Sunday 26 June 2011

和父亲一起观星



虽然,马来西亚是长夏的国家,天上的星星还是随着四季在转变的。这几晚,因为,天气特别的晴朗,我住的地方光害还没有严重到连一颗星都看不到的程度,所以,我可以很清楚地看到天上现在挂着的是天蝎座。

小时候父亲教我很多的东西。因为他是老师的关系,我的学校功课,一直到初中的科目,都是他和母亲教的。他还教我书法,下象棋, 乒乓,羽球,骑脚车,等等。 可是,他们很严厉,军人似的指导。我并不是那种聪明的孩子,所以,我常常就挨骂,挨打。。。打是疼,骂是爱。。。^ ^我是这么想的。

但是,父亲也把很多自然界的事物也教我了。在兄妹当中,我最小,所以,非常爱撒娇。每次,除了读书外就喜欢粘住父亲。所以,他把很多他知道的关于这个世界的一些奇妙事物教给了我。其中观星是我最喜欢的。^ ^



很奇妙的,对学习这些自然界的东西,教一次就懂了,比念ABC容易了许多!^ ^以前的家,前面是一片未开发的树林,所以,光害很少,很容易就看到漫天的星星。我们没有特别的望远镜,只是学习用肉眼去看。满天的星星象是宇宙赐给人类的礼物一样,非常的美丽!


父亲教我看的第一个星座是猎户座。因为,地球转动的关系,我学会了第二个星座,天蝎座。两个永远都不会碰面的星座。然后,在搬到新的屋子时,因为没有树林的遮挡,我学会了南十字星和北斗七星(大熊星座和小熊星座)



在马来西亚,也实在看不到太多其它的星座。


好兴奋呀!对我来说,这是宝一样的能力。这是和父亲最快乐的沟通方式。我当时也相信,我若在森林迷路了,也不用太过担心,因为,星星会告诉我方向。^ ^ 我们是在宇宙当中的其中一种生物,那么浩瀚的宇宙容纳了我们的存在。我们每天都可以从星群看到过去呀!我常想,今天我看到的光芒可能源头早已不在了。星星距离我们有几千几万光年,我们看到的都是他的过去。在他消失的几千年后,我们才发现它已经消失了。这对我来说有些许的悲哀。但,转个念头,它消失的几千年当中,我们还是一直注视着它,一直都记得它,那也很不错呀!

就像父亲那样,当我们看懂,了解他时,已经发鬓双白了。所以,到今天为止,有机会时,我还是会跟父亲一起观星。虽然,看的还是一样的星座,还是一样的一片天空,但,心境已然不同。^ ^






猎户座

猎户座

猎户座最佳观测日期为十二月上旬至四月上旬。出现时自东南方升起,经天顶后由西南方落下。通常利用排成一直线的腰带三星当其辨别指针,在光害不大的天空易清晰可见。主体由4颗亮星组成一个大四边形,在四方形的中央,有3颗星排成一条直线。人们便把这个四边形想象成昂首挺胸的猎人身体,四边形中的3颗星则是猎人的腰带。。。在Little DJ这部电影里提到,3颗排成直线当中最右边的那颗星对下,还隐藏着一颗星星。因为,不容易被看见,所以,要是能看见那颗星,然后许愿的话,梦想就会实现呢。^ ^







天蝎座

天蝎座



在一年的中段,在日落后的南方天空,天蝎座看上去特别明显。夏天晚上八九点钟的时候,南方离地平线不很高的地方有一颗亮星,这就是天蝎座α星(心宿二)。因为这时候南边低空中多是些暗星,所以它非常显着。找到了这颗星,天蝎座的其它部分就不难认出来了。 
当你看到天蝎座时是看不到猎户座的。。。
由于它们永远保持着一定的距离,永远不在同一边,因此大家在观赏星座时会发觉到,每当天蝎座升起来时,猎户座便躲到地平线下,而反之当猎户座出现在天空时,天蝎也躲藏起来了。他们便如此在天空永远地互相追逐又互相逃避。
在希腊罗马神话,猎户座的故事里有两种说法,其中一个是讲述海神的儿子Orion因为经常夸口自己没有猎不到的猎物,惹怒了天后希拉,因此她派一只毒蝎子去惩罚Orion的狂妄自大。Orion死后变成天上的猎户座,而蝎子则成为天蝎座。这个神话也谋和了为何两个星座不碰面的原因呐!^ ^





南十字星座

星座中主要的亮星组成一个字形,从这个字形的一竖向下方一直划下去,直到约4倍于这一竖的长度的一点就是南天极。在北回归线以南的地方皆可看到整个星座。14世纪航海家郑和七下西洋时,曾用这个星座来导航。北半球大部分地区都看不到此星座.




















