A Tasty Turn Of Events

Published May 2011

June and July are busy months with regards to events, entertainment and goings-on in our little city.

Soon we will welcome the International Film Festival with it's stellar movie offerings, the KK Jazz Festival which will give us two days of great live performances (and ice cold beer), and one which is starting to grab quite a fair bit of attention – the inaugural Kota Kinabalu Food Fest.

Granted this perhaps might be perceived as a personal plug, as the company I work for is responsible for organizing it. But I assure you that this is not the case. I, for one, am pretty excited about having the opportunity to work on something as fun and unique as this.

I suppose I should explain that even though my day job consists of being chief scribbler and general troublemaker at an online magazine, I also dabble as a food blogger. My love for food is due to my background in the culinary arts - specifically, French cookery.

I trained professionally as a chef for quite a few years and from what I was told, was fairly decent at it. However, a degenerative spinal condition called Cervical Spondylosis meant that a future involving me being on my feet for 12 to 14 hours a day (sometimes more) and getting stuck in to some pretty physical work, was not in the cards.

Nevertheless, I've maintained an interest in all things food related. Well it's more of an affectionate obsession but I'm happy to delude myself from time to time. Very few things please me more than animated foodie discourse. It's great to see how passionate people get when relating a fond food memory of the best curry laksa they've had, or when giving me directions to the best ngiu chap shop in town. I know food crazy friends who saved their pennies just so they could eat and drink their way through Western Europe. Food, and almost everything related to it, crosses boarders and boundaries, melts hearts and forms friendships.

Food. Food makes people happy. It's as simple as that. We're Malaysians after all, and any self-respecting citizen can attest to our fascination with the art of eating for pleasure. “Have you eaten?” is a common yet endearing greeting, for example. In my opinion if there's one thing that unites us regardless of racial, cultural and socioeconomic differences, it's food.

The idea of the food festival was born out of a genuine interest to start something that would not only remain memorable and leave a positive impression, but would also appeal to a wide audience.

So here we have it. The birth of the Kota Kinabalu Food Fest which will run for two weeks, and will act as a showcase of f&b outlets in and around KK.

Appropriately themed as “A Tasty Turn of Events”,the crux of the KK Food Fest is to discover and promote varied dining options in our city, catering not only to dedicated gourmands, but also to those of us who are very simply foodies at heart. The KK Food Fest encourages delicious experimenting by way of a specially designed “Festival Menu” - available only throughout the duration of the festival. Diners will be able to enjoy unique offerings from participating establishments in this first-of-its-kind event.

For those who are wondering what to expect, it's pretty straightforward. During the two week run, festival-goers will be encouraged to take part in the “Dine & Win” contest. The mechanics are simple: Collect stamps after dining in any of the participating restaurants. The stamps can be fixed on to the festival magazine, which will be distributed prior to the event. Diners then stand a chance to win some pretty attractive prizes.

A closing dinner will be hosted on the final day of the festival as a highlight for food lovers to eat, drink and be merry. I can't give much away on this as yet but all I can say is that it's going to be a fun and memorable evening for all involved.

The Kota Kinabalu Food Festival is organized by LifeAndStyle.com.my and will run from 9th to 22nd July 2011. More information is available at kkfoodfest.com

Malice Gone Wrong

Published May 2011

A few weeks ago I wrote a piece about the act of moving on and what an interesting journey it was to arrive at a place where I was ready to forgive, or ask for forgiveness. And truth be told, I felt fairly positive and upbeat about the whole thing.

That was until a good friend reminded me that sometimes, there are just situations which are still so raw, the act of forgiving the guilty parties is still a long way away.

Now I've said this before and I'm going to darn well say it again: I have been guilty of whining and complaining about others in my personal blog posts, but with the exception of a naïve mistake I made way back in 2004 of actually naming the person in full, I learnt my lesson and never did that again. We make errors. We learn. We move on. I also never gave away any personal information, and I never talked about their workplace or their family members. I try my best not to practice slander and hearsay in my scribblings. Just the honest truth, which in most cases is bad enough.

Look, most of us have enemies wherever we go. For a large majority of regular folk, this sometimes cannot be avoided. I'm anything but regular and am little proud to say that I have what could be considered a fan club in reverse.

It is with that in mind that I tell the true story of the two men who tried their best to slander me to within an inch of my professional life in an extremely aggressive open manner - with absolutely no regard or respect for the confines of Malaysia's legal system. And until today I am still hard pressed to believe that they fully understand just how much trouble they are still able to get in to.

For the sake of relevance, I'd like to make it clear that I am not friends with the two gentlemen I am about to discuss – M, a West Malaysian living and working here in our fair city, and P a retired expat. I've not been friends with them since May 2008, due to a variety of reasons. In the interest of fairness though, it should be said that we were all equally responsible for the events that transpired, resulting in the breakdown of our respective friendships. And to clarify further, while I enjoy a fair amount of freelance work I also hold a full-time job in an editorial capacity for a local magazine

Sometime in early 2010, M, who for the longest time was an English teacher and lecturer, was interested in trying his hand at some freelance writing. He started providing a few articles free of charge to a publication that I also happened to freelance for. Not an unreasonable move, wanting to build a writing portfolio and we all had to start somewhere.

Unbeknownst to me, the higher-ups of this publication felt that even though M was qualified on paper, his writing wasn't what they were looking for (hey I'm no Sidney Sheldon, but some people are better at waffling than others).

