Life is like making cinnamon and raisin bun

肉桂提子卷

在Newfoundland的時候，在旅伴Anne-Marie提議下第一次焗肉桂提子卷。她初次試整，我在旁幫忙，最後卻似模似樣很好吃。之後與她Couch-surfing，我們心雄了，對很好人的屋主Michael拍心口說，要整這個我們的拿手甜點給他吃，嘿嘿嘿，是最好的，無敵的啊！好在那次沒有丟架，是更加好味。從他的焗爐新鮮出爐，當然他也同意是最好。

翌年獨個在法國時，想再encore肉桂提子卷，這次卻製出石頭肉桂卷，半點也不發大，好不慚愧。但是永不浪費食物的朋友Gaillaume替我啃了半打，還說都不錯吖只是硬了點之類，最後替我包好另外3個石頭，送我到火車站，坐火車去巴黎接父母。

在幾小時沉悶的車程中，那3個石頭變得好吃了一點，或者也因為多了點人情味和回憶等。

肉桂提子卷的回憶，曾經是石頭。今次終於做好了，像樣而且好味。

再下一次可能又成石頭。

Life is like making cinnamon and raisin bun, you will never know if it is a bun or a stone. Enjoy it when it is warm and soft.

Eternal Sunshine

This is what I remember about Hong Kong from Montreal

陳頌珉

他午飯時，興致勃勃的從廚房叫我去看。
原來是大師傅要表現拋鑊。

見他挺有雅慶，我就馬上叫他等等，取來相機拍下拋功。
嚇得懶洋洋的狗也從梳化跳下來，以為廚房發生了甚麼大事。

他為了拍片，重新將個米粉拋一次。
我現在知他怎麼常叫膊頭痛了。

晚上他看亞視的懷舊台，播起1978年的一套叫《巨星》的劇集。
他看到王偉，還有董鏢，還有張瑛。
他說全部都死晒。

但他很高興地說，他來香港後，翌日就去了看戲，看了張瑛主演的《蕭月白正傳》。
很高興除了因為去看戲，還因為是由鄉里帶他到另一鄉里開的戲院，所以不用錢入場。

我上網找《蕭月白正傳》，是1955年的作品。
「仲有白雪仙喎！」我說。

「係呀，白雪仙個老豆就冇錢，於是就同張瑛借錢。」
這就是他對這部片的印象，他說其他的不記得了。但猛說好好看。

那個只有18歲的陳頌珉，應該是第一次看電影。

我第一次看電影是看甚麼電影呢？印象中應該是黃百鳴的開心鬼系列賀歲電影。我也是沒有買票入場的，因為我一直以搏大霧的方式，不買車票、不買戲票、做第六位的士乘客，直至小學畢業。

都盡是些記憶。

感動

她是個愛抱怨的人，怨小鬼累得她半死，怨整麵包失敗，怨福爾摩斯最新一季點點點。在FB，在朋友面前都是怨。但其實她只是愛口中碎碎唸，實際上並非負能量。

今晚她如常在FB抱怨，第一個回應是「因為有妳在，我覺得我不是。」

驟眼看是朋友之間的互相訕笑話，但看真點，那是她老公。

就是那個與她一同被小鬼弄到筋疲力盡、看著她的麵包又炒粉、每日聽著她抱怨的那個人。

他這句「我覺得我不是」，是我看過最有趣又最感人的夫婦體諒話。

我想她今晚看完，至少今晚應無甚麼好怨了吧。

不過我肯定她又會怨別的。

他們真的在島嶼寫作

台灣的女人都很惡

台灣的女人都...很惡，雖然問路時都肯回應，但臉往往是黑的。

問路時
「請問怎樣坐公車去逢甲夜市呢？」
「...你們怎麼不坐出租車？」
「我們想試試坐巴士。」
「...我不太清楚。」

早上碰到鄰居大媽時
「你們吸煙嗎？」
「不。」
「別把煙頭亂丟啊。」

片面的我，覺得台灣男人，溫柔多了。

出租車司機在下雨時
「來！讓叔叔給你打傘。」(明明才幾步路就到車子，卻逐個獲千金小姐式對待，打著傘被領到車門)

年輕的房東向我們介紹台中時
「這是我的弟弟(指向阿旭)。」
「嗨！你好，弟弟！」

與不起錶的出租車司機理論時
「可以起錶嗎？」
「我算你100塊就可以。」
「我們要起錶計算。」
「那我算你們90塊吧，反正去那兒就是90塊。」
「那我們不坐了。」(開車門離去)
「...(沒有作聲)...」
(其實按錶計，車資是85元)

台灣的男人，不怕肉麻，自嘲的笑話一籮籮，卻從不挖苦別人，不論老的嫩的，文的武的，好像都有那個陳昇的因子。即使是最壞的那個的士司機，原來要騙的，也不過是區區15元，就是4蚊雞港紙。我們原則大過天的遊客下車時，他也沒有咒我們死八婆。

我知那是偏見。台灣女人就是比較爽朗，並不是真的惡。而且我們這批強裝小女生賣相的遊客，台灣男人當然也客氣一點。

香港男人若可以學下，一定會讓女性心花怒放。

Happy Birthday to you~

Oh~la~la，戴個墨鏡、不苟言笑，很交戲。

Let's fold some paper offerings!

