ABC Wedesday: B for Birthday

Sticky Taiwanese nougats from my friends Lily and Maggie.

Chinese dates





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Today, lunar 23rd is the first day that many people celebrate the Lunar New Year. On this day, the Kitchen God returns to Heaven to report to the Heavenly King all that he had heard. The Heavenly King will reward or punish the household based on the kitchen god's report.

There is a special cake which is very popular, it is called the NIEN GAO. Translated as New year Cake. In my dialect, we called it DAI TUNG JIET Accordingly, there is a Kitchen God CHOU DOW KUNG who listens to all the news and gossips of the household. On this particular day, called the Kitchen God returns to Heaven to report to the Heavenly King all that he had heard. The Heavenly King will reward or punish the household based on the kitchen god's report.

Men found a way, that is to serve the kitchen god this sticky NIEN GAO so he couldn't open his mouth to say all the bad things and other sweet lollies. Even if he could, he wouldn't because he himself would be accused of corruption, having eaten the cake.

I just found that the Hakkas which my husband and my mum belong to, they put the sweet Chinese dates in the cake.

My brother Joseph was born on the day the Kitchen God went to Heaven. My Grandma used to call him the little kitchen god. Every year, on Joseph's birthday, we had a big celebration. Every though we became Christians, tradition is not forgotten. If my grandma is still alive, she would say, the King of the Heavens have blessed Joseph very much. He has a beautiful wife, Audrey, wonderful boys and a great job.

Happy Birthday Joseph.

Mellow Yellow Monday: Electrician at Work.

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When you are celebrating your Christmas Holidays, just hope that you don't have a blackout. Be thankful that there are people like this electrician at work.

I was taking a photo of his van with his yellow ladder when I decided to take his photo too. He flashed his smile and asked, " You are taking me too." This was taken on Boxing day, we went on a long walk to burn off all the calories we had consumed over the festive days.

Here's a family anecdote. That was the early days before people had Christmas trees and lights in Borneo. I was about six, my older brother Charles was eight. Dad bought a chain of lights and lined it at the eaves of the balcony, but they were not the flashing blinking type. Charles told us the lights could go blink blink blink and went to the switch and went on off on off until my Dad caught him. This would be the second best story after the one when the tree fell.

addition:In December, the North East Monsoon blows and bring in a lot of rain.

The first tree we had was a fake tree and didn't have many leaves and branches. Dad was a civil servant and didn't have a lot of money. He bought about six baubles and we were the only house in the neighborhood with a tree.

It was about 4 pm when the wind blew, and mum rushed to close the window and at the same time telling us to do it. We rushed to the lounge just in time to see the tree fall. Some of the baubles broke into smithereens some were less broken. Mum was in tears. We tried to savage them, but mum said no, we were too proud to use broken baubles.

When I went to Canada years later, my Canadian friend strung popcorn to hang on the tree. I came home and told Mum we could do this cheaply. Mum said it won't work. In Borneo, the ants would come.

ABC Wednesday: Mortar and Pestle

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ABC Wednesday is hosted by Mrs. Denise Nesbitt
In South East Asia homes, almost every home has a set of mortar and pestle to crush, grind, and mix solid substances (trituration). The pestle is a heavy bat-shaped object, the end of which is used for crushing and grinding. The mortar is a bowl, typically made of hard wood, marble, clay, or stone. The substance to be ground is placed in the mortar and ground, crushed or mixed with the pestle.

My mum used them a lot in pounding her shallots, garlic and ginger and chillis. In quarter acre houses, the "TUN TUN TUN" don't sound irritating, but in High Rise Apartments in Singapore, the sound can be transmitted and is often a source of neighbouring quarrels.

I was given a small set by my Sri Lankan friend, but because I do not use it a lot, I didn't not bring it to New Zealand. Which is a pity, as I see it used in many cooking shows.

This one belongs to my brother Charles in Australia.

watery wednesday: Pier

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My niece Olivia and Nephew Thomas were so cute. We walked out to sea to the the end of the pier. I asked them if there was any fish. They bent down the grills to see if there is any. You see, they are experienced fishermen.

