Penang Char Koay Teow - Fallacies, Mislabels and Essentials

Sydney can be lovely, but I do miss authentic Penang Char Koay Teow, which I must emphasise is a Hokkien or Fujian or Chiuzhou street food delight and not a Straits Chinese or Nyonya dish.CKT, or literally stir fried rice noodles, has humble origins, prepared only when you are ready to eat and makes use of the experience and skills of the ladle stirrer, cooked on a well fortified metal contraption that has been seasoned and heated through the years.  Ideally, charcoal fire is best to bring out the taste and texture of this dish.Those rice noodles prepared several hours ago and served from a hot plate at food courts or even some so called restaurants, do not qualify to be called Penang CKT.Whether you use more of dark soy sauce, or the lighter version, can be due to personal preference, but for Penangites, we do not serve the CKT looking well dosed with dark soy sauce, like in Singapore and Johor, where they have a dish called Orr Koay Teow.To deserve to be called Penang CKT, the following must be observed.The stir fry narrow rice noodles have a caramelised bite to them.Dark soy sauce does not permeate the dish, but oyster and light soy sauces are used with a finesse.There is an appetising  sensation of wok heat when the dish is served.The strength of chillies or chilli paste used do not over whelm the essential taste of this dish.Even for basic versions found in Penang, there are Chinese chives, small slices of Lap Cheong or Cantonese sausage, several small prawns, bean sprouts, shucked cockles, thin fish cake slices and scrambled eggs.Do not fall however for the hype of fancy seafood like a few scallops or king prawns thrown into the mix.Oh yes, the outcome of eggs well stirred with the rice noodles in a quality Penang CKT is most significant.   Whether the dish served to you makes the grade depends on the mastery of how the chef combines the right texture of scrambled eggs with the optimal bite of the rice noodles.Hen eggs will do and duck eggs can be used for other recipes.There is no need to have flourish by the chef dancing around his or her wok, but another test is the aroma swelling up in your nostrils even before when the dish is ready.   You can literally follow your nose to the right coffee shop with a yummy Penang CKT on the island.The source of the flavour or aroma may not be too encouraging for the fastidiously health conscious.  It is the basic pork lard bits that set the tone for the caramelisation of a yummy Penang CKT dish  -  think of Prosciutto strips used to get the Italian dish going.   Pork is considered non- Kosher or Haram and so you may come across non pork lard versions especially in Muslim majority Malaysia.You can get yummy versions in Penang from an equivalent range of Aud 2 to 4 per serve, cheaper than a cup of barista made coffee.In comfy hotel surroundings with attentive staff, you can have yourPenang Char Koay Teow in Malaysia for an average price of Aud 12 per plate.In Australian capital cities, there can be hype in the pricing and making of street food like Penang CKT.   In Canberra, I have come across a basic version priced at Aud 23, and a joint in Haymarket, Sydney offers the dish for as high as Aud 33 per plate with some King Prawns.Penang CKT is recognised as an iconic dish of the island.It is intertwined with childhood memories, comforting moments and a unique persona.   It can be breakfast, supper or lunch.  It is the little reward after a long day's work, over coming a challenge or just an excuse to gather with family or mates.It is not the vehicle to drive excessive profit margins, even if I appreciate the costs of rental and labour in today's food retail.  Never fall for Penang CKT sellers who charge more for adding in seafood or so called market expensive ingredients.If the plate served to you consists of limp noodles, looks so dark and is obviously not made fresh five minutes ago, reject it immediately, as it is not Penang CKT.

A Sort of Christmas Message

CHRISTMAS 2019

My long time gardener, Glenn, has moved on to different pursuits.   I have cut down the stocks at my home food pantry  - in fact, I even managed to change my 

day-to-day nutrition, on a consistent basis, for some time now.    There seems to be more choice in contemporary society, but it has not meant a rise in in the quality of what has been offered.   The fish in my home tank are weary hardy, continuing to do their swims, both horizontal wise and vertically, providing me, still, with some measure of inspiration.

The 90 minute long commute by train to the Sydney Basin gets increasingly crowded.  Some commuters selfishly continue to prevent others from sitting next to them on three seat rows.  Those who deserve seats for a rather long commute have to stand or ask the more able to move over.   Occasionally, there are signs of human civility in public but ethical standards are lowering or people are not talking at all to each other but staring at their portable screens.

