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8 easy Japanese recipes to try at home

Forget about sushi and sashimi, there are easy Japanese recipes out there for you to try at home.

Fellow Asian countries like Malaysia already have the basic Japanese ingredients like rice and soy sauce.

Other traditional ingredients that you might require to make your own Japanese cuisine at home are miso, dashi, sake and mirin.

In Sarawak, most of Japanese ingredients are easily available at local supermarkets such as Everrise and Ta Kiong.

Here are 8 easy Japanese recipes for you to try at home especially on weeknights:

1. Omurice
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Omurice. Credits: Pixabay.

For Malaysians, omurice is the closest thing you have to nasi goreng Pattaya.

It consists of fried rice covered with an omelette.

The rice is usually fried with chicken and various vegetables. Then a thin sheet of fried rice covers the top of the rice.

2.Tonkatsu
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Tonkatsu anyone? Credits: Pixabay.

Tonkatsu is one of those easy Japanese recipes you might think is NOT so Japanese.

Tonkatsu (a combination of ton for ‘pork’ and katsu for’cutlet’)  is a breaded, deep-fried pork cutlet often served with shredded cabbage.

It’s easy to make. Salt and pepper your pork fillet, then cover it with flour. Dip the meat into a beaten egg before coating it with panko. Panko is a kind of Japanese bread crumb easily available at the supermarket or a Japanese store.

Can’t find panko? Make your own bread crumbs by ripping up some bread, spread it on a baking sheet and put it in the oven at 300 F degrees for 6-8 minutes or until it’s a golden brown. Then crush it into powdery form.

You can either deep-fry the tonkatsu or bake it in the oven for a healthier option.

3.Katsudon

Once you know how to make your own deep-fried pork cutlet, now you can make katsudon.

This dish is a bowl of rice topped with pork cutlet, egg and some vegetables.

4. Gyudon

What you mainly need to make gyudon is beef, onion, dashi, soy sauce, mirin and salt.

Simmer the thinly sliced beef and onion with all the seasoning above. Once it is cooked, pour the beef on top of hot steaming rice.

If you like, add on a raw egg or soft poached egg.

For a complete Japanese experience, serve your gyudon with Japanese pickled ginger (beni shoga) and ground chili pepper (shichimi).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dGdOZBQcbbg&pbjreload=10

5.Oyakodon

Oyakodon is almost similar to katsudon and gyudon.

But for oyakodon, the ingredients such as chicken, egg, scallion, onion are simmered together in soy sauce and stock.

After it is cooked, it is poured on top of a bowl of rice.

6.Onigiri Rice Balls

Forget about Korean kimbap, onigiri is much easier to make for that perfect lunch takeaway.

It is made from normal plain rice formed in triangular shapes and wrapped in seaweed.

Traditionally, the filling is usually made from pickled ume, salted salmon and other fancy Japanese ingredients.

But you can always make your own simpler version of onigiri with ingredients which are already available in your kitchen.

For example, tuna with mayonnaise, or even small portions of fried food such as fried chicken or pork.

7.Miso Soup with tofu

This is one of those easy Japanese recipes which only requires you to boil.

Apart from being easy to make, it is also a healthier cooking method.

Firstly, boil water your nori (seaweed) for few minutes. Then, put in some tofu and if you like some green onions. Finally, add in your miso paste.

8.Niratama Donburi

The word niratama comes from nira which means garlic chives and tama which is an abbreviation of tamago (egg).

So this dish is basically made of eggs and garlic chives stir fried together to make an omelette.

After that, put it on top of a bowl of rice and get ready to dig in.

What makes a good tourism board website?

Although some travellers prefer travel blogs and social media, tourism board websites still remain important resources for accurate information on travelling to a specific country.

Most tourism board websites have evolved over the years, utilising social media platforms such as Instagram to promote their countries and give more insights on travelling tips.

While others still have lots to improve on, (*cough cough* Malaysia…) here are some things which can make a tourism board website stand out:

1. Good travel stories

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Lake Tekapo in New Zealand. Credits: Pixabay.

Gone are the days where tourism board websites are only filled with press releases of official events.
For example, Tourism New Zealand’s media section has plenty of stories (and story ideas) covering a wide range of topics from activities and sports to nature and ecotourism as well as insights on Maori culture.
Go behind the scenes of famous eateries in New Zealand as the website also features interviews with chefs.

