《灰姑娘》的故事

美國最好的老師，如何跟學生說 -- 《灰姑娘》的故事。

上課鈴響了，孩子們跑進教室，這節課老師要講的是《灰姑娘》的故事。

老師先請一個孩子上臺給同學講一講這個故事。

孩子很快講完了，老師對他表示了感謝，然後開始向全班提問。

老師：你們喜歡故事裏面的哪一個？不喜歡哪一個？為什麼？

學生：喜歡辛黛瑞拉（灰姑娘），還有王子，不喜歡她的後媽和後媽帶來的姐姐。辛黛瑞拉善良、可愛、漂亮。後媽和姐姐對辛黛瑞拉不好。

老師：如果在午夜12點的時候，辛黛瑞拉沒有來得及跳上她的南瓜馬車，你們想一想，可能會出現什麼情況？

學生：辛黛瑞拉會變成原來髒髒的樣子，穿著破舊的衣服。哎呀，那就慘啦。

老師：所以，你們一定要做一個守時的人，不然就可能給自己帶來麻煩。另外，你們看，你們每個人平時都打扮得漂漂亮亮的，千萬不要突然邋裏邋遢地出現在別人面前，不然你們的朋友要嚇著了。女孩子們，你們更要注意，將來你們長大和男孩子約會，要是你不注意，被你的男朋友看到你很難看的樣子，他們可能就嚇昏了（老師做昏倒狀，全班大笑）。

好，下一個問題：如果你是辛黛瑞拉的後媽，你會不會阻止辛黛瑞拉去參加王子的舞會？你們一定要誠實喲！

學生：（過了一會兒，有孩子舉手回答）是的，如果我是辛黛瑞拉的後媽，我也會阻止她去參加王子的舞會。

老師：為什麼？

學生：因為，因為我愛自己的女兒，我希望自己的女兒成為王后?

老師：是的，所以，我們看到的後媽好像都是不好的人，她們只是對別人不夠好，可是她們對自己的孩子卻很好，你們明白了嗎？她們不是壞人，只是她們還不能夠像愛自己的孩子一樣去愛其他的孩子。

孩子們，下一個問題：辛黛瑞拉的後媽不讓她去參加王子的舞會，甚至把門鎖起來，她為什麼能夠去，而且成為舞會上最美麗的姑娘呢？

學生：因為有仙女幫助她，給她漂亮的衣服，還有把南瓜變成馬車，把狗和老鼠變成僕人。

老師：對，你們說得很好！想一想，如果辛黛瑞拉沒有得到仙女的幫助，她是不可能去參加舞會的，是不是？

學生：是的！

老師：如果狗、老鼠都不願意幫助她，她可能在最後的時刻成功地跑回家嗎？

學生：不會，那樣她就可以成功地嚇到王子了。（全班再次大笑）

老師：雖然辛黛瑞拉有仙女幫助她，但是，光有仙女的幫助還不夠。所以，孩子們，無論走到哪裏，我們都是需要朋友的。我們的朋友不一定是仙女，但是，我們需要他們，我也希望你們有很多很多的朋友。

下面，請你們想一想，如果辛黛瑞拉因為後媽不願意她參加舞會就放棄了機會，她可能成為王子的新娘嗎？

學生：不會！那樣的話，她就不會到舞會上，不會被王子遇到，認識和愛上她了。

老師：對極了！如果辛黛瑞拉不想參加舞會，就是她的後媽沒有阻止，甚至支持她去，也是沒有用的，是誰決定她要去參加王子的舞會？

學生：她自己。

老師：所以，孩子們，就是辛黛瑞拉沒有媽媽愛她，她的後媽不愛她，這也不能夠讓她不愛自己。就是因為她愛自己，她才可能去尋找自己希望得到的東西。如果你們當中有人覺得沒有人愛，或者像辛黛瑞拉一樣有一個不愛她的後媽，你們要怎麼樣？

