I Remembered 'The World Of Suzie Wong'

I recalled an incident when I was young and my mom bundled the four of us into a cab and it took us downtown to the cinema. I guessed she must have wanted to watch that particular movie so much that she has to bring us all so that we will not be left unattended at home.I remembered the title of the movie were 'The World of Suzie Wong' filmed at that time in the British Colony of Hong Kong. It stars William Holden and Nancy Kwan. I like the opening scene with the Star Ferry en route to Hong Kong you can see the old Hong Kong charm. I had enjoyed the movie and was engrossed in it, especially the part where Suzie's baby died in the heavy downpour and landslide on the mountain. Well it seems this movie attracted a mixed response from its critics. Whatever the response was, I think it is a movie worth watching because of all the charming actors.

Hong Kong Island, Visited it in 2008

Korean Noodle

These few days I am a little fatigue to cook and so I simply make myself a bowl of noodle using just the packet you can get at a convenient store. The most popular ones are from Korea and they are delicious. I always has got some packets of Shin Ramyun Korean instance noodle in stock. People might say it has no calorific value when eating this type of noodle. I beg to differ because I cooked mine with a lot of vegetables , I put in spinach, cut up tomato , and an egg. The packet of noodle came with its own seasonings,it is very easy to prepare and I  enjoyed it occasionally.



Ready to eat Shin Ramyun Noodle

Recipe for Shin Ramyun Instance  Noodle

1 packet Korean Noodle (Spicy or Mild)
3 Cups Water
 A handful of Spinach
2 tomatoes (cut into quarters)
1 egg
 Seasonings (inside the packet of noodle)

Into a small pot boil the 3cups of water when its boiling crack in the egg and let it cook till its white is firm, put the instance noodle in and the seasonings. Cook till the noodle is tender then add in the green leafy vegetables of your choice or spinach and cut up tomatoes. Stir it and lift from the heat ,pour contents into a bowl and enjoy the hot and spicy taste of the Shin Ramyun noodle.

Ceramic Turkeys

Everybody has had experiences and memories that are unforgettable in some way or another. Just like these pairs of ceramic turkey pepper and salt shakers. We had it since we were young and I have decided to include it in my blog because if anything were to happen to it , worse still if it were to drop down and were broken I  still will have something to remember it by. These objects have special meaning for me, how would I describe it ? Well, whenever I took a glance at these pairs of turkey I was transported back in time when I was younger and we kids were always in the kitchen with mom busy cooking. We will be playing with these turkeys. I can remembered vividly the small government quarters kitchen. Thus it was a happy  experience which I will remember for the rest of my life.

A Pairs of Ceramic Turkey I Still Treasured

Heartening Cornish Pasty

I am in the mood for food these few days and after much thought , I found that I am craving for a heavenly buttery Cornish Pasty. I set out to make some and even though this is the first time I am making it  I am pleased with the result. I wanted it to be delicious and thought provoking when I intend to eat it, so I make sure that the filling is nice and juicy. My own concoction of sliced chicken meat, potatoes, cubed carrots and season it with oyster sauce and dark soya sauce. Well it turns out yummy. I read that Cornish Pasty originated from Cornwall, England. Here we have a slightly different type of pasty we called Curry Puff, it's made with different type of pastries. The first time I saw a Cornish Pasty it look so huge. It can be a meal by itself because of its  meat and vegetable fillings and size. I am heating up one in the oven now and later I am going to indulge in it.




Delicious Cornish Pasty

This one made with Beef Filling

Here, a different types of Pasty, smaller in size

Indian Henna Tattoo

Just the other day I visited my good friend Jit. While conversing she told me about her trip to India, she and her husband went for a holiday last year. Jit is a very talented artist, she can paint beautiful mural on a big wall and I think she should take up painting and adorn her beautiful house with her own paintings. I know she did the painting for free at a hospital.She is so modest. Anyway, she did this Indian henna tattoo on me when I visited her,it's not a permanent tattoo nevertheless it is beautifully done and she is a natural with it.


Jit tattooing my hand

Simple but nice

Pumpkin and Recipe

I like pumpkin and I can eat it every day. It is easy to cook; I usually fry it with a bit of oil, garlic and dried prawns. It tastes delicious when cooked till soft. I like the creamy and sweet taste of the pumpkin. Pumpkin is a versatile vegetable; you can also use it to bake pumpkin cake and pie. We plant pumpkin at the family home and it is heartening to see it grows all over the ground.



Pumpkin growing wild

Fried Pumpkin, My Favourite Dish, Yummy!

Recipe for Fried Pumpkin

1/2 Pumpkin Slice skin off and cut into cubes
1 Tablespoon Small Dried Prawns(Optional)
 1 Clove Garlic Chopped
1 Tablespoon Oil
1 Tablespoon Dark Soya Sauce
1Tablespoon Oyster Sauce (according to your taste)
1teaspoon Sugar
1/2 Cup Water

Heat the frying pan and pour in the oil, fry the garlic until fragrant, then fry the dried prawns.
Add the pumpkin. Season with the dark soya sauce, oyster sauce and sugar according to your taste. Pour in the cup of water, simmer it until gravy thickened and pumpkin is tender and cooked.

