Believe

EAT PRAY LOVE

 

Yesterday I watch Eat Pray Love movie at my home. Yeah I know, I'm outdated on this one..Movie ni dah lama pun..Anyway, I want to tell a bit about this movie which I find very interesting.

‘Eat Pray Love’ – The Movie, is based on Elizabeth Gilbert’s book also titled ‘Eat Pray Love’, a memoir of her travels around the world, specifically Italy, India and Bali in an attempt to truly find herself.

On the other hand, ‘Eat Pray Love’ – The book, was on ‘The New York Times Best Sellers’ list, an international bestseller, selling over 10 million copies worldwide, and the reason for this movie.

The author Liz Gilbert played by Julia Roberts, wakes up one day and realize that she was lost and unhappy. She discovers that her marriage was causing her too much sadness and misery, and ends it with divorce. To find her way she ventures on a series of destinations that will help her discover how to truly ‘Eat’ – Food (Italy), ‘Pray’ – Spirituality (India) and ‘Love’ – (Bali).

This movie, possibly even the book (which I have not read), lists more inner feelings that stem from the fields of self loathing, regret and fear, but the author awakens to these things, that they exist in her. That they exist in her life, in her heart, in her mind, and she has drawn on courage to venture towards change, towards hope, towards love. Love which she discovers as being the ‘balance’ needed. Love of self, love of others, love of life.

Eat – So she sets out on her journey and makes friends in Italy. She eats, and eats, and eats. Not feeling the sting of guilt for over indulging or gaining more weight. Her remedy is to eat some more, and if the jeans don’t fit, buy a bigger pair. In a quick montage, we see her and her newly made friend eating and buying bigger jeans one after another. She learns expression through the Italian culture, as her guide teaches her the language and their way of being a true Italian. Its all speaking with your hands.

Pray – After having a wonderful time in Italy, she is pumped for her next journey, except this part of the journey finds her in disarray. She goes to an Ashram which is a spiritual hermitage (a place to spiritually gather in religious seclusion). Here she meets Richard from Texas which at first glance their introduction to each other seems like chalk and cheese, but in time, they become very close and warm friends. Her personal yearning for inner peace has become more like a battlefield and not what she expected. At a glance, by being here its like she expected to be smothered with peace. But in steps reality where true peace is not an easy river to find or cross. It’s going to take swimming a moat to reach, an image that Richard puts to Liz in an effort to tell her that she may want the castle (peace) but she’ll have to earn it by swimming the mote to get there. We continue to see Liz mastering her own awkwardness and feelings of guilt with a broken marriage, through meditation and coming to terms with her barriers. It seems this part of her discovery is dealing with the reality of where her life is, and how it brought her to this moment.

Love – Her last destination is actually a return to her inspiration in the beginning. Previously Liz met a medicine man in Bali, Ketut. He relayed what was going to happen to her in her life by reading her palm. He goes on to tell her that she will live in Bali for three or so months and she will help him with his English, and in return he will teach her all that he knows. He gives her a picture that means to be firm standing which is signified by four legs supporting the figure. And instead of a head with a face, we see the face over the heart which signifies to look at the world through your heart and not with your head. She leaves with the picture which becomes the source of her journey when what Ketut read from her palm, happens.

When she returns to Ketut, she scribes for him, putting down all his words onto another lasting copy. While here she meets, purely by accident, an accident that drove her off the road while push bike riding, by a charming Brazilian man Philippe. It is here that she also meets Wayan a Bali female and her daughter, a local traditional healer. She becomes close to Wayan and builds a lasting friendship with her. A connection blossoms for her and Philippe, a connection that turns into romance. Not quite at first, but gradual.
With all her adventures finally coming together in balance, love seems to be the most important lesson for her to learn. Love mended her broken heart.

Liz was coming up to her birthday, and instead of a typical gift for herself, she contacted her friends and told them about Wayan. How in Bali a divorced woman gets nothing. That Wayan had to sell everything, even her bathmat to pay for a lawyer to keep her daughter. With nowhere to go, they moved from place to place and Tutti (the daughter) had to change schools often. So she invites her friends to forgo a gift to her and help Wayan by donating so that she could have a home. With this single act, hearts overflowed with generosity and Wayan was given money (from Liz’s friends) to own and build her very own place. It was a very moving moment to watch, to see the love and joy felt and expressed.

