One of my favourite words - Harvest!

I've harvested (and eaten) about 20 okra pods so far, but this is certainly my first batch of Kailan (Chinese Kale) grown as organically as possible in long troughs with compost-mixed soil.

I'm wondering why they don't look anything like the Kailan we get from the markets, stems are thinner and leaves are, well, rounder. But a tip from some elders last night - Kailan can be eaten whether big or small, if you don't harvest them soon, the worms will be feasting on them next. So I'm taking them and we will feast on them before we leave for Hong Kong (for a long-awaited holiday) this weekend.

Image captured by Rayzel Lim

Any Progress is better than none

We now have 3 areas that constitute our "home vegetable garden". The first is a Germinating station we set up in a corner of our back porch, where seeds are sown and left to germinate under slightly controlled conditions. The second is the Seedling Toughening Up station for our Basil and and Capsicum plants before they are either transplanted into the open garden or given away. And the third is the little plot of land up the slope behind the house that I sprained my waist to hoe up. This is currently housing some garlic, okra, tarragon, ginger, capsicum, sunflower seeds and our old nursery basil.

There's really a lot to learn. Thankfully, "with the Internet the information is all at my fingertips". I take my hat off to all the home gardeners before the Information Age who got so expert at organic home gardening, through experience and hearing from others. I never thought in my whole life that I'd borrow FIVE books on gardening in one go from the library (and I had to limit myself!).

Some of the most important things I've learnt so far include:
1. Grow your garden on raised beds - Singapore is built on red clay, so beneath the topsoil of a few inches it's just hard clay, which although can be improved over time, is really not good for most plants. Raised beds give your plants more "legroom" to grow.
2. Interplant some ornamental plants with the crop plants - these will help to attract the beneficial birds and insects that will help pollinate the crop plants. Certain species, given the honorific Companion Plants, help to keep pests away as well.
3. Avoid chemical fertilisers and pesticides except as a last resort, and even then, sparingly - using these commercial chemicals will send your plants and soil into a vicious cycle of pests and diseases and degrading quality of soil. Search for organic, natural ways of improving your soil, which will ultimately keep your plants healthier with less effort required on your part. And other ways of repelling pests and extermination.
4. Compost - This is the singularly most effective thing you can do for your plants in terms of nutrition, AND it's very pro-conservation by reducing the amount of waste that goes to landfills. Even in Singapore where I am told ALL household waste gets burnt, there must be SOMETHING left over that the government needs to dump somewhere. Composting also recycles nutrients from organic waste back to Mother Earth, so as we take from the garden, we can give something back.
5. Gardening is a family affair - Kids can garden too! They love sowing seeds, remembering to water each day (too many times in fact), checking on the seeds for germination / plants for flowers, transplanting and getting their hands covered with soil. Plus it's a wonderful, hands on way to teach them about conservation and life. Oooh, so profound.

Tomorrow we will, if the weather permits, begin hoeing up another patch of what passes for a lawn, in preparation for planting watermelons. This is because I've read that watermelon plants are
very aggressive and will take over the entire plot of soil. Same goes for Fennel, so I wonder what would happen if I put the two together in the same plot? *evil grin*
Make hay while the sun shines!

A New Journey Into Unchartered Territory

I've never had green thumbs.

Most plants I tried to grow died out on me and the survivors were usually ragged, as if they had been through a blizzard and were not expecting to see the spring.

However, in my search for organic fruits and vegetables for my family, I've decided to put in a little more work into setting up a mini vegetable garden, which, hopefully, can be truly organic (certification by USDA is not necessary).

There's a lot of research to be done, the first part of it online. I envy those who don't need to read up at all and just DO. Like the Moms of two of my neighbours - they just know how to get started and keep growing. I need to go and read up all I can and hopefully, glean some insight into roots and leaves and all. Perhaps I should go dig up my O and A levels texts (yes, I still have them!).

Raised beds, compost, mulch, fertiliser, tilling, drainage, compaction - too many terms jostling in my mind for attention. I'm thankful to have supportive people around me, but I'll be counting on HL to give me the greatest physical support - chunko out the horrid shingle- and rubble-filled strip of land behind our house! I've actually asked the nursery nearby - Greenology - for a quote to till the area and sort it out. But it's "at least $150, excluding soil", so I guess we have some hard exercise planned for this weekend instead.

I am overjoyed that the okra seeds that were sown in a tiny pot last week have germinated, but they do need to be transplanted SOON so we must get the ground ready for it.

To arms!

Hainanese Chicken Rice

A little vague but it's just for my own reference.

