Round the corner

We always make the mistake of not visiting or dropping by to say hellos until it becomes a tad too late. I suppose it is time to make a run to Calgary to connect with friends again. I would need to look up for apartments to rent in Calgary as it would be more convenient to staying in hotels.

It will be a trip much looked forward to as six of my friends from India are now in Canada. Apart from being my guide there will be lots of catching up too.

Will need to do a fair bit of homework here. Need to buy new sets of winter clothings as the old ones were all left in Yushu last year. And not forgetting foodstuff, gifts, toiletries, personal items etc. This will keep me busy for the next few weeks but I am not complaining. I am actually looking forward to it. Calgary here I come!

Baked mushrooms

10 white button mushrooms (choose the large ones)
2 slices ham
Mayonnaise
Mozarella cheese
Pepper n salt
Dash of garlic (chopped)

1. Pull out mushrooms' stems and cut off tip. Chop them into bits. To make more room within the mushroom scrape the side of the mushroom and also chop them into bits together with the stem

2. Chop up ham

3. Fry garlic and when it browns, add in chopped mushroom. Add in pepper and salt. Add in ham and fry for about a minute or two

4. Scoop them into the hollows of the mushroom

5. Add a small teaspoon of mayonnaise on top, then top it with mozarella cheese

6. Bake for 12-15 minutes at 200 degrees (preheat over for 10 minutes)

I differed a little from this original recipe. Instead of ham, I substitued it with egg
Fry garlic, add in mushroom chopped stems. Add pepper and salt. Add in an egg and stir fry it together with the mushroom stem till egg browns a little. Scoop into mushroom hollows, topped wtih mayonnaise and mozarella cheese and bake.
Try it, it's really yummylicious. Got this recipe on TV when I was back in JB a couple of weeks back

A letter from Sendai, Japan

Received this from my good friend, Riza, from the Philippines

A letter from Sendai
Things here in Sendai have been rather surreal. But I am very blessed to have wonderful friends who are helping me a lot. Since my shack is even more worthy of that name, I am now staying at a friend's home. We share supplies like water, food and a kerosene heater. We sleep lined up in one room, eat by candlelight, share stories. It is warm, friendly, and beautiful.

During the day we help each other clean up the mess in our homes. People sit in their cars, looking at news on their navigation screens, or line up to get drinking water when a source is open. If someone has water running in their home, they put out a sign so people can come to fill up their jugs and buckets.

It's utterly amazingly that where I am there has been no looting, no pushing in lines. People leave their front door open, as it is safer when an earthquake strikes. People keep saying, "Oh, this is how it used to be in the old days when everyone helped one another."

Quakes keep coming. Last night they struck about every 15 minutes. Sirens are constant and helicopters pass overhead often.

We got water for a few hours in our homes last night, and now it is for half a day. Electricity came on this afternoon. Gas has not yet come on. But all of this is by area. Some people have these things, others do not. No one has washed for several days. We feel grubby, but there are so much more important concerns than that for us now. I love this peeling away of non-essentials. Living fully on the level of instinct, of intuition, of caring, of what is needed for survival, not just of me, but of the entire group.

There are strange parallel universes happening. Houses a mess in some places, yet then a house with futons or laundry out drying in the sun. People lining up for water and food, and yet a few people out walking their dogs. All happening at the same time.

Other unexpected touches of beauty are first, the silence at night. No cars. No one out on the streets. And the heavens at night are scattered with stars. I usually can see about two, but now the whole sky is filled. The mountains are Sendai are solid and with the crisp air we can see them silhouetted against the sky magnificently.

And the Japanese themselves are so wonderful. I come back to my shack to check on it each day, now to send this e-mail since the electricity is on, and I find food and water left in my entranceway. I have no idea from whom, but it is there. Old men in green hats go from door to door checking to see if everyone is OK. People talk to complete strangers asking if they need help. I see no signs of fear. Resignation, yes, but fear or panic, no.

They tell us we can expect aftershocks, and even other major quakes, for another month or more. And we are getting constant tremors, rolls, shaking, rumbling. I am blessed in that I live in a part of Sendai that is a bit elevated, a bit more solid than other parts. So, so far this area is better off than others. Last night my friend's husband came in from the country, bringing food and water. Blessed again.

Somehow at this time I realize from direct experience that there is indeed an enormous Cosmic evolutionary step that is occurring all over the world right at this moment. And somehow as I experience the events happening now in Japan, I can feel my heart opening very wide. My brother asked me if I felt so small because of all that is happening. I don't. Rather, I feel as part of something happening that much larger than myself. This wave of birthing (worldwide) is hard, and yet magnificent.

Thank you again for your care and Love of me,
With Love in return, to you all, Anne

Being busy in India

Today is my 28th day in India. Life had been a little on the go because of Losar (Tibetan New Year) and with my Tibetan friend’s wedding and also the wedding of the friendly neighbourhood vegetable seller. It was my first time attending a Tibetan and Indian wedding. Also took time off to attend the Graduation Day at the Shedra and yesterday was the start of the 3rd International Gongchig Conference, also at the Shedra. Samdung Rinpoche, the Prime Minister of the Tibetan Government in Exile, graced the occasion. Also had the company of some Malaysian friends (thanks for all the goodies you left behind Hun & Steven) who dropped by for 10 days. Lunches and dinners also were time stealers.

