April 19th, 2008

Neoguri screams like piping water boiler!

Posted in Free flow, Urban Scene by xina

typhoon1.jpg Neoguri is approaching!

Squalls get increasingly agitated after dusk. My apartment gets windows on three sides, and I can feel the wrath of Neoguri even though all windows are securely fastened. With both signal 3 and black storm warning in force, winds scream like a piping water boiler ! Shadows of trees, which get magnified by street lamps, dance like crazy in the storm. Strange sounds begin to appear…

  • a frightened insect sneaks in before windows are fastened. While disoriented, the tiny creature generates a disproportionally loud flapping sound …
  • angry winds bang themselves against the buildings…
  • sirens from squad car, fire engine or ambulance? …
  • imagined monster howl used to intimidate children…

Incited by hot-tempered La Niña, Tropical Cyclone Neoguri is the earliest typhoon of the season disembarking South China since the founding of new China in 1949!

April 10th, 2008

Telepathy with plants

Posted in Green Snapshots by xina


click to see more green snapshots taken during hiking in HK…

When i put my hand onto a plant or tree, we exchange our mind atoms…

Mind atoms are what constituting “self”.

We think “self” is “myself”, but it’s not… it’s just a collection of mind atoms attracted to each other.

They got loosened in dreams, or whenever they want to join another pool of mind atoms.

Some of my atoms are too tired walking around and find a peaceful shelter joining the tree… whereas some atoms may get bored staying inside tree and attach to me through telepathy…

sometimes i feel a bit dizzy after telepathy with plants… maybe the atoms have been staying immobile too long with trees and lose their balance walking around again?

sometimes we don’t exchange atoms, just telepathy, and we exchange memories, perspectives, and feelings… I get dizzy afterwards too, as my atoms getting more tree-like now. If some tree atoms attached to me, i will know… as i will be getting more inquisitive but less aggressive, more peaceful but less pessimistic…

i like going to the mountain, it’s like going home…

January 25th, 2008

Green Curry Veggie Pot

Posted in plant based diet by xina

I like green curry vegetables very much. But restaurants only prepare the dish with limited variety of vegetables; it’d better cook it myself. With fresh ingredients and seasoning easily available from market, making a good pot of green curry veggies is really easy! I pick what is available and choose as many colors as possible:

Pumpkin
Celery
Onion
Carrot
Hard Tofu
Tomatoes
Sweet beans
Cabbage
Chestnuts
Broccoli
Sweet potatoes
Green curry
Coconut milk

Cut all the ingredients in bite size. Don’t peel the skin of pumpkin and sweet potatoes, which is very nutritious. Skin of chestnuts can be easily removed by pan frying them dry (no oil, no water, but keep stirring). Skin will come off when you hear the sizzling sound. You can easily rub them off when they are not too hot. The veggie shopkeeper taught me this clever method! I bought the ingredients on Third Street in western district near the Sai Ying Pun Market. Lady from the Jan Kee New Territories Veggie store told me proudly that her veggies are fresher and better — I can verify her claim :P

Tofu comes from a very old shop named “Kwan Hing Kee” which is also a grocery store. Established in 1928, their tofu is filled with the aroma of soya beans, which is rare nowadays! Their hard tofu is good for barbecue too.

After heating the wok/pan on high fire, just add little oil (you can add water and lower the fire to avoid burnt), then add onions or garlics to enhance aroma. Then add your veggie bits and stir fry for a while. Mix the green curry paste (50g) with a bowl/cup of water, pour into the pan and keep the pot frying for 15-20 minutes. Close the lid to avoid the source getting dry up.

Take a look at my beautiful veggies in cooking:

When it’s almost done, add coconut milk, and cook open lid briefly until the source is well blender. It’s delicious to eat with red rice, especially mine are carried all the long way from Guangxi in my last filming trip. My red rice comes from the duck rice field of a CSA (community supported agriculture) project started by Farmers’ Friend Co-op. My luggage got so heavy together with all other work equipments!

Green curry veggie with red rice, yummy!

January 21st, 2008

Shum Chung Photo Map

Posted in Green Snapshots, hiking by xina

I’ve mapped the photos taken in Shum Chung on GoogleMap ( view larger map ):


View Larger Map

January 20th, 2008

Such a perfect day!

Posted in Uncategorized by xina

I visited Sham Chung with a geological team last Sunday. The charming scenery and the abandoned Hakka village are phenomenal! What a pity that we’ve just got around 2 hours there. Days after the visit I always thinking of going back…

And I succeeded to convince 3 friends to go with me today!

Sun Hung Kai Properties is planning to partner with Banyan Tree to build a Spa Resort there. If so, can we still enjoy the present simplicity and tranquillity? Will the waters be so crystal clear? Will the rustic Hakka relics be preserved?

Will these photos be history like the Queen Pier? ( if you can’t see the flickr slide show below, please visit my photo gallery here).

January 18th, 2008

Store War!

Posted in Farming, Free flow, plant based diet by xina

Just remember a very funny video “Grocery Story War” viewed 2 years ago when I am organizing my vegetarian info recently. Adapted from “StarWar,” this short video starring fresh food from organic farm! MAY THE FARM BE WITH YOU!

Also take a look at the Store War Website and meet the puppets and see what behind the scenes!

December 27th, 2007

Jane Siberry

Posted in music by xina

Jane, from Canada, is one of my favorite artists. I first came across her music — “Calling all angels,” when I listened to the soundtrack “Until the End of the World” (a film by Wim Wenders). Her lyrics and melodies float like an inner voice whispering to you…

Here are some of my top picks:

1. Above the treeline lyrics
2. Calling all angels lyrics
3. The sky is so blue lyrics
4. The gospel according to darkness lyrics
5. Lavender blue lyrics
6. Mimi on the beach lyrics
7. How beautiful are the feet lyrics
8. Slow tango lyrics
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There’s no new CD release in recent years, but doesn’t mean she’d stopped composing. There’s no disk publishing to minimize plastic waste (given me extra reason to be her fans!) Jane only publishes her music through her website Sheeba. I visited her online store recently and surprisingly found that she offers an option “a gift from Jane”! Really appreciate her pure passion for music!

Jane's artwork2 years ago, with quiet determination, Jane rid herself of just about all of her worldly possessions — her house, jewelry, books, clothing, even her instruments and music, including boxes of master tapes and hours of raw concert footage, all gone primarily through a house content sale held in Toronto and an online auction.

Now with just a suitcase, Jane/Issa is still on her music tour with no definite itinerary. For Siberry, who is now 52, “lightness” is far from “unbearable,” but a prerequisite to the land of freedom and possibility!

Not yet light enough, I can only escape reality once a while with her music…

December 13th, 2007

Customize your desktop!

Posted in Free flow, Green Snapshots by xina

I like to place my desktop icons freely. To cheer myself up in the mid of boring desktop work, I’ve created 4 scenes with my photos. Feel free to download and use!

Ladakh flowers: download desktop background and icons zip folder

Jellyfish fleet… download desktop background and icons zip folder

Lily pond: download desktop background and icons zip folder

lily pond

close up

Farm background: download desktop background and icons zip folder

farm

close up