Easy Cooking

 

Baby Xiao Bai Cai with scallops

My one meal consist of one soup, vegetables (above) and fried hash brown.  The soup was Gingseng herbal soup, cooked in slow cooker.  The vegetable I need to wash and cut.  Then I put them in the bowl.  Add oil and oyster sauce to it.  Then put inside the microwave oven to cook for 3 minutes.  After that, take it out and stir/mix it with a spoon. 

So that is Baby Xiao Bai Cai done.  I had some left over scallops in the fridge.  I defrost it and put them in the microwave oven to cooked for about 4 minutes.  After that, I drained away the liquid.  Next, add them into the vegetable.  Mix it well, so that the scallops will have the oyster sauce coated.  End result is good.  Tasty vegetable and tasty scallops.  

Advantage of cooking vegetable using microwave oven is that there won't be oil splashing onto the kitchen surfaces.  It is just so easy and convenient to use the microwave oven to cook vegetable in this way.  

Buy Me Tea

Bus Ride

 

Photograph taken while riding the bus

It's not easy to earn money.  That day I worked 4hrs, I only earn $16.37.  In another instance, I worked 4 hrs, earn $21.34, but discovered that I had not collected cash from the customer.  The meal cost $11.79, end up, I earned only $9.55 for 4hrs!  So this time I took bus 187 to my mum house and coming back home, I took bus 187 again.  It cost $1.64 (total $3.28) to and fro trip.  It is much easier taking bus than taking a cab.

In the 90s and early 2000s, when I push the pram, I had to keep the pram then can board the bus.  Even though the pram can be carried aboard, the bus driver insisted that we should fold the pram and kept it.  If you did not keep the pram, you cannot board the bus.  Nowadays, having a trolley or a pram is much more convenient.  If you are pushing a pram, you just carried the whole pram and board the bus, just like that, no need to fold the pram.  It is so convenient now.  

As I was walking to the bus stop, bus 187 went away.  I had to wait for the next bus.  The weather was very hot.  I was perspiring.  I waited for 10-15minutes and the next bus came.  Now I was so grateful that the bus was air-conditioned.  In the 90s, most bus was not air-conditioned.  I had my bus pass, but I have to pay extra 20 cents if the bus happened to be air-conditioned.  Nowadays, all the buses are air-conditioned.  How lucky we are now.  

Earlier on, I took the feeder bus 911.  The bus driver was so polite too.  He greeted passengers "Good morning", and he waited for customers to board the bus patiently.  I had also encountered some more bus drivers who were so patient, waiting for passengers to board the bus when the passengers were some distance from the bus stop.  They just waited patiently.  More bus drivers are like that now.  In the past, bus drivers were not so patient.  They won't even care whether you were trying to catch up with the bus.  They just won't wait for you.  Nowadays, there are just more friendly and patient bus drivers. Thumbs up! 

Buy Me Tea

Vaccination

 

Photograph showing what I got from vaccination centre yesterday

My left arm hurts today.  Last night, it hurts as I was sleeping.  Yesterday I had my Moderna covid-19 vaccination at Woodlands Community Club.  I had booked for 4pm appointment.  I arrived there at 3.54pm and there was no queue.  Just one person in front of me.  

They checked my message and IC then I was allowed to go into the vaccination centre.  Upon entry, they passed me a bottle of water and a green booklet as shown in the picture above.  There were four stations: registration, vaccination, observation and discharge stations.  At registration they will ask me about my medical stuff and after that, I went straight for vaccination.  

It was a long time since my last vaccination or injection.  It's more than 30 years since I had any injection!  Before injection, they showed me how to manage the side effects first (as shown in the green booklet).  I was scared, and did not look at the injection.  At the point of injection, I felt pain, stinking pain and after a while it was done, in seconds.  

After that I was told to sit at the observation station for 30minutes.  If I needed help, I just had to raise my hands.  I was allowed to go toilet too.  So I sat there for 30minutes.  When the time was up, I was called to the discharge stations.  I passed them the sticker and they gave me a piece of paper for next appointment next month.  Then they passed me a bag containing mask and hand sanitizer. 

It was raining when I went vaccination.  After the vaccination, it was still raining.  Back at home, I opened up the box of mask and I like the mask.  They were very soft and comfortable to put on.  My mother had her vaccination at Hong Kah North Community Club, and they did not have any gifts.  

