Yuan’s work

天高地阔

女儿的听写作业。有一个词是“天高地阔”。

I was simply captivated by the beauty of it. That is the special charm of our language.

天高地阔。

- Whistle While You Work (lyrics)

"Just whistle while you work
And cheerfully together we can tidy up the place
So hum a merry tune
It won't take long when there's a song to help you set the pace

 

And as you sweep the room
Imagine that the broom is someone that you love
And soon you'll find you're dancing to the tune

 

When hearts are high the time will fly so whistle while you work"

I love you too

She follows me, from one room to another, talking and talking. She is excited to tell me all the "funny" stories happened at school. A boy changed the words of a poem and made everybody laugh. I am glad they can have fun under their teacher's sharp eyes.

We have set a timer for a few things she has to do. She was willing to try, and happily found that she can do things quickly.

I should have patience to wait for her growing. Nature has its own magic. When one part slows down, it is most likely that other parts are developing. I should not be hard on her. She is such a sweet kid.

I feel like in some way, I am growing together with her.

The other day she took home two lamb strings from her school lunch, and told me they were tasty. "Why did you not eat them?" I asked and realized instantly, "You'd like ME to enjoy them?" She nodded her head. The lamb was her favourite of school lunch, and they don't supply it often.


Once we went shopping. She was only 3 or 4 that year. On the long way walking back home, we both were very tired and with all the shopping bags in my hands, I could not carry her. It started to sprinkle lightly, we had to walk fast. She walked ahead of me. She was so tired she did not speak much. And then as I looked at her face, she said to me, "It is a raindrop." She would not like me to know she was shedding tears.

Every time when I am tired and fall asleep, she would walk quietly and never make a noise. She is a sensitive kid, which I think might not be a good thing. But she is a happy girl, even in her sleep she giggles and laughs. And she gets along well with other kids, even the most spoiled ones.

It is true that kids love their parents more than we imagine. My dear little girl does. I want to say I love you too, my darling little daughter!

cuckoo

Summer is here.

"Coo-coo, coo-coo", cuckoos are singing in the air.

Yuan wakes to cuckoo's call in the morning. She is happy to begin the day on that melody, which is my favorite too.

I have seen cuckoos flying at dusk, but never seen then clearly since they are very fast. Here is another picture:

http://www.stjohnbeachguide.com/information photos/mangrove-cuckoo.jpg

大地的孩子

我是一个小小的孩子
在大地的怀抱里成长

当满天的星星眨起眼睛的时候
我把脸颊贴在大地温暖的胸膛
天籁之声围绕我的梦境
露水打湿我的睫毛

当清晨的阳光抚摸我的头发
我感到凉凉的空气里
满满的爱的气息

当我赤脚在温润的土地上
自由奔跑的时候
风声如歌
我是大地的小小的孩子

(on Mother's Day)

sprouts

Last week we put some seeds in moist soil! Cosmos, sunflowers, and 4 o’clock seeds. It would be special our little place beside the window looks like a field.

The cosmos came out first, then the sunflowers'. Delicate and cute little things! I just can’t wait till they bloom! Yuan will have a chance to observe how sunflowers turn with the sun!

"Love Is A Many Splendored Thing"

I just know a new song from American Idol, Love Is A Many Splendored Thing. It's an old song, just new to me. It really touched me when Barry Manilow sang it on stage. Here's the lyrics.

"Love is a many splendored thing
It's the April rose that only grows in the early spring
Love is nature's way of giving
a reason to be living
The golden crown that makes a man a king
Once on a high and windy hill
In the morning mist two lovers kissed and the world stood still
Then your fingers touched my silent heart and taught it how to sing
Yes, true love's a many splendored thing

Once on a high and windy hill
In the morning mist two lovers kissed and the world stood still
Then your fingers touched my silent heart and taught it how to sing
Yes, true love's a many splendored thing"



瞧瞧俺蒸的大馒头

Yuan made the fish!

The Little Prince

"My life is very monotonous," the fox said. "I hunt chickens; men hunt me. All the chickens are just alike, and all the men are just alike. And, in consequence, I am a little bored. But if you tame me, it will be as if the sun came to shine on my life . I shall know the sound of a step that will be different from all the others. Other steps send me hurrying back underneath the ground. Yours will call me, like music, out of my burrow. And then look: you see the grain-fields down yonder? I do not eat bread. Wheat is of no use to me. The wheat fields have nothing to say to me. And that is sad. But you have hair that is the colour of gold. Think how wonderful that will be when you have tamed me! The grain, which is also golden, will bring me back the thought of you. And I shall love to listen to the wind in the wheat…"

The fox gazed at the little prince, for a long time.

"Please – tame me! " he said.

…

So the little prince tamed the fox. And when the hour of his departure drew near –

"Ah, " said the fox, "I shall cry. "

…

"Then it has done you no good at all! "


"It has done me good," said the fox, “because of the colour of the wheat fields."

mullet - 清蒸梭鱼

The grocery supplies fresh mullet fish these days. Every time I go there I buy some. It has become one of our favorites on the table.

Mullet fish is one of the best for steaming. Ten minutes steaming is all right. Yuan can eat a big one at one meal. Me too.

a book, Democracy in America

I read the book Democracy in America, by Alexis de Tocqueville(1805--1859).It is online.

It's interesting compared with what is going on here. As I read it, what attracts me is how people think and act. I pay attention to the spirits and views of ordinary people, rather than political events. I like to see the world through ordinary things. This book provides an angle and some examples.

I realized long time ago that democracy is not just about a regime or social system. Democracy is the attitude of people. It is how we see the world and ourselves. It is self-respect and respect for others. Democracy resides in our own heart, and guides our behavors.

