Food Hunting

‘’Part of the secret of success in life is to eat what you like’’ – Mark Twain

     Food is the essence of life. No one in this world can live without food. Some people are even willing to travel around in order to get good food. I myself love to go food hunting especially during the weekend.

     Food hunting has been part of me since 8 years ago. During weekend and public holiday, my husband and I would travel around KL and sometimes even out of the city to hunt for good food. Before I decide on where to go, usually I would read reviews and get comments from those who had gone to that place. Allow me to share some of the nice places to eat around the country. Who knows maybe some of you would want to try it out.

1.  Sin Kok Thye, Klang

     Sin Kok Thye is an old school cafe situated at in Klang. Usually, on Saturday, my husband and I will drive all the way from Taman Melawati to Port Klang that takes about 1-hour drive just to have lunch at this shop. Known to serve good authentic Hainanese cuisine, it has always attracted the attention of the local community as well as people from outside the state. Because it was kept free and easy for all, it is a norm to see people from all walks of life and beliefs coming to sample the cuisine from this quaint Chinese coffee shop. The shop is located at Jalan Kem, Port Klang and has been in operation for almost a century. Currently, the shop is being managed by the third generation of the family.

     Those marble tables, wooden chairs, and mosaic-tiled floors, with quaint decorations adorning the walls, and an antique grandfather clock are an amazing view to look at in the shop. When you are inside, you will feel like as if you are living in the year of 1950s. Good food is one thing but pair that with fast service and you’ll have a shop worth going all the time. However, the parking here can be quite a nuisance as the shop is right in front of a main road but try your luck at the back of the shop.  Sin Kok Thye is famous for its Hainanese Chicken Chop and Hainanese Beef Steak. Another popular dish in the shop is Hailam Mee. The food and drinks in the shop are being prepared in a traditional way. A simple tip for everyone: order one set of each of their signature dish then ask for small plates so that you can try all the dishes.

Check this place out if you happen to be nearby.

Sin Kok Thye ( Pork Free )

23, Jalan Kem,

Port Klang, Selangor

Opens from 6:30am-6:00pm

Close on Sunday

 2. Hameed Pata Mee Sotong, Penang

     The Padang Kota Lama aka Esplanade is next to the famous Fort Cornwallis in Penang. On one end is this food court, aptly named Padang Kota Lama as well. As with all food courts there are many stalls sharing the business and dining space. In the afternoon, Hameed ‘Pata’ Mee Sotong reign supreme as almost 90% of the people in the food court are his customers. It has been operated since 1978. The cook doesn’t prepare each order individually but dishes out the noodles quicker by cooking in large quantities.

     Your option here is either the wet Mee Rebus that comes with gravy or the dry Mee Goreng. Both would be heaped with a generous helping of ‘sambal sotong’ just prior to serving and you would need to mix it up as you eat. A small plate is RM4 while the large plate is RM6. To top it off, just beside Hameed is the beverage stall where the staple order is either the Coconut Shake or Cendol. The famous Coconut Shake is a refreshing concoction of coconut water, sweet coconut flesh with a scoop of vanilla ice-cream on top. Do take note that during public holiday, you may have to queue up for about 30 minutes to order your food.

If you happen to be around Penang, do come and try out their Mee Sotong.

Hameed Pata Mee Sotong

6, Padang Kota Lama Food Court (next to Fort Cornwallis)

Jalan Padang Kota Lama

10200, Penang

Close on Sunday

3. Hai Thien Restaurant, Perlis

     Kuala Perlis, a place full of natural port and seaside scene we found an amazing Chinese Thai Muslim seafood restaurant “Hai Thien” that serves authentic menus since year 1986. At first, they successfully established their very first and owned seafood restaurant named “Restoran Hai Thien” along Jalan Kampung Perak, Kuala Perlis introducing their Thai Muslim seafood selections, running for 28 years. While in year 2014, with the great response from the public allowed them to expose further and moved to wider and more strategic location at Jalan Jeti Baru. They continued their exposure in the business famously known as “Hai Thien Seafood”, which is the recent location.

    

     In Hai Thien, the founder’s top recommended dish will be their Siamese Steamed Fish which is the best signature seen on almost every single table.  Local “Siakap” fish commonly selected, steamed 15 minutes and poured onto their in-house soup sauce which is prepared in more than 10 recipes, then served above charcoal flames brings sour & spicy taste you must try.

