Fight for the reef
If you've ever been to the Great Barrier Reef, you know what a wondrous world it is, and what a criminal act it would be for anybody, let alone an ELECTED government, to purposely trash it, kill the wild marine life and biodiversity and delete a World Heritage Site.
And if you haven't been to the Great Barrier Reef, you will never get to see it and experience its wonder, if you allow this ELECTED government to purposely trash it, kill the wild marine life and biodiversity and delete this World Heritage Site.
So Vote against the government's move, fight to save your Great Barrier Reef for yourself and the generations to come.
chinamiz
Saturday, February 1, 2014
Monday, January 30, 2012
Chinese New Year, A Look Back
Year of the Water Dragon, 2012. |
Tomorrow is Chinese New Year, 2012, the Year of the Dragon. In China and Malaysia and Singapore it's already 9.30 am of New Year's Day and the children are happily engaged in opening their little red money packets, the 'ang pows'.
I remember how it was over Chinese New Year when I was a child in Malaysia. Customs have not changed much over the years.
On the eve of the Big Day, which actually was less than 24 hours ago in Asia, the big family reunion dinner takes place in the husband's family's place. So there could be any number of people: sons and their wives and children, unmarried sons and daughters and the 'venerable old couple'. All the married daughters would be with their husbands' families.
On the actual day, Buddhist/Taoist families have a vegetarian dinner. Those who don't have the vegetarian dinner will have the grand feast on this day, when the married daughters would be home with their spouses and children. For the vegetarians of New Year's Day, the big feast will be on the second day of New Year.
The temples are crowded with the faithful, the smell of incense and joss sticks pervade the atmosphere. All will be praying for a good, prosperous, healthy and happy New Year.
ang pow, little red packet with money , given to unmarried children on New Year's Day. |
Everybody has a new dress or outfit on, and new shoes. Oh, no shoes are worn in the house of course, only outside. Dirt from the street is never walked into one's house in Asia. Doesn't that make a lot of sense?
There is great excitement in the house. After an early breakfast of all the goodies made in the preceding weeks, the children will be out of the kitchen, either outside playing or indoors being looked after by the older ones, who might also be playing cards or board games. There is no fighting or any ill feelings allowed, for the bad luck it will bring. There are plates of New Year goodies on the tables - the yummy sweet biscuits and cakes that have been made and stored for weeks before the New Year. And oranges and plates of red-dyed melon seeds, 'kwa chee'.
Plates of 'nian gao', oranges and ang pows. |
Image Courtesy Google. Nian gao sliced, dipped
in egg and flour and fried.
. And the absolutely unique New Year's cake 'nian gao', made from glutinous rice flour, coconut milk and brown sugar (or 'wong tong' in Hakka ) and steamed in a tin lined with banana leaf. In its newly cooked form it is very thickly sticky and yummy, but it is not really eaten that way. Instead, it is made way ahead of Chinese New Year and put out in the sun every sunny day to dry. When dry, it is, well, dry. And fairly hard. I like it sliced, dipped in egg and flour, fried on both sides till brown and rolled in freshly grated coconut. Mmmm!
Dinner is the gargantuan feast everybody has been looking forward to and cooked by mother/mother-in-law and daughters/daughters-in-law. One dish I loved and which my mother made unbelievably well was the five-spice roast or deep fried chicken. If I may borrow a phrase, 'oh, m-a-a-a-n!' Then there is the lettuce leaf roll: take a leaf of lettuce (large leaf type), put into it bits of meat, cooked vegetable, whatever you want from the table. Fold or roll up the leaf to enclose the titbits, dip in hoisin sauce. Bite into the bundle. Wow!
We kids also had an extra treat at the New Year's dinner: fizzy orange squash or sarsaparilla, sodas we hardly ever had the rest of the year (except Christmas). The adults could have a little wine or beer, but we were teetotallers in my family.
The rest of the day was spent just socialising within the family, catching up on the extended family news and gossip and eating ourselves into a delicious euphoria.
Gifts of food are exchanged at visits between neighbours and friends. |
On the seventh day, everybody is one year older. This is called 'yan yat', 'people's day'. Temples are again crowded with the faithful praying for a great year. They usually go to restaurants to celebrate their birthdays.
The gorgeous lion dances |
The last day of the New Year's celebration is the fifteenth day, there is a final celebratory dinner, and then life returns to normal. A wonderful tradition has been celebrated again, family ties have been renewed and reviewed and hopefully strengthened.
These are just some of my memories of an important tradition of a long-ago period of my life.