2. Full of tips and guides

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Yosemite National Park in California, US. Credits: Pixabay.

There are a lot of tips and guides out there but what we need is specificity.
Like in the blogosphere, some travel bloggers are specialised in luxury travel while others give backpacking and budgeting tips.
When it comes to a good tourism board website, what we need it to be is an all-rounder.
It needs to be full of tips and guides covering all travelling needs.
The Visit California website, for example, offers various tips from how to travel with kids to how to pack for a trip to California.

3. It is all about the details

A good tourism board website website will tell you things that you never thought you needed to know.
Is the place wheelchair friendly? Do they provide baby strollers?
Is it kid-friendly? Where else can you visit in the nearby areas?
Go To Bermuda for instance, even explains to its future visitors how it’s like to drive in Bermuda.

4. More about food please

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A night view of Stockholm. Credits: Pixabay.

To write about eating places is more than just listing down what to eat at a certain town.
Again, travellers need and want the details.
One very good example is Visit Stockholm website.
If it is a restaurant you are looking for, it narrows down to budget, mid-price or gourmet categories.
Looking for a cafe? Do you want it to be a cozy, trendy or a classic cafe?
How about a place to hit at night in town? The website details to a bar, a place with live music, or a club and even an LGBT bar.

5. Don’t forget about pop culture

gwanghwamun 2088592 1280Pop culture tourism is the reason why The Abbey Road in London is famous. We want to go where the famous people go, to eat what the famous people eat, to visit where the famous films or dramas were filmed.
South Korea capitalises the popularity of its Kpop and Korean dramas by promoting Kpop music festivals and filming locations.
Visit Korea website lists downs all the filming locations for famous dramas including Goblin, Legend of the Blue Sea, Love in Moonlight, Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo and Uncontrollably Fond.

Innovation Space for Digital Nomads in Kuching

Our internet connection here in Sarawak might not be optimal yet, but that hasn’t stopped us from opening innovation spaces for start-up communities and digital nomads.

Innovation space has become a big thing in Malaysia, particularly Kuching with many start-ups communities and digital nomads starting to grow and flourish.

With aspiring Digital Nomads in mind, KajoMag has listed the innovation spaces available in Kuching.

 

1. iCube Innovation, ICOM Square

iCube
iCube at ICOM Square offers various programs and services (Picture source: iCube facebook page)

Probably one of the first few innovation centers to ever be established in Kuching, iCube has welcomed digital nomads and start-up communities of all kinds.

Among the facilities offered by iCube are open work spaces or offices, meeting rooms and a pantry.

Services offered by iCube also include courier and dispatch service, business registration address, advertising, branding and corporate ID, accounting, auditing and legal advisory as well as printing and design.

iCube also offers numerous seminars, programmes and talks for the public featuring digital related topics.

iCube is open from 8 am to 6 pm on weekdays.

Check out their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/icubeinno/ or their website: http://www.icubeinnovation.com.my/ to find out what is new with iCube.

 

2. TEGAS Digital Innovation Hub, ICOM Square

Tegas
I was not kidding about the bean bags in Tegas Digital Innovation Hub (Picture source: TEGAS facebook page)

TEGAS Digital Innovation Hub was launched by the Sarawak government in 2017 as a means to encourage start-up communities to flourish and grow.

Located at ICOM Square, TEGAS (an acronym for Tabung Ekonomi Gagasan Anak Bumiputra Sarawak) looks like a mini Google office with its colourful bean bags and open working space.

Among the facilities that you find at TEGAS are a working space, sky booth (private booth), event space, conference room, sound production room and a 3D printer station.

Ranging from the price of RM8 (per day) to RM40 (per week) and RM150 (per month), TEGAS is open from 9 am to 6 pm on weekdays.

To know more about TEGAS, check out their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/TEGASdigital/ or their website: https://www.innovatesarawak.com/

 

3. Borneo 744, Jalan Semangat

Bornoe 744
Borneo 744 has five blocks for various events and programs (Picture source: Borneo 744 Facebook page)

Once upon a time, I came across Borneo 744 by accident while driving aimlessly around on a Saturday afternoon.

Borneo 744 is one of the hottest spots for start-up communities to work and network with each other.

It is a community friendly space that provides a co-working space, exhibitions, innovation hubs, seminars or workshops for people.

