September 23, 2009

The Wonder Years

Childwise by Ruth Liew

Nature provides an abundance of opportunities for children to learn and explore.

MY nephew celebrated his seventh birthday in a park two weeks ago. I gave him a “wonder box” for a present. He is a great collector of things that fascinate him. From a young age, he would collect insects, leaves, stones and twigs.

His “wonder box” was intended to enhance his curiosity of the world around him. I included “tools” that will help him in his discovery of the world when he goes out exploring – useful things like a magnifying glass, string, pencil and notebook, rubber bands and a pair of scissors.

Learning experience: Children playing with fish at the Pulau Payar Marine Park in Kedah. Children use their five senses to discover the world.

A child’s sense of wonder is an integral part of his life. Children are curious about their world and the things around them. They are patient with small creatures around them. They often wonder what clouds are made of.

Many adults have been amazed by how intent and patient a two-year-old can be when he follows an ant trail. You may even have seen a three-year-old chasing after a dragonfly in the garden.

Through the child’s eyes, adults can take delight in sharing the wonder and awe that nature inspires in each of us, regardless of our age or the environment we live in.

To nurture this keen appreciation of nature, children need a significant adult in their lives to share their interest. Parents and teachers can even rediscover the wonders around us if they allow the child to be their guide.

As children’s eagerness to learn increases, adults can help by providing resources for them to work with. They can offer guidebooks or help them to do a search in the Internet.

Don’t worry if you know nothing about the rhinoceros beetle or coniferous plants. You can learn alongside your child as he explores nature. You don’t have to have all the answers; just show enough enthusiasm to spur your child’s interest.

Children are spontaneous when they explore. They do not think about what they know or what they do not know. They just pick up ideas as they go along. They use their five senses to discover the world. They listen, look, smell and touch to find the answers to their questions

Observation is a powerful tool for children to gain knowledge and skills.

Young children watch and listen to those older and more skilled than them. They pick up language better when they hear it being used in conversations.

Children learn a lot when they watch people at work. These days, when machines perform most work, children hardly see fine craftsmen in action. It will benefit them greatly if their parents can show them how tailors sew clothes, how carpenters make furniture or how bakers bake cakes.

Young children absorb what goes on around them. They need a stimulating environment. You can provide this by allowing your your child to explore and experiment. Make a mess and find out what it feels like. Talk about everything. Read aloud to your child so that he can hear the wonderful sounds you make.

Some may say that children need to be taught and trained by adults to gain important lessons in life. They insist that children cannot learn much from their observations.

Critics have always considered child’s play as frivolous and time wasting. Contrary to their ideas, children gain greater knowledge and skills from play. The over-zealous adult who intervenes with children’s learning may do more harm than good.

Take time to observe your young child at play with other children. You will probably hear them negotiating and making up rules as they go along. Children learn to communicate and cooperate with one another. They also learn to solve problems and think critically.

One child might say: “You start running and I will follow.” When they are playing with children of mixed ages and abilities, they will have to adapt their play to fit everyone’s needs.

These play experiences help promote children’s social, cognitive, language and physical development.

Instead of allowing your child to sit for hours watching “educational” television programmes, take him out to the garden or the park. Talk about the living organisms that exist in the outdoors. Compare the different plants and listen to your child tell you what he observes.

Your child needs concrete experiences to learn about living and non-living things.

Children should be allowed to climb over, crawl under, and come into contact with dirt, sand, mud and just about anything there is in nature that is meant for them to experience and enjoy.

September 16, 2009

Women's Safety Tips

I would like to share the following article with all women readers.

Everyone should take 5 minutes to read this... It may save the life of a loved one.

Because of recent abductions in daylight hours, refresh yourself of these things to do in an emergency situation...

This is for you, and for you to share with your wife, your children and everyone you know.

After reading these 9 crucial tips, forward them to someone you care about.

It never hurts to be careful in this crazy world we live in.

1. Tip from Tae Kwon Do:

The elbow is the strongest point on your body. If you are close enough to use it, do!


2. If a robber asks for your wallet and/or purse, DO NOT HAND IT TO HIM.

Toss it away from you.... chances are that he is more interested in your wallet and/or purse than you and he will go for the wallet/purse.

RUN LIKE MAD IN THE OTHER DIRECTION!


3. If you are ever thrown into the trunk of a car, kick out the back tail lights and stick your arm out the hole and start waving like crazy. The driver won't see you, but everybody else will.

This has saved lives.


4. Women have a tendency to get into their cars after shopping, eating, working, etc., and just sit (doing their checkbook, or making a list, etc.)

DON'T DO THIS!

The predator will be watching you and this is the perfect opportunity for him to get in on the passenger side, put a gun to your head and tell you where to go.

AS SOON AS YOU GET INTO YOUR CAR, LOCK THE DOORS AND LEAVE.

If someone is in the car with a gun to your head:
DO NOT DRIVE OFF, repeat:

DO NOT DRIVE OFF!

Instead start the engine and speed into anything, wrecking the car.

Your Air Bag will save you. If the person is in the back seat, they will get the worst of it.

