Bak Chang's day

How to make Bak Chang (pork dumpling in Hokkien)


Bak Chang ................................................................Unwrapping it after cooked


Look how delicious?? the ingredients: Rice, pork, chestnut & salted egg


A year, when checking at the Island resort site, I found two a couple cutting leaves on the Mian Batu Ferringhi road opposite the main entrance leading to the site. Well, always being curious, Istop and park my car at the side road and walk over to them. One look at them, i found them to be local Tanjong Bungah's Resident. They smile at me and said that they were collecting the leaves to make Bak Chang.

Collecting the leaves

Beside the main road of Batu Ferringhi ..................... and have to go down the ravine


Auntie, watch out for snakes!!! ...............................and the cut leaves with stem collected


and finally, the leaves

3 puppies (updated 9/06/08)

The 3 puppies ( 1 male and 2 female)

9th week later. (9/06/08)
Balance one puppy at home.


Playing with her mum............................standing tall beside her father


A new home for all the puppies
Today 3/06/08, gave the male puppy to another home, bye bye , "Honda".
Yesterday,26/05/08, the female white puppy, Honey, was given away to a new home.She was very calm when held by her new master.


8th week (23/05/08)
The puppies have growth very fast and theirs sizes are 18 inches in length and 11 inches in height. Start to eat a lot.Increases to one cup from half a cup of solid food Drink milk after each meal.
Adopting to the words, wee, wee ( to urinate) outside of cage and also the command come and sit, slowly .



Very playful and sometime quite fierce


7th week (16/05/08)
Puppies


Beginning of 7th week and are as big as Chihuahua but still suckling milk





In the cage and start obedient class. ..........Playful and start to bark


Today,9/05/08, the puppies start to bark at 7.15am. Well, they start to delay the urinating time. Well done.

6th weeks old (8/05/08)
Starts to take puppy food and stay in dog cage at night
Woke me up at 5.30am for they wanted to urine
outside the cage. Seem to be very clean puppies


Start of 6 week, still suckling milk from mum............Starts to explore everything


start drinking from water tub

5th weeks plus 1 day


Where are my food?

5th week (1/05/08)

The puppies started to wonder around the garden and are very playful.
Start to feed them rice and by the end of the 5th week will try feeding them dog food.
Initially when all of us take the puppies in our hand ,we realized that they are very scare and now they start to acknowledge that we mean no harm and they just love to be petted. Start to talk to them and have purchased three dog bowls for solid food preparation. Until today, Goldie still allow them to take the milk from her. Have observe that they have milk teeth and get very excited when taking their first solid food, rice with liver.
Goldie is still very protective over them. Still do not allow friends near the puppies



Suckling milk from their mum.




4th week (25/04/08)


Do it business out side and also very playful


Almost the same size of chihuahua

3rd week (18/04/08)

By the 3rd week, the puppies started to crawl out of the cage.
Their eyes were opened two day ago, 16/04/08) approximately
19 days from birth.


Wait, I will be playing outside my pan soon!!


Day 17 (14/04/08)

On 14/4/08 ,Puppies are very chubby and started to try standing up.
Their eyes started to open slightly

Goldie, the proud mother

Day 1 (29/03/08)
Surprise today, Goldie does not take her breakfast and after our yearly, Cheng Ming this morning, my eldest son told me that she is about to whelp. At 12.00 noon, he gave me a call informing me that Goldie has whelped 1 puppy He found this puppy in the garden beside the rambutan tree. Goldie has no knowledge of itself giving birth to the first puppy. Pei Yi cleaned sand off the puppy and put it to the area that we have prepared for her whelping. After two more puppies,she realised that the place we sorted for her is a better place than the garden. Hence the rest of the puppies was bored in the den that we have provided for her. Well, the labor time stretch from 12..00 noon to 6.15pm until the last no 9 golden puppy came out. After completed, Goldie left her place and drink the fresh water that I have left outside her den. I immediately change all the paper boxes and she went back to her den straight. Very worry that she could accident step or rest her body on the puppies. I have to ask her to lay down on her side by pushing her down so that the puppies could suckle the milk and after a few try, she managed to understand. Well. She allowed all of us to hold the puppies . Normally, bitches would be aggressive even somebody goes near to the den

Two puppies could not survive and I have to bury them outside the house.
The puppies are of Alsatian and Labrador cross. 5 male and 2 female. Busy time again for I have to photostat books on puppy to be given away together to new owners



All taking their rest




Puppies searching for the mummy milk

Day 2 (30/03/08)
Everything is back to normal and I have to mop the floor outside for
all the blood stain leftover by Goldie during whelping.
I have to apply Dettol to disinfect the area.

