From Wellness Garden to Recipe Book

 

I can remember that sunny morning on 15 February 2014 when the Johor Bahru Breast Cancer Support Group (BCSG JB) moved into their new center at No. 12 Jalan Ru, Melodies Garden, Johor Bahru.

 

BSCG JB presents their first recipe book,
Flavours from Our Garden
[Photo courtesy of BCSG JB]

The event kicked off with an exhilarating morning walk from their previous center at Jalan Rengas to the new center at Jalan Ru, within Melodies Garden.

 

Brightly dressed in Pink T-shirts, members were accompanied by then Johor Bahru Member of Parliament, Tan Sri Dato’ Shahrir Abdul Samad and his wife, Puan Sri Shahrizan, a group who made an eye-catching sight as they trekked the short distance within the same area.

 

While this walk was short, it was particularly meaningful as it symbolized the members’ support and solidarity in a journey together in meeting the challenges of fighting breast cancer and their battle for survival.

 

Then the members, supporters and invited guests (like me!) witnessed a simple ceremony where Tan Sri Dato’ Shahrir, a strong supporter of this Non-Governmental Organization, unveiled a wall plaque and declared the new center open.

 

Cover design of the recipe book,
Flavours from Our Garden

It was a grand celebration for BCSG members, many who are survivors, as they stood together in reaching out to give hope to newly diagnosed patients to support and encourage them on their journey to wellness.

 

A registered NGO since 2004, BCSG JB continues to effectively support members and newly diagnosed patients with their outreach campaigns, education and road show activities.

 

As breast cancer has affected countless lives worldwide and is the Number One highest occurrence of cancer in Malaysia, BCSG JB has annual campaigns to raise awareness of breast cancer and reduce its stigma as well as promote education on the symptoms because early detection may lead to higher survival rates.

 

The National Cancer Society in Malaysia and dedicated partners like support groups, are fostering an environment where breast cancer will no longer be a silent threat.

 

List of Contents in the recipe book

Through the Breast Cancer Awareness Month dubbed Pink October, public campaigns and events are effectively raising awareness of this disease and reducing its stigma.

 

BCSG JB members are made up of survivors and supporters. They are being helped by volunteers, many of whom are retired medical professionals, trained to provide practical advice as well as emotional and psychological support to help newly diagnosed patients deal with the challenges in their journey to recovery.

 

On 25 April 2021, a group of four BCSG members and two friends met at the center to discuss ways to set up a Wellness Garden that is sustainable and to consider what plants to grow in this garden.

 

This garden was developed from the flower beds around the center building that were available to plant a variety of herbs and vegetables.

 

A section of the Wellness Garden at the BCSG JB center in Johor Bahru

BCSG is aware that Nature heals and that gardening would be therapeutic for new patients because such physical exercise can contribute to their wellbeing.

 

Easy-to-follow recipes in this book

Then at the harvest, produce from the Wellness Garden can be shared with new patients and BCSG members.

 

With the help of Yaw Yin Kin, a BCSG volunteer, the Wellness Garden soon became a reality. Yaw’s wife is a volunteer at the Prosthetics and Brassiere Shop in BCSG JB.

 

Yaw, a keen gardener who enjoys planting his own garden, came to BCSG as a handy-man to help around the center and he eventually became the Captain of the Wellness Garden.

 

With Yaw taking the lead in the garden, BCSG members who were keen on gardening, joined him in cultivating a range of herbs, vegetables and fruits.

 

Among the vegetables planted were sweet potato leaves, Brazilian spinach, Okinawa spinach, asparagus, winter melon and Ginseng Jawa.

 

Some of the herbs growing in this garden were Thai basil and ginger while the fruits included Dwarf Cavendish Banana and chillie plants.

 

These plants will be harvested from time to time and made available to members while slices of winter melon may be sold to members at a nominal price of only RM2 or RM3 per slice.

 

In the past three years, BCSG celebrated Pink October in partnership with Hard Rock Hotel Desaru Coast to raise funds for their Prosthetics and Brassiere project.