The fifteenth day is also called, with its Hokkien name, Chap Goh Mei. Traditionally, this night is the only one in the whole year when single maidens are allowed out in the streets but only if accompanied by a chaperone. Single youths, too, are out in hopes of meeting the young maiden and asking for her hand in marriage. Presumably they must have met previously.
In modern times, on Chap Goh Mei night, young ladies dress up and go to temples to pray in hopes of finding and acquiring a sweetheart. Another courtship activity has young ladies writing their names and phone numbers on oranges and casting them into a lake, river or other body of water. This signifies they are available for marriage. Chap Goh Mei is known as the Chinese Valentine's Day.
Lion dancers taking a bow. |
Saturday, January 14, 2012
A Li'l Tuscany, A Li'l Bali
Via Cavalieri. A lot of the streets in Pisa are narrow . |
.
Yes, Pisa is in Tuscany. |
India wasn't that doable, because for one thing, it's too hot and for another no one else wanted to go besides herself and she wasn't about to go on her own. But Tuscany! Now, that was everybody's idea of romance and good food and wine. B&B's perched on mountaintops, olive groves stretching down the valley into the sunset, winding mountain roads, and Yves, our imbibing French friend-chauffeur whom we had befriended on our first trip to Mougins, in the south of France, on the Mediterranean. That was ready made romance.Not Yves, I meant Tuscany .
Yves, always cheerful |
With Sambo, our lovable driver and guide. That's me, one of his escorts. Entrance to the temple is behind us. |
The beautiful soloist Temple dancer . |
Temple dancers in Batubulan. Dancing the Ramayana. |
terraced ricefields |
The outside of the jewelry shop owners' home |
Wedding picture of the young couple who owned the gold and silver shop. I had to photograph it (with his permission). They are so beautiful. |
Peaceful Balinese village. We left Bali regretfully. The concensus was: 'I could live here.' |
.
Friday, January 6, 2012
The Giant Monster Dog and the Apartment Board of Directors.
In Westchester County, New York, the Attorney General's office says that if a dog or any other pet animal is kept by an apartment owner for 90 days, without being hidden, is walked in full view of the public and not snuck in and out hidden in a basket, then it becomes a legal resident of the apartment, free from threats of eviction.
There is such a law because in the recent past dog owners have been harrassed by lawyers kept by apartment buildings. This in spite of the said dog and its owner being totally law-abiding: it has not been a public nuisance; it has not urinated within the building nor on someone's legs outside the building; its droppings have been promptly picked up by the owner and appropriately disposed of.
Well, into this friendly scenario comes my daughter, returning home from Texas with a mid-sized part-Staffordshire terrier and part-boxer, a gentle, sweet, timid brown pooch who only said 'woof' several times as a deterrent to house invaders. Let's call her Lily for anonymity.
Well, Lily and her owner are completely, totally devoted to each other, besotted I'd say. And they lived peacefully with me in my apartment for over three months when lo and behold! someone started mumbling at them each time he saw them and darting looks to kill. And suddenly I got a letter from the apartment manager, that I was harboring a dog and if I didn't get rid of it, I would be fined and maybe have my 'lease terminated', robber- language for 'apartment seized'.
It so happens that there are several other dogs in the building, a few cats, and I've heard some birds chirping. Why pick on me? Because I was easy meat, no guy in the picture, small and kid-sized and never said Boo to anybody? I had to be made an example of?
Well, said manager and the Board members were unrelenting in their persecution, until, with a full time job and no time nor financial resources to back myself, I helped my daughter and her dog leave, within the final time limit given by the manager. In my next maintenance bill, came an extra $600 for legal expenses. Yess?? Huh??
No arguments. Questions and appeals to the Board members yielded, 'Sorry, but you broke the law.' I refused to pay and said manager added $50 each month until it totalled almost $2000. I finally wrote to the Board President and asked when she was going to stop that nonsense and harrassment. It seemed she did not know of the manager's actions in raising the 'fine' .He had taken it on himself to be executioner. I wondered where that money would have got to if I'd paid up.
It wasn't long before the united clamor of the apartment owners got that manager the sack - or rather, a reassignment within the same office. He was too good of a servant to let go. The succeeding manager reduced my fine to about $200, which I had to pay on the advice of my lawyer or I couldn't sell my apartment.
And that is the story of how a little pooch terrorised the big bad wolf. She still doesn't know what she had done wrong, and neither do I.
