A thousand miles, there are you in dream, in our hearts. For me, the scenery along the way and then the United States, is not worth you gazing at the gentle. What hope, you see the world hundred Cha, can still love me amorous feelings tube amp.

As long as you are in me, the most beautiful scenery will have been on the road, in the heart.

Perhaps, the past, you in the southern willow shore Maid Agency, rocked the folding fan, poetry and pacing, caught my eye, so I just past; perhaps, preexistence, I in the South Lane in the rain, under an oil paper umbrella, faint forward, arouse your love, so love lock this life. Although the road, between you and me rain heavily, until meet, have met too late, the wind was vaguely cream tears, but no matter how, paddling sound here nuhart , you and I held each other's hand, then, we hold the happiness.

That day, I just a casual glance, you will fall like the sea in my soulful eyes; you only a Ningmou smile, your name I will write in the heart lake, Yang lotus flowers.

Do you not know? Ever since the night you and I exchange solemn vows and pledges, hook and sealed, I a woman to spend the mind has no longer anyone swaying, immeasurably vast difference, my gentle feelings just waiting for you to read.

You are I can not give up the love. This life, I LAN refers to fiddle, Fu Jian splash ink, only for the * * * * you earnestly Acacia, deep sea; this life, I burn incense to Buddha, self-cultivation, only for each loop can meet you, an invariant generation after generation of love.

If, in the future of every world, I will be with my memory, you are invited to come, waiting for you to hold my hand, together, Lan Zhou to spring wave, willow shore for Flute, Fenglin in fall red, the view of snow...... You promised me you, I promise you The End of Life.

You, no matter what the who, I don't want you to official thick bunk, don't you were rich, I as long as you can with sincerity and truth and my relative, I just do what you love story in each life only, so, ok!

You say, this life, you must never abandon me, whatever the flower, you will not let me cry for you.

You say, this life, you will be my love of the harbor, even back in the Fangfei, you also will I planted beans I pick.

You say, this life, you only you and I go to Wuzhen, wear Gu Xiang, according to Shi Qiao, the oars, tea, in the quiet days, according to a spring sunshine, with a fragrance.

You say, this life, you only you and me go to the desert, after the old Langyan, search of ancient Kroraina, see the Millennium undeniable euphratica, in every inch of time hours, only forever, not separation.

If a ruler does not leave, I will not abandon. Love you, this is my life the most want to do! You remember, Liu smoke vaguely port, will always have my heart waiting for you crazy ".

There are you, the heart is no longer lonely, cold. Because there is love, the heart from then on, I no longer whisper: "standing alone in the chilly west wind, Xiao Xiao leaves close scanty window". Until next time meet, I think, it must be "dance low willow building heart month, song all the peach blossom fan bottom wind".

Gentleman, I wish all of these for you. Rachel, polyester, a woman, in the depths of red dust, faint fragrance.

Vanity of spirit, I only wish, songs of light, the oars, smile Ning eyebrow, a dress in Jiangnan willow smoke, and you love the mixture......

What a week it has been.  We were hit by a typhoon which carried with it mercilessly torrential rains that seemed to know no end.  I had spent last weekend on the beach and returned to a city soaked and forlorn.  We looked out of the windows of our little flat to a relentless curtain of water.  And as with every typhoon, or monsoon, or whatever you want to call it, that brings this much rain our thoughts turned to one thing.  Floods.

Every time there is this much rain here there are always horrible floods.  Floods not caused just by these rains but, also, by poor drainage systems and shoddy water management Flower shop.  Far be it for me to say what I suspect causes the slipshod drainage systems in and round our cities, but makes you wonder where certain budgets are going to…

Anyway, more important than finger-pointing and speculation, and the saddest part, is that so many are displaced, lose their homes, or are crammed up in relief centers with not enough resources to feed them.  Fortunately, we also live in a city where the common citizens are quick to help out cube organizers.  There are a lot of relief programs ongoing…several started by ordinary folk with a desire to help.  So let’s all do what we can now and leave the rest for later.

Here is a simple breakfast that goes down especially well when it’s rainy and gloomy, and it feels like the dark clouds of life are blocking out all the silver lining.

