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Check out these adult dance classes you can take in Kuching

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Do you believe it is never too late to sign up for dance classes? Dance gets you to move your body, helps you release stress, improve your posture and you’ll have taken up a new skill!

If you are staying in Kuching, here are some of the dance classes you can take and which studios offer them:

1. Belly dancing

Belly dancing is considered a low impact form of exercise. Hence, it can be enjoyed by all regardless of age.

Although men doing belly dancing is almost unheard of, there are men who shimmy as good as women.

Belly dance movements such as hip drops and hip circles are known to relieve lower back pains.

In Kuching, La Danse Studio offers belly dancing classes for all age groups.

They also organise a biennial showcase featuring the dance instructors and students presenting mostly belly dance performances.

Other studios offering belly dancing class include Soul Dance Studio and Right Steps Dance Studio.

Check out these adult dance classes you can take in Kuching
Shimmy your hips in belly dancing.

2. Ballet

Tyng Dance Academy believes it is never too late to start ballet.

Whether you are an adult or a child, doing plies and spinning are not impossible.

One of the benefits of doing ballet is that it helps build muscle and agility.

On top of that, it also strengthens your core and lower body,

So what are you waiting for? Time to pick out your tutu!

Check out these adult dance classes you can take in Kuching
It is never too late to learn ballet.

3. Lyrical Jazz

If you like to express your emotion through music with lyrics, lyrical jazz is the dance for you.

The dance movement for lyrical jazz emphasises on the strong emotions of the song expressed in their choreography.

For those who want to give it a shot, check out La Danse Studio.

If you prefer jazz dance, head over to Tying Dance Academy.

4. Hip Hop/Urban/Popping/Street/Locking Dances

Do you know the difference between Hip Hop and Urban Dance?

How about popping and locking?

Is street dance nowadays considered a dance genre?

The best place to have these questions answered in Kuching is none other than Soul Dance Studio.

Check out these adult dance classes you can take in Kuching
B-boying anyone?

5. Tahiti dance

A Tahiti dancing is known for its rapid hip shaking movement.

You can look forward for a slimmer waist over time as this dance engages a lot of waistline muscles.

Check out the Tahiti dance class schedule at Right Steps Dance Studio.

6. Modern Ballroom Dance and Latin American Dance

Check out these adult dance classes you can take in Kuching
Grab your partner for ballroom dancing. Credit: Pixabay.

Grab your partner and sign up for any types of ballroom dance or Latin American dance.

Interested students can enquire with Alexis Dance Sport Studio for their dance class schedule.

There, they cater to all levels of footwork, posture and gracefulness, so don’t be shy.

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Marvel Cinematic Universe: Where art thou Soul Stone?

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If you are following the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) closely, then you know that the final Infinity Stone, the Soul Stone has yet to show up.

Fans are racking their brains trying to figure out where – or when – the Soul Stone might appear. Even the directors of Avengers: Infinity War, Anthony and Joe Russo are trolling fans with this tweet:

And of course, the brothers are not answering their own question.

Nonetheless, here is a list of theories fans have come up with so far on the Soul Stone’s location:

It may not be a stone at all, but a planet?

This sixth and final Infinity stone gives users power to control souls.

On top of that, it is able to send them to another dimension called ‘Soul World’. So is the orange planet the Soul World?

Screen Rant theorised that the orange planet is the Soul Stone, or at least a manifestation of it as the first trailer of Avengers: Infinity War starts with a shot of an orange planet while the Soul Stone in Guardians of the Galaxy to be orange.

However, some said this theory has been debunked. The orange planet is actually Titan, Thanos’ home. But what if the stone had been with Thanos all this time?

The Soul Stone is in Wakanda?

Both trailers show an epic battle happening in an African country, most probably in Wakanda. Could the final Infinity Stone be kept at the home of Black Panther?

Some fans believed vibranium is not the only secret Wakanda is keeping, but also the Soul Stone’s location.

It is with Iron-Man

The theory of Tony Stark having the Soul Stone came after the promo art of Avengers: Infinity War was published.

