The power of baking soda :)

Clearing up to make precious space on my computer. These things I've been meaning to post but haven't got around to it.

This pan before baking soda.

And this is after. :)

Didn't manage to take some of the heating element of the slow cooker. But it was with similar results. Most people don't dare to clean the heating part of the slow cooker as you can only wipe it. And so sometimes when food spills onto it and it gets 'baked' in, it gets difficult to clean. Just make baking soda paste, apply, leave on overnight, and voila. Everything comes off with a wipe!

In-Process-Compost grown vege

I'm quite proud. My little fairy honeydew melon's the size of a tennis ball and looking a lot more like a honey dew melon now! Today, I took off it's sexy panty hose and checked it. And here's how it looked like.

And here's how it looks like getting all shy hiding behind the leaves with it's nylon stockings.

Also in my tiny pots, I've managed to grow and eaten lots of spring onions and mint. I've recently poked into the soil some neapolitan basil and rosemary. The Neapolitan basil which I got from Jusco were in packets. I had wanted to buy those in pots but they didn't have them. Hmph. But hey, these turned out ok and cheaper and I ate the rest of the packet! :D And they seem to be taking off.

The Rosemary, also from Jusco. They're taking their time. But at the same time looking like they might just take root. We'll see.

Ah, my pot of healthy mint. Isn't it gorgeous?!

And finally, ji-tin-jiu (chilies pointing to sky) that my parents gave me as seedlings. These have gone through horrible times. The last time I chopped the whole thing back to just a stalk. It seems to be liking where it's at and sitting in at the moment. The chillies are BACK! :D

Yah, you TELL 'em!

I was very impressed with a friend's hubby yesterday. And it was Earth Day too! How very appropriate.

While he was stuck in traffic, a school bus up ahead was spewing rubbish - from the windows. Our dear friend stopped the car, got out, went to collect the rubbish, demanded to know who the rubbish was from, and gave it right back to the perpetrator and told him/her off!

Whoa... I wished I had the guts to do that. :D

It's Earth Day today. :D

Today is Earth day. Funny, I'm not feeling it. I think it must be all that rushing around working on Biodiversity. I'm just soaked in Earth at the moment. Am I happy? Yes.

Yesterday, while the big noodle was at a friend's pet place, Kaitlin the little girl drew something very appropriate for the season. And with her permission, I took the cardboard home, and here's the story.

A tiger princess was kept locked up in a very very tall castle by an evil witch. And her brother the tiger prince came to rescue her.

It's a very simple story. But she just drew it out of the blue. She's got a great relationship with her brothers. :)

Magic Magic Mop

My sister recently introduced me to something quite spectacular. A Magic-magic mop. Heee heee.

I've got one of those Kao Magic Mops that originally uses disposable bits of paper that helps to pick up the teeniest dust, hair, the works. I know, not very environmentally friendly. I got sucked into the whole, 'it is AMAZING!!! takes the work out of housework!"... Hmm... still have to worklah...

But back to my point. I've stopped using the magic mop for its original purpose. And it was just hanging around until my sister told me of how she's using her magic mop these days.

With pieces of cloth. And use it as a wet mop. For her apartment (and mine after experimenting), we'd have about 6 pieces of cloth ready, soaked in water, wring them lightly, attach it to the mop, and voila.

The floor's amazingly clean!

And when you're done, toss them with the rest of the laundry, and into the washing machine when laundry days come around. And if you're eeeked out by mixing with your clothes, then toss it in with the rest of the floor rugs laundry.

Have fun!

Tiger Blogfest Kickoff :)

Yesterday, I got a reminder from a certain Monkey about a certain thing I got my self involved in. Now in these crazy times, and I'm meaning recently I've been caught up on a critical timeline for work, I was thinking, what did I get myself INTO?!

But thinking again, with a few more minutes, I thought, this is what it's all about. My blog. My 'activism'. My preaching to my 3 year old. My compost. The works. It's about my attempts at saving the environment. And currently "BIODIVERSITY" surrounding my whole life, I just got whacked in the head and in the twinkling of lights and blurriness, I saw a light with Sir David Attenborough's voice (a.k.a. "The Voice of God") And he said "DO IT"

Tiger Blogfest 2010.

