sources, so here they are:

Credits:

1. Ayam Masak Merah recipe on MalaysianFood.net. http://www.malaysianfood.net/recipes/recipemasakmerah.htm

2. Best Food Network. http://bestfoodnetwork.com/foodster/fried-tomato

3. A Series of Kitchen Experiments. http://www.kitchenexperiments.net/2007/07/ayam-masak-merah-madu-red-honeyed.html

4. Picture taken from A Series of Kitchen Experiments. http://www.kitchenexperiments.net/2007/07/ayam-masak-merah-madu-red-honeyed.html

While I was doing the recipe, I had the worksheet in front of me, the one that Mr Azahar distribued long ago (shame on me for doing it now only, but never mind, better late than never xD). I came across an article entitled "Malaysians told to safeguard dishes such as Satay" and thought it was interesting, so I will summarize it for you (I'm so nice! xD)!

A government official states that Malaysia is beginning to lose its signature dishes to other countries and thus Malaysians must safeguard them, as the chilli crab loss to Singapore is "bad" enough. Therefore, Malaysians would have to safeguard dishes like satay and roti canai..

The Malaysian government also plans to set up 3000 Malay restuarants around the world by 2010 to present their heritage dishes. Money has also been set for promotional efforts.

Well, I guess that it is natural that the Malaysians are taking precautions so that their signature dishes would not be snapped away. Singapore's signature dishes are those few- carrot cake, fried bee hoon, roti prata, satay, rojak, laksa, all those kuehs....how many of them are actually from other countries? India for roti prata, satay from Malaysia...maybe one day someone can come up with a dish that is Uniquely Singapore!

I think it is essential that governments around the world start promotional their countries' signature dishes. Nowadays, when we visit other countries and stay in their hotels, MOST people would opt for continental buffet, european-style, western-style or international buffet. Therefore, usually, the food that we eat when we travel to other countries are from America and Europe, and not the country's signature dish! Yeah, the group of people who mostly consume food from international buffets include me! I only get to taste some of the country's signature dishes when I'm out of the hotel! Since hotels play an important part in the lives of tourists, why not incorporate some of the country's VERY FAMOUS signature dishes into the buffet spread?

I see that Singapore's hotels are beginning to do this, like having carrot cake, rojak, mee sotong, laksa, porridge....into the buffet spread!

Hey, maybe a Gala Food Festival of cuisines from different countries can be organized in Singapore! In Suntec City, maybe, there are usually a lot of activities going on there! We can have the usual Western Food, the soles and muffins and gooseberry spreadfrom England (Charles Dickens describes English muffins as delicious!), omelettes from France, pizza and mozarella cheese and mamma mia from Italy...and of course, Southeast Asia cuisine! Not bad, right?

It will allow Singaporeans to taste food from different countries and appreciate the exotic range of delicious food. They'll then leave with a satisfied smile, licking their lips...Besides, this is also a good chance to indirectly educate Singaporeans about the different types of cuisines from different countries and their cultures. Housewives that are interested in experimenting food can also flock there....

I'll be the first one there! xD xD

This is getting exciting!

Sunday, 26 October 2008
05:32
Hahas, I finally got my UMPC! (Ultra-Mobile Personal Computer)

So the day blasted off with the distribution of forms and briefing of Peranakan Museum and RSP Camp and many many other stuff...among those forms were some rules and regulations of using the UMPC (I shall be a good girl and follow them xD) and we also had to sign some "pacts", undertaking our responsbilities of taking care of our VERY OWN UMPC! I shall name my UMPC Serafina (eh that sounds very girlish...ok, let's change it to SharkDrive xD)

SharkDrive is the LOVE!

I tried to connect my UMPC to my wireless network at home but it doesn't seem to work...so I thought I'll seek professional help from Evangeline, who apparently is the genius...her UMPC works! xD

Anyway, let's continue...

I feel very glad to be able to have a UMPC! xD It isn't something that any Tom, Dick or Harry will have. Imagine the look of wonderment and awe when my other non-RSP friends in school spots me with the UMPC! I bet they'll be jealous...anyway, my UMPC is not for showing off, it's for academic purposes. So, that means no games or fooling around online with my UMPC, otherwise I might be kicked out of RSP boohoohoo...=(

I'll bring my UMPC during RSP fieldtrips, so that I can record stuff down in the computer. Typing's much faster than writing, and your hands won't get that worn-out so fast. And also, I have a tendency to scribble during fieldtrips because I want to view all the exhibits and the surroundings too, but YET I MUST get down all the notes too. When I get back home, I find that I can't decipher some of my handwritings. So, with a small little portable notebook called the UMPC, aka SharkDrive, all my problems will be solved!