Usually during the weekend, Borneo 744 will organise seminars (sometimes for free) often relating digital marketing courses for the public.

Borneo 744 is open daily from 12 pm to 10 pm.

To learn more, check out their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/BORNEO744/  or their website: http://borneo744.com/

 

4. Digital Economy Hub (DEH), Onejaya Mall

DEH
The Digital Economy Hub organising robotics programs and competitions for students  (Picture source: Digital Economy Hub facebook page)

If you haven’t tried out 3D-printing yet, then you might want to check out DEH at Onejaya Mall.

Initiated by FAME International Group, DEH is established as a center for Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematic (S.T.E.A.M) and commercial application.

Spanning 1,022 square meters, among the cool stuff DEH features are a 3D printing lab, Makers Lab, Fabrication Lab, Training Area, robotic arms lab, robotic installation and programming as well as a Virtual Reality (VR) studio and high WiFi coverage.

DEH is open from 9.30 am to 7 pm and is closed every Tuesday.

To know more about DEH, check out their Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/dehmalaysia/

 

5. Saradise Innovation Space, Jalan Song

Located at Brighton Square of Jalan Song, the Saradise Innovation Space is relatively new.

Saradise also offers courses such as robotics and 3D printing.

Located at Saradise Kuching, the innovation centre is surrounded by business centres and a handful of coffee shops.

Saradise Innovation Space is open from 9 am to 5 pm on weekdays.

To know more, check out their website at http://www.saradise.my/innovation-space/

 

6. Last but not least…

Sarikei Innovation Centre (SIC), Sarikei:

SIC
The Sarikei Innovation Centre of what used to be an old district building (Picture source: Sarikei Innovation Centre facebookpage)

For those in Sarikei, do check out SIC at Jalan Nyelong.

With its classic colonial architecture, the Sarikei Innovation Centre is not your typical innovation hub centre.

The SIC building used to be the district office building, thus making it a great place to visit as it oozes with history.

The SIC is open from 8.30 am to 5.30 pm on weekdays.

To know more, check out https://www.facebook.com/sarikeiinnovation/

5 viral dance moves which took Malaysia by storm

Nothing brings people together better than viral dance moves. Generally Malaysians have accepted viral dance moves with open arms and sometimes with a lot of sense of humour.

But of course, some of the viral dance moves that came were not without controversy. That being said, here are five viral dance moves which took Malaysia by storm over the past couple of decades:

1. Panama

2018 became the year for the Panama Dance Challenge. “Panama” is a catchy 2013 Romanian pop song by Matteo.

The basic moves include drawing a ‘Z’ in the air, doing the hula twice and then a twerk. (Can you tell I’ve tried it?)

Various Malaysian agencies created their own videos including Perlis Road Transport Department, Selayang Hospital and Hulu Selangor Health Department, showing a lighthearted side to these government departments.

Some religious leaders came out against the dance, however, citing the mixing between the sexes and the dance moves were against Islamic teachings.

2.Harlem Shake

Harlem Shake is more of an Internet move rather than a dance move.

The remakes of Harlem Shake videos usually consist of costumed people dancing to Baauer’s “Harlem Shake”.

The original Harlem Shake dance comes from Harlem, New York in the 1980s involving a street and hip hop dance.

As for this viral Harlem Shake, it starts with one costumed person dancing alone to the obliviousness of a whole room full of people. When the bass drops, the entire group starts shaking throughout the rest of the video.

In Malaysia, NuffNang group, Hong Leong Bank, the hitz.fm teams all posted their own versions back in 2013.

3.Gangnam Style

The horse dance of “Gangnam Style” by Psy took the world by storm back in 2012.

This viral dance move even had world leaders such as the former British Prime Minister David Cameron, US President Barack Obama and United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon jumping on their feet.

Jumping on the bandwagon, Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak even invited Psy to perform in Penang back in February 2013.

4.Asereje

Before there was Despacito, the most famous Spanish song in Malaysia was “The Ketchup Song” or “Asereje” (2002).

Who can forget the signature dance move which consisted of waving your hand over the other, then tossing the thumb over the shoulder?

After the dance went viral, the song became controversial with rumours stating it had references to Satanism.

5.Macarena

The trailblazer of all famous Spanish songs in Malaysia is none other than “Macarena” (1993) by Los del Rio. (And this is without the help of the Internet.)

