Whole 30: Rebooting Dietary Habits

Overeating can be a big problem, according to this video, we apparently have not sufficiently evolved to override our prehistoric nature of wanting foods that are high in fat and sugar (calories).

"If this hunger regulation system is in place, why can't we say no to that piece of cake or to a second helping of dessert?"

Why not? Just say, "No"
It's all about practice and will power. I think society has become too soft. Studies today reach back to blame our cavemen instincts. Yo, our prehistoric cavemen ancestors also had predatory instincts, we hunt and kill each other. We've evolved to be more restrained and civilized than ever. Why can we then curb our carnal and predatory instincts but not how we eat? I call foul.

It's time to take some responsibility and start acting to fix the problem. Reboot your system and reboot it often. Some cultures encourage fasting, some people do health detox, caloric restriction, do it for a period of time to reboot your system.

I've personally only done Ramadan fasting as my reboot. I've not tried other diets but someone convinced me to do Whole 30 nutritional program with her, so I'm doing it. I'm only on day two, and it's not fun but I'm trying to channel my Ramadan will power to get over it.

Pineapple Tarts: A Family Legacy

When grandma 'Tok Ha' passed away in January 2010, the first thing that came to my mind, after the initial shock and grief was:

"I have NO idea how to make pineapple tarts. Panic mode!"

This was a genuine family tragedy, one that we continued to fret and freak out about in the coming months after her passing because how were we going to cope celebrating Raya/Eid without Tok Ha's pineapple tarts???!!!

The first Raya without (homemade) pineapple tarts came and went.

Missing pineapple tarts was our way of saying we miss our grandparents Tok Ha and Tok Wi. Both of them had worked as cooks at some point. I remember them working in the kitchen together, they're like machines.

When it comes to Raya/Eid, I have memories of spending school holidays with them, churning out hundreds and hundreds of these wonderful pineapple tarts. None of them were for sale. They were all for family. She bakes these and rationed them amongst her sons and their families, the grandchildren. Our families hoarded Tok Ha's precious pineapple tarts in reserve jars for family consumption only. It was our yearly ration. The ones we put out for house guests were almost always store-bought pineapple tarts.

My first year in college in the US, my dad mailed 50 tarts. I licked every crumb.

Clearly these tarts are a big deal to the family and now we're all freaking out because grandma is gone and so is her RECIPE!

A general note on Malay cuisine: Malay cooking requires a lot of eyeballing

So unless you were paying close attention to everything (color, smell, texture, sound), recipes only count for 20-30% towards your success!

Between 2008 and the present we've been piecing together the recipe but it wasn't until this year that I said, 'fuck it, I'm not going to sit around and mope in a despondent fashion... I'm making some pineapple tarts dammit!'

Grandma's recipe isn't very helpful but I'll post it anyway and I'll post my version at the end

Tok Ha's Surviving Pineapple Tart Recipe:
Pineapple Jam:
Shred pineapple with a grater
Remove 1/4 to 1/2 of the juice
Cook over slow heat until reduced and thickened
Stir in sugar until good (Tok Ha does not measure... just eyeball it)
Dough:
2 (small) blocks of butter (about 250 grams each)
1 kg flour (wtf?)
2 eggs
1 tsp or tablespoon of sweetened condensed milk (up to you)
With softened butter at room temperature, add condensed milk and eggs and blend well. Stir in a little flour at a time and knead until you reach the right consistency.

What I DID:

Pineapple Jam:

2 medium sized pineapples

2 cups of sugar (400 grams)

1 stick of cinammon

2 cloves

Cut pineapples and DO NOT REMOVE THE CORE. You need the fiber more than the juice for this jam. If you have a juicer, use the juicer and save the 'pulp'. If you put in a blender, you have to cook it longer or try to strain out and discard some of the liquid. Otherwise you will be cooking for HOURS like I did.

To save time, use a pan with a large area so that the liquid can reduce faster. Cook the pineapple with cinammon and cloves over low to medium heat until you see it bubbling and getting thicker and mushy like oatmeal. Don't stir so much during this time, it's pointless. Once 80% of liquid is gone, go ahead and add the sugar and stir over low heat until you get the desired color. The amount of sugar is approximate. Use more/less as desired.

