Any meal tastes wonderful when shared with our loved ones. This evening, I had the opportunity to take my cousin to one of my favorite Chinese restaurants called Everyday Supreme which is on the first floor of Red Rock Hotel, Macalister Road.
Usually, when it comes to meals, I am most indecisive with regards to where to dine. It would probably shock you to know that I made reservations at two restaurants - Everyday Supreme and The Sire and was still uncertain as to where to go when I picked up my cousin. I was thinking of Northern Indian cuisine which I love, or maybe Japanese food or even Kah Hock's Beach Blanket Babylon at Upper Penang Road.
Even when we were cruising down Macalister Road, all of us could not decide on the venue for our meal. Then, I pushed the decision to my patient hubby who decided on Everyday Supreme. We could not find a parking lot along Aboo Sittee Lane so we detoured to another of my favorite restaurants - Mama's Nyonya Restaurant. Upon discovering that we would have to dine outside, we left and drove to Red Rock Hotel. I was deeply disappointed because while parking outside Mama's, I had already made a note of what to order - including Wild Boar Curry, Kerabu Sayur Rumi, Fish Head Curry and Jiu Hoo Char.
After parking our car at Red Rock Hotel, we made our way to the restaurant. By then, I was almost at the brink of collapse because I was soooooo hungry as I had cut down on my food intake and had been exercising. In fact, I lost two pounds this week, on target. Happily, we ordered within 5 minutes after we were seated and about ten minutes later, the first dish came - a homemade appetiser of a deep fried batter filled with koo chye and ground ikan bilis and other stuff wrapped in a circular piece of pita bread. What a delightful appetiser!
Next was stir fried ostrich meat in black pepper sauce which was a feast to the palate. Springy and unusually textured, the meat was finely marinaded and stir fried to perfection with generous helpings of chillies, green peppers, onions and carrot. My cousin just loved it!
The next dish is one which my whole family never fails to enjoy. The delicious taste of salted eggs, century eggs, and eggs cooked with spinach in creamy gravy burst in our mouths and I always just swirl my tongue around to relish the different flavours of the eggs that blended perfectly with the spinach. Yummy!!!
Another dish we enjoyed was the steamed bean curd - a definite MUST TRY if ever you visit that restaurant. The texture of the smooth bean curd had an almost satin feel when my spoon sank into the bean curd. As I savored the dish, I allowed the taste of bean curd to just flood my mouth. I have no idea what meat/s is are used for this dish but certainly, they are of different taste, texture and hardness.
The signature dish of the restaurant, one that almost every group will order, is none other than the delicious prawn curry that is served with deep fried Bengali bread. After the waitress serves the curry, she will bring a plate of the Bengali bread and proceed to cut it into bite size pieces. Although some may find it spicy, it might surprise you that this curry, has the taste of the typical Mamak prawn curry.
While enjoying dinner, my cousin revealed some shocking news - the daughter of one of our cousins just had a heart attack last week. Her driver drove her to Penang to see my uncle and drove home shortly after. Upon arrival, she had severe chest pains and was rushed to the hospital where it was diagnosed as a heart attack and that one of her main valves was 98% blocked!!!! She was in the ICU for a few days after her operation where she had a stent inserted in the angioplasty. We were all quite depressed after that because she is only in her late 30's and has a three-year old boy!
By that time, it was time for dessert and we selected Hoy's favorite peanut soup with wor pang (Chinese pancakes). Much to our disappointment, the waitress told us that the kitchen had run out of the pancake and we enjoyed the peanut butter soup nonetheless, sans pancake. And here we are, all looking stuffed...He will be leaving for US on Tuesday morning and I know a very big part of my heart will go with him...Love you lots, Hoy! Bon voyage and see you again soon!!!
Where going to go through what is called combination 1 this is a natural and practical combination of movements that include striking, body movement, blocking and footwork.
1. Jab & Cross Punch
Jab with the front hand keeping your rear hand up protecting at all times then fire your cross punch twisting on your back foot. When you do the jab, pull your hand right back to your guard so your hand covers when you fire the cross punch, this should be applied to any of your punches.
2. Hook Punch & Cross Punch
When executing your hook focus on keeping your shoulder high and punching from your guard, so that you don’t bring your arm back when punching, and therefore present a nice wide opening for your opponent to take advantage of. This is a common mistake to avoid. It’s always best to practice your elbow first then add the hook to this if you’re having a challenging time keeping your hook tight. Then fire your cross punch same as previous.