If you have lived through the 90s, your body will automatically remember this dance move which involves alot of criss-crossing of arms from your head to your hips, ending with a hip shake and a “Hey” before you turn to face another direction. It’s easy, and the steps are slow enough for people of all ages to learn and follow.

“Macarena” is the name of a woman, which in Spanish means ‘Mother of God’. The song itself describes how Macarena was heartbroken when her boyfriend left to join the army. So in retaliation she went out to dance with other soldiers, which is why everybody in the song is dancing.

Cover photo: “Gangnam Style” literally put this district on the map for the global audience. You’ll find this statue at the East Gate of Starfield COEX Mall in Gangnam, Seoul. Not only that, when you stand below the hands, “Gangnam Style” will be played. -Photo credit Gangnam Tourist Information Center 

15 Wildlife Photographers you should follow on Instagram

Wildlife photographers have the toughest job of capturing animal behaviour at the right moment to create a powerful image.

The job requires not just skill but also great patience and persistence.

Thankfully, wildlife photographers have taken to social media to share their images while also highlighting important conservation issues.

Here are some outstanding wildlife photographers who have shared their impactful photos with thought-provoking captions on Instagram:

1. Brian Skerry

Skerry is an 11-time award winner in the prestigious Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition. Hence, without a doubt all of his photos are breathtaking.

As you can see on his Instagram page, he specialises in marine wildlife and underwater environments.

Photo by @BrianSkerry Tomorrow, April 10th, I will be doing an Instagram Live event at 12pm EST. I will be at the headquarters of the @conservationlawfoundation and talking about the plight of the North Atlantic Right Whale – a species on the brink of extinction. I’ll be joining Dr. Scott Kraus with the @newenglandaquarium , a leading right whale researcher working on solutions to save this species. Please check out this event here on my Instagram feed! This photo shows a Southern Right Whale hovering inches above the sea floor in New Zealand’s sub-antarctic waters. About a million years ago there was once species of Right Whale on Earth. But as land masses moved and oceans became separated, the right whales became separated too. Both species were hunted to the brink of extinction by early whalers, but the Southern Right Whales recovered better following protection, because they live further away from industrialization. The North Atlantic Right Whales are urban animals and live from Canada’s Bay of Fundy to Florida. In these regions they become entangled in fishing gear and often die. They also get hit by ships. Last year (2017) 17 North Atlantic Right Whales were lost. Learn more about these amazing animals and how we can save them – here on my Instagram Live event on Tuesday at 12pm EST! #rightwhales #endangeredspecies #extinction #whales

A post shared by Brian Skerry (@brianskerry) on

2. Frans Lanting

Thomas Kennedy, the former Director of Photography at National Geographic said Frans Lanting has the mind of a scientist, the heart of a hunter, and the eyes of a poet.

This is perhaps why Lanting is often hailed as one of the great wildlife photographers of our generation.
Scroll through his Instagram page and you will understand why Lanting deserves that recognition.

Photo by @FransLanting When cheetah cubs are two months old they are irresistible to watch. Siblings are sparring partners around the clock. But the odds against their survival are not as appealing. More than half of all cheetah cubs do not survive their first four weeks of life and most of the rest do not make it beyond their first year. Cheetahs can’t climb trees like leopards, they can’t dig burrows like hyenas, and they’re not social like lions, so they are always vulnerable no matter where they are. When we worked with cheetah families in the wild we were always concerned about their safety, yet we could not interfere in their individual lives. But we can contribute to their survival as a species. Follow us @FransLanting and @ChristineEckstrom to learn more about the plight of cheetahs. @Natgeocreative @Thephotosociety #Cheetah #BigCats #BigCatsInitiative #CheetahConservationFund #Panthera #Endangered #Cute #Play

A post shared by Frans Lanting (@franslanting) on

3. Thomas P. Peschak

Peschak was originally trained as a marine biologist before switching careers to become a wildlife photojournalist.

His current vocation is to highlight current marine conservation issues through his images.

On his Instagram page, he educates his followers on the amazing world of marine animals.

A recent scientific study revealed that filter feeding marine animals like whale sharks accidentally ingest considerable amounts of micro-plastics. At less than five mm in size, micro plastics are similar in dimension to a whale shark’s regular plankton meals. Unlike the plastic bag in this picture which was easy to spot, grab and stuff into my wetsuit, removing micro plastics from our oceans is much more difficult. At present the only real solution is preventing plastics from getting into ocean in the first place. I would love to hear from all of YOU about what you are currently doing to help decrease plastic pollution in our oceans. Thoughts, ideas and tips in the comments please. That way we can all learn from each other.