Truth be told, yes I did read his writing and yes I was pretty surprised at it's blandness. Perhaps I was expecting more from someone who held higher educational qualifications than I. Then again, what do I know? Before my current job in the media industry, I trained as a cook for four years and I sold shoes for eight years. But that's just me.

However, due to my friendships with some of the senior staff attached to the publication, certain people jumped to dangerously inaccurate conclusions. But I had absolutely nothing to do with the management deciding that they didn't want to accept his work any longer.

That aside, nothing prepared me for the pathetic unfolding of events that was about to take place. Until today I sometimes still wonder what possessed them to do what they did. There must have been some serious rage boiling somewhere – and a little part of me smiles as I write this, but permit me a small bon mot. Imagine my surprise one morning in 2010 when a trusted mate forwarded me a captured screen shot image of a very ugly note on Facebook, written by M's very good friend – that chap I mentioned earlier, P.

In this note of now-laughable fury, P listed me by full name and accused me of costing poor M his “job” with the publication due to my sneaky, underhanded dealings with the superiors that worked there. P also listed the publication's full name – a stupid move done in bad taste, and this is something that I sincerely believe will come back to bite him in the derrière one day.

P's epic tome went on to slander me further by way of listing out my day job, the name of the company I work at, and stated that M had submitted work to the company I am attached to, but was never financially compensated for it, and that I had plagiarized his work. Plagiarism is a grave accusation and I immediately forwarded this note to my bosses. They assured me that not only was this untrue, but that I could count on them for their support.

As this note was on Facebook and had very few security settings, it was open to a wide number of readers. I thoroughly examined the comments made by P and M's deluded supporters, all of whom were baying for my blood and my head on a stick.

Funnily now, whenever I do encounter most of these misguided and misinformed commenters, none of them are ever able to look me in the eye. Embarrassed would be a kind way to describe it. Safety and strength in numbers until you end up looking like a ninny I suppose. Then all that flag waving and foot stomping is quietly swept under the carpet, praying to be forgotten about.

So let's recap: there's a note written which I like to refer to as a poorly put together piece of fiction. The authors are, until today, unable to provide solid or concrete evidence of any of their wild accusations. What I should have done, had I not been dissuaded by P and M's loyal friends (who at the time pretended to be acting in my interest), was to have taken firm legal action. A copy of the screen shot was sent to the offices of one of KK's most reputable law firms and I received confirmation that I had a case should I have wanted to press charges. However, I stupidly listened to the wrong advice and took it on the chin. I should have proceeded with a strong corporate response, to clear not only my name and reputation, but more importantly, the reputations of the other companies openly listed.

I have to admit that it still irks me until today that these two gentlemen genuinely believe that they have gotten away with it. Ignorance is bliss to the unwise. Their lack of awareness at how weak their accusations and arguments were, is ludicrous. And they ignored the one blatantly obvious fact - the very simple truth is that we are all accountable for what we write. A note on Facebook counts as a valid document in the realms of social media and our laws are constantly evolving to keep up with the developments and boundaries of the online world.

Some of us will end up facing ugly situations like these put forth by individuals we should really be pitying. So what should the course of action be? A full legal offensive with the high possibility of decent financial compensation for your trouble? To turn the other cheek, let them get away with it, and have people believe them just because they're banging their pots and kettles louder than you can speak? Many, sadly, will believe that people are guilty until proven innocent – not the other way around.

So have I also resorted to slander and libel in this column? Nope. I've given you, the reader, very general information and a prime example of malice gone wrong as food for thought. Think of this as a delayed form of a well earned self-defence, an explanation, rather.

What I can tell you is that with regards to this topic, forgiveness is not something I am considering anytime soon. Many of us in this industry work hard to ensure that our jobs and roles are genuinely carried out to the best of our abilities.

I do not take this profession lightly and I refuse to suffer fools gladly. These are serious times for serious people who refuse to be lumped in with the trivial dalliances and crybaby antics of amateurs who demand to be regarded as members of the media, but who have yet to pay their dues and end up causing more harm than good.

So I'm afraid I have to state that with regards to this issue, forgiveness is nowhere in sight. Perhaps it'll take me a few years to even approach this topic in a more understanding manner. Call me childish, call me whatever name you can think of. All I know is that I have a responsibility to carry

out my roles honestly, and to protect the organizations that I work with to the best of my abilities. And if that means that this makes me a harsh and unforgiving person, well I'll take that any day rather than being regarded as a pushover.   

The Thing About Jazz

Published May 2011

In a little less than a month, the Kota Kinabalu Jazz Festival will make it's 5th appearance in what has been acknowledged as a fun 2 days worth of music and all-round entertainment. And if you're anything like me, the beer's ice cold – extra bonus points.

Jokes aside though, this is also that time of year when friends and acquaintances discuss Jazz more than usual. This applies especially to the layperson who is normally indifferent to genre specifics, but generally appreciates a good performance – people who would give a passing nod to background Coltrane. And then you get those who genuinely don't appreciate Jazz. Fair enough, rules aren't set in stone when it comes to music. However I have to be blunt in stating that today's article is probably geared more towards those who haven't quite made their minds up about Jazz.

Now I love Jazz simply because it is one of the few things that makes me happy. Too simplistic a statement? Perhaps, but at least it's one that's as honest as I can muster. Jazz always puts me in a good mood and I have often said that I have yet to lose my temper if Jazz is playing. True story. You see, I was encouraged to be musical from a very, very young age – I suspect my parents observed my banging of toys on every surface available as a sign that I was geared towards percussion playing.

