After 66 years away

The restored family home at lin chuo

Ahem, decided to revive my blog. Almost 2 years ago, I wrote this post, forgotten about it and my password to the blog. Long story. Anyway, blog's revived and  brother-in-law is back from Taiwan after working there for some years. Moreover, tomorrow is Chinese new year, everything starts afresh! : )

Here's the post written a long time ago.

We went to visit my bro-in-law in Taipei and at the same time visited my Father-in-law's birth place in Jinmen 金門. No idea, where is Jinmen? No worries, I had no idea too. Jinmen is an island off the coast of China near xiamen. The taiwanese island was heavily fought over when the Chinese and the Taiwanese went to war. Heavily shelled, and if I didn't remember wrongly, a record of 40,000 shells fell onto the island in two hours. That was a hell of lot of bombs to me. Not going to talk about the famous war between the Chinese and taiwanese, that is really only interesting matters for the chinese history buffs.

Though interesting when I went on a history museum tour but seriously I couldn't listen to anyone talk about any war for 1 hour. 20 mins into the talk, the museum guide seriously sounded like the History Channel on cable and also she was rather nationalistic (over zealous in my opinion). I zoned out, it was much more interesting listening to R's relatives and FIL's account.

The most interesting part of the trip to Jinmen was my father-in-law visit to his old family home in Jinmen 金門, Taiwan after 66 years away. I have never seen my FIL so happy before. The memories which he shared with us, his raw emotions when he finally set foot into his old home and meeting his childhood playmates after being away for such a long time. 66 years! That's more that half a century ago.

It was 1945 when his family left Jinmen, set sail across the South China Sea to meet his father in Singapore right after the Japanese occupation. Leaving his old home as a boisterous 10-year old boy, that day, he returned much older at 76 years old. Age did not seem to matter to him as he wandered nimbly through his old home, reminiscing his childhood memories to us.

Normally, he speaks to us in mandarin but in his birth country, he spoke in Hokkien most of the time.

"This is the room where I stayed."

"I climbed up to the roof deck with my relatives and look at the stars at night."

"This was not kitchen then, so and so stayed here instead."

"We have a shared outdoor kitchen amongst the Lees from the village."

He doesn't seems confused about his identity. Born Chinese as Jinmen was under China till the Chinese Communist Party lost the war against Taiwanese. Now, he is Singaporean but at the same time he proudly proclaims 我是金門人！in Hokkein, his native language.

 

The original tiles are still intact. Almost peranakan colours too.

I let the pictures speak for itself or save the yarns for another post.

Continue to Struggle

I think yoga teachers give good one liners.

Best one from last week, 'Continue to struggle, don't stop.' Master S uttered while sitting serenely and watching our awkward attempts at the impossible  and uncomfortable yoga poses.

Wonder what he will say today...

Seriously, kids are different these days

First impressions. A confident, rather athletic child, definitely not one of those wimpy whiny kids. I guessed she would be around 8 years old. What was odd about her? She had double eyelid tapes on her eyes. I did a double take while she was talking to me at the traffic junction. I can't figured out whether it was her choice or her fashionably dressed mum's decision. Different world, different kids.

What did she and I talk about? She asked me politely whether I had pressed the traffic signal button. Next, she told me she liked what I was wearing. Small talk. Most kids squirm when they talk to strangers. Not this kiddo.

I am not alone

Came across this article in Yoga Journal about the author's journey into backbends.

Excerpt from Yoga Journal's article "Releasing into Backbends":

Backbends. It's the only groups of asanas in yoga that scares the bejeepers out of me before I even roll out my mat. The word scares me. They're hard, aren't they? After a week of concentrated effort (and almost two years of recurrent effort), I can power one hand to one raised and shaking heel in Camel...

I can totally relate to what the author was writing about. Yes, backbends. That fear-inducing nauseating group of asanas that I find especially hard to practise. If I had to to do backbends during a class, I will try my best but I really do hate it. My teacher likes us to hold camel for at least 15 counts, 8 counts is usually the max for me. That is almost a lifetime to me...Camel, standing backbends, scorpion (I can only do this against a wall) and many other backbends. I get nervous even thinking abt them.

