Sunday 25 September 2011

Inflation

Breakfast on Sunday must be different from the Monday to Saturday boring food served on table, as my sons requested.

After Sunday worship, I dropped by Lido to get some breakfast.  To my surprise, the hawker auntie is asking for RM1 for a piece of very normal 7 layer kuih lapis!  Everything of that size is RM1!  The ingredients are only rice flour, sugar, santan and pandan!  The Malay kuih muih and Chinese kuih muih are made up of almost the same ingredients.  Why should they be asking so much?  Finally I bought 2 Cha Siu Pau and 2 pork pau, which i feel worth better.  I don't understand why other aunties customers can afford to buy the kuih muih without their faces changing colour!  Why are they willing to pay for the expensive kuih when they can make it cheaply?

In the coming weekend, I must try my hands on steaming my own 7 layer kuih lapis. 

I remember when I was young living in Kampung Air, most families would have many kids.  People couldn't afford to eat out like what we are now. My breakfast would be fried dried hock kian mee, fried mee hoon, bread with very thinly spread jam or kaya.  On Sunday, mother would give my brother RM2 to buy breakfast for the whole family in the market.  My brother would buy different types of breakfast like You Za Kui, Ham Jim Bian and fried noodles.  At that time, fried noodles were wrapped with a big leave.  Those were the days!

Monday 12 September 2011

Bringing up two teenagers

Younger Son is having mock exam this week. First week of Oct is PMR followed by UEC Junior Exam on last week of Oct.  Exam, exam, exam.  After his long afternoon nap, he came downstair to tell me he was hungry.  Since hubby was out-stationed, I chose to cook the fast way.  Roasted two back quarter of fresh chicken and made lemon sauce to go with it.  Blanched Chinese broccoli and mixed in oyster sauce, sesame oil and sprinkled with fried garlic.

We enjoyed the dinner together while his brother was still sleeping.  To my surprise, he agreed that I can remove the modem so that he doesn't get distracted by getting online.

Finally he settled down sitting on the dining table to start his revision.  Everything went so well but before long, his brother came downstair, had his dinner and started playing piano.  That really annoyed him.  My son is so particular about the type of music he likes and dislikes.  I can only categorize music into two broad categories.  Soft music and noisy music.  Before the war began, I suggested that we should go to Burger King to study.  I was glad he accepted my suggestion.  He was really serious in his study last night.  I couldn't believe it as he refused to go to school on Monday because he felt that going to school had no meaning.

Anyway, I was glad we went to Burger King.  I bought him potato chips and a cup of hot milo.  He likes good food.

I spent most of my time caring for my two boys and husband.  If things go smoothly, elder son will go to Taiwan next year followed by younger son 3 years later.  Next year will be half empty nest and before I realize it, the nest will only leave me and my hubby.

Hope we still have the stamina to travel when the little birds have matured.

Thursday 11 August 2011

Chocolate Chips Muffin

Finally I bought a 6 holes muffin pan from Bake With Me (RM12) and muffin paper cup (RM2.50) in Lintas.  They run out of small packing of chocolate chip.  So, I bought chocolate button and chop it up to become smaller bits.  There are many recipes of how to make, and the proportion of ingredients vary. I don't know why.  Below is my modified copy and it turned out alright.

225g plain flour
100g castor sugar
3 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
190g milk
60g sunflower oil
1egg
100g chocolate chips
1/2 teaspoon vanilla essence

  1. Preheat oven to 200 deg C.
  2. Lightly beat the egg, mix with milk, oil and vanilla essence.
  3. Sieve flour and baking powder into a bowl, add in sugar and chocolate chips and mix well.
  4. Pour in the wet ingredients into dry ingredients at one go. 
  5. Mix with no more than 10 strokes.  
  6. Spoon batter into 6 muffin cup about 2/3 full.
  7. Bake until the cake crack at the top and golden colour.  It took me 30min.
I forgot to take a picture of the muffins I made.  Believe me, they looked better than most of the pictures in the recipes I browsed.  They were soft, and with more flour, I supposed they would be heavier, and more like those sold in the cake house.


