Muse: Values

Just recently I've read an article from Calibre July 2011 issue, p.24, and I really loved the whole article about it because I do agree about the whole article.

Here's the website about what this article is entirely based on, The Foundation for a Better Life.

http://www.values.com/

This foundation is really simple but really essential, I believe, in our everyday life because all of us tend to be forgetful that we are human and the other person is human and we need to continuously practice humanistic values to enjoy a better life. Mwhahahhaha... such a lengthy sentence but yeah... I love the billboard signs and posters.

And I strongly believe if we practice what we saw, it would produce a ripple effect.

For example,

Just smiling at an auntie passing by, greeting her regardless of who or what she is.

Response: Her depressed face lights up into a brilliant smile (you've just made it her day).

These are just one of the simple things I do at work everyday and it has not only made the receiver happy, it has made me happy.

All this just by being gracious and charitable with a smile. It's free!

Hence, check the URL out. We need reminders to be patient, to be inspired and to be reminded.

Recipe: Carrot Cinnamon Muffin

Today... I've finished my last supply of Gardenia Wholegrain Bread...TT.TT

I love the bread cause it's just sooooooooooo soft and so effortless...

Just take it out of the plastic bag and plop it into the toaster for a min., while waiting for it to get toasted... use the Milo 3 in 1 sachet to make a cup of nice hot chocolate... then I hear the "ding" of my toaster and wa~lah~ nice crunchy toasted bread.... slather peanut butter on top of one slice... grab a bite... finish one slice... slather peanut butter on another slice...Mmmm~~ delicious

But then... but then... it would get boring just eating this same ritualistic bread right??? right???

Nah... but I needed to not put the other baking ingredients in the kitchen to waste...XD... So I baked another muffin out of the blue~

Carrot Cinnamon Muffin

1 1/2 large carrots (finely shredded)// 1 medium sized bowl // 1 cup

1 1/4 cups of wheat flour

1 cup of oats

1/4 tsp of salt

1/4 tsp of nutmeg

1/4 tsp of fennel seeds

1 tsp of cinnamon

1 tsp of vanilla extract

2 medium sized eggs

1 cup of milk

1 tbsp of baking powder

1/4 cup of oil

1/4 cup of sugar

1. Line muffin tin with baking paper. Preheat oven to 200C.
2. Sift the flour, salt, nutmeg, baking powder and cinnamon together in a bowl. Stir in the oats and fennel seeds until it's evenly distributed.
3. Whisk the egg, milk, oil, sugar and vanilla extract until it's well mixed in a separate bowl.
4. Mix the carrots together with the dry ingredients (in hopes of it not sinking to the bottom of the muffin).
5. Mix the dry to the wet mixture (in my case it's this way cause my wet mixture is in a bigger bowl to avoid spillage). Mix it up in about six to eight strokes.
6. Using the 1/4 cup earlier, put mixture into the baking cups.
7. (optional) Sprinkle sesame seed and oat on top of each muffin.
8. Bake the muffin in the oven till you're satisfied that it is sufficiently cooked.
9. The convection oven at home took longer than necessary... I'd put mine at 35 mins next time to see how it would be like but maybe yours would take a shorter time... at about 25-30 mins..
10. The pics will be coming out later cause I just baked it.

Verdict... First and second time rebaked came out a little undercooked, but each time I ate it, it tasted great... SO... not bad for an amateur like me... Mwahhahahahaha

Muse: Vivo Experience 1

Since I'm kind of bored... and I don't really have anything noteworthy to blog about other than some funny stuff at Vivo... so I'll just blog about that... LOL

Alright... maybe it's just me, or maybe it's my friends from Vivo.... but I seriously think that they do not really understand how service tax is charged.

Generally, service tax is charged based on the whole bill, correct? That's why it's calculated last in any enterprise.

Let's say... you use a Standard Charted Bank Account and are entitled to a 20% discount on any pizza.

Assuming a normal pizza costs RM 19.90 and a premium pizza costs RM 23.90. By purchasing 3 normal pizzas and 2 premium pizzas, what would be the total cost?

I'll provide three different situations.

In Situation 1, I assumed that all pizzas were given discounts.

In Situation 2, I assumed only 1 premium pizza was given the discount.

In Situation 3, I assumed no discount were given at all.

Basically, Situation 1 earned the most benefits when compared to the controlled factor by RM 23.65 and Situation 2 only benefited by RM 5.25.