Oh sure I was made to go for piano classes (as was the norm of most youngsters at the time). I did pretty well until the piano teacher, a lovely woman named Ivy, noticed that I was simply listening, watching and copying whatever she played. I couldn't read the notes, but apparently I pulled this ruse off so well it lasted almost two months. She told my parents that I played well by ear though. I'm sure that counted for something.

With few options left my parents decided to let me learn how to play the drum with Peter Lau (who, incidentally, will be appearing with Spice of Tones, performing at this year's KK Jazz Festival) when I was 9 years old, and I only stopped playing 10 years later.

I wasn't able to read sheet music, but Peter did his best to teach me styles and techniques. My love of percussion was actively encouraged while in high school, something I am grateful for till today. The United World College of South East Asia where I attended, is one of those schools where the arts are taken seriously and I was offered the role of drummer in the school's popular Jazz Band – a coveted seat to be sure.

It was there that I was able to fully cultivate what was originally a passing interest in Jazz, into a full blown immersion, and I was fortunate. My teachers and superiors were only too happy to expose us to the different folds and sub genres of Jazz, to educate us and let us experiment. Blues, ragtime, big-band style swing, contemporary, acid. Merely some of the styles we delved into, and I loved them all. I was given carte blanche to improvise, as I still couldn't read sheet music. I've lost track of the number of Jazz Band performances where I played entirely by ear – and managed to pull it off easily and effortlessly.

In my humble opinion, I feel that he reason why this was happened boils down to the 'allowance' that Jazz gives its players. That freedom to stray a little outside the box. Sure more often than not, a tight performance is required, especially if it's an ensemble big band piece for example. But then there are those times when improvisation is king. You know the basics, you know your timings, you know how and when to come back in. Jazz is about subtlety, about understanding where the music is going and how far you can go with it.

My main musical influence growing up was my father. He who set precedent and ensured that I had the right foundations for bands to look up to, namely Creedence, The Beatles, a bit of Deep Purple. Mind you this was before I discovered Brit Pop and boy bands – good thing that phase didn't last long. Anyway, I remember asking him for his thoughts on Jazz and he said that he personally had a hard time enjoying it. He was totally for it, mind you. He was fully appreciative of the extra skillsets, improv abilities and confidence Jazz musicians had over their equally talented counterparts who preferred other genres. He just said that it simply wasn't for him.

If there's one thing I know to be true, its that very few people are indifferent to Jazz. You either like it or not, in varying degrees. Very few would shrug and give a noncommittal answers when asked for their two cents.

Jazz for me signifies being able to cut loose, without losing control. Finger clicks, sting taps and bass claps. Quietly unrestrained smoothness – could you ask for a more complex paradox? Jazz is certainly musical food for mind, body and soul.

Again, I have full respect for the fact that Jazz isn't for everyone. But should you be open to some fine tunes and a great couple of evenings out, be sure to pick up tickets to the KK Jazz Fest. At the very least, you'll be exposed to some very fine musical offerings and real talent. And I already mentioned the cold beer, right?

___________________________________________________

The Kota Kinabalu Jazz Festival will be held on 17^th & 18^th June 2011 at the covered tennis courts at Sutera Harbour Marina, Golf & Country Club. Tickets are priced at RM60 for a Single Day Pass (RM10 off for purchase before 15^th June) and are for sale at all Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf outlets in Kota Kinabalu. For more information visit www.kkjazzfest.com

Soju

Published April 2011

A few months ago I happened to be indulging in some mind-numbing TV watching of the music video persuasion. The video in question, “Like A G6” was a chart-topper by American Asian electro hop quartet Far East Movement. What compounded my interest in the usual presentation of stereotypical hip hop images was a scene where a group of people were doing Soju shots at a restaurant. It wasn't the champagne popping in all its bling glory, nor the promise of travel by a private jet that got my attention.

It was a humble little green bottle that made me sit up and take notice. Soju had made its MTV debut.

Anyone who knows me will tell you I do enjoy a happy hour slurp on weekdays. I like to think of it as a 'reward' for the hard work put in during the day. Happy hour sessions with like-minded individuals are great as they usually lead to dinner, and then before we know it, it's time to head home.

But back to that Soju for a bit. I'm often heard promoting the awesomeness of this Korean spirit as a favourite kick-start beverage of mine. The faces of the uninitiated will usually wrinkle with distaste and most will (wrongly) immediately liken it to nasty tequila or some such drink even before even trying it, simply based on its appearance. In actual fact, this distilled rice spirit carries no fragrance or aroma. I'd say that Soju mostly resembles a much softer, subtler version of neat vodka. Alcohol content varies between 18.5% to 45%, though due to cost production, the alcohol by volume commonly hovers around 20%.

Soju dates back to the 13^th century Mongol invasion of Korea. Having acquired brewing and distilling techniques of arak from their Persian invasion in 1256, the Mongols brought this knowledge with them and set up distilleries in the city of Kaesong in North Korea. Interestingly, Soju is often still referred to as arak-ju in and around the Kaesong area.

Soju is served ice cold, is best enjoyed with hearty, meaty (usually Korean but I experiment regularly) meals and I personally find it to be a wonderful accompaniment to cut through anything oily. Similar, I suppose, to how Scandanavian Aquavit is said to ease digestion after particularly heavy foods.

