Day +557 : Holiday – friends everywhere (2)

I am fine today.

I met a pineapple seller outside the Sibu central market who sold his pineapple at a very cheap price. While the hawkers in the central market was selling more than RM4 a piece, he was selling at RM2.5 only. He told me he was not supposed to sell the pineapple by himself, but the hawkers there “bullied” him by offering a very low price – 50 cents per piece only. Therefore, he had no choice but to sell the fruits by himself, of course at a much lower price.

He was very happy when I suggested taking a photo with him.

“My name is Abang Omar. Come to visit me again and pass me the photo if you can,” he said before I left.

Big and sweet Sarawak pineapple selling at RM2.50 per fruit only :-)
A photo with Abang Omar
See you next post :-)

Day +556 : Holiday – friends everywhere (1)

I am fine.

I came across a type of fruit called “Galak fruit” in the Sibu central market as shown in the photo below.
As a gluttonous person, I would not want to miss the chance trying the fruit. I requested a Galak fruit from one of the hawkers before deciding whether to buy more.

When my wife and I were studying how we should eat the fruit, a gentleman approached us and suggested to us many ways we could “tackle” the fruit. According to him, the best way to consume the fruit is to soak it in warm water, and then remove the seed, fill the fruit with soya sauce and fried ground nut just before eating it.

Not long later, another guy popped up and taught us another way to consume the fruit. He said we should hit the fruit using a stick until it became very soft, dip it in the warm water and then eat with soya sauce.

They also told me how natural and nutritious this fruit is and it is way better and cheaper than the local olive. When I wanted to purchase the fruit, they even helped me to choose the best one – the one from the mountain :-) Unfortunately, before I got a chance to eat the fruits, they were all rotten :-(

I really appreciate their kindness for teaching me how to handle the fruit.

A photo with the 2 interesting gentlemen.
See you next post :-)

Day +555 : Neighbour

I am fine today.

When I reached my second sister’s house in Sibu last December, the first thing I wanted to do was to go online, but my sister did not subscribe to broadband internet service. She did have the fixed line telephone service, but dial-up internet access was too slow for me.

Later I found out that her next door neighbour had broadband internet service with wireless router modem. An idea came to my mind to “tumpang (ride)” on the neigbour’s broadband service to access internet. So I gave my niece RM30 and asked her to talk to the neighbour to see if I could “rent” their internet line for a few days with that amount of money. A little bit beyond my expectation, the neighbour refused to accept the money but immediately supplied me with the wireless network access key for me to use their internet line :-)

Sharing internet connection might be just a small thing, but can you imagine they used to share or borrow soya sauce, sugar, onion, cooking oil, eggs… :-)

If you suddenly discover that you are running out of soya sauce while having a meal, would you dare to borrow it from your next door neighbour? I bet you would rather having the meal without the soya sauce as it would be too embarrasing for you to borrow it from the next door neighbour, but to them, it is a common matter.

How I wish I could have neighbour like this.

See you next post :-)

Day +554 : A beggar’s dream comes true :-)

I am fine today.

I blogged about a delicacy called Beggar’s Chicken on my blog Day +454: Beggar’s Chicken – a must try! Since then, I have a dream – a dream to be a beggar and thank God that the dream comes true today :-)

A group of 21 church members went to Ijok to enjoy the Beggar’s meal in the evening. We started the journey from Puchong and drove along the Lebuhraya Damansara Puchong (LDP) toward the Sunway direction. After the Sunway toll, exit to Federal Highway and heading toward Shah Alam. Take the first exit to the road leading to Kuala Selangor after the first toll and drove toward Kuala Selangor. After a stretch of extremely winding road - about 22km to Kuala Selangor - we could see the sign “New Beggar’s Restaurant” sign on the left. The restaurant is just within a short distance from the main road. The whole journey took about 50 minutes only.

The meal consists of 10 dishes and it cost RM298 only. It is catered for 10 people, but the food should be enough for 15 people.

You can read more about this on masak-masak blog here. You have to book the meal before you go there, and the restaurant only opens on certain days of the week. You can get the telephone number from the masak-masak blog.

