THE past nine months have come close to breaking Trevor Goyal. At one stage, the Hampton Park resident felt so ill he didn't know if he would wake up in the morning.
"I couldn't breathe. I was lying in bed and I didn't know if I would ever get up again. I had infections in my ears and throat. I couldn't eat. I had diarrhoea. I lost a lot of weight."
Like many other members of a Casey flood support group, Mr Goyal believes his sudden deterioration in health is a direct result of the floods that swamped Hampton Park early this year.
On February 5, at the height of the floods, he had sewage bubbling out of his shower and through his Robjant Street house.
Afterwards, he did his best to clean up.
"I had heard how so many people got sick after the New Orleans floods so I tried to hose everything down.
"I was using a bucket and disinfectant to try to stop the mould growing."
A study of New Orleans after the 2005 floods found that mould grew in almost half the houses that survived the floods.
The health impacts appeared many months afterwards, ranging from upper respiratory infections and asthma to irritable bowel and behavioural changes.
Mr Goyal suffered two serious chest infections, the first in March and the second a few weeks later.
By May, three months after the floods, he was still waiting for his insurance company to assess his claim.
"I knew if I waited any longer I would die. I finally rang Allianz - I was just bawling my eyes out - I spoke to a woman and said, 'Can you do something for me?'
"She said 'Yes, we're going to issue you with a cheque'. I got the cheque and I've been cleaning up ever since."
When Mr Goyal removed plasterboard and skirting boards he could see mould growing up the walls and he's still tackling that with fans and disinfectant.
He has no floor coverings and little furniture. He has also amassed a lot of bills while he has been ill and doesn't know how he will pay them.
But his health is improving gradually. He can eat more and is beginning to put back some weight.
Joining the flood support group has also helped.
"Instead of concentrating on what I haven't got, I've been trying to concentrate on what I have got.
" I get up in the morning and I try to think my health's good.
"But there's a long way to go, not just for me but for a lot of people."
2011年11月6日星期日
2011年6月29日星期三
Honey and fig ice-cream with hazelnut praline
To make the hazelnut praline, preheat oven to 180°C. Spread hazelnuts over a baking tray and cook in preheated oven for 5-6 minutes or until aromatic. Rub hazelnuts between a clean tea towel to remove skins. Brush baking tray with oil to lightly grease and return hazelnuts to tray.
Place the sugar and water in a small heavy-based saucepan and stir over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat to high and bring to the boil. Boil, uncovered, without stirring, for 3-4 minutes or until light golden. Pour over hazelnuts and set aside for 30 minutes or until set.
Break the praline into pieces and place in the bowl of a food processor. Process until crushed. Spoon 2 tsp of praline each into ten 160ml (2/3-cup) moulds. Set aside. Use electric beaters to whisk egg whites in a medium stainless-steel bowl until stiff peaks form. Set aside.
Place the sugar, honey and glucose in a small heavy-based saucepan and stir over high heat for 30 seconds or until combined. Place a sugar thermometer in the pan and bring to the boil. Boil, uncovered, until soft ball stage (116°C) is reached (about 2 minutes).
Remove the pan from the heat. Use electric beaters on medium to whisk the egg whites while adding the syrup in a slow, steady stream. Continue whisking until the bowl is cold to touch.
Use electric beaters to whisk cream in a medium bowl until soft peaks form. Use a spatula to fold half the cream into the egg white mixture until combined. Repeat with remaining cream. Fold in remaining praline, figs, apricots, Craisins and orange rind. Spoon into moulds and place on a tray. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the freezer for 8 hours or overnight to set.
To serve, run a small spatula around the edge of each mould, then turn the desserts onto serving plates. Serve immediately with the raspberries.
Place the sugar and water in a small heavy-based saucepan and stir over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat to high and bring to the boil. Boil, uncovered, without stirring, for 3-4 minutes or until light golden. Pour over hazelnuts and set aside for 30 minutes or until set.
Break the praline into pieces and place in the bowl of a food processor. Process until crushed. Spoon 2 tsp of praline each into ten 160ml (2/3-cup) moulds. Set aside. Use electric beaters to whisk egg whites in a medium stainless-steel bowl until stiff peaks form. Set aside.
Place the sugar, honey and glucose in a small heavy-based saucepan and stir over high heat for 30 seconds or until combined. Place a sugar thermometer in the pan and bring to the boil. Boil, uncovered, until soft ball stage (116°C) is reached (about 2 minutes).
Remove the pan from the heat. Use electric beaters on medium to whisk the egg whites while adding the syrup in a slow, steady stream. Continue whisking until the bowl is cold to touch.