 

When General Manager of Hard Rock Hotel Desaru Coast, Murray Aitken, learnt about the work in their Wellness Garden, he suggested that BCSG should come up with a recipe book that made use of the produce from their own garden.

 

Supported by GM Aitken, the hotel’s Executive Chef Halim Chek Lah generously contributed eight recipes to add into BCSG’s first recipe book titled, Flavours of Our Garden.

 

Other contributions of recipes in this book were from BCSG members and Daisy Harry of Iskandar Regional Development Authority, a Sarawakian and supporter of BCSG who appreciates the Wellness Garden and enjoys cooking.

 

The timely publication of this recipe book in 2024 coincides with the 20^th anniversary celebration of BCSG JB* since this NGO was registered in 2004.

 

Collage of photographs to showcase some of
the cooking demonstrations held in BCSG JB

From their experience, BCSG members are aware that cancer treatments may sometimes cause patients to lose their appetite, and feel lethargic and physically exhausted.

 

The recipes in this book present cancer patients and survivors with simple but hearty recipes that aim to whet their appetites when they most needed to eat well on their journey to wellness.

 

Cancer patients and survivors may be concerned about their diet after surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy, so recipes in this book will be useful to them and their caregivers.

 

This recipe book also aims to give them the confidence to use the ingredients and cooking methods listed in the book. Best of all, recipes included the one-pot convenient meals which do not take much effort to prepare.

 

The BCSG JB recipe book, Flavours of Our Garden, is priced at RM40 per book and is now available from the center.

 

Place your order by email to thebcsgjb13@outlook.com or call to arrange for collection from the center. Orders can also be posted with additional postage charges.

 

* As part of the BCSG JB 20^th anniversary celebration, a Line Dance Party dubbed Come Dance with Us, is planned for Sunday, July 28, in collaboration with the Women’s Committee of the Johor Bahru Tiong Hua Association.

 

Line Dancing not only emphasizes the importance of physical exercise in the journey to wellness but this activity will also bring much joy and fun to participants.

 

To create breast cancer awareness, a Roadshow will be held at this event organized at Wisma Tiong Hua located at No. 8 Jalan Keris, Taman Sri Tebrau, 80050 Johor Bahru, Johor.

 

BCSG’s handmade merchandise and copies of Flavours of Our Garden will also be available for sale to raise funds.

 

All proceeds from the sale of this recipe book will go to BCSG to help members cover transport expenses to and from treatments and cover costs incurred for screening of PET and CT scans.

 

The Johor Bahru Breast Cancer Support Group center is located at No. 12 Jalan Ru, Melodies Gardens, Johor Bahru. It’s Prosthetics and Brassiere Shop is open on Tuesday and Friday from 10am to 1pm. For appointments, please call Tel: 607 – 335 7211.

At the Rotary Club of Johor Bahru again

 

Recently, I had the pleasure to accept an invitation from the Rotary Club of Johor Bahru to join their meeting (again!) as guest speaker.

 

Members of the Rotary Club of Johor Bahru watching
the visuals that supported my presentation

I had the privilege to cover many community and humanitarian events by the Rotary Club of Johor Bahru over the years and published them in Streets Johor, the Southern section of The New Straits Times.

 

Established as the oldest Rotary Club in Johor, members of this distinguished club are familiar with me also because I was invited as guest speaker at their club meetings to introduce My Johor Stories, first in 2017 for My Johor Stories: True Tales, Real People, Rich Heritage and again in 2019 for My Johor Stories 2: Interesting Places and Inspirational People.

 

With Club President Steven Wu and 
Dr Sivamoorthy at the start of the meeting

I was delighted with this recent invitation to speak at their meeting again because it was an opportunity to introduce the third and final instalment of My Johor Stories.

 

After being delayed by the effects of the global pandemic, My Johor Stories 3: Proudly Johor, Then and Now, was published by MPH Publishing Kuala Lumpur and launched in December 2022.

 

However, during the lockdown, MPH closed all their bookstores in Johor Bahru and this included their bookstore in the Senai International Airport. These store closures meant that readers here could only buy my books online via www.mphonline.

