It All Boils Down to Hainanese Chicken Rice

Ever since I’ve stepped foot in Singapore, I have heard emphatic references to the famous Singaporean Chicken Rice-better known in local terms as Hainanese Chicken Rice. In accordance with the name, it originated in the small Chinese province of Hainan-a bunch of islands off the southern coast of China. The funny thing is that the Hainanese populace has little or no inkling about the Singaporean version of their local gastronomic delight. The Hainanese Chicken Rice sold and ravenously devoured in the tiny garden city of Singapore, has become synonymous with Singaporean culture itself.

First popularized in Singapore in the mid 1900’s by a certain ambitious Mr. Moh Lee Twee, Hainanese Chicken Rice – which in Singapore contains elements of Hainanese and Cantonese cuisines as well as a certain unique South Asian touch to it- has become a symbol of the Singaporean way of life. There are many things which represent Singapore aptly-The majestic Merlion, the immensely popular food courts, the mouth-watering Malaysian Nasi Lemak, the use of ‘LAH’ as often as one would normally use ‘a’, ‘the’ or ‘an’ in a single sentence, and more recently the much hyped Singapore Flyer-to name a few. But I have never come across a Singaporean symbol as integral to its culture as the Hainanese Chicken Rice.

Being a vegetarian myself, I have never tasted the dish. But the adoring look a Singaporean exhibits whenever he/she even so much as mentions the delicacy, has been enough to prove to me that it is downright delicious. It has also proved to me one thing beyond doubt-Singaporeans adore their chicken rice. They swear by it. It is unofficially the ‘national dish’ of the country and rightfully so-considering the immense fan following it boasts. The importance Singaporeans attach to the daily serving of Chicken Rice, is evident in their constant use of the dish as a yardstick for measuring most other aspects of their lives. Especially finance and the management of money matters-which plays a big role in the typical Singaporean mindset (This is a rich country, but the cost of living being so high, the local people always try and find ways and means to save money at every turn.) I have frequently heard such comparisons from the people here-not once, not twice, but on numerous occasions.

The first time I came across the commonplace relation between chicken rice and money, was a few years back, when I was a student in the National University of Singapore. I was heading downstairs with a couple of my lab mates (yes I used to be a lab rat back then-much to my disdain), to the Biological Sciences canteen-for some grub after a hard morning of slaving over PCR techniques. I went and got myself some food from an Indian stall (I must admit, we are a rather unadventurous lot when it comes to food), while the two guys I was with, got their individual servings-one helped himself to fish and chips while the other stacked up on a BIG plate of chicken rice in all its oily broth-filled goodness. As we sat down to lunch, the fish n chips guy asked my Chicken devouring friend how much the rice cost him. That one question was enough to fuel a conversation which continued all afternoon. It included comparisons with the Chicken Rice prices in the departments of engineering, psychiatry, medicine, humanities and economics, an inter-university comparison as well as a comparison with chicken rice at local stalls in varied locations ranging from Hougang, to Pair Ris to Jurong and City Hall. They also talked about how the price of the local delight has oscillated over the past five months and then went on to discuss the option of having to go to Hainan to eat chicken rice someday. As I sat there chewing on my sad little Roti Prata and Channa, I listened to them quietly-while the enormity of the whole Chicken Rice scenario slowly sunk in. I must admit, I had never in my wildest dreams thought that two people could be so emphatically verbose about something as down to earth and simple as a bowl of chicken cooked with ginger and garlic, with accompanying broth dunked flavorful sticky rice.

After that I came across a number of people who would inadvertently introduce Chicken Rice in a conversation, which otherwise one would never expect to have Chicken Rice in it. It amazed me-and still does. The devotion which these people have towards a simple food preparation, which has become not only a cult symbol for the average Singaporean, but an integral part of his life as well-goes to show just how much this dish is revered in this part of the world.

