Early Life Of Aung San Suu Kyi

New Year's Day, 1972, Chelsea registry office, London. Aung San Suu Kyi and Michael Aris marry, age 26 and 25 respectively.

Aung San Suu Kyi at her wedding reception following a Buddhist blessing, at a family friend's home in London

Aung San Suu Kyi on the snowy slopes of a mountain in Bhutan in 1971.

Further up the hill, at Taktsang temple, Michael had proposed to her.

The future Nobel laureate riding a mule up a mountain in Bhutan, 1971

Her husband-to-be, Michael Aris, riding a yak in Bhutan, where he was a tutor to the royal family, 1971.

Aung San Suu Kyi’s mother, Daw Khin Kyi, meets her grandson, Alexander, for the first time on a family visit to Rangoon. Michael Aris stands at the back. 1974

A family picnic in Grantown-on-Spey. Aung San Suu Kyi with her husband (with the beard) and two sons Alexander and Kim. The woman in the back wearing the headscarf is Mathané Fend, a famous pre-war singer who was Aung San Suu Kyi's most trusted friend and confidante, her 'emergency aunt'

1970/1980 on the lawn of her father-in-law’s house in Grantown-on-Spey, Scotland, Aung San Suu Kyi plays with her two sons, Alexander (in the braces) and Kim

From 1973 to 1988, Aung San Suu Kyi devoted her time and energy to motherhood in Oxford where her husband was an academic

Joke - Only Great Mind Can Read This

This is weird, but interesting! 
If you can raed this, you have a sgtrane mnid too

Can you raed this? Olny 55 plepoe out of 100 can.

I cdnuolt blveiee that I cluod aulaclty uesdnatnrd what I was rdanieg. The phaonmneal pweor of the hmuan mnid, aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it dseno't mtaetr in what oerdr the ltteres in a word are, the olny iproamtnt tihng is that the frsit and last ltteer be in the rghit pclae. The rset can be a taotl mses and you can still raed it whotuit a pboerlm. This is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the word as a wlohe. Azanmig huh? Yaeh and I awlyas tghuhot slpeling was ipmorantt! If you can raed this forwrad it

FORWARD ONLY IF YOU CAN READ IT 

Papaya And Health Benefits

The papaya fruit is a rich source of phyto-nutrients or plant based nutrients, vitamins and minerals. These phyto-nutrients are known to prevent cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular disease and hypertension. Like many other fruits, the papaya has lots of vitamins A, B and C and essential minerals like potassium.

The papaya promotes bowel movement and helps the body to heal bodily injuries.


A short video on the health benefits of papaya

Recipe - Okra Stir Fry With Tomato

Legend has it that okra was the favourite food of Cleopatra, Queen of Egypt from 51 BC to 30 BC. Like all vegetables, okra has many nutrients, vitamins and minerals essential for good health. Okra has many health benefits but I will highlight two. Okra helps to reduce sugar in the blood and protects the face from pimples, promotes smooth and beautiful skin.

Okra is a versatile ingredient. It can be steamed, added in curry, or fried as tempura. In this recipe, okra is stir fried with garlic and dried shrimps for flavour. Cut tomatoes are added for colour and to give this dish a tangy taste. Tomato also has lots of nutrients, vitamins and minerals.


Ingredients:

okra

200 grams of okra (about 10 pieces, cut into bite size)
5 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
2 tbs of dried shrimps
1 tomato diced
2 tbs of cooking oil

Method:
Heat the oil in wok or pan.
Fry the dried shrimps till crispy and flavour comes out, remove and set aside
Toss in garlic and fry till fragrant
Add the okra and stir fry for 1 minute.
Sprinkle a bit of water if wok is too dry
Add the cut tomato and stir fry another 2 minutes.
It's done when the okra is tender enough.
Top it with the crispy dried shrimps and serve.
Note: no salt is added but if you like, add a dash of light soy or salt.

This 3 minute video shows how to make okra salad with garlic dressing



Here is a 8 minute video showing how to cook tempura okra, Indian style






A 5 minute video on health benefits of okra

Joke - Razorback Hogs

President Obama was in Washington DC after a tour and as he got down from the helicopter in front of the White House, his staff noticed he was carrying two piglets, one under each arm.

The alert security guard salutes and says, "Nice pigs, Sir".

Obama replies, " You are mistaking them for pigs.These are genuine Razorback hogs. I got one for Secretary of State Hilary and the other for Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi."

The security salutes and comments " Brilliant trade, Sir."