Master Chan

Here comes the apprentice

Saturday morning in Chan's family

Mr. Chan is busy tidying up the washing basin he installed last week. This project was inspired by his visit to Russia last month, "they have big basins!" He exclaimed. A classic handy man, Mr. Chan remembers more the Russian basins than the iconic onion head churches.

Mrs. Chan is busy preparing the paper offerings for tomorrow night. Every seventh month in Chinese calender, the gate from the hell will open and all ghosts will have one month free pass to the earth. It is a month to deliver things to passed away relatives and to show your care to any homeless ghosts. We can offer them some daily necessities by a burning ceremony at night. And that includes...

Package for homeless ghosts on the street

1 Fabrics /clothings to goddess Kun Yin觀音衣

2 Candles and incencse to gods and ghosts 

3 gold and silver and coins 金銀

4 Packing base 元寶

5 license for the homeless ghosts with spells printed (my mum cannot tell what is that for, but she knows that is not for relatives but "outsiders")執照

6 fabrics / clothings of different colours and texture for hot and cold season

7 White paper to notify and attract ghosts about your offerings (溪錢)

8 passes to go to next life, with spells printed (往生錢）

Sounds complicated, but very considerate too. A package for homesless ghosts cost $30 HKD, and there are other package for relatives and gods, with passport, flight and ship tickets, bank book etc, more luxurious of course. They are your family aren't they? 

Miss Chan is still on her bed, sleeping in free style, echoing by Milly.

Milly got up from her morning break

Another Ms. Chan then goes back to her dull job.

文青跑步去台中之旅

何記文提議，就著下月的旅行要寫點遊記。

陳記鏇很感興趣，說不如大家訂個題目，各自作文。

何記文馬上說，那題目就定為「文青跑步去台中之旅」。

陳記船說，「文青」二字有待商榷。

何記文說，那可以改為「文中」。

黃記慧這時忽然加入，說「不文中」會更加貼切。

她們不是要跑去台中，她們也不知是文青文中還是不文中還是不文不中，但她們反正已把旅行作為這廿多日工作的原動力。而她們是會帶跑鞋去的。

到時除了facebook過於頻密地po相之外，究竟會有幾多隻字創作？

蒲崗村道公園

蒲崗村道公園

跨過　那條流著管理員小便的斜坡
我來到熟悉的跑道
轉呀轉呀
一個個圈地跑

明月躲到山後
藍黑色的天空中
只有被映照得亮光光的雲
和飛鵝山上的幾盞紅色霧燈

心中湧上隨意但每次不同的旋律或節奏
雙腿自動啟動
沉浸在大小有無的思緒中
跑步就是入定
偶然在被越過後
味覺受到汗臭刺激
然後赫然自問
是第六還是第七？
還是只跑了五個圈？

小狗在草地上閒逛
一身黑白
活像瑞士乳牛
活在走馬燈中心
但願牠永遠長不大

Chef Chan

I was to prepare 6 dishes for video making purpose. 

So this whole week, I bought 3 sets of ingredients, cook each dish twice. 

I have no idea whatsoever about what to prepare for cooking video taking. Shall I chop the carrots before hand or shall I show the original carrot? Or shall I prepare 1 complete carrot and also a bowl of chopped carrots?

From carrots to chicken, from rice to red bean, from cooking utensils to other decoration props, I was completely exhaused, let's not mentioned the result or the process.

Let's look at my trial dishes. (Most of) them are delicious! 

Japanese vege curry inside a bread 

Shitaki and chicken rice

preserved eggs, dried oysters and lean pork congee

Thomas Keller easy roast chicken

green tea steam cake with red bean (i forogt butter!)

Apple cinnamon danish braid

steam ginger flavor egg white and milk

(i forgot to add sugar!)

To Market

Manman and I were selling things in Mapopo Market today. My first selling experience started with a quiet day, but it was fun to know other sellers. I like it, but I will definitely like it more if I have more customers :)

I made some coasters and placemats. Manman was selling some vintage Shanghai products. This is the poster of her shop. Cool eh?

I got 3 business from 11am to 5pm and I got $75. Manman got $400. 

Looking at other stalls' performances, we knew we were NOT the worst.

A woman made many zip pouches and tote bags for sale. She had good skills but she used not very beautiful fabrics. She said she wishes to buy a high tech Singer sewing machine in 5 years, with the profit of selling her stuff. But she didn't make any sales today.

Another woman making delicious jelly cakes with red bean, green bean, water chestnut and black sesame. she also made some cranberry cookies. She was a very relaxed person. She said she spent 2 nights to prepare all these and she even had to call a mini van to take her to the market with all her products.

