Nalanda Book Cafe

Hi folks,

I discovered another Organic Vegetarian outlet at Sri Petaling..quite nice..serene and I love the Japanese style tatami seat ;) good place to chat over with friends!

What you did on Earth Hour?

Hi folks!

My family and I had very unpredictable schedule during weekend. During Earth Hour, we did switched off all the lights as we were taking our naps way pass dinner time; from 5pm to 9.30pm :P

How did you spent your Earth Hour this year?

What are the changes/actions you like to take to contribute to a better earth?

For me, I like to:

1. Start making my compost
2. Learn to make garbage enzymes
3. Educate my family & myself to start separating our rubbish efficiently (and earn from the recyclable items at the same time..things like old newspaper, glass bottles etc)
4. I like to switch from a vegetarian to a vegan diet (as much as possible) as I felt I am still taking eggs right now (more about animal protection and rights here than being environmental-friendly unless you are taking about meatless diet ;) to reduce carbon emission and wastage of grains feeding to cow and ended up few grams on human's plate)
5. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, and..have you heard of the new "R"....Reject....yeah...reject the inner desires to own yet another pair of shoes when there are dozens hiding in the shoe cabinets....reject anything that are more of "wants" rather than "needs"...Be wise...

Cheers to a better earth and better human being!

Part 1: What is your childhood food memories?

Hi folks,

What are your childhood food memories? For me, one of them is:

1. Roti Canai with "telur"/egg
I remember when we were young, I used to visit the Roti Canai mamak opposite the old bus station in my hometown in BP to get 5-6 pcs of piping hot roti canai. Mom will also asked me to bring along our own eggs and the roti Canai man would charge us the price of roti kosong..having a big family(4 hungry kids to feed)..that helped to save a bit :) smart & savvy mom plus of course, very willing+kind roti Canai uncle..try getting your roti Canai man to do the same in KL, and see what kind of weird expressions you might get! Now, to be fair, I have not tried...and am too shy to do it here in big city unlike a close-knitted community in the olden days whereby everyone seems to know everyone's kids by heart..and can keep an eye for each other...Of course this would also means we kids don't dare to do anything "stupid" that will bring shame to our parents! :)

As the ancient scripture- Di Zi Gui (Standards for Being a Good Student & Child) says:

If your virtues* are compromised,
Your parents will feel ashamed.

* Virtues are standards and principles of one's conduct. In China, a man's conduct is ruled by "Wu Chang" (Benevolence, Righteousness, Propriety, Wisdom, Faith) and "Ba De" (filial piety, Respect for elders, loyalty, credibility, proper etiquette, personal loyalty, a sense of honor, and a sense of shame.

So now what are your food memories?

And what are the food memories of our children?
Is it KFC, Pizza Hut, McDonald?

Let's try to build a better and healthier food memories in their childhood. Hopefully this will bring them a good start and a good nutrition habits since young.

Sent from my iPhone

Good News! Vegilicious, Europe's first vegan supermarket opens in Dortmund

Hi folks!

Good news! The first vegan supermarket in Europe opens in Dortmund, Germany.

(Source: http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,,14903137,00.html)

Now, Germany is famous for it's beer, and sausages, seems like an unlikely choice for Europe's first vegan supermarket. But it happens! And big applause for it! Wonder if Malaysia has such stores or would have such store in near future! Then it would be a haven not only for vegan but also for parents who wish for a better and healthier food choices for their children; and in fact even for people who are having lactose intolerant would find their "safe" food here as vegan do not take eggs and dairy products!

For a more complete definition of vegan, let me quote from vegetarian.about.com/od/glossary/g/Vegan.htm:

What is a vegan? What is veganism?

Veganism is a type of vegetarian diet that excludes meat, eggs, dairy products and all other animal-derived ingredients. Many vegans also do not eat foods that are processed using animal products, such as refined white sugar and some wines. Most vegans also avoid the use of all products tested on animals, as well as animal-derived non-food products, such as leather, fur and wool.
Vegan refers to either a person who follows this way of eating, or to the diet itself.

Vegilicious, which opened on February 26, occupies over 100 square meters in the city-centre, technically making it the only vegan supermarket in Europe.

 Vegilicious offers chocolate bars, cereals, and even meat imitations, like fake chicken wings, which use cane sugar sticks to serve as 'bones.'

"People say they can't live without cheese, but we've got 30 different cheese alternatives," said Kalkowski, who co-owns Vegilicious with wife Kim. "You can have anything you think you might be missing, so there's no need to eat animal products anymore."

Starting with a café and online shop, the Kalkowski's and their 16 staff have so far maintained a customer flow of 120-150 people per day. They have even managed to attract non-human clients, selling vegan dog- and cat food.

"It's ridiculous if you rescue one animal, but feed them with another dead animal," he said.

Said one Vegilicious shopper, "No, I'm not vegan, I have never tried real vegan food. I think it's good so I can now try."

Now, it makes me feel like flying to Dortmund now. If you do visit Dortmund, do drop by Vegilicious...another vegan shopping haven!

Cheers to a more healthier and lifestyle choices....and we do have a liberty to make the right choices!

Yummy Vegetarian Food@Imperial Art Cottage(Sri Petaling)

Lovely place to have some tea and meals. You can get Buddhist and spiritual books plus Buddhist prayer items here too ;)

Happy International "Ladies" Day

Hi folks!

Today is March 8, signifies 3 8 Ladies Day(heehee..purposely refuse to use women here...as many website administrator will block the word "woman" for some reason..sigh...)

Today commemorates a special day for ladies...

So let's rejoice, remind and rejuvenate on this day!

Cheers to ALL ladies! May you have a great day today & every tomorrow is a better day!