Tuesday 23 February 2010

Hail to Japanese snacks

My Japanese visitors have brought lots of delights to my home. In return, I "indulged" them in chilli... chilli crab, chilli BBQ stingray, chilli crayfish, chilli kang kong (a delicacy; kang kong cost S$60 per kg in Japan).

Many of my acquaintance have regarded me a perfectionist. Indeed, I scored an impressive 85% in a perfectionist test. But if using my result as benchmark, the Japanese would be estimated at 200%. Their obsession with perfection is impeccable (may sound a little unconvincing with Toyota scandal now in limelight). I will always remember a peculiar experience I had at a battery making factory years ago. 2 aunties stood at the end of the production line doing nothing but turning batteries so that the logo on the batteries faced the same direction. I was told that those were batteries to be exported to Japan and a standard requirement. Perfectionism... aesthetically at least.

Other than Hello Kitty, Canon, Mt Fuji, Loft (haha... so many qualification) what I love most about Japan are the food and snacks. Made to perfection.


Multiple varieties of Pocky. Pocky for men, caramel pocky, dessert pocky, slim pocky (for women on diet?)...


Potato chips, one of them with plum (limited edition). My recent favourite Jagabee is put to shame.


Giant sized Dorayaki (20 cm in diameter)

As for the battery turning job which I envisage taking up after my retirement, I am afraid it would be put to redundancy if Japan never makes it out of deflation.

Sunday 14 February 2010

猛虎浪漫登场

人家说,本命年对个人的运势不利。总结各位命理、风水大师对肖虎的人在虎年运程的预测只须用四个字:雪上加霜。 对这样的预言,我尝试保持乐观。毕竟这几年来无论是财物或人情上都有未雨绸缪的习惯。我想,即使下起暴风雪应该还是有人会为我雪中送炭吧!

今年除夕,难得在马来西亚郊区度过。除了吃火锅,还跟侄儿们学“扯铃”(学校现在流行这个哦!)和放烟火。虽然只是很小型而又不太花俏的烟火,我却是第一次近距离的参与。在短短几秒钟,烧掉金钱,换得大人、小孩的欢呼和掌声,放烟火原来是这么一回事。





那一晚,最令我喜出望外的并不是烟火,而是整片布满星星的夜空。不夸张的说,星星数量多得如同撒落地面上的尘埃。所谓的"stardusted sky"或许就是这样的画面吧!就连每天晚上在我家凉台看得见的猎户座星云 (Orion Constellation),在郊外空旷的草地上看起来都要绚丽十倍。对于一辈子居住在城市里的我来说,那片星空是多么难得的奢侈。

猛虎,就这样浪漫的登场了!也许因为这天刚好是情人节。

Wednesday 10 February 2010

Dreams

Dreams, a single syllable word with a myriad of meanings. It is impossible to restrict the definition of "dreams" to just one for they manifest into innumerable forms. Dreams... may be tall and may be humble; some are mercenary, some meritorious. If there are those who seek to possess, there will be others who choose detachment. Dreams are vivid, dreams are dull, dreams are enigmatic by nature.