Recipe - How To Cook Steamed White Rice

Rice is a staple food in most countries. Rice provide fast and instant energy, good bowel movement, stabilising blood sugar level and providing essential vitamin B1 to human body. Rice also contains all the amino acids essential for nourishing and maintaining the body.

There are a few pointers to note in order to successfully cook fluffy and tender rice.

1. Rice expand 2 to 3 times when cooked. So the cooking pot must be large enough.
2. The amount of water is key. For rice that do not need washing, use 2 cups of water to 1 cup of rice. But if the rice need to be rinsed, reduce the water to 1.5 cup to 1 cup of rice. That is because after rinsing, the rice would have absorbed some water during the rinsing.
3. For cooking with a pot, use low heat (watch video)
4. When the rice is cooked, let it sit for about 15 minutes so that the moisture in the rice redistribute itself for a more uniform texture.
5. For an average person, half a cup of rice is enough.

In this first video, the rice is cook without washing.



In this second video Ming Tsai rinse the rice and also use the rice cooker.

Pear Fruit and Health Benefits

There are different types of pears but they provide similar health benefits. Different varieties grow in different seasons and this helps to make the pear fruit available throughout the year.


Pear fruit is packed with health benefiting nutrients such as dietary fiber, anti-oxidants, minerals and vitamins which are necessary for optimum health. 


The pear fruit is known for promoting cardiovascular health and colon health. The fibre in the pear lowers high cholesterol and also act as a sort of laxative to promote colon health.






A 2 minute video on health benefits of pears:

Recipe - Bread Omelette

This bread omelette recipe turns the idea of a bread sandwich on its head. Typically in a bread sandwich, you have a filling of egg or ham sandwiched between 2 slices of bread. In this recipe the bread is sandwiched between the fried eggs.

This is a popular recipe in South India. It is easy to cook and it is really up to your imagination to vary the ingredients to suit individual preference.

I have a 28 cm pan and to fill it, I use 3 eggs.

Recipe:
3 eggs beaten
2 slices of bread
1 tomato diced
1 large onion diced
1 big chilli cut into slices
2 tbsp of oil
spring onion for garnishing

Method
Heat the pan and toast the 2 slices of bread and set aside.
Mix the eggs, diced tomato and diced onion in a bowl.
Heat the oil in the pan.
Pan fried the egg mixture in medium low heat.
When the eggs are almost done, place the bread on the eggs.
At this point you can choose to flip the omelette or fold them.
Garnish and serve.

Here is a six minute video to show how this is done.


Here is another version of bread omellete, created in Singapore. It is called Roti John which uses baquette and the ingredients for the filling is as varied as the imagination.

Joke - An Elderly American Visits France

An elderly gentleman of 83 arrived in Paris by plane. At the French
customs desk, the man took a few minutes to locate his passport in his
carry-on bag.

"You have been to France before, monsieur?" the customs officer asked,
sarcastically.

The elderly gentleman admitted he had been to France previously.

"Then you should know enough to have your passport ready."

The American said, "The last time I was here, I didn't have to show
it."

"Impossible. Americans always have to show your passports on arrival
in France!"

The American senior gave the Frenchman a long hard look. Then he
quietly explained. "Well, when I came ashore at Omaha Beach on D-Day
in 1944 to help liberate this country, I couldn't find any Frenchmen
to show it to."

Joke - Car Lands On Rooftop

A woman driver ended up parking her car in the roof of this Italian house after she forgot to put on the handbrake. 

Maria Rizzo, 34, stopped to admire the spectacular view from the street above the house in Alassio, on the Gulf of Genoa in northern Italy.

She was so intent on taking a photograph that she forgot to put on the handbrake, and her car rolled away, smashing through a barrier and plunging down the hill onto the house below.

The Fiat Panda crashed through the roof and landed in the bathroom, with the front end wedged in an iron bath which broke the fall and stopped the red car plunging further into the house.

A police spokesman remarked 'Luckily no one was home at the time, so nobody was hurt, but the owner of the property did have a surprise when they arrived home.'

Grapes And Health Benefits

Grapes are a storehouse of antioxidants, vitamins and minerals. Red grapes are rich in resveratrol, an antioxidant which helps promote mental concentration, good for the heart ( prevent high cholesterol), slows down ageing and protects against cancer. Green grapes are rich in catechins another antioxidant with similar functions as those of the red grapes. Interestingly, the antioxidants are densely concentrated in the skin.

