Monday, October 3, 2011
11:30 am. La Foa
Last Saturday I took a trip all day into the deep blue sea of southern Pacific Ocean. It was not my first voyage to the sea here but this time it added a new and fantastic experiences to my life. I followed a stingray, and later saw two more of them, and a huge sea turtle around on the compound of the world's second most largest barrier reef.
I also tried fishing in the deep sea outside the prohibited zone of New Caledonian sea. The fishing method I used was simple with a roll of string, a small hook and a piece of squid for one fish at a time. I got five fish, two rather big fish and three smaller fish. We had them for our dinner the following day. So I think I am not cruel without ration.
Gigi
2554/10/02
Warmer air in New Caledonia
Monday, October 3, 2011
10:42 am. in La Foa, New Caledonia
Good morning:) It is warmer on the island of New Caledonia including Boulouparis and La Foa. I checked the morning temperature at my sister's house in Boulouparis for the past 4-5 days. It has been rising, from 13 C days back to 20 C this morning. Last evening it was heavily raining, too. The rain paused for a short while before falling more heavily all night. The sky this morning was still gloomy with very dark gray clouds.
My brother-in-law said heavy rainstorms sent some strong vibration in the air and passed through our area during the night. Well, I slept soundly in my bedroom and heard nothing. Thank heaven. A few days ago he showed me his video clips about the latest cyclone attack in Boulouparis. The scenes looked scary despite no serious damage shown.
According to my siter, at that time, the house was still under construction and the walls were not complete. The gusty wind and heavy rain hit the place continuously for two days. Although my sister and her husband were lucky to stay safe under their unfinished shelter, they said they were so exhausted that they would do nothing to cope with that cyclone if it had continued another day.
Now the temperature during the day can rise up to 30 C in the afternoon before it descends later in the evening. I can put on a T-shirt and jeans and no more for a long-sleeved thick T-shirt and a pullover.
Gigi
10:42 am. in La Foa, New Caledonia
Good morning:) It is warmer on the island of New Caledonia including Boulouparis and La Foa. I checked the morning temperature at my sister's house in Boulouparis for the past 4-5 days. It has been rising, from 13 C days back to 20 C this morning. Last evening it was heavily raining, too. The rain paused for a short while before falling more heavily all night. The sky this morning was still gloomy with very dark gray clouds.
My brother-in-law said heavy rainstorms sent some strong vibration in the air and passed through our area during the night. Well, I slept soundly in my bedroom and heard nothing. Thank heaven. A few days ago he showed me his video clips about the latest cyclone attack in Boulouparis. The scenes looked scary despite no serious damage shown.
According to my siter, at that time, the house was still under construction and the walls were not complete. The gusty wind and heavy rain hit the place continuously for two days. Although my sister and her husband were lucky to stay safe under their unfinished shelter, they said they were so exhausted that they would do nothing to cope with that cyclone if it had continued another day.
Now the temperature during the day can rise up to 30 C in the afternoon before it descends later in the evening. I can put on a T-shirt and jeans and no more for a long-sleeved thick T-shirt and a pullover.
Gigi
2554/09/29
My lunch on the bank of a wild creek in Farino
Friday, September 30, 2011
3:04 pm. in La Foa
I am full after our lunch picnic on the bank of a small but beautiful creek in the town of Farino. Farino is the smallest community of New Caledonia. It is mainly located in the mountain, like a small village in fairy tales. I went there 4-5 times already--to have lunch, visit a hill-top market and its annual fair, have a sightseeing and join my brother-in-law to visit the house of one of his customers near there. This time my sister and my brother in law took me to enjoy a simple lunch picnic in the mountain during their office lunch break. Here, lunch break is from 11: 30 am. to 1: 30 pm.
