How To Be Lucky?

Why do some people lead happy successful lives whilst other face repeated failure? Why are some people are so lucky & others are not?  In short, why some people seem to live charmed lives full of lucky breaks and chance encounters, while others experience one disaster after another.

After 10 years of research, the 4 main principles of luck, explained how lucky people used these to create good fortune in their lives, and described simple techniques designed to help them think and behave like a lucky person.

You also can be lucky it you follow what the lucky people always do. Without realizing it, lucky people tend to:

1. use various techniques to create chance opportunities that surround them. The harder they looked, the less they saw.  And so it is with luck – unlucky people miss chance opportunities because they are too focused on looking for something else.  They go to parties intent on finding their perfect partner and so miss opportunities to make good friends.  They look through newspapers determined to find certain type of job advertisements and as a result miss other types of jobs.  Lucky people are more relaxed and open, and therefore see what is there rather than just what they are looking for.
2. how to break daily routines.  Introduce variety and do some changes from the routine in your life. For example: constantly alter the route to work. A participant use a special technique to meet different types of people.  He had noticed that whenever he went to a party, he tended to talk to the same type of people.  To help disrupt this routine, and make life more fun, he thinks of a color before he arrives at the party and then chooses to only speak to people wearing that color of clothing at the party!  At some parties he only spoke to women in red, at another he chatted exclusively to men in black.
3. how to deal more effectively with bad luck by imagining how things could have been worse. In the study lucky and unlucky people are asked to imagine that they were waiting to be served in a bank. Suddenly, an armed robber enters the bank, fires a shot, and the bullet hits them in the arm.  Would this event be lucky or unlucky?  Unlucky people tended to say that this would be enormously unlucky and it would be just their bad luck to be in the bank during the robbery.  In contrast, lucky people viewed the scenario as being far luckier, and often spontaneously commented on how the situation could have been far worse.  As one lucky participant commented, “It’s lucky because you could have been shot in the head – also, you could sell your story to the newspapers and make some money".
5. make lucky decisions by listening to their 
6. intuition. Just do what you think right when in doubt.

So do what lucky people do to be a lucky.

Edited from: http://richardwiseman.files.wordpress.com 

Serunai Ibu Alat Muzik Tradisional dari Kelantan

Isa Samad dari Kota Bharu sedang teliti mewarnakan Serunai Ibu.
Foto dari: www.nst.com.my

Isa Samad dari Kota Bharu,Kelantan sedang teliti mewarnakan 'fife' atau serunai, alat muzik tiupan dari buluh, tradisional Melayu lama yang diwarisi turun-temurun. Serunai ini digunakan dalam wayang kulit dan pertunjukan silat, ia mempunyai tujuh lubang pemetik. Dikenali sebagai 'big fife' atau serunai ibu, mempunyai bunyi yang lebih rendah berbanding dengan 'small fife' atau serunai anak. Dalam istilah muzik barat, bunyi rendah ini dipanggil soprano, tenor, atau alto. Serunai dimainkan menggunakan satu teknik yang dikenali "circle breathing" di mana udara disedut melalui hidung dan ia serentak ditiupkan melalui melalui serunai ini. Bunyi yang terhasil adalah nota yang berterusan.

Diedit dari: www.nst.com.my

Penawar Ketika Menghadapi Musibah

Kemalangan di jalan raya adalah satu musibah yang kadang-kala tak dapat dielakkan.

Musibah adalah sebarang perkara yang tak baik berlaku kepada anda. Orang yang ditimpa musibah itu hendaklah merasa yakin bahawa apa yang menimpanya bukanlah untuk menghancurkannya.

Firman Allah S.W.T.: “Tiada suatu bencanapun yang menimpa di bumi dan (tidak pula) pada dirimu sendiri melainkan telah tertulis di dalam kitab (Lauhul Mahfuz) sebelum Kami menciptakannya. Sesungguhnya yang demikian itu adalah mudah bagi Allah. (Kami jelaskan yang demikian itu) supaya kamu jangan berdukacita terhadap apa yang luput dari kamu, dan supaya kamu jangan terlalu gembira terhadap apa yang diberikanNya kepadamu. Dan Allah tidak menyukai setiap orang yang sombong lagi membanggakan diri.” (Al-Hadid: 22-23)

Penawar perasaan ketika menghadapi musibah di dalam ayat tersebut ialah:

