Standing Eggs On Lap Chun

My siblings and I couldn't have nian xiao (the 15th and final day of Chinese New Year celebrations) together as we all have our own in-laws to eat with so we had dinner togetherthe next day instead, partly to celebrate my bro Joe's birthday. I always find nian xiao a 6 out of 10 on the depression scale. The festival is over, the lion dances are gone, people go back to work and all the red decorations and cheer disappear, like there's a before and after CNY decorum. We only had 2 kids present for dinner, my son Ming and my sis's daughter Chloe. All the other kids were either away at work or studies. I felt the empty nest for us all.

My sister asked during dinner if I made any eggs stand on lap chun, the spring equinox, which fell on 4th Feb this year. Frankly, I've not heard of lap chun because I didn't go to Chinese school and my parents were not Buddhists or Taoists or superstitious. One of the things I appreciate about my parents was their lack of superstitions. My father especially disdained superstitions although he was very Chinese in regard to traditions. Because of this upbringing, I drink cold water anytime of the month without getting cramps and I go out into the rain without ever getting sick. I also give peddlers, water filters and food supplement sales people a hard time. Don't even sell me detox programs, especially enemas. I get my enemas from eating okra.

Lucky for me, I had seen some photos of standing eggs on Facebook on the 4th Feb and that led me to google on it.The Chinese believed since thousands of years ago that an egg can stand on its end only on the day of the spring equinox. The theory is that the astronomic conditions--the moon and the earth are perfectly aligned and the gravity pull is optimal--are ! perfect for that phenomenon on that day. That's enough to make any of us who are astronomy ignorant to shut up and buy the standing egg. But not me, even though I can't tell Uranus from Saturn. If conditions are perfect, why can't everybody make eggs stand during those four or six critical hours on that day? And why eggs? Why not a walking stick or a rugby ball? It's optimal gravity after all.

While many Chinese believe in lap chun, westerners and those who never grew up in a household of lap chun egg believers debunk it as a myth. Somebody told me yesterday that his science teacher in TTSS made eggs stand on lap chun and from what I've heard, Chinese science teachers in Malaysia love to propagate the myth. Non-believers and the scientifically-inclined say that anyone who has the patience can make an egg stand on its end, anytime, anyday, especially if an egg with a rough end is used. If all else fails, a pinch of salt or sugar (or sand, I think) will do the magic. And so that's what I did.


I used a pinch of salt and balanced the egg on the smooth surface of the tub of salt, just for drama and thrill. It stood.


My niece asked if the egg could stand on its narrow end too. It did.


With a bit of practice, I can make an egg stand on 3 grains of sal! t. The f iner the salt, the easier the egg will stand without being found out. Fine sugar works too, I've tried it. You can either put the salt on the egg or the table but when you stand the egg, gently and firmly grind the egg on the table.It's all friction, baby.

Trivia from Wiki: Anegg of ColumbusorColumbus's eggrefers to a brilliant idea or discovery that seems simple or easy after the fact. The expression refers to a popular story of howChristopher Columbus, having been told thatdiscovering the Americaswas no great accomplishment, challenged his critics to make aneggstand on its tip. After his challengers gave up, Columbus did it himself by tapping the egg on the table so as to flatten its tip.

Columbus needn't have tapped the egg. He didn't even have to wait until lap chun. He just needed three grains of salt.

Typica Cafe: Not your typical coffee

Pictures by Kenny Mah

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 9 Like many people, I drink coffee every day. Cups of the stuff. Unlike many of them though, I never drink my coffee black. Coffee by itself always seems far too bitter for my taste and so I stick to my caff lattes and my cappuccinos combining coffee with milk seems to do the trick for me.

Still, I would always look at my friends who drank their coffee black, some without sugar, and be filled with envy. I felt as though I was missing out on something, that I had forever denied myself entry to an exclusive club.

That is until, one fine day several weeks ago, I stumbled on a new caf while hunting down an elusive siew yoke place in Pudu. Nestled in a corner of Shaw Parade Plaza and framed by the fiery red walls of the building, Typica Caf was a welcome sight after an afternoon searching for roasted pork belly under the hot sun.

Through glass walls, one first notices the wooden tables and benches (which I later discover to be made from reclaimed and recycled wood) and then the aroma of freshly brewed coffee bidding one to enter.

Established in 2009, Typica Cafs name in Chinese Dou Yuan means the origin of the bean and relates to their philosophy to showcase the coffees most original flavours, beginning with the bean itself.

Most people who drink coffee may not know where the coffee beans originated from or why these beans were selected to make a particular cup of coffee, says manager Kai Yin.

We hope to share with our customers how we make coffee and how every cup of coffee is handcrafted. Instead of using the conventional coffee machines you would normally find in an Italian or American franchised caf, we returned to more traditional brewing methods such as the siphon or ice drip.

Handcrafted coffee? That sounds intriguing. But where does one start? I mention that I am a complete novice at ! this and ask Kai Yin to recommend a coffee. She suggested a Nicaraguan organic specialty coffee, which was mellow with a dark chocolate aftertaste. Dark chocolate I recognise so I nod happily at this choice.

Siphonist Mei Ying walks me through the process of brewing coffee using the siphon method starting with grinding the coffee beans while the water is boiled in the pot of what looks like a particularly stylish lab experiment. She places a filter in the top container, followed by the ground coffee.