Keep in mind that once you turn off the heat, the jam will continue to cook and caramelize so don't overcook until it's completely dry. Turn off the heat, wait for it to cool down, check the texture. You can always heat it again to cook more but once it's overcooked you can't add more water or juice because you'll ruin the sugar structure and caramelization process.

Dough (very similar to Tok Ha's)
250gm butter (salted)
75gm caster sugar
170gm cream (full whipping cream)
3 egg yolks plus one yolk for glazing
400gm cake flour
30gm corn starch

1. Cream butter and sugar together.
2. When it comes together, pour in cream and whip on medium speed
3. Beat in egg yolks for 1 minute.
4. Sift both flours and pour half of it into buttery mixture. Mix on low speed until it comes together and pour in the remaining flour and beat until it comes together. Do not over mix.
5. Let dough sit for 10 minutes minimum before you start wrapping jam
6. Bake at 180-200°C for 20-25 minutes. Dough is better undercooked than overcooked.

For super traditional, Tok Ha's tarts were open faced tarts. I was already struggling making these so I could not make proper open faced tarts.

Enclosed tarts

Buruk tapi sedap je

Final product

Time Tracking Study Hours

Tabs to keep myself honest

I have to re-take my PE (Professional Engineering) exam, in October. My honest assessment is that I had not been serious enough in putting in the hours. I went out dancing a lot. I procrastinated till the last 4-5 weeks. Bottom line, I didn't get enough studying done.

I thought that visualizing how much time I spend on each activity that is important to me will put things into perspective.

Tracking:

• PE study time
• Couch to 5K running program
• Dancing
• Ukulele

I still need 'play' time because it keeps me happy and creative. I just can't overdo it. So I'm keeping tabs to make sure my play time is still under my serious time.

Giving Up:

• Spanish
• Cantonese
• Partying
• Coursera, Udacity, other random e-Learning projects
• Motorcycle trips
• Traveling

I don't have TV time because I don't watch or miss TV.
I might need to add social/dining time... A girl's gotta eat.

Do you think this will work? Or is this just another time consuming thing I'm using to procrastinate from doing actual studying?

Homemade Hummus

 I made heaps of hummus last night after reading this article and being inspired to make my own Stuff. I wasn't ready to take on bread yet, but I heard that making hummus is awesome and delish and inexpensive.

I used the recipe from Mediterrasian blog

4 cloves of garlic (I like extra)

1 can of garbanzo beans (chick peas) rinsed and drained

1/2 cup tahini
 1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup water
teaspoon of sea salt

Extra:
some olive oil
teaspoon of smoked spanish paprika
chopped parsley

garlic hummus

The final result took a LOT more effort than I had imagined, my little food processor is crappy and the hummus was a bit chunky, and I still preferred the taste of store bought hummus. Costwise, hummus is pretty cheap ($3-5) and I probably made twice as much hummus for the same amount of hummus but I don't think it's that much worthwhile.... unless I eat hummus regularly.

Must try : 5 cm pancakes

Was studying for finals and made this for lunch.

Must. try.

 

5 cm pancakes

Ingredients: (for 2 pancakes : 5cm tall of about 12 cm diameter)
2/3 cup flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 egg
4 tbs sugar
2 tbs melted butter
50 cc soy milk (or milk)
20 cc buttermilk (or yogurt)
some vanilla essence

Methods: 
1. Prepare the batter as usual
2. Make the mold for the pancake. you'll need some hard papers to make this. I used the box of milk I have. Spread some butter inside to make it easier for you to remove it later.

It'll pretty much look like this.

3. On a frying pan, with VERY low heat, cook the pancake. You'll need to cook it for about 30 minutes. Be very careful not to burn them. First fill 2/3 of the mold with the batter, then with very very VERY low heat, cook for about 15 minutes. Once it has raised, flip and cook the other side of the pancake for another 15 minutes. 


4. Remove the mold. Serve with butter, maple syrup, sugar icing, fruits, etc.

voila.

you should get

hard and crispy outsides; with

soft and fluffy inside

Bon apetit! 