There's a whole lot of good work going on out there in the effort to help keep tigers alive. MYCAT for one is leading a coalition in Malaysia in the race against time towards not only keeping the tigers alive, but to revive the population and they're starting with just a modest figure of 1000 from current estimates of less than 600. This is not very much at all considering just about 50 years ago, Malaysia had approximately 3000 in the wild.

From 3000 to less than 600 in half a century. That was the same time we proliferated as Malaysia.

It's embarrassing especially since Malaysia uses on its Federal Crest two tigers.

If Malaysia doesn't buck up and do whatever it can towards conservation of tigers in the wild,we better be prepared to either remove the tigers from the Crest, or consider replacing it with the images of a couple of battered/chopped up/emaciated caged up tigers.

Compost solution I'm happy with

I finally found it. An apartment composting solution I'm happy with.

One that stays nose friendly, reduces my waste and best of all profits me with yum produce.

I've recently taken on to putting my compost into my plant pots that are bottom layered with a little soil. Then on top of the compost, another layer of soil. Perfect. Sit for a few days, then flatten it further, layer more from the kitchen. Another few spoonfuls of soil. Sit a few more days, then plant something. So far, I've got lovely green onions, chillies, mint, and up and coming, honey dew melon! Dunno how this one's going to turn out, but it's very exciting.

Photos soon.

Cold showers will keep it down to 3. :)

I recently came across a photo of an environmentalist friend with sandwich card that says '4 minute shower, not a quarter hour'.

The shower, not the sandwich.

This is something I've been doing for quite a number of years now. And quite a few people seem to think it's a boo boo. I'm not going to name names here but even the Malay language has a relatively degrading term for this - Mandi Kerbau - which means that a bath/shower that's very cin cai (not going to do another explanation in one explanation). No soap, get wet run out. Nolah...

I don't know. Meaning I don't know how others do it. But hey, I've got great exfoliating shower gloves I use that I believe makes me clean (and I do believe it gets me cleaner than most others too!).

But you know, one thing that I know can get people to do the same? Switch off the power. :) Get rid of hot water. Then I guarantee you, they finish in under 3 mins - this usually applies to people who work 9-5. One shower in the morning and sometimes one shower in the evening. Nice and cool. :}

This is a haphazard post. I know. I'm sitting in relative cold after a cold morning shower.

Environmentally friendly packaging... Ironic

The past few months had been a few of sleepless nights (working...) , travelling (working...), new responsibilities, holidays (more work for me!). Well, as much as they did cause significant weight loss, I personally found them very fulfilling. It's strange, people thrive on activity. And if you're swamped, you complain, but secretly you know you love it. But the moment the activity slows down, sometimes some of us get trapped in a lull. And somehow we just don't seem to have the energy to do even a fraction of the amount we are able to during times of active crazy working. That's me. Sigh. I need to get back on track.

Now back to travelling. I recently had had to travel for work. And fortunately (or unfortunately), on one of the flights, I travelled MAS to Kota Kinabalu. Now, MAS is the one where you get 'free food'. They serve you whether you like it or want it or not. On our alternative AirAsia, you only pay for food when you want it. And although they say you're not allowed to bring your own food and drinks on board, most of us have brought food and drinks. I bring along my bottle and fill up at the fountain near the entrance of the toilets. They do make it rather difficult to find, but it's there.

Anyway back to my point. MAS has recently joined the environmental awareness bandwagon. And they now serve their better tasting food in better looking packaging... PACKAGING... beautiful sugar cane-fibre box. Whoa... cun... very pretty. It even comes with another cardboard wrapping it explaining the whole deal with this box and MAS's environmental initiatives. Ooooh oooh oooh, and check out all the other packaging inside too. So neatly arranged. I loved the chocs best. That's a whole 6 layers there.

... ...

What is wrong with the picture here?

Sorry, I just have to not mention the point... It would just pierce my skull and my brains will spill out.