Now I would like to share with you the dishes, graphically of course :-)

Beggar's Chicken Pork stomach
Prawns
Steam fish
Vegetable
Crabs
Duck
Glutinous rice
Pork knuckle
Fruit

The wood used to cook the chicken

The soil for wrapping the chicken for cooking
The machine used to condition the soil
Retrieving the chicken
Put the hot cooked chicken on the trishaw
Opening it - the first layer is the soil, second layer is the paper And the last layer is aluminium foil
The restaurant banner
The restaurant view
Taking a photo with my wife and a friend from Hong Kong
The hungry beggars
Taking photo with the restaurant owner after the meal - with cheerful and satisfying beggars
If we don't order the full 10 course meal, we can order individual dishes based on the menu
Finally, we got to see double rainbow after the meal :-)
See you next post :-)

Day +553 : “I am a lawyer! Do you think I can get cheated so easily?” (3)

I am fine today. Continue from yesterday…

A quote from the Wikipedia about the health benefit claims of Xango juice :

“Marketing materials used to promote mangosteen juice indicate more than 20 human health benefits, among which are "anti-inflammatory," "anti-microbial," "anti-fungal," "anti-viral," "anti-cancer," "anti-ulcer," "anti-hepatotoxic," "anti-rhinoviral," and "anti-allergic"[20]. Promotional literature for the product cites antioxidants from the inedible rind of the fruit as providing health benefits. None of these claims, however, has scientific proof established by peer-reviewed research and human clinical trials, as discussed below.

In mid-2005, the American Cancer Society profile of mangosteen juice said that there was no evidence that any part of the fruit is effective as a treatment for cancer in humans, but preliminary laboratory studies showed some promise for treating acne. The profile mentioned laboratory studies indicating need for further research [21].

On its website, after stating that "Research shows xanthones (a component of XanGo juice) possess potent antioxidant properties that may help maintain intestinal health, strengthen the immune system, neutralize free radicals, help support cartilage and joint function, and promote a healthy seasonal respiratory system", the company adds this disclaimer as a footnote: "These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease"[22].

The company's scientific advisor, David A. Morton, PhD[23][24](whose brothers, Joe and Gordon, helped found the company[25]), stated in 2006 there is "emerging evidence that mangosteen has anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and anti-microbial properties"[23], yet acknowledged the only study of humans consuming mangosteen juice was conducted as a test of dysentery therapy in Singapore in 1932[26][23]. "I don’t think there are plans to study mangosteen in humans in the near future," Dr. Morton said in 2006, because "there’s much too much that still needs to be studied in the lab"[23].

In 2007, the Mayo Clinic stated there was no evidence in humans that mangosteen juice had anti-inflammatory activity[27].”

You can read the whole article here.

In 2006, US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warned Xango about their health claims, and now they display on their website the statement, “*These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.” But strangely enough, what Xango agents say is totally different from the statement. I believe they just put the statement to avoid running into trouble with FDA.

In fact, there was a Xango agent visiting me while I was still doing my chemotherapy. I didn’t take the juice but introduced it to a Chronic Myeloid Leukaemia (CML) patient instead. The patient’s husband purchased a few boxes of the juice for her but the juice failed miserably on her. I blogged about this on my blog Day +202, and you can read it here.

I hope this post give you an idea on how you should handle MLM agents who claim that their product could bring magic cure to you.

If it just happens that you are the agent, don’t be angry, just forget about everything that I write by taking high dose of health products :-) It should cure your angriness.

See you next post :-)

Day +552 : “I am a lawyer! Do you think I can get cheated so easily?” (2)

I am fine today. Continue from yesterday…

Very often, MLM companies use doctors or Nobel Prize winners to “fool” people believing that their product works. “He is a doctor!” or “He is a Nobel Prize winner!” and "They know more than you." and "They can’t be wrong." But the question is whether the majority of doctors recommending the product?

Sometime ago, a friend showed me a book about nutrition recommended by a MLM company. After I expressed reservation about the book, he reminded me that it was written by a doctor. I told him we should not believe something that was proposed by a doctor or some doctors, we need to take into account the view of majority, and most importantly, whatever proposed need to be backed by well researched publications; else we do not need to be so serious about it :-)

The lawyer said that research on rats showed that the Xanthone, the most important component in the Xango juice, suppressed the growth of cancer. I told him human and rat is different.