The art shows where each of Infinity Stones first debuted in MCU.

For example, the Space Stone (Tesseract) was in Captain America: The First Avengers while the Power Stone was in Guardians of the Galaxy.

The Reality Stone (Aether) was in Thor: The Dark World; Vision has the Mind Stone in Avengers: Age of Ultron and Doctor Strange was holding the Time Stone aka the Eye of Agamotto without realising it.

And there is an illustration of the Soul Stone with Iron-Man. Does this mean it has been with Tony all this while?

Another reason to back up this theory is, in Iron Man 3, Tony tosses the arc reactor in his chest into the ocean but in Avengers: Infinity War, he has a new arc reactor.

Thus, fans are claiming the new arc reactor might be the Soul Stone.

Infinity Stone Promo Art. from r/marvelstudios


It lies within Heimdall

This is seems a bit far-stretched but some fans are speculating the Soul Stone is with Heimdall. This explains why he can see ‘every soul’ across the Nine Realms.

All we fans can do for now, other than theorising, is to wait for Avengers: Infinity War to premiere on April 2018.

Watch the trailer here.

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Exclusive fashion brand Romyda_KL makes its East Malaysia debut

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Exclusive fashion brand Romyda_KL makes its East Malaysia debut
One of the outfits which stood out during the show. The model looks like she just walked out of a fairy tale.

Romyda_KL sashayed its way to East Malaysia on March 25 with a vibrant runway show containing all the label’s signature styles in a spectrum of colours.

The fashion brand which combines the prowess of Cambodian designer Romyda Keth and Malaysian PR maven Selina Yeop Jr featured 40 various style of outfits with the naturally well-lit Cha Bo Restaurant as its backdrop.

Citing Victoria Beckham as her favourite fashion icon, Selina said her brand was all about exuding a woman’s confidence.

Selina shared, “I made this collection specifically for Kuching. The concept of Romyda_KL is always about embracing the feminine form. It is about how women should be confident, showing off their silhouettes.”

Exclusive fashion brand Romyda_KL makes its East Malaysia debut
Selina (fifth right) rocking the runway with her models during the debut show of Romyda_KL in Kuching.

Romyda_KL, a brand for all confident women out there

From figure hugging dresses that perfectly mould to the female form, to A-line dresses and jackets that stand out in any crowd, Romyda_KL’s designs are distinctive and can be recognised at a glance.

Romyda_KL carries a strong sense of colour throughout its designs as well as a handcrafted aesthetic shown through the ribbons hand embroidered in a criss-cross fashion on almost every dress.

The brand also carries very limited sizes for each outfit to keep things exclusive so fashionistas won’t have to worry about bumping into someone wearing the same dress.

Their styles embrace an increasingly global trend of modest fashion by featuring long dresses and flowing silhouettes.

Romyda_KL also took the opportunity to feature its latest modest collection, Romyda_KL Modest Couture collection.

This elegant collection is notably more demure, gently embracing a woman’s curves while giving it an edgy modesty.

Exclusive fashion brand Romyda_KL makes its East Malaysia debut
Selina, wearing her own design from Romyda_KL, said her brand is all about boosting a woman’s confidence.

Selina assured that every design was made to be worn regardless of age, shape or size.

Furthermore, these outfits are perfect to transition from day to night effortlessly. This allows a busy woman to leave work and go straight off to any function in style.

On her future plans in introducing Romyda_KL to other places, Selina said: “Wherever I have interesting market which receptive to my clothes, I am more than happy.”

With a combination of beautiful materials, timeless designs and exquisite craftsmanship, Romyda_KL is perfect for modern society ladies.

To view the latest collection by Romyda_KL (by appointment only) at The Conversation Studio, No.9, Lorong Beluntas 2, Medan Damansara, 50490 Kuala Lumpur or call 012-6653508.

Scroll the gallery for more photos of the show:

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5 best free stock photos sites for you to download images legally

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There are plenty of useful sites out there offering free stock photos under the Creative Common (CC) license.

