Wan Yin segment – dogs

Ever wondered why all Wan Yin’s dogs are called Po’Po’ or Shipo’ regardless of whatever fancy names anyone else gives to them. According to Uncle Tart part of it is because of an adorable daschund they had in the 60s called Sugar-Bowl. And thus Wan-Yinned to Shi-Po’. Po’Po’ also happens to be a fairly popular Chinese name for dogs too, I think.

South Indian food

Our family’s favourite banana-leaf Indian rice. The immortal Raju’s. Although my brother said not enough curry, not enough fish in the photos. And for those that know me, always with a SALTED (never sweet) Lassi or Iced Moru.

Only one of the 'banana-leaf' picture is of Raju's. You Raju experts there can pick which one's which.

Catching up with long time family friends, Uncle Ahmad and Aunty Joan.

Wan Yin Segment - rooster

What NOT to do when there is a bird ‘flu outbreak.

The infamous Wan Yin dysfunctional alarm clock set permanently at 5.15am approximately . Of course it doesn’t bother Wan Yin. And a particular favourite of Jasmine, Andrew and family, for the curry pot perhaps.

Curry, the eating sort

Now for another curry, a Southern Thai Yellow or Sour Curry. Made by my maternal grandmother. The ingredients for the paste include lemon-grass, tumeric, garlic, galangal and shrimp paste (kapi/belachan). All pulverized to a paste, cellulose fibres broken up by granite on granite. Probably mixed with sweat of unaccustomed hard work. Pounding away for a good 20 minutes, glasses and forehead splattered with pimple inducing bits. My strategy is to target the chillies; if they are ground down the rest would be too.

The potent little dynamites (chili padi/prik kee-nu). Notice the tumeric stained fingers and the fashionable 1960s mosaic floor tiles.

The finished product. To be mixed with asam keping/gelugor (some sort of sour fruit) or asam jawa/cheragi (tamarind), fish and cucumber or other suitable vegetable. No milk or coconut milk. A sour tangy fishy flavour. Unfortunately, we finished the curry before a photo was taken… you just have to imagine it.

Tom Yam Bath

My mother feels like having a herbal bath today. Almost the ingredients of a Thai kaeng or Tom Yam. Generous quantities of ginger, galangal, tumeric and lemon-grass flattened with a pestle and mortar. All thrown in a large pot and boiled.

In all its aromatic glory.

It is then poured over ones head after a usual shower. Sends warm tingles all over from scalp down to your little toes and other bits. You also end up with little bits of fibre sticking out of hair and other snags. Now you know what a curry FEELS like. And you’re not supposed to wash it off overnight. Now you know what an overnight curry feels like.

Birding - Melaka

An Osprey with fresh fish. Picture taken by my host, Ang.

He and his Melaka birding pals showed me around Air Keroh Forest Reserve.
We saw more than 60 species for the morning. Started off with rain which abated fairly early.

List for my reference:

> Little Heron
> Yellow Bittern (only at first site)
> Osprey
> Black-shouldered Kite
> Brahminy Kite
> Crested Serpent Eagle
> Changeable Hawk-Eagle (white morph)
> Black-thighed Falconet
> White-bellied Sea-Eagle juv (only at first site)
> Red Junglefowl (heard)
> Thick-billed Green-Pigeon
> Pink-necked Pigeon
> Spotted Dove
> Peaceful Dove
> Long-tailed Parakeet
> Blue-crowned Hanging-Parrot
> Asian Koel
> Plaintive Cuckoo (heard)
> Greater Coucal
> Nightjar sp.
> Grey-rumped Treeswift
> Swiflet sp.
> White-throated Kingfisher
> Stork-billed Kingfisher (only at first site)
> Blue-throated Bee-eater
> Blue-tailed Bee-Eater (I only saw at first site)
> Dollarbird
> Gold-whiskered Barbet
> Banded Woodpecker
> Sunda Pygmy Woodpecker (only at first site)
> Common Goldenback/Flameback
> Buff-necked Woodpecker
> Banded Broadbill
> Barn Swallow
> ? Pacific Swallow (I wasn't looking properly)
> Black-winged Flycather-shrike
> Pied Triller (only at first site)
> Scarlet Minivet
> Common Iora
> Black-headed Bulbul
> Stripe-throated Bulbul
> Yellow-vented Bulbul
> Olive-winged Bulbul
> Red-eyed Bulbul
> Ashy Drongo
> Crow-billed Drongo juv ( I saw white spots on upp breast and vent)
> Greater Racket-tailed Drongo
> Black-naped Oriole
> Large-billed Crow
> Striped Tit-babbler (heard)
> Magpie Robin
> Common Tailorbird
> Dark-necked Tailorbird
> Grey Wagtail
> Richard's Pipit (only at first site)
> Brown Shrike
> Asian Glossy Starling
> Purple-backed Starling
> Javan Myna
> Common Myna
> Purple-throated Sunbird
> Crimson Sunbird
> Spectacled Spiderhunter
> Scarlet-backed Flowerpecker
> Orange-bellied Flowerpecker
> Eurasian Tree-Sparrow (only at first site)
>
> More than 60 species!
> Including 7 raptors, 5 bulbuls, 4 woodpeckers, 3 drongos

Monk stories

Went to see a monk at Chetawan Temple in Petaling Jaya about Hong Mei & Gary's wedding blessing that Gary wanted me to check up about.

