The cake-making process chain formed by TIMA members in the Jing Si Hall kitchen two days before the charity bazaar. (Photo by Law Sook Fong)
“Eggless cakes?” May had no choice but to reconsider her choice of the popular Hokkaido Chiffon Cake after receiving the information from Dr. Ong Chin Kian. A vegetarian herself, she knew that the cakes, meant to be sold at the charity bazaar, had to contain purely vegetarian ingredients. Eggs too, had to be excluded from the recipe.
May has a background in the nursing profession. Though good at baking, baking eggless cakes was a totally new experience altogether. On the 17th of January, together with a few other TIMA members, they embarked on their baking experiment in Jing Si Hall with the help of the huge industrial-use oven in the kitchen. “We’re unsuccessful, the cake didn’t rise evenly.” Though they toiled in the kitchen from morning till night, the finished product from the oven failed to impress. However this did not dampen their enthusiasm.
May then searched the internet for more of such recipes. Over the next few days, she busied herself with tweaking the recipes. After gathering feedback from her colleagues, a winning formula was finally found.
Just as the spring winds harken the beginning of a new year, the Tzu Chu Foundation (Singapore Branch) soon received the eagerly awaited news : “We will start baking the cakes on the 24th and 25th of January! We welcome all who wish to take part in this important endeavour!”
Switching from Doctor’s Scapel to Kitchen Knife, The Motivation to Help Others Never Wavers
During the two days before the 2013 Tzu Chu Foundation (Singapore Branch) Chinese New Year Charity Bazaar, the kitchen in Jing Si Hall completely transformed into a bustling hub of baking activity. A process chain made up of more than ten persons busily measured out ingredients, sifted flour and mixed ingredients, then spooned the mixture into cake molds for baking. The finished product was decorated with sugar icing and packaged to perfection. From start to finish, everyone worked steadily and with great diligence; it was impossible to tell that this was a recently assembled working team.
What was noteworthy was the livery of the team of bakers – though they wore the blue caps, thin gloves and aprons commonly seen in hospital surgery rooms, these volunteers from the medical profession laughingly commented that today, in their hands they wielded not a doctor’s scapel, but a kitchen knife.
As the main coordinating person, May bustled about busily; one moment she would be checking if the baking temperature was even, the next, she would be paying close attention to quality control. She also had to manage unforeseen events such as arranging for the replenishment of baking materials. Accompanied by her daughter who had a natural ability to understand what mom wanted, it could be said that mom’s star assistant made her presence felt!
Though baking is a hobby, leading a team of more than ten in baking 300 cakes should more accurately be described as an endeavor that necessitates meticulous planning and careful calculations. “Dr. Ong said that we had to produce the best cakes using the best ingredients. Managing the materials and the packaging though, is really a challenge.” She further added “Once we found a dual use cake box, appropriate for use in both baking and packaging, the problem was largely solved!”
Prior to being placed inside the oven, every single item had to be weighed on a digital baking scale – it had to be 71 grams for a cupcake and 410 grams each for the chocolate and banana walnut cakes. As they worked, the team inadvertently displayed their occupational preoccupation with accuracy and cleanliness - if any miscellaneous items were left on the table, it would soon be taken away by someone with the accompanying remark “This can be recycled.”
During a break, retired nurse Ellen Looi discovered that there was a spot of greasy chocolate stain in the sink. She sprang into action immediately, scrubbing it clean. “One must be responsible for the things that one uses; if others catch sight of the stains, it would be really embarrassing!”
Enthusiasm in Undertaking, Eagerness in Cooperation
Every cupcake that emerged fresh from the oven was unique in its own way; after getting the hang of how icing sugar, piped decorative flowers, chocolate rice and colourful rice sprinkles could enhance the look of the finished product, everyone really got into the swing of things and gave free rein to their imagination. Not a single design was repeated on a cake.“That’s not the result of having creativity, it's the result of being forgetful!”remarked the team merrily.
Nursing supervisor Lim Kim Yan from Tan Tock Seng Hospital turned up punctually at 9.00am. She even applied for two days of leave from work as she knew that this endeavor required a great deal of manpower. “In the past when I was on leave, I would think of places to go to for my own enjoyment. Every year, I would holiday overseas once or twice.”She then added, “But I’m no longer like that; now I wish to engage myself in meaningful activities.”