At least, I know I am not alone, there are others who share this fear. Ha, ha. Someone actually wrote about them. I am relieved. I am usually the odd one out in most of the yoga classes. My fellow classmates are serious backbenders. While they are in their backbends, I am the one looking around. Can't blame them as my teachers at the studio are superb backbenders. Watch one of the teacher demonstrating advance backbends.

Relieved.  I really do need a lot more practice. It will be some time before I attend a Hot Backbend class ...

Read abt yoga journal backbend story here.
http://blogs.yogajournal.com/beginnersmind/2011/07/releasing-into-backbends.html

My previous backbending blog entry here.

Updates on my plants. The sadly departed. Green fingers? No?

I have a habit of labelling my plants. Part of the reason is whenever my little nephew comes over on the weekend, it's a lesson in pronouncing the names of the plants and letting him taste and smell the herbs. He no longer eats the herbs but his eyes always open in wonder whenever he smells the rosemary and the basil. He grew and smarten up. No longer duped into eating the herbs but I will always remember the conversations we have about the herbs.

"Ah Yi,  I can eat them?"
"Yes. Does it smell nice?"
Boy nods and chews quietly.
"Is it nice?"
"Not nice", and he promptly spits them out.

Back to my plants, I label them and at the same time, I keep a graveyard of my plant casualties. Some died of poor nutrition and neglect. Others, because of my holidays. Another factor was my gradual shift from a brightly sunlit balcony garden to a shadier one because of the two biggish murrayas that I have. The sun-loving flowering periwinkles and lantanas are gone and in their place are the basil and the rosemary. The hibiscus is still alive but is growing leaves most of the time.

Let's see. What happened?

More buds!

More buds forming. This cluster should bloom by this weekend. There's another flower bud forming on another branch. The branch that was flowering for the last two weeks is still happily blooming. The waiting game begins.

Tried & tested: Neem oil fertiliser seems to be the best

I have tried several fertilisers for my plants. You name it, those gaudy pink or blue pellets, organic chicken poo pellets. So far, this bottle of organic neem oil works the best. Dilute it with water and water the plants. Simple. New shoots will grow rapidly, flower and at the same time, they keep some of the pest away. Am happy. The basil and the murrayas love it.

What is Neem Oil?
Neem oil is a vegetable oil pressed from the fruits and seeds of the neem (Azadirachta indica), an evergreen tree which is endemic to the Indian subcontinent and has been introduced to many other areas in the tropics. It is perhaps the most important of the commercially available products of neem for organic farming and medicines.

Where can I buy neem oil?
I bought my bottle last year at the Singapore garden festival. Can't find the namecard for the company and if I am not mistaken, their shop is at Novena Square. If not, try little India or Far East Flora.

Click here

Glorious frangipani blooms

The bloom 2 weeks ago

It's still flowering. : P

Overlooking the balcony

Thanks to the recent hot weather, my frangipani has finally bloomed after almost 5 years. The balcony does not usually get strong sunlight, only 4 hrs of morning light. I dislike the hot weather but the plants like it.

Waiting for the other stalks to bloom. It should be another week or so. The flowering buds are growing.

Grilled food on a cold wintry night, life's little pleasure

Nothing beats freshly grilled food
with a glass of beer or umeshu

OMG! I am behind on the SQ promotion cheap fares to Tokyo as my brain is suffering from election fatigue. Yup, every other person's status on Facebook is election related, not to mention, it's more news on tv, the internet or booklets stuffed at my doorstep. The plus point is I get to vote after so many years. Frankly, no more election news for me. Come Saturday, I am just going to get dressed, pop downstairs to the polling centre and cast my secret vote. Have already read about what to do and what not to do, cross, not tick in the box and what is a spoilt vote. Plenty of misleading posters around the neighbourhood that tells us to tick...