Such train rides are useful real life laboratories that showcase the best or worst of human behaviour.

I still drop by to visit specific neighbours once a week, maintaining our friendship face to face.   Mates observe that there is more gusto in my step.   There have been scandals and minor dramas in my resident village, but such is the vibe of human habitation.    Yet there is so easy communication with the world beyond my village.

Once again, I came across iced landscapes, hazy skies and little rainfall.   Bondi,Watsons Bayand North Sydney returned to my life with getaways and chill outs with good mates.   I loved walking at twilight at these places, feeling the outdoors, appreciating the changing ambiance and enjoying the company.

The persistent ageing of infrastructure in my adopted city was punctuated by the opening of a gleaming new metro line not far from my previous suburb, but it can still be disheartening to have to put up with the quality of the rest of public facilities.     Public toilets are not kept clean, a shame that Australian attitudes bear when compared to what we find in Japan, Singapore and China.  What a visitor first sees – the airport, main rail stations and roadsides with litter for example - can be embedded in their impressions no matter what the related excuse is.   

Eating out has cost more this past year, no matter what the inflation statistics issued by Canberra tell me.   What was originally street food is now charged by some at exorbitant prices. There are more barista styled cafes in the Illawarra  - does that mean there are more coffee drinkers?   

Restaurants that are not top class can still put up minimum spend requirements on customers. Specific eating outlets, churning out food that are not particularly inspiring, can still impose limits on the length of time you occupy a table, as the owners insist on having three revenue sessions per evening.   Yum charestaurant cashiers can unashamedly ask for tips when you pay the bill.   Wait staff can carry fancy laptops to take your order but may not be sufficiently well trained when interacting with customers.   The personal space between meal tables can get too close when operators pay expensive rents.   China town in Haymarket is dominated by other demographics and cuisine  - no longer Cantonese.    The food business is still pockmarked by underpayment to staff, lots of hype and high rental costs.

Commercial food in parts of the Sydney Basin became more East Asian, highlighted by such exotics like Mala Tang(spicy numbing soups) and more outlets of bubble tea and Taiwan dessert.    I seem to consume more east Asian, Greek and Italian culinary instead of my intended favourites of Spanish,  Sri Lankan and Serbian.     Oh yes, there were several occasions of savouring those Portuguese custard tarts and sashimi.

Hong Kong Palace, first Cantonese restaurant of some standard in my region closed down after several months.   There have been recent closures of my other fav restaurants  - Botolliin Burwood, Cornersmithin Marrickville, Sha Keein Woollaware, Costa Azzurain Fairy Meadow.     Yet at the same time, I rediscovered the inherent joys of crafted cheese in Sydney’s Shire, fusion at BillsBondi, contemporary styled Korean bakeries in Eastwood and home cooking.

Has the outside world become more risky and dangerous?   Every generation of Earth time has faced its peculiar set of scenarios.  Mankind may have been good at bettering technology, but has to improve in acting beyond both individual and collective selfish egos and narrow mindsets.   Every news event can be boiled down to this inherent cause.    We are not unique, we are just an animal species that got real lucky in competition with other life forms.  

The balance of power amongst nations has shifted.  Managing this optimally requires visionary leadership, sufficient time and new ideas.   Perhaps the more things change, the more remains the same.   May I wish you and family the best of this festive season.

Kindly Yours,

Kevin Yong 

If You Are Relocating

As the contemporary world offers continued mobility, physical entry across national borders also face increasing restrictions. Yet technology frees up such constrictions across the world while at the same time provides greater control within a country.

The human spirit thrives on migration - across economic, spiritual, intellectual, cultural, political and military platforms.

On the cusp of 2020, would you leave where you have grown up or stayed for so long to move to another part of the world?

Would you consider relocating to a so called remote part of Earth, seemingly far from most of humankind's problems, or still prefer to be close to world centres of activity?

We see that the apple falls near the tree, but so do lemons. Centuries of human attachment to a place of heritage, whether as an individual or community, are still challenged by the vibes, reality and consequences of invasion, discrimination, oppression and economic disadvantage.

