Winter radish, November 2025

Beautiful winter day in Kagawa Prefecture, Japan: 15 degrees, a light breeze, birds singing, and a radish harvest.香川県の冬の良き日。気温15度、穏やかな風に鳥のさえずり、そして大根の収穫。

 

Cook-out with friends from yoga class

Invited some friends from yoga class over for a cook-out. We made miso-based udon noodles with lots of vegetables and a little meat. For dessert, it was Malaysian-style red bean and sweet potato with coconut milk. We had so much fun cooking, eating, and laughing together. Showed them my vegetable garden, harvested a large winter melon, and gave each of them a piece. Also gave them some lemongrass to take home.
ヨガ同好会の友人数名をうちに招いて、屋外で料理を楽しみました。メインは味噌ベースのうどんで、野菜たっぷりに少々のお肉。デザート（マレーシア風）には、小豆とサツマイモ、ココナッツミルクのものを用意しました。一緒に料理をし、食べて、笑って、本当に楽しい時間でした。その後、私の家庭菜園を見せ、大きな冬瓜を収穫して皆に一切れずつ分け、レモングラスもお土産に差し上げました。

Open-air exhibition and talk on 'Beautiful fish' underwater photos

After a clean-up event at Funakakushi Beach, I had the pleasure of conducting an open-air exhibition and talk on the underwater photos of Aji Peninsula, which is located at the northernmost tip of Shikoku Island.  

Felt very happy to be able to share with participants, the beauty of the underwater world at this part of the Seto Inland National Park.

 《「美魚」の青空写真展とトーク 》

庵治なビーチクリーンが主催しました海岸清掃（船隠し）の後、「美魚」の青空写真展とトークを開催させていただきました。

瀬戸内海国立公園、四国最北端の地、庵治半島の海中の世界を皆さんと共有でき、大変嬉しく思います。

（写真は参加者提供です。）

Dried persimmons 干し柿

It takes a bit of effort, but managed to make some this year as well.
Looking forward to tasting them.

手間は少しかかりましたが、今年も作っておきました。
食べるのを楽しみにしています。

First try at pumpkin cake

First attempt at pumpkin cake. Improvised the recipe from online and steamed it in a big pot instead of a Dutch oven. So happy it turned out well!

初挑戦のパンプキンケーキ
ネットのレシピを見て、アドリブで作ってみました。ダッチオーブンの代わりに大きな鍋で蒸し焼きにして、これが結構うまくできて、最高に嬉しい！

Big Wild Goose Pagoda at Xi'an

Third solo trip to China

I am now at Shanghai Pudong International Airport, marking the end of my third solo trip to China. All in all, I was very fortunate to avoid any sickness or accidents, and I must say, as with my previous two solo trips, I thoroughly enjoyed my two-week stay.

The trip began in Shanghai on October 14, 2025. With just a few hours there, I only had time for a quick drink while watching life pass by from my hotel room window.

The next day, I hopped on a high-speed train to Zhenjiang. I spent two nights there, visiting the Grand Canal and the Vinegar Culture Museum. I loved the fragrance of the black vinegar and enjoyed tasting it on-site.

The high-speed train journey from Zhenjiang to Luoyang took over four hours. I had long wanted to visit Luoyang, as it was the capital for thirteen ancient dynasties. I was particularly eager to see the Longmen Grottoes. The rock-cut Buddha figures were truly awe-inspiring; when I first saw the grand central Buddha, I could only stand and gaze, completely awestruck. It's incredible that these figures, carved thousands of years ago, have been so well preserved.

Next was Xi'an, the main destination of this trip. Like its neighbor Luoyang, Xi'an served as the imperial capital for ten ancient dynasties and several regional kingdoms. Mind-boggling, isn't it? I spent five nights there, visiting the Bell Tower, Drum Tower, Muslim Quarter, the Terracotta Army Museum, and the Green Dragon Temple, among others. The ranks of Terracotta Warriors in Pit No. 1 were a truly magnificent sight.

The Green Dragon Temple is where the Japanese monk Kūkai (who hailed from Kagawa Prefecture, where I now reside) studied Buddhism in 804 AD. After finishing his studies, he returned to Japan to establish the Shingon sect and the Shikoku 88 Temple Pilgrimage. This temple is considered the symbolic "Number 0" of the pilgrimage route.

On my return leg, I stopped in Xuzhou, where I spotted a restaurant selling donkey meat from afar. Having already tried a donkey meat burger at a morning market in Luoyang, I approached out of curiosity to look at the menu. To my surprise, they offered donkey in a variety of ways, including one dish featuring the animal's penis and testicles. For dinner that night, I went to a restaurant near my hotel and ordered two vegetable dishes. While eating, I noticed that this restaurant, too, had donkey penis on its menu.

I returned to Shanghai for two final nights. This time, I managed to capture the iconic night view of the Shanghai Oriental Pearl Tower, though the crowds at the Bund were overwhelming.

Throughout the trip, what I enjoyed most was cycling around on Hello Bikes. I found it fascinating to observe the routines and rhythms of everyday life in China. The other great joy, of course, was eating the local food. I made a point of finding shops patronized by locals. With only one exception, I enjoyed every meal throughout the entire trip.

I certainly hope to visit China again—perhaps Guangxi or Yunnan Province will be next.

Back to Blogger!

Looks like I have come a full circle with regards to blogging. 

Put it simply, I started blogging with Blogger in 2004, migrated to Wordpress and fooled around with Weebly. 

On this day, after pondering a while, I decided to return to Blogger. 

After all, I am still a proud Kedahan-Malaysian, and my adventures in Japan continues...