A Lot of Pages...: Totto chan - Tetsuko Kuroyanagi.

http://www.a-lotofpages.com/2011/08/totto-chan-tetsuko-kuroyanagi.html?m=1

Totto chan - Tetsuko Kuroyanagi.

Author- Tetsuko Kuroyanagi 
Translated in English by Dorothy Britton.


Synopsis:
Totto chan, a lively young girl is expelled from her first school. Her mother, worried about her daughter's future, takes her to a new school called "Tomoe Gakuen" which has an unconventional method of teaching started by the principal Mr Kobayashi. 
The school had made use of six abandoned railroad cars as classrooms! The principal was a kind man who treated children seriously and understood them well. On the very first meeting a friendship is formed between the headmaster and his pupil. He listened to her for straight four hours as she answered his question, "Tell me more about yourself".
Set in the times of world war II in Japan, this book is the true account of the author about her childhood, her elementary school and the novel ways in which she was taught.


Excerpts:

Now it was time for "something from the ocean and something from the hills," the 
lunch hour Totto-chan had looked forward to so eagerly. 
The headmaster had adopted the phrase to describe a balanced meal--the kind of food 
he expected you to bring for lunch in addition to your rice. Instead of the usual 
"Train your children to eat everything," and "Please see that they bring a nutritiously 
balanced lunch," this headmaster asked parents to include in their children's 
lunchboxes "something from the ocean and something from the hills." 
"Something from the ocean" meant sea food-- things such as fish and tsukuda-ni 
(tiny crustaceans and the like boiled in soy sauce and sweet sake), while "something 
from the hills" meant food from the land--like vegetables, beef, pork, and chicken. 

Sometimes a mother had been too busy and her child had only something from the 
hills, or only something from the ocean. But never mind. As the headmaster made his 
round of inspection, his wife followed him, wearing a cook's white apron and holding 
a pan in each hand. If the headmaster stopped in front of a pupil saying, "Ocean," she 
would dole out a couple of boiled chikuwa (fish rolls) from the "Ocean" saucepan, 
and if the headmaster said, "Hills," out would come some chunks of soy-simmered 
potato from the "Hills" saucepan. 
No one would have dreamed of saying, "I don't like fish rolls," any more than 
thinking what a fine lunch so-and-so has or what a miserable lunch poor so-and-so 
always brings. The children's only concern was whether they had satisfied the two 
requirements - the ocean and the hills--and if so their joy was complete and they 
were all in good spirits. 




Maithili Speak:
I first came to know about this book while I was in school. We had a small chapter from this book describing the episodes which led to Totto chan's expulsion from school and her entry into the new one.  It was comical to read about the naughtiness of this enthusiastic girl and I adored her. When I read this book last week I came to know why this book has been such a classic book ! It explores the innocence, the thoughts of the young and how the principal made use of this energy to build the characters of these students. 


During the course of reading, there were several times I wanted to be in Tomoe , the elementary school.


Don't we all remember our childhood when we were so fascinated by the chalks and wanted to scribble everywhere? When we drew patterns on the wall and got chided by our elder?
Imagine the principal giving 2 days a week, a period for students to scribble!! They could scribble to their heart content, but he made sure that they would clean it up. This not only checked the urge of the students to scribble but also made them realise the pain that went behind to clean if they scribbled on anybody's property! How cool is that!


The walks that the children took , when teachers taught them effectively about pollination, rivers etc, the library that was built in a car, the swimming lessons, the camps and the freedom to start with whatever subject the student wants all these things just fill your heart with joy and make you feel, "Why was there no Tomoe when I went to school?" 


The book has a universal appeal. To the young it gives out values and to the grown ups a chance to go back to childhood, to enjoy the simplicity of life, to understand the psychology of a kid.


Life would have been so much better if each one of us could have attended a Tomoe!


The last part of the book where the writer, herself a famous television personality, traces the success of all the 10 students in her class (there were only 50 students in Tomoe given the unconventional methods) and shows how the novel ways and values inculcated in them by the Principal was of prime importance in making them what they are. 




Rating: This has to be 5 on 5 from me.


Price: I read it online so I give you the link. :) 
http://www.arvindguptatoys.com/arvindgupta/Tottochan.pdf


P.S Does this count as under 18 stuff or classic?? I m confused :( 

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Fwd: How to do the keto diet, Singapore-style

Sent from my iPhone

Begin forwarded message:

From: Chang Cheng Liang <changchengliang@gmail.com>
Date: 28 November 2020 at 11:28:51 AM SGT
To: changchengliang2.musings0@blogger.com
Subject: How to do the keto diet, Singapore-style



https://cnalifestyle.channelnewsasia.com/dining/how-to-keto-diet-singapore-style-local-hawker-food-10747730

How to do the keto diet, Singapore-style

Keto is the diet plan that everybody's talking about, including celebrities, fitness buffs and those hoping to lose some weight.

Derived from the word "ketosis", a process in which the body produces fat-burning ketones, a ketogenic diet is one that is very low in carbohydrates, high in fat and moderately high in protein.

If you're following this diet, you could always prep your own meals or eat exclusively at salad bars – but who wants to give up the convenience of local hawker food, not to mention its comforting deliciousness?

Here are the stalls to hit up so that you can stick to your diet plan as closely as possible while still enjoying your favourite local flavours.