Equality is at the core. Just like the author writes, "equality of condition is the fundamental fact from which all others seem to be derived...".

Sadly, most people in our society haven't realized the value of equality. They think of themselves as being either superior or inferior. It is totally the outcome of being misguided.

Things are changing rapidly here, along a different track, or more precisely no track at all. No one can tell what will happen next. I guess if one day we finally obtain the dream of democracy, most likely it is very different from that of other countries. We have so heavy burdens on our back, from the past thousands of years.

石油是怎么形成的

Dinner time.

Yuan asked me how oil was formed...

"Well, oil was formed from the remains of sea animals and..." I said.

"I see. " she said. "No wonder they always put up a SHELL sign at gas stations."

Winter Solstice--2:22am

Today is the winter solstice, the shortest sunlit day of the year. This day, in the northern hemisphere, we are tilted farthest away from the sun.

We celebrated the winter solstice when I lived in the countryside years ago. We would make an ear-shaped food on this day, to wish we go through winter safely and well. According to folklore, eating it would keep our ears from freezing. We know that, as the coldness accumulates, the coldest time of the year is coming. But, days begin to lengthen, and warmth is just ahead.

苹果房子

苹果房子

一天，小仙女要去cǎi gòu。他提着小筐子，很神气。他cǎi了蘑菇又cǎi菜，还ná着小网捉蝴蝶。小仙女把这些东西放在家里……
I found the writing when cleaning the bookshelf. Obviously Yuan wrote it when she started to learn characters. She also painted a big apple beside these words!!

小家伙开始思索深奥的问题啦

One day my daughter asked, “Being selfish is to protect oneself, right?” “Yes.”
She is thinking about big questions now.

饭桌上, 女儿问：“自私是一种自我保护，对吗？”我想了一下，说：“对。”------哈，小家伙开始思索深奥的问题啦！

红烧肉

　　做红烧肉，挑肉最关键。肉要五花肉，也叫肋条肉。肋条肉要挑夹精夹肥的。好的肋条肉可以夹上近十层；稍差一点的，只有四五层；再差的，一层皮，一层肥肉，一层瘦肉，就完了。就算是差的肉，也有讲究，要看是肥肉多，还是瘦肉多，如果是瘦肉多的话，尚可勉强，反之，则万万不能选用。肉不要买得太少，两斤至三斤为佳。这道菜，如果用半斤肉去烧，绝对烧不好。

　　肉洗净，切成麻将牌大小正方形的块。不要切得太小，太小易缩易碎。切完后，用冷水浸没，水中放半杯料酒。这样可以浸去毛细血管中的血水，酒易于肉纤维吸收，去除肉腥。肉不宜久浸，久浸则鲜味尽失，浸十五分钟左右即可。

　　找一个大锅，把肉再洗一遍后放入。加水，水要浸没肉，并高起两寸以上。水要一次放够，就算万一中间要加水，记得要加开水。

　　点火，火要开到最大。水中再放料酒，和半调羹醋。醋可以让肉质膨松，更容易烧酥。如果手头有干山楂，放入效果更好，香味更足。水开后，撇去浮沫。大火滚煮半小时左右，改用小火，火的大小以水面不沸为准，炖至少一个小时。炖的时间越长越好。这时，肉用筷轻戳即通。

　　然后换到铁炒锅里，开著盖子烧。放酱油。酱油放得太早，肉沾到盐份便烧不酥；放得太晚，只有外层的肉被染上色，不能入味。火呢，要比刚才炖的时候大一点，但也不用开得极大。酱油要选色深但不是太咸的。酱油分老抽和生抽，老抽其实是放了焦糖的，我们要的就是这种；生抽呢，则是色淡味咸，不能用。

　　这样，再煮上半个小时，锅里的水也差不多了。此时，该放糖了。糖，要舍得多放。糖的数量，大约一斤肉一两糖。最好用冰糖，冰糖味纯，透明度也高，乃是烧这道菜的关键。放糖的时候，火要开大。

　　放入糖后，汤水会慢慢地厚起来，可以轻轻地翻动肉块。等到汤水变得更加浓厚，有油亮泛起来，这道菜就烧好了。

　　这便是正宗的苏式红烧肉，除酒、醋、酱油和糖之外，全无其它调料，是谓原汁原味。

　　附：有的饭店，先用油炸，再加姜、加茴香、加酱油炒，然后加糖，再用淀粉，撒上葱花就算好了。那种红烧肉，往往会吃得人口干舌燥，肠胃不适。

绿豆凉皮

      买了几片绿豆凉皮，试着与黄瓜丝凉拌……结果出乎我的预料，真是好吃极了……所以要记下来，一是庆贺，二是以防忘记制作流程。

      我对凉拌菜一直都是敬而远之的，除了凉拌海带，其它的总是做不好，所以今天这个小小的成功，具有里程碑的意义。非常满意。一口气全吃光了，连菜汤都没剩。

      凉皮切片，黄瓜切细丝；打芝麻酱，加一点水和王致和玫瑰腐乳的浓汁，水要一点一点的边打边加；蒜压碎。凉皮放大碗里，放上黄瓜丝，加两小勺珍极酱油，再滴少许醋，加入压碎的蒜，倒入打好的芝麻酱（这时已经不浓了），用筷子调拌几下就好了。

      整个过程的关键是蒜汁，蒜汁此时赋予味觉的是一种新鲜的、清爽的感受。Here the key is sesame jam and crushed garlic, which make the dish tasty and refreshing. I sure will have a cool summer with this dish on my table every now and then.