Monday 29 October 2012

In The Morning When The Moon Is At Its Rest



I've had just enough time to...   walk the mist in the morning

 Taken one early morning when the world is still shrouded in mist in Hanoi




In the morning
When the bird is still in its nest
And the world still at rest
Peaceful under a blanket of mist
Soothed by a mother’s kiss
I walk a path half imagined
Taking it all on the chin
The sun is not yet up
To serve reality in a cup
To sear through the mist
And smack me with its fiery fist
The sun did me no service
There can be no promise
With gaze as sharp as steel
Leaving no room to steal
An idea from the God
That he left for the poor sod
Who survive the bloody scrum
To retrieve from the squalid slum
I need the blurry landscape
I need the world of indistinct shapes
I need to silence the lambs
The silence to silence the violence
And this is best done in the early morning mist





In the morning when the moon is at it's rest, 
You will find me at the time I love the best
Watching rainbows play on sunlight; 
Pools of water iced from cold night, In the morning.
Tis the morning of my life.

Bee Gees - In The Morning




Thursday 25 October 2012

Birds Talk No One Hears



I've had just enough time to...   hear birds talking

Taken while walking in the street of Rangon, Myanmar

The lines of communications belong to the birds

That chirp, cheep, chitter and twitter
Short and sweet, incessant and insane
A thousand voice, one great din
Who is listening?



 Who is listening!?
Not me, are you?
We tweet to speak,
Not to hear

But who is listening
If everyone speaks?
You don’t get it, do you?
It is birds talk



In birds talk
Everyone talks
No one hears
If birds talk everyone talks
No one hears



Saturday 13 October 2012

Hungering For China & Hairy Crabs




I’ve had just enough time to…   savor the unique taste of hairy crabs


Is this a male or female hairy crab? Read further...

I’ll be going off to China at the end of the week. And right in the middle of the hairy crab season though I’m not going to Shanghai this time where the best hairy crabs are reputedly from or more specifically these two lakes – Lake Tai and Lake Yangcheng. The first time I had hairy crabs was on the way from Shanghai to Kunshan last year in one of the lakes where hundreds of small stalls and larger restaurants lined the shore of the lake selling just one product – hairy crabs! 


 Served and ready to be eaten...


These crabs are not cheap and a single crab can set you back $20 depending on the size. The female crab is best eaten September to October and the male crab is best eaten October to November due to the quality of the roe. And the roe is what these crabs are so highly prized. They are always steamed. I don’t know how to begin describing the unique taste of the succulent orangey yellow roe. It had been described as a delicate lingering creamy flavor. The meat is dipped in sweet black vinegar sauce with shredded ginger. 


A family harvesting hairy crabs

The hairy crabs are so-called because of its furry dark hairs on its claws that looks like mittens. Thus, they are also called mitten crabs. You can distinguish the female by the oval-shaped belly. The males have more hairs on their claws and a triangular designed on their belly. So can you guess if that picture is that of a male or female. Maybe I will get to eat hairy crabs again on this coming trip to Beijing. But if not, I will settle for Peking Duck!
________

A Hairy Crab Vending Machine?...



Wednesday 10 October 2012

Oktoberfest 2012 - Who Goes Out In The Rain?



I've had just enough time to...   go walking in the rain


Those who have company
Is not afraid of getting wet in the rain


The wheel also turns in stormy weather
Just the feeling is not the same, maybe better


The New Ghost will come a-visiting
As the Old Ghosts make way


I drink my sorrow in the rain
So no one see my tears mixed with the pain


When Life is short
Wet or dry, every day is a good day


Little girl crying in the rain
Why are you living me behind?


Little boy reply
No, not in stormy weather


A warm reassuring hand
Everything will be alright
Not minding the rain

___________

Walking down the street,
Kicking cans,
Looking at the billboards,
The also-rans,
Summing up the people,
Checking out the race,
Doing what I'm doing,
Feeling out of place,

Walking, walking,
In the rain.

Walking in the rain - Grace Jones



Sunday 7 October 2012

Oktoberfest 2012 - And The Rain Keeps Faliing.



I've had just enough time to...   go out in the rain.

Cupid points the arrow in the wrong direction
Now he can’t stop the rain from falling


That doesn’t stop the crowd from coming
Life goes on in stormy weather


But if it is too heavy, let seek shelter 
For under the same roof, all men are brothers


The rains on all heads drop
Alike on Gods and mortals


Why don’t you come in where it is warm and nice?
Sometimes it is safer in the rain


Will you go for a spin in the rain?
While others hurdles under the umbrellas


Or take a ride up to the clouds
Taking it up another layer


Will you live Life to the fullest?
Whether the day is sunny or it’s stormy weather?

________________

Whole world on my shoulders

Feeling older than I ought to be
Breathing in the cool air
Wet hair, I don't care 'cause I feel free


Walking In The Rain by Dan Koch




Thursday 4 October 2012

The Girl In The Middle Of The Road



I've has just enough time to...   see that girl in the middle of the road

Taken of the girl in the middle of the road on the way to Anyang, China



On a hot summer’s day
In the middle of the road
Large vehicles churning dusts
And belching smokes
There she stood

Last night was tough
Sleep still in her eyes
She let out a mighty yawn
Sucking in hot air and dust
Eyes starting to smart

Why does she do what she does?
Is it by choice she stays in the middle of the road
Surrounded by rushing vehicles and dirty smokes?

_______

Hey, don't write yourself off yet
It's only in your head you feel left out or looked down on
Just do your best, do everything you can
And don't you worry what the bitter hearts are gonna say
It just takes some time 
Little girl you're in the middle of the ride 
Everything, everything will be just fine 
Everything, everything will be alright, alright

Jimmy East World – Little Girl In The Middle Of The Ride