Barley Porridge

    1/3 cup barley
    1 cup water
    1/3 cup milk, plus more if needed SKI TRIP
    2 tablespoons dried blueberries (or other dried fruit)
    2 tablespoons chopped walnuts (or other nuts)


- Soak the barley overnight in twice as much liquid.
- The next day, drain the barley.  Bring the 1 cup water to the boil in a small pot.  When boiling, add the barley and cook, covered, for 15 minutes.
- Add the milk and cook for a further 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add the blueberries and walnuts and cook, stirring, for another 15 minutes or so until barley is cooked and softened.  Add more milk if it starts to dry up.
- Serves one hungry person or two regular ones.

This is both homey and homely…and I’m my book that’s a good thing.  Humble, real, stick-to-your-ribs, sustenance sort of cooking.  Aside from adding lots of fiber and selenium to your diet, this will also keep you full until lunch.  And it’s delicious to boot.  Well, to me at least, but then again I love all things cereal-y in nature.  Feel free to substitute any dried fruit or nut in here.  Or even leave it plain.  I drizzled this with some golden syrup and it made my morning a lot less bleak.

Days without the sun are taking its toll.  I’ve been crotchety and a tad morose lately and I don’t like it.  But in the stillness of a rain-dampened afternoon I regroup and count my blessings.  I’m lucky enough to live in a part of town that doesn’t flood.  We have food and electricity and scalding hot showers (which I love).  And I can find comfort in a simple bowl of boiled grain…which means I’ll never be too far from cheering up.


Hope you are all safe and dry, wherever you are, literally and figuratively too.  Let’s cross our fingers for some sunshine but in the meantime enjoy here's to enjoying something warm and comforting.

People travel to some places to see the wonders of nature…I still remember the feeling of peace and awe when I first clapped eyes on a local rainforest. I can never even venture to say that I visit Hong Kong to see nature’s wonders, but that doesn’t mean that I look at it with any less awe. After all, aren’t humans one of nature’s greatest wonders? And didn’t humans build the wonder that is Hong Kong?

Hong Kong to me is a concrete and steel Wonderland…and I don’t mean “concrete and steel” in a derogatory way at all. Every time I see it I feel like Alice, seeing this strange yet enticing place, where things are both bigger and smaller than in her own world. Where buildings grow so tall and in such abundance, with a zillion tiny windows all filled with lights, like huge and glorious hives. Where so many things beckon “eat me” from trays and carts and aquarium windows. Where everything seems to move at the speed of light, rushing forward, never stopping. Where roads seem to weave in and around everything, at so many levels, like wild vines – and the cars on them never slowing down, like an army of hyper-active ants. One tiny island really, that seemed to get more than its share of urban fertilizer, and now everything is growing taller, faster, bigger, better, one on top of the other. And underneath it all, that energetic pulse of commerce, beating strong and unapologetically – if there’s a deal to be made, Hong Kong is making it. I can’t help but be blown away by it…like Alice is at once scared but oddly attracted to Wonderland and all it’s interesting customs and inhabitants.

And as I feel its heart in the concrete beneath my feet, I can hear its unrepentant declaration: “I am a City…hear me roar!”

Hong Kong also has a more personal place in my heart. My closest female cousin moved there when we were younger (before that we were neighbors), so I would go to visit her. While many of my friends would go to Hong Kong for the weekend to enjoy the shopping, I would stay for a couple of weeks tramping around with A, eating way too much, gossiping and catching up, and our favorite tradition…having afternoon tea at the Peninsula. There we would sit for hours talking about everything and nothing, two chubby white girls in grungy clothes, not exactly the most sophisticated pair in the lobby. Those were good days! Now A lives in Barcelona, but her father (my uncle, also my godfather) is once again based in Hong Kong, and he is who I visited this time around. There was definitely a lot of reminiscing on this trip :)

The main highlight of this trip was seeing my uncle and aunt, hanging out with them and catching up. He reminds me a lot of my dad…they have the same mischievous sense of fun, and both love to cook! No wonder they are such great friends, as are A and I. So this was more a relaxed trip…more kicking back and less racing around.