1. Wash and drain rice. Leave to stand for 1/2 hr.

2. Boil water

3. Rub chicken cavity with salt. Stuff in ginger, garlic, scallions.

4. Immerse chook in water in pot. Turn to low heat. Leave 20 min.

5. Take chicken out and plunge into ice water bath for 5-10 min.

6. Pound ginger and garlic. 

7. Fry chook fat/skin. Add rempah, fry till fragrant. Add rice, salt and fry for about 1 min.

8. Add chicken stock to cover and cook. Add pandan leaves.

9. Drain chicken and chop into pieces.

10. Dilute sesame oil and soy sauce with some chicken stock and drizzle over chopped chicken.

On blogging

It's getting hard for me to maintain my blog, partly because I spend a lot of time on Facebook (in addition to my other usual online activities), and partly because I realise I am always lacking in inspiration to blog.

Hence encouraging Rayzel to update HER blog is rather ineffectual on my part. But recently she's learnt that she can make it a nature blog as well. She is interested in biology, and knows how to google for things. So all that's left for her to master is how to sift the important bits from the pages and pages of information that is out there, to arrange and edit them into something sensible and flowing. And, to upload images. Now this has kept her going for a bit, we'll see how things turn out. It helps that she writes everything out in her notebook before actually blogging. Gives her an idea of how long the post is, and whether she needs more info to put in.

She badly needs to improve on her typing skills, but it's nothing that more practice (and not computer games) will not help. I don't believe in going for typing classes really.

Facebook

Upon egging from a couple of good friends, I finally got myself onto Facebook.

The best thing is, I found a lot of old friends, from Secondary school even. Even if we don't message each other much, at least it's easy to see what they're up to.

Originally I thought there was no point in getting a Facebook account because I never login to my Friendster. But now I see the difference - Friendster's dead.

And I am absolutely hooked on Parking Wars! Gotta go check on my cars...

Our Tiger crashed!!!

I never thought this would happen, but it did. Thankfully I seemed to have a premonition about a week before, and backed up most of my important files. However, after the crash, I realised that I'd forgotten quite a number of OTHER important files, argh!

After consulting a few people, we decided to just let it go and reformat the thing. So here I am, trying to catch up on quite a lot of stuff. I was toying with getting a MacBook, but since the eMac is up again, that'll just have to wait (no excuse lah).

HDB 1st appointment

So we have finally reached this stage. Our dream of moving out of here and into our own place (again) is just around the corner!

We expect things to be completed by mid-Oct, after which we will do VERY minor renovations and begin shifting our stuff over before the grand move.

Christmas in the new home, YAY!

Teachers' Day Celebration Performance

The Parent Volunteers of Temasek Primary put up 3 items for this - Line Dance, Skit and Bhangra. I was in the dance items, and it was FUN! I didn't realize how much I missed dancing, from my experiences in church last time and also in uni days. Glad to know I still have my sense of rhythm and ability to remember steps. Figure is a sore spot though.

And this is my first touch with Bhangra, I must say I like it very much. Wearing a Punjabi costume was also a first, very classy! Big thanks to Gina who lent me her $300 suit, I was real afraid I'd tear it or something. Photo coming soon...

They are asking for participation in another Bhangra dance item for the Children's Day celeb, I'm very tempted.

Another baby!

I was awfully glad to hear that Sam, my ex-boss and benefactor, has birthed her fourth child. Time to rejoice my dear! We are all rejoicing with you! Congratulations!

Then God blessed them, and God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply...(attenuated)"
~Genesis 1:28

End of Swimming lessons

We are stopping lessons for Ray. She starts crying whenever she thinks about them, although she was fine at the start, during the earliest phases of breathing, kicking drills. Now that the coach is making her swim in water that is slightly out of her depth, she's very afraid and cries. She cried practically all through her last lesson.

So after talking with her about it, we have decided to stop temporarily and wait till she's either a little taller or has built up her confidence. I'm at my wits' end for now.

House-hunting update

We've found a 5-room flat in Pasir Ris between Loyang Pt and the police station, street 21. Now waiting for the HDB appointment.

Smoke Gets In Your Eyes

It's the Lunar Seventh Month, the 4 weeks of the year when there will be a persistent smell of burning in the air... Thanks to my asthma, this is also the month when I train myself for the Olympic Games event - Breath-holding Till You Get Out Of Range.

This is a hilarious instrumental version by the Muppets (how I miss that show).

Maccha ice cream

We saw this at FairPrice on Monday, in the ice cream section. $6.11
for a box of 6 cups, great taste, value for money!

All clear

PHEW..................

I wonder what happened though.

Day Forty Five

*gulp*

Oh no, I hope not. Give myself one more week before making a trip to the pharmacy.

Crouching Wolf Hidden Pig

I learnt this from the Yang Sisters tonight. LMAO!