 

Nasi Lemak

I usually have very little time to cook in the evenings after work, and for dinner I'd just make something simple like a salad or stir fry. But last night I made a complete Nasi Lemak and Sambal Sotong dinner for my friends in a little under an hour and a half! I was near losing my mind in the process...

My brain:

Chop onions... Make sambal paste. Meanwhile, put the rice on. Where's the can opener for the coconut milk? Defrost the squid. Peel cucumbers... Boil eggs. Remember to put pandan in the rice. Fry anchovies while the sambal is cooking. Check sambal! Is the squid defrosting yet? Cool the eggs down. Where are the peanuts? Peel eggs and slice. Slice cucumbers.. Clean banana leaf. I forgot to add ginger to the rice!! Taste sambal. Add belacan? People are here already? Throw some keropok in the microwave! etc...

 I'm still blown away if I think about how Ibu (our aunt) and grandmothers cooked in the kitchen. When I cook Malay food, I cheat. A LOT.

Authentic Malay cuisine is super labor and time intensive. The sambal (spicy sauce) takes about 45-60 minutes to cook properly, not including prep time to blend the tumis (sautée ingredients). There's no way I can do it without western kitchen cheats and without having a nervous breakdown.

Cheat List:

I blend the onions/shallots and garlic in a food processor, not by mortar and pestle.

I buy blended chilli (labeled as sambal oelek here in the US), instead of grinding my own chilli paste using dried or fresh (hard to find) red chillies.

Most likely on the shelf next to Sriracha sauce

Buying frozen squid that is already cleaned. I just need to slice them. They also sell pre-sliced, frozen squid, but I stopped myself short of buying those. (There is a difference between small cheat and big cheat)

My coconut milk comes from a tin can. It takes 30 seconds to open a can of coconut milk. Real Malaysian housewives buy freshly grated coconut and squeeze the bajeesus cream out of it through a cheesecloth/strainer. Work those forearms, girl!

From this

to this

*See more photos on the whole process on this blog here

Rich, fat, creamy version

Light version

I get spanish peanuts from the store (the kind that is roasted with skin ON). They are the closest thing to the real deal. No, I'm not roasting my own peanuts.

Pandan leaves

Every decent Malay household, or every other house, cultivates a bush of pandan (*screwpine in English) in their back yard. Pandan is optional, since it's just an aromatic addition. However, small subtle details like this is what distinguishes the best Nasi Lemak from the so-so ones.

Now in Malaysia, you go to your back yard or holler at your neighbor prior to get some pandan from their yard... In the United States, I buy a small vial of pandan essence. Try not to get the ones with green coloring in them (those are used for baking). Add 2-3 tiny drops.

Star Brand is a popular brand back home, I was lucky to find this at the Tai Nam Vietnamese grocery store.

So there you have it. By Malaysian housewives standards, I didn't even cook at all...! Other than the sambal tumis sauce, all I did was just assembling ingredients together!!

The end result was still satisfactory. Although I always miss something when cooking the coconut rice, usually it's salt, but this time I forgot the ginger slices. My sambal is still a long ways from my grandmother's, which makes me frown a little bit every time :\

Pan-fried salmon salad

Happy Monday everyone!

Are you tired of having the same salad dressing (caesar, italian, thousand island etc) over and over again?
Make your own dressing!  It's fairly easy actually. Not to mention healthy! :3

This is what I made for dinner tonight;
Pan fried salmon salad

・Salmon fillet; seared with salt and pepper, pan-fried with olive oil till crisp

・Iceberg lettuce
　Celeries
　Cherry tomatoes
　Rocket salad
　Basil leaves 
    Boiled potatoes
    Fresh oranges

・Dressing:
　Olive oil
　Cider vinegar
　Freshly squeezed orange juice
　Chopped fresh basil leaves

I skipped the measurements and methods because I'm sure you can figure them out.

Now I think that the oranges went great with the salad and salmon, especially since it's getting warmer here. You get that zesty and refreshed feeling after the first taste :)
I'm definitely going to make more of this, and experiment with different kinds of fruit!