 

All eyes on the screen during my presentation

In view of this, I have permission from MPH to keep a small stock of my books so that readers – who prefer to see, touch and smell new books before they bought any – may get My Johor Stories books from me.

 

With this special provision, readers could conveniently get their copies of My Johor Stories from my pop-up store that was opened at the series of Drum Up JB! shows since January 2023.

 

The club members easily connected with My Johor Stories

Aware that the Rotary Club members may be keen to get their copies of this final instalment of My Johor Stories, I brought a few books along to the meeting.

 

I was ushered into the meeting room on arrival and warmly welcomed in by club members, most of whom were familiar with me and My Johor Stories.

 

As I looked at the Rotarians around the room, I saw several new faces along with many familiar faces like Dr Sivamoorthy, Dr Anga, Dr Shan, John Cheah, J S Kwang, Freddie Lee, Ng Swee Poh and Teoh, among others.

 

Club President Steven Wu presenting a 
souvenir to guest, James Ho

Club President, Steven Wu, welcomed me to the guest speaker’s seat, next to him, and as more members trickled in, the meeting was called to order for its start.

 

When the president welcomed the guests, I spotted several ladies including Dr Shan’s wife and another gentleman, James Ho of Yayasan Kebajikan Suria Permas JB.

 

While he shared the same name as the late James Ho, a Rotarian in this club who was featured in my 2017 MPH Non-Fiction Bestseller, My Johor Stories: True Tales, Real People, Rich Heritage, this gentleman is distinguished by his commitment to helping others, first as an individual and later through a charity organization, Yayasan Kebajikan Suria Permas JB, which he founded in 2012.

 

In 2015, the work of this foundation was recognized by two prestigious awards from the Iskandar Malaysia Social Heroes Awards (IMSHA).

 

One was an individual award presented to James Ho in the Disaster Relief category while the other award was to the foundation in the Poverty & Relief category.

 

It was good that Ho was with us in this meeting because in my presentation to introduce the final instalment of My Johor Stories, My Johor Stories 3: Proudly Johor, Then and Now, the Iskandar Malaysia Social Heroes Awards was among the proudly Johor brands featured in this book.

 

A Word of Thanks to guest speaker [me!]
by Rotarian Cheong N C

In my commentary during the presentation, I clarified that I had the privilege to document the stories on some brands, proudly established in Johor that have since developed nationwide and some were even exported abroad.

 

While the IMSHA per se may not be exported abroad, the concept of this award to recognize unsung heroes who are doing good work among the needy in a community was so meaningful that there were in fact, attempts to borrow (Read: copy!) the idea.

 

From my speaking experience with the Rotary Club of Johor Bahru since I introduced Book One and Book Two of My Johor Stories, I knew that many members were familiar with the contents of my books and could easily relate to what I shared with them.

 

Club President Steven Wu presenting
me with a token of appreciation

While I introduced the contents of Book Three, I observed how the members paid rapt attention to my commentary and was pleased that they could connect with me.

 

I always welcomed an interactive presentation so it was encouraging to receive spontaneous responses from the members as they connected with what I shared.

 

In closing, Rotarian Cheong N C, gave a formal Word of Thanks to guest speaker (me!) and expressed his appreciation for how Johor culture and heritage has been documented in My Johor Stories to benefit future generations.

 

In fact, I was deeply honoured to be mentioned in the same sentence as Datin Patricia Lim, a professional historian who documented valuable records on Johor culture and heritage in her books.

 

After the meeting, some members approached me to get Book Three, the final instalment to complete their collection of the trilogy of My Johor Stories.

 

When Rotarian Henry asked me to autograph his set of books and address them to his dear wife, Rosalie, I was pleased to tell him and other members who now have the complete set of My Johor Stories books that they are the proud owners of a valuable collectors’ item.

 

It was an evening well-spent with friends in the Rotary Club, meeting James Ho, a gentleman with a Heart of Gold, and to know that the spirit of volunteerism is very much alive in Johor Bahru.

 

The Rotary Club of Johor Bahru meets regularly on Tuesday, 6pm at the Amari Johor Bahru.

Meet-up with Le Figaro, Asia correspondent

 

As June turned into July, I was in the thick of completing the manuscript for a book project and hardly had time to look at all my emails.

