Maureen Larter, my guest blogger

Regret, Experience and Donuts.

Posted on 7 Days Ago by mjlarter2

Now that’s what I call an easy title! I can do all those words in one sentence.
Here it is:-
“I ate the donut, enjoyed the experience, but regretted it immediately!
The old saying came to mind as soon as the sweet cake was eaten. “Once on the lips, forever on the hips”.
But it isn’t as easy as that.
We have been brainwashed into believing the body should be slim, taut and terrific. Just eat only healthy, organic produce, keep your calorie intake low and exercise in the gym until you faint! Well, maybe not quite as extreme as that, but we are shown examples of models and gym junkies as the ‘perfect’ body, whether you are 12 or 85! 
This line of thinking has caused more trouble than it’s worth. Of course you should eat sensibly, and not be taken in by fast food advertising. But on the other hand, a donut or some chocolate or a hamburger occasionally doesn’t really count.
If those were the only food you ate, day in day out – well that’s another story!
But to be honest, the picture of the perfect model body and the extremes that those people go to, just isn’t realistic!
Just exactly what is ‘healthy’ food? What a difficult question.
Give me your thoughts on the matter, please.
If you live in Alaska, or India, or Turkey, or France – in fact in any place on Earth, your answer would, no doubt, be different to my ideas.
Each country has its own cuisine – and some of those foods are fantastic. I adore chicken stir-fry with fried or steamed rice (Chinese), I love spaghetti a la marinara with parmesan (Italy)
and I would go out of my way to find a beautiful lamb and apricot tagine (Turkey).

The common thread in all those dishes is there is a little protein (meat or fish), lovely fresh vegetables and great cooking.
and I guess one of the important matters is life is to ENJOY what you have, not always striving towards the impossible. I know it is important to dream of bigger and better things, but take one step, one day at a time. don’t reach for the unattainable – take little chunks towards your ideal and – and be gentle on yourself.
With Kindness
Maureen
P.S. – don’t forget the children in your life – whether they be yours, your grandchildren, nephews or nieces, or just friends. How about you donate books to your local primary school, kindergarten or library. Here’s one you might like (available through Amazon or me – at maureenlarter@gmail.com).

Candy Cow nearly eats a caterpillar, but the caterpillar teaches the cow instead. What is his message?

My grand uncle and Aunty

My Grand Uncle Leong Hiang Kim aka Hee Kung and Grand Aunty aka Hee Po are war heros of a different kind.
In 1941-1945 they were living at upper Lanang Road. They were living in a long wooden house with many rooms. I had been there in the sixties. Little did I know they opened their house to the town people . My friend RC , a famous historian remembers as a child, his family had to evacuate from the town and they stayed with my Hee Kung. RC told me other people from the town came too.
In the town, they had nothing. At Hee Kung's , they could plant crops like sweet potatoes, tapioca and pumpkins and they didn't starve, there was plenty of Rejang River water thanks to Hee Kung's kind hospitality.
I am going to add this to my next edition of my World War II book.

Susie Pang My mum told me that story too. I’ve to get fr my mum.
Susie Pang Ann Chin I knew that big wooden house on high stilts I was still very young that time.
Susie Pang The front portion of the house was where JKR office was along Lanang Rd.
Susie Pang Ann Chin I knew that big wooden house on high stilts I was still very young that time.
Susie Pang The front portion of the house was where JKR office was along Lanang Rd.

the above conversation is by Susie Pang. Susie is the grand daughter by Hung Hang, the second child/ oldest daughter.

goose

goose

a woman of substance

Today, I feel euphoric. I finally got an answer to a puzzle that was in my head for more than 50 years.

When I was in my early primary school, we were living at Padang road which was very near to the Sibu prison. On some evenings, after dinner, we would take a stroll among the government quarters and Father and Mother would take us to visit their friends.

The husband was LOU CHIONG, a colloquial term for Old Mr. Teo. What intriqued me was the wife we refered to as LEONG SIN SAN aka LEONG TEACHER. She was a real teacher in Chung Hua School, and was Father's collegue at the early stage of their lives.

On our way home, I was in amazement, here was a woman about Father's age and she was educated. I wonder why her father educated her. Fresh in my mind, was the family quarrel, that my Grandpa was adamant that girls had no need to be educated, and they were to be married.

I wondered more, as Mother didn't know her ABCs and this woman was a secondary teacher.

Fast forward to 2014, I was chatting on facebook with my ex colleague Lim Siew Lian, and I asked her who her mother in law is. My jaws dropped when I realised that she is the LEONG SIN SAN I admired when I was a kid.

Siew Lian invited us to Mdm Leong's house this morning. My jaws dropped further when I saw her using the computer, and I had a lock jaw and my mouth remained wide opened in awe. Her English was the perfect Queen's English. (Before then, I thought she was a Chinese teacher.)

When we left, she told me that she was the deputy principal of Chung Hua Secondary School. She is Leong Soong Foong, and in her humility, she said she was the assistant of Dato Wong Soon Koh, the  Minister who was the guest honour of my book launch.

Grandma Lee and her foster family

Grandmother Chan Fung Dai nee Lee
Grandma was born at a wrong place and wrong time as were most of the Chinese women of her era.

I almost forgot this important part of Grandma's story until I got connected with my Hee Kung and Hee Po's grand daughter.
In the past when a woman came from China to Borneo without a relatives, she would find a family ,however distance related, to be their foster daughter. This family will "socially" take her in.
Grandma, a Lee found a Lee family. (The daughter married the Liong family). Dad called the mum Bodai, and we called her Bodai Tai. The daughter, we called Hee Po and her husband Hee Kung. We were very close and we visited them often. Hee Kung worked in town, and is the most knowledgeable of the Kwong Liang people.
He is a man of great inspiration. When we passed our public examination, he had a prize for us, usually in the form of a parker pen. When I was going to New Zealand for my Masters, the family gave me a dinner. He asked me what kind of Economics I was going to do. I was shocked, most people did not even know what Economics was.

building qualification

In the old days, being a builder doesn't need to be education. Grandpa teased a cousin to become a construction worker since she was struggling in school. Now you need a degree.

Manukau Institute of Technology

February 15 at 3:47pm ·

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