     Nonetheless, their daily top order is Salad Batenkor or locally known as Deep Fried “Char Kueh”.  Deep fried stuffed dough sticks filled with generous squid paste, topped with homemade mayonnaise surely you cannot resist!

Do check them out.

Restoran Hai Thien

Jalan Jeti Baru,

02000 Kuala Perlis,

Perlis.

Business Hours: 5:30pm to 12:00am (Daily)

     Thus, nothing beats the feeling of having good food. No matter how stressed or choosy you are, when you eat good food, you will have a sense of relief. That’s all from me.

 Hope you enjoy reading!

Prepared by,

Fazlieza Merican

Lecturer, English Department

Vision College

My Life with DBT

1^st March 2016

The date I first step into Vision College as an employee.

2^nd March 2016

The date I first entered class as a lecturer to teach my new students.

My first thought when I walked into my first class was like…..

”Sikitnya student aku..”

Therefore, with that my journey as a lecturer begins at Vision College.

Besides being a lecturer, I am also a Programme Coordinator (PC) for my programme, which is Diploma In Biomedical Technology or known as DBT. This course is a new course in this college. So, that explains why the number of students are lesser compared to the other programmes.

I would like to share with all of you a little bit about DBT programme,

Biomedical Technology is one of the raising courses specifically in Malaysia. The students learn about handling medical equipments that are used at hospitals or clinics. This scope of study emerged since there is a large number of hospitals that are equipped with high-tech medical equipment, but they are lack of trained personal or manpower to carry out the maintenance, upgrade and troubleshoot of the equipments. This has resulted in downtime and shorter lifespan on the equipment.. So, that is the reason why we really need the expertise in this area.

Therefore, in order to fulfill what is required in the market, the students will need to study on the Biology, Anatomy & Physiology, Biochemistry, Biomedical Electronics, Biomedical Devices, Biomedical In Engineering Physics and etc. This programme takes three (3) years to complete.

After about 5 months working here, I can say that I enjoy the working environment at Vision College. The staff over here are friendly and helpful and most importantly, I am able to attain formal working experience at Vision College after graduating from my postgraduate degree at International Islamic University in November 2015.

I think this first official job for me is like a sustenance before I get married as I am now a happy wife to my dearest husband and a caring lecturer to my dear students.

Although I am married, my students still call me Miss Sha ... hehehe ... Forever 'Miss' instead of 'Mrs'.

My messy table

Prepared by,

Irmanisha Ibrahim

Lecturer, Diploma in Biomedical Technology,
Vision College

Every Child is an Artist and that's my Passion

      Arts have captivated me since my early childhood. From my first macaroni and glue project to my most recent attempts at anatomical studies, art has grown from a mild interest to an integral part of what defines me. The constant challenge of updating and improving technique and styles, as well as continuously finding new inspiration, has always brought me deep satisfaction. 

       When I was a young girl, I used to doodle on every empty spot or whatever paper I could get my hands on. While playing volleyball is my cup of tea, drawing and painting are, and will always be my passion. When I was an elementary school student, I cherished every moment of art class, even if I found the demands of my art teachers too stifling. Art teachers always dictated both the subject and medium of every art project instead of giving free reign to our artistic talents. Fortunately, my love of art compelled me to pursue my talent outside the classroom, i.e. in the private space in my room that I fondly called my “studio”.

       When I’m depressed, melancholy expressions overwhelm my work of arts. From my childhood days, I was very fond of sketching and painting than anything else. It was so much fun to participate in arts and crafts competitions at school during those times. 

    My parents and friends used to appreciate me for my work. So I always felt that I have to make use of it. Mehendi art has been, and continues to be, the main outlet for my feelings. Mehendi is the art of painting the body in ornate designs with henna. Associated with transformation and transcendence, it is a beautiful and mysterious art form that has been used for centuries to heal, to adorn, and to bless. A paste is made from the crushed leaves of the henna plant mixed with other natural ingredients, such as eucalyptus oil, lemon juice, and black tea. The paste is applied to the skin and when removed several hours later, it leaves beautiful markings that last from 1 to 3 weeks. Women put beautiful designs on their hands and feet for special occasions. 

   Henna accompanies engagements, weddings, births, religious events, festivals and everyday life. Henna is commonly worn for cosmetic purposes. Henna is also said to have medicinal uses and be used as a sunscreen as well as a hair dye. Before weddings , women will often host a party where the bride’s hands and feet are decorated with intricate henna designs. The Hindu style of henna is characterized by paisley and peacock prints. 

