Saturday, December 13, 2008

Dabai a.k.a Sibu Olive

Name : Canarium Odontophyllum
Family Name : Burseraceae

A jem in Sarawak reveiled!! I somehow believe with more R&D into this fruit, it might be a sought after fruit worldwide. It's a very oily fruit, perhaps like olive itself, stored alot of EPA etc. The best part is it's found in Malaysia! See where this fruit will venture into.

For me, well... i never like avocado, and this is close to avocado, the texture especially, id didn't like the taste. Due to the richest of MUFA, monosaturated fatty acids (i suspect) i actually ate a handful. Haha! Just a news report on 25/11/2008 by Bernama as below to share:


KUCHING, Nov 25 (Bernama) -- To food connoisseurs in Sarawak, savouring the rich creamy and smooth texture of the Dabai with its slightly sour tinge, is like having an acquired taste.

Commonly known as the Sibu olive, the fruit is indigenous to Sarawak and found along the riverbanks in Sibu, Kapit and Sarikei divisions.

Due to Dabais potential as a specialty fruit, the Sarawak Agriculture Department is confident that the fruit could penetrate the overseas market after discovering a breakthrough in the method to prolong its shelf life.

Semongok Agricultural Research Centre fruit agronomist, Lau Cheng Youn said via a freezing technique, the highly perishable fruit is able to retain its freshness up to seven days and could last up to one year when kept in cold storage.

"We are also collaborating with the Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) in Serdang, Selangor to study the nutritional value of the local olive, which also has the potential to be exploited as a nutraceutical and functional food because of its high antioxidant properties and other value-added products," he told Bernama here.

RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT

He said through the ongoing research and development (R&D), the department is hoping to venture into the commercialisation of Dabai as a Sarawak specialty fruit, which could easily fetch between RM16-RM24 per kg in major cities like Kuching.

At present Dabai only costs half this price in Sibu and Kapit.

Known botanically as "Canarium odontophyllum Miq." Dabais popularity as an exotic and health fruit among the local populace has increased over the years with the department producing recipes for as pizza, fried rice, mixed vegetables, maki(dried seaweed roll), pickles as well as desserts and salad sauce based on the fruit.

Best eaten with a dash of salt or soya sauce and sugar after it has been soaked in warm water for about 10 minutes, the fruit has found the niche as a signature dish at many official functions held in restaurants and hotels particularly in the state's central region.

NUTCRACKER

A nutcracker is handy to get the fruits edible seed, which is as tasty as fresh peanuts.

Lau said the department's breakthrough would make the seasonal fruit harvest, which is usually towards the year-end together with the durian season, available all year round for local consumption as well as for exports to the Peninsula, Brunei and Singapore.

"Because it is perishable, Dabai normally gets wrinkled and dry after two days but now we can buy it in big quantities from the locals and supply them to the markets during the off season," he said."I know some Sarawakians, who have air flown about 30-40 kg of Dabai to their friends in China and Korea," he said, adding that the department would continue its R&D for improved commercially-viable techniques to penetrate the overseas markets.

So far the research centre, which started germplasm collection and varietal selection work to identify Dabai trees that bear superior quality fruit in the last 1980s, had produced two superior clones, namely the Laja and Lulong, for commercial planting.

"It is an arduous task because vegetative propagation of the Dabai tree is difficult. It involved many challenging trips to farms in the interior areas where the fruit is cultivated," he said.

The clones begin to bear fruit five years after cultivation, with the initial yield of about 10 kg per tree. This gradually increased to 80-100 kg per tree after the tree reaches 10 years old.

Recently, visitors to the Sarawak AgroFest 2008 held at the State Indoor Stadium were able to savour some of the Dabai on display at a booth put up by the department.

-- BERNAMA

Sunday, November 30, 2008

Blessings

Just for sharing and as a reminder for myself.

Today in Acts Church, Pastor Kenneth Chin highlighted in the begining of his sermon that blessings is not a possession, it's a position (Jeremiah 17:7 onwards).

Jeremiah 17:7-12 (New International Version)
7 "But blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD,
whose confidence is in him.
8 He will be like a tree planted by the water
that sends out its roots by the stream.
It does not fear when heat comes;
its leaves are always green.
It has no worries in a year of drought
and never fails to bear fruit."


How did i ever let this truth slip of my mine. Just with this truth i'll be the happiest person on earth all the time. As said in the Word, know the truth and the truth will set you free (John 8:32). So true... Wow....*speechless*. Everyone who trust in Him is bless, it's a position! So blessed, i can't contain it!