How about you? What's your favorite salad dressing for this summer?

xoxo

Orange cupcakes

I looked up for the orange cake recipe by Nicko's kitchen
(check him out in youtube; I love his recipes, he made everything look easy)

And in the recipe, there was no butter/vegetable oil but he used milk instead.
I had some self raising flour so I decided to try the recipe; only I made cupcakes instead of a whole cake.
I divided the batter into two; one with butter; the other without.

Results?

I'm not really good in adjectives so it's not easy for me to explain.

The one without butter is moist, gooey, and didn't raise as much as the one with butter.

The one with butter is dry and hard on the outside.

I like both. They have different kind of texture and even taste slightly different.

Favorite shoes and lunch

• fancy black brogue
• smoked salmon and cream cheese bagel

Sisters?

Your Friends Are Influencing Your Wallet

Old news.

We all have that friend who is our 'enabler'. The one who you don't go shopping with because they tell you all the nice things you want to hear that is GREAT for you, but bad for your wallet.

My friend Nunu, undoubtedly has great taste. I love going shopping with her. She won't buy a single thing but she loves stuff on you. My last trip visiting her, I purposely packed tightly a small suitcase but my suitcase damn overflowed when I returned.

Social Media Marketing
This was my first thought when I read this article about friends being marketers. Basically the article points out that marketers realize the power of influence that friends have over each other. We choose our friends for a reason. We like them. We admire them. We trust them. Everything that is a marketer's dream for a brand.

Word-of-mouth selling is nothing new. Plus, we sell and market lots of immaterial things on a day-to-day basis: ideas, religion, philosophy, political views.

As a Yelper, I am constantly marketing to people, and because Yelp also has a social-networking component or otherwise linked to Facebook and Twitter, I'm also marketing to my friends.

But unlike the blogger-marketing described in the aforementioned GRS article, I don't get paid to write reviews. Or do I?? Yelp members are assigned with badges and stars if they 'check-in', or if they participate in events. The more active you are, the higher you get on the totem pole. Somehow one day I got my Elite badge without really knowing what it was. Now I get tons of freebies and invites to events, sponsored by local businesses. I'm quite aware of this, and I rarely write reviews for freebies other than to refer to Yelp or just the event itself... But, yes, this is an example of marketing outreach through social media.

Dreams For Sale
We surround ourselves with people who inspire us, people we respect, people we admire and would like to emulate. Sometimes we live vicariously through others, and let others live vicariously through us. We like to use our imaginations.

By far the most successful influence my friends have had on me is the dream to travel. The idea of this wide-eyed wanderer. I am aware of it, and aware that - even between hostels, Airbnb, couchsurfing - traveling is still a big ticket item and a huge industry. It appeals to many, young and old, rich and poor.

The more I travel, the more friends I make around the world, and the more travelers I meet, the more my wanderlust grows. The list of places I want to go to keeps growing longer and longer with no end in sight. Fortunately, I don't want it to end. I am a voluntary victim, blissfully aware.

Blissfully Aware
I am fully aware that there numerous giant ideologies and movements out there trying to use my friends to influence me to get me to buy things that aren't.. ME. No, I don't want to buy like, organic yams or a $200 goat leg dish at a fancy restaurant, nor cupcakes nor a gym membership (if I don't eat cupcakes I don't need to go to the gym). I don't need/want a car or a Marc Jacobs Hillier hobo bag.

But these are also the same friends who sold me on the Kindle (which I really really love beyond anything I have purchased in this decade), the same friends who roped me into salsa dancing, encouraged me to travel, do kettlebell training, and sadly I am now hooked on 5-Hour Energy (energy drinks) whenever I go out on the weekends.

I like them anyway.

Anyway, it's better to spend some money on some things while doing things you like with people that you like than to not spending any money sitting at home by yourself with no friends.

Couchsurfing: Introduction to New Way of Traveling

The first time I heard about Couchsurfing was way back in 2005 or something. I had this crazy friend, who told us about his trip to Morocco and Greece and Egypt and staying in, well, other people's homes.

Are you flippin' nuts? I dismissed it as a crazy idea for people with no common sense and risk their lives to becoming targets for serial rapists and killers.

Fast forward to 2008, in my self-rediscovery phase, I had always wanted to travel but my excuse was always the same: I didn't have anybody to go travel with, I suddenly decided that I was just going to do it with or without people. I signed up for a work-travel volunteer vacation program with CADIP to go to Greece. I love ruins.