學生：要愛自己！

老師：對，沒有一個人可以阻止你愛自己，如果你覺得別人不夠愛你，你要加倍地愛自己；如果別人沒有給你機會，你應該加倍地給自己機會；如果你們真的愛自己，就會為自己找到自己需要的東西，沒有人可以阻止辛黛瑞拉參加王子的舞會，沒有人可以阻止辛黛瑞拉當上王后，除了她自己。對不對？

學生：是的！！！

老師：最後一個問題，這個故事有什麼不合理的地方？

學生：（過了好一會）午夜12點以後所有的東西都要變回原樣，可是，辛黛瑞拉的水晶鞋沒有變回去。

老師：天哪，你們太棒了！你們看，就是偉大的作家也有出錯的時候，所以，出錯不是什麼可怕的事情。我擔保，如果你們當中誰將來要當作家，一定比這個作家更棒！你們相信嗎？

孩子們歡呼雀躍。

＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊

此為美國一所普通小學的一堂閱讀課 。

我們是幾歲的時候才想到這些層面？ (不知道，老師沒教)

Fab Friday : Google Earth Businesses

Now, Google Earth is adding something more practical. It will let you see businesses and related information on both its desktop and iPhone apps.

By adding a “Businesses” layer to Google Earth, you’ll be able to see businesses by default when you start the application. Google Earth will list businesses like restaurants, bars, banks, gas stations, and grocery stores. As you zoom in further to the map, you’ll see more businesses.

Happy Rice Dumpling Festival

端午节快乐!

Alicafé Restaurant @ USJ Sentral, Subang Jaya

Went to Alicafé Restaurant last Sunday. It is newly opened and located at USJ Sentral, opposite Giant Hypermarket Subang Jaya.

Ali Café brand hopes to achieve a wider client base by introducing their beverages with herbs such as kacip fatimah and tongkat ali to customers by venturing into restaurants.

I still remember seeing Raymond Lam Fung, the popular Hong Kong TVB Artist doing the Power Root Ali Café TV Commercial in Petaling Street nearly 1 month ago when he came to Malaysia as the Spokesperson for Power Root Ali Café. He was much more skinnier than what we saw in the television.


Alicafé Restaurant is an up-market kopitiam, with a modern and trendy decor. There are non air-cond open section and air-cond closed section. We chose the latter as it was a very hot afternoon, plus the nice ambiance of the latter. Apart from their beverages with herbs, they also offer a mixture of Western and Eastern dishes.


My friend ordered Iced Ali Café 5-in-1 coffee with Tongkat Ali and Ginseng @ RM3.50. It is a blend of Arabica & Robusta coffee beans, with Tongkat Ali and Ginseng extracts and creamer thrown in for good measure. It taste wonderful and was said to give you loads of energy.


I ordered Iced Ali Café 5-in-1 coffee with Ginseng and Oligofructose @ RM3.50. It's the same ingredients as the previous coffee, except that the Tongkat Ali is replaced with Oligofructose which is a natural component for a healthy digestive system. It taste wonderful as well.

Judging from the price, Ali Café is definitely one of the more expensive brands. Although the coffee flavour was very mild as it has been overpowered by Ginseng and Oligofructose, but it really worth a try.


My friend also ordered Steamed Bread with Butter and Kaya @ RM2.50. It taste so-so only. I do think they should cut the bread into half (in the middle) for easy consumption. The slice was simply too long! As opposed to Toasted Bread, Steamed Bread is too soft to be handled and eaten in such a way. They should have done some research beforehand.


Meanwhile, i ordered Curry Puffs @ RM3.50. 2 Curry Puffs were cut into half, which makes it even more difficult to handle by fork as the filling is easily dropped. (Maybe i should use hand instead?!) It was too oily and the filling was not flavourful. It doesn't look appealing as well.


Highlight of the meal... a fly was "attracted" to our Steamed Bread.