3rd International Gongchig Conference. Samdung Rinpoche arrival

Shedra graduation

Losar with Khenchen Rinpoche

Paldon La's house for lunch. Amarula wine from South Africa

At The Orchard

Losar with Tenzin La and family

Lhamo La's wedding (Tibetan style)

DKI had a tea party for us

Indian wedding

Teachings with Khenchen Rinpoche in his room

Tea with Khenpo Rangdol and family

This year’s spring is as cold as winter in November last year. There were 2 days where the mountains behind the Library were snow capped in the early mornings. Thunder roared and the wind howled. Dorje’s (the Library’s dog) barkings were silenced by the howling wind. Even up to last week we had to keep warm. Now the sun is out. We are enjoying Malaysian weather with cool, crisp wind (like in Cameron Highlands).

Bidding farewell to 6 Canada bound Lamas

Lunch at Lhamo La's house

This trip had been eventful – with all the above happenings plus the opportunity of meeting this little boy who is stricken with polio. I put a post in Facebook seeking sponsorship to get him a walking aid and within minutes a friend took up the full sponsorship (thanks Kong). I also received some contributions for the family to rebuild their house in Ladakh which was washed away during August 2010 mudslide

My new found friend

In another 10 days I will be heading to Amritsar, to the Golden Temple. Then I will be back into the real world – homebound. I look forward to that as I will have lots to catch up with my grandson.

We make a life by what we give

"We make a living by what we get, we make a life by what we give". Sir Winston Churchill.

At the age of three and a half years old, Ryan has lived out the above quotation.

We were travelling back from Johore Bahru to Kuala Lumpur yesterday and as usual Grandma and Grandson had their usual tete a tete. We were on the topic of India and I reminded him of how he wanted to pack me a cup and spoon (he thinks India is a very poor country) to take to India during my last trip. I told him that during the winter months, which can be very cold, some of the children do not even have clothes to wear ...

Grandma : Ryan, do you know that during winter which is very cold, some of the children have no clothes to wear?

Ryan (frowning with his eyebrows pulled together) : Poor thing. Popo, I have a solution!

At this point I thought he would suggest that I take some of his clothes to India to distribute to the children but what came out from him left Mummy and Grandma with opened mouth.

Ryan : I will give them some of my Ang pow (chinese new year money) money. You bring the money to India and give to them. Ask them to use it to buy clothes.

(The usage of words are the exact conversation I had with him. No change of words at all)

Later that night, he knocked on my room door, handed me the money with a big grin. He is like his mummy, ever thoughtful, ever generous, adorable and most lovable. "Everybody Loves Ryan"

Reliving childhood in Los Angeles

Three decades have whizzed by and the experience is just but a memory.

After 3 glorious days at Waikiki Beach, we headed for Los Angeles. Before then I have only heard of Disneyland and Universal Studio. We decided to rent a car and the most economical car then was the Honda Civic. We hit the streets from morning to nightfall - from LA Chinatown to Beverly Hills, the shopping malls.

The next day we hung out at Disneyland, reliving childhood dreams. We were ready to call it a day when we were told that there is a similar set up in LA - the Knotts Berry Farm. We were leaving LA the following day and we did not want to miss out on Knotts so we decided to make a quick run for it.

We had a hurried early dinner, dashed to the car, fished out the map and we were on our way. After about a hundred meters or so we noticed that the car temperature gauge was going up so we pulled the car over to the side. Being ladies and not knowing much about cars, we were like damsels in distress. I can't remember exactly what transpired in those few moments but vaguely remembered someone saying that we have a blown head gasket. And before long we had the Los Angeles auto repair attending to the car.

We had to extend our stay in Los Angeles for another day for us to cover Knotts before journeying on to San Diego.

Learning to bake and cook is fun

This weekend had been very tiring for me. I am taking inventory of all my tupperware goodies (I have boxes and boxes of them) and at the same time trying my hands at baking and the likes of it.

Learning to cook, bake, etc can be fun but at the same time tiring. Not for someone who is past over half a century and one who does not know what is the difference between yeast and baking powder etc. I rely greatly on the net and what you read from the net can be quite uncomprehending, simply because it all seems "french" to me.

Yesterday I tried hand kneading the bread dough and it turned out to be a laugh. It was edible but I would not risk it for fear of indigestion. Today's turn out was a disaster. Next I tried making kaya. Oh! it tastes real good (at least by my standards) but it was a little lumpy though. Anyone who cares to try the kaya, only on one condition. You must say it is good. LOL!

I am not resigning to the fact that I cant cook and stop at it. I will be hammering at it till I get some decent bread and kaya. And I have about less than a month to semi-perfect that.

It is so much fun learning. You are never too old to learn.