I joined Couchsurfing in August 2008, taking this opportunity, with the intention to make new friends and network with local people and to opt for their less creepy option: To meet people at events or for coffee and/or tours (without the sleepover part). This was also a popular option in places where culturally people stayed with their parents or lived in small quarters and could not host guests at their homes.

I was surprised to find this whole new world open up to me with open arms. Not only did I meet amazing people through Couchsurfing, but also made me look at strangers in a different way.

We are not strangers in the world but we are friends who don't know each other yet.

99% of the time, this is true.

I'm not going to say that it is completely safe to trust strangers on the internet, but with a little practice and common sense, you will be able to quickly discern what kind of situation you're in and what kind of person you're talking to.

So far I have only surfed officially 3 times, once in Athens, once in Recife Brazil and once in my own country in Langkawi, Malaysia.

I have hosted 20 official Couchsurfing guests in my home and a few other friends of friends, from all over the world. Germany, France, Canada, Spain, San Francisco, Washington DC. I think I like hosting more than surfing :)

Other times I have used this network to meet up with locals when I have a long layover such as in Amsterdam and Istanbul.

So far I have had the chance to visit my Couchsurfers home, and also hosted one of my previous host in Chicago... and made some great friends around the world.

Ever since Couchsurfing has become more and more popular, I have become more wary about the new members. It used to be an alternative means of travel, and works on the basis of trust and vouching system, like nomads and bedouins do. Now that it is in the mainstream news, I am concerned that it might attract the creepy people and people with less than good intentions. But at the same time, I am still open about it and I hope my sensible rationality and instinct serves me well.

If you are too lazy to learn or read about Couchsurfing, here is a good comic about it.
Recently a bedouin from the southern part of Jordan was featured on CNN for his 'cave' surfing
More about safety can be found on Couchsurfing.org and on their Safety FAQ page

My Couchsurfing philosophy:

• My home is not a free hotel or free guesthouse
• My home and couch is a place of cultural exchange and learning
• I want to spend quality time with my guests
  Couchsurfing is not a dating site
• New members are encouraged to participate in hosting or local activities to familiarize with the community

I am currently planning my next trip to Spain (Madrid, Zaragoza and Barcelona) and I hope to utilize Couchsurfing as part of my learning. I think I have earned my badge and collected karma points that I can hopefully redeem. So far I have been accepted in all three places, from couchsurfers, offers for place to stay, coffee, breakfast and salsa dancing.

*Happy camper*

More upcoming posts on how to write requests and how to host. But for now I will say that I highly recommend Couchsurfing as a way to see the world!

Sebastian and Matthias on their cross-America road trip

Maryanne visited for 20 hours we had jam packed activities

Erick giving me a special historical, cultural and gastronomical tour of Amsterdam

Chris and Kuno cooking dinner in my kitchen! And did the dishes too!

I hosted Celine in Chicago so when I had a long layover in Amsterdam she sent me so much information and guides and sent me off at the airport

Anya and Steffi from Germany at Chicago Gay Pride Parade. We watched the World Cup together and went to Summerdance Salsa!

Apartment Moving: The Grown Up Edition

I'm a veteran mover. I've moved apartments over 10 times in the past 10 years. I know all the ins and outs and pains and sufferings of packing, moving, unpacking by yourself.

During undergrad, the Malaysian student community was tight knit and it just goes without saying that you would help each other move apartments. Post-college was a bit tricky, but Adam was always there to help. If that wasn't tricky enough, post-relationship-dependent-stage was more difficult to move. I had managed with the help of good friends (bribing them with pizza and beer). This year, I called it quits. I've been a grown-up for a while now, it's time I do it the grown-up way, which is called paying-someone-else-to-do-it-for-you. I hired professional movers.

Although the real grown-up way is to buy-a-condo-and-never-look-back-at-rentals... I'm not ready for that yet.

Moving can be a crazy ordeal. Here are some measures you can take to maintain your sanity.