Buy Me Tea

Door to Heaven

Photograph showing the Risen Christ at Church of St Mary of the Angels

It was not raining.  The sky was bright.  I was going to post about my vaccination yesterday.  Before that, I was reading email.  I came to the bulletin of Church of St Anthony of Padua.  As I was looking at the message below:

 The door to heaven and key to paradise is through the cross

The centrality of the Gospel message is the cross - but fortunately it does not stop there. Through the cross Jesus defeated our enemies - death and Satan and won pardon for our sins. His cross is the door to heaven and the key to paradise. The way to glory is through the cross. When the disciples saw the risen Lord they disbelieved for joy! How can death lead to life, the cross to victory? Jesus shows us the way and he gives us the power to overcome sin and despair, and everything else that would stand in the way of his love and truth. Just as the first disciples were commissioned to bring the good news of salvation to all the nations, so, we, too, are called to be witnesses of the resurrection of Jesus Christ to all who live on the face of the earth. Do you witness the joy of the Gospel to those around you?

Source: www.dailyscripture.net, author Don Schwager 

This week is the third week of Easter.  The Scripture in the bulletin is from Luke 24:35-48:

Then they told what had happened on the road, and how he was known to them in the breaking of the bread. As they were saying this, Jesus himself stood among them. But they were startled and frightened, and supposed that they saw a spirit. And he said to them, "Why are you troubled, and why do questionings rise in your hearts? See my hands and my feet, that it is I myself; handle me, and see; for a spirit has not flesh and bones as you see that I have." And while they still disbelieved for joy, and wondered, he said to them, "Have you anything here to eat?" They gave him a piece of broiled fish, and he took it and ate before them. Then he said to them, "These are my words which I spoke to you, while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the prophets and the psalms must be fulfilled." Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, and said to them, "Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be preached in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things.

Photograph showing my second uncle, died on 28 February 2021

There was a loud thunder just as I was reading the passage Door to Heaven.  The electricity tripped.  Everyone was so surprised.  There was no rain at all.  Until now, the sky was fine, no rain until now.  And no more thunder now as I was typing the post.  

Today is the 81th day my father had passed on.  I myself was 'resurrected', I experienced it.  Is this a sign to tell me that father is really in heaven now?  I am sure he is, for he is such a kind and generous person.  

My second uncle was not so fortunate.  He had a sudden death and died in the ambulance.  There was no last prayer, no anointing of the sick.  His cause of death was coronary artery disease.  I helped him to call a priest to offer him prayer and was able to notify the priest at Church of St Anthony to go there one evening, on the Thursday night.  Our Lord is merciful.  I am sure uncle Anthony will be in heaven too.  

Buy Me Tea

Dora's Pets

 

Photograph showing Dora looking at the terrapins

                                        Photograph showing Dora lying beside the terrapins

Just like human beings needed a pet to entertain them at home, Dora also has her own pets.  Her pets are the two little terrapins.  She always laid beside the tank to look at the terrapins.  Sometimes she would even touch them and at times also drink their water.  

Photograph of Dora and the terrapins

It is so good to see the pets are living well and Dora showing affection to the terrapins.  Sometimes she would also sit on the chair to watch the terrapins.  

Buy Me Tea

Broken Easter

 

Photograph showing the broken sunbird's egg 

The wind was so strong, it started to rain also.  Isaac and me went out to the corridor garden to check on the sunbird's egg.  It was there.  But later on, it was gone.  How can it be?  Then later the idea of being dropped out came to my mind.  Then we began to look around.  Finally I saw the egg in the pot, broken.  Isaac said it must be the wind.  Then he acted it out, holding the nest, swinging it like the wind did it, and it fell off from the nest.  

Photograph showing the cracked sunbird's egg

The egg of the sunbird is just like the chicken egg, with orange egg yolk inside it, the only difference is the delicate shell and the size.  The sunbird's egg is very small, just about 1cm in length.  

Everyday I check the nest and there were no more eggs.  What a pity and sad thing to have lost the only egg on Easter Sunday.  

Photograph showing the empty tomb of Christ at Church of St Mary of the Angels

A Prayer stood beside the tomb:  Lord, I stand before the tomb, confronted by fear, loss, grief and even death.  As I face the uncertainties of the future -- I put my trust in the hands of the Father as you did yours and carry my cross in love.  Give me the grace to trust and act that everything will fall in place in your perfect time.  