The most recent conversation I had about Chicken Rice was with a cabbie not many days ago. I was in a cab en route to Little India for a variety of reasons I will not bore you with (at least not right now), and was attempting to read Jerome K Jerome’s obnoxiously humorous “Three Men in a Boat” (I sometimes am starved for wit and need to turn to masters like Jerome for a spoonful of magic). However my cab driver was this rotund jovial fellow (unlike the numerous acerbic and moody drivers I have had the good fortune of coming across) who for some reason found in me the perfect sounding board for all kinds of local news and his personal woes alike. He regaled me with Singaporean politics and wildlife and gave me several important pointers (“Don’t take the road to Suntec City tomorrow Ma’am-all roads will be closed due to the APEC meeting”).

Then suddenly he went all rigid (it was kind of scary especially when he started pointing to what looked like a ghostly object in the forest fire fog) and started screaming almost manically “You see there madam? Prestige company-Black Chrysler taxi-neber neber take.” He had succeeded in rousing my interest.

“What? Why not? What’s wrong with the Chrysler?”

“You don’t know…wah! So expensive lah. Many many more dollar than normal Comfort or City Cab.”

“Can’t be too much of a difference,” I insisted.

“No, I tell you lor. I tell all my passenger. Neber neber take Prestige Chrysler. They cheat you, you know? I know one woman who take Chrysler from Suntec all the way to Jurong yah and had to pay 40 ober dollar you know?”

“You have GOT to be kidding me,” I exclaimed. Suntec to Jurong would cost a maximum of $25, to the best of my knowledge. I was listening intently and Jerome was taking a serious beating.

“I tell you leh…we charge first km 3 dollar-they start with $3.30 you know! 30 cents more wah! Cannot cannot,” he continued just as excitedly as before (in fact his face had turned a slight tinge of red). “You go ten km like this lor-you pay 3 dollars more you know- COST OF ONE WHOLE PLATE OF CHICKEN RICE WAH! 40 kms like this you can get 4 plates of chicken rice you know for same money lor!”

By this time, Jerome’s witty humor was tucked away well and safe in my bag, while I listened to this good natured driver, trying to economize my life. I was in awe of the simplicity of this person who pretty much represented the average common man-not only in Singapore, but in every major world economy. He went on to instruct me to never hail Chrysler cabs-even when in queue at a taxi stand or at the airport. He was trying his best to inform me of the real danger posed by the monstrous machines in black and in his own little way, he was trying to save my hard earned money. He was making sure I had enough for a plate of chicken rice always-even four, if push came to shove.

The incident not only re-iterated my opinion of the Singaporean’s love for Chicken Rice, but also opened my eyes to the daily struggle that an average local here has to go through to survive. It is a hard life-despite the manicured gardens, clean roadsides and the awfully rich golf-playing, diamond buying section of society. For the average Singaporean, the reality lies not in the country’s world economic rankings, but being able to live happily within a tough system which gives a lot but also takes its fair share. For the average struggling, loving, HDB-inhabiting, food court visiting, and soul searching Singaporean, it all boils down to the value of a plate of Hainanese Chicken Rice.

-----------------Shreyasi Majumdar.

Generating Article Ideas- 20 Strategies that Work!

Ever faced a block while looking for new things to write about? Ever wondered whether this is the oft-heard of writer’s block or something even more malicious? Ever felt as if this was the end of your brilliant present or future career as an article writer? Have no fear and certainly don’t fret! Although not exactly classified as a writer’s block, this particular situation can get even more frustrating than the former since the words are just aching to spurt out onto paper. At some point of time or the other, ALL article writers face a wall trying to locate and generate new ideas for their articles. Submission deadlines make the situation all the more worse. However there are ways and means to keep producing beautifully worded pieces of art, even when the creativity streak is running thin. Here are some of the strategies that work well for most people:-

1) Research- This is the first course of action any article write turns to, whenever in need for new ideas. In fact thorough and intense research is the pillar of any writer’s career. And I think it’s safe to say that it’s the most productive way to get a new title for your story. Years ago, research would probably entail scouring through truckloads of books and interviewing people. In today’s day and age, apart from books, magazines and interviews, research can involve a whole gamut of avenues-a major chunk of which is contributed by the internet- a wonder of modern times. The amount of information available in cyber world is immense to say the least. Simply scouring through Wikipedia and the various cross links that it provides, can be enough to help you come up with new ideas for your articles. Apart from this, ezines, article directories and content sites can provide enough food for thought to last you till your next dry spell. If you’re still dissatisfied and hungry for more, search for random topics on any functional search engine such as Google, Ask Jeeves and Dogpile. To check out what the rest of the world is searching for, websites like Yahoo Buzz!, Google Zeitgeist, Google Trends, MSN Search Insider and Dogpile Search Spy are wonderfully addictive. To find out what other people have to say, sign up on Yahoo Groups or Google Groups or alternately search blogs on Technorati, Craigslist and the like. Other websites such as Digg, Reddit, Fark, Slashdot and Metafilter, are information packed services that allow users to share, post and comment on links on various news items and random information sources- a definite ‘must try’ for someone looking for ideas.