A post shared by Thomas Peschak (@thomaspeschak) on

4. Paul Nicklen

This Canadian photographer co-founded Sea Legacy, a non-profit society that utilises visual storytelling and photography to raise awareness of ocean conservation.

Even on his Instagram, each photo shared has a story to tell – like how he managed to capture this brown bear with a salmon in its mouth.

5. Ami Vitale

She has travelled to almost 100 countries over the past 18 years capturing wildlife and people.

But one of her most outstanding works was photos of Sudan, the last male Northern White Rhino who died on Mar 19, 2018.

Here is a photo of Sudan with one of the rangers Joseph Wachira.

Photo by @amivitale. If there is meaning in Sudan’s passing, it’s that all hope is not lost. This can be our wake-up call. In a world of more than 7 billion people, we must see ourselves as part of the landscape. Our fate is linked to the fate of animals Joseph Wachira, (@wachira.joseph) 26 comforts Sudan, the last living male Northern White Rhino left on this planet moments before he passed away March 19, 2018 in northern Kenya. Sudan lived a long, healthy life at the conservancy after he was brought to Kenya from @safari_park_dvur_kralove in the #Czechrepublic in 2009. He died surrounded by people who loved him at @olpejeta after suffering from age-related complications that led to degenerative changes in muscles and bones combined with extensive skin wounds. Sudan has been an inspirational figure for many across the world. Thousands have trooped to Ol Pejeta to see him and he has helped raise awareness for rhino conservation. The two female northern white rhinos left on the planet are his direct descendants. Research into new Assisted Reproductive Techniques for large mammals is underway due to him. The impact that this special animal has had on conservation is simply incredible. And there is still hope in the future that the subspecies might be restored through IVF. The image is copyrighted to Ami Vitale/2018. For licensing information, including in-line links and/or framing of this post, contact Ami Vitale. @olpejeta @nrt_kenya @lewa_wildlife @tusk_org @kenyawildlifeservice @thephotosociety @natgeo #LastManStanding #SudanForever #WorthMoreAlive #OlPejetaRhinos#NorthernWhiteRhinos #protectrhinos#DontLetThemDisappear #rhions#saverhinos #stoppoaching #kenya#northernkenya #africa #everydayafrica #photojournalism #amivitale @nikonusa #nikonusa #nikonlove  http://time.com/5209390/sudan-rhino-rhinoceros-northern-white

A post shared by Ami Vitale (@amivitale) on

6. Joel Sartore

In an effort to document every animal species before they disappear, Sartore founded the Photo Ark.

As of today, there are nearly 7,900 species recorded on Photo Ark and some of them are featured on Sartore’s Instagram.

Joel Sartore

7.Beverly Jourbert

This wonder woman is a filmmaker, photographer and co-founder of the Big Cats Initiative.

She has documented the beauty of African wildlife for more than 30 years.

Thankfully some of those beauties are shared through her Instagram.

Beverly Joubert

8.David Doubilet

He is a well-known underwater photographer. He also contributed more than 70 feature articles on the environment.

Though Doubilet hardly updates his Instagram, every photo he has shared so far is surreal and almost dream-like.

David Doubilet

9. Andy Mann

Andy Mann is a climber, diver and arctic explorer. He also co-founded 3 Strings Production, a commercial and documentary film studio.

Andy Mann

10.Steve Winter

He was named BBC Wildlife Photographer of the Year and BBC Wildlife Photojournalist of the Year.

You can also count on Winter’s captions to educate you a little bit more about wildlife and the environment.

Steve Winter

11.Andrew Parkinson

Browse through his Instagram feed and you notice that his photos are so alive that they almost come off the screen.

This award-winning photographer managed to capture animals on motion in a perfect composition, making his images fascinating to look at.

Andrew Parkinson

12.Tim Laman

A photographer and an ornithologist, you can expect most of Laman’s photos to revolve around birds.

Tim Laman

13.Ronan Donovan

Do you know how elephants hug? Apparently they hug by wrapping their trunks around each other, much like people do.