Use electric beaters to whisk cream in a medium bowl until soft peaks form. Use a spatula to fold half the cream into the egg white mixture until combined. Repeat with remaining cream. Fold in remaining praline, figs, apricots, Craisins and orange rind. Spoon into moulds and place on a tray. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the freezer for 8 hours or overnight to set.
To serve, run a small spatula around the edge of each mould, then turn the desserts onto serving plates. Serve immediately with the raspberries.
2011年6月22日星期三
Clinton Township plastic molder Anderson-Cook expands in China
Clinton Township-based Anderson-Cook Inc. plans to expand its Shanghai operations, including plastic molding, to handle growing demand for more precision automotive components in China.
The company plans to move from a 37,600-square-foot plant into a new, 64,500-square-foot building this year and has seen its sales in China double every year since 2008, company officials said.
Anderson-Cook plans to add four or five injection-molding machines to the 21 presses it now has in Shanghai, sales manager Rebecca Yue said in an interview at the International Auto Parts & Accessories Expo, held June 9-11 in Guangzhou, China.
“We have many current customers and potential customers who are very interested in our gear transmission housings,” including plastic components, Yue said.
The company does not compete in China’s mass market for auto parts, sticking to components where precision is required, and it is seeing demand for those types of parts rise, she said.
Most of its customers are the China operations of large foreign auto suppliers, including Lear Corp., Johnson Controls Inc. and Visteon Corp. But it is starting to see more interest from domestic Chinese carmakers as they seek to offer products such as better anti-lock braking systems, Yue said.
The Shanghai factory specializes in products such as gears and shafts, which make up about 77 percent of sales. It is also involved in office products and medical assemblies.
The company employs 130 at Shanghai but is unsure how many employees it will add in the expansion, Yue said.
Like factories in other big coastal cities, wages have risen substantially at the Shanghai plant — more than 10 percent a year for the past several years — prompting Anderson-Cook to look at more automation, she said.
Anderson-Cook has eight factories in the U.S., Canada, Mexico and China. It opened the Shanghai plant in 2005.
The company plans to move from a 37,600-square-foot plant into a new, 64,500-square-foot building this year and has seen its sales in China double every year since 2008, company officials said.
Anderson-Cook plans to add four or five injection-molding machines to the 21 presses it now has in Shanghai, sales manager Rebecca Yue said in an interview at the International Auto Parts & Accessories Expo, held June 9-11 in Guangzhou, China.
“We have many current customers and potential customers who are very interested in our gear transmission housings,” including plastic components, Yue said.
The company does not compete in China’s mass market for auto parts, sticking to components where precision is required, and it is seeing demand for those types of parts rise, she said.
Most of its customers are the China operations of large foreign auto suppliers, including Lear Corp., Johnson Controls Inc. and Visteon Corp. But it is starting to see more interest from domestic Chinese carmakers as they seek to offer products such as better anti-lock braking systems, Yue said.
The Shanghai factory specializes in products such as gears and shafts, which make up about 77 percent of sales. It is also involved in office products and medical assemblies.
The company employs 130 at Shanghai but is unsure how many employees it will add in the expansion, Yue said.
Like factories in other big coastal cities, wages have risen substantially at the Shanghai plant — more than 10 percent a year for the past several years — prompting Anderson-Cook to look at more automation, she said.
Anderson-Cook has eight factories in the U.S., Canada, Mexico and China. It opened the Shanghai plant in 2005.
2011年4月19日星期二
Power trooper
IIt's easy to kick back and rely on your husband/boyfriend or trusty old dad to help you out when things go wrong around the house. But let's face it, it's not doing much for your independence, is it? And what about when they're not around and you're all by yourself.
It isn't rocket science. It's just a little know-how, a little technique. If they can do it, so can you. Here are some simple tricks to show you how it’s done.
De-stink your sinks
Unblocking a sink is one of the easiest and cheapest DIY jobs. Pour two to three tablespoons of bicarbonate of soda down the plug hole, followed by some glugs of vinegar supermarket brands are fine. Then simply flush through with hot water. Voila.
For really stubborn sinks
If your sink still isn’t playing ball, you’ll need a more drastic action. Place a bucket under the sink and start dismantling the U-bend. You won’t need tools as all the connections will be hand-tightened.
De-clogging the sink is one of the easiest jobs around the house. A little smelly, no doubt
Wash the U-bend in another sink and reassemble. To prevent a big mess, keep some old clothes and a nose peg handy in case of smells and spillages.
Reseal bath TILES
Guaranteed to impress friends and family, but quite a time-consuming task. As soon as black mould starts to appear around your bathroom tiles and commode, use a utility knife to cut out the old sealant between tiles. Clean the area with white spirit and wait until dry.