1. Hendaklah selalu memperhatikan Al-Quran dan As-Sunnah.
2. Selalu melihat dengan mata hati.
3. Selalu memohon kepada Allah dan bertawakkal kepadaNya.
4. Selalu mengingati musibah lam dan mengulangi ucapan Istirja’(kembali segala urusan kepada Allah SWT.)
5. Hendaklah selalu membezakan dua jenis kenikmatan iaitu di dunia yang sementara dan di akhirat yang kekal abadi.
6. Hendaklah selalu menguatkan keyakinan diri.
7. Hendaklah menyedari bahawa dunia adalah tempat ujian.
8. Mohon perlindungan kepada Allah dari godaan syaitan.
9. Menyedari hikmah musibah.
10. Sentiasa mengubati diri dengan ajaran agama.
11. Selalu berzikir kepada Allah.
12. Menyedari bahawa keluh-kesah akan menambah musibah.
13. Menyedari bahawa Allah tidak mengecewakan HambaNya.
14. Mencontohi orang-orang yang bergembira pada waktu menerima musibah.

Dipetik dari: pusrawi.com.my

Kenapa Perlu Belajar Memasak?

Memasak makanan sendiri lebih baik untuk kesihatan daripada membelinya.

Kesihatan berkait rapat dengan apa yang anda makan. Jika anda tidak terlalu sibuk untuk memasak, lebih baik anda lakukannya kerana:

1. Anda tahu apa yang anda makan.
2. Anda boleh mengawal berapa banyak yang anda makan.
3. Anda dapat meluangkan lebih banyak masa berkualiti dengan orang yang anda sayangi.

Tip Memasak Untuk Kesihatan Anda

• Ikan yang tulangnya boleh dimakan, soya dan sayur-sayuran berdaun hijau adalah sumber kalsium yang sihat, apabila ditambah dengan Vitamin D ia boleh meningkatkan penyerapan kalsium.

• Trim kulit dan daging luar yang berlemak. Stim, membakar, memanggang atau merebus adalah lebih baik untuk kesihatan daripada menggoreng. Kurangkan penggunaan lemak seperti mentega dan pilih versi rendah lemak atau tanpa lemak.

• Makan sekurang-kurangnya 5 hidangan buah-buahan dan sayur-sayuran setiap hari. Ia sarat dengan serat, vitamin dan antioksidan yang bagus untuk kesihatan anda. Ia juga rendah kalori dan mengenyangkan.

• Ia adalah satu mitos kesihatan bahawa kanji adalah menggemukkan dan bahawa kita harus menghadkan pengambilan kanji apabila cuba untuk menurunkan berat badan. Malah, banyak makanan seperti roti, nasi, pasta, mi, bijirin, dan kacang mengandungi kanji yang tinggi tetapi rendah lemak dan kalori.

Jadi apa kata anda belajar memasak demi kesihatan?

Some Healthy Recipes

Bean Ravioli With Capsicum. Picture: nst.com.my

Here are some healthy recipes that do not require lengthy or complicated preparation, courtesy of the chefs at Prince Court Medical Centre.


Mediterranean Bean Mash in Tortilla
(Serves 4)

You’ll need:
8 pieces fresh tortilla sheets
15g olive oil
200g cooked cannellini beans
200g cooked borlotti beans
200g cooked chickpeas
60g onion, finely diced
60g celery, finely diced
10g chopped garlic
2 bay leaves
4 sage leaves, finely chopped
450ml chicken stock
50g light cooking cream
6g salt
1g crushed black pepper
8g fresh chopped parsley

Method
1. Fry onion, celery, garlic in oil for 5 minutes until they soften. Add stock, sage and bay leaves and bring to boil.
2. Add all beans, season with salt and pepper and simmer gently for about 10 minutes.
3. Add cream and cook further. Then add parsley and seasoning if required.
4. Fill tortilla with cooked beans and grated cheese.
5. Cook in a griddle pan or hot frying pan, until it turns golden on the outside. Serve.

Nutritional information
(per serving)
Calories: 207.1 kcal
Total fat: 11.3g
Cholesterol: 12.1mg
Sodium: 962.2mg
Carbohydrate: 10.6g
Dietary fibre: 1.2g
Protein: 9.7g

Kung Po Chicken
(Serves 2)

You’ll need:
200g chicken breast (skinned, slice)
0.6g white pepper
20g palm oil
5g cornflour
5g yellow onion (medium cube)
20g red pepper (medium cube)
20g green pepper (medium cube)
8g dry chillies, cut 5cm length (fried)
30g cashew nut (fried)
6g spring onion (cut 5cm lengths)

For sauce:
8g tau pan paste
28g light soya sauce
20g dark soya sauce
18g black vinegar
32g castor sugar
120g chicken stock

Method
1. Dilute cornflour with half of chicken stock.
2. Add remaining chicken stock to sauce ingredients. Mix well and keep aside.
3. Marinade chicken with pepper.
4. Heat oil in a pan and stir-fry chicken lightly.
5. Add onion, peppers, dry chilli and continue to saute.
6. Add sauce ingredients and bring to the boil. Pour in diluted cornflour and simmer for a few minutes to thicken.
7. Add cashew nuts, stir and remove from heat.
8. Put in a bowl and garnish with spring onion. Serve with steam rice.