I remember my very first taste of Soju. It was August 2009 and my cousin R was in town on a short vacation. We celebrated his visit by pretty much eating and drinking everything that popped to mind. A hedonistic pursuit of belly filling and Bacchus worshipping to be sure.

However, even with the best of intentions beer (and even wine) does get a little boring and predictable - if you'd had as much as we did you'd be nodding along in agreement. 

It was at this point that R told me he had taken a shine to Soju. He was keen and I was curious to give this a shot so we stopped by a Korean supermarket and he picked up a few bottles for us to kick back with at home.

My first taste left me spluttering, red-faced, teary-eyed and wondering how on earth anyone could enjoy this. After shot number 3, and once my taste buds had acclimatized, I was officially in love.

Fast forward to April 2011: I'm still in love and I've successfully managed to pass the 'Sojuness' along to friends who had never previously considered giving this deceivingly innocent looking libation a go, and who now enjoy a bottle or three, on occasion.

Image property of Shan Sandhu

Minding The Language

Published April 2011

Over the past few years it's been great fun observing how the English language has morphed a little to accommodate our 'online lifestyles' – a concept that, until about 15 years ago, was a difficult one for many to comprehend.

So here we are today in 2011, ready to FB, Twit and FourSquare ourselves away on various iDevices at the drop of a hat. And what about flash compugeekspeak? Yep that's changed along with us. One would need to be firmly placed under a rock to have missed Google's ascent into transient verbdom. Google it, I'll Google you, we're Googling – phrases quite a few of us are familiar with.

The formidable Oxford English Dictionary, which adds new words to it's stable four times a year, presents a charmingly amusing list of recent entries, most notably those which recognize the growing influence of social media interaction and mobile phone texting. OED's very recent March 2011 update has some real zingers. Popular abbreviations such as OMG (Oh My God), FYI (For Your Information) and LOL (Laugh Out Loud) are some prime examples.

Other words and phrases include Bloggable(self explanatory), Party-Crasher (an unwanted and uninvited person at a party), Whassup ('What's Up' for those unable to enunciate), Smack Talking (to speak ill of), Rumping (apparently this is a dance move that involved vigorous shaking of the rear end), Sexting (texting messages or images of an adult nature), Domestic Goddess (thank you Nigella Lawson), Yuck Factor (a feeling of disgust) and Dot Bomb (a failed internet company) – to name but a few.

It makes sense that most of these words and terms are added, and rightly so given their popularity and high usage amongst a relatively wide audience. However the addition of the term Heart took many by surprise – as in I Heart You – the symbol is now a verb that carries the exact same meaning as the word Love. CNN explains that this definition is given a new 'sense' and Oxford's press release states that "it may be the first English usage to develop via the medium of T-shirts and bumper-stickers." Graeme Diamon, Chief Editor of new words for the dictionary explains: “Our earliest quote for this use, from 1984, uses the verb in ‘I heart my dog’s head’, a jokey play on bumper stickers featuring a heart and a picture of the face of a particular breed of dog (expressing a person’s enthusiasm for, say, shih-tzus) which itself became a popular bumper sticker. From these beginnings, heart v. has gone on to live an existence in more traditional genres of literature as a colloquial synonym for ‘to love’.

A complete listing of OED's list of new words can be found on www.oed.com

Sources: OED.com, CNN.com, telegraph.co.uk  

Get Linked In

Published April 2011

One of the small benefits of living all the way over here in Borneo is the fact that sometimes, just sometimes, we can sit back from current online trend waves and other hot social media must-haves, and just observe politely before deciding whether or not to jump on the proverbial bandwagon.

To be honest, my interest in blogging has waxed and waned. Facebook's still a great option for keeping in touch with my high school and university friends - which was the main reason why I signed up for it back in 2007 in the first place. Sure everyone signs in, posts a statement, has a laugh, sometimes a profound moment, does a spot of lurking, sighs when an ex's photo pops up. You know, those old chestnuts. But truth be told the one site that's been keeping me going back for more lately is none other than LinkedIn.

Don't feel embarrassed if you're not entirely sure about what LinkedIn is. Up till quite recently not many of us did either. But it's high time you brought yourself up to speed.

Dubbed 'the de facto standard in professional networking' by online publication Huliq, LinkedIn's CEO Jeff Weiner has been quoted as stating that users are growing at roughly a rate of one million new members per week, up to as recently as March 2011. That works out to be one new member every second.

Personally, what I most enjoy about this site is its relevancy to my current occupation. It allows me to build and maintain connections with individuals I have worked with before, or plan to work with in the future – all the while ensuring that privacy remains a priority and unwanted contact is not allowed. In an environment that is geared more towards working professionals, this is a factor that is paramount.

Not to be forgotten is the ease and ability for members to network. The ability for such direct contact aids in the widening of scopes and horizons with respect to the possibility of future projects and communication. I personally have joined several groups on this site that allow me to interact in a controlled and (there's that word again) relevant manner with counterparts from other publications around the world. POVs are put on the table and discussed, opinions asked for and received.

But what is LinkedIn good for, and how could it possibly apply to you if, say, you're retired, not currently working or a freelancer? LinkedIn brings with it a good choice of social media user friendly options such as Twitter, Facebook and Typepad decks amongst others for some light-hearted discourse amongst friends. The main crux however goes to work related features such as being able to present a comprehensive portfolio complete with experience listings, educational background and other notable mentions. Users are able to give and receive recommendations based on abilities, achievements and strengths. An online referral if you like.

