Container Water Garden DIY

I always wanted a water feature in my home. When we first moved to our current house, I planned for a DIY project. I even bought a book almost 9 years ago for this purpose. However, this little dream stays in my to-do list for years and I never have time to make it happened.

I want to say goodbye to procrastination this year. So when my mum mentioned about having soothing sound of flowing water in our garden, I decided to make it happen, and I did.

It is much easier than I have imagined. I could have done this much earlier.


Items to prepare: a pump, 2 pots, some soil, some plants, some stones and some decorative items
Time needed: 1.5 hours.

1. Get a pot, preferably without holes at the bottom.

2. Get a smaller pot, also preferably without holes at the bottom. Fill up the bigger pot with soil.

3. Plant your preferred plants accordingly, and roughly place stones and wood for the landscaping purposes.

4. Place some decoration items to make it more interesting.

5. Fix your design, fill up the smaller pot with water, use the stones to hold the pump at the desired height (to determine the water flow direction)

Now I have lovely soothing sound of flowing water in my garden too:

Well, actually this project completed only 80%. I am still looking hard for vivid colour flower plants to fill up this pot.

See I purposely leave a space for this purpose?

番薯圆 ~ 有钱也买不到的美味

以前我们的祖先南迁，把好多传统文化习俗和饮食习惯都保留在这朴素的小国。

然而，我也不排除一些从来不必下厨的男丁、少女们，在这无依无靠的国土，尝试凭记忆，煮出一道道乡愁。而这些演变而来的版本究竟和原本的乡菜是不是同一码子事儿，我们已经不去考察了。

我家的蕃薯圆（也有做芋圆的）正是这样的存在。我在市场上、在网路上，从来没有看过这一道福建菜肴的。

在我们心中，除了美味，它还有一种承传的滋味。对我而言，它，浪漫。

材料：

蕃薯 1kg

太白粉 300g

盐1 tablespoon 

制作方法：

1. 把蕃薯削皮后切小片，蒸熟

2. 熟后把它弄成泥

3. 趁热加太白粉混合

4. 弄成条状后蒸45分钟

5. 冷却后如下图，可收在冰箱内好几天

要吃的时候，取出，切片。你可以拿去油炸、或煎。而我们最爱的吃法，就是把三层肉、葱、虾米爆香后把蕃薯圆加入一块儿炒。保你吃过难忘。

Chin's Stylish Chinese Cuisine

We had 2 functions at Chin’s Stylish Chinese Cuisine in the past 2 months. While planning, I noticed that there're not much blog posts about the food of this restaurant serves so here I am, trying my very best to show the name of the dishes and price. 
Please forgive me for some of the unnamed dishes below, i just don't keep track of everything :).....

This stylish restaurant (I still think it is weird to name your restaurant 'stylish' but I do agree it is stylish) is located at Church Street Pier, overlooking the calm waters of the harbor near Penang Jetty. (Do take note that the address provided by Google Malaysia is wrong! Do not go to 8A, Jalan Magazine, 10300 Pulau Pinang else you will get caught in the jam and late for dinner, just like my friend did)

Interior of this stylish restaurant is very elegant and grand. We had endless photography sessions before the function started.

The interior design is quite intimidating, make you worry for your wallet. (They used to have Prefix Set Menu, but now they accept ala-carte order too.) However, for a fine dining restaurant, for the quality of food served, for the lovely and inviting ambiance, I'd say it is very reasonably priced. The first time we went, 9 of us had 2 types of venison, 2 types of lamb, 1 whole duck, chicken, vegetable, prawns and cost us RM500++. The second time we went, 27 of us in 3 tables, with the bill of RM2,242 (including tax and service charge).

My personal favorite is their venison soup. The way they serve this is already an art. Most importantly, the small chunks of venison are tender and the stew is aromatic.

Dice Venison Spicy (红油小鹿肉) - RM18

Crab 'N' Yolk (赛螃蟹) - RM58

You should definitely try their crab 'n' yolk. 赛螃蟹(literary means "as good as crab") is a famous Chinese dish. It is said that this dish was created by Empress Dowager Cixi's chef. One day, the empress craved for crab. However, Beijing is too far away from the sea, and crab is not in season. So the chef had to use his creativity and imagination, imitating the taste of crab using egg white. Surprisingly, the empress love it! So this is hence one of the famous Chinese dishes.
However, don't be fool by the name. The crab 'n' yolk in Chin's is cook with lots of crab meat!


Of course, you have to order their crispy duck too! This is their signature dish. If you order a half-bird and above, they will have "meat shredding show" at your table side.
The duck may not be as nice as Peking duck in the most famous restaurant in Beijing, but it is definitely one of the best in Malaysia.

Crispy Duck (甄招牌香酥鸭) - RM73 for half duck

Another dish with special tableside cooking is 江石滚肥牛, which means beef cook on hot stone. The cart comes with a bowl of innocent-looking-red-oil, and all the necessary ingredients. When they put the beef into that bowl, you can see the raw beef quickly sizzling into nice and tender dish.

