Heard over the radio yesterday about a farmer in Kagawa prefecture (that's where I live now) planning to export strawberries to Malaysia...
Shoppers in KL can expect to see this juicy red stuff on the shelves this Friday (tomorrow)...
The commodity comes in packs of 15 strawberries each...
Each pack will set you back by about 3150 yen, almost 100 ringgits...
Quite like eating jewels, eh...
Kagawa prefecture is also quite well known for her square watermelons...
Yes, square... as in not round...
Each square watermelon costs 10000 yen, almost 300 ringgits...
Unlike the strawberries, they are to be treated more as ornaments rather than for the stomach...
So, folks, watch out as you may very well see one of those weird-looking square green melons in your local department store one of these days...
Gardening, Shakuhachi, photography, cooking, fishing, traveling, skin diving, life in Japan, plus of course, news and views of being away from home...
Thursday, January 11, 2007
Sunday, January 07, 2007
MIDNIGHT SCUBA DIVING
Got back yesterday afternoon to a winter-warm 12 degrees...
The timing couldn't have been better...
Soon after we stepped foot into our house, the cold north winds began to howl...
The winds got stronger in the night and it snowed in the morning...
Must say that I had a ball of time this last holiday...
First, I was lucky to be able to celebrate my mother's 86th birthday due to the peculiar lunar calendar that apparently had an extra month last year...
Then, had a bash with my secondary school friends when we got together for our reunion 30 years after we left school...
We were requested by the host to come as 17 year olds, but tried as we did, spring chickens we were no more...
Father Time spared few of us although one or two of us really looked youthful...
On the way back in the car, a nine-year old son of a friend asked if I am into the Shinto religion...
Nope...
Buddhist?
Nope...
Then, why don't you embrace Jesus?
Huh?? * Uncle Lrong feeling vertigo now, as in 'deer in the headlights' *
Now, that is not very appropriate to be asking Uncle Lrong like that, his mother cut in...
But, it is for his own good, the nine year old instantly quipped...
Woah, I thought... kids these days ah...
Luckily (for me), we were just arriving at our hotel...
Changing gears, for the very first time in our lives, we welcomed the incoming year in a dive resort...
We were really lucky that the manager was game to go for a night dive to welcome the New Year... a first experience for us...
The six divers in us descended into the ocean at about 11:45 pm; scuba dived around a little bit, and congratulated each other by shaking hands at the first tick of 2007...
Exhilarating, I'd say...
The timing couldn't have been better...
Soon after we stepped foot into our house, the cold north winds began to howl...
The winds got stronger in the night and it snowed in the morning...
Must say that I had a ball of time this last holiday...
First, I was lucky to be able to celebrate my mother's 86th birthday due to the peculiar lunar calendar that apparently had an extra month last year...
Then, had a bash with my secondary school friends when we got together for our reunion 30 years after we left school...
We were requested by the host to come as 17 year olds, but tried as we did, spring chickens we were no more...
Father Time spared few of us although one or two of us really looked youthful...
On the way back in the car, a nine-year old son of a friend asked if I am into the Shinto religion...
Nope...
Buddhist?
Nope...
Then, why don't you embrace Jesus?
Huh?? * Uncle Lrong feeling vertigo now, as in 'deer in the headlights' *
Now, that is not very appropriate to be asking Uncle Lrong like that, his mother cut in...
But, it is for his own good, the nine year old instantly quipped...
Woah, I thought... kids these days ah...
Luckily (for me), we were just arriving at our hotel...
Changing gears, for the very first time in our lives, we welcomed the incoming year in a dive resort...
We were really lucky that the manager was game to go for a night dive to welcome the New Year... a first experience for us...
The six divers in us descended into the ocean at about 11:45 pm; scuba dived around a little bit, and congratulated each other by shaking hands at the first tick of 2007...
Exhilarating, I'd say...