 

Sebastien Falletti in the lobby of the
Johor Bahru Chinese Heritage Museum

Then Grace Chiam sent me a WhatsApp message which read, “Hi #FFIJB, hope you also received this email,” and quoted the entire email received from Sebastien Falletti, the Asia Correspondent of Le Figaro.

 

When Grace expressed her delight that My Johor Stories was connecting Johor with journalists abroad, I could not help but recall that in January 2020, Johor and My Johor Stories were featured in the South China Morning Post after I met with a couple who visited Johor Bahru in search of, literally, her grandfather’s road!

 

In recent years, I had the privilege to meet with media guests of Anantara Desaru Coast Resort & Villas to share with them, more insights into Johor culture and heritage to help them flesh out their write-ups with more content.

 

Online info on Sebastien Falletti

In October 2023, I had the pleasure to meet media from German-speaking nations like Austria, Switzerland and Germany, and in March 2024, I met a group of media from the Middle-East, based in Dubai.

 

When I opened the email in my In-box, I read that the email from Sebastien was copied to Grace at BrandCulture PR Communications, who supported My Johor Stories in past PR activations.

 

In his email, Sebastien wrote:

 

“Dear Peggy Loh, I hope this message finds you well in Johor Bahru. I read with great interest, some of your articles about the history of Johor as I am preparing a story about the fast development of the city.

 

I am contacting you to inquire if you would have a moment for an interview later down this week.

 

For your information, I am the Seoul-based correspondent for Le Figaro, a leading daily newspaper in France. Thank you for your kind consideration.”

 

His name cared with the 
Korean version on its reverse side

Grace, the PR Professional was quick to do her research and provided me with some background information on Le Figaro and Sebastien:

 

“Founded in 1826 as a satirical weekly before becoming a daily newspaper in 1866, this publication is regarded as one of the oldest and most prominent daily newspapers in France, renowned for its comprehensive coverage of news and its conservative editorial stance.”

 

In response to my reply to his email, Sebastien wrote:

 

“Thank you for your kind and positive reply. I am indeed planning to visit Johor and I will be delighted to meet you in person to hear your stories about old and new Johor.”

 

Signing the guest book 

If he was travelling from Seoul to Johor Bahru for this appointment, I believe he had done his research and was keen to see more of Johor. In fact, he did suggest to meet at the Royal Abu Bakar Museum but I had to tell him the disappointing news that this museum was currently, still not open to the public.

 

As I read his questions provided to help me prepare for the interview, I thought it was best to arrange our meet-up at the lobby of the Johor Bahru Chinese Heritage Museum where I could make reference to the relevant visuals on display there and show him various places-of-interest in the morning light.

 

When there was a delay in reply to my message, I guessed that he must be in-flight travelling from Seoul to Singapore and waited to hear from him.

 

Later that night, he replied to confirm the details of our appointment in Johor Bahru and I smiled when I read what he said, “Hi Peggy, Greetings from Singapore. Sorry I was in the plane.”

 

We discussed about his border-crossing from Singapore to Johor and was glad that he was prepared to encounter human and vehicular congestion at the check-points.

 

That morning was bright and sunny when we (finally!) met at the lobby of the Johor Bahru Chinese Heritage Museum.

 

In a brief intro, Sebastien reiterated that he was based in Seoul, Korea, as the Asia Correspondent for Le Figaro and presented me with his name card. [The reverse side of his name card was printed in Korean language!]

 

Starting with the proud legacy of the Johor Rulers, I was pleased to share with Sebastien a brief history of how Johor Bahru transformed from a colonial outpost to what it is now.

 

I was ready to discuss what was so special about Johor with a sprinkle of human anecdotes to give him a clearer picture of how the Johor Ruler established a strong bond with the people who came to settle here.

 

Johor Bahru’s Street of Harmony bears witness to how the Johor Ruler welcomed the people to practice their own culture as they worked hard to develop the state’s economy.

 

At the main entrance to Istana Bukit Serene

From this, Sebastien could see that throughout history, the Johor Rulers played an important role and they continue to be respected for their contribution to the peace and harmony in our multi-cultural community.