With Donovan’s short yet informative captions on top of his powerful images, browsing through his Instagram feed is time well spent.

ronan donovan

14.Chris Schmid

Schmid once said, “Sometimes you need to take a risk by spending all afternoon waiting for that great picture, and you may miss some decent images somewhere else, but its all part of the game in wildlife photography.”

You will find some of those great pictures on his Instagram.

Chris Shmid

 

15.Cristina Mittermeier

She was recognised as one of the World’s top 40 Most Influential Outdoor Photographers by Outdoor Magazine.

Her works are definitely deserving of that recognition as you can see by these photos on her Instagram.

Cristina Mittermeier

Marvel Cinematic Universe: Where art thou Soul Stone?

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.

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

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.

10 special needs cats that will warm your heart

Special needs cats are often neglected, abandoned or even worse, euthanised.

Due to their conditions, they need special people to take care of them.

Only special people with great patience, dedication and love can these cats find their forever homes.

Meet some of these special needs cats and their amazing hooman parents.

We assure you that watching their videos will brighten your day.

sunset-3008779_1280
Watching these videos of special needs cats will brighten your day. Credit: Pixabay.

1. Maya the Cat

Maya is a tabby cat born with a chromosomal abnormality. When she was found behind a Chinese food restaurant, they brought her to a shelter to be euthanised.

Just because she looks a little different than other cats.

She has some problem with her eyesight and she sneezes a lot.

The Odd Cat Sanctuary then took her in and put her up for adoption.

That was how her hooman Lauren Beader in Massachusetts found her and she called her Maya.

2. Monty

Monty from Copenhagen, Denmark was born without a nose bone also due to chromosomal abnormality.

His hoomans Mikala Fuglesang and Michael Bjorn took him home from a shelter on August, 2013.

Bjorn told The Huffington Post, “I looked into his eyes and started stroking him gently on his head. I saw his personality and I’m sure he saw mine and liked what he saw. From that moment on, both Mikala and I started creating a very strong bond with Monty. We tend to think that we did not choose him but he chose us.”

Since then, Monty has been living happily with his hoomans and two siblings Malle and Mikkel.

3. Blossom and her family

In 2015, the North Shore Animal League in Port Washington, New York rescued a cat with a severe eye infection.

The rescue and adoption centre made the decision to have Blossom’s eyes removed.

Radio personality and animal advocates Howard Stern and his wife Beth fostered her for a while until she recovered.

Then Blossom found her furrever home with Susan Smith who already had other special needs cats.

Her siblings include blind Donavan, as well as Donny and Ozzy who have cerebellar hypoplasia.

4. Smush official

Smush was born with genetic abnormalities causing her to have a cleft lip and facial deformities.

She was found abandoned during the summer in 2017 and was quickly taken to University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine.

The veterinarian students there took care of Smush, feeding her every four hours.

Now, Smush is living happily with her hoomans Florida resident Shannon Jackson and her wife Sarah.

5. Lil Bub

This American cat celebrity was born in July 21, 2011 in Indiana, US.

She was born with an extreme form of feline dwarfism causing her limbs to be quite small.

Her tongue always hangs out because of her short lower jaw.
If you think Lil Bub looks familiar, perhaps you have seen her in the 2016 film Nine Lives.

She even has her own documentary, Lil Bub & Friendz.

6. Lil Bunny Sue Roux

This little angel was born without her front legs.

That doesn’t stop her from jumping around and being active.

She was born in New Orleans and rescued from an animal shelter by Jackie Deak Akey in 2014.

With almost 60,000 followers on Facebook, this cat/bunny/kangaroo/T-rex really know hows to draw a crowd.

7. Helix

Helix was born with cerebellar hypoplasia which affects his motor skills.

The condition causes him to wobble in his movement.

He was rescued from the streets but now is living with his family in Austin, Texas.

Putting aside his imbalanced mobility and lack of coordination, Helix is as healthy and playful like any other cats.

8. Kanga Roo the Cat

She was brought to a vet clinic in Northern California for euthanasia because she was different from other cats.

She was born with a condition called radial agencies, a defect affecting the formation of the radius born in the arm.

Cats like Kanga have problems using their front legs to hold weight.

She was rescued by Saving Grace Rescue in San Francisco and later adopted into a family.

Her siblings include two canine brothers named Brandon and Brownie and two feline siblings named Skittles and Hector.

9. Ryder

Ryder looks a little different from other cats.