We didn't shoo it straight away as we want to take picture of it. However, this was the nearest it can get... to our bread.


For an up-market kopitiam which had just opened for 1 week or so, 5 flies (1 fly was hidden behind the tissue box) sitting on the table was a bit ridiculous!

The toilet with a "hidden door" beside the customers' table.

From my observation, i can only derive 2 conclusions. Firstly, they don't clean the table properly with multipurpose cleansing spray after each meal but simply dab it with a cloth. Secondly, the toilet is a bit too near to the dining area thus give opportunity for flies to venture into the dining zone since the toilet is not maintained in super clean condition.

Alicafé Restaurant sure has a lot of improvement to be done... in order to become a fly-free zone.

Add: No. F1, Persiaran Subang 1, USJ Sentral, USJ 1, 47601 Subang Jaya, Selangor.
Tel: 03-7880 0319
Opening hours: 8am - 2am daily.


[Disclaimer: The opinion expressed here are based entirely on personal taste buds, view and preference and may vary from others.]

Snappy Snapshot : Porsche

This is my first encounter with Porsche Cayman S. The fab car was parked by the roadside. Hence i was able to take a lot of pictures of it... up, down, left and right.

Such a rare beauty!

Hidden Gems of Dang Wangi

Let's go for a stroll in one of Kuala Lumpur's few remaining clusters of traditional shophouses. Had it lost its Malaysian character?

Not-so-interesting graffiti.

More not-so-interesting graffiti.

An old Malay mansion turned kopitiam.

This row of shophouses reminds me of Penang but KL has done far too little to preserve its unique architecture.

The shop at the far right - Ah Loke Tailor, was said to make the best suits in town, but the Tailor may soon retire.

Notice anything peculiar about this shop?

Oh yeah... the tree trunk was preserved when the shop undergone renovation. That's why you can see a tree trunk in the middle of the shop.

The back door of an old building. Door from the past.

A lot of pigeon holes near the roof of an old building.

The KL Tower is not situated in Dang Wangi but it's clearly visible since it's just across the street.

Kedai Makanan Yut Kee @ Dang Wangi, Kuala Lumpur (Revisited)

Went to Kedai Makanan Yut Kee for the second time last Saturday. This time, my friend and i parked the car at CapSquare Centre. It's a new shopping centre which is located just opposite Yut Kee. It merely took us about 5-10 minute walk from CapSquare Centre to Yut Kee.

Sweetly nostalgic surroundings aside, Yut Kee's tasty food, good coffee, and friendly service easily win out over the rest of its generic competitors.

An antique storage box.

An antique radio and antique electric fan.

My friend ordered Steamed Bread with Butter and Kaya @ RM2.00. The Steamed Bread was soft and fluffy with a melt-in-the-mouth feeling. It goes very well with the butter and kaya. Personally, i just thought their Steamed Bread taste better than their Toasted Bread.

I ordered Fried Hailam Mee @ RM5.70. The chewy noodles were dotted with pork, fish cake, vegetables, gizzard and squid(?!). The noodles were slippery and hard to handle, more so for a non-chopstick expert like me. It taste wonderful and the portion was substantial enough to be shared between 2 person.

Fried Hailam Mee with super thick noodles.


Both of us ordered Iced Coffee @ RM1.70. A meal at Yut Kee surely isn't complete without a cup of strong coffee. Yut Kee's coffee never ceased to impress me.

Being insatiably greedy, i returned to Yut Kee alone after went for a stroll around Dang Wangi. Mr. Lee, who runs the shop, greeted me enthusiastically as soon as i entered the shop, which is a pleasant surprise.

It's either i have an "outstanding face" which is easily recognisable OR Mr. Lee really take the initiative to remember most, if not all, of his customers. Now that's what i called customer relations.