We left the shop a bit later after 11:30 am. and drove away further from La Foa for about 10 minutes. From the highway or main road, we turned right at the direction sign to Farino and Saramea until seeing the separated route to Farino, we took a left turn. We drove to find a good spot so we could enjoy our meal while taking time to appreciate the surroundings. The first spot was nice--next to a creek but too many witnesses nearby ---several big cows and oxen were grazing grass and leafs on the banks of and in the creek. So, we changed our mind and retreated to a small road further uphill.
Next, we saw a better spot just on the left side of the road. A few steps down we could see spatial room under the shed of big trees and shrubs there. Next to that space was a crystal clear current of a stream flowing from the mountain top. Perfect.
I spent only five minutes having my simple meal--French bread, butter, smoked ham and frushed down my snack potato chips with fresh water. Done for the meal. My mission and mind were already set for the exquisite beauty of natural surroundings.
Just seeing everything in front of me was terrific. I felt like being in the deep green forest, listening to the water flowing down in the stream and the noises of some birds hiding amid the thick canopies of those big trees and shrubs as well as seeing small blue butterflies, the endemic insects found only in this island flying jubilantly near me. The water in the stream was so clear that I could see the bright blue sky above reflected on its surface. The air was warm and cool with some shy breezes from time to time.
I noticed only small fish and fresh water insects in the stream but my brother in law seemed to have better vision. He saw tadpoles. There must be some frogs living in this area. Several kinds of plants and trees appeared here; too bad I knew only a few including wild water apple, mango, giant fern, eucalyptus, ratten, big wild muhroom, some wild orchid on the trees, for example.
We spent less than two hours there but it was truly a great refresh for all of us. I love nature and wish other people to see and appreciate this amazing creativity that we have on this blue planet. It is free and available to everyone. It has been healthy with this planet millions of years until humans arrived. One word I could think of, man is the real destroyer. Worse, man can always find any excuses to destroy tnature while makes such actions sound and necessary. :(
Okay, enough for my complaint. I don't want to drive my readers away.
Gigi
3:04 pm. in La Foa
I am full after our lunch picnic on the bank of a small but beautiful creek in the town of Farino. Farino is the smallest community of New Caledonia. It is mainly located in the mountain, like a small village in fairy tales. I went there 4-5 times already--to have lunch, visit a hill-top market and its annual fair, have a sightseeing and join my brother-in-law to visit the house of one of his customers near there. This time my sister and my brother in law took me to enjoy a simple lunch picnic in the mountain during their office lunch break. Here, lunch break is from 11: 30 am. to 1: 30 pm.
We left the shop a bit later after 11:30 am. and drove away further from La Foa for about 10 minutes. From the highway or main road, we turned right at the direction sign to Farino and Saramea until seeing the separated route to Farino, we took a left turn. We drove to find a good spot so we could enjoy our meal while taking time to appreciate the surroundings. The first spot was nice--next to a creek but too many witnesses nearby ---several big cows and oxen were grazing grass and leafs on the banks of and in the creek. So, we changed our mind and retreated to a small road further uphill.
Next, we saw a better spot just on the left side of the road. A few steps down we could see spatial room under the shed of big trees and shrubs there. Next to that space was a crystal clear current of a stream flowing from the mountain top. Perfect.
I spent only five minutes having my simple meal--French bread, butter, smoked ham and frushed down my snack potato chips with fresh water. Done for the meal. My mission and mind were already set for the exquisite beauty of natural surroundings.
Just seeing everything in front of me was terrific. I felt like being in the deep green forest, listening to the water flowing down in the stream and the noises of some birds hiding amid the thick canopies of those big trees and shrubs as well as seeing small blue butterflies, the endemic insects found only in this island flying jubilantly near me. The water in the stream was so clear that I could see the bright blue sky above reflected on its surface. The air was warm and cool with some shy breezes from time to time.
I noticed only small fish and fresh water insects in the stream but my brother in law seemed to have better vision. He saw tadpoles. There must be some frogs living in this area. Several kinds of plants and trees appeared here; too bad I knew only a few including wild water apple, mango, giant fern, eucalyptus, ratten, big wild muhroom, some wild orchid on the trees, for example.
