0 Tip 129: Parent pandemic preparation

The recently announced Swine flu pandemic has seen governments making many proactive preparations to control it. Some governments from developed countries even have drew out action plans years earlier and prepared a good stock pile of medicine as they had forecasted the possibility of a flu pandemic taking place in the near future. As much as the role of a state leader has grown more challenging, so is the burden of a parent. That is because equipped with knowledge in this information age, parents can do their bit to undertake safety precautions. Yeap, the long list of tasks and responsibilities of a parent have grown to not just merely provide for basic food and shelter to our kids. From providing education and the need to revere God to giving constant loving attention, from giving exposure to arts and music to encouraging the love of sports and other hobbies, the list goes on and on. But what can the parent do in regards to recent developments in pandemic? There are actually many practical steps down to rationing one's annual leave to cater for possible children sickness to be able to give the appropriate attention necessary. There will come a time when strict regulations would require children who are sick to be not admitted to nurseries and schools and the parents would have to take leave to care for them (and not trust entirely on their maids either). As population and globalization increase, the world grows weary about maintaining control and there will be more strict regulations that would ultimately affect the parent. Better be prepared than getting stressed out with little resources when the time comes for them.















I still remember an advice a teacher gave to me noticing my gungho attitude to want to seize every opportunity out there. She said,"Health is your best weapon to achieve success". As much as hard work and long hours may sometimes be necessary to get results, there needs to be a sustainable plan to ensure health is taken care of. Sustainability will be a theme that is highlighted more as developed countries push developing countries to adopt safer, ethical, cleaner and pollutant free methods even when developing countries are eager to deliver consistent high growth rates. Hence, as much as a trip by flight is necessary and paid for, there will be global regulations towards only admitting passengers who are in good health. This would mean the parent would need to ensure sufficient sleep and good health care habits for the whole family before important flights. As much as many circumstances are out of our control, safety precautions to avoid falling ill can be taken. For instance, I am beginning to be more mindful these days about Haruka putting her hands into her mouth. Since she now understands when I tell her not to do something, I try to spend more time to remind her. It helps since I carry her when we walk around most places. So I could easily reach out to remove her hands from her mouth and if necessary pull out a sanitized tissue to wipe her. It would be good if Haruka could one day learn how to wash her hands on her own and that would be another lesson daddy needs to teach her. Daddies also need to be checking at the nurseries, playcenters and Sunday Schools, if the teachers are enforcing stricter rules on admitting sick children to the group as there needs to be awareness that such safety and health precautions are more necessary than missing a few days of school. It probably is so much more simpler as a cave man daddy who only need to be concerned about hunting and bringing food back home each day. Now dad needs to also be ready with a sanitized tissue and be expecting it on others, something that's not part of his male instinct probably. Better be prepared, then be inconvenienced or worse, sorry for not taking the necessary precautions.















This may be not known to some, but in 1957-58, the Asian flu pandemic caused 2 million deaths globally and in 1968-69, the Hong Kong flu killed 1 million people globally. This is enough warning to have that sanitized tissue. Any daddy carrying it please leave a comment.















(Photos show more photos of Haruka's first Macau trip to Largo do Senado, the replica buildings near Sands and Babylon casino and finally the Venice like canals that even have gondola rides with gondoliers singing O Sole Mio (My Sun in Neapolitan/Southern Italian language) at the Venetian Macau which is the world's largest single casino resort and Asia's largest single structure hotel building).

Detail: Tip 129: Parent pandemic preparation

0 Tip 128: A Miso a day for longetivity

Nope, I do not drink a bowl of miso soup every single morning, not these past few months at least since I have been travelling and adjusting to new cities. Though, I try to have it as often as I can. Its especially timely to have a miso soup on a cold day, or after working all night in the cold of the night, a warm miso soup comes handy to prevent a cold. You could feel the warm miso immediately boosting your immune system as you drink it. Its health benefits are especially high for women, where it helps to regulate the hormone estrogen in women and cuts the risk of breast cancer and tumors. It's no wonder then that the Japanese who drink a bowl or more a day record one of the highest in longetivity. That together with a diet rich with grain and fish. The best part about miso soup is that it's quick and easy to cook, hence no excuse not to try it. There need not be many ingredients, just miso paste, katsuobushi and sea weed or tofu. Heat up the water, but not to boiling level and add the ingredients and mix it. It could take as quick as 15 minutes for a bowl of nutritious sustainance for the day.