Nutritional information
(per serving)
Calories: 178.32kcal
Total Fat: 9.47g
Cholesterol: 105mg
Sodium: 799mg
Carbohydrate: 2g
Dietary fibre: 0.3g
Protein-21g

Bean Ravioli With Capsicum Sauce
(Serves 4)

You’ll need:

For Ingredients A
250g flour
5 eggs
20ml palm oil
8g salt

For Ingredients B
50g cooked cannellini beans
50g cooked edamame beans
20g onion finely diced
2g cumin powder
2g coriander powder
200ml vegetable stock
2g fine salt
50g unsalted butter
For Ingredients C
100g red pepper, roasted and seeded
10g shallots, finely diced
200ml vegetable stock
5g garlic finely chopped
30ml light cooking cream
20g olive oil or palm oil
3g fine salt
1g crushed black pepper

Method
1. Boil bean, onion and spices (Ingredients B) until soft and keep aside.
2. To make capsicum sauce, saute shallots and garlic with palm oil until translucent and add roasted red pepper. Continue stirring and add remaining ingredients C. When cool, puree in food processor.
3. Mix flour with egg and oil. Knead until dough is smooth and put aside to rest for 10 mins. Divide dough into two and roll into thin pasta sheets.
4. Fill pasta sheet with teaspoons of bean filling and cut into squares. Blanch until al dente (firm).
5. Saute ravioli with palm oil. Arrange on plate and pour over capsicum sauce. Garnish with fresh arugula or salad leaves.

Nutritional information
(per serving)
Calories: 329.6kcal
Total Fat: 14.2g
Cholesterol: 18.6mg
Sodium: 1113.8mg
Carbohydrate: 43g
Dietary Fibre: 1.4g
Protein: 7.1g

Edited from: nst.com.my

Fort Brooke undergo repairs

Fort Brooke, Sarawak. Pic from theborneopost.com

The 77-year-old Fort Brooke at Nanga Meluan in Julau, Sibu, Sarawak is being repaired to stop it from crumbling.
Work to repair and restore the belian (iron wood) fort, built when the White Rajahs -- the Brooke family -- ruled Sarawak, came on the heels of the state government's decision to restore two other forts -- Fort Sylvia in Kapit and Fort Alice in Sri Aman -- to their former glory.
The work, costing about RM450,000, is funded by the state's Tourism and Heritage Ministry and is expected to be completed in September.
From 1954 to 1981, Fort Brooke, which was originally built from bamboo, housed the Julau District Council and police station.

Edit from: nst.com.my

Formula 1 Autograph session KLCC 21 March 2012

Autograph session for Formula 1 race is held every year before the race started at Sepang Circuit. Usually it is held on Wednesdays. This year the Mercedes Petronas team was holding an autograph session  for it 2 drivers, Michael Schumacher and Nico Rosberg on Wednesday 21 March 2012 in KLCC, Kuala Lumpur. It lasted for about a half an hour beginning at 5:30 pm

Michael Schumacher & Nico Rosberg arrives at the autograph session.

Michael Schumacher & Nico Rosberg arrived at the stage while waving to the fans.

Drivers (Michael Schumacher and Nico Rosberg) take their place at the table to start the autograph session.

Autograph session for 2012 Formula 1 seasons has started

Nico Rosberg was waving to the fans whom calling his name & Michael Schumacher signed those postcards of him.

Michael Schumacher and Nico Rosberg busy signing the autographs.

Fans watching from the glass lifts building during the sessions.

Formula 1 fans standing at the balcony watching down on the autograph sessions.

Fan and journalists was busy taking Michael Schumacher and Nico Rosberg's picture.

Petronas Twin Towers the highest twin building in the world in Kuala Lumpur Malaysia with 88 floors 452m high
after the autograph sessions.

Petronas Mercedes Formula 1 car on the stage at concourse area at KLCC.

Me and Mira above the autograph sessions stage, infront of glass lift.

Petronas Mercedes Formula 1 car from 4th floor, infront of the glass lift.

From top Kinokuniya, TGV cinema & Signature food court after the autograph sessions
on 21 April 2012.