In her email to her freinds, she wrote:

Dear friends and loved ones: My birthday's coming up soon. If I were home, I'd be planning a stupid, expensive birthday party and you'd all be buying me gifts and bottles of wine. A cheaper, more lovely way to celebrate would be to make a donation to help a healer named Wayan Nuriyasih buy a house in Indonesia. She's a single mother. ln Bali, after a divorce, a woman gets nothing, not even her children. To gain custody of her daughter, Tutti, Wayan had to sell everything, even her bath mat, to pay for a lawyer. For years, they've moved from place to place. Each time, Wayan loses clientele and Tutti has to change schools. This little group of people in Bali have become my family. And we must take care of our families, wherever we find them. Today l saw Tutti playing with a blue tile she'd found in the road near a hotel construction site. She told me: Maybe if we have a house someday, it can have a pretty blue floor like this. When I was in Italy, I learned a word - It's "tutti" with double T, which in ltalian means "everybody." So that's the lesson, isn't it? When you set out in the world to help yourself, sometimes you end up helping Tutti.

So If you like journeys of self discovery, then this is that perfect movie that can make you rethink, review, and relive. There is a lot of honesty portrayed as Liz opens you up and invites you to walk with her. Italy, India, Bali. They’re just locations, but the growing is where the living begins. See it with an eye of discovery, and a willingness to open yourself to the honesty of self, of you.

”In the end, I’ve come to believe in something I call the Physics of the quest. A force in nature governed by laws as real as the laws of gravity. The rule of quest physics goes something like this. If you’re brave enough to leave behind everything familiar and comforting, which can be anything from your house to bitter old resentments, and set out on a truth seeking journey either externally or internally. And if you are truly willing to regard everything that happens to you on that journey as a clue. And if you accept everyone you meet along the way as a teacher. And if you are prepared most of all, to face and forgive some very difficult realities about yourself, then the truth will not be withheld from you.”

On preparation for doing PhD

Assalamualaikum

It's been so long since I last wrote..
A little update on my preparation for doing PhD..
In January 2012 I received a conditional offer letter from the University of Glasgow, Scotland. I'm applying at the School of Medicine, Veterinary and Dental under the Institute of Immunology & Infectious Disease. In order to get the unconditional offer letter I have to take IELTS test. So at the end of February I registered for IELTS on 10th March, which is only 2 weeks apart. Only 2 weeks to really focus on studying English. I did the exercises in the book bought at British Council. The last 3 days I spent studying at the British Council, using the computer and all. Alhamdulillah I got 7.5 band. I'm so happy with the result given the short time of studying.
Having passed IELTS, I got an unconditional offer letter from the University. So now I have to apply for passport and ATAS to get CAS number. Still a long way to go...hope everything will go well..

How to make a cake stand for cupcakes or mini cakes

From http://cakejournal.com/tutorials/how-to-make-a-cake-stand-for-cupcakes-or-mini-cakes/

I think when serving cupcakes or mini cakes, they look so much better when served on a cake stand. So I have made a tutorial that will show you how to make a cupcake cake stand. When you have all the materials ready it is very easy and quick to make. You can adapt it to the colour or pattern on your cakes. I have used thick gift wrap paper to cover the cake boards. If you like you can place a 6″ cake on the top tier. I would not recommend to place any larger cake on top.

Note: Remember when you have assembled the cake stand with cakes on it, not to move it around too much.
A 5 TIER CAKE STAND CAN HOLD ABOUT 51 REGULAR CUPCAKES.