Friday, January 05, 2007
RELAXING AT KK
Am now at KK… not Kuala Kedah but rather Kota Kinabalu…
Due to fly back to Japan via KLIA tonight…
Am on a stopover after spending a few days at RRR aka Roach Reefs Resort…
The dives at RRR were, I would say, pretty interesting…
Took quite a lot of macro pictures of the nudibranches, ghost pipefish, mimic octopus, leaf fish…
And also, parrot fishes, coral trouts, sweetlips, buffalo fish, and the ‘regular’ octopus…
Plus, the barracudas, jacks, catfish, and loads of ikan bilis…
Plan to upload these pictures one at a time to my photo blog (which had been quite neglected for a while now)…
At KK, dined last night at a seafood restaurant at the waterfront…
My eyes popped out when we saw a half meter Napoleon fish in a tank at the restaurant entrance, waiting to be slaughtered…
The Napoleon is a protected fish and I wonder what the authorities are doing to enforce the ruling…
I recall our visit to a pet shop at the Curve Shopping Center at the end of December last year…
At the entrance of a pet shop, a plate stood, proudly announcing that it is the largest pet shop in Malaysia according to the Malaysian Book of Records…
My heart sank upon seeing the mandarin fish, banner fish, seahorses, and surgeon fish among others in the tanks, looking really pathetic…
For what is the anemone fish without the anemone…
What is the shy mandarin fish without the finger corals to hide in…
I shook my head when I saw tube worms that are practically ripped out of their environments, swaying lifelessly in the tanks…
For how long can these creatures survive in a man-made miniature tank…
Anyway, am bracing myself for the cold weather in Japan…
I shall be putting on about five layers of shirts upon reaching Osaka…
Meanwhile, I have no doubt in my mind that we are on a one way path to self destruction…
Man is simply destroying what we have and we seem unable to put a stop to all these acts…
Due to fly back to Japan via KLIA tonight…
Am on a stopover after spending a few days at RRR aka Roach Reefs Resort…
The dives at RRR were, I would say, pretty interesting…
Took quite a lot of macro pictures of the nudibranches, ghost pipefish, mimic octopus, leaf fish…
And also, parrot fishes, coral trouts, sweetlips, buffalo fish, and the ‘regular’ octopus…
Plus, the barracudas, jacks, catfish, and loads of ikan bilis…
Plan to upload these pictures one at a time to my photo blog (which had been quite neglected for a while now)…
At KK, dined last night at a seafood restaurant at the waterfront…
My eyes popped out when we saw a half meter Napoleon fish in a tank at the restaurant entrance, waiting to be slaughtered…
The Napoleon is a protected fish and I wonder what the authorities are doing to enforce the ruling…
I recall our visit to a pet shop at the Curve Shopping Center at the end of December last year…
At the entrance of a pet shop, a plate stood, proudly announcing that it is the largest pet shop in Malaysia according to the Malaysian Book of Records…
My heart sank upon seeing the mandarin fish, banner fish, seahorses, and surgeon fish among others in the tanks, looking really pathetic…
For what is the anemone fish without the anemone…
What is the shy mandarin fish without the finger corals to hide in…
I shook my head when I saw tube worms that are practically ripped out of their environments, swaying lifelessly in the tanks…
For how long can these creatures survive in a man-made miniature tank…
Anyway, am bracing myself for the cold weather in Japan…
I shall be putting on about five layers of shirts upon reaching Osaka…
Meanwhile, I have no doubt in my mind that we are on a one way path to self destruction…
Man is simply destroying what we have and we seem unable to put a stop to all these acts…
Monday, December 25, 2006
KING OF CANNOT SPEAK MANDARIN
I recall a fellow Malaysian student at Nagoya University who took pride in saying that he is, well, the KOCSM...
I will not challenge him for the crown, but yesterday, I moved in lightning fast speed to organize a birthday lunch for my aging, ailing, and wheel-chaired bound mother…
As I walked into the restaurant, I was perplexed to see a handful of young kids, sitting at the table reserved for us…
I was like, hey, what’s this…
Then, it dawn upon me that they are the daughters and sons of my nieces…
Which makes me a, what… grand-uncle? No?
Minutes later, the familiar faces of my nieces and nephews surfaced…
Some of the unmarried but about to be married ones look really smart…
Chic… pretty… attractive…
I don’t get much opportunity to see them…
The obvious reasons being, communication problem…
I can’t speak Mandarin… poor me…
And they cannot really speak English…
Our dialects are different too…
So there I was, tongue tied and struggling as to what to say to them…
Which got me into thinking that I should really, really be picking up Mandarin…
I will not challenge him for the crown, but yesterday, I moved in lightning fast speed to organize a birthday lunch for my aging, ailing, and wheel-chaired bound mother…
As I walked into the restaurant, I was perplexed to see a handful of young kids, sitting at the table reserved for us…
I was like, hey, what’s this…
Then, it dawn upon me that they are the daughters and sons of my nieces…
Which makes me a, what… grand-uncle? No?
Minutes later, the familiar faces of my nieces and nephews surfaced…
Some of the unmarried but about to be married ones look really smart…
Chic… pretty… attractive…
I don’t get much opportunity to see them…
The obvious reasons being, communication problem…
I can’t speak Mandarin… poor me…
And they cannot really speak English…
Our dialects are different too…
So there I was, tongue tied and struggling as to what to say to them…
Which got me into thinking that I should really, really be picking up Mandarin…
Saturday, December 23, 2006
BACK HOME AGAIN
Am now back in Alok Stak again…
The winds were really cool and pleasant this morning…
But by noon, the heat… oooohh…
Shall be spending about 16 days in Malaysia…
First week is reserved for family…
Then, on 29th December, am attending the reunion of my school mates…
Thirty years ago, we were but seventeen year olds…
And on 30th December, we shall head to Roach Reefs for a few days of scuba diving…
Yeeeeee…
Last night, went hunting for what else, but that thorny-thorny fruit…
Had a kampong fruit from Tapah, Perak…
Seven ringgit, and twenty five seeds…
Not too bad lah, considering that this is not the season…
The winds were really cool and pleasant this morning…
But by noon, the heat… oooohh…
Shall be spending about 16 days in Malaysia…
First week is reserved for family…
Then, on 29th December, am attending the reunion of my school mates…
Thirty years ago, we were but seventeen year olds…
And on 30th December, we shall head to Roach Reefs for a few days of scuba diving…
Yeeeeee…
Last night, went hunting for what else, but that thorny-thorny fruit…
Had a kampong fruit from Tapah, Perak…
Seven ringgit, and twenty five seeds…
Not too bad lah, considering that this is not the season…
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