Tuesday, July 14, 2009

Giving liver to save life 無條件捐肝助陌生人‧周虹伶展現大愛

Let me try to translate the title with my little knowledge (and improving) Mandarin.

"Giving liver to save life, never mind the Mercedes scar"
"Chew Hoong Ling with big heart"
(not sure if I am correct...)



無條件捐肝助陌生人‧周虹伶展現大愛


星洲日報/大都會‧2009.07.12

15年前,剛升上中學的周虹伶在閱讀了捐贈器官的文章後,就做出要捐贈器官的決心;15年後,周虹伶通過互聯網知道14歲的李安祺需要肝臟後,正式踏出捐贈器官的第一步。

從決定捐肝後,周虹伶從醫生口中知道其身上會留下難以磨滅的“馬賽地疤痕”,但她沒有因此而退縮,反而更勇敢地堅持這個念頭。

後來,在朋友鼓勵下,周虹伶萌起要把捐贈器官的心路歷程紀錄下來的念頭,有關書籍將在明年推出,希望藉此鼓勵更多人加入捐贈器官行列,把器官捐贈給有需要的人。

(15 years ago, Chew Hoong Ling after pledging organs, planned to donate organ even if while still alive and 15 years after, she got a chance to give part of her liver to Lee An Qi)


周虹伶在踏出捐贈器官第一步後,希望可以通過自身經歷來勉勵更多人填寫捐贈器官卡,以協助更多需要幫助的人。(圖:星洲日報)

愛閱佛書
自修爪哇語

周虹伶在吉隆坡出生,由於父母都是上班族,所以她從小被寄養在親戚家,直到父母在她4歲離異後,她就住在安順的姑媽家。

由於姑丈是基督徒,所以周虹伶從6歲開始就隨姑丈到教堂去,但這也沒有影響她是佛教徒的信仰觀念。

升上中學時,周虹伶加入佛教會,並開始翻閱佛教書籍。她通過佛教會內的佛教刊物開始認識佛教,也體認到佛教不只是燒香拜拜,加上她從刊物中得到鼓勵,所以她趁華文課到圖書館自修的時段自修爪哇語。

(Since parents divorced at age 4, she stays at her aunt's house. Since 6 years old, Hoong Ling went to church and eventually discovered Buddhism only in secondary school where she also joins Buddhist Association.)

(**Since I cant read Chinese, so during Chinese classes, a few of my classmates and I were sent to the library - from there I learnt Jawi)

在短短的一年內,周虹伶學會看和寫爪哇字後,也通過互聯網的便利閱讀經翻譯的可蘭經,開始嘗試理解回教教義,並在進入學院求學時連續4年隨同馬來同胞進行齋戒,直到後來因胃部不適後,才在親友勸阻下停止齋戒。

(In about a year, Hoong Ling mastered bahasa jawa **truth is Jawi words** and then went on to read Al Quran and even fast during Ramadhan for 4 years. It was when gastric problems started that she then stopped) **If this year I still can't fast, it will be the 9th year not fasting**

隨著認識商人阿納斯朱比迪後,周虹伶對阿納斯能掌握多種語言,通曉英文、國語、福建話及少許淡米爾文的本領感到佩服,也開始學習淡米爾文,要更拉近和印度朋友們的距離。

(After knowing entrepreneur, Anas Zubedy and impressed with his ability to speak English, Malay, Hokkien and some Tamil, Hoong Ling also learns Tamil to stay closer with Indian friends. **Truth is I learnt Tamil during schooldays)



年幼的周虹伶(後左2)雖常常出入教堂,卻沒有成為教徒,選擇皈依佛教,法名偉義。(圖:星洲日報)

啟發更多人
響應捐器官

中學時期,周虹伶在閱讀佛教書籍時,發現一個和尚以“捐贈的喜悅”主題寫了一則文,其中提到捐贈器官,讓她也想仿效,於是就在諮詢父親意見後,填寫願意捐贈器官的表格。

那時候,周虹伶也參與扶少團,並在主辦捐血活動時,順便推廣填寫捐贈器官表格。周虹伶才發現,很多人都不知道捐贈器官的存在和其作用,於是她就不時趁機會推廣捐贈器官卡,讓更多人加入願意捐贈器官的行列。

沒想到在填了捐贈器官表的多年後,周虹伶居然在因緣巧合下接到求助信件,她坦言在捐出器官前也面對害怕和憂慮,但她最終一一克服,總算圓了她要助人的心願。

手術後,周虹伶在家休養了一段頗長的日子,除了趁機調養身體外,也沉澱思緒,向未來出發。

(In secondary school, Hoong Ling read an article on Joy of Giving in a book about organ donation and decided to pledge organs. When organising an organ and blood donation campaign after that, she realised many people do not know about organ donation. **I can't really understand the rest)