     Many of the designs featured the “evil eye,” a superstition among Hindus. Henna is also being used to tell a different sort of God’s stories. Christians in South Asia and Africa developed designs depicting Bible stories. The designs incorporate symbols representing key components; sin and forgiveness. Believers tell the stories as they apply the henna. Now, hundreds of women are writing words not just on their hearts, but on their hands as well. 

  Most importantly, I enjoy art because it generates powerful messages or sentiments. When Mona Lisa smiles, she captivates people of all races. Whereas, Van Gogh’s “Starry Starry Night” gives me a sense of confusion and turmoil. Indeed, as we view works of the masters, we cannot help but wonder what they were feeling at the time they were creating these gems. 

                              “Art is my Life , A passion within me”--

Prepared by,

Vinothini Paramasivam

Course Counselor 

Vision College

Hiking; One of the most intense intimate experiences!

     Hiking trips are rejuvenating and relaxing. Surrounded by beauty and breathing fresh air, the rhythms of hiking gradually banish the myriad concerns that occupy our everyday life. Anyone of any age can hike and outdoor hiking is a great way to improve your level of physical conditioning.

     Since I was a high school student, somebody might say I have my entire life ahead of me, with all of its beautiful outdoor experiences. But despite being so young, I already have a personal breath-taking experience, which I am sure I will carry it with me until my last days; which is my first hike to the mountains.  It all started during my 1^st attempt to conquered G7 mountain which is located along the Banjaran Titiwangsa , where we need to cover 4 mountain peaks; Gunung Yong Belar, Gunung Yong Yap, Gunung Gayung and Gunung Korbu with the total distance of almost 100km starting from Ipoh and ended in Brinchang, Cameron Highland that took us almost 7 days 6 night. 

     That was an awesome experience I ever had, but I will think more than 10 times to repeat the attempt (hehehe). Despite that, I continued my hobby by exploring the highest mountain in South East Asia, which is Mount Kinabalu for 3 times.  There I had the best experience seeing the beauty of different flora and fauna along the track as the elevation gets higher.  Once you step into the place, believe me that you will always make a comeback again and again.

     Though travelling is not a big deal for me today, before my trip to the mountains, I used to be a runner.  It’s a great combination where we can build stamina before we start to climb. I had friends to hang out with, several hobbies, and I felt completely comfortable spending 2-3 days  or even a week from my hometown just to get personal satisfaction  All my demands of this activities were satisfied by the group of friends whom sharing the same interest of mine.   I seriously admit there was a big different between seeing something on the TV or with one’s own eyes. 

     Then, you can realise how much you need to appreciate the nature and preserved our forest for the next generation.   

     With these activities, we can also tighten up relationship between the entire staff member in an organisation as this activities need us to have a great team work.  This is why I came out with this idea and few weeks back, Vision team has conquered the nice and beautiful scenery of the nature. We left all the office work behind and had a wonderful time together.  Hope this team spirit will keep going and give a great impact to all of us in doing task together in the office.

Prepared by,

Mohd Shazly Hj Shawal

Lecturer, School of Business

Vision College

                    

It is not easy to juggle between work and motherhood.

Coming back to the workplace made me feel extremely exhausted in the first month after my confinement. Thanks to still-fluctuating hormones, my mood swings once in awhile and I was easily agitated by small things. 

As a perfectionist, frankly speaking, I want everything come into the perfect manner, that is, parenting to me is not an easy task in terms of following the development of child’s psychology. I think I am lucky enough to have a background of science in psychology to deal with this difficulties yet it is still not piece of cake. I also appreciate that there are supportive colleagues and superiors who helped me to pass through this difficult time.

Throughout the process of motherhood, I am learning how to do my best instead of wanting everything to be smooth and perfect.

Knowing some of my colleagues are going to deliver their precious one, I am here to share some of the survival tips with you....

1. Involve your spouse

Do not be too possessive and too perfect. Make sure you give a chance to your baby's father to get involve in the feeding and care from the beginning. It is good if you get someone to share the “happiness burden” with you. In this process, you might feel unsatisfied with your partner's way of doing things yet always remember that he is in the process of learning as well. Sit down and communicate especially in terms of the “do's and don'ts” in caring a baby.