Beef Tenderloin (江石滚肥牛) - RM36

Mongolian Lamb

Heaven Joysticks (上上签) - RM16

Oolong Fragrant Chicken (乌龙香麻鸡) - RM15

Steam Silver Codfish (清蒸银鳕鱼) - RM66

Frogleg Bambootube (竹筒田鸡) - RM38

Toffee fruits (拔丝香蕉和苹果) - RM18 per plate of 6pcs

Black sesame icecream - RM8

记得早先少年时

我孤陋寡闻，没听过木心。看了这一季中国好歌曲，被这首歌的意境折服，google了一下才知道有这么一个高人。是时候积极把他的诗集、画册找一找了。

《从前慢》 ～木心～

 记得早先少年时
大家诚诚恳恳
说一句 是一句
　　
清早上火车站
长街黑暗无行人
卖豆浆的小店冒着热气
　　
从前的日色变得慢
车，马，邮件都慢
一生只够爱一个人
　　
从前的锁也好看
钥匙精美有样子
你锁了 人家就懂了 

这是写得不能再白的新诗，竟然比大多数电影的画面感更深刻真切，揪心度更简洁有力。

活过那段纯真岁月的人会深深陷入那个回不去的情绪、未经历那纯真年代的人只能羡慕却不能体会，简单的，慢慢的，认真的，生活。

那种在午后树荫下藤椅上茶色渐淡的生活。那种在雨夜屋檐下布床上笺纸成书的生活。

 
记得早先少年时……

而刘胡轶，诗已经叫人心折，曲又让人更满心温软。旋律淡雅如诗。

而那歌声，那是只属于安静角落的温暖，风轻云淡地，叫人记得早先少年时……

刘胡轶的其他作品：刘胡轶的豆瓣小站

新年饰物DIY: 空凤墙饰

最近迷上空凤，当然得为家里增添一些以空凤为主题的新年摆设。上个星期的空凤小小工程拆下的其中一丛正好派上用场。

材料：竹箩一个、空凤一丛、适量鱼线、合适设计的红包封一个、仿真桃花一支
需时：约20分钟

首先，我选择了一丛大小不一的空凤家庭，以增添层次感：

在竹箩上尝试摆出自己喜欢的设计。决定后把设计固定（用鱼线把空凤绑牢）：

黏上红彤彤的新年图样，再以桃花添一些春色，简单漂亮又传统的农历新年墙饰就完成啦～

小趣味

我们的记忆，有时候，完全不按理牌出牌。

拍这张照片的时候，不知怎的，脑里突然哼起许冠杰的《小趣味》。这既不是我特别喜欢的歌曲，也不是什么名曲，最后一次听也可能是小学的事了。

偏偏在几十年后，突然被花瓣间的禅意催动，忆起一首简单又快乐的调儿，感恩生命中无尽的小趣味……

《小趣味》

歌手：许冠杰
语言：粤语
所属专辑：最喜欢你
发行时间：1984-09-01

玫瑰芬芳味
除大脚尖叫在雨中戏
邮票分种类
凌乱的抽屉逐个清理

买包花生捉吓棋
成日买贵餸学调味
望着镜妙嘴妙舌扮鬼脸
睇出好戏曲折又离奇

Ah-ha-Ah-ha 知否世间充满趣味
Ah-ha-Ah-ha 珍惜每点小趣味

晨运过青草地
沿路呼吸美妙嘅空气
球赛好犀利
勤练舞好似劲到飞起

带上Headphone扭开唱机
由乐韵带我入甜睡
背熟那首冰心美丽诗句
睇本侦探小说推吓道理

龙眼多滋味
良夜看星宿在晚空里
朋友欢聚
寒夜找温暖在被窝里

看海边沙鸥天际飞
鱼在咬我片大鱼饵
静坐冥想心中恬静一片
身边一切感觉都也是美

知否世间充满趣味
珍惜每点小趣味

小小空凤工程

买了这么一大丛的air plant。但因我个人不喜欢这种“一堆杂草”的感觉，所以我决定把它给“肢解”

首先，依据它先天生理状况把它给分成五丛：

那一些怎么看都不适合保留“一丛”的状态的，我很果断地把它们分成单独一棵。

这一对，我拆得毫不犹豫。

而那一些看起来还挺适合一丛的存在，我却仍然下不了决定，暂时让它们继续相依相偎吧，下个星期再让大家瞧瞧另一个project的成品。

那些被拆出来小小空凤，正好摆在门口迎宾：

五福临门

悦群：老字号的魅力

悦群糕饼中心是槟城老字号，最近某饮食节目介绍，我才兴起去尝尝第三代厨师的厨艺的念头。

一踏入餐厅，一种专属于童年回忆的亲切顿时涌上心头。

那些很“过气”的高点西饼竟然这么亲切迷人：

我带着怀旧的心情，点了童年时最爱的chocolate milk shake。味蕾被久违的味道刺激着了，一晃间有一种回到过去的纯真在跳跃……
















既然来到海南人的餐馆，朋友自然点了chicken chop。说起来，这种chicken chop煮法绝对南洋正宗，洋人或中国海南人还真是吃不到呢！

RM13.90

我则点了招牌shepherd pie。马铃薯泥香滑酥脆，羊肉也焖得非常入味松软。不过这种食物很腻，还是建议几个人分享一份比较适合。

Shepherd pie (lamb) - RM15.90