LinkedIn has been credited with not only strengthening professional ties, but also in assisting with job offers, sourcing projects, raising awareness for existing companies and even starting a brand new business altogether. Case in point is an example listed on LinkedIn's own blog of Barbara Lemaire who was able to identify key benefactors for her non-profit organization which focused on helping homeless women and children. Then there's one Alice Shapiro who, after losing her job, became a published author after getting help from a LinkedIn connection.

Marry all these positive points with ease of use and functions that are regularly being updated and fine-tuned to suit members needs. What we are presented with something that I believe to be a true social media networking site in its best and truest form.

www.LinkedIn.com

Sources: www.huliq.com / http://blog.linkedin.com

That's Quite Enough

Published March 2011

In the past 3 months, I have been subjected to adverse racism. Now I appreciate that a large number of people have, at some point, been on the receiving end of taunts, jeers, or even sly comments or looks. However, I was one of those who honestly went through my time abroad and on my travels, fairly lucky in that respect. Perhaps I always managed to fly below the radar, perhaps I looked so unimportant that no one wanted to bother with me. Call me naive but whatever the case, I had, up to recently, cruised through life having never received so much as a raised eyebrow. But lately I've been exposed to lashings of racist and bigoted abuse, stemming from volatile hatred and anger.

A bit of a long story but I'll try my best to stick to the facts. I was headed home after dinner sometime in early December 2010. I entered the drive to my apartment complex and was making my way to my block when I noticed that there was a white Perodua MyVi (for the benefit of non-Malaysian residents, a small hatchback car) tailgating me, trying to swerve around either side of me to pass.

I wouldn't have minded letting this moron overtake, except that it was late, most residents were already home and many have a habit of parking their cars on one side of the road, turning it into a single lane passageway for the most part.

The driver of the little white wonder was becoming increasingly aggressive and I remember worrying that they were going to hit the back of my truck. I turned into my parking bay, thinking that the MyVi driver would be pleased he wasn't stuck behind me any longer and zoom off to glory, or into the nearest wall.

But no. The car turned in to the same bay area and stopped. I parked and got out of my truck, wondering what was up but also made no effort to show any curiosity. Instead I stopped at the entrance of my block, fumbling around in my bag for my keys and stalling for time, wanting to note down the license plate number to pass it to the management office in the morning. I looked up to see said driver charging over to me, clearly furious and incensed.

I would have taken this more seriously in any other situation, except for the fact that I knew this individual. A woman whom I've always thought to be bad news in every sense of the word.

This fine specimen of womanhood, let's call her L, started yelling at me for not letting her pass. A whiff of her rancid breath confirmed that she was intoxicated and had no business being behind the wheel of a car. To be honest I was amused at first by her unbalanced, wobbly gait and slurring rubbish but it got irritating very quickly. Soon after, a third party entered the scene - her boyfriend, who apparently lived in the block next to mine.

He tried to get her to calm down and walk away, but that only seemed to spur her on with regards to her volume and the type of abuse she was dishing out to me. From the little bits of conversation I caught between them, they had gotten into some sort of fight and she had driven over in a rage to confront him.

In hindsight I should have gone upstairs to my apartment to leave the ranting woman and her nervous looking boyfriend to sort their mess out. I should have realized it is impossible trying to reason with a drunk, disorderly loon. But I didn't think of that at the time and told the boyfriend off for letting L behave this way in a residential area, where a large portion of my neighbours are families with small children. I scolded him, saying that she was lucky she didn't hit me or anyone else.

It was then that she became clearly unhinged. I can actually still remember how ugly and contorted her face looked. Her previous name calling had exhausted her arsenal of insults to me, so she went low. Very, very low. “Sabah is not your home,” she screeched, shrill enough to do a banshee proud. “Go back to your own home, you (bleeping, bleeping) Indian. Get out of Sabah. This is not your place. You don't belong here.”

Of course I've removed the foul language but I think the gist is crystal clear. I encountered my very first racist, bigoted troglodyte.

I'm a Punjabi Sikh from Labuan – an island that's only a 20 minute flight away from Kota Kinabalu. My family arrived in Labuan in 1868, making us the oldest Sikh family in Malaysia according to our country's historians. While this deserves absolutely no special treatment or status, shouldn't this make me as Sabahan as the next person by now? My family's been here for 143 years. Isn't that long enough? Haven't we paid our dues already? I'm aware that I am a member of a minority race group in this country. But I won't apologize for it. And neither will I accept anyone's attempts to make me feel insecure about it.

As mentioned earlier, I've never been faced with racist and bigoted abuse like this before. I was unprepared with a response so I filmed her rampage using my mobile phone for evidence, until a good friend happened to call for something unrelated, heard the commotion, and advised me to head back to my place and distance myself from the situation.

The next day I had every intention of highlighting the events of the night before. I spoke to quite a few local friends, to gauge their comments and feedback. As Sabahans, they were shocked and disgusted. “We're not like that,” one friend vented, clearly frustrated. “It's ridiculous and she's giving us a bad name. We don't treat anyone that way, especially not one of our own.”

Now I've never wondered about L's own ethnic background as I honestly couldn't be bothered. If pressed I'd have to say that she looks as if she has a combination of Chinese, Filipino and Native ancestry but I am unable to confirm that.