This is an easy dish which can be eaten by itself or with rice.


Old Soul Ballads

I am going to write about songs that stirred me , some in a strangest way and some in a  happy mood. I am particularly interested in the old soul ballads from the golden days. These tunes they sang was of wailing , haunting and sad depressive affair of the heart. The song is a story itself and tells of the person sadness and loneliness. You can almost feel the atmosphere the singer was in, I like that because then she has successfully drawn you into that breathtakingly feel of her song. Have you heard Otis Redding rendering of the song 'Come to Me' it's so sad and pleading. I recently came across Kenny Vance rendering of Otis Redding composition 'For Your Precious Love' I love both Otis 's version and  Kenny 's they both has got a unique style of their own. Whatever the old soul ballad was, they were hauntingtly beautiful and melancholy as well. Some of the songs I like are; Bettye Swann 'These Arms of Mine' and Barbara Lyn 'I'd Rather Go Blind' and of course Otis redding 'Pain in My Heart', you can feel the energy of the song if you pay attention to it.

American Blue Singer Ruth Brown

American Jazz Pianist

Coins Of The British Isles

I have a collection of coins but my favourite is this Coins of the British Isles, a predecimal collection  a sixpence , three pence or half a penny. This set was given to me by my Scottish friend Rosalind, we both work as a cashier at a supermarket in Glasgow, I worked part time whiles staying at the Nurses Home at Langside. The background of the coins show the famous land marks of Scotland, the Forth Bridge and Edinburgh Castle, it tells the history of Scotland. When I googled for information of these coins I found out that the value of these coins has increased a bit but if it was in circulation before, the value is at face value or less. I guess I have to keep it longer for the value to increase I hope.



A set of Pre Decimal Coins Of The British Isles, It reminds me of a Nursery Rhyme

Be-Ro Flour Home Recipes Booklet

I like to bake. I like pastry best. I learn how to bake on my own initiative and I can proudly say that I am an avid and advance baker. My pen friend from Norwich UK sent me this small recipe booklet of Be-Ro flour a long time ago and in it were traditional English recipes which I have tried and it has turn out very well. This booklet doesn't cost much, only a pound but the recipes are rich and there were step by step instructions on how to make a shortcrust pastry,rough puff pastry and flaky pastry. It is a useful basic little booklet I treasured.




Be-Ro Flour Home Recipes

Mouth watering Traditional English Fares

Jonathan's K-Pop and Birthday Card Sketches

I would like to show some of my son Jonathan sketches that he has finished recently and I think he did it beautifully with his favourite Korea Stars K-Pop. At the same time I would like to show you all the birthday card that he paint for me and his daddy when he was in his junior year, now he is 16 years old.

Poetry Book

When I was young I like to read my English reader's book, because I like the stories and the pictures that were in it. One book that I still treasured was this old book entitled 'The Oversea Poetry Book', the pages are full of my childhood memories of the poem I used to recite with fantastic rhyme and rhythm or repetition of similar sound.  Some rhymes are amusing while some seems repellent but whatever the tone is, I will forever like the sound of a perfect rhyme and rhythm. It goes "Can you see the Sky? It is so High " If you can write a rhyme you can even compose a song!

My Old English Poetry Book

Nursery Rhyme

Pink Shawl

The other day I was just thinking about some of the scarfs I had and then I remember the triangular shawl that I bought during the holiday, it was brown in colour, light and fringed. I thought of wearing it when I traveled and then when the day came I suddenly found that it was inconvenient to pull it through my hair. I then decided to wear a simpler shawl, a pinkish shawl gave to me by a good friend . At first I thought a thin shawl would not be effective to keep the cold out but I was pleasantly surprised when up in the mountain it kept me warm throughout. I was very happy with it. The material is soft and light and pink is my favourite colour. Many shops now sell shawls, women wear shawl over their clothes to stay warm or to complement  their costume. It is usually made from different material, some delicate and flexible with beautiful colours and designs.





Triangular Shawl I Bought, Nice Colour

 Soft Pinkish Shawl and Very Light to Keep inside My Handbag

Rt. A Shrunk Shawl I Bought From The Mall

Classical Chinese Garden

The Chinese Gardens in Shanghai were mostly Classical Garden with natural miniature landscapes and a pond in the centre . The one that we visited has got a number of pavilions where you can wander in and rocks of all sizes. The path leading from one pavilion to another is winding and you can view fishes swimming in the pond from the pavilion.It is scenic and calm.