ROAST MEAT

Go for no-rice portions of chicken, duck and roast pork, and add an egg or two if you can. Just steer clear of the char siew, which generally achieves its sticky sweetness through the use of maltose. That stuff is high in carbs.

CHICKEN, LAMB OR BEEF CURRY

Give the bread and rice a miss, but indulge in the proteins and the gravy. Curry contains coconut milk, which is high in fat, low in carbs and very keto-friendly.

YONG TAU FOO

Pick lots of veggies to put in your bowl – leafy green vegetables, carrots, eggplant and mushrooms are all good choices. Take note, however, that tofu, although high in protein, is made from soybean, a legume that isn't considered very keto-friendly. 

Stay away from the fried stuff, too, like the wantons, ngoh hiang and fishcake, which tend to be highly processed as well. Needless to say, you can have your yong tau foo dry, in soup or even in tom yam or laksa soup – but without rice or noodles. And we don't have to tell you that that sweet dipping sauce is an absolute no-no.

BAK KUT TEH

Pork ribs with a good layer of unctuous fat, simmered in peppery soup, will put all thoughts of deprivation out of your mind. Many stalls also serve their bak kut teh with side dishes of vegetables and lor bak, so you can really make a meal out of it, even if you're avoiding the rice and the fried you tiao.

FISH SOUP

This makes for a light and clean meal, especially on those days when you're craving some comfort food. Ask for extra portions of fish and veggies – and hold the rice, please.

MALA XIANG GUO

Similar to yong tau foo, save this one for a day when only strong, spicy flavours will hit the spot. Choose loads of vegetables, meats and even innards – some of these are satisfyingly high in fat.

SATAY

Yes, these delicious little pops of meat on a stick, grilled over charcoal until they crisp over, are a great choice. Just go easy on the peanut dipping sauce, which can contain high amounts of sugar. And the onions and cucumber are ok – they make for a great salad – but not the ketupat, of course.

MIXED RICE

Mixed rice without the rice isn't an oxymoron any more, with increasing numbers of people ordering their meals without the carbs. Pick proteins that aren't fried in batter or coated in too much sauce – sweet and sour pork, for instance, is a definite no-no. Steamed or braised eggs are a prudent and tasty choice. Choose vegetable and gourd dishes such as spinach and pumpkin, but stay away from the bean dishes – again, legumes are not friends with the keto diet. 

Sent from my iPhone

https://cnalifestyle.channelnewsasia.com/dining/how-to-keto-diet-singapore-style-local-hawker-food-10747730

How to do the keto diet, Singapore-style

Keto is the diet plan that everybody's talking about, including celebrities, fitness buffs and those hoping to lose some weight.

Derived from the word "ketosis", a process in which the body produces fat-burning ketones, a ketogenic diet is one that is very low in carbohydrates, high in fat and moderately high in protein.

If you're following this diet, you could always prep your own meals or eat exclusively at salad bars – but who wants to give up the convenience of local hawker food, not to mention its comforting deliciousness?

Here are the stalls to hit up so that you can stick to your diet plan as closely as possible while still enjoying your favourite local flavours.

ROAST MEAT

Go for no-rice portions of chicken, duck and roast pork, and add an egg or two if you can. Just steer clear of the char siew, which generally achieves its sticky sweetness through the use of maltose. That stuff is high in carbs.

CHICKEN, LAMB OR BEEF CURRY

Give the bread and rice a miss, but indulge in the proteins and the gravy. Curry contains coconut milk, which is high in fat, low in carbs and very keto-friendly.

YONG TAU FOO

Pick lots of veggies to put in your bowl – leafy green vegetables, carrots, eggplant and mushrooms are all good choices. Take note, however, that tofu, although high in protein, is made from soybean, a legume that isn't considered very keto-friendly. 

Stay away from the fried stuff, too, like the wantons, ngoh hiang and fishcake, which tend to be highly processed as well. Needless to say, you can have your yong tau foo dry, in soup or even in tom yam or laksa soup – but without rice or noodles. And we don't have to tell you that that sweet dipping sauce is an absolute no-no.

BAK KUT TEH

Pork ribs with a good layer of unctuous fat, simmered in peppery soup, will put all thoughts of deprivation out of your mind. Many stalls also serve their bak kut teh with side dishes of vegetables and lor bak, so you can really make a meal out of it, even if you're avoiding the rice and the fried you tiao.

FISH SOUP

This makes for a light and clean meal, especially on those days when you're craving some comfort food. Ask for extra portions of fish and veggies – and hold the rice, please.

MALA XIANG GUO

Similar to yong tau foo, save this one for a day when only strong, spicy flavours will hit the spot. Choose loads of vegetables, meats and even innards – some of these are satisfyingly high in fat.

SATAY

Yes, these delicious little pops of meat on a stick, grilled over charcoal until they crisp over, are a great choice. Just go easy on the peanut dipping sauce, which can contain high amounts of sugar. And the onions and cucumber are ok – they make for a great salad – but not the ketupat, of course.

MIXED RICE

Mixed rice without the rice isn't an oxymoron any more, with increasing numbers of people ordering their meals without the carbs. Pick proteins that aren't fried in batter or coated in too much sauce – sweet and sour pork, for instance, is a definite no-no. Steamed or braised eggs are a prudent and tasty choice. Choose vegetable and gourd dishes such as spinach and pumpkin, but stay away from the bean dishes – again, legumes are not friends with the keto diet. 

Sent from my iPhone