Photo: Terrorist in Grace Kee's wedding! hehe....Just a pic
ture as decor, nothing to do with the current unrest in Mumbai or this post. Chill ~

Wednesday, July 23, 2008

Sacrifice by Bob Fitts

A video clip that penetrates my heart and soul :) Thought of sharing it here. Click here to view it.

Tuesday, July 22, 2008

I went under the SEA!

Redang Bay ,13/7/08. Officially pass my Open Water Diving! *beaming* This exposure to scuba diving has given me another reason to praise Him for what He has created. Can't put the experience in words, there's so much life, colors, nature under the sea. My knowledge on marine life is real poor at this point, so everything to be is very big/big/medium, small or green/blue/red/yellow/purple/white...i have no names for most of the sea creatures i saw, hehe...But i enjoyed meeting them face to face :)

While taking th exam there were moments we were floating/snorkelling on the surface of the ocean, boats that passes us by brings along big waves and soon stirred up my sea sickness. There were nights when i close my eyes to sleep in Redang, i still feel that i'm on a boat, rocking...This rocking feeling only left me when i left the island :p Moral of the story, take the pills! haha...

Some interesting marine life I saw was black tip shark, turtles, blue spotted stingray, cute cute Nemo playing pee-ka-boo, live corals (hard & soft...erm...i dunno the name...too scientific, haha!), jacks, parrot fish, nudi, etc. Time just flew by when i'm underwater, in a moment it's already time to surface and got to wait for the next dive. I only did around 2 dives/day...didnt manage 3 dives due to sea sickness and thanks to jelly fish!

My sworned enemy is JELLY FISH! Got stinged 3 times, the final sting was the one that hurt the most! The mark is still on me although it has been a week dy. I'll revenge by putting them on the dining table --- Jellyfish soup, baked jelly fish, boiled jellyfish, fried jellyfish, stir fried jelly fish, raw jelly fish, ALL of it! Well, maybe i got to take care of Mr.Cholestetol too...can't eat so much :P Kekeke....Such a elegant, graceful and beautiful creature, yet it stings bad!! The sea was flooded with them, like stars in the sky (haha..ok, abit exagerating...but they were uncountable...more than 10 in a glance). Moral of the story again....wear FULL LENGTH wet suit (i only wore half length)!

Friday, June 13, 2008

PoWer in uNiTy

I’ve always yearn to practice in a multidisciplinary approach in combating chronic/acute diseases in hospital/clinic in-patient or out-patient settings. I’m so blessed to be part of CORFIS (out-patient setting) and Nutritional Support Team (in patient setting). I guess God must have known what’s in my heart (before I knew it myself) that He placed me where I am, lead me in meeting the right people and engaging me in the right place.

I’ve “volunteer” (being paid can sitll consider as volunteer ar..?hehe...)to render my service as a service dietitian in CORFIS (Community Based Multiple Risk Factors Intervention Strategy to Prevent Cardiovascular and Chronic Kidney Diseases) since Dec 2007, tomorrow will be the 1st time I’ll be discharging my 1st patient (followed up her for 6 months)! Yipee...! She has been very compliant and has lost weight (from overweight BMI to normal BMI), increased her exercise and now is an independent educated individual on healthy lifestyle. She said something that kept me going, “I’ve never have my blood pressure under control before; this is my 1st time having normal BP”. It was an encouragement for me to carry on this service although it really takes up and Saturday/weekend plans. Our team (doctor, pharmacist, dietitian and nurse) must have did it right.
In the in-patient setting, HKL just started a formal NST (Nutritional Support Team), if not mistaken, March or April 2008. NST consist of a surgeon, a dietitian, a pharmacist, and 2 nurses. A senior dietitian is in that team, but I was blessed indirectly as I was given the opportunity to see it being set up. I was there for the 1st meeting as the secretary. NST only visited surgical and burns unit (which wasn’t under my area). Then, surprisingly, the surgeon had a case in O&G, as it was my area, my senior dietitian in NST told me “Jun, I think I trust you to handle it yourself”, she gave me some advice I hold dear and off I went with the team for a few ward rounds to see the patient as a multidisciplinary approach.
I do have glimpses of idea how multidisciplinary approach in the clinical setting is, both in and out patient. Every day, every minit and every second is precious time for both intervention and also gaining new experience. It really guaranteed a better patient management and patient care outcome. Hope it'll be incorporated soon throughout all clinical setting. Amen!

