http://www.kids-with-cameras.org

This org was set up by Zana Briski to help kids like the ones in Calcutta, athough the senario is different the situation is the same.

from this website, i found out that most of the kids from her class are all now in school and doing very well and thier future will forever changed from thier own hard work.

My fav kid avijit is now in the us...speaking perfect american english...:D.

And to my suprise, this org did some work with the garbage kids in Cairo....cairo is massive garbage bin and pll are living withing this garbage..its their life, they are a community known as "Zaballen" or "garbage collector". They too have kids are certain that thier future are being a zabellen...and this was noticed by the org.

Im sorry that i missed this..it was done over the summer. I wished i had known.

I wish all of them well...God BLess.

http://www.kids-with-cameras.org/aboutthekids/
http://www.kids-with-cameras.org/cairo/

Born into Brothels

Since my back has been killing me the gym is out of the question...(i don't know where these back ache comes from...had it for 3 days now..:( going to have it checked out on Saturday )i have been at home...yes updating my blog, watching greys anatomy, finished up season 4 nip tuck ( the docs are moving to LA ...woohoo...i bet u it will be more screwed) and of coz lazing in front of the telly...iw as flipping channels and i came across this movie...1st of all the title was pretty interesting...born into brothels.
The title may sound R-rated, but this movie made me giggle,laugh and cry all together.

This movie its nothing of a R-rated movie, its a movies about how these kids from Calcutta India go about their daily lives in red light district.Most of them are the child from prostitution's...either their mum is working the line..or their grandma is working...almost all hey female family members has been in the line one time in their life. Its almost cynical..these kids..are aware of whats going on they know that the guys will come to their house a.k.a the liquor house and get drunk..then get a woman and give her some money to spend time with him..

Its great to see that these kids are soo positive about like yet they know what their future is going to like, they are soo mature yet soo innocent in their tiny little world and its great what Zana Briski aka Zana Auntie( the film maker and what the kids calls her) did by teaching them photography was an excellent idea..u see their live thru the lenses and the photos they take...some neither me or anyone else can capture with out d80 or d200 their photos are genuine and sincere.I must say its very noble what she did.

This movie is seen thru their eyes...every kid is special in their own way but every single oe of them are talented!..my fav kid is Avijit.

I just hope these kids make it thru life...and not follow the path of their parents.

Again, it makes us realise how lucky we are and for fortunate our kids are...

This movies is highly recommended....im looking if theres anymore stories of these kids...it will be interesting to know whats going with them now..


:D

ello..elllo...ellllo....back in Cairo again...

as much as i dread leaving KL and coming back to Cairo, i must say im happy to be at home again...i actually do miss the house..not cairo excuse me! although i wish that we stayed n KL longer 3 weeks just flew like a wind...i managed to see everyone i wanted to see...ate everything i wanted to eat..bought what i wanted to buy maybe bought alittle too much (we were 15Kg overweight at the airport!!!) but still wasnt enuff...but i guess it will never be enuff if u balik kampung!.Most of all im glad that everything went well and now we miss everyone again..uhuk..uhuk...

the 1st couple of days back here..bubbles kept asking for aatok...aatok...i guess she is too little to understand that she just been on a 10 hours flght to be with them and now she is back at home...:D. She progressed alot back home...her vocab is great now..she has learn alot of new words...and of course picked u new habits too :D.

managed to go to penang for 4 days before we left and it was great!!.the hotel was lovely...thanks lis for recommending and the weather was just perfect..lucky we didnt liste to the jabatan kajicuaca malaysia..kekekkeke....we didnt do much sideseeing but we did do the penang hills..the tropical spice garden,the kandar rampage and the rest was just spend at the hotel..relaxing! i think safeia enjoyed it the most! she even when on the horse riding!

http://www.lonepinehotel.com/lph/index.htm

The Best Ever Banana Cake

we always have over ripe banana at home, coz caveman is a banana maniac and so is bubbles..me..im so so...i have my moods. Usually i make cokodok with the banana, but today i decided that ill make banana cake. i havent had a banana cake for a long time..mama use to make them and they use to be gone in a split seconds..:D.

so i google for a recipe this morning and i came across this recipe..its suppose to b the best ever banana cake..and it is..its a little bit different then what my mum use to make but its yum...with the frosty topping...even yummier..


