Throwing down the gauntlet

Blay watching the Polar Bear on Telly

I was vegging out in front of the idiot box the other day and as I'm a big wild life/ below zero /extreme fishing fan, naturally a program about polar bears had caught my attention.  Heey! they may be the most dangerous carnivores on this earth but they're still the cutest! But that's not my point, stop distracting me!  My cat Blay, whom my son an I had found as a kitten in the car park, took one look at the Polar Bear on the screen and went straight into hunt mode.  I giggled to myself thinking "yup a little 5 pound kitty against a 300 lb bear, that's about fair... (well in Blay's head)  as my little "happy " cat sailed through the air from the couch to land in front of the telly. She then proceeded to watch the show too!

So as the documentary played on, the host of the show was waiting for the mother bear to leave her den with the cubs and move on  to a different part of the vast snow filled islands to find food as she had been in hibernation for 6 months. Thinking she was just taking the cubs out for some fresh air just like  days past, he realised she was actually leaving as she just kept walking on... and though she looked back a couple of times that was it. They just moved on.   I thought to myself, humans very rarely if ever just pick up and go.  We have so much baggage or "things" that we have to bring with us that it takes time, emotional preparation, money and organisation to do so. 

My daughter Leilani picking up and going (as far as the beach.. heh)

More pondering, the slow turning of the rusty wheels in my brain could almost be heard as I had  just been introduced to Claire Sancelot who headed the Zero Waste Movement in Hong Kong.  She had recently moved to Malaysia with her family and was trying to find her feet here.   Meeting her only reinforced my mind set of how I was living my life.  I try to recycle as much as I can, organise the meals so food waste is minimal (well when you have two teenagers in the house, there is NO SUCH THING AS LEFTOVERS!!) 

I know even though the ministry here is saying we as a nation have to start recycling NOW, they've  pushed the deadlines for implementation because the nation were (are ?) not "ready".  These are among the public responses received recently when asked on their preparedness in the implementation of the Act and I quote from www.therakyatpost.com   

• “What is waste separation? I know nothing about the Act being implemented in September”. (2015)
• “Is it true that action will be taken on home and business owners if they don’t separate the waste? It feels like a burden”.
• “Why there has not been any news on this new regulation? I have no qualms about following the new rule as recycling is already practised in my household”.     

                          This is a Fab Video from The Plastic Coalition. 

I guess for some of us, it's easy peasy, it's something you do without thinking, but for those who still feel a bit in the dark, I've asked Claire to give me her thoughts on Zero Waste here in Malaysia.   She says  "start by refusing small items like plastic bag, straw, bottles..., carry your reusable bag, refillable water bottles.  Little changes go a long way.  We have only one planet and it cannot be recycled and right now we are destroying our living environment.   Free yourself from things, its is extremely liberating.  Happiness does not come from things"    She also quoted that clothes are the second largest polluter to  Our environment  (Ladies stop rolling your eyeballs, and men this is not the reason to continue to wear that horrible 5 O shirt OK?)   For those of you who are interested in reading more about Zero Waste, Clair has a page on Face Book ZERO WASTE KUALA LUMPUR  

Now one of my pet dislikes are the styrofoam containers we're constantly given by vendors for take away or *tapow* as we do here in Asia, so like our forefathers who were actually more eco friendly, I've gotten ahold of a tiffin carrier, especially for take away food. 

I got mine from Alibaba express

These Beauties are from India

I got this for my dad from Thailand

So I challenge you to do the same, I've also got a Facebook Page called Daph's Caf , do post your pics of your tiffin carriers there... if you dare :-p

Have a lovely week ahead. 

Mini Road Trip

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A while back when I was experimenting with a product for our new business venture, Lisa the little faerie who designs my blog, mentioned a place that her mother recommended to buy the organic version.  So finally this weekend we went on a mini road trip to place called Janda Baik which is about an hour's drive from Kuala Lumpur.

We zipped along in her little Swift and had to double back a few times as we couldn't find the turnings, on one of them we were actually only a hundred meters away from our destination but had turned back as it looked as if it was heading towards a dead end.  So after stopping to pick up some of the roasted chestnuts they sell along the way and checking with Lisa's mum again, we finally made it there!

The road was lined with vendors selling fresh produce, but I could not find what I was looking for. However I did stumble upon this

RED BANANAS!!

I picked up a bunch of these exotic red bananas to bring home for the kids to try,  as Lisa had never tried one she decided to eat one there and then!  I watched her face as she took a bite, she turned and looked at me "it's not bad, a bit tart and soft in the middle" she exclaimed.  Cool bananas! She also said they would taste perfect for "Pengat Pisang" which is bananas boiled in coconut milk So then we moseyed on further and I came across this beautiful red number

ROSELLA

We've all seen the Rosella syrup and teas but here it was fresh and abundant.  So I got myself half a kilo of this vitamin c packed wonder ruby and managed to slip in a few packets of their fresh veg. Though I didn't get what I  originally came for, I found something I could experiment on!