If you had to select a different nation to move to in the next 12 months, what criteria would you utilise?

1. Economic opportunity and improvement at the personal and family level.

2. A more innovative mindset in business, education and social order.

3. Less chance of personal involvement in warfare.

4. Less risks of experiencing violence in the community, whether through better social relationships, less access to weapons or due to better cultural bonds.

5. Better quality of health care.

6. Relevance to the preferred cultural and religious environment.

7. Higher emphasis on kindness, shared values and pastoral care in society.

8. Lifestyle requirements, for example, in choice of climate, more urbanised environments, countryside access, eco friendly regimes or commuting arrangements.

9. The level of personal expression and rights as allowed by authorities.

10. The pace of social infrastructure developments and responsiveness in community affairs.

11. Continuing relationship with and access to original country.

12. The quality of technological facilities and enablers.

#yongkevthoughts

In the Event of War, for Australia

In the event of war, how would Australia possibly be affected?

The natural resources of Western Australia come to mind. Would a foreign power eye and corral this rich bed of minerals which Nature has endowed upon this land, particularly in the State's north and centre?

The significant numbers of tertiary students paying full fees to our universities cannot be under estimated in times of military conflict. Will they be recalled home, dabble in political matters here or remain neutral in a time of war?

The extensive coastlines in our nation's north can become more vulnerable and risky, especially when not many of our naval, land and air forces are based there, apart from Darwin.

Will there be questions raised about naturalised Australians who come from diverse multi-cultural backgrounds, or will they be embraced for political loyalty?

Will Australia have adequate and relevant types of military equipment in a holistic sense, especially in relation to our smaller population? Can we measure up in defending ourselves to manage cyber wars, ensure protection of our energy requirements, or have enough food stockpiles and fuel?

Do Canberra and the states have a sufficient strategic plan to protect the interests of Australia first, as compared to how Australia joined wars historically to fight proxy wars for other aligned nations?

Will Australia fight for ideology, in places far from home?

Will parts of Australia become battle grounds to serve the interests of other powers, instead of its own?

#yongkevthoughts

Passing Thoughts Too

Perfumes and aromatics used to be found only in uptown counters of elegant retail outlets. Now they are also sold in warehouse environments.

There was an opportunity to develop, practise and enjoy the art of conversation when using the phone. Now misspellings, acronyms and graphics are used for instant communication.

A beauty of a business starts to go downhill when the fancy exceeds the substance, when the greed subsides the inspiration and when demand is taken for granted.

The masses can only suffer so long, before the heavens churn to bring in a new order in human society.

Soon customers will no longer mind paying more for services which interact with just human beings.

Try to be like Earth's Moon, consistently reflecting the light when you can, even if others choose to harp over the dark side, for which you have no say in.

Uniqueness can be celebrated if they bring positive outcomes. The herd mentality can be consuming, addictive and falsely comforting.

Approach is everything.

Run when you can, even when you just smell the hint of a train wreck in the air.

Having too much choice can be a prison unto itself. A purposeful structure in life can be rewarding.

#yongkevthoughts

The News

What the news media ignores, or omits. For example, how strong those umbrellas are folded out and used in street protests in Hong Kong. I wonder who manufactures them.

How news can be repeated throughout the day, whether anyone is tuning in or paying any attention to them.

How sensational news is prioritised over good news.

How advertorials continue to be blatantly pushed through in news items, without respecting the intelligence of the recipient.

How breakfast shows can thrive with the unimportant, the trivial and in rush hour of early morning.

Why there is a proliferation of read news at set times of the day or night, when the public wants to be able to access the news at their own leisure.

How the agendas of broadcasters and web site publishers reinforce the attitudes and mindsets of people who already think alike, instead of opening their mindsets.

How news can be faked, how authentic news can be twisted, and how facts can be selectively argued.

How news can be emphasised according to culture, lifestyle and ignorance of the target audience.

How local news still dominates in a more globalised and inter-dependent world.

How broadcast news just increasingly makes us listen to what we want to hear anyway.

How news is often seen or interpreted through the goggles of the political spectrum.

How personal opinion is presented as news.

How news is withheld, crafted or selected.

#yongkevthoughts

Advertisements

Advertisements!

