Food for Thought

Read about some issues from the papers and I would like to discuss two such issues that deal with FOOD.

A Bite of Heaven - Chocolate

Real chocolate is made from crushed cacao beans, which provide not only solid cocoa mass but also cocoa butter that is vital to texture because, quite literally, it melts in your mouth.

When European companies tried to cut cocoa butter, the debate dragged on for a decade. In 2003, the European Union ruled that substitution had to be limited to 5 per cent and only by a few specific oils that chemically resemble cocoa butter. This faux chocolate is clearly labelled 'contains vegetable fats in addition to cocoa butter' - and is shunned by purists. The French like to call it cocholat, an epithet derived from their word for pig, cochon.

In America, the FDA can act swiftly to change rules based on what it calls a citizen's petition. Last year, 'citizens' like the Grocery Manufacturers Association added new guidelines for chocolate onto an omnibus petition covering more than 200 foods that called for, among other things, altering food standards to 'permit maximum flexibility in the food technology used to prepare the standardised food' and to allow 'any alternative process that accomplishes the desired effect'.

Summary of Considerations:

For Genuine
Everyone has a right to enjoy chocolate at its finest and keep this tradition alive. If the definition of choc grows too wide there would be varying degrees of quality and even any cheapo brown thing can be called that.

For the "Fakes"
People rich and poor can have a taste of 'choc'. If we do not allow production of alternative chocs,"How about the poor man on the street? Doesn’t he have a right to have a bite of heaven?"

Second Food Issue close to my heart:
Tuna shortage sets off national panic in Japan
Supply crunch and rising prices drive sushi chefs to look for other red-coloured substitutes like smoked deer meat and raw horse, a local delicacy in some parts of Japan.

'We tasted it, and horse sushi was pretty good,' he recalled. 'It was soft, easy to bite off, had no smell.'

My heart skipped a beat as and almost stopped beating when I read this. The reason for this epidemic: The Tuna fish are not multiplying fast enough to be eaten all around the world. Thank goodness I prefer salmon sashimi.

Food or choc fans, you may write in to me with your views.

My daddy is so cute

Read the conversation I had with my daddy. Haha I love him.


TAN says:
bye princess
Royalty: One World Wonder, six more to go says:
bye king
TAN says:
emperor lah
Royalty: One World Wonder, six more to go says:
ok la
Royalty: One World Wonder, six more to go says:
heheheheh
Royalty: One World Wonder, six more to go says:
yes r majesty
Royalty: One World Wonder, six more to go says:
ok go sleeeeeeeeeeep
Royalty: One World Wonder, six more to go says:
im gonna paint nails now
TAN says:
last time in China, the kings of the all states are under the Emperor
Royalty: One World Wonder, six more to go says:
wahhhhhhh
TAN says:
ok, bye
Royalty: One World Wonder, six more to go says:
yes almighty one
Royalty: One World Wonder, six more to go says:
nights


I started the day happy and Im going to sleep contented and loved.

Just by being thoughtful can make someone's day!

This morning I woke up later than usual but it was the sweet thoughtful gestures that brightened my day. It really is a start to a good week, I shall be positive from now on.

Was the last at breakfast this morning and usually we have a plate of cut fruits – mangoes, papayas and bananas. But some of the other interns finished all the mangoes so I was disappointed cos it is the most delicious fruit here. Lo and behold, the moment I set down at the table, the guest house assistant/ cook brought out a huge plate of freshly cut chilled mangoes for me!!! N they were sweeter than the first batch that was finished I was so happy ;) Shared it with the interns who didn’t get a bite of the mango this morning.

It was Ashima’s dad’s birthday yesterday and they had two cakes so she brought in the second cake to the office to share with us. It’s by far one of the best cakes I have eaten. Smooth dark chocolate with marble mixtures of white chocolate coated the moist layers of cake that had alternate layers of blackforest cream and choc cream. ‘The gang of Girls” (us) had two slices of cake each cos it was simply irresistible.