So back at the cave, I decided to do my "double double toil and trouble, fire burn and caldron bubble".  I first made the Rosella drink , by boiling and steeping the flowers 

It doesn't take long to boil and what a great colour!

Straining the flowers, and it's ready to drink,  you can add sugar or honey to sweeten it

I also made some Rosella Jam!  (errrr needed some form of creative outlet!)  Well the great thing is I've created a tasty jam and we've now found someone who produces what I've been looking for, which means another Road TRIP!!! wheeeeee

My home made Rosella Jam and Drink! Cheers!

Thanks for taking the time to read this and have a great week ahead!

Living young!

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Wow it's so hot that even if I said "it's hotter than Satan's arse!" most people would nod and say "figures"!  We've been sweltering in the mid 30's to 40 degrees lately.  Putting on make up is pointless, it slides of 15 mins later if you're outside!  

I've been recuperating after having had a bout of Shingles.  Yes, even I was like "wha?!" when the doctor diagnosed me.  What she failed to tell me  after she dispensed the antivirals, pain killers and creams, was how painful it would be!  Geezz at least with child birth, it's over within a few hours.  This goes on and on.  Anyway the reason why I'm telling you all  this is twofold.  The first is a small segue to apologise for no vlogs!  and the second is how I was introduced to yet another product that can help you and those around you as well as  supplement your income. 

It all started this way " hey babe,  shingles,? let me see if there is an oil to help recover faster"  my friend Riz messages me after I've told her about my situation.  Oils?  what on earth is she looking for oils for me?  I'm already taking evening primrose oil, fish oil, avocado oil etc so I was a bit confused.  So I asked her, "errr what oils?"

Young Living Oils

She meant essential oils!  AAAaaaahhhhh , penny finally dropped!  I'm no stranger to essential oils, in fact I usually have lavender in my house, it helps with bruising and tee tree oil which is also used topically as a local antiseptic plus essential oils smell great.... most times!   I'm sure a lot of you would have them in your diffusers as well.  

Riz informes me that they were having an "Oily Party".. ooo eerrr Missus I thought.  No! not that type of party ! It was to meet up with people who had incorporated these products into their lives.  

The one thing I realised when I met up with the "Witches" of Oil as they liked to call themselves, at the Oily Party,  was that they were so warm and welcoming and there was a general atmosphere of support, caring and a lot of sharing. Each person told her story of how she or he had a specific ailment and how they had tried the oils and how the oils worked for them individually, for their children and the entire family. They even celebrate birthdays together!

Azah's surprise birthday cake

The cake was in the shape of
an essential oil bottle!

I love the holistic approach to healing here, I've always preferred to go with alternative methods of medication which is why I use Ayurveda and acupuncture treatments (My Acupuncturist also uses Young Living Oils I found out!) 

I asked a few ladies for their thoughts on Young Living essential oils and Sarini, the lady who led the "Oily Party"  had this to say about the products :

"Young living therapeutic grade essential oils are a wonderful and effective, holistic way to a healthy life full of wellness and abundance. I love that it has enabled my loved ones and I to live a lifestyle where all our body systems are connected to and supported by nature, so we can truly live a life of vigour and vitality! " 

 To know more: +6012 3232 117, sarini.bujang@gmail.com , Young Living member ID: 2923956

"It's been a magical, almost surreal journey for my family and I ever since we started immersing ourselves with the use of YLEOs in our daily lives. Our overall health and immune systems have improved so much in the past year that my kids have less visits to the doctor's now and my special needs child especially benefited from using YLEOs to help support her and improve her condition. I am happy to share my enthusiasm and love of the oils in order to help others gain a healthier and more wholesome lifestyle."

Doing further research, I've found that two huge celebs also use these products as well :

Gwyneth Paltrow

Jessica Alba - here's the LINK

Riz also passed me her mixture of oils for me to use on for my Shingles which I've been using everyday since.  Love the smell and feeling better for it.  For more information on Young Living you can contact Sarini or have a look at this link YOUNG LIVING US

I hope this smells right! heh heh and I'll catch up with you next week,keep the e mails coming in and again, thank you for your subscription. 

The last word

I've been under the weather lately, a really bad viral attack had me home bound for a couple of weeks and slowly the pain in receding. So while I had time on my hands I went through the admin side of the social media sites and that's checking the comments, responding to them, tidying up the written content , you know what I mean! It's a virtual way of cleaning house without the physical side of it!!