“They are 80% the same!” he affirmed me.

The first question is who tell him this, and the second question is even if we are 80% the same, how do we know Xanthone will have the same effect on human body? Even the same drug will have different reaction on human, how can we assume that something work on rats must work equally well on human?

Why not do a proper trial on human? After all it is not too difficult to carry out the trial, isn’t it? It is just a matter of drinking extremely expensive fruit juice only. I believe it is not that they don’t want to perform the trial, but they know for certain that the trial result would contradict to what they claim, and they will be out of business.

To be continued and see you next post :-)

Day +551 : “I am a lawyer! Do you think I can get cheated so easily?” (1)

I am fine today.

A lawyer came to my office today to introduce me the Xango juice – a mangosteen juice marketed by the US based multi-level marketing(MLM) company called Xango, LLC.

He showed me a brochure with a lot of testimonies about the juice. Like most MLM health products, the brochure tends to impose an impression on the reader that the juice could eradicate all health problems and cure all diseases – so called magic cure.

I told him there is no way for me to accept testimonies as evident that a product works as claimed. This is because testimonies only tell us the success stories of the product, and even this, there is also no way for us to substantiate whether they are true. In order for us to assess the product, the failure stories are as important as the success stories. Therefore, published clinical trial result in renowned journal with peer review is very important. Unfortunately, not a single MLM company could provide this, including Xango.

If I give Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) to 100 patients who are undergoing cancer treatment everyday and tell them this special KFC is very expensive and contains very “powerful” ingredient that could cure their diseases. I am very sure in the end of their treatment, some patients will be giving testimonies that KFC improves their condition or even cures their diseases :-) This is why we have to be very careful with testimonies.

When the lawyer felt that it was extremely difficult to convince me to take the juice, he started to become impatient.

“I am a lawyer! Do you think I can get cheated so easily?” he questioned.

“I don’t care who you are – lawyer, doctor, even Nobel Prize winner. Convince me with clinical trial report, not who you are,” I replied.

To be continued and see you next post :-)

Day +550 : Nature is their toy

I am fine today.

When I was in the home village for holiday with my family last December, a cicada stopped on my cloth. I held it gently in my palm and it generated a loud hoarse cry whenever I shook it. I asked Daniel to guess what was in my palm based on the cicada sound.

“A toy!” he guessed without much hesitation.

He thought that it was a plastic toy that we used to get in the town. Yes, it was indeed a toy, but an alive and natural toy :-)

Children living in the kampong are having fun playing with living toys supplied abundantly by nature. With these natural toys, there is no need for the parent to spend money to purchase artificial toys :-)

I will give you an idea of what “toys” we have in the kampong. There are many other “toys” I didn’t have a chance to take photo.

A cicada stopped on my shirt.
A zoom in view of the cicada.
A moth
Mud skipper
Scorpion
Flowers
Hen

Cricket
A leave insect - look like a leave exactly
Millipedes
Another moth
Cockroach

Small crab
Dog
Firefly
Flower
It is really a blessing to have these living toys free of charge :-)

See you next post :-)

Day +549 : Foochow fried Ba Gui (白粿)

I am fine today.

My wife and I fried Ba Gui for the cell group tonight. We used to prepare this dish in the kampong during Chinese New Year. When I went back for holiday last December, I got some tips on how this dish should be made. So we tried it out today.

It is very easy to make Ba Gui. Just mix the general purpose flour with water and knead it into dough. Then divide the dough into a few flat strips and boil them in water until they cook.

The cooked flat strips Cut them into pieces.
The Bai Guo pieces ready to be cooked
Clams in soya sauce - ingredient which forms the main taste of the fried Bai Guo. It is manufactured somewhere at Old Klang road, but it is very strange that I could not find it anywhere here. I brought a few cans from Sarawak.
The read-to-serve Bai Guo
See you next post :-)

Day +548 : Unfortunately, he still don’t know what his real mistake is :-(

I am fine today.

After he resigned as the health minister over the sex DVD scandal, Datuk Seri Dr. Chua blamed himself for making many mistakes that resulted in his sudden downfall.