Back to the SQ mega cheap Singapore to Tokyo fare, it's only S$398 inclusive of tax. That is dirt cheap especially since you can see cherry blossoms around this time. But will I go? Nay. No time and that radiation problem at Fukushima that refuses to go away. I am sure the food that you consume in Tokyo is perfectly safe. Or very safe as I believe the Japanese have great respect for the food they sell and consume. Anyway, you can exposed to radiation in cities like Hong Kong and Singapore too.

Look, dirt cheap, right? At the cheapest in the past
for other airlines, it will be S$640 inclusive of tax.

But if you are going, please do visit this new favourite food haunt of mine in Tokyo. ふくはち Fukuhachi! Great food at affordable prices right smack in the middle of Shinjuku. Discovered it during my last trip to Tokyo. Super yummy.

What do I craved for while on holiday in the midst of winter in Tokyo other than a big bowl of piping hot noodles? Not sushi or tempura but a fresh batch of beautifully grilled yakitori, vegetables or whatever that is available at a Izakaya. Washed down with my drink of choice, pure heaven.

The wait game

 

Not mine but soon, I think the blossoms will be similar to the blossoms above

I am waiting with bated breath for the 2nd round of blooms from my dormant frangipani plant. It has been almost 4 years since it last bloomed. All thanks to the recent hot weather. There are buds on the plant. Hip hip hurray! But mummy always say don't count your chickens before they hatch. So exciting.

Natural warriors: No ants!

My self-concocted 'Bak Ku Teh' mix is working very well as a natural pest pesticide. The ants are not killed but they are avoiding the potted plants with the teabags of roasted spices like a plague. Biological warfare? The ants hated it and they have moved out of their previous home and out of my balcony garden. I have tried all sorts of plant pesticides to get rid of the ants. As I consume the herbs I grow, I would rather not use chemical pesticides. For now, it's a big, big hurray that is is working!

Bak Kut Teh (肉骨茶) is popular soup drank in Singapore and Malaysia. It is made from pork ribs lovingly boiled for hours with garlic, cinnamon, pepper, cloves and star anis. Some shops have also added secret ingredients in their spice mix. The end result is a very tasty soup usually eaten with rice and other side condiments like youtiao (fried dough fritters) and preserved vegetables. My favourite Bak kut teh shop is at Sultan gate (can't remember the name), the one at rangoon road (Ng Ah Sio Pork Rib Soup) comes a closed second, I like Song Fa opposite Central too. Interesting thing to note, most Bak Kut Teh are not sold on Mondays as the poor animals are not slaughtered on Sundays. If the soup is sold on a Monday, frozen meat is used. Not so nice.

Source: Song Fa Bak Kut Teh

About the Bak kut teh plant pesticide, I dry roasted the spices (pepper, star anis, cinnamon, cloves) to release the fragrance and packed them into the teabags. Next, I left them in the pots of rosemary and basil where the ants are nesting. The ants moved out after 1 or 2 days. It has been 3 weeks, they have not been back. Fingers crossed.

The teabags in the pot of basil.

Today's tea break

The tiramisu I made the other day tasted fine. : ) Not as horrible as my previous attempt. No more experimental ingredients for me.

Today's Dinner and tomorrow's dessert

Cooked szechuan hot and sour soup for dinner after tasting a horrible version in Taipei. Food in Taipei is generally good but the one I tasted was really a 'what is this again' version. Bad especially because it was my last meal in Taipei before I headed for the airport. Tsk tsk.

Soup and noodles eaten together with cold appetizers I prepared, cold sesame cucumber appetiser and sesame garlic spinach.

and DESSERTS!

Made tiramisu to eat over the next few days. I will find out if this is any good tomorrow. The last version I made has too little alcohol, I hope this version will be yummy. Left it in the fridge for the flavours to develop overnight. There goes my diet. More double classes  at the yoga studio.