I ordered Roti Babi @ RM7.50. It's a Yut Kee specialty and is believed to be the only place where Roti Babi can be found in Kuala Lumpur. A light, fluffy bread encloses a filling of succulent roast pork, onions and Lap Cheong (Chinese sausage), which was flavorsome. All these indeed make for a delicious combo.

The mouthwatering Roti Babi.


Since i had Iced Coffee just now, i opt for something different this time. I ordered Iced Assam Boi Limau @ RM1.80. It's sourly and sweetly soothing. Just nice for someone like me who had been under the hot sun for a few hours.

Looking at the multiple generations of customers sit at the marble round tables and the number of dishes piled on each table, Yut Kee could well be around for a long long time.

Add: No. 35, Jalan Dang Wangi, 50100 Kuala Lumpur.
Tel: 03-2698 8108
Opening Hours: 8am - 5pm (Closed on Monday and last Sunday of the month).


[Disclaimer: The opinion expressed here are based entirely on personal taste buds, view and preference and may vary from others.]

Now I Know... JPM

I always wonder what is the work scope of Jabatan Penerangan Malaysia. Now i know. I had a walkabout around Semua House which is located at Lorong Bonus 6, Kuala Lumpur yesterday. It is near the bustling Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman, a road with heavy congestion and inefficient public facilities.

I saw 2 Jabatan Penerangan Malaysia's vans and 2 tents were set up beside the road. There were staffs from Jabatan Penerangan Malaysia distributing posters, magazines and brochures for free to the public to educate them on people's unity. Now i know...

Since i'm the only Chinese roaming, the agitated staff tried to squeeze in as many as possible. He went on to explain to me that they will set up temporary tent at selected Pasar Malam around Klang Valley every week and hand out free distributions to the public. Now i know...

These were some of the posters and magazines i got from them. The yellow-coloured poster gave me a tremble. No wonder i never see them in our Pasar Malam. Anyway, i find that the new cabinet line-up poster is useful though.

Friends Are Important

Fab Friday : YouTube Minute

YouTube is the most popular site for video on the web, and has revolutionized the way we view videos. Today brings another amazing stat about the site: Every single minute, over 20 hours of video are now uploaded to YouTube.

Think about that for a minute. In that minute, nearly a days worth of footage will have been uploaded. And the pace is quickening. Now it’s 20 — soon it will be 24.

The Store

A store that sells new husbands has just opened in New York City, where a woman may go to choose a husband. Among the instructions at the entrance is a description of how the store operates:

"You may visit this store ONLY ONCE! There are six floors and the value of the products increase as the shopper ascends the flights. The shopper may choose any item from a particular floor, or may choose to go up to the next floor, but you cannot go back down except to exit the building!"

So, a woman goes to the Store to find a husband. On the first floor the sign on the door reads:

Floor 1 - These men Have Jobs.

She is intrigued, but continues to the second floor, where the sign reads:

Floor 2 - These men Have Jobs and Love Kids.

“That’s nice”, she thinks, “but I want more.”
So she continues upward. The third floor sign reads:

Floor 3 - These men Have Jobs, Love Kids, and are Extremely Good Looking.

“Wow,” she thinks, but feels compelled to keep going.
She goes to the fourth floor and the sign reads:

Floor 4 - These men Have Jobs, Love Kids, are Drop-dead Good Looking and Help With Housework.

“Oh, mercy me!” she exclaims, “I can hardly stand it!”
Still, she goes to the fifth floor and the sign reads:

Floor 5 - These men Have Jobs, Love Kids, are Drop-dead Gorgeous, Help with Housework, and Have a Strong Romantic Streak.

She is so tempted to stay, but she goes to the sixth floor, where the sign reads:

Floor 6 - You are visitor 31,456,012 to this floor. There are no men on this floor. This floor exists solely as proof that women are impossible to please. Thank you for shopping at the Store.

And…

To avoid gender bias charges, the store’s owner opened a Wivesstore just across the street.

The first floor has wives that love sexxz.

