Mister Potato’s Rice Crisp

 

Mister Potato has recently launched a new line of Mister Potato’s Rice Crisp. Not to be left out, I quickly made it to the 99 Speed Mart near my house and grab myself a can of it. I am a big fan of sliced potato !

This new line being introduced is actually made from rice ( if you don’t already know it by now, doh ! ) According to its website, it’s made without MSG and 20% less fat than fried potato chips. So, for those of you who like to snack, like me  :-) , this is every excuse that you’re not putting in more calories to your body. Mister Potato’s Rice Crisp comes in 4 flavours, namely, ORIGINAL, HOT & SPICY, SOUR CREAM & ONION and FLAME GRILLED BBQ. I chose the HOT & SPICY one to try out. I am not a big fan of sour cream, so usually, I will “pass” that flavour on  any of the snacks in town.

The white background on the can makes the packaging very striking and with a colourful wrap around, I find it very attention-grabbing. The wordings are easy to read too. So, no complain on the packaging. The can in fact is the same as the Mr Potato’s Crisps. You have the same transparent capping and the freshness foil beneath it before you reach your favourite snack.

 

 By the time I had this photo taken, I have already reached halfway line of the can, hehe!

The crispiness of the rice is just right for me. The flavoring suits my taste bud too, not too salty. But I would think it’s not spicy enough considering that it’s said to be Hot & Spicy. Twisties’ Spicy range is even more spicy than this. One thing which I don’t really like is the texture of the rice crisp. To differentiate it from the potato crisp, I guess the R & D team has made it a rough surface. Or maybe to show the consumer, it’s made from rice. I prefer it to have a smooth surface rather. Biting into a rough surface makes it feel like eating corn flakes instead or nachos.

The rice crisps as how they look inside

Overall, that’s the comment that I have for this newbie of the snack market. Looking forward to trying out more new launches of snacks in the future.

Insufficient Memory Space

 

 

photo extracted from Wikipedia

Like an overloaded CPU, I am having the same problem of insufficient memory space :-(

Question : Would you be offended if someone did not remember your name ?

Are you someone whose presence in a gathering is always being neglected ? Or you simply do not put any effort in making your presence felt ? What if someone completely forgotten that they have even met you before ? Would you think “What a forgetful person ?”. Would you feel offended by such a person ?

Many times I have bumped into friends or business associates who I can’t recall the name. It’s not that I don’t take the effort to remember names ! It’s just that sometimes it just slipped my mind the name of the person. It takes quite a while for me to recall back the name of the person. It’s like being into a mental challenge the whole day for me to try to recall back the name of the person. I score even worse if I have to recall back a Chinese name compared to an English name. I do hope people don’t think that I am superficial, arrogant or someone not worth befriending. I do have my shortfalls.

When I attend events like a CPA seminar or a private function and someone steps up to me to say, “Do you remember me ?”, it freaks me out. Same goes to reunion of schoolmates. Imagine it’s someone you have not met at all since leaving your secondary school. Try somewhere around 10 years where you don’t meet and suddenly you’re being challenged to remember a name.

Sometimes, all we need is a few moments with someone before we are able to put a name to the face. These days, I really thank Facebook. At least, this social  networking site can help me to remember some names of long lost friends and able to help me to get in touch with them. Else, I don’t think I will be able to remember names of friends !

Ode to Single Mothers

 

I have not been doing much active blogging due to certain reason which I will be putting in another blog some time later when the time is appropriate.

But, today, I would like to blog about a topic which in the earlier days, in this part of the world, the subject is not much being discussed. Society does not view this as something positive and most see it in another view – Single Mothers.

I have the highest respect for single mothers. I have close relative, ex-colleagues and colleagues who are single mothers. Why do I say I have highest respect for them? First of all, unlike their male counterparts, single mother will end up facing higher social stigma. Society looks at single mother as someone who is not able to hold a proper relation, poor family management etc. The lady is the one who will have to bear the brunt of the person who is being blamed for the breakdown of the relationship. Though we have progressed leaps and bounds from the days of cavemen, in general, our society’s mentality somehow is still left behind in the evolution process.

