Just My Two Cents....

You know, it REALLY makes me sick to read about road accidents involving minors who are allowed to handle vehicles that are waaayyy beyond their control.

If I'm not wrong, last month I read about 2 school girls, best friends, who died together after being involved in an accident while riding a motorcycle. This morning, again a similar incident, only this time involving school boys, also best friends.

While the story definitely comes across as a tear-jerker, one very important point to note -- The girls were about 14 - 15 yrs and the boys were 10 - 11 yrs.

Is that an acceptable age for kids, YES...KIDS, to be handling motor vehicles?

There are voices saying "alaaaa... dalam kampung aje"

Well, I do believe even the most remote kampung had ROADS in it, and roads = traffic involving cars/vans/lorries.

Kampungs also have ditches and drains, potholes and bumps...need I say more?

In both the articles that mentioned the cases above, it seemed that the riders "lost control of their motorcyle and crashed into a nearby tree".

It seems like a silly incident that should not have happened in the first place, right?

I don't know if I'm being too judgemental but I believe that the authorities should start looking into charging these minors' parents for negligence. I believe there are many countries that have similar existing laws.

It is sad to read a comment from a parent who merely accepts the death of his child and citing it as "fate", when accidents like these are so preventable. To blame it on fate alone is irresponsible.

Children, until they reach the age of 18 (or 21), is under the full care and responsibility of their parents, and for parents to allow their children to operate vehicles, even in remote roads, is strictly a NO-NO.

I live in Puchong, definitely NOT your average description of a kampung, and yet I see young boys riding motorcycles. It's bad enough that they're not even the legal age to ride one, they are doing so WITH NO HELMETS!

Where I live, the area is still under heavy contruction -- road-building and housing areas -- so you can imagine how scary it is if something goes wrong and one of those large sand-transporting lorries 'meet' with one of those unfortunate boys.

I think there should be real consideration to start charging these parents who probably couldn't be bothered to run a simple errand at the local grocers and entice their children with a permission to ride the motorcycle by carrying out the errand for them!

These parents are encouraging their children to flaunt the law, and it is high time that the law slaps them right back in the face!




AM

A Love-Hate Relationship

This is a relationship I believe I share with many KLites :-)

I am a through and through born-and-bred KLite, but to be perfectly honest, there are times I wish I could live/work elsewhere; a place that is not illogically congested and over-crowded by cars which somehow appear and pile up, like some horrendous magic spell gone wrong, more apparent after a rain shower, regardless if it was a full-blown storm or merely a smattering of drops!

Among my favourite landmarks in KL, the Masjid Jamek

Then there is the unbelievable number of road bullies who appear so timid and innocent but can just zig zag through traffic as if they owned the road!!

The hustle and bustle, which sometimes lead to (almost toppling) shoulder grazing -- so kiasu and kan-cheong -- in running their everyday business, that KLites seem to forget to smile at each other.

BUT, like I said.... It's a LOVE-HATE relationship and even though I often wish I could be elsewhere, no where would be quite the same as my beloved KL :-D

World class icon of KL, another favourite

KL is where you can find great food from around Malaysia without really having to travel far, although there's always the argument that you still need to go the place of origin to get the real taste.

Fancy a buffet at any of these world-class hotels?

They are a familiar sight in the KL skyline

This of course brings me to the fact that dieting in KL is not easy, well... not for me anyway! LOL

With all the great choices in and around town, it really boils down to what you're in the mood for.

For me, having a hubby who loves food as much as I do (maybe even more!), is a plus point as we can go out at any time on a whim just to look for what we crave for. The many 24-hour outlets were of great help, especially during my pregnancy LOL LOL LOL

I guess this love-hate relationship is not unique as many of us probably feel the same way, and we probably share the same rants and raves.

But, enough of this rambling... maybe I'll move on to more interesting topics after the weekend... Who knows??? :-D

AM

It's Been A While....

...since I last posted a recipe LOL

I know... I know... But, it's not like we haven't been eating ok. It's just that when I prepare our 'normal' food, I sometimes can't be bothered to go up and bring down the camera. Hence, the absence of food in here for a while now... ehehehe

So, here is my foodie entry for this week (I hope it'll not be for this month!) -- Pumpkin Soup.

PUMPKIN SOUP

you need:

1 1/2 cups pumpkin, cubed

1 large onion, sliced

1 small garlic clove, sliced

1 large slice ginger

1 Tbs. butter

1 Tbs. vegetable oil

1 vegetable stock cube +

500ml water

1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg

1/2 tsp. ground white pepper

salt & sugar, to taste

how to:

steam the pumpkin until soft and set aside.

in a pot, heat oil + butter and fry onions, garlic and ginger until soft and fragrant.

add in the pumpkin and stock mixture, and bring to a boil.

add ground spices and simmer gently about 10 mins, then turn off heat and cool slightly.

use a hand blender/processor and blitz the mixture until a smooth liquid is formed.

check seasoning. warm through before serving.

may be served with a dollop of cream and chopped chives with toasted garlic bread :-)

OK... that's it for the foodie entry :-D

I'm suppsoed to put in a special entry on something I got for Aina recently, but have been a bit under the weather and find it *such* a chore so will save that for later.

Meanwhile, here is Aina in her Mickey Mouse hat which Aunty Shima (my colleague) gave her :-)

On another note, I have now been transferred yet again to another department. I'm not sure if it's a good move since I have other plans in mind, but I guess that this is something that I really, honestly could not be bothered to comment on anymore. What will be will be I guess.

But then again, with 4 moves in a span of 1 1/2 years, dear Sir, who in God's name will be responsible for my annual assessment??

AM