青年船計劃
改變人生

中學畢業後,周虹伶到吉隆坡報讀資訊系統科學課程,期間受邀參與電視台BICARA SISWA清談節目,因說得一口流利的國語而被大馬電視台相中,在2002年至2004年主持《大馬早安》(SELAMAT PAGI MALAYSIA)節目。

(After high school, Hoong Ling continued studies in Kuala Lumpur and was invited as panel speaker for Bicara Siswa talk show and eventually became TV Presenter for Selamat Pagi Malaysia from 2002 to 2004)

2003年期間,周虹伶在機緣巧合下,經過重重過關斬將的難關後,和27個青少年代表馬來西亞參與“東南亞青年之船交流計劃”

(Ship for Southeast Asian Youth Programme),擔任大馬青少年大使,到新加坡、雅加達、曼谷、馬尼拉和日本去進行文化交流,體會不同國度的民情風俗。

由於當時還是《大馬早安》主持人,所以周虹伶每到一個地方就會嘗試和電視台連線,讓觀眾知道她的去向。

(In 2003, she was hand-picked by government to be ambassador on board the ship for Southeast Asian Youth Programme.)

長達兩個月的東南亞青年船計劃改變了周虹伶的人生,也成為影響她一生的轉折點。除了可以到多個國家觀光外,也讓她結識了來自11個國家的年輕人,大家互相分享人生觀,豐富了她的見聞。

雖已事隔多年,但周虹伶至今仍和部份團員保持聯繫。

(In that 2 months of the programme, it has changed Hoong Ling's life - other than "holidaying" in 5 countries, she also meet youths from 11 countries.)

姓名:周虹伶
年齡:29歲
故事:她雖然是一個平凡的女子,可是卻有無私的大愛精神,願意無條件捐助器官給陌生人,也希望自己的經驗可以鼓勵他人填寫捐贈器官卡,協助更多需要幫助的人。

星洲日報/大都會‧2009.07.12


周虹伶從小就膽量驚人,就算不會游泳,也敢在救生圈上隨水漂流。(圖:星洲日報)

http://search.sinchew-i.com/node/368779

Saturday, July 11, 2009

Gulai Tempoyak for CNY reunion dinner

How many Chinese family will have Gulai Tempoyak on the dining table for Chinese New Year reunion dinner? We have it every year except for the past 3 years. My family enjoys gulai tempoyak very much and we could take the gravy as if we're drinking soup. If you only have that dish and nothing else, we can eat that with rice for 3 days 3 nights, for all 3 meals!

Everytime we cook for Chinese New Year, we will cook a whole bigggggggg pot and then keep having it for 3 days. The rest of it will be kept in containers in freezer. Relatives from Australia and US will bring back the frozen gulai tempoyak. They will just melt it, boil it, add prawns to it and enjoy!

What the heck is gulai tempoyak? Tempoyak is fermented durians. We will take the flesh of durians and mix it with a little sugar and some salt, leave it overnight to allow it to ferment. Then the whole bottle can be kept in the refridgerator for... hmm... a year! Don't think "yucks!", think yogurt! Durian yogurt, anyone?

For the past 3 years (3 seems to be the lucky number in this post, hmmm), however, that dish vanishes from our reunion dinner table. Somehow, it was said to be tedious to prepare and difficult to get nice tempoyak.

Imagine torturing the taste buds for whole 3 years. It then prompted me to learn cooking it. FIRST I am super lucky to have my aunt kept a whole recipe book - recipes from my Amah (my uncle's mother whom I grew up along with) and the treasure was kept. I copied the recipe and tried about a year ago and SUCCEEDED! Since then, I have cooked 3 times. (3 seems to be just the number!)

Last week, my cousin, Colin, came. Amah was his grandmother. I grew up with 2 cousins - Colin and Kok Wai. Kok Wai stays about 5km away from my house now so we are closer to each other. Colin will stay at Wai's house so since the childhood siblings are having a get-together, I decided to dirty my hands in the kitchen again.



2 Timun (Cucumber)


About 17 dried chillies, 3 fresh red chilli, 3 serai


half a rice bowl of shallots


Prawns - udang sebanyak-banyaknyerrr - my favourite. Have to cut down though as the cholesterol level increased.


Everything prepared..... wait for me after work ya...


The results - gulai tempoyak udang! This time too watery - sigh... next month will cook again. Practise makes perfect!