Word had gotten back to L that I was being open about the events that transpired and she was not pleased. I guess that's only fair. I imagine it must be humiliating to be called a racist and a bigot in one fell swoop. So she responded in the only way she knew how: With more abuse.

The day before Chinese New Year I received a private message on Facebook from none other than L. This message was so nasty it could easily be interpreted as an open threat. I had a think about it, and responded stating that I was going to make a police report and that she should probably make one too. Unsurprisingly, I received more abuse.

It doesn't stop there. Remember that boyfriend who tried to calm her down? She instructed him to contact me on Facebook and he did - saying that I was going to get some sort of payback, that he could gain access to me any time and that there was a possible stalking in the future.

I responded asking him for his Visa details and how he was living in my country (I should have stated earlier that he is a Caucasian), to which he then apologized, claiming to wash his hands of it all and backed off very, very quickly.

I have a word to describe men like these. I'm sure you have one too.

From what I understand L is still on the rampage, flinging dirt and abuse in my general direction any chance she gets and is of course playing the racist card. As she digs herself deeper and deeper into a hole of malice, it's looking as though this woman has been able to get away with her behaviour. While this is not right, I guess the only thing I can do now is pity her for her ignorance, lack of education and small mindedness. I'm also left wondering about the state of her mental health.

From a very young age racism and bigotry drove me up the wall and around the bend. It is shameful, crass and cowardly. Even just thinking about it makes me livid. And if none of this bothers you, you should seriously be asking yourself why.

Dr. Mubina Jiwa

Published March 2011

DR. MUBINA JIWA

Toronto-based Naturopath Dr. Mubina Jiwa, Bsc., ND is a member of the Ontario Association of Naturopathic Doctors and director of Essence of Health. Dr. Mubina is also an Assistant Professor at The Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine. Naturopathic medicine utilizes alternative therapies within the context of mainstream medicine, which help improve the body's ability to heal and maintain itself.

Q: What got you interested in the field of naturopathy in the first place?

I have always been passionate about health and I really enjoy interacting with people so it was the perfect fit. As a naturopath I get to spend a significant amount of time with each patient, getting to know all aspects of their lives. Also being from an Asian background I was exposed to many herbal and home remedies so it seemed like a natural choice. No pun intended.

Q: In your experience what happens to be some of the more common food sensitivities that people may have?

I was surprised when we did a survey of the top intolerances amongst our patients and pork came out as number one, followed by bananas. I also find that wheat and dairy are big culprits and hard to eliminate due to their prevalence in our diet.

Q: What are some of the symptoms of food intolerances and sensitivities?

The symptoms of a food intolerance can vary dramatically. some people experience bloating and digestive discomfort whilst others get migraines or joint pain. When you eat a food that you are intolerant to, you end up causing a mild inflammatory reaction in your body and this can aggravate any inflammatory condition. So, I usually say, take the foods out and watch and wait to see what improves - chances are there will be some surprises.

Q: With regards to a regular Asian kitchen what are some herbs and spices one should take on a regular basis?

My number one would be Turmeric. It is readily available and has been shown to have many health benefits. Traditionally it has been used as a digestive and as an anti-antibacterial. In recent years we have seen it's strong anti-inflammatory properties, helping with heart health, wound healing and new research is showing that it might be helpful in preventing Alzheimer's as well. It is great to incorporate into your diet on a daily basis but keep in mind for certain therapeutic functions you may need to supplement as you would need to have many tablespoons full to get the desired dose.

Cinnamon is another great spice and my number two pick. If our obesity epidemic continues we will probably see more of it. Cinnamon has been proven to stabilise blood sugar and so is a helpful adjunct for the management of diabetes and glycemic issue.

Q: How do we know we're getting enough fresh fruit every day?

I usually suggest my patients have 1-2 fruits per day. Fruits are great sources of vitamins and minerals but they are also high in sugar. I prefer fruits that have fibre so that it can help stabilize the blood sugar. Apples and pears are good, eaten with the peel of course, are great as well as berries. Berries would be at the top of my list due to their rich colour and therefore anti-oxidant content. However, living in the tropics it might be a little easier to come across guava's, durians and passionfruit - all packed with vitamins and more importantly fibre.

Q: Could you recommend a gentle detoxification recipe?

The best and simplest detox is eating home cooked food that you can be in control over. Trying to use fresh foods and fresh spices and sticking to cooking methods such as steaming, boiling and baking. Try to eat a diet rick in green leafy vegetables and use brown rice as your carbohydrate source. I also recommend a glass of hot water with the juice of a 1/4 lemon first thing in the morning to help detox your liver and kick start your metabolism.

For more on Dr. Mubina visit Essence of Health - www.essenceofhealth.ca

Sources: Essence of Health/Wikipedia

A Cocktail By Any Other Name

Published March 2011

I've always been partial to a good Bloody Mary. Honestly, what's not to like? Easily recognizable as the most acceptable alcoholic beverage to be seen with first thing in the morning, I'd like to think that whoever coined the term 'Breakfast of Champions' had a Bloody Mary in mind, not just Wheaties. Fruit juice, a little spice and a shot of vodka. This signature cocktail brings a dapper touch of the old guard with it, combined with a welcome dose of decadence.