 This is what I have used:
Cake boards: 1×8″, 1×10″, 1×12″
Note: If you want two more tiers on the stand, you will need 1×14″ + 1×16″ cake boards.
Styrofoam cake dummies Each 2″ high in the sizes: 2X6″ and 2×7″ (If you can get 4″ high Styrofoam cake dummies, then you will only need 1 in each size)
Note: You will need 2×8″ 2×9″ Styrofoam cake dummies for two more tiers.
Satin ribbon, enough for both cake boards and the Styrofoam cake dummies
Thick paper
Glue stick or double sided tape
Craft glue
Strong double sided carpet tape
Metal pins
A pair of scissors
A pencil
Step 1:
Start by glue the Styrofoam cake dummies together. So they can dry completely.

 Step 2:
Take the satin ribbon, and fasten it on the cake dummies with a metal pin. Then wrap it tightly all the way around the cake dummies.
Note: you can also glue the ribbon on the cake dummies if you like, just use a glue stick.

 Step 3:
Secure the satin ribbon with a metal pin or a small piece of double sided tape. Continue with the rest of the cake dummies.

 Step 4:
Place the cake boards on the paper and with the pencil draw a line around the cake boards. Cut out the paper circles with a pair of scissors.

Step 5:
Rub the glue stick all over the cake board and place the paper circles on top

Step 6:
To attach the satin ribbon around the side of the cake boards use either a glue stick or double sided tape.

Step 7:
Now it is time to assemble the cake stand. Use strong double sided carpet tape so that the cake dummies stays in place on the cake boards.
IMPORTANT!! If you are having problems finding the materials to make this cake stand. Then please take your time and read through the comment section as you may be able to find links and answers on where you can buy the materials.

2nd attempt to make macaroon

Hi there...

Lately, I'm in the mood of baking..last week I made red velvet cake with cream cheese frosting and chocolate ganache..today I made macaroon..lemon macaroon..this is my 2nd attempt of making it..last time I made, it didn't come out right..the 'foot' doesn't come out..but this time around, the feet came out and I could taste the soft and chewiness..because the macaroon itself is very sweet so I paired it with lemon curd filling to lessen the sweetness of the macaroon..

 

Another Red Velvet cake

Last weeek I was in the mood of baking..I baked red velvet cake with cream cheese frosting and chocolate ganache..That was my second attempt of making red velvet cake..last time I made cupcake.enjoy the pics..

ni untuk nazhan..

Rainbow Cake by Dorie Greenspan

The reason why I tried this recipe is because the cake looks so pretty and colorful..I mean, look at this pic..

So here's the recipe:

Adapted from Dorie Greenspan

Ingredients

2 1/4 cups cake flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt (omit if u’re using salted butter)
1 1/4 cups  milk or buttermilk
4 large egg whites
¾ cup sugar (I cut the sugar. The recipe calls for 1 1/2 cup)
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
120gm unsalted butter, softened
1/2 teaspoon pure lemon extract
Gel or powder food coloring
2 tsp vanilla essence

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and put a rack in the middle or upper third of the oven. Butter two 5 inch pans and line with buttered parchment paper.
2. Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. In another bowl, whisk together the egg whites and buttermilk. I whisked the mixture using hand for about 1 minute.
3. Cream the butter and sugar in a mixer on medium speed for a full 3 minutes until very light and fluffy.
Beat in half of the egg-buttermilk mixture, then flour mixture, then the last of the egg-buttermilk mixture, and finally the last of the flour, beating until the batter is smooth. Beat the entire batter on medium high for two minutes until completely smooth and mixed.
4. Divide the batter in 6, dye each batter with different colour. Bake 20 minutes, rotating halfway through, or until a thin knife inserted in the middle comes out clean. Cool in the pans five minutes, then turn out onto a cooling rack. To ensure moistness, once the cakes are cooled, wrap immediately and chill.

For the Cream Cheese Frosting:
4 ounces butter, at room temperature
4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
4 ounces mascarpone cheese, at room temperature
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

To make the frosting: Using the whisk attachment, whip the butter and  cheese on high speed for about 5 minutes, scraping the bowl down as necessary. Reduce the speed to low and slowly add the powdered sugar until all is incorporated. Add the vanilla and mix to combine. Increase the speed to medium high and whip for a few minutes until the frosting is light and fluffy, scraping the bowl as necessary.

Happy Baking Folks!