Kota Bharu- A well blended mixture of culture and faith.
Imagine the mosque of Chinese architecture and not forgetting the strong Thai culture influence. 

Eating Fish may boost eye health

Older adults who eat fatty fish at least once a week may have a lower risk of serious vision loss from age-related macular degeneration ( AMD) , according to a US study.
A study , reported in the journal Opthalmology also supports the theory that Omega 3 fatty acids found in most abundantly in oily fish like salmon, mackeral and albacore tuna-may affect the development or progression of AMD. Current research indicates that a diet rich in Omega-3 fatty acids can reduce the risk  of late AMD in some patients, more research is still necessary.

Analysed data from 2520 adults aged 65 to 84 who underwent eye exams and completed detailed dietary questionaires. Some 15% were found to have early or intermediate stage AMD while just under 3% were in the advanced stage of the disease.

Overall, researchers found that there was no clear relationship between participants' reported fish intake and risk of AMD but there was a connection between higher intake of omega 3 fish fatty and the odds of advanced AMD.

AMD is caused by abnormal blood vessel growth behind the retina or breakdown of light-sensitive cells within the retina itself -both of which can cause serious vision impairment. AMD is the leading cause of blindness in older adults. There is no cure for it, but certain treatments may prevent or delay serious vision loss.

A US Government clinical trail found that a specific high dose mix of antioxidants- vitamin C and E, beta-carotene and zinc-can slow the progression of AMD that is in the intermediate stages, and doctors now commonly prescribe it for such patients.

Malaysian Food Feature (Healty version)

Malay Food 
 
Plain white rice or brown rice instead of Nasi Minyak or Nasi Goreng( Fried Rice)
Taufoo Soup ( beancurd soup) instaed of fried taufoo
Gado-gado ( less  peanut sauce)
Avoid Sambal Tumis
Mee Soup ( plenty of vegetables)
Mee Rebus / Siam ( witout extra fried items)
Mee Soto ( chicken without skin, avoid Begedel & Sambal Tumis)
Ketupat 7 Chicken satay ( avoid fatty meat & peanut sauce)
Vegetables/Fish/Meat/Chicken curry ( remove skin or extra fat from poultry and meat, avoid coconut milk or take less gravy)

Chinese Food 

Plain rice instaed of chicken/duck/ char siew rice
Claypot rice ( avoid internal organs or preserved meat e.g. chinese sausages)
Rice porridge (witout added oil)
Noodle Soup (or dry without added oil with plenty of vegetables)
Chee cheong fun with chilly sauce and minimum black sauce
Vegetables/Fish/Meat/Chicken ( remove skin or extra fat from poultry and meat)
Yong tau Foo (with non-fried item)
Choose more steamed dishes (e.g. dim sum)
Plain red bean dessert instead of char siew pau
Non fried popiah
All types of fresh fruit

Indian Food 

Plain white rice or brown rice instaed of Nasi Briyani or fried rice
String hoppers / puttumayam
Puttu
Idli with vegetarian dishes e.g. Sambar, Podi, Chutney ( with no added oil or ghee)
Thosay with vegetables and Sambar  , dhall, lentils and beans
All type of vegetables ( avoid coconut milk, oily sauces or pickles)
Chappati made of Atta flour ( no oil or ghee)

Sungai Petani ( River of Farmers) Accomodation ( Hotels and Guest House) Part 1

Place to stay in Sungai Petani
Hotels & Place Of Interest

Emerald Puteri Hotel, C-50, Jalan Permatang Gedung, Taman Sejati  Indah, 08000 Sungai Petani, Kedah
04-431 5555, Fax: 04-431 1555. www.emeraldputerihotel.com  Room rate from RM 131-00 onwards

SP Inn , 427 Jalan Kolam Air, 08000 Sungai Petani, Kedah Darl Aman, Tel: 04-421 3411, Faxs:04-421 2423. Room from RM 125 onwards. Equipped with swimming pool.

Swiss Innn Hotel, No. 1, Jalan Pahlawan, Taman Pahlawan, 08000 Sungai Petani, Kedah Darul Aman.
Tel: 04-422 3333, Fax: 04-423 3423. Room from RM 151 onwards.