Maybe I can ask Cikgu Roziyah and Mr Azahar politely as to whether we can use the UMPC in our RSP and MSP classes to take down notes or not, as it seems more interesting than holding a pen and a paper...and it is faster too! But I'm not so sure if they will allow or not, as sometimes, the little devil might be unleashed in us and we might visit some AHEM AHEM websites that show contents not related to RSP and MSP. Just like what Kanages and I were doing in MSP class when we had finished our work...we went to search for random blogs and had a good laugh xD (but we HAD FINISHED OUR WORK)

If my wish is granted, I promise I'll really, really keep my whole mind into RSP and MSP during classes! xD xD

[ kindred spirits ]

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archives.

September 2008
October 2008
December 2008
February 2009
April 2009

MAP of Southeast Asia!

Introduction xD

This is Singapore and her neighbours around, in terms of geographical location...

Can you spot our motherland? Singapore?

Below West Malaysia (the continent in Pink, nearer to the left!), right at the bottom of the tip, that is SINGAPORE

BINGO!Hit the jackpot!
Countries of Southeast Asia and their flags!

Singapore, where we are at now!

Malaysia- the land of rubber and palm oil

Thailand- originally Siam

Brunei- the Islam country

Philippines- a megadiverse country

Myanmmar- largest country in SEA

Laos- Land of a million elephants

Vietnam- ruled by the junta (millitary)

Cambodia- producer of garments

Indonesia- the world's largest archipelagic state

About me! xD

My life is NOT privatised...it's all here

gladys
Sometimes I go by pen names (not telling you them!)
13
RGS
Music Elective Programme
Regional Studies Programme
Hadley house
House Committee 2009, Level Coordinator
Friendly, promises that she won't bite
Satisfied with herself
Never bored
Not a good blogger, but willing to learn

She's JUST your typical girl-next-door, with short hair and spectacles.
Even her dress code too...

So typical
So normal

She takes your breath away...LOL xD

Likes

Michael Phelps
Lewis Hamilton
Playing piano
Drawing
Sports
Fooling around
Myself
My life
Reading about current affairs
Relaxing, taking life easy
Chilling with friends and family
Watching Formula One races and Olympic sports
Movies
Music Theory

Don't have your watch? Look HERE!!!

Tick-tock!
Here goes the clock!

"Cambodia complaints of temple damage"

A summary from the Straits Times, dated 27 October 2008, Regional news

Cambodia has accused the Thai troops (as you know, there were some border relations problems) of damaging the ancient Preah Vihear temple during a border shootout somewhere in early October, according to an official. A staircase and a sculpture of a mythical creature were damaged. A complaint was filed with Unesco, the cultural body of the United Nations after the firefight on October 15, where, according to an official, Mr Phay Siphan. he stated that the temple was intentionally damaged by Thai troops due to the presence of grenades near the ancient temple.

So far, 3 Cambodian soldiers and one Thai troop was killed in the border dispute. Tension broke out after Preah Vihear was made a World Heritage site by the United Nations, as it was surrounded by disputes over the ownership of land around it.

One may say that the owndership of the land actually belongs to Cambodia, as stated by the World Court in 1962, but the most accessible way to it is by Thailand's north-eastern Si Sa Ket province! So who does the land belong to? =O Well, I guess we'll have to wait and see. Land disputes are pretty long and countries can fight over a small piece of land for many years. Just like farmers, who fight over a mere fifty acres of land! Whatever it is, I really hope that Cambodia and Thailand can solve the dispute peacefully without ranging any wars...wars are terrible. Many people die and the economy will plunge down further (as if the economic depression that is taking a toll now is not enough). I still want to go on river rides in Thailand and textiles from Cambodia xD

However, the Thai Deputy PM cum Foreign Affairs Minister has stated the progressive efforts to solve the border disputes between two countries

Pictures of the 11th-century temple! xD :

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Taken from http://www.rfa.org/vietnamese/in_depth/Cambodia_Preah_Vihear_temple%20_on_World_Heritage_List_NBinh-07082008164341.html

Taken from http://www.aguidetoasia.com/cambodia/preah-vihear-temple.php

Yeah, although the temple looks very ancient (you can see it from the exterior view, the paints look very old and brownish), it still has a strong portrayal. I don't know how to describe the feeling, but when you look at it, it gives you the "Wow" effect and makes you want to visit it, just like the Angkor Wat. What amazes me is the construction of the building. jeez, it's built around 1000 years ago but yet t can still stand! That's pretty amazing! In the ancient times, people did not have very advanced technology and the fact that a temple could be built is no mean feat! Oh I'm going into history haha xD

There is just something special about the temple that makes you go "Wow", I just can't describe it! The designs are pretty and intricate and delicate, making the whole temple looks very ancient! Maybe one day, when the political situations simmer, I will visit the temple and take some shots with it xD xD

My Profile =D

My RSP Diary!

Southeast Asia!

Current SEA Affairs! 0

Coming up...

1 November- Trip to Peranakan Museum!

14-15 November- RSP day camp at Pulau Ubin and Victoria School