I came across a couple of negative remarks and comments on my social media platforms, some from friends and some from strangers.  So I thought to myself how do other people deal with negativism ?  ~"the practice of being or tendency to be negative or skeptical in attitude while failing to offer positive suggestions or views.".
We're no stranger to this, you could be a student, or climbing up the corporate ladder, a housewife, a multimillionaire and everyone bar none will have experienced this.  The funny thing about us human beings is that we could receive 20 wonderful comments about our work/product/result and get 1 negative one, and which one do you remember?  The negative one!  ( this is the link for 7 strategies for Dealing with Negative People )

Sometimes it's better to switch off!

When we  were on radio  I swear my former CEO said " just remember there are a lot Psychos out there, don't take anything personally!".   We had our share of  irate callers believe me,  and some did attack  us personally. We were advised not to engage if it was personal and just report the call .  Same with being on Television, when the comments were constructive,  we'd write back and if they were negative we'd just delete it and let it go.

Yah, I was like "OMG"!

If you really think about it, not everyone is going to like what you do and or even you personally, that's part of the tapistry of life, so many different types of people, likes and dislikes are so diverse, and there's bound to be people who won't get on.  Here's the link  How to deal with negative comments on social media

Well for me I break it down into two categories, constructive criticism and personal attacks.  I've learned to not react immediately, I take a deep breath and step back, think about it and if it's worth my effort , to respond diplomatically,  and if it's just utter tripe.... I just let it go and chalk it down to "pot shots from the cheap seats"!  (see even you smiled)  or I call my bestie  and have a rant, get  it out of my system and carry on.  There is more to life than allowing negative thoughts and words from others to impact you and your lifestyle,  like that sale you just signed off on, or the new app you designed or the dinner party you're throwing , you get my drift.  So sally forth, and let the positive rule the way!

Thank you for taking the time to read my blog and for subscribing to my vlogs, much appreciated!

Plotting away!

March , I believe is going to be an interesting month for me ... it's when all the plotting and planning comes to life. Where presentations are made and possible sponsors are met.  It's not only for my next show that I've conceptualised but also for an exhibition that I'll be helping my friend with.

Prepping for the next project

It's all quite exciting , through the months of posting about what to do whilst looking for work/sponsorship we've been slowly putting together some projects and it's all coming together.  Through inspiring each other, my friends and I have supported each other and forged alliances that will last the test of time.  This as also one of the main reasons I said to find your tribe,  they provide important feedback and encouragement. 

Can't wait for the exhibition to happen!

So this month we're sourcing different types of spaces to exhibit a modern take on functional upcyled lamps that one of my dear friend has designed.(location location location!!!)   The upcycled lamps are absolutely to die for, crafted with so much loving creativity,  and for those lucky few who've been privy to seeing them before the exhibition,  just a few weeks more to wait! (they've  all wanted to purchase them outright! ) 

Not only have we started the ball rolling on that side of events, I've also been perfecting a product of mine which I hope to launch soon online.  We're now in the middle of figuring out a name for it and getting some inspiration for the labels.  Oh yes, how you brand and position your product is very important.   I have an idea which I'll let you know about soon which will give home made products a boost (big smile) 

I love mason jars don't you?

Apart from that we've been also sourcing the raw materials, we'd like to keep it "made in Malaysia" as much as possible,  as well  as keeping it organic and eco friendly too!  It's  as much fun testing and creating the product as it is to come to this final step, so a road trip should be on the books soon. (research research research!) Note to self bring the camera!!!

decisions decisions!

In the mean time we're busying ourselves with all the mechanics that go into an event and good thing too as the waiting for responses back from possible sponsors for my new show would have been nail bitingly hard to do without other work to distract me!  They say sometimes you have to do something totally out of your comfort zone to get where you need to go, I couldn't agree more and the way I view it? It's a magical mystery tour lets see how the adventure goes! 

Bring on the Power Tools!

Do you guys remember Tim the Tool man Taylor? arrhh arhhh arhhh arhhh!  Well I'm not going to be talking about those sort of tools!  It's more about the tools that your require for your business or creative project.

Tim Allen was a scream in this sitcom!

I 've been chatting to certain friends who are in the middle of their creative projects, some required more art equipment, some better Internet access, some equipment for their kitchens and for those who are into sports even the garments they wear make a difference.
For me as a producer, obviously I love to see what we're creating in detail, so HD cameras and the latest in editing software are naturally on the tool list.  So how do you go about getting the tools of your trade ?  Is it via word of mouth?  The latest trending tech?  The most expensive brand? Tried and tested?
Well I think it's a little of all that plus doing some research.  For me it's going on the net and doing a comparison of the top 10 in the relevant category.  With so many users on the market it's a lot easier to garner information, feedback on the product and ratings so we can draft our wish list and then break it down to our top 3.
I also speak to professionals who use these products and give them the choices  I've put on my list and ask them for their opinions.  A lot of the time they will ask what the budget is, what you will be using the product for, how long you expect it to last, is it for a hobby or for professional work, so many variables which  conclusively boil down to your personal preference.