Are they the bane of website readers or media viewers, forced upon us, or allowed to be skipped, whether on a You Tube vid or during the finale of a sporting event or more.

Commercial parties with large funding ability still churn out so called unique editions of ads aimed at millions of potential viewers, presumed all tuning in at the same moment. This defies the ability of target consumers to view at their own leisure, on separate media platforms and on reshared channels.

Do advertisements work by playing on our emotions when purchasing the products or services focused on? Do our products really live up to the hype of the emotion suggested in the ads?

What have advertisements become?

Customers can get turned off when the marketing and selling are put in their face. So subtleness and indirect influence have begun to be utilised, hiding behind other formats.

Advertorials now appear more often on so called news bulletins, especially when there is nothing much to report for the day. The most blatant use of such techniques is evident on breakfast shows, whether visual or audio. Advertorial techniques are also increasingly used by You Tubers sponsored by undisclosed or transparently mentioned sponsors.

Businesses are therefore using celebrity social media stars to help sell.

This approach combines the power of fan obsession, feel good experience and apparent independent validation of services or products in cyberspace.

There was a time when unsuspecting party goers were interacting with cool dudes or charming gals planted by sponsors to promote things. The trick by these paid influencers was to not make your target market feel they were directly being influenced.

Every one loves to have a pleasant experience. Applying psychology is a significant tool in sales techniques. The art of the successful deal is not just to persuade new buyers to try, but to obtain customers satisfied sufficiently and willingly to return to buy.

So one may reckon that returning customers are surely rewarded. No, the pressure by contemporary businesses these days seems to achieve results by getting new customer numbers, instead of showing appreciation to existing and retained loyal customers.

This churn technique can stress out staff who have to sell more and obtain new names of customers. Sectors involved in this manner are banking, utilities, telecommunications, direct selling, travel, education and more - it permeates the daily life of modern society.

Indirect advertorials can appear as well in feedback by rating agencies, social media opinions, hype of so called public opinion, fake news campaigns and reinforcement campaigns by parties targeting on groups of people who think alike.The level of trust for advertisements can vary. 

Together with the current lowering of respect for society's institutions like banking, government and more, how can marketing and sales move beyond the well and tired ad, in whatever form they come from?

Having catchy, unconventional and humorous ads may no longer have their desired effect. Visual repetition was thought to create indirect, hypnotic suggestions for people to try a product or service.

In the end, the quality, consistency and practicality of your product or service and pist sale customer engagement continue to be most critical. Do not underestimate your market to not identify a lemon in the long run.

Do not fool your customers, when interacting with them, with a reality far removed from the promise of your ad.

#yongkevthoughts

That Hand Held Device

Do we change smart phone, computer and electronic screen models and pads more often than our smartest wardrobe?

At the end of each calendar year, the major electronic screen device makers launch new models, new shows, new buzz.    Software and App providers add more fancy and content to ensure we require more operating power and capacity to run them.   Screen devices have become more useful to capture, send and store images rather than be used for oral communication. 

Don't we text or image more than talk to other people in our daily lives?  Each of us listens more attentively to the ting from a software App than from a telephone ring. 

We cannot help to check our electronic devices several times a day, as we store and rely more on that hand held gadget more than on a physical folder, the desktop or our bag.   We can access daily used information on that small device that increasingly costs more than the rate of inflation each year.   When we travel, we only need a passport and a mobile phone  - the travel ticket, money wallets and any other documentation are electronically stored on that hand held screen.

When we cross barriers, whether they are airport checks or transport fares, increasingly all we need to do is tap with our smart phone.  So called Millennials do not pack much when they roam, around the world on business or leisure  - and demand more enabling screen devices.   Commercial businesses do not ask for paper copies, only screen versions.

Human kind loves to adopt the fusion of our flesh, blood and mind to artificial intelligent machines, not just for health, but for all aspects of the life cycle - buying, selling, entertainment, communication, mobility, hired help, financial transactions and more.

We do rely more on the energy needed to run Apps, bluetooth, Wi-Fi and linking the internet of things.   

Do we pause to think about the resources utilised to make new models, new equipment and new features?

What happens to the increasing mountain of discarded models, some as new as only two years old?