 

When he saw the photograph captured of His Highness and Permaisuri Johor seated in his car during the drive-about on his coronation day, Sebastian admired that classic car and was aware that the Johor Sultan has a valuable collection of cars.

 

After an informative walk through the Museum, I invited Sebastien to sign their guest book as a record of Le Figaro’s visit to Johor Bahru.

 

We left the Museum and took a drive to let him see how the pepper and gambier motif was adopted as a Johor icon and used throughout the city, on arches, lamp-posts and the pillars of the fence around the Istana Besar or Grand Palace.

 

Admiring the Jubilee Arch at the entrance
to the Istana Besar or Grand Palace

When we drove pass the greenery that bordered the ancient “rock gardens,” I pointed out that the Johor Ruler also presented the Chinese community with land for their burial ground because he respected the Chinese tradition of ancestor worship.

 

I had the pleasure to show him the Coronation Arch and the main entrance to the palace at Bukit Serene as well as the Jubilee Arch at the entrance to the Istana Besar, and explained that the Grand Palace was used mainly for ceremonial events.

 

While our time together was not long, it was good that I had the privilege to clarify some of his queries and helped him understand a little more about the proud legacy that is being preserved for future generations in museums and galleries and also documented in books.

 

Sebastien said that his article on Johor will be published in Le Figaro in French, scheduled for August and assured me that he would share the online link with me.

 

After our meet-up, Sebastien went on to his next appointment in Johor before he left for Singapore. Later I received his message which read like this:

 

“Thank you, Peggy for your kindness and insights into Johor. It was a wonderful discovery and you were the best guide.

 

I just hit back to Singapore after an excellent day. I wish you all the best for your next book! And for now, a good night.”

 

It was my pleasure and privilege to help you with the relevant content, Sebastien. Welcome back to Johor Bahru when you are visiting this part of Asia again.

A fresh collection of Johor-inspired art

 

The inaugural Art Bridge International Art Camp 2024, held in Johor Bahru from July 10 to 14, brought together some 180 artists from over 20 nations.

 

The concourse in the indoor section of R&F Mall
was curated into an art gallery

Gifted with skills in working with oil and acrylic paints, these artists were from Thailand, China – Hong Kong and Taiwan, Japan, Singapore, Vietnam, Indonesia, South Korea, India, Philippines, Brunei, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Poland, Spain, France, Bangladesh, Serbia, Egypt and Nepal.

 

Southern University College students from the Faculty of Art & Design along with some 30 participants from the Johor Bahru chapter of Urban Sketchers had the privilege to join this art camp with the pleasure to interact with the international artists in a multi-ethnic mix of talents.

 

A section of the Art Bridge Workshop 
held in the R&F Mall, Johor Bahru

This exciting art camp was organised by the Southern University College in collaboration with co-organisers and venue sponsors like R&F Princess Cove and R&F Mall in Johor Bahru.

 

To gain better insights into the local culture and heritage, an itinerary of interesting activities was arranged for the artists to experience the city’s heritage quarter, Kukup fishing village and Tanjung Piai, the southern-most tip of mainland Asia.

 

From the outdoor section of R&F Princess Cove that overlooked the Straits, the artists enjoyed a panoramic view of the Causeway which links Johor to Singapore.

 

An aerial view of the Art Bridge Workshop
in R&F Mall, Johor Bahru

This Causeway recently celebrated its 100^th anniversary since it was opened in 1924 and has since developed into one of the busiest border crossings in the world.

 

During the art camp, Art Bridge Workshops were held in the campus of Southern University College and the R&F Mall where an Art Exhibition was showcased the artists’ completed art work.

 

Art enthusiasts and the public were invited to observe the artists while they painted, comfortably in the concourse within the indoor section of the R&F Mall.

 

Yong Look Lam with his paintings

The concourse was transformed into a massive art workshop for the artists to create their Johor-inspired art on canvas in a choice of five themes: the Southern University College campus, Tanjung Piai, Kukup Fishing Village, the Johor Bahru heritage quarter and the Causeway.