The second floor has wives that love sexxz and have money.

The third, fourth, fifth and sixth floors have never been visited.

Snappy Snapshot : Idiot No. 1

Annoying car found at Mydin Hypermarket, Subang Jaya. It is a pedestrian pathway, not a parking lot, you Idiot. Selfish Idiot of being ubiquity.

Meng Kee Char Siew Restaurant @ Shah Alam

Went to Meng Kee Char Siew Restaurant last Saturday. It is located at Hicom-Glenmarie Industrial Park in Shah Alam. If you are heading to Shah Alam from Old Subang Airport road along Glenmarie, its located at the shops on your left (then second right) after the Shell Petrol Station.

Meng Kee Char Siew Restaurant is famous for its Char Siew (barbecued pork). It was said that they use a special marinade which makes their Char Siew crispier and juicier than others.

Located at a corner shop, it's a typical kopitiam set up. There are two large windows and a door on the side wall which resulted in the shop pleasantly cool and comfortable. A wise design i must say.

However, the floor is quite oily due to the dripping Char Siew that they brought out from the kitchen behind. Hard charred Char Siew bits were seen everywhere on the floor around the cutting area.

My friend and i ordered 2 sets of Chicken Rice with Char Siew. Meng Kee only serves Char Siew and chicken. One stall for the Char Siew and another stall for the chicken, which remains a must-order item.

We seldom order meals by head count. Instead, we always order by individual sets. We realised that it is actually cheaper and we tend to get more.

Chicken Rice with Char Siew @ RM5.00.

A close-up to show the texture and melt-in-the-mouth barbecued pork.

The Char Siew was really delicious. It was very tender and succulent. Perfect ratio of meat to fat, with a sweet outer layer. It was slightly sweet for me but loved the charred bits, a lot.

As for the chicken rice, it was just average. Nothing to shout about.

The Char Siew is surely one of the best i have ever had thus far. Kind of missed the greasy aftertaste though.

Add: No. 20, Jalan Pekedai U1/36, Hicom-Glenmarie Industrial Park, Shah Alam.
Tel: 019-379 3629
The shop is closed on Mondays.


[Disclaimer: The opinion expressed here are based entirely on personal taste buds, view and preference and may vary from others.]

Mr. Siew Bao @ Sunway Pyramid Shopping Mall, Petaling Jaya

Bought some Chinese pastries at Mr. Siew Bao which is located inside Sunway Pyramid Shopping Mall. Their kiosk were neat and attractive and there are some other kiosks nearby which sell snacks and desserts as well.

I bought Siew Bao, Lou Poh Peng and Sweet Corn Bun. To my surprise, i was given a 40% discount off the total amount. Apparently, they will give a discount of 40% for all the item after 8.30 pm everyday.

Chicken Siew Bao @ RM1.50. The pastry was buttery and crispy but the filling was a bit salty. The lack of lard for their dough probably is the reason why the texture and taste of the pastry is not as good as i thought. It was just alright for me.

Lou Poh Peng @ RM1.50. The winter melon paste filling was flavourful. The pastry was crispy and it goes very well with the filling. It was very good. A big thumbs-up.

Sweet Corn Bun @ RM0.50. It is a small pastry with corn paste filling. Both the crispy pastry and mildly sweet filling blend into a tasty bite-sized petit snack. It was very, very good. Another big thumbs-up.

There are various type of pastries and biscuits sold at Mr. Siew Bao. It still worth a try as all the item were reasonably priced between RM0.35 and RM4.60. Will surely come back to check out the rest of the pastries next time.

Add: F1-K1B, First Floor, Sunway Pyramid Shopping Mall, No. 3, Jalan PJS 11/15, Bandar Sunway, 46150 Petaling Jaya, Selangor.

Opening Hours: 10am - 10pm.


[Disclaimer: The opinion expressed here are based entirely on personal taste buds, view and preference and may vary from others.]