It is more captivating and fun to check the contents of your hand held device than to go through a file of papers. 

#yongkevthoughts

More Than A Train Ride

Yesterday afternoon, I had a most unexpected catch up with an ex colleague on the train from Sutherland.

It was positively delightful. It was encouraging. We smiled.

We eased off our own separate individual concerns for the day. It was something that money cannot buy.

Fortunately it was not a quiet carriage that we were sitting in.

Scott and I quickly got in to easy conversation, even if we have not caught up for a few years. We talked of over coming challenges that crop up inevitably in our career and personal timelines. 

I learned how Scott transformed and changed whatever recent lemons were thrown his way. He spoke of how his young family adapted and supported the things he had to do to navigate from a discouraging environment to one where now he finds he can optimally practise his professional passion with engaging work team members and bosses.

He had to make sacrifices along the way but he never wavered. On a 50 minute train ride, I was inspired, moved and became stronger myself. What positive building energy was he transferring to me...

We do unexpectedly meet angels in surprising forms. I have learnt more than ever to not take such encounters for granted. They can fly in and touch your inner heart when I was not expecting any thing uplifting.

Throughout it all, I was reminded of the personal strengths and inner attitudes that Scott always possessed, from the first day I got to know him. Life is a journey for each of us to navigate, but it is made better by people like him.

Lurking Dangers In Over Using Cyberspace

There is nothing free for convenient access to Apps and information from the Web.

Something is taken by us inevitably for something else seemingly so amazingly without cost.

How much of yourself are you willing to give up, and how much of this can come back to bite you?    It is not just privacy, integrity, dependency, addiction and vulnerability that we are at risk of. There are health risks with over use of eyes and slack posture when dealing with mobile and desktop devices.

Human invented tech and devices have shown a long track record of being abused and misused, apart from bringing benefits.    The inter-connectivity of various smart devices can amplify the risks arising from just using one. 

On the other hand, it is not a zero sum game between us individuals and the powers that rule us in cyberspace.   The latter obviously make use of us, but how can we make use of them as well?   As with any danger, the first step is to realise and acknowledge. 

Then comes the greatest risk of all, to do nothing on our part. I observe users and the media continue to wallow in known risks, but carry on irregardless of the progress of the dangers posed. 

We continue to add more Apps, get reminders to update systems, rely on data tracking websites in our daily lives and get distracted by fancy gadgets which can work on the basis that they did not fully tell us the truth.

Our individual relaxation, commercial and usage patterns begin to be controlled by forces we normally do not want to be acquainted with.  Just like news of drug busts by authorities, the frequency of data hacking on a massive scale shows that reported incidents are really just the tip of the iceberg of events.   

Don't you want back a world which does not know so much of your identity, inner thoughts, activities and joy? 

Don't you want a world where aggressive, greedy and fraudulent intentions cannot continue so much to exploit you?

I have read unrequited, unnecessary, sensational and divisive comments, information and feedback on social media.   

A good first step in responding to this dangerous world is to moderate use of the mechanisms by which we are being exploited.

Use less Apps, less internet search engines, less storage mechanisms that deliver convenience but can disappear in the Cloud.   Always back up critical and significantly important data elsewhere in non-digital form.

Diversify your usage, storage, identity and communication activity across all fronts and do not put all your proverbial eggs in one basket. Over dependence can lead to obsession and higher risks.

Balance your lifestyle away from over interactions with machines, artificial intelligence and robots to deal more with humans and Nature.

Increase the use of your own brain, thinking and intelligence in various aspects of your own life.

Increase your self realisation and recognition of hype in the promotion of more products, newer models and temporary fun on a regular basis.

Where possible, go direct to the source of information and assistance. Be wary of middle parties and brokers lurking in cyberspace.

Get more healthy sensations elsewhere instead of overly depending on wi-fi. 

Feel the love of your pet, look up to the sky, just talk with family and friends face to face or learn a craft, instead of constantly just pressing our thumbs on electronic devices.

Plant something natural, watch it grow and enjoy its harvests. 

I assure you the experience can be better than keeping track of the number of likes on an App.

Always be mindful that cyberspace tech is a tool to be utilised by us - and not the other way around.


#yongkevthoughts