 

By 6pm on Saturday, July 13, the concourse was curated into an art gallery where the finished works of these artists were arranged for public viewing and appreciation.

 

It was heartwarming to view this fresh collection of Johor-inspired art, seen through the eyes of international artists to Johor, who interpreted the scenes on canvas in their unique, artistic renditions using oil and acrylic paints.

 

Johor's iconic Sultan Ibrahim Building with a 
lamp-post in the foreground that features
the pepper and gambier motif

Some of the painted scenes showcased familiar landmark buildings in our city like the Sultan Ibrahim Building on Bukit Timbalan and the eye-catching corner shophouse dubbed the Red House, at the Tan Hiok Nee Heritage Walk.

 

Some artists even picked up on Johor’s heritage of pepper and gambier that helped to grow the state’s economy in the 1800s. Pepper and gambier thus earned a place of honour and adopted as an iconic motif used throughout the state, as was seen in the designs on the lamp-posts in the city.

 

The visit to Kukup Fishing Village and Tanjung Piai inspired a number of artists to choose the theme of fishing boats, mangrove forests and rustic seascapes.

 

Loo Hooi Nam with his paintings

At Tanjung Piai, the artists may have had close encounters with the long-tail macaque but some artists stretched their imaginations to paint animals like the Malayan tiger as well as the Malayan tapir.

 

Portrait artists were inspired by our multi-cultural community to paint portraits of charming Malay ladies while modern artists chose to create colourful abstract pieces where the multi-colours personified our multi-cultural community.

 

Some artists were inspired by the 100-year-old Causeway to create interesting scenarios that featured the Causeway in their artwork while others painted scenes of the landscaped gardens in the campus of the Southern University College.

 

Tan Hiok Nee Heritage Walk
with the Red House in view

The inaugural Art Bridge International Art Camp 2024 ended with a closing ceremony with expressions of appreciation for the enthusiastic participation of the artists who successfully created a fresh collection of Johor-inspired art.

 

Director of the Museum & Art Gallery in Southern University College, Tan Chai Puan, expressed his delight with the art camp where international and local artists of different cultural backgrounds met to create art in Johor.

 

His new experience with this art camp where artists created artwork inspired by their visit to various destinations here, had inadvertently rekindled his desire to see the Johor Arts Festival revived again in Johor Bahru.

 

Like many fans of the Arts Festival, Tan has fond memories of the annual Johor Arts Festival that brought quality performing arts and cultural shows to our very doorstep. After 15 years, the annual Arts Festival came to an abrupt end with the untimely passing of its founders, Yap Siong Cheng and his wife, Suzie.

 

An artistic interpretation of the Causeway that links Johor with Singapore

As Johor Bahru is rapidly transforming as a modern metropolis and was already equipped with a performing arts venue in the Permaisuri Zarith Sofia Opera House at R&F Princess Cove, Tan strongly felt that Johor Bahru was ready to host performing and visual arts events in a revived Johor Arts Festival.

 

A familiar view of Johor Bahru's heritage quarter

Since the re-opening of the Permaisuri Zarith Sofia Opera House in 2023, fans of the performing arts have had the pleasure of enjoying live shows, presented by both local and international artists on this stage.

 

From his experience with an international visual arts event like the recently concluded Art Bridge International Art Camp, Tan was keen to encourage the revival of the Johor Arts Festival with the support of relevant agencies and their resources.

 

With the success of the Art Bridge International Art Camp, Tan was not willing to rest but determined to organize a sequel to the art camp to encourage more art appreciation in our community.

 

At the close of the art camp, the artists donated one of their paintings to Southern University College to add to their art collection for display in the Faculty of Art & Design or for sale to raise funds for charity.

 

Southern University College is located at PTD 64888, Jalan Selatan Utama, KM 15, off the Skudai Highway, 81300 Skudai, Johor.

 

R&F Mall is at Jalan Tanjung Puteri, 80300 Johor Bahru, Johor. Opening Hours from 10am to 10pm.

 

Photo Credits: Courtesy of Tan Chai Puan, Yong Look Lam and Loo Hooi Nam