That is because he is suffering from a condition called eyelid agenesis causing him to have no eyelids.

He went to surgery to make his eyes better and now he lives a normal feline life in Raleigh, North Carolina.

10. Max and Grace

These two blind rescued felines were adopted from a shelter in San Francisco.

Max was adopted first before his sister Grace came into the picture.

They both quickly bonded and now they do everything together.

Sarawakian ghost stories found online you’ve probably never heard of

Everybody loves ghost stories, especially when they’re familiar with the places where they allegedly happened.

While Peninsular Malaysia is host to infamous haunted sites like Highland Towers, Karak Highway and Villa Nabila, we have our own share of spooky tales here in the Land of the Hornbills.

Here are some Sarawakian ghost stories we found online that you’ve probably never heard of:

1. A store in Miri where shoes fly

If you are working as a retailer at one of the shopping malls in Miri, you might have heard this story.

It seemed like any other day for the staff of a shoe store as they were opening up shop, until they saw that shoes were scattered all over the place as if theyhad been thrown about.

The owner understandably turned to the CCTV recording to check what had happened, and to everybody’s surprise, they didn’t find the culprit, instead they saw the shoes fly off the rack all by themselves.

However, the existence and legitimacy of the CCTV recording is continuously the subject of debate in online forums.

2. A haunted hotel in Bintulu

Google-search ‘haunted hotel in Bintulu’ and you’ll find two accounts of the same haunting… which goes to show what happens when you put bloggers in a ghostly situation.

Their experiences have the perfect ingredients for a ghost story – unexplained banging on the window, sobbing sounds, being assigned a haunted room and to show it wasn’t all a dream – scratch marks on their backs.

One of the bloggers also happens to be a comic blogger.

Check out their stories here and here.

3.The tale of Janet and Satok Bridge

This is a Sarawakian ghost story perhaps only known among Kuchingites.

The story goes that in the 1960s while Satok bridge was still in its early stages of construction, women were going missing.

According to some myths, human sacrifices – specifically, their heads – are needed to reinforce the pillars of a bridge, and like most human sacrifices around the world, the demand is for young virgins.

Janet, believed to be a young Chinese nurse, fit the bill and when her headless body was found in a culvert, people believed that she had become one of those sacrifices.

Her parents buried her in a red dress and red shoes so that she could return as a spirit and exact her vengeance upon her killers. Just like Megan Fox’s character in Jennifer’s Body (2009), Janet is said to be roaming around Kuching in a red dress, hitching rides from unsuspecting motorcyclists or taking ferry rides across the Sarawak river.

4. The now-demolished wooden house in Krokop

There’s no bloodshed in this story, only an account of people sleeping at an empty haunted house in Krokop on a dare. The next morning they found themselves – and their belongings –  outside the house. So were they sleepwalking or were they moved outside by unseen forces?

Other accounts say that the windows of this house have never been left half-opened or half-closed, but that they’ve only ever been wide open or tightly closed.

The house has since been demolished, leaving this a mystery for the ages.

5. A haunted beach resort in Santubong

If you are Sarawakian, or have been here long enough, you’ll know that there are various accounts of haunted resorts in Santubong.

According to one account, you might be able to see a shadowy figure outside your window even though you are on the 12th floor. This story, however, does raise a few questions as most of the resorts in Santubong are four-storeys high at most.

Additionally, one story goes that you might be able to see a mythical creature scaring the wits out of you from on top of a coconut tree.

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Do you have any Sarawakian ghost stories to share? Tell us your stories in the comment box.

8 Korean food blogs to follow for home cooked recipes

Korean food blogs for you to stalk and learn how to cook at home

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KajoMag’s pick on eight Korean food blogs to follow. Credits: Pixabay.

With the rise of the K-pop wave, Korean food is getting more popular around the world.

More and more Korean food outlets are opening up, introducing Korean dishes such as bibimbap and bulgogi.

Additionally, Korean grocery shops are slowly popping up too, allowing more people to have access to Korean ingredients.

From gochujang to doenjang which are now easily available, there is no excuse not to whip up Korean food on your own.

Here are eight Internet gurus (aka Korean food blogs) to follow for delicious homemade recipes:

1.Maangchi

Screenshot from Maangchi
Screenshot from Maangchi.

The New York Times called her Youtube’s Korean Julia Child.

Emily Kim who founded Maangchi has been enjoying cooking since she was young.