Well, Lily and her owner are completely, totally devoted to each other, besotted I'd say. And they lived peacefully with me in my apartment for over three months when lo and behold! someone started mumbling at them each time he saw them and darting looks to kill. And suddenly I got a letter from the apartment manager, that I was harboring a dog and if I didn't get rid of it, I would be fined and maybe have my 'lease terminated', robber- language for 'apartment seized'.
It so happens that there are several other dogs in the building, a few cats, and I've heard some birds chirping. Why pick on me? Because I was easy meat, no guy in the picture, small and kid-sized and never said Boo to anybody? I had to be made an example of?
Well, said manager and the Board members were unrelenting in their persecution, until, with a full time job and no time nor financial resources to back myself, I helped my daughter and her dog leave, within the final time limit given by the manager. In my next maintenance bill, came an extra $600 for legal expenses. Yess?? Huh??
No arguments. Questions and appeals to the Board members yielded, 'Sorry, but you broke the law.' I refused to pay and said manager added $50 each month until it totalled almost $2000. I finally wrote to the Board President and asked when she was going to stop that nonsense and harrassment. It seemed she did not know of the manager's actions in raising the 'fine' .He had taken it on himself to be executioner. I wondered where that money would have got to if I'd paid up.
It wasn't long before the united clamor of the apartment owners got that manager the sack - or rather, a reassignment within the same office. He was too good of a servant to let go. The succeeding manager reduced my fine to about $200, which I had to pay on the advice of my lawyer or I couldn't sell my apartment.
And that is the story of how a little pooch terrorised the big bad wolf. She still doesn't know what she had done wrong, and neither do I.
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
The Allnighter
Hello, it's 1.19am on January 4th., and I've just now stopped loading ads. on my websites and also trying to get backlinks to/from other websites. That backlink business is the hardest thing on earth to do. You're supposed to comment on other people's blogs, posts, articles, what-have-you and leave your name and website with your comment. Then you wait for the blog owner to approve your comment before your website is linked.
Now, it might take 2 weeks for you to know if you've gotten linked even if the blog owner has approved your comment right away. That's because it takes the Google spider that long to crawl the web to find that site with your input in it..
And it takes a lot of time to find articles to comment on because 1) they don't all want you to leave your website (they give you a little rectangle for it if they do) and 2) the articles you find might be on subjects totally foreign to you, like space exploration, herpetology, raising transracial adoptees, internet games or building solar houses. So that's why I'm still up. This is some process!
It stopped raining a couple of hours ago. I liked the sound of the raindrops on my small sort-of-roundish roof. My roof is about seven feet above the level of the apartment building roof because the original owner of my studio hacked a hole out of the original roof to build this loft. Bless him for this extra space! This is where I live and work.
I go downstairs for cooking, eating and everything else and sometimes take a walk out of the building to breathe some pollution.
I'd better call it a day now and get some Z's and recharge.
Now, it might take 2 weeks for you to know if you've gotten linked even if the blog owner has approved your comment right away. That's because it takes the Google spider that long to crawl the web to find that site with your input in it..
And it takes a lot of time to find articles to comment on because 1) they don't all want you to leave your website (they give you a little rectangle for it if they do) and 2) the articles you find might be on subjects totally foreign to you, like space exploration, herpetology, raising transracial adoptees, internet games or building solar houses. So that's why I'm still up. This is some process!
It stopped raining a couple of hours ago. I liked the sound of the raindrops on my small sort-of-roundish roof. My roof is about seven feet above the level of the apartment building roof because the original owner of my studio hacked a hole out of the original roof to build this loft. Bless him for this extra space! This is where I live and work.
I go downstairs for cooking, eating and everything else and sometimes take a walk out of the building to breathe some pollution.
I'd better call it a day now and get some Z's and recharge.
Monday, January 2, 2012
Two Little Entrepreneurs
Two little Entrepreneurs. Free image, http://image.photobucket |
New Year's Eve, 2011. I was on my way to C-Town on First Avenue for a shoulder of pork for Roast Pork with Cranberries, requested by my friend for dinner that night. My trusty little Nikon was in my bag, has been since the shutter bug bit a few months ago.
Walked down 88th St. And there, leaning against the railing of that huge apartment building, was a regular metal cardtable chair. On that chair was a cardboard box, maybe 2'x1'x1'. Next to the ensemble was another chair with a framed print standing on it. I didn't get to study the picture.
'Everything a dollar,' two little girls, a Caucasian and a Chinese, were trilling out at passersby, some of whom stopped.
I got up to them. "Everything one dollar,' they sang at me. 'Two dollars for the picture.'