All these small gestures of sharing and thoughtfulness has sparked the light of today for me. Who has sparked your light with their thoughtfulness lately?

My buys so far

Sweet Swetha came back from London yesterday and bought Ashima and I individual gifts. I got a box of chocs!! Which I hurried to hide in my bag cos I have the reputation for having snacks and goodies in my drawer. (My office people ate up all my Hello Panda in my drawer)

Kun these are the gold chopals that I was talking about. Cherie Im getting the bronze version for you ok?

This off white suit with baby green handicraft sewing comes with a white scarf and pants too (250 rupees). The guys helped me choose this. Do you think they have good taste? It does look sweet and innocent eh?

My very first Saree!! So it deserves two photos of it!!! I love love love it!! The colour and the texture! The star of the show and an extravagence.

The pink-purple silk portion has flowers hand-sewn on it while the blue portion has gold thread weaved in between.

Oh I need to get this simple white top altered cos the sizes here seem to be too big for me. This is full cotton and a relatively great buy (199 rupees)

Ok you have seen the following tops before. This emerald green colour was the deciding factor is splurging 400 rupees on it. It has little round reflective mirrors hand sewn at the bottom in between the gold-bronze patterns. The texture is softer than the normal cotton as well. Good thing it came with a red pashima scarf.

And finally the 'old' favourite which I wore to work and to sight-see. I love the mandarin collar cos it accentutates my chinese roots and the material is good although a lil translucent. This is ex. (600 rupees) But it came from an upmarket shopping centre.

So there, Kun, Tiff n YF, as promised, these are my buys from India.

One of the Seven Wonders

A trip to the Place of the Seventh Wonder!
This was how we got there. By an air-conditioned coach, complete with Indian Bollywood TV screens and blasting zen music.
First up: The Visit to the Agra Fort. It looks similar to the Red Fort but it was twice as crowded.
Blue skies marking the start of a beautiful day.
It takes alot of self-control to not roll around in the green green grass.
I still like my clothes.
The lovely Mughal architecture
The garden inside the Fort.
This little Indian boy ran up here and posed. No one took pictures and I realised that he wanted me to click him. So adorable dont you think?
So I had to take a picture with him. The moment I went up there and stood next to him, his family whipped up their cameras to snap pictures. I think Chinese women are rare here.

A group picture of the interns who went on this Agra adventure: Bert, Melvin, Jamorn, Vikram. Oh and that's me in the middle.
I love love love this pic.


Do I look scary in this? i tried to look arty-farty.


The Taj in the Distance.
An Indian couple that looks so in love. Asked them if I could click them. Somehow they match the surroundings.






Bert the archiologist.

Definately a tourist attraction.
My friend was so proud of his pic. He thinks he's a professional now cos he managed to capture the women wearing colourful sarees in the background.

I am the Queen. You may serve me now.
Peek-a-Boo

The long queue for the ladies to get into the Taj Mahal.
The entrance to the Palace.
Picture Perfect - The Symbol of Undying Love

Chah-Jehan raised the other to the memory of his wife Tage Mehale, that extraordinary and celebrated beauty, of whom her husband was so enamoured it is said that he was constant to her during life, and at her death was so affected as nearly to follow her to the grave - François Bernier
In 1631 Shah Jahan, emperor during the Mughal's period of greatest prosperity, was griefstricken when his second wife, Mumtaz Mahal, died during the birth of their fourteenth child. Hence it was said that Jahan's grief form the basis of the love story traditionally held as the inspiration for the Taj Mahal

Jamorn on top of the world!!!

SMU Ambassador spotted doing her normal jump poses at the Seventh Wonder.

I wanna push the guys over the railing, so tempted to do so :)

A look of Longing.

Inside the Taj Mahal where the tombs of His and Her Majesty lay.
My Indian family. Haha. We seemed like tourist attractions ourselves. The locals here will come up to me and ask to take a picture. Once you start, there would be a queue that forms.
Parting Shot: I Love the Taj Mahal!!!