A 2 minute video on health benefits of grapes

Recipe - Stir Fry Bean Sprouts With Crispy Salted Fish

Bean sprouts are a rich source of amino acids (for protein), vitamins and minerals, and also contain a good amount of fiber. They contain all types of vitamins (A, B, C, D, E and K), folic acid and are an excellent source of iron, potassium, calcium, phosphorous, magnesium and zinc. In this recipe, bits of salted fish are fried till crispy to flavour the bean sprouts. Shreds of carrot and spring onion are added for colour and provide additiional nutrients for a crunchy and flavourful dish.

I use a slice (about 50 grams) of salted fish fillet for this recipe. Cut with scissors or chop into tiny bits. When fried in oil, this salted fish will give out a saltish flavour to the oil. Fry till golden brown.

There is no need to add salt in this dish.

salted crispy fish fillet

Ingredients

300 grams of beansprouts (washed)

50 grams of salted fish fillet (cut or chopped into tiny bits)

3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped.

1 carrot, peeled and shredded

3 sprigs of spring onion, cut into same length as bean sprout.

1 tbs of cooking oil

This is a quick cooking dish. The bean sprouts are given a quick fry to get rid of the raw taste but still retain the crunch.

Method

Heat the oil in a wok or pan on medium

Fry the bits of salted fish till golden brown.

Take out the salted fish and put aside.

Toss in the garlic and fry till fragrant.

Toss in the beansprouts and after a few quick stir, add the shredded carrot and spring onion.

After a few quick stir, the dish is done.

Serve with the crispy salted fish as a topping.

This is a light, colourful and flavourful dish packed with nutrients which is easy on the pocket. Goes very well with rice.

Bean sprouts stir fry with tofu (bean curd) is also a favourite.

    

In this 2 minute video, bean sprouts are mixed with bean curd.




A 3 minute video on frying bean sprout with salted fish

Ginger And Health Benefits

The ginger root is pungent, spicy and aromatic. It contains vitamins B6, B5 and many essential nutrients like gingerols which soothe the nerves and improve digestion. It has many other benefits such as getting rid of gas in the body, prevent inflammation, reduce nausea and  relieve migraine.




This 10 minute video gives more details of the benefits of ginger:

Recipe - Wolfberry Leaves Stir Fried With Mince Pork

Wolfberry leaves (kau kee in Singapore language) are great for lowering high blood pressure. They are packed with vitamins C and E and have lots of antioxidants. They are known for lowering high blood pressure, protecting the liver, slow down ageing and improving eyesight. One common recipe is to boil them in a soup with egg. In this recipe, the leaves are stir fried with mince pork.

stalk of wolfberry leaves

Although not so common, they are available in the market and supermarket. You have to look for them. They are sold in bunches for about $1.40 each.

The main vein of the leaf is bitter. Although I suspect a lot of goodness is in the vein, the bitter taste does put off  many people.

To prepare this dish, first pluck the leaves by tearing them off the main vein. With the thumb and the index finger, fold the broadest part of the leaf together, grip and pull it away from the main vein.

The wolfberry leaves cook very fast, in just a minute or so. When cooked, the leaves turn dark green

Recipe:

1 bunch of wolfberry leaves(250 grams or 20 stalks)

50 gm of mince pork

remove leaf from vein

1 tbs of light soy sauce

A dash of white pepper

3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped

1 tbs of cooking oil

Method

Heat the oil and garlic in a wok or pan in medium heat.

Toss in the mince pork and stir till pork is cooked.

Add the light soy sauce and a dash of white pepper

Toss in the leaves and stir quickly.

It takes about a minute to cook and the leaves turn dark green.

Dish out and serve.

A video on how to grow wolfberry plant.

A 2 minute video on cooking the traditional Chinese wolfberry leaves soup

Joke - Cannibal Restaurant

A cannibal was walking through the jungle
And came across a restaurant run by a fellow cannibal.

Feeling somewhat hungry, he sat down and looked over the menu.

Tourist ......................$5.00
Broiled Missionary ......$10.00
Field Explorer ..............$15.00
Politician, baked or grilled ...$100.

The cannibal called the waiter over and asked:
"Why such a high price for politicians ?"

The cook replied: "Have you ever tried to clean one?
They are full of shit, it takes all morning!"

Joke - Facebook IPO

Kiwi Fruit And Health Benefits

Kiwi fruits are rich in many Vitamins and minerals. They contain a high amount of Vitamin C, E and A. They also have potassium and beta-carotene. These vitamins and minerals protects the body against free radicals. Specifically, the kiwi fruits give good protection against asthma, wheezing and coughing, colon cancer and eye diseases.