What does it mean by a CC license? It is one of several copyright licenses which allows free distribution of otherwise copyrighted works.

Designers, journalists, bloggers find these sites a Godsend as they can use the images free with no worries about copyright.

Business owners at the startup stage who cannot afford to hire graphic designers or photographers might find these sites helpful too.

Here are five best free stock photos sites for your convenience and legal use of great images:

1. Pixabay

A girl on a beach. Credit: Pixabay.
A girl on a beach. Credit: Pixabay.

Feel free to choose either photos, illustrations, vector graphics or videos for your usage.

They are all high quality images and footage films free of copyright.

Hans Brazmeier, the founder and CEO of Pixabay himself contributed over 20,000 images.

As of November 2017, the website offers more than 1.2 millions of free stock photos, illustrations, vectors and videos.

Although they are free to use, you can always support the artists through PayPal.

If you want to return the artists’ favour, submit some donations to them by ‘buying them coffee’.

2.Pexels

Free stock photo from www. pexel.com.
Free stock photo from www. pexel.com.

Pexels aims to help designers, bloggers and everyone out there to find great photos that you can use everywhere for free.

The best of Pexels is it offers Pexels Photo Challenges. So, try to upload great photos and win some prizes.

The blog section of this website gives you an insight of what goes behind the scene some of the great images featured on Pexels.

Though the blog is not regularly updated, you still can find a tip or two there.

3.Free Images

PENTAX Image from www. freeimages.com.
PENTAX Image from www. freeimages.com.

The categories vary from ‘Animals & Wildlife’ to ‘Army & Weapons’ and even ‘Textures & Patterns’.

If you found your favourite photographer, the site allows you to follow them, allowing you to see their latest photos.

Free Images also enables you to search for photographers from your own country.

This is helpful especially if you are looking for images from your local scenes.

4. Unsplash

Credit is not required but it is appreciated. So here is a photo by Yoann Boyer taken from Unsplash.
Credit is not required but it is appreciated. So here is a photo by Yoann Boyer taken from Unsplash.

Unsplash started as a Tumblr blog about four years ago and is now home to 50,000 photographers.

It pride itself as a source of inspiration for everyone from award-winning writers like Deepak Chopra to big company like Apple.

The categories are straight forward and easy to find like business, women, nature, technology, food and travel images.

Moreover, there are cool wallpapers available for your desktop, iPhone, and Android backgrounds.

5.Morguefile

A photo taken from Morguefile.
A photo taken from Morguefile.

This website is a free photo archive founded by Michael Connors in 1996.

Morguefile encourages visitors to upload images they’ve taken in exchange for the images they downloaded.

Go on photo assignment with #Quest, a daily photo challenge to capture the world around you.

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Go to Sarikei for Glory Cafe’s Coconut Tom Yam Prawn Noodles

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Sarikei is a small town located along the Rajang River.

Known as the fruit basket of Sarawak, the town is famous for its annual Pineapple Festival.

For a small town with a population of less than 60,000 people as of 2010, this town has its own list of attractions to offer.

One of them being Glory Cafe’s Coconut Tom Yam Prawn Noodle.

One of Sarikei’s iconic dishes

Glory Cafe
The noodle of Glory Cafe, the iconic dish of Sarikei

In the blogosphere, reviews on Glory Cafe in Sarikei can be traced back to 10 years ago in 2008.

Some agree food presentation is just as essential to the dish as its taste and flavour. At Glory Cafe, the noodle doesn’t disappoint Instagrammers as it comes in a huge green coconut.

You can order the dish served in a bowl instead at a slightly cheaper price, but if you are not a Sarikeian, how many times in your lifetime can you have your noodles in a coconut?

The broth is Glory Cafe’s rendition of tom yam – spicy and creamy. Compared to some tom yam soups out there it is also more on the sweeter side unlike its hot and sour ancestor.

The highlight of the dish is none other the prawns. The coconut is filled with meaty and tenderly cooked prawns, a delight for seafood lovers.