Once upon a time there were three little pigs from 峨嵋派，and a big bad wolf from 武当派。One day, the big bad wolf went to find the three little pigs to challenge them to a kungfu fight. The three little pigs said, "Ok, don't waste time. Let's fight."

THE END.

A Story on Generosity

Late one evening, an old woman, dressed in dirty and torn clothes, came to a town. She came first to a rich man's house and knocked on his door. When the door was opened, the old woman asked for some food and drink and a place to rest the night.

"What a dirty old woman!" said the rich man. "We have nothing to give you, for times are hard and what we have we must save for ourselves. Go away, and don't come back."

The old lady begged the rich man to give her some water at least, for she was very tired and thirsty, but the door was slammed shut in her face.

She came next to a poor man's house. When the door was opened, the old woman asked for some food and drink and a place to rest the night.

"Certainly, old mother!" said the poor man. "We do not have much, for we are poor and have five children, but whatever we have you are welcome to take as much as you need."

And so speaking, the poor man and his wife sat the old woman down at the table, set a steaming bowl of food before her, and after dinner, gave her their bed while they shared a room with their children.

The next morning, the poor man and his family woke up to find the old woman gone, but a letter was left on the bed where she had slept. The letter read:

"Where the rich man had much to spare but little heart to give, you had little but gave much. From now on, whatever you do will prosper, and all blessings will be upon your family."

And indeed, from then on, the poor man's harvest was always plentiful, and his family always had enough to eat and plenty to spare. They always made sure to help other folks who were poor or in need, and this included the rich man's family, who had lost their riches overnight and were reduced to begging on the streets.

Questions for discussion
1. Was the rich man generous? Did he give the old woman what she needed? What did he say?
2. Was the poor man like the rich man? Did he give the old woman what she needed or more? What could he have done instead?
3. Is it better to give or to keep everything for yourself? Why?
4. When was the last time you gave something to someone else without asking for anything in return? Give an example.
5. Give an example of how we can give to others who are poor and needy.

SPARKS

I signed up to be a parent volunteer in Ray's school and was assigned to SPARKS (School Parents Are Reinventing Kids' Skills).

SPARKS is a supplementary programme facilitated by PVs for pupils in P1. It happens during the one hour of Contact Time, when the teachers and principal have their weekly meeting.

How SPARKS began
Long long ago (8 years), some parent volunteers were very surprised to find the P1 and P3 children running round and round in the hot sun during contact time. All the teachers were in the meeting and the school was left to only the prefects to keep in order. So they suggested conducting a programme where parent volunteers take charge of the classes and teach them life skills and values through different elements of education.

And so SPARKS was born. VOICE (I'm not sure what it stands for) is the programme for the P3 classes, it is more structured and PVs have to go for some training.

Because I had to look after Ruvie, I couldn't go for SPARKS during the first term. However, I managed to coax him to attend to Nursery at Ray's old kindy, so now I have some free time to do SPARKS. I began in the 2nd term.

It is fun, although at first I got rather overwhelmed when dealing with 6- and 7-year-olds who are as yet unfamiliar with self-discipline and patience. Usually there are 2 PVs attached to a fixed class, but there was one lesson where, due to shortage of staff, I was on my own with my class. I'd almost lost my voice by the end of that SPARKS lesson.

By the end of this term, my class has come to know me better, and I can remember at least half of their names. I think it's got a lot to do with understanding the other party's capabilities and character, and adjusting of expectations. I'm also helping the management team in organising activities for the next term.

I think if schedules permit next year, I will continue to volunteer for SPARKS. It's sad that half of the PVs are volunteering to get their child into the school the next year, and out of the regulars, a few are not-so-regular. Of course, everyone has their commitments, as do I, but I've learnt that having a permanent teacher attached to a class is really more beneficial than changing the teacher at every lesson. Much like caring for a young baby.

Here's to the next term of SPARKS.

Meatballs

I was hunting for a better meatball recipe after my first batch failed (quite some time ago), and after browsing a few on Allrecipes, here's my final. These are absolutely scrumplicious!

Ingredients:
1 kg ground beef (or substitute half pork)
2 cups bread crumbs
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 red onion, finely minced
3 - 4 cloves garlic, finely minced
Salt and pepper to taste
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup water
Butter for frying

Method:
In a large bowl, mix beef, bread crumbs, cheese, onion, garlic, salt and pepper, before adding eggs to incorporate. Add water, mix well. Form meat mixture into balls slightly smaller than golf balls, about 50 balls.
Over med-high heat, melt butter in a wok or frying pan. Brown balls in batches, remove with slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Let cool, then split into batches and store in freezer.
To reheat, set oven to 180 deg C and bake balls 10 - 15min.