MALAYSIAN TRADITIONAL FOOD - PRESENTATION

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MY LOVELY PET

Do you have your own pet? If yes, you are just like me. I really love it. Why? Because having a pet is an interesting thing in my life. I could not imagine what it feels. It is hard for me to think about it. If you want to feel the same feeling like me, you should have a pet. So that, you would know the true feeling of having a pet.

I have my own lovely pets. There are two fish and two turtles. I am trust that you are really want to know about both of my lovely pets. Now, I would like to tell you about my fish first. It is a “Fighting Fish” and in Malay we called it as a “Laga Fish”.  One of it is male and the other one is female. I separated them into different small container that suit for their static small bodies because they cannot live together. If not, they would fight together and one of them will die. It is too unique! Having this two fish such a wonderful thing for me because both of them have colourful bodies colour. It is very beautiful and I love them too much. The body colour of my male fish is bluish purple while the female fish is golden red. I do not give a specific name to both of them because I could not find the suitable name for them. My male fish is more active. I could see it when I give food to them where the male fish eat more and faster than the female fish and also when I want to wash them. It is too difficult to change the water inside the container of my male fish. When comparison is made, it is easier for me to look after my female fish compare to the male fish.

Now, let me go through to my turtles’ story. Its gender just like my fish. One male and the other one is female. My turtles also does not have specific name. Although their bodies have a same colour which is moss green, it is easy for me to determine their gender. The different shapes under their bodies are enough to differentiate both of them. It is hard for me to tell you about those shapes because you would find it difficult to imagine it. What you have to do is you must look at it by yourself. The size of my male turtle is much bigger than the female turtle. As they could live together, I put them into a quite big container because the size of their bodies is getting bigger. For both of my turtle, I do not know which one are the most active. Both of them are active. When I give food to them, the male turtle would come after the female turtle and eat more but when I want to wash them, the female turtle will become more excited and active while the male turtle did not move too much and steady. For me, it was weird and funny. Do you think the same way like me? In comparison, both of my pets have much differentiate between each other.

Most of my friends asked many questions about my pets such as why I keep them, where did I get them, and too many more questions regarding my pets. Actually, both of my pets own by my little brother. He likes to keep pets but he does not know how to keep them. So, he asked me to look after his pets. That is why those pets are much like my own pets. We bought those fish at the market that is located in Kedah which is our hometown while those turtles were bought at market in Bangi, near our house. I bring those fish to my college because there is no one wants to look after them because it is much difficult to keep and I left the turtles at home. I am considered them as my best friend as they are always there for me in every situation. I would feel lonely and miss them if they are far from me.

In conclusion, having a pet is an interesting thing in life. I already felt the same things and I hope all of you would become excited to have a pet after read my pets’ story. Do make it as your hobby. Hope that you enjoy reading my posting. See you again soon!!!

PROJECT 1: GREEN ENVIRONMENT

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MALAYSIAN TRADITIONAL FOOD

Malay traditional food in Malaysia is naturally made by the Malay people. Malay as a race is divided into many smalll "tribes" or ethnic groups (for example: Acheh, Bugis, Mandailing, Minang, Banjar, Pattani or Jawa). Malays in Peninsula Malaysia originally come from all over South East Asian archipelago. Intermarriages among these ethnic groups result in a rich food culture. So, each tribe has their own spread of traditional food that is typical to their respective villages.

Once Malaysia was formed, the diversity of its Malay traditional food are recognized mainly by its geographical location, according to the states. On the west coast, the northern states are well known for their hot, spicy food. This is due to heavy influence of neighboring Thailand. The central part by its rich gravy and the southern states by their thick and sour spicy sauces. The east coast states on the other hand, is more associated with sweet, but rich fare with glutinous rice. However, the true Malay traditional food, in my opinion, should be prepared using only local ingredients. The spices and herbs are grounded manually, the meals are cooked over ancient-styled oven or stove, stirred with traditional utensils, packed or served in tropical edible leaves, eaten using the hand, following Malay etiquette and table manners.

Some of the more well known heavy fares are: lemang (glutinous rice cooked in bamboo pole), ketupat (glutinous rice cooked in pandanus, coconut or banana leaves) and nasi dagang (3 part rice to 1 part glutinous rice steamed with ginger, onion and fenugreek). Breakfast items included pulut inti (steamed glutinous rice with sweet coconut topping), boiled tapioca served with grated coconut, nasi lemak (rice cooked in coconut milk) and various sweet and savory dainty Malay cakes (kuih-muih). Fish crackers (keropok made with sago and fish, prawns or other seafood) are popular snacks.

Since most of these tropical products do not last long once they mature or ripen, the ancient cooks created ways to preserve them by drying, fermenting, salting, smoking or turning them into flour and pickles. And here we are, moaning whenever there is a power cut such that our freezer is not working! So, you see, Malay traditional food mainly use local produce that can grow easily and abundant in this land. Please bear in mind that wheat and its by-products were brought in by the western colonial powers so traditional Malay food does not have them. Therefore, leavened bread is not part of traditional food. Instead, crepe-like delights like "lempeng" are made with bananas, molasses and garnished with coconut shaving. Tapioca are finely grated and used to make delicious sweet cakes which are baked in a tin over and under smoldering coconut husks.

