Ice Age 4

Event: 

International Women's Association Kuala Lumpur's

 "Ice Age Collision Course" Cinema Outing 

with Children from Orphanages & Underprivileged Homes

 (31.07.2016)

at GSC Cinema,

 Tropicana City Mall.

Spent Sunday afternoon on 31 July 2016 helping and IWAKL event as above, mostly as a photographer. 

 When I reached Tropicana Mall, the children were already sitting at designated areas waiting to enter the cinema. 

 Amarat is one of the organisers, calling up homes and arranging for them to meet at the Mall.

 Neeta Bedi procured the 200 tickets for the movie and we had one whole cinema to ourselves for this event.

 Children from the special children's home.

 

 Look at the cute down syndrome boy in my arms, but look at the handsome boy who is always gazing somewhere else.

 I had to call him to look at the camera, but he kept looking away distractedly 

 He is now looking at the camera, later when he held on to his teacher's hands while going upstairs, I felt overcome with emotion, because it should be his mother's hands he is holding, not a substitute mom.

 Kiat See also came out in full force to help

 These kids are normal and cheeky

 But these are always having vacant looks on their faces.

 Amarat welcomes another group who just came, I think they are from Pure Life Society.

 They are going to the cinema in batches

 He is so cute, adorable and lovaeble, right? He said he wanted some food, waiting made him hungry!

 Teacher with Chanel bag accompanies them into GSC Hall.

 These kids are very young and CUTE!!!!

Innocent and precocious with hope written all over their faces.

 Makes you feel kinda moody and sad that they are left in homes and orphanages.

 Shanti is like me, always like to document and take pictures.

 Shamsinar talking to representative from GSC about some issues and arrangements.

 No show is complete without popcorn

 Lining up for free popcorn and drinks

 We also got our popcorn!

 hahaha!!! 3 of us shared 2 seats (full house) and we had popcorn and drinks each!!

 Goodie Bags for the children when they come out 

 

 Yay!! We enjoyed our show!!!

!WAKL Italian Cooking Demo

On 14 July 2016 I attended an Italian Cooking demo at Adriana's place as part of the cultural aspect of IWAKL (immersion and exchange of knowledge between different countries). As I was driving the long distance there I felt like it was too much trouble and having got up early for a dance class, I felt sleepy too.

(Had to pay toll and enter mex highway to get here, maybe that was why I felt grumpy)

 But as soon as I stepped into the apartment and interacted with this zany international bunch, my tiredness dissipated and I actually started to have a good time!  Note: I had to wear Fitri's funny shades as my scabs hadn't healed!!

Debbie (from England) says I take too many selfies so she covers my eyes!!!

 Today Adriana the host (in red and as Italian as they come) is going to show us how to cook gnocchi, ragu and pesto.

These are the ingredients ready for the demo

 Basil leaves for making pesto

 Gnocchi in pesto sauce

 grating cheese

all done

 cheese mixture for gnocchi

 Adrianna is going to prepare the gnocchi on a clean plastic sheet because she does not have a marble of stone table to knead the dough (Being an expatriate she explains she refrains from buying too much stuff as she does not know how long she will stay in Malaysia)

 Mashed potato, flour and an egg -- all you need to knead for gnocchi.. (from the net)

 gnoccchi almost ready for cooking 

 Gnocchi are various thick, soft dough dumplings that may be made from semolina, ordinary wheat flour, egg, cheese, potato, breadcrumbs, cornmeal, or similar ..(Wikipedia)

 

Classic gnocchi recipe - Place potatoes in a saucepan of cold water. Cover. Bring to boil over high heat. Reduce to low. Cook for 30 minutes or until soft (from the net)

Gnocchi rolled in cheese

In Italian cuisine, ragù is a meat-based sauce that is commonly served with pasta

 This is pre cooked ragu which Adriana prepared the night before

Gnocchi in ragu 

Shanti and Fitri are going to set the table now

 This is gnocchi in pesto sauce for the vegetarian among us

 Don't they look absolutely cute?

So we have three types of gnocchi: in ragu, in pesto and in cheese 

with salad

 

cake/bread

my plate of the three types of gncocchi serving and salad

 

washed down with punch 

 group photo of all of us who attended the cooking demo

 me posing and Debbie trying her hand at rolling gnocchi dough

 So: I found I was actually enjoying myself having a relaxing morning with a cheerful bunch of women, it was so stress free and "worry-less", I lingered even after eating. 

 Shanti is showing off her great heels, Adriana is admiring them

awesome!!!

 taking pic while Adriana is mixing the basil leaves for the pesto

Taking pic while Mabel is getting her hands floury with rolling the gnocchi pastry, Mumtaz and Shanti happily smiling, and I was glad I came, I don't know why, I just had the feel-good vibes that day, and I did not mind my pock-marked face!