I have to admit that initially I miss my mother's home cooked soup that requires 2 hours boiling a stock of meat, more than the instant miso soup. I have grown up with these chicken or herbal soup since young and have the mentality that the 2 hour boiling ordeal churns out more nutritious soup to the body. These chicken soup definitely have their health benefits. But the method of how miso is manufactured through stringent Japanese quality control and age old tradition, together with the simplicity of preparing it makes for a more replicable bowl of nutrition each day, than boiling different sets of ingredients over long periods of time. This is my theory anyway. The proof of the pudding is of course, the healthy greying population in Japan. Besides just soup, miso can actually be used as an ingredient to cook many other dishes. More popular Japanese recipes include miso marinated grilled/fried fish and miso stir fried vegetables, but one can really be creative by putting a spoonful in any cooking to add flavor. Also, many out of Japan may not know that there are many varieties of miso from different prefectures of Japan using different ingredients. One day, I do plan to start a business to popularise miso by starting a chain of Japanese restaurants with a menu of home cooked dishes served by friendly family like staff, with a blend of Okinawan delicacies and an easy going ambience with the theme of Okinawan beaches. Though to kick start a successful business requires strong capital reserves and reliable human resource and that's another blogpost to come hopefully. Before that day, let's drink to health.

Any of you already trying a bowl of miso soup regularly or sometimes? Would you like the concept of Japanese home cooked nutritious dishes as opposed to elegant cold raw Japanese dishes? :)

(Photos show a day trip to Macau at the ruin of St Paul, the garden at Macau town hall, St Francis garden and playground, and a large aquarium at Grand Lisboa hotel. Photos of Venetian and the Sands in next blogpost).

Detail: Tip 128: A Miso a day for longetivity

0 Tip 100: Giving of ourselves (Contest)

This blog post/tip contains information of the contest on the right held between November 1-December 14, 2008. Do vote in the Poll on your right and win something. Look through all the post between Tip 1-99 and decide the tip that you like best. You could use the labels on the right to assist you to zoom into topics you have preferences for before deciding on one tip to vote for. Then, send an email to philchlee@mailcity.com with the title "Contest Tip 100" and at the body of the message, provide your name and full address and let me know the tip you have voted for. To win the grand prize, share why you like the tip in less than 50 words. The visitor who have voted the tip that has the highest votes and emailed me with a reason that is well written will win the grand prize. The address needs to be your real address as everyone who votes would get something beautiful from me. Check out this blog by middle of December to find out who the grand prize winner is. All the best and do join as it gives me an opportunity to know my visitors better and what makes interesting tips that keep you coming. I hope this blog will be a blog where I could give of myself and be a blessing to others. Join me in making that a reality. Do your bit by giving me your vote.














Each of us could give something of value to make this world a better place. I have yearned of doing something of significance for a long long time. Deep inside me, I have a great desire to do great things, yet the path to greatness is to remember Him who is Great and where all wisdom and life begins. It is a paradoxical path where we deny our greatness, give of ourselves selflessly and be contented with whatever He chooses to give us, trusting that He loves us more than any other through the Perfect Love of God. The more we learn this love, the more we taste the beauty and fullness of this life and realize that we are closer to the desires of our heart that God leads us to. Yet, its not an easy journey as God knows that there are a lot of extra baggages we are carrying that hurt us more than make us feel fulfilled. Its also a journey that only we can make at the right time as we all learn different things at different phases of our lives and at difference pace of learning. I could remember that it was difficult for me to learn to be a little more generous a decade ago compared to another well to do friend of mine who believed in being generous and that others who do not do so, are losers. I do not subscribe to that. All of us could give something, even if we do not have the resources to do so at the beginning or have yet to let go of that baggage of holding on to certain things in our lives. Still lots to learn in giving of myself but I will try. Of course do not judge me. All of us need to remember that only God is perfect and all we can do is love Him and love others as ourselves. Encourage everyone to give what they could, to make this world a better place. We all need an encouraging word and an understanding heart. Lets start by giving that.














Oh yes, I got a 3 hour paid trip to Macau to renew my passport and finally gotten my Hong Kong ID. I am now officially working in Hong Kong instead of Japan. Its my first trip to Macau and was amused to see the mix of well maintained Portugese buildings in the midst of Chinese temples and casinos. It puts A Famosa in Malacca, Malaysia in pale comparison. In a city of Macau where some would think that all there is to see are casinos, there is much beauty to unravel. Would explore more with my family next time with much more time. But before that, it will be London with my family. Thank God for all this. May I learn to give more and live my role in this world.

(Photo shows the ruins of St Paul, St Dominic Church, the garden in Macau town hall, casinos - the few I could see in that short period of time doing the Amazing Race photo taking)

Detail: Tip 100: Giving of ourselves (Contest)