Tuesday 28 June 2011

Invest in Oversea Land Banking?

I came to be aware of such investment about 3 years ago when a friend invited me to an office in Tanjung Aru Plaza.  The company registered in Malaysia to market this investment was Eagle something.  The talk was shared by a speaker from Singapore.  Among the guests were some insurance agents, unit trust agents and of course, potential investors.

On the back drop of the office were impressive pictures of on-going constructions going on in the marketed sites. 

We were told by convincing returns of the plots of lands sold in previous projects.  This so-called new land was in Canada.  The land was purchased in big piece and divided into smaller plots so that the price is affordable to retail investors like us.  Investors are guaranteed with minimum returns and liquidity, blah blah blah.  Once the Canadian authority approves the project plan, the plots of land will worth many times more than what we invest.  Investors are invited to Canada to view the land, and even given the plot number like our land title. XD:

I had doubts in my mind as to why market the Canadian land in Singapore and Malaysia?  How can I entrust this Malaysian Registered company to safeguard my money?  All the financial investments in Malaysia are regulated and must be approved by Security Commission and Bank Negara.  Should anything wrong, I don't think SC and BNM will get their hand in.  Furthermore, instead of investing in land banking oversea which I have no control and won't have access to any reliable source of information related to my investment, why don't I just invest in Malaysia?  Isn't plantation (oil palm) land more likely to give me better return? 

I have not gone back to ask the investors about their investment but I have this interesting site to tell me my instinct was right.
http://www.learnmoney.co.uk/advice/advice-87.html

Wednesday 22 June 2011

Endowment Polices (2)

Why buy endowment?

As what I mentioned in earlier blog, I shall not buy endowment plan for its return, because its return is as low as putting money at FD.  Furthermore, once committed, you have a long wait for maturity.  The waiting period is at least 20 years depending on the type of plan you have chosen.

Then, why endowment?

1. Endowment can be used to protect family wealth against spendthrift and immature beneficiaries.
e.g. A rich grandfather wants to show his love to his grandchild whom he may not live long enough to see till his tertiary education. Instead of leaving behind the money for the son to keep for the grandchild, Grandfather can pay a lump sum upfront to buy an endowment plan for his grandchild that gives yearly cash benefits.  This can be used as grandchild's school and tuition fee.  When the child is ready for his tertiary education at 20 years old, the policy will mature and thus let the child has a lump sum to continue his study.


2. To protect family assets from creditors and claimants.
When a person is declared bankruptcy, his creditors and claimants can claim from his bank account and other belonging. This is really heart broken when a middle aged person who has accumulated his wealth painstakingly suddenly facing the blow due to business failure.  What will happen to his children?  Do you know that money in the policy cannot be claimed by creditors and claimants?  Of course this is not restricted to endowment policies only.  However, if the policyowner is your child, they can use the money be it cash dividend, survival benefit or maturity value.

3.  Discipline saving habit
If you don't pay premium, your policy lapse.  Once lapse, you lose your earlier saving.  There are other better saving tools that give you better return in the long run and flexible enough to see you through difficult time.  However, this is good for those who want to force themselves to put aside saving or else be punished.

Endowment Policies

I met a client to make medical claim for him 3 weeks ago.  In a hurry after passing me the medical receipts, he asked me to check on the Hong Leong Bank Endowment Saving Plan which his friend said giving 15% return annually!

What went straight to my mind was how a bank can make 15% return for endowment plan?  A bank is a financial institution.  The bank must abide by law of how they do investment.  For non-linked policies, investment are focus on bonds and securities. The return is almost always around 2.5% to below 4% compounded. Simply, the return for non-linked policies will no more than what the unit trust bonds are giving!

Insurance companies and banks are very clever at marketing tactics.  For those who are lazy to do maths calculation are the main customers of these plans.  In fact,  many insurance agents and bank staff are also quite ignorant about the returns of the endowment plan.  These are the front-end sales force that push the products to reach their sales target!