Szechuan hot and sour soup

Good dose of Woh Hup concentrated chicken stock, I think it's 4-6 tbsp as I poured from the bottle. Taste the stock to check whether it is salty.
4 cups water, 960ml (includes the water used for soaking the mushrooms)
1 cup of dried black tree ear fungus 黑木耳, soaked and sliced into thin strips
1 cup of fresh bamboo shoots, cut into strips
1 cup of dried shitake mushroom, soaked and sliced into thin strips
1 carrot, sliced into thin strips
1 cup of siken tofu, cut into strips carefully
1 large egg, beaten
3 tbsp white rice vinegar
3 tbsp Zhejiang black vinegar 浙江黑醋
1 tbsp chili oil
1 tsp sesame oil
½ cup cornstarch liquid (water and 2 tablespoon of cornstarch mixes)
salt and white pepper to taste
2 stalks coriander as garnish

Cut shitake mushrooms, bamboo shoots, black fungus, carrots, tofu into strips. They should be cut evenly. Add Woh Hup chicken stock into pot of water together with the soaked mushroom water. Bring stock to boil over high heat. Add carrot, shiitake mushroom, bamboo shoots, black cloud ear fungus. Reduce fire to low heat, and simmer for 20 min.

Add in chili oil, white rice vinegar, black vinegar, sesame oil, salt and pepper. Simmer for 5 min. Add tofu. Bring to boil.

Stir in corn starch until consistency is slightly thickened. Stir carefully since the fragile tofu has been added.

Turn off the heat. Add beaten eggs and slowly stir into the soup. Garnish with coriander.

I shall try a vegetarian version another day.

The Sunbird came and left

 

 Olive backed sun bird paid a visit

Early this morn, the sun bird came and left, almost like window shopping. I was sitting on the living room's floor. Spied it checking out the the lipstick plant in the balcony. In he flew above my head through the living room and took a sharp left turn into the kitchen and out to the open air probably on his way to check out other flowering plants on the other side of the apartment block.

He was very sure where to go. Obviously not his first time flying through my home. Cool, how nature made do with living in an urban environment.

When do you walk out?

  My mind was so stretched. No lolling hills, swimming in the sea or my fav walking-through-clouds-up-in-the-himalayas memory this morn. This picture was taken in Munnar, India. I usually think about enjoyable memories my mind took a picture of while going through difficult yoga sequences.

One word. TOUGH. It was a really tough yoga session this morn. 2 hours worth of inward battle with my mind. 1 hour into the session, the question popped in my mind, "Should I walk out?"

Not one who walks out of a class, I checked the time and discovered to my horror that only one hour has since passed and I was already mentally and physically spent. So much for wanting to make my money's worth to attend Sunday's 2-hrs Purna Yoga class as I was away for hols last week. I soldiered on and cheated in a lot of the sequences. Cursory stretches...hehe but Saumik noticed, came over, and pushed me into deeper stretches. Ouch.

It was not a cardio workout but my muscles and joints were screaming in pain (not in the life threatening way) but they were so agonisingly stretched that my mind and body were numb. The body opening stretches were very intense. Intense is a kind word, not forgetting the choice swear words I was mumbling under my breath while going through the sequence. It started with, 'Oh God' when Saumik readjusted my split. then it slowly became, "#!?#@" as the 2 hours slowly crawled by. Normally, I will just swear in my mind during challenging sequences but the pain was almost akin to twisting and stretching my limbs out from my joints. A good lesson in pain endurance and proper alignment. No worries, my mutterings were very softly uttered, no angry vibes were given out. The gentleman next to me couldn't possibly hear me. He was also fighting his inner battles.

Update on my plants

This is how the balcony garden looks like now. I moved the two indoor trees to the balcony to line the wall next to the two murrayas. The giant palm was also moved to the middle of the balcony so that I can close the balcony's folding doors. Yup, before, if I want to have air-conditioning switched on in the living room, I have to move the plants out of the way. Too strenuous, which means the air-conditioning is seldom switched on. I need a bigger balcony!