Jinyan first got to know about Tzu Chi and its activities in 2004. Now in her sixties, it took seven years for her to become actively involved in Tzu Chi. In 2012, she adopted a vegetarian diet after returning from the TIMA conference held in Taiwan. “I saw Dharma Master Cheng Yen up close and was able to fully embrace her teachings. At that time, Master was advocating vegetarianism, and as her disciple, it is only right that I follow her teachings.”
Whether it is helping out at the Tzu Chi Free Clinic, recycling activities, home visits or health screening services for the community etc., you can count on Kim Yan to be there. By her own admission, she has seen changes in herself, and her temper is no longer as bad as it was before. Though baking has never been Kim Yan’s forte, she did not feel any undue stress as she was happy to learn from others and work as part of a team.
Working With Pure Motivation and Full Cooperation
Dr. Edwin Lim of the Tzu Chi Free Health Screening and Medical Clinic, D and TIMA’s Dr. Ong Chin Kian even squeezed in a visit to the baking team to cheer them on in the midst of their own clinic duties and recycling project preparations for Tan Tock Seng Hospital. They also rolled up their sleeves and helped with the setup and dismantling of the cake stall at the bazaar. Dr. Lim was also seen carrying pails of water tirelessly back and forth when cleaning the stall.
Dr. Ong shared his thoughts about his experience saying, “When the executive team and representatives of the Singapore branch of Tzu Chi were in Indonesia to attend the opening ceremony of Jing Si Hall there, all of us made good use of time after the meeting to discuss the preparations for the charity bazaar. Upon hearing that the sponsors had donated some tens of thousands in support, all of us aspired to give our best in this endeavor.”
A few years ago, TIMA had some success with selling cupcakes during a charity bazaar. However, Dr. Ong shared that because they did not produce the cakes themselves, the profit margin was not high. This year, his suggestion to undertake production themselves in order to raise more funds for charity was met with enthusiasm by May who currently worked as a dental assistant with the Tzu Chi Free Health Screening and Medical Clinic.
Dr. Ong took the lead and sponsored the majority cost of the baking ingredients, helped with delivery and transportation, and even cleared a room in his house to store the cakes. “I cleaned up the room and switched on an air purifier for two days to prepare for the arrival of the cakes! Beaming with happiness and satisfaction as he gazed upon the fruits of their labour, he humbly repeated, “It’s not much effort, not much effort at all.”
In the two days of cake production and also the two days that the charity bazaar was held, TIMA members took turns to help out. They even composed a little ditty; singing and dancing thus, they spread festive cheer and encouraged brisk sales at the stall.
In just the first day of the bazaar on 26 January, 70 percent of the cakes were sold. The afternoon of the next day then saw the team racing to produce additional batches of cupcakes on-site in the cramped confines of the stall while enduring the sultry heat of the day. No one complained; in fact, they made a pact to contribute again in a similar manner next year.
One could not tell if the enticingly sweet aroma of cakes that filled the air was due to the robust richness of chocolate or the fragrant ripeness of bananas. The taste of the cakes, however, was sweetly reminiscent of joyful effort. Because of the volunteers’ willingness to contribute to a worthy cause, every action to them was joyful effort.
Freshly baked cupcakes in the process of being creatively decorated with icing sugar, piped designs, chocolate rice and colourful rice sprinkles.(Photo by Law Sook Fong)
Lin Jinyan hard at work decorating cupcakes. She had taken two days of leave so that she could to contribute to the cake-making endeavor. (Photo by Law Sook Fong)
Dr. Lin Wenhao of the Tzu Chi Free Health Screening and Medical Clinic (far right) and TIMA’s Dr. Wang Zengjun even squeezed in a visit to the baking team to cheer them on. (Photo by Tan Cheng Hwa)
More than 300 cakes, lovingly made from scratch over two days, were completely sold out in the two days of the charity bazaar. (Photo by Ng Shih Ying)
May (right), a caregiver by profession who bakes as a hobby, was the main coordinator. Here, she is seen leading other TIMA members in the effort to bake additional cupcakes.(Photo by Chai Jiuan Hua)
Singing and dancing to the tune of their self-composed ditty, TIMA members bring festive cheer to the charity bazaar.(Photo by Tan Chuen Yeow)
TIMA members also set up a booth providing basic health screening services to the public in a corner of the charity bazaar. (Photo by Wong Twee Hee)
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