Checkmate

May!! That was my last entry... aduinakkkkk... ages ago!!  Meant to update every now and then, but when I think of the "work" involved - especially since I like having lots of photos, I become lazy.  But I thought, I'd update today :)

It's creepy when it comes to July / August, a lot of death will be occuring.  I'd hate to connect it to the Chinese's 7th month (i.e. the ghost month), but somehow, the timing is always that way.

Google tells me that Benjamin Franklin said - “Life is a kind of Chess, with struggle, competition, good and ill events”.  In chess (not that I play the game...), then the king is being checkmated, the game is over.  Over the past week, 3 lives had been checkmated.  Game over for them.  One, an old lady from the LongHouse we frequently visit for mission trips, another - a young girl; 15 of age - Leukemia and the last one - a mid age Korean missionary (in her own way) died after being hit while crossing the road.

The black king has been checkmated; the game is over - courtesy Mr. Google

The later 2 was more of a shock to me, but the last one, had the biggest impact.  Eunice had come to Sarawak to learn English - but also was called to reach out to the Ibans / Natives.  So she had been with us in the BM ministry since Day 1.  She then brought over her 2 nephews since pre-school age and raised them up as her own.  Their parents were (as are still) in Korea.  She had thought the 2 nephews - James and Daniel, to be humble, to love the natives as their own, to be faithful in serving.  The 2 handsome now young men were serving in our music team and on some weeks, eventhough it weren't their turn to play, they still came faithfully.  Eunice's English was bearable, but her Bahasa :D was.... "interesting".  We always tease her faithfulness despite the language barrier.  And faithful she was until the end.  She was crossing the road and a high speed car knocked her down.  She went into coma for 3 days and died.  Checkmate.  Oh what loss!! Oh how much our heart was shattered in disbelief at her passing!!  Oh, what pain!!

I guess, our lives are really - just as the bible says - like a flower quickly fading; Here today and gone tomorrow, A wave tossed in the ocean, Vapor in the wind.  When God says "it's time, mate" - it's time.  Checkmate.

The inside of a Checkerboard cake

On a happier note - I made this checkerboard cake early August for someone's birthday.  Ideally, a checkerboard cake pan would be the best thing to have while attempting this cake, but despite's my mate's wholehearted search, alas, it the pan eluded me... to which, I needed to do it manually. So, I baked 2 cakes - one the normal butter cake and the other, choc cake.  Then, slice the duo into half and cut into 3 sections.  Let the photos do the talking now...

This is how it should look like - clean.  This is an extra layer - which we all gobbled up of course.

Step 1:  Slice into the thickness that you want - or bake them in thin layers - whatever you find more convenient.  Then, cut into 3 segments.

Step 2:  1st layer.  Place the outpart on your cake board, ready some cream (or jam if you wish) - to act as glue - slater on the inside.

Step 3:  Put in the opposite colour in the cavity, slater on some more "glue"

Step 4:  Fill up the last hole with the opposite colour.  Then, slater more "glue" on top of this layer, before proceeding

Step 5:  Layer 2:  Repeat process, ensuring colours are opposites.  Noticed a layer of "glue" before I start the next layer. 

Step 6:  Last layer - repeat same process as layer 1 and layer 2

Your cake is now complete.  You can leave it bear (what a mess though :D) or you can frost it of course.  Here's mine after being crumb-frosted. 

And this is after I frosted / deco it with sprinkles.  This was a cake for a guy, so I really couldn't be bothered with flowers and what not.  Just sprinkles.

 Now, there is a reason why the pan sold are round and not square.  I should have gone with the "norm" but no.... instead I decided to use my fav square pans.  If you use square pans, you will end up with sections in the cake that looks layered and not checker la!!  So, please, do yourself a favour and don't be too "smartass" like I was :D

See?  Layered instead of checkered!

Alrighty... super long post.  Anyways, alang - alang update, I'll just add in some more :D  On weekends, sometimes I get crazy and will bake and bake and bake (with my brains trying to think, who to give it to!).  The same weekend I was baking the checkerboard cake, I was also invited to buka puasa at a friend's house, so I baked her a choc cake.

Kerajinan melampau - I baked some coconut blossom apam as well.

Was supposed to bring the whole batch for Sunday morning refreshment in church.  But this little culprit gobbled up more than 1/3 of the yield!  (about 90 pcs).  They are really small so it was really easy for him to keep popping them in his mouth.

And because Noel and I are carnivors and can't live with those apam alone, I made Chicken Mayo buns as well.  Phew!! All in ONE Saturday!!

That's it Mates - my update for now... Let's hope I don't wait for another 4 months for the next update.  Take care!! 

Dear Eunice, you might be gone - not sure if you can look down from above - but know well dear sister, you have left a legacy not only for your nephews but also for us to follow.  I miss laughing with (and at) you in tambourine class.... We will miss you dearly.  Rest well dear sister.