My periwinkles, lantana and hibiscus are no longer blooming as the amount of sunlight they are getting is greatly reduced after I moved the bigger plants to the balcony. The little available place where there is sunlight is reserved for the rosemarys and thai basil.

R's fish pond in the balcony with his lonely gigantic fat fish. I use the water from the container to water my plants once a week. Fish's poo poo water is quite nutritious.

The lipstick plant came back to life and bloomed. Looks like when I am at lost on what to do with a plant that was on the verge of death for the past 6 months, the best solution and care is to ignore it. Volia, it bloomed. The sunbirds came and were very happy.

 

The lipstick plant with the rest of the hanging plants on the rather bare wall. The wall planting project is not going too well. Planting is just not lush.

Perfumed.

 

 

Absolutely fragrant tonight. Murrayas in bloom. They usually bloom one week after I fertilised it with neem oil. New shoots and flowers. : )

What you can't see is your back

Topsy Turvy was fun, fun, fun.

Silence in class while the teacher demonstrated the gravity defying poses. Awesome. Every student tried very hard to remember all the instructions the teacher narrated. No one had time to chat.

Frankly, I have not done an inversions class for months as part of me is still afraid of snapping my neck. I am exaggerating. But it is the truth that no one likes to be inverted, I have to say I can't think straight when I am in that position. Left, right, front, back? Huh!

Scorpion. A position I categorised as more challenging than the headstand, tripod headstand or handstand, Scorpion involves arching the back while the body is inverted and supported by the forearms. My back is really STIFF. This is one awkward position for me. I definitely need help in this position. I usually practise against the wall as I don't want to kill myself. Not a good time to be a hero. It's not funny when you flip over in an inverted position or collapse onto your face.

With my body weight totally supported by my forearms...elbows bent at 90 degrees, body inverted...

"Arch your back. Tighten the knees, core! Point your toes. Lift your body up."

"Don't worry I am holding you."

"Look forward! Move your shoulders backwards!"

Huh, move my shoulders backwards? That's the moment I dropped my feet to the ground. The teacher obviously wasn't very pleased with me. Yup, he had more faith in me than myself. Under his stare, I meekly uttered, "But I can't tell front and back when I am inverted?"

I swear he rolled his eye in his mind but he calmly replied, "What you can see, is front, what you can't see is your back. Now, practise."

Such a simple concept but very hard to grasp when you are inverted. Light at the end of the tunnel. Let's not start on the confusion I have on left and right when I am inverted.

About the chatting in class. I like no-nonsense teachers. During class, someone talked. The teacher turned and said firmly, " You can talk after the class."

Aha, I like his style. You can ask questions but chatting is definitely not allowed.

Life in Topsy Turvy

Moping around at home. I couldn't decide whether I should head for the inversions class at 9pm. Or Topsy-Turvy as the teacher calls it. Still in time to book the class. Recently, joined a new yoga studio, the studio has very good teachers but it comes with the groupies.

What do I mean by groupies?

If you have been to any exercise classes and with keen observation skills, you are bound to notice a select group of folks who talk incessantly at the top of their voice. Be it in the waiting area before the class starts, or at a much louder volume in the locker room. Frankly, I can't stand people harping on every golden word the teacher utters or anyone who talks about their daily stories loudly in the locker room.

Or am I the odd one out? I exercise alone most of the time, a habit since the school days. I don't chat while exercising. Pardon me, if I seems hostile when I go exercising with you, it's not that I don't like your company but I like the silence.

Yup, I don't need to go to the girl's room in pairs nor do I have any problems eating alone. I was perturbed when I saw on RazorTV sometime back about undergrads who rather not be seen dining or anywhere alone. I guessed there are many who are not comfortable with themselves.

... I should head for the mind clearing inversion class. Moreover, it's inversions, something I really suck at. If I keep at it, I will improve. Groupie or no groupie. Thank God, the teacher does not condoned any chatting during class.

Chatterboxes are strictly not allowed.

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