photohunt: Custom

This is a new ancient custom I learn last Saturday. When the lion comes and wishes you good luck, you feed the lion with Hong Bao.

This boy makes it difficult for the lion by standing on a chair.


The PhotoHunt for today is 'Custom'


http://whistlestopphotohunt.blogspot.co.nz/

Habanero chillis and Fijian chilli paste.

My friend Maureen preciously from Fiji gave me this very very spicy tomato paste her mum made. It is amazing how after 100 years away from China, where my ancestors hardly ate any Chilli, 4 generations later, I can't eat my food without any chilli.

Once, a friend went to mexico and came back with some Habanero chillis, and he gave me one to try and plant. My friends and I had fun trying it.
Few days ago, I watch a UK TV, where the diners took and ate chillis. Silly people.



Habanero is really a fiendish chilli. Beer or bread necessary to take down the burn!

Occasionally you can get them in upmarket supermarkets in Singapore, like Cold Storage Gourmet or the spiffy new Jelita Cold Storage. Jason's too. I must say that I don't make much use of them; I prefer milder chillis like the guero, the ancho and the poblano.
J

Was the hottest chilli when I grew it 15 years ago. But lost its crown.

Runaway to the circus?

My circus friend/student Victoria from Russia. Circuses with performing animals now have a bad name. Some people advocate a ban of using animals. Do you agree?

Victoria is a clown with her husband,

When I was a child, the best thing was going to the circus with my family. For me, it wasn't the animals but the trapeze flying from one end to the other that attracted me most.

Even at a young age, I felt that it was cruel for the circus ring master in his coat and tails, to crack his long whip at the big cats. I was worried and frighten that the cats might jump on the ring master. It wasn't entertaining when I was was afraid.



The animals are kept in small cages, and they hardly have space to move around. So they pace back and forth. Today, animal psychologists say that animals are stressed in the confined space. It is animal cruelty and should be stopped.

We now have modern circus where there are no animals. The Canadian Cirque du Soleil tour the world and are popular everywhere they go.

The Chinese State Circus is phenomenal, and animal free. They are entertaining, intelligent. They keep people clapping for two hours.

In America, there are many circus that are animal free. They wear wonderful costumes and their acrobatic acts are awesome. Young people performing in American Youth Circus Organization should be encouraged and patronised.

So, is there a need for circuses to have performing animals? I say no, there are plenty of no animal circus to entertain us.

I read this in the New Zealand Herald.

Circus elephant crushes man
5:00AM Friday December 28, 2007

A person has died after being crushed by a circus elephant at Yamba on the New South Whales north coast, police said.

The Stardust Circus, with elephants Arna and Gigi among the star attractions, was due to begin its Yamba performances tonight.

It had been setting up at the Angourie Road Sports Reserve when the accident occurred yesterday afternoon.

"It appears an elephant in being unloaded in preparation for a circus at Yamba this afternoon has fallen on a person, believed to be a man," a police spokeswoman told AAP.

An ambulance spokesman said the person was crushed by the elephant and suffered a fatal cardiac arrest at the scene.

Early reports suggested the victim was one of the elephant's handlers.

Police said the industrial workplace accident body WorkCover had been called in to investigate the incident.

Chinese New year, Day 15th.

 Above, raw, semi panfried and then steamed.

Today, is the 15th day of the Chinese New Year, and the last day. The Northern Chinese eat this Jiao tze dumpling. This day is also called Yuan Xiao day. Some celebrate the lantern Festival.

Professor Madya Dr. Margaret Chan Kit Yok

My younger sister Dr Margaret Chan is doing some research on the North Borrneo orchid. My parents who used to plants North Borneo orchids would be very proud of her.

Natural Products Research & Development Centre (NPRDC)

NPRDC focuses on research and development in three related components, namely; Herbal Science, Agroforestry and Biotourism.

Objectives

The strategic objective of this centre is to research and develop natural resources involving researchers in multidisciplinary and internationalization of the centre through the communication between local and overseas researchers.

NPRDC is also set up to secure research grants that comprise the purchase of equipment needed to develop the centre. It is hoped that the centre will be able to facilitate researchers with advance machines and apparatus, which will be a resource for reference in Sarawak. The centre also aims to produce post-graduates in related disciplines.

Profesor Madya Dr. Margaret Chan Kit Yok Head NPRDC Universiti Teknologi Mara Sarawak Kampus Samarahan, Jalan Meranek 94300 Kota Samarahan Email : drmchan@sarawak.uitm.edu.my Phone No : 082-677689 Fax No : 082-677504

Dr. Seuss

Cat in the hat,

One hundred and eleven years ago today, Dr. Seuss (or, Theodor Seuss Geisel) was born. When I was young in Borneo, my teacher never exposed me to this Cat in the hat.

When my kids were little, I read these books to them, without much conviction.

http://rubytuesdaytoo.blogspot.co.nz/

My Aunt Ngui/Kong Wah Mee

 

This is my aunt, Mum's youngest sister.  She had always been telling everyone that I am her favourite niece.

When Dad went to England to study, I was 20 months old. Mum went to tap rubber, and Aunty would cook lunch for us. Then she fed us before she went off for school in the afternoon. She told everyone she chewed up my rice before feeding them to me. It used to feel gruesome to have eaten her saliva. As I grew older, it was something of an endearment.

It was only 18 months ago, that she told me of the sacrifice she did for Mother and us, especially me. Just before Father went to England, he persuaded Aunt Wah Mee to come up to the village to help out Mother and take care of me. It was a great sacrifice because she was staying in town with our Great grand ma, a town house with electricity and running water.

Thank you Shi Hee aka 4th Aunt.