To me, a Bloody Mary is a 'grown-up' drink. Maturity is required to fully savour the uniqueness and complexities of flavour and body. A Bloody Mary is clearly not for those looking to hop on a night train bender or most drinkers below the age of 25. Too often, premium spirits are wasted on the inexperienced. My opinions and I'm sticking to them.

While millions have enjoyed this iconic drink with its hair-of-the-dog properties, not many are aware of it's not-so-humble beginnings. The Bloody Mary that we know today, originally called the Red Snapper, is said to have been invented by Fernand “Pete” Petiot. Petiot experimented with an original and very basic recipe of vodka and tomato juice by one George Jessel while working at Harry's New York Bar in Paris.

He moved to the United States and landed a job as Head Bartender at the St. Regis New York's King Cole Bar. It was there in 1934 that he perfected the Red Snapper and luxed it up into what we now know to be a Bloody Mary.

Since its creation 77 years ago, the Bloody Mary has been imitated and adapted endlessly, but the original recipe remains one of the most beloved cocktails ever created. Since then, many regard a trip to the legendary society club King Cole Bar as a must-do when visiting New York.

As such, it has become one of the rituals for St. Regis Hotels around the world to infuse the original Bloody Mary recipe with native flavors and transform the drink into a reflection of local cultural tastes.

With that in mind, the soon to open St. Regis Bangkok, Thailand’s first St. Regis hotel, is all set to introduce the Siam Mary, a unique and Asian interpretation of a classic.

“The Siam Mary is inspired by the flavors and spices of traditional Bangkok recipes, and cultivated from the St. Regis history,” said Andreas Oberoi, General Manager of The St. Regis Bangkok. “It is a wonderfully crafted libation, matched only by the striking presentation.”

Served in a 14-ounce silver goblet, the fiery red liquid stands in stark contrast to the greens and yellows of the Thai basil stem, lemongrass stalk, and lime wedge that serve as ornamentation. A dynamic drink, the Siam Mary balances the spice of Thai chili and wasabi with the zest of lemon, coriander and tomato, and emerges as a perfectly refreshing cocktail.

For the sake of good research (and an excuse to imbibe for those who need one), listed below is the actual recipe for the Red Snapper as served by Petiot during his time at the King Cole Bar:

• 2 ounces vodka
• 2 ounces tomato juice
• 1/4 ounce fresh lemon juice
• 2 to 4 dashes salt
• 2 dashes fresh black pepper
• 2 dashes cayenne pepper
• 3 dashes Worcestershire sauce

Shake with ice and strain into a short glass.

Not much is known as to when celery was introduced as a garnish, but no one's complaining. Other recipes also call for minor tweaks and swapping of spirits to suit different tastes with some adopting an 'anything goes' mentality. Red Snapper. Bloody Mary. Indispensable Brunch Companion. Call it want you want. Just be sure to enjoy responsibly.

Risa Okamoto

Published March 2011

Award-winning documentary filmmaker Risa Okamoto has every reason to be feeling inspired at the moment. Currently squirreled away in the world of post-production, Risa and her team are putting the finishing touches to a one hour long documentary on Anuradha Koirala, founder of Maiti Nepal – an organization that rescues and rehabilitates victims of human trafficking.
So profound is the work done by Ms. Koirala, she was recently named CNN's 2010 Hero Of The Year for saving over 12,000 under-aged girls from sex slavery.



A Stanford University graduate and fluent in English and Japanese, Risa's work has appeared on Discovery Channel, National Geographic Channel, The Travel Channel, Discovery Science, Channel News Asia, NHK World News, Sony Pictures, and Crime and Investigation Channel, covering a wide range of topics including history, science, food, travel, design and current affairs.



“Why did I get into documentaries? Well I guess its because I wanted to do something with my life that was consequential,” states Risa. “Television and the media is a good way to reach a lot of people, if you are trying to make a positive impact on the world. I guess that’s the bottom line.



I think everyone has a skill set – we’re each given tools with which we can make a positive impact on the world and the people around us, if we choose to. I personally really love true stories. So I make documentaries. I don't pretend to be any good at it; but heart goes a long way.



I like to aim to do projects that will make a positive impact, however small. that’s not to say that every program I make is interesting, or even particularly meaningful – but even if one person decides to change the way they do things, or to follow a dream, or to visit a country, or to recycle as a result of seeing a program I made, then that’s what I work for.”



Going through Risa's list of accomplishments one can't help but feel intrigued at the sorts of projects she's worked on. “I have a few favorites though,” she enthused. “Japanese Cowboy, for National Geographic Channel, was really fun. I found this guy, a Japanese construction worker who had a dream of becoming a professional rodeo bull rider. I followed him on his journey for a while, and that was lovely. That doco took me to all sorts of random tiny towns in Texas, and everything you hear about Texans is true. They are massive. They wear cowboy hats. And they’re really, really hospitable. Cowboys are so charming.


But it’s not always fun and games. I remember when I was doing a series in china some years ago; we were traveling with about 25 pieces of luggage and equipment - about 3000 USD worth of excess baggage – and a coordinator had booked us rooms on the fifth floor of a hotel with no elevators. So we, the 4 person crew, carried all those pieces of equipment up and down those stairs every day, and what was worse, we were shooting at the Hanging Monastery, which is built halfway up a cliff, a 100 meters in the air, and you have to climb hundreds of stairs to get to it. As you can tell, I’m a little bitter about this.