2) Google alerts- As a journalist myself, I could not be stronger in my recommendation of this tool as a brilliant source of new article ideas. I can safely say that leads for around 70% of the business articles I have written so far, have originated from Google alerts. If you’re looking for information on a particular topic, sign up for Google alerts for that topic at a frequency of your choice (daily, weekly etc). Also, News Now is a great website for a collection of up to date news information, so add the webpage in your favourites list and go through it whenever you have a spare moment.

3) Maintain a journal- Journaling can be a fascinating way to scoop out new ideas from events that have already happened in your past. Make note of incidences, observations and feelings on a daily or weekly basis in your journal, and when you feel your head going blank as far as ideas are concerned, go through what you’ve noted in your journal. You’ll be surprised at what you find. You’ll probably be even more surprised with the voluminous stories that emerge simply from your own personal life experiences.

4) Observe- If you have decided to write-either as a hobby or as a full time source of living, you will have to learn to hone your observation powers to the point where they are absolutely razor sharp. Nothing should escape your field of vision. Even the slightest details-even ones which may be in the background-are worthy of you attention. These could be about a situation, a person’s physical description, what you may think he/she is like, some sign you saw on a store board-it could be just about anything that strikes you as noteworthy. Keep a notebook with you to document your observations wherever you go(wherever it’s possible to carry a pocket sized notebook with you) and turn to these observations when you’re at your desk hunting for article ideas. The number of stories which will emerge in your mind as a result of the observations will never cease to amaze you and you will be thankful for that little notebook which has proved more than handy to many writers in the past.

5) Absorb and regurgitate- Similar to point number 4, with a change in only the slightest aspect. Often you will not have the note book handy with you. For these moments, make sure you are able to absorb your surrounding environment or the situation of interest like a sponge. Pay close attention to details when someone is speaking to you. Listen to every word he/she is telling you especially if he/she is knowledgeable about the topic of interest. If you are at a zoo and wish to write something about a pangolin, make sure you read and absorb everything written/described in the pangolin enclosure. When you get back to the handy notebook, regurgitate what you have absorbed. Always make sure that at the end of the day, your handy notebook has everything written down in black and white. No matter how strong your observation and absorption prowess, it is dangerous for a writer to only trust his/her memory and instinct.

6) Go for a walk- One of the most common cures for the writer’s block-taking a break. Writers-especially freelancers are often racing against time-working round the clock to meet submission deadlines. Frequently a writer’s mind is crowded with the assignments on hand and the situation only worsens when he runs out of writing ideas. The best temporary way to deal with this is to drop your writing for an hour or two, go take a walk out in the sun (or in the rain-whichever suits you better) and let your mind wander. Once you get back, more often than not, the short rest and recreation period will have jolted your mind back into churning out the good ideas.

7) Eat healthy and exercise- More of a generic panacea for most troubles, this is a suggestion I would make for all your writing issues. Having a healthy body and mind, not only eases your writing, helps you create new ideas and increases your energy levels to cope with the chaos, but also contributes significantly to improve your writing over time. Try it. It works.

8) Don’t hesitate to talk- As a writer; you must never hesitate to talk to family, friends or even strangers as the situation demands. If you do have a fear of asking questions, get over it! Writing entails frequent question-answer and quizzing sessions-but more often than not, turning to one’s own family and friends for their opinions, can help generate ideas like you wouldn’t believe. Never undermine the importance of any small question or opinion. You never know which viewpoint would give you your next prize-worthy article idea.