That doesn’t mean we didn’t tuck into Hong Kong good and proper though ;) Some of the things that made our trip memorable (aside from the wonderful company)…

Dimsum at City Hall
Our first meal in Hong Kong was dim sum at Maxim’s in City Hall (City Hall Maxim's Palace at the 2/F, not Maxim's Restaurant on the 1/F which looks more European than Chinese). I love dim sum and I love this place – dim sum carts racing around a huge hall, big crystal chandelier hanging above your head, wonderfully noisy din surrounding you, lots of red and gold everywhere , and a beautiful view of the water. Everything I like eating in a Chinese restaurant to be :) The dim sum was fantastic especially the shrimp dumplings and the ones filled with garlic chives. My only regret is they were out of taro puffs…ah well, next time! :) City Hall Maxim's Palace - 2/F, the City Hall Low Block, Tel - +852 2521-1303.

Dinner on Lamma Island
For dinner on our first night we took a junk (Chinese sailing boat) to Lamma Island, a small fishing village just off Hong Kong Island. Here the dock is lined with seafood restaurants…the type where you choose your dinner from aquariums full of live seafood, so everything is very fresh. After some wine on the junk, we all landed with burgeoning appetites. After much pointing and discussing by the aquariums, we had steamed prawns, clams in black bean sauce, deep fried cuttlefish with sweet chili sauce, mantis shrimp (also known as alupihan dagat over here -- a crustacean I have had a long and entwined history with...perhaps I will recount one day) fried with heaps of garlic and black pepper, scallops with spring onion and rice vermicelli, bamboo clams (also known as razor clams or navajas in Spain) with black bean sauce, and a garoupa (grouper or lapu-lapu) steamed with ginger, soy, sesame oil, and spring onions. We also had an excellent Chinese-style crispy fried chicken and sautéed dao mui (snow pea shoots/sprouts…we were lucky they were in season...they are delicious!) with garlic. And chao fan (fried rice). This was an amazing dinner and C still firmly states was the best of the trip. Everything was incredibly fresh and cooked perfectly. I thought that they were going to have to roll us all back in the boat! Typically though, there was still room for dessert as we all sat scrunched together at the front of the junk, the wind in our faces, clutching our wineglasses and delicious tarts from Cova, and watching the brilliant Hong Kong skyline approach. Fu Kee Restaurant, Lamma Island, Hong Kong (it’s right on the dock), you can take a ferry from Aberdeen Marina.

Spoon by Alain Ducasse
Another thrill for me was trying Alain Ducasse’s food for the first time (in my life!) at his restaurant Spoon, at the InterContinental Hong Kong. After only hearing and reading about this famous French master chef I was finally going to sample his goods! Because of the restaurant’s popularity, we could only book at table for 9pm, so my aunt told them that we would be sitting in the lobby in case an earlier slot opens up. Perfect excuse for pre-dinner cocktails and Hong Kong light show viewing :) So we sipped our drinks and watched the dazzling display of lights that the Hong Kong skyscrapers put on, while chatting away the time. Before we knew it they called us in for our dinner. I enjoyed my meal from start to finish! Everything seemed to be a beautifully orchestrated show put on for me (yes, they do make you feel special). I don’t know if it was from the glow of good wine, the warmth of good company, or the pleasure of good food (and did I mention the view?), but all my senses were sated. I started with the steamed foie gras, served with a pear chutney and Sichuan pepper stress free, with an herb salad on the side. This was my favorite dish – the foie was perfectly tender and with the tang of the chutney, the spice of the pepper, and the sharp greenness of the herbs, it was a masterful flavor combination. My main was a lamb fillet with a tomato marmalade, served with potato stuffed with bacon and herds – another delicious dish. The lamb was cooked a perfect rare (just as I like it) and worked well with the tomato marmalade…although my foie would continue to be my favorite throughout the meal. For dessert I had the Noir de Noir 2007, which is a plate of four different, intensely chocolate, desserts – a chocolate sorbet with chocolate crumble, a molten chocolate cake, a chocolate custard, and their version of a brownie. I have to say that I always enjoy regular homemade style brownies much better, but this was an exception. The brownie layer was exactly how I like my “regular homemade style brownies” to be like (dark and moist, with walnuts too!). This was topped with a dark chocolate ganache, and then a sheet of hardened dark chocolate. Oohlala Alain! Now I just have to figure out how to translate that into homemade :) I liked the molten chocolate cake the best though, but only because I have a natural propensity towards molten chocolate things…and it went brilliantly paired with the chocolate sorbet, as suggested by our super-charming server, who was so cutely attentive I was considering if he would fit into my luggage so I could drag him home and have him explain to me everyday what exactly I was eating! Spoon by Alain Ducasse: InterContinental, Hong Kong, 18 Salisbury Road, Kowloon, Hong Kong. Tel - +852 2313-2256.