Sungai Petani's hotel are relatively reasonable and a very peaceful town. Basically the location is strategically good as a stopover if travelling north and southern of Thailand ( e.g. Haytai , Nakorn Si Thammarat, Trang, Krabi & Phattalung) 

Suffolk House -The Official Residence of Captain Francis Light

EARLIER this month, the grand Suffolk House, originally built in the 1780s and now one of the oldest existing structures from the British colonial era, was given special recognition by Unesco. The historic mansion was conferred the "Award of Distinction" for its restoration, in conjunc­tion with the world body's annual Asia Pacific Heritage Awards.

Set majestically on open grounds along the banks of the Air Itam River, the mansion had come close to demolition as far back as 1839 and again in the 1950s. At one point, it had deteriorated so badly that some people thought it was "beyond saving".

What makes the house significant was that it was built in the Suffolk estate, owned by the founder of the British settlement of Penang, Captain Francis Light. Considered the purest example of Anglo-Indian architecture outside India, the house served as a Government House in the early 1800s, and witnessed some of the most critical political events of the era. The founding of Singapore, for example, is said to have been discussed by Sir Stamford Raffles in the hallowed confines of the Suffolk House.

But there is also a secret legacy of romance that the house will forever be associated with, one that is still largely unknown to the public.

According to the Badan Warisan Malaysia, the Suffolk Estate was ac­ actually bequeathed by Light to one Martina Rozells - his lover and common law wife of over 20 years. But it was never transferred to her after Light's death. Instead, the house was sold in 1805 by Light's ex­ecutors to William Edward Phillips, one of Penang's early governors.

For the relationship between Light, who spoke Siamese and Malay, and Rozells, a local Siamese- Eurasian of Portuguese descent, was considered scandalous in the English colonial circles of that time.
The story of Light and Rozells is a fascinating one. And it does not just reverberate with a romantic drama that transcends the cultural and social mores of the days of yore.

The very acquisition of Penang and the establishment of the island as a 'Prince of Wales' settlement - an event that paved the way for the Brit­ish to foray into the rest of Malaya - may well have been brought about by the special relationship between Light and Rozells.

A few years ago, I had the op­portunity to be acquainted with the research of American historian Sue Gross, who made detailed findings on the little-known woman named Martina Rozells.
What made the character of Ro­zells intriguing was that she was said to be an adopted child of the Sultan of Kedah, and was instrumental in Light getting hold of Penang island as a British colony. She was, ac­cording to the research, used as an intermediary by the sultan while negotiating with Light, but went on to develop a relationship with him.

Rozells bore five children with Light while remaining his com­mon-law companion. Due to her "half-caste" Asian ethnicity, she was reportedly looked down upon by the early British community of the period. Light never married her due to the social stigma associated with a British officer having a conjugal relationship with a native.

After Light passed away in 1794, she struggled to claim the inherit­ance he had left for her and their children against a few English con spirators who wanted the share.
Interestingly, one of the children,­Colonel William Light, later founded \, the city of Adelaide. The famous statue of Francis Light, which was unveiled in 1939, is said to have been modelled on William's looks. The statue today stands in the compound of Fort Cornwallis in George Town.
During a special ceremony to receive the Unesco award, Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng officiously proclaimed that the Suffolk House had colourful journey that spanned decades, and was a testimony to the perseverance of Penang's conserva­tionists.

"Suffolk is part of a living cultural heritage that contributed towards making Penang what it is today with British colonial influences ethnic and cultural diversity matched with the rich spirituality, wisdom and moral precepts of the world's major religions," he declared.
But more significantly, Suffolk House may just be the only physical heirloom left, of a great romantic secret that held the key behind the very origins of the settlement of Penang, and of the British expansion into the rest of Malaya.

Approval Of Tour Guide License

Finally the long wait is over -I'm going to make full use of this.

I finally got my Tour Guide License.

Thanks Ms Ellie, Mr Chor & Ms Suraya.

I really appreciate it.

Visit Malaysia Theme Song

Please see :-

http://www.youtube.com/watch#!v=IUBc3pgtxl8&feature

Malaysia a truly Asia .

This what we can do to promote Malaysia.

The varieties of Malaysian Culture.