大熊星座,小熊星座 大熊座是北方天空中最明亮、最重要的星座之一。著名的北斗七星就在这个星座里。其实,小熊星座尾部的最后一颗星就是北极星。而北极星也同时存在于大熊星座里。北极星并不正好在北极点上,它和北极点还有的距离, 只不过再没有别的星比它更接近北极点了,所以它就近似地被人们视为北极点。
如果我们站在地球的北极,这时北极星就在我们头顶的正上方。在北半球其它地方,人们看到北极星永远在正北方的那个位置上不动。而且,由于地球的自转和公转,北天的星座看上去每天、每年都绕北极星转一圈。尤其是北斗,勺口指向北极星,并绕着它旋转,不知倦怠,永不停歇。古人对此大有感触,在《易经》中写下了天行健,君子自强不息。这样意味深长的话。
人自古就爱许愿。西方人,东方人都一样。是一种寄托,是一种希望。。。看似神秘的星星也成了让人许愿的其中一种。那么,就祝愿大家心想事成’^ ^ 

Cliff Edwards
When You Wish Upon a Star

When you wish upon a star

Makes no difference who you are
Anything your heart desires
Will come to you
If your heart is in your dream
No request is too extreme
When you wish upon a star
As dreamers do
Fate is kind
She brings to those to love
The sweet fulfillment of
Their secret longing
Like a bolt out of the blue
Fate steps in and sees you through
When you wish upon a star
Your dreams come true




Saturday 25 June 2011

Caricature[My Arts (Part lll)]

A caricature人物漫画化 can refer to a portrait that exaggerates or distorts the essence of a person or thing to create an easily identifiable visual likeness. In literature, a caricature is a description of a person using exaggeration of some characteristics and oversimplification of others.


Caricatures can be insulting or complimentary and can serve a political purpose or be drawn solely for entertainment. Caricatures of politicians are commonly used in editorial cartoon, while caricatures of movie stars are often found in entertainment magazines.



Errr... I do not really do my caricature as the above professional style... I prefer 'soft touch' in my drawing, because it represents what I think, therefore, my work look more like a comic character as shown below. ^ ^

This is a Japan 17 years old artist and stage performer--Sakamoto Shogo (阪本奖悟)






It is really fun doing caricature! ^ ^ v but as a beginner it really took me pretty long time to complete one.

Recently, I got to know a young Malaysia caricature artist, Triton Lim. (http://tritonlimartist.blogspot.com/) He earnestly wish to introduce caricature to Malaysian Chinese (which actually very popular in Malay art industry), so he works very hard doing lot of activities in most of the shopping malls, fighting for opportunities to have a space during the book fair, wedding expo, etc.  I went to his stall in Bangsar Mall once and had a short communication with him.

Surprisingly, he is a bit shy and quiet. Instead of watching the walk in customers spend their own sweet time looking at the caricature works he hung in the stall and he quietly stay at the corner looking at them, I started to help him to entertain the walk in customers.

I mean... we must always share the good things... ...^ ^

He will be stronger next time and he will grow big in the future! 

Friday 24 June 2011

驴子

--有一天,有位农夫在耕田的时候,发现一只驴子跌入了一口井里去.他很吃惊,也很关心那只驴子的状况.于是,走到井边去看.一看,发现那是一口枯井.他稍微放心了.但,很快的他又马上想到,`哎呀!我还是没有办法救它起来啊!'看着受伤的驴子痛苦的在井里哀叫,农夫实在不忍心.
他想,长痛不如短痛,让它速速解脱更好吧?于是,拿起锄头就往土地上拿了些泥土丢进井里.那只驴子这次哀叫得更加痛苦.因为,它意识到它就快死了.农夫不停的这样把泥土往井里丢.