2.Make time for yourself

It is not easy to manage the work and taking care of a baby at the same time. Being a new working parent can be extremely stressful. What if you need some “alone” time? However, you must have some personal time for yourself in order to recharge yourself. Do have your partner to watch over your baby while you need to have a tea or coffee with friends and colleagues. It is important to be part of a social network and get new friends who are also working mothers so that you will get more external support. At least, you will find that you are not alone in this situation. One of the tips to make sure you care for yourself is identify at least three things that you must do in a week; for example shopping, spending 5-10 minutes in a hot tub, facial and massages, expanding hobbies and so on. Schedule them in your calendar every week.

3. Set a proper routine with your little one during the first few months

It is very important to give full attention to your baby for the first few months because infant needs the sense of security (especially the first two months). Babies learn to feel either secure or insecure in the world based on the relationships they have with the people who care for them. Keep changing their routine will make them confuse. Routines can help your baby to feel secure, being responsive to your baby will not spoiled them yet, it will promote a better attachment between you and your baby. Babies only will show their “Cheeky smile” when they reach almost 7 months old and above. Bedtime routine is important for a baby and there are advantages to get your baby to his or her bed at the same time each evening. Switch off the light and on the dim light or light music, let them learn that it is time to sleep. You may tell your baby a bedtime story, massage or change pyjamas everytime before you put them to sleep. Once they have slept, you can rest at the same time. Lack of sleep can be a major cause of depression and you could not perform in the workplace.

4. Remind yourself you do not need to be a perfect parent.

Once again, it is normal if you have done some mistakes when you are taking care of your baby. Learning from mistakes is a part of the gift in parenting life, as the mother and child are going through a process which enables them to learn more about each other. Mistakes can help your children to learn to get back and keep trying. “Do not give up” is one of the essential value a parent should convey to a child. Through the misstep that has been taken, a child will be more confident to stand up and go forward if the difficult feeling is coming towards them. Give yourself and your baby more space to learn.

Hopefully this four tips are helpful for you to cope with your work and your baby. Enjoy parenting! 

Prepared by,

Xing Jiun Chew

Senior Counselor, Lecturer

Vision College

"Kuolintang"... A Traditional Musical Instrument

        When I was 7, I had to choose a musical instrument to play as a hobby, and I chose the piano. I played until I was 8 before we decided to move to Lancaster, United Kingdom for 3 years. I always felt a love for music, but I never got my nerve up enough to try a musical instrument in school. I stopped playing seriously ever since and just play the piano by heart and through listening. I hate reading music notes unlike the professional musicians; where they let the notes flow as if they were reading a novel. I really wanted to be a musician, and played in an orchestra, but I never could pull that off. I grew up playing musical instruments such as piano, guitar, and electric organ for my own amazement, but I knew kids who did and took it seriously. 

         The next chapter of my life took me into a new musical dimension, not like any other. I was exposed to traditional musical instruments when I became a resident in Tuanku Kurshiah Residential College (3rd College), University of Malaya. I was in awed watching my seniors played the instruments. The instrument is called "Kuolintang". It is consists of five different instruments namely; Angklung, Ukulele, Melody, Rhythm, and Bass. From the name itself you can guess how does it work and sounds like. 

Top left: Angklung, Below: Ukulele
Top right and downwards: Melody, Bass, Rhythm

A little bit of the history:

        It all started from Prof. Madya Dato Dr. Sharifuddin Zainuddin, who is a former Principal at Tuanku Kurshiah Residential College. He was introduced to the uniqueness of the "Kuolintang" while he was on a trip in Indonesia, and decided to bring the instruments back home to University of Malaya in 2007. Since then, it became a tradition to our college, and played from generation to generation.  

        In 2010, I was the fifth generation to play the instrument, along with my other team members. To be honest, I can play all five instruments, but I specialized in playing the Bass. To top that, I was the first female Bass player of the "Kuolintang". It's easy to play any musical instruments if you have the basic, and ears for music. For me, learning is a continuous process and an all-in-one; reading a book, playing musical instruments, as well as learning martial arts (I'm also a black belt holder in Taekwondo. *wink*). So, it's never to late to learn new things and allow yourself to be emotionally authentic and expressive. 