Secondly, it takes great courage to move on from a failed relationship, child custodian issue, visitation rights and all those nitty gritty, legal issues that comes along after the divorce. All these matters will drain you well before you have your “life after the divorce”. If you don’t have close bonding siblings or family members who help you to leave the baggage behind and move on, the emotional burden is like lifting an elephant off your shoulder!

Next, is the juggling of work and looking after the kid. After working like 8-9 hours in the workplace, coming back home, the Single Mother would have to tend to the needs of the kids and also doing the housework. Keeping a house clean is already an energy-sapping activity for a couple, now it’s minus one. You have to clean/ maintain/ upkeep the house all by yourself ! If you have toddler to take care of, you can practically tear your hairs out ensuring the kid don’t mess up the place after you have tried your very best to keep it clean.

Does a Single Mother have much social life ? All the attention is already being divided amongst work life and tending after the needs of the kid. How much of personal time or “MY TIME” do you have left after you have managed those around you ? Do you put much attention and care about your personal life and image upkeeping. I believe after taking care of the necessary, whatever energy left is best being conserved or to recharge and get ready for another day ahead. Unless of course the person is a well-to-do Single Mother where you can still hire a maid or having people around you to help you to tend to the house and the kid.

Over and above all the points mentioned above, I do look in admiration on the capability and strengths shown by Single Mothers. Any lesser soul would have wilt under pressure whether emotionally or physically. It’s much more on the person than meets the eye.

“ A TOAST to all SINGLE MOTHERS out there ! I cheer and bow to your strengths and characters ! ”

Computer Table Makeover

 

This post is meant to be posted some time ago but due to my absent-mindedness, it has been left collecting cobwebs before it reaches into the World Wide Web

My computer table has been loyally served me every since year 2003. It is a perfect fit for the corner of my room. This table was purchased from IKEA. Over the years, it has been carrying more “weights” as you can see more things have been added to the table. As a result, the surface of the table towards the end where the LCD monitor is placed is slightly curving downwards. You can see the surface of the table is no longer even.

The old computer table, sitting nicely in the corner of the room facing the balcony.

I can still recall how hard was it to bring this table back from IKEA to my home. Luckily on the day of purchase, there were only 2 of us in the car. The majority part of the table can fit into my Wira’s car boot but not the curved top piece. That has to be placed at the back sit of my car.

 Another angle view of the table

Setting up the table by no means is an easy task. We took a couple of hours to set this heavy table up. There are so many different parts to screw on and hammer down before it can properly take shape. It was quite a daunting task for someone who’s not good in handiwork, hehe!

After quite some time, or should I say a few months back, we have decided to look for another table. Quite frankly, it was quite hot to sit on the old computer table as the curtains and windows are covered by the computer table. You don’t get much wind from it.

Where else to get much inspiration and ideas but from IKEA. It’s no secret that many people go to IKEA for ideas or purchase their furniture. Some even engaged their handyman or designer to copy the concepts in IKEA for their own homes.

After seeing the latest IKEA’s catalogue, we decided to make a trip to IKEA and check out this computer table which we saw. It came in 3 different colours to choose from. Black, red or wood colour against white. We settled for the Black one of course. It just simply stands out and look elegant. You can never go wrong with this classic combination. It’s like an age-defying combination of colour.

Taa dah, the new black and white table – compact yet able to fit in nicely

This time around the boxes that comes with this table are not so bulky and can easily fit into the same car. Again, we set ourselves around 2 hours to complete dismantle the one computer table and fix up the new computer table. We OVERESTIMATED ourselves. What is supposed to be done in like 2 hours starting around 5pm, ended up at almost 9pm. We missed our dinner altogether !

After all the hard work, it feels very satisfying. Now the window is not blocked by the table and you get better air circulation here. Yes, it’s half the size of the previous table and you can’t put all the things from the previous table back to this table, but hey, it’s more organized and looks nicely tucked in the corner of the room.

Hopefully this table can serve me at least another 5 years or so

Now, let’s put the table to full use….

Words of Inspiration

If you think you are beaten, you are.
If you think you dare not, you don't.
If you like to win but think you can't,
It's almost certain you won't.
Life's battles don't always go
To the stronger or faster man,
But sooner or later, the man who wins,
Is the man who thinks he can.