3. Bob & Weave
Evasive skills to move from punching attacks. When performing this movement lean your upper body forwards as if you’re putting your head into your opponents chest. Keep your hands up protecting your head at all times; remember blocking with your head is never a good idea. Weave left and then right.
4. Body Blocks
This movement is used to defend against a hook or roundhouse kick to the body. This requires a short, sharp movement dropping your elbow to cover your side and bend your upper body to strengthen your defence. Focus on that short movement and bring your hand straight back up to your face so that your not open. Repeat on both sides.
5. Hook to the Body
When executing your punches turn your body into the target and have your palm facing you when punching. Keep your other hand up high to protect when punching. Repeat this on the both side.
TIPS FOR PUNCHING
Keep your fist clenched properly – it’s easy to get into bad habits.
Keep your chin tucked in at all times, remember the only time you should have your chin in the air is when your having your photograph taken!.
Breath out from the stomach when punching.
Remember to pull your punching hand back to guard when you have completed the punch so that you have a defence when firing the next punch in the combination – take your time!
How to train your Combination 1
• Once you have gone through the sections individually then put the whole combination together, in front of a mirror would be ideal.
• This combination lends itself well to using focus pads with a partner.
• You can also break down elements of the combination with a partner (body blocks and bob and weave)
• Once you have the combination down then begin to shadow box any of the combination in any order, using your imagination to
Remember the harder you work the luckier you get. I look forward to working with you next month.
Author's Bio
Lee Mainprize is a martial arts teachers, teacher. He helps beginners and students learn martial arts online and martial arts home study.
A blind boy sat on the steps of a building with a hat by his feet. He held up a sign which said: "I am blind, please help." There were only a few coins in the hat.
A man was walking by. He took a few coins from his pocket and dropped them into the hat. He then took the sign, turned it around and wrote some words. He put the sign back so that everyone who walked by would see the new words.
Soon the hat began to fill up. A lot more people were giving money to the blind boy.
That afternoon the man who had changed the sign came to see how things were. The boy recognized his footsteps and asked, "Were you the one who changed my sign this morning? What did you write?"
The man said, "I only wrote the truth. I said what you said but in a different way."
What he had written was: "Today is a beautiful day and I cannot see it."
Do you think the first sign and the second sign were saying the same thing?
Of course both signs told people the boy was blind. But the first sign simply said the boy was blind. The second sign told people they were so lucky that they were not blind.
Should we be surprised that the second sign was more effective?
Moral of the Story:
Be thankful for what you have. Be creative. Be innovative. Think differently and positively.
Invite others towards good with wisdom. Live life with no excuse and love with no regrets.
When life gives you a 100 reasons to cry, show life that you have 1000 reasons to smile. Face your past without regret. Handle your present with confidence. Prepare for the future without fear. Keep the faith and drop the fear.
Great men say, "Life has to be an incessant process of repair and reconstruction, of discarding evil and developing goodness! In the journey of life, if you want to travel without fear, you must have the ticket of a good conscience."
The most beautiful thing is to see a person smiling!
And even more beautiful, is knowing that you are the reason behind it!
--- Author Unknown ---
I would have talked less
and listened more.
I would have invited friends over to
dinner even if the carpet was
stained and the sofa faded.
I would have eaten the popcorn in
the “GOOD” living room and
worried much less about the dirt
when someone wanted to light
a fire in the fireplace.
I would have taken the time to
listen to my grandfather ramble
about his youth.
I would never have insisted the car
windows be rolled up on a summer
day because my hair had just
been teased and sprayed.
I would have burned the pink candle
sculpted like a rose before it
melted in storage.
I would have sat on the lawn
with my children and not
worried about grass stains.
I would have cried and laughed less
while watching television and
more while watching life.
I would have gone to bed when I was
sick instead of pretending the earth
would go into a holding pattern if
I weren’t there for the day.
I would never have bought anything
just because it was practical,
wouldn’t show soil, or was
guaranteed to last a lifetime.
Instead of wishing away nine
months of pregnancy, I’d have
cherished every moment realizing
that the wonderment growing inside
me was the only chance in life to
assist God in a miracle.
When my kids kissed me impetuously,
I would never have said,
“Later. Now go get washed up for dinner.”
There would have been more “I love
you's” … more “I’m sorry's”….but mostly, given another shot at life, I would seize every minute…. look at it and really see it… live it… and never give it back.
by Erma Bombeck