Again, I was planning to place everything in one post, it was just a weekend afterall and how may things could I write about, yes? Once again I had underestimated: 1. How many things I actually did (even leaving certain things like cute-undies-shopping at H&M out!), and 2. My ability to just babble on like it’s going out of style! Is this why I have been receiving fewer invitations lately? I wonder!

Anyhoo, like it or not, I’ll be back with a bit more of Hong Kong soon :)

I am a relic.  In a world where fitness has swept the universe on its endorphin-powered chariot, leaving in its wake legions of runners, bikers, triathletes,and plana forma disciples, I remain resolutely languid.  Feel the burn?  Runner’s high? I listen to a multitude of people wax delirious about their physical activity of choice Managed Network, still as puzzled and as dubious as I’ve always been.

It’s not that I question fitness or physical activity.  Not at all!  Exercise, it all its many forms, is good for you – and that’s the inescapable truth.  But I just can’t get on the fist-pumping, limit-pushing, sweat-dripping  bandwagon, try as I might.  And I have tried.  Really and truly.  But where other feel a sense of glorious exhilaration, I only feel nauseous and ornery.

Sports are definitely out.  Not only do I possess zero coordination or athletic prowess, anything to do with competition makes me miserable.  Solo activities like running or biking do not attract me in the least.  And don't even mention the gym to me.

So as far as physical activities are concerned, that leaves power-shopping, power-erranding, and my once a week walk to the neighborhood market.  Not much.  Although a step more active than reading…which is my preferred activity, truth be told tom ford sunglasses.

I love decadence, indulging, napping with pajamas, long scalding-hot showers, burrowing under soft cool sheets, stretching, dancing , sleeping outdoors, sleeping in, 3-hour lunches with wine, hammocking, floating on my back, sniffing my baby pillow, brunch cocktails, stirring hot chocolate, lip-synching, and kneading dough.

The world is leaving me behind.  But it’s ok.  Because I have this to keep me company.

Fried Egg in Aligue (crab fat)

    1 egg iPhone 4 casing, the best you can find or afford
    1 tablespoon olive oil
    1 small clove of garlic, very finely minced or passed through a garlic press
    1 tablespoon aligue (crab fat)
    Sea salt


- Heat a non-stick skillet on medium-high heat.  Add the oil.  When the oil is hot, add the garlic.  After a few seconds, when you can smell the garlic frying, add the aligue (crab fat).  With your spatula/turner, quickly mix the aligue with the oil and garlic.  Blend well until you have a deliciously dangerous looking mass of bubbling orange sin.
- Onto this bed of foamy orange Cloud Provider, gently lay your egg.  As the whites set, gently flip the aligue onto the egg whites and yolk.  Keep doing this patiently until the whites are set but the yolk remains runny.  Sprinkle a little sea salt on the yolk.
- Slide the egg and all the aligue onto your plate…or better yet onto a steaming mound of rice.  Consume immediately.  This dish does not like waiting around.

Aligue is crab fat and, over here, in a country of truly fearless people, it can be easily acquired sold in bottles.  If you are not comfortable having 2 tablespoons of fat (one animal and one vegetable…I’m nothing if not fair) in one serving then please feel free to reduce either to the quantity you are comfortable with.  If you are, however Enterprise Endpoint Backup, comfortable having more, by all means indulge!  I would compensate though with some extra strenuous reading after ;)

Please don’t get me wrong.  I would love to one day be bitten my some hyper-energetic bug that will miraculously turn my potential into kinetic and my soft curves (I have lots to spare) into hard angles (I sure could use those).  Until then I suppose I’ll just have to be content with the passions I’ve been dealt.  I’m certainly not complaining.  Pass the cozy and wake me when the coffee’s on please :)