过了一阵子,驴子不再哀叫了.农夫以为驴子死了,往里头一看.那驴子不但没死,还不停的抖落身上的泥土,然后站上跌落在井底的泥土上.
农夫兴奋死了,马上赶快又把泥土往里丢.这样努力了一段时间,驴子终于可以跳出来了.--

很多时候,很多关爱会变成`无心伤害'.但是,你能不能分辨出他们用错方式的爱呢?


我曾经遇到这样的事:刚刚在吉隆坡开车的时候,很多路线都不晓得(名副其实的路痴)记得有一次,为了要到市区一个叫Maluri的地方去(当时,住在Shah Alam),打了个电话给一位朋友问路.那位友人连指路都不指就对我说:`你不会的啦!你啊,搭KTM去就可以了.这样比较安全.'马来西亚的公共交通系统...不想多说啊~~

于是,很纳闷的我又去问了另一位朋友.这位朋友这么说:`很简单啊.你这样这样,那样那样...就可以到了.放心,没问题的.'

很大的差别啊!

一个为了不让你迷路,浪费时间建议你用别的方法.另一个为了让你突破自己的框框,让你勇敢去尝试.哪个比较积极呢?如果,我去用了第一位朋友的方法,我可能若干年后才会去Maluri这个地方吧?

但是,那位朋友是‘看不起’我吗?也未必,她就是爱操心,她只是觉得那样对我比较好。

错误的关爱里有时候是模式性的限制了很多的可能性。错误的关爱里,有时是用了不适当的言语或方法。比如说:

一位妈妈为了让她的五岁孩子可以吃下更多的食物,到如今还让她吃煮得稀烂不必咬噬就可吞下的粥。还没关系,为了使孩子可在粥冷掉前吃完,她选择喂那孩子进食,而不是让她学习自己进食。

五岁的时候,很多人应该已经会拿筷子了吧?爱他,反而害了他。

骂你,不一定是讨厌你。觉得你不行,不一定是看不起你。

最重要的是,我们是否读懂了他们的意识?在明白他们的好意后,扭转一切?
让他们安心不一定是遵从。让自己成长才是对他们的回应。^ ^

Thursday 23 June 2011

Wagashi-Japanese Sweets おいしい!^^

 I'm a Japanese food lover especially the Japenese Sweet which call Wagashi
Wagashi (和菓子) is a traditional Japanese confectionery which is often served with tea, especially the types made mochi azuki bean paste(red bean paste), and fruits.Wagashi is typically made from natural (mainly plant) ingredients. The names used for wagashi commonly fit a formula—a natural beauty and a word from ancient literature.Japanese sweets has over twelve-hundred history, it originated from the Chinese elixir of life.
In Edo period, it had incorporated the technique of the western sweets. After over hundreds years' harmonizing of both sweets, Japanese sweets had established as one of the Japanese own cultures. 
Japanese sweets is full of seasonal taste and consisted of aesthetic sense and colors of four seasons, such as a pink colored rice cake rolled with cherry leaf in spring, as a sweet jellied bean paste in summer. Most of names of Japanese sweets are based with the beauties and scenes of the nature, traditional Japanese poetries, literature, local history, name of the place and etc.
And also, Japanese sweets is very important fact on various cultural events of Japanese people's life, such from a birth to entry to school to marriage to funeral. 
Wagashi are classified according to the production method and moisture content. Moisture content is very important since it affects the best-before date.
  • Namagashi
  •  (生菓子) (wet confectionery)—contains 30% or more moisture.
  • Jō namagashi
  •  (上生菓子), very soft and delicate seasonally varying namagashi, in various, often elaborate, shapes and colors, often reflecting seasonal plants. Some stores will have many dozens over the course of a year.
  • Mochi
  • mono (もち物)
  • Mushi
  • mono (蒸し物)
  • Yaki
  • mono (焼き物)
  • Hiranabe
  • mono (平なべ物)
  • Ōbun
  • mono (オーブン物)
  • Nagashi
  • mono (流し物)
  • Neri
  • mono (練り物)
  • Age mono
  •  (揚げ物)
  • Han namagashi
  •  (半生菓子) (half-wet confectionery)—contains 10%–30% moisture.
  • An mono
  •  (あん物)
  • Oka
  • mono (おか物)
  • Yaki
  • mono (焼き物)
  • Hiranabe
  • mono (平なべ物)
  • Ōbun
  • mono (オーブン物)
  • Nagashi
  • mono (流し物)
  • Neri
  • mono (練り物)
  • Higashi
  • (干菓子) (dry confectionery)—contains 10% or less moisture.
  • Uchi
  • mono (打ち物)
  • Oshi
  • mono (押し物)
  • Kake
  • mono (掛け物)
  • Yaki
  • mono (焼き物)
  • Ame mono
  •  (あめ物)