May you, O Risen Christ, who have always been faithful to me, walk with me along my journeys.  Open the scriptures and nourish me with sacrament of your presence -- that you will see me through the Good Friday's of my life and with your Holy Spirit give me the grace to enter the tomb and believe.  Amen.  

It's a different Easter this year.  Father was gone and so our family was one lacking.  However, now our family book for mass to attend.  After mass, we will meet for breakfast and this small gathering of course is so precious.  

Buy Me Tea

Gojek or Grab

 

Photograph showing my mother's bag trolley

Recently, for a month already, my hands are pain at the elbow.  Both hands cannot lift heavy weights.  Simple light weight will experience pain also -- sweeping the floor, taking a cup to drink water will also be painful.  I went to see doctor twice already.  The first doctor said if after two weeks still pain, go back to see doctor.  Went back second time to see doctor and this time I was told that there was no cure.  It is part of aging he said.  The doctor told me to do exercise.  Then he showed me what sort of exercise to do.  

So I went to my mother's house on 4 April 2021, Sunday.  As usual, she gave me lots of things.  I had to call taxi to go home.  I tried Gojek before as it was cheaper.  On that day, again I checked both Gojek and Grab to see which was cheaper.  Going to Woodlands from Bukit Batok would cost about $16 from Gojek and a three dollars more, that is about $19 if going back taking Grab.  So I definitely chose the cheaper one, Gojek.  

Actually I did not want to take the trolley bag, because I still need to carry the whole bag when boarding the cab, but my mother insisted.  So I pulled the trolley bag, went to the lift and waited at the shelter linkway for the cab to be here.  When I reached downstairs, the car was there already.  I asked the driver if I should put the bag in front or behind.  He instructed me to put behind.  I pulled the bag to the back.  I had difficulty lifting the bag.  So I knocked the bag against the car, but not heavy knock, but sort of gliding sound can be heard.  The car owner came down and he said angrily, "Be careful of my car, spoil you have to pay!"  He saw me struggling to put the trolley into the car.  Eventually he helped after saying those words and so angry, he 'flung' and threw the bag into the car boot.  

How would you feel if you were me.  I never said anything.  In the car, he again said, "If my car spoil, you have to pay!"  He spoke in Chinese.  Then he even said, "I only own a few dollars!"  I told my mother later.  She said, "What about your things?  He threw the bag and what if the food and things were spoiled too?"  

So I definitely did not have a good ride this time.  Second time on Gojek.  The first time I took Gojek was a woman driver.  She was a very careful driver, and I had a pleasant ride.  This time, I did not have a pleasant ride.  I was not feeling good of course.  Then I began to think of how people would treat you if you are being quiet always.  How my husband left me and how people treated me.  It was not a good experience.  I don't know how to describe my feelings.  

So throughout the journey I was quiet and bottled up all my feelings.  I thought of last time in the newspaper how Quan YiFong had similar experience.  The taxi driver never helped to take her luggage and she had a fuss over it as well.  So I was thinking, whose job is it when customer have trolleys and luggage to take along.  Do customers have to put them in the car boot or is it the driver's job to help out?  I think it is better for the authority to train and advise on the driver and public so that it will be clear to everybody.  Since we are paying for the service, the car ride, the drivers should help us and not sit in the car waiting for customer to do all the work.  And there should be clear knowledge on what if the taxi driver spoil our things as well, and not only if we spoil their car!

Should I take Gojek in future again?  For a three dollar difference, is it worth it to take Gojek?  I had taken countless trips on Grab and all went well.  Most of the drivers were so friendly and polite.  They would greet you and so far I had pleasant journeys.  

Buy Me Tea

Happy Easter Day

 

Happy Easter! 

The sunbird came to lay eggs!  What a perfect timing!

On the 25 March 2021 I discovered some fibre strands hanging on the star Jasmine plant.  I immediately thought of the sunbirds.  They were here last year, the same spots.  Now they are coming again.  I was so happy and elated.  