Then, using a nozzle attached to a long tube (easily found at any hardware store), slowly apply a silicone sealant or white plaster of paris, cheaply available. Keep consistent pressure on the tube and don’t let it form lumps.
Once you have placed an even bead round the tiles, smoothen it using your fingers or a flat wood board. Keep the bathroom dry for atleast 10 to 12 hours after applying the sealant as to get it aptly dry.
Cleaning taps of limescale
Use the trusty bicarbonate of soda and vinegar combo again a couple of tablespoons of bicarb to one tablespoon of vinegar mixed in a plastic bag.
Tie the bag over the taps, ensuring the ends are dipped in the solution. Leave for two to four hours and scrub off with an old toothbrush.
Use a power drill
Before you start drilling, practice in thin air and then on some scrap material like old wood. For stronger surfaces, such as brick, you'll need a hammer drill and a masonry drill bit. For softer services use a wood bit and take the drill off hammer setting. Start with a smaller hole and work it up.
Paint a window
External windows and doors need to be painted regularly as it protects wood from elements. Scrape away any flaky paint, sand back the area, fill any holes with wood filler and sand again.
Clean the area and apply paint with a small, one-inch brush. Don’t overload the brush and don’t overwork the paint. Work slowly and methodically and your windows will look pretty as a picture.
Re-oil wood surfaces, doors or tables
Kitchen tables or bedroom doors looking a bit lack-lustre? Like all natural products, they just need a good feed. Ensure the wood is clean and sand away any nasty marks or chips.
Wipe the surface with white spirit or a tack cloth (a sticky cloth or roll of sticky paper available at a hardware and stationery stores) is great for picking up lint) to banish dust. Pour some oil (a hardware store can point you towards a good one) on a lint-free cloth.
Work into the wood and follow the grain. Wait until it’s dry and apply another coat. Ta-da... all done.
It isn't rocket science. It's just a little know-how, a little technique. If they can do it, so can you. Here are some simple tricks to show you how it’s done.
De-stink your sinks
Unblocking a sink is one of the easiest and cheapest DIY jobs. Pour two to three tablespoons of bicarbonate of soda down the plug hole, followed by some glugs of vinegar supermarket brands are fine. Then simply flush through with hot water. Voila.
For really stubborn sinks
If your sink still isn’t playing ball, you’ll need a more drastic action. Place a bucket under the sink and start dismantling the U-bend. You won’t need tools as all the connections will be hand-tightened.
De-clogging the sink is one of the easiest jobs around the house. A little smelly, no doubt
Wash the U-bend in another sink and reassemble. To prevent a big mess, keep some old clothes and a nose peg handy in case of smells and spillages.
Reseal bath TILES
Guaranteed to impress friends and family, but quite a time-consuming task. As soon as black mould starts to appear around your bathroom tiles and commode, use a utility knife to cut out the old sealant between tiles. Clean the area with white spirit and wait until dry.
Then, using a nozzle attached to a long tube (easily found at any hardware store), slowly apply a silicone sealant or white plaster of paris, cheaply available. Keep consistent pressure on the tube and don’t let it form lumps.
Once you have placed an even bead round the tiles, smoothen it using your fingers or a flat wood board. Keep the bathroom dry for atleast 10 to 12 hours after applying the sealant as to get it aptly dry.
Cleaning taps of limescale
Use the trusty bicarbonate of soda and vinegar combo again a couple of tablespoons of bicarb to one tablespoon of vinegar mixed in a plastic bag.
Tie the bag over the taps, ensuring the ends are dipped in the solution. Leave for two to four hours and scrub off with an old toothbrush.
Use a power drill
Before you start drilling, practice in thin air and then on some scrap material like old wood. For stronger surfaces, such as brick, you'll need a hammer drill and a masonry drill bit. For softer services use a wood bit and take the drill off hammer setting. Start with a smaller hole and work it up.
Paint a window
External windows and doors need to be painted regularly as it protects wood from elements. Scrape away any flaky paint, sand back the area, fill any holes with wood filler and sand again.
Clean the area and apply paint with a small, one-inch brush. Don’t overload the brush and don’t overwork the paint. Work slowly and methodically and your windows will look pretty as a picture.
Re-oil wood surfaces, doors or tables
Kitchen tables or bedroom doors looking a bit lack-lustre? Like all natural products, they just need a good feed. Ensure the wood is clean and sand away any nasty marks or chips.
Wipe the surface with white spirit or a tack cloth (a sticky cloth or roll of sticky paper available at a hardware and stationery stores) is great for picking up lint) to banish dust. Pour some oil (a hardware store can point you towards a good one) on a lint-free cloth.
Work into the wood and follow the grain. Wait until it’s dry and apply another coat. Ta-da... all done.
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