Malaysian food!! What's ours will be ours|!

Well well well... finally someone has spoken up!! I am tired of telling people that the famous belacan is not from Singapore, and that the coconut rice package that they sell in the stores in Chinatown is not Singaporean either but Malaysian. It's frustrating when we go to some of the Restaurants and they serve Singaporean noodle and laksa but... not MALAYSIAN NOODLE OR LAKSA. Has this ever happen to any Malaysians abroad out there??? Well, Winnipeg is a small city but to find your own hometown products being sold in other country's labels is absurd! I was quite insulted, when I asked the owner of the store near my home if they have Malaysia's belacan instead of Singapore's Belacan.... the answer is "Isn't it the same? Malaysia used to belong to Singapore right?? It's all from the same place" Oh!!! HeloOoo...?? I have tried to be patient with such people because hey, it is a big world, and there are many countries out there with many complicated histories that go waYyy back. I've even been asked 10 years ago when I first came here if we in Malaysia still lives on trees. The answer is yes!! we do it with style! We love to preserve our local ethnic cultures and beauty and the answer is also no not every one of us live on trees and if we do, we will think that that's a cool think to do. Malaysian government has been depending on the locals in Malaysia to educate the tourists about Malaysia over the years. We are not much in the news or limelights besides those pirate news that we occasionally hear on NBC, ABC or CBC. Really...................................... I love my Malaysian food. The first think I've tried to do when I took my in laws for the first time to Kuala Lumpur is to introduce them to the food haven in Malaysia. Oh yes..... have I even mention that the famous Malaysia Satay sauce is even sold under a different country's label here in Canada? It's sad,.. why don't anyone know much about my home? Don't Malaysians who live abroad talk about Malaysia? Mind you there are not many of us around so I think it's about time the Malaysian government do something about promoting MALAYSIA. Even our smaller neighbors are more popular.... Anyway, kudos to our tourism minister for her recent remarks. Here's what Yen Yen said.

How did this happen?

Rewind, rewind! As far as I remember it, extra curricular activities were mandatory back in the days when I was in elementary school back in Malaysia. It was fun, in fact we all compete with one another to participate. There maybe some kids out there who are wondering if we are from out of space, but truthfully, that's the most enjoyable part of my childhood! We have lots to juggle between schoolwork and extra activities such as language clubs, life-skills clubs, scouts, brownies, etc.... but we somehow manage. I guess without the X-BOX, Wii, and PS1, 2 AND 3, we crave for fun activities besides sitting in front of the tv or doing 300 math exercises a week. A typical Malaysian kid grown in the late 70's and early 80's would probably remember the home practices that we have in our schools when we spent hot evenings doing high jumps, long jumps and distance runs. Whatever happen to those activities today??? Here I am, sitting in front of my computer, and reading about slimming spas for elementary school kids in Malaysia! It sounded almost unbelievable to me. Whatever happen to mandatory sports practice after school, and the annual marathons that almost 100% of the schools in Malaysia would have? I must be missing a lot here being thousands of miles across the ocean. So, obesity have hit hard indeed, in Malaysia. I must still be living in "ga-ga" world to still think that I am FAT in Malaysia after having to always go for the LARGE or X-LARGE sizes there while I can fit into a size 6 here. Why am I surprise? I know I should not even be because obesity IS a worldwide issue, almost a global pandemic so why should Malaysia be left out, right? If all the kids are getting bigger, why aren't the Malaysian kids?? (My sarcasm). Perhaps children no longer appreciate the exercises in the hot Malaysian climate ( but mind you, I always think that's the best way to exercise!). They prefer air-conditioner room and hate the sweat. I may still live in "zaman kuno" (Malay for ancient times) for I think having air-conditioned classrooms in Malaysia is just a waste of money and totally unhealthy! I never had such luxury as a kid. Do I complain about the heat when I go home for holidays? Yes I do, but that doesn't mean that I will lock myself in an air-conditioned room all day. Taking a walk in the sun makes my skin healthier and the humidity felt so good (trust me, it's better than dry heat). So, what's wrong with the kids these days that they need to go to slimming camps and spas???? Aren't plain eating healthy, sleep well, and play healthy under the sun enough? The Malaysian government has been campaigning hard enough to combat childhood obesity. In fact, I have found some very good websites that give pretty good information about eating healthy and living a healthy lifestyle. Here are some: Nutriweb Obese children diet (in Bahasa Melayu) MASO (Malaysia Association for the Study of Obesity)

For the people of Malaysia

Have been a little tired lately but I think the people back home in Malaysia is even more tired and anxious about the rising prices of everything. But now.... rumours that political unrest may be happening with some repetitive historical event involving Anwar. I have been away for a while but the my hometown is still my lovely hometown. I hope peace will infuse into the bloods of the people of Malaysia especially the politician because it is the people who make the country prosper. Here, I would like to share a video by the artists of Malaysia.