'Well, what have you got?'
The eagerly pointed out and picked up items to show.
Not much of interest, some little kids' readers, a puzzle or two, a small doll. But there was a small hard cover 'Campfire Songs' for children, with a CD on the inside cover and words of the songs. It was beautifully illustrated. 'Ronan will like this', I thought. My 4 year old grandson.
'I'll take this.'
'One dollar.'
'Do you charge tax?'
'Hunh?' Four wide eyes and two mouths agape.
'You know, tax.' I was grinning. 'Never mind. When you grow up you'll hear all about it.' Taxes is my bugbear.
I drew out a dollar bill for their money box. They were so sweet, I asked, 'May I take a picture of you and your stall?'
They looked unsure. "Oh, I'll have to ask.' The one called McKenna looked back, and there, sitting behind the apartment's entry gate about fifteen feet back and looking on, was a white-haired lady. The little girl ran to her and I followed.
"Is it okay if I photographed the girls?'
'Oh, I don't think so. Their mother might not like it. I'm only guarding them today. You never know these days....' A lot left unsaid. We understood.
I sighed. "All right. I understand and can respect that. Goodbye.'
So there you are. Sign of the times. A friendly innocent overture rebuffed because of some criminal internet predator-monsters. Sad, but maybe necessary.
Anyway, I walked back the same way after my shopping and the girls were still there, with a few items left. They had been successful. Looking hopefully at me, they said, 'two dollars for the picture.'
Saturday, December 31, 2011
My Little Office.
I just moved to my little studio apartment in New York City, 'The City', in capitals, to New Yorkers. I was speaking to somebody in the south of New Jersey about my non-need of a car since moving to the city, and he asked, 'Which city?'. Which goes to show, you don't take for granted you're the center of the world.
And here's my little office, all 10' x 8' of it, by eyeball measurement. It's the loft, which you ascend to via an antique black cast iron winding staircase that I'm rather fond of, so I polish it now and then. I haven't started speaking to it yet.
My computer takes pride of place on the 3' x 2 1/2' computer table in the corner between the top of the staircase and the wall. The printer is behind it on a shelf which is part of the table. Below the table proper is a small sliding shelf for my note book, and below that, a tiny shelf for 'Most Important Mail'. Isn't it neat, how computer tables are designed? There's even a footrest. My daughter got it on sale from Ikea for $12. Used to be over $40. I love bargains
.
I have one of those little plastic round rotating things with lots of compartments, for pens, scissors, glasses, keys etc. I'm all set for my second career.
By choice, this is also my bedroom, so the rest of the apartment downstairs, with its beautiful polished wood floor, can be kept in visitor-condition. My bed is a wonderful Posturepedic single mattress and box-spring on the floor. Talk about a great night's rest! I get it all right. My lights go out when my light goes out. Zzzzzz.
I digress. This little office is where I'll make my living writing, something I've wanted to do all those years I was a nurse. The grey matter is a little rusty, lazy and reluctant, but I'm polishing it bit by bit. I've taken on Internet Affiliate Marketing, and I'll keep you posted how I'm doing as time goes by.
I have great faith in my little office.
And here's my little office, all 10' x 8' of it, by eyeball measurement. It's the loft, which you ascend to via an antique black cast iron winding staircase that I'm rather fond of, so I polish it now and then. I haven't started speaking to it yet.
My computer takes pride of place on the 3' x 2 1/2' computer table in the corner between the top of the staircase and the wall. The printer is behind it on a shelf which is part of the table. Below the table proper is a small sliding shelf for my note book, and below that, a tiny shelf for 'Most Important Mail'. Isn't it neat, how computer tables are designed? There's even a footrest. My daughter got it on sale from Ikea for $12. Used to be over $40. I love bargains
.
I have one of those little plastic round rotating things with lots of compartments, for pens, scissors, glasses, keys etc. I'm all set for my second career.
By choice, this is also my bedroom, so the rest of the apartment downstairs, with its beautiful polished wood floor, can be kept in visitor-condition. My bed is a wonderful Posturepedic single mattress and box-spring on the floor. Talk about a great night's rest! I get it all right. My lights go out when my light goes out. Zzzzzz.
I digress. This little office is where I'll make my living writing, something I've wanted to do all those years I was a nurse. The grey matter is a little rusty, lazy and reluctant, but I'm polishing it bit by bit. I've taken on Internet Affiliate Marketing, and I'll keep you posted how I'm doing as time goes by.
I have great faith in my little office.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)