9) Re-visit your archives- Your archive of previously written articles (published and unpublished) can prove to be a goldmine of information for new ones. Always keep a copy of everything you’ve written in the past and scan through your file of past articles every now and then to brainstorm for new ideas.

10) Re-read unproductive queries- Apart from maintaining a history of all your previous articles also ensure that you maintain a separate record of all the query letters you’ve sent to various publications, which were returned unaccepted. There is always a thing or two to be learnt from failures and definitely new storylines to be unearthed from returned queries.

11) Keep track of historical milestones- History has a great lot to teach and definitely a lot more to contribute for the future. Maintaining a diary or record of all historical milestones-local, national, personal or otherwise, will inevitably prove useful someday when you’re at your desk, scratching your head in frustration trying to search for things to write about.

12) Maintain a ‘cuttings’ file- Once you have finished reading your newspapers, magazines and old books, cut out articles, teasers and anything else which strikes you as interesting. File them away in a folder under different sub-sections according to genre. When you go through the file in the future, you are bound to see something that catches your eye and gets your brain whirring again.

13) Post regular surveys- Use your blog, web page or web site to post surveys, polls and questionnaires for your guest visitors-to get an inkling about their opinions. Having diverse viewpoints helps one maintain an openness of mind which is essential to good writing. Additionally, inputs from different people provide a definite pool of ideas for new articles and stories.

14) Localize a national trend and vice versa- It could be fashion, it could be political or it could be a plain and simple employment scenario. Whatever it is, if its happening on a national level, you could draw some parallels with the local situation (could be a town, district, or your backyard gully). Alternately a localised incident or trend could be magnified and explored on a nationalistic level, thereby giving it wider exposure. You can take it further and rope in the international scenario too if you are really into it. All in all, keep your eyes open to happenings local, national and international, your mind open to ideas and your creativity on full steam.

15) Social networking sites- Social networking is the buzzword these days and what better method of churning out new ideas than flowing with the huge cyber population and interacting with it? If you don’t have an account on social networking sites such as Orkut, Facebook or Hi5, then my strong advice to you would be to go ahead and get one. Possibly on as many such sites as possible. If you wish to interact on a more professional level, with people from various fields and occupations, LinkedIn is the way to go. In a nutshell, social networking allows you to come face to face with a large populace and numerous thoughts and minds-thereby giving you access to more new ideas for your article or other writing activities.

16) Online bookstores- The internet is bursting at the seams with details and websites of publishers, writers and book sellers. The next time you’re online attempting to search for article ideas, hunt for online bookstores (eg. Amazon) and look at their bestselling lists. You can also look for websites of actual bookstores and check the bestselling lists there. Alternately visit these bookstores and scour through their top published works. Also look for publisher’s online and go through what they have to provide and watch the ideas surface as you reach for your pen (or keyboard).

17) Classic Classifieds- Advertisements and classifieds in newspapers, magazines or even specific journals, can be a treasure trove for new article ideas. Imagine looking through the JOBS section in a newspaper and coming across an advertisement looking for a marine mammal research specialist. You could think of ten topics on the spot including different types of marine mammals, the kind of research marine mammal experts conduct, marine mammal locations worldwide and in your vicinity, endangered species, conservation activities-the list could go on and on.

18) Miscellaneous sources– A wide range of other miscellaneous sources for new article ideas include bumper stickers, church catalogues, press releases and greeting cards to name a few. To cite an example, I once passed a car, that had a bumper sticker which read, “This car is magic-Just watch the petrol disappear” I immediately got to thinking about petrol as a sparse natural resource and managed to pen down an article on the subject once I got back to my desk. Greeting cards-which attend to nearly every emotion, celebration and event these days, can also prove to be exemplary sources for new ideas. Keeping track of regular church catalogues and subscribing to some sort of PR wire for regular press release news alerts also increase your chances substantially of coming up with new things to write about.

19) Wordtracker- Keyword Wordtracker is an SEO (Search Engine Optimization) genre free tool which allows you to locate and access the top 100 searches related to the keyword you use in the tool. The best part about this tool is that you not only get access to an array of search results related to your topic of interest, but also see if anyone else (and how many people) is searching for the same thing and structure/direct your article according to the traffic your keyword receives. Wordtracker is a rather user friendly tool. You simply have to visit freekeywords.tracker.com , enter your desired keyword and click on the ‘Hit Me’ tab.