Step 1: Planning
Avoid confusion, tears, hair-pulling scenarios by thinking ahead:

• Make an inventory of your possessions. Do this by rooms and categories. Makes it easier to pack/unpack and for movers to estimate.
• Find out the cost of movers. I looked up reviews on yelp (or similar online reviews) of movers and advertisements on craigslist, sent a few emails, called them and gave them my inventory and made a comparison. Shop around
• Check that your movers are legit business not just a couple of inexperienced college kids looking to make a quick buck. That is okay too if you're on a budget. But expect the unexpected. Make sure they have a record of showing up on time.
• Have a backup plan. Can you call friends? Do you know if you can get a truck rental at last minute if you had to move yourself.

Step 2: Downsizing

• Cleansing is good for you
• Anything that has not seen the light of day for the last 8-12 months must GO.
• Sell your gently used clothing or things on craigslist or thrift stores. Donate the rest to Salvation Army or Goodwill.
• Moving objects from point A to point B consumes energy, time and money. 
• Downsizing makes your moving more efficient and cheaper, and will help cover some of the costs of moving. Hey kill 2 birds.

Step 3: Packing

• Pack heavy things in smaller boxes (books, canned food, weights)
• Start with things you need the least: Books, waffle maker, decorations, extra towels and linens
• Label each box with the room names and short descriptive note of what is inside
• For multiple people moving, label personal boxes with your initials
• Plastic bags make awesome cushions for fragile items like dishes and mugs. I save a drawerfull of shopping bags and I use these crushed together to give extra padding to my dinnerware.
• Things not to pack: extra tape, plastic bags, scissors, screwdrivers and hammer in case you need to dismantle things AND to reassemble things when you get to your new place.
• Pack a full week of regular work clothes and living essentials in one suitcase. Pretend you're packing for a week's business trip.
• Put important documents and last minute things in one place, preferably a backpack that is ON you all the time during the move.

Step 4: Cleaning ALL the THINGS
http://hyperboleandahalf.blogspot.com/2010/06/this-is-why-ill-never-be-adult.html

This is the cleanest my apartment has EVER been

I miss this bathroom

Spotless!

Got my security deposit back 100%

Step 5: Moving Day

• Get enough sleep
• Eat something in the morning
• Take the day off
• Call the movers
• Help carry small items and give directions
• Get children/pets out of the way
• DON'T PANIC

Disaster zone

Step 6: Making yourself comfortable

• aka $500 later (between 2 people)
• unpack your box of tea, mattress, towel, and a set of clothes for the next morning.
• Set up electricity, heat, cable, internet at your new place (make this step 1)

Thank you neighbor's free unsecured Wi-Fi!

From Fashionista to Frugalista

Hell if I know of a better stress cure than retail therapy!

The problem with retail therapy is that you get the high from hunting things from the rack and making that transaction, and not necessarily the merchandise itself.

The other problem with retail therapy is that it hurts... in other ways (I learned it the hard way), often like drugs, you're addicted to spending. The more you spend, the more unhappy you become. 

Fashion blogs and magazines are always touting words like 'classic', and 'timeless' and 'investment pieces'. Investment? Bull shit. Clothing is meant to be worn, and once you've handed over your cash (or swiped that plastic), it is what economists call 'sunk cost'.

It is just like what it sounds like. Sunk. Cost. Gone forever.

I was once caught up in a cycle of buying shoes and more shoes, and clothes and more clothes. But then, that guilt started creeping up on me. 

I started hunting in thrift and vintage stores to clear my conscience, and I swear this is the best kept frugalista secret, ever.


The treasures I've found, I'll have to save for yet another future post. Lots of pics required. For now, I want to share my most recent trip to my neighborhood Goodwill. [non-profit organization that sells donated clothes and housewares] 

Aquascutum Linen Button Down Shirt - $7

I was looking for some new shirts because in light of my professional exam, I had felt the need to dress up more... professionally to work. I'm sort of digging that chambray shirt trend so I headed off to the blue shirts rack.

Aquascutum? Never heard of it, but the fabric was extremely nice. "100% linen" says the label. Perfect for spring/summer.

Whoever made this shirt was definitely into details... I thought, as I inspected the checkered lining on the collars and cuffs, and see here, engraved buttons!! I later found a matching one in off-white on the other rack. They were $6.99 each. What the heck, can't go wrong with that, right?