He blamed himself of working too hard. “My biggest mistake was to think that upon reaching the federal level and being MCA vice-president that I should fulfill my duties by going to the ground and visiting all hospitals.” he said.

Chua also commented that his biggest mistake was to use the same hotel and the same room.

Also, another mistake was he thought that his honesty and boldness in admitting his wrongdoing will earn public acceptance. “I thought that by my admission, the people would forgive my weaknesses, but I thought wrong. This shows that honesty does not always pay, (but) it is up to the public to judge me,” he said.

It is definitely not a mistake to be committed to his job, to be honest and bold in admitting mistake, and even go the same hotel and the same room.

The biggest mistake was committing adultery, unfaithful to his wife! Unfortunately, it seems that he still didn’t realize this :-(

See you next post :-)

Day +547 : Why I am fine everyday?

I am fine today.

Two indispensable items that I need to bring along with me everywhere I go are drinking water and “tear”. In addition to liver, skin and mouth, my saliva and tear glands are affected by graft-versus-host-disease(GVHD). This results in dry eyes and mouth. Without the water, my mouth will get jammed while eating or talking, and without the “tear”, I simply could not see. Therefore, while every one of you are enjoying the natural lubricant – saliva and tear – produced naturally and automatically by your body, I have to bring them with me.

Someone might say that with this type of imperfectness, why I still claim that “I am fine today” everyday. Not only this, “I am fine” every day - from the beginning until know, even when I was doing the bone marrow transplant in the isolated room.

Fine or not fine is simply a matter of how we interpret our situation. If we choose to see our situation negatively, some very minor glitches will cause us “not fine”. On the other hand, if we choose to be positive, we can still be fine even in very difficult circumstances.

Back to the saliva and tear problem, how should I think of it positively? When I focus on those million processes that are running perfectly within my body, I am glad and happy. Among million processes, only two are not fine. So there is no reason for me to be sad :-)

Many people are unhappy because they focus too much on their own or other people’s weaknesses. This is especially true in husband and wife relationship. As I wrote in my blog Day +284: Love, the greatest give of all, it is very easy for those who are dating to love each other because at this time, they are contracted a ‘disease’ which causes them ‘ugly-blind’ – losing the ability to see the ugly side of the partner :-) But once they get married, they will gradually be cured of the ‘ugly-blind’ disease and slowly contracted another disease which causes them ‘beauty-blind’ – losing the ability to see the beautiful side of the partner. Unable to see the beauty and focusing only on the ugly will eventually lead to bitterness and even broken marriage.

Start to see thing positively to have a happy life :-)

I have to thank God that not a day I am not fine :-)

See you next post :-)

Day +546 : “Ting, is this u?”

I am fine today.

I received the above SMS from an old time course-mate. We were doing our first degree at University Putra Malaysia (UPM) about 19 years ago, and we didn’t meet each other for a long time.

If I knew the position she held in the public service when we met, I would certainly think that I am the candidate for the next Malaysian astronaut. She is Dr. Nafizah Khan, the director of Space Operations and System, Malaysia Space Agency :-)

She was closely involved in the launching of our first astronaut into space by Russian Space Agency, and she is the one who knows the project inside out :-) She brought me so many interesting stories about the project and the space agency.

When she heard about my condition from another course-mate today, she rushed to visit me at Puchong. It was so touching to see her cried when we met last night. “Don’t worry, Kak Nafi, I am still alive,” I comforted her. This showed that the strong friendship that was established long time ago didn’t deteriorate over time at all :-)

Kak Nafi was our class representative. She took care of her class-mates like an elder sister taking care of her younger brothers. All our class-mates, regardless of races and faith, looked for her help when we encountered problem and she never failed to assist us :-)

Based on the conversation with her tonight, I could sense that the determination to uphold principle and integrity in the government agency had turned her hair grey, but this also boosted my respect to her.

“You are still the Kak Nafi that I know before,” I told her before she left.

I am very glad to have a good and caring friend like this.

See you next post :-)

Day +545 : Wish you a healthy, happy and prosperous 2008!

I am fine today.

I would like to wish everyone a healthy, happy and prosperious 2008. May God bless you richly in 2008.

Click "Play" two times to play the card.

See you next post :-)