20) Mind mapping- Wikipedia defines a ‘mind map’ as “a diagram used to represent words, ideas, tasks, or other items linked to and arranged around a central key word or idea.” According to Wiki, mind maps are most useful when it comes to generating, visualizing, structuring and classifying ideas, among other things. As such, it would be prudent to say that mind mapping and brainstorming over a central key subject, can provide many branches of thought and ideas, which could very well culminate in a well rounded article.

All the above-mentioned points are strategies that work either individually or in permutations for different writers. Ultimately it all boils down to what suits YOU and what gets YOUR creative juices flowing unhindered. I would suggest that struggling article writers begin by trying out all the above-mentioned methods and then figure out patterns and combinations unique to their own system of working. Who knows? You may also develop a new strategy along the way. No matter what the situation, do not give up on yourself and your writing. Remember-There is ALWAYS something waiting to be discovered; there is ALWAYS something to write about. What matters is how well you search, how much you find and how strongly you believe. Happy writing!
---------Shreyasi Majumdar

For the Goodness of a Tater – 9 Potato Myths Busted!

If I had a penny for every time someone told me to “Beware of the potato”, I’d be a rich woman by now. The legendary tuber has long been a victim of misunderstanding. Since the late 1500’s up until today the potato has been condemned for a variety of reasons. In 1580, noted explorer Sir Walter Raleigh brought back some potato plants from the Americas to Ireland and gifted some to Queen Elizabeth I. Unfortunately, the Queen’s palace cooks were not very well versed with the funny-looking tuber and instead of cooking the potatoes, they boiled the stems and leaves before presenting it to the court at mealtime. For those of you who are ignorant of the potato plant’s more sinister characteristics, it contains toxic compounds called glycoalkaloids, majority of which are concentrated in the leaves and stems of the plant. As such, all those who consumed the boiled preparation, fell deathly ill and consequently, potatoes were banned from the Queen’s court.

Following this, malicious rumors seemed to follow the unfortunate tuber to whichever part of the world it was introduced. In France, for instance, the potato was attributed with near demonic status and accused of causing vile diseases ranging from leprosy to syphilis as well as being responsible for sterility and unhindered sexuality alike. The potato became so infamous gradually, that in a certain French town, an announcement was made to the effect that the potato being detrimental to human, animal and soil health, its cultivation be stopped immediately.

Modern times have found other reasons to malign the benevolent vegetable. Even though the potato is one of the foods people delight in most nowadays, a diet-driven and health-crazy society today points out that the potato, being extremely rich in starch, can hardly boast any other kind of nutritional value. People today, are so caught up in the anti-carbohydrate, zero-calorie, diabetes-free-life campaign, that they fail to see the potato for what it really is – a highly nutritious vegetable, which when prepared and eaten in the right way and in the correct quantities, tends to help more often than hurt.

According to a United Nations report, the global potato production reached a high of 315 million tonnes in 2006 and today, nearly 1/3rd of the global production can be attributed to China and India-two of the world’s most populous countries. According to sources, on an average a world citizen consumes around 33kg (73 lbs) of potatoes-yearly! In fact, the average American consumes nearly 140 lbs per year while Germans eat around 200 lbs annually! Although there are some basic standard kinds of potatoes, 4,000 different varieties are cultivated worldwide. The potato was also the first vegetable to be grown in space in 1995, with the aim of feeding astronauts and future space colonies! Given the efforts required to grow so many kinds of potatoes and the production and consumption volumes worldwide, it is hard to think of the tater as a malignant, poisonous vegetable poised to kill with syphilis or obesity. And as it turns out, the potato is anything but! Here’s a list of some common potato myths that trouble people even today.

Myth 1: The potato is not a vegetable
The potato, although a tuberous root, is classified as a vegetable in the Food Guide Pyramid. However, it is also sometimes referred to as an edible root or a tuber. The potato is an important part of the total recommended daily servings of vegetables. One medium-size potato counts as one cup of starchy vegetables.