        How time flies and it has been 3 years since I left University of Malaya. I miss playing "Kuolintang" every single night in the music studio and performing our famous cover of Matsuri by Kitaro in front of the audiences. Every now and then, I spend some time teaching my juniors playing the instruments and composed new songs for them to practice and perform (you may watch the attached videos). I do hope that someday they will carry and pass on the knowledge to the next generation. 

        As quoted by Plato, "Music is a moral law. It gives soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, and charm and gaiety to life and to everything."

P/s: Here are some of our 'Kodak Moments' ...

        

Prepared by,


Zulaikha binti Zulkifli
                     
Lecturer, English Department.

Having an Athlete Mindset helps you to excel in “Work”

                     

It certainly works for me. Being a Professional Cue Artist in the sports of ‘Billiards’, I have come to had this kind of Mindset with me since I started out at the age of 13. Back then, with such Mindset it has driven me with success in the Local and International scene when I was donning for the National Colours. (A Semi Retired Professional now). I got to tell you that by having such Mindset, it helped me to have a slight advantage against others. Thus, this applies well for me in the ‘Working’ environment.

It is undeniable that, to be truly good in what you’re doing you got to have Passion and Self-Believe/Confidence. These are the 2 main elements to break through the mind that perceives limitations. That holds true for everything. Only certain Individuals are able to get on to an elite level at their sport, there are the ones that have the mindset that I am going to describe throughout this post.

Passion- First and foremost, the most important element is having the Passion for whatever you are doing. It can be described as a certain drive or fire that keeps moving you forward in order to get as good as you can. You enjoy it so much that nothing gets in your way when you put the time and effort into practising. You have to LOVE what you do. Many love it, some tolerate it, some get frustrated with their job, and it brings us to the next question- Does that mean you can’t be passionate about what you’re doing? Not at all!

A personal example is when I first lepak (hang out) at Billiards Centre with my older cousins, I fell in love with this but also hated it as I was not even tall enough to reach the table to hit the balls. Although the dissatisfaction was there, but I still gave me best to do it and in the end I never took account of the height requirement.

It is the same as Working. Many of us dislike what we do as not everyone has their “Dream Job” but we need to see the bigger picture here which is “Making a Living” which explains- being passionate about the job. No! It is all about being passionate about how well I did the job…Yes!

So, paraphrasing a verse Stephen Stills penned,

If you can't be in the job you love…

Love the job you're in (or the way you do it)

Self-Believe/Confidence – After Passion, this is the next element. It plays such an important role in our life on a daily basis of what we are doing. Most of the time we just go on with our day without ever thinking about how confident we feel about ourselves- 

That is, until we are face with a huge decision to make or we need to perform a certain task and expect to do it well.

So creating a mindset with the Self-Believe/Confidence becomes a very important quality that we can apply to most situations before they even occur, thus making those challenging moments so much easier to contend with and to help us feel better in facing them.

There was quite a number of times, when I came to face tougher opponents in tournaments, most people including my team mates would tell me, tough luck for you, you’re in no luck to face that person and other negative thoughts I would hear. As for me, I didn’t allow this to disturb me but just took it as an advice. This is because my confidence level is so high that I wouldn’t want to admit defeat even before the game could start.

As an example, in the game of Football, the Mighty Liverpool is up against the minnows Stoke City. All the football fans, pundits and bookmakers predicted an easy victory- stroll in the park for Liverpool but the end result was Stoke City 6 – 1 Liverpool. –See what I meant? This is no miracle to it as Stoke City totally outplayed their Opposition and made everyone a “Fool” for doubting them.

Back in the “Working” environment, you need to have this kind of Mindset if you wish to succeed in your daily work activities. You may start off by creating a Vision(Dream) board that you can look at it constantly. This is a great way to form positive beliefs and give you a physical “goal getter” to refer to first thing in the morning, last thing in the evening, and anytime in between.

                                   

Surround yourself with positive energy. I’m amazed how many people continue to let destructive influences into their life from others. Join a group of like-minded people that you can relate to and share with and that empower you, or start one by yourself. Stop hanging around with those individuals that suck your energy away and bring you down. Start associating with those that lift you up and energize together towards the same ‘Goals’.

Lastly, accomplish something, no matter how insignificant it seems, that gives you some satisfaction that you are moving in the right direction. Confidence come from results- usually positive results. Don’t just sit around and wait for things to come your way.

Guess that’s all from me for now. Feel free to ask me for a game or two in Billiards. Most welcome!

Robert Cheah,

Assistant Manager Sales & Marketing

Vision College