The kiwi fruit juice can help dengue patients recover ....read more

10 health benefits of kiwi fruits .. read more

Joke - A Politician and A Mugger

A politician is walking home late at night.

As he turns the corner, he is stopped by a mugger who shouts, “Give me all your money!”.

The politician replies, “Watch yourself, you don’t know who you’re talking to; I am an important politician”.

The mugger says, “Oh sorry, give me all my money.”

Recipe - Stir-Fry Snow Peas With Carrot

Mixing a variety of vegetables in a dish is always a treat if they combine well. They add colour to the dish and makes it more appealing. More importantly, the variety of vegetables will provide lots of vitamins and minerals to nourish the body. In this recipe, prawns, button mushrooms and roasted cashews are added to the snow peas and carrot for extra sweetness and colour.

Ingredients

250 gm snow peas, trimmed

1 carrot, peeled and cut into slices

button mushrooms (champignon) 1 tin

3 cloves garlic (finely chopped)

5 prawns (shelled and devein)

roasted cashews (about 10 pieces) for garnishing

1 tbs cooking oil

1 tbs oyster sauce

dash of white pepper

Method

Heat oil in wok or pan, fry the garlic till fragrant.

Toss in prawns and stir fry for a minute.

Toss in snow peas, carrot and mushrooms and add oyster sauce.

Stir fry for about 3 minutes until tender

Garnish with roasted cashews and serve.

Here is a short video showing how to prepare and stir fry the snow peas.

Joke - Unable To Toe Company Line

Drinking a coke

Pineapple and Health Benefits

Pineapple has a sweet and sour taste. Pineapple is rich in bromelain, an enzyme known for breaking down proteins as well as its anti-inflammatory properties. This helps to thin the blood, thus help blood circulation. Bromelain also helps to suppress coughs and loosen mucus. Its anti-inflammatory properties helps to prevent swelling, arthritis and gout. Pineapple also has lots of vitamins A, B1, C and minerals like calcium, phosphorus and potassium.

Best eaten between meals to enjoy all the benefits.

A short video on health benefits of pineaplle

Joke - A Love Story

A love story..

A census taker in a rural area went up to a farmhouse and knocked.

When a woman came to the door, he asked her how many children she had and their ages.

She said, "Let's see now, there's the twins, Sally and Billy, they're thirty-two.

And the twins, Seth & Beth, they're twenty-six. And the twins, Penny and Jenny, they're twenty-four."

"Hold on!" said the census taker, "Did you get twins EVERY time?"

The woman answered, " Heck no, there were hundreds of times we didn't get nothing."

Recipe - Braised Eggplant Vietnamese Style

This braised eggplant recipe got its name because this dish is popular in Vietnam. The eggplant is braised in medium heat with mince pork, tomato, oyster sauce and pinch of sugar to give it a slightly sweet and sour taste. Eggplants contain vitamins A, B1, B2 and C which help to boost the immune system of the body. This dish is traditionally served with rice.

Recipe:
1 eggplant (about 200 grams, cut into bite size)
50 grams mince pork
1 tomato (diced)
1 tbs oyster sauce

1 tsp sugar
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tbs cooking oil
coriander leaves for garnishing

Method.
In a wok or pan, heat the oil and garlic till fragrant.
Add in the mince pork and stir fry till cooked
Add the rest of the ingredients and a cup of water.
The water should be just enough to cover the ingredients.
Stir once a while till the eggplant softens and changes colour.
Cooking time is about 5 minutes.
Garnish with coriander leaves and serve.



In this 5 minute video, the eggplant is cooked in traditional Chinese style




Deep fried eggplant with oyster sauce and light sauce

Some cute eggplants

Eggplant and Health Benefits

Enjoy the 11 presentation slides



A 3 minute video on eggplant and health benefits

Joke - More Humourous Definitions

Office
A place where you can relax after your strenuous home life.

Yawn
The only time when some married men got to open their mouth

Experience
The name men give to their mistakes.

Diplomat
A person who tells you to go to hell in such a way that you actually look forward to the trip

Optimist
A person who when falling from Eiffel Tower says in midway "I am not injured yet".

Miser
A person who lives poor so that he can die rich

Father
A banker provided by nature.

Boss
Someone who is early when you are late and late when you are early

Politician
Someone who shakes your hand before elections and shakes your Confidence later.

Doctor
A person who kills your ills by pills and kills you by his bills.