Endowment plans are packaged in many different ways.  Policy term can be 20years to whole life.  Premium term can be as short as 5 years or a lump sum at beginning of the policy term.  Then it can gives guaranteed annual or alternate year survival benefits, not guaranteed cash dividends, terminal dividend,  reversionary bonus etc.  No matter how they package the products, the return is always more or less the same across the board. 

Buying Endowment for return is the last thing I would do.  The sum assured is low but the premium is high.  In today's market, there are so many varieties of investment tools.  Before committing into anything, understand your needs and your affordability.  Look for alternative and compare the pros and cons.

I have come up with a simple worksheet to calculate return for endowment plan.  Keep in touch with me and I shall email you.

Wednesday 23 March 2011

You have two choices

This is a good story I read.  Whatever happens to us, it is a fact, or fact of life.  We have a choice of how to deal with it.  To deal it positively, or to deal in negatively.  Either attitude, will determine our mood and the outcome.

Happy reading!

Jerry is the manager of a restaurant.  He is always in a good mood.

When someone would ask him how he was doing, he would always reply, "If I were any better, I would be twins!"

Many of the waiters at his restaurant quit their jobs when he changed jobs, so they could follow him around from restaurant to restaurant

WHY?

Because Jerry was a natural motivator.

If an employee was having a bad day,
Jerry was always there,
telling the employee how to look on the positive side of the situation.

Seeing this style really made me curious,
so one day I went up to Jerry and asked him:

"I don't get it! No one can be a positive person all of the time.
How do you do it?"

Jerry replied,"Each morning I wake up and say to myself, I have two choices today. I can choose to be in a good mood or I can choose to be in a bad mood. I always choose to be in a good mood. Each time something bad happens, I can choose to be victim or I can choose to learn from it.  I always choose to learn from it. Every time someone comes to me complaining, I can choose to accept their complaining or I can point out the positive side of life. I always choose the positive side of life"

"But it's not always that easy," I protested.

"Yes it is," Jerry said.

"Life is all about choices. When you cut away all the junk every situation is a choice.
You choose how you react to situations.
You choose how people will affect your mood.
You choose to be in a good mood or bad mood.
It's your choice how you live your life."

Several years later, I heard that Jerry accidentally did something you are never supposed to do in the restaurant business.

He left the back door of his restaurant open

and then???

In the morning, he was robbed by three armed men.

They want?

#123*+!@$%*~

While Jerry trying to open the safe box, his hand, shaking from nervousness, slipped off the combination.

The robbers panicked and shot him.

Luckily, Jerry was found quickly and rushed to the hospital.

After 18 hours of surgery and weeks of intensive care, Jerry was released from the hospital with fragments of the bullets still in his body....

I saw Jerry about six months after the accident.

When I asked him how he was, he replied, "If I were any better, "I'd be twins. Want to see my scars/"

I declined to see his wounds, but did ask him what had gone through his mind as the robbery took place.

The first thing that went through my mind was that I should have locked the back door," Jerry replied.

"Then, after they shot me, as I lay on the floor, I remembered that I had two choice:
I could choose to live or could choose to die. I choose to live."

"Weren't you scared"

I asked?

Jerry continued, "The paramedics were great. They kept telling me I was going to be fine. But when they wheeled me into the Emergency Room and I saw the expression on the faces of the doctors and nurses, I got really scared. In their eyes, I read 'He's a dead man.'I knew I needed to take action."

"What did you do?" I asked.

"Well, there was a big nurse shouting questions at me," said Jerry.

"She asked if I was allergic to anything."

"Yes.", I replied.

The doctors and nurses stopped working as they waited for my reply.

I took a deep breath and yelled, "Bullets!"

Over their laughter, I told them,

"I am choosing to live. Please operate on me as if I am alive, not dead".

Jerrry lived thanks to the skill of his doctors, but also because of his amazing attitude.

I learned from him that every day you have the choice to either enjoy your life or to hate it.

The only thing that is truly yours -- that no one can control or take from you is your attitude, so if you can take care of that, everything else in life becomes much easier.