Last Friday, there was a commotion on the above problem... Simple mathematics...

Alright... it went like this.

He ordered five pizzas, assuming that his card allowed him

*as stated on the joint promotion page ,

20 % discount on all 10'' or 13'' pizza,

he thought he was about to benefit from Situation 1's discount.

However, the company in actuality was providing just Situation 2's discount which in normal english should be...

20 % discount on any one (1) 10'' or 13'' pizza.

So how could I blame the consumer for being indignant when there's basically a problem with the company not knowing how to explain the benefits properly.

Hence, I believe there is a need for me to emphasize that proper english and simple mathematics be drilled into the heads of any aspiring entrepreneur who conducts businesses.

Muse: Silence

When silence is a bliss, it is folly to be wise.

Sometimes, it doesn't take much to listen to someone. Simply being silent, you are being wise. Simply just listening, you are being helpful. Simply just being there, you are being thoughtful.

Just a muse I'd thought important to share, after all, not all of us are able to recall how wise this step is.

Muse: Listening to colours

How often have we listened?

By listening, I don't mean just the sound you hear and comprehend but also what you listen with your five senses. The sense of sight, smell, sound, touch and taste.

It seems most of us excel in terms of smell and taste as we have the utmost practice with food as our subject.

However, what of sight, touch and sound that we do everyday?

Is it not that with constant practice we would become proficient owners of our five senses?

Unfortunately, that doesn't seem to be the case.

With constant use of it, most of us have taken our senses for granted.

Why else would a person walk further away when they see another being violent?

Why else would a person speak louder when another is speaking?

Why else would a person hit the other?

Is it because humanity has been lost? I'm not sure.

Is it because of one being stubborn? I'm not sure.

Is it because of one doing so in their aim of bringing peace? I'm not sure.

Since returning home, I'm horrified at how despicable people can be.

However a reality is a reality. Running away from reality would simply mean I'm living in a fantasy. But what good would living a fantasy be when a fantasy would just be temporary? After all, a lifetime isn't a temporary thing. It's a lifelong commitment. And how could temporary fit the bill?

I've lived my life, listening to others.

Directly or indirectly, I've done it so many times till I hate people conversing when I do work as I involuntary listen.

Movements, conversation, changes in scenery.

I love to listen to the changes and appreciate them.

That is why, I wouldn't need to travel all around the world to feel happy, I simply walk to feel happy.

A change in scenery, a change in air, a change in sound. The ripples, the music, the colours.

That's why I love shopping malls.

I can simply walk for hours at the grocery section and feel darn happy without spending a dime.

I know it's weird... that's why I only do it once or twice or thrice or quad times a month at the grocery section...XD

Okayx2... Often enough to make me feel guilty...

But it makes me incredibly happy to do those rounds (which lasts for 2-4 hours).

Seriously.

At least it's cheaper than going vacation at some secluded island and not remembering much from that vacation(which goes for me).

Muse: Sleeping on the Road

Have you ever encountered such a situation... when you just suddenly go "poof" and nap on the wheels?

Well... I do... not just once but at all stops when there's a long queue.

That's why, whenever it's raining heavily... a long queue... short stops... I really abhor them as I'm really afraid that I'd just suddenly nap behind the wheels.

It's really scary how involuntary it is and how it happens but this has happened not just once or twice... but almost each time I'm on the wheels... even if the music is blaring... even if I talk to myself... this scenario repeats.

It's scary, so scary that I shiver each time I wake up... reminded of the accident I had sleeping on the wheels on a rainy day on a bridge with heavy traffic.

So... how often have I realized?

Well... as a start, when I was returning home today, I've napped at every stop I made.

Luckily it was all on flat ground with the car's gear on neutral.

However, what if I'm on an inclined road? Like the day of the accident going downhill and I rammed into the car in front?

Well, I've had instances like that before too....

The difference was this time I'm going uphill.

The first time I accidentally napped, I recovered soon enough to step on the brakes... the second time, I reprimanded myself and luckily no car was behind, the third time, the hand brakes that I put on while neutral suddenly let out and fortunately it was a repeat of the second.

It's scary isn't it? But what am I to do? Maybe I should try to increase my blood pressure faster to see if these scenarios wouldn't happen again. After all, I was feeling alright before I drove the car in all situations... So what else can it be?