We spent less than two hours there but it was truly a great refresh for all of us. I love nature and wish other people to see and appreciate this amazing creativity that we have on this blue planet. It is free and available to everyone. It has been healthy with this planet millions of years until humans arrived. One word I could think of, man is the real destroyer. Worse, man can always find any excuses to destroy tnature while makes such actions sound and necessary. :(
Okay, enough for my complaint. I don't want to drive my readers away.
Gigi
From La Foa, New Caledonia
Friday, September 29, 2011
11: 22 am.
I am still on holidays in New Caledonia. It has been my 20th days here already; time flies indeed. I spent the past two weeks travelling and exploring New Caledonia after my last trip here in 2001. Many things changed and some of those changes are enormous and scary---including the construction and expansion of nickel plants in this country.
oops, gotta go for lunch with my sister now. we will have our lunch picnic on the river bank or seaside nearby. Tell you later.
GIGI
11: 22 am.
I am still on holidays in New Caledonia. It has been my 20th days here already; time flies indeed. I spent the past two weeks travelling and exploring New Caledonia after my last trip here in 2001. Many things changed and some of those changes are enormous and scary---including the construction and expansion of nickel plants in this country.
oops, gotta go for lunch with my sister now. we will have our lunch picnic on the river bank or seaside nearby. Tell you later.
GIGI
2554/09/13
My 2nd trip in New Caledonia
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
11: 00 am. in La Foa, New Caledonia
Good morning, I am back and will tell you more from another corner of the world. I am now in New Caledonia :)
miss you all,
Gigi;)
11: 00 am. in La Foa, New Caledonia
Good morning, I am back and will tell you more from another corner of the world. I am now in New Caledonia :)
miss you all,
Gigi;)
2554/05/28
Hot Saturday
Saturday, May 28, 2011
6:14 pm.
It is very hot , that's the only thing I want to complain about this Saturday. Others are good--bright blue sky, white fluffy clouds, breezes, nice and cleaned smell laundry and green trees at my balcony.
It is rainy season and rain has been with us almost everyday more or less. But today the bright, clear sky gave me hope that my two days humid laundry will finally get dry.
I went out in early afternoon to visit mom and brought her calcium supplement. That supplement is good for her health. Bones at her age, or even my age, are no longer as strong as they once were. Besides that, I brought two big boxes of cat food cans. The roof top cat recently gave birth again, according to mom when I visited her last week. Soft meal would be good for both mom cat and her young babies.
My schedule was first included shopping at Weekend Market. But hot weather put me off. I drove back home once I left mom's house. I was afraid that I may melt before I finish shopping.
That's all for today activities. I will check on some DVDs at the DVD rental shop later.
:)
6:14 pm.
It is very hot , that's the only thing I want to complain about this Saturday. Others are good--bright blue sky, white fluffy clouds, breezes, nice and cleaned smell laundry and green trees at my balcony.
It is rainy season and rain has been with us almost everyday more or less. But today the bright, clear sky gave me hope that my two days humid laundry will finally get dry.
I went out in early afternoon to visit mom and brought her calcium supplement. That supplement is good for her health. Bones at her age, or even my age, are no longer as strong as they once were. Besides that, I brought two big boxes of cat food cans. The roof top cat recently gave birth again, according to mom when I visited her last week. Soft meal would be good for both mom cat and her young babies.
My schedule was first included shopping at Weekend Market. But hot weather put me off. I drove back home once I left mom's house. I was afraid that I may melt before I finish shopping.
That's all for today activities. I will check on some DVDs at the DVD rental shop later.
:)
2554/05/03
2554/03/22
Recipes for the lazy
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
It is approching 6 pm. in Bangkok. I am still full from my big lunch. It was late lunch because I spent some time taking photos of the food and cleaning kitchen utensils. I do not like leaving dirty kitchenware in my sink, except when I have some urgent task to finish first.