Saturday, May 31, 2008

The month of May

Yesterday as i hold my punch card, it's pratically empty! Can't imagine i only worked for 2 days in May, which is the 1st working day (2/5/08) and the last working day (30/5/08)! And when i enter my department, a few staff came to a hilarious conclusion..."Jun, u dah kahwin ke? Pergi mana untuk honeymoon?" *sweat* Maybe because i was so glad in a way to be back to see my dear colleagues + staffs and also can't wait to see my long stay patients (can't imagine i actually missed following up them, but also hope they'll be discharged home by the time i'm back).

After 2 weeks of MC and then followed by 2 weeks of induksi for HKL staff in Port Dickson @ PNB Ilham Resort, i almost forget how to pack my stuff for work. Despite a sprained ankle with ligament injuries, i still went for banana boat, jungle trekking, arobics every morning (630-730am), all the telematch in the evening etc. It was fun as it really bring out the inner child of all of us. Looking at all the hospital staffs from doctors, pharmacists, dietitians, speech therapists, audiologists, staff nurses, social workers, sains officers, and a catering officer mingling together, it's really like a BIG family. We pratically throw away all our gelaran and rankings and left our job behind to participate wholeheartedly in every program that was arranged for us. A total of 70 participant all from HKL, really makes a very diverse group of characters, most never saw each other before although we were all from HKL (it's really a big place).

From the boring lectures to some very informative lectures that stretches from day 2 until day 10, to the physical arobics and funny/hilarious telematch by the army, riadah (waterpolo, kayaking and banana boat) and to the time we prepared for exam, 2 weeks just flew by! We were all demanding for another day of cuti induksi lanjutan to our penyelaras on the day of exam, knowing it impossible.

After we came back to KL from PD, the next day in HKL, 10 of us actually gathered for reunion lunch as we were already missing each other's company :) We also visited each other's department, lepak around the hospital, getting to see each other's areas, it just put a smile on my face. Finally i do feel like a big family here besides only knowing my department (which is already around 100 staffs).

Besides learning the core business which is Pekeliling Am and Perintah Am, etc... which gave us a clearer picture of where we are as goverment servants, now, we even have friends from all departments, which it's the biggest wonder from this induksi for me. Ya, there are times when i'll rebel at certain things, just surrender it all to Him and hope i can learn live a life He plans.

Attended Perng Fei & Mey Lih's wedding today. Congrats to the newly wed couple!

~Cheers~

p/s: Didn't make it to Relay For Life...my regret....Will try to make it for once next year.

Monday, May 5, 2008

Ligament Injury

I'm being backslab below knee...makes the mild injury looks so severe...actually i'm still walking/limping before they plaster me up. Once in a lifetime, now i know how it feels being plastered. Given 2 wk mc, dunno whether i'll take 2 wk or less if i'm able to recover fast. Praying for a speedy recovery. Cant wait to release it in 2 weeks time! (maybe after 1 week i'll try to remove & see how is the swelling).

In actual fact, i can swim with 1 leg or even without legs...but i can't walk without 1 leg *sobs*.

p/s: I rather put the fins on than a plaster :p

Life & Action: Start with the end in mind

My blog was really dormant since I’ve started working. Today my 1st time taking medical certificate (mc), due to a sprained ankle (ouch, ouch, OUCH!!!). I really have pain intolerance. Being immobile has stimulated me to blog once again.

So much of life and action I can say since I’ve reported on duty on 18/9/07. I have everyone and especially God to thank for the opportunity given to start off in a good working environment.

Attended some weddings and also lost a close primary school friend, Melissa Tjen Bt. Mohd. Farid on 26/4/08 due to an accident. My 1st friend in primary 1, we sat together for 3 years, was in the same class for 6 years. My condolence to the Tjen closely knitted family. Lost touch with her personally after we left school in Form 5, but kept in touch thru facebook & friendster. I’ll treasure all the sweet memories of our childhood and our growing up. This reminds me to treasure everyday, everyone and every moment. I learned a new “slogan” from Headstart last month, which is “Start with the end in mind”.

Last month I took my 1st breath underwater! That was fun! For my 1st breath I actually breath with the regulator in my mouth above water (wasn’t too sure whether it’ll really provide me the air I need), haha! Was being cautious…then WALA! It did!! Then immediately I submerged myself and took the 1st breath underH20! Now I really trust it…there was once I actually took a breath underwater without knowing I’ve removed the regulator and I choked! Guess I thought I have gills! I’m really looking forward to my open water test end of May. Finally I’ll be able to see God’s creation in the underwater world, keeping fingers cross! Will enclose some pictures next time :)