           Typical ways of cooking includes roasting, frying, steaming, boiling and also stewing. Fuel used is made up of local firewood or coconut husks and coconut shells. Making Malay traditional food with these natural fuel do taste much much better than by using conventional LPG and a modern stove! Bamboos are shaped as skewers and used to hold barbecued dish or meat. Like mentioned before, bamboo poles are also used to contain food and then cooked. Usually, the bamboo is lined with banana leaves before food is stuffed in, this makes the food smell more fragrant as well as prevent the itchiness of the bamboo to contaminate the food. Banana leaves are used to pack food, to wrap meat or fish before roasting and also for serving. The leaves were first smoked over fire to make them soft, otherwise they would break and would not be able to contain the food. This also makes the food smell very nice. Coconut leaves are weaved to make the case for ketupat (rice cakes).

The Malays eat plenty of raw herbs to consume with daily meals. These are called "ulam". Ulam comprised of young shoots or leaves of various plants which are mostly eaten raw or sliced thinly and made into salad or eaten with sambal belacan. Most of them taste bitter, but in the Malay culture, the bitterness is the cure. The Malays also believe that daily consumption of ulam would make you look younger even though you are actually aging. These herbs and raw leaves grow everywhere easily. They are cheap and available. Modern science also has proven that some of these plants do indeed contain high levels of antioxidants and also phyto-chemicals.

In this modern world, some of traditional Malay food are indeed dying or have already been abandoned. It is up to the Malays themselves to uphold the tradition. One of the ways is to keep on asking your grandparents about the kind of Malay traditional food they ate when they were young. Also, to observe the rituals performed in some ceremonies which are very closely related to traditional food preparation.

SOURCES: http://www.pickles-and-spices.com/malay-traditional-food.html

DEFORESTATION AND WAYS TO MINIMIZE IT

Nowadays, our planet Earth is under threat. It is all because of deforestation. Deforestation is the clearing or removal of trees from an area of woodland or forest for many differing reason usually commercial. It usually doesn't apply to cases where the trees are replaced, usually as saplings, in the same or alternative location in order to replace those that were cut down. It also usually refers to large scale clearing of whole areas rather than limited or selective clearing. Actions must be taken to control this situation.

Some of the ways to minimize deforestation is treat our own forests with respect and care. It may sound silly but if we want to prove we care about the forest, we do not have to litter. It is the best to start to solve problems at home before going and saving the forest. How can we tell Brazil to stop deforestation, when we are doing the same and disrespecting our environment? So next time we have rubbish, we must place it in a bin or even better, recycle it. W should help make our country green and lead by example in the world.

Besides, we must look to what we are buying. Businesses sell what people want. If we stop buying their products and demand forest friendly goods, these rich few would have to listen or go bust. So, buy from environmentally friendly like IKEA. Consumers decide what businesses sell and do. It is mean that the customer is always right. Thus, demand more of businesses you buy from. They would listen if the majorities demand for it because they cannot afford to lose business. Otherwise their business will end almost as abruptly as the rainforest is. So that, everyone should impact on business’s ethics today.

Another thing is tell people the causes of deforestation and get everyone to shout it out. There are groups that support saving the rainforest like The Prince’s Rainforests project. Support them and others to make our voice heard before the rainforest is gone forever. We are not only the one who are helping cause the rainforests ultimate destruction but we can also be the one who give it salvation in this hard world.

So far we have told what can we do to help the rainforest in everyday life. Now, for those who want to do something really challenging to help the rainforest, they must do charity work such as collect and donate to rainforest charities or go out to the rainforest with organizations and physically help the rainforest now. Whatever you do, the choice is yours, whether you recycle and improve your own countries image, put pressure on businesses to help the rainforest and spread the word of the need to help the rainforest or actually go out into the rainforest and help, protect and preserve it today.

Thus, in the words of HRH the Prince of Wales, we must act now! Help the rainforest survive for future generations. Losing the rainforest would mean we make climate change an even greater threat to the world. If the death of one person can lead to you destruction, imagine what the death of millions of trees would mean for the world. Now, let supporting the saving of the rainforest for a brighter future for all of us.

FROGS ARE COLD-BLOODED

          

           Frogs are amphibians, animals that spend part of their lives under water and the remainder on land. Amphibians are vertebrates that spend part of their lives under water (breathing with gills) and the remainder on land (breathing with lungs). Amphibians are cold-blooded; their body temperature depends on the temperature of their environment. There are three groups (orders) of living amphibians: newts and salamanders (urodeles); frogs and toads (anurans); and caecilians (the worm-like gymnophiones). Frogs have long, powerful jumping legs and a very short backbone. Most frogs have teeth (in the upper jaws only) but toads do not have any teeth. Like all amphibians, frogs spend their lives near water because they must return to the water to lay their eggs. Frog eggs are laid in the water. When they hatch into tadpoles, they breathe with gills and swim using a tail. As they mature, they lose their tail, and they develop lungs for breathing air. In harsh climates, frogs bury themselves in sand and mud and hibernate (sleep very deeply) through the cold winter. Frogs eat insects, catching them with their long, sticky tongue. They also eat small fish and worms.

SOURCES: http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/amphibians/Frogprintout.shtml