The monk had just arrived in KL after a time in South Thailand. He was telling us his tale of being chased by possible ‘assassins’. He was in a pick-up truck driven by a devotee on his way to inspect a construction of a temple in another district when he noticed two motorcyclists suddenly revving up and chasing down their vehicle. He immediately instructed the driver to speed up. And if they couldn’t out run them, to actually run them off the road! They managed to evade the motorcyclist when one of them fell off his bike and the other lost the chase.

He said that his heart was pounding the whole time and he thought he may not make it that day. No shots were fired.

People living in the area incluing monks are very aware and vigilant about these matters and have in fact been advised by the military to act in that way, ie run them over or run them off the road if there is any suspicion.

He also related another event where there was a high profile ‘merit-making’ ceremony in Yala town. This town has been one of the main urban areas hit by the violence in far South Thailand. As it was an event attended by the Prime Minister to bolster support of the ‘success’ of curbing the insurgency, security was tight and all attendees, both lay-people and monks went through a security check. He was surprised that many of the monks had handguns in thier bags! He remarked that this is against monk Vinaya/rules but… even if it was ‘to scare off' attackers with a gun-shot into the air.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/4696829.stm

First one

My first blog. Luan (friend from Adelaide) has been trying to get me started for a while. Not done much about it till now. Been reading blogs for a few months but still not sure about actually posting my own.

Like can I modify stuff after I post it? I suppose I can.

Well here goes.

First aid talk

Was invited by Yee Chin, ex-classmate, to give a first-aid talk to her St John Ambulance group of 9-12 year olds.

Was at a loss what to say or do with them. Firstly I don't think I know much about first aid. And I was required to speak in Chinese. And I don't know how to talk to kids!

My first impression walking into school was how small the kids were. Not just young but small. This was rather surprising as I was one of the shortest in class during my primary and secondary school years.

Yee Chin helped me along with translations of difficult terms, which was just about every third word and in maintaining the class' attention.

And they gave me a gift at the end. Huge one. Bit embarassing for just dressing up and pretending I knew something.

Khong Chiam, Ubon

A friend kindly took me around Ubon province around Khong Chiam district specifically.

Places like Pa Taem, where there's this cliff with spectacular views overlooking the Mekong river across to Laos. At the bottom of the cliff there is a walk where you can see pre-historic ochre rock rock paintings, similar to ones in parts of Australia, etc.

Then there are waterfalls. Mostly by reputation as most of them are rather dry, no thanks to the drought in these parts. Water trickling over nice rocks rather than falling.

Also crossed over briefly into Laos at Chong Mek. Just saw a few shops selling T-shirts and trinkets and there is the usual trade of smuggled and imitation goods from China. Also well known is the supposedly legal cpies of CDs, DVDs from China available for a third of their price in the rest of Thailand. Only got a T-shirt .

Ubon Orphanage

Was accompanying Uncle Norman and my mother to Ubon for the opening of a new building for an orpahange for kids affected by HIV. This is in a district of Ubon Rachathani province in the Northeast of Thailand. The Orphanage is run by a Christian Thai woman.

Uncle Norman helped raise funds for the new building. It is important that they have their own piece of land as prejudiced neighbours have forced previous landlords to kick then out twice. The problem doesn't really end there as there is already unpleasant gossip among some neighbours. Envy probably plays a part as well as the new building as spanking new and beautiful. My brother was here before the construction began last year.

Not all the kids are HIV positive but their parents died of HIV and their relatives, usually elderly poverty stricken grandparents, can't look after them.

Was there too briefly to properly get to know the kids. They put up a very cute performance. Wonder when I'll be back again.

Durian Feast

In Geylang, Singapore where there is a row of durian stalls selling late into the night. And the pungent smell attracts the likes of Uncle Hua Min from many miles away. And so with Uncle Tart and Aunty Siew’s family we had a durian supper even after a huge Chinese New Year dinner.

It starts of with selecting the ‘right’ fruit. Inspecting it, feeling the texture of the spikes and the stem, tapping and sniffing. If you’re unsure, just pretend. The only proof is in the eating. And the way to do it, according to some, is with all ten fingers, your whole mouth and your heart and soul. Amen.

Durian, being the King of Fruit, is usually coupled with mangosteen, his Queen. The belief goes that since durian is very ‘heaty’, mangosteens eaten after is perfect for its ‘cooling’ properties. Balance of Yin with Yang. But actually, it is an excuse to eat some more when the durian runs out.

The other ritual that goes with eating durian is that washing one’s hands in the empty durian husk is thought to eliminate the smell from your grubby hands. Well really that is yet another excuse to mop up all the bits of durian.

And the final ritual of durian eating is the durian burp which involves a burping contest. Your burp has to be louder, more musical and have more oomph. Otherwise you will be smelling someone else’s. Note that being in a closed air-conditioned vehicle is near fatal.

Sitting next to a post-durian connoisseur on a trans-continental flight eclipses the worst air-turbulence you may have experienced. It comes out the top and bottom. Shoe-bombers have a lot to learn. Milton, for the sake of World Peace, please don’t repeat your torture of fellow passengers.