I didn't have any menu in mind until 11.30 am. But I did take out some chicken from the fridge to let it thaw earlier. I had no Thai basil leaves, so, forget chicken stirfry with Thai basil, one of my favorite dishes. But I had pumpkin with its very nice yellow meat, spring onion, celantro, lemon grass, fresh cucumbers and juicy red tomatos. Also, some fermented minced pork and Chinese kale from a couple days ago need to be cooked before they became too old in my fridge.
I needed some garlic, limes and chili. Perfect, I found them at the corner of my fridge's veggy compartment. And of course, my kitchen never lacks salt, fish sauce, ground pepper, cooking oil, oyster sauce and sugar.
So, my lunch would be Chinese Kale stirfry in oyster sauce, fermented minced pork garden salad and northern styled pumkin soup with chicken. They were perfect dishes with steamed jasmine rice.
I cleaned all vegetables with water first to make sure of least insecticide or some other chemicals, germs, worms, dirt and other uninvited guests in my dishes.
Get rid of some rotten parts or leaves. Do not cut them in small pieces before cleaning them with water because you may lose some good vitamin, such as vitamin B and C, through water.
FFollow me and you can try my lazy recipes:
-Smash chinese kale stems. Don't cut them in small pieces.
-Smash some cloves of garlic( and some fresh chili if you prefer spicy taste).
- some cooking oil, oyster sauce, salt/fish sauce, sugar and ground pepper.
How to cook:
-Heat cooking oil and throw in garlic (and chili). Stir till it smells a bit, add oyster sauce, some salt/fish sauce ( watch out! Oyster sauce is usually salty already) and little bit of sugar. Stir.
-Put kale in the mixture, wait 1-2 minutes, turn over the kale to let it mix well with boiling sauce. Add a little water only if too dry. Never put too much water in vegetable stirfry because water usually comes out from vegetables later.
-Turn off the stove. Take the kale up in the plate, put it nicely and topple it with the sauce from the pan. sprinkle it with ground pepper.
- Slice fresh cucumber, tomato,
- Cut spring opinion, celantro
- Cut fermented minced pork in small pieces
- Smash fresh chili, a few cloves of garlic,
- Squeeze lime to get fresh lime juice. Do not squeeze it strongly if you don't want its bitter taste from lime skin mixed in the juice.
- some fish sauce, sugar
How to cook:
Throw fermented minced pork, cucumber and tomato in a big bowl. Add fish sauce,chili, lime juice and tiny bit of surgar. Toss all ingredients together.
-Put it in a plate and garnish it with spring onion and celantro.
- Cut pumkin in small pieces, but not too thin or too thick. Pumpkin takes some time to cook but once it is cooked, it can be soft very quickly.
- Smash lemon grass and cut it in 1-inch length pieces
- Cut chicken in big cubes.
- Cut spring onion and celantro in small pieces
- Use food blender or motar and pestle to make chili paste for the soup. Blend garlic and fresh chili together, then add shrimp paste and mix altogether.
How to cook:
- Boil water ( not too much water), add the prepared paste, lemon grass and pumkin while waiting for the water to boil
-When pumkin turns a bit soft, add chicken while the soup is boiling,
- Add salt/fish sauce, stir. Wait untill chicken is cooked.
-Turn off the stove. Put the soup in the bowl. Garnish it with spring onion and celantro.
Ready to execute them, but make sure you have steamed jasmine rice ready on your table. :)
Attack!
It is approching 6 pm. in Bangkok. I am still full from my big lunch. It was late lunch because I spent some time taking photos of the food and cleaning kitchen utensils. I do not like leaving dirty kitchenware in my sink, except when I have some urgent task to finish first.