Here comes the best part; after you have finished the noodles and the prawns, you can scrape the inside of the coconut with your spoon and savour its tom yam infused flesh.

Brace yourself during peak hours because that’s when local patrons flood the kopitiam.

 

So Sarawakians, what are you waiting for? Time to pack up for a road trip to Sarikei!

Read more:

Marudi: Small town, big cultural heart

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5 best award-winning dramas by Kim Eun Sook to binge watch

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Kim Eun Sook is a household name when it comes to the South Korean screenwriting scene.

First gaining attention with Lovers in Paris, she is known for writing iconic kissing scenes with romantic, almost borderline cheesy lines. These scenes would make you either swoon, cringe or even both.

One of the most standout examples being the famous ‘wine kiss’ in Descendants of the Sun (2016).

While its heroine Dr Kang Mo Yeon (Song Hye Kyo) is enjoying her wine straight from the bottle, she offers some to Yoo Si Jin (Song Joong Ki) who refuses, saying that dispatched troops are not allowed to drink.

Noticing that Yoo is watching her intently, Kang says “You look like you really want to drink this” and offers him the bottle.

Yoo then says, “I think I found a way”, walks straight up to her, grabs her by the chin and kisses her.

Who wouldn’t swoon?

Admittedly, some of the Kim Eun Sook’s plotlines can be pretty cliched. Poor girl falls in love with rich boy, with the universe somehow against them. In the end, they live happily ever after.

Nonetheless, they make good guilty pleasures especially if you want a quick escape from reality into the larger than life fantasy of Korean dramas.

With more than 10 projects under her belt, we break them down to five best award-winning dramas written by Kim Eun Sook you must watch for your K-drama starter pack:

1.Goblin (2017)

Goblin is Kim Eun Sook’s second collaboration with director Lee Eun Bok after Descendants of the Sun.

It was the second highest rated drama in Korean cable television history behind Reply 1988.

Perhaps contributing to Goblin’s success was lead actor Gong Yoo’s return to the TV screen after his blockbuster movie Train to Busan.

Kim Eun Sook revealed in a talk show ‘Signal’ last year that Gong Yoo was the actor that had rejected her the most often, refusing to work with her until Goblin came along.

Gong Yoo plays the Goblin or Kim Shin who needs a human bride to end his immortality.

Some criticised the huge age gap between the two lead characters Kim Shin and Ji Eun Tak (Kim Go Eun) – he’s 37, she’s 25 – but Goblin was a commercial success.

It was awarded the Grand Prize (Daesang) for Television honour during the 53rd Baeksang Arts Awards.

Watch the trailer here.

2.Descendants of the Sun (2016)

A -listers including Won Bin, Jo In Sung, Gong Yoo and Kim Woo Bin all said no to playing the male lead in this drama.

Some said they were uncomfortable playing the role of a soldier while others reportedly could not commit to the pre-production format of the show.

Most Korean dramas out there are shot in ‘live-shoot’ system. Meaning the storyline might be changed depending on public feedback but at the cost of long filming hours.

However with pre-production format, the drama is filmed entirely before broadcast allowing the producers to plan for its distribution better.

The risk is that if the audience ends up not liking it, there’s no way to go back to change the plot.

The pre-production format worked out for Descendants of the Sun. Being pre-produced allowed them to air it in China simultaneously with South Korea, bringing in more profits.

If you hadn’t guessed from the wine kiss, the plot is the love story between a soldier Yoo Si Jin (Song Joong Ki) and Doctor Kang Mo Yeon (Song Hye Kyo).

This was also Song Joong Ki’s first project after finishing his mandatory military duty.

Besides the script, another contributor to the success of this drama was the great chemistry between the ‘Song-Song Couple’.

And they proved their off-screen chemistry was real when they married in October 2017.

Descendants of the Sun earned Kim Eun Sook her first KBS Drama Award for Best Writer.

3.The Heirs (2013)

This is Kim’s first teen drama based on the love story between a rich kid (Lee Min Ho) and a poor girl Cha Eun Sang (Park Shin Hye).

