I see Beauty in many things. And like the ghosts that only speak to you if you notice them, they tell me wondrous tales. With my camera and my thoughts, I captured these as faithfully as I can to share with you. And by doing so, they gave me the reasons. And though the thousand reasons may not all be sweet and some indeed bitter; they are still reasons to live. Come to think about it, that is Life, isn't it?
I've had just enough time to... see the budding of a star
Taken outside the Ubud Palace in Ubud, Bali
On a
leisurely stroll one morning passing by the Ubud Palace, I spied a group of young
boys practicing their craft. To the tempo of imaginary music that only they
themselves heard, they stomped and jerked violently. The sequence was not a
gracefulflow but a series of sudden violent movements and abrupt stops. The
expressions on their faces were deadly serious and exaggerated as they played
the characters of their act.
But it is
more than an act. It is their religion and they are playing the Gods. They are
not just performing a dance, they are re-telling the story of creation and they
are honoring their Gods in the recreating of the tale. This went deeper than
the passion for their craft. It is their faith and they are living it.
I suspect that it will be many years before these boys ever get the chance to perform before an audience. Meanwhile, they trained every day and showed a dedication stronger than any professional athlete. And what drove them is not fame, adulation or monetary rewards. It is their culture, their beliefs and it is beautiful to watch.
But even
among them, one particular boy stood out. You will have picked him up just by
looking at the photo. His divine expression, the sharpness of his moves and his
total immersion into his character is mesmerizing. His talent is undeniable. He
is the future star of the play. I hope one day to be able to return to Bali and
watched a performance and recognized him there.
I've had just enough time to... enjoy a feast of durians!
Much had
been said and written about Durian, the undisputed King of Fruits and arguably
the best fruits in the world are to be found in Malaysia with exotic varieties
such as “Red Prawn”, “Water Gourd”, “Little Red”, “Green Skin”, “Red Heart”,
“Khun Poh” (named after the grower), “Red Flesh”, and “Red Flower”. As if these are not enough,
we have even stranger names such as “Centipede”, “Coupling”, “Pork Fat”, “Bean
Curd”, “Tiger Hill” and “Olive”. You have to agree that the naming of fruits is
very creative and there are reasons for the names which I will leave it for you
to figure it out. By the way most of these are names are translated from the
Hokkien dialect which is just the way most of the fruits are named.
There are
also the less creative names usually headed by a “D” alphabet which obviously
stands for durian. Whereas durian itself comes from the Malay word “duri”
meaning “thorns” which ineffectively protects the fruits from our greedy hands.
But they do exact their revenge for which of us had not cut our fingers from a
careless slip? As far as I know there are D numbers from D11 to D700!
But the most creative name may be “Lin Fong Jiao” named after the beautiful romantic actress of the 70s who won a Golden Horse Awards for her role in “Story of A Small Town” (小城故事) and the wife of Jackie Chan. The taste is said to be reflective of their bitter sweet husband and wife relationship. However, the King of the Kings is claimed by many to be “Raja Kunyit” or “King Tumeric”. This Malay name however got strangely translated into Cantonese as “Mao Sang Wong” or “Mountain King Cat”. The Hokkien however chose a more direct approach and called it “Boh Tang Pii” or “No Comparison”. So a durian by any other name is not THE Durian!
Found this 24 hours durian shop in Medan, Indonesia late one night after dinner.
Malaysians may have justification to claim their durians as “World Best” but even they do not eat them 24/7. That honor goes to the Indonesians. I’ve known of 24 hours clinic and even 24 hours workshop but it is the first time I came across a 24 hours durian shop! I found it not in a small dingy hawker stall but in a brightly lighted 4 double-storey shop lots that caters to durian aficionado round the clock. So if you have difficulty to sleep and fancy durian for supper, get on a bike and head to this durian paradise. But before you rush there, those who had not tasteddurian before, beware! It is said to taste like heaven but smell like hell. But of course to us durian connoisseur, it taste like heaven and smell like heaven too! Unless you burp.
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!
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,
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