Myth 2: Potatoes are fattening
Nutritionally speaking, a potato is about 80% water and 20% solid and pretty much as stocked up on nutritional value as one might expect from any normal vegetable. A raw or baked potato with skin normally contains 100 calories, 22g carbohydrates, 3g of protein and NO fat! I bet that’s wonderful news to all the diet-stricken people out in the world who have been told that eating potatoes is suicide for a weight loss program. This is totally untrue if it is eaten in all its goodness-baked, mashed, boiled, roasted, steamed or stewed. Although a potato looks big, fleshy and downright dangerous to the Atkins devotee, it will in itself not contribute much to one’s weight gain, owing to the large water content in it. However, a potato with the additional butter or sour cream topping, served as chips/fries or baked with cheese will not only hamper weight loss, it WILL contribute to weight gain as well as cholesterol and blood sugar issues. While a simple baked potato would boast not more than 100 calories and no fat, a small packet of French fries would easily account for around 210 calories in addition to extra fat.

Myth 3: Potato chips are vegetables
Although this common potato myth opines that potato chips and crisps count as vegetables in the food guide pyramid, this is totally misleading. The blatant fact of the matter is that although potatoes in their raw form are classified in the vegetable group, potato chips which contain almost 61% fat are not.

Myth 4: Potatoes contain simple carbohydrates
Potatoes contain complex carbohydrates, which are absolutely essential for the energy needs of the body and brain. Most of these carbs are present in the forms of starch. A portion of this starch which is resistant to digestion by enzymes in the stomach and small intestine, reach the large intestine almost intact and provides the body with its much required fiber needs.

Myth 5: Carbohydrates are the only nutrients available in a potato
A medium sized raw white potato or baked in skin, is also a powerhouse of other nutrients. It typically contains almost 35% of Vitamin C, 20% Vitamin B6, 15% Iodine and 10% each of Copper, Iron and Niacin, 8% each of Folic Acid, Phosphorous and Magnesium, 4% of Thiamin and Zinc and traces of Vitamin A. During the Alaskan Klondike gold rush in the late 1800’s, potatoes were so highly valued by miners for their Vitamin C content, that they were traded for gold. So much for busting Myth number 5!

Myth 6: All of a potato’s nutrients lie in its skin
Although most of its protein content is concentrated within its thin layer of skin, all the other nutrients are evenly distributed across the skin and body of the potato. So go ahead and enjoy the yummy goodness of the entire spud!

Myth 7: Potatoes have no anti-oxidants
Although there are no approved claims of anti-oxidants in potatoes, certain research studies in the recent years do state that potatoes have a high probability of containing anti oxidants such as but not limited to Anthocyanin and Carotenoids(apart from the established richness in Vitamin C).

Myth 8: Potatoes taste nice only when cooked according to high-fat recipes.
Try an Indian potato curry with boiled potatoes and spice. If you’re not into Asian cuisine, try topping a baked potato with salsa or low fat sour cream or even low fat cheese. Bake potatoes without cheese in tomato sauce with a hint or garlic and herbs served with steamed veggies or asparagus on the side. Alternately grill them with tarragon leaves and other herbs. The avenues are multitudinous-creativity waiting to be explored. All with the same end-result- a yummy low fat, high carb, nutrition-packed meal waiting to be devoured!

Myth 9: White potatoes are bad for you-eat sweet potatoes instead!
Wrong. A sweet potato, fried and served with cheese, would be just as bad as regular fries. The goodness of a vegetable-any vegetable- depends on the method of preparation and the quantity of consumption. Although both contain the same number of calories on average, the sweet potato has been known to contain lesser starch, more vitamin C, and almost thrice the amount of Beta Carotene in a white potato. However if sugar is a consideration, the white variety would win hands on due to the higher sugar content in a sweet potato. Therefore it would ideally be safe to say that raw white potatoes and sweet potatoes complement each other nutritionally and neither is “bad” for the body.

As long as the potatoes you consume are cooked in fat-free ways and a long as you substitute the side servings of cheese, bacon bits, sour cream and creamy sauce with green veggies, corn and carrots, be rest assured of a good, enjoyable, healthy meal. So go ahead and enjoy your taters the way they should be enjoyed-guilt free and risk free!

----Shreyasi Majumdar