We cannot choose how many years we will live, but we can choose how much life those years will have.
We cannot control the beauty of our face, but we can control the expression on it.
We cannot control life's difficult moments, but we can choose to make life less difficult.
We cannot control the negative atmosphere of the world, but we can control the atmosphere of our minds.
Too often, we try to choose to control things we cannot.
Too seldom, we choose to control what we can - our attitude.

10 Tough Questions Interviewers Ask

This is another helpful article appeared in “The Star” newspaper. The article was actually contributed by Satra Bawany, Head of Transition Coaching Practice with DBM Asia Pacific. Got to give credit to the contributor of this article. It comes in handy for many people, especially those who are going to attend interviews.

1. Tell me about yourself?

Restrict your answer to a minute or two. Cover your education and work history, and emphasise your recent career experience.

2. What do you know about us?

You should be able to discuss products or services, revenues, reputation, image, goals, problems, management style, people, history and philosophy. Show that you have done some research, but do not act as if you know everything about the place.

3. Why do you want to work for us?

You can say your research has shown that the company is doing things you would like to be involved in, and that it is doing them in ways that greatly interest you.

4. What can you do for us that someone else can’t?

Talk about your record of getting things done, and mention specifics from your resume or list your career accomplishments. Say that your skills and interests, combined with a history of getting results, make you valuable. Mention your ability to set priorities, identify problems and use your experience and energy to solve them.

5. What do you expect to be doing in this role?

Think in terms of responsibilities and accountability. Make sure that you really do understand what the position involves. If you are not certain, ask the interviewer; he may answer the question for you.

6. How long would it take you to make a meaningful contribution?

Be realistic. Say that, while you would expect to pull your own weight from the first day, it might take 6 months to a year before you could expect to know the organization and its needs well enough to make a major contribution.

7. Do you think you are overqualified or too experienced?

Emphasise your interest in establishing a long-term association with the organization, and say that you assume that if you perform well in this job, new opportunities will open up for you. Mention that a strong company needs strong staff. Observe that experienced executives are always at a premium. Suggest that since you are so well-qualified, the employer will get a fast return on his investment.

8. What is your management style?

Possible styles include:

· Task-oriented : “I enjoy problem-solving, choosing a solution and implementing it”;

· Results-oriented: “Every management decision I make is determined by how it will affect the bottom line”;

· Paternalistic: “I’m committed to taking care of my subordinates and pointing them in the right direction.”

· Participative: “I prefer an open-door method of managing, and getting things done by motivating people and delegating responsibility.

9. Why are you leaving (did you leave) your present (last) job?

Be brief and as honest as you can without hurting yourself. If you were laid off in an across-the-board cutback, say so; otherwise, indicate that the move was your decision. Do not mention personality conflicts.

10. What do you think of your boss?

Be as positive as you can. A potential boss is likely to wonder if you might talk about him in similar terms at some point in the future.

I hope that by sharing the above, it will reach out to more readers and enable interviewee to improve his/her interviewing skills and be more confident in answering questions posed by the interviewer.

So, GOOD LUCK to you ! Fortune smiles on those who come prepared.

Qing Ming Etiquette

 

This article appeared in “The Star” newspaper today and I think it’s a great article relating to Qing Ming festival.

For those of you who’re not familiar with Qing Ming, it’s literally means “clear brightness”. The winter chill is over and the warmth of the sun and energy of Spring is felt. Over the centuries, the festival which celebrates the renewal of life, turned into a “festival if the dead” marked by grave site worship in remembrance of one’s ancestors. Food and hell money are offered to the dead to keep them happy in the hope of receiving abundant blessings of health, wealth and good harvest.

Below are some of the taboos, superstitions and beliefs surrounding Qingming. Those some are not being practised by the modern generations, I always find it interesting to understand the origins of taboos. Afterall, it’s up to oneself whether you belief them or not.

Wrong Side

The Chinese practise ancestor worship because they are driven by filial piety to care for the souls of their departed loved ones. Sons venerate their departed parents and paternal grandparents, while daughters venerate their father’s side before marriage and their husband’s after marriage. However, some Chinese families refuse to allow married daughters to worship their departed parents and ancestors for fear that they may  “take away” the sons’ fortune.

