Making steamed buns is as easy as ABC. All that is needed are flour, sugar, yeast, water and lots of elbow grease if you do not have an electric mixer. Below I am sharing the recipe of the steamed buns that I just made. It is really fun and simple. All the ingredients are easily available from the bakery section of supermarkets. I hope you will enjoy it as much as I did.

Steamed Buns (Pau)

Ingredients:
500g flour
1 tsp instant yeast
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/4 cups lukewarm water

Mix the flour and yeast thoroughly in a mixing bowl. Dissolve sugar in water. Mix the ingredients and knead the dough with hand or with an electric mixer for 10 minutes until it becomes smooth and does not stick to the bowl. Separate the dough into 40g lumps. Roll to make them round and line the bottom of each bun with a piece of grease paper. Cover it with a piece of clean cloth and leave it to rise for 60 minutes in room temperature. Steam the buns in high heat for 15 minutes. Use a piece of rolled up wet cloth to seal the side of the steamer. Makes 24 buns.

It is my turn now and I really do not know what I should be blogging about for the next four hours. I do not usually post more than one entry per day. Since this is all for the Hospice-at-Home-Programme, I shall put up a photo of Rumah Hospice and talk a little about them.

When Mum and I were given four options for her nursing care because I could no longer look after her, Rumah Hospice was one of the choices suggested. They have a team of nurses and medical officers looking after patients staying there. It is an old government bungalow located off Jalan Air Itam and just beside the Methodist Boys School.

Like my first visit there two years ago, my second visit recently brought back many memories of how difficult it was for terminally-ill patients and their families to cope with the situation. One can never get used to accepting the impending death of a loved one, no matter how hard one tries or how prepared one is.

The moment I saw one of the patients lying in bed, a feeding tube sticking out from her nose, her body reduced to skin and bones, my heart sank. I almost cried. There is nothing more anyone can do for these patients except to make them comfortable. One of the important aspects of palliative care is pain management. Cancer patients almost always suffer from pain. As long as that part is dealt with sufficiently, the other symptoms will be more manageable somewhat.

Mum was prescribed dihydrocodiene tartrate for her pain. However, the dosage needed to be adjusted to because I wanted to keep her relatively pain-free but lucid as well. The Hospice helped us in that aspect and for the first few weeks that Mum was under the care of the hospice, she was actually improving in vigour and spirits. It was virtually impossible for me to take Mum back to the hospital every time there was a need to review her dosage because she had become very immobile and I never could have managed it by myself.

That was how much the Hospice has helped us during those times of extreme need. And that is why I believe in their work. For all that they had done for Mum and me, I will forever be grateful. I am delighted that my fellow bloggers share my views and have come together to wholeheartedly support this effort to raise funds for the Hospice-at-Home-Programme for the Penang Branch of the Malaysia National Cancer Society. Please donate generously because that will go a long way towards supporting the Hospice in helping cancer patients and their families who are in dire need of palliative care and support.

* This entry was posted at Bloggers are Morons for Blogathon 2005.

From Bloggers Are Morons posted by Suanie.

Image courtesy of Bloggers are Morons and Suanie.

Check out the on-line article here.

Thanks Elizabeth Looi for the interview!

This is a copy of Kenny Sia’s entry titled Today, I Am A Saint.

The Borneo Post, page 4, on the 4th August 2005.
Image courtesy of Kenny Sia.

I just had a look at how much money we’ve raised so far and its only USD$550. Thanks to all the nice people here who have pledged their donation.

But frankly speaking I think that amount is pathetic. Between the six of us participants, we get about 10,000 daily visitors to our sites combined. If each of these visitors were to donate USD1, just USD1 (that’s RM3.70, the price of one plate of chicken rice), the volunteers at the Hospite-At-Home program would have enough funds to help the unfortunate for the next 5 years.

Anyway, the Blogathon for charity is in progress till 9pm today. Please head over to BloggersAreMorons.com. You can help keep us awake by telling us a joke or two, or something.

Thank you all who have sent me birthday wishes through emails, ecards, Yahoo, MSN, SMS and left comments here in my blog. I am truly touched. I have not met some of you before but you all accepted me as a friend and for that I am thankful.

On this very special day of mine, I have only one wish. If you have some cash to spare, I urge you all to donate to the Hospice-At-Home-Programme Penang Branch, the charity that the group of six calling ourselves Bloggers are Morons and a few other guest bloggers are blogging for in Blogathon 2005.

The Hospice is providing palliative care for patients with terminal cancer. Making these patients comfortable is the least we can do when the little they have left is ticking away by the second. Please support the Hospice in any way you can. Every little contribution will ease the suffering of these terminally-ill patients.

Mata kecik has pledged USD20 in place of giving me a present. That is very generous of her. I hope you all can do something for the Hospice too. Thank you again for your friendship and generosity. May God bless you all with good health and happiness always.