That was the same shoot when we stayed in a hotel with no toilet paper, but that’s another story.
So as with every job, there’s the good with the bad. Yes, I got to walk amongst 2000 year old terracotta warriors. And I got to sit on a 2000-pound rodeo bull. And I’m often moved and inspired beyond what I could possibly imagine.
But I’m also in the edit suite right now, at 4:30 pm on a Sunday afternoon, been here since this morning, went back at midnight last night, and it looks like I’ll be here even later tonight. I’m looking at my friends with ‘real’ jobs who earn five times as much as I do, and they get to sit by the pool on weekends while I'm stuck in a windowless room looking at footage over and over again.



Sometimes acquaintances come up to me and they’re like : “Oh you make documentaries, how cool! I want to do that!” and my response to them is that they have no idea how painful it is to make a documentary, how stressful it is, how our hearts get wrung dry with every project, and our emotions get so maxed out, how many times I’ve cried on shoot for one reason or another, and how sometimes I want to quit so bad but I can’t, maybe I’m a sucker for punishment. It sounds really melodramatic, but you stay because the end result is fantastic.



Who knows, maybe one day I’ll buckle down and get a real job where I don’t find my life in danger, where I don't constantly live out of a suitcase. But until Mr. RightJob comes along, my current one is giving me one hell of a ride.



Speaking of emotional moments, the first time I cried during an interview was when I was speaking to a wagyu beef rancher in Japan. It was for Culinary Asia Japan, for Discovery – this was the one that won Best Infotainment Program at the Asian Television Awards recently, for whatever that’s worth, and got runner up in cross platform content.The wagyu farmer loves his cows, I mean LOVES his cows. He built their barn from scratch, by himself, by hand from the ground up. He hangs out with them one by one every day to make sure they’re happy, and he also plays Elton John cds all day in the barn because he says easy listening music relaxes them. I would personally go mad if I had to listen to Elton all day but I guess the cows like it.
He has a really strong bond with each of them cos they’re born on his farm. And of course the inevitable question is, how do you deal with it when they go off to get slaughtered? He said that before he sends his cows off, he talks to them and thanks them for giving up their lives so he could maintain his livelihood. And he says they understand – and they cry, as in they shed tears.




I guess the main thing is that I think documentaries are tremendously powerful. They do have the power to change the world for the better. But they also have the power to touch lives in small ways – to make you appreciate a simple meal, for instance. And I believe that counts as much as large scale policy changes.



At the best of times, documentaries remind us that we live in a beautiful, extraordinary world that will always surprise us. And hopefully they’ll also inspire us to appreciate the world we live in, make it better, and make it last a little longer.”


www.risaokamoto.com 

Cirque du Soleil

Published March 2011

Mere mention of the name 'Cirque du Soleil' conjures up images of superb theatrics laden with visual feasts and mind-blowing acrobatics. Often noted on the to-do lists of many, Cirque du Soleil, or Circus of the Sun, only grows from strength to strength and continues to impress worldwide since its humble beginings over 25 years ago in Québec, Canada.

In the early eighties, Les Échassiers de Baie-Saint-Paul (the Baie-Saint-Paul Stiltwalkers) was a street theatre group founded by Gilles Ste-Croix. This highly skilled group of performers - including one Guy Laliberté - excelled in acrobatic street shows which incorporated stilt-striding, fire-eating, dancing and overall theatrics.

This group then morphed to become Le Club des talons hauts (the High Heels Club), and organized a gathering for street performers from all over the world in 1982. So successful was the 'La Fête foraine de Baie-Saint-Paul', that Ste-Croix and his team continued to organize it for a further 2 years, and this in turn cemented a strong surge of interest towards the troupe and garnered a loyal following.

In 1984, Québec City celebrated the 450th anniversary of Canada's discovery by Jacques Cartier and city officials were looking for some way to ensure that these important festivities were carried out throughout the rest of the province. It was at this juncture that Guy Laliberté, already a regular feature with the troupe, created Cirque du Soleil with funding and support from the Canadian government. The company then proceeded to tour Canada over the next 3 years.

In 1987, with the desire to bring Cirque du Soleil to a wider audience, Laliberté was able to secure a slot at the Los Angeles Arts Festival – thereby raising the company's profile and popularity in America. Rapid expansion in the 90s and multiple permanent shows in Las Vegas solidified Cirque du Soleil's standing as a true award-winning paragon of stage performance.

So massively overwhelming is the success of Cirque du Soleil that an estimated 100 million people have watched a show over the last 17 years, in 300 cities on 5 continents and as of March 2011, the show Saltimbanco will tour South Africa. The company further expects to receive approximately 15 million spectators in 2011 alone.

Cirque du Soleil has effectively branched out worldwide, setting up camp in various locations and cities around the world with 20 Touring and Resident shows in 2010. Those of us residing in South East Asia would be hard pressed to pass up an opportunity to catch ZAIA – a Resident show based out of The Venetian-Macao-Resort-Hotel in Macau – or KOOZA, which made it's Japan debut recently in Tokyo, and will continue to tour other major cities in the country.

So what is it that makes fans and the uninitiated throng to various Cirque du Soleil productions? Perhaps it is best summed up in their Mission Statement in which they aim to invoke the imagination, provoke the senses and evoke the emotions of people around the world. Combine these aspects together with unparalleled creativity and unsurpassed talent and we are presented with the true benchmarks of dramatic performance art, loved by millions.  

Photo Credit: © 2008 Cirque du Soleil Inc.