Kim Eun Sook revealed that she wrote it specifically for Lee, calling it a teen romance for grown-ups.

She won Outstanding Scriptwriter award for The Heirs during the 2nd Asia Rainbow TV Awards in 2014.

The Heirs was the first Korean drama co-produced by American digital distribution platform DramaFever.

Watch the trailer here.

4.Secret Garden (2010)

This drama won numerous awards including Korea Content Awards: Prime Minister’s Award in the Field of Broadcasting and Korea Drama Awards for Best Writer.

Other awards were Seoul International Drama Awards: Outstanding Screenwriter and Baeksang Art Awards for Best TV Screenplay.

Another Cinderella story by Kim Eun Sook, the story follows Gil Ra Im (Ha Ji Won) a stuntwoman who falls in love with Kim Joo Won (Hyun Bin), the CEO of a department store.

This was Ha’s first project after taking 4-year break from dramas.

Secret Garden was so successful that the fashion items such as Joo Won’s sequined sweater and catchphrases were all the rage back then.

And who can forget the legendary ‘foam kiss’ scene? The scene probably inspired half of the men in South Korea to lean over and kiss their girlfriends while their lips are tainted with cappuccino foam.

Watch the trailer here.

5.Lovers in Paris (2004)

Speaking of catchphrases, no other Korean drama has sparked more trends and parodies than Lovers in Paris.

Even if you have never seen this drama, you have probably seen entertainers mimicking its lead role Han Ki Joo (Park Shin Yang)’s famous line “Let’s go, baby!” in variety shows.

Kim Eun Sook co-wrote Lovers in Paris with Kang Eun Jung winning the Best TV Screenplay award together in 2005 Baeksang Arts Awards.

It is another cliched story of the poor Kang Tae Young (Kim Jung Eun) working for the rich Han Ki Joo as his housekeeper.

The series became one of the highly rated Korean dramas of all time. It also won several high-profile awards including SBS Drama Awards: Special Award in 2005.

Read more:

10 South Korean movies inspired by true stories you must watch

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Why Explore Parts Unknown is the travel site to follow

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Forget Lonely Planet or The Guardian Travel, celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain’s travel site Explore Parts Unknown is the one to read.

The site is inspired by CNN travel show Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown where it explores Bourdain’s journey and people he encountered.

It gives in-depth stories of places he visited, food he tasted and people he talked to.

Explore Parts Unknown

As for us at KajoMag, here are our reasons why we love Explore Parts Unknown:

1. First of all, it has recipes!


What is travelling without enjoying the local food? One of the saddest parts for some of us coming home is that we start craving the food we relished while we were travelling.

The website offers not only the local recipes from these exotic countries but adds some background story too.

For example, did you know that green seasoning – a mixture of fresh herbs – is unique to the Caribbean and it tastes slightly different from island to island?

Or how about trying your hand at making a Zanzibari dish called Wali Na Mchuzi Wa Mbogamboga? With Explore Parts Unknown, you can travel to another country for one evening without leaving the house.

2. It tells you what you can do in one day in a foreign town!


If you are too lazy to plan out your travel itinerary, Explore Parts Unknown has you covered for a day.

So far, it has the perfect itinerary  for a day in Mexico City, Budapest, Stone Town, Tbilisi, San Francisco, Puglia, Seattle, Colombo, Pittsburgh, Lagos, Chamonix, Singapore, Tehran, Okinawa, Marseille, Nashville, Beirut, Port Antonio, Oxford, The Bronx, Kuching, Honolulu, Chiang Mai, Cologne, Porto, Port of Spain, Muscat, Lemaire Channel, Queens, Bilbao and many more.

From your typical tourist destinations to unconventional cities to visit, the website covers almost everything.

3. And more food guides and travel tips


Food guides are essential for foodies during travelling and this website has tonnes of it.

They tell you what to eat in every state in Mexico. (Just in case you didn’t know, there are 31 states in that country. Imagine the variety!)

No idea what to eat in Tanzania or Hungary? No worries! They have you covered.