I got home and googled "Aquascutum" and turns out it's a top UK luxury clothing manufacturer that had dressed british royalty, aristocrats and all that. A brand alongside Burberry, except sadly it had very recently gone bankrupt.

Meh. All I know (and care about) is that I got two fabulous summer shirts for less that what it would cost to get them dry cleaned! 

I foresee this becoming a segment on this blog.. more frugalista posts to come!

For now, here are some more Aquascutum prints:

Kate Middleton:

Goodwill Store (Near West Side)

1201 W Washington St
Chicago, IL 60686
(312) 563-1187

See yelp reviews

xo
Kakjah

#1 Sayang

Source: Wiktionary

Sayang: 1. (noun) love

              2. (synonym) darling, sweetheart

              3. (verb) to love

And it also has a meaning in Tagalog, but no direct translation in english. In Tagalog, 'sayang', is used as an expression of failure to capitalize an opportunity.

When i was in highschool, my Malay Language teacher told us to try and say the word 'sayang' 11 times to make a sentence. Try it.

sayang-sayang, sayang sayang sayang? sayang sayang sayang, sayang sayang sayang?

understand?

to those who havent.

the first 2 'sayang' indicates the first person calling out to the second person as their beloved.

the 3 'sayang's after that, is a question which directly translates to "darling, do you love me?" whereby the first person has already acknowledge that he/she is the beloved. It's more of a rhetorical question if you ask me.

the next 3 'sayang's simply means "i love you". (noun first person)(verb)(noun second person)

the last 3 'sayang's is just the same question, but asked again as a reinforcement. 

So basically, the direct translation of the whole sentence means:

"darling, do you love me? i love you. so, do you love me?"

It is interesting to note that the word 'sayang' can be use to describe both parties. It is like, both of them are already in love, which is why i think it is a bit rhetorical.

In Malaysia, 'sayang' is also used as a way to express when you don't want to throw something away due to its preciousness (as was explain by one of my sister below). And it can also be used the same way it is use in Tagalog, which is to express the failure to capitalize an opportunity.

The examples of this, respectively:

Situation 1: "Sayangnya nak buang makanan ini" which roughly translate to "it is going to be a waste to throw this food away", but 'sayang' here is use as the expression

Situation 2: "Sayangnya, awak patut dapat kerja itu" which roughly translate to "you should have gotten that job", again 'sayang' is use as the expression.

Sayang,

Iman

p.S: no, 'sayang' cannot be use to denote "love," in this case. Well, maybe you could, but i'm not too sure. It sounds a bit weird

#1 Sayang, I love shoes

[scene from "10 Things I Hate About You"]

(around minute 5:03)

Bianca: Yeah, but see there's a difference between like and love. Because I like my Sketchers... but I love my Prada backpack.
Chastity: But.. I love my Sketchers!?
Bianca: Well that's because you don't have a Prada backpack!
Chastity: Aahh..!

/more/

#1 Sayang

Imagine you have foreign friends, who doesn't understand Malay.
How would you explain the word "sayang" to them?

How do you define the word sayang?

PS; your post doesn't have to answer all my questions, they're just for your easy reference. Write anything.

5 posts a week!

So I've noticed a bit of uhm, how to say it, inactivity here.

Come on, sisters. There are 5 of us, we could at least write 5 posts a week.

Here's what we're gonna do.

Every week, one of us will propose a topic, and the 5 of us will write a post about it, as in there will be 5 posts a week.  Get what I mean?

If you're too busy, or too lazy, post a picture, related to the topic. okay?


Since I'm the one proposing this; I shall have the honor of proposing the first topic.
First topic will be in the next post.



K: Uhm. wah sungguh ambitious. i cant write 1x/week. biweekly bleh. so am i supposed to post about sayang now. eh. ok.

I don't eat squid, but..

One of the best place to have Thai food in London!
Busaba Eathai.
They have lots of branch scattered around the best place in London; Soho, Covent Garden, Next to Selfridges, Westfield (east and west), etc..

I had:
Jasmine fragrant rice
Thai Calamari (MUST TRY!)
Morning glory (vege)

And for drinks, the guava Collins is the BEST!!



Thai Calamari!



xx
LoveLondon


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