Tuesday 22 March 2011

Encourage Students to read newspaper

Students are encourage to read newspaper to improve their language and to be aware of the happenings around them and in the world.  This, I agreed before, but now I have my reservation.  The irresponsible and insensible headlines regarding the sodomy and sex video of our prominent politician became the headlines in the newspaper are really astonishing in a somewhat reserved and religious country. Following the development of these cases will undoubtedly tarnish the minds of our growing children.

Before our children understand about correct sex education, they are introduced to the terms used in unnatural intercourse. Newspaper is supposed to have social responsibility.  Especially the government gazette newspaper.  If fails to do so, it becomes an embarrassment to the parents and to the schools when newspaper is delivered to their doorstep. What do you think?

Drinking Cappuccino in Olde Station

Last Tuesday night, my husband and I went to Popular bookstore in citymall.  He bought 2 books with 70% discount.  After that we decided to have a cup of drink so as to have some time together outside the house.  We stopped by Olde Station since our car was parked just outside the shop.  I ordered a cup of Cappuccino while he ordered kopi-O.

When the waitress served us with the drinks, I was very sure that it was not Cappuccino as it didn't have milk froth on top with sprinkle of cinnamon powder. Besides, it tasted like coffee mix!

Walking to the bartender, I questioned whether my Cappuccino was supposed to be made from coffee bean, freshly brewed with milk froth on top.  Know what?  To my surprise, he told me that my cup of Cappuccino was made with coffee powder.  Then he showed me a small clear plastic bag with coffeemix......and that is how Olde Station makes Cappuccino, Teh-C........ and other drinks!  All pre-mix in small plastic bag!  If you don't believe, next time when you order your drink at the bartender, look at the shelf by the side with all the drinks label.  The bartenders just conveniently took the plastic bag based on your order, remove the stapler bullet, pour in a cup, add hot water and ice (if you order cold drink).

I felt cheated.  I paid RM3.50 for a cup of coffeemix which I so strongly against of drinking.

Nescafe 3 IN 1

Has it ever come to your mind what are the ingredients in Nescafe 3 IN 1?  I am sure you will answer me instant coffee + coffeemate + sugar!  As the name implied.


If you live in Malaysia and have the habit of drinking coffee to wake your morning up, Nescafe 3 IN 1 is very likely to be your choice.

I was addicted to Nescafe 3 IN 1 before, until my taste bud suddenly told me that the coffee mix tasted different two years ago.  Only last week when I picked up a stick of the coffee mix to confirm the ingredients.

You may not believe it, but this is really what I read with my long-sighted eye sight with the help of the strong sunlight.  Ingredients: sugar, creamer(glucose syrup, palm kernel oil, sodium caseinate, milk protein), salt, contains permitted stabiliser, emulsifier, flavouring and anticaking agent (ESS1), all additives are of plant or synthetic origin, instant coffee.

Believe it or not, our Malaysian favourite of Nescafe 3 in 1 contains more than 3 ingredients!  It gives you MORE!  Good news or bad news?  Do you notice that sugar is the first listed ingredient and instant coffee is the last listed ingredient?  Logically, I suppose the first listed ingredient is the main ingredient while the last ingredient has the least proportion.  Furthermore, the flavour is not originally from instant coffee.  It has artificial flavouring from origin of what I could not comprehend.  What is synthetic origin, by the way? We hear a lot about genetic food, but how about synthetic food?  A search on the web helped me to realize sodium caseinate in the creamer is also somewhat synthetic.  I truly convince that drinking a cup of Nescafe 3 in 1 is very harmful to the body.  Not only the high sugar content but also the synthetic components in the ingredients.

My taste bud sent me right message.  Nescafe 3 in 1 is artificial.  Nowadays, I prefer Nescafe instant coffee with half teaspoon of sugar.  No more 3 in 1.

Thursday 24 February 2011

Breakfast

What is the best breakfast served on table in the morning when you have two teenagers who want food easy to eat, nice to taste and nutritious for the day?