As written by Christopher Hails, the olive-backed sunbird (Nectarinia jugularis) is the most common of our sunbirds here in Singapore.  And I can see that the sunbird from the video looks almost like those shown in the book.  It says that the nest is often placed low down in bushes and trees and sometimes on verandas too.  The nest is the usual pendant form, with an overhanging porch at the entrance and the outside decorated in a wonderful manner with a great variety of lichens, dead leaves, seed cases, and even caterpillar frass.  Well, you can really see from the nest that the birds are so clever.  They used so much of 'rubbish' materials to build their nest -- dried rain tree flowers, coconut husks, barks, feathers, furs, hairs, and much more.  And they are so smart, having a circular entrance and lining the interior with superior fine white strands of 'fur'.  

On the night of 1 April 2021, I heard so many birds chirping outside the house.  It was so happy occasion for them.  In the morning, I discovered the egg.  The birds celebrate their happy occasion too!  

Buy Me Tea

Christ's cloak

 

A Christ's cloak plant taken on 1 April 2021

Life is so funny.  When you focus only on one thing, that thing will not turn out well at times.  But when you don't focus on that thing, it turned out that that thing will turn out well at times mostly.  Just like Mirabilis jalapa or Marvel of Peru.  When I started to plant it in the beginning, I keep waiting for flowers, wondering what kind of flowers or plant it would be like.  Since I only know that it is white, from my second uncle.  

Soon I was tired of waiting and watching it day after day.  I just leave it alone, just do my job of watering it everyday.  And one day I found buds!  I was so happy.  So for Christ's cloak, I did not expect anything.  I scatter the seeds and I even forgot that I had scattered any seeds.  I did not even count the days where it started to grow.  

I have two pots of Christ's cloak.  One is as shown above, just a plant, from a seed.  Another pot, several plants, from various seeds.  Some other name of Christ's cloak are Globe amaranth, Bachelor's button, Makhmali and Vadamlli.  Its scientific name is Gomphrena globosa.

Photograph showing some Christ's cloak growing from a pot

The above photograph shows another pot of Christ's cloak.  This is a much smaller pot with more plants growing in it.  The plants in this pot looked overcrowding at first and it was not that nice.  However one day, I saw buds growing and the plants suddenly look so nice to me.  That was so unexpected.  

Photograph of Christ's cloak taken on 1 March 2021

This is just so amazing.  From one seed, you can get such a bushy Christ's cloak and from many seeds, you can get a small pot of many plants, but able to flowers too with small plants.  My father loved this plant too.  

Buy Me Tea

Marvel of Peru

 

Marvel of Peru or False jalap or 4 o'clock flower

Mother gave me 5-8 seeds.  They were given by second uncle, my father's brother.  However he died on 28 February 2021, the last day of February.  When father was in hospital, he came to visit him.  When father was dead, he went to the wake.  On the last day, the funeral, he came also.  When father was sick, he brought the root of the above plant, to be boiled with meat. He said it will improve my father's kidney.  So I planted the seeds.  It took about 8 months for the flowers to bloom.  

Everyday I check the plant.  The first plant was grown to a very large size.  As it was quite hindering the passageway, I trim it, thinking that it will grow after that.  But I was wrong.  It did not grow after that.  So I throw away the whole plant later.  The smaller plant that was blocked initially by this plant was 'revealed' now.  This is the current plant as shown in the photograph above now.  Given enough sunlight and water, it has flourished so much.  

Everytime I water the plants, I see that the white flowers are not opened.  However, when I see them at night, the white flowers open more at night.  Recently I downloaded this app, known as Picture this, and it has helped to identify this plant as Four o'clock flower, Mirabilis jalapa, also known as Marvel of peru or False jalap.  

 Photograph of Marvel of Peru taken at 8.30pm on 1 April 2021

The photograph above shows what I saw mostly at night when I water the plants.  The Picture this app is very good.  It tells me information about this plant.  So this plant is a perennial, herbaceous plant cultivated for ornamental purposes.  It said that the bloom time, the flowers are closed most of the day and open between 4 and 8 o'clock.  Thus the given name of 4 o'clock flowers.  However, in Singapore, it is not so.  

Photograph of Marvel of Peru, Mirabilis jalapa taken on 3 April 2021 at 00.31am

Last night, I saw the Marvel of Peru opened fully at past midnight, 00.31am!  This was the first time I saw it fully opened.  Nice view!  Praise the Lord!

Buy Me Tea