I didn't have any menu in mind until 11.30 am. But I did take out some chicken from the fridge to let it thaw earlier. I had no Thai basil leaves, so, forget chicken stirfry with Thai basil, one of my favorite dishes. But I had pumpkin with its very nice yellow meat, spring onion, celantro, lemon grass, fresh cucumbers and juicy red tomatos. Also, some fermented minced pork and Chinese kale from a couple days ago need to be cooked before they became too old in my fridge.
I needed some garlic, limes and chili. Perfect, I found them at the corner of my fridge's veggy compartment. And of course, my kitchen never lacks salt, fish sauce, ground pepper, cooking oil, oyster sauce and sugar.
So, my lunch would be Chinese Kale stirfry in oyster sauce, fermented minced pork garden salad and northern styled pumkin soup with chicken. They were perfect dishes with steamed jasmine rice.
I cleaned all vegetables with water first to make sure of least insecticide or some other chemicals, germs, worms, dirt and other uninvited guests in my dishes.
Get rid of some rotten parts or leaves. Do not cut them in small pieces before cleaning them with water because you may lose some good vitamin, such as vitamin B and C, through water.
FFollow me and you can try my lazy recipes:
Chinese kale stirfry with oyster sauce
-Smash some cloves of garlic( and some fresh chili if you prefer spicy taste).
- some cooking oil, oyster sauce, salt/fish sauce, sugar and ground pepper.
How to cook:
-Heat cooking oil and throw in garlic (and chili). Stir till it smells a bit, add oyster sauce, some salt/fish sauce ( watch out! Oyster sauce is usually salty already) and little bit of sugar. Stir.
-Put kale in the mixture, wait 1-2 minutes, turn over the kale to let it mix well with boiling sauce. Add a little water only if too dry. Never put too much water in vegetable stirfry because water usually comes out from vegetables later.
-Turn off the stove. Take the kale up in the plate, put it nicely and topple it with the sauce from the pan. sprinkle it with ground pepper.
Fermented minced pork garden salad
- Cut spring opinion, celantro
- Cut fermented minced pork in small pieces
- Smash fresh chili, a few cloves of garlic,
- Squeeze lime to get fresh lime juice. Do not squeeze it strongly if you don't want its bitter taste from lime skin mixed in the juice.
- some fish sauce, sugar
How to cook:
Throw fermented minced pork, cucumber and tomato in a big bowl. Add fish sauce,chili, lime juice and tiny bit of surgar. Toss all ingredients together.
-Put it in a plate and garnish it with spring onion and celantro.
Northern styled pumpkin soup
- Smash lemon grass and cut it in 1-inch length pieces
- Cut chicken in big cubes.
- Cut spring onion and celantro in small pieces
- Use food blender or motar and pestle to make chili paste for the soup. Blend garlic and fresh chili together, then add shrimp paste and mix altogether.
How to cook:
- Boil water ( not too much water), add the prepared paste, lemon grass and pumkin while waiting for the water to boil
-When pumkin turns a bit soft, add chicken while the soup is boiling,
- Add salt/fish sauce, stir. Wait untill chicken is cooked.
-Turn off the stove. Put the soup in the bowl. Garnish it with spring onion and celantro.
Ready to execute them, but make sure you have steamed jasmine rice ready on your table. :)
Attack!
2554/03/20
urgent menus
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Pictures first, details later. :)
Mouth 's watering yet? :)
Pictures first, details later. :)
  |
| Chinese kale stirfry with garlic and oyster sauce |
 |
| Tofu-n-vegetable stirfry |
 |
| Dipping sauce for mango or sour fruits |
 |
| mango |
 |
| Marinated Porkchop |
 |
| Cucumber stirfry with egg and grass noodle |
 |
| Fermented minced pork garden salad |
 |
| Grass noodle and pork soup |
 |
| Wild mushroom spicy soup |
 |
Ivy goud leaves and minced pork soup |
 |
Steamed wonton stuffed with minced pork  |
Mouth 's watering yet? :)
2554/03/06
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