My trusty Minolta, it's still in good nick! heh museum piece soon :-)

Take for example and don't laugh please, the first camera bought for me was from by elder brother Mel,  it was a Minolta, you want to talk about brand loyalty, I'll put my hands up now because that camera worked perfectly for decades.. yes and if I could find film today I'm sure it would still work!
However if I was to purchase a DSLR camera my preference would be a Cannon, and that is because of how it handles for me.  Same with knives I have a preference for German knives, because I like the shape of their blades, the weight and grip of their handle while other cooks will swear by Korin which are Japanese. These Knives are expensive running into the hundreds, however you certainly don't need one of these knives to cook a great meal.

The Knives the Pro's use

The Knives Daph uses!

The point I'm getting at is the most expensive the tool is not necessarily the best tool to get for you, performance,  quality and durability is what you need to look at and hey sometimes that $50 slicer one bought works just as great as the $350 mandoline slicer  that the professionals use.
Mind you there are some things that you just can't compromise on.. like a really good cup of coffee!
You have a great week and I look forward to hearing from you soon.
Dx

A little speed bump along the way

Sometimes when you are in the zone, and everything seems to come together like the perfect souffle, a small wrench is thrown into the well oiled cogs of your work (picture said 'perfect souffle' deflating like a... err use imagination pls!)  .  It could be family, an accident,  illness , even your pet.  What ever it is, the human side in us tends to stress and worry about it and everything else seems secondary.

I didn't bake these choc souffle myself,

but I sure helped eating them!

 Yes I've gone through those moments, in 2004 my late husband was diagnosed with lung cancer and later that year died in my arms, my teen son fell off our second floor balcony in 2008 and broke his pelvis in 3 places, and this week, my father is facing the C word. 

I love the concept of throwing yourself into your work to drown out the noise of the outside world and all that it entails ( a pair of really good BnO headphones and your fave music playlist also works!) however reality is such that we have to deal with it.  So how do you compartmentalise your feelings in order to get on with your life?  If you're like me, it takes a couple of days to digest and finally understand all angles of the problem,  then I mull it over and tend to stay in my head until I'm resolved with whatever issue has come up.  Because when you really think about it and yes it's a cliche but a truism, what will worrying do for you? (Believe me as a Virgo, my worrying is on another level altogether!)

My son and my mother doing just fine thank you!

Well for starters, it can cause a myriad of things beginning with stress which leads to panic attacks, hives, depression and this wonderful list goes on.  I recently went through something similar just before Christmas.  Everything was beginning to pile up on my shoulders, my finances, work plus friends were in town for a holiday, I was flying from one state to another helping out with events, and on the final day of what was supposed to be a girly escape I came down with chest pains so bad I thought that this was it.  As it turned out , I was having a stress attack (very similar to a panic or anxiety attack) and as my Acupuncturist says, if I didn't take it easy,  a lot worse could begin to manifest itself by way of aches/pains and eventually illness.   It certainly was a wake up call,  and I'm not ready to leave just yet!  If you think about it "worrying" is just a waste of brain power which can be utilised elsewhere .. like dreaming! which is a hell of a lot more positive then fretting about "IF's".

It is one of the reasons I always reiterate "follow your dreams"  or "passion" or "what you love", because these things can also save you.  For me, gearing down is hard but I have to do it, I've stopped pushing so hard and working against the current.  Now I go with the flow, make adjustments when needed, writing my Blog and doing my Vlog gives me pleasure.  It's a great way of also expressing myself.  When I do the things I have a passion for, more creative ideas come to me.  Hence the new concept for another show, plus an exhibition I'll be planning for a friend, some great new shopping ideas (and so much for gearing down! heh heh).  I make time for me, I've learned to say no, and be selfish with my "me" time.  I took a few days to figure out our family crisis, talk to my closest friends and family and I'm dealing with it.  Funnily enough with this type of attitude, my work is better, I have more time to spend with my family especially now that we're in a bit of a scrum to see which way the ball will go with my father.

Yes, life will be like a yoyo at times with these little "wrenches" , but if you keep your eye on the ball, stay focused, be flexible and be very positive, those speed bumps are just that, a little bump along the way. Don't be so hard on yourself, and as my dad says "Don't crumble, never let the enemy see your weakness, stay strong and hold your head up"  (errr Dad's ex military..)

Dad with his horses, I always thought he was more gaucho!

So for any of you who's going through some tough times, take it from me it will get better, we're all in this together.    Here's to life.