ABC Wednesday: Letter H

I have been teaching healthy food to my students, and this is what thinking outside the square is. Sarah Turner, the principal of the Kids Forever Preschool in Mt Albert, Auckland and her staff drew happy and funny faces on oranges to encourage them to eat healthy food without their conscious awareness that they are actually eating healthy food. Paki Paki Sarah and co.

From healthy to something sinfully tasty is my brother Charles' ham. Charles is a lawyer by trade but I suspect he is secretly wishing to be Masterchef Australia. Here he is, sharing with my son his secret recipe.










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ABC Wednesday is hosted by Mrs. Denise Nesbitt

Photohunt: Mother

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The year was 1973. This is a photo of my mum, Mary Wah Kiew Chan Nee Kong.

On this day, I remember her and how she was taken away from us twenty two years ago in a terrible car accident, at the age of sixty. Gone but not forgotten in her children's heart.

The second World War came and altered her life. She was a teenager during the war, and became a war bride.

For fear of forcedly made into a Japanese Sex Worker, my grand parents married her to an unknown man at fifteen. Loved blossomed and together, they had nine children.

This photo of Mum was taken as a group photo of some of my siblings as we were at the airport to farewell Elizabeth, the day of her engagement to Kalang.

Mum was dressed in a Kebaya, the national dress of Malaysia. People asked if she was a Malaysian Airlines stewardess. She smiled and said she was too old. We teased that she should have told them she was the director of the stewardess. At this time, she was the DEO's wife.

I wish my children got to know her, except for Deborah, the others have not seen their wonderful grandma.

I was at Western Springs when I saw this hen. I was wondering why she was all fluff up and refusing to move. I got bits of tree chips and gently threw at her to coax it to move. It refused to budge. Then I heard chirping. I understood why, though it is autumn, she still had her chicks. She was protecting her brood of chicks from intruders like me. I threw a bigger hunk of chip, and she momentarily stood up enough to satisfy my curiosity that indeed she was protecting her chicks.

This is a real story. After a bush fire in Australia, a fireman saw a charred body of a hen. He kicked it and under the dead hen was a brood of live chicks. The fireman couldn't believe himself. He saw the sacrificial love of the hen for her chicks. He likened it to Jesus dying for us.

Outdoor Wednesday: Wild Monkeys in the city

The monkey is eyeing Olivia's ice cold drink. ignoring Chris.

The monkeys up on the tree pretending to ignore Olivia while she entices them with a biscuit.

The children are entertained by the monkey's antics. It was holding a mango while walking on two legs. Watch out Jessie, he will grab your water bottle before you can say ,"Boo!"
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Lincoln plays dead as he watches the monkey eat a mango totally oblivious of him.

"You can't see them, but they are there. Monkeys were camouflaged in the tree trunks but we could see their eyes watching us, it's so eerie, "Jessie tells Chris and Olivia.


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Lincoln, Olivia and Thomas are back in Australia and this is one experience they will never forget.

The Macaque monkeys at the MacRitchie Reservior in Singapore fascinated them so much during their last trip two years ago that they wanted to go again with heir Singaporeon cousins. Singapore is an ultra modern city and is one place you don't expect to see Macaque monkeys in a modern city.

The monkeys are wild as they live in the reserve and they eat from the mango trees. If you happen to be under the mango trees, you will be pelted by the stones. The monkeys aren't scared of you and they even steal your food right in front of your eyes.

For my thoughts on this, please go to this link:http://annkschin.blogspot.com/2010/04/save-world-co-existing-with-wild-life.html

Watery Wednesday: Polar Bears in Singapore

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The Polar bears have a great time in the Singapore zoo. Their enclosure is chilled and the water is so inviting. They are among the most visited animals, partly the viewing area is cool and partly it is such an entertaining sight to see the giant polar bear swim. The visitors love it after the humidity and the heat outside.