The Best Ever Banana Cake
*courtesy Recipezaar*

3/4 cup butter
2 1/8 cups sugar
3 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
3 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups buttermilk ( i used normal milk )
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 1/2 cups mashed ripe bananas ( 2 big bananas )

Frosting
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
3 1/2 cups icing sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
chopped walnuts


1. Preheat oven to 200 degC
2. Grease and flour a 9 x 13 pan.
3. In a small bowl, mix mashed banana with the lemon juice; set aside.
4. In a medium bowl, mix flour, baking soda and salt; set aside.
5. In a large bowl, cream 3/4 cup butter and 2 1/8 cups sugar until light and fluffy.
6. Beat in eggs, one at a time, then stir in 2 tsp vanilla.
7. Beat in the flour mixture alternately with the buttermilk.
8. Stir in banana mixture.
9. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake in preheated oven for one hour or until toothpick inserted in centre comes out clean.
10. Remove from oven and place directly into the freezer for 45 minutes.
11. This will make the cake very moist.
12. For the frosting, cream the butter and cream cheese until smooth.
13. Beat in 1 tsp vanilla.
14. Add icing sugar and beat on low speed until combined, then on high speed until frosting is smooth.
15. Spread on cooled cake.
16. Sprinkle chopped walnuts over top of the frosting, if desired.

Its raining in cairo!!!

I don't believe it....its actually raining!!! I've been here for almost 4 months and I've never seen a drop of rain til today....how exciting! the temp now its 28 degC...beginning to feel like home now..:D

Mama dearest Kuah Kacang & Lontong

What would i do without my mama..i would be pretty helpless. I called her up raya eve to ask for these recipe...i cant be home so i was determine to bring home here.:D

who knows i might still need it for next year...uwaaaaaa i hope not!!!

i was salving myself in the kitchen to make these well at least the kuah kacang..but it was worth ed!

Kuah Kacang ( Peanut Sauce )

1 kg peanuts - fried with no oil unti brown, skin removed and crushed to small peices (you could also put i the FP and pulse it til its crushed but not grounded)

A.
25 peice of cili kering (more if ulike it spicy)
3in ginger
6 cloves garlic
6 shallots or 2 big red onions

Blend all this ingredients together.

B.
4 tsp oil
5 stalk of serai/lemon grass, bruised
3/4 cup of asam jawa (tamarind juice)
4 cups of water
Salt to taste
8 teaspoon of Sugar (add this bit by bit until u got the taste u want)

Fry Mix.A until naik bau and garing
Once u see the oil starting to float, add the air assam jawa and water and serai.
Let it boiled for about 5 mins and add the crushed kacang/peanuts in with salt and sugar to taste.



Lontong (Sayur Lodeh)


2 terung (cut in small peices)
a bunch of long bean or green beans (slice thinly)
3 medium carrot (sliced)
2 packet of tempe (slight fried)
2 packet of tofu (slight fried)
6 clove garlic
2 big red onions
2 inch of kunyit hidup or powder if u dont have any
4 cups of water
2 tsp of oil
1 can of thick coconut milk
salt and sugar to taste
1 maggi vegie cube (optional)

1. Blend the garlic,onion,kunyit together with 1 cup of water. Then tumis/fried til naik bau.
2. Then masukkan air, garam and gula
3. Once boiling add, carrots, terung,beans,tempe and tofu
4. Let it boil for about 5 mins and add n the coconut milk and vegie cube(optional)and boil until for another 10 to 15 mins.

And thats done!

A windy day....winter is comin!

i open the window just now and there was a gush of cold wind blowing to my face...and it actually chilly outside...even blew all the papers on the table. This is quite interesting actually...winter in cairo. bring out the boots gals!!! i wander where are all my winter clothes..hmmmmm...anyway..its been 5 yrs since i bought a proper coat maybe ill get a new one in KL..

its been a good week so far...im still tired from the excitement before hari raya..and now its pay back time! my lontong and kuah kacang was a success woohoo...who would have thot i can make it...i didnt! i still hav two containers of kuah kacang i hope they last til fridy..we invited some frens over for makan on friday and im still figuring out whats the menu gonna be.

so far this is what i have in mind:-

1.Dessert - carrot cake, choc cake and maybe a trifle
2.Foodies - rendang,ketupat,kauh kacang, nasi tomato and ayam pedas..maybe a pasta dish.

thats all i have so far..1st of all kene learn how to make ketupat! todays mission..haha