After a trip to Japan last year in 2010, I totally fall in love with Wagashi.  It is the ultimate intersection with food and art which I respect very much! ^ ^ 
It is an invitation to indulge all five sense:-
Taste

Appearance












Scent
Texture







Sound


Japanese cuisine- 日本料理 has it unique inner philosophy. The food look simple, but it does not simply just food. From ingredients to technique, the Japanese always demanding for perfection.Japanese cuisine is simple but difficult. Because the steps are simple, therefore, every details must have a certain quality and standard, that any short cuts is not allowed. Just like the calligraphy, simple but not easy! (简单,不简单) The Japanese will always hold  with their philosophy of ' I'm with my sincere heart to make the best food for you!' and very importantly, they take care of the food hygiene as well. This is actually part of the philosophy too. (GKP -good kitchen practice, 厨德 )

They are so lovely and is very hard to eat them! ^ ^
          My Wagashi learning experiences:-
My first experience of doing wagashi is with Ikuko san (郁子), she taught me how to make dango丸子. It really look simple initially. With very simple ingredients(only 2 ingredients for foaming the dango, and 3 ingredient for the seasoning) and steps, you can make dango.  
So, when I try to make it on my own at home, I fail for more then 5 times and started to think whether I had brought the wrong ingredient?? The dango that I made couldn't float in the boiling water, it was so sticky and taste like uncooked. 
Hoho! And then comes one day, I was struggling because couldn't sleep for the whole night, even though I have tried many ways. Then, I told myself 'why not go and do dango?' ^ ^ Eventually, I had made it after a few tries!! とても 嬉しかった!(^ ^)v  It actually taste like our Chinese traditional food Tang Yuan, 汤圆.  
これは いちご大福.(ichigo daifuku) This was the second experience of learning to make wagashiMy sensei is Hiromi san (宏実),she have been teaching wagashi in Japan for many years and yet she is still doing it after she moved to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia!   ^ ^  
I got to know her from my Mandarin class. She made lots of wonderful Japanese sweets and she have her website at http://yorokombu.exblog.jp/ (in Japanese) 
Daifuku mean happiness. Again, very less ingredients needed, but I had tried many times, it doesn't really work out. =_= Taste, appearance, texture... ぜんぜん だめ.  
A dull edge utensil use for tasting wagashi. Beautiful!
My last try was on last Sunday, had shown little progress of improvement. ^ ^ Finally, able to share some with friends. 





I really wish that the person who ate them, felt the happiness. This was my wish when made this Daifuku. For me, food represent the heart of a person who made it. Therefore, I always believe that, if I put in the spirit of love, then, the person who ate them can get the love and felt lucky for the whole day. ^ ^ 

Butter and milk is rarely used in the wagashi cooking, therefore, it is suitable for everybody. It can also be pretty sweet which goes well with strong green tea. 
When I learn to make daifuku with Hiromi san, I have got a chance to see the tea ceremony. These are all the utensils(chawan-tea bowl, natsume-green tea powder container, chasen-the bamboo tea-whisk, chashaku-green tea macha scoop,etc) that needed during the tea ceremony. Amazing! seeing her making the macha green tea. 
She took the Chasen in the right hand and hold the Chawan with the left hand to make sure it doesn’t tumble over when whisking. Whisk the Oyu and Macha to froth with about half of the Chawan covered with foam.  When the green-tea froth is well mixed, finish by drawing a の (No) shape in the Chawan so that the foam floats in the center.  

WAU! ^ ^ とても おいしかった。。。