For music lovers out there, they’ll guide you on where to find Seattle’s best music.

4. There are some history lessons too!


History is edible when dishes can tell more stories about the past.

Learn more about Sri Lankan history through lamprais, a dish of savoury rice and mixed meat baked in a banana leaf, or how Taco Rice became a signature dish of Okinawa.

For those of us who like reading about home in international circles, you can also read how midin, paku, dabai and engkala make up the riches of the jungle in Borneo.

Much like Bourdain himself, the website gives a fresh angle to stories that you wish you had learnt in school about countries like Puerto Rico, South Africa, and Nigeria.

5. Enlightening and intriguing stories of places and people from parts unknown


Who -or what – are the spiderwomen of Puglia? What would you need to know before you go to Tbilisi? How did Morrisania, a part of the Bronx become the birthplace of hip hop?

Every destination has its own story to tell, it is only up to us to look for it. Often, visiting new places always turn us into storytellers when we return home.

And here at this website, we find stories that we never had the chance to hear.

Read more:

8 Korean food blogs to follow for home cooked recipes

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How your daily protein intake can help you lose weight

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Protein plays an important role in losing weight and maintaining a great figure.

Overall, having enough intake protein in your daily diet will increase your metabolism, reduce cravings and induce losing weight hormones in your body.

Here is how your daily protein intake will help you lose that extra weight:

steak-2975323_1280
Red meat is a good source of protein. Credit: Pixabay.

1. Protein reduces loss of muscle mass

When you exercise, you tend to burn fat which subsequently reduces your muscle mass.

You need those muscles because they work like a ‘factory’ that burns your fat.

Protein intake is essential to repair and rebuild your muscle cells which you lose during exercise.

2. It induce hormones which helps you to lose weight.

Taking enough protein will increase levels of the satiety (appetite-reducing) hormones GLP-1, peptide YY and cholecystokinin, while reducing your levels of the hunger hormone ghrelin.

When you are feeling less hungry, you will automatically eat fewer calories.

3. Digesting protein helps in burning more calories

Some calories are utilised to digest your food and this is what they called the thermic effect of food.

Protein has higher thermic effect (20-30 per cent) compared to carbs (5 to 10 per cent) and fat (0-3 per cent).

Having a high protein diet will make you burn more calories compared to a lower protein diet.

In other words, high protein diets have more “metabolic advantage” than low protein diets.

The best part is your body will continue to burn those calories all day long even when you are sleeping as it continues to digest.

4. Your protein intake can help to reduce craving

Having breakfast with high protein can help you reduce your craving for the rest of the day.

Plenty of studies show that by increasing your protein intake, you will start to eat fewer calories.

So having a high protein diet instead will make it easier to cut your calorie intake in one day.

Why not have hard-boiled eggs for breakfast starting today?

Start your day with high protein diet and reduce your craving the rest of the day.
Start your day with a high protein diet and reduce your cravings for the rest of the day.

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Top 8 Penan Handwoven Items That Everyone Should Have

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In Sarawak, it is normal for one person to own at least one traditional item that is used as an everyday thing.

Whether it is a hand-woven mat or a basket, traditional items aren’t just decorative, they’re also practical.

For the love of traditional indigenous items, KajoMag has compiled top 8 traditional Penan handcrafted items discovered at the the 2017 edition of the Non Timber Forest Product (NTFP) festival which are still practical for modern day use.

1. Kitong

Penan Item 1: Kitong
Penan Item 1: Kitong

Purpose: The kitong is a rattan basket used traditionally by the Penans to store apu nangah (sago flour) or cooking utensils.

Alternative: While the kitong can still be used to store flour, rice and cooking utensils, it can also be used to store everyday items such as nail polish, canned food items or even as a key holder

2. Bukul

Penan Item 2: Bukul
Penan Item 2: Bukul

Purpose: A traditional Penan backpack made from rattan, it was commonly used to carry plants and herbs they gathered in the jungle . The betik, which is the motif on the rattan bag, depicts patterns inspired by the jungle such as plant vines and bird’s eyes.