As soon as the car crashes, get out and run.

It is better than having them find your body in a remote location.


5. A few notes about getting into your car in a parking lot or parking garage:

A.) Be aware:

look around you,
look into your car,
at the passenger side floor
and in the back seat

B.) If you are parked next to a big van, enter your car from the passenger door.
Some serial killers attack their victims by pulling them into their vans while the women are attempting to get into their cars.

C.) Look at the car parked on the driver's side of your vehicle and the passenger side. If a male is sitting alone in the seat nearest your car, you may want to walk back and get someone - guard/policeman to walk you back out.

IT IS ALWAYS BETTER TO BE SAFE THAN SORRY. (And better paranoid than dead.)

6. ALWAYS take the elevator instead of the stairs. (Stairwells are horrible places to be alone and the perfect crime spot. This is especially true at NIGHT!)


7. If the predator has a gun and you are not under his control,

ALWAYS RUN!

The predator will only hit you (a running target) 4 in 100 times; And even then, it most likely WILL NOT be a vital organ.

RUN, Preferably in a zig -zag pattern!


8. As women, we are always trying to be sympathetic:

STOP

It may get you raped or killed. Ted Bundy, the serial killer, was a good-looking, well educated man, who ALWAYS played on the sympathy of unsuspecting women. He walked with a cane or a limp and often asked 'for help' into his vehicle or with his vehicle, which is when he abducted his next victim.


9. Another Safety Point:

Someone just told me that her friend heard a crying baby on her porch the night before last and she called the police because it was late and she thought it was weird. The police told her 'Whatever you do, DO NOT open the door.'

The lady then said that it sounded like the baby had crawled near a window, and she was worried that it would crawl to the street and get run over. The policeman said, 'We already have a unit on the way, whatever you do, DO NOT open the door.' He told her that they think a serial killer has a baby's cry recorded and uses it to coax women out of their homes thinking that someone dropped off a baby He said they have not verified it, but have had several calls by women saying that they hear baby's cries outside their doors when they're home alone at night.


Please pass this on and DO NOT open the door for a crying baby.


The Crying Baby theory was mentioned on America's Most Wanted this past Saturday when they profiled the serial killer in Louisiana

I'd like you to forward this to all the women you know.


It may save a life.. A candle is not dimmed by lighting another candle. I was going to send this to the ladies only, but guys, if you love your mothers, wives, sisters, daughters etc. you may want to pass it onto them, as well.

Warm regards,
Sany Woo

September 03, 2009

Tibicos or Water Kefir's Healing Properties



The healing properties of Tibicos were already known to the ancient societies of China and India. Tibicos can be found around the world, with no two cultures being exactly the same. However, the actual origin of Tibicos is still unknown.

This unique culture is known by different names in different parts of the world such as Chinese Mushrooms, the grains of the Prophet Mohammed, Indian Rice, Tibi, Water Kefir Grains, Sugar Kefir Grains, Japanese Water Crystals and California Bees.

Tibicos has antimutagenic and antioxidant properties, and can possibly be used to prevent mutagenic and oxidative damage in the human body.


Healing Properties of Tibicos
  • live probiotic
  • gives energy
  • improve metabolism
  • have youthful effect on body cells
  • strengthen heart
  • inhibit cancer cells growing
  • replace antibiotics in asthma and respiratory inflammations
  • clear nose and gives relief from symptoms of cold and flu
  • prevent forming, break down and remove from body kidney and liver stones
  • effective arthritis relief
  • lowers blood sugar level
  • natural detoxifier

How To Produce This Healthy Drink?

The Tibicos drink can be created by growing the Tibicos mushroom. Here’s how to do it:

1. Place the Tibicos mushroom and water (the water must be clean and chlorine-free) into a clean glass container (use alcohol or distilled white vinegar to clean the container if necessary).

2. Add brown sugar with 1 spoonful of sugar per 3 spoonful of Tibicos.

3. Cover the container with a piece of clean cloth and fasten it with a rubber band. This is because the Tibicos need oxygen to live and reproduce.

4. Place the container in an undisturbed area to ferment for 24-48 hours. If you leave the Tibicos to ferment over a longer period of time, this will increases the sour taste significantly due to an increases in the folic acid content.

5. Strain the golden liquid into a clean glass. (Use a plastic strainer and spoon because a stainless steel strainer will react against the Tibicos)

6. Drink the Tibicos liquid, preferrably in morning and on an empty stomach. If there’s any spare drink, you can store it in the refrigirator.

7. Repeat the procedures to create the next batch of Tibicos drink.

Please remember that frequent cleaning or rinsing the container may wipe out baby Tibicos.

You would have quite a large quantity of Tibicos after repeating the same procedures many times. Share the extra Tibicos with your friends and family so that all of you are able to benefit from the healing properties of Tibicos.

Here is a site where you can find tibicos owners willing to share their spare tibicos grains with you.


Warm regards,
Sany Woo
P.S. I found a site dedicated to educating the public about Tibicos which contains a wealth of information. Find out more about Tibicos, Tibicos recipes, how to store Tibicos and more! Click here to go to the site.
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