Day 3 (31/03/08)
Strange thing happen this morning, When I woke up this morning, I found that a few puppies were shifted out from the den and I was curious for there must be a reason why Goldie did this. Upon counting the puppies
I found one missing. I called my wife and both of us searched the garden thoroughly and could not find the last puppy. All of a sudden, we heard a faint noise of a puppy crying behind the gap of the table. Putting my hand behind the table edge, I manage to pull the puppy out and it was quite tough for Goldie was scratching at the wood of the table , hence blocking my entrance.
Well,all of us are so happy but then we do not know why did Goldie did this strange behavoiur of shifting the puppies. My conclusion was that she got very panic after losing the puppy and has no confident of staying in the den .Finally, we stroke and petted her and assure her the den is still the right place. I have put entra paper board over the den to warm the den rather then just expose to the outside. Maybe this could be the reason. My younger son who is back for holiday told me the Goldie would carry the puppies out into the garden and then put them back again. What is she doing? Maybe letting the puppies clearing their bowel??. Anyway, just keep my finger cross and hope that she knows how to take good care of the baby

Day 4 (01/04/08)
Sad day for early this morning, one puppy was found dead probability Goldie could have accidentally slept on it. Then in afternoon, the weak puppy which my wife and I have fed with baby milk has passed away.
We were left with 5 puppies by today. Bought a packet of baby biscuit for Goldie for it contain higher nutritionally value and which the pet shop has recommended for whelping bitch. Has observed that Goldie can still produce milk for all the puppies.
Left the Goldie alone today for I have to attend to Safety and Health seminar at Hotel Equatorial, Penang. Make a survey of this hotel today and found her to be the same all these years .

Day 5 (02/04/08)
Could not sleep , wake up at 4.45am in the morning and go over to see how Goldie and the puppies are. They are fine and the puppies are suckling the milk from the mum .Came back from work and again was shocked to see all the puppies was in the garden at the tree truck which Goldie dug up during last few days . Again 1 puppy has to leave this world and now balance 4 puppies: 1 white and 3 black.
Very sad. Let pray that the rest of the puppies survives after today.

Day 6 (03/04/08)
Everything is normal. Before my wife goes off to work she reminds Goldie not to take the puppies into the garden again. Down to 3 puppies.

Day 7 (04/04/08)
I have a feeling that finally it will be 3 puppies left for Goldie is following the mummy procedure to take care of the puppies.
Will take a picture later. Puppies are very cute .

Day 7 (05/04/08)
Big headache again, Goldie has diarrhea and now I have to let her go on diet so as
to let her drain all the unwanted food in her tummy. Well, cooked some Oat for her , it might help. Why Oat? During my son last trip back during Chinese New Year, he purge alot and I managed to get rid of his problem by letting him eat filtered cooked oat solution only and after that he was back to normal. Why filter the cooked oat, well the cooked oat is fibrous so anything going into the stomach might flush out again. So filter it before drinking it. Puppies remains 3

Day 8 (06/04/08)
Went to Ayer Tawar, Perak for all soul day, Cheng Ming, reach home at 8.00pm and the puppies are okay. Dear son, do not worry for the puppies are okay.

First Week
All the puppies are sleeping all the time until meal time when they will just cry until Goldie feed them. Goldie has left the den and is sleeping outside with the rest of the dogs. She has recovered from diarrhea.


A week old puppies

Second Week (11/04/08)
All the puppies are fine and so is the mother. The puppies are very neat and their eyes are not open yet. They are chubby now for so much milk to suckle from their mother.

The Electrocuted Rat

Island Resort Project

Arriving on site ,30 May 2008, Mr. Mah Cheng Inn told me that he could not on the electric in certain part of the office that included the punch card machine electric point. I asked him whether he has try to on it back from the main switch board and he answered yes but with not result. Well, I try my luck and went over to the main board and tried it myself. Pressing the ELCB on the test button, I found that it was very soft. Normally, if there is an incoming power it will trip. There is no point trying the rest of the MCB. Going back to him,he told me that some electric points in the internal main office were also off. Looking at this circumstances, I told him that one of the electric phase might have been trip.

Mr Yee, our electrician finally arrived and upon checking he confirmed that one phase was out after checking on the fuse attached on the outside beside the Local Electric Pole. Everything was back to normal for the main site office after changing the main fuse.
Again, Mr Azmi call him over the air with our individual walkie talkie requesting to check for there was no electric power at the site. Well, we have many MCB to control all the outlets to avoid unnecessary electric power tripping atthe main board. He found that one rat was eletrocuted in the main switch board, shock to death by the 3 phase. Removing the rat, the site is back to normal.