Family Unity

The Chinese believe that the entire family should go together to perform prayers at the grave site to foster closer ties. Some feel that if the family members go separately, there may be discord in the family. There is also a belief that the person who secretly goes and worships ahead of the others may be more blessed and enjoy prosperity. On the other hand, those who neglect to play homage may incur the displeasure of the ancestors and risk getting punished.

Law of Attraction

Visitors of the graveyards wear bright colours rather than dark colours like black which may attract evil spirits. Pregnant women, babies and toddlers are discouraged from visiting graveyards for fear that loitering spirits might take advantage of the physically weak, hoping to snatch their souls. Young children who accompany their parents are cautioned against making too much noise, thus disturbing other spirits.

To eat or not to eat ?

It is common to see families partaking of food served as offerings to the departed. However, some of the dead set against consuming such food for fear of incurring the anger of the dead. They feel that food offered to the departed should be left behind as a show of sincerity. But others disagree with this notion, and will happily tuck into the food later in the hope of getting blessings and protection from the dead. Some families place joss-sticks on nearby graves as a goodwill gesture to invite the “neighbours” to join in.

Gifts to the underworld

Worshippers are careful not to stir paper offerings which are being burnt, so that the deceased will not end up with a dented car or damaged house. Crates of gold notes and hell currency sent to the deceased must bear the names of the sender and recipient, or they may risk being taken by others.

Wake-up call

Visitors to the graves sites sometimes let off fire-crackers as a “wake-up” call for the spirits. After leaving the offerings at the tombs for some time, the worshippers flips coins twice to check on the progress. Two heads or two tails means that the spirits have not finished savouring the delicacies. A head and a tail means that they have finished their meal.

Kleptomaniacs not allowed

If you see an umbrella on the grave, leave it alone. Don’t even think of borrowing it to keep the sun or the rain out. The umbrella is a symbolic shield for the dead from the thunder and lightning. The visitor who takes the umbrella risks inviting the spirit to his home. Similarly, coins found on cemetary grounds should remain on the ground as it is believed that they belong to the spirits.

Call in the contractors

Cracked tombs must be repaired or misfortune may befall the next-of-kin or future generations. Similarly, water-logged graves are bad feng shui and must be renovated to avert bad luck and misfortune.

Curiosity kills

When scrutinising the tombstones of strangers, do not pass comments like: “Oh, what a pity he died young”. Or, “Isn’t she pretty?” Such remarks may be misinterpreted by the spirit which may follow you home.

Fire or water cleansing?

Before visiting the grave sites, some Chinese would place pomelo leaves and sprigs of pine in their pockets. These leaves are believed to serve as talismans. The leaves are thrown away before the worshippers reach home, to shake of bad luck.

Shoe code

Slippers and sandals are not worn to the grave sites. The Chinese wear shoes, and when they reach home, they would remove the socks and shoes and wash them to get rid of bad luck.

Watch your step

The living should avoid stepping on hell currencies at the grave site lest the spirits feel despised and trampled upon. It is also forbidden for one to walk over or tread on someone’s grave. Old Chinese cemeteries are rather crowded with narrow walkways between graves. If you need to cross over a grave, it is customary to say: “Excuse me. Pardon me for crossing over your abode.”

Forbidden fruits

A banana tree marks the grave of a pregnant woman who died in childbirth. As the banana tree is fast growing, it is planted to appease the spirit of the dead. The belief is that when the tree bears fruit, the spirit will be comforted as the banana is symbolic of a new child to take place of the woman’s unborn child. It is forbidden to pluck the banana as this may cause anguish to the spirit and incur her wrath.

The pineapple is regarded as an auspicious fruit to usher in luck ( ong lai in Hokkien means “luck comes” ). The fruit is offered at the grave site and then taken home. The fruit can be eaten but the crown of the pineapple is often planted in the garden. Some believe that by doing so, the family will prosper.

I find that this article is really informative in providing glimpses of some Chinese customs that have been handed down from generations to generations. Some of us as still practising the customs as our parents and their parents do it. But, not many of us know the reasons these are being practised. I hope by sharing the above article, others also get to learn something new :)