She posted a video of herself cooking on April 9, 2007 just for fun and the people on the net loved her.

Since then, she kept on making videos and now has a website to go with them.

Kim prefers authentic Korean recipes because that is what she raised on and that is what she knows.

If you do not know where to start when comes to cooking Korean food, fret not! Kim has written The Beginner’s Guide to Korean Cooking for all you noobs out there.

2. Seon Kyoung Longest

Screenshot from Seon Kyeong Longest.
Screenshot from Seon Kyeong Longest.

Seon Kyoung was a cartoonist and a belly dancer before she finally made her career change to a food enthusiast.

Her cooking journey began when she left home in South Korea and moved to the US in March 2009 after marrying her American husband.

With no friends and no job, Seon Kyoung turned to food to fill her free time.

Slowly, she improved her cooking skills till she won the competition for Robert Irvine’s Restaurant Express. Seon Kyoung was the only self taught home cook in the competition.

Her food blog has everything from appetisers, drinks to side dishes and main course.

Just in case you get lost while following her instructions, she has videos for you to catch up.

3. Korean Bapsang

Korean Bapsang
Image Source: https://www.koreanbapsang.com/

What do you do if you try to cook something on your own and you get stuck?

You call your mum.

That was what inspired Hyosun Ro to create her blog called Korean Bapsang (table) back in 2009.

Her children always called her asking how to cook certain dishes. So, Ro put together her blog to teach her children her homecooked recipes.

Ro’s recipes are well-organised into various categories including appetisers, main dish, side dish, soup, stew, slow cooker, traditional holiday food and vegetarian.

4. My Korean Kitchen

My Korean Kitchen

Her husband suggested she start a food blog focusing on Korean food back in March 2006. So she did.

In My Korean Kitchen, Sue Pressey writes about her love for Korean food and fusion food.

The blog includes step by step instructions, cultural topics and even products and restaurant reviews.

She also understands your pain when it is hard to find Korean ingredients.

Having said that, Sue put up a list of 30 essential Korean cooking ingredients and tips on what replacements to look for if you can’t find the real deal.

5. Kimchimari

Screenshot from https://kimchimari.com/.
Screenshot from https://kimchimari.com/.

Here is another mother leaving a keepsake to her child through a food blog.

Lee Jin Joo started her blog in 2010 to share Korean recipes with her daughter as she went off to college.

She was a former computer scientist and now is a full-time blogger.

If you are planning to have a Korean food-themed party, Lee can guide you through her Korean Party Menu.

6. Aeri’s Kitchen

Check this out at http://aeriskitchen.com/.
Check this out at Aeri’s Kitchen (http://aeriskitchen.com/).

Aeri Lee’s passion was to teach so she studied education in college.

Since 2008, she has been teaching Korean cooking and a little Korean language along the way through her website.

She shares her recipes while adding her own personal touch to each post, sharing her experience making the dishes.

Many Korean food blogs are very interactive with their readers including Lee.

She accepts recipe requests from her readers and never fails to give special shout outs for those who requested them.

7. Beyond Kimchee

Beyond Kimchee
Fancy any of these recipes? Check out Holly’s blog at http://www.beyondkimchee.com/.

Holly has travelled the world and has even lived in Malaysia and Argentina before.

She credited her passion for cooking to the experiences she had travelling the world and the exposure she received from different cultures.

Beyond Kimchee is one of the many Korean food blogs which try to be a little experimental when comes to cooking.

So make sure you check out her Korean fusion recipes; there you can find east-meets-west cuisine such as Gochujang Sloppy Joe, Cheesy Rice Balls and Hambak Steak.

8. ZenKimchi

The Korean Food Journal. Credits: http://zenkimchi.com/
The Korean Food Journal. Credits: http://zenkimchi.com/

Finally, a man on the list!

Joe McPherson has been blogging about Korean food since 2004.

McPherson told The Korea Times in 2014 that he is living the dream and he has figured out a way to combine his love of food, writing, technology and history.

“When I started ZenKimchi, the plan wasn’t necessarily to make it something big. I didn’t know my little hobby could attract the mainstream media.”

Attract people, he did. McPherson had consulted popular show such as The Travel Channel’s Bizarre Foods and even got to hang out with Eric Ripert.

Read more:

10 non-spicy Korean dishes you must try

10 Facebook pages you must follow if you love food