The rat that was electrocuted was not normal but than why? One of the main reason was the heavy downpour in the night and it must tried avoiding the rain and keeping itself warm inside the switch board



The rat, RIP, lying horizontally on top of the ELCB and fuse area

3 simple rules to become a leader.

Meetings, meetings, blah! blah! .........

I have been asked to attend many meetings and in most of them, some of my friend always mentioned that I talk a lot and advised me to be quiet. But after checking with the rest of the colleague, I found that they appreciated what I have elaborated in detail of the speaker idea. What have I done? One of them mentioned that I have actually "Contribute" to the whole floor with my vast experience. Some even asked me where I have got those idea and I mentioned from another corporate company which I have worked before.

Well a day or two later, I brought out samples of what I have done and explained to the small group that acknowledged my sincere idea.

Recently I have gone to a book sales held by Popular in Penang and found a cheap and power book that cost me only Rm 2.20. So cheap but then the content written by this Author explained all the things that I have done and how it would help the present company that I am working. Wah Lah!! . HAVE I ACHIEVED SOMETHING IN MY LIFE!, indirectly??

The name of this book is " Leadership Begins With You" by Mary Morgan Riley. PH.D.
In this book , she wants everyone one to follow 3 Simple rules
Rule 1 : Everyone Contributes
Rule 2 : No Put-downs
Rule 3 : Keep Agreements

Rule 1
Everyone Contributes
Explanation :

Many of us have developed a resigned attitude toward our jobs and our potential to contribute to our workplace. Perhaps we tried to contribute and got burned, so now while we 're working we are merely going through the motions " Better to keep a low profile, do my job and head for the weekend. I will be my real self outside of work." What we do not realize is that when we listen to tis voice, we are not protecting ourselves. rather , we are denying a fundamental part of ourselves: our self-respect. We are saying we cannot possibly make a contribution here. But who knows our job better than we do? If we can't make a Contribution here, who can?
We may have made suggestions that were ignored or had run-ins with other personal who were set in their ways. If this has been the case for you, don't despair. In situations where employees are apathetic or management's attitude appears disrespectful, there are often other coping strategies that you can adopt instead of giving up your dream of becoming a good and outstanding leader.

Rule 2 :
No Put-Downs
Explanation

It's your job as leader of your career to create an atmosphere that transforms antagonism into creative energy
--JOHN KAO, Harvard Business School

Put -Downs is defined as Criticism without hope.
Example:
You are attending a meeting and during the meeting you get through it with halfhearted response with your limitation presentation. After the presentation, your boss turned to the other and sarcastically commented. " I believe he been partying too late during the weekends". At that moment , you are the staff in deep trouble.
In the effective leader, he has to find ways to talk to the rest and not degrading you with the following statement for example," I admire your ability to think on your feet but next time could you bring your note in the meeting so that you would not miss your information".
But then there some kind of leader that would push us to our limit in order to let us stay in focus.

How to overcome "Put down ". Well, write down the problems and convert them into positive action by setting target date for each problems. etc

Rule 3 :
Keep Agreements.
Explanation:

The Flying Bat

Time to clear the farm

Recently went into the farm with workers and to trim the weed for a year has passed and one of the workers happen to see the animal clinging on the coconut tree trunk


Where is it ?



There you are . Not even trying to escape

At 5 tickets, Life Goes On

Many friends and relatives are asking us how we are.Well we are healthy and gracefully getting old with sadness and laughter, worries and finally full of happiness too. Well, in whatever condition, life goes on.

Traditional Malay wedding

Penang (in English) is called Pulau Pinang ( in Bahasa Malaysia) by the local


The word , Pinang, derived from this fruit

Our old MCA's neighbour

Today I was invited to the wedding of our old neighbor. From the bride father, I was informed that the bride is the 4th generation. Below are the photo in the compound outside his house. I am very lucky to take a photo of one of the elderly village people. According to my father, very hard to communicate with him for he was very stubborn. Well, I used to see on and off during my breakfast and sometime along the Tanjong Bungah road and his is very friendly now, maybe being old now.


Approaching the entrance


The Bride and Bridegroom with her parent


Buffet style food for the guest





This is a very special food for the guest. I try and my whole teeth turn red after chewing the Pinang.


The most important entertainment is the Karaoke


Local guest will sing their favourite songs. Before I left, one of the guest was singing "Southern California"

Let stroll along Penang road

Final day in Penang, Pearls of Orlean (25/04/08)



Maria and Augustine........................................Me with Augustine



Augustine and Maria enjoying the walk, Kei Beiliao Penang road.
Hei hei! Obeiliao at his usual stuff again, snapping people with his camera.