Chinese Classical Garden in Shanghai

Chinese Garden With A Pond and Trees

Suzhou Water Village

We visited China back in December 2005 and it was the Winter season. We stayed at the Holiday Inn in Shanghai and later moved downtown to The Howard Johnson Hotel Opposite The First Dispensary along Nanjing Road. We decided to take a day tour to visit the water village in Suzhou, there we got onto a small boat row by a Chinese mid aged lady. Anyway, it was quite a scenic journey along the river and I did enjoy the boat ride.  We stayed at the Howard Johnson Hotel near Nanjing road. Nanjing road was a busy road right in the center of the city.At night it came alive with crowds of people walking and milling around.At the eastern end is The Bund where The Peace Hotel is located ,we did venture into the hotel hoping to get a glance of the famous Jazz band. All I remembered was there were many huge shopping malls around so huge that I find it tiring to walk around. It was definitely an eye opener as we can see how development has progressed so fast in China. It was an unforgettable experience.



The Suzhou Water Village

Along the River

Annual Plant And Flower

Here are some of my favourite plants and flowers , it was taken during our trip on the way to my family home, I like colourful flowers mostly annual and herbaceous plants.

See more here;

Egg White Chicken Ham Omelette

Egg White with Chicken Ham Omelette

Egg White from 2 or 3 eggs

1 piece of Chicken Ham cut into small pieces

A little Oil for frying

Beat egg white till combined and add in Chicken ham.

Heat a small non stick pan; pour about a teaspoon of cooking oil

Pour in the egg white with the Chicken ham and fry like an omelette.

When cooked, dish onto a plate.

I like to top my toasted bread with it.

Egg White With Chicken Ham Omelette

Toasted Bread Top With Egg White Chicken Ham Omelette

Iguana

Last November on our visit to a nostalgic town near the sea we got to see an iguana in the back drop of a rock. We were excited and surprised to be able to see it  as not every day one can see an Iguana so tamely perched on the rocky ground of the sea sun bathing before it finally dive into the sea again. This lizard is cold blooded and therefore needs the sun to warm them up before going down into the sea again so that it will gain back its strength.




Iguana on the Rock Sun Bathing!

Where we saw the Iguana Just Below the Chain Fencing

Sunset At The Beach

Last November we spent half our day at a beautiful beach walking around admiring the sea and the trees  and at the same time we had a wonderful experience watching the sunset. It was truly an amazing sight when all around us slowly turns orange and the sun disappearing into the horizon and it became cooler. I would definitely like to experience the sunset again if we can find the time to go to the beach where you can really soak in the atmosphere but where I lived is far from the beach so it has to be when we go for a holiday.



Beautiful Sunset Truly An Amazing Sight

Photographs Taken By Jonathan

Calming Effect

Domesticated Cat

Feline, the domesticated cat, Jonathan who likes to photograph almost anything interesting captured this sleepy moment of my mom’s feline. I must admit that the cat looks cute and lovable. It has been in the family for a few years now and it always nudges you whenever you come near her. It has been known that cats can find its way home no matter how far you left it.  It also needs good balanced food to grow healthily. I am fond of cat but I do not own one because it takes up too much time to care for it.

Cute and Adorable Feline

Sleepy Head!

Birthday Cake And Recipe

Birthday cake, these cakes was made by me for my son’s birthday. I have decided on the design after given careful thoughts and found that these designs were indeed simple and practical. I had wanted something that I could whip up fast and I was not disappointed with the outcome. You just need a butter cake and butter cream for frosting and you will be surprised with the result!

Jonathan's Birthday Cake Delicious!

Birthday Cake in The Form of a Bunny!

This is a large cake, can be divided into two. 

Recipe for A Simple Butter Cake

370gm unsalted butter

1 cup castor sugar

6 eggs

2 teaspoon vanilla essence

3  cups self raisin flour

1 cup plain flour

1/2 cup milk

Oven heat 180 degree c.

20cm round cake pan, grease well and line base with greaseproof paper

1. In an electric mixure beat butter and sugar till light and fluffy, add in the egg one at a time and beat throughly. Add in vanilla essence and beat till well mixed.

2. Use a large wooden spoon to fold in sifted flours alternately with the milk. Stir ingredients untill just combined and mixture is smooth.

3. pour the mixture into the prepared pan and bake till skewer comes out clean when tested.

4. Cool on wire rack and then you can frost it with your favourite butter cream.

Elephant, Thailand Souvenir

If you do go to Thailand what do you think you would buy back as a souvenir or gift? Apart from Thai silk and cloths the next thing I would probably think of is a wooden elephant as a gift for a friend  as in the form of a key chain or a decorative item. Whichever you decide, Thailand definitely has a lot to offer in term of hand carved wooden elephant as I found out. My husband bought back this amazing looking hand carved wooden elephant, not one but 2 in 1 elephant, with a baby elephant inside the jumbo one. I always wondered how they managed to craved the smaller elephant inside the bigger one.

For Elephant Lover, Detailed Hand Craved Wooden Elephant From Thailand