Then the fun part begins as the heated water in the pot at the bottom rushes up through the siphon, connecting it to the top container, and mixes with the ground coffee. I notice she smells the coffee mixture from time to time while it is brewing and ask her if there is a reason for doing this.

Definitely. We need to keep smelling the aroma to ensure that the coffee is being brewed properly to the customers preference. Also, once its ready we will know its time to turn off the fire so the brewing stops, says Mei Ying.

Its especially mesmerising to watch the coffee falling back down into the pot. Once its ready, she lifts the pot from its holder and pours the coffee into a warmed cup. There is a meditative and unrushed quality about the entire process that both relaxes one yet builds anticipation for the first taste of the handcrafted coffee.

One small problem: Where is the milk? Where are the slender sachets of packaged sugar?

Mei Ying tells me because they use single-origin coffee beans, I would not need to add sugar or milk to the coffee. In fact, doing so would dilute or destroy much of the flavours. She suggests that I first smell the aroma of the coffee before taking a sip. As the temperature changes, new flavours will emerge and develop with every sip. I find that, as my coffee cools, the sweeter tones are revealed. I am surprised but very much elated no more sugar or milk when I ha! ve my co ffee black. Or as the good folks here would put it Im having the coffee as its meant to be.

Now if I am honest with myself, I have to admit I am mostly still unable to discern the different layers of aroma, body and flavour that everyone seems to capture with such ease. Im no coffee connoisseur, Im afraid. (Im simply glad I dont have to add any sugar.) Perhaps I will always be a beginner at this, always a bit of an outsider.

Somehow that doesnt really matter as I continue to sip my coffee as it cools (is it my imagination or does it taste a little fruitier now?) and listen to the chatter of other customers. One is cradling a book at the table by the corner, lost in her reading. I hear the clatter of coffee beans as they fall into a bowl before being weighed and ground. The smile on the face of the siphonist as I ask her more questions about her craft is sublime.

There is much joy to be experienced while one learns more about coffee, but for me, there is as much joy, if not more, in simply taking in the coffee, the chatter and the craft the entire atmosphere of spending time in a caf run by folks truly passionate about their brew.

Typica Caf is at GL-08, Ground Floor, Shaw Parade Plaza, Changkat Thambi Dollah, 55100 Kuala Lumpur (Tel: 03-2145 032811). Business hours: 11am to 9pm Sundays-Thursdays; 11am to 10pm on Fridays and Saturdays; closed on Wednesdays. Website: http://typicacafe.blogspot.com

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D'Tree

Beware: a barrage of belly-busting burgers lies ahead.

Lamb burger, topped with what tastes like a variation of coleslaw. D'Tree seems to make its own patties _ thick ones with distinctive flavors.

Pork burger with bacon. The problem lies with the preparation; most of the patties are badly charred underneath, undermining the succulent meat.

Beef burger. So which one's our favorite? Probably the lamb, which boasts the most tender texture & aromatic juices of these three options. Maybe some fried eggs would be useful to complement the beef & pork patties.

D'Bianco (white wine, rum, triple sec, lychee liquor, apple juice) & D'Sangria (red wine, vodka, whisky, triple sec, orange juice).

Wolf Blass Bilayra Shiraz (Australia) & Catena Zapata Alomos Malbec (Argentina).

D'Tree,

IOI Boulevard, Puchong.

CNY & Thaipusam Open House @ Puncak Setiawangsa

Chinese New Year Open House together with Thaipusam celebration on the 7 February 2012.

The weather was perfect, the response was excellent and the food was magnificent.Before the Open House we need to hang our fire crackers high up the trees and we engaged professional archers to help us.Shaharudin's boys were good with their bow & arrows.Shaharudin Junior showing how it is done.Thank you Goh Teng Sir for helping us with these fire c! rackers.

The fire crackers were loud and noisy which was necessary for theoccasion.

While the preparation was underway, I requested a "wake-up" patrol round the housing reminding the residents to come out from their houses. What a way to go with the tong tong chiang....and thanks again to Shaharudin for using his pick-up.The Lion Dance Troupe from Sri Rampai preparing the stilts for their performance.Everything was ready and awaiting for the VIP to arrive.And drums & cymbals begin to arouse t! he atmos phere with their loud noise.Be seated and the Lion Dance will be performing shortly.Dato' & Datin Zulhasnan were given special attention by the beautiful lion.

I was happy that the Lion Dance performance went on well as it was my department on this CNY Open House day.

The white lion dancing on the stilts as the drum noise continued to provide the loud rhythm.

Everyone enjoyed the excitement of the noise and the performance of the lions.

Char Koay Teow was favourite among all the food either you have it wet or dry.

Another favourite was the roast lamb.

There were enough roast lamb for everyone.

It's Malaysian favourite time .... food, food & food, the spread was good and sufficient.
Let's eat and be merry.

The feeling of 1 Malaysia wasimmense, there were cultural dances on stage with all the various music played on air. It was such a great experience and excitement for the people of Setiawangsa.

It's Ang Pow time, whether you are big or small as long as you are single you are eligible to collect yours....
Prizes for the best dressed kids.

!

The faces of the day at Puncak Setiawangsa for a good occasion.

Some of Committee Members of Persatuan Penduduk Puncak Setiawangsa with Member ofParliamentof Setiawangsa Constituency.

Well Done, Thank you to everyone who have contributed for this event. See you again soon.