An Ode-Ditty to TehTarik

It's a public holiday in Malaysia today -- this information is for the benefit of Malaysians hard working abroad to make them "jeles" -- so they will feel patriotic again to come back for a holiday -- good for their health because we have a tonic that works to cure every ailment under the moon. Desi draws attention to the word "moon", which is lunar in the adjective, and an asssocaied word is "lunatic".
Being on vacation allows this scribe the luxury of a CON BF even it's not a Sundae. I'm in high spirits because just in the past 24 hours, I was re-assured by HOWSY (I dunno why, he always reminds me of one Olivia Hussey...) that Health Minister Dr Chua Soi Lek assured us that "tehtarik does not contribute to stroke".

In Letters column of the NST January 10, 2006, there are three (sorry I could not link to thatbloodythingy...)when one Dr Balwant Singh Bains was reported to have caused alarm among teetotallers among us -- Desi included in the frontline -- that tehtarik is a risk factor for stroke (NST Jan 2)
NOTE: in my definition only, teetotaller is one who drinks no other beverages save teas, prime of which is tehtarik, my predilection or preference.

Back to topic, the gist of the letter writers points is:
* that Bains' views contain some misleading claims, based erroneously on overgeneralisation;
* A dietician's factual correction to Bains' wrongful mention that Malaysians consuming a high amount of coconut milk which is high in cholesterol. Coconut milk does NOT contain cholesterol. "Coconut milk is high in saturated fat. And this saturated fact, when consumed, may be easily used by the body to produce cholesterol."
*The third letter is an A-musing one by ARRAZI, Petaling Jaya, recalling advice given him and "other budding doctors" years ago by the late Prof AA Sandosham, a wrold-class parasitologist on the "dangers of confusing bias and perception with objectivity and observation when conducting research". The A-musing extract, good for your health ~~~~~~~

A drastic diet plan is not necessary

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READING Dr Balwant Singh Bains’ opinion that teh tarik is a risk factor for stroke (NST Jan 2) reminded me of the advice given to me and other budding doctors years ago at the University of Malaya by the late Professor A.A. Sandosham, a world-class parasitologist on the dangers of confusing bias and perception with objectivity and observation when conducting research.

Prof Sandosham illustrated his lecture on research methodology by citing an experiment he conducted to find out what enabled certain alcoholic concoctions to have the ability to induce drunkenness in the drinker. Brave man that he was, he conducted the experiment on himself.

The professor downed different drinks, namely whiskey water, vodka water and brandy water, on different occasions so as to better isolate the offending substance. He found that all three mixtures made him drunk.

Looking hard at his data afterwards and shaking his head in disbelief, he came to the sad but inevitable conclusion that water was the culprit, it being the common denominator in all three concoctions. Needless to say, he enjoyed the occasional tipple.



It is good that Dr Bains has drawn public attention to the important issue of stroke, diabetes and hypertension.

I am very hopeful Dr Bains’ opinion regarding teh tarik and stroke has been well-considered and he has good data to support his assertion that teh tarik is a significant risk factor for stroke or even diabetes.~~~~~~~


For more from the Ori, go spend RM1.20 on a copy of the NST -- they need your support after falling so far behind in circulation trailing The Star! -- Desi would like to promote healthy rivalry among the Fourth Estate, and also doing my wee li'l bit, or byte, for promoting the READING habit.

Before I end, HOWSY, can you write a letter to the Brits -- some language council or somethin' --to make learning, and speaking English, a little easier for us foreigners?
* I jest heard from a mGf from a city named Reading,England, and I was informed it's PRONOUNCED as RED-Ding! as in Litle RED Riding Hood.
Suggest they adopt the Bahasa Baku way of pronunciation and it will make CONversational English as simple as A-B-See?
All I want is a second mention of Desi after Howsy in their Guinness Book of Records for the most productive and innovative change and improvement to the BARD'S LANGUAGE, can?

Since Desi has much time on his side, he must do justice to mGf playing an honet trade in a country town in Malaysia slowly losing its beauty to Big, Bad Wolfish City and its many generous Billionaire Philanderers.


Li'l Ode to Haridas Tehtarik

Some comes brightly coloured
Taking it is money a-waste
It gives a sticky, bitter taste

With much condensed milk,
its taste is compromised
You also donwanna get diabetes
So kurang-manis, or sikit-sikit manis

Some lazy bummer makes it with water
Way below 100 degrees Centigrade
It's like you're downing medsin
Watery mix of sweet&sour centipede

But you come to Seremban way
Where the H2O is piping hot
and the gals are always young&gay
He pulls the tea just nice
Maketh thee healthy and wise
He hari-hari does it
You cant go wrong one bit

The susu lembu gives it a smooth texture
Haridas' pulling gives it a smoother ride
On a cold wintry FuRong night
Downing Das' tehtarik gives heavenly delight
It giveth thee such a roar
Making this ritual a Hari Hari-mau