There was once when the polar bear played second fiddle. I can't remember if it was in the Singapore Zoo or in the Auckland Zoo, because I went to both when the Panda bears were on loan. People were flocking to see the Pandas. There was a cartoon which was very clever. No one was visiting the polar bears, they decided to paint their eyes and bodies black hoping to attract some attention.

Fellow blogger Ngao is right about what the consequences would be if the glass broke. I used to worry about the glass at the viewing area of the big wild cats. That would really be scary. Some children and grown up idiots tap on the glass even though there were big signs saying "Do not tap the glass."

Here's my nieces and nephews have a fantastic time. Some day kids, you can come back and take another photo and see how much you have grown.

Ruby Red: Little girl in a red skirt and red hair band

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It was the Australian cousins' second day in Singapore. The Singaporeon cousins took them to where the children love best. The Singapore zoo.

Unfortunately young Thomas wasn't impressed with the white rhinos. He thinks they are stinky. He was feeling so hot. While the others, all six of them enjoyed an ice cream to cool down. Thomas lost his appetite even for the ice cream.

They quickly walked across the road from the African White Rhino to the Nyala antelope, the bad odour still lingered on. You can see Thomas holding his nose, while his cousin Angelina feels cool in a red skirt and her hair held back by the red hair band.

Scenic Sunday: Bamboo Bridge in Sarawak

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On my other site, http://annkschin.blogspot.com/2010/03/friday-shootout-bridges.html
, I join other bloggers on the Friday Shootout Meme on doing a black and white theme on bridges. I had fun changes my coloured photos to sepia.

My sister Helen is currently touring Malaysia and Singapore with her Australia born children. She sent me this photo of her daughter Olivia and partially hidden Thomas and Lincoln in Sarawak.

"Good try Olivia, I don't think you are meant to go sidewards.

Skywatch Friday: Jumping off the pier in Borneo

For those of you reality TV fans, you will remember the fist Survivor Series was filmed in Borneo. Couple of years ago, my niece Jane went with her friends. Here the Amazon blood flows in her. Last week, she went on an expedition with her university students to conquer Mt Kinabalu. Not an easy feat,

When Jane went to the island, she was disappointed that the island was turned into a resort so she had normal food, instead of hunting for her own. Still it's a nice place to get away because they limit the numbers of people on the island. There was still daring activities like being so crazy that they dived from the jetty.


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Mellow yellow Monday, Ruby red Tuesday, Watery Wednesday

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I am bunching these three memes together because I have just come back from a long 5 weeks Aussie walkabout. The return flight was delayed for one and half hours because of the severe thunderstorm and lashing of the heavy rain. The plane was diverted to Brisbane because the Coolagatta airport on the Gold coast was flooded.

I don't know was it the skies were pleading me not to go, or was it the skies were saying," Good heavens, at last the Kiwis are returning." The Aussies and the Kiwis have this love hate relationship.

In this ten foot tin boat which the Aussies call a tinnie, Sam had the best time of his holidays when his cousin Joshie drove him along the river and around the lake at his home. Some times, my brother Joseph towed in an inflatable triangle called a biscuit.

Sam is very tanned, but not as tan as his Uncle Joseph, the skipper of the other boat where we went out to see. I took this photo from the Mustang.

ABC Wednesday: Letter Z. Zone games

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ABC Wednesday is hosted by Mrs. Denise Nesbitt

Sam loved the Mega Zone games. He went with his cousins and shot laser beams at each other. His cousins came from Australia and Malaysia and Sam couldn't wait to take them to his indoor maze in Auckland.

The girls reminded me of Amazons. I once blogged about my girls with big feet, a legacy from their Hakka Grand ma, whose female ancestors didn't have bound foot and went to war as the man's counterparts. S and A were brave warriors.

I am not posting photos of S and A as I didn't get permission from their parents.

This week, end I was going to take Sam and his cousins including Olivier to an outdoor laser skirmish. Unfortunately the harsh Australia weather had defeated the temperate weather Sam. We opt for the indoor Time Zone, where it is more comfortable.

In Sam's own words, Australia is fun but very hot. It is in a different Zone from New Zealand.