Alternative: Imagine using this effortlessly stylish backpack for your books as you walk around campus.

3. Berat Sakin

Penan Item 3: Coaster
Penan Item 3:  Berat Sakin

Purpose: Coaster. Surprised?

Alternative: Still relevant, looks chic and stylish in any setting.

4. Sekepit

Penan Item 4: Sekepit
Penan Item 4: Sekepit

Purpose: A small pouch used by the Penans to store small items like tobacco cigarettes when hunting in the forest

Alternative:  A cool yet practical to carry your power bank and smart phone.

5. Mak

Penan Item 5: Mak
Penan Item 5: Mak

Purpose: Rattan mats

Alternative: A convenient size and practical to be used as a mat or a table runner. Place a piece of glass over it and you have an interesting focal piece.

6. Pihan

Penan Item 6: Pihan
Penan Item 6: Pihan

Purpose: A Penan’s rattan bag

Alternative: Consider swapping your H&M bag for this as your staple everyday handbag

7. Basah

Purpose: A western Penan rattan bracelet. Most of the basah salak motifs are patterns inspired by snake skin. To give the rattan its shiny colour, natural dye is used.

Alternative: Great gifts if you have a lot of friends

8. Tabit

Penan Item 8: Tabit
Penan Item 8: Tabit

Purpose: The tabit is a Penan traditional garment made from rattan. It is worn around the waist over a loincloth to protect the wearer from sitting on thorns or other sharp objects when they sit on the forest floor.

Alternative: Frame it and put up as decoration. It’ll make an interesting conversation topic when people come to visit.

To know more about NTFP, click here to check out their website.

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3 things to cut out of your diet to lose weight

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To lose weight, watching what you eat is definitely a must.

However, there are so many things to watch out for like cutting down on carbs, adding more fibre in the form of vegetables and getting enough protein.

While doing that most people tend to overlook the little things they put in their mouths which at the end of the day might not help them lose weight after all.

According to nutritionist Nicholas Alvin George, here are three basic things you need to reduce in your daily meals to lose weight:

1. Fat

food-3167098_1280
Avoid fried food if you want to lose weight. Credit: Pixabay.

Eating a lot of fatty and oily food will increase the risk of obesity and other problems including heart disease and strokes.

Try to steam, grill or boil your food instead of frying to reduce fat content.

Even if you have to stir-fry your dishes, use oil sparingly in your cooking.

Remember to remove all the fat from your meat or chicken while preparing them.

2. Salt

Canned food usually has high salt content. Credit: Pixabay.
Canned food usually has high salt content. Credit: Pixabay.

Salt will stall weight loss because it makes your body retain more water.

When you reduce your salt intake, you’ll lose some water retention in your body.

Remember that just because it doesn’t taste salty doesn’t mean the salt content is low.

There are plenty of foods which are high in salt content such as ketchup, processed food such as sausages, nuggets as well as canned food.

Traditional Malaysian fermented food such as budu, belacan and kasam are also high in salt content.

Opt for natural flavouring such as herbs instead of seasoning powder which also has monosodium glutamate (MSG).

We only need less than 5 grams of salt everyday which equals to only one teaspoon.

3. Sugar

Satisfy your craving for sweet stuff with fruits. Credit: Pixabay.
Satisfy your craving for sweet stuff with fruit. Credit: Pixabay.

Cutting out sugar will decrease your risk of obesity and diabetes.

The best way to reduce sugar is to avoid all sugary and bicarbonate drinks.

A can of soda has an average of 8 teaspoons of sugar. A canned isotonic drink and a small packet drink (250ml) may contain 5 teaspoons of sugar each.

Your one cup of 3 in 1 coffee mix contains about 2 teaspoons of sugar.

Malaysians love their condensed milk in their drinks. But condensed milk is not ‘milk’, it is just sugar and fat.

So the best drink out there is just the most inexpensive one, which is a glass of plain water.

If you really need to satisfy your sweet tooth, have some fruit and vegetables instead of cakes and snacks.

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