I could barely see the cookies when she opened the tin can because she put so-o-o-o many cranberries on each cookie. "You gonna make a loss even you sell them all! Too generous your ingredients!" I told her. But she smiled and said " Never mind."

And so it was a market with a bunch of not-so-talented or unrealistic crafters. They sell not to make money, but to spend time.... zen style.

I became one of them. Or more correctly, I have no choice but to become one of them :)

Mapopo Market, a market for sellers losing their minds.

Playing ukulele to pass the hot afternoon.

不會輸給繁忙

不要因為一句繁忙就放棄運動
不要因為一句繁忙就躺著不動
不要因為一句繁忙就放棄文字

我要保持清醒，把身心平衡的目標維持著。
書讀慢了但是要繼續看，圖書館最多續借五次我知道的。
步跑疏了但是要繼續走，目標是連鰂魚涌公園也要跑過夠。
blog打少了但是要繼續發，即使只有那麼三個朋友看。
友見少了但是要繼續交，人生苦短誰知明天我或他她它會先死去。
要做的事，就是再忙都要做。六四也是，這是再久都不會放下的。

Some Hong Kong Musicians

Hong Kong is proud to have many famous musicians. Let's listen to a few of them.

Some jazz amateurs

A violin prodigy with his many fans

Wild Life collection II

Ours polaire

Grenouille

The frog looks very scary and did not match witht the rest of the animals, but I found the effect very stunning and very "frog", although I would not want to use this placemat even myself @_@

Renard

And so I sew

I have a big bag of fabrics at home, from Shamshuipo, wanchai, sheungwan; from old clothes, from friends. So I used them to sew some placemats. I call this one the Wild Life Collection, what do you think about that?

Hibou

Baleine

Orignal

Inside cat shelter

April 10, 2014

My last visit to the cat shelter was welcomed by some chubby buddies.

Boris Vian à Saguenay

PASS

I am in the sky now!! I passed! Thanks to Gervais, he has been so patient with my "real life practice" with him 24/7, along with all his encouragement. Ca m'a fait ni chaud ni froid? Non, ca m'a fait tout! Le bonheur, les larmes du bonheur. xxx!

The two tests I did in Chicago Alliance Francais were DELF B1 and DELF B2, both are of intermediate levels, B2 is more advanced than B1.

The test content is classic; listening, comprehension, writing and oral.

B1 for me is a piece of cake, I have never worried about it. And then I got 85 / 100.

But B2, I knew it would be more difficult and I did find it very difficult on the test day. I was thinking I might at best pass with something like 51/100, because I was lost in the whole listening section. But out of the blue I got 76.5 / 100 for B2.

Bonjour tristesse

Yes the cold weather is tough. But as long as you rub my feet every morning, I feel all warm. Good bye for a while, mon lapin.

如果我和你的單車一起掉進海裡...

The bike season arrives, and so we see a revitalizing Gervais...though a snow mountain on the backdrop can still be seen.

終於脫離零下溫度的日子，除了四周的女孩子都馬上換季，把厚褸厚legging羊毛靴換成薄褸、喱士絲襪和高跟鞋外，這個單車迷也看準每天的天氣報告，往外踩個夠了。

去年我曾經問他我和單車掉到海中的經典問題。豈料他給了我長長的回覆，說第一時間會衡量救人也救單車的可能性。如果不行，就「只好」放棄單車。嘿，真是誠實豆沙包，或許我還得感謝他沒有反問「你識游水個喎」！

Mai 2013

Mon allouette,

velo et velo....ta copine en ete c'est le velo! Je suis jealouse!   Il faut poser la question classique, ton velo et moi tombent a la mer, qui tu vas recuperer?

Ok, j'accede....un des deux rouleau de ton velo et moi tombent a la mer, qui tu vas recuperer?

C'est tout! Je ne me comparerai pas avec ton casque......

Dolly

Mon étudiante,

Tu m'as mis au pied du mur avec tes questions! J'ai pas le choix il faut répondre. S'il advenait par un terrible hasard que j'aie à choisir entre te sauver ou sauver mon vélo s'étant retrouvés à la mer, je suppose que dans les premiers instants j'évaluerais rapidement les possibilités de récupérer les deux, et lorsque la conjoncture m'obligerait à faire le choix sans équivoque, je saurais me résigner à abandonner le vélo. Non vraiment, même si j'adore la bicyclette, cela reste un objet qu'on peut remplacer. Toi tu es irremplaçable, unique. Je n'hésiterais pas, mais attention parce-qu'il y a une limite de poids, sinon tu peux me fair couler avec toi. Peut-être qu'on serait chanceux et qu'on rencontrerait une vieille barque à la dérive...avec un tigre à l'intérieur.!!!

Gervais xxxxxxx

some photos from Chicago

I spent a few days in Chicago in March to do a french exam. They call Chicago the wind city, and it really blows all the time.

Some unexpected residents in the city.

The wind city has its tranquil time: Lake Michigan.